A Book Rec List.
And not a Harry Potter book to be seen. A couple references, sure, but that's it. Huzzah.
Favorite Standalone Books (or books with only 1 sequel, written as a sort of afterthought and/or could be seen as two books spit into one)
1. Howl's Moving Castle/Castle in the Air
By Diana Wynne Jones (or really anything by her), but I adore these two books, because it's a sort of Beauty and the Beast parallel, but turned on its head. These books remind me just why DWJ is so awesome, and how awesome the bizarre fairy tale genre is, when it's done right.
2. Trickster's Choice/Queen
By Tamora Pierce. Counting it as 1 book because it reads as a very big two-parter. Definitely one of the more interesting series, not only because it's removed from Tortall proper, but also because there's more magic here than in more recent series (Beka Cooper, anyone?). Well-written, fun, fast-paced and interesting.
3. The Black Tattoo
By Sam Enthoven. Consistently surprised by how good this is--only read it twice, but still. Very, very good, involving, and again with turning the genre on it's head. A bizarre read--especially recommended for fans of the characters (like Xander) who seem to have no powers.
4. War for the Oaks
By Emma Bull. Definitely one of the original 'Urban Fantasy' books, this one focuses on a cross between music and Fairy (i.e. the Fairy Queen, etc). This book was definitely an influence on the later Tithe and subsequent Holly Black books, but at the same time reminds me of something Robin Mckinley might write. I appreciate the ending on this more than on Mckinley's The Hero and the Crown, and that's all I'm saying about that.
5. Sunshine
By Robin Mckinley. Perhaps the best Vampire story written since Dracula, but less because it's different and more because it's not. It's sort of suggesting, what if Vampires existed alongside us all along? Reminiscent of Kim Harrison's Hollows series, but infinitely better, Mckinley shows yet again why she's a master of the Fantasy genre. Definitely a must for anyone who's a fan of a) Vampires, b) Urban Fantasy, c) what-if Fantasy, d) or baking. Really, really, really good.
6. Anything by Neil Gaiman (except for Sandman, which is definitely a series)
I'm thinking Neverwhere or Stardust as an introduction to him, although Sherlock Holmes/HP Lovecraft fans would definitely get a kick out of A Study in Emerald. Anything of his, I love. Except what happened in Sandman IX. Grr.
7. The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray or Poison
By Chris Wooding. I love, love, love The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. (I like Poison, too, but I like Haunting more.) It reads like a cross between Steampunk 1800's England and something Philip Pullman might have written about Lyra's world...it's immersive and terribly, terribly interesting. Sort of Buffy-ish, without the humor, sort of Lovecraftian, without the pretension. Hmm...the setting reminds me a bit of that of Monster Blood Tattoo (DM Cornish)...the darker side of England. Definitely one of my top ten books.
8. Anything by A. Lee Martinez (especially The Automatic Detective)
Except for Gil's All-Fright Dinner, I really like all of A. Lee Martinez's books. I suggest The Automatic Detective for anyone who likes Sci-Fi and Hardboiled detective novels. Sort of reads like a cross between Robots (the movie) and The Maltese Falcon. All of his stuff, though, is a great read for 'turning the genre on it's head'.
9. Summers at Castle Auburn
By Sharon Shinn. I really liked this as a standalone novel, which is a bit suspicious for Sharon Shinn, but really? It's interesting, and absorbing. A great summer read--not too heavy, with a happy ending and involving characters. Sort of a regency fantasy, but not in a bad way.
10. Clockwork
By Philip Pullman. First book of his I ever read, it is terrifying. Go read it! It's only 100 pages or so, but sooo scary...good for a dark and stormy night.
11. The Hero and the Crown/The Blue Sword
Robin Mckinley's award-winning pair of books. Although I love (most of) The Hero and the Crown, the ending sort of sucks, so I end up gravititating towards The Blue Sword, which I really, really like, but that could be because it reminds me of home (desert setting). Magical, interesting, fun. Classic Mckinley. (Oh, and I didn't want to swamp the list with Mckinley, but her Beauty and Rose Daughter are also really, really, really, really, really good. (I slightly prefer Rose Daughter, but that's partly because it's longer. Lol.))
12. Ella Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine. If you're a girl and sort of read at all, you're probably aware of this book. Again with turning the genre on its head.
13. Anything Sarah Dessen
I like 'Just Listen' and 'The Truth About Forever'. Good, satisfying chick-lit, of a sort. A bit 'coming of age', but not enough to gag you with.
14. Little Brother
Cory Doctorow's meditation on the vast involvement of the Government and invasion of privacy. Intense (like a thriller) and interesting and intriguing. If you know anything about current events, give this a read.
