Monday, August 17, 2009

The Big Book Stack

My stack of "books to read" changes week to week as I hit the
libraries. This week, the pile is a strange conglomeration of young
adult fantasy, mystery, suspense, speculative, and how-to. Check this
out:

Hunter brown and the Secret of the Shadow by the Miller Brothers
Getting the Words Right by Theodore Rees Cheney
Several Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
Conspiracy in Death by JD Robb
Several VI Warshawski books by Sara Paretsky
Several Robert Crais novels (two stand-alone and an Elvis Cole)
How to Write a Mystery by Larry Beinhart
Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters
Welcome to the Jungle, a Dresden Files book by Jim Butcher

So many books, so little time... (sigh)

-Sonja

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

100 Speculative Fiction Books

FaceBook people have been circulating a BBC-selected list of books,
and we're supposed to put an x next to the ones we've read. I found it
a strange list. Why did they list "Narnia" then add an individual
title? Same with Shakespeare's works. Why did they include Harry
Potter on the same list as Les Miserables? I was disappointed to find
I'd only read 29 of the 100 books.

Becky Miller, a giant in the world of speculative Christian fiction,
made her own list (only 70 on hers). I thought it'd be fun to play
her game and see how many of the books on her list I'd read. An X
indicates I've read the book.

Til We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis X
The Good Earth – Pearl S. Buck
Out of the Silent Planet – C.S. Lewis X
Perelandra – C.S. Lewis X
That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis X
The Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Orczy
Christy – Catherine Marshall X
The Black Stallion – Walter Farley
Fathers and Sons – Ivan Turgenev
Treasure Island – Robert Lewis Stevenson X
Lord Foul's Bane – Stephen R. Donaldson
The Illearth War – Stephen R. Donaldson
The Power that Preserves – Stephen R. Donaldson
The Assassin's Apprentice – Robin Hobb X
The Book of Three – Lloyd Alexander
The Black Cauldron – Lloyd Alexander
The Castle of Llyr – Lloyd Alexander
Taran Wanderer – Lloyd Alexander
The High King – Lloyd Alexander
Magicin: Apprentice – Raymond E. Feist
Chocolate Beach – Julie Carobini
Truffles by the Sea – Julie Carobini
The Secret Life of Becky Miller – Sharon Hinck X
Renovating Becky Miller – Sharon Hinck
A Promise to Remember – Kathryn Cushman
Waiting for Daybreak – Kathryn Cushman
The Feast of St. Bertie – Kathleen Popa
To Dance in the Desert – Kathleen Popa
Every Good and Perfect Gift – Sharon Sousa
When the Shofar Blew – Francine Rivers
Raising Dragons – Bryan Davis
Isle of Swords – Wayne Thomas Batson
The Year the Swallows Came Early – Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Something Wicked – Alan Gratz
Savvy – Ingrid Law
The Bark of the Bog Owl – Jonathan Rogers
The Book of Names – D. Barkley Briggs
Landon Snow and the Auctor's Riddle – R. K. Mortenson
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness – Andrew Peterson
DragonFire – Donita Paul X
Winter Haven – Athol Dickson
Heaven's Wager – Ted Dekker
The Hidden – Kathryn Mackel X
Scarlet – Stephen Lawhead
Tuck – Stephen Lawhead
Autumn Dreams – Gayle Roper
Tiger Lily – Lisa Samson
My Name is Russell Fink – Michael Snyder
Forgiving Solomon Long – Chris Well
Demon: A Memoir – Tosca Lee
Gideon's Dawn – Michale Warden
The Restorer – Sharon Hinck X
Arena – Karen Hancock X
The Light of Eidon – Karen Hancock X
The Legend of the Firefish – George Bryan Polivka X
Blaggard's Moon – George Bryan Polivka
Auralia's Colors – Jeffrey Overstreet X
Beyond Summerland – L. B. Graham
Guardian of the Veil – Gregory Spencer X
Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow – Christoper and Allan Miller
The Mill on the Floss – George Eliot
The Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy
Pilgrim's Progress – John Bunyan X
Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls X
The Yearling – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Diamond of Darkhold – Jeanne DuPrau
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott X
Canterbury Tales – Chaucer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain X
Sir Gibbie – George MacDonald


If I counted right, I've read 19 of the 70 - not so great. Becky did
the same thing as the BBC, though - listed only a few books by an
author, instead of all of them. And why is Little Women in a list of
speculative Christian fiction? (For that matter, Robin Hobb isn't
Christian, although her books had some fantastic moral lessons to
teach). I think Becky's list should be expanded to 100. How about
adding these?

The Shadow Within – Karen Hancock X
Shadow of Kiriath – Karen Hancock X
Return of the Guardian King – Karen Hancock X
Dream Thief – Steven R. Lawhead X
Emperion – Steven R. Lawhead X
Siege of Fiera – Steven R. Lawhead X
In the Hall of the Dragon King – Steven R. Lawhead X
The Warlords of Nin – Steven R. Lawhead X
The Sword and the Flame – Steven R. Lawhead X
Taliesin – Steven R. Lawhead X
Merlin – Steven R. Lawhead X
Arthur – Steven R. Lawhead X
Pendragon – Steven R. Lawhead X
Grail – Steven R. Lawhead
Byzantium – Steven R. Lawhead X
Royal Assassin – Robin Hobb X
Assassin's Quest – Robin Hobb X
Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb X
The Mad Ship – Robin Hobb X
Ship of Destiny – Robin Hobb X
Fool's Errand – Robin Hobb X
Golden Fool – Robin Hobb X
Fool's Fate – Robin Hobb X
Lillith – George McDonald X
Three – Ted Dekker X
Boneman's Daughter – Ted Dekker
House – Ted Dekker X
Shade – John B. Olson X
Adrenaline – John B. Olson X
Dragon's Keep – Janet Lee Carey X

Now my count is 47 out of 100. Not too bad. Don't get me started on a
list of mysteries... For what it's worth.

-Sonja