Friday, January 21, 2011

My dirty little secret

Since I found out that Cognitive Dissenter and Fanny have both read The Outlander (and loved it) I figured I would let my own deep, dark secret see the light of day.  *drum roll*  I am addicted to Urban Fantasy.  For those not in-the-know, it's paranormal stuff, kind of like Twilight  only a thousand times better. (I take that back.  It is NOTHING LIKE TWILIGHT.  *retch*)  I used to read uplifting and/or informative books, researching the holocaust and the wives of Henry VIII, expanding my mind and broadening my horizons.  Not any more.  For the past few years I have immersed myself in vampires, witches, elves, fairies, werewolves and the like.

It all started very innocently.  Someone recommended a book by Kim Harrison called Dead Witch Walking.  It took me months to actually pick up the book with the slutty witch on the cover and crack it open.  I was mortified to have anyone see me with the thing.  It was worse than carrying around a Danielle Steele novel.  But once I started, it sucked me into a deliciously written alternate reality caused by a tomato virus. Yep.  Tomato virus.  And each book in the series just got better and better.  I even went to a book signing.  I was so excited I was literally struck dumb.  But Kim was so sweet and signed my book anyway.

Then I moved on to Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series.  (Not to be confused with the HBO series Trueblood. The books are sooooo much better.)  It's got a kickass heroine and Eric the bad, bad Viking vampire.  Yummers.

Other extremely good series in no real order:

The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. In-cred-i-ble.  The last book is due out any time now and there are a lot of us that are hyperventilating in anticipation. 

J. R. Ward's the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  Yes, all the men, ur, vampires, are tall, dark and haunted but it's escapism at it's finest.

The Magic series by Ilona Andrews. Who doesn't want their very own Beast King?  Meeeeooow. 

Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.  A tough-girl coyote living with a bunch of werewolves.  Ripped, complicated werewolves.

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series.  It took me a long time to get around to this one but I'm glad I finally did.  Damn fine writing and interesting characters.  Hasn't got a lot of sex but it's addicting anyway.

The Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.  I loved seeing the development of the heroine from victim to alpha.  Good stuff.

Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series.  She's a very randy vampire/werewolf hybrid living Down Under.  Did I mention she's very randy?

Anything at all by Christopher Moore.  He's not really Urban Fantasy but he is hilarious.  Island of the Sequined Love Nun anyone?  Though I think my favorite is A Dirty Job.

Rachel Vincent and Jocelyn Drake are also good as was Laurel K. Hamilton until about book six.  Now it's all just one big orgy with vampires and various were creatures.  *yawn*

So there it is.  My deepest, darkest secret.  I am a vampire slut.

5 comments:

  1. I've had a lot of friends recommend the Sookie Stackhouse series. Unfortunately, some of them are the same people who HIGHLY recommended Twilight. Which is why I haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse series. Twilight freakin' traumatized me with its horribleness.

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  2. THAT'S your dirty little secret?!?! Oh well. And I totally agree. Vampires should not sparkle. They should be dark and complicated. And really good lovers. mmmmmm......

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  3. I'm actually only about 1/3 of the way through Outlander -- work keeps getting in my way, dammit. I've never gotten into this genre and have only read reviews about the Twilight series so stayed the hell away (actually, I just remembered some of those books are still sitting in a sack somewhere around here b/c my friend handed them to me several months ago while exclaiming, "You're really gonna hate these because the main character is nothing without her sexy vampire!"

    But I will definitely keep your recommendations in mind if I do decide to venture ... Escapism is sometimes a good thing and books are probably a better option than drinking heavily.

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  4. Brandi, Charlaine Harris is a fantastic writer! You really should give her a try.

    CD, almost without exception I am drawn to books where the heroine makes her own way on her own terms. That definitely excludes Twilight from that list. Gag.

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  5. Coffee Blogger, you already know all my dirty little secrets anyway. Good thing you know how to keep your mouth shut.

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