My Top Five Favorite Stand Alone Books (Updated)

0:00-Intro
0:41-Peter Pan
3:07-And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer/A Man Called Ove/Things My Son Needs To Know About The World
6:04-The Count of Monte Cristo
7:34-Frenchmans Creek
9:52-Pride And Prejudice
My second channel: / @merphynapierreviews
WHERE TO FIND ME:
► My Patreon: / merphynapier
► Reading Spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
► Instagram: / merphynapier
► E-mail: [e-mail]

[@davidcornetta2918]

Just finished The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s now my favorite book of all time.

[@yosewise]

I’m so happy that The Count of Monte Cristo and Pride and Prejudice made the list! 😃🥰

[@Leonnie13]

Both of these are in my personal top 10.

[@britneynicole8903]

I really need to read both of those!

[@mayarimarjorie5624]

facts they have beautiful stories that I fell in love with

[@annamattos8627]

Pride and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo and Peter Pan? I am definitely staying with this channel forever.

[@CloTricots]

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all time favorite as well. Being french canadian, I have the chance to get to read Dumas in the original language and i just fell in love with his writing as a teenager. I haven't read it since being a teenager and now that i'm 38, i think it would be time to do a reread. Please do one so i can get motivated to do it too!

[@shookbyabook8473]

I was watching (for the 100th time) your previous "Favourite Standalones" video and now this updated list is here! So excited! 😘❤️

[@Dougeb7]

Merphy, if you've seen any Peter Pan adaptations, your thoughts about them might make for a fun video (if you haven't done that already). Enjoyed this one as always, thanks!

[@natcommon]

Ooo! Yes! Maybe a tier list of which one is the most accurate.

[@kaitlyng7850]

yesss I've seen the disney one and the Mary Martin one (I grew up on the mary martin one and was absolutely obsessed) and I also did the stage show when I was 15 and I was reading the book and I realized like the majority of the lines in the play are straight out from the book. Honestly I think the stage show is rather accurate bc I knew like all the lines in the book and could recite them cuz I grew up watching the stage show.

[@Bookdragon11]

Yeeeeeeeees, I wanna see that too! A ranking of the film adaptations that you like the most! 😆

[@jessicaa3356]

@@kaitlyng7850 the book was originally written as a play ☺️

[@kaitlyng7850]

@@nickc127 Yes!!! I love it so much and it's very accurate to the book actually!

[@militant_pacifist5900]

ooh, i have the count of monte cristo on my TBR for this summer! you made it sound so exciting, ngl. pride and prejudice is also amazing.

[@KrishnaMathias]

Just finished this, (because of your enthusiasm) thank you!

[@coelila]

I feel we have such similar taste in books! Peter Pan has also been my favorite book for years. I also adore Count of Monte Cristo and Pride and Prejudice. I am excited to try the other books on this list. I have a feeling I will enjoy them immensely!

[@owned008]

Yes! About time Count of Monte Cristo got some much deserved attention. You're totally right, 'wild ride' basically sums it up perfectly!

[@britneynicole8903]

Thank you, girl for such great recommendations!

[@nikkiburns5472]

I did not expect to like a man called Ove but I picked it up because my favourite books are very similar. Oh my goodness it’s so good! Ove is such a dislikable character who we grow to love within the first few chapters, and for such a serious subject matter it’s actually really funny in places. So glad I decided to give it a go.

[@nasiaamin312]

I started reading Peter pan and it is so different than i had imagined. Before reading it I thought Peter was a sweet innocent little kid. Then I saw a reel saying how Peter pan was a kidnapper. Then I heard the song Peter pan and all that got me so interested in reading it that i finally started it. And the book turned out nothing like i had imagined (It's a lot better than I had imagined lol)

[@madisonmurphy5395]

I recently read Frenchman’s creek and I really enjoyed it! Thank you for the recommendation

[@j.reesebradley4771]

I clicked on this video JUST to see if Peter Pan was still on the list. Finally read it…LOVED it! So weird and magical. 🤗

[@britneynicole8903]

It is such a good story!

[@j.reesebradley4771]

@@britneynicole8903 it really is!

[@pbofan]

I’ve been meaning to pull the trigger on AND EVERY MORNING… by Backman for at least a year, and you just inspired me to do so this morning. I also see that he has a new illustrated novella, THE GIFT OF A LIFETIME, which I also ordered with it. Backman is such a special read.

