It's memeing again...
There's a 15 books in 15 minutes meme going around facebook (and here, some) that I think I'll torque and use in my own, aimless fashion. Because I can, and because I really don't think I can wrap my brain around only 15 books that will always stick with me. I have more than 15 that I re-read every year, and there are many that I re-read every several years, and more that will always be important even if I never read them again. So ... wait, why am I participating in this again? Oh, because I'm tired and I can't concentrate on anything in particular. Right. Anyway, so I'm just going to name some books that I grew up with, or I love to re-read either for craft or story or pure escapism, and call it good. Or random. Or something.
1. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. I adore this book. I've read it more than 20 times, I'm sure, although I wasn't precicely keeping count. In fact, let's add in most books by this author. Because The Hero and The Crown, The Blue Sword, Beauty, Deerskin, and most recently, Chalice, are all books that I feel the need to pick up and drown myself in every few months. I keep trying to read for craft, and failing utterly. It might be a failing of mine, but it's pretty likely that Robin McKinley is just that awesome. I only wish I wrote as well. These might be my most favorite-est books of all time. Others of her books I like, and I have most of her short stories, which are fabulous, too. But these are the novels I keep coming back to. She has another couple in the works, and I'm mentally rubbing my hands in anticipatory glee, even though it will be months, MONTHS before anything else of hers is out. I shall have to survive by re-reading these until the spines fall out. Or mine does.
2. Dragon Bones, and sequel Dragon Blood, by Patricia Briggs. So much fun, so much intrigue, such cool characters, and so little time. How on earth did she pack all of that in there? Another I try to read for craft, and forget every time within pages of starting. Her other books are fun and engaging and her characters are enjoyable without fail, even the evil ones. But these two, these are full of TEH WIN. Seriously. The spines are falling out of these books. Which is too bad, because they changed the cover art and I love the original cover art too.
3. Crown Duel, and sequel Court Duel by Sherwood Smith. These are really well done, exciting YA books. Yes, I love YA, what? And these are fabulous. I've been reading other things by this author, as well, and I like most of it. But these caught at me and they keep bringing me back. Is it the plucky heroine? The humor? The tension of the chase? The rushing pace of everything? Maybe all of it. Plus Shevraeth is hot. No really.
4. Archangel (and other Samaria books) by Sharon Shinn. I love these books. I think I might have to re-read them again. Fabulous world building, intriguing characters and plots, neato science fiction and surprising twists. Do you need more? Sharon Shinn's worlds are so multifaceted in all her works. I love pretty much everything I've ever picked up by this author. There's something about actual flying people and a world that has to prove itself to its God every year or be destroyed that is so compelling, though. Wow.
5. The Blood Books, by Tanya Huff. OK, seriously? Anything by Tanya Huff. Her characters are sassy and smart-assed and smart and tend towards short tempers and world-destroying problems. They work hard to solve them. Unless they're goofing around. But they always have a shit-eating grin and a pointed comment to make as they flip you off. And you love it. YOU LOVE IT. Trust me. Even when their worlds are really, really strange. Maybe even especially then.
6. Jack of Kinrowan, by Charles de Lint. I like most things by Charles de Lint. But this one is one of my faves, as is Forests of the Heart. I just like the intricate complexities of the problems, and I always love his characters. His worlds are dark and bright and wrap around you like a blanket that's kind of scratchy, but too warm to give up. Or something. Maybe I'm just tired and want a nap...
7. Freedom and Necessity, by Steven Brust and Emma Bull. If you're going to write fiction done entirely in letters and journal entries, I think this is the way to do it. Wow. This book always amazes me. I like many other books by these authors as well. But this one is pretty close to brilliant.
8. King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry. Because it is possibly the first horse book I ever read, unless that was Misty of Chincoteague. I have been re-collecting all of her books, because I loved them when I was a kid. And, well, they don't hold up as well as I'd like. But I still adore them. From horse books to science fiction, that's how it went for me. I think because once I was done with the horse books in the library, I turned around and was looking at the science fiction section, and picked out Dragonriders of Pern, (which I also love, and re-read from time to time) and moved from horses to dragons in one swell foop. But I already had a good bent for the fantastic, so it's not like it was a far foop to swell.
