If anyone actually knows me IRL, I’m a definite bookaholic. I love reading. Always have. From the first time I read “Seven Chinese Brothers” in my Granny’s biiig storybook when I was six or seven, to the horror and sci-fi books of adolescence, I’ve always read. I haven’t completely catalogued my current collection, but I am up to 603 books. That’s only the ones in print. I have hundreds more in ebook format. Heck, I even have a few comics stashed somewhere.
Thing is, I don’t stay with one genre. I’ll go from high fantasy, to horror, to military sci-fi. Currently, I’m on an Urban Fantasy kick. Urban Fantasy, if you’re not aware, is a fairly recent genre that puts supernatural, magical, or mythical characters, powers, or situations into modern (not necessarily “urban”) settings. A good example are the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Wizard in Chicago?
I’ve recently started reading several new (to me) authors. Among them Kim Harrison, author of the “The Hollows” series. I’ve also started reading Rachel Caine, author of the “Weather Wardens” and the new “Outcast” series. Also Patricia Briggs, Devon Monk, and Stephenie Meyer. Now, all of these authors have something in common that I’m curious about. No, it’s not that they’re all women. I have many authors of both the male and female persuasion that I love. It’s close to that, though. All of these authors have their main protagonist as women. Usually strong, kick-ass women. All of these series are worth reading. They’re all well written stories, with excellent character development. Looking on the bookshelves right now is almost like going to a Buffy the Vampire Slayer convention.
I’m just a little curious why the genre seems to be skewing that way. Just a kind of offhand observation. I really am into the “Alpha and Omega” series by Patricia Briggs, and I’m going to get her “Mercy Thompson” series as well, since the two are set in the same world. Also, the new “Outcast” series by Rachel Caine is turning out to be pretty interesting. I haven’t even finished the first book yet, and I’m already feeling good about the series. Very emotionally charged so far.
Ok, I suppose I didn’t really have a point to this post, except for this:Â Don’t read the Gormenghast trilogy unless you WANT to gouge your eyes out with a grimy spoon.