Because I was asked and because it didn't take too long to recall (or track down through this journal) all of the books I read last year, I have compiled a list of my Top 5 favorite books of 2005. Four of them are by men. Three of them are by British authors. Only one of them is by someone who is now dead. Three of them fall into the category of fantasy. I'm still of the belief that good fantasy novels have the ability to reveal greater truths about real life and our world than other works of fiction and some nonfiction. All of them contain violence in one form or another, although war seems to be the predominant form. Most importantly, though, all of them brought me hours of enjoyment and reinforced my love of reading. And with that, here's the list:

1. 1776 by David McCullough. It's the captivating telling of one of the most important years in American history. It's a work of nonfiction that reads more like an exciting novel than a tedious piece of research.
2. Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian. It's the second book in O'Brian's well-written series of naval adventures featuring Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. (Master and Commander was the first.)
3. Thud! by Terry Pratchett. Breaking away from history and historical novels, here was a book that made me laugh out loud. Pratchett balances between the critical and the comical.
4. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. This was the first book of His Dark Materials trilogy. It's a fascinating tale that stays in the realm of young adult reading without really touching on the darker, more religious topics the subsequent books explore.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Like the other books on this list, I was unable to put this book down. There was a lot of hype around the sixth book, but unlike other hyped books, this one didn't disappoint.