Books for September, 2005

[pegkerr]

Beauty by Sherri Tepper. Re-read. I picked this up after several years away to refresh my recollection to see whether it would be suitable for Fiona, since she likes fairytale retellings. At first I thought yes, and then I thought maybe she could wait on it, given the brutal rape. I have mixed feelings about this one. Parts are effective, but parts are extremely polemic; Tepper really does have certain hobby horses that she rides very hard.

The Dubious Hills by Pamela Dean (pameladean). Re-read.

The Little Country by Charles DeLint. First time read.

Short list this month. Very busy with various things, and it has gotten in the way of my reading rather more than usual.

Comments

[kristenj.livejournal.com]

I hooked on one aspect of this post, that is thinking of books for Fiona. I've been thinking about this for a few weeks My thought is that most, if not all, are books you are already well aware of. But, one never knows.

I'm not remembering how old Fiona is, so some of these might be a step or two beyond where she is right now.


3 from the Fairy Tale series edited by Terri Windling:
The Nightingale, by Kara Dalkey
Snow White and Rose Red, by Patricia C. Wrede
Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen

Also by Jane Yolen:
Sister Light, Sister Dark
White Jenna

And edited by Jane Yolen:
Favorite Folktales from around the World (a marvelous collection, by the way)

Invoking Fairy Tale themes and motifs:
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
Tamsin, by Peter S. Beagle
The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany
The Tower at Stony Wood, by Patricia A. McKillip
The Sorceress and the Cygnet, by Patricia A. McKillip
The Cygnet and the Firebird, by Patricia A. McKillip
The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende

Fantasy, close kin to Fairy Tale:
A Wizaed of Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. LeGuin (I know that she's written others continuing this serios, but my personal opinion is that these original three are the strongest.)
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
A Wind in the Door, by Madeleine L'Engle (Again, I know that there are 2 others in this series, but I've always, even as a young reader, thought that these 2 were the strongest.)
Mairelon the Magician, by Patricia C. Wrede
The Isle of Glass, by Judith Tarr
The Golden Horn, by Judith Tarr
The Hounds of God, by Judish Tarr (A gorgeous trilogy, but I gave them to my youngest brother too young, and it was over a decade before he was able to try them again and be ready for them. So maybe too old for Fiona? Still, I couldn't resist including them.)
The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart
The Last Enchantment, by Mary Stewart (another trilogy, this one focusing on Merlin)


Hope you don't mind the list. It's just so much fun to share book recommendations!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent! Thank you so much. Yes, she has already discovered and loved some of these, so your recommendations are probably spot on.

[kristenj.livejournal.com]

Oh good! Out of curiosity, which are the ones she's already read?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

We are reading another Kara Dalkey together right now (Little Sister). She has read Snow White and Rose Red, Briar Rose, A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door (as well as later sequels). She has read a whole host of Wrede's other work, although she hasn't gotten around to Mairelon yet (or its sequel, Magician's Ward--I actually critiqued that one in manuscript in my writing group with Pat. She had a hell of a time writing that one.)

We have copies of some of the rest of these, so I will point her in that direction. Thanks!

[kristenj.livejournal.com]

Well then, if I may be so bold ... I'd suggest The Nightingale and Tamsin and Mairelon the Magician as very confident recommendations. :-)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I've read all of them, and I agree.