Top 10 Favorite Books

[11:11]

I can see where you're coming from about the books' titles. I guess for me I'm able to justify each one for myself on why each is name what it is (with a few exceptions). The only thing that I sometimes think is like "Wait this book is called The Encounter? Shouldn't that book have been called that?" or something like that.

[JohnBlaze]

Havent read HBC, AC, Visser, MM#3, #41, and like 2 Cassie and Ax narratives....

[Kotetsu1442]

Ah, then I'm definitely expecting some of your top 10 to change at least some; those chronicles are definitely among the best individual books in the series. Like I said, be sure to mention your thoughts and insights as you're getting through them, which one are you going for first?

[JohnBlaze]

when i'm done with this skool work, i'm gonna get onto reading The Sickness....i'm saving HBC last since everyone keeps sayin that's the best one

[Kotetsu1442]

fair enough. Interesting choice in the order. I read them all in written order, but I really don't think I would have enjoyed any parts significantly less if I read books already knowing basically how it turns out; with HBC it especially doesn't matter when you read it because you basically know how it's going to end from the beginning of the series, but get a lot of interesting aspects of the war, along with some cool characters. (It must have been odd, having not read HBC, to have gone on with the main series and started having Toby the Seer turn up without any significant context).

Was there any special reason for the random ones in the main series you haven't read, or did you just not have access to them at the time?

Are you taking any interesting courses this summer?

[JohnBlaze]

Mostly, it was b/c I didn't have access to them, but Cassie's narratives always pissed me off...but now they don't bother me at all, i find them interesting. Same with Ax, but his were hard to find, due to him only having 1 narrative per 10 books..

and yeah, i'm taking this awesome screenwriting class...I wish I could re-do the Animorphs the way most fans would've liked it done.

[clockwork_atom]

I can't really list my top ten in order.  Though HBC is somewhere in the top five, along with AC.  Esplin and Alloran are kind of the Wedge Antilles of the Animorphs world (lasted from the beginning of the war to the very end), and it was very interesting to see how they developed and crossed each other's paths a few times like that, before the abomination.

When I first read them, I don't think I actually read them in order either (because of the access as well), except towards the end.  When I started a reread, I did view them differently when I did read them in order.  Like I said on my profile, In the Time of the Dinosaurs was my first one, and that one wasn't in the actual series, it was an MM.  It was a good intro to the series though because it exposed me to all of the characters.  That one would have to be in my top ten just because it was my first.

[LisaCharly]

I'm surprised, no one's mentioned my three favorites!

1. #30 The Reunion - I didn't "get" this book as a kid, but as an adult I understand it. The way the writer handles Marco's desperate fall into ruthlessness is pitch perfect, and the insomnia chapter of him explaining his actions to hypothetical people is one of my favorite chapters in the whole series. "This is how I destroyed you, this is how I saved you" and "The Marco dude? He was cold" are some of my favorite bits. There's also some interesting material with Jake, some elaboration on Marco and Rachel's uneasy camaraderie, and it cements Marco as quite possibly the most ambitious tactician in the group.

2. Visser - Finally, Visser One as the main antagonist! I thought this point of view from Edriss was fascinating, and more detail on the Council of Thirteen is always welcome. The idea of Yeerks going human, or becoming addicted to humans, is fantastic and compelling. There's also some great writing, from the line about controlling Madra at the end to the believable reversal of charges Edriss pulls on Esplin. "I made Jenny Lines breathe" is a chilling scene as well.

3. #15 The Escape - Probably one of the most solid of the books in the teens, which was already pretty golden when you consider it includes #13, 15, 16, 18, and 19. The parrots scene is an example of the silly opening plot adventures done correctly and humorously, the shark in the pool scene casts Marco's character in a very interesting light, and the finale to the book is sufficiently emotionally packed. Also, both "acquiring the morph" scenes are very fun.

4. #19 The Departure - Needed to happen. This book was a game-changer, in that it elevated the Animorphs from a fun kids' series to a thoughtful kids' series with relative morality. I only wish we'd seen more of Aftran, since she's fantastic here. I also really related to Cassie's doubts and moral struggles, and felt for her when she made bad decisions, even if they eventually worked out.

5. #3 The Encounter - The introduction to Tobias is thoughtful and beautifully-written. I'm surprised at how dark it is, even for a kid's book, as to have a suicide attempt halfway through. Personally, I think this is Tobias' existential crisis at its best.

6. #22 The Solution

7. #26 The Attack

8. #33 The Illusion

9. #10 The Android

10. #52 The Sacrifice

Honorable mentions to #5, 8, 16, 23, 31, 35, 49, 50, 53 and 54.

[JohnBlaze]

I'm surprised, no one's mentioned my three favorites!

1. #30 The Reunion - I didn't "get" this book as a kid, but as an adult I understand it. The way the writer handles Marco's desperate fall into ruthlessness is pitch perfect, and the insomnia chapter of him explaining his actions to hypothetical people is one of my favorite chapters in the whole series. "This is how I destroyed you, this is how I saved you" and "The Marco dude? He was cold" are some of my favorite bits. There's also some interesting material with Jake, some elaboration on Marco and Rachel's uneasy camaraderie, and it cements Marco as quite possibly the most ambitious tactician in the group.

