Top 10 Must-Read Books (Fiction) - Books #5 - #1

Here is the conclusion to my Top 10 Must-Read Books! Thanks to everybody for your input on Part 1. And a special shout out to @ethandsmith for giving me my next read!

Let’s close it out!…

5. Apex (Nexus #3) by Ramez Naam

Like Justin Cronin’s The City of Mirrors, Apex is the ultimate climax in Ramez Naam’s own three-part sci-fi. Naam is an author with some serious scientific credentials ( i.e. former Microsoft brainiac) and they ooze through beautifully during each of the Nexus books. Based in a world where biotechnology allows people to “abuse” a superdrug that grants their brains an ultra-powerful computer interface, we follow Naam’s characters through an action packed journey that spans the globe. Combined with the fictional (for now…) biotech, Naam integrates spiritual themes into the story surprising well to include providing significant insight into the Buddhist religion. I am not doing Naam’s magnum opus justice with my ramblings here, so instead get a taste for the author’s abilities with his 16-page short story titled Water. It’s excellent (and free!): http://www.iftf.org/fanfutures/naam/#sthash.hA8Q8DBZ.dpuf

4. The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway

The catalyst in the formation of my top 10 list, TGAW might be one of the weirdest books I have ever read. However, it was also easily one of the most rewarding. Sharing similarities to the book in my #1 spot (hint, hint - can you guess?!), Harkaway takes us on a wild, mind-bending, satisfyingly twisty-turny ride in a world that has been torn to pieces by war. And by war, I mean by destruction like you have most likely never imagined. Follow the nameless narrator (eh-hem) throughout a story that is absolutely stacked with characters you desperately hope will attend your next happy hour. However, I do caution that you must stay the course through the first quarter of the book, especially when you find yourself asking, “What the hell is happening here?!” I promise, the pay-off will be so good it will rival that coveted, bi-annual moment when you realize its the month you get three paychecks. If nothing else, just read it so you’re not a “Bumhole”. ; )

3. It by Stephen King

I know, I know. You guys could call me out on this one for just being trendy with the release of the new movie. Or you could say I am just blindly in love with Stephen King since he already made Part 1 of my list. Or you could say the horror genre shouldn’t even be considered. To all of that I say “Beep Beep, Richie!!” In truth, I had no idea what to expect from It other than to be scared to death by…well…It. Little did I know that by the end of this book I would have eyes brimming with tears (in the most manly way possible, of course) and feel that I had read something so very special. It is about as close to a typical horror book as my dog is to a rhinoceros. Instead, this story is a terrific coming-of-age tale and is actually a shockingly emotional commentary on the magic we feel, live and ultimately, lose as we age. Yes, there are undoubtedly parts of the book that make you thankful for a strong bladder. And there’s even a controversial moment that may induce an audible “Wait…What?!” But neither point should persuade you from reading this phenomenal book that will haunt you with far more empathy than fear.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I can almost hear the sigh of relief smashed together with the gasp of shock. “Thank goodness, it made the list….as #2?!?!” There is no denying the Harry Potter series (should I just call it The Masterpiece?) lives up to all the hype that has followed it since J.K. put out her first book in 1997. Knowing that I am preaching to the choir here, the Potter saga created a comfortably familiar universe of magic and wizards, while still keeping us intrigued to the point we binged the entire series like a sub-par show on Netflix….before reading it all over again. Continuing to withstand the test of time, Harry Potter is read by all ages and all generations because of Ms. Rowling’s remarkable talent with the written word and the development of oh-so-lovable characters. I look forward to the day that I read these wonderful stories to my own young’ns as I know so many of you have done and still do.

1. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

And at last, we arrive. I enjoyed my internal debates on what book went where on this list of 10, but for me, Infinite Jest had clear and sole ownership of the top spot. A cult classic (or maybe just a plain classic at this point) the late DFW’s 1996 novel is, make no mistake about it, a difficult read. The author fires off words from vocabulary lists that even Harvard hasn’t seen and worse, does so at a pace that will have you repeatedly pausing to ask “…Are I dumb?” Either that, or you’re going to wear out your kindle screen having to look up words with that awesome dictionary feature. Either way, like other books I have mentioned on this list, the squeeze is absolutely worth the juice for Infinite Jest. (DFW may self-resurrect in order to bitch slap me for the horrible use of that cliche.) Perhaps I love the idea of a puzzle secreted within a novel, or maybe I realize that the next time I read the book it will be even better…regardless, this book achieved pinnacle status in my mind because of how easily it made me laugh, how often it made me realize that I was not alone with my thoughts about trivial and not so trivial things, and because of course, how much I simply enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for reading through my Top 10! Feel free to fire off some feedback with love or hate!

Keep Steem’n and keep reading!