9. A Horse for XYZ, by Louise Moeri. Written in 1980, it also hasn't held up perfectly (although slightly better than the Henry books, but that could be because the Henry books were written in the 50s, I don't know). But I got this book through a RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) drive in the 4th grade, and I have never let it go. This, Katie Kittenheart, and The Tenderfoot (title not certain, book long since lost) were books I consoled my weird, sidelined little soul with over and over in grade school. I don't think it's such a big coincidence that all three had young heroines who were trying to prove something, loved animals, and either had cats or horses or both as major plot points. Yes, I do now have cats. I do not have horses. But I would really love to take riding lessons again.
10. The Thief, sequels The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. Oh. My. God. Read these. Now. Because they are so awesome I cannot speak of their awesome without giving too much of the plot away, and I'd hate to spoil the fun for anyone. But if you like fiction at all, I think you'll like these books. Holy Cow. She's supposed to be writing another, and I might cry just thinking about it, due to the sheer frustration of not being able to read it right now. OK, yes, I'm like that with a lot of authors, but only the really spectacular ones. Ms. Turner is included.
11. Magic's Pawn, Promise, and Price (The Last Herald-Mage series) by Mercedes Lackey. Say what you will about Ms. Lackey's world building or pacing flaws and, lately, editing process (about which she is laughing all the way to the bank), her characters are almost always compelling, none moreso than good old Vanyel. I love these books. I love many of her books. Fewer lately than I used to, but the Arrows of the Queen series, the Oathbound series, and By the Sword still top my re-read list every couple of years. Because they were friends during a geeky, gawky adolescence, and because the world, though flawed, hides its flaws in a flood of neat stuff going on, and the characters make me want to meet them again and again on their travels.
12. The Lady of the Forest, by Jennifer Roberson. Honestly? It's a toss-up between that and the Sword-Dancer series as to what is my fave of hers. These books made me think while I was lost in them. And they made me lose myself in my own thinking. Since I was a teenager for the Sword-Dancer series, that was quite something.
13. Once a Hero, by Elizabeth Moon. Again, I like most all of her books. But I re-read this one the most, and the ones that follow it. Oh hell, the ones that preceed it, too. I really like Esmay and Herris. I think the world there is fun and twisty and smart. The other book of hers that I admire immensely, but find too hard to re-read at the moment, is The Speed of Dark. I loved it, but it is intense. It's amazing SF, though. Highly recommend it, and others by her. I couldn't get enough of The Deed of Paksenarrion when I read it, but I haven't been able to re-read it. I don't know if it's the book(s), me, or an innate laziness when faced with a really large novel. But it blew me away when I read it.
OK, I think that's enough awesome or memory of awesome for now. There are of course more, but my brain is squishy and I can't think anymore right now. So, um, 13 random bullet points that are about books and authors I love. How's that for skewing a meme?
1. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. I adore this book. I've read it more than 20 times, I'm sure, although I wasn't precicely keeping count. In fact, let's add in most books by this author. Because The Hero and The Crown, The Blue Sword, Beauty, Deerskin, and most recently, Chalice, are all books that I feel the need to pick up and drown myself in every few months. I keep trying to read for craft, and failing utterly. It might be a failing of mine, but it's pretty likely that Robin McKinley is just that awesome. I only wish I wrote as well. These might be my most favorite-est books of all time. Others of her books I like, and I have most of her short stories, which are fabulous, too. But these are the novels I keep coming back to. She has another couple in the works, and I'm mentally rubbing my hands in anticipatory glee, even though it will be months, MONTHS before anything else of hers is out. I shall have to survive by re-reading these until the spines fall out. Or mine does.
2. Dragon Bones, and sequel Dragon Blood, by Patricia Briggs. So much fun, so much intrigue, such cool characters, and so little time. How on earth did she pack all of that in there? Another I try to read for craft, and forget every time within pages of starting. Her other books are fun and engaging and her characters are enjoyable without fail, even the evil ones. But these two, these are full of TEH WIN. Seriously. The spines are falling out of these books. Which is too bad, because they changed the cover art and I love the original cover art too.
3. Crown Duel, and sequel Court Duel by Sherwood Smith. These are really well done, exciting YA books. Yes, I love YA, what? And these are fabulous. I've been reading other things by this author, as well, and I like most of it. But these caught at me and they keep bringing me back. Is it the plucky heroine? The humor? The tension of the chase? The rushing pace of everything? Maybe all of it. Plus Shevraeth is hot. No really.
4. Archangel (and other Samaria books) by Sharon Shinn. I love these books. I think I might have to re-read them again. Fabulous world building, intriguing characters and plots, neato science fiction and surprising twists. Do you need more? Sharon Shinn's worlds are so multifaceted in all her works. I love pretty much everything I've ever picked up by this author. There's something about actual flying people and a world that has to prove itself to its God every year or be destroyed that is so compelling, though. Wow.
