Castle in the Air

Written by: Diana Wynn Jones

First line: Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, a young carpet merchant called Abdullah lived in the city of Zanzib.

Why you should read this book: It is technically a sequel to the delighting Howl's Moving Castle, although for the majority of the book, it feels more like an homage to 1,001 Arabian Nights, and the connection to the original story doesn't become clear until chapter fourteen. Our protagonist, Abdullah, makes a modest living as a carpet salesman, barely tolerating the aggressive meddling of his distant relations, and dreaming primarily of beautiful gardens beyond his reach, until the day he is bullied into purchasing a shabby but magical flying carpet. Suddenly true happiness in the form of a beautiful princess is within his grasp, but Abdullah's quest to marry Flower-in-the-Night is constantly foiled by mortal and supernatural opposition, and he has a long road ahead of him if he is to ever come to the happy conclusion of his quest.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Although I have seen the Miyazaki film about a hundred times, it's obviously different from the original novel, which I wish I had read before reading this one. 

The Way Home

Written by: Peter S. Beagle

First line: My brother, Wilfrid, keeps saying it's not fair that it should all have happened to me.

Why you should read this book: It comprises two novellas, set in the universe of Beagle's perennial classic, The Last Unicorn, the first of which features some characters from that book, but both of which center around the experiences of a young protagonist named Sooz. In the first story, "Two Hearts," nine-year-old Sooz runs away to the palace to implore King Lir to personally come to her village and slaughter a griffin that has been eating her friends. In the second, "Sooz," seventeen-year-old Sooz undertakes a much more difficult journey to a fairy realm to rescue the sister she never knew she had. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: Once again, I have managed to read a series out of order, and must go back to read another book called The Lost Journey that takes place in between The Last Unicorn and The Way home, so if you haven't read those books, you should get on that before reading this one. 

Magic by the Lake

Written by: Edward Eager

First line: It was Martha who saw the lake first.

Why you should read this book: It's a sequel to the delightful Half Magic, in which the children inadvertently order an entire lake full of magic, really too much magic for them to handle. Although this time around they have the privilege of setting their own magical rules, they immediately and willfully set about to breaking the rules, digging themselves into deeper and deeper difficulties with their own selfish behaviors. Eventually, though, they start to pay attention to reality and turn their magical intentions to helping someone else. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: It simply isn't as entertaining as the first, lacking the cohesive logic of the original plot, which turned on the children figuring out the rules of magic and cleaning up their own mistakes. Also, this book, as an unfortunate product of its day, relies heavily in places on racist stereotypes; I originally intended to donate it to the children's library where I volunteer, but these dated and xenophobic ideals don't really belong in a modern library. 

Julie

Written by: Jean Craighead George

First line: A wolf howled.

Why you should read this book: It picks up where the award-winning classic left off, but Julie's teenage anger at finding her father adopting the ways of white people fades. Returning to the home he shares with his Julie's new Minnesotan stepmother, Julie resolves to be a good Inuit daughter, but when her father's new venture—ranching the arctic musk ox, or uminmack—is threatened by the presence of the wolves that saved Julie's life, she must choose. Can she protect her friends and respect her father's way of life?

Why you shouldn't read this book: Considering how the first book ended, it seemed unlikely that Julie would go back to her father's house.

Parable of the Talents

Written by: Octavia E. Butler

First line: Here we are—/Energy,/Mass,/Life,/Shaping life,/Mind,/Shaping Mind,/God,/Shaping God.

Why you should read this book: Powerful, brutal, and more terrifyingly true to life than any near-future science fiction novel has any right to be, this sequel to the Parable of the Sower includes more excerpts from Olamina's Earthseed: The Books of the Living, recollections from Olamina's daughter, the writings of Olamina's husband, Bankole, and brother, Marcus, along with vast chunks from Olamina's own diaries. While prepared, always, for change, Olamina's Earthseed community cannot stand the rising tide of religious fascism sweeping the country under the rule of a radical conservative president who (frighteningly, presciently) gets elected with the campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." Unsurprisingly, for Olamina and most of her loved ones America becomes much, much worse, but with Earthseed as a blueprint for the survival and evolution of the human race, she is able to survive the horror of "Christian America" and help humanity fulfill what she believes to be its true Destiny.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You seriously believe our actual president is actually making America "great again," but if you believe that you probably don't read much of note anyway, at least not provocative, award winning speculative fiction by African-American women.