Hah! Thanks for taking that one, Erin! And I, too, feel like I should know herbs, in case I am transported through time. Or, as in many of my favorite books, the apocalypse comes.
Mal: How drunk was I last night? Jayne: Well I dunno. I passed out.
'Our Mrs. Reynolds'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
meara - Mar 31, 2011 3:52:27 pm PDT #14243 of 28293
Strix - Mar 31, 2011 4:08:18 pm PDT #14244 of 28293
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
The first thing I would do in an apocolypse is seek an gun store, a library and a pharmacy.
Rayne - Mar 31, 2011 4:27:07 pm PDT #14245 of 28293
"Oh no! Has falling sky liquid once again caused you the sadness?" -Starfire
Urban Fantasy is my drug of choice. I love Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. I also love Kim Harrison's Hollow series as well, but as it continues on, I'm enjoying it a bit less. And Charlaine Harris' Sookie books. CRACK! Annoying at times but CRACK!
I started the first book in the fever series, but was annoyed by the protagonist's voice before the first chapter was done, so I stopped and picked up something else. I'll probably give it another try eventually.
I'm thinking of giving Illona Andrews' Magic series a try next (after I finish up Auel's book).
sumi - Mar 31, 2011 4:29:45 pm PDT #14246 of 28293
Art Crawl!!!
Erin: Walmart: guns, fishing rods, sewing stuff, groceries and a pharmacy.
Then a library.
Strix - Mar 31, 2011 4:41:31 pm PDT #14247 of 28293
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
That's an excellent shortcut for my apocalypse plans, sumi!
I third the vote for Briggs and Harrison, and I also enjoy the Sookie books.
I couldn't quite get into the Andrews books, but they have excellent reviews, so it may just be a quirk on my part.
Ginger - Mar 31, 2011 4:44:26 pm PDT #14248 of 28293
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
One of my favorite bits in Alas Babylon is Alice Cooksey, the librarian, bicycling into town to open the library every day. Without electricity and gasoline, "All entertainment, all amusements, all escape, all information again centered in the library."
I've enjoyed Seanan McGuire's October Daye novels.
Pix - Mar 31, 2011 4:55:25 pm PDT #14249 of 28293
The status is NOT quo.
I started the first book in the fever series, but was annoyed by the protagonist's voice before the first chapter was done, so I stopped and picked up something else. I'll probably give it another try eventually.
It gets much, much better. She's annoying as hell at first but gets darker and more interesting as the series continues.
I have read a ton of urban fantasy in the past year (damn you Kindle and your tempty easy-to-buy-books ways!) and have a lot more recs for those that are interested, but Harrison and Briggs are my initial favorites. I also love Ilona Andrews (start with Magic Bites, Rayne, I think you'll like them) and Richelle Mead's Succubus series (starting with Succubus Blues) and Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series (starting with Ill Wind).
Um. I read a lot, as the rest of you do. Ima stop there for now.
Ginger - Mar 31, 2011 5:07:37 pm PDT #14250 of 28293
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
I read Charlaine Harris's mysteries long before Sookie Stackhouse. I eventually lost interest in the Sookie Stackhouse books, mostly because I got weary of all the politics. What is this urge to recreate all the horrors of bureaucracy with extra added blood feuds for vampires, werewolves, fairies and other supernatural beings?
DavidS - Mar 31, 2011 6:31:27 pm PDT #14251 of 28293
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Is Urban Fantasy the genre that usually has a cover with the female protagonist showing her back and usually sporting a tattoo and wearing leather or something badass-ish and holding a weapon?
§ ita § - Mar 31, 2011 6:33:14 pm PDT #14252 of 28293
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Emma Bull is urban fantasy for me. It's possible I'm a little behind the times.