Do you believe in magic, bigwig?

[witticaster]

I've enjoyed keeping track of my reading list here, and it encourages me to read more, which is vital for brain maintenance. The theme of the past several weeks has been YA novels, which have the benefit of being quick easy pulp that I can read in an evening after work without sacrificing too much of my productive time, as well as being an easy way

Comments

[lisefrac]

Oh, I'm so glad you liked Shadow & Bone! (I haven't read Siege & Storm yet -- don't spoil me!) As you may have guessed, this book scratches many of my personal literary itches.

There is a fic you should read if you are at all Alina/Darkling-inclined. It is actually mildly spoilery for book 2, but I read it without having done so. If you are intrigued, I'll dig it up for you when I'm not at work and can go digging around on AO3.

[witticaster]

I worried you might not have! So I tried to say little. I think you'll like it! And I always enjoy fanfic. :)

Have you read Deathless? I forget. I also recommend Sunshine, but it's not much like Shadow and Bone beyond the sun-magic parallel, and belongs more firmly to the genre of heroines solving mysteries with vampiric love interests, so it might be less your cup of tea.

[lisefrac]

Is that Cat Valente? I have not read it. Or, indeed, anything by her, although I really should.

Sunshine I am intrigued by, because I loved the other Robin McKinley I've read (Outlaws of Sherwood, Deerskin), and pretty much anything that can be described as "solving mysteries with vampiric love interests" is up my alley.

On that note, have you read New Amsterdam? (Elizabeth Bear)

Alsoalso I really need to get caught up Gentleman Bastards, too. Supposedly the next book comes out this year, although since Scott is still writing it, I'm wondering how they're going to manage that.

Ruin & Rising, the final book in the Grisha trilogy, also comes out this year. So it's a good time for books, all around ;)

[witticaster]

It is! Not my usual style, but the language is...luxurious, for lack of a better term.

Definitely. Sunshine is one of my favorite books, and easily my favorite in that genre. (Which makes me all the sadder it has no sequels, though it has at least one fic that included a bread recipe! The main character is a baker.) I haven't read anything else by her, but considering my love for Sunshine, I probably should.

I have not read New Amsterdam, but it looks excellent and is now added to my queue.

Very much so! There are at least five books supposedly coming out this year that I'm excited about, maybe more? And others I'm stalking that don't yet have publish dates.

[kdsorceress]

I'm definitely going to read this post closer and take some recommendations, but if you like female-centered YA, I cannot recommend highly enough L.A. Meyer's "Bloody Jack" series. There are eleven out so far, all following the riotous tall tale of Mary "Jacky" Faber, a sailor, soldier, lady, spy at the turn of the 19th century and middle of the Napoleonic wars.

~Sor

[witticaster]

More things to add to my queue! Yes, good. I always have time for spies.

[witticaster]

Excellent! That is exactly what they are for!