An inexpensive mass-market paperback book proved my favorite read of 2018. Available in a variety of editions, Barnes & Noble’s The Three Musketeers is a timeless classic that I found more clever, insightful and entertaining than any other work I read this year.

Despite consuming considerable literature in college, I’d never properly read Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece. If only every book that was written or enjoyed could pack as much impact and personality, surely more people would read, right?

First published as a serialized work in March 1844, the novel predated the French Revolution by four years. The scene in which the swordsmen needlessly protect the Bastion Saint-Gervais against all odds and only to win a wager makes the entire historical adventure epic worth reading.

Here’s hoping you find a book you enjoy just as much in 2019.