A Bookworm's Life

Tune in Tuesday (5)

2011-10-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Tune in Tuesdays at GReads! is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger from GReads! that showcases music - her other passion in life besides books! Each week she posts a new or old song in hopes to gain more interest. Let's help Ginger in spreading the love of music!

For this first week of a month-long Soundtrack Edition set of Tune in Tuesday, my choice is inspired by my husband. I didn't really know he liked this song until recently, when I tripped over it on iTunes and played it. I, myself, was not familiar with The Pixies even though I was a teenager in the 90's and that means I should have been, particularly since I liked The Breeders. (Remember the Deal sisters?) Anywho, give it a listen. IMHO and to paraphrase Doctor Who, this song is cool.

Happy Birthday Jen!

2011-10-01T11:00:00.003-04:00

We hope you have a FANTABULOUS day :D

Tune in Tuesday (4)

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

I got to see them live in 2001 but I got so excited and lost in the music that I barely remember the concert at all :) Somebody get me a hypnotist! Anyway, here's some of my favorite songs from these fellas from Canada. Enjoy!

Book Review: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

2011-09-25T01:49:00.000-04:00

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter is a fresh take on a genre that has been done...and done...and done. Vampires and their culture has been around for so long that so many readers (including me) is getting pretty sick of them. However, Painter's new series has me sticking with vampires a while longer.

In Blood Rights, vampires believe that they are the superior race. Their society structure is based on status determined by wealth and strength but the pinnacle of said status is truly gained by the quality of their comarré and the price in which they paid. These quality blood servants who are born in an academy of sorts and trained to be the best of the best go to live in their new master's households as a cherished member of the family. Comarré are raised without family ties, without even knowing who their parents were, so that their identity truly is supposed to be influenced by whoever purchases them. The comarré need to be fed upon - their bodies are unable to self-monitor and control the amount of blood in their veins like regular humans - and so their relationship with their masters, while usually impersonal, is a necessary one. Comarré are trained all their lives to fight vampires but they are not allowed to let anyone know so in essence, the comarre are like foxes in the vampires' henhouses. (And here the vampires think they're the biggest bad in all the land. I love the irony.) Chrysabelle is incomparable; she is considered to be the highest achievement in comarré lineage. Accomplished in everything, she is purchased by the master of the most prestigious House and has lived a satisfactory life until recently, when she decides to leave. This is where Chrysabelle's troubles begin when her master is found murdered in their home. She flees and becomes a fugitive.

Being a cursed vampire who is tormented by the guilt and voices of everyone he has killed in his long vampire life, Malkolm now spends his time searching for a way to break his curse. He refuses to drink blood straight from the source and when he sees Chrysabelle, a comarré in disguise walking around in a vampire night club, he realizes that he's in deep trouble: she's beautiful, her blood sings to him, and she's a damsel in distress. So he tries to help her and after a rather rocky introduction, they end up working together in an unsure alliance to find out who killed her master.

I really liked Blood Rights. It felt more like Malkolm's story to me than Chrysabelle's, much to my delight; in comparison, Malkolm's life has been much more interesting. So much of the plot is wrapped up in his history whereas Chrysabelle's life is really just beginning. Neither Mal nor Chrysabelle are in a position to be feeling romantic and I appreciated that the chemistry between these two is kept in check. The villain is a bit of the evil monologing-"I've got you in my clutches" type but it meshes rather well with the black humor and dark tone. All in all, I am most certainly going to be reading book two, Flesh and Blood, out on October 25th.

Thanks to Hachette and Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Kristen Painter's website

Other reviews:

Vampire Book Club

Bewitched Bookworms

Urban Fantasy Investigations

Badass Book Reviews

Paperback Dolls

Tune in Tuesday (3)

2011-09-13T10:12:00.000-04:00

Tune in Tuesdays at GReads! is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger from GReads! that showcases music - her other passion in life besides books! Each week she posts a new or old song in hopes to gain more interest. Let's help Ginger in spreading the love of music!

My nephew, we'll call him "J", loves Beethoven. For all you parents out there who have been told by someone or another that the Baby Einstein videos for children do more harm than good, I am here to say baloney. J is not only smart for his age (he is six) but those movies cultured a love for classical music in him which I think is just the coolest thing EVER. I know that if I'm going to have him in the car with me he's going to ask for Beethoven. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in particular. There are a few others, of course, but this one is his favorite. J's interest in Beethoven has also sparked some in me as well and I find myself appreciating more and more classical music these days. I picked this clip from Fantasia 2000 to have something to watch and while it's a bit faster-paced than I'm used to, it's still worth a listen.

Yes, I've Changed the Template (Again)

2011-09-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

I like to fidget with things. My most recent favorite thing to play with is the template/background of my blog. It's been a constant source of dissatisfaction for me since I've somewhat changed the format. As it turns out, I prefer to have a book-based template. Go figure.

And so, I've gone back to my Lost in Austen background from Shabby Blogs. It's not exactly the same, though, since Blogger changed the template designer they offer. I like the look of this one so this is the way it shall stay. I promise. I may tweak it here and there but it will be minor changes so dear readers, if and when you come back, it'll be a familiar place.

Book Review: Deadly Sins by Kylie Brant

2011-09-08T20:34:00.000-04:00

An unknown assassin has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner, brutally taking out high-level human targets citywide. It's just the kind of case that will test the resolve of a tough FBI agent like Jaid Marlowe. Especially when her new partner is Adam Raiker, Jaid's former colleague-and ex-lover.

As a life-long fan of CSI-type television shows and the like, finding a book series that satisfies that particular itch for me is a pleasure. Kylie Brant's Mindhunters fills all the requirements: brilliant minds solving heinous crimes along with enough romance to entertain but not so much that it takes the focus away from the plot.

Deadly Sins is a book that I have most certainly been looking forward to as it delves into the mystery that is Adam Raiker, former FBI agent and owner of Raiker Forensics, home of the Mindhunters. In each book, enigmatic Adam is dangled in front of the reader without divulging many (if any) of his secrets. How did he lose that eye and why does he walk with a cane? Why did he leave the FBI and start his own company? Who will be the lucky woman to catch his eye and steal his heart? And most importantly, does he wear boxers or briefs? Do tell.

In the interest of keeping this review as spoiler-free as possible, though, there shall unfortunately be no real telling. However, I do have some opinions to share. For instance, I liked Deadly Sins and was quickly wrapped up in the story. Deadly Sins wraps up a multi-book arc involving the aftermath caused by the man who led Adam to leave the FBI and a killer who is enacting revenge against people who have wronged him using a theme from the movie "Seven." Is the killer sending them on a wild goose chase or is the mastermind behind everything seemingly beyond their reach? I was happy to see that the killer wasn't painfully obvious but if I had been using my "There are no extra characters" rule, I probably would have figured it out early on.

As for the romance part, considering the type of man that Adam Raiker is - clever, close-mouthed, and driven - I thought it wise of Brant to have a love interest reenter his life now, rather than having him meet someone new. Adam had been gravely injured and is still recovering; the only way I could see him letting someone close would be if he knew her (and was vulnerable to) when he was still whole. Jaid Marlowe is a good match for him as she has enough spine to stand up to his bullying nature and a big enough heart to not hold it against him (for long). I was relieved when the mystery of her son's father was revealed; I had hoped that Brant wouldn't go there and was pleased when it went in another direction than the obvious.

When's the next book? Hopefully, not too far away. (B)

Kylie Brant's website

Other reviews:
Errant Dreams Reviews
Smexy Books
Love to Read For Fun
Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

Tune in Tuesdays (2)

2011-09-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

Today, my selection is in honor of Freddy Mercury from Queen, one of the coolest things to come out of England. Yesterday would have been his sixty-fifth birthday. This is my favorite song by Queen and it's extra cool because David Bowie is in it too.

Tune in Tuesday

2011-08-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty slow on the uptake, people. I don't pay attention to what's going on unless somebody comes over and pokes me HARD. When I saw Jen at Not Now I'm Reading's picks for the last Tune In Tuesday '90s edition, I smacked myself on the forehead and then started mining through that crazy decade for music I liked. Here's what I've come up with today. You get four since it's the last one and all.

Book Review: Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

2011-08-19T23:09:00.000-04:00

Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers-a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana-he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned to learn that Helen may have been a collaborator in her own murder.

Peeling back the layers of deception, Pendergast realizes that the conspiracy is deeper, goes back generations, and is more monstrous than he could have ever imagined-and everything he's believed, everything he's trusted, everything he's understood . . . may be a horrific lie.

In this second of three books of Pendergast hunting down the truth of what happened to his "late" (is she or isn't she) wife, Preston and Child take a little detour from their usual Pendergast novel. Cold Vengeance is mostly Pendergast on his own, doing his thing without his usual cast of friends, not even all-purpose Proctor, though they do bring back Corrie Swanson from Still Life with Crows. (I was happy to see her again.) He goes a bit off the reservation; obsessed with finding his wife, Pendergast leaves no stone unturned and does things I, as a ravenous devourer of this series, would never expect. (He plays golf. How mundane.)

Cold Vengeance begins where Fever Dream left off and in similar fashion, leaves the reader with another cliffhanger and all sorts of dangling plot-lines to be concluded in the next book. In all honesty, it took me much longer to get through this book than other Preston and Child's novels; perhaps it's because I knew that there would be no real resolution? In any case, seeing Pendergast go off on his own, actively telling D'Agosta and Corrie to essentially butt out was weird if not understandable, even for him. Also, some of the details bothered me, like this one from page 307-308, where he is trying to flush out bad guys in a situation where stealth is key:

Pendergast crept along the slanting wall until he was just below the level of the toe rail, where sliding glass doors opened from the sky lounge to the sky deck.
He reached into his pocket, took out a coin, and tossed it so that it clanked against the glass doors.

My main thought when I read this passage was, You mean to tell me that Pendergast has been sneaking around a boat like Spider-man with loose change in his pockets? The man is good but not that good. Perhaps he only had the one coin? Maybe he stuck a single quarter into his pocket for just such an occasion? Not impossible for Pendergast but certainly improbable.

Overall though, I liked what happened in this book. It moved somewhat slowly in places, with disposable characters who didn't fit in the puzzle that is the main plot, but by the end, I was riveted. As is usually the case, I want the next book NOW, but at this time, I can't find any info concerning publication or even a title. Preston and Child's next book, Gideon's Corpse, will be out January 10, 2012.

Other reviews:
A Walrus Darkly
The Mystery Reader
The Speed of Write

Preston & Child website

AAD Recap

2011-08-17T08:21:00.001-04:00

(This is the only picture I took outside and it's across the street from the hotel.)

This time last week, Jen from Not Now, I'm Reading and I were on our way to Philadelphia for Authors After Dark. She flew and I drove and when we met up, we started four days of books and laughter that I won't ever forget. Jen was the picture-taker this year and so if you'd like to see what we saw on our trip, head on over to her blog for Part 1.

A Picture a Day Keeps the Ennui Away

2011-08-16T15:05:00.001-04:00

My partner-in-crime, Jane, is working on something that is taking my breath away: 365 Project. Posting a pic a day, every day this year, is giving her something to do while all the rain in Minnesota keeps her family out of the lake. Here's her pic from Sunday:

Check out her profile HERE and let her know how much your love her pictures! You know you want to.

I Am Three Years Old

2011-08-15T23:14:00.002-04:00

Folks, today is my blog's three year anniversary.

Whoopee.

This here blog is currently a mess. I promise that I will be working on it just as soon as I figure out what I'm going to do here.

I'm not a big anniversary celebrator (or at least I don't feel like it with this one) but I suppose I should commemorate it somehow so how about I just tell you about what I made for dinner tonight? We had Panfried Steak (aka steak au poivre) and Baked Potatoes. No pictures because, well, it's steak. Who hasn't seen a picture of steak before?

Panfried Steak
from James McNair's Favorites

4 tenderloin, sirloin, or other tender boneless lean beef steaks, about 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue
Freshly ground coarse black pepper
Coarse salt
About 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
About 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup minced shallot
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Quickly rinse the steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper toweling. Generously sprinkle both sides of the steaks with pepper and gently press it into the meat with your hands. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

In a saute pan or heavy skillet, sprinkle a fine layer of salt over the bottom and place over high heat. When the salt just begins to brown and the pan is almost but no quite smoking, add the steaks and cook until well browned on the bottoms, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Turn the steaks with tongs to prevent piercing and releasing juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Top each steak with about 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste. Add the shallot, distributing it evenly around the steaks, and cook until the steaks are done to your preference, about 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Frequently stir the shallot in the pan drippings, adding a bit more butter and Worcestershire sauce if needed to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan.

Remove the steaks to warmed plates. (I nuke mine in the microwave for 1 minute. It really does make a difference.) Add the lemon juice to the pan, scraping the sides and bottom to loosen any browned bits and cook about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and pour over the steaks.

Tip: Who knew it's not such a good idea to sear two steaks in your brand-new not non-stick 12" skillet on Super-High heat without breaking it in first? *sigh*

For the Baked Potatoes: scrub russet potatoes well until clean, pierce with fork multiple times, and bake @ 350 degrees for 1-1.5 hours. They're done when they give when you squeeze them gently.

Book Review: The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen

2011-08-15T22:32:00.001-04:00

Every crime scene tells a story. Some keep you awake at night. Others haunt your dreams. The grisly display homicide cop Jane Rizzoli finds in Boston's Chinatown will do both.

In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female's severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair -- not human -- cling to her body. They are Rizzoli's only clues, but they're enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.

Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she's the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.

Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning -- and a swift, avenging blade. (From the dust jacket.)

Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles series is pretty new to me. I downloaded The Surgeon onto my nook during the hiatus and soon got the attention of my local librarian after checking out the rest. Why it took me so long to discover that is a mystery as I read Gravity several years ago after picking it up at a library book sale and liked it well enough to not deter me from ever reading her again. Starting with The Surgeon, this has been a consistently well-written series and I have enjoyed reading each one. The Silent Girl fits into the world of Jane Rizzoli just as well as the others and it delves into the connections between Boston's Chinatown, missing teenage girls and a tragedy that still haunts the city.

I liked how Gerritsen used the superstitious and mysterious nature of the Chinese people and their culture to frame the whodunit in The Silent Girl. She does that well, I think, Gerritsen: using a culture or even supernatural elements to keep Rizzoli & Isles on their toes. Here, Rizzoli begins truly wondering whether or not Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is actually running around Boston, exacting vengeance while simultaneously protecting her from harm. Gerritsen adds a new recurring character, a Chinese detective named Johnny Tam, to the mix and I hope he's here to stay. He's a good reminder to Jane of how hard she had to work to fit in to the police department.

