Mary's Interests & Hobbies

Books

I love books. 

Mostly I read sci-fi / fantasy and whodunnits.  I'm always on the lookout for more good stories, and new authors, so here's some information for you about some of the books and authors I've enjoyed.  

Further down the page you'll find a place to send me information about the ones that you recommend.

C J Cherryh
Fortress series (the Galasien novels)
Fortress in the Eye of Time, Fortress of Eagles, Fortress of Owls...
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Anything by CJ Cherryh is bound to be good. These books follow the story of Tristen, summoned by the last great wizard, Mauryl Gestaurien... but for what purpose, and why does Mauryl say he is flawed? The first one took a while to warm up, but they are worth the effort. Fortress of owls was published in 2000. I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next.

Anne McCaffrey 
Dragonriders of  Pern (series):
Dragonquest, Dragondrums, Dragonsdawn (et al.)
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

I've re-read the whole series recently, and thoroughly enjoyed them again.   Set off-world on planet Pern, the main characters are dragon-riders in a feudal style society built around the need to defend the population from an airborne menace that reappears every hundred years or so - usually.   

The characters are engaging, the premise is convincing, and the revelations that emerge about the history of the society are both intriguing and satisfying.

David Feintuch
The Seafort Saga (series)
Midshipman's Hope,  Challenger's Hope, Prisoner's Hope ( et al.)
Sci-Fi

A recent find, and totally compelling.  Nicholas Seafort is a very engaging protagonist, honourable, lonely, and wracked with self-doubt and recrimination.   

Nevertheless, he is a character who acheives what seems to be impossible and wins your heart and those of his compatriots in spite of himself.

Mike Ashley (ed)
Shakesperean Whodunnits
Historical fiction

A series of short stories based on Shakespeare's plays, postulating what might have happened before / after / behind the scenes of some of Shakespeare's plays, & featuring some of his characters as protagonists. Not bad.

Lyndsey Davis
The Falco series:
The Silver Pigs, Shadows in Bronze, Venus in Copper, The Iron Hand of Mars (et al)
Historical fiction

A very enjoyable series of whodunnits featuring Marcus Didius Falco.  Falco is a rather seedy, lower class Roman who makes a living as a casual informer and sometimes as an Imperial spy.  Beginning with a mission to Britain, the series follows Falco's changing fortunes. Each casts light on a different aspect of life in and around Imperial Rome. Set in the time of the Emperor Vespasian (around 70 AD) these books bring Rome to life.

Steve Biddulph
The Secret of Happy Children,
Manhood,
Raising Boys
Non-fiction

These books are brilliant. Every home should have them!

Steve Biddulph writes engagingly about being a parent, being human, being male, and raising children in ways that nurture the human spirit. I find what he has to say reassuring, enlightening, and inspiring. These are the sort of books that keep me thinking, "Yes, of course. How could I not have thought of that before?"

Recommended Authors:

Anything by these writers is going to be worth reading:

Whodunnits
Evanovich, Janet
Greenleaf, Stephen
James, P D

Sci-fi /Fantasy
Kerr, Katharine
Kurtz, Katherine
Llwellyn, Morgan
McCaffrey, Anne
Robertson, Jennifer
Tepper, Sheri

Why not e-mail me your recommendation?

Other people have recommended these:

Flann O'Brien
At Swim-Two-Birds
Fiction

Barbara Coloroso
Kids are Worth It
Non-fiction

William Pollack
Real Boys: Rescuing our sons from the myths of boyhood.
Non-fiction

Movies /\ Sport

This page was last updated on 26 June, 2001