Book Haven discussion

Discuss July's group read "The witching hour" here! :)

This is one I am excited about. I tried reading it when I was a teen, but didn't enjoy it. I think I made it through the first 3 chapters before I gave up. lol Now that my reading taste is different, I'm hoping to enjoy this! :)

I bought this when it came out but never got to it. I loved the Vampire books though. Shame it isn't on kindle as I'd prefer an e-version.

I read this book years ago and sitting on my library shelf. I will pick it up and revisit

I read this book twice and loved it!! the two that followed "lasher" and "taltos".... I didn't like so much.

I loved this book years ago. I will have to find and revisit.

Helen wrote: "I bought this when it came out but never got to it. I loved the Vampire books though. Shame it isn't on kindle as I'd prefer an e-version."

Check smashwords. They might have it on there

I borrowed this from my boyfriend's mom and absolutely loved it, so I went and bought my own copy of it. I haven't gotten around to Lasher and Taltos though, I've heard some not so nice things about them. I also loved her Vampire Chronicles.

Michelle wrote: "I borrowed this from my boyfriend's mom and absolutely loved it, so I went and bought my own copy of it. I haven't gotten around to Lasher and Taltos though, I've heard some not so nice things abou..."

I know my husband liked this and the vampire chronicles, but I haven't read them...

Is it a contained story or do you have to read the others?

Rice's books tend to be fairly contained, even though they are part of a series. Since this is the first in her Mayfair Witches series there really isn't a need to read the second or third. I haven't read them yet

Thanks Michelle.

Helen wrote: "I bought this when it came out but never got to it. I loved the Vampire books though. Shame it isn't on kindle as I'd prefer an e-version."

I checked it out as an ebook from the library.

I read this many years ago shortly after reading the Vampire books which i enjoyed.

Whilst i did enjoy the overall story I found the book meandered a lot before getting on with the actual plot.

I'm half way through. Which page is it where the story starts? No, I'm kidding! Kind of. The vampire books were great. So are many other of Rice's books. This one seems to need abridgment, and I don't like abridged books as a rule.

i have a question which of the mayfair witch series which one is the first cause i think i read them backwards n read lasher first...

SANDRA wrote: "i have a question which of the mayfair witch series which one is the first cause i think i read them backwards n read lasher first..."

The Witching Hour is the first book in the series, then comes Lasher and the last one is Taltos. :)

Ok I finished it. I'm glad I did! I liked it very much and I will read the next in the series. For those of us that explore the metaphysical they will recognize many of common ideas here but put together in an original way. Ms. Rice is an expert at creating stories which Carl Jung would grin at reading. I wish she had cut about 500 pages though.

April wrote: "Ok I finished it. I'm glad I did! I liked it very much and I will read the next in the series. For those of us that explore the metaphysical they will recognize many of common ideas here but put t..."

lol Too long? I haven't had a chance to start it yet, but I really want to.

@April: Yeah Rice is a truly wonderful writer...but man does she love the details. In some ways it's a reason she's one of my favorite authors but I have to be in my "Rice" mood in order to read her books with any sort of vigor.

I ready these YEARS ago and have the series on my to re-read list. If you like this book and continue reading the series, I highly recommend "The Witches' Companion (Lives of the Mayfair Witches)" by Katherine Ramsland and Anne Rice. Borrow it from the library if they have it. It really does help keep track of all the characters but isn't necessary.

@Michelle: I completely agree with you having to be in a "Rice" mood.
I first read this when I was about fifteen and have reread about every five years. Due to it's length, I seem to find new things in it each time. It's one of the perks of a book this long and detailed.

I've just started this, I've read quite a few kindle pages but have just reached 2%. No way will I get through 1300+ pages by bedtime Sunday!

J.D. wrote: "SANDRA wrote: "i have a question which of the mayfair witch series which one is the first cause i think i read them backwards n read lasher first..."

The Witching Hour is the first book in the ser..."

OK.. lol well i read Lasher first and I haven't been able to get into The Witching Hour. so It's been sitting there getting dusty.. Is it so bad of me.. lol

Helen wrote: "I've just started this, I've read quite a few kindle pages but have just reached 2%. No way will I get through 1300+ pages by bedtime Sunday!" You might find it hard to put down once you get into the story! I did and read 1000+ pages in one weekend!

