Book recommendations for my sister
I have a question for you all -- I know you're avid readers (THANK YOU!), so I know you'll be able to help me out. Actually you'll be helping my sister out. Terie has run out of books to read. Yeah, gasp, it's a serious catastrophe. She goes into Barnes & Noble and walks out with nothing. It's a sad state of affairs. I told her not to worry, that I'd put the question in front of you all.
She likes urban fantasy and she hasn't read Ilona Andrews or Rob Thurman yet, so I've already made those recommendations. She also likes Charles de Lint, so she also goes toward the "urban fairy" end of things. I'm going to recommend Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere to her as well.
Okay, let's hear it -- what should my sister look into getting, so that next time she doesn't walk out of B&N empty handed? (BTW -- she already devours Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.)
Tomorrow I'll answer another reader question. I think. You'll have to excuse me, I just got up. And on Monday, I'll announce a contest that is exclusive to members of my Yahoo Group fan club Raine's Rangers. It's easy to join, just click on any of the "Click to join Raine's Rangers" buttons scattered all over my site, if you want to participate in the contest.
And BTW -- Webmaster Todd and Designer Elyse are proud parents again -- this time of a beautiful baby girl born on Sunday! CONGRATULATIONS!
Lisa
She likes urban fantasy and she hasn't read Ilona Andrews or Rob Thurman yet, so I've already made those recommendations. She also likes Charles de Lint, so she also goes toward the "urban fairy" end of things. I'm going to recommend Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere to her as well.
Okay, let's hear it -- what should my sister look into getting, so that next time she doesn't walk out of B&N empty handed? (BTW -- she already devours Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.)
Tomorrow I'll answer another reader question. I think. You'll have to excuse me, I just got up. And on Monday, I'll announce a contest that is exclusive to members of my Yahoo Group fan club Raine's Rangers. It's easy to join, just click on any of the "Click to join Raine's Rangers" buttons scattered all over my site, if you want to participate in the contest.
And BTW -- Webmaster Todd and Designer Elyse are proud parents again -- this time of a beautiful baby girl born on Sunday! CONGRATULATIONS!
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
7:34 AM
25 Comments:
let's see...
Patricia Briggs
Jennifer Rardin
Michelle Sagara
Rachel Caine
You had to ask. Let me start... ANYTHING by Patricia Briggs. Love them all, but the Mercy series and the Hurog ones (Dragon Bones & Dragon Blood) are probably my favorites. And When Demons Walk. And... (need I go on?)
If she likes Dresden, she should like the Connor Grey books by Mark del Franco (starting with Unshapely Things). It took me a little while to separate Connor and Harry in my mind, because they're a bit similar, but Connor has some interesting personal issues that are very different from Harry. These are a good read. Michelle Sagara's book are super. The Sookie books by Charlaine Harris are verrra good (although my mom thought Sookie was too whiny). I also like Jenna Black's Morgan Kingsley books.
If she doesn't mind dipping into paranormal romance, she should try Nalini Singh's books (again, ANY of them), C.L. Wilson (fairies), Kresley Cole (fairies, Valkyrie, shifters, vamps, you name it). I love Meljean Brook's Guardian books which are all ironically named Demon (Something) even though the demons are the bad ones and there's only been one good one so far. :)
I'll shut up now.
Well, here are some fo the best of the best I've stumbled over in my searches! Your name is on this list, too, whenever I pass it on to others.
Kim Harrison
Ilona Andrews
Robin McKinley - Sunshine
Patricia Briggs
Charlaine Harris
Rachel Vincent
Jeaniene Frost
Karen Chance
Carrie Vaughn
In no particular order;
CE Murphy, Robin D. Owens (has 2 series, the Gardian Series has modern day girls plunked into alternate worlds), Eileen Wilkes, Rachel Vincent, Stephen Woodworth (? Red Hands is one title, more ESPish type of book), Maria V. Snyder(more fantasy), anything by Tamora Pierce (YA fantasy), Tanya Huff, Charlaine Harris(Sookie series and her GRAVE series), Yasmine Galenorn, Kate Forsythe(more fantasy), Christine Feehan(Drake Sisters), Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop(LOVE her stuff but more fantasy style), CT Adams & Cathy Clamp), Kerie Arthur, Anna Windsor, Toby Bishop(flying horses), Mercedes Lackey (her gardian series - Jinx High).
