Lists ...

Looking for something genre-related to read? What follows are a few of my favourite books ... in no particular order ...:

1. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. My Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
3. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
4. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Bitten is the first book in the Women of the Otherworld series. It's my favourite.

My Silver Metal Lover is a stand-alone, although a sort-of sequel was released several years after this one.

Burnt Offerings is somewhere in the middle of the Anita Blake series. They're all good up to Narcissus in Chains; after that, they started losing their focus to become more of a crazy mass sex partner plus ick factor storyline and less of a kick-ass detective story line.

Dead Until Dark is the first of the Sookie Stackhouse supernatural mysteries. One of my favourite series - an easy, light read with a sense of humour. The later books seem to be losing their freshness a bit, but the first four are great and even the ones after that are readable.

Dead Witch Walking is the first in the Rachel Morgan series. I've really enjoyed every book in this series -- it isn't waning for me at all. The only one I wasn't crazy about was A Fistful of Charms ... but even that was well-written. It was just some elements of the subject matter that annoyed me.

Recently Read ...

For A Few Demons More, by Kim Harrison

Haven't posted in quite a while! It's not like I stopped reading ... although maybe I've been reading a bit less ...

The most recent book I read was For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. It's the fifth book in her Rachel Morgan collection, currently one of my favourite series. I as wasn't crazy about the fourth book -- A Fistful of Charms -- but this latest work more than makes up for it.

We're talking magic, we're talking decisions, we're talking poignant. The characters are evolving. I'm a little concerned about Matalina, since clearly the author doesn't have a problem with removing key characters as needed. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan? I'm guessing "yes" on that one ... LOL ...)

The main characters in this installment are the core trio - Rachel, Ivy and Jenks. Look for appearances by Glen (Edden's son), Trent Kalamak, Kisten, Piscary, Skinner and of course Rachel's alpha and insurance agent, the werewolf David Hue. And did I mention the demons? Oops.

If you're already into the series, I think you'll find this book satisfyingly bittersweet. If you haven't started the series yet, I recommend going to the library or bookstore and picking up the first one -- Dead Witch Walking.

To check out the author's site, click here.

Recently Read ...

Firestorm, by Rachel Caine
It's the latest in the Weather Warden series. I clearly have a vested interest in this series, having bought and read all of the books. But as with all of the others, I inhaled this book as soon as I got it. Was I reading something else at the time? Who can remember! I believe I was but clearly it got tossed aside in favour of one of my favourite authors.

Do yourself a favour and read the whole series, starting from Ill Wind and working your way through until you hit this one. I've done it myself - more than once!

Recently Read ...

The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawkes.
Highly recommend this book. One of the most interesting stories I've read in a long time and the writing is superb.

More than that though ... this is a book that makes you think. About just how often we are photographed every day, and what is being done with those images. It can make you paranoid. It can make you want to find some way to live off the grid. It's definitely making me want to read the next book in the series.

Anansi Brothers by Neil Gaiman, part 2

Finished reading this book a few weeks ago now - sorry!

Ultimately, it was a good book.

One of the things I love about Neil Gaiman books are the layers. You think he has wandered off the point when, with a gentle toe nudge, you understand why the story is being told the way it has been told.

Strong Caribbean folkloric theme crossed with London slightly geeky urban culture. It makes for an interesting mix.

Danse Macabre, by Laurell K. Hamilton

Originally published on Chapters.ca here.

*SIGH*
Reviewer:Bibi from Toronto
Date:13/07/2006 1:12:21 PM

This book was *not* good. I have been a long-time fan of the Anita Blake series -- I even enjoyed Micah for the kind of book it was. But Danse Macabre was ... bad. If you feel compelled to read it for the sake of loyalty and continuity, by all means go for it. But do yourself a favour and borrow it from the library instead of wasting money on the hardcover. Sure, ok, there is at least one hot sex scene in this book. And? If that was all I was looking for from a Laurell K. Hamilton book, I would have bought something from the Merry Gentry series. There is no mystery plotline. The conflict(s) feel contrived. The author frequently tells the reader what a character is thinking or feeling rather than showing us -- one of the fundamental no-no's of good writing. This book was so tedious that I literally skipped paragraphs, even pages. I got within the last 3 pages of the end of the book and couldn't be bothered to finish it for days. Maybe Ms. Hamilton has gotten bored of her characters, or of this series. If so, she needs to either take a break or do something else. Me, I'm getting her next book from the library and looking into other fine authors in this genre again.

Every Which Way But Dead, by Kim Harrison

Review originally published on Chapters.ca here.

Favourite book in the series!
Reviewer:Bibi from Toronto
Date:06/06/2006 9:16:01 PM

I love this series. But this particular book, for some reason, is the one I pick up and re-read whenever I'm between gripping novels.

Good action, emotional layers, and it fleshes out the relationships between the characters -- in more ways than one! ;-)

It does not work as a stand-alone; you have to have read Dead Witch Walking and The Good, The Bad and The Undead to know what's going on. Frankly, every so often I go on a binge and read all three again. The main character, Rachel, kicks butt. She can take care of herself even as she allows herself to lean on those around her.

In this book, her powers expand even further and she deals with the ramifications of this. Trent becomes a more sympathetic character as we get to know him better, as does Quen ... and Kisten. If you enjoy entertainment like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series (before the last few releases), Kelley Armstrong and Charlaine Harris ... you'll want to check out this book -- and the ones that came before it.

Anansi Brothers, by Neil Gaiman
Part 1

Strangely enough, I'm starting off this blog with a book not exactly in the genre I tend to read. It's got magic, it's got folklore. Too early to tell whether or not I like it yet.

So far, it's got that casual and third-person-removed feeling to it with a main character who isn't automatically likeable. His nickname is "Fat Charlie", he has a job he doesn't really enjoy but can't aspire to much more, his mother has died, his father is an embarassment.

I'm about 30-50 pages into the book, and it started to get more interesting on the subway ride down to work this morning.

More to follow.