books

heather fallion · books

Ok

Time to hit the books.

I read a lot so have many favorites.

These are a few of the “newer authors”, That I believe are especially good and have a great career ahead of them.

Rachel Caine: Her Weather Warden series. It’s all about this secret group that can control the elements ( fire, water, air, earth..) and involves Djinn. Starts off with being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and doing the right thing ,but getting crucified for it because you ended up with a demon mark. The only way to get rid of it is to give it to a Djinn which would go insane. Needless to say the heroine does not do the obvious thing.

Anne Bishop: Black Jewel trilogy. This series, in my opinion is her best and I am so sorry that it is “finished”. Left me for a taste for that world and I crave another glimpse.
It’s about Warlord princes , Black widows, kin and witches. I do not mean the traditional sort either. Their powers come from jewels and the kin can be anything from fairies, harpies, unicorns or wolves. That should get your attention. Just one note: This series is called dark for the references of abuse (physical and sexual) in it. It’s a great read and it is humorous at times. It has a nice blend of seriousness with humor and wit. All I can say is wow and wow. This series made me laugh out loud and cry. It spans the life of a young witch, her early years to young adult and the lives that she has touched or changed. It's all about loyality and love (love of the family and good friends).

Kim Harrison: I just love her titles.
Dead Witch Walking
The Good, The Bad, The undead
A fistful of Charms

Must be a Clint Eastwood fan. LOL Her series is about a witch Rachel Morgan. This is the traditional witch with a catch or two. A tomato virus wiped out some of the population and the world found out that witches, demons, vampires and what not existed.
A strong female heroine with two friends strike out on their own. It seems like everyone wants to kill Rachel or control her and of course she is not having any of it. It’s humorous that she ends up living in a church with a vampire and a pixie.

Maitresse Maia Steeleater

Funny How witches in any manner, whether persecuted or accepted, are almost always very strong characters. Its just a matter of going with the gut and not conforming.

Me, I'm a die-hard Jean Auel, Anne Rice, and Stephen King fan. Also, there's a little known book, named "Maia" by Richard Adams, out of which my name has partially been sprouted (there are other reasons why I stick to the name "Maia"), that I adore. There, too, also a strong female heroine. Same for the Clan of the Cavebear books--I loved Ayla's personality. Everything about her bespoke a woman, who could handle everything life could throw her way.Since, I'm about growth and change, strong female characters (coupled with a female writer--don't ask) serve me as if I'm going to school.....I learn alot.

Anyway, I'll post synopses of my favorite books in due course.~~Maia

heather fallion

Anne Rice - have not read any of her's in awhile. Laurell K Hamilton replaced her and then I found Kim Harrison. I also perfer Tanya Huff. Though her last book was not as good as the others.

Stephen King - could never get into his or should I say I avoid them. The movies freak me out as in scare me, the books would leave me with nightmares. I did read Christine and anytime I'm in a big boat of a car at night, I keep glancing in the rear view mirror. Note that I read it in highschool and it has been more than 16 years and I still look in the mirror. I read firestar - not sure if right title, it has been years. That one is probably my favorite.

Xxxploit Me

ah i've read afew Anne Rice novels! My favourites, at least one that conflicts in my mind is "The Witching Hour" its so very long by weekend reading novel standards! Its very good tho, at the time i was reading it i had time off work for the tattoo's i had just gotten on my arm. Anyway, too bad she didnt hire and editor for that novel, its really two novels in one; The history of the witches (which is quite involving and historical/dramatical) and the history of a kick-arse emergency medic (before they were cool and mainstream from crap shows on TV like nowadays) she is a decendant of the Mayfair witches but doesnt know it, she has the power to heal people by using her witch power and her own advanced knowledge of neurosurgery. All before ER etc etc, so Anne Rice was certainly on to something. Anyway Rowan is cool, but the ending was abit lame imo. I should also add (need an editor myself) that the novel is not only about the witches but a mysterous entity that haunts their lives since the start of the witches line....very intriging.

Other favourites for me are Sophies Choice, Wuthering Heights, lots of World War One and Two historical-narratives, fiction and non-fiction also. Katherine Mansfield is one of my favourite authors.

