Top Ten Tuesday: The Books I Frequently Recommend

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is a freebie, up to the participants. I had just been thinking about some of the books I most enjoy recommending so that seemed like my topic. 

These are all books of which I snap up extra copies for gift giving and proselytizing:

The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace begins any such list. Betsy and Tacy meet when they are five years old and the series follow them until they are sending their husbands off to WWI. The books increase in difficulty as the girls get older. I usually recommend Betsy-Tacy and Tib to children starting the series but Heaven to Betsy, which is about Betsy’s freshman year of high school, to adults starting the series for the first time.

Dawn’s Early Light by Elswyth Thane (1943). In 1774, Julian Day arrives in Williamsburg, Virginia as the country is on the brink of revolution and is startled by the anti-King sentiment articulated by those who greet him kindly (he should see my NO KINGS signs). The story is about Julian’s evolution into a Patriot (not the kind that goes to the Super Bowl) and the friends he makes along the way. Thane is my second-favorite author and this is the first of a seven book series known as the Williamsburg novels.

Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart (1955). Charity Selbourne is looking forward to a relaxing holiday in Provence with her best friend when she encounters a young boy whose father, a murderer recently released from prison, is trying to find him. This is one of my all-time favorite books! Several years ago, my mother and I went on a Viking River Cruise that included many of the destinations in the book.  I gave my (extra) copy of the book to the ship's cruise director.

The Burning by Jane Casey (2010). In this police procedural, Maeve Kerrigan is a determined young police officer in London, part of the team investigating a series of murders by a serial killer. When a fifth girl is killed, Maeve starts to rely on her instincts to prevent further murders. She is an appealing character and my sisters and I love this series. I even recommended it to the Boston Globe!  If you need a new mystery series, try this one.

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (1958). When orphaned Peggy goes to live with her curmudgeonly uncle in upstate New York, she finds that her new home is inhabited by Revolutionary War ghosts – all friendly. Pope also wrote The Perilous Gard, which I like nearly as much.

Sabrina by Madeleine Polland (1978). When 16-year-old Sabrina Heron falls in love with son of a family friend, the romance is threatened by her strong-willed mother, who intends for Sabrina to become a nun, and the young man is banished to fight in WWI.

Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson (2010). My book group loved this book about three key Americans—journalist Edward R. Murrow, diplomat Averell Harriman, and Ambassador John G. Winant—who helped build the US-UK alliance during WWII, focusing on their personal relationships with Winston Churchill and their efforts to persuade a reluctant America to support Britain against Hitler.

And Both Were Young by Madeleine L’Engle (1949). American Flip Hunter is miserable when she arrives at boarding school in Switzerland and the only thing that makes it bearable is her secret friendship with a mysterious French boy. Both Paul and her art teacher help her cope and even to mature as she gains confidence and starts to grow up.  My review.

Wintercombe by Pamela Belle (1988). Set during the English Civil War, this is the story of an quiet woman who demonstrates inner strength and humor when crisis approaches. Silence St. Barbe, whose husband is away fighting for Parliament, has to cope with a garrison of Royalist officers and soldiers moving into her family’s estate, Wintercombe. They are easily provoked and she has to keep her household from precipitating a crisis that could destroy everyone dear to her.

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton (1993). This was beloved by my nieces and nephews and has become my favorite baby shower gift:

Stomp your feet, clap your hands
Everybody ready for a barnyard dance?

Bow to the horse, bow to the cow
Twirl with the pig if you know how
Bow to the bunny, strut with the duck
Spin with the chickens now, cluck-cluck-cluck
With a baa and a moo and a cuck-a-doodle-doo
Everybody promenade, two-by-two

Georgette Heyer is probably my third favorite author and I do recommend her a lot but it was too hard to pick just one!  She deserves her own post.