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going on in YA? How many people have been impacted by the movies and merchandise?

Which Harry Potter though? I could put in the whole series, but my favorite is still Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry grows up quite a bit in this book and honestly, with possibly the finale as an exception, I don't think any of the HP books comes close to this one.

Here's my list.

1. Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien - I'd be surprised if this was below this on any list.

2. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling - my favorite potter book. See above for reasons why.

3. Perceval by Chretien De Troyes - Simply put, almost every main character in high fantasy especially, is perceval. Spider Man, Eragon, Harry Potter, Bilbo Baggins. You name any main character in fantasy, you will see traits from Perceval.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis - arguably the best YA series ever. It's still an amazing read, as Lewis captures the nature of good and evil, and it has inspired many great works including The Imaginarium Geographica series by James A. Owen, and books like the Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

5. The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time series is the best Tolkien clone out there. Robert Jordan wrote compelling characters and developed a world as complex as any you'll find in fantasy. Every fantasy enthusiast should give this series a try. While I like all the books, The Shadow Rising is my favorite of the series. I don't think Jordan hit things on all cylinders quite like he did here.

6. A Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin - Martin writes an amazing series. I love the realism in it. Main characters die and stay dead. But this series emphasises characterization and is the modern equivalent to Tolkien. Give this series a try if you haven't.

7. Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett - Humor is the second hardest thing to write, but if you like seeing fantasy as we know made fun of, while tying together some very human issues, Discworld is a must. On a personal note, humor is one of the hardest things to write well. Pratchett never fails to entertain and like the best comedians, make you change your perspective. Start with The Color of Magic and work your way down.

8. Wizard and Glass by Stephen King - In my opinion, this novel is king's best work. Based off Robert Browning's poem, the Dark Tower series is about a gunslinger who is trying to find a Dark Tower, and in the process he rediscovers who he is. This is the halfway point of the series, and in it Roland tells the story of his first love. It's a coming of age story, but a tragedy as well which sets the course of Roland's life. There is magic and mystery, but at heart this is a love story. And a beautiful one.

9. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien - Probably the best standalone high fantasy novel I've ever read.

10. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare - I could have picked several plays, but this one seems to influence a great deal of things, and it's truly fantasy at it's best. It's comical, poignant, magical and still oddly relevent. Books from authors such as Neil Gaiman, and contemporary authors seem to feed of this play in particular. Shakespeare in spite of the language still makes strong connections and fantasy wouldn't be the same without him.

This is my top ten. Chances are this isn't yours. That's okay. Like I said, this is my list. That said, I'd love to see yours.

Learn more about this author, Joshua Pantalleresco.
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