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The Chronicles of Narnia

Technically these are fantasy, but they are so universal that anyone will love them. C.S. Lewis was a genius. This was the first series that my mother read to me, even before I could read long books myself, and I've read them at least five times since then. I guarantee you'll never get tired of reading and re-reading them. I listed the books separately first, with box sets (cheaper per book) at the end. There are also Christian values and allusions, in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and The Last Battle especially.

PLEASE NOTE this order! The new editions are NOT in the order in which C.S. Lewis wrote them, and they are much more fun to read in the right order. DO NOT read The Magician's Nephew first!

Book One: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe
The first book stars Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, who stumble through a magic wardrobe into Narnia, another world where magic still survives. Right now Narnia is being held in a spell by the White Witch, who makes it "always winter, but never Christmas." Can the children and Aslan, a powerful lion, save Narnia?

Book Two: Prince Caspian
The four children return to Narnia, but a mere year on Earth has been a thousand years there! Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to Narnia's throne, is threatened by his evil uncle, who usurped the throne, and the four children must set things to right, with the help of some wonderful new characters.

Book Three: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Lucy and Edmund again visit Narnia, this time with their cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubb (and he almost deserves it). They set sail aboard Caspian's marvelous ship, the Dawn Treader, on a journey to find seven lost lords from the house of Narnia. While they're away, they encounter many strange and wonderful things -- including the edge of the world (Narnia is flat, you know). We also learn more about the "cute" little mouse from Book Two, Reepicheep.

Book Four: The Silver Chair
Caspian's son has disappeared. Eustace and his friend Jill Pole are sent to Narnia to find the young Prince Rilian, rescue him and save Narnia. Puddleglum (a new Narnian friend) aids them on their journey. The ending scene of this book is my favorite scene in the whole Chronicles.

Book Five: The Horse and His Boy
Book Five takes place during The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A young boy named Shasta and a talking horse named Bree (for short) run away from slavery in the southern country of Calormen. Along the way they meet a noblewoman, Aravis, and Hwin, her mare, and get into a lot more trouble than they bargained for. It's exciting to learn about other countries in Narnia's world. Another great aspect of this book is that we get a look at the Pevensie "children" as kings and queens. You can actually read this any time after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I like to read it right before The Silver Chair.

Book Six: The Magician's Nephew
Digory and Polly accidentally stumble upon his Uncle Andrew in the attic, and he sends them on their magical journey. Chronologically, this is the first book of the series, because it tells of the discovery and creation of Narnia. But DO NOT READ THIS FIRST! There are many inside jokes and "Ohhh, that's where that came from!"s, besides learning the history of Narnia's good and evil. You'll really be more interested in this book if you've read the first five before, and comments in the first five will make more sense if you haven't read this one yet. (I don't know where publishers can get off just re-numbering an author's works, will-he, nill-he.)

Book Seven: The Last Battle
The climactic last book...is this the end of Narnia? A conniving ape and a loving but gullible donkey convince the Narnian animals that Aslan has returned. But he doesn't act loving the way they remember. King Tirian is outraged when he hears that his subjects are being tormented, but he can't save the kingdom on his own. Enter Jill and Eustace, jerked from Earth to Narnia to help. Yet as things go from bad to worse, they wonder when Aslan will come to set things right.

Mass Market Paperback Boxed Set
All seven books in one set (although they're numbered wrong). This collection is the set of the editions linked to above, for $27.72.

Paperback Boxed Set
This set is more expensive and also numbered wrong. It is also paperback, but with different covers, and probably bigger print, since the books are larger. It costs $38.92.

Louisa May Alcott's books are all about girls, but I consider them classics because they can be enjoyed by anyone at any age. Little Women is of course her most famous book, but some people don't know that it has three sequels, or that the editions of Little Women that are usually printed now are actually two books together: Little Women and Good Wives.

Book One: Little Women/Good Wives
This book, which is actually two books in one, tells the story of the March family. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy grow up while they're father is away at war and Marmee works hard to support them. The trials of sisterly quarrels and first loves are all in this heartwarming book, to which everyone can relate.

Book Two: Little Men
A grown-up Jo March starts a school for needy kids and continues her career as a writer. We learn a lot about "her boys," such as Nat and Dan, and how they grow up.

Book Three: Jo's Boys
Jo's "boys," the students of her school and surrogate sons, are growing up and making their way in the world. But they don't always have an easy time of it, and Jo can't always smooth out their way. The author doesn't ignore the original Marches either, and brings all the storylines to a satisfactory close. (Well, there is one part of the ending I would change a bit, but to tell you about it would give it away.)

The Musketeers Cycle

These classic books are the best swash-buckling, romantic books I've ever read -- romantic meaning idealistic, not lovey-dovey. The heroes are larger than life but still realistic, and they accomplish marvelous feats with plenty of wit. I just can't say enough good things about them. They are a serious read, though, and while worthwhile for anyone to know, they could be difficult for readers not used to long books (the shortest is still 400 pages). Also, Dumas's writing can seem like it's giving superfluous information at times, but even when he shifts you around in the story, there is nothing uninteresting. After you've read these books, you'll feel as if you lived in the time of Louis XIII and XIV, Kings of France in the 1600s, and that the people (real and fictional) are your best friends. You'll also learn a little French.

