After reading his short story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, you understand that Joe Hill can write anything and make it believable. And he should, since he is also Steven King’s son. Horns, his second novel, is about the good and evil in all of us, about love and hate, about family and secrets, and about religion, philosophy, and revenge. The story focuses on a poor soul named Ig, who wakes up after a morning of debauchery with demonic horns on his head. They come with strange powers, and – like any gift of the devil – have consequences. As Ig learns to use the horns he is turned toward investigating the murder of his true love, Merrin, for which he was the prime suspect. You root for Ig, even as he becomes more demonic, and you loathe the villain, who is among the top creepiest you’ll ever read. Horns is a great book, and Joe Hill is a major, major talent.
A great story of what could have been (and could still be) America, written fifty years ago but more relevant than ever. It's the story of a small town whose residents are the victim of a nuclear bomb and their struggle to survive in the aftermath.
I first read this as required reading in the 9th grade. I admit, I wasn't looking forward to it--I hated summer reading--but once I started this book I just couldn't put it down, and over time it's made its way into my all-time favorites. I recommend it to every single customer who has it listed as a choice on their summer reading lists. I reread it every couple of years or so and it's just as entertaining and enjoyable each time as it was the first. You'll get sucked into Randy's world and be absorbed by the many unique characters involved. I can't say enough about it!
The cover art intrigued me first. It lacked the fantasy cliches. But the jacket sounded like a Harry Potter wanna-be, so I resisted. When I read a favorable review, which also mentioned that the author was a senior writer for Time magazine and a book critic, I took another look at that cover. What is it about the drab misty glade that is so interesting? The prose hooked me quickly and I laughed at the good-humored stabs at Harry Potter, Narnia, and Tolkien. In fact, I wonder if Mr. Grossman didn't write The Magicians in the way he would have liked the others to have been written ... for adults (Arctic fox orgy anyone?). So if you are a fan of Harry and Narnia and are an adult (at least technically), then you should love this fresh take on all things magical. In our store there are six of us who have read it, and the number is growing. Positive reviews abound.
I read a Garth Nix book when I was much younger, called Shade's Children and loved it. I was doing my closing walk-through the kids department and saw the set of Seventh Tower Series 1-3 books just sitting there. On a whim, I picked it up. The first chapter is incredibly full of suspense and leaves you not knowing what happens for the entire first book (the second chapter starts a flashback). The books are short, fun, and fast-paced so I could read each one in about a day. As a matter of fact, I finished 4, 5, and 6 between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am one night when I should have been sleeping for school the next day because I was so enrapt I could not bear to not finish the entire series. I highly suggest if you are going to start these, you get the combined books (you can order 1-3 all in one book and 4-6 all in one book) because they each end on cliffhangers. Luckily, I didn't have to wait in between books.
While clearly written for juvenile readers, the series was quite thought-provoking and deeply into the realm of science fiction/fantasy. The entire series takes place in a world that could be ours in the distant future perhaps, in which a "veil" covers the planet and keeps out the sun (and shadows, coincidentally, which makes more sense later on). As a result, there are those who live in "the castle" kept warm by lava floes under the ground and lit by sunstones, and those who live on the ice and have adapted to the dark and freezing temperatures. When one accustomed to the castle winds up on the ice, an impressive adventure ensues. The main character, Tal, has to use only what limited magic he's been taught and the unwilling help of an icecarl, to get back to the castle, get a sunstone, travel to the spirit world of Aenir to get a shadowguard and save his mother, protect his brother and sister, and find his father. Or at least that's how it begins. He also manages to discover corruption and an ensuing war that his family is caught up in.
I recommend these books for children, teens, and adults. Adults - take a day off from what you normally read and enjoy something you don't usually do. You might just be surprised!
The rest of the books are: Castle (Seventh Tower Series #2), Aenir (Seventh Tower Series #3), Above the Veil (Seventh Tower Series #4), Into Battle (Seventh Tower Series #5), and The Violet Keystone (Seventh Tower Series #6). The sets are Seventh Tower(1-3) and Seventh Tower (4-6).
Jimmy Stark, a small-time magician from Los Angeles, has spent the past eleven years in hell. He's been fighting demons gladiator-style for their entertainment, and somehow he's survived. But when he finds out that the same people who betrayed him by banishing him to hell have killed the only woman he ever loved, he manages to break out of hell to seek his revenge. This ends up involving taking over the video store now run by the bottom-rung magician from the group who betrayed Stark, but that's all part of the fun. Sandman Slim is part urban fantasy and part gritty detective novel. It's also downright hilarious at times. Stark has a sarcastic wit to rival Harry Dresden's, keeps a severed head (living, just temporarily detached from its body) in his closet for questioning, and has to convince the video store clerk to teach him about the internet. No doubt any fan of The Dresden Files will love Sandman Slim -- like Dresden, Stark is cynical and heavy on the sarcasm, not to mention technology-illiterate, but Sandman is R-rated to Dresden's PG-13. The tone is much darker, and Stark is a man on a mission, hell-bent on revenge. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Dresden, or of any of Neil Gaiman's work, but this is a great choice for anyone who likes fantasy and is looking for something new and engaging.
