It's funny, I put off reading Elantris in my Cosmere book reading journey for a long time because so many people advised me it was his worst work. Then my wife was part of a book club where Elantris was the book they were assigned to read so I decided to finally read it so I could read along. I ended up totally engrossed, and shocked by how much I loved it. It's the kind of book I'm not excited for the sequels (he's recently said he intends to make a book 2 and 3 in the near future) as I felt like I as happy with the story ending when and where it did, and I definitely can feel how much he's grown as an author since he wrote it from a editing/revision stand point, but the core underlying story is just so compelling its shocking to me that its not more universally beloved. I probably wouldn't put it ahead of Words of Radiance, Way of Kings, or Emperor's Soul, but I enjoyed it more then all the mist born books, ryhmn of war, and war breaker to name a few. Your repeated recommendations for it make me tempted to check out Kenobi. My wife and I loved the D+ show (which apparently is not the common experience of the show based on all the down votes I got for expressing that on reddit), which I'm told wasn't really like this book, so I'm worried the two conflicting takes will make the whole thing confusing in our heads, also I've never been particularly interested in westerns, but I do both enjoy the Kenobi character and a good book in general, so at some point I think all your recommendations are going to wear me down, if not my wife too.
Kenobi is great. Warbreaker and Landover (read the first one a long time ago) are on my TBR. Might try Elantris someday. Agatha Christie is always a winner too.
If I had to pick a top ten. No order. 1. Cabal- Clive Barker 2. Vampire$- John Steakley 3. Wolf Hunt- Jeff Strand 4. Sword of Shannara-Terry Brooks 5. Starship Troopers- Robert Heinlein 6. Battlefield Earth- L. Ron Hubbard 7. The Flight of Eisenstein (Horus Heresy)- James Swallow 8. Brunner the Bounty Hunter- CL Werner 9. The Hobbit- J.R.R Tolkien 10. Batman Knightfall- Dennis O'neil Great Update. Landover is awesome! Keep at it Brother!
Hi Jonathan! I just found your channel today and have been watching some of your Star Wars books videos as I want to start reading some of them soon. Just wanted to say Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors and I’m so glad she showed up on your list! I’m a huge mystery nerd!
I just reread Warbreaker and had a great time with it! It’s a fantastic one, and I also liked Elantris so it’s fun to see that one show up at the top, as it’s usually so un-beloved. I need to try out some Star Wars books! Kenobi sounds great, and I also want to dig into the Thrawn trilogy.
Great video and cool list. Magic Kingdom for Sale is a great book. Landover never gets discussed on CZcams, but it is a very fun and extremely underrated series.
Warbreaker is one of my favorite books as well. And Red October is great. I like other Clancy novels better than Red October but it’s a great tense submarine drama.
There are definitely some here that appeal to me that I am going to check out such as the landover series and warbreakers as I love Brandon Sanderson ( we have the same name - Brandon) the kenobi novel is also something that appeals to me as I read and really enjoyed master and apprentice. A book series suggestion from me would be the Shatter me trilogy and Restore me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi. I am currently reading them -they are a distopian setting with fantasy, the characters get a lot of development throughout the series Postscript: you have very good book suggestions which is why I follow you on goodreads
LOL . i hadn't read ANY Sanderson yet, and bought the secret projects lol (don't worry, i've at least read all of the mistborn novels by now...currently on last wax & wayne). Agree with other commenters. Not the same ole list. liked and subscribed. Great channel!
I also heard that elantris wasn't great but I really enjoyed it! I did think that Warbreaker was better just because its SOO FUNNY! Also overall I just felt like warbreaker felt more polished. I think if Sanderson rewrote elantris and fixed some of the issues with it then it could be a top book for me as well.
Chaplain's Wars sounds vaguely similar to The Madness Season by C.S. Friedman. There's a hive-mind species that doesn't understand individuality and gestalt processing, with discussions about how humans perceive things and learn. As for Elantris.....it has one of my favorite openings of all time. And great characters. And then.....what feels like a very rushed ending.
Fascinating video, I think you can learn a lot about someone from their favourite books, and the breadth and diversity of your Top 10 shows how well ready you are! Pleasantly surprised to see The Hunt For Red October there, I'm a big fan of the Jack Ryan series, but despite the TV show and films, the books don't get the recognition they deserve. Love watching your videos, keep up the good work.
