My favorite books where the author takes science fiction, and/or time, grabs the imagination, and hits a home run

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a huge fan of books where time is a factor. Time intrigues me, as does a good science fiction or science fiction fantasy book. I have a crazy imagination that looks at an object or event and sees it as a possibility for a sci-fi character or time travel event. I write and read to escape from the every day to new worlds where the possibilities are endless. I’m a development coordinator for a multi-family housing development company, a mom, a grandma, a caretaker of an elderly parent, and I write whenever possible. I grew up in Michigan, moved to NM for about 30 years, and now reside in NC.  


I wrote...

Time Lifted

By Tamara Weed,

Book cover of Time Lifted

What is my book about?

A plane crash in 2086 and a hike in the mountains in 1995 change the lives of three people who find themselves in a hidden Valley. The Valley is a place of beauty, and unknown possibilities, where time runs a course along the unexpected. Together, and alone, the three come to grips with where they’ve ended up, the things they’ve known in their lives, and how their choices affect them. For one woman, learning to believe in herself brings her to realize that her choices might very well change the Valley’s entire existence, her own and that of her companions.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Lord Foul's Bane

Tamara Weed Why did I love this book?

This book has it all—well rounded characters that you come to love and root for, an alternate world that will make you yearn to be there yourself, and a hero, cursed with a disease that makes him an outcast in his own world but a hero in the new world he finds himself in. A hero who can’t believe that he might be able to make a difference if he only knew how, because to believe in the world and the people therein is a dangerous step that a leper dare not make. Giants, horses, people of amazing abilities and an arrogant villain who is only too happy to destroy everything good. Lord Foul’s Bane is the first book in the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in this epic story.

By Stephen R. Donaldson,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Lord Foul's Bane as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Comparable to Tolkien at his best' WASHINGTON POST

Instantly recognised as a modern fantasy classic, Stephen Donaldson's uniquely imaginative and complex THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT, THE UNBELIEVER became a bestselling literary phenomenon that transformed the genre.

Lying unconscious after an accident, writer Thomas Covenant awakes in the Land - a strange, beautiful world locked in constant conflict between good and evil.

But Covenant, too, has been transformed: weak, angry, and alone in our world, he now holds powers beyond imagining and is greeted as a saviour. Can this man truly become the hero the Land requires?


Book cover of The Mirror

Tamara Weed Why did I love this book?

An antique Chinese mirror transforms the lives’ of two women. Shay Garrett lives in the modern times and her grandmother lives in 1900. On the eve of their marriages, both women find themselves transported from one era to the other. I love this epic time-travel tale of suspense where one young woman contends with love, and identity, and knowing too much in a society far removed from the loud, freer modern times she grew up in, and another young woman deals with the confusion of a raucous world where decorum doesn’t exist, nothing makes sense, and her granddaughter's handsome fiancé is someone she hasn’t got the strength to resist.  

By Marlys Millhiser,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mirror as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this twisting time-travel thriller, a woman faints on the eve of her wedding-and awakens at the turn of the century in her grandmother's body . . .

The night before she is supposed to get married, Shay Garrett has no idea that a glimpse into her grandmother's antique Chinese mirror will completely transform her seemingly ordinary life. But after a bizarre blackout, she wakes up to find herself in the same house-but in the year 1900. Even stranger, she realizes she is now living in the body of her grandmother, Brandy McCabe, as a young woman. Meanwhile, Brandy, having…


Book cover of Odd Thomas

Tamara Weed Why did I love this book?

Dean Koontz creates a hugely likeable hero in Odd Thomas. Assisted by the silent souls of the dead, that only he can see, Odd Thomas races against time to fight evil, where past and present converge. This book and the ones that follow it are hugely engaging because of the sweetness of Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz's humor, and because of its good versus evil race against catastrophe. Buckle your seatbelt and dive into the world of Odd Thomas. You won’t be disappointed.

By Dean Koontz,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Odd Thomas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different.

A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde…


Book cover of The Lord of the Rings

Tamara Weed Why did I love this book?

J.R.R. Tolkien creates an interestingly different world with his hobbits. His characters are likeable, interesting, and the story is one of discovery. Discovery of the fortitude we carry inside us as we maneuver our way through the hardships and joys of life, love, friendship, and loss. This book, like most of my recommendations, has been around for quite a while. Do yourself a favor and settle in for an adventure, especially if you like battles between good and evil. 

By J.R.R. Tolkien,

Why should I read it?

52 authors picked The Lord of the Rings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of…


Book cover of Magic Kingdom for Sale

Tamara Weed Why did I love this book?

This story is just plain fun. It’s full of magic and adventure and if you’re a science fiction fantasy lover, or aren’t quite sure, this is a great story to start on. There is a host of fun characters, the required evil plot to destroy anything and everything good, a dragon and unexpected twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. It’s lighthearted and not as heavy or dark as some science fiction can be. Pull up a chair, a blanket, some popcorn, and jump into the Landover Kingdom for some fun.

By Terry Brooks,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Magic Kingdom for Sale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Here in his first non-Shannara novel, Terry Brooks has written a gripping story of mystery, magic, and adventure—sure to delight fantasy readers everywhere.

Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement has promised. But after he purchased it, Ben Holiday learned that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention.

The kingdom was in ruin. The Barons refused to recognize a king, and the peasants were without hope. A dragon was laying waste the countryside, while an evil witch plotted to destroy everything.

Ben's only followers were the incompetent Court…


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Trans-Mongolian Express

By David L. Robbins,

Book cover of Trans-Mongolian Express

David L. Robbins Author Of War of the Rats

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve penned (so far) seventeen novels, most set during some historical conflict or other, all of them revolving around intense personal relationships (loyalty, love, betrayal, those sorts of profound truths). I tend to read the sorts of books I wish to write. I also teach creative writing at a university (VCU); I tell my students that if they want to really know what a character is made of, shoot at them or have them fall in love. In my own work, I do both.

David's book list on love and war and describing both battlefields

What is my book about?

In the harrowing aftermath of Chornobyl's meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob's side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn't alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chornobyl's catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. As Chief Sheriff Bat races to solve the murder, their lives are thrown into jeopardy. Lara finds an unexpected ally in Gang, a reluctant assassin sent to end her life, and an illicit romance blooms amidst the chaos. But Gang isn't the only killer onboard. A hidden menace lurks, threatening to unravel all their plans.

In this electrifying ride across a historical backdrop, suspense and passion collide in an unyielding dance of survival and redemption. Who will survive the Trans-Mongolian Express?

Trans-Mongolian Express

By David L. Robbins,

What is this book about?

In the harrowing aftermath of Chernobyl's meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob's side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn't alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chernobyl's catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of…


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