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The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels to Cheer You the Frak Up. I agree that Pratchett is the ultimate pick-me-up, and one of the factors that I credit for keeping my mother alive four years longer than the 6 months she was originally given after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. (Somewhat ironically, her favorite character was Death.) As for other feel-good books when you run out of Pratchett— Daryl Gregory's Raising Stony Mayhall has got to be the sweetest, most loving, zombie apocalypse story ever released in print. Another good one is Tibor Fischer's The Collector Collector. I suppose this qualifies more as magical realism than straight up fantasy, but it's still a heartwarming tale about a sentient pot who falls in love with an object reader, and psychically tells her stories about his previous owners. Actually, all of Fischer's stuff is brilliant, but if you're feeling depressed, you'd better watch which of his books you pick up.

Very Real Magical Realism by G. Willow Wilson / Books / Untitled Books. “Though E.M. Forster is best known for his English domestic dramas, he also furtively wrote what today we would call speculative fiction or modern fantasy. Everything he wrote is worth reading, but his speculative fiction in particular, compiled in The Celestial Omnibus, is worth a second look.” G. Willow Wilson's debut novel Alif the Unseen brings magical strands of fantasy into the modern era as a young Arab hacker unravels some of the mysteries of the ages. Here are some of her influences. By now we all know that fantasy literature is not confined to elves and orcs battling in Middle Earth, hyper-intelligent horses patrolling the land of Valdemar, and dragons nuking Thread over the planet Pern. G.Willow Wilson, Sept 2012 Alif the Unseen is published by Corvus.

Read an extract 1.Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Like so many of Gaiman’s novels, this one begins in our own world: recognisable, ordinary and dense with the anxieties of everyday life. 2.Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. E.M. Comics College | Marjane Satrapi. By Chris Mautner| September 2, 2012 @ 9:00 AM |1 Comment| Persepolis Comics College is a monthly feature where we provide an introductory guide to some of the comics medium’s most important auteurs and offer our best educated suggestions on how to become familiar with their body of work. This month we’re looking at the output of a cartoonist that in the past decade has captivated an audience that has largely avoided comics, Marjane Satrapi.

Why she’s important In a word, Persepolis. Her memoir of her life in Iran during the revolution came to American shores at exactly the right time — no doubt many would have been interested in a look at growing up in Iran regardless, but Persepolis arrived fresh after the horrors of 9/11 and a new interest in the Middle East. Beyond that, Satrapi, at least as a cartoonist, can be a very direct and powerful storyteller. Where to start Well, duh. From there you should read Further reading Ancillary material Avoid Next month: David B. 10 Feminist Manga Licensed In The United States. Power Grid by Kellie Foxx-Gonzalez | 12:30 pm, August 15th, 2012 Enable JavaScript to check out our fancy slideshow.

<ol class="am-all-on-one-page"><li>1. Allow Us To Explain <a class="am-aoop-image " title="Click for larger image. " href=" src=" alt="Allow Us To Explain" /></a>Are you interested in reading manga, but don’t know where to start?

Are you an avid comics fan looking to bulk up you feminist-friendly reading list? [View All on One Page] Lit, Illustrated: Five Fantastic Graphic Novels. Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books. More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. The winners of NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey are an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles. Over on NPR's pop culture blog, Monkey See, you can find one fan's thoughts on how the list shaped up, get our experts' take, and have the chance to share your own. A quick word about what's here, and what's not: Our panel of experts reviewed hundreds of the most popular nominations and tossed out those that didn't fit the survey's criteria (after — we assure you — much passionate, thoughtful, gleefully nerdy discussion).

So, at last, here are your favorite science-fiction and fantasy novels. 1. Recommeded Reading: Summer Fun! It's been way too long since my last list of recommended reads! For this batch of YA titles, I thought I'd focus on fun, easy reads and/or series perfect for taking on vacation or, if you grab the audio versions, for long car rides. These books are heavy on adventure and humor, and light on drama: kind of the equivalent of a popcorn movie.

