During the course of reading, or rather, waiting between publications of Jo’s newest book(s), our members came up with an extensive list of "what else is there to read!" *I’ve waded through all of the posts on this subject and compiled the following list with all of our recommendations. They are arranged alphabetically according to the authors’ last names. The final column lists some of the comments our members had about these books. I was going to footnote them, but gosh darn it, there are just too many! And that would be re-inventing the wheel, wouldn’t it? So I give you, without further ado:
Recommended Reading
or
What to Read in the Interim While We Wait for Jo to Publish the Next Book in The Harry Potter Series, Even Though Nothing Else Could Ever Possibly Compare!
|
Author |
Recommended Books/series |
Member Comments and/or Synopsis |
|
Adams, Douglas |
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series |
|
|
Adams, Richard |
Watership Down |
|
|
Aesop |
Aesop's Fables |
|
|
Alcott, Louisa May |
Little Men |
"…anything by Alcott." |
|
Alexander ,Lloyd |
Prydain Chronicles: |
This series was recommended numerous times. |
|
Allston, Aaron |
Star Wars; X-Wing series |
"…they are without a doubt the funniest military SF around today." |
|
Andersen, Hans Christian |
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen |
|
|
Anthony ,Piers |
Xanth, Phaze, & Incarnations of Immortality |
|
|
Asimov, Isaac |
The End of Eternity |
|
|
Aspirin, Robert |
Myth Adventures |
"These are definitely not children's books however." |
|
Atwater, Richard & Florence |
Mr. Popper's Penguins |
"One of my favorite children's books." |
|
Atwood, Margaret |
Cat's Eye |
|
|
Austen,Jane |
Pride and Prejudice |
|
|
Babbitt, Natalie |
Tuck Everlasting |
"An old standard fantasy book, but a lovely story about immortality." |
|
Barker, Clive |
The Thief of Always |
|
|
Barron, T. A. |
The Lost Years of Merlin |
" first of at least 4 books in a series about Merlin's childhood." |
|
Baum, L. Frank |
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
"Well, I'll concede that reading Harry Potter throws the shortcomings of the Oz books into sharp relief. I'd say give them a try." |
|
Bellairs, John |
The House with A Clock in Its Walls |
"I loved reading the books in elementary school-- they were well-written and fabulously witty." |
|
Blume, Judy |
Tales Of A 4th Grade nothing (and its sequels) |
|
|
Blyton, Enid |
|
Enid Blyton is probably best known for her series books, the Famous Five, the Secret Seven, the Adventure series, the Mystery series, the Barney Junior Mystery and her school books. |
|
Bohjalian, Chris |
Midwives |
|
|
Bradley, Marion Zimmer |
The Mists of Avalon |
several members have said: "…*anything* by Marion Zimmer Bradley." |
|
Brin, David |
The Postman |
|
|
Brooks, Terry |
"Magic Kingdom For Sale – Sold!" series |
The first book in MKfS begins with a man who buys a magic kingdom from an advertisement in a newspaper thinking it’s just a joke |
|
Bryson, Bill |
Notes from a Big Country |
|
|
Bulgakov, Mikhail |
The Master and Margarita |
"Kevin Moss does for "Master and Margarita" what Steve Vander Ark does for Harry Potter at: |
|
Burnett, Frances Hodgson |
The Secret Garden |
|
|
Burroughs, ER |
Mars or Venus or Pellucidor series |
"(which as Arthur C. Clarke noted, one must read before one is 17)" |
|
Byatt, A.S. |
The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye |
|
|
Card, Orson Scott |
Ender's Game |
"…there are sequels, but this first book is best." |
|
Carr, Caleb |
The Alienist |
|
|
Carroll, Lewis |
Alice stories |
|
|
Caudwell, Sarah |
Thus Was Adonis Murdered |
"Sadly, she passed away this year. Wonderful mysteries, not easy to find, but well worth the effort." |
|
Chabon, Michael |
The Adventures of Kavalier & Klay |
|
|
Clarke, Arthur C. |
The Songs of Distant Earth |
|
|
Colum, Padraic |
The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy |
|
|
Cooper, Susan |
"Dark is Rising" series: 1. Over Sea, Under Stone The Boggart |
DIR "Has a good Dumbledore /Merlin character"
The Boggart "… is that it's about a family who picks up a boggart …has mistakenly taken it back across the Atlantic. So now the boggart is in the States and trying to figure out (and use for its pranks) electricity…" |
|
Dahl, Roald |
Willy Wonka Series |
anything by Dahl, really |
|
Datlow, Ellen & |
modern fairy tale anthologies |
|
|
de Lint, Charles |
|
http://www.cyberus.ca/~cdl/ |
|
