If I were to recommend one book, to a sci-fan, what would it be? Hmm...
This isn't an easy question. It's a fun question, but not easy. I've thought about what I've read so far this year, and what I've read last year, and stared at our bookshelves, and tried to remember what I have on the shelves in Eugene. But what I like others don't necessarily like, and what I like or want to read changes on my mood. That's why I don't answer favorite book/movie/TV/song questions with just one choice. My mood will determine what I want, so I name a series of things, at least one of which will fit my mood at any given time.
So...someone who enjoyed The Hunger Games enough to read them twice wants a suggestion. I can't suggest just one book, but I can suggest a series. John Marsden's Tomorrow series isn't exactly sci-fi (neither is The Hunger Games), but there are some similarities. Both are YA lit, with strong female protagonists about the same age (16-17ish). I really enjoyed the 7 books of the Tomorrow series, and the follow-up trilogy The Ellie Chronicles.
The basic summation of the series is fairly straightforward. Whilst on a camping trip, a group of Aussie teenagers hear fighter jets flying over. When they go back home a few days later, they discover that an unnamed Asian country has invaded and nearly everyone they know has been put in internment camps or killed. So they fight back, and try to rescue their friends and family (and themselves). Roughly speaking, that's the overarching plot of the Tomorrow series, whilst the plots of The Ellie Chronicles deal with the aftermath.
One other book I would recommend--as I do to everyone--is Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon. It's very dated now, but it's one of the finest post-apocalyptic novels ever written. I cannot stress enough how much I love this book. Everyone I know who has read it also loves it. That's not to say that everyone loves it, but I think it's a must-read.
So Ms. Hadar, see if you can find yourself a copy of Tomorrow, When the War Began. I really enjoyed it and the rest of the series, so I hope you do, too.
