XYZ is for XYZ

For the first A-Z list, I read Xenophon, Yancy, and Zama.

I have, perhaps not surprisingly, few authors to add to this second list:

Yeats, William Butler: I haven't been including poets in this list, but hey, I was desperate! And Yeats is a great one. He produced, among others, the poems "Leda and the Swan" and "Second Coming," the latter with the provocative and (intellectually overused but still stunning) phrases, "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last/Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"  

Yolen, Jane: She may belong in the children's list, but she writes everything, so I'm including her here.  Mostly, I have encountered her as an excellent collector and editor--along the same lines as Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling--of fantasy, science-fiction, and folklore short stories.

Generally speaking, I see writers/editors like Yolen, Datlow, and Windling as the second generation of artists who restored fantasy as a legitimate genre--after the revolution caused by writers like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in the 1960s.

Yorgason, Blaine: I read Blaine Yorgason's Windwalker--and watched the movie--for a later list. 

Zola, Emile: I read most of Emile Zola's The Masterpiece for a later list. 

And there's the end of the second A-Z list. What this list taught me is that I've forgotten more books than I would have thought possible--which means I've read more books than I realize and yet, there's SO MUCH MORE out there! Altogether, a comforting thought.

The third A-Z list will tackle Children's Books.

W is for Wild, Wacky, and Woodbury

Walsh, Paton Jill has written several Sayers' tributes. The first based on Sayers's notes, Thrones, Dominations, is quite good. The others are . . . okay. I don't agree with her interpretation of Charles Parker, so I mostly don't read them any more (to me, Parker IS the reason to read the novels). But they are well-written and reasonably well-structured if not quite the same as reading Sayers.

Wells, H.G.: I recently started War of the Worlds and good grief, that book is violent with some of the most memorable imagery I've encountered in any book. I never thought I would say that of a nineteenth century text (I read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and didn't blink an eye). I'm not sure what I think yet . . . Verne is much easier to handle.

Westerson, Jeri: Jeri Westerson writes historical mysteries. An earlier series takes place in Chaucer's time period. The current series is a mystery book for each of Henry VIII's wives told from the perspective of the (real life) fool who managed to outlive all of them AND Henry VIII, which is entirely impressive. I enjoy the books though I don't always find the mystery itself particularly credible. But I learn a lot! 

Westlake, Donald: I've read a few Donald Westlake novels. He tends more to the action rather than cerebral side of mystery fiction; I prefer the "locked room" problem to the "how can I prevent these five guys from beating me up" problem (yet another reason I don't much care for mafia stories).

Wharton, Edith: I had to read Wharton in high school. I loathed Ethan Frome. I quite like the short story "Roman Fever." I mostly remember Wharton because when I was growing up, my family would visit her home, The Mount, in Massachusetts to watch Shakespeare plays on the lawn.

White, T.H. wrote the amazing Once and Future King. I often reference the first part, Sword in the Stone, for examples on analogy: Merlin teaches Arthur about leadership by having him experience life as different animals.

Wilder, Thorton: Generally speaking, I've stayed away from plays in this A-Z list, but I have to mention Thorton Wilder for Our Town. I have just started The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

Willig, Lauren: I have read several of her Pink Carnation books. Lots of fun! Like many series, I was ready for Jane's book much sooner than it was actually delivered.

Willis, Connie: One of my favorite science-fiction writers and a great short story writer. I have mixed feelings about her latest, the two-part time-travel books about World War II. Willis often utilizes a motif--the seeming randomness of events prevents easy solutions--that has merit but gets a tad overworked in Blackout and All Clear. However, I read both novels in record time; I couldn't put them down! My favorite Willis novel is Passage which utilizes the Titanic as metaphor. 

Wodehouse, P.G.: I wish I liked Wodehouse's writing more; there are so many books!  I do greatly enjoy the BBC series with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry (see below).

Woodburys! There are lots of us writers in the Woodbury clan, including my sisters Beth Hart and Ann Moore. Eugene Woodbury's books can be located at Peaks Island Press (and yes, I have read them and yes, I recommend them!).

Wroblewski, David: I read the entire The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, the whole thing! Truth is, I usually pass on books over 300 pages. The Story is 566; I suppose that says something.

U is for Uh...V is for oVaj (er)

Considering that Firefly IS Steampunk, it is fitting

that Nathan Fillion played tribute to the genre in

Castle; "Punked" contains Verne references!

Uhnak, Dorothy is the mystery writer I read for the first list.

Updike, John: I read John Updike for the first list, second time around. I wasn't terribly impressed.

Uris, Leon: I read Leon Uris for 9th grade history. Yup, 9th grade! We read ALL of Exodus, which amazes me even now. I remember absolutely nothing about it except that it wasn't boring, was very long, and was about Israel right after WWII when it was still occupied by the British before it became the current state of Israel.

For the same class, we read Nectar in a Sieve, which I still consider a rather pointless book on par with The Pearl.

Van Dine, S.S. is the (other mystery) writer I read for the first list.

Van de Wetering, Janwillem: I am fairly certain that I've read a Van der Wetering (Grijpstra & DeGier Mystery) at some point in my life. As I reach the end of this second A-Z list, one thing is becoming alarmingly clear: I have read far more books than I will ever remember. When Sherlock claims that our brains throw things out when they get too full . . . okay, so he isn't technically correct, but it sure feels like he is. 

