83 books like The Little Country

By Charles de Lint,

Here are 83 books that The Little Country fans have personally recommended if you like The Little Country. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of War for the Oaks: The Screenplay

Nancy M. Bell Author Of Laurel's Quest

From my list on magic and myth in our everyday lives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love horses and I love the magic that exists in the world. I have always been drawn to both. My maternal grandmother had the ‘second sight’ as they called it, and I have inherited that from her. My books and poetry reflect my sincere belief that magic and wonder are alive and well and that we need to nourish them by acknowledging their existence in our everyday lives. The miracle of life, the sun rising and setting every day, the dance of the stars and moon across the sky, the glory of the northern lights—who can claim that isn’t magic? 

Nancy's book list on magic and myth in our everyday lives

Nancy M. Bell Why did Nancy love this book?

While in a style all her own, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks mirrors de Lint’s ability to bring the thrill of magic and danger into our world against the backdrop of our mundane reality. I love the idea that magic exists alongside the reality most think is the be all and end all. To believe that the things we see out of the corner of our eye actually exist, perhaps just in an alternate realm that lies beside ours. I have to say I believe in magic. I thoroughly enjoy this book and have read it more than once.

By Emma Bull, Will Shetterly,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked War for the Oaks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Eddi McCandry has just left her boyfriend and their band when she finds herself drafted against her will in a faerie war between the Summer and Winter Courts, the WAR FOR THE OAKS. While trying to cope with her new otherworldly bodyguyard, the Pooka, Eddi also struggles to build a new life, a new band, survive the schemes of the Queen of Air and Darkness -- and discover the magic that is truly her own. Emma Bull and Will Shetterly write novels, short stories, screenplays, comic books, poetry and essays. Emma was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula and World…


Book cover of Face the Fire

Nancy M. Bell Author Of Laurel's Quest

From my list on magic and myth in our everyday lives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love horses and I love the magic that exists in the world. I have always been drawn to both. My maternal grandmother had the ‘second sight’ as they called it, and I have inherited that from her. My books and poetry reflect my sincere belief that magic and wonder are alive and well and that we need to nourish them by acknowledging their existence in our everyday lives. The miracle of life, the sun rising and setting every day, the dance of the stars and moon across the sky, the glory of the northern lights—who can claim that isn’t magic? 

Nancy's book list on magic and myth in our everyday lives

Nancy M. Bell Why did Nancy love this book?

I’m not a big romance fan, but Roberts deftly mixes good and evil and witches and demons into a purely solid and real setting which brings the magic to the forefront and relegates the romance part of the plot to a secondary character. Set on Three Sisters Island, an old legend is brought to a conclusion in a wild climax. I loved all three books in this series.

By Nora Roberts,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Face the Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The conclusion of the "Three Sisters Island" trilogy. The new owner of the island's only hotel, Sam has returned to Three Sisters with hopes of winning back Mia's affections. But Mia needs his help to face her greatest challenge, and the deadline for breaking a centuries-old curse draws near.


Book cover of Magic's Pawn

Kit Caelsto Author Of The Pegasus Project: A Musimagium Story

From my list on fantasy for horse lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Horse Crazy” isn’t a description; it’s a way of life for me. I’ve loved horses since I could remember, selling Girl Scout cookies to finance my way through three years of horse camp, working weekends cleaning stalls, even pursing a degree in Equine Science. Discovering fantasy books with magical, sentient horses not only introduced me to fantasy fiction, but also just made my own experience with horses seem real. Currently, I write equestrian fantasy as well as equestrian literature (horse books for those who chose not to grow out of being horse crazy” and live on my homestead with my herd of rescue horses, who inspire me every day.

Kit's book list on fantasy for horse lovers

Kit Caelsto Why did Kit love this book?

It’s the early 1990s, and a “horse crazy” teenager discovers a fantasy novel with a striking white horse and a handsome, dark-haired young man on the cover at her local K-Mart. Okay, so I’ve dated myself, but I’m not going to lie. A horse and a cute boy got me into reading Mercedes Lackey’s tales of Valdemar, and Magic’s Pawn was the first book I discovered. A fantasy novel with a horse that could talk to you and magic powers was the perfect escape for a teenager, and I’m not alone. Many readers discovered Valdemar, and more importantly, a gay protagonist, through these books, and Mercedes Lackey’s work has touched us all in the decades since.

