The Versatile Blogger

I have received yet another blogging award! Yahoo!

Wait? Is the word "yahoo" trademarked? Am I allowed to say that?

Um....

Woo Hoo!

Just to be safe.

This one is the Versatile Blogger award and it comes from The Literary Lioness, a very cool book blogger. She does reviews, but breaks it up occasionally, which is something I enjoy very much in a book blogger :)

Of course, as blogging awards have become the blogging equivalent of chain letters, there are some requirements. I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself and then pass it on to seven other bloggers.

However, this is not my personal blog. My personal blog is just that, it's personal, and I don't want to go sharing all my personal tidbits with you nosy gits.

Wait. That was uncalled for. You're not gits. I take that back.

I'm still going to modify the request though, and tell you instead my 7 favorite books series and why... how's that?

1. Harry Potter by JK Rowling
This should really come as no surprise. I mean, I've only rambled about Harry Potter in no less than 11 posts. And briefly mentioned him in 4 others. And I've only been blogging since July. If you have not read these books... go, now and get started. They are amazing. And you will love them too, I promise. And if you don't know a little bit about what this books are all about by now, I really can't help you.

2. Sword of Truth (or Seeker of Truth, depending on who you ask) by Terry Goodkind
 This series is longer and decidedly more adult, but the political undertones are fascinating. There are all kinds of lessons to be learned and quotable lines. Richard, the main character, is the Seeker of Truth (he carries the Sword of Truth- thus the dual titling) and is thrust unwillingly into the center of a battle for freedom. He becomes the leader of a vast nation and leads them against tyranny and oppression. He believes all men should be free, but fighting for that freedom is often necessary.

entshaing.com

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
She may not have invented it, but she perfected the teen-dystopian novel. Political upheaval and unrest? Check. Fight to the death? Check. Open rebellion? Check. Cunning and subterfuge? Check. Perfect love triangle? Check. What's not to like about these books? They are fast and easy to read, and they are so entirely engrossing that I may have stayed up till three in the morning to finish one.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
These are wonderful children's stories. They are sweet and they are poignant. They are written in a very straightforward manner. They are funny and thrilling and exciting. You can read them and enjoy them on those merits alone. If, however, you are of a Christian faith, as I am, you can read them in another manner entirely. These lovely children's books also serve as a perfect allegory for the entire Christian system of beliefs, all the way from a Divine Creation, through temptation, forgiveness, the Atonement, faith, good works, Judgment and the Afterlife. Lewis claims that he never intended for them to be allegorical, and I believe him. Sometimes, a thought is so ingrained in your mind that it cannot help but come out in your writing, and I think that is what happened here.

filmofilia.com

5. The Lost Swords by Fred Saberhagen
These are older, and not nearly as well known. A quick summary: the Gods who rule over the world have forged 12 swords, each with a power all it's own (one brings perfect luck to the holder, another causes the holder to brainwash any within a 100 yard radius, and another heals all wounds, etc.). These swords are then distributed to men, who then fight to control all 12, and thus have power over all the world. The Gods created these swords and the ensuing fight as a game for their own amusement. Sounds nutty, but along the way, there are some amazing philosophical questions asked, and morality is questioned every possible way. These are some great "food for thought" books, and I highly recommend them to anybody with time to sit and read.



6. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

These books about demon hunters and other paranormal activity set in current-day New York City are just plain fun. There is the requisite romance, of course, but there's a whole lot more sarcasm and violence than the typical YA stuff holds. I daresay that Jace is a better love interest than Edward...

7. The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny
Amber is the "true world" and everywhere else is a shadow of it. The royalty of Amber can wander around, imagining worlds as they would like them to be, and as they move, they create these worlds that they imagine. So, the further one walks from Amber, the more diverse and strange the scenery becomes. In these shadow worlds, time flows differently, and people have cropped up to populate these worlds (one of which, naturally, is our world). There's a whole plethora of siblings and half siblings who comprise the royal family of Amber, and they're all plotting against each other for the recently abdicated throne. Fighting and intrigue ensues, naturally.

There you have it folks, the 7 best books series according to me.

Now, here are the 7 best bloggers according to me:

Rob from The Third Strike
Cole from Dry Humor Daily
Jonathan from The Titan Project
Jia from Untypically Jia
Chelsea of Chelsea's Psycho Babble
M of Teenagers Are Ridiculous
John of John's Intellectual Gobbledygook


Now, take your award and spread the love.