Also, the subplot of Rizzoli's family continues to entertain me. Watching Jane cope with two parents who are trying to live their second childhoods gives a realistic touch to a fictional character. I am just waiting for Jane to knock Frankie on his butt once and for all. Maybe in the next book?

Other opinions:
Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
Bookgasm
Night Owl Suspense

Tess Gerritsen's website

Hot

2011-07-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

People, it is hot.

The bugs are gone.

My glasses fog up when I open the front door.

The humidity has been so consistently high that the water I set out on the front porch for the cats has not evaporated at all. (They do come inside at their leisure so it's not like I make them drink hot water all day. Please don't call the ASPCA on me.)

Most telling though is that I actually turned up the thermostat a few degrees today in a vain measure to lessen the stress placed upon our local electric company. See how responsible I am?

I've been spending the day looking through piles of recipes and gardening tips I've collected from magazines over the years and getting wrapped up in Lost in Austen on some cable channel I've never heard of before. My main refreshment today has been ice water with a packet of True Lemon (not to mention this Iced Coffee with breakfast) but one of my favorite summertime (or anytime) drinks is one I (by way of my mother) discovered at Starbucks:

Passion Iced Tea (unsweetened) with Lemonade
Makes about 3 quarts

Two bags of Tazo Passion Tea (the purple box, recently found at Whole Foods)
One can frozen Minute Maid Pink Lemonade concentrate (regular Lemonade is good too)
Water

Boil enough water to fill a teapot to steep the tea and steep the tea a good ten minutes. Pour into a pitcher large enough to hold 3 quarts. Add the lemonade concentrate, making sure to hold the can as close to the tea as possible if it's still mostly frozen - it'll plop and splash. Add the 4 1/3 cups of water as directed on the can. Stir. Add ice if desired (and if you have the room) but not too much as it'll dilute everything. Chill it if you can wait, pour immediately over ice if you can't, and be charmed by the sweet-tart taste and the pretty raspberry color.

Cookbook Review Wrap-Up: America's Test Kitchen 2011

2011-07-19T14:28:00.000-04:00

As you no doubt noticed, last week I petered out after three days of recipes from this cookbook. I didn't cook much dinner on Thursday (BLT sandwiches) and Friday we ate out (and had a surprisingly delicious and well-cooked meal at Outback) after seeing Harry Potter. However, I didn't want to let it go without further inspection. This is a very nice cookbook and one that has given us plenty of good things to eat.

Last week, I tried to choose recipes that covered different types of food. The Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings and Amish Potato Salad came from the "Starters & Salads" chapter; Almost Hands-Free Risotto came from the "Vegetables & Side Dishes" chapter; and Maryland Crab Cakes came from the "Seafood" chapter (shocking, I know). On Saturday, I attempted their Reduced-Fat German Chocolate Cake with rather awful results but I'll go into that later. I had plans to make Grilled Vegetable and Bread Salad (aka Panzanella) and Chicken Tacos (even though their recipe called for 3/4 cup chopped cilantro) but, as usual, overestimate my drive to cook on those days where I'm feeling less than the thing.

We have eaten Easy Cheesy Quiche for Two (using the Easy Ham and Swiss Quiche for Two variation) several delicious times; having failed to locally find a 6" pie plate, I've been doubling the recipe for a 9" pie instead AND using a different pie crust recipe since theirs is rather fussy for my liking. One of the first recipes we made was Grilled Asparagus with Garlic Butter - so yummy! The Baked Manicotti with Meat Sauce, Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper (the cheese did exactly what the writer claimed it wouldn't: all the cheese clumped together and stuck to my tongs) , and St. Louis Pizza (where are you supposed to find shredded American cheese?) were all just okay. Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts were good but it felt strange to bake the chicken first and then brown it.

Now, about the cake. Did you know that baking soda and baking powder are chock full of sodium? Baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate after all, with well over 1,000 mg sodium per teaspoon. That presents a problem for me since I'm now on a low-sodium diet but there are alternatives you can get and that's what I used when I made this cake:

And here's what I got:

To be more specific, size-wise:

For reference purposes, that donut is a regular glazed donut from Dunkin' Donuts. Not very impressive, eh? The cake turned out chewy and dense, even more so than a brownie, but did not have a bad flavor. The frosting was better but after it sat, I could peel it off the cake in sheets. I've been tempted to bake the cake again with regular baking soda to see if there would be a difference though there really wasn't too much cake batter to begin with.

Don't despair! I've saved my favorite recipe from this book for last and let me assure you that if I was not concerned about my salt intake, I would be making these at least once a week for sure: Crispy Roasted Potatoes. Just typing that makes my mouth water. I love french fries and roasted potatoes but any time I've tried to make oven fries I get frustrated. The fries don't become crispy and more often than not, they stick to the baking sheet, even on non-stick! This recipe solves those problems and is pretty dang easy. Just make sure you've got plenty of ketchup!

Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6 (or two very hungry people)

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium), rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt
5 tbsp olive oil
Pepper

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a Dutch oven and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and gently simmer until the exteriors of the potatoes have softened but the center offer resistance when pierced with a paring knife, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, toss to combine. Drizzle the potatoes with 2 tablespoons more oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to toss until the exteriors of the potato slices are coated with a starchy paste, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the surface. Carefully transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer (skin side up if an end piece). Bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are goldne brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes.

3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, using a metal spatula and tongs, loosen the potatoes from the pan and carefully flip each slice. Continue to roast until the second side is golden and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes longer, rotating the baking sheet as needed to ensure the potatoes brown evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

You can get it HERE from Amazon.

Week-Long Cookbook Review, Wednesday

2011-07-15T23:12:00.001-04:00

I realize it's Friday and that I missed posting Wednesday's dinner review yesterday but, you see, when you take two small children to a swimming pool and chase them around for several hours, it wears you out. Even more so when you're sunburned and have stuff you have to do at home later that you can't put off any longer... Well, you get the picture.

Anyway, here's what we ate for dinner Wednesday - TWO recipes from this book:

Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings and Amish Potato Salad.

(Sorry about the awful pictures. The lighting in my house is crap and my camera thinks I'm a dummy. It is not necessarily wrong.)

First, the wings. I (obviously) own a slow cooker but have never been a big fan. Any meat I have ever cooked in this contraption (adding liquid or no) has turned into a doorstop. Recently though, I do believe that Kelsey Nixon from Kelsey's Essentials on Cooking Channel set the foundation for some slow-cooker cookin' when I saw this show for a few weeks ago with her Roast Turkey Dip with Melted Gruyere sandwich recipe. I was still a bit skeptical though.

Well, worry no more. These wings were Awesome! (They deserve a capital A.) They are simple to make and the sauce/glaze is absolutely delicious. The Man decreed that when/if we have our annual Football Draft Day party next year, these will be the main course. (We usually eat ribs.) These wings are spicy and sweet with a bit of heat - much like the sauce in General Tso's Chicken. The directions call for the wings to be cooked for three to four hours on low. Mine cooked for 3.5 hours and were almost falling apart; I halved the amount of wings made here since there are only the two of us but kept the amounts for the sauce the same so I didn't make any mistakes.

Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings

from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 lbs. chicken wings (I bought wingettes), halved at joint and wing tips removed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste

1. Pulse 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, the ginger, garlic, and 1/4 tsp of the cayenne in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add the wings and toss until combined.

2. Cover and cook on low until the fat renders and the chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove the wings from the slow cooker and transfer to a large bowl (discard the liquid in the slow cooker.) Let the wings cool for 20 minutes (or cool briefly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours).

3. Adjust an oven rack to be 10 to 12 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. (Note: my broiler is wimpy and I found that I kept having to move the wings closer and closer as I broiled them. You may want to start at the next to the top rack setting in your oven to get the proper results.) Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray the rack with vegetable oil spray. Whisk the water, tomato paste, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 3 tbsp soy sauce, and remaining 1/4 tsp cayenne in a bowl. Add half the sauce to the bowl with the cooked wings and toss gently to coat. Arrange the wings, skin side up, on the prepared rack. Broil until the wings are lightly charred and crisp around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the wings, brush with the remaining sauce, and continue to broil until well caramelized, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Now, about the Amish Potato Salad. I have another version of potato salad in my repertoire that I am partial to. It's pretty standard with hard boiled eggs, celery, and some onion action mixed in amongst the taters. Mayo, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar make the dressing. I was curious to see if the Amish could impress me.

I wasn't. But I don't think it's the salad's fault.

Having to cut out quite a bit of salt out of my diet has had more impacts than just decreasing the salty aspect of food. Salt is crucial for balance; sweet and sour need salt to balance them out and keep them under control. I did add some salt to this dish but it wasn't enough to keep the sweetness of the 1/4 cup of sugar and the sour of the 1/3 cup of vinegar from being overpowering to me. The Man added some salt to his plate and said that it helped tremendously. I guess this means that you'll have to take my opinion here with a grain of salt. (So bad, I know, but I couldn't resist.)

Amish Potato Salad

from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 to 8 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
Salt
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp yellow mustard
4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 tsp celery seed
3/4 cup sour cream
1 celery rib, chopped fine (I added more because I like the crunch)
Pepper

1. Bring the potatoes, 1 tbsp salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch to boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.

2. While the potatoes simmer, microwave the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Process the vinegar mixture, mustard, 1 hard-cooked egg yolk (reserve the white), the celery seed, and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Drain the potatoes, then spread them in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tbsp of the dressing over the hot potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes.

4. Whisk the sour cream into the remaining dressing. Add the remaining eggs and egg white and, using a potato masher, mash until only small pieces remain. Add the celery and cooled potatoes and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. (The salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Week-Long Cookbook Review, Tuesday

2011-07-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

This crab cake looks like a crabby patty. Can you tell I was watching Spongebob earlier today?

I live in Maryland. I have lived in Maryland all of my life except for those two years we won't speak of. We Marylanders take our crab cakes pretty seriously. In my family, if we want to go out for a good crab cake, we go HERE. These crab cakes are known as being among the best in the region. Shaped like a baseball, they contain only a minimal amount of anything BUT crab; they use only enough filler to hold it together. That was my comparison for America's Test Kitchen's "Maryland Crab Cakes." Will they measure up? Hmmm.

Or should I say Mmmmmmm. I really enjoyed Tuesday's dinner: Crab Cakes and Sauteed Corn. These crab cakes were pretty darn delicious and were also easy to make. The ingredient list was simplistic but logical; see the recipe for yourself below.

Maryland Crab Cakes

(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/2 cup saltine crumbs (14 saltines get blitzed in the food processor)
3 scallions, minced
2 T unsalted butter, melted
2 T mayo
1 large egg yolk
1 T Dijon
2 t Frank's Hot Sauce
1 t Old Bay seasoning

1. Blot the crabmeat with paper towels to get rid of excess moisture. Place in a bowl along with half the saltine crumbs and all other ingredients, combining gently, making sure everything is evenly distributed.

2. Portion mixture into four evenly-sized patties and gently dredge in remaining cracker crumbs. Put all four patties on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate (they say up to 8 hrs) for at least one hour or until ready to cook.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet (my newest toy) over med-low heat and add 2 T butter and enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan (but don't get crazy - we don't want things to be greasy later). Cook until golden brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked, 15 minutes. (Here, ATK wants you to cook them under the broiler 12-15 minutes, with only one side of the crab cakes coated in crumbs. That side should be on the bottom, placing the cakes in a buttered 8x8 section of a rimmed baking sheet. My broiler is wimpy and therefore I decided to forgo the risk of undercooked crab and the subsequent vomiting. Besides, I like fried stuff better anyway.) Serve with lemon wedges. (That would have been a nice touch.)

My only complaint could be that I would reduce the amount of hot sauce to 1 tsp. I like the heat of the two teaspoons but I think that if I was making these to serve to, say, my parents, they wouldn't appreciate the heat as much. Otherwise, all I can say is that I will definitely be making these again.

Up Next - Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings AND Amish Potato Salad

Week-Long Cookbook Review, Monday

2011-07-13T00:21:00.004-04:00

To start off this new direction I'm heading here, I've begun a week of cooking from one particular cookbook:

I've had this book for a few months now. When I first learned about America's Test Kitchen's existence - while reading Kelly Eddington's blog - it was pretty much love at first sight. With the exception of that whole immersion blender debacle and their obnoxious need to make you pay for absolutely everything on their websites (which is why I've not added them to my links list), they're pretty much spot-on with everything they publish. I've since subscribed to Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated, a sure thing after I ordered this book from amazon. I knew I wanted to review it when I got going again and here we are.

The plan is to make one recipe from this book per day. Monday was risotto. "Almost Hands-Free Risotto with Parmesan and Herbs" to be specific. What's not to love about risotto? It is creamy, cheesy, starchy elegance. It's also a pain in the butt to cook - who wants to stir something you're planning to eat as a side dish for thirty minutes straight? America's Test Kitchen has come up with a way to cook risotto that allows you to walk away from it for almost twenty of those thirty minutes and I wanted to see if it made authentic-tasting risotto.

(You get this pic because, as usual, I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish. The risotto is simmering in the cast iron dutch oven.)

You know what? It pretty much does. This recipe contains all the classic ingredients for risotto: arborio rice, white wine, onions, garlic, chicken broth, butter, and parmesan cheese. It was much easier to cook, allowing me to spend time on the stuffed chicken we ate alongside.

Low sodium note: America's Test Kitchen called for 3/4 tsp salt plus more to taste. I added a decent-sized pinch of this grey salt, which has about half the regular amount of sodium present in regular table salt (or kosher salt), and I didn't miss the difference what with the chicken broth and parmesan:

I will say this about the risotto, it was pretty yummy (I left out the herbs even though they are amongst the counter mess) and the less work the better, but there was something missing. Maybe it was just my imagination, but this dish felt, or tasted, easier than it should have to be true risotto. Most of the cooking required the lid. 'Nuff said.

Up next - Maryland Crab Cakes

The 2.0 Version (Or, I'm Back! Now, With Food!)

2011-07-08T22:33:00.002-04:00

Hello. I would like to reintroduce myself.

My name is Jen and I have been a book addict for most of my life. Being a bookworm totally suits me and my books have always been a major part of my existence ever since my dad taught me to read when I was three. I am married to a wonderful man who loves football, Batman, and me (but not necessarily in that order).

I am now thirty-three and have been writing book reviews on this blog for almost three years. However, as much as I love my books, I've recently become so very tired of the subject. I haven't even been reading that much.

Burnout stinks, baby.