I've just recently read Sycamore Row, and it was fantastic. I've also read Magic Kingdom for Sale a couple times. Very good. Great video! Thanks! Some of my favs include Ivanhoe, Count of Monte Cristo, and definitely Lord of the Rings. And almost anything Agatha Christie.
Fantastic video man ! I think Warbreaker is my fav of the Sanderson novels, but Im so glad to see it and Warbreaker get some love, as they tend to be pushed aside for Stormlight and Mistborn. That Timothy Zahn book sounds wild but I trust him as an author so I'm gonna have to go read it.
When displaying books vertically on a book shelf remember if you can't get 1 out without getting the 1 beside it out you've got to many on the shelf. When you cram books together they can get damaged.
Super curious to read Chaplains War 🤔I'm reading Star Wars prequels in order (just finished Attack of the Clones and going to start Brotherhood by Mike Chen). Bought Kenobi, and it's on my shelf waiting for me hehe Great vid as always, love your vibe and the atmosphere of the channel.
I've read half the books on your list. The top three plus Kingdom and Red October. All great reads and I don't get why Elantris isn't as well liked by so many readers, I thought it was almost as good as Warbreaker which is among my favorite stand alone fantasy books I have read.
What a great, interesting list! I believed you answered this before in another comment section, but what type/brand of clear book covers do you use on your hardcovers?
In all seriousness I envy you. I just can't get into fiction for whatever reason except for throwaway stuff like Grisham and Lee Child and Michael Connelly
This is why I watch your channel. You do your own thing - you have really different reading tastes then the other booktubers I follow.
Agree, this guy is great. In other channels you will find the same recommendation, a little world. This channel expands the universe.
It's funny, I put off reading Elantris in my Cosmere book reading journey for a long time because so many people advised me it was his worst work. Then my wife was part of a book club where Elantris was the book they were assigned to read so I decided to finally read it so I could read along. I ended up totally engrossed, and shocked by how much I loved it. It's the kind of book I'm not excited for the sequels (he's recently said he intends to make a book 2 and 3 in the near future) as I felt like I as happy with the story ending when and where it did, and I definitely can feel how much he's grown as an author since he wrote it from a editing/revision stand point, but the core underlying story is just so compelling its shocking to me that its not more universally beloved. I probably wouldn't put it ahead of Words of Radiance, Way of Kings, or Emperor's Soul, but I enjoyed it more then all the mist born books, ryhmn of war, and war breaker to name a few.
Your repeated recommendations for it make me tempted to check out Kenobi. My wife and I loved the D+ show (which apparently is not the common experience of the show based on all the down votes I got for expressing that on reddit), which I'm told wasn't really like this book, so I'm worried the two conflicting takes will make the whole thing confusing in our heads, also I've never been particularly interested in westerns, but I do both enjoy the Kenobi character and a good book in general, so at some point I think all your recommendations are going to wear me down, if not my wife too.
You’re killing me, Jonathan. Now I gotta buy all these books. Great list!
Kenobi is great. Warbreaker and Landover (read the first one a long time ago) are on my TBR. Might try Elantris someday. Agatha Christie is always a winner too.
Probably the most diverse list I've seen. Good stuff.
So I’ve only read Magic Kingdom for sale and Elantris and I would agree with you. Those are just some amazing books.
If I had to pick a top ten. No order.
1. Cabal- Clive Barker
2. Vampire$- John Steakley
3. Wolf Hunt- Jeff Strand
4. Sword of Shannara-Terry Brooks
5. Starship Troopers- Robert Heinlein
6. Battlefield Earth- L. Ron Hubbard
7. The Flight of Eisenstein (Horus Heresy)- James Swallow
8. Brunner the Bounty Hunter- CL Werner
9. The Hobbit- J.R.R Tolkien
10. Batman Knightfall- Dennis O'neil
Great Update. Landover is awesome! Keep at it Brother!
Nice list! I am interested in many of the books on your list.
Hi Jonathan! I just found your channel today and have been watching some of your Star Wars books videos as I want to start reading some of them soon. Just wanted to say Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors and I’m so glad she showed up on your list! I’m a huge mystery nerd!
That's an interesting list!
Kenobi is a great novel. The Kenobi series should've adapted John Jackson Miller's Kenobi.
They have dozens of greats story but keep rewriting what we love. Kenobi would have been a masterpiece.
I just reread Warbreaker and had a great time with it! It’s a fantastic one, and I also liked Elantris so it’s fun to see that one show up at the top, as it’s usually so un-beloved.
