Well, as some of you can probably tell from the updated site, I’m back from China! I had a wonderful time there, and can’t wait to go back.
In the meantime, I’ve been doing some more reading, and have some great books to recommend. First on the list is ‘Seduced By Moonlight’ by Laurell K. Hamilton. This is the third book in a series which examines the trials and tribulations of Merry Gentry, Princess to the Unseelie Court. As any fan of Ms. Hamilton’s books can attest, her stories are frequently violent, lusty, and very, very entertaining. If you haven’t read any of her books, however, it might be better to start with the Anita Blake series, which begins with ‘Guilty Pleasures’, and follows the adventures of a zombie queen/vampire hunter/detective, who in her spare time makes nice with werewolves, assassins, and the sexy undead.
Next on my list is ‘The Queen’s Fool’ by Phillipa Gregory. A historical novel with a twist of fantasy, ‘The Queen’s Fool’ follows the adventures of a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, Hannah Green, who is forced to leave Spain with her father during the Inquisition. They end up in England, where Hannah falls under the sway of John Dee and Robert Dudley, who use her to spy in the Queen’s court. This book is very engaging—fantastic, gritty, and romantic—vibrant with detail that won’t bog you down.
Laurie R. King’s new Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book is out, called ‘The Game’. The previous novel in this long running series, ‘Justice Hall’ was somewhat of a disappointment to me, so I was greatly relieved to discover that ‘The Game’ is a much superior novel, a wonderful reminder of why I fell in love with this series in the first place. Russell and Holmes are once again called into action when an old comrade, the one and only Kim of Kipling’s novel, disappears in India. Highly recommended, though I suspect any newbie will need to start with the first book in the series (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice) for anything to make sense.
‘Wonder Tales’ by the master of fantasy, Lord Dunsany, is a marvel. I fell in love with ‘The King of Elfland’s Daughter’ from the first sentence, and the same happened to me when I began reading this collection of short stories. I am especially fond of ‘The Bride of the Man-Horse’ (but with a title like that, who wouldn’t be?).
I finally got the Firefly DVD boxset, and have spent the weekend going wild over it. I am so in love with that series, and can’t fathom how FOX could have been so stupid. At least Firefly will be coming to the big screen, but we all have to wait an entire year! Grrr…argh….
My current book is an examination of Genghis Khan (my hero of the ancient age), as well as ‘Primary Inversions’ by Catherine Asaro.