Since finishing the novel (sorry – that’s all I seem to talk about these days), I’ve actually been… reading other people’s books! What?! It’s only natural after months in the editing desert. The brain is thirsty. Here’s what I turned to, in no particular order.

The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead

Genre: Fantasy.

It was recommended to me by a friend. I’m still in the figuring-out stages of what my next novel will look like on terms of time-travel and history, etc. The Paradise War was about two historians (particularly one) finding their way into an ancient Celtic world through a cairn in Scotland. I found it interesting, as someone who doesn’t delve often into fantasy very much. It was a good taste of the Celts, but it could have had more in the way of character development. I don’t have plans to read the sequels right now.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction.

A mysterious little girl, saved from drowning on the Thames, upturns the lives of those living nearby – a farmer, an innkeeper, a photographer, two grieving parents, and a nurse – and dredges up secrets thought to be long buried. This is a beautifully written novel about the ebb, flow and confluence of stories through seemingly ordinary lives.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland

Genre: Historical Fiction.

I wanted to immerse myself in medieval narratives to prepare (in a fun way) for writing a novel set in the early middle ages. Company of Liars is told with a nod to the Canterbury Tales, following the journey of a group of strangers as the Black Death arrives in England, 1348. The looming “pestilence”, the sound of a wolf in the night, and a strange little girl with a handful of runes make the act of survival increasingly more dangerous and desperate. Not even the narrator is exempt. It is truly bone-chilling.

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

Genre: Science-Fiction.

Chuck Wendig’s new sprawling novel just came out this summer, and it is easily one of my favorites. It is a survival story that begins with sleepwalkers inexplicably walking across country. As these walkers’ family members (“shepherds”) and a group of scientists hunt for an explanation and a cure, American society begins to unravel. The key to survival is mind-blowing, heartbreaking and extraordinary… and I won’t spoil it!

The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader

Genre: Historical Fiction.

This is another medieval story. It is contained to the life of Sarah, a young woman who chooses to become enclosed inside a church to lead a holy life. This story explores the physical and psychological toll of this choice, how she copes and how she affects the lives of people around her. Even an anchoress, literally walled up inside a church, cannot escape the outside world or threats from her past. It paints a clear, honest picture of medieval village life.

Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy.

Wake of Vultures is set in the Wild West of an alternative universe. An outcast, half-black and half-Comanche, Nettie Lonesome forges her own identity in an unkind world – breaking horses and living as a man. Thrown into a world of hunting monsters and shapeshifters across the Durango desert, she must face not just who she is but what she might become. It is a gritty, funny, pulls-no-punches story with a lot of heart.

I’d recommend any of these titles. Reading anything new will grow your perspective. I’m trying to read across genres and be intentional about using the library as often as I can. I make the best discoveries that way.

Happy reading!

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