Hooray! Ive been tagged to name my ten favourite/most influential books. Ive already done it once, and it was painfully difficult to limit myself, so thank you Jane Dougherty for giving me the chance to do it again! In no particular order... -Graceling and its sequels by Kristen Cashore. These are great. You should read them. Fantasy and psychology mixed in an entirely new and believable universe. -Diana Gabaldons Outlander sequence - all 8 massive novels, short stories, spin-offs (Lord John etc) - and the already hugely successful US TV series which has been filming in Scotland over the last year and will one day (soon, I hope) make it to our screens. -The Niccolo sequence of novels by Dorothy Dunnett, starting with Niccolo Rising. I love these books. Im in awe of their complexity, and the depth of historical research that anchors them. -The Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb. I love almost everything by this writer, including the Windsinger series she wrote as Megan Lindholm. I love her deft hand with scene-setting and description. The worlds she creates are so believable - its hard to understand, especially in the post Peter Jackson LOTR universe, why theyve never been filmed/televised. -Tangi by Witi Ihimaera. Got to have a New Zealand author, and this is the pre-eminent one. I still have my Mums old copy from the 70s. -The Bone People by Keri Hulme. Say NZ and book in the same sentence and this is where my mind goes. Won the Booker in 1985, deservedly. You will either love it or hate it - there is no middle ground. Still one of the most powerful books ever written about dysfunctional relationships and the hope that can blossom even out of the darkest places. - The White Goddess by Robert Graves. Technically this is non-fiction. Or perhaps partly non-fiction. One never knows with Graves. Its intriguing, challenging, imbued with scholarship and completely and utterly barmy. One of my favourite re-reads, it has influenced many writers. -The Crow Road by Scottish writer Iain Banks. Still enjoy reading this. There was a great mini-series made, starring, amongst many well-kent faces, the inimitable Peter Capaldi with gorgeous 1990s hair. The Wasp Factory was a more disturbing read, but Crow Road is just great. -Roberta MacAvoy (R A MacAvoy). Where to start? The Damiano trilogy, for the lovely landscape of mediaeval Europe mutated (Raphael is my personal favourite, but I love the moment where Damiano faces down Satan in his own territory). The Grey Horse is a marvel. All her books are little gems of fantasy fiction, and Ive learned a lot by studying her. -The Riddle Master of Hed. Patricia McKillip. Cant believe I didnt say that in my first list. I adored this book in my teens, and it wasnt republished until a few years ago. Its a great example of how well-known myth and legend can be re-crafted into something new. Ive loved Morgon of Hed for forty years now, but his mad sister, and the pig woman who turns out to be the witch Madir still make me laugh. Gorgeous writing. Darn it, Ive run out again. I tag everybody who bothered to keep reading all the way to this point. Tell me what you love to read - and pass the meme on :-)
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:35:27 +0000
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