My TOP 10 BOOKS of 2024

[@User_Un_Friendly]

Finally, I'm planning to read the Anubis Gates for the first time since high school. Back then it was forgettable, but I anticipate this time I should enjoy it more. Glad you like Draco Tavern, it's been a long favorite of mine. 😉👍

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Draco was fantastic and I love to hear what you think of Anubis the second time around User!

[@LiminalSpaces03]

I love the two headed guy on the cover of Universe. It looks so normal until you notice him!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Joe-Jim the mutant! Thank you for the book Liminal!

[@materiagrix]

I also saw that book at Michael Vaughan’s channel and wondered if I should add it to my TBR. Now there’s no doubt!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Anubis is a heck of a read Materiagrix!

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

Hooray for Roadside Picnic 🥳

[@GrammaticusBooks]

That’s a great book Bigaldoes!

[@deeebeee1758]

The Black Company books get better as they go along. I hope you keep reading them. Happy holidays to you, Gram, and I hope things look up for you in 2025.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Deebee! And I do plan on finishing the first Black Company story arc in 2025!

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@deeebeee1758 I'm actually thinking of buying the 4000 or so page omnibus. 🤯🤯🤯😵😵😵

[@PeculiarNotions]

Thanks, Grammaticus. Now I have even more titles to add to my 2025 reading list. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Seth and back at you!

[@LiterateTexan]

Fun list. I've added The Anubis Gates to my Amazon wishlist.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it Randy!

[@LiterateTexan]

@GrammaticusBooks I'll make a video about it after I read it. I might not get to it until March, though.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@LiterateTexan I'll keep an eye out for it!

[@BookChatWithPat8668]

Terrific list and discussion, Grammaticus! I especially loved that I can say that I remember you talking about most of these books in previous videos as you read and originally reviewed them. I think I followed you here for all of the past year. You have a great channel, Grammaticus. I’ve learned so much from you, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you. Thinking of you and your family this holiday season. Take care, my friend.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Pat, I always appreciate your input and comments! And thank you for checking out the channel. You've made a great channel yourself! May your Holidays be Merry and and have a Happy New Year!

[@BookChatWithPat8668]

@ thanks, Grammaticus. Yours is one of my favorite channels. Thinking of you and your family.

[@BSA105]

Nice list Grammaticus, I'm glad to see that Black Company came in high on it. As one of your other commenters noted, Cook has apparently already written the (final?) Black Company arc and will start releasing them starting in 2025...I'm pretty fired up about that. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Holidays!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks BSA! And I know a bunch of people who will be very excited about the Glen Cook news!

[@jack_yo]

I read Orphans of the Sky this year, and it was fantastic. The other three books in your top four are on my tbr and coming up over the next couple of months.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I would love to hear what you think of the other three Jack!

[@JosephReadsBooks]

What a great list!(other than Babel-17 😋, I dnf'd that bad boy) I will definitely be checking some of these out. I am so glad you enjoyed The Black Company as much as you did. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on more books in the series. I am starting my re-read in January to prepare for the new book in the series "Lies Weeping" which will be out in November 2025. It is book one in a four part series that takes place after the original series. three of them are already completed and Cook is halfway done with the final book.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Joseph and that’s great news about Cook! I know a few people who will be all over that new series!

[@JamesA-b8p]

Excellent top 10! Not the usual selections touted by others. If you like the layout of Anubis Gates check out his 'Stress of Her Regard by Powers....arguably as good! Best wishes and love for you and yours in 2025. Stay frosty bro!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks James! And I’ll keep a look out for that book. Anubis definitely put Tim Powers on my radar!

[@ScienceFictionRetroactivis-j1w]

Your Barry Sadler video was great. I was 12 when his first song was a hit. This was a big deal at the time. The Draco Tavern sounds interesting!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks SFR! And I do recommend Draco Tavern. You can probably check out a copy of it from your local library.

[@vilstef6988]

I've not read the Black Company, but really love the Garrett books.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

If you like PI Garrett Vilstef, chances are you'll like the Black Company!

[@DDB168]

Hmmm, there's that book again (Anubis Gates) 🤔 Oh alright I'll read the damn thing 🤭 Happy holidays to you and your family. (I thought Hell in a Very Small Place might have snuck into the top 10, unless it was a re-read, I cant remember).