Verne, Jules: I am currently reading Around the World in 80 Days. I have seen the 1956 movie at least twice; my memory of it is, That is one long movie! (At 167 minutes, I'm not wrong.) Consequently, I didn't appreciate the dry humor of the actual book until I picked it up (since Phineas Fogg is played by David Niven, I should have anticipated the dry humor). Considering Verne's influence on Steampunk--which I greatly admire--and Doc Brown's admiration for him in The Back to the Future series, I plan on delving into more of his novels. 

Voigt, Cynthia: Most of Cynthia Voigt's very good books are YA. However, Voigt wrote a book called Glass Mountain, which is unexpected, being a kind of screwball comedy with the quick banter and high society personalities. I recommend it! 

Vonnegut, Kurt: I am fairly certain I've read something by Vonnegut but it is possible that I am mixing him up with Ray Bradbury--not exactly cousins under the skin but not exactly not either.

T is for Terrific and Timeless and Long

I recommend the audio

read by Sir Derek Jacobi

Tan, Amy: I have read Amy Tan short stories in large part because I have assigned them. They're good!

Tey, Josephine: I have written about Tey extensively on this blog, specifically her mystery novel Daughter of Time.

Thackeray, William Makepeace: I know I read Thackeray in college, specifically Vanity Fair. I remember nothing about it. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have now reached that point in my life where I can reread--and be surprised!--books I previously read.

Therin, Allie: Allie Therin writes gay fantasy romance set in the 1920s. Lots of fun!  

Thompson, Victoria writes mystery novels based in 19th century New York City: the Gaslight Series. I can't say I am all that enamored of them, but they are respectable.

Thurber, James: I greatly enjoy Thurber's re-imagined version of Little Red Riding Hood (see below).

Tolkien: I can't say enough good things! I have posted extensively about Tolkien here.

Tolstoy: I tried War & Peace, I really did. Unfortunately, the version I tried was the large print version, which means I made my way (slowly) through 1/4 of the first volume and realized I still had 3/4 plus 6 volumes to go. It was too depressing. I gave up. I've written about Tolstoy's fairy tales here.

Toole, John Kennedy: I read one chapter of Confederacy of Dunces for a work book club. I didn't get the point. 

Towles, Amor: A Gentleman in Moscow is a fantastic book. I discuss it here. I am hoping to see the television series with Ewan McGregor--someday (I won't sign up for yet another streaming service to do it). 

Trollope: I made my way through a Trollope for the first A-Z list. I review another book, The Warden and its BBC production here. I discuss Trollope and likable characters here.

Truman, Margaret: I skimmed a few of Margaret Truman's mysteries. They didn't grab me.

Twain, Mark: Or Samuel Clemens. In Folklore, which unfortunately I haven't taught in awhile, I present Twain as the All-American writer. Despite his Southern/Mid-American roots, he was Stephen King and J.K. Rowlings before those mega-fiction stars came around. Everybody owned him. In truth, he was that remarkable. 

Turner, Megan Whalen: I generally skipped children's and YA authors on this list, simply to make my life easier. Turner, who wrote The Thief series, falls into a non-easily-classified category. My current A-Z List (All the Ms!) doesn't bother to distinguish between adult, YA, and children's literature, which is my preference in any case. I am a big fan of Turner's books!

Tyler, Anne: I enjoyed Saint Maybe by Tyler and recommend it.

"The Little Girl and the Wolf" by James Thurber

One afternoon a big wolf waited in a dark forest for a little girl to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally a little girl did come along and she was carrying a basket of food. "Are you carrying that basket to your grandmother?" asked the wolf. The little girl said yes, she was. So the wolf asked her where her grandmother lived and the little girl told him and he disappeared into the wood.

 When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she saw that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and nightgown on. She had approached no nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge. So the little girl took an automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

 (Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.)

S is for School Books and Others

Saberhagen, Fred: I've read numerous books by Saberhagen. My favorite is The Dracula Tape, a retelling of Dracula from Dracula's point of view. While remaining faithful to the original text, it provides a refreshing (and very funny) view of events from the "villain's" eyes.

Sansom, C.J. is the author I read for the first A-Z List.

Sayers, Dorothy: Classic Golden Age author. I'm a fan. I've written elsewhere about how I feel Wimsey compares to other detectives. In sum, I think Sayers created a complex character who changes naturally over the course of the novels while remaining fundamentally himself. Sayers also did a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. The translation itself is okay. Sayers' notes are fantastic.

Sebastian, Cat: Cat Sebastian writes a range of romance novels with all types of characters. One of my all-time favorite books was written by Sebastian: You Should Be So Lucky. 

Shaara, Michael: I read Killer Angels, which I wrote about here.

Shakespeare--The A-Z list doesn't cover playwrights, but I had to include Shakespeare and Shaw (see below). Call me bourgeois but yes, Shakespeare's works are as incredible as a million schoolrooms force students to believe (of course, forcing them to believe is a useless approach; that doesn't mean Shakespeare isn't one of the greats!).

Shelley, Mary. Yup, I've read Frankenstein! It's nothing like what B horror movies have led people to imagine. I'm not saying it's better because frankly, the novel is kind of wordy. Only, it's more crazed-child-comes-after-its-mother than huge-scary-monster-wrecks-the-planet. More Turn of the Screw, less Godzilla.