There's a topic that's more interesting to me lately: FOOD. In the past year, I've become more and more infatuated with cooking; my kitchen feels stuffed to its gills with gadgets, my cupboards are bursting, and the little shelf that used to hold all my cookbooks is now inadequate. I'm growing tomatoes and bell peppers in five gallon buckets in my backyard, herbs on my deck. I'm also going organic which, let me tell you, is not easy in my neck o' the woods. The closest Whole Foods is. . .105 miles away! I had my first Whole Foods experience last week and Oh. My. God. I bought carrots with their "plants" (as my nephew would say) still attached and when my husband got home that day, I proudly showed them to him with a big, goofy grin on my face. I kinda wanted to fight a woman at my local organic produce stand the other day for the last quart of heirloom tomatoes.

Here's the hitch. I have been having recurring ear problems. The diagnosis? Meniere's Disease. My case isn't super-disruptive but it can be annoying as hell. Sometimes, it feels like the worst part is the low-sodium diet I've had to maintain. I'm a big fan of kosher salt and kept a salt pig on my counter. Sodium is in everything and salt makes anything taste better. Check out the food labels on some of your most basic convenience foods - mayo, soy sauce, ketchup, bread crumbs, etc. - and you'll see how difficult it can be to stay below 2000mg of sodium per day. So, I'm now making everything from scratch. Now, I know it's a good thing because most of the stuff I just mentioned is most likely full of chemicals so it'll last longer on the shelf but it's such an inconvenience! On the other hand, so is losing my hearing so I'll do what I have to and that's what I plan to talk about here. Other stuff too, definitely including books, but I'm shifting the focus. Also, please bear with me in this. With the Meniere's, I have days where I'm a complete airhead, can't remember anything, and I have no (or often the wrong) words. (Yes, I've had an MRI on my head.) Any pics I post are bound to be totally amateurish too. Just try not to laugh too too hard.

I'm trying out this background with the tomatoes what with all my tomato fever I've got right now and I hope it's not too hard to read. There was a background that looked like salt but I thought that might be too cute. As it is with moving, things on the blog will be shifting around until they find their proper homes. Comments and suggestions are always welcome so please don't be shy. Thanks!

Review: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

2011-05-17T00:00:00.120-04:00

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - "helping of others" is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she'd like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will's "friend" or "more" status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona's most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She's only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She's the first ghost-talker Will's ever met-aside from his father-and she may hold answers to Will's troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the "clearly not" column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Will Killian and Alona Dare have a complicated relationship. He's alive and she's dead; she helps him manage all the other dead folks who want his help; and they're heading down a tricky road with their are we or aren't we romance. Alona has been dead for two months but hasn't changed much since then - she's still selfish and self-centered - and now things are taking a turn for the worse: her family is moving on without her and Will is starting to have doubts about her and their "purpose". When Will meets Mina, a girl who can also see (and catch) ghosts like Alona, things get even more complicated. Which will Will choose, to work for the living or the dead and will Alona still be there to help him?

Queen of the Dead is just as good (and maybe better) than The Ghost and the Goth. Kade's style and tone is pitch perfect for this YA treat of a book. There are some heavy topics addressed in QofD like mortality and morality; Will tries to figure out who is doing the right thing: is it their (his and Alona's) mission to help other ghosts resolve their issues so they can move on to who knows what or is it Mina's Order, a group of fanatical ghost-talkers who work to protect humans using methods that "kill" ghosts in ways that make him shudder when he considers what they would do to Alona. Will also learns about his father's past and abilities, something he has been desperate to know. However, Alona gets into some serious (and rather heinous) trouble on her part, leaving Will to reconcile what she's done and how he feels about her. I appreciated that there was some emotional growth for Alona here; being the center of her universe and demanding that everyone conform to her opinions and ideas was a bit trying. Even if you take into account the fact that she's really only a teenager who is a product of her environment, her attitude and outlook was pretty obnoxious. With Will on the other end of that personality spectrum, he and Alona balance each other very well and I can't wait to see what happens next. And even though it was 2 am and I couldn't for fear of waking the whole house, Queen of the Dead finished with an ending that made me want to jump up and yell "All right!"

Queen of the Dead will be released on May 31, 2011.

Because Mondays Suck

2011-05-16T13:45:00.001-04:00

This is not book-related so it totally doesn't count what with the hiatus and all but! I was talking to my mother the other day and have discovered that my parents have lost their marbles: they want to get some peacocks. Two peacocks to be precise, to be gorgeous and perpetually pissed-off so that they might wander around my folks' yard and show off their beautiful feathers. 'Kay. My husband, having lived next door to people who had peacocks when he was younger, also thinks that they are out of their ever-loving minds. (So it's not just me.)

So I bring to you this video that we found on youtube. There are plenty on there that have peacocks screaming their heads off (one is called "The Most Annoying Sound in the World") but this one I LOVED. This cat is priceless and a week later, I'm still watching him so I can see the expression on his furry face once more. And you can watch it at work! (There's very little audio.) Here you go...

http://youtu.be/eR9FQdQwpQg

Houston, We Have a Problem

2011-05-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

My dad taught me to read when I was three. My kindergarten teacher was thrilled with me; one less rugrat to teach their ABC's to was probably a bit of a relief. Now, I am thirty-three and after blogging for three years, have lately become burned out on the subject of books. Sitting down at this computer, waiting for the words to come so I can write reviews, has become difficult to say the least.

It has taken me thirty years of loving books to get where I am today. But finding the desire to want to write reviews is hard for me these days. And when I get up in the morning and open the browser on my laptop, you want to know the first websites I've been checking out lately? Food bloggers.

That's right. FOOD bloggers, not BOOK bloggers. I feel guilty, like I'm cheating on the one I love (not my husband, of course). I've been getting more pleasure out of reading foodie websites, food bloggers, and cookbooks than I have book sites. *gasp*

Some people would ask me why I can't do both? Here's why: I'm not a food blogger. I make a mess when I cook and I can't imagine trying to take pictures of the process of trying to make a meal as I am too anal and a bit of a perfectionist and would obsess over the pictures. And since there are some awesome food blogs out there with bloggers who take gorgeous pictures that make their food look like something out of four-star restaurants, I won't even go there. So, I'm going on hiatus. I need a break, friends, before I end up burned-out completely. I'll be back when I'm ready.

I'm still reading, though. I didn't name this blog "My Book Addiction" for nothing, you know.

Today, though, on this gloriously rainy day (thank God, the pollen here has been making me crazy), I'll be making Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread from Joy the Baker. And finishing the laundry. Well, nothing's perfect.

Spotlight: P. B. Ryan's Nell Sweeney series

2011-04-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

Recently in one of our frequent emails, Jane asked me, "BTW, who is P. B. Ryan?" Indeed.

P. B. Ryan is Patricia Ryan, author of historical romances and a series of mysteries set in Boston in the late nineteenth century. It is this six-book series about an Irish governess named Nell Sweeney that I recently read and LOVED. Unfortunately, the books are out of print but have recently been released as inexpensive ebooks. Last week, I read the six of them back-to-back, downloading them as I went onto my nook.

It's really too bad that these are out of print because I think the covers are absolutely charming. As I mentioned, Nell Sweeney is an Irish governess living in Irish-hating Boston over a hundred years ago. However, Nell is much more than just a governess, she is a woman made of secrets, a keen intelligence and compassion. At the beginning of Still Life with Murder, she is working as an assistant/apprentice for a doctor in Cape Cod. One night while summoned to attend to a pregnant woman having a difficult birth, she is offered the job of governess to an affluent family. She readily accepts and is swept into life with the Hewitt family, much to her employer's husband's chagrin. Her first case as an amateur detective involves William Hewitt, eldest son of Viola Hewitt and thought dead after being held at a prisoner camp in the South. (These books take place not long after the Civil War.) Nell soon makes friends and allies who help her with her cases, the most interesting being Will, of course, even if Nell's secret past (?) and Will's opium addiction (!) gets in the way of any romantic relationship they may want to start.

This series is clever and so well done that I am heartbroken that there are no more to come. Smartly written and also a bit romantic, I will be rereading this series for years to come.

Review: The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

2011-04-18T06:00:00.008-04:00

My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. Each new settlement asks for a new journal, and so this Book of Shadows begins…
In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the hands of the panicked mob: the Warlock Gideon Masters, and his Book of Shadows. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had and making her immortal. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.
In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life for herself, tending her garden and selling herbs and oils at the local farmers' market. But her solitude abruptly ends when a teenage girl called Tegan starts hanging around. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth begins teaching Tegan the ways of the Hedge Witch, in the process awakening memories—and demons—long thought forgotten.
Part historical romance, part modern fantasy, The Witch’s Daughter is a fresh, compelling take on the magical, yet dangerous world of Witches. Readers will long remember the fiercely independent heroine who survives plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality; to remain true to herself; and protect the protégé she comes to love.

If ever there was a time on this planet to be a witch, the seventeenth century wasn't it. The Salem Witch Trials went on in America in the latter half of that century as well. How awful it must have been for those people (and their loved ones) who were accused and executed for no other reasons than paranoia and mass hysteria. Everybody knows that there are no such things as witches, right?

In The Witch's Daughter, Bess learns the hard way that there are such things as witches. In the beginning, she lives in the village of Batchcombe, England with her two siblings and parents and fancies herself maybe being a lady someday. But all that changes after the plague rampages through and takes most of her family and many others, leaving distraught mothers wandering the town, mourning their children and hating Bess' mother for being left with a daughter. Soon after, Bess' mother is hanged for being a witch, leaving Bess to turn to a man who she is certain can't be trusted, Gideon Masters. With him, Bess learns that she is a real witch like her mother, and has plenty of power. Gideon wants that power for himself and wants Bess to be his mate/partner/so-called equal but after Bess catches him in the woods one night, doing all those naughty things with demons that evil warlocks like to do, she escapes and tries to put Batchcombe and Gideon behind her. Now immortal, Bess changes her identity and traveling around to Whitechapel, London during Jack the Ripper's terror and the frontlines of WWII, working to help others like a good witch should but knows that trouble is right behind her. Almost four hundred years after her family's tragedy, Bess is comfortable in a small town in England and against her nature, befriends a teenage girl who wants to learn about Bess' craft. Complacency makes Bess worry, however, and when Tegan meets a boy who monopolizes her time and attention and works to poison her relationship with Bess, Bess starts gathering her weapons for a final showdown with Gideon.

The Witch's Daughter seemed daunting to me at first; three hundred pages of (what appears to be) tightly-spaced ten point font is not something you can just rip through in one sitting but that's pretty much what I did: read it all in one evening, right after dinner. It started a bit slowly but once I got to the first flashback about Bess' village, I was hooked. Told mostly through flashbacks in between bits of the present, The Witch's Daughter is a compelling story about what inner strength really is.

Review: The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth

2011-04-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

The ultimate secret. The ultimate agent. Nathaniel Cade returns.
For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn to protect and serve his country. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens only dream of.
When a new outbreak of an ancient evil-one that he has seen before-comes to light, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To "protect and serve" often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a centuries-old predator can.

What would our world be like if monsters of the supernatural persuasion were real? What if terrorists could use them to strike at their enemies instead of using bombs? Frankly, I think this world is a scary enough place already without dealing with bugaboos like the ones that Zach and Cade deal with on a regular basis. After finishing The President's Vampire, I was more than a bit thankful that this world hasn't reached this level of crazy just yet. At least, not that we know of.

In Blood Oath, Farnsworth showed us what might happen if some evil mastermind used super-zombies made from the bodies of dead American soldiers to try and invade the White House. In The President's Vampire, Zach and Cade come up against something just as deadly but potentially more dangerous: a highly infectious virus that turns humans into reptile killing machines called "snakeheads". Engineered by "The Company", a black government agency that is run and staffed by people who are chosen specifically for their mal-adjusted sociopathic personalities, this virus is spread by biting or scratching and works instantly to transform its host into a ravenous, slavering monster within minutes. Cade has been working since the 1920's to eradicate the snakeheads but they keep popping up periodically all over the globe. Now that The Company has decided to join the game, the snakeheads are even deadlier than before and with certain politicians working in the background to make sure that Zach and Cade fail, underground government installations hosting experiments made of nightmares, and a plot to set the snakehead creatures loose on a shopping mall full of unsuspecting humans, The President's Vampire is a governmental conspiracy run amuck, stuffed between two book covers.

While I liked Blood Oath (click HERE to see my review) just a tad more than The President's Vampire, the charming aspects of the former are still present in the latter, much to my delight. That Farnsworth frames Cade with people and events that exist in the real world make these books feel somewhat plausible; using different names for the current administration is the biggest concession I could see that makes this fiction other than the, you know, supernatural monsters. I had begun to wonder who would be up next with the cameo appearances though. (TPV stars Bin Laden and John Wilkes Booth, and explains how JFK's assassination was an inside job.) All-in-all, The President's Vampire is another great read and I am already wishing for the next one in this entertaining series.

Review: The Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason

2011-04-05T06:00:00.032-04:00

Regency London loves a society wedding— even if there are vampires on the guest list.

Dimitri, also known as the Earl of Corvindale, should be delighted that the headstrong Maia Woodmore is getting married. His mortal ward and houseguest has annoyed—and bewitched—the Dracule nobleman too long, and denying his animal cravings grows more excruciating by the day.

Miss Woodmore’s family has a rather…complicated history with the immortals and she herself possesses a keen sensibility far beyond mere women’s intuition. Marriage will give her safety, respectability and everything else a proper young lady could wish for. Everything, that is, except passion.

In the looming battle between Dracule factions, all pretenses will shatter as Maia and Dimitri come together in an unholy union of danger, desperation and fiercest desire.

First off, I LOVE the cover. Continuing with the style of the cover of The Vampire Voss, this cover improves upon the first. The rich blue perfectly frames the intense stare of Dimitri, a rather intense man who carries many burdens on those broad shoulders of his. Maia, on the other hand, is a study in contradictions. Her body is reaching for his and her face is facing the same direction as Dimitri's but her eyes are closed. Could she possibly be conflicted? That one word is a good description of The Vampire Dimitri, for everyone wants something they can't (or shouldn't) have.

Dimitri is a lousy vampire. He's been devoting his existence to searching for a way to break his pact with Lucifer because he wants to be free of it in the worst way. He doesn't drink human blood and hasn't for about a century. He's not a man-whore like Voss and rarely succumbs to his unseemly urges. He does have one weakness (other than his Asthenia, a physical object each vampire has as their own version of kryptonite): Maia Woodmore. She drives him crazy with her demands and questions yet makes him want things like love and companionship and to make love. With HER. However, Maia is engaged to be married and her fiance has decided to finally come home from gallivanting across the Continent to fulfill his promise to her. To Dimitri, this is both a relief and a disappointment of the greatest degree, for ever since a night several years before when he saved Maia from ruin, he hasn't been able to forget her.