de St. Exupery, Antoine |
Le Petit Prince |
"He presents to you this character "le petit prince" a personification of childhood or rather Exupery's childhood" |
|
Dean, Pamela |
Tam Lin |
"…it's got a number of holes in it, but it's worth reading just for the fact that it's such a celebration of literature and it's fun to pick out the allusions..." |
|
Dickens, Charles |
A Christmas Carol |
anything by Dickens |
|
Dickson |
Dragon Knight |
|
|
Dodge, Mary M. |
Hans Brinker |
|
|
Donaldson |
Thomas Covenant series |
|
|
Duane, Diane |
So You Want to be a Wizard |
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension. |
|
Eager, Edward |
Half Magic |
Jane finds a magic charm that grants half of any wish |
|
Eddings ,David |
The Belgariad & Mallorian series |
|
|
Eddison, E.R. |
The Worm Ouroboros trilogy |
"Witches, imps, elves, and manticores on the planet Mercury. Oddly Victorian, Eddicon's writing is an acquired taste." |
|
Ende, Michael |
The Neverending Story |
"The book is much better than the film, as books made into films usually are." |
|
Gaiman, Neil |
Stardust |
"Gaiman's tales has all the classic elements of fairy tales: good vs. evil, quests, magic, with a hefty dose of charms and spells thrown in for good measure." |
|
Gaiman, Neil and Pratchitt ,Terry |
Good Omens |
"This book made me laugh out loud" |
|
Goldman, William |
The Princess Bride |
"The HP books are NOT the very best as far as fantasy goes – that honor goes to The Princess Bride by William Goldman, hands down." |
|
Goodkind, Terry |
The Sword of Truth series |
"It's filled with magic, dragons, evil wizards, good wizards, seekers, confessors, and the dark lord of the underworld trying to get everyone. Very satisfying to read." |
|
Graeme, Kenneth |
The Wind in the Willows |
|
|
Hambly, Barbara |
Sun Wolf books |
starts with The Ladies of Mandrigyn |
|
Hamilton, Jane |
A Map of the World |
|
|
Heinlein, Robert |
Citizen of the Galaxy |
|
|
Heyer, Georgette |
The Talisman Ring |
"Best way to spend a rainy fall afternoon is with hot chocolate and a copy of Heyer's "The Talisman Ring." |
|
Highsmith, Patricia |
The Talented Mr. Ripley |
"…she's fabulous…" |
|
Hughes, Ted |
The Iron Giant |
|
|
Irving, John |
A Prayer for Owen Meany |
" the best book I have EVER read!" |
|
Ishiguro, Kazuo |
The Remains of the Day |
|
|
Jacques, Brian |
Redwall series |
"PBS bought the rights to the animated version of the first Redwall book and will show the program sometime in April (depending on the station). Brian Jacques was very pleased with the series. |
|
Jones, Diana Wynne |
Archer's Goon |
These books were recommended by quite a number of our members! |
|
Jordan, Robert |
The Wheel of Time saga |
very long series – the ninth book, "Winter’s Heart" was published in Nov. 2000, and the series isn’t finished. |
|
Juster, Norton |
The Phantom Toolbooth |
"I felt the same wonder about it when I was young that kids today are feeling about Harry Potter." |
|
Kay, Guy Gavriel |
The Fionavar Tapestry: |
"I can't recommend him enough." |
|
Kerr, Katherine |
Deverry series: |
"The story goes through many generations and reincarnations of main characters, but one character stays alive through all timelines." |
|
*Kerr, Peg |
Emerald House Rising |
EHR was "one of the best books my husband has ever talked me into reading" |
|
King, Gabriel |
The Wild Road |
" - it's a series about cats saving the world from evil - actually, that's not strictly true, but this isn't one of those books you can summarize in a phrase." |
|
King, Stephen |
Misery |
"(don't give me that look, he's a great storyteller.)" |
|
Kipling, Rudyard |
Just So Stories |
|
|
Klause, Annette Curtis |
The Silver Kiss |
"These two are sensual/modern tales of, respectively, vampires and werewolves." |
|
Konigsberg, E.L. |
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
"One of my fave books as a kid…" |
|
Korman, Gordan |
Losing Joe's Place |
" I came across a character that really really resembles Hagrid in the ‘too big to be allowed’ way" |
|
Kurtz, Katherine |
Lammas Night |
Lammas Night is a fictional account of the magical battle for Britain during WWII |
|
Lackey, Mercedes |
Arrows of the Queen series |
"…good gay characters in Magic's Pawn, Magic's Price and Magic's Promise." |
|
Lamb, Wally |
She's Come Undone |
|
|
Le Guin, Ursula K |
The Disposessed |
|
|
Lee, Tanith |
|
"For those who like darker, more adult books" |
|
L'Engle, Madeline |
Wrinkle in Time |
