Top Ten: available books

Hello Bookworms!
Busy life! It's been more than a week since I've been able to post, and so I have decided to write about my top ten books available to me. I have read too many excellent books to say my ultimate top ten, however I do know the top ten books that either I own or I am borrowing.

#10: The Aeneid. (Virgil)
Yes, it's old; yes, it's a poem; and yes, it's confusing; but there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. It follows a survivor of the Trojan war as he tries to find the 'New Troy'. Along the way, he has to deal with cyclops, harpies, a jealous goddess, a suicidal widow, and a journey to the underworld. Only after all of that does he arrive at his destination, to begin a war over a woman who rarely appears in the story at all. Besides telling a wondrous tale of adventure and romance, the Aeneid also gives a bit of sight into Virgil's dreams in life. Being the sequel to the Iliad, the Aeneid mirror's several writing devices which Homer used; revealing that Virgil wished his own writing to be admired as timelessly. (Of course most of this I learned in class, but still, it's a great book!) If you haven't read it and you like ancient mythology, you will love this book. I would estimate you would enjoy it the most anywhere from 10 to 30 years of age.
#9: The Tale of Despereaux. (Kate DiCamillo)
 Alright, this book has very short chapters, and a very simple plot. It's more the kind of book you would read if you had a cold, or wanted to just ignore the rest of the world and think about very little. It follows a mouse who doesn't want to do mouse-like things. Unfortunately, I haven't read it since I was really little myself, so I don't remember that much about it, other than the fact that it was really easy to read without looking like a toddler's plaything. I would estimate you would enjoy this book the most anywhere from 5 to 12 years of age.
#8: Martin the Warrior: A tale from Redwall. (Brian Jacques)
Martin the Warrior is a story on it's own. There is no need to look up any other books to figure out what's going on, there's no need to read it twice, it just fits together. Plenty of mystery, action, romance, and humor. Plus, the character development stands out as the characters try to figure out who they really are. And, if that weren't enough, there's not a human in sight. All mice and animals you would find in England. The plot follows a mouse who was captured at a young age, and escaped slavery in his relative teens to find help to free the other slaves from Marshank. I would estimate you would enjoy it most anywhere from 5 to 25 years of age.
#7: The Dragon King Trilogy: In the Hall of the Dragon King (Stephen R. Lawhead)
This book's writing style reminds me of medieval England. The plot follows a young acolyte (Apprentice priest) who takes a message for a fallen knight and finds his country in grave danger from a sorcerer. Unfortunately, there are no dragons in the who trilogy; just a king with the name of a dragon. The main traveler has to face assassins, pirates, an evil prince, all while trying to find the real god of that world. Though it can sometimes seem dry and dusty, the book as a whole is worth the time it takes to read. Although, if you get logged down, you can skim over the villain's lines. I would estimate you would get the most out of this book anywhere from 13 to 25 years of age.
#6:Mariel of Redwall: A tale of Redwall. (Brian Jacques)
Yes, Redwall again, but I was raised reading these books, and there are twenty some odd books in the series. Mariel of Redwall follows a young mouse maiden who looses her memory and wakes up on a beach with nothing but the memory of a storm and a knotted rope. Facing pirates, savage weasels, crazed lizards and an angry crab, this book is full of adventure, romance, mystery, and one of the best almost sequels ever written. Fighting the stereotype of helpless women while accepting the emotional weakness that creeps up in all women, this story defies and creates tradition. I would estimate you would get the most out of this anywhere from 7 to 23 years of age.
#5: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony. (Eoin Colfer)
This is the fifth book in the series, however in my opinion the best. Focusing on Artemis's interactions with a hidden branch of the fairy family, this book involves a colony of demons that moved out of time and space to escape the war between fairies and humans. This book also introduces a worthy rival for the young mastermind Artemis. With arcane dialogue and clever plot twists, this book rivets you to the page. Be careful though, not everything ends as you think; and when all is over the main character must face a whole new world to what he knows. I would estimate you would enjoy this book the most from 10 to 25 years of age, and don't read it without knowing the back story.
#4: Pearls of Lutra: A tale of Redwall. (Brian Jacques)
Final Redwall book on this list, but this one was my first Redwall book. Pearls of Lutra is about six pink pearls that a pirate emperor wants to complete his crown and rule the paradise island of Sampetra. However, in order to get them, he murders a clan of otters and has his pirates bring them back. However, when two of his men abandon ship and flee to the abbey of Redwall, the emperor declares a war. And in order to save their friends, the heroes must solve the clues left behind as to the pearls location, as another set of warriors sails after the vessel carrying their friends. Defiantly one of the best in the series, Pearls of Lutra is enjoyed at most any age.
#3: Book one of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons (Patricia C. Wrede)
The attitude of the main character in Dealing with Dragons can be defined with three words: Sick of Proper. Cimorene is a princess who didn't want to do anything princess-like. She hated embroidery and dancing, so she studied fencing behind her parents back. When that stopped, she studied magic, Latin, cooking, economics, and juggling. Eventually, her parents arranged for her to get married, so she ran away to become a dragon's princess. Facing Wizards, a witch, and a stone prince, she stands up for women's rights. (Figuratively, there were no 'rights' back then.) I would estimate this book to be enjoyable from 7 to 35 years of age.
#2: The Hobbit. (J.R.R. Tolkien)
There is no introduction needed. Not really an explanation either. The hobbit was written for children before the lord of the rings was ever released. After seeing the movies, people are confused by the characters, and the back story, and all these things that weren't in the book. Small explanation, the writers did their best to explain Legolas, (Who wasn't a character when the hobbit was written) and include the appendices. Alright, so why is the hobbit one of the best books I've ever read? Well, because it has a bit of everything, and all of it is well done. The descriptions are precise, the characters are realistic, the plot is amazing, the character development is striking, and the word choice is clear. All in all, if I had to rate the book I would give it 9.5 out of ten for children's books. I would say this book is most enjoyable from 10 to 65.
#1: The Westing Game. (Ellen Raskin)
Ok, what can I say? I already posted about it yes, but this was one of the best books I had in my early years. The characters are realistic and developed, the descriptions paint a vivid portrait of the settings, and the mystery is so well developed it leaves you wanting to read it again and piece it all together. I could read this book ten times in one week and still not be tired of it. I would estimate the best age to read this book to be 10 to 33 years of age.

Alright, so that's my top ten! Please keep in mind, these are the books I would pull off a shelf and read for several hours. These are not the absolute best books in my opinion, but I don't have the best near at hand to read. If I did, you wouldn't hear from me for absolute weeks. I will be trying to post about each of these books this year, are there any you would like me to do first? Also, are there any books you have enjoyed reading over and over? If so, please let me know! Habent sua fata libelli!