[@amorvincittomnia]

One of my favorite standalones is The Edge by Dick Francis. It's a mystery and involves a train trip across Canada. Absolutely one of my favorite comfort reads!

[@alexmckinnon3491]

No one else loves Backman as much as I do, besides you. The only one I haven't read of his is 'Things my Son..." and its definitely on my to read list. Thank you for always recommending his books they are quality and hit the heart hard.

[@Tasha9315]

Yay to Pride and Prejudice being on the list:) I'm just getting into reading unabridged Austen. Just finished Pride and Prejudice and will be starting Persuasion soon for Jane Austen July. I agree that the best part of Austen is a her commentary and messages on society.

[@-Scrapper-]

Emma> kinda

[@Tasha9315]

@@-Scrapper- Sorry I don't understand. I haven't read Emma but I've seen the movie and did love it! I can't wait to read the book.

[@angelaholmes8888]

@@Tasha9315 persuasion is a good read

[@mateuszzielonka9007]

I agree, Jane Austen is a great author, Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite books. I am currently reading Emma and enjoying it.

[@angelalewis6146]

I want to start reading Jane Austen books too. What book should I start with?

[@timswabb]

My favorite standalones: 1. The Lord of the Rings. (If you can pretend with Peter Pan, I can pretend with LotR.) 2. Musashi 3. War and Peace 4. The Three Musketeers 5. Watership Down

[@lesliegordon2313]

I love your enthusiasm for the du Maurier. She is the one author that I go to when I flounder for things to read. Have you read any of her short stories? They are some of the finest ever written. Loved your take on The Count as well.

[@Lynn-CA]

HA! Making note on your spreadsheet I'd just said to myself that's mostly classics and then you said it 😀

[@benjaminbohannon4432]

I’d recommend Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree! Such a cozy slice-of-life story:)

[@LawrenceDomkowski]

Dumas is brilliant. His works were originally serialized in a periodic Parisian publication. Weekly, I believe. It is very worthwhile to find a compilation of his serials, in his original French of course. Also, when discussing works written in a language other than modern English it would be nice if you would include the translation information.

[@thewitchyreader6131]

Great video!

[@christinavandall2231]

I watched your last video on this subject and you caused me to read Peter Pan 😁 My 6 year old son wants me to read it to him, so reread soon, which I'm looking forward to 👏🎉

[@esteleditsbooks5804]

I read Peter Pan with students (randomly assigned text by my dept head) and was SO SURPRISED at the darkness! It made me love it so much more!

[@StellaDonna88]

A Man Called Ove is on my list now too. I listened to the audiobook earlier this year, and it had me in tears. Also not a perfect book but very few are. Also: Wuthering Heights, House of Leaves, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The People in the Trees

[@my_19th_personality]

I knew Peter Pan would be here 😂 The Count of monte cristo must be in my top 5 too, it is so damn good! I wanna read Frenchmans Creek this year, I love pirate related stories, so i am sure it will be a win for me too

[@samanthan9198]

I love the Count of Monte Cristo and Pride & Prejudice! So happy to see them on the list

[@candacediana]

Pride and Prejudice and Peter Pan are two of my favorite classics too 😊

[@yourLittleSinner]

I read Bachman because of you, and those 3 are in my top favorites of all time too!

[@PatriciaVettori]

I believe it's Backman you're thinking of. Not sure how he pronounces his last name, to be honest, but generally speaking, Bachman when said alone refers to Richard Bachman (THE Bachman). In this case, I feel it might've been a good idea to say the first and last name in order to prevent any confusion on the matter. But then, perhaps, this author also pronounces his last name the same way?

[@donkevinbrown9906]

I have three favorite Stand-Alones. 1. Red Country, Joe Abercrombie 2. Tail Chaser's Song, Tad Williams. 3. Once and Future King, TH White

[@Leonnie13]

Once and Future King… I read that in high school. I have such wonderful memories surrounding that book. I need to read it again.

[@ma_niz]

I want to try the Count of Monte Cristo now!

[@swolechihuahua4905]

Ove was indeed a great experience. Thannks Merph 👍

[@bryanmills5028]

When I was younger I read the abridged version of Monte Cristo, it was excellent! Maybe missing out on parts, but to be a bit more reasonable in length I think it was perfect

[@ameliasv222]

I strongly believe that most peoples favourite books are never crowd pleasers. Usually they are very very specific to the person. I know that's how it is for me. And the reason you grow so attached to it is because you see yourself or your ideas in it like you haven't in any other story. Not just because "it's really good".

[@ropecrewman36]

Backman is the other author, besides Oda, that I now gladly read because of Merphy. Love these books!

[@timmeyer9191]

Fun fact... Alexander Dumas's own father was the inspiration for the Count of Monte Christo. If you haven't heard anything about Dumas and his father, I highly recommend googling them. Here's a link to the biographics episode on his father. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGjKo5KDm9KlnNE

[@traceymc3222]

Also the character of Porthos in The Three Musketeers. There's a really great biography about General Dumas called The Black Count, I read it this year and loved it!

[@xaviercopeland2789]

This is an even better video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYDceIKphL-HnKM

[@TheDan14]

Mother Night by Vonnegut, Between the Bridge and the River by Craig Ferguson, The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, The White Boy Shuffle by Paul Beatty, Flight by Sherman Alexie

[@ishwarjagdishashar9096]

OMG! This feels like telepathy! I was actually looking for something like this! Thanks, Merphy!

[@britneynicole8903]

I really need to try The Count of Monte Cristo! It sounds so good!

[@lukaslockaby6550]

Have you ever heard of the musical/movie Finding Neverland about the writer of Peter Pan? It gives a whole new perspective to the story and makes it so much more emotional.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

The musical is wonderful!! It's unfortunately not terribly close to the reality of the story (the reality is much less inspiring, to say the least) but I love the musical.

[@jesse8924]

I've only read one of these (The Count of Monte Cristo), and I loved it. Maybe I'll check out a couple of the others.

[@ethanfosterYT]

After you described Every Morning, I was immediately reminded of the film The Father. I’d highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it. Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman portray dementia and the way it effects family in a beautifully profound way.

[@meggaroo2]

There is a movie called robot and frank that talks about it as well that is interesting

[@freitas1527]

I think that you will really like Kingdom. It's a war story manga. It's just like every war that have existed, but like no war story that have ever been told

[@maybelore]

concerning The Count of Monte Cristo, yes it does drag on a little bit. But do not read the abridged version it can never be forgiven for what it did Franz's character. I only read it out of necessity since my library did not have the unabridged version.

[@thealmightycouch311]

Out of these I've only read A Man Called Ove and EMTWHGLOL but I absolutely loved both.

[@danddjacko]

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favourites 😏👍

[@Fierbreth]

I have a pretty hard time ranking my favorites against one another, but I do have a very clear #1 in mind, both for series and stand alones, and they are both written by Terry Pratchett. Discworld and Good Omens are my all time favorites, and this man was a legend.

[@billaustinireland]

Great list and I will be buying A Man Called I've which I haven't read yet. The Count of Monte Cristo is in my top 5 too. Can I also recommend another absolute favourite of mine, Ray Bradburys Dandelion Wine. Amazingly beautiful book.

[@patricksullivan6988]

Exit West, Atonement, and Cloud Atlas are among my favorite standalone novels. I recommend all of them, especially Exit West.

[@TheDan14]

loved exit west, I picked it up because he wrote the reluctant fundamentalist (which is another great standalone)

[@hafeylilja894]

Thank you for posting this in my lunchbrake!

[@jayrocs]

You should try The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North if you haven't yet. That's my favorite standalone.

[@michaelhammonds8626]

I love Count of Monte Cristo, definitely one of my favs of all time. I strongly recommend The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester which is written in the 1950's and is both heavily influenced by CoMC and served as a strong influence on the "cyber punk" era of sci-fi. Both William Gibson and Michael Moorcock have listed it as their favorite work of science fiction.

[@kathyscrazylife]

Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird? That is my favorite stand alone. Also Pillars of the Earth and The Help.

[@christhetanman2639]

I read The Count of Monte Cristo in high school over the summer. It took me two months to make it through, lol. The last half of the book I read in a week (100+ pages a night lol). It does build slowly but the payoff was so good! I want to reread but I don’t know if I have the time to do that these days. Have you read The Three Musketeers? I haven’t and was curious how it compares to Cristo.