I will get off now before I fill uptwo pages worth. Does she read fantasy or the space opera stuff?
Tine
Tell your sister to check out the YA section of the books store. There is quite a bit of paranormal style books in that sections and the hard backs are WAY cheaper than hardbacks that you would find elsewhere in the store.
Tine
Wow, thank you! LOL. I knew I could depend on you guys. ; )
Keep 'em coming.
Dang, I was going to suggest Patricia Briggs, but I see everyone else has beaten me to that particular author. :)
Here are a few I don't think anyone else has mentioned:
Margaret Ronald
Scott Lynch
Kelly McCullough
Alex Bledsoe
A. Lee Martinez (I just read his book The Automatic Detective and loved it--it's SF but has an urban fantasy feel)
Congratulations to Tod and Elyse!
I don't really read Urban Fantasy, so my list is mostly light fantasy.
Dawn Cook's Princess series, but also check out her Truth series.
Moira Moore's Heroes series; Resenting the Hero, The Hero Strikes Back, and -I think the third is `Heroes at Sea' but I can't remember for sure, and I'm too lazy to look.
I just discovered the Prince Amir series by Nathalie Mallet (over on Fantasy Debut, so you can read the reviews.) They're fantasy mysteries, with cool exotic settings. Deliciously good.
Changeling Prince by Vivian Vande Velde. It's delicious and heartbreaking, and I am totally in love with the hero, Weiland. What can I say? I'm a sucker for tough, honorable men in bad situations.
Has your sister read any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books? The Nightwatch books are great ones to start with. (Guards! Guards! Is the first in the Nightwatch series.)
I'd suggest Anton Strout's Simon Canderous books, and John Leavitt's Mason books.
They have been out for a little while but I highly recommend Tanya Huff's Keeper Chronicles series. Huff also has a new book out, Enchantment Emporium, which I have picked up but not cracked yet, that is getting wonderful reviews. Heck, anything by Tanya rocks!
Also, if not yet read, Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry books.
I loved Robin McKinley's Sunshine and can't recommend it enough.
Oops, forgot to mention Cherie Priest's Eden Moore books.
Great suggestions!
Okay, I'm at home now and was able to look through my booklist (yes, I'm one of that crazy people who have their books listed in an excel file). I came up with some other authors.
Kat Richardson
Not exactly urban fantasy, but:
Justina Robson
Tad Williams
Brandon Sanderson
and if she wants some funny stories which don't require much thinking:
Mary Janice Davidson
Congratulations to the web maestro!
Lots of good suggestions.
Has she read Raymond Feist's Fairy Tale? Or Tad Williams. The War of the Flowers specifically has a modern faerie angle.
Kim Harrison has very entertaining pixies, if she hasn't read those.
Also, I'd second Kat Richardson. The Greywalker series is great.
The Walker Papers by CE Murphy
The Cast Series by Michelle Sagara
Shannon Hale, possibly (I love them, but they aren't urban)
Mercedes Lackey
Maria V. Snyder
The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, (soon to be, new series) The Demon King (author... Cinda Williams? something close to that)
I don't read that much urban fantasy, so if she wants fantasy, I can give her a giant list, but not that large a list for urban.
Not Urban, but another favorite author is Hilari Bell
and Herbie Brennan
and The Guardians of Time Trilogy (the named, the dark, the key)
Runemarks is also good...
definatelt Tamora Pierce
and not fantasy... historic fiction, but LA Meyer's Jacky series is fantastic... 1800s, and I could go on about it, but it's about a girl who becomes a sailor, wears pants, rides horses not in a side-saddle... I can't describe it well, but check it out
I'll stop spouting names, since your sister is into urban.
congratulations to Tod and Elise!
