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Posts Tagged ‘library’

I’ve decided on a new monthly feature. Each month, I’m going to highlight one author that I have read and list books that read similar to that author’s books. There are a lot of websites out there that try to do this, but most of the time, the person compiling the list hasn’t actually read all of the books they are recommending. I have personally read all of the books that I will list, and I will explain how they are similar to the focal author, as well as how they differ, and offer my LibraryGrrrl ™ ratings from 1 – 5 Library Cards (they’re like stars, but geekier.)!

If you like: dark fantasy, sci-fi, romance, horror, fantasy-thrillers

This month’s author is Anne Bishop. She is the author of 12 and counting fantasy/romance books for adults. Her most famous works are the Black Jewels Sequence, beginning with the original trilogy and continuing from there with several new standalone books set in the same world. Altogether, she has created three distinct fantasy worlds as settings for her novels. Her books are often dark at the outset, but with happy endings. Her novels often center on taut, conflict-laden relationships between men and women, both individually and as a society in the worlds she has created. There is always an element of romance, with a sweet or bittersweet ending.

Black Jewels Books (Realms of the Blood) (3.5/5 Library cards) The world exists as three realms side-by-side: Terreille, a land dominated by the vicious control of power-hungry witches, Kaeleer, the shadow-realm populated by the kindred, a race of animals with human thought-levels and their trusted companions, and Hell, the dark realm where the spirits of those who have passed congregate. In this dark fantasy series, witches, warlords, warlord princes, queens and healers are selectively gifted with gems that contain reserves of power, with each color representing a different depth of power. Terreille’s selfish and power-hungry rulers are no longer content in ruling their own realm, and begin spreading a culture of slavery, torture, and permissible rape throughout the realms, and it’s up to Jaenelle, a powerful and long-awaited witch and her warlord-prince consort Daemon to stop it.

List of Books in Black Jewels Series:

1. Daughter of the Blood
2. Heir to the Shadows
3. Queen of the Darkness
4. The Invisible Ring
5. Dreams Made Flesh
6. Tangled Webs
7. The Shadow Queen

Tir Alainn Trilogy (3/5 Library Cards)Humans are watched over by the Fae, who exist in a realm above the clouds that can be reached by crossing one of several spirit bridges. When the bridges start disappearing though, the Fae take a closer interest in the world below to discover that those who guard and keep the bridges are systematically being hunted and killed for practicing witchcraft. Long considered by many of the Fae to be simply interesting toys to watch, the humans suddenly become critical to the way of life of the Fae, and the two races must join forces to save both their worlds.

The Tir Alainn Trilogy:

1. The Pillars of the World
2. Shadows and Light
3. The House of Gaian

Ephemera Duology (4/5 Library cards) Ephemera is a land shattered into pieces to protect it from the dark and vicious eater of the Worlds. Instead of one cohesive world, Ephemera exists as a series of landscapes joined separated from each other. Each landscape must be tended and guarded by someone, and one can only travel to landscapes that resonate closely with what is contained in their own heart. Still locked away for as long as anyone can remember is the Eater of the Worlds a dark force, disconnected from all other landscapes — until a student unwittingly frees it, allowing it to draw prey into its twisted landscape. Only two people have the power to stop it: Belladonna, the infamous Landscaper credited with creating some of the darkest landscapes of Ephemera, and her cousin Sebastian, a feared incubus.

The Ephemera Duology:

1. Sebastian
2. Belladonna

LIBRARY CARD RATINGS EXPLAINED: I’ve rated each series according to its overall readability, interest, and depth of storytelling. All of her books are engaging and entertaining if nothing else, although the Tir Alainn books can be dull during a few places in the narrative. The Black Jewels books are extremely dark, incorporating themes of rape and child abuse, and may be difficult for some readers to stomach. Overall, I like the Ephemera Duology best, because it contains the most relatable and interesting characters, and the thematic elements are interesting and not overdone or overused.

Anne Bishop Read-alikes: If you have read Anne Bishop’s books and would like to read other books that are similar in nature, I recommend the following:

Sharon Shinn writes several fantasy series, all of which have a romantic element and a good vs evil fantasy theme. These books are far, far less graphic than Anne Bishop’s, and are recommended for readers who like the involving, psychologically complex world of Anne Bishop, but felt that the violent and sexual elements were hard to handle. I’d recommend starting with her Samaria series, which centers on a world where angels live among humans and serve as a mouthpiece for the people to the god, Jovah. There’s a lot of tasteful romance, and it’s better than it sounds. The series begins with Archangel.

Total rating: 3/5 Library Cards

Maria V. Snyder writes a series of sci-fi/fantasy books all set in the same world. the world is divided into two territories: Ixia, a military dictatorship where everyone wears uniforms according to their station in life, and Sitia, a land where almost everyone has magical abilities, each slightly different from everyone else’s. With Sitia relying on magic and Ixia despising it, the circumstances are perfect for a war to develop, unless someone can find the way to keep the peace.

Snyder’s books so far consist of one complete trilogy and one in-progress trilogy, both set in the same world. The entire series of books is rife with conflict, cliff-hangers and surprise plot twists. There is so much impending danger, and the characters seem to handle it so well, in fact, that at times the story becomes a bit unbelievable, even for fantasy, especially the further into the series you get. There are strong sexual and violent themes, although not quite as detailed or exaggerated as in Bishop’s books.