[@jamesduggan7200]

For dementia, you must read Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-5, where the MC, Billy Pilgrim, refuses to accept the constraints of his affliction, viewing himself instead as a traveler through space and time. It's a touching appraisal of how those suffering through mental disease can remain vital contributors to the family dynamic. As for the Count of Monte Cristo, currently I'm reading it in the original and enjoying it even though certain aspects, such as the Counts relationship with Ali, must be considered problematic. Thx - enjoyed!

[@cheyannelencioni9394]

My favorite standalones are: Pride & Prejudice, Frenchman's Creek, Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan, The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle, and Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.

[@khaledameen6161]

I like it so much 🤩🤩

[@Carexy]

I read Frenchmans Creek thanks to you and I really liked it! Donna may not be the most lovable character but I think that her desire for freedom and running away from the expectations and responsabilities of a woman in her time is understandable 😊

[@britneynicole8903]

My reading list is getting so longg!

[@seanaugust]

I don't read many stand alones either, but The Count of Monte Cristo is definitely my number 1. The Invisible Man and Grendel are both up there, as well.

[@FairladyZ2005]

My list: 1. Adventures of Robin Hood - Roger Lancelyn Green 2. The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle 3. The Wizard of Oz (first in a series, but it can stand alone) by L. Frank Baum 4. Enchantress from the Stars - Sylvia Louise Engdahl (Really need to reread this one.) 5. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine Peter Pan and Persuasion would probably make my top 10. I really need to get around to reading Dumas's version of Robin Hood too. Have you started the Musketeers pentology yet?

[@natcommon]

Have you ever read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi? I think you would like it after hearing your thoughts on Frenchman’s Creek, even though they only have one thing in common which is it takes place on a ship.

[@Snowfoot21]

Oh, I've been wanting to read the Count of Monte Cristo SO bad. I just need to push it to the top and read it already. 😅

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Ugh yes love Peter Pan 🥺

[@Christian-ut2sp]

Hey Merph please don’t forget about the Republic of Thieves dedicated review (you can post it on your 2nd channel :) )

[@jessicadillon8690]

I READ BACHMAN BECAUSE OF YOU AND I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thejawajedi87]

Pride and Prejudice is just that good.

[@mateuszzielonka9007]

I agree

[@crystalrayne2170]

That’s such a lovely cover of peter pan! Which edition is it?

[@khushipareek366]

Hi Murphy! Could you please tell which edition of Peter Pan it is that you are holding up in this list? It looks really nice!

[@epicgamer2727]

I highly recommend The Goblin Emperor and the Curse of Chalion

[@RedFuryBooks]

I read 106 books last year and The Count of Monte Cristo was #1. Masterful work.

[@shaytink]

Have you read The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom? It's a short but very emotional ride. I bawled.

[@elenasreadingcorner]

Honestly, I don’t disagree with you on a lot of things, but Peter Pan is certainly one of them. Read it last year just because you are so into it (read it as a child and forgot everything about it) and I just don’t get it 😂 Hate pretty much everything about that book, all the characters are terrible human beings or just caricatures (the father). The only good thing I can say is that I could totally feel how much fun the author had writing it. Yay for pride and prejudice and count of monte cristo! ❤️

[@celinefuchs4095]

I LOVE Peter Pan and Pride and Prejudice!!! Both of them are among my top favorite stand alone books as well (Pride and Prejudice among my top favorite books, period; Peter Pan hits a weird spot as it is BY FAR one of my favorite stories of all time, but I fell in love with it through the 2003 film and the stage adaptation with Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan and Paul Schoeffler as Captain Hook…❤️❤️❤️ I like the book a lot, but it didn’t quite connect with me in the same way) I listened to A Man Called Ove a few months ago, fell in love and am recommending it to everyone I can; really liked And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer; and The Count of Monte Cristo has been on my TBR for YEARS…I hope to read it later this year (maybe in time for the discussion here!!!) Oh, and I read Frenchman’s Creek a few weeks ago. Merphy, I dunno why, but it is my favorite reading experience of Daphne du Maurier’s work thus far, though I agree Donna’s decisions are far from what I would do or call good decisions…yet somehow I also don’t mind as it meant we went on the adventure we did. This book transported me in a way that I thought books couldn’t do with me anymore…I haven’t experienced magic in a book in a long while, despite truly enjoying many things I’ve read, but Frenchman’s Creek reminded me about what magic books can hold. (I read it on your recommendation, too 😁 so thank you!!) Some of my favorite stand alone books are The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (that connected with me big time, particularly Daniel having an American dad and a Spanish mom; I have an American dad and a Belgian mom 😊); Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George; House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate (does Huckleberry Finn count as a stand alone, or is it a sequel?), Entwined by Heather Dixon, A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman, and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Wow that’s a lot 😅 I promise I could narrow it down (somewhat) to a top favorites but those are some favorite stand alone books, in addition to the ones mentioned above. 😁 if you read this far, thanks! Have a beautiful day ❤️

[@angelaholmes8888]

I'm planning on reading pride and prejudice in july

[@mateuszzielonka9007]

I loved Sense and Sensibility. I am reading Emma right now. I am planning to consume all of Jane Austen's stories (whether by book or film) by next year.

