My Top 10 Books Of All Time 📚

Hii guys!! I'm obviously recommending every single one of these books but I'm more curious to find out what your standalone favorites are! Let me know in the comments below!

Hope you have a great day! 💙

0:00 Intro
0:35 10
2:35 9
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6:52 7
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15:00 2
16:36 1

[zrokeach]

Gates of Fire seems incredible- I'm definitely gonna get it.

Here are the best books that I've read, in no particular order:

Catch-22, The Jungle, Fahrenheit 451, Travels with Charlie, Ethan Frome, The Godfather, the first 4 books of the Dune series, Hyperion, The Winds of War, Annihilation, The Call of the Wild/White Fang, and finally, a few of the books in the WoT series.

[mihaiserafim]

You made a very compelling case for the books that I didn't read so my TBR list has grown. Thank you!

[pavelowjohn]

If you really liked Gates of Fire, you should read "The Ten Thousand" by Michael Curtis Ford. He has a few books in a similar vein, but this one, in my opinion, is his best one. It's a fictionalized account of the Anabasis, an actual event where a large group of Greek mercenaries get cut off in the middle of Persia in a battle and have to fight their way north to the Black Sea (this an incredible feat, by the way, marching from the middle of modern day Iraq up through Turkey, all while having to fight hostile locals). The Spartans also make an appearance in this book, but from the non-Lacedaemonian point of view, so that might be an interesting addition to the pro-Spartan work that is Gates of Fire (I like Gates of Fire, but Pressfield does cast the Spartans in an extremely positive light, almost to the point of one-sided cheerleading). This is a stand-alone book, and is a very easy and quick read as well, if you need a break from epic trilogies and massive eight volume sagas.

[dansiegel]

You asked for books about the circus. Though it’s not a book, I recommend the HBO series Carnevale. It’s a dark, mystical fantasy about a traveling circus that wanders around the US dust bowl during the 1930s. Only two seasons (unjustly cancelled!) but it is truly beautiful and compelling. If there ever was a hidden gem, this is it.

[Cannotbetamed]

I’ve added a couple of these to my list. The only ones I’ve read are The Secret History, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Night Circus and Crime and Punishment, which is one of my favourites too.

A couple of my top books:
Perdido Street Station - Weird fiction that focuses on a handful of characters as they come up against a creature who feeds on peoples thoughts and dreams. This has the most amazing worldbuilding of any book I’ve read.

The Magus - A jaded young man meets a wealthy recluse on a Greek island and gets sucked into his weird psychological and philosophical games.

[linjicakonikon]

Best top ten breakdown I've seen. Well done 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[tictocman]

Thank you so much. By the way, you have the best laugh ever !!

[linjicakonikon]

A strong recommendation in the Circus fiction category: Spangle by Gary Jennings. Very interesting and extremely well researched. Jennings is a favorite historical novelist of mine. Check out three of his other novels: Aztec, Raptor, and the Journeyor.

[letmeondude]

Interesting list, there was definitely more horror and historical fiction than I expected. I got a few of these on my TBR already and I'm gonna have to add a few more. Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite classic novel for the record, good choice.

[arleenm]

Thanks for the recommendations! I've been reading mostly book series lately and it might be interesting to read a shorter novel for a change.

[yissnakklives]

Another great stand alone book is "In Fury Born" by David Weber (if you like sci-fi mixed with a dash of mythology) and "The Excalibur Alternative" if you like Alternative history sci-fi, also from Weber

[breadbaskets]

I will have to check out Gates of Fire. If you like Historical Fiction I highly recommend "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves

[QuirkyAfricanHistory]

Thanks for the list Bianca. I'll add some more to my collection.
Oh, and you're pretty.

[bryzzt]

Randomly found your channel looking for people reviewing Between Two Fires! Subbed! Great list!

[mr.legoman]

I never heard of any of these but they sound interesting so thanks for the recommendations. Personally, three of my favorite standalone books are
Shusako Endo's Silence is A historical fiction about two catholic missionaries who travel to Japan when they hear a rumor that one of their own has abandoned the faith. It's a very heavy book that deals with difficult themes. I can still recommend it even you aren't a Christian.

Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon, another historical fiction a slice of life, murder mystery, and a bit magical realism. A young boy growing up in a small town witnesses a murder which slowly opens his eyes to the darker parts of his town.

And lastly, Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. It's brutal and tragic at the same time, it honestly surprised me with how much I enjoyed the novel. It has great action and interesting themes as well.

[yissnakklives]

For standalone books, check out Tad Williams "War of the Flowers", which is pretty awesome and will have you calling kids "Terrible Child"

[llywyllngryffyn]

I just finished reading Fever Dream because of your Recommendation and I have mixed feelings bout it. I give it some leeway since it is a fairly old book but it hits a few minor peeves with me. Otherwise it was a decent book and it certainly is nice to read something from George R.R. Martin that actually got finished. :)

[Alex.Holland]

Thank you, and also damn you, for continually adding new books to my list. I read maybe 100ish books a year, and your top ten had not a single one I had previously read.

[hector]

Started listening to Gates of Fire and I'm loving it. Im about halfway through and its such a struggle stopping once im at my destination since I listen on my commute.

[PQBMO]

Great list Bianca, and thanks for a number of titles that I can add to my list!

If I can return the favour, I would suggest a non-fiction book: A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman, which is a phenomenal history of the 14th century. You will probably see echoes of this book in everything from A Song of Ice and Fire, to Between Two Fires, to my next recommendation: The Name of the Rose!