Jul 23 2013

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This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) was supposed to be centered around words/subjects that deter me from picking up books. As I started compiling my list, it took on almost a negative aspect as I considered subjects outside of my wheelhouse. It felt like book-bashing, in a way, and didn’t leave me with any means to recommend titles. With that in mind, I decided to tweak this week’s topic a bit to make it more positive. Ahem:

Top Ten Words/Subjects that Almost Kept Me from Reading These Great Books!

Keep in mind as you explore my list that most of these were not on my reading list because of their subjects but ended up being an experiment gone very, very well when I finally did read them.

#1 Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The impression I’ve always held of circuses is that they are dirty, freaky, secretive institutions where animals are abused and people go missing… I may be watching too much TV. In any case, I’d never have the desire to read about a circus before, but something about the intrigue and romance of this book compelled me to open it. It’s still one of my favorites. :-)

#2 Werewolves/Vampires

Now, I’ll admit that I’ve pretty much devoured as many things on this subject as I could once I got hooked, but before this book, I was a supernatural hater. These creatures were gross and I really didn’t want anything to do with them… until a love story was introduced. All I can say is, I’m grateful to Handeland for opening up such a wide range of entertainment for me.

#3 Historical

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

I read to escape reality, so the idea of reliving stories that I wanted to sleep through in grade school was a definite turnoff. I still can’t read totally historic novels, but have come to appreciate and even love those with a fantasy twist.

#4 Elves in Space

What an odd concept. This was an ultimate mix of fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction. And you know what? It worked. I’m reading it for the second time and it’s still good.

#5 S&M

I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable with this subject, per se, but I’m definitely glad I didn’t let it deter me from reading these novels. They are some of the most epic, rich fantasies I’ve ever read with outstanding characters. They also have an element of history, too, but I didn’t know that before picking them up.

#6 Arthurian Lore

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

The tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table has been beaten to death in my brain. I avoid anything on the subject like the plague because I am just plain tired of the story. Wings was such a new take on the subject that it was actually my favorite part of these books.

#7 Mythology

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I don’t know if it’s my aversion to history or my undeniable need to escape reality when I read, but before this book, I had shunned everything so blatantly mythological. I viewed it as almost a copout – using creatures that already exists in history so you don’t have to create your own… Since, I’ve become much less of a snob and realize that some of the best tales come from putting your own spin on classic creations.

#8 Talking Deer

You heard me. Much like Watership Down, this is a book about the life struggles of a deer. It appealed to my love of nature and animals as well as the classic “good overcomes evil” storyline. I don’t think there’s anything I can say that a makes this book not sound lame – ha ha. Take my word for it, it was a good read.

#9 Candy Magic

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

I never had any intention of reading this book, thinking it couldn’t possibly be anything other than juvenile and cheesy… then Mull rocked my world with Fablehaven, so I gave it a try. Although the subject matter is geared towards a younger audience, the writing is surprisingly sophisticated and creative. It made me feel like a kid again, but in a smart way.

#10 True Story

I don’t know if I could’ve read nonfiction unless it was animal-related. I actually have quite a collection of nature books, but they are so off subject that I don’t feature them on my blog. Instead of facts, Grogan recounts the events as if he were telling a story – filled with loads of creative embellishments that made me forget I was reading a nonfiction book. It was beautiful, and I will definitely be reading it again someday.

Well, there’s my list – I hope you enjoyed it! :-)

Jul 22 2013

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Your Pick for Nik! – August’s Selection!

Thank you all for your votes!

The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold

This month’s winner is… The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on Monday, September 2nd, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club, click here.

Here’s A look at what the book is about:

Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. Enroute to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers. The necromancers armed with human bone knives fight “malices”, immortal entities that draw out life, enslaving humans and animals. Dag saves Fawn from a malice – at a devastating cost. Their fates are now bound in a remarkable journey.

Jul 15 2013

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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition (7/16/2013)

I’m so excited for this top ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) because it gives me the opportunity to introduce you guys to a couple of little-known authors that totally rocked my world. They all have a few things in common: excellent writing, great characters, killer stories, and epic world-building. They all also happen to be high priorities on my reread list. The saddest common factor? I’ve never had a conversation with anybody who’s read more than one of these titles (if any…at least before my recommendations).

So without further ado:

Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition!

: The Aware by Glenda Larke

: Medalon by Jennifer Fallon

: Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon

: The Thief’s Gamble by Juliet E. McKenna

: Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

: Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

: A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

: Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt

: Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans

: The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron

#1 Glenda Larke: I’ve devoured everything this woman has ever published, even going so far as to pay astronomical shipping on the Mirage trilogy only available in Australia. If she ever chooses to write anything else, she will get top priority on my reading list. She has the best world-building of any author I’ve ever read; creating settings that are truly stunning.

#2 Jennifer Fallon: I loved everything about these books. It was an excellent story that was frankly better than most of the “popular” authors out there and it makes me sad she didn’t get more attention. I will say though, this is the only trilogy of hers I’ve read so far.

#3 Elizabeth Haydon: I admit the first hundred pages of the first book is a little difficult to get into. Some truly remarkable things happen in a rather confusing manner that only makes sense as you keep reading. Clear as mud? Aside from that, Haydon gave me brilliant characters, exceptional races and cultures, and dragons. I have actually reread these, and like them just as much the second time.

