Favourite reads // series
I don't know about you, but whenever someone asks me what my favourite book is, I always draw a blank. My favourite book? Just a single book?!
It's far too difficult to narrow my favourites down to a single list, let alone a single book, so over the next few months, I'll be sharing my favourite series, duologies, trilogies, and standalones, as well as my favourite reads from primary school, middle school and high school, in a series of posts released every few weeks.
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The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
First up, we have The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Originally intended to be a trilogy, the series was expanded to include six books. The first book, City of Bones, was published in 2007 and was quickly followed by City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls before concluding with City of Heavenly Fire in 2014.
The series has been very divisive among readers, and it seems you either love it or hate it. I, for one, LOVE it. I'm not a very critical reader, so I honestly didn't notice many of the issues that others have pointed out. Granted, Clare is not the most talented author nor is her writing the most original, but it definitely improves as the series progresses and the story itself more than makes up for it.
I was utterly captivated by the idea that a secret community of Nephilim demon-hunters exists in our world and couldn't help wishing that I could be a part of it. I mean, the ability to harness runes for invisibility, agility, soundlessness... who wouldn't want these powers?! And I'm a sucker for the classic star-crossed romance story.
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Next, we have The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. The first novel, Eragon, was published in 2003, followed by Eldest in 2005 and Brisingr in 2008, but it was a long and arduous wait for the release of the fourth and final book, Inheritance in 2011.I first read Eragon when I was about eleven-years-old. I was an ambitious reader in my youth, so a 517-page tome did not intimidate me at all. At the time, I had finally moved on from my obsession with horses and had instead become obsessed with dragons. And I loved it. I wished more than anything that I could have a dragon of my own. I even loved the movie adaptation, although it was absolutely awful. (I'm happy to say that my cinematic tastes have matured somewhat since then.)
Again, however, this is another divisive series with many readers taking issue with Paolini's writing style and finding it hard not to compare the story to other high fantasies. Perhaps they're right, but ultimately it is a great story and in my opinion, it's well worth the read.
And finally, it wouldn't be a true favourites list if I didn't include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. A modern-day classic, the series has been read and loved by millions of children and adults worldwide since the publication of the first book in 1997.
I first started reading the series around the time the first film was released when I was in Grade 1 (although I wasn't allowed to see it until I was quite a few years older!) and am proud to say I grew up with it. The final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007 during my final year of primary school, and the film series concluded in 2011, shortly before I graduated from high school.
As a child, my favourite character was always Hermione. I identified with her as we shared many similarities, including our appearance and studiousness (I was a bit of a nerd). I have since read the entire series multiple times and it's one of those series that I know will always get me out of a reading slump.
There are so many more series that I've read and loved but obviously, if I included them all, this blog post would be very long! Special mention must go to A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, but of course, I couldn't include it as it's STILL NOT FINISHED. Also, I'm currently reading The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater and it is so amazing that I have a feeling it will soon be joining this list!
I'd love to hear what your favourite series are, so send me a tweet or let me know in the comments below!
Niamh, xo.
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