My favorite books with the best world building

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was young, books have fascinated me. They contain entire worlds, just waiting to be explored. I believe creativity is an important part of life, and there’s nothing more creative than writing your own world! World building is one of the most vital aspects of any fictional series. It’s why I got into writing; I wanted to bring to life the visions of the fantastical creatures and places I had in my head. 


I wrote...

A Princess and an Ooze

By Ian Rodgers, Damien Sim (illustrator),

Book cover of A Princess and an Ooze

What is my book about?

It is important to understand you do not have to fit the molds made by other people. Jelly, an Ooze as well as the pet of a princess, learns this the hard way, as he slowly becomes self-aware through the love (and a healthy dose of magic!) he is showered with by his owner. Does Jelly want to spend the rest of his life as a pet? Can he be more than just a monster, in a world where he is the only one of his kind? He will have to explore the land of Erafore in order to find out just what it is he wants, and what Fate has in store for him. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Wee Free Men

Ian Rodgers Why did I love this book?

This is the first book by Terry Pratchett I ever read, and it changed my life, simply because it got me into reading his other books. Terry Patchett is able to breathe life into his characters in such a way that you’d swear you know people just like them. Who hasn’t known a Nobby Nobs, or Tiffany Aching? Not to mention his world is built in such an intriguing way, you can’t help but read on!

This book, really all of the Discworld novels, acts as a mirror to see our own world through the lens of the fantastical and absurd.

By Terry Pratchett,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Wee Free Men as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . .

Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.

Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself . . .

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE TIFFANY ACHING SEQUENCE


Book cover of The Crystal Gryphon

Ian Rodgers Why did I love this book?

One of the earliest books of fiction I ever read, Andre Norton’s character Kerovan and his adventures has stuck with me ever since. The way she wrote the tale of a young outcast exploring a fantastical world of magic and myth and discovering who they are in the process was truly engaging. The world came to life through the eyes of the characters themselves. Ever since, I have loved the trope of the young hero who travels the world, exploring and learning. It is something I feature in my own work heavily, as I truly believe that the best way to grow a character is to have them get to know themselves and others.

By Andre Norton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Crystal Gryphon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The adventures of Witch World continue as a cursed hero and his true love struggle for survival in a vast parallel universe of magic and high fantasy.
 
Kerovan of Ulmsdale has long borne the curse of his ancestors’ depredations. After pillaging a sanctum of the Old Ones, his bloodline has been forever marred by painful sickness and death. Kerovan was born strong and hardy, but he walks on hooves instead of human feet and sees through eyes of amber—just as the Old Ones had.
 
Bound in marriage to the beautiful Joisan of Ithkrypt, Kerovan seeks to claim his rightful place…


Book cover of Dark Lord of Derkholm

Ian Rodgers Why did I love this book?

What better way to appreciate what we have than to explore a world where fantasy and adventure have become just another corporate commodity. When the position of ‘Dark Lord’ is nothing more than the equivalent of a theme park mascot, is there any magic or mystery left in the world? Exploring the world from the eyes of its inhabitants, who are forced to give heavily scripted tours to wealthy people from other worlds, really brings to light how similar people can be, even across different cultures. 

By Diana Wynne Jones,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Dark Lord of Derkholm as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the next-door world who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Nw it's up to the Wizard…


Book cover of The Ropemaker

Ian Rodgers Why did I love this book?

When it comes to building a world the readers can get involved in, you have to be careful not to reveal too much in the beginning. You want to captivate your readers, have them invest more and more time into exploring the world, allowing it to open up. The Ropemaker shows how well a fantasy story can be written this way. The distant and frightful empire is shrouded in mystery as Tilja and the others begin their adventure, but said mystery is slowly dismantled as they progress through their journey, coming to understand their enemy by living amongst them, all while seeking out a way to protect their home from invasion. 

By Peter Dickinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ropemaker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Tilja has grown up in the peaceful Valley, which is protected from the fearsome Empire by an enchanted forest. But the forest’s power has begun to fade and the Valley is in danger. Tilja is the youngest of four brave souls who venture into the Empire together to find the mysterious magician who can save the Valley. And much to her amazement, Tilja gradually learns that only she, an ordinary girl with no magical powers, has the ability to protect her group and their quest from the Empire’s sorcerers.


Book cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Ian Rodgers Why did I love this book?

You cannot go wrong with a coming-of-age story, especially when the main character has to do so in a world so similar yet at the same time utterly alien and divorced from everything he once knew. The magical world grows and expands with every book in the series, allowing the reader to easily imagine themselves within it. 

It's the kind of story anyone of any age can enjoy, because everyone can relate to something within its pages.

By J.K. Rowling,

Why should I read it?

36 authors picked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Galloping gargoyles ... 2022 is the silver anniversary of J.K. Rowling's magical classic Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!

The boy wizard Harry Potter has been casting a spell over young readers and their families ever since 1997. Now the first book in this unmissable series celebrates 25 years in print! The paperback edition of the tale that introduced us to Harry, Ron and Hermione has been updated and dressed in silver to mark the occasion. It's time to take the magical journey of a lifetime ...

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping…


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Book cover of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

Lisa Rojany Author Of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published over 50 books, including award-winning and bestselling titles. I am also a publishing executive and editor with 20+ years of professional experience. My latest The Twins of Auschwitz: The Inspiring True Story of  Young Girl Surviving Mengele’s Hell, with Eva Kor, got a stellar review by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is an international bestseller. As well as spearheading four publishing startups, I have run my own business, Editorial Services of L.A. I was Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, Intervisual Books, Hooked on Phonics, and more. I am also the Publisher & Editor in Chief of NY Journal Of Books, the premier online-only book review site.

Lisa's book list on picture books for all ages

What is my book about?

This is the Inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele’s hell. This is an incisive, harrowing, and touching memoir of Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister Miriam, who are sent to Auschwitz only to be torn from their parents and given to Josef Mengele, "The Angel of Death," for his evil and damaging experiments on human subjects.

In the voice of the ten-year-old Eva, we learn about what life was like in the death camps and how a child survives when food, water, comfort, and care are absent. At times heartbreaking and at other times a triumph of the will of a child to survive, this is a memoir that is not easily forgotten.

By Lisa Rojany, Eva Mozes Kor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Twins of Auschwitz as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The Nazis spared their lives because they were twins.

In the summer of 1944, Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz.

Within thirty minutes, they were separated. Her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man who became known as the Angel of Death: Dr. Josef Mengele. They were 10 years old.

While twins at Auschwitz were granted the 'privileges' of keeping their own clothes and hair, they were also subjected to Mengele's sadistic medical experiments. They…


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