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Hell wasn’t a reread. It was very good and informative but a bit of work to get through. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on the Anubis Gates!

[@MuleFace100]

Enjoyed the video - I'm definitely going to check out The Draco Tavern. Your endorsement of The Black Company has convinced to finally give that one a go, as well.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on both of those books Mule!

[@rickkearn7100]

It's odd how much I can be entertained by a "trashy book". I've read many, trust me, and am never put off. You have coherent eclectic taste. Cheers! PS: I like how you put up a picture of each author. Thoughtful.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Rick! And some of my favorite books are considered “trash” by the powers that be!

[@secretfirebooks7894]

You and MKV both listed The Anubis Gate as your number 1 pick. Well, that tears it; now I HAVE to read this book!

[@douglasdea637]

It's alright. I read it 30 years ago and found it middling.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed Tim. And thank you for checking out the video!

[@MourningConstitution]

Thanks! Merry Christmas!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You are most welcome MC!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Fantastic list! Perfect choice for number one! 😂

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Michael and back at you!

[@book-ramble]

I love Bored of the Rings!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It was a riot! Great quick read!

[@SleepyBookReader-666]

Wonderful list. In my view your mix of so called "junk" literature and more complex books - is just proof of true sophistication as a reader.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Sleepy and sometimes you can find some treasure in the trash!

[@annakonda6727]

You had not read the Anubis Gates and Babel 17? For shame! Still, better late than never. Thanks for always having something worth listening to to say!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I am frequently shamed Annakonda! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@iDuckman]

*Bored of the Rings !!!* One of the funniest books I've ever read, and thoroughly enjoyed by my mom and brothers when read aloud on a road trip. My copy has nearly disintegrated. Has it been re-issued? Babel-17 is superb too. Recommended. Heck, practically anything by Delaney.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It looks like the latest editions were published in 2012. In both hard copy and Kindle versions.

[@StevenEverett7]

Happy holidays to you too Grammaticus!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks and take care Steven!

[@DavidL-ii7yn]

A suggestion: "Dungeon Crawler Carl", because I haven't seen it pop up on your radar. Now at 7 books. The first book starts as fairly conventional LitRPG, It gradually transcends the genre to where the fate of the galaxy is at stake. Being made into a TV series, too. There is something unique about it. Entertaining and worth the time.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I know that book(s) has popped up more than once in the comments. I need to take a look!

[@AlansReads]

Great list, I’ve read a couple of those but will look out for a few particularly The Anubis Gate, as both you and Michael K Vaughan have that as your no1 I think

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Anubis Gates is fantastic ride! I think you’ll enjoy it!

[@DoctorFriday81]

If I don't get to say beforehand have a Merry Christmas and I hope your wife is doing well 🙏

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Doc. We had our second immunotherapy treatment yesterday. So far so good. And a Merry Christmas back at you sir!

[@jf8559]

Thanks Grammaticus! Another excellent video. Several books on your top that sound interesting to me, especially Babel 17, Roadside Picnic and The Anubis Gates. Sounds like you had a rewarding year in reading, not forgetting Senlin Ascends which I have put on my 2025 list. Thanks for sharing your reading this year! I wish you and your family Happy Holidays and all good things in 2025. Thoughts and prayers with you.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks JF and and wishing you a happy and healthy 2025 as well!

[@vintagesf]

May pick up ‘Anubis Gates’ today. It certainly was on my radar after your initial review and knowing it is your #1 for 2024 makes it an important target for acquisition. Great year of videos. Take care, be safe and enjoy the holidays!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Richard and Anubis Gates made MKV’s top spot as well!

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

Babel 17 and Roadside Picnic ate fantastic. I really need to reread them. I have The Anubis Gate on my Kindle as yet unread.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I would love to hear what you think of Anubis ABR!

[@kevinjudge8406]

Fantastic list, thanks for sharing. The Prestige and The Anubis Gates are going to be my January reads. Glad you enjoyed Roadside Picnic. Have a great holiday and all the best in 2025.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Kevin and thank you for checking out the video!

[@kathykuecker]

Thank you for the list. I've just been re-reading ones i have read before, or new books by familiar authors like L.E. Modesitt jr. or Lev Grossman. I'll have to make an effort to get out of my rut. ( After I re-read Bored of the Rings.)

