ust Reads
R.F. Briggs' Favourites
KC Heath's Favorites
Christina F. Whitcher Favorites

Ralph's Favourites

Every once in a while, you read a book that strikes a special chord within you.  Perhaps it was particularly vivid, maybe the characters jumped off the pages, maybe it was just told in an awesome style.  Whatever the reason, its happened to us all.  Stories, or even an author's general body of work, grabs us.

For myself, I am drawn to stories with dynamic characters who make me laugh or make me cry...characters I can CARE about.  You can give me the greatest scenery, postulate the most startling theories, blow things up, have great battle scenes etc, BUT if I don't care about the players, then the rest is a moot point.

So here are my favs, in no particular order.

The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.  Although not reviewed here, because this author is too intimidated to attempt it, it is still the best, most literate, most inventive, most humanistic SF series I have ever read.

The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook.  Just plain great SF storytelling, by a consistently brilliant author.  His Black Company series is also dynamite, but an adventure that needs to be enjoyed from the beginning.

Agyar by Steven Brust.  A master of dialogue and an author of a great fantasy series also, here he pens a multi-layered story of love and need.

Cloud's End by Sean Stewart.  Here is another author who consistently produces high level novels.  Literate, compelling, uplifting and soul wrenching, are just a few catch phrases to describe this story.

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay.  Another story not reviewed here, as I read it too long ago to try, yet deserved of recognition for the author's ability to weave a compelling story.

Shadow Of Ashland by Terence M. Green.  It's been many years since I have read a book cover to cover in one sitting, but this one held me enraptured for every word.  Beautiful and humanistic!

Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes.  If you have any sense of humanity and compassion this book will knock you flat on your duff.  Beautiful.