The very first book in the first trilogy, however, is a very good book that actually works as a standalone better than it fits into the series, in my opinion. In the first book, Yelena is imprisoned in Ixia for murder and is offered a chance to escape death – by being a food taster for the Commander. She is poisoned from the outset and must return every day to get the antidote, and then she is trained to recognize poisons by taste and smell in order to protect the Commander’s life. This book, which I reccomend more highly than any of her others, is called Poison Study.

Rating for first novel: (4/5 Library Cards)

Rating for series as a whole: (2.5/5 Library Cards)

That’s it for today’s installment! Hopefully I’ve given someone a good lead as to what they should read next. Remember that although some of these ratings appear low (2.5/5 for example) my rating scale isn’t like everyone else’s, in that I’m only rating things that I would actually recommend to people, and then am rating them against each other. Things that I don’t like and wouldn’t recommend don’t even get a Library card rating, so something that’s 1 Library Card isn’t something I wouldn’t recommend – it’s just something I’d recommend only as a slightly entertaining, fast read.

Library Confidential

So, I work in a library. Before I worked there, I really had no idea what kind of strange, otherworldly universe libraries really are behind the scenes. Today, I’m going to take YOU on a secret VIP tour of *dun dun dun* what really goes on in public libraries, by exploring the top ten (in my opinion anyway, and it’s my blog so you’re going to have to deal with my opinion) myths about the library.

Library Myth #10: You don’t actually need a library card to use the library.

I know, I know. You’ve probably never heard this myth before, because you probably have a functioning brain. However, I can assure you that not only does this myth exists, but it’s widely accepted as fact among library users. People really think they can walk in and take out hundreds of books just because they are cute. Or old. Or insane. I’ve heard all different reasons why people couldn’t be assed to bring their library cards, or why they don’t feel they need one at all. You know what? I bet these are the same people that won’t let you use their Stop & Shop card if you forget yours and they’re behind you in line. Fucking hypocrites.

Library Myth #9: All librarians are lonely, sex-deprived wannabe strippers who are just waiting for you to come and sweep them off their feet and have your way with them.

Sorry, boys. It’s just not true. I can tell you think so by the way you wink at me when I ask for your telephone number, but I assure you it’s only so I can forward it to telemarketers. I mean, uhm, so I can call to tell you the book you ordered is here. Yeah, that’s it. I’m perfectly capable of getting laid, despite the fact that I do indeed work behind the circulation desk and I do wear eyeglasses. Contrary to popular belief, I am not going to start stripping to bad jazz music if you tell me your library card is in your pants, so please stop hanging around my desk and listening to all my conversations. And for god’s sake, stop asking me if I want you to walk me home from work. Unlike you, I actually own a car and I can drive myself home when I’m out of work. Apparently people think that librarians are so desperately lonely that we will sleep with anyone, even nasty, dirty homeless men twice our age. Myth busted, guys.

Library Myth #8: Your taxes pay my salary, damn it.

While taxes do help support a city’s various public services, including libraries, everyone who has ever said this to me turns out to be on welfare or disability, so your imaginary taxes aren’t paying shit.

Library Myth #7: The library doesn’t have anything written after 1979.

Pfft, have you even been to a library lately? We have more DVDs than we do books at this point. We’re like Blockbuster, except free. Unless you return all your movies ridiculously late, in which case it’s your own damn fault and we’re still cheaper than Blockbuster. And for anyone that thinks we don’t carry newer books has not been a party to the awkward phone calls when someone wants me to place How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed With You on hold for them. I can inform you that this particular piece of groundbreaking literature was published in 2007, and the library does indeed own a copy. I can even get it sent to your library for you. Just don’t expect me to say the title when I call you to tell you it’s here.

Library Myth #6: Nobody steals from the library

This one probably never even crossed your mind, but it gets representation in the list because in the last three months the library I work at has had over thirty DVDs stolen right out of the cases. Now we have these horrible locks that you have to slam against the counter to open, because the opener-thingy (yeah that’s what we call it) never works right. What’s really frightening is how many times someone has stolen “The Police Exam Test Prep Book”.

Library Myth #5: Libraries are quiet places where you can read or study in peace.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Library Myth #4: Childrens’ librarians love kids.

This might be true for the first six months of the job. Search far and wide and you won’t find a seasoned childrens’ librarian who hasn’t used the phrase “little shits” at least once in the staffroom. It’s not really their fault, though. If you saw a snot-nosed kid pulling books off the shelves and throwing them on the floor right after you put those books away, you’d be tempted to use some colorful language, too.

Library Myth #3: Overdue fines are non-negotiable.

Officially, they’re not. In reality, it’s worth forty cents to us to get you to just shut the fuck up and get on with your day. Seriously, who argues about library overdue fines? That’s so lame. It’s so lame I don’t even want to talk to you. Just go.

Library Myth #2: The library is a safe place where you never have to worry about being attacked by people who think they are from another planet.

Actually, the library is one of the top five places you can go if you’re looking to find someone who thinks they’re from another planet. We’re behind only mental hospitals and the Disney store. There was a woman who, until the last year or so, came to my work twice a week, calmly relating news from her home planet. Sometimes she would spit on people, or threaten to stab them with screwdrivers, but you can’t really blame her. You see, Jesus, who incidentally happens to be from the same distant planet as this woman, was telling her via the voices in her head to do these things. Alien-Jesus also told this woman that the reason I made her pay overdue fines was because I knew she was claustrophobic and, being prejudiced against claustrophobes, wanted to punish her. I’m not really sure I understood the logic, but I don’t have to, because the Holy Martian did.

And finally… Library Myth #1: Libraries have clean public restrooms.

Dude, people crap in our trashcans.