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Can’t go wrong with Bored of the Rings Kathy. I may have to reread that one myself! And I’ll have to take a look at Modesitt and Grossman.

[@vilstef6988]

Glen Cook has an excellent time travel novel called A Matter of Time.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

That's a new one to me. Generally, I find Cook to be all over the place in terms of quality. One book can be outstanding. And the next a stinker. But he put out so many novels, that there are a lot of really good ones!

[@ATPennington]

Roadside Picnic is exceptionally good. I read it in 2018 after having been familiar with the film version (1979’s Stalker) for over a decade. The book and film versions are so different. I wasn’t prepared for how the book is kind of written in the voice of a hardboiled detective story, and how bleakly funny it is in places. The film is far more sombre and pared back. I bought Babel 17 earlier this year, but I haven’t read it yet. I’ve since read Delany’s novella The Star Pit, which was brilliantly written, but very difficult to get into. I should give him another chance.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I haven’t read a large amount of Delaney, but from what I have read, I believe Babel-17 to be his most digestible work. I would love to hear what you think of it!

[@MusicMike939]

Good list. I have read all Heinlein but none of the others. I wouldn't mind sending grammaticus a duplicate to see if he likes. Or what he thinks. I enjoy his KZbin since i have read most of the books in his backdrop. Not the same version for some. Exactly the same for others.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Mike! I already have pretty much all of Heinlein’s novels and short stories. I’ve reviewed a number of them as well. Next up on my Heinlein to-read list is JOB. I’m looking forward to that one!

[@fionam3554]

Thought I was going 0 for 10 until you pulled the RAH. I would read the Casca, but fewer and fewer UBS around me, you catch what you can. Read a few of them. Did have Cook on a post-it to watch for. Noted Prestige and Anubis.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I think you can find all the Casca on Kindle Fionam. And thanks for checking out the video!

[@fionam3554]

@@GrammaticusBooks Kindle is a last resort. I like the feel of a book in my hands

[@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge]

If I'd known you hadn't read Bored of the Rings, I'd have insisted you read it immediately! And I am a huge Monty Python fan (see user pic)! The Prestige is also an excellent movie adaptation. So... you like The Black Company but are not a fan of the ultimate dark fantasy, The Elric Saga? That mystifies me, good sir! You might enjoy Gardens of the Moon, which is weird and a bit dark. Anyway, happy holidays to you!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

would you believe I tried Gardens of the Moon WowBagger but I couldn’t get through it. Love your user pic!

[@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge]

@@GrammaticusBooks The writer of Gardens of the Moon was a big AD&D fan, which you could tell from his characters. I liked the book, some people loved it, but to me he always left too many plotlines hanging to be fully satisfying. But the man had a very vivid imagination, which was what I enjoyed despite the story's vast ambiguity. The lesson: Elric is better! ☸

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge I should probably give this one another try...there's a chance I'm confusing Gardens with another book I read....

[@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge]

@@GrammaticusBooks It got some mixed reviews, but overall was praised for being innovative, and I found it quite entertaining so long as you don't mind the ambiguity. It's well written. With Erikson, it's more the journey than the destination. I think it's worth at least one read if you're a D&D fan and like high fantasy of a different cast.

[@PulpMortem]

"there are some trashy books on this list." Good.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

We agree on that point!

[@PulpMortem]

@GrammaticusBooks 😂

[@douglasdea637]

Anubis Gates, huh? I read that 30 years ago and it was okay, bit of a disappointment. The main character is weak, he can't do much for himself. Then he changes... Orphans of the Sky I still don't think is all that much. I can see when it was first published it was hot stuff, but very dated now. Roadside Picnic has a great idea squandered on characters I didn't care about in situations not well described. The best I read this year: Kindred and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Grim and dark but worth reading. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Overall pretty good. Some questionable actions and plot threads but a good read. Blindsight by Watts was good, I'll give it 4/5 stars. It has some great ideas. Confusing as well with a disappointing ending. Friday by Heinlein was good but could have been so much better. If he had continued with what the first 20-30 pages were it would have been great. But then he goes off on a completely different tangent and it suffers. Another disappointment.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I read Pillars of the Earth years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. I’ve not read any Octavia Butler yet but I’ll take a look.