Anne strikes me as a name synonymous with entertainment - actresses, writers, musicians, and more. Through the decades there seems to have always been a woman named Anne providing entertainment. Hellfire, just go back the 1500’s and you have Anne Boleyn, she may not have been an actress or entertainer per se, but she certainly entertained the Tudor Court by refusing to give into Henry VIII until a proposal of marriage was given. More so, the entertainment at her expense with her trial for treason and subsequent beheading.
Today, however, we’re focusing on an actress, two authors and - with a slight deviation of the name - a singer.
Anne Hathaway made her mark in Disney’s “The Princess Diaries” films. Under the guidance of Garry Marshall for the first film he is said to have likened her to “a combination Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland.” She is certainly as versatile as the three actresses, going from family films for the House of Mouse to a role in the controversial film Brokeback Mountain. At 26 she has acted along side Julie Andrews, Meryl Streep, Maggie Smith, James McAvoy and the late Heath Ledger to massive success. Anne has shown growth and versatility in her roles the like of which will continue her launch into stardom and make her a memorable actress for years to come. Currently she is staring with Get Smart with Steven Carell, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin.
Anne Rice is, without doubt, a legendary writer, even if half her fan base abandoned her when she came out with Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Having been one of her fans for years, I lived out the days of Lestat de Lioncourt , had all the books, watched the movies and like many desperately wanted to strangle the people who ruined two of Anne’s books to make Queen of the Damned. But, that digresses from discussing Anne Rice. She has always created memorable characters and stories, its rare for someone not to know who Lestat, Louis, Claudia and Armand are, but the Vampire Chronicles were a gateway series into her better books. While I am not the avid fan I was, I still keep on hand three of, what I consider, her best books – Cry to Heaven, The Mummy (Ramses the Damned) and The Witching Hour. I confess to have outgrown the Vampire Chronicles at the turn of the century, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend them to people who enjoy vampire stories, as they are still some of the best.
Remaining in the realm of writers I bring back into the light a name familiar to people who have been with the site for some time – Anne Bishop. She is the author behind the Black Jewels Trilogy (Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness), three of the best books I’ve ever read. She spins worlds that turn your expectations on their heads and only gets better with each book published. Her fan base grows by leaps and bounds to the point that I actually saw some cos-playing at last year’s DragonCon. There are currently six books in the realms of the Black Jewels with more coming out each year. Additionally she has a series called The World of the Fae that delves into the connection of earthly bound witches and the Fae; how they must work together to survive. There is also the duology The Landscapes of Ephemera where a incubus and his cousin must save the world from a living nightmare. Anne Bishop is the first name that springs forth from my lips when someone asks for a recommendation in novelists.
Finally we deviate a touch from Anne by adding a letter, in which you’ll get Annie. Now the Annie I’m speaking of in particular is Annie Lennox, perhaps best known as being part of the Eurythmics, I think everyone has heard Sweet Dreams are Made of This. Annie is a solo artist now, having come out with songs like Walking on Broken Glass and Into the West. The later of which she received the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2004 for. She has received a number of other musical awards over the years she’s been performing and is not only an outstanding musician but humanitarian as well. If you haven’t heard of her, I recommend this and this. I think you’ll enjoy them.
There are many more Anne’s in the world of entertainment. Another that springs to mind is Anne McCaffrey, and while I can’t personally recommend her, Jenn has been singing her praises for the Dragonriders of Pern, along with other books, for years. While I’ve had many people urge me to read more of McCaffrey’s books I’m afraid to confess that I see more of my eyelids than I do the novels. But don’t let my reaction to them spoil your chance at reading highly acclaimed novels. Last I heard she would be attending DragonCon this fall and if you’re a fan I would recommend trying to get there, she doesn’t leave Ireland often.
Did I miss your favorite Anne or variation there of? Share your favorites in the comments.
