My Top 15 Favorite Books

ISSUE 02 - - - - - - - MAY 2026

"Top 15," you think. "That's strange. Isn't it usually top 10?" 

OKAY, OKAY, you don't need to call me out on that. I'm indecisive, and I have too many favorite books. No matter how much I tried to condense the list, I just physically could not leave out these extra five. 
I admit, the title of this post is a little misleading, because by books, I mostly mean book series. Sure, there might be a couple standalones in here---but if you're a reader, you know how daunting it is to pick just one singular book of a series and call it your favorite. At least for me, it feels like I'm not including the entirety of the world and the characters and such. 
Also: all of the books on this list are CLEAN! There might be a couple minor swears throughout some of the YA series, but there is no spice whatsoever in any of these books.
Last but not least: count how many ones YOU love. If you get 9/15, we are officially twins. Onto the list!

At #15 we have Love + Gelato. Now before you think ugh it's just a romance book so mediocre probably I'm gonna click off this blog--- WAIT!!! As a certified romance book hater, I actually enjoyed this. I flew through this last summer. It's about a girl named Lina moving to Italy after her mother died to live with her father who she's never known, and there just so happens to be a mystery and romance subplot. It's the perfect summer read, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series. 

#14: Renegades by Marissa Meyer. I read this chunky dystopian trilogy in 2023 when I was 13, so it's definitely due for a reread. From what I remember, there was a Supervillains vs. Superheros thing, the main character was Angsty, and I absoloutely devoured the found family trope. Also, it's written by Marissa Meyer, who is one of my favorite authors of all time. You'll see another one of her series near the end of this list.

#13: the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke. This is another trilogy I read when I was 13 (how did I fly through so many series in middle school?) and I should probably reread the books before deeming them to be fit for my 'favorites' list. Oh, well. This series is about a girl whose father can jump into books. (Original, I know. Jumping into books. But I can't deny how much I love that kind of plot.) I think he gets trapped in them. Isn't there a guy who can control fire? And that's basically all I remember...but I also remember loving the books a lot, so give them a go.

#12: The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson. Did I ever mention how much I love Johnson's books? They feel like modern classics. I saw a review that said they feel like the Penderwicks + Anne of Green Gables...which is like...the BEST COMBINATION EVER! This is her debut novel, set in 1914, the main character's parents are divorced (which is a big deal at the time) and the main character has native heritage (which is also a big deal at the time.) It's so good!

#11: The World of Solace Series by Jaleigh Johnson. I never see ANYBODY talk about these books at all. They're a middle grade steampunk fantasy---each book is about a different character, but they're all set in the same world. The world building, by the way? So amazing. I randomly got the first book out of the library one day, not knowing what I was getting into, but I was blown away.

#10: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Am I cheating by putting a book series here that I haven't completed? I haven't read the third book, Cytonic, yet. But the two I have read are so, so good. It's Sci-Fi---kind of feels like Star Wars combined with the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I love the friend group. (Are you sensing a pattern?)

#9: Bluebird by Sharon Cameron. So many historical fictions that are published currently---from my experience---are all set during WWII. Don't get me wrong, I love WWII books, but it does get repetitive. This, though, is not your average World War 2 book. The plot twists! The plot twists! Based on a real experiment that happened! Such a page-turner.

#8: Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery. Hands-down, L.M. Montgomery is my favorite writer. Ever. The way she writes her stories so creatively, the beautiful descriptions, and the pure relatability I find with her characters are why every single thing this author writes is a comfort book. Emily of New Moon is a trilogy, lesser known to Anne, but almost just as good. When Emily's father dies, she is sent to live with her strict aunt who doesn't allow her to write or read (the horror!) But basically this is her journey to becoming a writer and other adventures she gets up to. Side note: Isle is brilliantly written as well.

#7: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is probably the most well-known dystopian series, chocked full of rebellion and critique of the government. I don't really have much to say on it, other than if you haven't read it...you should probably get to reading it. It's a staple!

#6: Ascendance by Jennifer A. Nielson. I LOVE Nielson's historical fiction books...but this is a six-book upper middle grade medieval series. The humor in these books are peak. Also...the plot twists? How the main character acts like he's foolish and stupid but in reality the entire thing is a huge plan he concocted? I can't explain too much of the plot without spoiling it, but if you like the sound of this...read it now!

#5: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is the best Christian allegory series I've ever read. To be fair, it is one of the only Christian allegory I've read---but I digress. There are two ways to read the series: the publication order or chronological. My Top favorites of the series are: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (such a good classic), The Magician's Nephew (the parallels to TLWW>>) and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader! 

#4: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall is a modern classic. This five-book middle grade series is so, so nostalgic to me, with inspirations of Little Women woven through it. It's about four sisters---Rosalind, Skye, Jane, Batty, and later on Lydia, growing up. It's sort of a slice of life, but also very summery, adventurous, and realistic. If you've read this...what sister did you relate to most? I've definitely been a Jane girl, but my older-sister tendencies lead me to be a Rosalind too.

#3: Throughout Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, I've found myself wondering how a writer from the 20th century could capture the thoughts and feelings of me so perfectly---a girl living in the 2020s. The main premise of this is siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt, both never married, adopting an orphan boy. There was a mistake, and the child that shows up on their doorstep is a redheaded, imaginative girl who has a knack of getting into trouble. I've reread the first book of the six-book series recently my favorite quote I've annotated is:

"'Dear old world,' she murmured, 'you are very wonderful, and I am glad to be alive in you.'"

#2: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a science fiction/fantasy series that are fairytale retellings. In chronological order: Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. The books only get better as they go on---I think my favorite has to be the fourth and last one, just because of the found family. Yes---there is a MASSIVE amazing friend group in the Lunar Chronicles. Marissa Meyer's characters always feel so realistic.

#1: I have always been obsessed with Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger---which I have crowned as my number one favorite series since I was eleven years old. To be honest, I haven't reread these in a while, and I'm scared to...because I know when I do, they won't be as good as preteen me thought they would be. But they're mostly #1 because of the bond I have with them. They follow Sophie Foster---12 years old in the first book, 16 in the latest books, who is a telepath. She finds out that she is an elf, and it just goes on from here. Yes, you probably guessed that there's a friend group in this series, and you are right. It's just so good, and the character and relationships are so memorable.

Honorable Mentions:

These are some book series that I've found really really good---but I haven't finished the entire series yet. 

• Daughters of Fortune - 1940s WW2 adult Christian historical fiction! Four huge books, published in the 2000s, and they're about three sisters all around the world during the war.
• Impossible Creatures - a series with only two books and newly released; feels like Narnia. I didn't find the second one as good, but the first one is really amazing!
• Rebel of the Sands - a middle eastern inspired fantasy. the writing immediately sucked me in, and the setting is so cool. This would be on the upper YA though, because I remember moderate swearing and some more mature themes of real things that happen in the middle east. I haven't read the last book, but the first two are spice free.

And that's it for my ULTIMATE TOP 15 FAVORITE BOOKS! I hope you got some recommendations, recognized some of your favorites, and overall enjoyed this list. If you're still looking for more recommendations...don't be shy to check out Break of Day, a fantasy middle grade I wrote!

Anyways, this is Christine Marie, signing out!