(And I mean that in only the best possible way.) So, in no particular order, here goes: I was a little surprised no one suggested this series after my last review post; these books (there are three, I think - or is it four?) [Correction: per the comments, there are now eight (EIGHT??) This was a series John actually picked up before I did, and I only started it myself after seeing him devour so many of the titles. Sound like fun? I was about to recommend The Lightning Thief, but then I remembered: I already did! , the first book in another of Rick Riordan's series called Heroes of Olympus: . The Wee Free Men , by Terry Pratchett. Recommended Reading: After The Hunger Games. Some of you no doubt remember that I am a HUGE YA Fiction fan. As in, it comprises 90% of my recreational reading. I get a lot of e-mails asking for more recommendations, but of course it always helps to compare notes so I know what you've already read and liked.

So, for the purposes of this post, I'm going to assume you've read and liked The Hunger Games series. Not necessarily LOVED them, but at least liked them. Good? Now, what should you read next? Well, if you haven't already, I'd start with these: (links lead to Amazon) This is the first book in a four-part series, so you might want to have the next one on hand, too, to spare yourself some suspense. It's, er, a lot more exciting than I'm making it sound, though. You guys know I love Pierce's work, and Beka Cooper is one of her most kick-ass heroines to date. Oh, and John is telling me to make sure I mention how much he loved this book, too.

I read this book several years ago, and loved it. Post-apocalyptic adventure? Ender's Game. Books Every Geek Should Read to Their Kids. Bas Bleu® Catalog. Staff Top 5s of 2011. Reading When I Don’t Have To: My Top Ten Books of 2011 « Lucy's Football. “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” — Oscar Wilde I love this time of year. Do you know why? No, not because of Christmas. No, not because of New Year’s. I mean, do any single people love New Year’s?

New Year’s is depressing if you’re single, let’s be honest. NO. So today, let’s talk books. Anyway! So here are my top ten books for the year, in ascending order. I hope you find something you love! Also, I’ll try really hard not to be spoilery. A Game of Thrones – George R. I was slightly interested in this book, but I thought, “I’m not a fantasy fan, so I won’t like it.” So apparently, I DO like fantasy literature. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past year, the Song of Ice and Fire series (of which this book is the first installment) is about a fictional kingdom, Westeros, and the inhabitants therein. A Storm of Swords – George R. I promise there are other titles on this list but Martin titles. Swamplandia! WpdLE.jpg (2888×1748)

In Bed" with Laurie R. King (Author of The Beekeeper's Apprentice) September, 2011 The stereotypical detective in historical fiction is most often masculine, with a pipe at hand or a gun in his holster. But in Laurie R. King's series of mysteries set during World War I and 1920s England, heroine Mary Russell fights crime with her impressive deductive reasoning and panache. As a teen, Mary impressed semiretired Sherlock Holmes, who took her on as a protégé and later a partner. King is also the creator of the Kate Martinelli series, about a female San Francisco police inspector. Kate Shugak Series by Dana Stabenow (Goodreads Author)"Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series rocks.

The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham"It's hard to know if Met Detective Ali Barba counts as a series detective or not, since she flits in and out of Robotham's superb novels, but The Night Ferry belongs to Detective Barba. Science Fiction And Fantasy Finalists. Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy Books. August | 2011 | 7:30 Bookclub. League of Extraordinary Ladies. Essential Steampunk Reading List. Since I've had several of you ask for steampunk book recommendations, I thought I'd put together a little list. So, if you like Victorian alternative history adventures with dashes of the supernatural, airships, and plenty of gadgetry, read on! Note: I'll just be telling you whether I liked each title one or not, so hit the individual links for more info and plot summaries over on Amazon.

Soulless , part 1 of the Parasol Protectorate Series This is a fun book, and it's been wildly popular in the steampunk community. That said, I can't recommend the rest of the series nearly as enthusiastically. Next up is one of my all-time favorites in any genre: Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel This is a YA adventure story on the high...winds. Next up is a book by one of my favorite authors: If you've read the Uglies series, then you know Westerfeld couldn't write a bad book if he tried. Those are the steampunk titles I've read thus far. The Iron Duke , part of the Iron Seas Series, by Meljean Brook. The Best YA Fantasy Books (Part 1) After all the requests following my last book review, I thought I'd start a series of book recommendations for you fellow YA fiction fans. As I mentioned before, YA fantasy is my genre of choice, so today's will all be of that specific niche.