[@angelaholmes8888]

@@mateuszzielonka9007 I really liked sense and sensibility I read it a few months ago unfortunately I didn't enjoy Mansfield park

[@vegangurly]

Where is that Peter Pan edition from! 😭 I want to buy it so bad, it’s gorgeous.

[@susantownsend8397]

Good choices. The two audiobooks I keep on my phone to return to when I need to feel soothed are A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute. The first is about a man who is under house arrest and spends years without leaving the hotel where he lives. The other is about a man who sets out on a long journey. They were written about 55 years apart but they give me the same vibes. Quiet, gentle books with characters I love so much that I want to drop in for a visit. I’ve listened to them so many times I can turn them on mid-chapter anywhere and just pick it up from there.

[@lastjohns9717]

The Count of Monte Cristo is my number one, in the favourite list and I haven't read her in a while

[@hoau1406]

Merphy is so pretty 😍.

[@sythrin144]

There is actually a realy great "Count of monte christo" anime. It is sci fi adaptation. But realy great!

[@nailo89]

What edition of Jane Austen are these? They are beautiful!

[@andieland1923]

Does anyone know where to buy that set of Jane Austen books that Merphy has?? It's absolutely stunning.

[@mackmenezes4912]

My favorite ha to be chainsawman and parasyte:the maxim

[@timmeyer9191]

I was kind of hoping Haunting of Hill House would have made the list.

[@leafsofadventure2111]

How dare you ruin Pride and Prejudice! 🤣 I say as I remember I've seen the movie multiple times... I'm pretty sure at this point most people know how it ends? Could be mistaken though. I would love to read Count of Monte Cristo! However, it seems quite daunting. Have you read it as an audiobook before? If so, how does the experience compare?

[@PatriciaVettori]

Count of Monte Cristo is a favorite of mine, though I'm probably due for a reread. I remember being required to read it in middle grade, but then when I actually started reading it, I couldn't get enough. I consider it my first "gateway" book. Lol.

[@PatriciaVettori]

Oddly haven't read Peter Pan, though. Putting it on my list!

[@blueintardis]

Merphy, read and review Gash Bell pls

[@tomerlupo4577]

One of my favorite stand alone stories is the magnus archives. Day 36.

[@davidmauriciogutierrezespi5244]

If you really liked The Count of Montecristo, and now that you're reading manga, may I recommend on of my two favorites: Black Butler. I think you might enjoy it.

[@jaeeproductions]

For dementia, get your family on B-Complex Vitamins and Nutritional Yeast (unenriched).

[@theadmiral4625]

HI MERPH super-quick Q : have you ever read Snow Crash?? I been looking on the net for your review but can't find one......................

[@eileencorbeil1306]

You need to read Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi! Author is currently writing the 3rd book in the trilogy and also, i believe, screenwriting the movie adaptation of the first book. IT IS SO GOOD. Intricate magic system. Great main characters, multi POVs. Hope you review it!

[@Bookdragon11]

It is so nice to see how Merph is just undulating love towards Peter Pan! 😁 (Sorry not sorry Merph 😝)

[@sapphireblue6]

I wish final fantasy 7 was a book so you could read it lol it’s such an amazing story with an incredible world. My favorite video game of all time

[@gkiourtis]

Curious to know if you've read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley? I know it's a very well known book but not sure if you've said anything about it 😁

[@BrebearMckae]

💕💕💕

[@MatthewLoom]

Guys and Girls, where are the missing The Wheel Of Time reviews? I believe the playlist is missing books 8, 9 and 10? I can't start the next book until I've watched Merphy's review!

[@karamiddleton2920]

Dementia runs in my family too, which terrifies me. I actively avoid books that have dementia in them, and I'm not sure if that will ever change.