AboutMadeline Expertise I can answer questions regarding "tween", teen, and young adult literature and make recommendations about books you may like based on genres and authors you've read and liked in the past. I'm most familiar with fantasy (and science fiction, to a certain extent), but I've read plenty of other genres as well, and I will make an effort to find the answer to your question even if I don't know it off the top of my head. However, I do not answer homework questions (so please don't bother asking them), and I'm not very good at finding obscure books---the best I can suggest is a Google search! Thanks!
Experience I am an avid reader, and I am trusted by all my friends for my taste in books. I have read books in all of the following genres (though I do not claim to be an expert in all of them): fantasy (I term any book with a fantastical element to it to be "fantasy"), sci-fi, historical fiction, classics, realistic fiction, mysteries, and whodunits.
Question QUESTION: Hi! I was hoping you could recommend some books for me. I read a lot, constantly, and am looking for some new venues of literature to peruse.
I read everything from Westerns, to Non-Fiction, and Classics. The only things I do not like to read are Biographies, Sexy Vampire books, or the young adult teenage-girl-with-divorced-parents-finds-herself and other 'Reality' books like that.
I read and loved Les Miserables as well as Dante's Inferno. Long classics are lovely and if you know any good ones, please tell me the names.
I really like fantasy. Do you know any series or single books that you could recommend to me?
Thanks,
Elena.
ANSWER: Hi Elena!
Thank you for sending me your question; I can definitely recommend some books! Based on what you said, it sounds like we've actually got some pretty similar taste in literature, and I'm sure I can suggest some other things you may like...on a quick side note, I just have to add that I am SO excited to hear that you love Les Misérables! It is most definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
Another favorite classic of mine is "Oliver Twist", by Charles Dickens. It's a story about children in London's underworld in the 1840's, and is a very interesting, intriguing story (chock-full of great characters) about one orphan boy's quest to find a home and people who care for him. If you've ever seen the musical "Oliver!", it's based on this book...
You may wish to take a look at "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley. *I* certainly think of it as a classic, and I would highly, highly recommend reading this book! It's a fascinating story set in a futuristic utopia where the world is completely perfect---and yet totally wrong. If you've ever read Lois Lowry's "The Giver", the two books are in a similar vein.
Well, if you want some long classics, take a look at some Russian writers! Leo Tolstoy is famous for his epic novel "War and Peace", which is comparable to Les Mis in many ways (particularly in length). Consequently, I hope you'll forgive me for not trying to give you a synopsis. :-) "Anna Karenina" would be another option by Tolstoy if "War and Peace" seems daunting; it's the story of romance, adultery, and tragedy amongst the Russian upper-class in the 19th century (and it has one of the most famous opening lines in all of literature: "All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.").
Tolstoy, in terms of writing style, is more like Victor Hugo than Fyodor Dostoevsky is, but I actually enjoyed Dostoevsky's books more than Tolstoy's, if truth be told. "Crime and Punishment" is remarkably short, as far as Russian novels go, but highly psychological in nature and is masterfully crafted. I highly recommend it! As the title suggests, the plot revolves around a single incident and then all of the repercussions of that single criminal act. Oh, I might mention that my translator of choice for Russian books is Constance Garnett. If you find a translator who works better for you, then be my guest, but in my experience, her translations were much more readable than others.
One final classics recommendation for now: you might consider reading "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. This book is just what it sounds like: a blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute account of the life of a man living in a Siberian labor camp. This book kept me interested until the very end, and gave me *such* an incredible appreciation for food that for the next few meals that I ate, I devoured every scrap of food on my plate (no joke!). I will put in a mild disclaimer that the book does seem to use a lot of rather strong swear words. However, my Russian-speaking boyfriend explained to me that this is simply because Russian has a lot more variety in terms of swearing than English does, and that many Russian insults would be totally nonsensical if translated directly. Thus, the translator chose to use and re-use various English swear words to replace these untranslatable Russian ones.
As for fantasy, I have TONS of suggestions! Although, the genre is a rather broad one. I'll try to give you a sampling of several types of fantasy books, and you can pick and choose what you prefer...
I mentioned it before in relation to "Brave New World", but if you haven't already read it, "The Giver", by Lois Lowry, is definitely another book I would recommend. It's a Newbery Medal award winning novel about...well, it's actually a bit difficult to explain exactly what it's about. It takes place in a utopia, where life is perfect...almost. As the main character, Jonas, discovers with the help of a mysterious man called the Giver, his world was not always as it seems. A truly fascinating book---I would highly recommend you try it and see if you like it. :-)
"The Moorchild" by Eloise McGraw is a favorite book of mine. It delves into the mysteries of the "Folk" of the British Isles, those elusive creatures with their uncanny ways and what happens when one child is caught between worlds. It is an excellent story, and I highly recommend it...
A book that you might consider reading (it's an interesting mix of adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy) is Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time". This is one of those rare books that appeals to adults, children, and teens, and has remained a staple in young adult fiction since its publication in 1962. It has won the Newbery Medal and numerous other awards, and is definitely worth reading. :-)
If you consider yourself to be a fairly mature reader, then you might also consider Frank Herbert's "Dune" series. These are fabulous, complex, intricate, and expertly-woven stories full of action and intrigue. They're an adventure/science-fiction mix, and like "A Wrinkle in Time", they remain astonishingly popular long after their initial publication. I highly recommend them. I should warn you, though---don't be discouraged or put-off if you read the first couple of chapters and are totally confused; because Frank Herbert set these books in a universe of his own creation, many of the names, places, and ideas are confusing to the first-time reader. However, discovering the meaning of these terms eventually becomes part of the experience of reading the book, rather like a mystery novel. I found it to be a very enjoyable challenge, and perhaps you will too...
