Ursula K. Le Guin

Every summer I read at least one book for adults: this summer I treated myself to Le Guin's new book, Lavinia, a fabulous look at the founding mother of Rome. Le Guin was my favorite author in my teen and young adult years, but her work isn't for everyone. That's because her books are definitely NOT plot driven; they are driven by characters that always resonate and themes that are fully integrated into the writing and plots. She is one of the best writers out there and has recently been publishing tons of great stuff. Here are some of her books you might like: In A Wizard of Earthsea a powerful and proud young wizard in training is hunted by a darkness he releases when he casts a dangerous, forbidden spell. First in a series. The recently-published Tales of Earthsea was a real delight. Avoid the Sci-fi channel miniseries at all costs. Gifts: Aristocratic but poor, Orrec blinds himself to keep from using his powers to harm others, while his childhood companion Gry learns to use her power of communicating with animals to help them rather than hunt them. The Lathe of Heaven - When George Orr discovers that his dreams become reality, he falls into the hands of a psychotherapist who tries to use George to change the world. Perhaps her most conventional work, this sci-fi book for adults has teen appeal. (Her classics are The Dispossessed, about a physicist on an anarchist planet, and The Left Hand of Darkness, about a human envoy to a planet of androgynes. I couldn't comprehend these until high school and didn't appreciate them until college, but a recent Hillview grad said LHD was "kafkaesque" and loved it.)