My Favorite Books

Everyone has stories they love. Ones that stick with us no matter how long ago we experienced them and some that we reread to stay fresh. Here’s my top picks!

Swiss Family Robinson – Johann David Wyss

An oldie but a goody. If you haven’t given this a read, it’s pretty good. It’s a book about a family that survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a deserted island. The physical copy I grew up with has beautiful illustrations of some of the major locations and events of the book which is always a nice bonus. This story is similar to the last in that my favorite part about it is the escapism. The family faces a few obstacles but much of their troubles are but a bump in the road; they overcome most difficulties with absurd ease. While this may seem like a flaw, I love it because it keeps the story from becoming too heavy. If you’ve ever wondered what living on your own island is like, check this book out.

Once Upon a Marigold – Jean Ferris

I’m actually rereading this one right now. It’s definitely a book for kids (middle school reading level) but it’s so fun and there’s definitely some bits that hold more humor or gravity when you read them as an adult. It’s a very cute little book set in a fantasy kingdom and stars a young man who falls in love with a princess. It’s such an easy read but its so fun every time I experience it again. It’s a very non-traditional set up to the fairytale princess love story so it spins a lot of different tropes and gives you glimpses into the goings-on taking place around the main character; there’s a subplot entirely dedicated to the terrible efficient of the tooth fairy! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a short book to breeze through in an afternoon.

Dinotopia – James Gurney

This one is a huge part of my life. I have a fully illustrated copy that the pages are literally falling out of. Kind of like Swiss Family Robinson, the first book (it’s a very extensive series but the first one is near and dear to me) features a father and son who wash up on an island after a shipwreck. What’s different about this island is that it exists in an unmapped Bermuda Triangle-esque area of the world that can’t be found do to the raging storms surrounding it. On this island, dinosaurs have survived the eons and live side-by-side with humans. It’s such a unique setting and the illustrations are phenomenal; there are so many incredible images that you just can’t get through words alone. My lifelong love of dinosaurs really began here.

Airborn – Kenneth Oppel

Airborn is an alternate history style novel staring a spunky young airship crewman and focuses on a larger mystery he uncovers. It’s a bit more technical and serious and is reminiscent of a Jules Verne story. Most of why I love this book is the escapism – a different world where blimps and bicycle-pedal gliders soar above a neo-Victorian society. I also love a good mystery. And like any story starring a strapping young man on an adventure, it’s got a great love story. The good part about this one is it rarely feels shoehorned in and the characters are the kinds of people I would like to know in real life. It’s easy to root for that kind of romance!

Voyage of the Basset – James C. Christensen

I love this for all the same reasons I love Dinotopia but instead of dinosaurs, it’s mythological creatures! A father and his two daughters journey on a magical ship and meet a number of mythological figures and creatures. It explores a lot of “what if”s of fantasy stories and a wide range of characters – the Sphinx, a manticore, Oberon and Titania, mermaids, and dozens more. Voyage of the Basset also takes a lot of tropes and turns them on their ear to reignite the stories of these characters. Overall, aa very interesting read with a ton of exquisite illustrations to aid the majesty of the story it tells.

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So how many of these books have you read? What books are you picking up (or listening to!) during this time? Share any of your favorite books, your reading setup, or your favorite time and place to read.