Here’s a breakdown of three classic books I thoroughly enjoy reading over and over again, all with the common theme of maroon and survival:

Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe:
This is the one that started the “Robinsonade” genre (Where’d ya’ think the name came from, anyways?), and could easily be considered the grandfather of the proceeding books. It is certainly very heavy reading, much more so than the proceeding, however, it can not be held entirely against this book, because the other books were not written in English, hence, modern translations abound. Were there to be a more modern translation of this classic, it would compete more fairly with the proceeding. Being so heavy, I must confess I’ve only read it twice, and scarcely given it much thought. Therefore, I can not give it a high recommendation.

Wyss’ The Swiss Family Robinson:
If Defoe’s is too heavy for you, than Wyss might better suit you. I remember The Swiss Family Robinson being one of the first novels I ever read in school, because it is so light. It is not exactly as scientific or surreal as the other’s, with the island being far too habitable, as well as containing floral and faunal species from the world over, mashed into one island. This book has a light and cheery feel to it, and I would recommend it for readers who aren’t too confident, or want a relaxed and enjoyable quick read.

Verne’s The Mysterious Island:
Although The Swiss Family Robinson wasn’t very scientific, The Mysterious Island is the complete opposite. (What’d ya’ expect from the father of scientific [I say scientific, not science, but that’s another debate for another day!] fiction?) This book, although lighter than Robinson Crusoe, is still a little heavy. Being homeschooled, I’ve always been scientifically inclined, and found it quite enjoyable. However, with all the scientific reasoning and formulas, it could be considered a cumbersome read. (I recommend a few chapters a day, right before bed!) This book was purposely inspired by The Swiss Family Robinson, and Verne, believing both of the preceding authors too have created too habitable of an island, gave his characters absolutely nothing to start with, save a solitary watch. The characters come into far closer combat with death than Robinson or the Robinson family do, and this is certainly a thriller. Personally, I’d recommend it over the preceding.

I’M BACK

What book are we reading?

We need to make a decision soon, we’ve had this forum for around 4 months and have not made a decision.

I shall join! 😏

My 15 FAVORITE books/series:

1. The Bible, by God and various authors
   (Well, obviously… 😆)

2. Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
   (Tolkien can eat his heart out—HARRY POTTER FREAK!! 😂)

3. The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak

4. Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

5. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
   (The rest of the series is a little iffy, but the first is brilliant! Hard to believe it was written in the 80’s.)

6. Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
   (As a fan of pop culture, I ate this up! 😄 Despite its heavy content, it’s funny and creative!)

7. A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket (or David Handler)
   (Couldn’t be more flawless. Feels like a wonderful parody of every childrens’ book ever written! 😆 It also received a fantastic Netflix show!)

8. The Giver series, by Lois Lowry
   (A wonderful good-versus evil saga! At times quite sad.)

9. I Am Legend, by Richard Mattheson
   (For a book written in 1954, it holds up insanely well! A bleak and powerful story. Feels a little too real, now that COVID’s here… 😅 The movie was also great, but after finishing the book, you could just never forget the words “I am legend”. 😦)

10. The Lord of the Rings series, by J.R.R. Tolkien
    (Have a bit of a beef with this one, for its extreme length and over-reliance on facts. 😒 And to be honest, I enjoyed the movies more—but the books are undeniably creative, and still fantastic! 😉)

11. Ranger’s Apprentice series, by John Flanagan

12. Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer
    (Too bad that the movie sucked… 😕)

13. Thanos: Titan Consumed, by Barry Lyga
    (You might be surprised by this one. 😉 But it’s actually an excellent origin story for the Mad Titan—could’ve been its own movie!)

14. Skellig, by David Almond
    (Interesting, beautiful “fallen angel” story. Even BETTER is the audiobook, read by the author. He’s a really good narrater, with a nice-sounding Irish accent.)

15. The (stinkin’) Wingfeather Saga, by Andrew Peterson
    (Just to satisfy the fans. 😂)

I think we all enjoy similar books because I agree with those books.

But we need to choose one, have any of you ever read any Brandon Sanderson or Jeniffer A. Nielsen Books? They are a couple of my favorite authors although I also LOVE Tolkien

Not I, unfortunately! 😉

REALLY!? One of theirs could be a good read

We really need to choose one by now, Lol. Let’s try to stick to a classic, as they will be easier to find, and people with stricter parents will have less of a problem getting permission to read them. I personally would love to nominate Les Enfants du Capitaine Grant!

Hobbit is awesome, I would be in for a Tolkien book.

YES!!!
My favorite book series:
1: The Scriptures by YAHUAH and various people
2: The Green Ember by S.D. Smith
3: Prince Warriors by Priscilla Shirer
4: The Lego Adventure Book by Megan. H. Rothrock
5: TBA

SOOOO… what are we reading then?

Should we maybe have everyone put in their top book and then vote?

Hello

Greeeeetings.

My favourite authors are (in no particular order):
Bryan Davis, C.S. Lewis, Andrew Peterson, Douglas Kaine McKelvey, J.R.R. Tolkien, and J.K. Rowling.

David Eddings wrote some pretty good fantasy as well.

Hi SuperPup1, and PyrokeneticNinjaMaster. Also, we need to choose.

Is it okay if I nominate a book I've already read? Because I'd really like to read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen again.
Also, I never knew for sure if LOTR had Christian roots, but I've always suspected as much.

Yeah, we could do that. It depends on what other people think.

Another good book is Ahsoka by E.K. Johnson, but it's a Star Wars book so non-Star Wars fans might not find it as interesting.