#4 Juliet E. McKenna: I am flabbergasted that this series is not more popular. It has all the elements I’ve come to expect from an epic fantasy adventure and yet barely anybody has heard of her. It’s a shame because the only difference between McKenna and highly successful fantasy authors is… Nothing. I love these books.

#5 Julie E. Czerneda: This author dazzles me with her creativity and great characters. Despite how much I love #6 on my list, this author is my all time favorite science fiction writer. Her stories are burned into my brain and I can’t wait for the chance to experience them again.

#6 Ann Aguirre: sort of a mix between a science fiction and an urban fantasy, this author really gets how to create great relationships between humans and other interplanetary characters. These books make me excited to talk about them and are easily some of the ones I recommend the most.

#7 Daniel Abraham: this is a new (relatively) fantasy author who is starting to gain a little bit of momentum for himself. He is actually the first author on my list who I recommend towards fantasy buffs who have read “everything” already and are looking for the next great thing.

#8 T.A. Pratt: this guy is not only one of my top urban fantasy authors, but he happens to be one of my favorite writers. I look up to him for his talent and dedication and hope to one day have the opportunity to pick his brain. His stories are as entertaining as they are unique.

#9 Lawrence Watt-Evans: I have never read a piece of work from this author that I didn’t absolutely love. His dragons series is my favorite on the market and inspired me enough to hunt them out in hardcover. I own everything he’s ever written and it’s all fantastic!

#10 Rachel Aaron: this woman is amazing! There is not a single thing I did not like about her books and in fact plan to go back and reread them to improve my own craft. She adds an element of wonder to adult fantasy that makes you feel like a kid again. Some authors try to do this, but they come off more whimsical and ridiculous rather than brilliant like Aaron.

You may have noticed that I don’t have any teen books on this list. It turns out that I can name at least a dozen people who enjoyed all my favorites, so comparatively they are already gaining tons of recognition, know?

Anyway, which titles made your list? I’d love to hear if someone has read more than one of the books on my list. :-)

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 12 2013

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Coming Soon: The Companions by R.A. Salvatore

Title: The Companions

Author: R.A. Salvatore

Series: The Sundering #1

Genre: Role Playing Fantasy

Release Date: August 6, 2013

The Overview: This latest installment in New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore’s beloved fantasy saga, The Companionsmoves Salvatore’s signature hero Drizzt into a new era of the Forgotten Realms. As Drizzt’s fate hangs in the balance, he reflects on the lives of the trusted allies who stood by his side throughout his early life—the friends now known as the Companions of the Hall. Meanwhile, the first stirrings of the Sundering begin.

Nik’s Notes:

Those of you familiar with the Forgotten Realms empire are probably aware of the dozens of spinoff novels spawned by the highly successful Drizzt books of R.A. Salvatore. His latest novel, The Companions, is the beginning of a new such spinoff. This means the next three book in the series are written by different authors, and are essentially stand-alones. This first book is the only one containing the “companions” that we have all come to know and love, so I’m not totally sure it’s one I want to read, but I’ll probably break down and pick it up anyway out of nostalgia.

Here’s a look at the next three books in the series and their release dates:

: #2 The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp (10/1/2013)

: #3 The Adversary by Erin M. Evans (12/3/2013)

: #4 The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers (2/4/2014)

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 4 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files

Meet Jekyll and Hyde

As you can probably tell from my endless posts of “Dragon Obsession,” I have a problem. Every time I see awesome dust-collectors like these in a store, I can’t resist the urge to buy them.

Why is this a problem? Well, aside from the obvious negative impact on my bank account, I’m also running out of room. It’s to the point now where I actually have some in storage. I tried to display them all once but my bookshelves started to bow under the extra weight (I have horribly cheap shelves that can only barely handle my 4000 book collection… but that’s a collecting problem for another day).

Anyway, I couldn’t resist buying this one. The photos you see are actually the flip sides of the same statue (who can pass up a two-for-one deal?). I’ve had it for three or four years and I still can’t decide which side I like better. I love the ombré effect of green to red on the “orange” side, but I really like the little purple baby dragon on the blue side.

Which one would you put on display?

For the record, “Hyde” is whichever of the dragons not on display at the moment. I liked the play on words (because he’s hiding… get it?). ;)

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 12 2013

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Dragon Obsession – The Literary Files

Up to this point, I mostly use this feature to highlight awesome dragon paintings (and the fact that I have spent way too much money on dust-collectors). Today, however, Dragon Obsession gets a new angle. What can I say? I was inspired.

Today’s post is a feature on an author who has dazzled me so much with her dragons that I can’t remain quiet about it anymore! I give you:

Robin Hobb

She has written about dragons before, but takes it to the next level of brilliance in her latest series (The Rain Wild Chronicles). It follows the life cycle of dragons, makes them just as important as the humanoid protagonists, and celebrates just how beautiful and shall we say unhuman they really are.

If you are a dragon-lover like me and haven’t yet picked this up you’ll kick yourself for waiting so long when you finally do (I know I did).

While this series can be read as a standalone, the characters within are ones we’ve seen before. In fact, this book is the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards in a previous series. Even though dragons don’t play a huge role in the earlier novels they are still well worth your time to read. The last book in the Tawny Man series was so profound that it was one of the main reasons why I started this blog. I’d read a phenomenal book and had no one to tell… that had to change. :-)

So, if you’d like to start from the beginning (the recommended path) consider following the order below from left to right: