This blogging prompt is hosted by the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group
Today’s T5W prompt is Writing Styles
These are the books that have a truly beautiful or immersive writing style.
1. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
Have y’all figured out that Robert Jordan and his series are my absolute favorite? Seriously, I cannot hype them up enough. You will be in a completely different world, with magic and genuine friendships, fear and heartbreak, romance and power. I will disclaim that many believe RJ does not portray women well, and relies instead on a set of stereotypes to categorize them and their emotions/actions. However, I do not feel that his portrayal is particularly bad, it’s more that he does such an amazing job showing the men as real people that his characterization of the women falls just short of that. I also did not notice this until I was knee-deep in some of the forums on one of my last re-reads, so I think it is subtle enough to ignore.
2. The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson
This series is almost as well-written as WoT. Again, you will be transported to a completely different world, with a HUGE cast of very realistic, sympathetic, and dynamic characters. As you read, you will feel as if you are a part of the world and its adventure.
3. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (review coming soon)
This one is actually my current read, so I may be a bit biased. But O’Brien’s writing is beautiful. His first chapter absolutely ripped my heart out–in a good(?) way. He does such an amazing job at taking this important piece of American history, something that would be very difficult to talk about, and eloquently puts words to all of the different emotions that he and we should feel about war. Truly an amazing read. This also happens to be the only book on my list that is not fantasy.
4. Solace Lost by Michael Sliter (link to my review)
I place this just about on par with Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s writing, if a bit–okay, a LOT–darker. Sliter painstakingly builds an entirely new world complete with unique curses and religion, AND creates characters that seem about to pop off of the page and walk out your house and down the street. They are that lifelike. His heroes aren’t perfect, but rather flawed just like the rest of us. They fear, they make mistakes, they bleed.
5. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
I save this one for last because it’s so well-known. Anyone interested in fantasy knows that Tolkien is the one to live up to. Confession time: I actually hadn’t read the books until last year. Of course, I had seen all of the movies–the extended versions, of course–including the Hobbit movies, but I had never actually read the books. I thought that the enjoyment would be lost since I already knew how everything would go down. But boy, was I wrong. Tolkien is a master. No doubt about it.
The Book Dragon 