2. Visser - Finally, Visser One as the main antagonist! I thought this point of view from Edriss was fascinating, and more detail on the Council of Thirteen is always welcome. The idea of Yeerks going human, or becoming addicted to humans, is fantastic and compelling. There's also some great writing, from the line about controlling Madra at the end to the believable reversal of charges Edriss pulls on Esplin. "I made Jenny Lines breathe" is a chilling scene as well.

3. #15 The Escape - Probably one of the most solid of the books in the teens, which was already pretty golden when you consider it includes #13, 15, 16, 18, and 19. The parrots scene is an example of the silly opening plot adventures done correctly and humorously, the shark in the pool scene casts Marco's character in a very interesting light, and the finale to the book is sufficiently emotionally packed. Also, both "acquiring the morph" scenes are very fun.

4. #19 The Departure - Needed to happen. This book was a game-changer, in that it elevated the Animorphs from a fun kids' series to a thoughtful kids' series with relative morality. I only wish we'd seen more of Aftran, since she's fantastic here. I also really related to Cassie's doubts and moral struggles, and felt for her when she made bad decisions, even if they eventually worked out.

5. #3 The Encounter - The introduction to Tobias is thoughtful and beautifully-written. I'm surprised at how dark it is, even for a kid's book, as to have a suicide attempt halfway through. Personally, I think this is Tobias' existential crisis at its best.

6. #22 The Solution

7. #26 The Attack

8. #33 The Illusion

9. #10 The Android

10. #52 The Sacrifice

Honorable mentions to #5, 8, 16, 23, 31, 35, 49, 50, 53 and 54.

You're list made me cry....*tear*

[Liz]

I'm surprised, no one's mentioned my three favorites!

1. #30 The Reunion - I didn't "get" this book as a kid, but as an adult I understand it. The way the writer handles Marco's desperate fall into ruthlessness is pitch perfect, and the insomnia chapter of him explaining his actions to hypothetical people is one of my favorite chapters in the whole series. "This is how I destroyed you, this is how I saved you" and "The Marco dude? He was cold" are some of my favorite bits. There's also some interesting material with Jake, some elaboration on Marco and Rachel's uneasy camaraderie, and it cements Marco as quite possibly the most ambitious tactician in the group.

2. Visser - Finally, Visser One as the main antagonist! I thought this point of view from Edriss was fascinating, and more detail on the Council of Thirteen is always welcome. The idea of Yeerks going human, or becoming addicted to humans, is fantastic and compelling. There's also some great writing, from the line about controlling Madra at the end to the believable reversal of charges Edriss pulls on Esplin. "I made Jenny Lines breathe" is a chilling scene as well.

3. #15 The Escape - Probably one of the most solid of the books in the teens, which was already pretty golden when you consider it includes #13, 15, 16, 18, and 19. The parrots scene is an example of the silly opening plot adventures done correctly and humorously, the shark in the pool scene casts Marco's character in a very interesting light, and the finale to the book is sufficiently emotionally packed. Also, both "acquiring the morph" scenes are very fun.

4. #19 The Departure - Needed to happen. This book was a game-changer, in that it elevated the Animorphs from a fun kids' series to a thoughtful kids' series with relative morality. I only wish we'd seen more of Aftran, since she's fantastic here. I also really related to Cassie's doubts and moral struggles, and felt for her when she made bad decisions, even if they eventually worked out.

5. #3 The Encounter - The introduction to Tobias is thoughtful and beautifully-written. I'm surprised at how dark it is, even for a kid's book, as to have a suicide attempt halfway through. Personally, I think this is Tobias' existential crisis at its best.

6. #22 The Solution

7. #26 The Attack

8. #33 The Illusion

9. #10 The Android

10. #52 The Sacrifice

Honorable mentions to #5, 8, 16, 23, 31, 35, 49, 50, 53 and 54.

Awesome list. I agree with a lot of your picks.  Some of the honorable mentions don't stand out that much in my opinion, but I love 30, 19, 26, 22...

[LisaCharly]

Yeah, the honorable mentions are mostly books that I acknowledge to be utter, utter pants, but love anyway for specific scenes or lines (o hai #35).

[Liz]

Yeah, the honorable mentions are mostly books that I acknowledge to be utter, utter pants, but love anyway for specific scenes or lines (o hai #35).

Haha, true...

"It's okay, we're very good friends."
and "He is emptying ze peeg bucket."  ~long pause~ "Oooookay..."
Looooove.

[yunyun]

mine is:
1:The Underground
2:The Departure
3:The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
4:In the Time of the Dinosaurs
5:Elfangor's Secret
6:The Android
7:The Message
8:The Reaction
9:The Arival
10:The Change

I like them all equally so yeah

[JohnBlaze]

mine is:
1:The Underground
2:The Departure
3:The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
4:In the Time of the Dinosaurs
5:Elfangor's Secret
6:The Android
7:The Message
8:The Reaction
9:The Arival
10:The Change

I like them all equally so yeah

May I ask why the Underground was your favorite? I liked it too...just never heard anybody put it up that high

[yunyun]

mine is:
1:The Underground
2:The Departure
3:The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
4:In the Time of the Dinosaurs
5:Elfangor's Secret
6:The Android
7:The Message
8:The Reaction
9:The Arival
10:The Change

I like them all equally so yeah

May I ask why the Underground was your favorite? I liked it too...just never heard anybody put it up that high

9
i like Rachel,it was funny (mostly in the end)actually,those things applies to all the books so i don't exactly know why,i just do