boooooooooks.

[schmerica]

You guys, I'm looking for book recommendations. What can you point me towards in the way of:

a) your favorite Arthurian-inspired novels
b) your favorite Trojan War-inspired novels
c) good mystery series (= likable hero/heroine with relationships that change and grow from book to book, along with the installments being good books on their own)

Comments

[platoeatssouls.livejournal.com]

a) The Prose Merlin is rather good if you feel up to wading through a bunch of Middle English.

c) Laurie R. King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series is good ("The Beekeeper's Apprentice" is the first one). She writes another series about a San Francisco cop named Kate Martinelli (the first one is "A Grave Talent") but I haven't read many of those, or read them in quite a long time. They deal with lots of gay rights and feminist type issues though, and I recall them as being good.

Right now I'm reading Raymond Chandler, who is phenominal. Philip Marlowe doesn't really change, exactly, but Chandler's use of language and his plotting structure are too good to skip, you should definately read at least one of his novels if you haven't already. (I'm not sure that reading three in a row as I have done is exactly the thing to do - it sort of gets into your brain). But definitely pick up one of them - "The Lady in the Lake" or "The Long Goodbye" are both quite excellent.

*waves* I friended you a bit ago and was too shy to admit it or anything, but since I'm currently mystery novel woman, I couldn't let a cry for help pass unanswered (or something).

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you know, I think Chandler is one of those authors I've never quite gotten around to, and always meant to. Thanks!

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

I'll second the rec for Chandler, although he's not necessarily the sort one reads for comfort or a good relationship with the characters. Marlowe is very much the sardonic observer of other people's folly, so if you're not up for that, save him for another time.

Also, read The Long Goodbye last, and when you're in a really good mood. It's an elegiac, sorrowful novel. (And probably Chandler's best, but, sorrowful.)

[starfishchick]

I second the Laurie R. King recommendation heartily!!