5. The Blood Books, by Tanya Huff. OK, seriously? Anything by Tanya Huff. Her characters are sassy and smart-assed and smart and tend towards short tempers and world-destroying problems. They work hard to solve them. Unless they're goofing around. But they always have a shit-eating grin and a pointed comment to make as they flip you off. And you love it. YOU LOVE IT. Trust me. Even when their worlds are really, really strange. Maybe even especially then.
6. Jack of Kinrowan, by Charles de Lint. I like most things by Charles de Lint. But this one is one of my faves, as is Forests of the Heart. I just like the intricate complexities of the problems, and I always love his characters. His worlds are dark and bright and wrap around you like a blanket that's kind of scratchy, but too warm to give up. Or something. Maybe I'm just tired and want a nap...
7. Freedom and Necessity, by Steven Brust and Emma Bull. If you're going to write fiction done entirely in letters and journal entries, I think this is the way to do it. Wow. This book always amazes me. I like many other books by these authors as well. But this one is pretty close to brilliant.
8. King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry. Because it is possibly the first horse book I ever read, unless that was Misty of Chincoteague. I have been re-collecting all of her books, because I loved them when I was a kid. And, well, they don't hold up as well as I'd like. But I still adore them. From horse books to science fiction, that's how it went for me. I think because once I was done with the horse books in the library, I turned around and was looking at the science fiction section, and picked out Dragonriders of Pern, (which I also love, and re-read from time to time) and moved from horses to dragons in one swell foop. But I already had a good bent for the fantastic, so it's not like it was a far foop to swell.
9. A Horse for XYZ, by Louise Moeri. Written in 1980, it also hasn't held up perfectly (although slightly better than the Henry books, but that could be because the Henry books were written in the 50s, I don't know). But I got this book through a RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) drive in the 4th grade, and I have never let it go. This, Katie Kittenheart, and The Tenderfoot (title not certain, book long since lost) were books I consoled my weird, sidelined little soul with over and over in grade school. I don't think it's such a big coincidence that all three had young heroines who were trying to prove something, loved animals, and either had cats or horses or both as major plot points. Yes, I do now have cats. I do not have horses. But I would really love to take riding lessons again.
10. The Thief, sequels The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. Oh. My. God. Read these. Now. Because they are so awesome I cannot speak of their awesome without giving too much of the plot away, and I'd hate to spoil the fun for anyone. But if you like fiction at all, I think you'll like these books. Holy Cow. She's supposed to be writing another, and I might cry just thinking about it, due to the sheer frustration of not being able to read it right now. OK, yes, I'm like that with a lot of authors, but only the really spectacular ones. Ms. Turner is included.
11. Magic's Pawn, Promise, and Price (The Last Herald-Mage series) by Mercedes Lackey. Say what you will about Ms. Lackey's world building or pacing flaws and, lately, editing process (about which she is laughing all the way to the bank), her characters are almost always compelling, none moreso than good old Vanyel. I love these books. I love many of her books. Fewer lately than I used to, but the Arrows of the Queen series, the Oathbound series, and By the Sword still top my re-read list every couple of years. Because they were friends during a geeky, gawky adolescence, and because the world, though flawed, hides its flaws in a flood of neat stuff going on, and the characters make me want to meet them again and again on their travels.
12. The Lady of the Forest, by Jennifer Roberson. Honestly? It's a toss-up between that and the Sword-Dancer series as to what is my fave of hers. These books made me think while I was lost in them. And they made me lose myself in my own thinking. Since I was a teenager for the Sword-Dancer series, that was quite something.
13. Once a Hero, by Elizabeth Moon. Again, I like most all of her books. But I re-read this one the most, and the ones that follow it. Oh hell, the ones that preceed it, too. I really like Esmay and Herris. I think the world there is fun and twisty and smart. The other book of hers that I admire immensely, but find too hard to re-read at the moment, is The Speed of Dark. I loved it, but it is intense. It's amazing SF, though. Highly recommend it, and others by her. I couldn't get enough of The Deed of Paksenarrion when I read it, but I haven't been able to re-read it. I don't know if it's the book(s), me, or an innate laziness when faced with a really large novel. But it blew me away when I read it.
OK, I think that's enough awesome or memory of awesome for now. There are of course more, but my brain is squishy and I can't think anymore right now. So, um, 13 random bullet points that are about books and authors I love. How's that for skewing a meme?