For her part, Maia is drawn to Dimitri as well, even after she discovers he's a vampire. She's been waiting for too long for her fiance to come home and make her respectable but now with Dimitri in her life, she's finding that she doesn't miss him as much. Maia is the oldest sister of the three and because she's not psychic like her sisters she's made herself into the boss of everybody. With their parents dead and their brother AWOL, somebody had to look out for her younger sisters and make sure they marry well. Now that Angelica is set to marry Voss and her youngest sister is still young and stashed away in Scotland, Maia's future is staring her in the face. So, who will she pick, Dimitri or her fiance?

I think I liked Dimitri's story a bit more than Voss'. No particular reason why but there is just something about a tortured man who is searching for redemption, isn't there? The villain here comes at them from the same angle as in Voss' book but for slightly different reasons even though the effect is the same: forcing Dimitri to deal with his past and to work with Maia. The Vampire Dimitri is a historical paranormal romance that doesn't fail to deliver.

The Vampire Dimitri will be released on April 19, 2011.

Best Book(s) of 2011 (so far)

2011-04-02T10:28:00.000-04:00

Wow. I just recently realized that I haven't posted my fave reads for the first three months of this year. Am I a slacker or what?

*crickets*

So. It may be a little lame being so late with some of this but...here's my favorite reads of January, February, and March. This is so exciting, right? *snort* These are going to be short and to the point.

January:
I'm going to have to go with Shadowfever Karen Marie Moning for this month. Yes, I thought it was well done and all (and I'm not forgetting Pale Demon!) but I'm picking it for the emotional impact it made. It finally wrapped up the five-book Fever series and gave me the ending I could live with. I could finally put the subject of Mac and Barrons to bed (heh heh) and get some distance for a little while - I was quite hyped up for Shadowfever and looking back at January, I'm glad I read it. Now, I'm interested to see where Moning goes from there with all the loose ends she left behind. Hmm.

February:
My favorite read in February was another reread of Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas. I read it during my teeth troubles and it made me feel better. I had just listened to the ebook of Secrets of a Summer Night, the first Wallflowers book, and was in the mood to revisit Evie and Sebastian. Good stuff.

I also loved Unveiled by Courtney Milan and Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh. Fabulous, both of them, which is definitely no surprise.

March:
Last month, I read two truly outstanding and memorable books: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. Revolution is powerful. Many times while I read it, I was overwhelmed by Andi's pain. It is one of the best researched novels I have ever read; Andi's study of musical DNA is fascinating and the Alice in Wonderland feel to Andi's trip to the catacombs under Paris and back to the Reign of Terror almost lends a little whimsy (the iPod was a nice touch) to a mostly sad but expertly written book.

Nine Coaches Waiting had been sitting on my shelf for a little while now, ever since Jane sent me a copy. It made the book blogger circuit not that long ago but I wasn't ready to pick it up until last week. Nine Coaches Waiting is a gem of a novel and Mary Stewart definitely knows how to write a mystery that keeps you guessing. There's also a bit of romance thrown in for fun as well. This is definitely a keeper.

Thanks for reading!

Our Most Anticipated Books of April

2011-03-31T14:05:00.002-04:00

Jane’s pick:

I’m always on the lookout for a new author to try. The one that caught my attention for this month is The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to conjure up a family ghost by making one of their recipes. Cooking, suspense and magic? This one will definitely be added to my TBR pile. The release date for this book is April 12th.

After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.
A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

Jen's pick:

I have been waiting for this book since March of 2009, when City of Glass was published. I've preordered this one from B&N because of the extras that come with it. (That'll be a nice box - Lover Unleashed by J. R. Ward will be in there too.) I've had the countdown widget at the bottom of this blog for months now. Simon!

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

Also, this one because Holly Black is too good to miss:

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

City of Fallen Angels and Red Glove will both be out on April 5th. (Why do I always forget this part?)

Review: Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

2011-03-31T12:11:00.000-04:00

ONLY ONE MAN CAN SAVE US… AND HE’S ALREADY DEAD.
Zach Barrows is an ambitious young White House staffer whose career takes an unexpected turn when he’s partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the president. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. Bound by a special blood oath, Cade has spent more than 140 years in service to the president, battling nightmares before they can break into the daylight world of the American dream.
Immediately Zach and Cade receive their first joint assignment: one that uncovers a shadowy government conspiracy and a plot to attack the Unites States with a gruesome new biological weapon. Zach soon learns that the world is far stranger, and far more dangerous, than he ever imagined . . . and that his partner is the least of his problems.. (from chrisfarnsworth.com)

If you are a regular reader of My Book Addiction (thanks, btw), you may be surprised to know that I am a fan of Tom Clancy's books. Vince Flynn, too. (Sadly, I have learned more about the inner workings of our government from their books than I did in my high school civics class.) Sure, they can be a bit dry with the technical details but give me a capable man who has to save the world and I'll be happy. At any rate, when I saw the description of Blood Oath, I knew I had to read it. It sounded like a modern cross between Tom Clancy and Bram Stoker and I was so excited about the premise that I preordered the hardback version. This is not something I do regularly - buy new hardbacks of new authors - but I had such a good feeling about it. My gut told me that this would be a good book and fun read and it was right.

Zach considers himself to be hot stuff. Barely out of college, he works in the White House and has frequent face-to-face meetings with the President. After one little bitty drunken mishap with the President's daughter in the Lincoln bedroom, he finds himself face-to-face with a completely different kind of power, the kind that has nothing to do with politics: a vampire. Suddenly, Zach's world is upside down and he's given a difficult choice - work with Nathaniel Cade, aka the President's Vampire, or else. Working with Cade is a sink or swim mentality; there is no training, just on the job learning. Soon, Zach learns that Cade is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the supernatural and his first job involves chasing after Johann Konrad, aka Dr. Frankenstein (as in the original, the doctor from Shelley's book). A group of middle-easterners are taking terrorism to a new level with Konrad's help and it's Cade's and Zach's job to stop them.

I liked Blood Oath for several reasons. One, Farnsworth made Nathaniel Cade a product of his time; he is dated (to an extent) and uses old phrases like, "no soap" and "twenty-three skidoo". Using these old colloquialisms embarrasses Cade and humanizes him, makes him seem more real and not just a killing machine. Two, this book isn't just about a vampire that deals with "human" problems. Cade travels the globe fighting nasty supernatural threats in today's political climate, not the least of which is Dr. Konrad, who makes Dr. Mengele look like Strawberry Shortcake. There are all sorts of beings in Blood Oath, fantastic and monstrous alike. And three, this is just a well-written, well-plotted book that kept my attention from cover to cover. The sequel, The President's Vampire, will be out on April 28, 2011.

Other reviews:
Ms. Bookish
Jenn's Bookshelves
The Vampire Librarian

In My Mailbox, Mar 20-Mar 26, 2011 (4)

2011-03-27T00:19:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a list of book blogs who want to share the books that came into their home in the past week.

Paperbacks:
Heart of Darkness by Gena Showalter
Unmasked by C. J. Barry
Unleashed by C. J. Barry
Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Lady of Skye by Patricia Cabot

Library books:
Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Black Wings by Christina Henry
The Mediator: Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Haunted by Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Reunion by Meg Cabot

No ebooks this week.

Sarah Wendell is My Hero

2011-03-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

Hello book people! I have a confession: I've been thinking about closing up shop here at My Book Addiction. I've been losing interest lately - on blogging, not reading - and I wasn't sure there was a point to this anymore. My brain doesn't seem to want to participate these days and my review output has dwindled to a point where I feel embarrassed. Who is going to want to keep coming to this blog if I don't do anything new every now and then? Am I contributing anything to book awareness on any level? In it's current state, would this be a blog that I would visit on a regular basis? The answers I come up with are depressing and discouraging.

But then, I saw three things today. Three things that make me think that this is not a waste of my time and I wanted to share them with you.

Here is part of a screenshot of one of the traffic counters I use. (Click on it if you can't read the tiny print.) This tells me that several book blogs that I read on a regular basis has links to my blog. Admittedly, some of them are just links provided by a book title search on google, but still. It reminds me other people do like what I have to say.
Kristi, aka The Story Siren, posted a discussion she recently had with an undisclosed author about the impact that book bloggers make on the book industry. I was disappointed to read the outlook many authors/publishers/agents have on book blogs (we are their fans, after all). Now, I am not interested in doing interviews and such but I do participate in a few memes/hops that are almost solely for bumping up follower counts. (Hey, every little bit helps.) And it may be my contrary nature but I didn't like the part about how book blogs don't affect book sales. So, I decided that I'll keep doing my part to make sure the word gets around that books are awesome and totally worth your time and money. I'll also be taking off the Followers widget from my blog. If you want to follow me, follow me, but stats don't lie - My Book Addiction gets more hits than total visitors - so I know people are coming back.
Here's where I mention where I got the title for this post. Earlier today, I read Sarah Wendell's latest column on Kirkus reviews. I check out Smart Bitches, Trashy Books regularly for her savvy insight into the goings on in publishing and her intelligent reviews of romance novels but she caught my eye today on Kirkus because there was a picture of the cover of Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me under her byline (a sure thing to catch my attention). Sarah recently gave the keynote address at SXSW's Kirkus Book Reviews PubCamp conference and it was about why readers are so important to publishing. She cited examples about how the book industry is doing it's hardest to keep us from reading: charging more for books; restricting ebooks using DRMs and not providing diversity in languages; the dwindling number of actual bookstores. The point? We readers love our books and will always love our books no matter what. When I finished reading this article I wanted to stand up and cheer! In my heart, I am a reader, not a writer, but I do want to share my thoughts on the books I read. So thank you, Sarah Wendell. Thank you for reminding me why I'm here. I needed it.

Review: Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

2011-03-25T00:04:00.000-04:00

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.
And with her, nearly all of civilization.
Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters—people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.
In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety.
For the Beaters are out there.
And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world….

Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield is not just a postapocalyptic novel about a world where humans are turned into zombies, it is about a mother's quest to find her daughter and to atone for her past.

Cass has no idea what day it is or why she's alive. Weeks after zombies known as "beaters" infested California and began roaming around for live flesh, she wakes under a tree with wounds consistent to a beater attack. Then she remembers that the beaters grabbed her less than twenty-four hours after she got her toddler daughter back. The question is: why isn't she now a beater too? "Before," meaning before the world changed, Cass was a recovering alcoholic and had lost custody of her daughter to her estranged mother and current husband. She was sober and trying to reestablish her life by working steadily and staying clean. Now, losing Ruthie a second time has turned Cass into a woman with one goal and Terminator-like determination: find her little girl and get her somewhere safe. Along the way, she sees what civilization turns into when the PTB are no longer around to keep order - groups like the Rebuilders, militia-types who decided that they're the ones who get to reestablish society in their own image or the Convent, a group of zealot nun wannabes who have cloistered themselves in a baseball stadium and worship the zombies (sort of). The silver lining may be found in Smoke, the man who joined her on her quest.

Aftertime is a rather gruesome read. Zombies shuffle around, nibbling on those part of their bodies that they can reach with their mouths. They become a mockery of humanity with some of the random things they would do as if life were normal again like playing with dolls or trying to do yard work. However, they're not the real enemy in this book, humans are. Devious, greedy, and sometimes downright evil, some of the humans in Aftertime are a disgrace. Cass, however, is not. I liked her and I liked Aftertime. The sequel, Rebirth, will be released on July 19, 2011.

In My Mailbox, Mar 13-Mar 19, 2011 (3)

2011-03-20T12:58:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a list of book blogs who want to share the books that came into their home in the past week.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston (from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers)
Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy (from Bookmooch.com)
Alien Tango by Gini Koch (from Paperbackswap.com)
Ruthless Game by Christine Feehan (from Paperbackswap.com)

Library Books:
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

On the Nook:
Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

On the Kindle:
Julia Spencer-Fleming's Letters to a Soldier: A Free Preview of One Was a Soldier with letters and a special note from Julia Spencer-Fleming
Turned at Dark: A Bonus Shadow Falls Short Story by C. C. Hunter
Fallen from Grace: A Bonus Dark Mirror Short Story by M. J. Putney
Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell

Review: My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

2011-03-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

Divorce attorney Harper James can't catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister's destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she's being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic. Harper can't help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick's eyes, Harper's always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting—just around the bend.

With My One and Only, Kristan Higgins has firmly cemented her already solid place among my list of favorite writers. This book had me laughing and crying (when Harper cried, I cried), shaking my fist and my head, and cursing the extra blank pages in my egalley copy since it added extra seconds while I "turned" the pages. Even though I've now read My One and Only, I'll definitely be buying my own copy when it comes out.

Harper James is a mess. Well, her personal life is anyway; she's a successful divorce attorney with a home on Martha's Vineyard. She's been dating a hunky local firefighter for a few years now and even though Dennis doesn't make her heart beat faster, she's decided that it's time for them to settle down. She even buys her own ring and proposes to him (much to his dismay) but is saved by the bell when her baby sister calls with the good news: she's getting married again for the third time! And not to just anybody but Harper's ex-husband's brother! Harper's marriage went down in flames over ten years ago and she hasn't been face-to-face with Nick since. Now she's got to see him at a wedding of all places? Harper's a "realist" when it comes to marriage and likes to quote all the stats that apply to anyone she feels needs to hear them. When she gets trapped at the lodge after the wedding and needs a ride to the airport, how can she say no to Nick when he offers to drive her himself? What could happen?

I loved this book. Harper and Nick are one of the most realistic couples I have seen in a book in quite some time. So much in love with each other but unable to stay together, Harper and Nick are the Queen and King of Misunderstandings. He takes her for granted and she can't figure out how to get his attention, they stay married for six months before something awful happens and they divorce. The thing is, marriage is a partnership, not an arrangement, and while they loved each other they obviously weren't ready to be married. We see their relationship through Harper's eyes and heart but Higgins shows this story from each perspective. She makes everything involving them seem so simple yet so complex and that's what I appreciated most about My One and Only. Ultimately, this a sweet love story about two people finally finding themselves ready to be with each other that is cleverly packaged in a cynical wrapper.

Kristan Higgins writes some of the best women's fiction out there, she really does. My One and Only is her best yet in this reader's opinion and will be released on March 29, 2011.

