Hi guys. I understand you disagree on the "Lord of the Rings isn't one book" take, and I do agree that it is one story. However, I'm not going to bend my rules for any series and it WAS released as 3 books. That's why I didn't count it as one. You, however, may do as you wish! Let me know your picks below.
There's a book called "You Suck" by Paulie Amigo that is a nice original. I recommend it. It takes a satirical approach about self help, since self help is a genre that is being oversaturated.
10. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry 9. Hyperion - Dan Simmons 8. Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton 7. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card 5. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell 4. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R Tolkien 3. A Song of Ice and Fire : A Storm of Swords - George R.R Martin 2. It - Stephen King 1. Dune - Frank Herbert
I would argue that The Lord of the Rings does count as one book, since Tolkien wrote it as such. There just wasn't enough paper post-war for his publisher to release it in one volume.
This is how I think of it as well! The movies, too. (Though I know that's a bit different.) But yeah, I couldn't ever pick a favorite individual part of it. I adore it as the whole.
I read Lonesome Dove when I was on ship in the USMC 25 years ago. At that point it was the biggest book I had ever read and I remember when I finished I didn't want it to end. An amazing book.
I love that IT was on here. The only book I've ever read twice. I loved it each time. One of my favorite characters is Mike Hanlon. King just created not just a horror book but a book that oozed out a sense of dread. The atmosphere hits you hard when you read it. Great video!
Greatly impressed by this list. Minor quibbles only. I was shocked that you started with “Lonesome Dove,” I’ve adored that book for more than 30 years. Much respect!
I think the book that most positively impacted my future in reading as a child was 20,000 leagues under the sea. It really launched my love of science fiction and adventure
Recently subscribed to you and it was bc of your best Michael crichton list- low and behold I have jurassic park on my shelf so I finally cracked it open and wow! Just wow, I'm really enjoying it!
I keep meaning to buy a cheap copy and FINALLY read the darned thing! Maybe this summer. Seems like a fun summer read. I can't believe it's only recently that I even learned it was a book!
ASOIAF is without a doubt the series ignited my love of the fantasy genre, though I read it roughly 10 years ago. You've made me want to reread and pin down what my favorite in the series is!
Lonesome Dove is my absolute favorite book. I first fell in love with the mini-series. Gus, Call, Deets, Newt....You can't get any better. I'm glad to see someone else who loves it!
My ten books, in no particular order. "East of Eden ' - John Steinbeck, "A wizard of Earthsea" Ursula Le Guin, "Goormenghast" - Mervyn Peake, "Blood Merridian" - Cormac Mcarthy, "Hyperion" - Dan Simmons, "Use of weapons" - Iain Banks, "The Magus" - John Fowles, "T he Shining" - Stephen King, "Smileys people" - John Le Carre, "Alice in Wonderland" - Lewis Carrol. And many more......
To Kill A Mockingbird would probably be on my list too. What a book. I love Gone With The Wind. So good. Lord of the Rings makes my list as one book since Tolkien wrote it as one book! 😄 Out of the three, yes I'd pick Fellowship too. Great list!
Immediately started this video after finishing Clash of Kings for the first time… some favorites: Dune, Wizard & Glass, Memories of Ice, Kafka on the Shore. Thanks as always for the work you put into these videos. Hile!
Some of my favorite books in no particular order are: 1. First Blood by David Morrell 2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne 4. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien 5. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy 6. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card Salem's Lot by Stephen King 7. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice 8. Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke 9. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris 10.1984 by George Orwell
For me Michael Crichton's Disclosure and John Grisham's The Firm and The Pelican Brief were pivotal books in my life that I loved reading. Motley Crue's the Dirt was also a favorite.
What a top 10! We need to read so many of these. I'll definitely be reading Lonesome Dove soon. It is also one of Ed's favourites of all time. Truth & Courage!
Excellent list Mike. I loved how you put a bunch of non-SFF books on this list. I'm starting to expand my pallet after reading a historical fiction book a few weeks ago. Larry McMurtry has now entered my TBR list due to this video. Again, wonderful video my man.
I read Lonesome Dove last summer and about a third of the way through my wife went out and picked up her own copy to start reading because she saw how much I was enjoying it. Incredible book.
So impressed with this video! Very grateful for sharing your childhood story. I would never have guessed how lonely your life was then, you have become very confident and successful as an adult. Amazing how a book helped that change occur. Great list of books!
Although Jurassic Park is the cliche pick, and for good reason, Sphere is the Crichton book that really stood out to me as a younger reader. Something about how well he used psychological suspense was what got me hooked. Plus there is just something terrifying if you truly take a deep look into the reality that you do not control your own subconscious mind.
I've read all 18 fiction books Crichton published under his own name (and one under a different name), and Sphere is my number one favorite. Followed closely by Prey. Honestly, I think I'd put Jurassic Park in my bottom half. I didn't really like it much
All right, I'll play -- here are my top ten favorite books (fiction) of all time: 1. "Shutter Island," by Dennis Lehane. 2. "The Turn of the Screw," by Henry James 3. "Absalom! Absalom!" by William Faulkner 4. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," by Ernest Hemingway 5. "The Catcher in the Rye," by J. D. Salinger 6. "A Tale of Two Cities," by Charles Dickens 7. "Darkness Visible," by William Golding 8. "That Hideous Strength," by C. S. Lewis 9. "Under the Beetle's Cellar," by Mary Willis Walker 10. "Democracy," by Joan Didion.
I enjoyed how you discussed your feelings toward Dune and how it changed your life and I totally understand what you mean because books can change your life in a big way. The book that has changed mine is one called Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Without that book I don’t know where I would be tbh
I've wanted to read Gone with the Wind since high school, and 20 years later, I still haven't but still would like to. Thanks for sharing your list. My list would have to include The Way Of Kings, Pride and Prejudice, The Hod King (Books of Babel), Ghostwater (Cradle), The Kingdom of Copper (Daevabad), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fool's Errand (Tawny Man), The Last Enchantment (Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy), and Sabriel. That's only 9 and I can't decide on the last one.
