Books, Books, & More Books!

Okay, I've been asked by a few friends about books and what I read. So here are several of my favorite authors and books.

I get some ideas for new authors at http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ and Cleggy (my bestest friend) lets me know when he comes across a book he thinks I might like. Plus he'll go to the Friends of the Library book sale and stock up on vamp books for me and let me weed through them. At 25 or 50 cents a book he can grab a lot. That's how I found 5, 6, 7, & 12 below. He also suggested 19 & 20.

1. My very favorite author is Laurell K. Hamilton. She's got a vampire hunter series (Anita Blake) and a faery series (Merry Gentry). I read both. One of the few authors that I buy her books as they come out instead of waiting to get them used or just reading them through the library. Keep in mind her stuff is pretty racy. http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/

2. Stephenie Meyer - I'm a fan of all her books. I've read her TWILIGHT series (and seen both of the movies) and THE HOST. I live in hope that she'll go forward with publishing MIDNIGHT SUN. And I just don't care that the TWILIGHT series is considered Young Adult Fiction. THE HOST is not, but not because it's racy. http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

3. Kim Harrison - Witches, vamps, weres, & even pixies and elves. A different take on things and I like that. I own a few in this series, but not all of them. http://www.kimharrison.net/

4. Charlaine Harris - She has two series that I love although she writes a couple others. There is a vamp series with Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood on HBO is based on this series) & another series with Harper Connelly. I only own a few in the vamp series, but thanks to Cleggy I have all the Harper Connelly series. And just so you know, the HBO series has WAY more sex than the books do. http://www.charlaineharris.com/

5. Vicki Pettersson - Hers is an interesting series about heroes & villains. The fourth one just came out in July, but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. http://www.vickipettersson.com/

6. Jennifer Armintrout - Her Blood Ties series is another different take on vamps. Keeps with some of the standard stuff like sunlight & staking, but adds a few ideas of her own. I haven't delved into her other series yet, but I'm planning to. http://www.jenniferarmintrout.com/

7. Lilith Saintcrow - So far I've only read her Dante Valentine series, but I liked it. She's got a wicked sense of humor. No vamps, but there are demons & she's a necromancer. http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/

8. Patricia Briggs - She has several series out. The Mercedes Thompson and the Alpha & Omega series have been pretty good and they take place now. I've also read her Hurog & Raven series (only two books each), but they were hard to find. Got them through Interlibrary Loan eventually. They take place in a made up distant past kind of place. http://www.patriciabriggs.com/

9. Shanna Swendson - Her books are a bit of fluff, but I like her attitude. Plus her heroine is from Texas. :) http://www.shannaswendson.com/

10. Christopher Moore - He doesn't really do series, but some of his characters will pop up in other books. They are very quirky and kind of out there, but damn funny. http://www.chrismoore.com/

11. Annette Curtis-Klause - More Young Adult Fiction here. I've read THE SILVER KISS and BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE. I enjoyed both. They made a movie out of the second one, but it wasn't much like the book and it was a bit confusing. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/annette-curtis-klause/

12. Kelley Armstrong - Cleggy got me hooked on her Women of the Otherworld series when he bought the first two books for me. I read most of the books through the library but I've started buying them as they come out. I like that the books are about different women. The first couple are about a werewolf and then it moves to a witch, I think. And the characters crossover to other books in the series. She also does a young adult series called Darkest Powers. I like that series too. http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

13. Ellen Schreiber - I had read the first two in the Vampire Kisses series and meant to read more, but got sidetracked by moving and then forgot. I've now caught up and I'm glad I did. This is more Young Adult Fiction. http://www.ellenschreiber.com/

14. Tonya Hurley - Her Ghostgirl books are funny. Yup, more Young Adult Fiction. http://www.ghostgirl.com/

15. Andre Norton - I am in the middle of her Halfblood Chronicles trilogy (literally since I'm halfway through the second book). She wrote them with Mercedes Lackey. I've read a few of the books she wrote alone too. http://www.andre-norton.org/

16. Orson Scott Card - I've read the Ender Wiggin series and plan to read more of his stuff as I can get my hands on them. http://www.hatrack.com/

17. Audrey Niffenegger - THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE is always on my re-read list. I finally bought a copy after realizing that I had checked it out from the library more than 5 times. I've also read HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY. It was good, but I'm not a fan of the ending. http://audreyniffenegger.com/

18. Sheri Holman - THE DRESS LODGER is also one on my re-read list. Look it up before you read it. It's not for everyone. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/sheri-holman/

19. Carlos Ruiz Zafon - At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, THE SHADOW OF THE WIND & THE ANGEL'S GAME changed my life. These books moved me in ways I cannot even begin to express. http://www.carlosruizzafon.co.uk/

20. Arturo Pérez-Reverte - THE DUMAS CLUB is a mystery about books. What could be better? http://www.perez-reverte.com/

21. P.C. Cast - Her House of Night series that she writes with her daughter, Kristin Cast, is pretty good. It's more Young Adult Fiction, but each book is a fast read because they are full of action. And apparently quite popular because the series has it's own website. I haven't read any of her other series yet, but they are on my infamous "To Read" list. http://www.pccast.net/ & http://www.houseofnightseries.com/

22. George R. R. Martin - His A Song of Fire and Ice series is quite good. Book five - A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is due out in May and I can't wait. The last book came out in 2005 so it's been quite a long wait. But worth it I'll wager. http://www.georgerrmartin.com/


Okay, that should keep you reading for a couple of days. :P

I'm sure I've missed more than a few authors and books. I read a lot. So much so that my Mommy says there should be a crease on the end of my nose because it's always stuck in a book. She's probably right. If you need even more suggestions, the Fantastic Fiction website posts suggestions at the bottom of each author's page.

Let me know what you read. You know I LOVE talking books. :D