Keep the tissues handy, but this series remains one of my favorite comfort reads. Reading any Valdemar book is like coming home to old, dear friends, and Vanyel’s story sets the stage for so…

By Mercedes Lackey,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Magic's Pawn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe • Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic  
 
Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wasn’t no part in such things. Nor does he seek a warrior’s path, wishing instead to become a Bard.
 
Yet such talent as his, if left untrained, may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar.
 
But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a…


Book cover of The Sun and the Serpent

Nancy M. Bell Author Of Laurel's Quest

From my list on magic and myth in our everyday lives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love horses and I love the magic that exists in the world. I have always been drawn to both. My maternal grandmother had the ‘second sight’ as they called it, and I have inherited that from her. My books and poetry reflect my sincere belief that magic and wonder are alive and well and that we need to nourish them by acknowledging their existence in our everyday lives. The miracle of life, the sun rising and setting every day, the dance of the stars and moon across the sky, the glory of the northern lights—who can claim that isn’t magic? 

Nancy's book list on magic and myth in our everyday lives

Nancy M. Bell Why did Nancy love this book?

This book was instrumental in my creation of Laurel’s Quest. Hamish and Paul are earth energy dowsers and Laurel follows their path along the Mary/Michael earth energy lines in England. It is a journey of discovery and of confirmation of their theory that ancient man knew about these lines of power and built stone monuments to mark the places where the two lines (male and female) cross to create nodes. Avebury and Glastonbury Tor being two of the most well-known. Pilgrims still walk the ancient Ridgeway and Icknield Ways that cross the English countryside leading from one place of power to another under the watchful gaze of the many white chalk horses scoured into the hillsides. I can’t recommend this book enough, it is brilliant.

By Paul Broadhurst, Hamish Miller,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

If you are into ley lines, then this book is a must for you. It literally maps the Michael and Mary ley lines (which originate in Cornwall in the South West of England) in the finest detail, and takes you on a journey through ancient history to present day. Not only will you discover where the ley lines criss-cross the English countryside but you will find out how the ancients used the ley lines to locate their sacred sites and activate their energies at key times of the year to promote fertility and harmony in the landscape and the people.


Book cover of North Cornwall Fairies And Legends

Anna Chorlton Author Of Cornish Folk Tales of Place: Traditional Stories from North and East Cornwall

From my list on capturing the magic of Cornwall.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to write about the places, folklore, nature, and above all the magic of Cornwall. I have lived in Cornwall most of my life, I learned to crawl along the rockpools of Cornish beaches and I went to school in a moorland village. Now, I live on the edge of Bodmin Moor and write in the Cornish wilds, I live close to both the moors and the sea. I began writing for Cornish folklore project Mazed in 2013 and I have been retelling Cornish Folk Tales and writing poetry and stories inspired by Cornish folklore ever since. 

Anna's book list on capturing the magic of Cornwall

Anna Chorlton Why did Anna love this book?

Enys Tregarthen’s tales have bought Cornish magic into every home for a hundred years.

I have spent a lot of time with her books and retold many tales in my book. North Cornwall Fairies and Legends is a basket full of piskeys, (the Cornish fairy folk.) One of my favourites is the Piskey’s Revenge, which I retold for Cornish storytelling project Mazed. It is illustrated by Steven Lambert, and used in Cornishibai street storytelling.

It tells how Granfer accidentally digs up the piskey beds, in revenge, the piskeys eat all Granfer’s birthday biscuits. Enys writes about the children of Cornwall and what they encounter: they meet piskey friends up on the moors, little stone figures come alive in towns and aways there is an excuse for piskey mischief.

By Enys Tregarthen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked North Cornwall Fairies And Legends as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank…


Book cover of Penmarric

Josa Keyes Author Of Sail Upon the Land: A Novel About Motherhood

From my list on novels where a house is a major character.

Why am I passionate about this?

Within the caste into which I was born, daughter of a daughter of a daughter, I was ‘nobody’—no dowry, an awkward brain, and unfashionable looks—dark hourglass, not blonde beanpole. Unless I married the right kind of man, of course–an eldest son with a big house. This was the 70s, and you probably don’t believe me, but many girls still went the full Jane Austen. So I’m perfectly qualified to tell you about the best books that centre on a big house as metaphor, a major character or a massive plot point in a novel. And, reader, I swerved marrying a man for his house too.

Josa's book list on novels where a house is a major character

Josa Keyes Why did Josa love this book?