Shaw, George Bernard: I'm a fan of Shaw's work although I'm not a fan of his politics. He was one of the dumb intellectuals who got all cute about Stalin back in the day. His work is smarter than the man. I was lucky enough to see Trevor Nunn's production of Heartbreak House starring Vanessa Redgrave, Felicity Kendal, and Paul Scofield when I did a Theatre in London program in 1992. The play also starred Oliver Ford Davies though I didn't appreciate that at the time. I did appreciate Felicity Kendal playing a character completely unlike Good Neighbor's Barbara. Amazing production.

Showalter, Gena: Gena Showalter wrote the Lords of the Underworld Book. I read most of them but got somewhat disillusioned over some of the later books, which seemed so entirely disconnected from the characters' personalities. However, I still have my own fan fiction about Strider and Paris.  

Shute, Nevil: My mom recommended Trustee in the Toolroom for our book club. It was a good read and produced a good discussion! I recently reread it (2024). It is a fantastic book!

Simonson, Helen: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Another bookclub book and quite enjoyable.

Soltzheitsyn, Aleksandr: I read Cancer Ward in high school as one of my voluntary-reading-day choices. I have no idea why, but I did, and I finished it.

Stein, Garth: The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of the best contemporary fiction books I've read. Another bookclub book!

Steinbeck, John is the author of one of the few books I didn't bother to read in high school. Generally speaking, I was the kind of kid who always read the assigned book. But I'd already been forced to consume The Pearl. When it came time for The Red Pony, I couldn't bring myself to care whether it hurt my grade or not to not read it, so I didn't read it, and I have no regrets. (The Pearl and The Red Pony are quintessential examples of how it is easier to teach tragedy than comedy--lazy teachers.)

Stewart, Mary wrote suspense romance novels with a literary tone. They are quite good. I've read a number.

Stoker, Bram: Author of Dracula. The first part of this book is better than the second. I remember the first time I read the first part, sitting in my sister's house in Washington. Suddenly I realized that it was near midnight, no one else was awake, and there were tree branches scrapping the windows (really!). Ooooh. I got shivers and ran off to bed.

Stout, Rex: I prefer the A&E Nero Wolfe movies to the books. However, Stout's The League of Frightened Man contains the best passage of a narrator reacting to an attack that I have ever read. Whenever I read the passage--told from Archie's point of view--I ache for Archie's painful discombobulation. Astonishing!

Swift, Jonathan: Gulliver's Travels is such a dreadful book that the last time I taught an on-line literature class (in which it was required), I switched it out for Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Gulliver's Travels is NOT a story. It is a travelogue full of ironic and satiric references that modern readers find completely irrelevant--and it doesn't have the sheer, shivering terror and alarming nightmare imagery of Dante's Inferno (another book with irrelevant satiric references); Gulliver's Travels doesn't drag you along by the sheer force of the writer's poetic genius; Gulliver's Travels merely makes you want to slap Swift.

R is for Recollection

Illustration for Pamela

Ayn Rand: Generally speaking, I detest negative reviews on Amazon--the ones that whine about the shipping or that read, "i hate this book it was stupid i didn't understand it."

I have found it far more helpful when doing my own purchasing to read 3 or 4-star reviews. 5 stars can be a little over the top ("this is the best book ever and if you don't agree with me, your [sic] stupid!") though some can be quite thoughtful, the equivalent of good literary analysis. 3 or 4 stars (it was good but here's what I didn't like) prove surprisingly helpful. I've bought numerous things after reading 3-star reviews, precisely because the reviewer's reasonable objections were either objections that I understood from a writing p.o.v. or ones that I could shrug off.

Now I must confess: I have written a completely negative review on Amazon, namely for Rand's Anthem, which I consider one of the dumbest books every written.

Ray, Jeanne: The author of books Step Ball Change and Eat Cake came highly recommended by several readers in my family. Her books are lite but not gagging lite. Rather, they are quick, cute, funny, and insightful reads (think better-written sitcoms like Frasier). There is artistry in light comedy (more artistry, in fact, than can be found in a million serious tomes). For my Books to Movies list, I think Jeanne Ray's books would make GREAT movies.

Raybourn, Deanna: I am a fan of her Julia Grey mystery series.

Rich, Virginia wrote detective novels, including The 27 Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders and The Baked Bean Supper Murders. I remember those books positively. (I don't remember the murderers!)

Richardson, Samuel naturally! Although it's a strange book, I enjoy Pamela and have written my own tribute/literary analysis of what is widely considered the first English novel.

Richter, Conrad wrote the The Light in the Forest, one of the better assigned novels from high school.

Rinehart, Mary Roberts: Mary Roberts Rinehart is the type of writer that my mom rolls her eyes over: "There's a young woman in a house with weird noises and what does she do...she stays!" I've read at least one Rinehart--I'm more willing to allow for the genre's tropes. Yet I can't say that I read more than one.

Robinson, Maggie: I just began (in 2025) Maggie Robinson's Lady Adelaide series set in England in the 1920s. Very enjoyable!  

Roosevelt, Elliot is the author I read for the first A-Z list.

Ross, Kate: Kate Ross wrote a wonderful series of historical detective novels, starring Julian Kestrel. I own the set. Unfortunately, the rather youthful Ross died of cancer at age 41, so though the series ends strong, it certainly doesn't end where originally planned!

