war for the oaks

[threeplusfire]

I bought some books the other day, one of which was Emma Bull's War for the Oaks. I have a sort of uneasy relationship with urban fantasy as a genre. Part of me really wants to like it and love it, but often it feels so twee and full of violet eyed vampire dragon pixie hybrids to the point of absurdity. I wasn't sure I really wanted to be reading a book that involve faerie and a rock band but I picked it up anyway.

Well, it really hammered my prejudices about novels with bright eyed magical beings and rock bands and urban fantasy. The writing was amazing, vivid and forceful. I read this book in four hours today, carrying it from lunch to the shower to the sofa. I only put it down to wash my hair.

In other news, I forgot to obtain caffeine while grocery shopping. I did buy gelato though.

Comments

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Did you buy one of those gelato cups?!?!

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

They were all out of the tiny cups. I suspect they might be all in your freezer. :P I bought a larger container and I'm going to divide it up between some plastic cups I have for exactly this purpose.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I resemble that remark! ;)

[rexlapinii.livejournal.com]

War for the Oaks is one of my favorite books. :)

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

I can't tell you how many times I've reread War for the Oaks. Emma Bull is an excellent writer, and it came out long before the current Chick!Urban Fantasy craze struck.

[cozzene.livejournal.com]

That book is fantastic. It's so fun to read it and think of all the places as we drive by them every day.

[dine.livejournal.com]

War for the Oaks was one of the first urban fantasy novels - it's really an astounding book, and set the bar very high for the genre.

you might also see if you can track down any of the Borderland series - Bull and a bunch of other good writers are featured in several anthologies and novels. sadly, the collections are out of print, but are well worth reading if you can lay your hands on them; and I'm tickled that there'll be a new anthology out this summer.

http://windling.typepad.com/editing/borderland.html

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

War for the Oaks is what most urban fantasy wants to grow up to be. I LOVE IT.

Emma Bull also (with Steven Brust) co-authored my FAVORITE BOOK EVER, Freedom & Necessity - I can't recommend it highly enough.

[the-brown-bunny.livejournal.com]

she has neil gaiman's endorsement... now i HAVE to check this out.

[alainn-sorcha.livejournal.com]

How do you read in the shower? Don't the pages get wet?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I have a wide shelf that I can rest my elbows on and hold it out of the way, or I can hold it on the other side of my clear shower curtain. I've gotten pretty good at holding and flipping pages with one hand.

[miep.livejournal.com]

War for the Oaks was one of the first (ostensibly) grown-up books I read. I love its depictions of Minneapolis in the 80s, especially the paeans to Hennepin Ave. and Minnehaha Creek.

If you come to mpls, I'll take you to the places in the book, at least the ones that are still there...

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

Oh, dude. I will have to be picking that book up. Your recommendations generally resonate with me and I know you set the bar pretty high.

[cymry.livejournal.com]

I had never even heard of this. I must now find myself a copy. =)