Susan Howatch walked away from her career as a highly successful novelist some years ago, but she’s well worth a read. Penmarric is the name of another Cornish mansion that is the fixed point in a swirling family saga. She took as her template the lives of the Plantagenet King Henry II and his powerful wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, plus their warring sons, with the house Penmarric standing in for the throne they fought over. You don’t need to know medieval history to enjoy the yarn.

Divided into five sections, each is narrated by a different family member. The action kicks off in 1890 with Mark Castallack clapping eyes on his complicated, older, future wife, Janna, in a churchyard. His mother, Maud, has directed her whole life towards regaining possession of the family estate, left to her cousin Giles instead of her because of primogeniture, and Maud was the wrong…

By Susan Howatch,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Penmarric as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the acclaimed author of Cashelmara: the “grippingly readable” New York Times–bestselling saga of a noble English family torn apart (The Sunday Times).

Overlooking the bleak cliffs of Cornwall is Penmarric, the ancestral home of Mark Castallack. The stunning gothic manor is the picture of English nobility, wealth, and comfort. But as the twentieth century unfolds, those behind Penmarric’s towering walls face nothing short of disaster. As Mark and his children struggle to save their home and their aristocratic way of life, they must engage in a bitter fight against greed, ambition, betrayal, and even murder.
 
Over her forty-year career,…


Book cover of The Phantom Lover

Alexandria Blaelock Author Of The Ghost and Ms Cox

From my list on ghosty best friends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was five when we moved to Australia, and soon after I discovered two things: I am the seventh child of a seventh child, with magic powers including the ability to see ghosts. My mother’s brother Dennis drowned when he was six. Naturally I started talking to him. Mind you, Mum also told me if the wind changed my face would stay like that, so the ghost thing probably wasn’t true either. Technically she only brought two of us to term. Dennis and I still talk, but we don’t have much in common anymore. With that in mind, please enjoy my ghosty best friends book recommendations.

Alexandria's book list on ghosty best friends

Alexandria Blaelock Why did Alexandria love this book?

Okay, so this one is a cheat, because the ghost isn’t actually dead, only wishes he was dead. When I was a teenager I borrowed this one from one of my mother's friends, not long after it was published, and “forgot” to give it back I liked it so much.

Regency romances can be a little overwrought, but I read it again recently, and it holds up to the passage of time. But, it tells us, that no matter how bad things seem, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Life is what you make it, even if it takes all your courage, you have to keep adjusting and moving forwards. 

By Elizabeth Mansfield,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The fascinating stranger who visits a young lady in the dead of night is no ghostly spirit in this spellbinding Regency romance by award-winning author Elizabeth Mansfield

After scandalizing London with her improper behavior and jilting two suitors, Nell Belden is about to do it again. This time she rejects the very wealthy, utterly insufferable nobleman her financially strapped guardians have been pressuring her to marry. Banished to their isolated Cornwall estate, Nell is awakened one night by an unusual apparition.
 
But her midnight visitor is no phantom. He is Captain Henry Thorne, sixth Earl of Thornbury. The new Lord…


Book cover of Notes from an Exhibition

Rachel Hore Author Of The Hidden Years

From my list on making you fall in love with Cornwall again.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a UK bestselling writer of historical fiction who has often used Cornwall as a setting. I wrote about a lost garden and a colony of Edwardian artists in The Memory Garden, about the Second World War in A Gathering Storm and The Hidden Years. My father was Cornish, which meant wonderful childhood holidays spent in the county. I fell in love with its breathtakingly beautiful landscapes - rugged cliffs, picturesque fishing villages, expansive sandy beaches where the sea thunders in. I’ve feasted on its history and legends, and on stories of danger, romance, and adventure set in the region. It’s fulfilled a dream to have written my own.    

Rachel's book list on making you fall in love with Cornwall again

Rachel Hore Why did Rachel love this book?

This novel has everything in it that I love about Cornwall – the life and work of its artists, an incredible sense of the scenery and atmosphere, and the limpid light cast over its beauty. 

It’s also an absorbing story about the price that may have to be paid for following your star. Successful artist Rachel Kelly values creativity and self-expression, but all too often she places these above the happiness of her partner and children. Is she right or is she wrong? 

