December is a time for reviewing what went on in the year, so this month I’m going to do just that.
I’m starting with a round up of my YA & MG Time Travel books read, since I have been very bad at linking back to the original challenge site. I think I only committed to doing three, certainly no more than five, so I think I achieved that.
My list of titles (linked to my reviews) is:
- The Time Machine, H G Wells
- Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle
- The Golden Scarab, S W Lothian
- The Fallen Pharoah, S W Lothan
- The Time Travel Storm, T C Booth
- The Shadow of Atlantis, Wendy Leighton-Porter
- The Shadow of the Minotaur, Wendy Leighton-Porter
- The Cursed Nile, S W Lothian
Of course, there are only five authors in that list of eight titles. I enjoyed all the books, some more than others, and I have more to read as sequels to Wendy Leighton-Porter’s The Shadows From The Past series, and also the sequels to Wrinkle in Time.
I think Wrinkle in Time was the most intriguing of them all, with the strangest, or most ‘alternative’ societies found, although maybe it’s a stretch to call it time travel, since it was more about space travel in a single point of time. The Time Machine was the most visionary in terms of what earth might become. I think I should re-read October the First is Too Late (by Fred Hoyle) as a counterpoint to these, since it also deals with the future of the earth, and I more or less stole those developments (although it is public science) to make the scenario for my flash fiction piece The Last Ice-cream. Maybe I will, next year.
I am thoroughly enjoying both the Quest series and the Shadows series. Wendy has four more for me to read already, wheras Steve is working on a further adventure plus a spin-off. I didn’t work at all hard to achieve this challenge, since these books rather sought me out, as did the Time Travel Storm, which I won in a giveaway. That is for younger readers – an early chapter book – which is a complete contrast with the ones that also fitted in the Classic challenge, which demand a higher level of reading and probably of comprehension, although as kids can cope with Doctor Who’s recent adventures, I don’t see any problem with them coping with H G Wells.
I enjoyed these books, all of them. On the whole I’d rather read about travel to the future than the past, but I enjoy them all. I ought to continue this challenge, even if it’s only for my own enjoyment. Seeking out some traditionally-published books that I haven’t read or even heard of would be good for me, too.
My favourite? A hard call… for enjoyment, the Cursed Nile, for future potential, Wrinkle in Time.