Top 10 is tough. Lonesome Dove, the Martian, pattern Recognition, Enders Game, Mistborn, Cloud Atlas, Dune, the Club Dumas, Snow Crash, and Mists of Avalon. But this could change on any given day. I’d have another dozen honorable mentions. As you said, a lot of tough cuts. What an awesome list!!!
I really love your channel, I started reading several books thanks to you, only thanks to you! As of today, my top ten list is as follows: 10. Small Gods 9. Wizard and Glass 8. Child 44 7. Shantaram 6. IT 5. Into Thin Air 4. One Hundred Years of Solitude 3. Dune 2. The Lord of the Rings 1. The Bridge on the Drina And I still got to read ASOIAF, Mr Crichton, the last books from Discworld, Lonesome Dove, The Pillars of the Earth, Midnight's Children, Pachinko, Il Nome della Rosa, Mr Murakami, Shogun and some Russian classics! Love from Rome!
That Dune cover is awesome. (Actually reminds me how much I hate that Amazon/Kindle won't even let you change your book covers, after they retroactively change cover art for books you already purchased, from timeless art for things like Dune, Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, etc to whatever the newest movie adaptation-inspired covers are.)
Thank you very much for this video. I came down with a terrible fever and was looking for some chill and fun bookish content to watch along with my evening porridge and tea. I went straight to your channel and voila! Keep up the good work sir
I discovered Dune a few years ago and quickly read the following 5 books in quick secession. Totally get what you mean about transformative. Like you i read this series at the perfect time. It impacted me so much and the themes throughout the 6 books was so powerful.
I absolutely love Gone with the Wind. I was hooked on that book within a few pages and I do not think there is one misstep in the 700+ pages. I recently had to start packing to move and it was the first book I put in the "keep and move" box. I think your Patreon book club is going to love this book. I agree it is not what people think. To me, it is a story about arrested development, about the inability to move on and accept change, and how our (erroneous) perception of things interferes with out ability to grow and live. It is so so good!
My grandmother grew up in Monroeville, AL and met Mrs. Lee. Got a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird signed by her and my grandmother then gave it to me; it's one of my most prized posessions from my grandmother. If any of you are interested, there is a hilarious Introduction for one of her editions of TKaM written by Mrs. Lee where she talks shit about novel Introduction sections. Pretty good stuff 😂
Dang.. you're almost at 100k. Can't help but feel happy for this growing channel. I was there when you only had less than 1k subs and I just happen to stumble upon your channel 'cause I was looking for reviews on The First Law 🎉
Really glad you finally did this list, Mike. It was really interesting, although I did expect The Count of Monte Cristo to make the cut. My top 10 right now: 10. The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe 9. Kumarasambhava - Kalidasa 8. The Symposium - Plato 7. The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. LeGuin 6. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson 5. Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett 4. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien 3. The Illiad - Homer 2. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan 1. A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin
I'm 5 chapters away from finishing Return of the king.. LOTR has been an amazing journey. 3 books out of your top 10 will be on my tbr list... Dune will be the first one.
I was about to be disappointed because I've never heard you mention The Count of Monte Cristo... because it is hands-down one of the greatest books of all time. So imagine my happiness when you finally did mention it at the end. 😄
I need to read Hyperion again. Wasn't it wild? Some parts were horrifying and other parts heartbreaking. Almost like different types of books combined. I can't even explain it. I've never read anything quite like it.
LotR, GoT, It, Dune, Jerassic Park, The First Law, Red Rising these all for sure hold a position on the list. Not sure which books exactly but these are my predictions!!!
Dune is with no doubt my favourite book of all time. I read it for the first when I was 11 and it hooked me forever to the Sci-Fi genre but it was after the second reading in my early 20s when I had that epiphany that has changed me forever! I had a simile experience with Frankenstein, which I read when I was 12.
Thanks for this top 10. I really appreciate your explanation of why you picked what you picked; as a matter of fact, I've added those which I haven't read to my TBR due to your explanations.
The idea that you can recommend Ender's Game so highly and you haven't read Speaker for the Dead is shocking to me. It's such an excellent story about cultural differences, the pursuit of science, and guilt. It will forever be my favorite Orson Scott Card story.
This is a great list. I do hope that Mike would consider doing a Top 10 nonfiction books of all time list at some point. I do really like how he is willing to address how reading a particular book has influenced how he sees the world and work that into his arguments to persuade the audience to read his picks. For me, the best works of nonfiction that I've read have had more influence on how I see the world than my favorite works of fiction - although there are certainly works of fiction that have shaped how I see the world. Anyway, if Mike were to make a video of his Top 10 nonfiction books of all time, I'd definitely watch it right away.
Nice selection, but I have to ask, have you read the following two sci fi classics - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells? Two English books, so maybe too culturally different.
Great top 10, I like that it's varied. I re-read 4 times Dunes in the last 30y. The only book I reread so often. With the movie released, I have to reread it another time!
Just started Gone with the Wind yesterday due to your recommendation! About 100 pages in and enjoying it so far! Never would picked this book up if it wasn't for you! But I have read IT, Dune, To kill a mockingbird and storm of swords! So I can tell we have similar taste in books! It came down to reading lonesome dove or this and I chose the later! Probably pick lonesome dove up next! Thanks for the recommendation!
That reference about getting things done even though nobody believes in you resonated very much with my recent read, Poppy Wars by R.F Kuang. I have just read the first book but it was quite much about that and I enjoyed it a lot. I should probably check Gone with the wind as a follow up if it has similar theme.
Jurassic Park, Ender's Game, Lonesome Dove are in my Top Ten as well. The most riveting book I've ever read, I read 40 years ago-Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. That one's a cinder block, too.
This list is really awesome! There are so many super pretentious "top 10 lists" of books no "normal" person ever reads, so your list is really liberating and "real". Greetings from a new subscriber in Sweden
Fun list! I love how you threw To Kill a Mockingbird, Lonesome Dove and Gone with the Wind in with the sci-fi/fantasy/horror. A recommendation for a historical fiction book - E.L. Doctorow's Billy Bathgate. A resourceful, capable boy falls in with some deadly Depression era gangsters.