By Patrick Gale,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Notes from an Exhibition as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The new novel from the bestselling Patrick Gale tells the story of artist Rachel Kelly, whose life has been a sacrifice to both her extraordinary art and her debilitating manic depression. When troubled artist Rachel Kelly dies painting obsessively in her attic studio in Penzance, her saintly husband and adult children have more than the usual mess to clear up. She leaves behind an extraordinary and acclaimed body of work -- but she also leaves a legacy of secrets and emotional damage it will take months to unravel. A wondrous, monstrous creature, she exerts a power that outlives her. To…


Book cover of The Light Within Us

Terri Nixon Author Of The Secrets of Pencarrack Moor

From my list on not confusing strong women with hard hearts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the author of 10 books published in the historical genre, and 7 more in other genres (which also feature women who have been tested and hardened in various fires). I have spent years reading first-hand accounts of wartime ambulance drivers, nurses, farm labourers, pilots, and others, and I have uncovered the startling true lives of some remarkable women – it’s furnished me with a desire to showcase women like this in fictional settings, and give them the satisfactory stories they deserve but too often never had. My characters are all fictional, but they couldn’t exist without those powerful examples of strength and courage.

Terri's book list on not confusing strong women with hard hearts

Terri Nixon Why did Terri love this book?

This is book one of a wonderful series: The Spindrift Trilogy. Because it’s set in Cornwall, where I grew up and where I set most of my books, it naturally drew me in quickly. The series features a rich cast of characters, mainly female at the start, although as male children are born, and grow up, the balance shifts a little. It follows the fortunes of an artistic community that springs from a personal crisis, and the rich mixture of characters keeps the story lively and optimistic while still dealing with the darker side of human nature, and the uncertainty in any new venture where so many almost strangers are brought together. This sense of community is something I myself try to convey in my work, and here it’s done beautifully.

By Charlotte Betts,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'A delightful historical saga which is so beautifully woven together that from the very start I was enchanted' Jaffa Reads Too

From the award-winning author of The Apothecary's Daughter comes a beautifully evocative, family drama, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet Chronicles.

1891. Spindrift House, Cornwall.

Talented painter Edith Fairchild is poised to begin a life of newlywed bliss and artistic creation in the inspiring setting of Spindrift House, freshly inherited by her charming husband, Benedict, and overlooking the stunning harbour of Port Isaac. But when her honeymoon turns sour, her dreams are…


Book cover of A Year of Marvellous Ways

Anna Chorlton Author Of Cornish Folk Tales of Place: Traditional Stories from North and East Cornwall

From my list on capturing the magic of Cornwall.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to write about the places, folklore, nature, and above all the magic of Cornwall. I have lived in Cornwall most of my life, I learned to crawl along the rockpools of Cornish beaches and I went to school in a moorland village. Now, I live on the edge of Bodmin Moor and write in the Cornish wilds, I live close to both the moors and the sea. I began writing for Cornish folklore project Mazed in 2013 and I have been retelling Cornish Folk Tales and writing poetry and stories inspired by Cornish folklore ever since. 

Anna's book list on capturing the magic of Cornwall

Anna Chorlton Why did Anna love this book?

Ninety-year-old Marvellous is a river goddess, her whole being is immersed in a Cornish creek, she lives in a caravan beside the water and loves a swim.

Marvellous lives on in my imagination. Nature is an organic part of the novel, time and seasons move with the tide; the reader knows it is spring because the ransoms (wild garlic) are out. I love rivers, they wind their way into my own writing, West Looe River is often my muse as a poet. 

I met Sarah Winman when I stumbled upon her book signing at my local bookshop. I only had enough money to buy Marvellous Ways or shoes to wear to an awards ceremony that evening. I realized no one would notice my old shoes so I bought the book and loved every page.

By Sarah Winman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Year of Marvellous Ways as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A YEAR OF MARVELLOUS WAYS is the unforgettable and completely captivating new novel from Sarah Winman, author of the international bestseller WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT.

Marvellous Ways is eighty-nine years old and has lived alone in a remote Cornish creek for nearly all her life. Lately she's taken to spending her days sitting on a mooring stone by the river with a telescope. She's waiting for something - she's not sure what, but she'll know it when she sees it.

Drake is a young soldier left reeling by the Second World War. When his promise to fulfil a dying…


Book cover of War for the Oaks: The Screenplay
Book cover of Face the Fire
Book cover of Magic's Pawn

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Interested in Cornwall, fairies, and country music?

Cornwall 73 books
Fairies 150 books
Country Music 106 books