Books

Christopher Rice's 'Bone Music' is a perfect pool-side vacation read and, fans will be delighted to know, shows every sign of becoming a series.

Stephen Fry's approach to retelling Greek mythology makes it fresh, exciting and downright funny. If you have any affinity for the Greek legends of yore, then you’ll certainly love reading 'Mythos.'

A few years back we posted a list of 12 book series for your binge-reading pleasure during the holiday break. But most of us avid book readers are always trolling around for the next good find to curl up with, particularly in the winter.  And sometime one book just wets our appetites for more, so we're going to suggest another set of 12 book series from our personal favorites. 

Movie tie-in books make naturally great gifts for the geek(s) in your life. Here's a rundown of some of the best ones that have come out this year.

'Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra' by Anne and Christopher Rice is a superb, philosophically deep sequel to the 1989 novel 'The Mummy'. This mother/son team-up is a resounding success and leaves us eager for more.

Blending non-stop adventure with complex moral questions (without proselytizing) J. Manoa has fully refined his craft and found his storytelling voice in 'Werewolf Council.'

Acclaimed comics writer Michael Moreci branches out into novel-writing with 'Black Star Renegades,' an homage to 'Star Wars' with a tone a bit more along the lines of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Firefly.' Fans of the genre will not be disappointed, as Moreci has the conventions of space opera down pat. This is an entertaining adventure from start to finish.

'Sleeping Beauties' is more than just a fantastic, well-told tale. It is a tour de force and a thought-provoking exploration of the battle of the sexes. 

Still going strong at age 78, Peter S. Beagle's version of fantasy is a whimsical one, though he never descends into farce. He takes his characters seriously, even if the reader cannot help but chuckle at their misadventures. Beagle’s charms have not worn off.

Devotees of Sherlock Holmes fan fiction have a great way to celebrate the fall equinox this year, with a new collection of short stories out by Titan Books entitled Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes, a follow up to 2016's well-received Associates of Sherlock Holmes.

With the third release in his series of mysteries that take place in Canaan, Vermont, Eric Rickstad has fully developed his stomping grounds into an eerie, terrifying place comparable to Stephen Kings’s Castle Rock, Maine.

'Luna: Wolf Moon' continues to develop the complex characters and fascinating setting established in 'Luna: New Moon,' but never skimps on page-turning action. Although incomplete, Ian McDonald’s saga already outpaces Robert Heinlein’s 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' (1966) as the definitive lunar epic.

'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin was originally published in 1974. Although not her most famous work, it is generally heralded as a sci-fi masterpiece

If you take 'Two Nights' on vacation with you, make sure you bring along a second book as you will race through this one in no time at all.

'Matchup' is the literary equivalent to walking into a Ben & Jerry’s and sampling almost every flavor before deciding which one to load up your waffle cone up with. The thrill of meeting your favorite, well-known characters in unique circumstances is also akin to discovering something interesting and new about a long-time friend.