The Brotherhood of the Wolf by David Farland is probably the only fantasy book in which one character has tried to teach another character (and thus the reader) some ethics, and I have consciously taken the teachings on board.

The text around this diagram explains that good and evil can be explained thusly: whenever you encroach upon or minimize any of the domains of another person, you are doing evil. Whenever you enlarge or enable enlargement of another person's domains, you are doing good.

Having never read any philosophy, and being a pretty simple-minded guy, I've let this (loosely) guide my actions since I read it as an early teen. I'm in my late 30s now, and still find it relevant. Given that the book came out in 1999 from a middle-aged reserved Mormon, with hindsight I am now impressed/surprised that 'self-definition' is included, as it seemed so frequently 'fair game' to be attacked when I was growing up (although that could be my micro-climate/the school I went to/my age at the time).

This also describes my children as beings of almost pure evil, constantly invading my body space, undermining my free will, sapping my time, and kicking me in the nuts. Given their progenitor, that seems correct.

I've been looking out my window just trying to find something to re-ignite this engine
I've been crawling through this hardship like an all-terrain vehicle
Or a moth to a lantern, and I can't lie to myself any more
We're never gonna make it

All Terrain Vehicle - InMe

For years it painted this really vivid mental picture of a tough space buggy forcing its way through some hellish landscape, until I eventually realized that it was all internal. The singer's looking for something to make life worth living again, something worth fighting for, and he's realizing that looking for that thing is innate, part of him, something he can't not do.

And he's probably not going to find that thing that makes life worth living, but that's okay (or maybe it's not) because the pursuit of that thing is driving him.

The Sum of All Men (Book One of The Runelords) by David Farland - incredible high-fantasy that introduced me to the genre and one I come back to time and again. The magic system is rock solid and as scientific as the best Brandon Sanderson system, the characters are engaging and multifaceted, and the ethical quandaries they face are complicated in a way that has you reassess your own values.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb - ever wanted to be within the mind of a plausible, real, human, flawed assassin? Look no further! Fitz is the most loveable (and hateable, simultaneously) character I've ever shared headspace with, and if you enjoy this book there're a dozen more in the series that are all bangers. Two magic systems, both well developed if not as rigorous as the one in The Sum of All Men, complement one another well, and you get to explore the effects magic can have on culture and society.

Writers of the Future Volume 40 - an anthology that includes 12 short stories from upcoming sci-fi and fantasy writers and 3 from seasoned veterans. The 12 short stories have won out from a contest with literally thousands of submissions, and cover the gamut of speculative fiction. Odds are, the next Brandon Sanderson (one of the judges) or Orson Scott Card (another judge) or Patrick Rothfuss (winner of Volume 16) has a story amid these very pages.

Sidenote: Writers of the Future was initially created by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. However the judges are not scientologists, and winners are not invited to 'convert.'

Honorable Mention: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - it breaks every rule of fantasy fiction, but does so with flying colors. Not included because you will fall in love with the world, and the series isn't, and likely never will be, finished.

1. InMe - Faster the Chase

2. Live - The Dolphin's Cry

3. Lifehouse - You and Me

4. Linkin Park - A Place For My Head

5. Rise Against - Swing Life Away

6. Pillar - Frontline

7. Thrice - Artist in the Ambulance

8. Offspring - Come Out Swinging

9. Jimmy Eats World - Coffee and Cigarettes

10. Three Doors Down - Here Without You

It was agony trimming this down to just ten songs, but these are what I settled on. Reasoning, in order: first real rock song I ever loved (and still my favorite ever song), a song I spent literally years looking for (searching for 'Live music' did not yield useful results back in the day) and stumbled across in a random mall in another country, my wedding song/first dance, the best LP song, the song that introduced me to Rise Against (one of my favorite bands), a song that symbolises my most important friendships, a song that the aforementioned friends used to sing/scream at the top of their lungs together to, the best Offspring song, a song that captures the essence of a 7 week backpacking trip across South America, and my favorite Three Doors Down song (and one of the only songs that I can play (badly) on guitar.

Terrible book based on the amazing 2013 movie about some rich guy that has the best life ever, proving money does buy happiness.