This list needs major updating, but for now, enjoy a short listing of my true favorites.

The Ender Saga Orson Scott Card
Based on the popular short story from the 70's, Ender's Game follows the life of Ender in a futuristic Earth, during a time where children are trained as commanders to fight off an alien race known as the "Buggers." Ender, one of the youngest Battle School children, is hailed as the best fit for commanding, the who will save the human race from extinction. This book delves into his journey, as well as the effects it has on his life as well as the lives of those affected by him. And Card writing style truly brings the characters to life. Ender's Game, Speaker of the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind; Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant

The Giver Lois Lowry
Another science fiction book, set in a utopian society where a boy Jonas is appointed the Receiver of Memories. While his community lives in "sameness", Jonas, like other children in "coming of age" receives a duty - his is to hold all of their memories before "sameness." A powerful story and an easy read, but definitely pondering over, especially the ending.

Farenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
Far down in America's future exists a world in which books are condemned. The concept of fireman has shifted from one who puts out fires to one who starts them - starts them with the intent of burning these condemned books. This science-fiction story explores the life of Guy Montag, a fireman who discovers the power in the knowledge of books and what he must do to try and save literature.

Foundation Series Isaac Asimov
The father of science fiction tells a story of a Galactic Empire, several centuries after human's expansion to the outer reaches of the Milky Way. Psychohistorian Hari Seldon predicts the inevitable fall of the Empire and arranges for The Foundation to be created on a distant planet - a project enstated for recording all of the Empire's history in an effort to reduce the "dark ages" between this and the eventual Second Empire. This series is a blend of the ideas behind "short stories" and a "saga" in the way that it tells several tales about the same places, but the ideas mature over time, paving the way for a very elaborate tail that describes the millennia of strife of an intellectual people. Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Forward the Foundation, Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation, Foundation's Fear, Foundation and Chaos, Foundation's Triumph

The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri
It's not that often I find a book that I can relate to, and even less often that I find one that connects to me culturally. Lahiri writes about a Bengali boy Gogol growing up in America, detailing his quest for identity and the troubles he faces in assimilating with the American culture. Can you see the parallelism yet? Anyway, my own travels aren't nearly as harsh as that of this fictional boy. But whilst reading, I found myself nodding and occasionally smirking at her references and reminders of the Bengali culture.

Tales of Alvin Maker Orson Scott Card
A fantasy series set in colonial America, this collection tells the story of an alternate American history in which magic prevailed over science. It manifests in different ways among the races - Whites, Blacks, and Reds - and plays an important part as these races struggle to survive in the early years of the United States. One innocent boy, Alvin Maker, stands out as the seventh son of a seventh son, blessed with the greatest knack of all - the skill of a Maker, able to bend materials to his will. Card does it again with an extraordinary story that is fantasy rather than science fiction. Seventh Son, Red Prophet, Prentice Alvin, Alvin Journeyman, Heartfire, Crystal City

More to come!