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shadowkatLike I stated previously, not really sure I can provide a memorable list of books. Below is the five or six memorable ones that I read. I might be able to come up with ten, depends on how many I remember.
Books That I Read And Found Memorable
1. Illona Andrew's Kate Daniels Series - specifically - Magic Rises, Magic Bleeds, and Magic Breaks. The writer is actually a male/female writing team, one handles the female dialogue, the other the male dialogue. The world is interesting, and they play with some off-beat myths - specifically Russian, Asian, and Indian. Also, there's a rather kick-ass, snarky heroine at the center of the story - who was the female version of various male characters that I've seen in this trope. I'd say the series is by far the best urban fantasy that I've read to date, and sort of kicked Jim Butcher's ass this year in world building and character development.
2. Dance of Dragons by GRR Martin...I guess the fact that it is on this list says something...not sure what. I can't say I loved it. But it was definitely memorable, and some character arcs seem to be carved on my brain - specifically Ayra, Dany, Theon (unfortunately), Aysha, and Tyrion. As I told my mother recently, who watched the first season of the television series - I'm really only reading the series for Tyrion, Arya, Dany and Jamie. I don't really care all that much about anyone else. Although Theon and Aysha appear to be weeding their way beneath my skin whether I like it or not. And Jon Snow is growing on me.
3. Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - a half-Indian/half British Duke who falls for a British artist in the Victorian Age. The book starts in India during an uprising and finishes in England.
4. The Hidden Blade/My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas - the author's attempt at a Chinese action adventure in the same style as House of Flying Daggers. One is a young adult coming of age journey - I actually preferred it to the adult romance novel or sequel.
5. The Heiress Effect and The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan. The Heiress Effect for the supporting character romance - between the heroine's sister who has epilepsy and an Indian Doctor. Countess Conspiracy for the family relationships and the charming hero and wickedly smart heroine. No one does family relationships quite as well as Courtney Milan.
Sci-Fiction and Fantasy Books That I Want to Read...
I managed to find the wickedly cool list of science fiction and fantasy novels by women of color finally.
Here it is - so I can find it again:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/akpatel462/19-must-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-by-15qst
The only book I've heard of is Octavia Butler's Parable of Sower, but all look interesting and way off the beaten track. The problem with genre, or rather the publishing industry, is that you get a lot of books that are a wee bit too much alike. These books look like they want to try something different.
1. The Parable of Sower by Octavia Butler
2. The Summer Prince by Alaye Dawn Johnson
n a futuristic Brazillian city, artist June Coast and the Summer King, Enki, team up to fuel rebellions against the government through demonstrations. As June falls in love with Enki, she will have to wrestle with the fact that he, like all Summer Kings, must die at the end of his yearlong term.
3. Who Fears Death, by Nnedi Okorafar
In a post-apocalyptic, future Africa, Onyesonwu, or “Who Fears Death,” is born to the only survivor of a slain Okeke village. Marked by skin and hair the color of sand, Onyesonwu must learn the ways of sorcery and confront her destiny — ending the genocide of her people.
4.Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes, by Kathleen Alcala
5. ASH by Malinda Lo
In this twist on the classic Cinderella tale, Ash seeks refuge from her cruel stepmother by rereading fairytales and dreaming that fairies will come steal her away. After meeting the dark fairy Sidhean, she must choose between her fairy tale dreams coming true and a burgeoning love for the King’s Huntress.
6. The Lost Girl, by Sangu Mandanna
Eva is Amarra’s “echo” — created to replace Amarra if she were to die. From far away, she spends her life studying Amarra’s habits and routines so that if something were to happen, Eva could quickly take her place in India, where echoes are illegal. But when Amarra dies in a car crash at 16, Eva is hardly prepared to risk her life and leave the life she has known.
7. Salt Fish Girl by Larissa Lay
Told through the voice of a shapeshifting, ageless character who is snake, fish, girl and woman, this captivating story reaches from nineteenth-century China to the future Pacific Northwest to explore themes of oppression and resistance.
8. The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
Beginning with her escape from slavery in the 1850s, this centuries-spanning lesbian vampire fantasy follows Gilda through several of her lives in Louisiana, California, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York and even New Hampshire in 2050.
9. The Stars Change, by Mary Anne Mohanraj
In this erotic science fiction, author Mary Anne Mohanraj explores sexuality and connection through the University of All Worlds, a school on a South Asian-settled planet that hosts humans, modified humans and aliens in the midst of what may become an interstellar war.
10. The Salt Roads, by Nalo Hopkinson
Spanning centuries and continents, The Salt Roads follows Ezili, the African goddess of love, as she unites and intertwines the stories of three women: Jeanne Duval, an Afro-French entertainer; Mer, an Afro-Carribbean plantation slave and doctor; and Meritet, a Nubian prostitute.