I just found your channel and can't believe you have gone with the wind on your top 10. That's my number one favorite book of all times and I never expected it to be on your list so thank you. Excellent read also jaws no one ever mentions the book jaws, not the movie. The book excellent read just the suggestion. Thank you, God bless.
Ender's Game is one of my top books of all time. While I'm with you on the sequels, I HIGHLY recommend you give Ender's Shadow a try. It is not a sequel but a retelling of Ender's Game concurrently from the perspective of Bean. Excellent pairing. I consider them one solid read now.
I only read Lonesome Dove because of Will Gwynne saying it was the best book he read one year but I agree - it's astonishingly well written and I'm SO glad I took the time to pick it up.
Regarding LOTR, there's an audiobook version on the archive by Phil Dragash that may be the best audiobook I've ever listened to. I try to bring attention to it because he can't sell it due to copyright bs but he deserves so much credit for his work. I encourage everyone to get it. Edit: Also The Hobbit by Bluefax. One of the best and also free on the archive.
First of all, I love your pics of novels. I’ve read so many books since I’ve met you on this channel, so thank you but gone with the wind everybody should read it. It’s a big book. I read it along time ago and I was very lucky when I was a young woman I got to go see it, it was almost 7 hours. You had a half hour split in between my God. It was good for every reason that he’s telling you it’s good he’s absolutely right.
The horror in "IT" is that we lose the sense of magic we had as children, but don't realize when it happens...go back in his catalog and you'll see that most of King's early works were about childhood and that sense of magic...and its loss.
One of my favorite books is Stranger in a Strange Land, and I think it is for much of the same reasons you love Dune. I read it when I was around 18 and it spoke to me about why we believe certain things, and how we can relate to people in different ways.
I just finished Les Miserables by Victor Hugo ; Barnes & Nobles Edition and it's going to knock you over it's that good. Thank you for your picks. I wrote every one down as my Get To List and I knew Dune would be on that list!! Have a Great Father's Day! In fact, take the Month off!!
“The Crystal Cave” is by Mary Stewart, and it’s REALLY good! I highly recommend it. I read it not too long ago, having already read all of her books EXCEPT the ones about Merlin & King Arthur. Then I listened to the sequel, “The Hollow Hills” on Audible, and the narrator was just lovely sounding. Mary Stewart describes everything so well-it’s like you’re right there in the middle of it.
Blood Meridan. I wasn't sure if I was reading fiction or fantasy, history, or horror. I have never read Lonesome Dove, but with Mike's high recommendation, I probably will. Blood Meridian is the most profound novel I have read. It floored me from beginning to end. McCarthy's vocabulary kept me running for the dictionary as well, hehe.
My mother and I each read GWTW every year from the time I was in the 8th grade until after I was married. We shared one copy, which we held together with a rubber band. I am 62 now and still have that book. Yes, it’s about a horrible time in history, but like you said, it shows you what people can do to survive.
I tried Dune years ago. Couldn't follow it for anything. Didn't get far. Tried it again this past year and LOVED IT. Loved it so much that I got to the end and either that day or a couple days later I started it again. I only meant to re-read the first few pages or chapters to get more clarity on past events that I didn't quite understand at first and now better did after getting to the end. I couldn't stop, and before I knew it, I'd read through it a 2nd time. That NEVER happens to me. I'm a big re-reader, but after time has passed, not immediately after! But... please don't talk to me about Dune Messiah. I just can't. I wanted to scream. If it hadn't been a library book, I really do think I would have thrown it to the ground in frustration. I don't know. Maybe I'll try again later on and I'll have a different take on it, as happened with Book 1. Minor spoilers? * * * * * * * * * * * * I was so mad at the time jump/skipping! I could not believe it. How can you do that?! I wanted to SEE all these events and live through them as they happened, like we did with the first book! The journey is the point! Why would I want to hear about MAJOR EVENTS as things that happened in the freaking past?! I still can't get over it. I can't.
Reading Dune without reading Messiah is like building a house and stopping right when you are about to start the roof. The timeskip is there because the actual jihad was never the focus of the story. Paul's reaction to the knowledge of the future and the outcome are far more important.
@@pepeedge5601 But the READER should've come to that conclusion by seeing at least some of the events/progression! I wanted to go through, again, at least part, of that journey and character development/change and not just be told it. I mean, they could've done the same thing with the first book. They could have skipped a lot of his younger years and told us the things that happened. But it wouldn't have had the same impact because we didn't experience that journey with him. Sigh.
Hi Mike. When you spoke about Dune and the impact it had/has on your life...I got goosebumps because I knew that feeling. My book is Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. I was about 12 years old in 1986. I remember that summer we were playing around in the station wagon my dad drove that belonged to his employer. I found an old tattered novel in side and immediately picked it up began reading. That was my intro to the fantasy genre and I was hooked. I grew up in the Bronx NY and book stores were not common. Thankfully I went to middle school and high school in Manhattan where book stores abounded.. It took me about 8 years to find all the books in the series and I loved every single one. Fast forward 37 years....I still love fantasy and I have read some amazing books. But Pawn of Prophecy will always be my all time fave 💞💞💞
@@jeaners7 We belong to the same Tribe! I love the Discworld as well. I read Carpe Jugulum years ago and became an instant fan! Rest well Sir Pratchett.
Can't believe Gone With the Wind was mentioned! I feel like no one ever talks about that book because of cancel culture etc. It's so well written! Ashley and Melanie, in particular, felt so real to me. They were bred for another world...
I’m sorry but that “Lost Cause” BS turns me off. American chattel slavery was abominable and I loathe anything that tries to legitimize it. GWTW makes me sick.
@@nbenefiel Your attitude is as ridiculous as the people that refuse to read Charles Dickens because of an affair. You never learn if you don't read. Besides missing some amazing magnificent wonderful stories.
@@hyacinthh6900 I’ve read GWTW several times. I don’t consider it anywhere near the level of Dickens, Joyce, Hemingway, or even Du Maurier. I didn’t refuse to read it.
This is a banger of a list, Mike. This is my first video of yours and I can say it will not be the last. Some of these books are among my favorites as well. Ender's Game and Storm of Swords are both such great books within great series. Loved pretty much anything by Michael Crichton since I was a kid. I just finished my first read through of Fellowship and it was fantastic. My wife just finished her first read through of Dune and she loved it as well. Interesting timing on coming across your channel...
Chiming in as a librarian with a note about genres. We shouldn't be surprised to find that fans of sci-fi/fantasy might also enjoy historical fiction/westerns. After all, both genres require the author to take us to a setting outside of our current experience. An author writing a contemporary scene about two people having a lunchtime conversation in Chicago in 2020 doesn't necessarily need to spend a ton of words on description -- clothing, decor, food, etc. But a similar dining conversation set in the U.S. midwest of 1820 will require quite a bit of description, as would one from the bustling spacestation "Chicago" in 2420. What are they wearing? What are they eating? What does the city look like? World building the future has a lot in common with re-creating the past. Readers who like looking ahead might be surprised at how much they would like looking to the past, and vice versa.
Dan Simmons’ Hyperion is stunning. He has gone beyond sci-fi into wildly various genres. I now have The Crook Factory, about E Hemingway and his involvement with a secret government posse. He has also written about Dickens and Willkie Collins, and others requiring great deep research. Simmons attended the same tiny Indiana college I did when I did, living in the same dorm in a frat-dominated environment. My roommate said he was a highly interesting fellow.
I love the list. I've read them all with the exception of Enders Game. I agree with you about Gone the Wind. It is awesome. Once you reach the BBQ at Twelve Oaks the story takes off like a rocket that does stop until the final page.
Man the last 300 pages of storm of swords were a real banger and the last page involuntarily dropped my jaw (that doesn’t happen often). The book also made me want to reread the first two to catch the foreshadowing bits. I hope I’ll love storm of swords even more on a reread so it can crack my personal top 10! Great list!
personally I love a dance with dragons. I feel that the first three books kind of move at a mile a minute in terms of plot and definitely do explore the characters, but not as deeply as the fourth and fifth books once the war has ended. Theon's character arc, jon snow, tyrion, daenerys, all get deeply explored in terms of what drives them, their stances on how to handle power, and just understanding who they are in the world is amazing in book five and really cements many of the "coming of age" elements in ASOIAF. On top of the characters, the various northern conspiracies concerning robb's heir, the manderly's, stannis, winterfell, jon snow, sansa, etc are riveting to unravel and piece together throughout the various POVs. That's just my take though!
@@durjoymaitra3840 Oooh you have me much more intrigued to continue to read onto books 4 and 5 (I was gonna do it regardless). I was planning on reading A Feast For Crows in mid August followed by DOD.
Hi guys. I understand you disagree on the "Lord of the Rings isn't one book" take, and I do agree that it is one story. However, I'm not going to bend my rules for any series and it WAS released as 3 books. That's why I didn't count it as one. You, however, may do as you wish! Let me know your picks below.
There's a book called "You Suck" by Paulie Amigo that is a nice original. I recommend it. It takes a satirical approach about self help, since self help is a genre that is being oversaturated.
Would you consider the Bible as one book considering it was written during different periods with chapters being added over time?
Totally agree!! One story, three books. Great list! Thanks Mike!
That's hard because so many books borrow from it so much.
No. I listed everyone's favorites. It's a law, a FEDERAL law. Pretty sure.
10. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
9. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
8. Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
7. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
5. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
4. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R Tolkien
3. A Song of Ice and Fire : A Storm of Swords - George R.R Martin
2. It - Stephen King
1. Dune - Frank Herbert
ive read 2,4,5 + 7
only two female authors. interesting.
@@leahjuniper2031shit yo ass up bro 😂 he can read whatever books he wants
THANK YOU!!! ..saves one time to see this individual's taste/slant.
Your my hero of those 10 minutes
Glad you made this video, Mike! It must have been a tough one, but it's always a joy to hear your love of books!
It wasn't easy, my man.
@@mikesbookreviewsisn't Hyperion belonged to a book series? Correct me if I'm wrong
@@Dann-md9eqHe said it can be in a series but just one book from it
I would argue that The Lord of the Rings does count as one book, since Tolkien wrote it as such. There just wasn't enough paper post-war for his publisher to release it in one volume.
This is how I think of it as well! The movies, too. (Though I know that's a bit different.) But yeah, I couldn't ever pick a favorite individual part of it. I adore it as the whole.
I also consider it to be one novel.
Absolutely agreed. If it's written as one story in one volume, that's very different from something like The First Law trilogy.
@@Rogue_VI Because it is one novel... written in six "books." Just as War and Peace is one novel written in four "books."
100%. LOTR is one novel. Alwyas has been, always will be. How it's released matters less than how it was written.
You are at your most articulate when you talk about things you love. Great video, great books. Yay reading
Thanks!
I read Lonesome Dove when I was on ship in the USMC 25 years ago. At that point it was the biggest book I had ever read and I remember when I finished I didn't want it to end. An amazing book.
I've been considering reading Lonesome Dove but I've never read a western before so I'm a little intimidated to start with a gigantic one lol
@@Ghostly-00 You might like "Duane's Depressed," which is also by Larry McMurtry.
Same!!! 30+ years ago and I was so sad when it ended.
My all time number one! Ever.
Try the book Shogun, great book that you will also not want to end.
I love that IT was on here. The only book I've ever read twice. I loved it each time. One of my favorite characters is Mike Hanlon. King just created not just a horror book but a book that oozed out a sense of dread. The atmosphere hits you hard when you read it. Great video!
Mike is more than just the 7th Loser. He made that group whole.
King is a MASTER at characters. IT is one of my favorite books, as well as the Stand and the Waste Lands.
IT is one of the only Stephen King books that I've read twice. Probably gonna be on regular rotation every summer for me
Greatly impressed by this list. Minor quibbles only. I was shocked that you started with “Lonesome Dove,” I’ve adored that book for more than 30 years. Much respect!
I think the book that most positively impacted my future in reading as a child was 20,000 leagues under the sea. It really launched my love of science fiction and adventure
Great list! I didn’t think Dune could be knocked off my number one spot, but then I came across Hyperion!! Unforgettable.
Recently subscribed to you and it was bc of your best Michael crichton list- low and behold I have jurassic park on my shelf so I finally cracked it open and wow! Just wow, I'm really enjoying it!
