book sightings

Typically I don't buy books before reading them. This time, I'll make an exception. While roaming through authors' LiveJournals and blogs, I discovered that a new novel by Tanya Huff has just come out: The Enchantment Emporium. The first book I read by her was Sing the Four Quarters when I was 12 or 13, which temporarily made me want to be a bard when I grew up. (Never mind that my vocal ability is limited to singing along with the radio.) Later on I moved to her vampire series, which begins with Blood Price. My favorite works of hers, however, are those in the Keeper trilogy. The first book in that series is Summon the Keeper. Magical protectors of the world, a talking cat, and a hole to Hell in the basement of a Bed & Breakfast called "The Elysian Fields." What more can you want?

The moment I go into work this Sunday, the first thing I do will be checking to see if we have a copy of The Enchantment Emporium. If we don't, I'll order one. And then I'll get back to devouring Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce.

There's going to be an audio book of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle! Read by the author and with music!!! Just the download isn't enough. I'll have to order the CD format when it's available, because I have got to hold something this awesome in my own two hands. If you were to ask me for an author for the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Peter S. Beagle would be one of the answers. (I've also considered Jane Yolen, Patricia A. McKillip, and Mary Lee Settle.)

In sadder news, David Eddings died the other day. He was 77 years old. He was probably my favorite writer of high fantasy, one of his most well-known series being the Belgariad. Though more of a suspense novel than a fantasy, one of my favorite novels by him and his wife is Regina's Song.