And because I have a lot of favorites, I'll be keeping this post to five titles. Everything I list here is one of my all-time favorites, so I really can't recommend them highly enough. Howl's Moving Castle , by Diana Wynne Jones "Enthralling" is the best word I can find to describe this book.

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle Don't let the lackluster cover fool you - this book (and series) packs a serious literary punch. Sabriel, by Garth Nix Nix's Abhorsen trilogy is what the word "epic" was invented to describe. The Lightning Thief , by Rick Riordin My strongest memory of this book is laughing in bed, trying in vain not to wake John. Trickster's Choice , by Tamora Pierce , you might feel a smidge left out. . , a kick-ass story of a female guard.)

Introducing the July Shortlist - Jeff Howe - Entertainment. We're hurtling toward the end of the first month of our big, collective read-along. We've had a bang-up June reading Margaret Atwood's Blind Assassin. A complex tale of deceit, loss, and tragedies on more than one planet, we (and by we, I mean you) couldn't have chosen a better book for our inaugural 1book140. For July and August, however, we thought we'd try for something a tad lighter. For the next two months, then, we'll indulge in the time-honored tradition of the beach read: Books that pair perfectly with hot, lazy days and ice cold libations.

We collected over 100 nominations over the past several days, and have winnowed these down to five novels. The Help, by Kathryn StockettAn "optimistic, uplifting debut novel ... set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. " Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami To know Murakami is to love Murakami. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - Summer Books. Conquistadora By Esmeralda Santiago - Book Finder. Fanmail FAQ: Looking for Good Books…. So in the last week I’ve had three e-mails along these lines: Pat, School is over for the semester, and I have a long, glorious summer stretching out in front of me. What’s more, I’ve got a summer job that involves very little actual work. (I’m a late-night gas station attendant.)

This leaves me all the time I could possibly want for reading. Here’s my problem. Love your stuff, Ben I get a fair number of these sorts of letters. Barring that, I point people at my Goodreads profile. In addition to letters like the one above, I’ve also had many, many people forward me the link to the current Poll NPR is holding, asking people to nominate books for their upcoming top 100 SF and Fantasy novels of all time. For those of you too lazy to click a link, the gist is this: On NPR’s page, they’re asking people to post a comment listing their top five favorite SF/F novels or series.

I have opinions on this matter. I was going to vote for Lord of the Rings, too. Then, later that same day, I got this letter: Nancy Pearl Presents 10 Terrific Summer Reads. Chris Silas Neal My office (a spare bedroom in my house) is strewn with books that I've gotten for possible review. There are books on the bookshelves, books more or less arranged on the floor and other books stacked high, waiting to be shelved. I probably start 15 books for every book I finish. When I'm ready for my next good read, I look for a book (fiction or nonfiction) with a strong narrative voice, wonderfully drawn characters and writing that makes me stop and savor the words the author has written — all of which are present in these 10 terrific books.

Midnight Riot By Ben Aaronovitch; paperback, 320 pages; Del Ray, list price: $7.99 Mysteries with a touch or more of the supernatural aren't hard to find on library and bookstore shelves these days, but I found Midnight Riot, Ben Aaronovitch's novel of elastic realism, to be something special, mainly because of the voice of the narrator, (London) Police Constable Peter Grant. Caught in the wrong (or right?) Matched Emily, Alone. Essential Steampunk Reading List. Book Club Girl - Book Group Recommendations, Reading Group Guides, Audio Book Club Podcasts. Please welcome internationally bestselling author Paullina Simons to the Book Club Girl blog! Her newest novel, Bellagrand, went on sale earlier this week. A saga of heartbreak and redemption, Bellagrand is the devastating love story that led to her bestselling novel, The Bronze Horseman. Paullina, born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, has come to the blog today to discuss a feeling of foreignness, and how it pervades even the most essential questions of humanity.

The immigrant’s heart is never at peace. Except when I write my stories. That is how Gina was born, my heroine from Bellagrand, my most recent novel. Some people cope by firmly choosing one over the other. And then there are those who try to be everything at once, their souls still in the country of their birth, but their immigrant feet walking in high-heeled pumps on American well-paved soil. I myself never forget, though I try to. People say to me, where are you from? “But you just said you thought I was from Greece?”