This young adult series, with a supernatural twist, is kind of like a mixture of several other stories rolled into one. There is the girl who used to be popular and now has secrets and is an outcast...there is the mysterious boy she is drawn to...there is mind-reading...there are people who seem to live forever.
While the story has some holes, I enjoyed reading all three books currently published and will definitely pick up the next one when it comes out. I found Ever to be a very interesting main character and loved reading about her interactions with Damon. Without giving too much away, I liked how Alyson Noel described some of the places Ever and Damon went and definitely felt like I was there, too.
This series is for you if you want a quick, entertaining read and won't be too critical. I'm not saying they aren't good (if they weren't, I wouldn't have read them all!), but read it with an open mind and I think you will enjoy the story.
Further Reading:
Blue Moon (Immortals Series #2)
Shadowland (Immortals Series #3)
* Jake Chambers, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Stephen King
What do a bunch of middle schoolers do when all of the adults suddenly disappear? What happens when everyone under 15 is left alone with no explanation and no supervision? This is the premise of Gone by Michael Grant, the first in the Gone series. While the book is recommended for readers ages 11 to 15, the story is so interesting that even as an adult I found it quite interesting. The main issues in the book concern the chaos that ensues once the kids realize they are alone. Someone needs to take care of the babies...someone needs to keep an eye on the food...someone needs to take care of the ill. In addition to these situations, mutations keep arising in the students and animals with seemingly no explanation. The chaos and fear that follows the disappearance of everyone over 14 combined with these new powers some of the students begin to possess is what drives the story. Issues teens face in real life are addressed in this book including peer pressure and bullying. Gone is long, so be ready to delve into a lengthy story, but with many science fiction twists, you should be kept entertained. It may be tough for an older teen to read about middle schoolers, but science fiction fans or those interested in the genre should enjoy it. I would also recommend it for advanced 5th and 6th graders looking for something completely new and original. And don't forget to check out Hungry, the second in the series!
As I pass my Science Fiction & Fantasy aisle in my store, I'll take a look to see who's staring at the shelves and say Hello, making sure they're finding what they're looking for. Invariably, I hear that they're looking for something new. They've read through all of their favorite series as far as they can get without the aid of a time machine to get a hold of yet to be released books. I'll probe a bit, asking who they enjoy reading. As soon as they mention the Wheel of Time, I ask if they've read any Brandon Sanderson. Usually, they have no idea who I'm talking about.
Brandon Sanderson is a fantastic writer of epic fantasy who has taken up the task of finishing the Wheel of Time for the late Robert Jordan. He has written both stand alone fantasy, debuting his career with Elantris , and fantasy series--the Mistborn series. He's even penned a few Young Reader books, beginning with Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians. He is a man of many talents and an excellent sense of humor.
So to this person, I would pluck Mr. Sanderson's book from the shelf and say, Read this. And usually they do.
So what is Mistborn? To put it in a nutshell, it's what if the hero that was supposed to save the world some 10,000 years ago had failed. The story follows a thieving crew who is trying to rip off the Lord Ruler, and a young girl finding out what it's like to have friends for the first time. If one thinks of Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora as I describe this, I admit there are similarities. Mistborn has two things that significantly sets it apart. The first is that Mistborn grows beyond the heist. Every book in the Lamora series is about the heist. The second is the magic Mr. Sanderson has put together for the world. Allomancy has definite rules and becomes much of the focus of the story.
So what about the story? It has plenty of action and tension, but the character development is definitely the author's priority. I've actually had people tell me that they are looking forward to seeing his hand in finishing the Wheel of Time. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite finds for the past year. I recommend you go find him, too.
This was recommended to me and it did not disappoint. It had everything I was looking for in a gritty SF novel - a complex world where the future is well-defined and unique, great characters and action, and a touch of noir. In a future world where a person's consciousness can be "resleeved" into other bodies, an ex-military soldier is brought out of his century long prison sentence to investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy immortal, who also happens to be the client. If the opening chapter doesn't hook you, check your pulse.
Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron is the first volume in a new series from bestselling author Jasper Fforde. The world conjured in this series is in some aspects like our own - there's tea, jam, bacon (if the Greys don't eat it all first), team sports, linoleum, forks and knives - but it is also quite different, particularly in respect to color (also, there aren't very many spoons). One's place and path in life is determined by one's ability to see colors in the visible light spectrum; Purples (and Ultraviolets) are upperclass with classes arranged in descending wavelength and Greys (those who see no color) at the bottom of the heap. This is the world of Eddie Russett, sent to East Carmine to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. But the Outer Fringes don't quite follow the Rules like Eddie is used to and he soon finds his well-planned life turned topsy-turvy in only a few days.