For 9 more - follow the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/akpatel462/19-must-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-by-15qst
Books That I Read And Found Memorable
1. Illona Andrew's Kate Daniels Series - specifically - Magic Rises, Magic Bleeds, and Magic Breaks. The writer is actually a male/female writing team, one handles the female dialogue, the other the male dialogue. The world is interesting, and they play with some off-beat myths - specifically Russian, Asian, and Indian. Also, there's a rather kick-ass, snarky heroine at the center of the story - who was the female version of various male characters that I've seen in this trope. I'd say the series is by far the best urban fantasy that I've read to date, and sort of kicked Jim Butcher's ass this year in world building and character development.
2. Dance of Dragons by GRR Martin...I guess the fact that it is on this list says something...not sure what. I can't say I loved it. But it was definitely memorable, and some character arcs seem to be carved on my brain - specifically Ayra, Dany, Theon (unfortunately), Aysha, and Tyrion. As I told my mother recently, who watched the first season of the television series - I'm really only reading the series for Tyrion, Arya, Dany and Jamie. I don't really care all that much about anyone else. Although Theon and Aysha appear to be weeding their way beneath my skin whether I like it or not. And Jon Snow is growing on me.
3. Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - a half-Indian/half British Duke who falls for a British artist in the Victorian Age. The book starts in India during an uprising and finishes in England.
4. The Hidden Blade/My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas - the author's attempt at a Chinese action adventure in the same style as House of Flying Daggers. One is a young adult coming of age journey - I actually preferred it to the adult romance novel or sequel.
5. The Heiress Effect and The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan. The Heiress Effect for the supporting character romance - between the heroine's sister who has epilepsy and an Indian Doctor. Countess Conspiracy for the family relationships and the charming hero and wickedly smart heroine. No one does family relationships quite as well as Courtney Milan.
Sci-Fiction and Fantasy Books That I Want to Read...
I managed to find the wickedly cool list of science fiction and fantasy novels by women of color finally.
Here it is - so I can find it again:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/akpatel462/19-must-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-by-15qst
The only book I've heard of is Octavia Butler's Parable of Sower, but all look interesting and way off the beaten track. The problem with genre, or rather the publishing industry, is that you get a lot of books that are a wee bit too much alike. These books look like they want to try something different.
1. The Parable of Sower by Octavia Butler
2. The Summer Prince by Alaye Dawn Johnson
n a futuristic Brazillian city, artist June Coast and the Summer King, Enki, team up to fuel rebellions against the government through demonstrations. As June falls in love with Enki, she will have to wrestle with the fact that he, like all Summer Kings, must die at the end of his yearlong term.
3. Who Fears Death, by Nnedi Okorafar
In a post-apocalyptic, future Africa, Onyesonwu, or “Who Fears Death,” is born to the only survivor of a slain Okeke village. Marked by skin and hair the color of sand, Onyesonwu must learn the ways of sorcery and confront her destiny — ending the genocide of her people.
4.Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes, by Kathleen Alcala
5. ASH by Malinda Lo
In this twist on the classic Cinderella tale, Ash seeks refuge from her cruel stepmother by rereading fairytales and dreaming that fairies will come steal her away. After meeting the dark fairy Sidhean, she must choose between her fairy tale dreams coming true and a burgeoning love for the King’s Huntress.
6. The Lost Girl, by Sangu Mandanna
Eva is Amarra’s “echo” — created to replace Amarra if she were to die. From far away, she spends her life studying Amarra’s habits and routines so that if something were to happen, Eva could quickly take her place in India, where echoes are illegal. But when Amarra dies in a car crash at 16, Eva is hardly prepared to risk her life and leave the life she has known.
7. Salt Fish Girl by Larissa Lay
Told through the voice of a shapeshifting, ageless character who is snake, fish, girl and woman, this captivating story reaches from nineteenth-century China to the future Pacific Northwest to explore themes of oppression and resistance.
8. The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
Beginning with her escape from slavery in the 1850s, this centuries-spanning lesbian vampire fantasy follows Gilda through several of her lives in Louisiana, California, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York and even New Hampshire in 2050.
9. The Stars Change, by Mary Anne Mohanraj
In this erotic science fiction, author Mary Anne Mohanraj explores sexuality and connection through the University of All Worlds, a school on a South Asian-settled planet that hosts humans, modified humans and aliens in the midst of what may become an interstellar war.
10. The Salt Roads, by Nalo Hopkinson
Spanning centuries and continents, The Salt Roads follows Ezili, the African goddess of love, as she unites and intertwines the stories of three women: Jeanne Duval, an Afro-French entertainer; Mer, an Afro-Carribbean plantation slave and doctor; and Meritet, a Nubian prostitute.
For 9 more - follow the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/akpatel462/19-must-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-by-15qst
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Date: 2014-12-16 12:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-16 12:28 am (UTC)I love Courtney Milan's writing. Also just finished her Un-series (Unveiled, Unlocked, Unclaimed, and Unraveled).
The books I read earlier in 2014...I can't remember as well. Read The Duchess War sometime in March, I think?