I keep meaning to buy a cheap copy and FINALLY read the darned thing! Maybe this summer. Seems like a fun summer read. I can't believe it's only recently that I even learned it was a book!
Wonderful to hear!
ASOIAF is without a doubt the series ignited my love of the fantasy genre, though I read it roughly 10 years ago. You've made me want to reread and pin down what my favorite in the series is!
It truly is special and, IMO, the only thing even close to touching Tolkien for the fantasy throne.
storm of swords is the goat@@mikesbookreviews
To Kill a Mockingbird had such a profound effect on me as a child my eldest daughter is named Harper. Loved this list so many brilliant selections.
Lonesome Dove is my absolute favorite book. I first fell in love with the mini-series. Gus, Call, Deets, Newt....You can't get any better. I'm glad to see someone else who loves it!
It truly is a fantastic book. If you love it I highly recommend Shogun.
My ten books, in no particular order. "East of Eden ' - John Steinbeck, "A wizard of Earthsea" Ursula Le Guin, "Goormenghast" - Mervyn Peake, "Blood Merridian" - Cormac Mcarthy, "Hyperion" - Dan Simmons, "Use of weapons" - Iain Banks, "The Magus" - John Fowles, "T he Shining" - Stephen King, "Smileys people" - John Le Carre, "Alice in Wonderland" - Lewis Carrol. And many more......
Blood Meridian is fire 🤌
To Kill A Mockingbird would probably be on my list too. What a book.
I love Gone With The Wind. So good.
Lord of the Rings makes my list as one book since Tolkien wrote it as one book! 😄 Out of the three, yes I'd pick Fellowship too.
Great list!
‘The Rainmaker’ of its day!
I was forced to read To kill a mocking bird in 9th grade and that book made me want to die
Immediately started this video after finishing Clash of Kings for the first time… some favorites: Dune, Wizard & Glass, Memories of Ice, Kafka on the Shore. Thanks as always for the work you put into these videos. Hile!
Thanks for watching them!
Wizard and Glass was amazing - I usually hate backstory, but this ended up being my favorite in the set.
Some of my favorite books in no particular order are:
1. First Blood by David Morrell
2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
3. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
4. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
5. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy
6. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
7. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
8. Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke
9. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
10.1984 by George Orwell
pip
I hope to never forget Joe.
@@hyacinthh6900 joe is decent
I really appreciate the time and energy you put into this list! It’s like choosing one’s favourite child!
It was difficult ha ha
For me Michael Crichton's Disclosure and John Grisham's The Firm and The Pelican Brief were pivotal books in my life that I loved reading. Motley Crue's the Dirt was also a favorite.
What a top 10! We need to read so many of these. I'll definitely be reading Lonesome Dove soon. It is also one of Ed's favourites of all time.
Truth & Courage!
You are the only book tuber who has put Michael Crichton in their sci-fi top 10 list. All the kudos to you, sir!
Excellent list Mike. I loved how you put a bunch of non-SFF books on this list. I'm starting to expand my pallet after reading a historical fiction book a few weeks ago. Larry McMurtry has now entered my TBR list due to this video. Again, wonderful video my man.
Lonesome Dove is so amazing.
I read Lonesome Dove last summer and about a third of the way through my wife went out and picked up her own copy to start reading because she saw how much I was enjoying it. Incredible book.
So impressed with this video! Very grateful for sharing your childhood story. I would never have guessed how lonely your life was then, you have become very confident and successful as an adult. Amazing how a book helped that change occur. Great list of books!
Ha, at 15 I could never have imagined being like I am now.
Although Jurassic Park is the cliche pick, and for good reason, Sphere is the Crichton book that really stood out to me as a younger reader. Something about how well he used psychological suspense was what got me hooked. Plus there is just something terrifying if you truly take a deep look into the reality that you do not control your own subconscious mind.
Sphere was wack, made absolutely no sense at end and too many twists
I've read all 18 fiction books Crichton published under his own name (and one under a different name), and Sphere is my number one favorite. Followed closely by Prey. Honestly, I think I'd put Jurassic Park in my bottom half. I didn't really like it much
I loved Sphere first time I read it
All right, I'll play -- here are my top ten favorite books (fiction) of all time:
1. "Shutter Island," by Dennis Lehane.
2. "The Turn of the Screw," by Henry James
3. "Absalom! Absalom!" by William Faulkner
4. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," by Ernest Hemingway
5. "The Catcher in the Rye," by J. D. Salinger
6. "A Tale of Two Cities," by Charles Dickens
7. "Darkness Visible," by William Golding
8. "That Hideous Strength," by C. S. Lewis
9. "Under the Beetle's Cellar," by Mary Willis Walker
10. "Democracy," by Joan Didion.
Reading the Red Wedding was incredible. A put down the book and take a moment reaction.
Not enough people talk about Tyrions last chapter in ASOS. One of the most heartbreaking and gut wrenching chapters in fiction
I enjoyed how you discussed your feelings toward Dune and how it changed your life and I totally understand what you mean because books can change your life in a big way. The book that has changed mine is one called Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Without that book I don’t know where I would be tbh
I've wanted to read Gone with the Wind since high school, and 20 years later, I still haven't but still would like to. Thanks for sharing your list. My list would have to include The Way Of Kings, Pride and Prejudice, The Hod King (Books of Babel), Ghostwater (Cradle), The Kingdom of Copper (Daevabad), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fool's Errand (Tawny Man), The Last Enchantment (Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy), and Sabriel. That's only 9 and I can't decide on the last one.
Top 10 is tough.
Lonesome Dove, the Martian, pattern Recognition, Enders Game, Mistborn, Cloud Atlas, Dune, the Club Dumas, Snow Crash, and Mists of Avalon.
But this could change on any given day. I’d have another dozen honorable mentions. As you said, a lot of tough cuts.
What an awesome list!!!
I really love your channel, I started reading several books thanks to you, only thanks to you!
As of today, my top ten list is as follows:
10. Small Gods
9. Wizard and Glass
8. Child 44
7. Shantaram
6. IT
5. Into Thin Air
4. One Hundred Years of Solitude
3. Dune
2. The Lord of the Rings
1. The Bridge on the Drina
And I still got to read ASOIAF, Mr Crichton, the last books from Discworld, Lonesome Dove, The Pillars of the Earth, Midnight's Children, Pachinko, Il Nome della Rosa, Mr Murakami, Shogun and some Russian classics!
Love from Rome!
Thanks so much!
East of Eden would be one of my top ten. Maybe even number one! Steinbeck!!!❤
I've had this one on my TBR for too long!
this one is just amazing
This is a fabulous list! Excellent picks. 👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks!
Oh dang, I was calling for this on the discord years ago. Glad to see it is finally here! Looking forward to diving in later.
That Dune cover is awesome.
(Actually reminds me how much I hate that Amazon/Kindle won't even let you change your book covers, after they retroactively change cover art for books you already purchased, from timeless art for things like Dune, Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, etc to whatever the newest movie adaptation-inspired covers are.)
Great list of books. You give enough description without any spoilers. I would enjoy seeing your next top 10 books of all time...
The thing I most enjoyed about this video was your explanation of why Dune means what it does to you. Very well said.
Thank you very much for this video. I came down with a terrible fever and was looking for some chill and fun bookish content to watch along with my evening porridge and tea. I went straight to your channel and voila! Keep up the good work sir
Happy to help!
I discovered Dune a few years ago and quickly read the following 5 books in quick secession. Totally get what you mean about transformative. Like you i read this series at the perfect time. It impacted me so much and the themes throughout the 6 books was so powerful.
Yep. Still to this day.
You should explore the prequels as well. They are worth reading!
I absolutely love Gone with the Wind. I was hooked on that book within a few pages and I do not think there is one misstep in the 700+ pages. I recently had to start packing to move and it was the first book I put in the "keep and move" box. I think your Patreon book club is going to love this book. I agree it is not what people think. To me, it is a story about arrested development, about the inability to move on and accept change, and how our (erroneous) perception of things interferes with out ability to grow and live. It is so so good!
Mike... Can we get a video of your honorable mentions?
Or more than one of them. 😂
That cover for Dune is insane. Love the list. Very nice selection.
My grandmother grew up in Monroeville, AL and met Mrs. Lee. Got a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird signed by her and my grandmother then gave it to me; it's one of my most prized posessions from my grandmother.
If any of you are interested, there is a hilarious Introduction for one of her editions of TKaM written by Mrs. Lee where she talks shit about novel Introduction sections. Pretty good stuff 😂
Dang.. you're almost at 100k. Can't help but feel happy for this growing channel. I was there when you only had less than 1k subs and I just happen to stumble upon your channel 'cause I was looking for reviews on The First Law 🎉
It has been a wild ride! Thanks for being part of it.
Great video as usual! Love your list. I bought Lonesome Dove based on your review. Going to read it before the end of the year. Thanks, Mike!
I hope you love it!
Really glad you finally did this list, Mike. It was really interesting, although I did expect The Count of Monte Cristo to make the cut.
My top 10 right now:
10. The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe
9. Kumarasambhava - Kalidasa
8. The Symposium - Plato
7. The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. LeGuin
6. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
5. Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett
4. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Illiad - Homer
2. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
1. A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin
Excellent picks!
I'm 5 chapters away from finishing Return of the king.. LOTR has been an amazing journey. 3 books out of your top 10 will be on my tbr list... Dune will be the first one.
An excellent choice.
I was about to be disappointed because I've never heard you mention The Count of Monte Cristo... because it is hands-down one of the greatest books of all time. So imagine my happiness when you finally did mention it at the end. 😄
I ve read Hyperion because of your previous recommendation and it blew my mind!! Then I continued with fall of hyperion too. ❤
I need to read Hyperion again. Wasn't it wild? Some parts were horrifying and other parts heartbreaking. Almost like different types of books combined. I can't even explain it. I've never read anything quite like it.
Love your videos, Mike! Thanks for everything you give.
LotR, GoT, It, Dune, Jerassic Park, The First Law, Red Rising these all for sure hold a position on the list. Not sure which books exactly but these are my predictions!!!
Dune is with no doubt my favourite book of all time.
I read it for the first when I was 11 and it hooked me forever to the Sci-Fi genre but it was after the second reading in my early 20s when I had that epiphany that has changed me forever!
I had a simile experience with Frankenstein, which I read when I was 12.
Yes! Fellowship 🙌
That’s an opening I can get behind.
Mary Stewart’s - Crystal Cave was one of my all time favorites. Probably in my top 10… but I haven’t read it in over 20 years…
Read it many moons later. Quite good.
Thanks for this top 10. I really appreciate your explanation of why you picked what you picked; as a matter of fact, I've added those which I haven't read to my TBR due to your explanations.
The idea that you can recommend Ender's Game so highly and you haven't read Speaker for the Dead is shocking to me. It's such an excellent story about cultural differences, the pursuit of science, and guilt. It will forever be my favorite Orson Scott Card story.
Your lack of faith disturbs me!
It’s also one of the books with the greatest sense of empathy I think
Yeah. I think I spent years hung up on Speaker for the Dead. In my top 5 for sure.
Is Xenoside a necessary read before Speaker for the dead?
@@TheThrillOfBecoming xenocide comes after Speaker
This is a great list. I do hope that Mike would consider doing a Top 10 nonfiction books of all time list at some point. I do really like how he is willing to address how reading a particular book has influenced how he sees the world and work that into his arguments to persuade the audience to read his picks. For me, the best works of nonfiction that I've read have had more influence on how I see the world than my favorite works of fiction - although there are certainly works of fiction that have shaped how I see the world. Anyway, if Mike were to make a video of his Top 10 nonfiction books of all time, I'd definitely watch it right away.
I 100% agree with you on the Gone With the Wind pick. Scarlett is the kind of lady I would always chase after.
Annoyingly amazing ha ha
Nice selection, but I have to ask, have you read the following two sci fi classics - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells? Two English books, so maybe too culturally different.
Great top 10, I like that it's varied.
I re-read 4 times Dunes in the last 30y. The only book I reread so often. With the movie released, I have to reread it another time!
