We’re seeing stars for these forthcoming mysteries & nonfiction science titles! THE DARKNESS by Ragnar Jónasson “A complex, fascinating mix of Icelandic community and alienation, atmospheric tension, and timely issues (immigrant exploitation and vigilante justice), Jónasson’s latest series is another must-read for crime fans who follow the work of Arnaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardóttir.” — […]
Tag: urban fantasy
RT Book Reviews 2017 Reviewer’s Choice Awards
Congratulations to the 28 Macmillan titles nominated for Romantic Times Book Reviews’ 2017 Reviewer’s Choice Awards! Best Mainstream Fiction Protagonist I LIKED MY LIFE by Abby Fabiaschi Best Contemporary Mystery A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE by Kelley Armstrong BLUE LIGHT YOKOHAMA by Nicolas Obregon Best Suspense SHATTERED by Allison Brennan Best Thriller THE LOST ORDER by Steve […]
Happy #BookBday (11/7/17 Edition)
Today we wish a happy #BookBday to: A SELFIE AS BIG AS THE RITZ by Lara Williams Pushcart Prize-nominated Lara Williams’ debut story collection is a candid, wry, and deeply moving examination of young women navigating the road map to contemporary adulthood and middle age. “A cleverly written, bracing, and so-readable navigation of modern matters […]
June 2017 Fantasy
Looking for a summer escape? Dive into one of these new fantasy titles: DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES by Seanan McGuire A June 2017 LibraryReads pick with three starred reviews! The second urban fantasy book in the Wayward Children series, following EVERY HEART A DOORWAY, explores what happened to Jack and Jill before they […]
Happy #BookBday (6/13/17 Edition)
Oh what a lovely day for a #BookBday! DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES by Seanan McGuire A June 2017 LibraryReads pick with three starred reviews! The second urban fantasy book in the Wayward Children series, following EVERY HEART A DOORWAY, explores what happened to Jack and Jill before they tumbled into Eleanor West’s Home […]
DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES makes the June 2017 LibraryReads list!
FANTASTIC NEWS! DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES by Seanan McGuire is the #4 pick on the June 2017 LibraryReads list! The second book in the Wayward Children series, following the April 2016 LibraryReads pick, EVERY HEART A DOORWAY, explores what happened to Jack and Jill before they tumbled into Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward […]
For Your Consideration: June 2017 LibraryReads Titles
Download, read, and nominate your favorite titles for the June 2017* LibraryReads list! *Nominations are due April 20! Click here for the full list of 2017 deadlines. KNIFE CREEK by Paul Doiron In this new edge-of-your-seat thriller from Edgar finalist and LibraryReads author Paul Doiron, Mike Bowditch delves into a long buried investigation to uncover […]
DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES Giveaway
If you loved Seanan McGuire‘s magical, mysterious EVERY HEART A DOORWAY (we know you did—it was an April 2016 LibraryReads pick!), then you’ll definitely want to read the next book in McGuire’s Wayward Children series, DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES. This standalone dark novel suitable for adult and young adult readers of urban fantasy explores […]
More Books for Kitty Fans
I'm guessing that you have a few fans of Carrie Vaughn's bestselling Kitty Norville series lurking around your library. In between Kitty releases, those fans might get understandably antsy, so here's a few more Vaughn stories to keep them satisfied.
DISCORD'S APPLE (7/2010) is a stand-alone dystopic fusion of mythology, fairy tales, and modern life.
"Taking a break from the Kitty Norville urban fantasy series, Vaughn melds a near-future world torn by war with the legend of the fall of Troy in this brilliantly structured, beautifully written stand-alone." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE (4/2011) is a very different stand-alone novel following the decidedly average daughter of two famous superheroes (I'm sure you've already heard me singing praises for it).
Kirkus Reviews says, "In this warm homage to and deconstruction of classic comic books, a young woman demonstrates that you don’t need superpowers to be a hero."
And Library Journal specifically notes that this one is "a good bet for most public libraries, especially if they're home to Kitty Norville fans or comic book devotees."
And if your patrons just can't leave Kitty's world, they're in luck! Next month Tor will release KITTY'S GREATEST HITS (8/2011), a series of short stories following some of the other characters in Kitty's life.
Library Journal says, "This collection should please fans of the series, especially those who want to know more about the side characters, but readers new to the Kittyverse will also find a fine introduction to this richly populated, fascinating paranormal world."
Vaughn is exceptional at pulling the strange, fantastic, and otherworldly into the lives of very real and modern young women. And if you want to get more people hooked on Vaughn's work, it should appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, and Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter Series.
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A Plea to Authors of Urban Fantasy
So. I'm reading an urban fantasy novel. Big shift from my usual epic fantasy reading, right? And I've come up with a quibble that struck me once before. I'm not going to point fingers at any manuscripts, that's not the point. What's done is done. But we can be vigilant in the future.
Urban Fantasy tends to have immortal characters that have been around for a very long time. Usually vampires. But in the case of this book I'm reading, it's dragons and dwarves. And sometimes these characters speak with weird affectations and accents. Why? Because they're centuries old? Us mortals manage to adapt or drop accents in the short spans of our lives, why can't immortal (or just long-lived) characters? Especially when it seems pretty important for them to remain inconspicuous.
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