My friend Simone recently told me that she was browsing through my blog looking for ideas for audiobooks to listen to. So, I thought I’d add a page with links to my more positive reviews. This is for Simone and anyone else who might end up on this sight looking for a book recommendation.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- Not recommended as an audiobook. This is a challenging read that requires quite a bit of dedicated attention, but it’s absolutely delightful and will thrill the heart of scholarly fantasy fans.
Love for Love and The Way of the World
- Comedic plays by William Congreve.
- Funny, optimistic, charming, rural first person narrative.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect
- Robert Burns’ poems are glorious. Just absolutely some of the best words ever written.
- Called the Irish Jane Austen with good reason, Maria Edgeworth is witty and weird. While her novels follow conventional morals and plot lines, she includes quirky, genderbending characters that are quite thrilling. Her satire is more pointed than Austen in that her characters’ pursuit of the ideals of their times leads them into absolutely absurd situations. I love, love, love this book.
- I mean, duh.
- Not exactly highly recommended. Quite dull in parts, but Sir Walter Scott won my heart with his unforgettably romantic depiction of the Scottish highlands. I cried so hard and I still think about a certain character. If I had any Scottish heritage I’d be tempted to name a child after him, that’s how much I love this character.
- In case you’re wondering which of Jane Austen’s lesser-known novels I prefer. Persuasion is also good, but Northanger Abbey won my heart with it’s whimsy. Persuasion is more solemn.
The Short Stories of Washington Irving
- I had no idea that the man behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle has and amazing writing style as well as enough imagination to create iconic characters.
- Spectacular heroine. Set in Puritan early America.
- A weird, whimsical fantasy story. The first steampunk novel and one that steampunks have never heard of. A mummy steals a dirigible. Nuff said.
- I recommend this hesitatingly. It’s not the greatest book on this list, but it did originate the phrase “dark and stormy night” and the plot is insanely complicated and good. If you make it to the end, you will be biting your nails in suspense. For those who just can’t get enough books about highway men.
- I didn’t like it very much on my first read, but after rereading it, I’ve grown to love it.
- One of my all-time favorites. I have read it over and over and can’t wait to read it again.
- Another absolute favorite. Love, love, love.
- An unusual subject matter. Not a masterpiece, but well worth reading.
- This one gets better as you get older. Hester Prynne is a goddess.
- My favorite Dickens. I’m not sure how that ended up happening. It’s a long slog, but such excellent social criticism and Esther Summerson is the absolute best.
- The best book about the horrible double standards regarding female sexual purity you will ever read. . .except maybe those written by Thomas Hardy.
- You need this book about transgression and rebellion in your life right now.
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