The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams: Williams has always been a favorite of mine since I checked out the Dragon Bone Chair from the library in middle school. This is a wonderful book about a mortal finding himself reluctantly in the land of Faerie and caught in a civil war of sorts. For one reason or another this book seems to be the Williams book that I am most fond of. Would love for a fancy reprint of Dragon Bone Chair to be made though.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: This is a handy collection to have. If you have read any of these stories than you know that most are a far cry from their Disney counterparts. Tales of witches, giants, kings, wizards and goblins abound.
The Mike Hammer Collection Volumes 1 and 2 by Mickey Spillane: The hard-boiled detective stereotype owes a lot to Spillane. His prose pummels you into submission and his stories of violence and shadow scream out like a police siren in the dark. For people who like their dames dangerous and their detectives tougher than nails. I wonder if any of you remember the old television series with Stacy Keach as Mike Hammer. That was my introduction to the character. The television series was fine but you should really let these books be your introduction to Mike Hammer.
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes: I wish I could say that I have read every page of this massive novel. I have read various parts and love the spine of the tale of the famous knight errant of La Mancha and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. On occasion, I might even imagine myself as a knight on a noble quest and end up tumbled over a parked car or fallen tree. Imagination is prized and crazy is relative. One day I plan to defeat this dragon of a novel in its entirety and dream of the impossible.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: I have always been fascinated by Sherlock Holmes and find him one of the greatest characters in fiction. Doyle’s stories of the great detective have endured the years, multiple fiction off shoots, movies, plays and even found themselves in Saturday morning cartoons. If you have somehow not read the original stories, I suggest you remedy such foul disgrace with the upmost haste.
Brandon Jimison 