With the Vampire trend now swinging high thanks to authors like Charlene Harris, Stephanie Meyer and LJ Smith, one must recall the brilliant writer who BEGAN the modern outlook upon our fanged friends. While Rice's work can be considered "historical fiction" in some cases, it is both her captivating characters and brilliant prose that should be recognized.

Kim Newman has created a brilliant world spawned from a "what-if" concept based on events that would have transpired after Bram Stoker original novel. Filled with characters both historical and fictional, the reader can follow the exploits of vampires in a world where they have been publicly known of since the turn of the 20th century.

While I'm not usually a fan of what would be considered "traditional" fantasy, I found Terry Goodkind's 'Sword Of Truth' series to be exceptional excellent. I must admit that I haven't read some of his more recent work, but don't be turned off by the TV show; stick to the novels.

Authors Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child brought us the novel "Relic" years ago, and it was made into a forgettable movie. Fortunately the book was far better and the tales have continued with many outstanding characters, especially that of FBI Agent Pendergast. These supernatural thrillers, many revolving around the NY Museum of History, are complex and engaging, absolute page-turners.