15. Wicked Lovely
By Melissa Marr. I realise this is part of a series, now, but it wasn't when I first read it. Basically, another girl-meets-Faerie story, but one of the best of the bunch. Go read! It's very good.
16. Tithe
By Holly Black. Same disclaimer as for Wicked Lovely, but I just love this book anyway. Same summary as Wicked Lovely too, lol. Sort of a different perspective--grittier and a bit of the 'seamy underside' sort of deal. Involving and awesome.
17. Chocolat
By Joanne Harris. Just as good as the movie, if not more so. Definitely read if you like Chocolate or small-town life or baking in general.
18. Skulduggery Pleasant
By Derek Landy. Again with the disclaimer--it's now part of a series, but it wasn't when I read it. Again with turning the genre on it's head--the main character is a living skeleton who throws flames. Really. Sort of a mystery-cum-fantasy with nods to the major Fantasy players as well as some of the Horror writers (Lovecraft, especially.) If a videogame was very, very well written, the story would go something like this. Which isn't me being mean. It's a very good story, and the details are part of why it's so cool.
19. Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
By Maryrose Wood. A silly summer/beach book about a girl who goes on a bike tour of Ireland and discovers magic of a sort. It's short, but sweet, and there's two sequels.
20. The Westing Game
By Ellen Raskin. If you've never read this Newberry Award winner ('79), go read it now. It's classic whodunnit, but it's actually written in such a way that the reader, if she is clever, can figure it out. This books sits very high on my favorites of all-time list.
21. The Beekeeper's Apprentice
By Laurie R King. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, you either fall on the side of Mary or against her. For me, this was my first foray into Sherlock Holmes fiction (apart from A Study in Emerald), and I adored it. It's definitely a different thing than ACD stories, but in a way, it's more accesible. If you end up liking it, you'll have to deal with the accusations that Mary is a Mary Sue (not entirely unfounded) and that Laurie R King is just satisfying some deep instinct to have it on with Sherlock Holmes. Go read it, then decide for yourself.
22. The Dust of 100 Dogs
By A.S. King. One of the most original premises I've read in a long, long time. Imagine if there was a blood-thirsty (well, sort of) Pirate Queen who killed the wrong person, who cursed her to live the lives of 100 dogs...and then is reborn as a modern-day girl, who must struggle with the Pirate Queen in her head and with her own feelings...and you have an idea of why I like this book so much. I hope the author writes more about Saffron, but I'd be content for more, period.
Favorite Series
1. Garth Nix: Keys to the Kingdom
Strangely satisfying young adult series. Gothic, steampunk, and sort of classic Nix. Also! Great names (for various things) sprinkled throughout, a great mythos, intriguing characters...like His Dark Materials, it may be marketed as Young Adult, but us older people do enjoy these things, too.
2. ASOUE
Lemony Snicket's magnum opus, the series deals with the Baudelaire Orphans, Violet, the inventor, Klaus, the bookworm, and Sunny, who bites things (and later cooks). The Orphans are shuttled here and there to various relatives, with Count Olaf trying his darndest to kill/marry/something so he can get their vast fortune. It's an interesting series, not only because it reinforces the idea that adults can't be trusted, but also because the details are exquisite. It's not exactly fantasy, but it's not exactly anything else, except maybe...gothic?
3. Anything Tamora Pierce
Do I really need to dignify this with a paragraph? Here's a suggestion: Go read the Lioness series if you've been living under a rock or something. Or The Immortals. Or The Circle Of Magic.
4. Artemis Fowl series
I adore Artemis, but that could be because I've got a soft spot for scheming, brilliant, criminal mastermind 12-year-olds with awesome bodyguards. It's been compared to Harry Potter, but you could also compare it to Oliver Twist or Huck Finn for all the similarities it has. Basically, yes, both feature a young boy. But really--Eoin Colfer's description of the Fairy World is so interesting, and so with-the-times (in contrast to JKR's wizarding world) that I can't imagine a less-apt comparison. I'm monologuing, aren't I? Go read the series. I adore it.
5. Anne Bishop--Black Jewels series
Again with the gothic stuff. Basically, there's two brothers Sirius Daemon and Remus Lucivar (they're not really like Sirius and Remus, except they totally are) and Saetan and a little girl with more power than, like, the rest of the magicians of their world combined. It's powerful, interesting stuff, and reads a bit like Jacqueline Carey, but with more magic. I really like the series, and it's got smut, if you like that sort of thing. /sarcasm
Oh, and although the author leaves the last book hanging (a bit), she's followed it up quite nicely. Yaay! for authors who don't leave readers hanging.