Runyon, Damon: Damon Runyon's stories are fast-paced, hilarious, and completely atmospheric tales about 1920-30s New York City. A great many of his works have been made into movies and the tone, dialog, and setting explain why. He often wrote about hoodlums: a lighter, less angsty, less self-conscious version of Fitzgerald.

In the world of unread books, I recommend Conall Ryan's House of Cards. I read it years ago and own it. It is story about a man teaching poker to a group of students as a form of self-discipline. The book delves into the life of each character, including the teacher. The book deals (yes, deliberate pun) with what people are willing to "bet" (sacrifice, give up, depend on). (Despite owning the book, I haven't read it in awhile, so my review here is based on memory.) House of Cards, which is not well known, proves that there is a reader out there for every book, a gratifying thought.

Q is for Quintessence (Including the Quixotic)

Jim Hutton with the

marvelous John Hillerman

Quattlebaum, Mary: When I initially compiled Q's for this list, I completely and totally and utterly forgot that I read Quattlebaum for the first A-Z list--which makes me wonder, How many more authors have I forgotten!?

Queen, Ellery: I enjoy the short stories; I enjoy the television series with Jim Hutton even more!

Quick Amanda: I started reading an Amanda Quick simply so I could expand this list! She writes romance fiction of the Georgette Heyer variety. Not quite as funny but decently delivered.

Quindlen, Anna: I tried reading Quindlen for the same reason as Quick. Unfortunately, Quindlen writes the kind of stuff that I never read. It's all about terribly-unsettling-things-happening-to-modern-people. I do read realistic fiction, such as the marvelous The Art of Racing in the Rain and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and I've been trying to parse out what the difference is--I think it comes down to a basic idea: I expect drama to have a sense of the ridiculous.

It isn't that I expect drama to always be funny or unrelentingly sarcastic or, for that matter, chipper. I simply expect the author to indicate through tone or worldview or word choice that not everything, even the author's terribly serious worldview, is as serious as the author thinks it is, at least not in the long-run. In LOTR: The Return of the King, Tolkien has Sam reflect on the temporary nature of his and Frodo's suffering while they are still in the middle of Mordor. Sam decides, in essence, There's more to life than our quest. He doesn't think, I'll look back on my trials as nothing, which would belittle what he and Frodo are going through. He thinks, rather, The universe will keep rolling no matter what, which is far more comforting.

There's more to life than my petty worries. Jesus stated, "It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows. And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented." In other words, stop trying to get people all freaked out by your oh-so-important-concerns (you, radio pundits).

Okay, I added the radio pundit part. But I expect good writers, no matter how serious in the moment, to feel this way in their heart of hearts: I have something to share, and I think it matters, and I want you to take it seriously, but if I start screeching havoc, I'm probably going to feel a little silly.

If a writer doesn't understand this, it is hard for me to take that writer, well, seriously.

Quinn, Julia is a sweet & steamy romance writer. I quite like her Bridgerton series, especially Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which I consider one of the best sweet & steamy novels I've ever read; the main characters are writers, and the novel includes one of the best discussions of how to write descriptively that I've ever read (see below). Her later books are more chick-lit than straight romance. The difference can be subtle but it is basically the difference between a novel that focuses on the main characters--hero and heroine--and a novel that gives you lots and lots of context. Chick-lit involves way more shoes. Quinn doesn't focus on shoes, but her later books do involve a lot of plot complications. Hey, if that's what the audience wants . . .!

Altogether, this list brings me to a point that often gets ignored: books aren't reality. They are, by necessity, edited versions of circumstances: the writer decides what to leave in and what to take out. And this by itself is a skill.

If you read summaries on IMDB, for example, you can almost always tell those that were written by professionals versus amateurs. Amateurs make the same mistakes in summarizing that freshmen college students make:

This happened, then this happened, then this, oh, and then this other thing happened earlier. 

Bob goes to see Gary and he wants to know why he sold him a bad car and while he is there, there is this flashback and we learn that Gary gave Bob a bad stock tip twenty years earlier and he also remembers . . .

Here is the professional summary:

Bob has to deal with Gary, who cheated him before.

The ability to do the latter rather than the former is an ability, a skill, a talent. Deciding what to share and when, then tailoring those decisions to a specific audience, is the critical thinking behind every piece of writing.

Quinn Excerpt

Great Poe Moment!

 A-Z List 2, from which I select movies for A-Z List 8, includes Poe.

Here is one of my favorite tributes to Poe--funny and sincere at the same time:

P is for Ponderances on Problem Novels

Anne Perry 1938-2023

"P" is full of prolific writers!

Pacat, C.S.: I read and enjoyed (overall--I do have some complaints) the Captive Prince trilogy. I'm quite impressed by Pacat's short stories connected to that series. I consider short stories to be quite difficult to write well. I also read the Fence graphic novel series.  

Pargeter, Edith is the given name for Ellis Peters (see below)

Paton, Alan wrote Cry, The Beloved Country, a fine novel. I review it here as well as a novel by Allison Cesario Paton.

