Tag: Top Ten

March Madness!

I love the seasons, especially the change of seasons.  And that’s a good thing because in the land of Oz we have our own brand of March Madness.

This was what it was like last weekend (mid-March):

Lynette M. Burrows author, Lynette M. Burrows author action-suspense science fiction
Courtesy of blmiers2 and Flickr Commons

Boy, I was ready!

 

Then last night . . .

 

something changed.

Lynette M. Burrows, author; Lynette M. Burrows author action-suspense science fiction; Lynette M. Burrows
snowmagedon #3

Now I’ve got the madness . . .

 

 

Cabin Fever!

 

You don’t have to have a foot of snow to suffer the madness.  It can happen to anyone, so you may want to pay attention to . . . .

 

The Top Ten Signs of Cabin Fever

 

10. You get up at six in the morning to shovel snow just so the dog can go outside.

 

9. You turn on every light in the house and it isn’t enough.

 

8. You wish you were born a bear so you could hibernate all winter.

 

7. You realize the only television shows you’ve watched for the past month have had the word beach in the title.

 

6. You mistake your dog for a miniature abominable snowman.

 

5. You fantasize about all the ways you can roast hot dogs and marshmallows.

 

4. You look in the mirror and are blinded by your pale skin.

 

3. You read Dante’s Inferno just to get warm.

 

2. You realize your wardrobe makes you look ten pounds heavier because it weighs ten pounds.

 

1. You laugh hysterically at nothing and everything.

 

~oOo~

 

I’m sure I’ve missed some of the signs of Cabin Fever.

Won’t you add your own March Madness in the comments below?

Top Ten Science Fiction Novels I Love to Re-Read

girl reading a book while sitting on stack of books
public domain image from clipartpal.com

Since I’m in a mild panic busy studying for my Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS) certification, I decided I’d share a list of the top ten science fiction novels I love to re-read. I am deliberately excluding pure fantasy from this list.  Now, making this list was not easy.  There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of books to choose from.  Yes, I’ve read a lot of science fiction.

Trying to narrow the list down to ten I learned a couple of things.  I’ve read a lot of what is considered classic science fiction, but there’s an awful lot that I’ve not read.  I’ve read many of the Nebula and Hugo award winners, but not nearly all of them.  And there are books that I like for specific reasons such as I love the characters, or the world, or the emotional feel of the book.  However, when push came to shove, some of the books are on my list because they spoke to me.  Sometimes, when I’m not burning a hole in my brain otherwise occupied, I may write lists of books with great characters, books with worlds and settings that felt real to me, or books that gave me a huge emotional payoff.  But today’s list is of favorites, in no particular order, but books I have and will read again and again because I want to.

The Top Ten Science Fiction Novels I Love to Re-read

Dune by Frank Herbert

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh

Pride of Chanur by CJ Cherryh

Dawn by Octavia Butler

The Watchers by Dean Koontz

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Coma by Robin Cook

Any of the Tom Swift books (and I make no apologies!)

So that’s my top ten science fiction novels that I love to re-read.  And if you study those books, I’m guessing you’ll learn a little more about me.  But enough of that.

What about you?  You can choose any genre you like, but limit your list to just one genre or sub-genre.

What are your top ten favorite books to read?