Kim Hornsby I love this book! Read it several years ago to extend my Rice reading. Excellent details, love the complexity and some truly spine tingling ghosts make it one of her very bests! The sequels are okay, but not as intriguing as this first in the series. If you liked this book, I recommend the Feast of All Saints as her best book. Not macabre, but heart wrenching to read of the limbo state of the "gens de coleur" in antebellum New Orleans! Great story!

Thanks for that. It's been sitting on my shelf since publication. I have managed to get it as an e-book so at least it's lighter for carrying!

I love Anne Rice's plots, but, oh the details.

I wanted to go through that book with a machete to chop out the extraneous details. If I wanted to know what everything in the entire city of New Orleans looked, smelled, felt, and sounded like, I'd go there!

Lasher, which I've also read, did nothing for me, and by that point I'd gotten so sick of wading through hip deep wodges of details that I didn't try Taltos.

I'm enjoying it and read the Vamps up to -can't remember, the one or two after the body snatcher. I'm coming up to half way. I get what others are saying about 'when does the story start' and an abridgement.

I don't mind the detail, at least I haven't skimmed in the way I did with the Cecelia Dart Thornton books (they drove me mad, describing cupboards!).

I feel that when I get through the 'novel' within the book that a character is reading there shouldn't be alot of story left but as I'm just under half way I'm obviously mis-led.

Well. I've read the 'back-history' section and am now at the funeral. I'm starting to lose interest, I'm sure we could have cut a lot of this description.

I was looking forward to reading The Witching Hour 20 years back but only passed 30 pages. Nothin' should stop me now, tho' rarely do I ever read a 1,000-page tome in less than one month. I'd like to try it this month and see how it goes. Gimme about 4 weeks form today and catch me up on my progress. Wish me lotsa luck! And Happy Halloween!

Go for it Edward. Have to say I think back on it fondly. I also toy with reading the others.

Oh my goodness ladies, we need to add a link at the start of these discussions to the book. It took me reading through half the page before someone said "Rice". I looked up the The Witching Hour and i found:
and ,, just for the top three. I added Rice's book and Nora Roberts to my to-read list. I love Rice's work.

That is a good point actually, particularly with all the different covers this book has.

Love The Witching hour!!! Not so much with Lasher and Taltos.

I agree with some of the above...LOVED 'The Witching Hour'....not so much with 'Lasher' and 'Taltos'.
The first book has been a periodic re-read for me over the years though. It DOES start a bit slow, but keep with it cuz it is epic!

I loved this series, The Mayfair Witches, and it is my favorite series. Although I first purchased the witching hour in 2008 and tried reading it, I found it kind of difficult to follow at first and then I picked it up again in 2009 and tried to concentrate in the first chapters and from then on the second book and third book flowed easily, I have no idea why it was hard for me to understand this series in the beginning. It is a great series and I'm glad I did not give up on it after my first attempt.

I didn't have any problems reading this book. I loved it. I read it several times, but I couldn't get into the rest of the series. I tried reading Lasher several times, but it just couldn't hold my interest.

Edward wrote: "I was looking forward to reading The Witching Hour 20 years back but only passed 30 pages. Nothin' should stop me now, tho' rarely do I ever read a 1,000-page tome in less than one month. I'd like ..."
Hi! Are u almost done with the witching hour book?

Nah. Not even close. I'm reading too many other books now but I may have to buy a used copy somewhere. Is there a time limit to reading it?

I've had The Witching Hour and Lasher for ages. Every time I'd try to pick it up and focus, the book became so hard to read and I'd just give up. But I love Rice, and own her entire Vampire Chronicles, so I tried again a few weeks ago...and fell in love with the series. It's still a hard read in the beginning, but well worth it. Unlike most here, I loved Lasher more than the first, and I'm almost done with Taltos. I'm sure Lasher will be my favorite.

Edward wrote: "Nah. Not even close. I'm reading too many other books now but I may have to buy a used copy somewhere. Is there a time limit to reading it?"

Not sure, I joined this group not too long ago, so I am still learning to follow the challenges and group readings. Haven't joined a group reading yet but I want to. What you reading right now?

Would you believe I vaccillate ( I s'pose that's the word) between one genre and the other--I'm probably reading 25 or more simultaneously. Currently into Maeve Binchy's Tara Road for a book club at the library...not much into it, tho', cos Ms. Binchy takes soppy sentimentalism to the next level. I'm also into Thomas Pynchon's books (for my brain, 'cos I like a challenge) and I enjoy Dewey Lambdin on the side (he writes about the English Navy in the 1800's, all cannonballs and grapeshot. Cool!)