I dont like Dan Brown.

xploit.

Maitresse Maia Steeleater

Yes Witching Hour is my favorite Anne Rice novel as well. Funny, after I read that book, I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans. I tell you, the city had a totally different mystique for me, having read the Mayfair novels. Oh, and Lasher....rawr. That ghostly love scene was FANTASTIC!!! LOL~~Maia

zanhe

From Anne Rice I just read Servant Of The Bones and I like quite a lot.

Maitresse Maia Steeleater

There is a book that I was introduced to during my internship a while back...I picked it up a while later and understood what the hubbub was about. It's the novel "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. It enumerates the life of the "Wicked Witch of the West"--how she came to be who she was, her gripe with Dorothy, etc. I found it to be quite political--very interesting. I liked it very much. How did she become green? Her parents did what with the "wizard?" Curious, very curious!! LOL~~Maia

heather fallion

hmm

sounds like I have to add a few books to my list to check out.

Thnx.

always looking for some new reads

Funny how I also read "The Witching Hour" and like it the best of her stories.

Xxxploit Me

I never read the sequals to The Witching Hour. Wouldnt it make a fantasic movie or TV show, i guess charmed and buffy owned the Witch/Vampire market and probably wont see too much more subversive witchy stuff on tv; plus the fact poor vampire movies like Underworld 2 are unleashed upon us ever year or so.

But imangine a show in the early 90s about a Medic and a Witch, combining ER and Charmed ha! and ghosts....talking to ghosts! Someone dropped the ball on not developing that.

How about comics?

If wont get an appreciation of comic's by just thinking theyre a kiddie medium, i remember my parents made that mistake with Astro Boy, one of the great animated social commontaries of the century imo. I recently read Alan Moore's "the watchmen" and was shocked and hooked, its an amazing story and really truely was almost a paradigm shift for me in storytelling...it made comic's, a medium i have always loved, tell a amazing story that really transcended the pulp and will forever live with me. "who watches the watchmen?" that one sentence is food for thought.

I love his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novel, epic, superbly written and quite unlike anything you have read i guanartee...please dont think about the ABYSMALL movie with Sean Connery, this is SO MUCH better.

You can download these from any...source...they are a great read and the art is fantasic.

xploit.

Maitresse Maia Steeleater

Good to know!!

Regarding "The Witching Hour," I do know that a movie script was created for it, but it never happened for some reason. I managed to find a copy of it when I was working on my undergrad degree...lol that was something like 11 years ago LMAO. It was interesting to read it and look at what was supposed to have been cut out. For the life of me, however, I can find that manuscript...I have no clue where I put it.

A side note: I was watching Star Trek: TNG and saw an episode about Beverly Crusher's grandmother dieing. Beverly went to her funeral and lo and behold, there was a ghost that spoke to her and became her lover. It harkened back to the "Witching Hour." I don't remember the name of the episode, but watch for it...it would certainly fit the premise of the novel....more or less.~~Maia

heather fallion

I remember that STNG episode. So right on that.

Witching hour was also adapted to a comic book.

Funny how I was also thinking of books to make into movies. New topic Very Happy

I have to start reading again.
I picked up the new books by Kate Elliot and Melanie Rawn. One of the times I actually buy hardback. Though I am buying more hardbacks lately, thanks to Robert Jordan and the lack of authors writing. I can not wait until the books are released to paperback. LOL

As far as downloading ebooks and such, another topic Very Happy

Xxxploit Me

Well how bizarre! I only just started watching Star Trek: Voyager. Everynow and then, on Australian..well, "cable" which is called Austar...which is the provider lol...i cant imangine calling it "Satellite"...anyway. Yeah, i was never a trekkie but im hiring out each dvd and finding some stories to be really amazing...i guess as i grow older i appreciate the themes in star trek more and more whereas i only used to like the borg and big ship battles.

I had heard they developed a "the witching hour" show...it was canned, in fact they deveploed a "witch hunter robin" show as well but it was also canned. I think we can thank Aaron spelling and charmed for that.