HMS Surprise by Patrick O’Brian

Quirky, intelligent, deep. After loving the movie adaptation of O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, it took me three of his books to truly appreciate how insanely brilliant he is. This was the book where I finally “got” it. O’Brian’s work is more than just fiction—it’s an experience.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

I cannot even begin to explain how much I love this trilogy. Insanely epic action, amazingly gripping characters, hard-hitting and dark, but with the undertow of incredibly complex moral themes. Love, love, LOVE it!

The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter

This has been my favorite book since childhood—one of only two books to make me absolutely weep. I have a feeling that if I re-read it today, I’d find its take on William Wallace to be less than accurate and probably a bit melodramatic. But there’s no denying it left a huge impact on me.

The Long Roll by Mary Johnston

This was the other book that made me cry. Funny story: the first time I read this somewhat literary, distant-POV take on the American Civil War I hated it all the way up until the end, and then I loved it. It was just one of those things that had to click for me, and when it did (and it made me cry), it was brilliant.

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

This sequel to the brilliant-in-its-own-right Ender’s Game is such an intelligently haunting character study. The scene where Ender first meets the children is still one of my all-time favorites.

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, as well as Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

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If you’re interested in being featured and sharing your five unforgettable books, please send me an e-mail (jalund@gmail.com) with your books, reasons why they’re unforgettable, bio, social media links, and a photo of yourself. Reader, author, blogger–all are welcome!