"But L'Engle was what got me interested in fantasy, before I knew what it meant." |
|
Levine, Gail Carson |
Ella Enchanted – a twist on Cinderella |
|
|
Lewis, CS |
Narnia Chronicles |
|
|
Maguire, Gregory |
Wicked |
"Wicked" is "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" from the Wicked Witch’s point of view. |
|
Mahy, Margaret |
The Changeover |
"About New Zealand witches. Hard to find, but the source for two of the characters in Lori's "Paradigm of Uncertainty" fanfic" |
|
Martin, George R.R. |
A Song of Fire and Ice |
" if you really want some fantasy reading that is VERY different than your standard cookie cutter clone fantasy." |
|
McCaffrey, Anne |
Pern series |
|
|
McKinley, Robin |
Deerskin |
"...I'd actually recommend more by her, but most of it is more young adult." |
|
Milne, A. A. |
Winnie-the-Pooh |
|
|
Montgomery, |
Anne of Green Gables |
|
|
Neville, Katherine |
The Eight |
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345366239/o/qid=967560750/sr=8 |
|
Nix, Garth |
Sabriel |
re: "Seventh Tower": "…it's really a serial novel, and quite funny in parts besides being a good fantasy." |
|
Norton, Andre |
The X Factor |
" The ultimate book for a kid who feels out of place in his own world." [snip] " Norton remains the only SF author I ever wrote a fan letter to (and her reply included these neat Bast bookmarks)." |
|
Norton, Mary |
The Borrowers |
little people who live under the floorboards |
|
Paterson, Katherine |
Bridge to Terabithia |
"I haven't read the book in years but I really still remember the way the story touched my heart, its very cute and sad at the same time." |
|
Peters, Elizabeth |
||
|
Pierce, Tamora |
|
|
|
Poe, Edgar Allen |
short stories |
|
|
Porter, Eleanor H. |
Pollyanna |
|
|
Powers, Tim |
The Anubis Gate |
|
|
Pratchett, Terry |
The Colour of Magic |
"Wyrd Sisters has the funniest take on Macbeth you'll ever read" |
|
Pullman, Phillip |
The Golden Compass |
"…much darker than HP" |
|
Rice, Anne |
The Vampire Chronicles |
|
|
Sachar, Louis |
Holes |
|
|
Scarborough, Elizabeth |
Songs from the Seashell Archives |
"Total fantasy, but doesn't take itself too seriously. A reference to "lion and tigers and bears" is in the first chapter." |
|
Sewell, Anne |
Black Beauty |
|
|
Sheckley, Robert and Zelazny, Roger |
Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming |
|
|
Shinn, Sharon |
the angel series |
|
|
Smith, Dodie |
I Capture the Castle |
|
|
Smith, Zadie |
White Teeth |
"The best first novel I've read in a long time." |
|
Spyri, Johanna |
Heidi |
|
|
Stapledon, Olaf |
Sirius |
Amazon.de synopsis: Sirius is Thomas Trelone's great experiment, a dog with the brain and intelligence of a human, raised and educated in Trelone's family alongside his daughter Plaxy. But Sirius isn't human and the conflicts and inner turmoil that torture him cannot be resolved. |
|
Stevenson, Robert Louis |
Kidnapped |
|
|
Stewart, Mary |
Crystal Cave |
|
|
Swift, Jonathan |
Gulliver's Travels |
|
|
Tepper, Sheri S. |
The Family Tree |
|
|
Tolkien, J.R.R. |
The Hobbit |
"Tolkien greater wealth of detail and richness of the fabric. Rowling is more fun." |
|
Turner, Megan Whalen |
The Thief |
"…a wonderful fantasy with strong characters and terrific plot twists that I recommend to anyone who loves HP." |
|
Twain, Mark |
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
|
|
various authors |
Star Wars Jedi Apprentice series. |
"WARNING- if you had a hard time picturing Obi-Wan as a young man in The Phantom Menace...well, he's 13 in these!" |
|
Weis, Margaret & |
The Dragonlance Chronicles |
|
|
White, E. B. |
Charlotte's Web |
|
|
Wiggin, Kate Douglas |
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm |
|
|
Wilder, Laura Ingalls |
the Little House books |
|
|
Williams, Margery |
The Velveteen Rabbit |
|
|
Williams, Tad |
The Dragonbone Chair |
"All 3 books are over 700 pages, and the third one was so big it had to be printed in 2 parts in paperback." |
|
Windling, Terri: edited by |
The Armless Maiden |
"…thematic collection of modern fairy tales dealing with child abuse...sometimes tough going but well worth it." |
|
Wingrove, David |
the Chung Kuo books |
"(absolutely fascinating for anyone who'd like to take a gander - pure SciFi)" |
|
Wrede, Patricia |
Dealing With Dragons |
"They’re excellent! Similar to Harry Potter, but not as good" |
|
Zipes, Jack |
fairy tale collections |
|
list compiled by Jeralyn, the Voicelady <voicelady@mymailstation.com>