This week’s prompt from Top Ten Tuesday is about books that live in your head rent-free, and I think there aren’t going to be many surprises here from me — many of my favourites are well-known! Let’s see.
- The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison.
I’ve reread this book several times and will no doubt reread it many times more: I love it a lot, and there’s so much around the edges of it that the story doesn’t cover. Some of that is covered in the Thara Celehar books, but even then, there’s so much more. I adore the characters, too. - Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
The same is true of The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System and Heaven Official’s Blessing, to be fair — all of MXTX’s characters have really stuck with me, despite and sometimes because of the stories’ flaws. In the case of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, you’ve got Wei Wuxian and his manifest fuck-ups, but also characters like Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling, Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui, who have a ways to go to find happy endings out of their pasts, even as the story ends. - Feed, by Mira Grant.
I wasn’t even into horror when I read this, but it stuck with me, and especially so after I studied infectious diseases for my MSc and after the whole world went through a global pandemic (which was comparatively mild compared to what it could have been). Reading it in the wake of that is… yeah. And I’ve no doubt I’ll read the series again in future. It’s also a book that I didn’t like that much when I first read it, but which I came back to again and again. - A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan.
This another of those books that I didn’t love the first time, but I found myself drawn back — and then I loved it the second time. I’m a huge champion for this series and the way it explored a woman being a scholar in a patriarchal society, how she was still an instrument of imperialism at times when she didn’t mean to be, and how it never loses sight at the same time of the wonder of the idea of dragons being real. Also, the way the whole series slowly adds information for us until that final book…! - Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie.
This one always makes me think of a particular friend. I didn’t warmly love the book the first time I read it (more admired it), but over time, I’ve got such fond feelings for all the characters. Someone even did a recording of a potential tune for one of Breq’s songs, and every so often that gets stuck in my head. - Chalice, by Robin McKinley.
Another one I didn’t absolutely love at first read! Those often seem to be the ones I really end up adoring, if there’s enough to them to draw me back in to try again — I can think of a couple of other examples, even. The magic in Chalice is weird and difficult to understand at times, because the protagonist doesn’t understand it: she has to struggle to figure things out for herself, and I loved her journey (and the slow building of trust between her and the Master). - The Winter King, by Bernard Cornwell.
I think of everything on this list, this is the one I read longest ago. It was definitely a part of shaping my interest in Arthuriana, and it’s amazing how often I think about it, even if I haven’t read it in a long time. It’s a good crack at a historical, human, unmagical Arthur, and at his companions. It gave me a serious distaste for Lancelot which other books have never really shaken, even despite my studies! - Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee.
I can’t believe it’s this book’s 10th anniversary this year. What?! And I still haven’t got round to rereading it. I went into it concerned that I wouldn’t understand, but the math is basically just magic, and you can just accept that and let the weirdness sweep you along. When I couldn’t think of a name for my chocobo in FFXIV, I actually named it Jedao, which might be one of the weirdest “I named my pet after your character” situations I’ve heard of. - Lifelode, by Jo Walton.
I could’ve picked Farthing or Among Others as well, or even My Real Children… but Among Others was very much a book that spoke to me a lot in my late teens/early twenties, while Lifelode is something I think about more now. I wish more people had read it, so that I could say “my lifelode is learning”, and have people understand what that means. It’s an excellent fantasy, if not a very traditional one. - The Hands of the Emperor, by Victoria Goddard.
There are ways in which this is very like The Goblin Emperor, which is part of what originally drew me to this book. It’s a very different world with a very different inspiration, though, and the main protagonist is a common man (albeit one who has been elevated very high). I really want to get round to rereading it, and reading the sequel, which I was desperate for after I finished it! It’s just been too long now for me to go into it cold.
So… there we go, my fairly predictable list, ahaha.
Feed was excellent!
It really is!
I’ve been meaning to check out more Mira Grant
Bree @ BibliophileBree recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Live In My Head Rent Free
I’ve enjoyed her work a lot (and some of her work as Seanan McGuire, though I’m waaaay behind on that).
Winter King was amazing — that entire trilogy, really. His Merlin was so carefully handled.
Stephen @ Reading Freely recently posted…Top Ten Books that Live Rent Free
Yeah, I really loved it and the delicate line of maybe-just-possibly-magic-exists that it walks, trying to base itself so thoroughly in historical detail while acknowledging that people of the period fully believed many things which seem obviously fantastical to us now.
Went to add Ancillary Justice to my TBR list, and found it was already on there. Ha!
Olivia recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Live Rent Free in My Head
It’s rapidly becoming a classic! I love the trilogy a lot (and other books in the same world, but mostly the original trilogy).