A fellow man of culture, I see.
Just started Gone with the Wind yesterday due to your recommendation! About 100 pages in and enjoying it so far! Never would picked this book up if it wasn't for you! But I have read IT, Dune, To kill a mockingbird and storm of swords! So I can tell we have similar taste in books! It came down to reading lonesome dove or this and I chose the later! Probably pick lonesome dove up next! Thanks for the recommendation!
Glad you’re enjoying it!
Pretty sure you will love Lonesome Dove. I am looking forward ro reading GWTW.
Speaker for the dead, in my opinion is a must read. It is philosophical and potent.
That reference about getting things done even though nobody believes in you resonated very much with my recent read, Poppy Wars by R.F Kuang. I have just read the first book but it was quite much about that and I enjoyed it a lot. I should probably check Gone with the wind as a follow up if it has similar theme.
Jurassic Park, Ender's Game, Lonesome Dove are in my Top Ten as well. The most riveting book I've ever read, I read 40 years ago-Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. That one's a cinder block, too.
Yes! Loved Thorn Birds!
This list is really awesome!
There are so many super pretentious "top 10 lists" of books no "normal" person ever reads, so your list is really liberating and "real".
Greetings from a new subscriber in Sweden
Fun list! I love how you threw To Kill a Mockingbird, Lonesome Dove and Gone with the Wind in with the sci-fi/fantasy/horror. A recommendation for a historical fiction book - E.L. Doctorow's Billy Bathgate. A resourceful, capable boy falls in with some deadly Depression era gangsters.
I just found your channel and can't believe you have gone with the wind on your top 10. That's my number one favorite book of all times and I never expected it to be on your list so thank you. Excellent read also jaws no one ever mentions the book jaws, not the movie. The book excellent read just the suggestion. Thank you, God bless.
I have Jaws on my Top 10 Horror Novels video from a couple years ago. Good read!
Ender's Game is one of my top books of all time. While I'm with you on the sequels, I HIGHLY recommend you give Ender's Shadow a try. It is not a sequel but a retelling of Ender's Game concurrently from the perspective of Bean. Excellent pairing. I consider them one solid read now.
I only read Lonesome Dove because of Will Gwynne saying it was the best book he read one year but I agree - it's astonishingly well written and I'm SO glad I took the time to pick it up.
Yeah, I already miss those characters.
Regarding LOTR, there's an audiobook version on the archive by Phil Dragash that may be the best audiobook I've ever listened to. I try to bring attention to it because he can't sell it due to copyright bs but he deserves so much credit for his work. I encourage everyone to get it.
Edit: Also The Hobbit by Bluefax. One of the best and also free on the archive.
First of all, I love your pics of novels. I’ve read so many books since I’ve met you on this channel, so thank you but gone with the wind everybody should read it. It’s a big book. I read it along time ago and I was very lucky when I was a young woman I got to go see it, it was almost 7 hours. You had a half hour split in between my God. It was good for every reason that he’s telling you it’s good he’s absolutely right.
As far as the King books are concerned, I think my favorite of his is "11/22/1963".
Always very heartfelt. Good show.
The horror in "IT" is that we lose the sense of magic we had as children, but don't realize when it happens...go back in his catalog and you'll see that most of King's early works were about childhood and that sense of magic...and its loss.
I love your videos. One of the best booktubers on RUclips!
Now I need to read Lonesome Dove, LOTR, and Game of Thrones! The new Dune movie is one of my favorite movies ever.
Fun fact Gone with the wind author was the great granddaughter of Doc Holiday from Tombstone.
One of my favorite books is Stranger in a Strange Land, and I think it is for much of the same reasons you love Dune. I read it when I was around 18 and it spoke to me about why we believe certain things, and how we can relate to people in different ways.
I just finished Les Miserables by Victor Hugo ; Barnes & Nobles Edition and it's going to knock you over it's that good. Thank you for your picks. I wrote every one down as my Get To List and I knew Dune would be on that list!! Have a Great Father's Day! In fact, take the Month off!!
Great list! I’m shocked that Swan Song didn’t make the list.
Awesome. Swan Song and Boy's Life are amazing.
I’m here because I just finished Lonesome Dove and now nothing else is measuring up to that experience.
I’m reading Lonesome Dove now. Might be the greatest western ever. It’s kind of the Gone with the Wind of westerns.
Absolutely.
“The Crystal Cave” is by Mary Stewart, and it’s REALLY good! I highly recommend it. I read it not too long ago, having already read all of her books EXCEPT the ones about Merlin & King Arthur. Then I listened to the sequel, “The Hollow Hills” on Audible, and the narrator was just lovely sounding. Mary Stewart describes everything so well-it’s like you’re right there in the middle of it.
I love Gone With the Wind. I like to re-read it every few years. There is not a boring page in the whole book.
I love Gone with the wind, so glad you’re doing an in-depth video about it! Will it just be on Patreon or on public too?
Oh a ton of us are reading it on the Discord in July. It’s open to everyone.
@@mikesbookreviews Oh, cool!
If you like Lonesome Dove so much you have to read Blood Meridian!
Blood Meridan. I wasn't sure if I was reading fiction or fantasy, history, or horror. I have never read Lonesome Dove, but with Mike's high recommendation, I probably will. Blood Meridian is the most profound novel I have read. It floored me from beginning to end. McCarthy's vocabulary kept me running for the dictionary as well, hehe.
My mother and I each read GWTW every year from the time I was in the 8th grade until after I was married. We shared one copy, which we held together with a rubber band. I am
62 now and still have that book.
Yes, it’s about a horrible time in history, but like you said, it shows you what people can do to survive.
Adding Gone with the Wind to my TBR. Good thing about life is all the unread books.
Bad thing is you will never finish them all.
I've been looking forward to this day for years haha
I tried Dune years ago. Couldn't follow it for anything. Didn't get far. Tried it again this past year and LOVED IT. Loved it so much that I got to the end and either that day or a couple days later I started it again. I only meant to re-read the first few pages or chapters to get more clarity on past events that I didn't quite understand at first and now better did after getting to the end. I couldn't stop, and before I knew it, I'd read through it a 2nd time. That NEVER happens to me. I'm a big re-reader, but after time has passed, not immediately after!
