#1 Lord of The Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
#2 Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (and after his death Brandon Sanderson)
#3 Ender's Game Series - Orson Scott Card
#4 The Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
#5 Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien Pros: +Pioneer to the now overused fantasy theme of elves, dwarves, etc.
+A lot of detail in everything
+Very original story
Cons: -Some people might not like how much the author focuses on the tiniest detail
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson Pros: +New fantasy model
+Diverse cultures
+Packed with plenty of action
Cons: -Some people might not like the story stretched out this far
-The death of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (Robert Jordan) throws off the original feel of the story by a little bit
Ender's Game Series Pros: +Science Fiction story that engulfs the reader
+Time and reality changes due to space travel
Cons: -Might not appeal to everyone how the themes and Ender's character changes as he ages
The Ranger's Apprentice Pros: +Interesting, history themes story
+Has a sense of reality (real historic elements appear)
+Short and captivating story sequence
Cons: -Some events go too conveniently for the main characters
Harry Potter Series Pros: +Nice story, creative
+Magical superstitions take a major role in the story background
+Lots of spells, mythical creatures and mysteries
Cons: -Some people might not like the darkening of the themes as the story progresses
-The last book's (Deathly Hallows) story feels rushed
Just gathered a few points to try to reason why i like these books. The cons are there as a general opinion on what people might define as 'bad' in a story, so don't misunderstand: I love these books