This month I’m talking about my favorites and reason behind why I like them so much. I’m moving up in the editing world and recently became a managing editor at Jolly Fish Press. Now that I’ll be looking for books to acquire, I thought it would be the perfect time to go over some of my favorites by genre.
Fantasy is the genre I read most. It’s hard to pick an overall favorite because so many authors and series all have different aspects that excite and amaze me. Still, I find one book I could reread many times and not get tired of would be The Hobbit. The book manages such a nice blend of character and setting.
It’s easy to feel exactly like Bilbo does when you read about him feeling homesick, scared, or like he’s in way over his head. Instead of having a larger than life protagonist, The Hobbit manages to be so endearing because Bilbo is so ordinary and relatable while he encounters fantastical things on his journey. He’s never expected to be great, but he constantly pushes past his fears and changes slowly from a relaxed hobbit into a seasoned adventurer and wins the admiration of the rest of his party, but at the price of being expected to do some very scary things.
The Hobbit is a fantasy classic and personal favorite because it mixes the fantastical with the mundane so well in both plot and character.
Although I don’t have time to talk much about them, I think my fantasy favorites from last year’s reading would be Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and the Age of Fire series by E.E. Knight. Way of Kings has such a vivid and unique world while the Age of Fire series gives a refreshing spin to some classic fantasy elements while having dragons as the main characters (always a plus in my opinion). This year I’ve been enjoying A Game of Thrones on audiobook.
My second favorite genre is science fiction. I love exploring how technology and pushing the frontiers of humanity can bring out both the worst and best in people.
In sci-fi it’s not hard to pick a favorite. Asimov’s Foundation series is by far my favorite. It has wondrous technologies, including the predictive sciences central to the book’s plot. It has a small group standing for progress and science while fighting against the uncaring rigidity of the political and bureaucratic systems of a slowly failing empire. Ultimately, it’s about human ingenuity prevailing over ineffective government and social decay.
Most my favorite sci-fi has one of two things, but hopefully both. The first is interesting characters faced with unique issues brought about by the sci-fi setting. The second is exploring the dilemmas and philosophical arguments that come with new technologies and discoveries.
Notable sci-fi that I enjoyed lately would include The Martian by Andy Weir and most the stories by my friend Joe Vasicek.
Well, that’s about all the time I have for long-winded explanations of my favorites. Still, I should feel that my next few genres I find interesting would be self-help, memoirs, and realistic fiction with a side of the magical/supernatural. A few notable books in those that I’ve read recently would be The War of Art and Eleanor.
If you or a friend have a book you’re working on that you would like me to consider, send it to the submissions email at Jolly Fish Press:
Submission Guidelines
submit@jollyfishpress.com
Be sure to address your query letter to me. I’d love to find some new favorites to recommend for publication.
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