I love to read, and find I have to make time for it to feel balanced in life. It becomes too easy to get busy with one task after another, and finding new authors becomes hard. When I find an author I like, I latch on and want to read it all. So, for this post I thought an author/book list would be fun.
Robert A. Heinlein -Before mentioning any specific works, let me tell you he has long been my favorite author. I love how when he tells a story he puts in enough detail to make the world it’s in feel real and the attitudes and personalities of the characters feel natural. He is considered “Hard sci-fi” for his style of writing and many of his ideas are now actual technologies we use today. Citizen of the Galaxy is my favorite book of his, although many are runner-ups. The main character, Thorby, becomes entangled in an interplanetary adventure that ultimately reveals who his family is and where he comes from. This book has space travel, spies, the fight of good vs evil, all while telling the story of a boy growing into adulthood. It is written for teen readers, but is too good of a story to pass up. I would recommend any and all of Heinlein’s books, but a few other titles I would list as priority would be The Puppet Masters, Have Spacesuit Will Travel (my 1st Heinlein, recommended then by my dad),and Farmer in the Sky. Bonus book: Tramp Royale, Heinlein’s memoir from a trip around the world in 1954. It’s a really neat look into the world at that time and is full of funny happenings. I read it while traveling and would recommend doing the same!
W. Hodding Carter IV -Continuing with the theme of adventure stories recommended by my dad- Westward Whoa is a can’t miss in my opinion and its only disappointing feature is being of only a short list of novels written by this funny author (who though I doubt will ever read this; let me say loud and clear: Write more books!) Westward Whoa is the author’s recount of retracing the Lewis and Clark expedition from St Louis to Oregon with his friend Preston. It’s a story told without any self aggrandizement and instead is full of humor and occasional self-deprecation, which in the case of such an accomplishment makes it feel more relatable. It’s a fantastic adventure and the author’s voice talks to you as though you’re there. His book A Viking Voyage takes place some years later and the adventure is epic. The crew that comes with is a bunch of characters and reading it you imagine you begin to know them all. Hodding is a contributing editor to Outside Magazine and his articles are more like short stories about adventures he goes on. I highly suggest looking him up.
Robert Service is a poet that wrote in the first half of the last century. His work is largely shaped by his time in Alaska and his dark sense of humor. His poetry usually tells a story and helps conjure up images of times long ago. If you daydream about time spent in the “Wild West”, about wild terrain and building something with your hands, this guy is for you. Start with his poem The Cremation of Sam McGee and then My Madonna. I like the book The Complete Poems of Robert Service as it has all of his work collected up in one neat volume and as someone who wants to read it all when I like someone’s writing, this makes it easy.
Neil Gaiman - Ok, you probably have seen a show or movie this guy has done or have read all of his books, but incase you haven’t I love his work so he’s going on my list. His novels read so easy I tend to devour them once I open one. They often feel like fairy tales for adults with dark themes, creepy characters, or flawed heroes. Each book casts its own spell and is independent of each other so it can be a little sad to set one down knowing you won’t meet those characters again. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was my first foray into his work and it is wonderful. American Gods takes Gaiman’s interest in mythology and fits it into modern America in a way I have never read elsewhere. It’s an intense page-turner at times and one I’ll probably read a second and third time. I feel confident saying to read any of his titles and you won’t be sorry.
John Muir As America’s first conservationist (at least to any real fame) I find his writings important in that they convey the worth of our wild spaces and why we should keep them wild. His writing feels flowery and poetic at times and scientific and measured at others: it has a balance to it that I find unusual and interesting. Essential Muir is an easy place to start and go from there. When I can’t go hiking for some reason his writing transports me to the forest so I can feel I went anyhow.
Alfred Noyes Is an English poet from the turn of the last century who is probably most famous for his poem The Highwayman. I love the rhythm of his poetry, the language he uses, and the way his poems tell a story. His books are a little hard to find, but if you see his name pop up in an anthology or happen upon a collection of his work it’s worthwhile. It definitely feels like stepping back in time, in the best of ways.