My Perennial Reading List

Grendel is a literary masterpiece (in my not so humble opinion) by John Gardner. It retells the legend of Beowulf from the point of view of the monster: Grendel.

Grendel is a fairly quick read, but it is full of great philosophical/political insight and discussion. It is one of the books that I read multiple times a year.

Last Read: June 2009

While this isn't technically a trilogy (except in some marketer's dream), the three books included here are some of Philip K. Dick's best work.

In VALIS, a giant satellite is beaming information to Horselover Fats (a Greek? translation of the author's name as this story takes on a somewhat bibliographic element) as he searches for what is real.

In The Divine Invasion, the new Savior is born on a space colony and must get back to Earth.

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer investigates the paradoxes of belief.

Last Read: March 2008

Bejnajmin Hoff's pairing of a bear with very little brain with the ancient easter philosophy of Taoism really helps you to see the wisdom in the most innocent of sources - Winnie the Pooh.

Last Read: March 2008

Gene Wolfe will blow your mind with his evocative prose and style. While anything by him is really good, I really enjoy Book of New Sun and Wizard Knight.

Book of New Sun
Last Read: Summer 2007
Wizard Knight
Last Read: April/May 2008

While Shannara is a fantasy series (complete with elves, dwarves, magic, and all you'd expect in a fantasy series), Terry Brooks makes generational leaps between novels/trilogies (depending). From one trilogy to the next, you get to see the evolution of the fantasy world as it unfolds.

Last Read: December 2007 - February 2008

While Landover may be of a lighter nature than Shannara and more accessible to a general/younger audience, the series has a great deal going for it. The first book Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold is optioned to become a movie as well.

Last Read: October/November 2008

In a world not far removed from ours (it could very well be our own world), a girl learns about the magic that is part of the world as a demon and a knight of the Word struggle. Taking Brooks' concept of having a set time span between books, the first trilogy shows Nest Freemark's growth over time.

The new trilogy, Genesis of Shannara bridges the gap between Word vs. Void and Shannara.

Word V. Void is actually my favorite of Terry Brooks' various series.

Word V. Void Last Read: July 2008
Genesis of Shannara: August 2008

JRR Tolkein's Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings saga are a must read. The books are pretty dense, so you must take your time reading them.

While I don't read these on an annual basis, it does work out pretty close to that.

Last Read: February/March 2009

While Harry Potter may be juvenile literature, it is still a very entertaining series. JK Rowling really captures the essence of magic in the world.

Not many books leave you wanting more, and for each book in the series, there comes a point where you can't stop reading until you are finished. Well worth reading.

Last Read: July 2009 - August 2009

I've spent some time lost in Amber lately. This is a very well done series by Roger Zelazny.

A universe where everything that exists is possible and just around the corner in a Shadow world (all worlds are an echo of Amber). The scions of Amber have great power to walk among the shadow worlds, usually in an attempt to gain something over one of their siblings.

Last Read: May/June 2008

I'll be honest. I never really read a whole lot of Stephen King's work. However, I have read his magnum opus - The Dark Tower, and it is simply amazing. I know I don't get all of the tie-ins to his other work, but I get quite a few of them; plus, that knowledge isn't required to read the books.

Last Read: Fall 2004

Imagine something along the lines of Lovecraft meets the Waltons. If you can picture that, you'll have some idea what Many Wade Wellman was doing with the Silver John stories. The hero, simply just John (no last name ever given), goes across Appalachia trying to learn about stuff (old folk songs that he plays on his silver strung guitar); the stories are about the strange encounters he has on his travels (usually of the supernatural variety).

It's hard to find these books nowadays. The Silver John stories are contained in the following:

John the Balladeer (the collected short stories about John)
The Old Gods Waken
After Dark
The Lost and The Lurking
The Hanging Stones
The Voice of the Mountain

You can learn more about these stories at Wellman's website.

Last Read: June/July 2008