Paton Walsh, Jill is best known now for her sequels to Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane novels. I quite like the first Thrones, Dominations. The others are okay. However, I strongly disagree with Paton Walsh's portrayal of Charles Parker in the The Attenbury Emeralds. Charles Parker is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Paton Walsh is a fan of Wimsey, and she has him take point on this, the first case of his career (or at least the first where he works with Scotland Yard). I consider such an approach to the character incorrect. From the history provided in other books, it is clear that when Charles and Wimsey first meet, Wimsey was (to borrow a modern term) a trifle spastic: hovering on the edge of a break-up and breakdown, at loose ends. Charles supplied a stable point in Wimsey's post-War experience. He was the detective who showed Wimsey what the job of detective entails. He was not the hanger-on.

This is one problem with fan fiction: the main character, who attracts so much fan attention, is portrayed as perfect, untouchable, the same person at the beginning of the series as at the end. But even heroes have to grow!

Perry, Anne: I've read a number of Anne Perry's mysteries and occasionally pick up one of her Christmas mystery novels. I think she is a good writer in general with a powerful comprehension of the Victorian Era. I'm not a bigger fan for two reasons: (1) the confrontational endings; (2) Monk and Hester's marriage.

(1) The confrontational endings. Perry uses a type of ending common in many mysteries where the good guys not only expose the bad guys' crimes but the bad guys' sins. Other writers do the same. Poirot and Miss Marple use their psychological insights to explain the crime. However, Perry uses the exposure to introduce confessions, and I don't buy it. 

The reality is that most criminals (people) will go right on believing they are justified, no matter how much confessional-inducing psychology is thrown at them. NCIS captures this quite well in "Caged." An inmate, who has accepted her guilt, says the following to McGee:

First few years here, I was angry at everybody. Blamed the world for my crappy childhood. Then I got in a Prison Program, training seeing-eye dogs. One day I'm training this puppy, and it hits me. I killed an innocent person who didn't do any harm. Now I can't wait until the day I die. So I can find that soul and apologize for the terrible thing I did. Look, I don't know if Celia did what they say. But if she did, I don't know what it'll take for her to face up to it.

A way more realistic speech than a dozen sobbed confessions provoked by outraged speechifying.

(2) The Monk-Hester marriage. 99.9999 percent of the time, I'm in favor of the hero-heroine's marriage. Unfortunately, I don't believe in the Monk-Hester union.

It isn't precisely the "two tough people in a marriage will have fireworks" problem. I completely accept the Wimsey-Vane relationship. I find the Devlin-Hero (C.S. Harris) marriage enchantingly believable.

Monk and Hester, unfortunately, strike me as both too diffident, too remote, and too critical (of themselves and others) to successfully surmount the problems raised when two tough people with baggage decide to join forces. Monk is aloof. Hester is combative. Neither seems to have the fundamental, objective humor of Wimsey, Vane, Devlin, or Hero.

I do like them individually--and as friends. 

Peters, Elizabeth: when I addressed "M"s since she has written as Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Michaels, and Barbara Mertz!

Peters, Ellis: The excellent writer of the Cadfael series! I recommend her lesser known George Felse novels that begin in the aftermath of World War II. The first book is Fallen Into the Pit. The first Felse book I encountered, however, was Death and the Joyful Woman, read by the astonishing Simon Prebble. I loved it.

Poe, Edgar Allan is a true master. He deserves the homage by Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle, whose "books" I have not yet read. I have read Edgar Allan Poe; his classic "The Tell-Tale Heart" is one of those short stories that gets assigned in literature courses--and it deserves to be!
 
Potok, Chaim is best known for The Chosen. However, my favorite book of his--lent to me by my college roommate--is My Name is Asher Lev.  I now own my own copy. 

Price, Reynolds: I read A Long and Happy Life in college. It is quite good. I enjoyed his Palpable God book better.  

Priest wrote The Guardian series, which apparently has stirred some controversy. I enjoyed the trilogy! 

O is for Ohhhkay

O'Connor, Flannery: I've read O'Connor's well-written rather horrible story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." It is one of those "classic" stories that students have to read in Intro to Lit courses. I've never cared for it, but another tutor and I were able to use O'Connor's story to illustrate the principle of multi-interpretations when we debated the grandmother's last line to the Misfit: "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my children!"

Is she losing her mind? Has she had a revelation of mercy? Does she feel compassion for the Misfit? Does she recognize the similar mindset between her and the Misfit?

"You see," we told the students (who were hoping we would just tell them what the story "means"). "We both read the story and have differing viewpoints. We have to defend our interpretations with evidence from the text."

Ah, formalism at its best!  

O'Brien, Kim: I read Kim O'Brien and Janette Oke for the first A-Z List. 

O'Brien, Tim: I've come across Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things We Carried" from the book of the same name as assigned reading to various students. Consequently, I've become familiar with it. It's well-written!

O'Dell, Scott: I associate Scott O'Dell with children's and YA books, but I spotted him on the shelf in the general fiction section at the local library. He is a skilled writer! The book that was read to us at school was Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Ogilvie, Elisabeth: I read one of her books for book club. She does saga writing, a genre I hardly ever read (although I am currently giving Outlander a try).

O. Henry. Marvelous writer. Best known for short stories like "Gift of the Magi." The enchanting Wishbone's Dog Days of the West is based on an O. Henry character (and is the best, most hilarious Wishbone movie of the series).

Oke, Janette: I read Janette Oke and Kim O'Brien for the first A-Z List.

Anthony Andrews perfectly captures

Sir Percy Blakeney's blend of fop

and champion.

