(no subject)

[lunesque]

I've been complaining recently how I don't read anything anymore, because I'm a freak and I'm hardcore elitist.

Problem is, I really, really want to read something engaging.

So I throw myself on the mercy of my dw circle/flist—give me a list of your favorite books!

I'm traditionally a big fantasy fan, but I'll read anything, honestly. So give me a list of things you like to read, your favorites, books that make you happy. Maybe they'll make me happy too!

I'll even start, just to give you guys a treat. My current favorite author is Carolyn Parkhurst, the author of The Dogs of Babel, Lost and Found and The Nobodies Album.

And also, for you Phantom of the Opera fans, Phantom by Susan Kay remains my absolute favorite. Yes, I'm aware this makes me a huge dork. :D

Comments

[pinesandmaples]

I've been reading piles of stuff that's really old because it's free for my Kindle. My guilty pleasure is Anthony Trollope.

[lunesque]

My phone has a kindle app! I was totally thinking of browsing the free stuff there! :D

[saekhwa]

OMG Duane Swierczynski. He writes these gritty fucking suspense/mystery novels that are awesome. I devoured all of his books over the course of a week.

I enjoyed Ekaterina Sedia's stories. She writes fantasy.

BUT OMG HOLLY PHILLIPS. Read The Burning Girl. That book is in my list of absolute favorites. So is Hal Duncan's novel Vellum and the sequel Ink, which are both so stunning that I can't even. I have so many thoughts about those three books and the nature of our narratives. THOUGHTS, sweetie.

I also enjoyed Justina Robson. Her other novels aren't terrible but the book that hooked me was Living Next Door to the God of Love.

Some other recs:

• Alan Campbell - Iron Angel, Scar Night
  
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Memories of My Melancholy Whores
  
• J.M. McDermott - Last Dragon
  
• Lane Robins - Maledicte
  
• David Wellington - He wrote a trilogy (there might be a fourth; I'm not sure) taking the vampire myth back to its scary fucking origins. Awesome re-take.
  
• Vladimir Bartol - Alamut
  
• Anne Bishop - Ephemera series
  
• Robert Olen Butler - He writes shorts that are so stunning and beautiful. Read both.

And, uh, I guess I'll stop there. ♥

[lunesque]

Thank you so much! I heard of The Burning Girl and Vellum and Ink, but I'd never picked them up, mostly because I didn't have the money. I'll start running down these recs!