Posted on Friday, 28th July 2006 by Maritzia
The next Blogging Chicks Carnival is about Favorite Things. I thought about doing a generic favorites post, but I just like too many things, so I’m going to stick to favorite books, since there more than enough of those. In fact, this won’t come close to covering all of my favorites, but selected favorites in the hopes of brevity. So…without further adieu…my favorite books:
Dune is absolutely one of my all time favorite books. There’s just so much depth to it. The characters are well written and thoughtfully drawn. The cultures of the peoples are complex and finely detailed. The story is about political intrigue, economics, war, social mores, religion…all set in a sci/fi setting. Honestly, if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your must read list. It is easily one of the best novels ever.
Next must read is Lucifer’s Hammer. Written long before the rash of asteriod hits the earth doomsday novels, this novel is the classic. The cast of characters is so large they had to put a listing in the front of the book so you could keep track of who’s who (at least the first time you read it. By the 4th or 5th time, you’ll know them all well). Really, I have to recommend any novel by the Niven/Pournelle team. I like them both as individual writers (Niven wrote the Ringworld series, and Pournelle is known for King David’s Spaceship, among others), but together they strike the right balance between adventure and science. Their topics almost always have an underlying theme about societal evolution, and they don’t take the route many authors have that everything in the future is sunny and good. They see humanity for what it is, and that is often dirty and less than laudatory. Again, if you haven’t read their novels, I recommend them. The best of theirs, after Lucifer’s Hammer, would be Oath of Fealty and Mote in God’s Eye.
Now, let’s move on from Sci/Fi and head to romance. Yes, I said romance…I’ve always loved romance novels. My very favorite romance author is Judith McNaught. Her books will have you laughing and crying all the way through them. Her characters are well written and wonderfully flawed, and her writing is just what you want on a rainy Saturday afternoon when all you want to do is lay in bed and lose yourself in a story. The very best of her books is Kingdom of Dreams. The plot is pretty basic, Scottish daughter is forced to wed English noble to secure peace. If you like historical romances, this one is a winner. However, McNaught also writes modern romances, and they’re just as good as the historicals. You know their good because they are hard as heck to find in the used bookstores. People keep them to read again and again.
On to a new genre….I guess you’d put this in contemporary fiction….The Earth’s Children series starting 
with Clan of the Cave Bear. In Clan, a young girl named Ayla is orphaned and adopted by a tribe of neanderthals. I love this book because of the strength of the main character. She’s a woman who, while trying to fit into a society so different from her own, learns to be true to herself regardless of the consequences. I also like it for it’s discussion of Ayla’s spirituality, which is very deep. I’ve always been attracted to shamanistic cultures, so this spoke to me a great deal and had a profound impact on my own belief system. Probably, above all other books I’ve listed here today, this is my number 1 recommendation. Buy it…read it…ponder it…read it again…repeat several times. I usually read this book at least once a year, and the rest of the series at least every 2 or 3 years.
And now I’m tired from doing that much, so I’ll give you a reprieve on the rest of the list. Maybe one day I’ll do another list with additions to. Until then, enjoy this little glimpse into My Favorite Books.
Posted in Books | Comments (14)
July 28th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
Hi there.
I’m the other writer on isamericaburning. Thanks for your comment on Worried American’s weather post.
Our cats move from room to room and shady spot to shady spot as well.
The link here will take you my other blog which you’re welcome to visit as well.
Ann (aka granny)
July 29th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I love the Clan of the Cave Bear series too!
July 29th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Thank you for visiting us and for your comment. You are always welcome and we hope you return often.We welcome input from our visitors.
I enjoyed your book reviews. I, too, love the Dune and Earth Children series. The latter reveals that the author had done tremendous research re: primitive peoples. Neanderthal gravesites are rare but what few the archeologists have excavated expanded our knowledge about that race. The skeleton of an adult male with a withered arm, a birth defect, indicated that the Neanderthals had a social conscience, accepted and cared for a member who could not fulfill the traditional male role in their community. They buried their dead, indicating care for the deceased; the inclusion of artifacts suggest a belief in the afterlife. Many primitives include such items for the spirit of the dead to use in the afterlife, so we assume that was the belief system and practise of the Neanderthals. Microscopic analysis of the dust in the graves showed pollens, so we also assume they put flowers in the graves and possibly herbs. It was a fascinating glimpse into the life of those mysterious people.
I found it fascinating how Auel wove those archeological findings into her stories and created a very believable character about the man with a withered arm. His role as shaman excused him from the male role as hunter/warrior and made him a valuable member of the clan in spite of his disability.
Another of our blogger friends offers book reviews. http://lookingoppositely.blogspot.com. Hmm. She may have a dash between looking and oppositely in the url. I just click on her in my favorites site and forget the exact url. Her blog is “Looking Oppositely” so you may find it on search.
Cheers…
July 29th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Sheesh!! Was I ever out in left field!! Looking Oppositely’s url is http://sherhazade.blogspot.com .
That’s what I get for accessing her blog by clicking on Favorites instead of typing out the address.
Rather like one of my daughters who programs her phone to dial certain numbers when she presses a numeral – #1 for mom, #2 for office, etc.. When she is away from her home, she cannot remember the actual phone numbers to dial from another phone.
Sorry.
July 30th, 2006 at 8:29 am
I’ve never read Dune, but I’ll put it on my list. I read the first few books in the Clan of the Cave Bear series, too. I really enjoyed the first one. I love the way Auel takes research and applies it, trying to bring it to life. However, she does so in such a subtle way, it doesn’t interfere with the story or the suspension of disbelief.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:28 am
I love the Clan of the Cave Bear. I’ve been thinking its about time to re-read it again, along with Valley of the Horses.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:37 am
I read Dune a thousand years ago (okay about 20?? could it be that long ago?), but don’t remember much about it…just that I liked it. Now you got me thinking I need to revisit it. I’ll add it to the stack. (visiting from the BC Carnival)
July 30th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
I have read all these except for the romance book. We must be twins of different mothers.
Here from BCs.
July 30th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
I did my B.C. fav’s on Books too. I was only recently introduced to Niven’s books, the Ringworld series, and just ate them up. I just now finished the Harry Potter Series and am currently looking for a new book, i will try some of your suggestions!
July 31st, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Great list. I did books, too.
I read Clan many many years ago, and it was so interesting. I don’t believe any of it, but it was a well-crafted story. I’ll have to look into several of these others, too. I also hit many genres when I read.
July 31st, 2006 at 5:52 pm
I,of course am a diehard Nora Roberts…. but Diana Gabaldon can really spin you.
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:26 pm
i have read dune, clan of cave bear series, and lucifers hammer…i have been on a reading spree…i have read about 15 books in 17 days…im crazed..such great books…except for cornwalls new book..sucked…but one out of 15..not bad…ha
want to read a great love story? read dean koontz’s new book called the husband…is not a horror story..is a love story…think you will like it.
August 13th, 2006 at 8:32 am
If you like mystery novels try any book by James Lee Burke or John Brady. Reginald Hill is good as well.
August 13th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Hee hee. I own 3 of the 4 books you listed. Dune, Lucifer’s Hammer and Clan of the Cave Bear.
Oh, and thanks for the dream interpretation!