My Top Ten Neil Gaiman Books: Where To Start Reading Neil Gaiman

Today’s topic is Books to Read If You Love/Loved X (X can be a genre, specific book, author, movie/TV show, etc.). In typical Stefani fashion, I’m doing my own twist on the topic and will tell you where to start with Neil Gaiman’s books.

1. The Graveyard Book – if you like this one, chances are you’re going to like most of Gaiman’s books. This is the best place to start in whichever format you get your hands on it. The physical copy has gorgeous illustrations, the graphic novel adaptation is equally as good and don’t even get me started on the audiobook version that Gaiman narrates himself! It’s the story of Bod Owens, short for Nobody Owens, who’s being raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Good for children and adults alike.
2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane – this one is one the shorter side and definitely for adult audiences. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He’s drawn to the farm at the end of the road where he met Lettie Hempstock. As he sits by the pond that Lettie proclaimed an ocean, memories come flooding back. Again, the audiobook is also fantastic.
3. Art Matters – includes Make Good Art, the infamous Commencement speech Gaiman gives in 2012, as well as a piece on libraries and the importance of librarians. and more wisdom I’ll let you discover yourself. I will say that’s one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard though, here’s the Youtube link.
4. American Gods – in one sentence, this represents the battle of the old Gods and the new Gods and it’s absolutely brilliant. A man called Shadow is released from prison just as he receives the news his wife died in an unlikely accident. On the journey home, he meets a man called Wednesday proclaiming to be a God and King of America. Things escalate from there.
5. The Sandman (Audible Original) – Once you’re used to Gaiman’s style, it’s time to listen to the full cast production of The Sandman. The cast includes Gaiman himself. This is a stunning package, from the story itself, to the narration, sound effects, background music, a true masterpiece indeed. It’s about Dreams, Destiny and Death and so much more.
6. Coraline – a children’s one and a spooky read, perfect for Halloween time. The hero, Coraline, accidentally finds a passage to a flat perfectly mirroring the one she lives in, except for one big difference. I don’t think this requires any further description.
7. Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances – the intro is fantastic and discusses the need/redundancy of trigger warnings which have become more and more present in the last few years (at least it’s when I started noticing them). The collection also includes some of my favorite short stories such as The Sleeper and the Spindle.
8. Stardust – the first Gaiman book I read and near the top reads for myself, however, overall for other readers, I’ve decided to add it lower down the list. Read this one if you’re looking for a fairytale. It’s short, beautifully magical story of the world beyond Wall, the world of Faes and love.
9. The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction – a collection of introductions, essays, speeches etc. that includes some real gems.
10. Neverwhere – A London above and a London Below. What would you do if you fall through the cracks in the city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels?

If you haven’t read Gaiman yet, what are you waiting for? If you’re into audiobooks definitely look for the editions Gaiman narrates himself.

Show some love to my end of year book tag and my review of The Lincoln Highway, it’d mean a lot to me!

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