Orczy, Emma or Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orci: I haven't just seen the movies; I've read The Scarlet Pimpernel! 

Speaking of...the movies, I highly recommend the Anthony Andrews' version.

Orwell, George: Animal Farm, naturally! Good book. Not the kind of thing I read more than once.

N is for Nuanced Noir

Nabb, Magdalen: I read Death of an Englishman and Death in Springtime from the Maresciallo Guarnaccia series. They are not dissimilar from Don Matteo, only far more noir-ishly atmospheric. The solution in both books seemed a little "eh," but I didn't mind since the setting and characterizations and places threw me into that world. I will likely read more. 

Nabokov, Vladimir: I have never read Lolita though I did read a fascinating book about it. 

Naipaul, V.S.: Naipaul is one of those names I recognized as a writer but could not connect to any particular memory or book or historical place. I read his short story ""How I Left Miguel Street." It is quite well-written. Some reviewers on Goodreads characterize Naipaul as raw and depressing or heavy. That wasn't my reaction. I found the writing far too objective to wear on me in that way. But I only read one piece.

Natsukawa, Sosuke: The Cat Who Saved Books is a contemporary fantastical journey with a message, not the type of thing I usually like. However, it is more Pilgrim's Progress than lecturing social media. The Cat recruits the help of a young man who encounters several trends in how books are treated: read to improve someone's status, then set aside; cut up into pieces and quickly summarized to make them easier to digest; throw out at readers who supposedly will only read what is currently popular. The boy, the inheritor of a bookstore, has to deal not only with these trends but with the soul of an ancient book who ponders what the point is of being constantly used and misused by people. The journey is a journey--argument doesn't replace action--and ideas are presented fairly and thoughtfully. The writing is crisp. The translation is excellent.

Nesser, Håkan: I read Mind's Eye, an Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery. It is very Swedish and very noir, which is different from American noir. There is overlap, but I think Swedish noir has more of a sense of humor, as if these Northern Europeans were practically giddy about their dark, long nights. Look how dour we are! Look how philosophical and full of phlegm! Nobody can beat us! 

Niffenegger, Audrey: I read The Time Traveller's Wife for A-Z List Part 1 and quite enjoyed it. I review it here. 

Norton, Andre: Andre Norton is a fantasy writer that I desperately, desperately wanted to love as I teen. There were just so many of her books in the library! Fall in love with one: a whole world awaits.

Alas, I tried--then tried again--and again. Unfortunately, Norton's books don't grab me. 

I will discuss Andre Norton in a 2024 post about how literary criticism does not match up to what people love or don't love. The reading experience is very personal.

M is for More

Eikon Bible Art

I covered a number of Ms in "Mc is for Magic" and "M is for Mystery Writers (specifically Marsh)". Here are the rest . . .

Mann, Thomas. Thomas Mann wrote Joseph and His Brothers and Joseph in Egypt, both of which I attempted to read when I was younger. I am a huge fan of the story of Joseph from the Old Testament in all its formats. I was introduced to the story as art when one of my brothers brought home (or purchased) a recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. This was back in the 70s, so I couldn't say which version it was. I don't think it was the original (performed in a boys' school), but it was pretty close. I was...enamored, is the only appropriate word. I memorized all the songs and sang them (probably tonelessly--these days I only sing in the shower or car) constantly as I wandered about the house. I have since experienced several live versions of the musical (including an excellent local stage company's production) plus multiple movie versions, musical and otherwise.  I quite like the New Media Bible/Genesis Project version, which is unfortunately, difficult to get these days.

One of the best stories ever told!

McCullough, Colleen: I read Tim. I dismissed Thorn Birds. And I greatly disliked the premise of her Austen tribute.

Medeiros, Theresa is a romance writer whose books I occasionally read. Her romances fall directly between character-based and world-based--all about the romantic leads (which I prefer) or all about the world in which they live, including their co-workers, pets, family friends, cousins, and neighbors, etc. etc. etc. (which I don't much care for), so choosing a book is something of a gamble.

Patrick Stewart version of Moby Dick--

that's Ted Levine in the middle! 

Melville, Herman. I have read some of Moby Dick! I gave up around the middle. However, I admire the book and used the chapter "The Whiteness of the Whale" in my folklore class (after which, I said, "Aren't you glad I don't make you read the whole thing?")

Meyer, Stephanie. I read a chapter of the first Twilight book. Bella bored me, so I gave up. Having said that, I have nothing against Meyer or the series. I love to see writers make money!

Michaels, Barbara is the alter-ego for Barbara Mertz who also writes as Elizabeth Peters! I have read books under all "MPM" pseudonyms. The Barbara Michaels'  books are suspense/romance. I quite like them. I quite like Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series as well, but I haven't kept up with it (there are only so many unending series that I can keep up with--right now, my focus is Cherryh's Foreigner series--I recently finished Book 15).

Milan, Courtney is romance writer whose books are somewhat difficult to track down (in libraries). I greatly enjoyed her series starting with Unveiled. Romance writers tend to excel at male or female characters; Milan does a satisfactory job bringing the Turner Brothers to life. The female characters are less distinct although I liked Miranda Darling of Unraveled.

Miller, Arthur. He is a great playwright. And The Crucible makes a great point. It isn't historically accurate, which happens to bug me. Still, it deserves its accolades

Miller, Walter M: Canticle for Leibowitz is not my favorite sci-fi book but it is well worth reading--astonishing in its concept.
 