Ooh yes, A Natural History of Dragons is SO GOOD! Still need to finish the series but so far, the third book is my fave after the first! I’ve also heard so many incredible things about The Goblin Emperor. Defo need to get round to reading it!
Dini @ dinipandareads recently posted…#TopTenTuesday: The (Book) Squatters in My Head
Oh you have a treat ahead of you, the last book is just… wow.
The Goblin Emperor is lovely, just lovely.
It’s interesting that you didn’t like Chalice at first. I love many of McKinley’s books but only rated Chalice 3 stars and now I wonder if I would like it more a second time around. I read it 15 years ago so I don’t remember anything about it, but it might be worth reexamining.
Haze @ The Book Haze recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Live in My Head Rent-Free
Yeah, I think I rated it three stars originally, or maybe even two… but then I reread it for some reason and, I don’t know, it got under my skin a lot more. Maybe it helps that I was slightly less bewildered: even though I didn’t remember all the details, I had a better sense of the shape of the world.
So I really wanted to read Feed, and I feel like I started it, but couldn’t get into it? Hmm. I do think it sounds really good, so maybe I need to try to pick it up again.
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/07/21/top-ten-tuesday-top-10-books-that-live-in-my-head-rent-free/
I didn’t absolutely love it the first time I read it, but once I had read it and kept thinking about it, I guess it all came together for me.
Man, I’m really in the mood to start picking up some horror. Feed is definitely at the top of my list 🙂
Feed is really good! I’m not a huge horror fan in general, but that trilogy has stuck with me. I’ve even reread it a couple times, especially the first book.
The Goblin Emperor is my forever favourite. I loved Hands of the Emperor , and I want to reread too, but she’s chunky! XD I’ve been eyeing Lifelode, by Jo Walton for a while.
Lifelode is really interesting, not very traditional at all, but I love it.
And yeah… the chunkiness of The Hands of the Emperor is why I haven’t revisited yet!
Ninefox Gambit has been on my TBR for years! I love seeing it on your list
I’ve been meaning to reread it, I think some of the reveals would get me all over again by now! The 10th anniversary edition is coming out, I was even offered a copy to review.
Yes, Feed was so good! Thanks for the reminder to read The Goblin Emperor- it sounds so good!
I really really love it — it’s a total comfort read for me.
Love seeing Lifelode come up here! You’re right that it’s a super unique story. I’ve been trying to find more Domestic Fantasy, but I’ve not yet found something that captures the thought and care that Lifelode pulls together. And the way Walton handled TIME! Such an intriguing read.
Cosmic recently posted…Novella Readathon #21: The Practice, The Horizon, and The Chain
I haven’t come across that many people who’ve read it! But it really is great, and the concept of having a “lifelode” has really stuck with me.
Great list. I’ve been enjoying reading everyone’s posts this week.
Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews recently posted…Review: If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle
It’s a very fun topic to consider.
FEED looks and sounds terrifying, but I’m also intrigued by it…
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I reread it during the first year of the pandemic and found it… oddly comforting, but also terrifying, ahaha.
I haven’t read any of these which isn’t too strange as horror is not really my genre 🙂
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2026/07/21/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-live-in-my-mind-rent-free-or-whatever-that-means/
I’m not sure what you mean, since only one of the listed books is horror!
Ancillary Justice and Among Others are two books that are on my master list of books I want to read before I die. I’m almost finished with my Paris in July reads, so maybe I’ll look for one or the other later this month or later in the summer.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz recently posted…Eight Books That Live in My Head Rent-Free
I love both of them a lot! Though Among Others was definitely more important to a younger me.
A Natural History of Dragons is one that I want to go back and try again. I liked it fine the first time around, but it didn’t blow me away and I never continued with the series. But I think I might be in a better place to appreciate it now!
Gem @ Gem’s Book Talk recently posted…Book review – Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Actually, I didn’t love the first book the first time either, but the second book made things fall into place a lot, and looking at the whole series I just love where it goes.
Love how the reread of A Natural History of Dragons left you really loving the book.
Kathryn recently posted…Books That Live in My Head Rent-Free
Far from the first or last time, too! A bunch of my favourites only really worked for me on a second try.
What a list! I’ve not read any of these but I do have The Goblin Emperor and A Natural History of Dragons on my TBR. Will be checking a few of the others out as well 🙂
I love those ones a looot, they’re definitely essentials of mine.
“Feed” by Mira Grant has been on my radar for ages. It’s good to hear you enjoyed it so much! 😀
It’s a really good and surprisingly scientifically reasonable version of the zombie apocalypse, ahaha.
(Not totally scientifically reasonable, but definitely grounded in it.)
I haven’t read any of these, but A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan is on my to-be-read!
Oh it’s really good, I hope you enjoy!