Other reviews:
Everybody Needs a Little Romance
Petit Fours and Hot Tamales
Tracy's Place

In My Mailbox, Mar 6-Mar 12, 2011 (2)

2011-03-13T06:00:00.003-04:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a list of book blogs who want to share the books that came into their home in the past week. Here's week two for me. It appears to have been more reasonable than last week.

Hardback books that I bought: (from amazon.com)
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
River Marked by Patricia Briggs
The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

Paperback books that I bought: (from my local Walmart)
Primal Bonds by Jennifer Ashley

From BookMooch.com:
Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr
The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

From Paperbackswap.com:
Burning Bridges by Laura Anne Gilman
A Rake's Guide to Seduction by Caroline Linden

Ebooks:
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (from bn.com)
Grave Illusions (Jess Vandermire, Vampire Hunter) by Lina Gardiner (amazon.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)
No Fear by Allie Harrison (amazon.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)
Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary (amazon.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)

Review: The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason

2011-03-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member of the Dracule—a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls—the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral…until Angelica. Angelica Woodmore possesses the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger—for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him—to protect her.
Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica…but this vampire never backs down from a fight.

As a big fan of Colleen Gleason's Gardella Chronicles series, I was superexcited to try out her newest vampire series, The Regency Draculia. The cool part is that this time around the vampires aren't necessarily the bad guys.

Voss lives how he believes a real vampire should: he spends his time seeking pleasure, be it by blood or sex or otherwise. Voss's real business is secrets - collecting and selling them - and is more than a little interested to find out that a vampire hunter and ally named Chas Woodmore has gone AWOL and left his sisters' care to Voss' rival and fellow vampire, Dimitri, Earl of Corvindale. What he's really looking for is the Woodmore sister who has the Sight; Angelica can see, by touching an object belonging to someone, where (but not when) that particular person is going to die. She's been using her ability throughout the ton to make money by foreseeing what will happen to young ladies' marriage prospects. What Voss, in all his arrogance and indifference, doesn't expect to ever happen is that he will come to actually care for Angelica, enough to risk his life for hers.

The vampires of the Regency Draculia are all men who have traded their souls to Lucifer for immortality and all the usual vampire tricks. That naughty boy Lucifer takes advantage of certain men when they are at their most vulnerable (and usually in dreams). Afterward, the vamps discover their "Lucifer's Mark", a physical manifestation of the pact they made with Lucifer for their souls that runs down their necks and along their upper backs. It pains them if they refrain from proper vampire behavior; it is a constant reminder of what they gave up, who they gave it to, and how he wants them to behave. In addition, each vampire has a weakness to something tangible, their own kryptonite, if you will. It's an interesting vulnerability and a source of information that Voss gathers ruthlessly. In a society of equally lethal men, what would be paramount to knowing how to defeat all your enemies?

Colleen Gleason writes vampires in a Regency setting so well that I hope she continues in that vein (ha ha) indefinitely. Despite his tendency to be all about me, me, me, I liked Voss and was happy for him in the end. Angelica was a fairly typical heroine for this genre; her ability is really the only aspect that makes her stand out. The ending neatly wraps up the storyline for this couple with a Buffyverse Whistler-type angel popping up here and there to "guide" Voss on his way to redemption. All-in-all, The Vampire Voss is a satisfying romance and I can't wait to read book two of the Regency Draculia series, The Vampire Dimitri.

The Vampire Voss will be released on March 22, 2011.

Other reviews:
Among the Muses
A Great Read
Reading the Paranormal

In My Mailbox, Feb 27-Mar 5, 2011 (1)

2011-03-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a new feature that I'll be attempting to make a (hopefully consistent) weekly addition here on My Book Addiction:

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a list of book blogs who want to share the books that came into their home in the past week. I'll be doing this on Sundays and wholly expect to be shocked/surprised/horrified at the volume of books that I get each week. Still, it's something to talk about. (Let's hope the DH doesn't read this.) So...

Paperbacks that I bought (from thebookdepository.com):
How to Flirt With a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Never Again: Wizards of Nevermore by Michele Bardsley
Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire

Paperbacks received from Paperbackswap.com:
Touch of Surrender by Rhyannon Byrd
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden
Killing Rocks by D. D. Barant

Ebooks downloaded:
A Lot Like Love by Julie James (from B&N.com)
For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick (from amazon.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)
Darcy's Voyage by Kara Louise (from B&N.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)
What a Demon Wants by Kathy Love (from B&N.com via blog.booksontheknob.org)

From the library:
The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman
Insatiable by Meg Cabot
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Oh, my.

Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

2011-03-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.
But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.
Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)
But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.
Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future…
If she even has one.

First off, can I just say that I think I'm in love with Meg Cabot. I finished Insatiable early yesterday evening and was so caught up in her style of writing that I whipped out Every Boy's Got One and promptly devoured it. I plan on raiding my local public library for her other titles on Monday. Insatiable isn't my first Meg Cabot, you know. I also read and thoroughly enjoyed She Went All the Way awhile back but was slightly discouraged by the proliferation of series YA in her backlist. I saw The Princess Diaries and didn't feel like reading the books. Don't get me wrong - I'm a BIG fan of YA fiction. I just was just in the mood for big girl books at the time.

So. Insatiable has it all: a love triangle, vampires, vampire hunters, a soap opera, and haute couture. I was worried at first as it took me a while to get into it; my life hadn't allowed me much time to read in the past few days since I started Insatiable and I hoped that it was me, not the book. Well, I can tell you that it was, indeed, me, and not the book. Once I sat down with it today, Insatiable grabbed my attention and held on for dear life. (This would explain why we didn't get to eat our dinner last night until 8 pm.)

Is it too cute to pick a name like Meena for the heroine in a vampire novel? Almost, though it did constantly remind me of "Mean-a Irina" from season six (?) of Project Runway. (I was disappointed that she won. Anyway...) Meena isn't mean-a, in fact, she's anything but. She goes out of her way to save people by giving them "advice," thus hoping to help them thwart Death and prolong their lives. It's hard for her to manage her ability most days since people don't generally like it if you try to tell them when they're going to die. It's for this reason that she's drawn to Lucien Antonescu; just as Sookie Stackhouse prefers vampires for their mental silence, that she can't see Lucien's death is relaxing to Meena. Relaxing, that is, until Alaric Wulf, a handsome Palatine Guard Vampire Hunter straight from the Vatican, shows up to lop off the head of the Prince of Darkness, a.k.a. Lucien, and spills the beans on who Lucien really is. This puts Meena right smack in the middle of a vampire war and the aforementioned love triangle for Alaric finds that he's drawn to Meena, even if she is a vampire minion, albeit a pretty one.

The only aspect I could have lived without was Meena's brother, Jon. The victim of corporate layoffs, he mooches off his sister while dreaming of being a cop for the NYPD. He has neither the fortitude nor the athleticism he would need to pull it off and when he hears about what Alaric does for a living, he sets his mind to becoming a vampire hunter with all the enthusiasm of a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he's doing and generally makes every situation worse. He's critical of Meena without being unkind and she puts up with him. I know he was probably meant for some comic relief but he just got on my nerves.

The story in Insatiable moved along at a good clip; there wasn't any lag in the plot. I was so relieved to find out that this is the first in a series - there wasn't much of a resolution - as I liked this book so very much. It felt more like, That's All for Now, Folks! We'll See You Later! Oh yes, they definitely will. The sequel, Overbite, will be released on July 5, 2011.

Review: The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman

2011-03-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

When Henry was a child, something terrible happened in the woods behind his home, something so shocking he could only express his grief by drawing pictures of what he had witnessed. Eventually Henry's mind blocked out the bad memories, but he continued to draw, often at night by the light of the moon.

Twenty years later, Henry makes his living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home. There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler.

A winter storm is brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness.

But will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first?

Written as both a meditation on the art of creation and as an examination of the secret fears we all share, The Painted Darkness is a terrifying look at the true cost we pay when we run from our grief--and what happens when we're finally forced to confront the monsters we know all too well.

Clocking in at 171 pages with what looks like a fourteen point font, I was underwhelmed at first sight by the length of this book. When I checked it out at the library and the lady handed me this little scrap of a book, I was surprised. This is the shocking and scary book that, if the hype is to be believed, will knock me out of my socks? What is it they say about assumptions?

This is a book all about tension. Henry's past and present is being unfurled - to both the reader and Henry himself - in bits in pieces as each chapter flips back and forth from a day in Henry's childhood to what is happening now. In the chapters involving the past, we all learn about a particular snow day where Henry wandered away from his babysitter's home and into the woods. In the chapters involving the present, Henry is an adult, married and the father of a three-year-old boy. He and his wife get into a fight over his painting which results in her leaving with their son on a trip to her parents'. Henry is alone in the house, painting as usual, when creepy noises emerge from the basement. Each time the chapters flip, the suspense is ratched up another notch; we're left wondering about Henry and his sanity. How much is real and how much is imaginary? Is it feasible that there could actually be a monster in the basement or are the memories of what happened to Henry on that fateful day when he was five manifesting themselves into something best treated with pharmaceuticals and a rubber room?

Comparisons to Stephen King abound for Brian James Freeman and rightfully so. Aspects of The Shining are certainly deserving here though plotwise they're light years apart. In both The Shining and The Painted Darkness, the main characters have activities that turn into fugue states (Jack's writing and here, Henry's painting); they are set in massive snowstorms, thereby limiting or wholly eliminating the possibility of escape and isolating them from the rest of the world; they see and talk to things/people who aren't really there (or are they?); the boiler is practically a character in its own right in both and are instrumental in the climaxes of both books; both Jack and Henry each have wives and a son. I was also reminded of King's short story, "1408" from Everything's Eventual, where a reporter checks into a supposedly haunted hotel room and barely lives to write about it. By the end of "1408" I realized my mouth had been hanging open. By the end of The Painted Darkness, I was confused but rather impressed that Freeman managed to squeeze so much into so few pages but it was really the pace that did it. Fast-paced and frantic, this book moves fast in a relatively short time span.

My only complaint is the illustrations. They didn't do anything for me in that their presence didn't affect my pulse. Monochromatic pictures of too-neatly-written words dripping blood seemed somewhat unrealistic, if that is at all possible. Also, the illustration of Henry as an adult make him look like a kid with a mustache. (I realize that was probably the idea and that they were probably going for the symbolism but I could have lived without it.)

The Painted Darkness is a big meaty punch wrapped in a little book. Is Henry batshit crazy or the owner of a completely overactive imagination that is still punishing him for the guilt he's repressing over his father? I believe it's more like something along these lines: just as with Tootsie Roll Pops and how many licks it would take to get to the center of one, the world may never know.

Our Most Anticipated Books of March

2011-02-27T14:05:00.000-05:00

Jen’s picks:

There’s lots of much-awaited books coming out in March - River Marked by Patricia Briggs and A Lot Like Love by Julie James - and I will definitely be reading both of those but there are two books I am very excited about: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen and Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal. You can be sure I've got both of these reserved at my local library.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.
It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.
But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.
For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.
Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.
Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever.

The Peach Keeper will be released on March 22, 2011.

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood. (Link to the first chapter: http://www.sweetvalleytenyearslater.com/?page_id=74)

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later... will be released on March 29, 2011.

Jane’s pick:

My pick is Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire. I have to blame Jen for getting me hooked on the October Daye series and urban fantasy in general. (You are welcome!) This is the fourth book in the series which takes place in the San Francisco Bay area. Love, love, love this series! The release date is March 1st.

Two years ago, October "Toby" Daye believed she could leave the world of Faerie behind. She was wrong. Now she finds herself in the service of Duke Sylvester Torquill, sharing an apartment with her Fetch, and maintaining an odd truce with Tybalt, the local King of Cats. It's a delicate balance—one that's shattered when she learns that an old friend is in dire trouble. Lily, Lady of the Tea Gardens, has been struck down by a mysterious, seemingly impossible illness, leaving her fiefdom undefended.

Struggling to find a way to save Lily and her subjects, Toby must confront her own past as an enemy she thought was gone forever raises her head once more: Oleander de Merelands, one of the two people responsible for her fourteen-year exile. But if Oleander's back, what's her game? Where is she hiding? And what part does Toby's mother, Amandine, have to play?

Time is growing short and the stakes are getting higher. For the Queen of the Mists has her own agenda, and there are more players in this game than Toby can guess. With everything on the line, she will have to take the ultimate risk to save herself and the people she loves most—because if she can't find the missing pieces of the puzzle in time, Toby will be forced to make the one choice she thought she'd never have to face again...

Review: Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair

2011-02-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

The universe isn't what it used to be. With the new Alliance between the Triad and the United Coalition, Captain Tasha "Sass" Sebastian finds herself serving under her former nemesis, biocybe Admiral Branden Kel-Paten -- and doing her best to hide a deadly past. But when an injured mercenary winds up in their ship's sick bay -- and in the hands of her best friend, Dr. Eden Fynn -- Sass's efforts may be wasted.

Wanted rebel Jace Serafino has information that could expose all of Sass's secrets, tear the fragile Alliance apart -- and end Sass's career if Kel-Paten discovers them. But the biocybe has something to hide as well, something once thought impossible for his kind to possess: feelings . . . for Sass. Soon it's clear that their prisoner could bring down everything they once believed was worth dying for -- and everything they now have to live for.

I recently had my own fun little impromptu Linnea Sinclair marathon where I read five of her books over approximately a week's time. I started reading Gabriel's Ghost during the Super Bowl (the book was WAY more interesting), continued on with Shades of Dark, Hope's Folly, The Accidental Goddess, and finished with my favorite of the bunch, Games of Command.

I don't usually enjoy space fiction as much as the other genres. If I can't wrap my mind around what's going on, i.e. can't picture the scenery or what the people might look like, I can't get into it all that much, and I'm a Star Trek geek! (Star Trek beats Star Wars any day btw.) Sometimes I find that sci-fi novels are just way too out there for me. Fortunately for book lovers everywhere, Linnea Sinclair knows how to write sci-fi, she knows how to write a great romance, and she knows how to mix them together. Games of Command is really two romances in one but the focus is on Tasha and Branden, a pair who couldn't be more different: a woman who grew up outside of the law with people, and by extension her, that Branden, a stuffed shirt if there ever was one, considers to be contemptible. (He doesn't know who she really is.) He is her commanding officer who comes off as cold and unfeeling and while this might be true in many ways since he is a cybernetic man (think: Terminator), when it comes to Tasha he's as hot as a star going supernova.