Mitchell, Margaret. I read Gone With the Wind in 10th or 11th grade. It was one of my first introductions to literary snobbery.

I wafted between two or three "cliques" in high school. One group of friends read Judy Blume stuff, including teen romance paperbacks. The other group read stuff like On Walden Pond. When I brought out my 1000-page tome of Gone with the Wind, the Walden Pond group responded with raised  brows and pursed mouths (seriously--there is nothing so solemn and prudish and miserable as a bunch of literary snobs). I read the book anyway.

In general, I was largely saved from literary snobbery in high school and college by utter bemusement: Why would I limit my reading material based on what others read/think? I truly didn't understand why anybody would do such a self-destructive thing.

Montgomery, L.M. is best known for her Anne novels. Like Louisa May Alcott, Montgomery also wrote ghost/suspense stories. They are quite good!

Morrison, Grant: I read Grant Morrison for A-Z List 1.

Mortimer, John: The Rumpole stories are delightful. The series starring Leo McKern even more so!

Mc is for McMagic

When I read McKinley's Beauty
for the first time, this was the
edition I borrowed from
my cousin Jennie.

Continuing with M authors, specifically Mc authors:

McCaffrey, Anne: I read dozens of her Pern books when I was younger: What it is with girls and dragons? My students are continually trying to get me to watch Game of Thrones, a show in which I have little to no interest despite its fantasy premise. Surprised at my balking, one of my young female students declared, "There are DRAGONS" in a tone of voice that suggested that the presence of dragons should be enough to captivate the interest of any real aesthete!

McCall Smith, Alexander writes wonderful, tender-hearted books. I especially recommend the Mma Ramotswe series (#1 Ladies' Detective Agency). He not only tells an endearing story with believable characters that could walk off the page and shake your hand. He captures the feel and sense of a place (with very little description--excessively descriptive writers take note!). His descriptive passages have a lyrical, almost magical feel to them.

McCourt, Frank: Not a fantasy writer, and I haven't read Angela's Ashes, but I did read his very amusing Teacher Man. Technically, McCourt is non-fiction, but I put him in this list anyway. The link is to his obituary.

McDonald, George: Technically, I should probably put George McDonald in the children's list (coming soonish). But I associate him most with Sir Gibbie, one of those shows-up-in-both-sections-of-the-library books (like Alcott's Under the Lilacs), and Phantastes, an adult fantasy book. My mom read me the former; I've never read the latter, but for you Narnia fans, the latter is the book that C.S. Lewis names as the creative catalyst for his conversion to Christianity (C.S. Lewis was a nominal Christian as a child and teen but always regretted that he underwent Anglican confirmation since he did it only to satisfy his father; he considered himself a pagan agnostic until well into his adulthood).

McKinley, Robin: Robin McKinley is one of my favorite fantasy authors. She writes mostly for YAs. Her best-known books include Beauty, The Hero and the Crown series, and several short story anthologies. Deerskin and Sunshine, two of her adult novels, are excellent. The first is based on a fairy tale that will NEVER become a Disney movie.

Book 2 in McKillip's series.

McKillip, Patricia is the author of one of my favorite series: The Riddle-Master of Hed. She also wrote Forgotten Beasts of Eld and Fool's Run, both unique fantasy/sci-fi novels. I haven't read many of her latest books--though they get excellent reviews. She uses lots of poetical exposition, and a little bit of exposition goes a long way with me.

M is for Mystery Writers, including Ngaoi Marsh

There are so many M's that I want to comment on, I decided to split them into several posts:

Marsh, Ngaio: Ngaio Marsh is a Golden Age mystery writer. She created Inspector Alleyn. I enjoy her mysteries and even feel somewhat nostalgic about them. My first encounter with Marsh was in college. Whenever I was about to fly home, I would go to the mystery fiction section of the BYU Bookstore and pick out a new Marsh to get me through the plane ride.

My favorite is Killer Dolphin, which introduces one of her best secondary characters, Peregrine Jay. I also quite like Grave Mistake and Singing in the Shrouds, although the murder in the latter is downright daft (and the kind of thing that would ordinarily lead to a detective being called on the carpet).

I have mixed feelings about Marsh herself. I discuss her more here. 

McCrumb, Sharyn: Sharyn McCrumb writes mysteries that are mostly set in Appalachia. I mostly read the Elizabeth MacPherson books, including Missing Susan that takes place on a British tour. Very good writer!  

Meirer, Leslie: Leslie Meier's tales take place in a made-up town in Maine. I read a number of the tales years ago. I recently tried to read a few more. However, her novels fall into "investigator goes around and talks to people, which leads to someone trying to kill her--end of mystery." I prefer investigators who put clues together, not investigators who get attacked, often by accident or because they haven't figured out the murderer yet.  

L is for Leering & Leery

Not all of them, of course, but D. H. Lawrence is on the list, so the post title seemed appropriate.

L'Amour, Louis: When I was growing up, a friend's family owned a cabin on Lake George. The bookcase included almost every Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour paperbacks ever written! I don't remember the titles at all, but I know I read books by both authors.

