Book Suggestion

[Mervi]

Some of my favourites (as well as genre classics) are

- The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. The parts are

1. The Book of Three
   
2. The Black Cauldron
   
3. The Castle of Llyr
   
4. Taran Wanderer
   
5. The High King
   

The series draws on Welsh mythology, so if you're familiar with the Mabinogion, you'll recognize some names and ideas, but it's not a retelling of those myths. The Disney animated film "The Black Cauldron" was based on the first two books (the movie itself does have some merits IMHO, but it's nothing like the books).


- the Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper.

1. Over Sea, Under Stone
   
2. The Dark Is Rising
   
3. Greenwitch
   
4. The Grey King
   
5. Silver on the Tree
   

Like the Prydain books, these are often classified as YA, but I still enjoy them tremendously. (Then again, I first read them as a kid. They might be different for those who first visit those worlds as adults.) Especially the first part of DiR might feel a lot like a children's book. Many people say that it's better to start with the second part of the series (The Dark Is Rising) and then go back to the first part (they deal with different plots/protagonists that will meet only later in the series so it doesn't matter if you read those first two out of order). The series borrows from Arthurian and Celtic myths, but takes place in our world. (You can actually visit many of the places!) The film "adapation" of the second book doesn't even really deserve a mention.


- the Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin

1. A Wizard of Earthsea
   
2. The Tombs of Atuan
   
3. The Farthest Shore
   
4. Tehanu
   
5. Tales from Earthsea (There are also a few other related short stories not published in "Tales")
   
6. The Other Wind
   

LeGuin has some quite original ideas (although they might not feel like that anymore, it's easy to forget the first part is from the sixties when we didn't have Harry Potter and all the other "young boy goes to wizarding school" stories) and some really magnificent dragons (and I'm very picky with those. )
There was a miniseries based on the first two books: I've seen it and it has SO little to do with anything in the books - except names, and they even got those wrong (names are really important in this world, the magic the wizards use is all based on knowing the names of things). I've not seen the anime based on the first part, so can't comment on that.

And here are some slyly places affiliate links for purchasing the aforementioned books.
The Dark Is Rising (all parts in one hardback), Chronicles of Prydain: The Book of Three (the boxed set seems to be out of print, but you'll find the rest of the series listed on that page as well) and first 4 Earthsea books omnibus.