Branden is an admiral and as competent as they come. He's a fascinating dichotomy; inside, he's a man with loving feelings toward a woman and an unshakable sense of duty but on the outside he's a machine who has data ports in his arms and eyes that glow machine-bright when he's jacked into his computer. He requests Tasha to be his ship's captain at his first opportunity in an officer swap program created by the Alliance between Branden's Triad and Tasha's United Coalition, a request that amuses and scares Tasha. She subsequently spends a lot of her time on their ship trying to get under his skin by wearing sarcastic t-shirts and being friendly with her crew. This type of antagonism is not out of character for the span of their relationship, from pages 6-7:

   She gives the techie the order to open the comm and-for what will be the first of many times to come-hears the voice of Captain Kel-Paten. The Kel-Paten. But only his voice. Visual's out. In order for short-range scan to function at all, it has to be.
   "Sarna Bogue, this Captain Kel-Paten of the Vaxxar. Cut your drives immediately or you will be fired upon. Prepare to be boarded."
   With a nod to the chief, she seats herself in the command sling, takes a deep breath, and activates the comm mike: " Vaxxar, this is the Sarna Bogue. F--k you and the equinnard you rode in on. Sebastian out."

The secondary romance between Eden and Jace was complimentary to Tasha and Branden but held less appeal for me. Eden is the Vaxxar's CMO and Tasha's best friend; Jace is a rogue smuggler who is being hunted by Kel-Paten. Eden and Jace communicate mostly by telepathy which is generally verboten by their governments. (Telepaths are generally eradicated or modified in this universe.)

Games of Command was touching and funny with an absorbing story. The plot got a little crazy involving alternate realities but hey, pretty much anything goes with science fiction. If you're like me and love sci-fi, give this romance novel (and writer) a try. You won't be disappointed.

Random Thoughts on Saturday...Oh Wait!

2011-02-25T12:30:00.001-05:00

What up, peeps? Don't you hate it when you wake up thinking it's a different day? I woke today thinking it's Saturday and it took seeing Mike Bettes on the Weather Channel to think, Uh, wait a minute...Sheesh.

It's been a good week for book releases, hasn't it? Pale Demon by Kim Harrison, Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr, and How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper, just to name a few. I love big release weeks like this; it makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. (Or me in a candy store, bookstore, Crate & Barrel store...)

On Sunday, you'll want to head over to Book & Movie Reviews by Deanna to participate in a Sookie Stackhouse Read-Along she's co-hosting with the lovely Jen D. from Not Now...I'm Reading!. It's the first week, so naturally they'll be reading Dead Until Dark, the one that started it all. I still need to dig up my copy :)

I finally got around to watching The Social Network last night. I have to say, I was rather underwhelmed but I should have seen it coming. The litigious nature of society these days drives me crazy and the idea that two rich kids could sue for millions of dollars and win without a sturdy legal leg to stand on is preposterous. I liked what was quoted on the movie's wikipedia page:

Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig wrote in The New Republic that Sorkin's screenplay doesn’t acknowledge the "real villain" of the story:
The total and absolute absurdity of the world where the engines of a federal lawsuit get cranked up to adjudicate the hurt feelings (because "our idea was stolen!") of entitled Harvard undergraduates is completely missed by Sorkin. We can't know enough from the film to know whether there was actually any substantial legal claim here. Sorkin has been upfront about the fact that there are fabrications aplenty lacing the story. But from the story as told, we certainly know enough to know that any legal system that would allow these kids to extort $65 million from the most successful business this century should be ashamed of itself. Did Zuckerberg breach his contract? Maybe, for which the damages are more like $650, not $65 million. Did he steal a trade secret? Absolutely not. Did he steal any other "property"? Absolutely not—the code for Facebook was his, and the "idea" of a social network is not a patent. It wasn't justice that gave the twins $65 million; it was the fear of a random and inefficient system of law. That system is a tax on innovation and creativity. That tax is the real villain here, not the innovator it burdened.

I did feel that the lawsuit between Zuckerberg and Saverin was justified; what Zuckerberg did to his former best friend under Sean Parker's influence was crappy beyond belief. However, the movie was well done - how could it not with David Fincher directing and Aaron Sorkin writing the script - so the acting deserves some kudos but to win Best Picture at the Oscars? Don't think so.

Review: The Sentry by Robert Crais

2011-02-22T23:53:00.002-05:00

The extraordinary new crime novel from the New York Times bestselling author.

Dru Rayne and her uncle fled to L.A. after Hurricane Katrina; but now, five years later, they face a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru's uncle beaten by a protection gang, he offers his help, but neither of them want it-and neither do the federal agents mysteriously watching them.

As the level of violence escalates, and Pike himself becomes a target, he and Elvis Cole learn that Dru and her uncle are not who they seem- and that everything he thought he knew about them has been a lie. A vengeful and murderous force from their past is now catching up to them . . . and only Pike and Cole stand in the way.

You might wonder why I, a romance novel junkie, would want to read books like Robert Crais' The Sentry. Well, I'll tell you - they're damn good. I love the strong men with their unwavering moral compasses who fight the good fight for no reason other than that they'll see somebody hurting someone else and need to take a stand to stop it. Joe Pike (and Lee Child's Jack Reacher too), bestill my beating heart.

Joe Pike is not a warm and fuzzy guy. He doesn't even smile. What he does however and to paraphrase Liam Neeson's character in Taken, is have a specific set of skills and isn't afraid to use them. A former Marine, LAPD cop, and mercenary, Joe takes serious umbrage when he sees someone made into a victim and that is what he believes happens one day when he walks in on two LA gang members beating up an older, defenseless man in his sandwich shop. Joe gets emotionally involved with the man and his niece, an attractive woman in her thirties, and ends up enlisting his friend and business partner Elvis Cole to help him discover what has happened to them.

The Sentry moves slowly, unraveling each new mystery rather delicately until the ending, which barrels along like a freight train to an unsurprising yet satisfying climax. The ultimate villain is a particularly nasty kind of crazy but sometimes it felt as if there was some disconnect between what he was doing and what was otherwise happening, insofar as the level of suspense goes. For most of The Sentry, the main characters were unaware of the real bad guy, but that was really because of the length of time it took for Joe to figure things out. This is a complicated mystery and smartly written in usual Crais style.

Crais' Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels are always a treat to read. Cole is a tough guy wrapped in a more human package and serves as a great foil for Joe's stoic personality without being sitcom-y. In The Sentry, Cole is a bit emotionally fragile, teetering on the brink of serious depression and battling some PTSD. I'm not sure if it was better for him to be busy and distracted rather than not involved in Joe's mystery in the long run; being forced to defend Joe's life, while reinforcing their brother-like bond, takes a toll on Elvis. It made me wonder what would happen to him between this book and the next. Joe, on the other hand, always surprises me. With a poker face that would impress Batman, Joe seems like an island but he is not; this is a man who feels deeply and has a strong sense of responsibility to the woman who he promised to protect.

The Sentry is a good book. Read it.

Review: Taken by Lilith Saintcrow

2011-02-18T23:01:00.002-05:00

Sophie never believed she was special. Avoiding a violent ex, she can't remember the last time she truly felt safe. Then vampires murder her best friend and Sophie is kidnapped by a dangerously sexy shape-shifter. Zach insists that Sophie is a Shaman—someone with a rare gift for taming his savage side—and he needs her to help him save his pack. Now, with a malevolent enemy closing in, Sophie and Zach must risk everything on a bond that may be their only salvation...

I am not generally a series romance reader; Harlequin has plenty of imprints I like but I tend to stay away from Nocturne and the like as it doesn't give me enough bang for my buck, so to speak. The stories tend to be too short for my tastes (usually less than 300 pages or so) and before I know it, I've finished the book and am left wanting. However, when I heard that Lilith Saintcrow was going to be writing for them, I knew I had to try it out. I was not left wanting.

Lilith Saintcrow has a way with words. Her books are definitely not what I would consider to be mainstream; she doesn't really write romances and her UF books have a touch of the strange to them. For example, she chose to write about weres in Taken but instead of the usual, garden variety werewolf, she picked the carcajou, a wolverine. (Carcajou is actually French for wolverine.) Saintcrow's books are weird, yes, but that appeals to me and thus I enjoy them. I also enjoy her contributions on deadlinedames.com; she has a way of breaking down a subject and explaining writing without being boring or professor-ish.

Taken got a three and a half star rating on B&N.com and four stars on Amazon and while that isn't so shocking, I was surprised by the reviewers who claimed that Taken is "not really a romance" and "Slooooooooow". Now, I was surprised by the lack of nooky in Taken; there is no penetration here, not even after the curtain falls at the end of a scene. (Except for probably after the ending. I'm just assuming.) There is a bit of kissing but there's no real romancin' going on and if you've read the book description, you'll figure out why: Sophie is damaged and Zach's a good guy in a tight spot. He understands that slow and steady and TRUE will win his race and I found it refreshing to see a woman like Sophie find a place where she belongs and fall in love with a man she can trust without the all too typical sex her up style I've found in so many romances where the men use their sexuality to bind a woman to them like a drug. (I'm not generalizing here, just sharing what I've read.) So yeah, Taken ended up being more PG-rated rather than R but this reviewer is okay with that.

Where is The Bookworm?

2011-02-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

Since it has been weeks since I last posted, I thought I might check in and say hey. February has bit, my friends, truly bit. I started it with a cold I got at the tail end of January and then last week, my teeth all decided they hate me and turned me into something from a monster movie. I'm afraid to leave my house lest I make little children cry. A root canal, an abscess, and extraction later, I am on the mend, but having lived the last week in a vicodin haze means that I haven't done hardly any reading in the last several days. Now that hurts.

And the Pale Demon ARC Giveaway Winner Now Is...

2011-02-07T19:32:00.000-05:00

Jen D!

Your name was chosen using a highly sophisticated method of picking your name out of a hat (well, a box really).

Please email me your snail mail address at myfavoritebookworm@gmail.com so I can Priority Mail it to you ASAP. Uh, scratch that :)

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Thanks again for reading this blog!

Hexbound by Chloe Neill

2011-02-03T09:45:00.006-05:00

Synopsis:

Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia’s School for Girls, but she’s already learned that magic can be your best friend…or your worst enemy.

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago’s nastiest nightlife—including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.

Then Lily’s invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He’s hot, powerful, and offering to help her harness the magic flowing in her veins in a way no one else can. He’s also a Reaper. Lily can’t hide her suspicions. But she’ll soon find out that the line between good and evil isn't always clear…

My thoughts:

There are strange things happening beneath the streets of Chicago, supernatural type things involving slimy creatures, vampires and reapers. I’m rather glad I don’t live there. This is the second book in the Dark Elite series and while this book is geared toward teenagers I couldn't help but enjoy it. My favorite part of this story (and series) is the unlikely friendship between Lily and Scout. By day, they are ordinary teens attending school at St. Sophia’s. Once night comes, they must use their special powers to help keep Chicago a safe place to live. Lily has only recently learned that she can do firespell which allows her to manipulate light and power. Scout is not just a spellcaster but also a spellbinder which is quite rare. Their magic is only a temporary gift, lasting from puberty to around the age of 25. Lily and her friends spend their nights searching through the underground tunnels for reapers, teenagers that refuse to give up their magic and feed on other’s souls to hang onto their power. There is always plenty of action going on in this story along with the mystery as to what Lily’s parents are really doing in Germany.

Then there is Sebastian, who I think is the most intriguing character in this series. He showed up briefly in Firespell and left me wanting to know more about him. He is tall, dark and handsome and happens to have the same magical powers as Lily. Unfortunately he is a reaper, one of the bad guys. Or is he? Can there be good reapers? All I know is that Sebastian could have killed Lily in Firespell but didn’t. Then he gave her some much needed information in this story. Whose side is he on? It’s a good thing that I happen to like books that leave me with questions for they tend to stick in my mind longer. There is no word yet on when the next book in this series will be released. This was a fun read.

Audiobook Review Roundup

2011-02-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

Ever since I started listening to audiobooks last year, I've been collecting them like crazy. As is my usual MO, I'm falling into a bad habit of starting them but not finishing them.

I'm working on that.

However, I have gotten through several and have been meaning to talk a bit about them here for a while now. What better time than now, right? So, here's three mini-reviews about three audiobooks I liked.

First up: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. No surprise - I LOVED it! I've had a paperback of this book sitting on my shelves for months but when I saw it at the library, I knew that this was how I was meant to experience this book and I was right. No doubt that the usual reading experience for Garden Spells would have been fabulous (it IS a Sarah Addison Allen book after all) but Susan Ericksen's narration made this book come alive for me. Ericksen is superb. Her characters all have distinct voices, not just different versions of one voice, and I loved that. I can't wait for The Peach Keeper.

Next: The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Caught up as I was in the Meyer craze of 2008, I had preordered way in advance my copy of The Host. It then was summarily ignored in my disgust of Breaking Dawn but I recently decided to give it a shot on audiobook. (I'll listen to just about anything when I'm doing laundry or scrubbing the floor.) What a wonderful story The Host turned out to be! There was nothing juvenile here; the story of a member of a race of interplanetary travelers who take over planets by implanting their teeny, centipede-like bodies into the indigenous inhabitants, who forges a bond with her host and other humans who are rebelling against the invasion completely captivated me, much to my to my husband's consternation. (I was listening to this fairly long audiobook whenever I had the time and my earbuds kept him out.) Kate Reading's narration was pitch-perfect and I am sure that I would not have enjoyed this book quite as much if I had sat down and read it page after page.

And last but not certainly least: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. This was a reread (of sorts) for me. This series is one of my all-time faves and and I thought it might be nice to have a different "picture" of it in my head. I also expected to just enjoy the story during a time when I'm needing some entertainment. (Stupid laundry.) The narration is by Renee Raudman and I am happy to know that she is the one doing the rest of the books (it bothers me when the production companies aren't consistent and don't have the same person complete the series). Her voicing of Kate meshed well with my mental image and I really enjoyed seeing Kate and Curran meet and begin their relationship. I will certainly be looking to add the rest in this series to my audiobook collection.

That is all.

Review: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

2011-02-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic. (www.the-folly.com)

I meant to get this review written in time for this book's release date of yesterday here in the states so shame on me. Midnight Riot is the most fun I've had when reading a new urban fantasy author in quite some time. I knew I was going to like it when I read this line from page five (my copy is an ARC mind you), when Peter realizes that the witness he's questioning is, in fact, a ghost: "Right, I thought, just because you've gone mad doesn't mean you should stop acting a policeman." I just love that British stiff upper lip.