Langton, Jane writes the Homer Kelly mysteries. I have read a number of these and liked them. However, after awhile I began to get a little squeamish about one of Langton's recurring subplots: idealistic and dumb young man gets forced into an engagement with pushy, aggressive, rich young woman. He truly loves an idealistic, sweet young woman. At some point in the book, he will be rescued from the pushy, aggressive young woman and delivered to the idealistic, sweet young woman.

I'm not automatically opposed to this subplot; shoot, Austen used it! I've used it! The problem is that after a few of Langton's books, the young men tend to blur into each other; I start to think that "he" should get his act together and stop being so stupid. Besides, if he could get railroaded once, he could get railroaded again. How could you ever trust him?

And, unfortunately, Langton reused this subplot in a very stupid way with major characters in a later mystery (that is, to excuse an affair). Some readers were disillusioned. I wasn't because she'd already done it a million times. But it did kind of prove my point.

Lathen, Emma is totally unappreciated! I love her books, which are slowly disappearing from library shelves. I think her Wall Street books would make a great television series. And I've written my own fan-fiction using Thatcher and a few new characters. (Warning: I'm not a fan of the Kindle versions--they are abysmally proofread, come with lots of extra stuff to wade through, and, I'm fairly certain, contain abridgments.) 

Laurens, Stephanie is a writer of hot romance. Her plots are okay, but I've only read a few. Her writing style (language) and writing content (a little light on believability re: human nature) don't grab me.

Lawrence, D.H. wrote Lady Chatterley's Lover, a really dumb book. I know some people love it, but I can never get past Lawrence's glorification of farm-work over mining. They will both kill ya (especially in the nineteenth-to-early twentieth centuries). Being all earthy above ground is not automatically more ennobling than being all mechanized and earthy below ground. Granted, Lawrence knew first-hand about the type of poverty associated with industrialization, but idealizing the life of the peasant is hardly a viable solution. Unless, of course, you're some intellectual type who likes to urge people back to nature based on the untenable belief that it will be just like The Little House on the Prairie, the show, not The Little House on the Prairie, the back-breaking, dirt-poor reality.

LeCarre, John is good. Too cynical for my long-term reading list. But good.

Lee, Harper, of course, produced the classic To Kill A Mockingbird which deserves its classic designation.

L'Engle, Madeline: I have read most of her teen books and of those, I mostly preferred her sci-fi/fantasy. She did write books for adults. I did read at least one. And...I don't have much more to say about her books for adults.

Leroux, Gaston: I've read Phantom of the Opera. It is a quick, action-packed read. And I still don't get it. I enjoy the light opera but I try not to think too hard about it, it's so impressively silly. I feel like my mother when she would read old-time thrillers in which the young woman STAYS in the haunted house. "Oh, leave already!" 

I saw A Kiss Before Dying when I was a teen.

It took me years to remember the title and

find it again

Letts, Billie: I read Letts for A-Z List 1. 

Levin, Ira wrote The Stepford Wives, which I haven't read, and A Kiss Before Dying, which I have. The latter is good as is the movie. But Levin employs a tone in his writing which I find distasteful. I can't pinpoint what makes it sound the way it does or even what "it" is--cynicism, salaciousness? Whatever it is, I can't read a lot of it.

Lewis, C.S.: I have read his sci-fi novels, which are quite good and very creepy. I think C.S. Lewis is like Agatha Christie. He gets placed in a slot so nobody thinks he writes anything else. But Lewis not only could tackle horror, those elements show up in this fantasy, only at a far more controlled and appropriate level. 

Lewis, Sinclair: I highly recommend the movie Dodsworth, based on Lewis's book of the same title. I like the movie so much, I have tried several times to read the book. It ends with the same unpleasant tone I mention in Levin's snippet above. I guess supposedly profound authors think they have to be jaundiced or something. I consider such pessimism to be a waste of time. If I want jaundiced, I can go listen to a bunch of 20-year-old college students bemoaning the world in a late-night study session. And 30 seconds of that will cure ya!

Linscott, Gillian is a mystery writer whom, I just learned, also goes by "Cora Peacock"! I've read some of her mysteries and liked them, but my favorite piece by Linscott is "A Scandal in Winter" in the Holmes for the Holidays anthology. One of the all-time best short stories! I reread it every Christmas.

LeGuin, Ursula is a great author! And, I confess, I've read very little by her.

London, Jack is another great author! Unfortunately, his short story "To Build a Fire" is required reading for many, many high school and college students (of which I was one). Good story. Totally depressing (but in a larger-than-life sense rather than an everybody-stinks sense). For years, I didn't know that London wrote anything that had a happy ending. He did.

Scooby-Doo's Char-Gar Gothakon, a creature

created by HP "Hatecraft." I bet you thought

I was making up the Scooby-Do tribute!

Lovecraft, H.P.: My Folklore class inspired me to dig into Lovecraft! Lovecraft doesn't write the kind of stuff I like to read, but he does provide a great example of a writer gaining folk/cultural status after death. Writers about horror put Lovecraft second in the American Horror Triumvirate: Poe, Lovecraft, King. (Lovecraft mentions Poe as an influence; King mentions Lovecraft and Poe as an influence.) Once you get into Lovecraft, you begin to realize that there is a whole world out of there of video games, Scooby-Doo episodes, and clubs just waiting to enlighten and amuse you about the greatness of an odd little man from Rhode Island.

Ludlum, Robert: I tried the Bourne books. I got totally bored. Good movies!