Carla's Top 10 Favorite Books (In No Particular Order) 

Winter 2003

I do not claim that any of the below are "great literature" or that you have to read them to be a well-rounded, healthy person.  Some of them are special to me simply because of where I was and what I was doing when I read them the first time.  Others took me to worlds I wish were real and mine alone.  Others just made me look at the real world  that I have to share and laugh.    
  1. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien -  This book was my first fantasy experience and for better or worse, set my criteria for what I consider quality fantasy to this day.  I read the entire trilogy, of course, but  FTR contains my favorite parts.
  2. The Once and Future King by T. H. White -  I'm a fan of all kinds of Arthuriana, and for anyone who wants a lighthearted yet undiluted introduction to King Arthur this is the best. 
  3. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll -  Every time I read this book I see something new, or gain new insight on something I thought I knew inside and out.   Political satire, social commentary, and childhood dreams, this book has it all.  I am Alice!
  4. Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn - I'm fascinated by the ancient cultures of the British Isles and Ireland.  This retelling of Cuchulain and the elite Celtic warrior fraternity he led is riveting from start to finish.  Llywelyn does her homework, and the setting and historical references are accurate.
  5. The High House by James Stoddard - I dream of a house so big I can get lost in it, that is different every time I explore it, and which has secret passageways and ghost-laden staircases.  Let this house exist somewhere!
  6. Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss - A somewhat somber beginning to a trilogy that traces the social and intellectual awakening, blossoming, and decline of a planet.  Interesting because it's told from two points of view -- that of the planet's people, and of a more technologically advanced race watching them from a spaceship.  Very smart for soft SF.
  7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams -  Like Monty Python for SF fans and people who hate SF, too!  More a collection of hilarious observations than a novel, this book reminds me constantly "Don't panic!"  I want to read it aloud to anyone who'll listen.
  8. Prince of Annwn: The First Branch of the Mabinogion  by Evangeline Walton - The definitive collection of the mythology of the British Isles and Ireland.  I tried to find a collection of these stories for years in a single work, and this retelling really satisfied that need.  Often one legend will be told from different points of view and seem like a different tale entirely.
  9. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - Usually I dislike novels that take place in the late 1800s and have anything to do with the Industrial Revolution.  But I had to read and reread this novel for a college lit class, and grew to know and like it.  It's the sort of book you don't dare give away the ending of.  I'm also especially proud of an analytical paper I wrote about Tess.  I fooled the whole school!
  10. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley -  A very funny spoof of every fairy tale you've ever been told, and a few you've never heard of.  But you'll need to stay on your toes to catch all the wry humor.  It's for people who love or hate fantasy.    
  11. Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg  - I love huge planets loaded with places to explore and many different species of sentient beings who somehow all get along -- sometimes.  Do your dreams have meanings and messages for you? 
  12. Learning to Stop at Ten  by David Letterman