A Life in Books: Leigh Bardugo
Posted by Goodreads on September 12, 2016
What book made you fall in love with fantasy?
Tough question. As a kid, I was obsessed with Catwitch by Lisa Tuttle and Una Woodruff. I'm not even sure it's in print anymore, but it had pages and pages of lavish full-color illustrations, faeries, talking animals, an evil real estate developer, and a killer plot twist. It was like Young Leigh's id all over the page. I also need to mention Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak. It sparked this connection between the fantastic and the sinister for me that I still gravitate toward.
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I guess it isn't strictly fictional, but I love the London of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. And I'd never want to spend time in George R.R. Martin's Iron Islands, but they're a beautifully constructed, thoroughly cohesive piece of world building, and one of my favorite examples of "geography as destiny." Also, that man writes misery and squalor like nobody's business.
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I love the clever, seemingly effortless way Ally Carter constructs her Heist Society books. Also, Holly Black's Curse Workers is one of my favorite YA series, and it's full of delicious cons and scams. We all did a lot of commiserating while I was working on the duology. Heist novels are heists in themselves. You can plan all you want, but invariably something goes horribly wrong and then you've got to fight your way out.
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What's an underrated book you think every fantasy fan should read?
Actually, Curse Workers, for sure. The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner is brilliant fantasy—smart, twisty, and populated by some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. I'm also saddened that more people don't read Diana Wynne Jones. I'll mention Howl's Moving Castle at an event, and the response is almost always, "I love that movie!" But the book is so radically different from the film, and the story has this extraordinary shape-shifting quality. It's like it takes on a completely different form depending on your age when you read it.
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My brain likes to be working on nonfiction and fiction at the same time, so right now I'm reading On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan, and I'm about to start Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova. I also just finished the delightful The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli.
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Can't get enough of Kaz, Inej, Nina, and the rest of the crew? Join The Grishaverse group on Goodreads to take part in an epic Six of Crows re-read!
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Charity
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Sep 14, 2016 04:19PM
I thought I was the only person who knew about the wonder that is Catwitch! That has to be my favourite illustrated book of all time. And you picked Outside Over There! Which is my favourite Sendak title too. Good choices all around. Now I want to reread Catwitch!
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SO many amazing picks!! I haven't read Howl's Moving Castle, but adding it to my TBR list ASAP :) Thanks for the great picks & can't wait for Crooked Kingdom to come out!
Howl's Moving Castle is SO underappreciated! Love the love!
My sons loved "Outside Over There." Our favorite Sendak book.
Whoohoo, shout out for The Queen's Thief series!
Howl's Moving Castle has been my favorite book since 1986. I read it at least once a year. More people should know about Diana Wynne Jones, as she was a wonderful author.