Hope we helped your sister out!
How do you think of titles for your books?
: )
I knew I had the Heir series author name wrong. Her name is Cinda Chima
she might also check out Young Adult author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
: )
Thank you all!
LOL. Tanja, my best friend has her books in an Excel file, too, so you're not the only one. ; )
I'd definitely recommend Simon R Green's books. (I love them.) The Nightside series, Drinking Midnight Wine and Shadow's Fall are all in the urban fantasy end of things. The Deathstalker series is space opera (but genius) and the Forest Land books are also great. His books are very funny (but does help if you like very British, very sarcastic humour), fairly grotesque in places, have really strong characters and a clear romantic spine to the stories (by which I mean that key relationship(s) are the backbone of each book).
Keri Arthur's Memory Zero series is good (her other stuff is okay bit more paranormal romance).
Age of Misrule by Mark Chadbourn is sort of urban fantasy / horror, but good.
Dead to Me by Anton Strout is quite fun and Kelly McCullough's Cybermancy etc is also an entertaining read.
If your sister likes Jim Butcher, she may like David Deveaux's Hunter's Moon. It's kind of like an NC-17 version so may not be suitable!
Have got loads of fantasy and sci-fi recommendations if of interest...
Also totally agree with all the recommendations for:
- Patricia Briggs (love the Hurog and Raven series; the Mercy books are also great - and the right genre)
- Karen Chance (love, love her stuff, Pritkin her deranged war-mage is one of my favourite characters ever...)
- Marie von Synder (Poison Study is a great book)
Oh, if she likes Butcher, she should try these:
Kim Harrison (The Hollows-little of everything, lots of magic)
Marc Del Franco (Connor Grey-magics)
Anton Strout (Simon Canderous-magics)
T.A. Pratt (Marla Mason-magics)
Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville-weres)
Vicki Petterson (Zodiac-awesome super heroes)
Jocelyn Drake (vamps)
Caitlin Kittredge (Nocturne City-weres & Black London-magics)
Rachel vincent (Werecats)
Richelle Mead (Georgina Kincaid - Succubus)
Mark Henry (dirty foul mouthed zombies lol)
...I could go on, but really that's a good place to start. :)
I read through the whole list and no one mentioned Phaedra Weldon-- her Zoe Martinique books. I just started the first one-- pretty interesting concept involving a protagonist who can travel outside her body at will. I second the young adult suggestions, adding Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize and Eternal (Eternal is a bit better).
What a great list of new authors to try out. I am definately going out and looking up some if not most of these suggestions.
Tine
Mike Carey "Felix Castor series"
GARDEN SPELLS - Sarah Addison Allen
FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS - Cherie Priest
Richelle Mead any of her series
Rachel Caine - Morganville Vampire series
Rachel Caine (Weather Warden series, Morganville Vampires)
Chloe Neill (SOME GIRLS BITE)
D.D. Barant (DYING BITES...hmm, I'm sensing a theme in my reading)
Laurell K. Hamilton (depending on her age)
Faith Hunter (BLOODRING, SERAPHS, HOST, SKINWALKER)
P.N. Elrod's Vampire Files
Marjorie M. Liu (THE IRON HUNT, DARKNESS CALLS)
This is great! Not only can Terie (who's two years older than me, BTW) find some great books, but it's helping me and I suspect a lot of you as well.
Thank you!
Hi Lucienne, great to hear from you!
I don't know if I'm too late with suggestions, but I would recommend
Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series - the first book is Halfway to the Grave
Suzanne McLeod's Spellcrackers.com series - the first book is The Sweet Scent of Blood
Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series - first book is Touch the Dark
Rachel Vincent's Shifters series - first book is Stray
Jaye Well's Red-Headed Stepchild
I have loved all of those books! :)
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