My Top 10 Favourite Novels of All Time

[@GavinReadsItAll]

Favourite children's books of all time you say? I'd love to see it

[@JeansThoughts]

IT'S GONNA HAPPEN I SWEAR

[@katherineallen4239]

I saw this pop up on my feed and shouted YASSSS! Love your content!

[@JeansThoughts]

Aaaw I'm so pleased!

[@BooksandSushi]

This is so nostalgic seeing you talk about Daphnis again ~ I read it a few years ago after watching your ancient literature recommendations video 😊 I also picked up Penelopiad because of your videos but I haven’t read it yet! Great to see your list evolve as well 💟

[@cwissel11]

I read Going Postal off of your recommendation from a previous video, knowing nothing more than what you said in your synopsis. I am so glad I did! It was a fast favorite, and I've already recommended it myself a half dozen times. Thanks so much for recommending it again!

[@pagesandprose1736]

Going Postal is one of my dad's absolute faves! I'm hoping to read it this summer; the only Discworld book I've read is Wyrd Sisters which I loved!

[@gabrielabtomasi]

I am SO excited for the children's books video! Love your videos Jean

[@SantReads]

Whenever anyone talks about Hitchhiker's Guide I feel like reading the book for the nth time!

[@Rebekkamaria]

Your excitement for books and mythology is so wonderful! Thank you for this. I got a few TBR books from you. :)

[@favbookshelf8788]

Got many TBR's after watching this. Loved this video. Way to go girl!!!!!!

[@kdonaldson7308]

I picked up Radiance this afternoon based on this video and read it in a few hours and really enjoyed it so thank you!!!

[@proseandcons7730]

Radiance is one of my fave books too! Great video lovely! Hope u can make a fantasy romance book video ;)

[@bekis109]

Going Postal is my favourite Pratchett too (of those I've read)!

[@druidinary]

My favourite is Hogfather.

[@melsbookshelf]

Daughter of the forest is my number 1 book of all time! I absolutely ADORE Juliet Marillier! Everything she writes is magic! Great list!! 😀

[@Applepopess]

Marked a couple of your recommendations at my library to check them out once it's possible again. I'm especially curious about the Daughter of the Forest. Love a good fantasy series. 🌳🧝‍♀️🧚

[@Andrea-zv6up]

Daphnis and Chloe was assigned reading for a class I took in college, and reading it was probably the most enjoyable time I've ever had doing homework. I remember it felt kind of like an Ancient Greek (and more adult) version of Heidi, which I loved as a kid. I'd forgotten the title until Jean mentioned it in one of her earlier videos. I still need to do a reread, but I'm so grateful that it's actually on my list now!

[@CoynieReads]

I love these videos, it's so fun and interesting to see how this list changes over time as your own reading taste changes! 😍

[@jessiestrauss5973]

Okay, the fact that you have the Vegetarian on this list means I'm going to have to add all of the others to my TBR. I LOVE that book.

[@imanbell]

Great video! It's always lovely to hear someone talk about books they love 😊 I read Daughter of the Forest in 2020 after hearing you talk about it and it was soo beautiful! I would have preferred it to be a tad more fast-paced but that's on me because I usually prefer plotty books. Keep the recs coming Jean!

[@rebeccabritton9706]

Fabulous video! I can tell that I’ve been watching your videos for a while- I’ve picked up quite a few of these on your recommendation (Terry Pratchett, Oranges are not the Only Fruit, The Penelopiad, Tooth and Claw, and Sherlock Holmes) and there hasn’t been one yet that I haven’t liked, so I’m thinking I’ll have to pick up your other favourites- I have a copy of Eragon lying around so maybe that’ll be the next recommendation I pick up 😁 Thank you so much for sharing your favourites with us, it’s so wonderful to be able to share in someone else’s joy for the things they love!

[@JeansThoughts]

Oh yay I’m so pleased you’ve enjoyed them all :D!

