What are you reading?

[libgirl2]

It's wonderful! I absolutely loved it!

Mira Grant's Deadline should be here any day now. It's going to take a massive amount of willpower to NOT put down The Night Circus (which I'm loving) and dive into zombie land!

I'll put a hold on it as I have 9 books to read from the library.

If you want an interesting take on zombies, read The Rising by Brian Keene. It was the first real zombie book that I read that made me "fall in love" with the whole genre. Its a bit rough, but its good. And his zombies have an interesting twist. All his books do. Also don't discount the Jonathan Maberry Rot and Ruin series because it is young adult. My husband loved it. Maberry also has Dead of Night which is a more adult zombie book.

[Critical]

You know, I never really was that interested in zombies as a genre, but I got a copy of Grant's Feed from a publisher and loved it. She's one of the most creative thinkers I've ever encountered. She writes another series as Seanan McGuire (her real name) and, before I knew the books were all written by the same person, I kept telling people about these two new authors I'd discovered who were SO creative and inventive. It's not really something I've said about a writer before and it turned out to be one person!

I'll take a look at the titles you mentioned!

I'm not really into reading all books in a certain genre just because they're in that genre. For instance, I've read some books about vampires, but I only really want to read the ones that have an interesting take on things or are well-written - preferably both! If I feel like it's just piggy-backing on a fad, then I'm not interested. I'll read any genre (okay, maybe not romance) if it's well-written. I think the good books transcend genre.

[libgirl2]

You know, I never really was that interested in zombies as a genre, but I got a copy of Grant's Feed from a publisher and loved it. She's one of the most creative thinkers I've ever encountered. She writes another series as Seanan McGuire (her real name) and, before I knew the books were all written by the same person, I kept telling people about these two new authors I'd discovered who were SO creative and inventive. It's not really something I've said about a writer before and it turned out to be one person!

I'll take a look at the titles you mentioned!

I'm not really into reading all books in a certain genre just because they're in that genre. For instance, I've read some books about vampires, but I only really want to read the ones that have an interesting take on things or are well-written - preferably both! If I feel like it's just piggy-backing on a fad, then I'm not interested. I'll read any genre (okay, maybe not romance) if it's well-written. I think the good books transcend genre.

I think I have gravitated more to zombies because I love horror fiction, but the vampire has been so "defanged" as well as werewolves... that zombies were the last bastion of really bad things left. They have tried, but you can't turn them into brooking romantic heroes.

[AJane]

I think I have gravitated more to zombies because I love horror fiction, but the vampire has been so "defanged" as well as werewolves... that zombies were the last bastion of really bad things left. They have tried, but you can't turn them into brooking romantic heroes.

I never liked vampires - actually, the only "vampire" books I liked was the Twilight series, because it was original. I didn't read any of those ripoff series that followed (though my daughter likes them). I far prefer zombie fiction because there's more variety. You can get tamer stuff like the Newsflesh series or hardcore like the Mondo Zombie anthology.

ETA: I guess that's not really true - I love the Sookie Stackhouse series, though it's not just vampires. And it's not horror fiction by any standard.

[libgirl2]

I never liked vampires - actually, the only "vampire" books I liked was the Twilight series, because it was original. I didn't read any of those ripoff series that followed (though my daughter likes them). I far prefer zombie fiction because there's more variety. You can get tamer stuff like the Newsflesh series or hardcore like the Mondo Zombie anthology.

ETA: I guess that's not really true - I love the Sookie Stackhouse series, though it's not just vampires. And it's not horror fiction by any standard.

No, I wouldn't consider it horror fiction either.

[Critical]

My copy of Blackout just arrived in the mail! I'm so excited to dive into 650 pages of zombie goodness!

AJane - I was wrong about the release date. Mira Grant's site had 5/22, but the official release is today. That would explain why your library didn't have it yet!

As for vampire books, I've read a few series, including the Charlaine Harris and Anne Rice series (the first 4 or so books before they got really awful), as well as the Twilight series and the granddaddy of them all, Bram Stoker's Dracula. I also have enjoyed Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula series because it's sort of the chick lit version of a vampire novel.....not actually very vamp-y when you get right down to it.

I think, in any genre that becomes popular like vampires have, there will be good ones and ones that are just mediocre and capitalize on the trend. If it's fun or well-written, I'm down, but I won't just read it because it's a certain genre.

[bachelorwatcher]

I finished reading "A Knight in Shining Armor" by Jude Deveraux. It was a pretty good book.

[waywyrd]

I just finished Shibumi by Trevanian, a tongue-in-cheek spy/assassin vs. Big Government tale. It was a fun read, but I had no idea it was written back in '79 when I picked it up in B&N a while back! Still, except for some of the terminology, it could have been a modern-day story. Good summer book.

Started Deadlocked yesterday, but I'm having trouble getting into it for some reason. Sookie just seems bored anymore.

[Critical]

I just finished Shibumi by Trevanian, a tongue-in-cheek spy/assassin vs. Big Government tale. It was a fun read, but I had no idea it was written back in '79 when I picked it up in B&N a while back! Still, except for some of the terminology, it could have been a modern-day story. Good summer book.

Started Deadlocked yesterday, but I'm having trouble getting into it for some reason. Sookie just seems bored anymore.

"Blah blah, hot werewolf. Blah blah, hot vampire. Blah blah hot other vampire. Blah blah telepathy. Blah blah miss more shifts at job and not get fired...." I guess anyone would get bored! This is the first one in a while that I won't buy in hardcover. I'll read it, but in paperback and not at full price. I think it's time to wrap things up with that series. At this point, it seems like Charlaine Harris is just as bored as a lot of her readers.....and, apparently, her lead character as well!

Well, Blackout sat on the couch next to me for about 90 minutes before I gave in and picked it up. It is SO GOOD! I'm trying to read slowly to savor it, since this is the finale of the series, but I really want to know what happens. Sometimes, it's so intense I have to put it down for a little while to "catch up" and process it all.

[AJane]

I was killing time at the library yesterday waiting for my kids and picked up Dead in the Family to read while I waited, and I could have sworn I had never read it before. I didn't remember a damn thing about it. I guess I am bored of Sookie. I still like the TV series, but it's all about the eye candy for me at this point. (Can't wait for Christopher Meloni. )