A NOVEL Idea

I guess I could start a lot of these posts with "I was talking to Andrew..." and this one right here is no exception. I was looking for something novel to do, and he suggested writing a blog, so I told him to think of a topic and I would write about it. His suggestion was to write about the top 5 best books I've ever read. Novel indeed.

GET IT?!

So here we go. Enjoy the irony of a post about books being the first one to feature pictures.

6. The Firm by John Grisham




Okay, I said it would be top 5, but I couldn't leave this one off the list. John Grisham's books are somewhat formulaic (most of them are about lawyers, and a good portion of those are about lawyers who live in the deep south), which I suppose keeps them from being literary classics, but hey, he's good at what he does. The Firm was great fun to read, full of intrigue, suspense, and even action. Who knew a book about a lawyer could be so intense? A favorite of mine since high school, it's John Grisham at his finest.

Oh and I know the movie is never as good as the book, but seriously, the movie was utter garbage. They took a spectacular story, notched the pacing down by about 500%, removed most of the exciting parts, and then took a huge dump all over the ending. Never ever watch it.


5. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson




Richard Matheson is a master of creepy sci-fi stories, and his vision of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampire zombies is chilling. I'd say I couldn't put it down, but I read it entirely as an e-book (and I can't stand e-books, so there you have it), so I'll just say I couldn't tear my eyes off the computer screen until the wee hours of the morning. As Robert Neville wanders the earth alone, slowly eliminating the vampire scourge while they rest, you see not only the story of his current exploits, but also a look into his past. What's really haunting about the book is Neville's emotional vulnerability, revealed through memories triggered by formerly familiar things and people. I'm gonna touch on the movie again here; the Will Smith version wasn't bad, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as the book, and it was almost completely different. If you've seen that movie (and I'd wager you probably have), I would highly recommend reading the book so you can experience the overall difference in tone between the two.

4. Interstellar Pig by William Sleator



Yeah yeah, it's a kids' book. Whatever. A kid named Barney goes on a boring vacation with his parents, but when he meets three strangers from the beach house next door, they introduce him to a surreal space-themed board game called Interstellar Pig, which takes quite a few unexpected turns. It's a great mystery with a fantastic conclusion. The outlandish characters come to life thanks to the vivid description of the imaginative William Sleator. I wish they'd make a movie out of it, or better yet, a board game inspired by the one in the book. If you ever read this book, I'd also recommend the sequel, Parasite Pig, which was published 18 years after Interstellar Pig. It answers some of the questions left at the end of the first book without sacrificing the integrity of the storyline as a whole, while introducing new characters, locations, and layers to the story.

3. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein



This is a great story about a space marine fighting in a war against evil alien bugs, but that's not even the best thing about Starship Troopers. The best thing is way the book's settings and characters serve to illustrate points about the nature of war, military forces, personal honor and integrity, and various political themes, virtually all of which are spot-on. Much of the novel is spent on Johnnie Rico's backstory and his training as a member of the Mobile Infantry, and you witness his transition from enlisted man to commanding officer as his character progresses and develops. Similar to I Am Legend, the book is so much deeper and thematically and tonally different than the movie, and I figure the ratio of people who saw the movie to people who read the book is about the same. If you haven't read this book, go do so.

2. Watchmen by Alan Moore



The chief reason this isn't #1 is because it's technically not a book (for those of you who live under a rock, it's a graphic novel). There's so much I could say about Watchmen that to try to describe it in any amount of detail without analyzing it fully would feel like an injustice, but I will say this: the story is phenomenal; the mystery is compelling; the characters personify human thought processes, emotions, and struggles; and the themes are incredibly thought-provoking. There are many interpretations as to what the true meaning behind the tale is, and that's part of the beauty of it; it can mean any number of things to any number of people. It's almost like a worldview litmus test, depending on which characters you thought were right and which characters you thought were wrong. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent discussing the different themes of the story and picking apart the motivations of different characters. Not all of it may be completely edifying, but there is a lot of truth to be found in this book (and I do believe it warrants that title) and its presentation of how things are, how things could be, and how things should be.

1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton



It was tough for me to pick one book that stands out among all the rest as the best, but when I thought about it, I couldn't give that title to any other book. I was introduced to The Outsiders as required reading in 8th grade, and it was one of those transcendent experiences in English class where you actually really like the book that you're being forced to read. I liked it so much, in fact, that on a weekend in 12th grade when I was supposed to be reading through Heart of Darkness, I read The Outsiders instead. I've loved it for so long now that giving any other book the top honor would feel like stabbing an old friend in the back.

The Outsiders, set in the 1960s, is, in the broad sense, a commentary on social stratification (upper class vs. lower class, or Socs vs. Greasers, respectively). Specifically, it's a story about a young Greaser named Ponyboy who, after facing a series of trials, learns a few things about the nature of life. The book demonstrates that, Greaser or Soc (pronounced "so-sh," as in "social"), we're all human and we all deal with similar struggles. My favorite thing about it, though, is how it shows that the most unlikely candidates can become heroes, and that appearances and personas can and do effectively hide a person's true character. It exemplifies courage, camaraderie, sacrifice, and instructs us that no matter how much or how little we have, we shouldn't take any of it for granted. Ultimately, it's a very encouraging and powerful book.

So there you have it: my 5* favorite books. I hope you've enjoyed this foray into my literary tastes. And if nothing else, at least it gives me a post so the month of June won't go entirely bare.