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@kimlikesart One of my family members adores Chuck Black‘s books! I haven’t read any myself, but he recently released a sci-fi series (my fave genre) and I can’t wait to read it! 😀
@zee Ah, yes! There’s soooo many good fiction books it’s nearly impossible to choose! ☺️😉
I’ll be the odd one out and say Lord of the Rings hasn’t been very impactful to me, because they bore me to tears and I’ve never properly read all of Return of the King =P I love the Hobbit and Children of Hurin, though.
I’m the other way around when it comes to LOTR and The Hobbit. I found The Hobbit boring and I love LOTR. XD
I’ve never heard of Women of Kern. What is it about?
It’s a collection of short stories, each following a different female character in a different part of McKay’s fantasy world. All of the characters are strong, but in a variety of different ways (it was a refreshing change from the “strong female character” trope, lol). Let me grab the Goodreads description.
A negotiator who uses herself as a bargaining chip.
An adventurous spirit trapped by her culture and family.
A resistance fighter leading her captors into a trap.
A reclusive horse trainer swept into a quest for treasure.
An elderly, overlooked servant smuggling slaves out of her country.
A woman with a gift that seems like far more trouble than it’s worth.
A princess whose arranged marriage puts her in the hands of pirates.
A shepherdess fighting to save her sister.
A belly-dancing assassin who fakes her targets’ deaths.
These are the women of Kern — the sort of women who in our own world are all too often ignored, overlooked, forgotten, and silenced by history. Enter their world of magic, adventure, and romance through nine short stories and novellas driven by women with the strength and courage to shape their own destinies.
(Looking over my old review, apparently I read it after beginning that one fantasy world, so I guess it didn’t actually spark that idea. But it did influence my development of that world moving forward.)
Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Worldbuilding enthusiast. Singer. Fan of classic literature.
REALLY??? Oh man… Those books… There’s just nothing like them. I will never get over those books…
Her Seventh World Trilogy is the BEST. I adore those books… Taerith is also stunningly beautiful… And Lady moon. That book is way too funny. She’s awesome.
I think a little over halfway through? That book has been one of the best books I’ve ever gotten into in regards to faith/creativity/purpose. It’s been a lifesaver for me this past semester and summer…
Tek an ohta! Tek an cala!
The Lord of the Rings impacted my life in SO MANY different ways. I love it with all my heart. 😊
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo is such a beautiful story of redemption and it has inspired me in creating characters and themes for my own novels.
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde influenced my writing style and taught me to love quirky/fantasy/fairy-tale fiction. 😄
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier was the book that proved to my skeptical little soul that modern Christians can, in fact, write really good books.
and so many others…
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
@r-m-archer Oh, that sounds intriguing! 😃 Especially the one about the princess and the pirates. 😮😍
@ericawordsmith I know! Everyone keeps telling me I should read them. 😂 And I always say I will—after I finish those other 365 books I want to read too. 🤪
@eden-anderson Is Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes middle-grade? The name seems familiar (probably saw it on bookstagram somewhere).
@mariposa Yes it is. 😊
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I just read a series of books called The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
I have really loved the way he writes and also (FYI, these books are kind of mystery books), Trenton Lee Stewart opens up so many strings in these books and by the end of each book, each one has been resolved and he NEVER leaves you hanging.
His story ideas are SO original. I love them
He has inspired me to write just like that.
MELODY
Life is short, smile while you still have teeth!
@melodyjoy Awwww! I just started reading the first book in the series! 😍 Do you write mysteries as well then?
Actually, I don’t write mysteries, but in the near future, I have been inspired to do so 😛
It takes a LOT of planning (more than would other books) to write mysteries though, that’s why I haven’t yet.
MELODY
P.s. that’s so cool you just started to read the first book! Make sure you read them all, they only get better from there 🙂
Life is short, smile while you still have teeth!
Ok, I’m kinda late to this thread, but oh well.
I actually just finished Fawkes for the first time, and I have to put that on my list. I agree with you about how Nadine Brandes added complexity to her plot and characters to make it feel realistic, instead of the basic cut and dry bad guys vs good guys. Definitely an inspiration. 🙂
Ooh, I remember loving The Mysterious Benedict Society when I was younger! It’s such a fun and inventive series.
Les Miserables Yes, I loved that book!!! Also Crime and Punishment. Neither of those books shied away from tackling darker themes, yet their messages of redemption are amazing. <3
As far as some other books that have impacted me as a writer: All of Jane Austen’s books have inspired me to add more humor and sarcasm to my stories. 😛 Humor is something I usually don’t include. The Wingfeather Saga is another series that has made want to add more entertaining and funny scenes than I naturally tend to. And To Kill A Mockingbird feels so real and authentic… and it caused me to rethink how I build my characters and their voices.
a flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it.
it just blooms.Hmmm…there’s so many good books out there.
But, my very top one is the Wingfeather Saga. Andrew Peterson did an amazing job. The relationships are so authentic, the emotion is so relatable, the struggles are real, and the storyline is amazing. If I could write like anyone, it be like Andrew Peterson.
Little Women is another one that’s inspired me. I just love the character voices and the humor.
Anne of Green Gables, because it just feels right somehow. It’s simple, but magical (with a dash of romance).
And Lord of the Rings, because of the description, and the vastness of it, as well as the depth of the characters.
"If I'm gonna break, I'll break like the dawn." -Nightbirde
@claire-h, I forgot to mention To Kill a Mockingbird. I love that book! (I knew I was forgetting something.)
Has anybody read any of Michael O’Brien’s books? A Father’s Tale, Eclipse of the Sun, Plague Journal, etc. They’re new to me, but I find I’m really enjoying them. Warning: O’Brien does not shy away from addressing some of the modern world’s worst problems in his books. And they are TOMES. But wasn’t it C.S. Lewis who said, “You can’t find a book long enough, or a cup of tea large enough, to suit me?”
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