But... please don't talk to me about Dune Messiah. I just can't. I wanted to scream. If it hadn't been a library book, I really do think I would have thrown it to the ground in frustration. I don't know. Maybe I'll try again later on and I'll have a different take on it, as happened with Book 1.
Minor spoilers?
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I was so mad at the time jump/skipping! I could not believe it. How can you do that?! I wanted to SEE all these events and live through them as they happened, like we did with the first book! The journey is the point! Why would I want to hear about MAJOR EVENTS as things that happened in the freaking past?! I still can't get over it. I can't.
Reading Dune without reading Messiah is like building a house and stopping right when you are about to start the roof.
The timeskip is there because the actual jihad was never the focus of the story. Paul's reaction to the knowledge of the future and the outcome are far more important.
@@pepeedge5601 But the READER should've come to that conclusion by seeing at least some of the events/progression! I wanted to go through, again, at least part, of that journey and character development/change and not just be told it. I mean, they could've done the same thing with the first book. They could have skipped a lot of his younger years and told us the things that happened. But it wouldn't have had the same impact because we didn't experience that journey with him. Sigh.
Took me 3 tries on Dune. Kind of incredible to think back on, honestly.
Love when you make ranking videos! I’d love to eventually read through all 10 of these! I think I’ve read 4 of them already! (Thanks to you lol)
Hi Mike. When you spoke about Dune and the impact it had/has on your life...I got goosebumps because I knew that feeling. My book is Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. I was about 12 years old in 1986. I remember that summer we were playing around in the station wagon my dad drove that belonged to his employer. I found an old tattered novel in side and immediately picked it up began reading. That was my intro to the fantasy genre and I was hooked. I grew up in the Bronx NY and book stores were not common. Thankfully I went to middle school and high school in Manhattan where book stores abounded.. It took me about 8 years to find all the books in the series and I loved every single one. Fast forward 37 years....I still love fantasy and I have read some amazing books. But Pawn of Prophecy will always be my all time fave 💞💞💞
I love those books. They were my intro into the genre too. I went on from there to disc world and 40 years later I am still going back to Garion co.
@@jeaners7 We belong to the same Tribe! I love the Discworld as well. I read Carpe Jugulum years ago and became an instant fan! Rest well Sir Pratchett.
I love this channel; More than just reviews, it’s inspirational! Thanks for your work and your enthusiasm, Mike!
Glad you enjoy it!
Can't believe Gone With the Wind was mentioned! I feel like no one ever talks about that book because of cancel culture etc. It's so well written! Ashley and Melanie, in particular, felt so real to me. They were bred for another world...
I'm done letting folks bully me about books because their feelings got hurt. Most that are critical of it have never read a page.
I’m sorry but that “Lost Cause” BS turns me off. American chattel slavery was abominable and I loathe anything that tries to legitimize it. GWTW makes me sick.
@@nbenefiel Your attitude is as ridiculous as the people that refuse to read Charles Dickens because of an affair. You never learn if you don't read. Besides missing some amazing magnificent wonderful stories.
@@hyacinthh6900 I’ve read GWTW several times. I don’t consider it anywhere near the level of Dickens, Joyce, Hemingway, or even Du Maurier. I didn’t refuse to read it.
@@nbenefielit makes you sick but you read it several times?
This is a banger of a list, Mike. This is my first video of yours and I can say it will not be the last. Some of these books are among my favorites as well. Ender's Game and Storm of Swords are both such great books within great series. Loved pretty much anything by Michael Crichton since I was a kid. I just finished my first read through of Fellowship and it was fantastic. My wife just finished her first read through of Dune and she loved it as well. Interesting timing on coming across your channel...
Welcome! Hope you'll stick around.
Chiming in as a librarian with a note about genres. We shouldn't be surprised to find that fans of sci-fi/fantasy might also enjoy historical fiction/westerns. After all, both genres require the author to take us to a setting outside of our current experience. An author writing a contemporary scene about two people having a lunchtime conversation in Chicago in 2020 doesn't necessarily need to spend a ton of words on description -- clothing, decor, food, etc. But a similar dining conversation set in the U.S. midwest of 1820 will require quite a bit of description, as would one from the bustling spacestation "Chicago" in 2420. What are they wearing? What are they eating? What does the city look like? World building the future has a lot in common with re-creating the past. Readers who like looking ahead might be surprised at how much they would like looking to the past, and vice versa.
Dan Simmons’ Hyperion is stunning. He has gone beyond sci-fi into wildly various genres. I now have The Crook Factory, about E Hemingway and his involvement with a secret government posse. He has also written about Dickens and Willkie Collins, and others requiring great deep research.
Simmons attended the same tiny Indiana college I did when I did, living in the same dorm in a frat-dominated environment. My roommate said he was a highly interesting fellow.
I love the list. I've read them all with the exception of Enders Game. I agree with you about Gone the Wind. It is awesome. Once you reach the BBQ at Twelve Oaks the story takes off like a rocket that does stop until the final page.
Respect for putting lonesome dove on the list
Man the last 300 pages of storm of swords were a real banger and the last page involuntarily dropped my jaw (that doesn’t happen often). The book also made me want to reread the first two to catch the foreshadowing bits. I hope I’ll love storm of swords even more on a reread so it can crack my personal top 10! Great list!
It's even better on a series re-read.
personally I love a dance with dragons. I feel that the first three books kind of move at a mile a minute in terms of plot and definitely do explore the characters, but not as deeply as the fourth and fifth books once the war has ended. Theon's character arc, jon snow, tyrion, daenerys, all get deeply explored in terms of what drives them, their stances on how to handle power, and just understanding who they are in the world is amazing in book five and really cements many of the "coming of age" elements in ASOIAF. On top of the characters, the various northern conspiracies concerning robb's heir, the manderly's, stannis, winterfell, jon snow, sansa, etc are riveting to unravel and piece together throughout the various POVs. That's just my take though!
@@durjoymaitra3840 Oooh you have me much more intrigued to continue to read onto books 4 and 5 (I was gonna do it regardless). I was planning on reading A Feast For Crows in mid August followed by DOD.