Hope you are all well.
I thought I would share my top ten favorite books or series so far, which have helped shape me as a person, a reader and a writer.
1 - Bangers and Mash by Paul Groves
This is the first series I remember learning to read back in Primary school. I remember the fun and humour of the stories of two naughty chimp brothers Bangers and Mash. Written by Paul Grove in the Seventies it also became a cartoon with a theme song by Chas and Dave.
If it wasn't for these books I wouldn't have liked learning to read.
2 - The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Another book or selection of books that I read and was read to me at Primary school was The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.
Our teacher Mrs Yates read The Dark is Rising to us and it gave me my first taste of fantasy. I loved the book and I think she read two more in the series including Greenwitch.
I didn't realise how much it took from Lord of the Rings but I'm seeing the full five novel sequence in one book form and I'm tempted to buy and re-read.
3 - The Ladybird books by various
What child of the Seventies and Eighties didn't grow up reading the Ladybird books. Classic tales of which some are Disney films now like Snow White.
My personal favourites are The Enormous Turnip, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Gingerbread Man. I spent many hours learning to read and reading these whilst in Primary school.
4 - The Adventures of Sherlock Hound books by Brenda Sivers
I remember re-reading the above Sherlock Hound books by Brenda Sivers as these were a funny spoof on Sherlock Holmes.
Although I can't remember the full stories now as they are sadly out of print but they have stuck with me for being funny reads at the time.
5 - Doctor Who - Terrance Dicks novels
I loved Doctor Who as a kid. My first Doctor being Peter Davidson and my favourite being Sylvester McCoy.
I also loved reading the adventures of the previous Doctors in Target books usually written by Terrance Dicks. Although some novels must have been written by other authors.
They were great escapism, travelling to distant worlds and times and I still read the new series Doctor Who books now from the Ninth Doctor onwards. They are short easy reads.
6 - Comics
Nowadays comics are for all ages with graphic novels being popular in the last few decades.
My favourite regular comic was Marvel UKs Transformers. Most of these older stories have been released in graphic novel form in the last few years in a collection. Some of these I have now bought.
I also loved the UK comics above especially Buster. They were very light hearted and fun.
I also collected other comics now and again including Spider-Man and Super Man.
7 - The Belgariad series by David Eddings
This series I read in the last five years although I had the series since the late nineties waiting on my shelf and I wish I had read it sooner.
It's an epic fantasy world filled with Gods, Wizards and the armies of good and evil.
Following the journey of Garion a humble farm boy to a wizard himself as his destiny is to destroy the evil God Torak.
After a slow start world building in book one the following books go at a cracking pace and in 2020 I will be reading the sequel series The Malloreon.
8 - The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist
It starts similar to the Belgariad but instead of Garion, orphan Pug becomes apprentice to Magician Kulgan and eventually is a master Magician.
The epic scope of this series is bigger than the Belgariad as it has the world building of two worlds to deal with. Midkemia and Kelewan. Two very different worlds yet they also have similarities.
Plus there are thousands more people and Raymond E Feist does well to keep it in focus.
I would like to read the other books that come after but there are so many. Maybe one day I'll get round to the sequels.
9 - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
These books need no explanation. This is the fantasy epic that started the fantasy genre as it is today and possibly without these there would be no Belgariad or Riftwar series, or Dark is Rising. So most of my list would be blank or full of Westerns.
Again it took me a while to read this series and I only read these books in the last ten to fifteen years but they are so well written and detailed. The world building is more than epic and you can see where the books that have followed this series borrow from.
Think a re-read is in order in next year or two!
10 - The Drenai Series by David Gemmell
Wow so far my favourite set of books by my favourite author David Gemmell.
I was first introduced to the Drenai books at High School by my friend Geoff. A couple of years later and I bought the first four books from Fantasy and SF Book club. I collected the lot plus more series by David Gemmell and sadly they sat waiting on my shelves for me to read. Looking back I wish I had read them when I got them.
Now I am making my way through the Drenai novels and nearing the last ones. I've almost finished Winter Warriors which is one of my favourites as it involves more magic than previous books.
Yes the Drenai series is light on magic in the first few books just having out of body experience and some demon activity.
Although it is the writing and characters that make the books so awesome plus the action scenes. Without Gemmell there probably wouldn't be Grimdark fantasy which is similar to Gemmells work but even darker.
Luckily I met David in Leeds before his passing. He was gone too soon. I was lucky enough to attend the last Gemmell Awards for Fantasy too.
Books/Series that just missed the top ten :-
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
You may be surprised that Terry Pratchett isn't in the top ten but I have a love/hate relationship with his books.
I tried his early books at High School and couldn't get into them.
Since then I have read his more recent books including Hogfather and The Truth. So far The Truth is my favourite as I was in stitches and read it within a week.
Sean Denton Series by Helen Cadbury
I don't usually read crime but having helped out on two Cleckheaton Literature Festivals in the last few years I met author Helen Cadbury. She was a sweet helpful woman who has sadly passed and gone too soon.
I read her first two books in the Sean Denton Series and they are well written crime novels and locally based in York and Doncaster.
I've to read her third and final book in the series Race to the Kill which I will read in 2020.
Also will read more Leigh Russell books too in 2020 as they are enjoyable crime romps too.
Unknown Sci-fi books.
When I was in my mid teens I read two books from the library which were young sci-fi books. I think they were part of a trilogy and the main character was a space pilot.
I loved the books but the only bit I remember is the pilot crashing on a planet and having to help the locals. It had a Doctor Who vibe and had lots of action.
Does anyone know what these books could be?
Please let me know in comments section here or on Facebook or Twitter.
Thanks x