Book One: The Three Musketeers
First of all, everyone knows that there are four Musketeers, so why, they ask, is the book called The Three Musketeers? The answer is: One, at the beginning of the book, only three of them are Musketeers; and Two, way back when it was first published, there were two volumes, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, but as long as the English translation has been around, it's been only one book. That said, on to the review.
I've used pictures from the recent movie, but the plot is only similar. However, the bantering spirit of Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan is preserved. As Hollywood has a tendency to do, the story and characters are simplified and given happier endings, but reading the book will just make you feel that you know the characters more richly. This is the most "overtly" humorous, if you will, book of the cycle, but I am widely known to be easily amused; however, I think a great many of the jokes will cause most readers to laugh out loud. The basic storyline is: D'Artagnan comes to Paris with the sole intention of becoming a Musketeer, and the exploits he uses to achieve that goal are the rest of the plot. (soundtrack B000000OD8)

Book Two: Twenty Years After
As the title implies, book two takes place twenty years after book one ended. Our Musketeers are older, wiser, and -- whoa, not Musketeers anymore! Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu have died, Athos is a retired father, Aramis is a churchman, and Porthos is nobility. Only D'Artagnan remains at his old post, with his reputation and his wits only to help him succeed. The new Cardinal commissions him with a delicate job, and he enlists Porthos's aid, but Athos and Aramis are serving the other side! Not to fear, though; the four are as ever friends as ever. They unite to fight the son of Milady and the would-be executioner's of England's King. Through their triumphs and tragedies we learn more about the enduring character of these four heroes. Many say this was even more heart-pounding than the first book. It's not a very common book, however, and unfortunately the only edition now in print is the Oxford World's Classics for $11.96. DO NOT, under any circumstances, read the introduction. It gives away the end. Also, the little "historical notes" throughout the book usually only spoil the plot or tell how it really was, and frankly, if we cared how it really was, we wouldn't be reading fiction.

Book Three: The Vicomte de Bragelonne
This was originally the beginning of the larger volume Ten Years Later. In the third installment, we learn how the Four Musketeers have made their fortunes and are all very happy, as are their lackeys. At Paris the new power struggle is Louis XIV versus Cardinal Mazarin and later his ministers, chiefly Fouquet, the Superintendant of Finances. This book takes a new turn, however, in that it focus more on the younger generation: Raoul, Athos's son, and his compatriots, who serve the young King, plus Raoul's young love, Louise de la Valliere. Don't be worried at first when it seems to have nothing to do with the stories you've been reading; you'll fall in love with the new characters, too. While not as fast-paced, perhaps, it is just as exciting in its own way, and keep in mind that it wasn't really intended to be a stand-alone book.

Book Four: Louise de la Valliere
This book again focuses more on Louise, Rauol, the King, Princess Henrietta, and the intrigues of the new Court. Their escapades, while not the same as the Musketeers' were in the first books, are suspenseful still, and sweetly romantic. At last! A pure romance that isn't about sex. This, the middle section of Ten Years Later, is a perfect set-up for the next book, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to the characters. The Musketeers do, of course, have roles in this book, but, like book three, they are waiting in the wings until their final curtain call. Meanwhile we are being marvellously entertained with the stage and lesser characters.

Book Five: The Man in the Iron Mask
(Not the one with the movie cover for $3.99. The movie cover, $5.59.) This is the greatest tragedy I have ever read, in terms of strength of feeling, style of writing, and everything else that makes a story good. Warning: This is nothing like the movie. It's much better! I loved the movie, I really did; I still do, actually; but compared with the book, it was shallow and one-dimensional. D'Artagnan is not the king's father, Porthos is not a drunkard, Aramis is not sweetly thinking of others, Athos is not merely obsessed with his son, Raoul doesn't run in front of a cannon, his fiancee is not named Christine, and Louis XIV is not a womanizer who ignores his people. In fact, about the only thing the book has in common with the movie is the name. The man in the iron mask, Philippe, does come into the story, but in a different order and with a smaller role.
This is the final drama of the Musketeers, with Aramis plotting against the throne, aided by the innocent Porthos; Raoul pining away for Louise, going off to war, and causing Athos to pine away for him; and D'Artagnan laboring away, trying to earn a marshal's baton and to save his friends. Without the middle books, which may be hard to find (my library had to special order them), you will hardly know the characters at all, but if you read all five, they will feel like your best friends. I cried through the last hundred pages, at least. This is the greatest series of books ever written. (Incidentally, the soundtrack to the movie is also one of the best I've ever heard. Forget that the movie stars Leo, if that's a hang-up for you, and watch it for the breathtaking music.)

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