I need to try out some Star Wars books! Kenobi sounds great, and I also want to dig into the Thrawn trilogy.
That Kenobi book does seem rather interesting
Great video and cool list. Magic Kingdom for Sale is a great book. Landover never gets discussed on CZcams, but it is a very fun and extremely underrated series.
Warbreaker is one of my favorite books as well. And Red October is great. I like other Clancy novels better than Red October but it’s a great tense submarine drama.
There are definitely some here that appeal to me that I am going to check out such as the landover series and warbreakers as I love Brandon Sanderson ( we have the same name - Brandon) the kenobi novel is also something that appeals to me as I read and really enjoyed master and apprentice.
A book series suggestion from me would be the Shatter me trilogy and Restore me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi. I am currently reading them -they are a distopian setting with fantasy, the characters get a lot of development throughout the series
Postscript: you have very good book suggestions which is why I follow you on goodreads
Really appreciate the book summaries and seeing your point of view, thanks! 👍🏼
Great video, Jonathan. I have taken many great suggestions from your top 10. Well done!
LOL . i hadn't read ANY Sanderson yet, and bought the secret projects lol (don't worry, i've at least read all of the mistborn novels by now...currently on last wax & wayne). Agree with other commenters. Not the same ole list. liked and subscribed. Great channel!
Awesome video dude! Really appreciate your reading prowess and how you try so many different genres!
Interesting top ten, and a really good mix.
Fun to see Magic Kingdom on your list!
Great 👍🏻 video as always!
You have the best voice to listen to on book tube
Awesome list mate!! 600 + books is tons by the way.
I also heard that elantris wasn't great but I really enjoyed it! I did think that Warbreaker was better just because its SOO FUNNY! Also overall I just felt like warbreaker felt more polished. I think if Sanderson rewrote elantris and fixed some of the issues with it then it could be a top book for me as well.
Chaplain's Wars sounds vaguely similar to The Madness Season by C.S. Friedman. There's a hive-mind species that doesn't understand individuality and gestalt processing, with discussions about how humans perceive things and learn. As for Elantris.....it has one of my favorite openings of all time. And great characters. And then.....what feels like a very rushed ending.
Fascinating video, I think you can learn a lot about someone from their favourite books, and the breadth and diversity of your Top 10 shows how well ready you are! Pleasantly surprised to see The Hunt For Red October there, I'm a big fan of the Jack Ryan series, but despite the TV show and films, the books don't get the recognition they deserve.
Love watching your videos, keep up the good work.
I've just recently read Sycamore Row, and it was fantastic. I've also read Magic Kingdom for Sale a couple times. Very good. Great video! Thanks! Some of my favs include Ivanhoe, Count of Monte Cristo, and definitely Lord of the Rings. And almost anything Agatha Christie.
Fantastic video man ! I think Warbreaker is my fav of the Sanderson novels, but Im so glad to see it and Warbreaker get some love, as they tend to be pushed aside for Stormlight and Mistborn. That Timothy Zahn book sounds wild but I trust him as an author so I'm gonna have to go read it.
When displaying books vertically on a book shelf remember if you can't get 1 out without getting the 1 beside it out you've got to many on the shelf. When you cram books together they can get damaged.
Super curious to read Chaplains War 🤔I'm reading Star Wars prequels in order (just finished Attack of the Clones and going to start Brotherhood by Mike Chen). Bought Kenobi, and it's on my shelf waiting for me hehe Great vid as always, love your vibe and the atmosphere of the channel.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them!
Warbreaker actually sounds really interesting and I don't even like Fantasy normally.
I like the thumbnail
Fellow Elantris lover here, criminally underrated! My first Sanderson novel and still my favourite after many others read
I've read half the books on your list. The top three plus Kingdom and Red October. All great reads and I don't get why Elantris isn't as well liked by so many readers, I thought it was almost as good as Warbreaker which is among my favorite stand alone fantasy books I have read.
Best wishes on the next ten.
I really need to finally read Agatha Christi.
*Daemon & Freedom* by Daniel Suarez
I had upwards of 1000 books 20 years ago.
Now we have a cyberfuture to deal with.
What a great, interesting list!
I believed you answered this before in another comment section, but what type/brand of clear book covers do you use on your hardcovers?
Demco Book Covers
@@jonathankoan Thank you!
thank you mr cones
You know what I'm going to say.....#TwilightForever
In all seriousness I envy you. I just can't get into fiction for whatever reason except for throwaway stuff like Grisham and Lee Child and Michael Connelly