“So young Matilda’s mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These words gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: ‘You are not alone.'”
Roald Dahl, Matilda
Right now I’m seeking the perfect agent for my voice, work and manuscripts. In the meantime, I’ve listed a few of my favorite books below and the magic they worked in my life…
Some Favorites
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: I just love Ella—her strong, feminist vibes, her decision to fight problems she didn’t create and turn them into strengths, and the way she attacks her talents to develop them. Yes, girl!
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: Howl. Just, Howl. He’s emotional, dramatic, ridiculous and eccentric AND he’s going for a girl with the most unlikely curse in the history of fairy stories. The way Wynne Jones plays with tropes is so much fun here. Lifetime bonus points for listening to the audio book version narrated by Jenny Sterlin. (And yes, I adore the movie, too, for so many different reasons!)
The Hiding Place by Corie Ten Boom: True story triumph over one of the most horrific realities history has ever known. Though penned decades ago, this woman’s words are LEGIT and will hold their own forever.
Holes by Louis Sachar: It’s just genius, inside and out. Go read it and let’s chat about it over some onion juice!
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne: Just, YES. Another one you just have to experience to believe. Milne’s ability to play with grammar is a highlight—Pooh believes in proper nouns.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: Mystical and strange with gorgeous prose and believable characters, this book is a romantic adventure story I’ve curled up with a LOT.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: There is actually a chapter called “Poirot Sits Back and Thinks.” Yes. And it’s a total page-turner! How is that possible? Not a newsflash, but Christie’s gift for tension, pacing and plot is RARE.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: It’s strangely gripping to watch such an unlikable character step into her power and morph into someone we love, all from (mostly) interacting with beautiful nature. That, and I’m sure Dicken helped. Anyone else hear wedding bells?
Persuasion by Jane Austen: Talk about romantic tension! This book is a masterpiece. The reader never actually sees the initial romance happen yet Austen doesn’t even have to employ flashbacks to make us DESPERATE for the main characters to rekindle their flame!
Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm: They’re just so WEIRD. And yet somehow the salt on my ice cream (yes, I do that) and the potato chips on my sandwich (that, too). I love the twists and reversals, the way that things can go so hideously wrong and yet create precisely the right circumstances for the hero or heroine’s success. Boys understood how story changes LIVES.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: Gah! All about change, growth, potential and healing in the darkest of circumstances and from the deepest of scars. Just yes, please. (Though I fully support the decision NOT to give the 300+ pages describing the French sewers, convents and Napoleonic Wars their own songs in the musical.)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle: This was the first book I ever read with a romantic thread as a highlight. Changed. My. Seventh. Grade. Life.
The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall: Um, anytime, all the time, these books make me HAPPY. Birdsall is a master of character and humor and I just love how distinct the sisters are and how their journeys reflect that individuality.
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare: Any text written around 1600 AD that has the ability to leave my contemporary 11-year-old in stitches is classified as GOLDEN.
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson: Hilarious and insightful, these comics make me laugh, nod my head because I feel understood, and think deeply all in the same panel.