Anne McCaffrey is an very prolific author who has written many, many books! However, she is most famous for her series called "The Dragonriders of Pern". The first book in the series, "Dragonflight", is a good place to start, but chronologically, the first book is called "Dragonsdawn". Interestingly enough, if you begin with "Dragonflight", you will read these books thinking that they are fantasy. Begin with "Dragonsdawn" instead, and you will discover that they are actually science fiction. Fascinating books! I highly recommend them. :-) Additionally, might I recommend another book called "Acorna, the Unicorn Girl" that Anne McCaffrey co-wrote with Margaret Ball? Believe it or not, it's not fantasy---like so many of her books, Ms. McCaffrey likes to interweave fantastical ideas into science fiction, which makes for very interesting books!
Have you read Garth Nix's "Sabriel" series? The story follows the Abhorsons, a line of necromancers (magicians who deal with the dead) and their constant struggle to keep the dead...well, dead. Adventure, fantasy, and just a pinch of romance...definitely worth reading!
Might I recommend a book called "Wizard's First Rule", by Terry Goodkind? It belongs to the "high fantasy" subgenre, and generally I'm not a fan of high fantasy. This book, however, is probably the one exception. Explaining the plot at this point would be extremely difficult and long-winded, but suffice it to say that I liked this book. It's rather original as far as high fantasy goes (probably one of the reasons I did enjoy it), and although dauntingly thick, it's not at all tedious to read. Check it out and see if you like it!
You know, it seems like most teenage girls I know have heard of and/or read Tamora Pierce's books. If you are one of them, then disregard the following. If not, you should check these out! There are a lot of them, actually, and they center around two main worlds. The first is that of her "Circle of Magic" series. This particular series isn't my personal favorite, but I know many people who do like it. :-) The books that I prefer are the series set in the realm of Tortall. The first three quartets of books go in the following order:
Song of the Lioness (first book: "Alanna: The First Adventure")
The Immortals (first book: "Wild Magic")
Protector of the Small (first book: "First Test")
I suppose I should mention that one of the most extraordinary things about Tamora Pierce's characters is the fact that they are so completely human, and the fact that the world they inhabit is every bit as nitty-gritty and solid as our own. My personal favorite of these three is the "Protector of the Small" quartet, which I feel brings out these qualities even more than the other two. But I recommend them all for their fantasy, adventure, humor, drama, and romance.
Finally, if you haven't already read Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, read it. Just do. They are, quite honestly, some of my favorite books ever, and that's really saying something! Absolutely fascinating and wonderfully written...:-) Don't bother seeing the film version of the Golden Compass (the first book), as it mangled a lot of the plotline, and the incredible subtlety and beauty of Pullman's writing disappears in the movie. If you've already seen the film, read the book anyways; it's much better.
I hope I've given you some potential reading fodder here! If you'd like to refine your search, or feel like my suggestions are just way off-track, feel free to write back and I'll recommend some more. I hope you'll find something here that you like, but please don't hesitate to write back if you have any questions! Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, let me know which books you end up reading and/or liking. I'm always curious to know what people choose based on my recommendations!
Best wishes, as always,
-Madeline
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: You said 'We've got similar tastes in literature' and you were very right...
I have read, and enjoyed 'Brave New World', as well as 'The Giver' and its followers. 'Anna Karenina' was good, so I will look up 'War and Peace.'
I have also already read 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' and really liked it. Additionally, I have read 'The Moorchild' and 'A Wrinkle in Time' and the first 'Dune'. Do you know what the second one is called?
I read the 'Sabriel' series as well as some of Garth Nix's other series.
Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors, my favorite of her books are the two about Ali, and the Beka Cooper ones.
I have read Philip Pullman, and haven't seen the movie, my friends said it wasn't any good.
So, I am going to try:
•Oliver Twist
•War and Peace
•Crime and Punishment
•The Dragonriders of Pern
•Acorna, the Unicorn Girl
•Wizard's First Rule
Thanks you all your help.
Answer The second book in the Dune series is called "Dune Messiah", and the third is called "Children of Dune". Actually, I got interested in the series when I found a copy of "Children of Dune" on my parents' bookshelf, so I read the first half of the series backwards. I definitely liked the first and third books best, although "Dune Messiah" was still good.
I actually ought to get caught up in my Tamora Pierce reading (now that it's summer, perhaps I finally have the time!). I have yet to read the Beka Cooper books, and I've only read half of the Ali series. Kel is actually my favorite character---she's the one I personally identify with the most, and I liked the fact that she had to get through the problems of earning her knighthood all without the help of magic...:-) But to each her own!
I figured there would definitely be some overlap between my suggestions and what you've already read, so I'm pleased you found some stuff that might interest you. Good luck, and happy reading!
Best wishes, as always,
-Madeline
P.S. One final suggestion that just occurred to me---have you read "The Count of Monte Cristo", by Alexandre Dumas? If not, you definitely ought to! It's probably about as long as Les Mis or War and Peace, but reads very, very quickly. It's a fast-paced adventure story of revenge and redemption set in France in the early 19th century. Great story!
