Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Top 10 books you haven't heard of

Well, today is strange because it's my last day pre-vacation, so of course I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off (as my dad would say) in prep. After this post, I won't be back near a computer until Tuesday, so I'll see you then!

Because of busy-ness, in lieu of a writing post today I'm going to post my list of 10 books that are excellent, excellent reads that you've probably never heard of. Philippa Gregory, Diana Gabaldon, even Mary Stewart you might have read, so I won't include those. Just the overlooked gems, as it were. Check them out if you're so inclined!

(in no particular order)

1. Seen by Moonlight, by Kathleen Eschenburg (civil war romance)
2. If I Never Get Back, by Daryl Brock (baseball time travel, male POV. fantastic book)
3. Suspicion, by Barbara Rogan (contemporary ghost story)
4. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis (14th century time travel, but not your ordinary time travel)
5. The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (first book of a fantastic YA series; I must've read it 10 times at least, and still remember bits word for word)
6. She Goes to War, by Edith Pargeter (a phenomenal account of a woman's experiences in the military in WWII England; fiction, but very realistic)
7. An Acceptable Time, by Madeleine L'Engle (most people have read A Wrinkle in Time, but this one is less well known, and also an amazingly strong YA, with time travel)
8. The Canterbury Papers, by Judith Healey (strong medieval suspense)
9. Through a Glass Darkly, by Karleen Koen (true character-driven historical)
10. The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, by Douglas Adams (not a part of the Hitchhiker's Guide series, this book is Hilarious. I dare you to start reading it and then stop. Oh, and not laugh.)

Medieval Word of the Day: tumblester: A female tumbler or dancer; a dancing-girl.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dude,

Okay, I've read #1, 3, I think 7, and loved 9. Six sounds _very_ interesting--I'll have to get that. I've been meaning to read #4 (I think) and something by Douglas Adams (never have).

Have a great vaca!

Kreek

Susan Adrian said...

Kreek! You commented! {g} Just popping in before heading off to SD. See ya later!

Suze

Anonymous said...

Susan,

Interesting list! I don't know how many times I read Susan Cooper's books when I was a kid. I think they were among the first books I read, ever. I must've been... six, seven? Ah, nostalgia!

Douglas Adams is, of course, a genius of humour. *g* (Though I do still like Pratchett better.)

/Sara E

Susan Adrian said...

Sara:

Susan Cooper is an absolute favorite of mine. A master of YA, IMO.

And Douglas Adams? With him, I can literally open any of his books to ANY page and I will laugh out loud. Still.

Haven't tried Pratchett, though...

Susan

Anonymous said...

Susan,

Really? Then let me instantly recommend my favorite, the Death Trilogy ("Mort", "Reaper Man" and "Soul music").

/Sara