Books like The Absolute Book — picked by fans

Jemisin combines geological apocalypse, complex magic, and generational trauma with raw power.

That’s something I explore in my own work, so this trilogy was a strong—if abstract—indirect influence. Few books have stayed with me so viscerally.

The writing is sharp, emotionally devastating, and fearless. It doesn’t just tell a story—it tears through it with tectonic force. It made me want to write braver and more honestly about pain, survival, and what breaks beneath the surface.

I still have dreams set in the school-world of this book… that alone speaks to how compelling and utterly captivating Naomi’s setting is.

I loved the self-imposed isolation of the main character, how compelling her motivation and determination are. The school itself plays a huge role in the plot, and I found the explanations of how magic worked in this world to be fascinating.

As soon as I finished this first book, I picked up the next one.

The late Sir Pratchett was a hero of mine. The Discworld universe is one of the most well-put-together, zany, yet relatable places. The amount of depth that he was able to achieve with a setting that others might consider a joke is astounding.

In order for a universe to connect with me, it has to have characters that I love dearly. Granny Aching and her granddaughter Tiffany are among the few literary characters that have ever brought me to tears on multiple occasions. I used to read this book to my students, and there is one scene in particular towards the end that causes me to choke up every time I read it.

It’s simple and powerful, and it speaks to me on a personal level. I lost my mom back in 2008, and the scene to which I am referring here hits on that sense of loss so well… show more.

In her Kencyrath series, Hodgell gives us a new slant on the idea of the hero destined to save the world. Her heroine Jame’s propensity to break or destroy things, from crockery to the most treasured institutions and customs of her world (usually by accident), may be proof that she is, in fact, turning into That-Which-Destroys, an aspect of the Three-Faced God prophesied to return and destroy the forces of evil threatening all the worlds with annihilation.

But even as she grows in power, Jame begins to challenge everything about her own culture—not just the restrictions placed on women, but the ingrained ideas about power and privilege in general. She also comes to question the prophesy itself and seeks out other cultures for answers. Jame may have arcane powers, but her ruthless honesty with herself and everyone else may be her most powerful weapon.

I LOVE anti-heroes, and Okiku, as a vengeful ghost who horrifically kills child murderers, is perfect.

A lot of books end with a character’s trauma as if surviving is the only important part of the story. But Okiku didn’t survive her trauma-—and she is furious, taking out all her pain and rage on people who prey on the weak. When Okiku makes a connection with a lonely, cursed boy, she starts to wonder if she can help prevent tragedy instead of cleaning up after it. Through an unlikely friendship, Okiku and Tark come together and show that it’s never too late to heal.

If I’m making it sound like this is a sweet story of friendship and redemption, be warned—this book is terrifying.

James Lee Burke is now 85 as of the date of this submission and writes every day. As I just turned 76 this month, his remarkable work habits are a goal to which I can aspire. 

James Lee Burke’s writing is filled with memorable metaphors and similes that no one uses quite as well as this Southern man of letters

In Robicheaux: A Novel, Burke reminds us that Robicheaux is plagued by the acts he committed in Vietnam, now manifested in the ghosts of his alcoholism and tendency to violence. Complicating his life even more is the sudden death of his beloved wife, Molly. The New Iberia man who killed Molly is also killed, and colleagues accuse Robicheaux of murdering the man who killed Molly.

Dave Robicheaux is a good man who does not tolerate evil deeds by others, even though he must battle his tendency to react violently when… show more.

How could I not love a book that sets its tone with “My name is Bond, Shaman Bond”? 

Bond, aka Eddie Drood, has all the latest magical gadgets to help suppress the forces of magical mayhem on behalf of the ancient and powerful Drood family (and yes there’s a pun there on Druid). This is what James Bond would have been if Ian Fleming had gone easy on the Martinis and tried a few magic mushrooms instead. 

The book, and in fact the whole series, is inventive, witty, and in places outright insane, with every book title a parody of a Bond book or film. 

(Also, Mr Green is a very nice man – we met him once over pizza at EasterCon several decades ago.)

I read this trilogy in 1998 when I had just finished high school.

Even then, I understood the book presented Frodo as the main hero, but I was always aware that without Sam, Frodo couldn't go far. He was just a gardener in the beginning, but when the books were over, he proved himself and even became the mayor of the Shire.

Seeing a regular guy carrying the main hero on his shoulders is something else. The decisions he made and his forcing himself to do more transformed him into a natural hero and a leader.

The first in a trilogy of books of magical fantasy set in Renaissance Europe and beyond that looks at magic and witchery at an unusual slant. Centre stage is Damiano Delstrego: son of a wizard and alchemist with an inheritance of Dark Magics. Forced out by war, he goes on pilgrimage to seek the aid of the powerful witch Saara, but the road he is obliged to walk is a dark one. R. A. MacAvoy is another writer I have admired for a long time and I was very sad when ill health stopped her from writing. I believe, however, that she has started to write again, so I can but hope for new novels while recommending her older, skillful work.

This is a great adventure with high stakes, both for the world and for the main character.

She is an ordinary person who rises to the moment again and again when she must. She’s scared, but she’s brave. She’s resilient and clever. She’s really lovable.

In this novel, magic suffuses the world through a secret society. And the power is in books. I mean, we all know the power of books, right? And here, as in Addie LaRue, magic has consequences. It can be beautiful and create lovely connections between and among people. And it can also wreak untold destruction.

Bottom line, I loved the concept and the characters equally.