Joseph 's comments (member since Jul 30, 2008)

Joseph 's comments from the Urban Fantasy group.

Some good reads that come to mind as being different than the average UF for one reason or another are:
Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Thirteen Orphans by Jane Lindskold
The Scent of Shadows The First Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson
Dancing With Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas

I'm currently on a bit of a shifter binge, but the types of books I am looking for are not your usual Were-type. I'm looking for books where some characters can change into multiple forms. So what I would like to read more of are not really the ones where a person can change into a wolf and back, for example, but instead where the person can change into a wolf AND an eagle or a wolf AND an eagle AND a deer, or even more. I prefer fantasy , but sci-fi can work as well.

Some examples of what I am looking for that I have read already are:

The Animorphs series by Katherine Alice Applegate where a group of kids are given the ability by aliens to turn from human into any animal they touch and back again.

The Switchers trilogy by Kate Thompson where certain kids have the ability to turn from human into multiple animals, real and fantasy, and back to human until they reach a certain age and have to choose what form they want to spend the rest of their life in, human or a certain animal.

Lee Driver's Chase Dagger mystery series that starts with The Good Die Twice where the detective's assistant has the ability to change into both a wolf and a hawk and back.

In Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon series, one of the characters has the ability to turn into both a tabby cat and a black panther.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Kim Harrison is one of my fav UF authors too. Others I really like are:
Kelley Armstrong and her Women of the Otherworld series
Carrie Vaughn and her Kitty Norville series
Yasmine Galenorn and her Sisters of the Moon series
C.E. Murphy and her Walker Papers series
Jim Butcher and his Harry Dresden series
Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue

Donna wrote: "Kendra wrote: "I just finished Rosemary and Rue, it was a good mystery without any steamy scenes "

Seconding this suggestion. That book was really world-building/character development heavy."

I'll third that one. Rosemary and Rue was a great read, I can't wait for the next in the series.

Michelle M. wrote: "I'll agree with everyone who mentioned Christopher Moore, A. Lee Martinez, and De Lint.

Martinez's Gil's All Fright Diner was hilarious and different. Trucker were and hillbilly vamp face evil ..."

I just finished Gil's All Fright Diner and loved it! It was SO different and a real riot. Lots of fun to read this unique work.

Michelle M. wrote: "This month's pick, Urban Shaman, is the first of the Walker Paper series. As of the third book, there's been one quick kiss, and one off-page sexual encounter from what I recall, so that would be a..."


I second that suggestion. The Walker Paper series is a great choice, absolutely non-steamy.

Another suggestion that comes to mind isn't a non-series book but it is only a trilogy. C.E. Murphy writes interesting nontraditional urban fantasies. Her books tend to use creatures that I find aren't in many other urban fantasies. This trilogy is about gargoyles, vampires, genies, selkies, and dragons.
Heart Of Stone
House of Cards
Hands Of Flame

P.S. I just finished another of her urban fantasy works that I really liked, Urban Shaman, about an American Indian Shaman who battles things like Celtic gods. It is the start of a series, but one you might want to check out if you like her trilogy.

Moore's Graphic Novels are WAY better than the movies. Even Moore wants nothing to do with the movies based on his graphic novels.

I hate to read series out of order, but if I come across a new book that catches my eye and I can't get a hold of the first in the series, I'll sometimes make an exception. I do prefer to REread in order, though. Usually if I am in the mood to reread about a particular character or theme, I'll usually start with the first in the series, unless I am in the mood for just rereading a particular favorite title in that series.

It's funny, but I never really thought of the book covers as camoflauge. I tend to use them to protect the books when I'm reading and transporting them. I often read while I'm eating, so the covers help to protect the books from things like greasy fingers and when I'm carrying a book in my briefcase, it helps to prevent tears and cover bends.

I just picked up at Borders an interesting trio:

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

The Jewel of Medina

Wicked Plants The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

So far this month, I have gotten from Borders:
The Beautiful Miscellaneous A Novel
Alara Unbroken
The Annotated Charlotte's Web

from Amazon I've gotten:
The Language of Bees
The Humming of Numbers

And from the used book shelf at my library I've picked up by Robin Cook:
Critical
Crisis
Marker
Contagion
Acceptable Risk
Toxin

Would you allow monster movies like "Van Helsing" or "The Mummy" (1999) and its sequel "The Mummy Returns" (2001)?

Melodie wrote: "Joseph wrote: "You might like these also:
The House of Night- P. C. Cast
Diana Tregarde Investigation- Mercedes Lackey ..."

I had almost forgotten the Diana Tregarde books. Read those years ..."


Melodie, actually, I agree with you about the House of Night books. I got a little further, about halfway into book 2 before I finally just got sick of the whole thing. I just thought I would suggest it anyway since, as I'm sure you know, one person's trash can be another person's treasure.

You might like these also:
Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator- Carole Nelson Douglas
A Quincy Morris Supernatural Investigation- Justin Gustainis
Nocturne City- Caitlin Kittredge
The Others- Christine Warren
The House of Night- P. C. Cast
Diana Tregarde Investigation- Mercedes Lackey
The Elemental Masters- Mercedes Lackey

This is one trilogy that I thought definately got better as it went along. Book 2 was better than Book 1, and the last book was better than Book 2.

I recently gave in and purchased Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey. I decided, what the heck, I had a 30% off coupon for Borders, might as well use it for a book I enjoyed reading and would like to have for my own library so I could reread it whenever I wanted to.

Angie, don't worry, if you keep reading the series you'll get plenty more of Elena as well as lots more characters that are just as neat.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

There's also going to be Men of the Otherworld (Women of the Otherworld 9.6) coming out in January, narrated by either Clayton or Jeremy.