10 Novels/Series That I Will Never Cease To Love

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo // The Girl Who Played With Fire //  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest // [Ghost Writer] The Girl in the Spider’s Web [Stieg Larsson / David Lagercrantz]

These books honestly changed my life. The writing style, seen through an english translation, flows so smoothly that 100 pages can easily go by in an hour. The story line, which loosely stretches over all four books, is interesting and mysterious all at once. The overarching theme speaks of power, grace, and intelligence. It communicates with my soul and motivates me to live a life that I have control over, just like Lisbeth Salander.

“I’ve had many enemies over the years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s never engage in a fight you’re sure to lose. On the other hand, never let anyone who has insulted you get away with it. Bide your time and strike back when you’re in a position of strength—even if you no longer need to strike back.”

“Sometimes they were together so often that it felt as though they really were a couple; sometimes weeks and months would go by before they saw each other. But even as alcoholics are drawn to the state liquor store after a stint on the wagon, they always came back to each other.”

“It doesn’t matter how good the enemy’s weapons are. If he can’t see you, he can’t hit you. Cover, cover, cover. Make sure you’re never exposed.”

1. Lolita [Vladimir Nabokov]

Classics are good for the soul, and this dark and somber tale of twisted love will always make me rethink my view of life, love, and “normalcy.”

“You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.”

“She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.”

“I knew I had fallen in love with Lolita forever; but I also knew she would not be forever Lolita.”

1. Vampire Academy // Frostbite // Shadow Kiss // Blood Promise // Spirit Bound // Last Sacrifice [Richelle Mead]

Though this is a pre-teen fantasy romance novel, and the storyline has as many problems as it does good things, I will never not love it. The development from teenage angst in the first book to the real loss and cutthroat decisions in the last is wonderful. Richelle Mead brought this series from the dark depths of teenage romance to the wonderful world of compelling story lines, significant character development, and love. I will never feel guilty for loving this series. I do have a soft spot for teenage romance novels, though. 😉

“You’re beautiful in battle,” said Dimitri. His cold voice carried to me clearly, even above the roar of combat. “Like an avenging angel come to deliver the justice of heaven.” “Funny,” I said, shifting my hold on the stake. “That is kind of why I’m here.” “Angels fall, Rose.”

“Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It’s a wonder I can spot reality anymore.”

“There was a look of woe on his face that was almost comical. Raids, bullets, criminals…no problem. A missing duster? Crisis.”

1. Last Vampire // Black Blood // Red Dice // Phantom // Evil Thirst // Creatures of Forever // The Eternal Dawn // The Shadow of Death // The Sacred Veil [Christopher Pike]

Looking at this series, one would think that it contained a cheesy story about an ancient vampire that battles evil. Instead, though, it questions the reason for existence, the Hindu religion, and the nature of humans. Christopher Pike is a wonderful writer with an affinity for flow and prose. His plot lines are genius, and any book by him, even outside of the Thirst series, is genius. 10/10 for each and every one of his novels. 

“Relationships are mysterious. We doubt the positive qualities in others, seldom the negative. You will say to your partner: do you really love me? Are you sure you love me? You will ask this a dozen times and drive the person nuts. But you never ask: are you really mad at me? Are you sure you’re angry? When someone is angry, you don’t doubt it for a moment. Yet the reverse should be true. We should doubt the negative in life, and have faith in the positive.”

“Sleep is not on good terms with broken hearts. It will have nothing to do with them.”

“Krishna was once asked what was the most miraculous thing in all creation, and he replied, “That a man should wake each morning and believe deep in his heart that he will live forever, even though he knows that he is doomed.”

1. Anna Karenina [Tolstoy]

This novel, though dry in some areas, is one of the most ground-breaking novels of it’s time. It shows a woman fighting the social normans, finding happiness, and escaping a marriage that she had no choice in. While Tolstoy did employ some problems into his plot, and his characters are nowhere near perfect, I really enjoy reading a novel that was completely unique for its time. MORE CLASSICS.

“Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.”

“Rummaging in our souls, we often dig up something that ought to have lain there unnoticed. ”

“But the law of loving others could not be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.”

1. The Great Gatsby [Scott Fitzgerald]

Regardless of the recent trend towards the flapper era, this book is a pot of gold. The amount of philosophy present in such a small novel is astounding. The nature of Gatsby, and his obsession of Daisy, will always fascinate me. I have taken hours to speak and think about the implications it all. Daisy, Jordan, Nick, Myrtle, and Tom weave such an intricate web of lies, deceit, propaganda, and social implications in a wonderful string of sentences. This book taught me more about life, the American dream, and the downfall of the 20’s than anything else. I still think about this book on a daily basis. It has truly impacted my life on a large scale. 10/10 would recommend. 

“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.”

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”

“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams — not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”

1. Eragon // Eldest // Brisingr // Inheritance [Christopher Paolini]

This series is just great all around. The writing style is beautiful, the characters are lovable, it is high fantasy, and it has an interesting story line. Though nothing really sets this series apart from the other novels concerning dragons and dragon riders it is somehow unique to me. The feeling I get when I read it is not comparable to anything else. It makes me feel like I am in the story and that my life is as exciting as Eragon’s. Though my explanation of my feelings toward this book are unclear in this post, just know that is is strangely special. Maybe it is the magic? xx

“Have I ever told you how glad I am we’re not enemies? Eragon asked.
No, but it’s very sweet of you.”

“Death is part of who we are. It guides us. It shapes us. It drives us to madness. Can you still be human if you have no mortal end”

“I’ve never been helpless, I just have powerful enemies”

1. The Hobbit // The Fellowship of the Ring // The Two Towers // The Return of the King [J.R. Tolkien]

I was raised on these novels. They were my bedtime stories, and references to Mordor or to The Shire were made on a daily basis in my family’s household. Of course this would be one of my favorite series since it has been with me since I was a small child. Besides The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, this novel has affected me and the person that I have grown to become more than any other book. It created my love of high fantasy, LARPING, elves, and all other things nerdy. This series will never not be a large part of my heart and soul. 

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”

“His old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front.”

“Here was one with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet also less incalculable and remote: one of the Kings of Men born into a later time, but touched with the wisdom and sadness of the Eldar Race. He knew now why Beregond spoke his name with love. He was a captain that men would follow, that he would follow, even under the shadow of the black wings.”

 

1. A Farewell to Arms [Ernest Hemingway]

Its Hemingway. Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t know of it, his works greatly shaped American literature and highlighted the problems rampant in America in the 20th century. His novels are created in astounding layers of complex ideas, flow, and prose. The pain he felt during his life is observed in his novels, and a little bit of Hemingway’s soul can be found in each of his novels. That is what fascinates me most about them. 

“Maybe…you’ll fall in love with me all over again.” “Hell,” I said, “I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?” “Yes. I want to ruin you.” “Good,” I said. “That’s what I want too.”

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”

“It could be worse,’ Passini said respectfully. “There is nothing worse than war.” Defeat is worse.” I do not believe it,” Passini said still respectfully. “What is defeat? You go home.”

 

1. As I Lay Dying [William Faulkner]

When I was forced to read this in High School I was very upset. It had a mysterious, choppy writing style and the story line was boring. Once I reached the end, though, and saw how Faulkner wrapped it up, I realized how carefully his novels were woven together. His writing style is purposefully set apart from everything else and he seems to not follow the example of grammar. As I Lay Dying has an underlying theme of hopelessness towards life and despair which prompted me to see how fragile humans really are. It made me look at my life compared to the life of the character’s and realize all the privilege I really had. This novel is probably on of the greatest works to pick apart and to examine the themes. 

“My mother is a fish.”

“I could just remember how my father used to say that the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time.”

“People to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words too.”