I have to admit, I am a massive fan of fantasy. Most of the books I borrow from the library are fantasy, and a lot of the books on my bookshelves are too. So when I saw that the topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly link-up hosted by TheBroke and the Bookish, was the top ten books I would give to someone who had never read (X), I instantly knew my list was going to be about books for readers who have never read fantasy. This was definitely an easy list to write this week.

1. Ella Enchanted

Gail Carson Levin

Ella Enchanted would make a great first book for people who have never read fantasy. It’s based on a familiar fairy tale, which would make understanding it easier, it’s funny, which always helps, and the book is quirky and full of amazing characters. It definitely shows off the lighter, more humorous side of fantasy.

2. Ranger’s Apprentice

John Flanagan

For younger readers especially, the Ranger’s Apprentice books would be a really good place to get a start on fantasy. They’re not too heavy on the fantasy details, so new readers won’t get overloaded, the settings are quite familiar (being based on real countries), but there’s still enough fantasy in both the world and the creatures in it to ease new readers into the fantasy genre.

3. Eragon

Christopher Paolini

I have to confess, I’m not actually a big fan of this book, despite being an avid fantasy reader. However, I know that a lot of people have really enjoyed this book, so new readers can make up their own minds on this book. It does have dragons, and every reader new to fantasy should meet the dragons as soon as they possibly can.

4. Dreamtreaders

Wayne Thomas Batson

This book shows another side to the fantasy genre: books that are set in the real world with the main character travelling to another world. It’s also set both in the real world, and in the world of dreams, which I think is absolutely awesome. It’s very creative, and very well written, and would make a great first fantasy book for new readers.

5. Wildwood Dancing

Juliet Marillier

This is another fairy tale retelling, which is a sub-genre I like very much, and it shows off the whimsical, pretty side of the fantasy genre. Everything about this book speaks of the elegance and grace of fantasy. Plus it has fairies and a talking frog, and those notorious bargains that are to be found everywhere in fantasy books.

6. Percy Jackson

Rick Riordan

This series is an excellent one for new fantasy readers. It’s set in the real world, in a country that most readers will be fairly familiar with. Oh yeah, and it just so happens to have the ancient Greek Gods wandering around in modern day America. Which is kind of awesome. This book is so much fun, and doesn’t have absolutely masses of world building, so it would make a great first book for people new to fantasy.

7. The Seer and the Sword

Victoria Hanley

This book has been a favourite of mine for quite a long time. It’s got a fantasy world, a girl who can see the future, and a love story that even I, who isn’t a big reader of romance, can enjoy. This one has a whole cast of awesome characters as well. This isn’t heavy reading, so it would be an easy book for new readers to read, and it’s full of awesome adventures. What’s not to like?

8. The Raven Boys

Maggie Stiefvater

This is an amazing book (and it may have already features in more than one Top Ten Tuesday in the past). While it’s a fantasy book, it’s also set in the real world, and the fantasy elements are woven in so well that they don’t feel heavy handed at all. Plus the characters, the plot and the details are all so well written that this book is riveting. Even if you’re not new to fantasy, you should read this book.

9. The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

This book is probably not the best first book for a brand new reader of fantasy to start with. But it’s a very fun book, and definitely the easiest of all Tolkien's books to read. It shows off what a writer can really do with a fantasy world if they want to. Tolkien is a master of world building, and he’s pretty good with the fantasy races as well. While it’s best not to read this book as your very first fantasy book, it’s still well worth reading.

10. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

C. S. Lewis 

How could I end this list without adding one of the most famous fantasy books of all time? This is still one of the best fantasy books out there, and it’s an excellent place for any reader new to fantasy to start. It’s got everything, magic, new worlds, fantasy creatures, an epic quest to stop an evil villain, and even travelling between worlds (which wasn’t cliché back then.) This book is definitely a good place to start.

Which of these books have you read? What book would you recommend to someone who had never read fantasy before? And link my to your Top Ten Tuesday Posts. I'd love to see what books you're recommending this week.

I was walking my dog the other day when all of a sudden it occurred to me that writing a book and dog walking are actually quite similar. At first glance, this might seem a bit strange. How can walking a dog be anything like writing a book? Well, I came up with four reasons why writing and dog walking are similar.

You have to do it every day. A dog needs regular walks, preferably every day, so I have to take the dog out regularly for its exercise. In the same way, I have to sit down to write regularly, again, preferably every day. A book only gets written when its author sits down and works on it regularly. I have to put my fingers on the keys often, writing and editing and spending time with my book in order to get it finished.

It’s not easy to do every day. Some days I really don’t want to take the dog for her walk. It might be so cold I can see my breath misting in the air, or so windy I’m getting blown about, or maybe I’m just feeling too lazy. But the dog still needs to go out. And there are also plenty of days when I don’t feel like writing. I might want to watch Youtube videos, or read books, or I might just feel lazy. But, no matter how hard it is, the book needs to be written whether I feel like it or not.

Your mood is important. On the days I’ve been out with the dog and I’ve been grumpy about it, everything seems worse than it is. The dog seems to misbehave more, or get distracted, or simply not want to walk. But on the days when I make an effort to enjoy the walk, things always seem to go a lot smoother. The same is true for writing. If I go into my writing session feeling grumpy that I have to do it, then I’m unlikely to get much written. But if I make an effort to be in the right mood, then I am far more productive, and might even end up enjoying the session.

The dog/characters will get distracted. My dog is still only a puppy, so she tends to get distracted very easily. She will want to eat things, or carry rubbish in her mouth, or sniff in the bushes instead of walking. And sometimes, the characters want to do their own thing. They want to go off on wild goose chases and down rabbit holes. And it can be very frustrating. But, just like I have to be gentle with my dog and persuade her to walk the way I want to go, I have to be careful with my characters and tempt them back to the plot.

What would you compare writing to? Do you, like me, find it difficult to write every day? And does walking (even without a dog), help you come up with ideas?

For the whole month of July, I, along with many other writers, have been caught up in the whirlwind that is Camp NaNoWriMo. Today is the first day after Camp NaNoWriMo, and this week’s song is from Peter Hollens again. It is a cover of a song from The Lord of the Rings called Into the West. Peter Hollens has done two beautiful versions of this song, one acappella, and one with a violin, played by one of my other favourite musicians, Taylor Davis. This version has the violin accompaniment. You can check out the acappella version HERE.

This piece of music is gentle, peaceful, and perfect for listening to while relaxing after all the exertions of Camp NaNoWriMo. It’s also a great piece for listening to while writing the ending of a book, a quiet, peaceful scene between characters, or even a quiet deathbed scene. It carries the feeling of something important ending.

Did you do Camp NaNoWriMo? How did you go? If not, what are you working on at the moment?