100 Books: one to ten
May. 20th, 2012 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fojeeOld favorites, childhood friends, and teddy bear books:
1. Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. (Actually make that all of her Tortall books.)
Fantasy and YA. A friend got me Alanna: The First Adventure in high school, and I snapped up the rest. I left them behind when we migrated, then promptly bought them again.
2. Confess-O-Rama by Ron Koertge
Totally YA and is about art and food and being brave. The language is really fun. I've since read Koertge's other works, but nothing comes close to this one in my opinion, though some of his short stories are great, too. You can also tell he's a poet. My favorite part: all the art stuff especially the Confess-O-Rama thing at the end.
3. The Urge to Jump by Trisha Ashley
Romance. Out of print, so I rebought a copy from abebooks after I lost my first one. It's about a fantasy writer named Sappho and her crazy and interesting friends. I like the food in it, I love the language and all the references and wordplay, and I also like how things affect what she's writing. I've read other books by Ashley, and the ones that come close to this are: Every Woman for Herself and Singled Out.
4. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
Urban Fantasy. College novel. I love, love the setting. I love contemporary takes on fairy tales, but that's almost incidental in this book, which every English Major should read. It lives in my heart. It also got me interested in theater.
5. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Fantasy. I think this is the most successful collaboration of all time, because they're excellent writers individually but together, they're dynamite! This is one book I would love to see on the Big Screen. I love Crowley and Azirophale, and Agnes Nutter's prophecies, and the idea of the Antichrist creating the perfect childhood.
6. The Wizard Children of Finn by Mary Tannen
Fantasy. About as old as me, or older. First fantasy book I've ever read, as my mom bought it, and my first encounter with Irish mythology. Sort of a self-insert kind of fantasy. I love the book with the illustrations, the treehouse, and Fiona and Bran. My one peeve with this book is that we never get to read Fiona's poem of Finn's adventures. Someone should totally write that. (Maybe me?) There's a sequel but it's actually a prequel about their mom, and is not as fun.
7. So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Fantasy/sci fi. I love the whole series, but the first book is dear to my heart. I love the use of Chekhov's gun trope, and their wands and the oath and all the fun stuff Fred emits. It also always makes me cry. I want it to be real. Seriously real.
8. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Fantasy. Twist on fairy tale. This book defined that genre for me. I love the rest of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, but they have a different feel from this one. I wish she wrote about what happened to her friends in the other books. Super funny. Also a book I've bought a handful of times because I keep losing the old one...
9. Sea-Swept by Nora Roberts
Romance. I think I've read over fifteen N.R. books and they're all pretty good but also kinda forgettable as most romance novels tend to be. But this one is the kind of book that I read once, then started over immediately. I love first of all, the idea of cobbling together a family not necessarily bound by blood. I love Cameron's growing relationship with Seth. Amazing bonding moments that are still vivid in my brain. It's full of interesting characters. The other books in the Chesapeake Series are okay, too: Rising Tides, Inner Harbor and Chesapeake Blue. But this first one is the best.
10. Chrome Circle by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
Urban Fantasy. From SERRAted Edges. I love, love, love Tannim. And I love the kitsune. And I love the dragons. And I love the romance. Seriously, I read this for the romance.
1. Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. (Actually make that all of her Tortall books.)
Fantasy and YA. A friend got me Alanna: The First Adventure in high school, and I snapped up the rest. I left them behind when we migrated, then promptly bought them again.
2. Confess-O-Rama by Ron Koertge
Totally YA and is about art and food and being brave. The language is really fun. I've since read Koertge's other works, but nothing comes close to this one in my opinion, though some of his short stories are great, too. You can also tell he's a poet. My favorite part: all the art stuff especially the Confess-O-Rama thing at the end.
3. The Urge to Jump by Trisha Ashley
Romance. Out of print, so I rebought a copy from abebooks after I lost my first one. It's about a fantasy writer named Sappho and her crazy and interesting friends. I like the food in it, I love the language and all the references and wordplay, and I also like how things affect what she's writing. I've read other books by Ashley, and the ones that come close to this are: Every Woman for Herself and Singled Out.
4. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
Urban Fantasy. College novel. I love, love the setting. I love contemporary takes on fairy tales, but that's almost incidental in this book, which every English Major should read. It lives in my heart. It also got me interested in theater.
5. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Fantasy. I think this is the most successful collaboration of all time, because they're excellent writers individually but together, they're dynamite! This is one book I would love to see on the Big Screen. I love Crowley and Azirophale, and Agnes Nutter's prophecies, and the idea of the Antichrist creating the perfect childhood.
6. The Wizard Children of Finn by Mary Tannen
Fantasy. About as old as me, or older. First fantasy book I've ever read, as my mom bought it, and my first encounter with Irish mythology. Sort of a self-insert kind of fantasy. I love the book with the illustrations, the treehouse, and Fiona and Bran. My one peeve with this book is that we never get to read Fiona's poem of Finn's adventures. Someone should totally write that. (Maybe me?) There's a sequel but it's actually a prequel about their mom, and is not as fun.
7. So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Fantasy/sci fi. I love the whole series, but the first book is dear to my heart. I love the use of Chekhov's gun trope, and their wands and the oath and all the fun stuff Fred emits. It also always makes me cry. I want it to be real. Seriously real.
8. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Fantasy. Twist on fairy tale. This book defined that genre for me. I love the rest of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, but they have a different feel from this one. I wish she wrote about what happened to her friends in the other books. Super funny. Also a book I've bought a handful of times because I keep losing the old one...
9. Sea-Swept by Nora Roberts
Romance. I think I've read over fifteen N.R. books and they're all pretty good but also kinda forgettable as most romance novels tend to be. But this one is the kind of book that I read once, then started over immediately. I love first of all, the idea of cobbling together a family not necessarily bound by blood. I love Cameron's growing relationship with Seth. Amazing bonding moments that are still vivid in my brain. It's full of interesting characters. The other books in the Chesapeake Series are okay, too: Rising Tides, Inner Harbor and Chesapeake Blue. But this first one is the best.
10. Chrome Circle by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
Urban Fantasy. From SERRAted Edges. I love, love, love Tannim. And I love the kitsune. And I love the dragons. And I love the romance. Seriously, I read this for the romance.
