You might be able to tell from my esteemed colleagues’ previous offerings that it has proven extremely hard for us to nail down a favorite book to give away. This probably shouldn’t be a surprise. We love books! There are so many awesome ones to chose from! What to do? It wasn’t any easier for me. So I didn't try to come up with my favorite. Instead I chose a book that I really enjoyed, and that employs a wealth of writing techniques so advanced, it is a master class in and of itself. My book is Anne Rice’s THE WITHCHING HOUR.
THE WITCHING HOUR is the story of the Mayfair Witches, a powerful family of witches that span four centuries. It the mystery of Lasher, a ghost who has given the Mayfair Witches untold power. And a love story, between the most powerful witch yet, Rowan Mayfair, and Michael Curry, a man almost drowned at sea and left with psychic powers.
Ah, it’s a crazy book. Rice really flexes her writing muscles here. We go forward and backward in time, are treated to multiple povs. Nearly half of the story is told through old journals, second hand accounts… heck, a good chunk of is retold by a psychic investigator, who gets HIS story from a ghost! In short, you have a highly complex, threaded narrative, mysteries within mysteries, and a good old fashioned ghost story to boot! And it’s long! 969 pages long! (You know I’d have to promote a long book! LOL) And dang if Rice doesn’t pull it all off! I was hooked from page one all the way to the horrific, cliff dangling conclusion! Forgot to mention the cliff hanger, didn’t I? :)
So there you have it, a long, twisted, ghost story, perfect for curling up in the sofa with.
But what if you already have TWH? Or perhaps it doesn’t sound quite the thing for you? Well, seeing as Claire and Jen offered other options, I’d be remiss in doing less.
SO…for those who’d like another option, I offer Mystery Book X. Yes, for the daring winner who’d like to take a risk, you can pick Mystery Book X*
*Warning: mystery book could be ANYTHING. From a self-help book on how to file your toenails properly, to the cheesiest romance book I can find.
And seeing as most of us like a mystery. Should the winner choose THE WITCHING HOUR and not Mystery Book X, don’t worry, I’ll reveal what it is on Friday –AFTER the winner picks!
Remember! You can’t win if you don’t comment! Enter today; you won’t be sorry!
I was thinking of reading The Witching Hour but somehow never got around to it - and your description makes me really want it. So if I don't win I'll have to pick it up next time I'm in a bookshop. Esme
ReplyDeleteOooh - that sounds like a very good read. Make sure to put my name in the draw!
ReplyDeleteHeidi
I thought TWH was interesting, but I generally didn't care for Rice's oversexed everything. I might feel differently reading it as an adult rather than a prudish teenager though. I do remember the language and characterization being dead on in that book. Wonder where I put my copy? I guess enter me for Mystery Book X!
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember this book! So much detail and description. I wonder what I would think of it now? Where is my copy anyhow?
ReplyDeleteOkay, THE WITCHING HOUR officially made it's way out from the back row of my bookshelf and onto my desk. :) Dang it, Kristen! I'm DYING to read it and it's friggin' HUGE. And I'm DYING to know what Mystery Book X is. You tease. Bah.
ReplyDeleteEsme and Heidi-- I hope you won't be disappointed! Anne Rice was actually a huge influence on me as a writer. I love her verbosity (yes, I really do!). I love the way she makes her worlds both lushly beautiful and horrific all at once. Sure, she can wax philosophical to the point of overkill, but such tangents always made me stop to think about the world and my place in it. Okay, babble over.
ReplyDeleteIn short (g), any early Anne Rice book is certainly worth reading. IMO.
Kait-- heh, I don't think I read _anything_ that my young and *cough* fertile mind thought was oversexed. :) But Rice definitely pushes the limits of sexuality.
ReplyDeleteDeniz -- Hmm...have you looked under your bed? In the closet? (bg)
ReplyDeleteJen -- It's a brick, isn't it? Hehe. The problem for me is that I read an average of 100 pages per hour. So I need a big book to keep me entertained for a good, long while! :)
ReplyDeleteA book on how to file your toe nails? OMGosh! How exciting!!!! Oh, I definitely want to win that! (Sarcasm alert!)
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE TOO FUNNY!!!
Okay, sign me up for the witch book. And I know that this week I am going to win.
Hi Kristen,
ReplyDeleteHmm, I too am very curious to know what Mystery Book X is *g* Count me in?
(Is there really such a book on filing your toenails? Sadly, with today's "self-help book for everything" society, I wouldn't be surprised if there was. Next thing you know there'll be a self-help book on breathing...)