[@YourTrueShelf]

I have eragon on my tbr and now I think it sounds amazing and it's going right up the list!! I bought I without knowing it was one of your favourites, but because you made me interested in dragons. Also love oranges are not the only fruit. Radiance is going on my wishlist!

[@SilviaFlippA]

The “Eragon” saga is honestly one of my favorite dragon fantasy! Love it ❤️

[@voices4oppressed]

Did you heard of "Age of Men" 🤔

[@SilviaFlippA]

@@voices4oppressed no, never heard of it 😅

[@voices4oppressed]

Haha just kidding mate! 😂😂 Actually it was a book I'm working on The series is called "Age of Men" it is a chronicle that some wise old man By the name of Sir William George will be writing who was also a character in the book about a time long ago in the ancient Age of men, the time of the great descendants of men and the rein of the immortal kings who ruled with absolute darkness...the rule of men; their rise and their fall and all the darkness that men had fought, and had turned into and conquered during the time of all the races of immoral beings and many creatures and what lies of the fate of men and how men struggles against their lust for power and the nobility of some men which may shape the destiny of men and darkness.... It is an Epic fantasy of ten book series in which through it you'll find the ugliness of men, their nobility, their bravery, their sacrifices, their fierce love, their treachery, their vengeful rage, the absolute loyalty, the dark rule of kings, the darkness of evil and the iron hearts that stood in defence of the innocent and stood in defence of love...

[@bugsby4663]

The BBC adaption of Going Postal was very well done.

[@eliza.the.earthling]

Thank you for explaining the mythological elements of The Vegetarian - this book keeps popping up so may be a sign it’s time to read it ✨

[@eliza.the.earthling]

Also the Penelopeaid by Margaret Atwood - I loved The Handmaid’s Tale so this might be next too. GAH so many great books to read! 😂

[@chrisreadingcorner3816]

I have read Vegetarian and A study in Scarlet both I thoroughly enjoyed. I am working my way through the discworld series and I am interested by Oranges are not the only fruit ended up getting it today looking forward to picking it up

[@blairelytton9303]

SCARLETT LOST IN THE FIVE LANDS is my favourite novel. .It has a female lead who is a warrior princess that loses her memory and enters a different world where society is divided into four different races based on skin colour. The female villain is so intimidating that you would end up loving her. Scarlett the main character, Black Viper, the amazing army general, Marishka, the badass assassin..and Callista, the most powerful female villain i have ever read. Also, there are dragons that lose their power of breathing fire..The battle scene at the end is mind blowing. You will fall in love with SCARLETT LOST IN THE FIVE LANDS. And the best thing is the book is just 170 pages..I completed the book in just one sitting. I had to read it on kindle since paperback was not available in foreign countries. But its ok..I really enjoyed reading the book even on kindle.

[@rittergal7]

I read Radiance last year based on a friends recommendation, and LOVED IT! It so surprised me, I was a little apprehensive, because it was an indie book and because of the cover. But once I read it I fell completely in love and I agree their romance is one of the best I’ve ever read.

[@wordsofclover]

I read Daughter of the Forest this month (I actually have a review for it going up today) and I LOVED it so much. I'm so excited to read the rest of the series.

[@JeansThoughts]

Oh my god I’m SO PLEASED

[@audreyapproved]

The Sevenwaters Trilogy is my FAVORITE fantasy series of all time!! Loved your description of it (feminist fantasy, historical fiction w/ a dash of fae)

[@JeansThoughts]

Honestly nothing compares does it 😭!?

[@tiffanyanne7861]

I loved the Inheritance Cycle. Dragons have always been a favourite of mine & I’ve gotten so many good recommendations from you for other dragon tales that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. ☺️

[@poeticwanderings7599]

I read Daughter of the Forest in December based on your recommendation! It was the first time I read fantasy in ages (since I was a teenager) and OMG I loved it. I can't wait to continue on in the series. Thanks for getting me back into fantasy! I think I especially loved the forest magic and nature elements and how they played a role in the story. I'm a nature-lover at heart.

