Welcome to The Dragon’s Bookshelf! Here are some of my favorite books and series. You’ll notice a definite leaning toward fantasy and science fiction. I make no apologies for that. Well, maybe a little. I promise I read other things, too!

Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey – I’m starting with this book because it’s where my love of dragons began. It’s a great story about dragons helping people fight the nemesis of their planet, and a young woman destined for greater things. Dragonflight is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series and the beginning of an amazing trilogy. Anne McCaffrey went on to write many more books about Pern, and her son continued the series after her death.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams – All 5 books in the trilogy (yeah, I’m not the one who counted them), plus 1. From DON’T PANIC to the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, this series is completely absurd and great fun. Sit back, grab a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and enjoy.

The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin – Set on a planet where people have no fixed gender, this book explores identity, relationships, and the way we see one another. With shades of yin and yang, it also examines the relationship between opposites. I have a tattoo of my favorite quote from the book, “Light is the left hand of darkness, darkness is the right hand of light,” around a tree of life, dark on one side and light on the other. It reminds me that some things cannot be known unless they stand against their opposite.

Salem’s Lot, Steven King – This book scared the shit outta me! I slept with my hand wrapped around a scapular medal for days after reading it. It was years before I could bring myself to read another vampire book or watch a vampire movie. If that’s not a recommendation for a horror novel, I don’t know what is!

All Souls Trilogy, Deborah Harkness – The first book in the All Souls trilogy introduces Diana Bishop, a witch who wants nothing to do with magic, and Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. I loved the romance between them, but there’s much more to the story. The mystery surrounding an ancient manuscript kept me hooked through all three books. A great plot, a little magic, and a love story. What’s not to like?