I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy when I was in middle school and high school, but veered away from it sometime after college. I don’t read a lot of fantasy any more, but I do read a lot of kids’ literature and young adult literature, much of which could be considered fantasy and science fiction.

The books that are on this list are either books that I have read or books that have been recommended to me by people that know me and that I trust to give recommendations, and which I fully intend to read eventually. I know I left one or two (or more) of your favorites off. Please feel free to add a comment telling me what they are.

These are not in any particular order, and as a result, there may be duplicates.

  • J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion
    I read these in sixth and seventh grade and still reread them every three or four years. It’s been a while, so I’m definitely overdue.
  • C.S. Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia
    I first read these in fifth grade when my friend Rick was reading them (long story), and have fond memories of them. Unfortunately, I have tried to reread them as an adult, and they don’t hold up well (even longer story).
  • Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials trilogy
  • Terry Brooks – Shannara series
  • Stephen Donaldson – The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series
  • John Bellairs – The House with a Clock in its Walls
  • Diane Duane – So You Want to be a Wizard
  • Terry Goodkind – Sword of Truth series
  • William Goldman – The Princess Bride
  • Roger Zelazny – The Chronicles of Amber series
  • Richard Adams – Watership Down
  • Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  • Roald Dahl – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  • George Orwell – Animal Farm
  • T.H. White – The Once and Future King
  • Michael Ende – The Neverending Story
  • Susanna Clarke – Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
  • D.J. McHale – The Merchant of Death
  • Ray Bradbury – Something Wicked This Way Comes
  • Antoin de Saint-Exupery – The Little Prince
  • Norton Juster – The Phantom Tollbooth
  • Diana Wynne Jones – Howl’s Moving Castle
  • Peter S. Beagle – The Last Unicorn

Published on: 3 July 2011

Lasted edited on: 24 January 2015

Except for material released under a Creative Commons license, all material is ©2022 Kenneth John Odle, All Rights ReservedPermalink for this article:
https://bookblog.kjodle.net/booklists/fantasy-reading-list/