[@poppychyk]

Ooh! This is the first time that I've learned about the mythology in The Vegetarian! It really is a bonus layer in the novel now and I now want to read about Daphne and Apollo. The Vegetarian isn't really that much talked about in the book world and I'm really surprised because it was one of the best novels that I've read last year.

[@Bicoastalwitch]

Daughter of the Forest is SO GOOD. Will most likely re-read this in 2021--it's been awhile.

[@KeiraAndGeo]

I was surprised to see that I have read 3 of the books mentioned in this :) (usually I'm so behind on reading everything x) Daughter Of The Forest was no surprise though, as I picked that one up because of you and I did not regret a thing

[@larzinthelibrary2530]

Great books!! I really need to try Discworld again. I read The Color of Magic and it didn't grab me. I think I will try Going Postal.

[@JeansThoughts]

Yeah I think Colour of Magic throws a lot of people off because it's essentially plotless - not one of my favourites!

[@naima8260]

Me sitting here and learning that one of my favorite books (The Vegetarian) has mythological background - thanks for enlightening me 😊

[@bookvirago]

Read Radiance because of you, loved it!!! Going to read The Lady's Deception next and Im sooo excited! Please do a video about your top historical romance books when you can. You have no idea how much I look forward to your videos :)

[@JeansThoughts]

Oh I’m so pleased! I’m 100% going to be posting my favourite romance novels video in February :D

[@Jessticulates]

I really, really want to read Going Postal - I love fantasy books about con artists! - and I have you to thank for Daughter of the Forest now being one of my favourite novels. I love The Penelopiad, too. Have you read any Karen Maitland? She writes novels set in the Middle Ages that have a dash of a speculative twist!

[@Natali_Talis.Library]

I'm currently reading The Lies of Locke Lamora and am loving it, so please pass on any recs for fantasy con artists!

[@Jessticulates]

@@Natali_Talis.Library Definitely read Six of Crows if you haven't already, and the heroine of The Daevabad Trilogy is a con artist, too. I'm very excited for The Mask of Mirrors by M.A Carrick as well!

[@Natali_Talis.Library]

@@Jessticulates Thank you, Six of crows has been on my radar, so I will give that a try!

[@AnoukCrt]

I can never thank you enough for making me discover Daughter of the Forest (and Juliet Marillier), it has become one of my favourite books ever and I think about it all the time 😂

[@TheNovelSanctuary]

Really need to read Hitchhiker's Guide

[@giadavallone2213]

You've made me want to reread Eragon and actually finish the series (I'm quite ashamed to say I dnf Brisingr... But I was very young, so I may try again😊)

[@snamorsixteen]

Always love your content but wow your hair! Lovely 😊

[@MagusMarquillin]

I like the sound of the SevenWaters - I'll keep an eye out for Juliet Marillier. I'm too new here to know what you'd like, but I just tabulated my top 10 as best I can (not easy!). 10 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis (I'm surprised how much I wanted to say the Screwtape Letters) 09 Pan's Labrynth by Cornelia Funke (from Guillermo del Toro's movie) 08 Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (still need to read the others) 07 The Book Theif Markus Zusak 06 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 05 Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman 04 His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman 03 Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (and their subsequent Dragonlace as well, but that's the focal point where it started and though their prose later improves their enthusiasm is palpable. Plus it's a foundational story for me) 02 The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (be careful what you wish for, but the heart wants what the heart wants) 01 The Lord of the Rings (incl. the Hobbit) by JRR Tolkien (also very foundational, but it always offers more insights)

[@lornacant2549]

I love Maggie Furey, she's a great fantasy writer, though since her death her books are out of publication so you'd need to look for them second hand. Her Artefacts of Power series is great. J.V Jones is another 90s fantasy writer I love and if you like strong female characters a great fantasy writer that I discovered last year is Jay Kristoff. I'd love to know if you've read them, and if you do I'd love to know what you think. 😊

[@Ma_BaP]

I'm reading Daughters of the Forest because of you and Ashleigh. I'm taking forever to read but I love going back to it every time. Like you said, I think the sexual assault was so well handled. It was hard to read but the allusion to the trauma the character experiences afterwards is weirdly so welcome. I also love that we have a vegetarian protagonist in medieval Ireland! Have you read past book 2 of that series? I have a friend who'd probably love the book but she only reads french, and the saga has only been translated up until book 4! WTH! So I'm hesitant to recommend it to her.