Peter Grant is a nice guy. He's the mixed race son of a has-been jazz musician heroin addict and an African woman who has an office cleaning business. He's open-minded and considerate and has a crush on his fellow cop and friend, Leslie. He's intelligent and an affinity for science. Peter has his hands full pretty quickly right off the bat: much to this relief, he gets assigned to Nightingale, the Detective Chief Inspector who handles all the supernatural cases but is still respected by his peers (I appreciated that Aaronovitch didn't make Nightingale or Peter into "Spooky" Mulder); he becomes a wizard's apprentice and moves into Nightingale's building; and there's a murderer running amok, killing indiscriminately (or so it seems) and making people's heads implode, putting Peter right in the middle of the action, much to his dismay. There's lots of action in Midnight Riot, although very little of it is pretty (women and children are not exempt). The victims become possessed and be uncharacteristically and unreasonably full of rage (from page 120 from my ARC):

   I turned just in time to see Dr. Framline charge up the street brandishing a stick half as tall as he was. Behind him came his date from the gastropub, yelling his name in confusion. I ran as fast as I could, passing the woman quickly, but there was no way I could make Dr. Framline before he reached his target.
   The courier didn't even put an arm up to defend himself when Dr. Framline clubbed him hard on the shoulder with the stick. I saw the man's right arm jerk brokenly and his hand lose its grip on the bike, which began to topple sideways.
   "The more you take," yelled the doctor, raising the stick again, "the better it is for you."

The lack of buildup to these attacks made them seem all the more senseless and awful for me and overall, that's a good thing. For the reader, anyway. There is the occasional history lesson that pops up in Midnight Riot but as they came from Peter's humorous point of view, I didn't mind them.

I wish that the PTB has stuck with the UK title for Midnight Riot - Rivers of London. Midnight Riot has meaning too but Rivers of London feels to me to be more appropriate. That would mainly be because of all those "gods and goddesses" of England's riverway structure, like Mama Thames and the Old Man of the Thames, who keep popping up. Peter is made into their intermediary; into his lap falls the responsibility to be arbitrator of their differences to get them to come to an agreeable treaty to prevent a war between the two camps. England would not have fared well if Peter failed.

Midnight Riot is a police procedural with a supernatural twist. With an unusual (to say the least) villain and an appealing protagonist, this book was an enjoyable read. I have preordered the sequel, Moon Over Soho, out on March 1, 2011.

Please Excuse Me While I Hack Up This Lung

2011-02-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

I am not necessarily a silver-lining type of girl but for me, there is only one perk of being sick: having the perfect excuse to do nothing but read. So, while I lay here suffering this week, not only am I going to read read read but I plan to get some reviews written too. What else have I got to do while I wait for Amazon.com to send me the next two Adrian Phoenix books I ordered (plus a few more)? I have read lots of good books lately and I want to share my thoughts on them with everyone. There may also be another giveaway too. (Not an ARC this time!)

It is now time for a nap. Please stand by :)

Our Most Anticipated Books of February

2011-01-31T14:52:00.001-05:00

Jen's pick:

My pick for February is Melissa Marr’s Darkest Mercy (not that I’ve read Radiant Shadows yet). Darkest Mercy is the last in her superfabulous Wicked Lovely YA series and I can’t wait to see how it’ll end. Who will Ashlinn pick, Seth or Keenan? Will all the courts survive? And what about Niall? LOVE him.

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.
The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

Jane’s pick:

My pick this month is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. This is the first book in a trilogy, a saga that blends romance and suspense with fantasy. How can you not be intrigued by a bewitched manuscript, an irresistible French vampire, powerful witches and an ancient castle? I will definitely be reading this one! (Me too! Me too!)

When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.
For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume.
Chief among the creatures who gather around Diana is vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Together, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript’s secrets. But the relationship that develops between the ages-old vampire and the spellbound witch threatens to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans—and will certainly transform Diana’s world as well.

Oh, yeah, here's the deets: Darkest Mercy comes out on Feb. 22; A Discovery of Witches comes on Feb. 8.

Cover Watch!

2011-01-29T16:44:00.002-05:00

HER ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL...

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he’s known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check… until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he’s waited for all his life.

IS TO RUIN THE MAN SHE LOVES...

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to win free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark’s enemies make her an offer she can’t refuse: Seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she’s sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs—and the love she knows is impossible.

...COMING OCTOBER 2011
(From courtneymilan.com.)

Review: The Perfect Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

2011-01-29T16:23:00.002-05:00

If there is anything Tristan Adam Hargrove, fourth Marquis of Moreland, has learned to avoid, it’s scandal. For the dark and dashing lord is not only an honorable gentleman who would never seduce a woman for his own gain, he is also the author of How to Avoid a Scandal, the infamous red book that has swept like wildfire through the better part of London society.

When a raven-haired beauty arrives as his new neighbor, he knows better than to succumb to the desire he feels. He knows little about her—only that she is high born, a protégé of the Crown and completely unsuitable for the base passions he hides from the world. If only he had never glimpsed the vulnerable beauty one fateful night. If only her lips were not so ravishingly red. If only it were not already too late to save her and himself from the untamed passion he is about to unleash in the name of love.

Delilah Marvelle wraps up her Scandal trilogy with a third story involving dashing men with unusual sexual proclivities and the women who love them with The Perfect Scandal, a daunting romance between a complicated man and a passionate woman. This may be my favorite of the trio; Tristan and Zosia complement each other very well and the subject matter, as with the first two books, is handled in a compassionate manner.

Tristan has some dark secrets, aspects of himself he is ashamed of and terrified of sharing with anyone. He has isolated himself, a masterful trick for a man living in the bustling city of London as well as being one of the most well-known members of the ton. His grandmother tries to run his life and choose the woman he'll marry; his parents died when he was young in a sort of double suicide after his mother's long battle with madness and depression and she raised him after the fact. After he meets the unconventional Zosia, Tristan realizes that he has a long way to go before he can love her as she deserves.

Zosia is from Poland. She's a half-Russian countess from a family who perished in a tragic fire that caused her to lose part of one of her legs, Zosia is in hiding from the hated Russian aristocracy who wish to marry her into their ranks. Marrying an englishman will give her even more protection from Russia and King George himself has promised to find her a suitable husband. Then, she meets Tristan, her next door neighbor, and decides that he is the one for her, even if it takes some convincing on her part.

As I mentioned, Tristan and Zosia may be my favorite of the three couples in this series. Their romance was (as always) a bit naughty but they both are giving people who want the best for each other. I liked how much inner strength Zosia had and how unconcerned she was for propriety; she would more or less holler at Tristan out her bedroom window and seeing him get so disturbed by her doing this was amusing. Tristan, as the writer of that infamous book about scandals, is the essence of proper. It was a relief to see him finally, shall we say, let his hair down.

Delilah Marvelle has greatly impressed this reader with this trilogy. Not many historical romance (or otherwise) writers have the deft hand she possesses when it comes to sensitive subjects (rape, sexual addition, cutting, bondage). I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Review: Scandal by Amanda Quick

2011-01-29T14:19:00.002-05:00

From a stately country house in Hampshire to the dazzling drawing rooms of London society comes an exquisite tale of an elfin beauty, a vengeful lord, and a wild, sweet love that is sheer poetry.

With her reputation forever tarnished by a youthful indiscretion, lovely Emily Faringdon is resigned to a life of spinsterhood–until she embarks on an unusual correspondence and finds herself falling head over heels in love. Sensitive, intelligent, and high-minded, her noble pen pal seems to embody everything Emily has ever dreamed of in a man. But Simon Augustus Traherne, the mysterious Earl of Blade, is not at all what he seems.

Driven by dark, smoldering passions and a tragic secret buried deep within his soul, Blade has all of London cowering at his feet, but not Emily . . . never Emily. For even as she surrenders to his seductive charms, she knows the real reason for his amorous suit. And she knows that she must reach the heart of this golden-eyed dragon before the avenging demons of their entwined pasts destroy the only love she has ever known. (from B&N.com)

The other day, I did what I usually do when the book I'm chewing on doesn't agree with me - I went to my historical shelf and looked for something easier to handle. I read lots of books like this one (there's just so many millions of them floating about the universe (or so it seems) that it's only probable that I'll brush up against one from time to time) but I'm not quite sure that I have ever seen one like Scandal by Amanda Quick. The main female character, Emily, is so utterly annoying and ridiculous that I'm still in awe of her. Amanda Quick, aka Jayne Ann Krentz, is one of my favorite historical authors and I am gobsmacked that she of all people came up with an unparalleled nitwit such as Emily.

Emily is intelligent. She manages her family's finances; more specifically, she manages to keep her gambling addict of a father from the poorhouse by successfully playing the stockmarket and choosing successful ventures. However, when it comes to men, she is an idiot. Losing her reputation at nineteen to a prettyboy Byron wannabe, she settled into a life of quiet spinsterhood in a small village outside the direct influence of London. One day, she received a letter from a stranger, a man who claimed that he had heard through the literati grapevine that she was a fellow lover of poetry, and they became pen pals. Turns out that her pen pal is a man whose father was ruined in a card game by her father and she's living in his old home! Simon has waited a long time for revenge and he's decided to use Emily to get it.

Here's where it goes bad. Emily is a HUGE sucker for romantic literature. (Ironic, isn't it, how she didn't fancy Mr. Darcy when her book club read P&P?) Simon uses her awful poetry as a lure, reeling Emily in slowly. He then shows up in her neighborhood after he's sure she's an absolute fool in love over him and seduces her without going all the way (a late night tryst was a sure thing to check that she was, in fact, INTACT). They marry and he makes sure that they consummate the marriage on their wedding night. At this point, I was thinking, hmm. Looking into a man's eyes and thinking that they seem cold to you when he's talking about love and metaphysical attachments is probably not a good sign, sister. However, throughout all of this, Emily goes on and on about how Simon is good and honorable and not at all cruel and dangerous to him and everyone else who will listen. Here is a rather long example of their interactions that appear throughout Scandal, where Emily apologizes to Simon for speaking to her father and tries to understand why he's being cold to her. It is fairly consistent with the rest: (from pages 140-142)

   "I understand and I am truly sorry," Emily said quickly. "You must know that. But it all happened a long time ago. It concerns our parents, not us. It was the work of an earlier generation. Now that you have St. Clair Hall back, you must let go of the past. It will only continue to torment you if you do not. Simon, you must look to the future."
   "Really? And what, precisely, do you propose I contemplate when I gaze upon the future?" Simon asked dryly.
   Emily took a deep breath. "Well, there is the matter of our relationship, my lord," she suggested tentatively. "As you pointed out last night, it has been considerably enhanced and deepened now by our physical union. We share something very special. Surely you will want to let go of the sadness of the past and concentrate instead on the joys of our greatly expanded methods of communication."
   He looked down at her, brows arched in icy amusement. "Are you suggesting that I forgo the reminder of my vengeance against your family in favor of the joys of the marriage bed?"
   Emily was increasingly uncertain of Simon's odd mood. A deep foreboding swept over her as she peered up at him through her spectacles. He looked very dangerous suddenly; a dragon had invaded the south garden, a dragon looking for prey.
   "Last night," Emily said slowly, "you said that for us the pleasures of the marriage bed would be unique. You told me they would be connected to the pure and noble passions of the metaphysical realm. That our union took place on the transcendental plane as well as of the physical plane. Surely that sort of relationship is very special and should be nurtured and cherished, my lord?"
   Anger crackled in Simon's golden eyes. "For God's sake, Emily, even you cannot be that naive. What took place between us last night had nothing whatsoever to do with any damn transcendental place. It was a matter of simple lust."
   "Simon, you cannot mean that. You yourself explained about the connection between the physical and metaphysical realms." She blushed but did not lower her gaze. She knew she was fighting for something very important now. "Our passions are transcendent in nature. Remember how you described the way our lovemaking in the physical world was bound to enhance our communication in the metaphysical realm?"
   ...
   She bit her lip. "So you lied to me about wanting to enhance our unique metaphysical communication?"
   "Emily, I did what I had to do in order to calm you bridal fears. We got the business over and done in a reasonable fashion and there is now no chance of an annulment."
   "That is all you cared about? Making certain there would be no grounds for an annulment this morning?" she asked softly. "You did not feel that last night we were both cast adrift on love's transcendent golden shore?"
   "Bloody hell. For God's sake, woman, will you cease prattling on about romance and metaphysics? I have had enough of your romantical nonsense. This is a marriage, not a verse from an epic poem. It is time you faced reality. You are no longer a Faringdon. You are now my wife. We shall manage to deal comfortably with each other if you keep that fact uppermost in your mind at all times."
   "I am hardly likely to forget it, Simon."
   "See that you don't," he said, his golden eyes blazing. "Emily it is time you understood that I require one thing above all else from you."
   "You require my love?" A spark of foolish hope still burned within her, Emily realized with chagrin.
   "No, Emily," Simon said brutally. "What I require from you - what I will have from you at all costs - is your complete and unwavering loyalty. You are now the Countess of Blade. You are a Traherne. You are no longer a Faringdon. Is that entirely clear?"
   The last, tiny flicker of hope died. "You make yourself very clear, my lord."

Emily's prattling about "love's transcendent golden shore" continues throughout the whole of Scandal and it drove me crazy, just as it did Simon. From a writer who creates such intelligent and shrewd women, I could just not understand by Quick/Krentz would go this direction with Emily. Perhaps this is her version of whimsy?

As for Simon, I'm not agreeing with his motives or methods but I found him less annoying, if not exactly likable. A man willing to trample over anybody and everybody for revenge isn't the type I'd want to spend my life with. The title of Earl of Blade is certainly apropos, is it not?

Scandal is definitely not Amanda Quick's best work. An annoying heroine and ruthless hero make this an irritating trip into regency England.

Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery

2011-01-28T19:15:00.007-05:00

Synopsis:

Wanted:
-Single mom seeks billionaire's pocketbook to fund dying son's research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome.
-Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must be willing to attend social events. Anyone looking for love need not apply.
It seemed like the perfect match…until the unthinkable happened.

My thoughts (audiobook version):

Kerri Sullivan is a single mom who is willing to do absolutely anything to get the money needed to continue the research for a cure for her nine year old son, Cody who is slowly dying from Gilliar’s disease. She goes after Nathan King, a billionaire who had lost his son to the same disease 6 years ago, blackmailing him into donating $15 million. Nathan had no interest in getting involved. He already had to endure seeing his child die from this disease, he didn’t want to experience it again. But Kerri wouldn’t take no for an answer...