Shades of Grey is delightful and just what I expected of a Jasper Fforde novel - witty, clever, and absurd - so I was prepared to enjoy Eddie's story but there is a darkness to this novel. The dystopian world of Chromatacia is evocative of We, Brave New World, and 1984 with issues of class, self-determination, and freedom at the heart of the story. The suggestion that something sinister lurks at the heart of Chromatacia sets the stage for a fantastic story arc to carry through the next two books in the trilogy. I also greatly enjoyed Fforde's ability to build this world, making it understandable and believable to the reader, without resorting to stretches of exposition. Shades of Grey has a little something for everyone - action, romance, thrills, yucks - and it's a great book to start off the new year.
For a little "something extra" visit the Jasper Fforde website - click on the "Shades of Grey" graphic to access the special features for Shades of Grey and see what was rolling around Fforde's bean while writing the book.
Jeff Vandermeer's latest is a tough one to categorize. Is it Fantasy?, New Weird?, Hardboiled Detective?, or Science Fiction? Yes. But the easiest way to describe it is "The best book you haven't read this year." Mixing genre tropes has become such a common practice among writers today, that it can become easy to overlook titles as just another Paranormal Romance, or Detective Fantasy, etc. Don't do that with Finch. This is that perfect mix. Finch is Lovecraft, Chandler, and so much more.
Finch is the last book in the Ambergris cycle, following City of Saints and Madmen and Shriek, and like its predecessors works perfectly as a stand alone, so don't feel you have to read the first 2 before Finch (but they are great too). John Finch's latest case is a double murder that looks to be unsolvable. With his inhuman Grey Cap bosses (who make Big Brother's government seem Utopian) demanding results he sets to find the truth, through the decrepit, decaying, and transforming Ambergris. Every clue found leads more questions and more enemies that each are trying to pull Finch in their direction. By turn funny, compassionate, brutal, dark, weird, and packed with beautifully crafted prose, Finch is like nothing you have read before.
Finch is that rare book that you can't wait to read, stealing every free moment you have until you are finished, and one that you can't stop recommending to friends, strangers, family. Best Book of the Year!
If you need something to hold you over until George R.R. Martin finishes the long-awaited A Dance of Dragons, then give his protégé, Daniel Abraham, a try. His Long Price Quartet is elegantly written, complementing the elegance of its peoples who use poses to accentuate their words. The most fascinating aspect of his series, however, is the relationships between poet and andat. Poets, in this sense, find the perfect combination of words to describe a god (andat), thus binding it in human form. If they fail, they die excruciating deaths. Once an andat is captured, the poet must struggle constantly to control it. This gives the poets unimaginable power, but mostly they use the andat for economic reasons, such as mining, or extracting seeds from cotton. Meanwhile, the andat want nothing more than to escape. It is a beautifully written and unique series, and the best handselling point is that there is no waiting for the next book. The quartet is complete.
I enjoy listening to audio books. I find that time passes much more quickly at work or on long drive when I have one playing. For me, the two most important things I look for in a new audio book are a great story and a great reader, which is why I loved the Chronicles of Narnia CD Box Set. You probably already know that the stories by C. S. Lewis are classic works of fantasy, but the great actors that were recruited to perform for the audio versions--including Patrick Stewart, Kenneth Branagh, and Lynn Redgrave--increase their enjoyability greatly. My personal favorite on this collection is The Magician's Nephew as read by Michael York; I could listen to him read the phone book and never get bored. I would recommend this collection to both adults and children; it's the perfect choice for family road trips.
Thirsting for an intricate heist like Ocean's Eleven with a fantasy flair? Interested in a modern reflection of Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser? Or are you looking for a series where wits count for more than magic? If any of these questions make you pause, then take a moment to check out Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
The story follows Locke & Jean as members of the Gentleman Bastards as they bilk the nobles of Camor out of their riches. They've been doing it rather successfully for a number of years, Locke earning the reputation as the Thorn of Camor. The heist gets complicated when the Gray King begins to run his own counter-scam against the thieves of Camor. Add the Spider, Camor's own spymaster, you end up so many intrigues going on it's hard to determine who's going to come out on top. Fantastic!
I enjoyed that the story doesn't follow the usual linear format, rather it jumps forward and backward in time. This tool was helpful in building suspense as well as allowing peeks into the fundamental instances of the characters' lives. Neither did it detract from the story as repeated flashbacks often do. Not a common technique in fantasy, it added another dimension to the already convoluted scheming of the novel.
One of the reasons I found this story appealing is I've found that I've become attracted to the crime story. Whether it's my Godfather collection or some Hard Case Crime, I like to see the seedy underbelly of humanity. On top of that, the story smacks of Robin Hood. While Locke might not quite give back to the poor, he's certainly making the rich pay out the nose.
Once you are through with Lies, you don't have to wait for the second novel in the series, Red Seas Under Red Skies . As for the rest of the books, I'm anxiously awaiting them, and I'm sure you will be as well.