[@JeansThoughts]

I've read the first 5 of 6 - I'm scared to read 6 because I don't want them to be over aha. I will say 5 was my least favourite though. 1-4 were all 5 stars for me.

[@maartjedegroot9598]

Seven Waters is definitely on my favorite books of all time too.

[@danecobain]

Strong list! I didn't like Moist Von Lipwig to begin with, but he definitely grew on me!

[@laurahihaha]

Amazing! I am very intrigued by the 'Daughter of the Forest' series. However, i tend to not like series that have 1 book per character because I tend to find it a big predictable in terms of plot. While if they're following the same protagonists you cannot predict as well the evolution of the characters and the plot moves a more unexpectedly because again you cannot predict the arc. Would you say this is the case for the Daughter of Forest series? Also i'm a huge fan, and simple gal if you upload i click no questions asked XD

[@Maria_reads]

Jean have you ever read the queen's thief series by Megan Whalen Turner? It's my favorite series of all time and all books are full of adventure, political intrigue and some of the most surprising plot twists I've ever read! Also the world is quite similar to ancient Greece so I think you'll like them :)

[@LanaExLibris]

oh I just realised I've been pronouncing Sorcha's name wrong this whole time haha So far I've read 4 out of 10 of these purely on your recommendations! I've never collected Pokémons but I think this feeling is similar to that. "Gotta catch 'em all" lol

[@WomanVsBooks]

Going Postal is one of my favourite Pratchett too, think Hogfather is top of my list though 😊

[@kialazyeyereader1822]

Would you consider or have you done a video of what to read if you want to know more about Greek mythology and myth? :) your book is obviously already on the list hehe ^-^

[@junpi8562]

Going Postal sounds a bit like the plot of Klaus, maybe they were inspired by that book?

[@JeansThoughts]

Aha maybe, I'll have to watch it!

[@nadnadnadnad7133]

I'm also hoping to submit my PhD dissertation this year! All the best!

[@JeansThoughts]

Eeeeh good luck to you too!

[@MaryAmongStories]

yess to all the Juliet Marillier love 💜🌿

[@EleanorNicBhatair]

So many great books!!!!

[@blueberrygirl_reads4762]

Have you read A study in emerald? Its a retelling of A study in scarlet by Neil Gaiman, I love both the original Sherlock seris an A study in emerald and I think maby you woul to 😁

[@SantReads]

Woah, I did not know about The Vegetarian being inspired by Daphne and Apollo.

[@demeldapenkitty7937]

Some great choices!

[@JeansThoughts]

Thanks!

[@FallenAdam]

I'm always slightly surprised when you say Going Postal is your favourite Pratchett. I always expect you to go, "Just kidding, it's Sourcery of course!" Or Equal Rites. Anywhoos, are you planning on reading Paolini's To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars? Or have I missed a video where you talk about that?

[@JeansThoughts]

Equal Rites is in my top 3 if that helps aha. Going Postal, Wee Free Men, and Equal Rites are very very close for me but MOIST VON LIPWIG... maybe because my dad was a postman as well... who knows why we like what we like aha.

[@FallenAdam]

@@JeansThoughts To be fair, I'm always surprised when someone can actually say which is their favourite Discworld novel. I could probably narrow it down to my top 5, but that's it.

[@girion590]

stp. when i want/need to laugh/smile

[@adriannadominguez738]

Can you do I whole video about The Vegetarian? Please.

[@tokyochemist]

I much disliked The Vegetarian but I appreciate your passion for it. I agree with the other comment that the summary to Going Postal reminded me of the movie Klaus which I think you would very much like.

[@veronicag.6205]

I really wanted to love Daughter of the Forest and was disappointed when I didn't. :-(