6. Sharon Shinn Samaria series (or The Twelve Houses series)
The Samaria series is good and interesting and involving, but the books all follow the same premise: there's this woman, who's supposed to be with this guy, but they angstangstangstangstangst until that last 20 pages or so, and then they're happy. But they're good, really. Her Twelve Houses series is better about leaving off the angst, but is also very different from the Samaria series. Take your pick.
7. Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars Trilogy
Yay! Interesting take on the Alice in Wonderland books. Although the author isn't quite top-notch, I rate the ideas at least on par with Chris Wooding's Haunting (see above). Although you may think you know the characters, you really don't.
8. Chrestomanci series
Again with the Diana Wynne Jones! But this is definitely her biggest grouping of stuff, and the most involving. I think it's in the same universe as the Howl/Castle series, but I'm not sure. If you've seen Howl's Moving Castle (the Miyazaaki film), you know what the series looks like--maybe steampunk late 19th century? Dunno. Go read the series, if you haven't. I lovelovelove it.
9. Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series
Long, angsty, well-written political/magical/sexy saga. That's all I'm going to say about that.
10. Bartimaeus Trilogy
Snarky demon! With footnotes! Huzzah! I like this series because it's from Bartimaeus's viewpoint, and he's hilarious. And has asides. And footnotes. Hee.
*By Jonathan Stroud
11. His Dark Materials
Needs no introduction or summary. Is in my top 10 favorite books of all time.
12. LKH's Anita Blake series--up to maybe Narcissus in Chains? (after that, I take no responsibility for the quality of the series.)
As many other reviewers will remind you, LKH was a very very good mystery/thriller writer until she wasn't. (Too much sex spoils the...bed?) Her early stuff is just....awesome. I luff it.
13. Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series
Very very good urban fantasy about Mercy (who is a skinwalker) who gets involved with the local werewolves, vampires, fey, etc. Well-written and plotty.
14. Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer or Dorina Basarab series
Karen Chance reminds me of Patricia Briggs, but the series have very different agendas (?). The main character is a psychic (sort-of) who was brought up by vampires (who are not evil--mostly) and involves her struggles with various...things. Just go read it, if you like Urban fantasy. Oh, and her Dorina Basarab series, which deals with some of the same characters, is just as good.
15. Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Again with turning fairytales on their ear. Princess Cimorene doesn't want to marry a prince, so she goes off to be eaten or work for a Dragon. Who turns out to like Cherries Jubilee, knows a not-evil witch, and is also very powerful. Fun, pass-the-time sort of reading. Similar in tone to what Diana Wynne Jones writes.
16. Timothy Zahn's Quadrail series
What would you get if you crossed heavy sci-fi with hardboiled mystery? The Quadrail series, of course! Interesting, with great details and clues (!!!), I really like this series.
17. Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series (ignore the summary thingy on the back/inside front cover. The blurb writer should be fired--it's better than it seems. A lot better.) One of the better Vampire novels to come out of the hey-LKH-makes-a-lot-of-money-writing-Vampire-books-I-should-too craze, this series is still standing, even after 10 or so books. Charlaine Harris is very cool and writes a great no-nonsense main character. She may be from the south, but she's no Southern Belle. It doesn't really follow with True Blood (or is it the other way round?), so be warned.
18. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series
A friend of mine and I both are amazed at how good Butcher has *stayed*. Very (compulsively) readable urban fantasy. Vampires, werewolves, ancient magicians, fey....big evil things, tough cops and some great supporting characters. Ignore whatever you saw on SciFi (SyFy? *gags self with spoon)--this is the real deal. If LKH hadn't sold out (to sex and blood), this might have been what her AB series would have resembled.
19. Lilith Saintcrow's Jill Kismet or Dante Valentine series
Lilith Saintcrow, despite the wacky name, is a very accomplished writer who manages to combine magic and urban mystery (i.e. she works with the cops) in the first series, and futuristic elements and demons and magic and awesomeness in the second. Really, that name is ridiculous, but her series are very, very good.
20. Rosemary Clement-Moore's Maggie Quinn: Girl vs Evil series
It may by YA, but it's good. Maggie Quinn is a bit psychic, and as she's the only one aware of the dirty deeds going done, she has to do something about it....sort of Buffy-ish, in a good way.
21. Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series
Interesting take on Genies (Djinn), magic, etc. Although I don't know where to tell you to stop, I will tell you *STOP* at some point, as the main character just keeps on getting beaten and beaten and beaten and tko'd and beaten. I'm not sure what Caine is going for, but if she could resolve the smackdown, she'd have on her hands a great series.
22. Anything Agatha Christie
That is all.