This is a heart tugging story about sacrifices, faith and a mother’s undying love. I hope that if I ever find myself in a situation like this, that I would be as strong and determined as Kerri. The dialog was witty (laugh out loud funny at times) and the romance between Kerri and Nathan was beautiful and unrushed. The other characters I found endearing were Nathan’s chauffeur and his boyfriend Lance and of course Cody who was adorable and so brave. Be prepared to laugh and cry, this is a wonderful story.

Narration: I was impressed with Therese Plummer’s narration. This was an emotional story and she really made the characters come to life for me.

Review: American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout

2011-01-26T01:00:00.000-05:00

He's the good kind of vampire...sort of.

Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.

Jessa’s the only one to even remotely trust him, and she’s desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there’s a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa’s only hope for salvation.

Even if she has to die first…(from netgalley.com)

In American Vampire, Jennifer Armintrout boils down humanity to its worst and then adds a vampire. It's not saying much that the vampire is the best of the bunch, is it?

Penance is cut off from the real world, a la The Twilight Zone, and the people who live there are hunted by a monster. Graf starts out his accidental visit to Penance with plans to suck everybody dry. He doesn't think much of humans, it appears, but ends up having to ingratiate himself on Jessa lest he end up sleeping, or rather baking, in the trunk of his little sports car. Jessa wants no part of him; life in Penance is hard enough without having to stretch supplies that much more. The people of Penance have regressed back to the Salem witch trials; outsiders are not accepted and suspicions run high. There's not much reason in Penance and it's a very scary place, even without the monster.

I liked American Vampire but not quite as much as I had expected. The plot was interesting, certainly unlike anything else I've read lately even if it was a bit predictable, especially the ending. Graf comes off as a jerk more often than not but redeems himself by the end. Jessa is sad, desperate, and defeated enough to throw out all her self-respect but who wouldn't be under the circumstances? In the end, I felt that American Vampire lacked the same spark that I saw in The Turning, book one in Armintrout's Blood Ties series.

American Vampire is available on Feb. 22, 2011.

Cover Watch!

2011-01-25T13:55:00.002-05:00

See Meljean's post about it HERE. Nothing on amazon yet.

October, baby!

Review: Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

2011-01-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

I used to think that my favorite women in fiction were written by Nora Roberts. They are strong women who have dignity and the courage to fight for what they want. Well, sorry Ms. Roberts, but there's a new favorite in town: Susan Elizabeth Phillips. SEP (as she is often referred to) doesn't write romances, she writes women's fiction, good women's fiction. As with her peers Jennifer Crusie and Jennifer Weiner, her stories aren't about the "action" between a man and a woman (not that this particular aspect is missing, mind you) but rather the journey that the woman takes to become the woman she wants to be. Meg from Call Me Irresistible is her most compelling leading lady yet in a long list of awesome women.

Meg is daughter of Hollywood elite parents (from SEP's Glitter Baby) and is considered to be a spoiled rich girl. She carries no responsibilities and lives her life jumping from one exotic locale to the next for fun. (Think Nepal, not Monaco.) Her best friend, Lucy, a former president's daughter, is about to marry Ted Beaudine from Wynette, Texas, the local Golden Boy and PGA champ. When Meg arrives in Wynette to stand up at Lucy's wedding she makes a horrible discovery: Lucy is marrying the wrong man! With one look, Meg believes with all her heart that Lucy is not marrying the right man for her. Chaos ensues with Meg left to take all the blame. Now she's stuck in Wynette - a town that hates her - and since her parents have decided to cut her off financially, she's got some serious bucking up to do. The worst part? Ted Beaudine has made it his life's mission to make her miserable...and he looks so good doing it.

I loved Meg. Plucky and full of sass, her life is looking pretty lousy but she doesn't let it drag her down. She's attracted to Ted, yes, but when she looks at him she sees a pretty unhappy man instead of the town hero (and mayor). That makes her want to help but only a little bit since he pretty much hates her. Her family and friends cut her off from any help to make her grow up and grow some resources of her own and she does; she takes menial jobs but makes the most of them and even starts crafting her own jewelry line. The hardest part about living in Wynette for Meg really is maintaining her dignity in the face of those catty women who are just trying to protect what's theirs: Ted.

Ted was a hard read. He's a popular man who always knows the right thing to say or do but he's still an introvert. He doesn't emote, even with Meg, and at the beginning of the book, I thought he was pretty awful. He took his frustration and pain from being jilted out on Meg just like everyone else when it wasn't her fault. Bringing Meg down many pegs made him a bit too happy for my taste. I liked how the reader's understanding of Ted mirrored his own; Ted's self-awareness needed some time to kick in.

SEP's next book sounds like it'll be about Lucy, the runaway bride. I can't wait to see what happened to her after she fled Wynette.

Other reviews:
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2011/01/17/review-call-me-irresistible-by-susan-elizabeth-phillips/
http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/01/review-call-me-irresistible-by-susan.html
http://www.fiendishlybookish.com/recent-reviews-and-news/2011/1/20/new-fiendish-review-call-me-irresistible-by-susan-elizabeth.html

Shadowfever: The Day(s) After

2011-01-20T11:33:00.001-05:00

So. I read Shadowfever the day it came out. I finished it around seven p.m. Tuesday evening. I think my mind is still processing it and I know it will take a reread or two before it is completely digested but I wanted to give myself a little bit of closure for now so here I am, talking about this series AGAIN on this blog. Get over it, people, I love this writer :)

Here's my problem: I am now faced with a serious dilemma of how to review this book. There's really no way without blowing a bunch of spoilers - little ones and big ones - so I won't. Just like I did with Mockingjay, I'll just talk a bit about my reactions. 'Cause I think they're a bit more important than dicing up the book just like Mac does with Unseelie.

First off, I smiled when I finished the last page. There was no howling or stomping around with steam shooting out of my ears, ranting to my poor husband about how this or that should've or didn't happen. I. Am. Satisfied. That surprises me in a way because there were some definite questions flitting around in my head that I wanted answers to but...not all of them were answered, not completely.

What made me happiest, I think, is that Mac gets her HEA. Come on folks, you knew it was coming! How could KMM leave us all hanging like that? I'm not telling how it happens or with who, but it does. YAY! I am a total sucker for the HEA. Sometimes it can't happen (like with Aeriel at the of Meredith Ann Pierce's Darkangel trilogy) and sometimes it shouldn't happen (how many romances have I read where the couple is completely obnoxious) but usually, it's a nice payoff for me as a reader.

There's TONS of action in Shadowfever and lots of dangling subplots are tied up. However, some of them aren't and that's why I appreciated the last few words: "The End...For Now." Here's what KMM says when asked about future books, specifically more Highlander ones (from http://www.karenmoning.com/kmm/highlanderfaq.html) :

FAQ: Will you write another Highlander novel?

I honestly don't know if I can write a straightforward romance in which the story revolves primarily around the romance again. There, I've said it. I know this will disappoint some of my fans but the romance alone wasn't enough to keep my muse happy. I need more than that in the stories I tell. So, if the question is will I ever write a book like my Highlander series again where the primary thrust is: woman meets man, complications ensue, woman loses man, reclaims man and has a HEA, the answer is probably not without a whole lot of other stuff going on, too.

That being said, I may find myself at some point in the future, dying to re-visit the Highlands again and totally in the mood to lose myself in love for no other purpose than love's sake.

I guess the answer is: no plans to write a straightforward Highlander romance right now but I never say never.

Remember, the Keltars figure prominently in the Fever series, and Christian will be getting his own play--just not the way I did it in my Highlander series. I need a little more nitty, gritty reality in his tale. He's becomes quite the complex man.

Christian is definitely a complicated one. Shadowfever wasn't especially kind to Christian.

Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I'm satisfied. I gave this book an A although it's not perfect strictly because of my emotional reactions (duh). It is well written, has plenty of surprises I wasn't expecting, and even managed to make my jaw drop a time or two (or, uh, three). I will say here that I figured out who the UK was halfway through. Extra characters are never superfluous.

The Fever series is now at an end. Read it sometime if you like long, drawn-out paranormal romances with lots of action and drama. And faeries. Don't forget the faeries.

Countdown to Shadowfever!

2011-01-17T11:27:00.001-05:00

Countdown Creator Progreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

ARE YOU READY?! I know I am. I have reread the first four Fever books. I have read the first two chapters of Shadowfever; someone leaked them last week and to keep her readers from being too upset about a certain spoiler, KMM posted them herself on her website. Like a diabetic with a candy bar, I couldn't NOT, you know?

Here's my opinion: if KMM keeps you-know-who dead, I will not be a happy woman. I can't see it happening. There's just too much invested in this character and KMM will have some serious 'splaining to do.

Can you tell how hyped I am for this book? It feels like it's right up there with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's going to rain here tomorrow and I'm still going to go out and get me a copy. If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what will.

Tomorrow, I'm turning off my phone. I'm locking the front door. I'm going incommunicado until I finish it!

Happy reading tomorrow!

Update: I would also like to add some links here to other book blogs who have been doing some awesome work with the reviews and discussions:
http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/01/dreamfever-discussion-and-giveaway.html
http://www.fictionvixen.com/2010/12/welcome-to-the-faefever-discussion.html
http://www.smexybooks.com/2010/12/welcome-to-bloodfever-discussion.html

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

2011-01-15T23:57:00.001-05:00

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal. (from kierstenwhite.com)

Evie isn't normal. She has no family and lives in a government facility. Her best friend is a mermaid who lives in a big fish tank and has to speak using a machine like Stephen Hawking. She works for a company that gathers up supernatural creatures like vampires or werewolves; her job is to find and tag them so that they're "neutered," or no longer able to harm anyone. She is starved for teenage interaction and obsesses over a television show akin to 90210. Evie is a kind person who only wants to be good. And don't forget, normal.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of Evie. Sometimes worldly but more often naive, she jumps when her "boss" and surrogate mother, Raquel, says how high. She has to occasionally fend off her faerie ex, Reth, stalker that he is, and this makes her seem, well, normal. But then she wanders around IPCA's facility, blithely going along, not questioning anything. This is basically her life until she catches an intruder, a shape-shifter boy named Lend, who is breaking into Raquel's office. He and Evie hit it off right from the start even though the IPCA has him in a cell and wants to know what his agenda is. Lend helps Evie open her eyes to what her life is like and moreover, to herself. Is she human or not? Why is she always so cold and what is she to IPCA - an employee or an inmate? By the end of Paranormalcy, I had a much better sense of Evie and so did she.

Paranormalcy is a nifty little YA novel. It took me only a few hours to read it (just finished this evening, actually) but it kept my eyes riveted to its pages throughout. I could have lived without some of the more stereotypical teenage stuff like the prom but with a heroine who aches to be a typical teenager, what else could I have asked for? With an interesting (if not a bit predictable) plot and a likable heroine, Paranormalcy is a good addition to the YA genre.

The next chapter in Kiersten White's trilogy, Supernaturally, will be released in Fall 2011.

Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

2011-01-09T19:57:00.001-05:00

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you? (from dust jacket)

Well, it's over. (Sort of.) Last Sacrifice is last in Richelle Mead's five book YA series about vampires. A question I kept asking myself as I was reading Last Sacrifice: Why am I reading Last Sacrifice? Did I expect an ending different from the one I got? If you are a fan of this series, what did you expect? Here's what I figured would happen (and did), in very general terms:

Rose would end up with Dimitri. Duh! You don't spend four angst-filled books pining for the man you can't have to give up on him by the end. Poor Adrian. He didn't have a hope in hell from the very beginning. I really liked him and hope to see more of him in Bloodlines, the Vampire Academy spin-off.
Rose would be exonerated. Duh! She didn't do it. And Richelle Mead would probably fill us in on who did.
There would lots of big reveals and surprises. Duh! There has to be SOMETHING to fill up those gaps between those adoring gazes Rose gets from Dimitri (and vice versa).
Everybody (except the murdered and murderer and Adrian) would get their HEA. Duh!

Last Sacrifice is a decent end to a decent (but not great) series. As I figure to be the case with most of the other readers, I kept reading because I wanted to see Rose and Dimitri reconcile. I wanted my payoff! It was worth it to put up with Rose for that long; I find her immature and irritating most of the time. I was actually surprised (and disappointed in) the identity of Titania's murderer; I felt betrayed too. I liked him/her! (Ha! Not telling!)

Bloodlines has a release date of August 23, 2011. Will I be reading it? Probably, yes. Mead's website claims that it will be written in third person, we will get to see what happens to Sydney, and that Rose will be making an appearance. Please, may be have some more Adrian? Please?

ARC Review: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

2011-01-08T13:32:00.004-05:00

To save her life, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan must overturn a death sentence, outwit a demon assassin, and endure a cross-country drive with a vampire, an elf, and a pixy in this latest kickass adventure in the New York Times bestselling Hollows series

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after...forever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for her own mysterious business. But Rachel isn't the only passenger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for more than 2,300 miles? And that's not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her. (from the back cover of this ARC)

SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNLESS YOU ARE CAUGHT UP WITH THIS SERIES! I MEAN IT!

**clears throat**

Pale Demon is the ninth full length book in Kim Harrison's The Hollows series and the fifteenth installment altogether.

Pale Demon is a kickass book and it just may be my new favorite of the series. While I've loved reading each new installment in their own ways, the last few have been the hardest to digest. This happens a lot with long-lived series like this one, I think; with all the calamity and tribulations that these characters have gone through it gets harder and harder to keep the, uh, magic going. However, by the end of Pale Demon, things are starting to look up for Rachel. Just a little bit.

Kim Harrison said of Pale Demon on her website, "Some of the desire to write Pale Demon came from you, the readers, wanting to know if Trent and Rachel actually liked each other despite the taunts and put-downs. I wanted to know myself. What better way to find out then a forced cooperation? If something was going to happen, it would happen then. Right? What evolved surprised even me, and I hope you like it." This was what Pale Demon is all about, the interaction between Rachel and Trent. Kim Harrison is a genius, putting these big personalities into a car for a cross-country road trip. Rachel and Trent have a lot of history and while it certainly hasn't been all good, there's a bond there that keeps it from being all bad. Forcing them to be together in a car for days is a perfect way for her to have them resolve their issues; ratcheting up the tension and pissing people off will bring things to a head every time. It was also pretty funny, too. I will admit it took me a little (read: longer than it should have been) while to figure out why Jenks kept using phrases with "cookie" in them. I got a real big laugh out of that when I figured it out.

The other reason why Pale Demon is so good: the demons. Rachel spends quite a bit of time in the ever after with Al. Their relationship is such fun to behold and I do believe that they actually care about one another. Inasmuch as demon can "care" about someone, anyway. Newt is crazy as ever too.

Pale Demon is starting a new chapter in the chronicles of Rachel Morgan. Things are changing in her world, some relationships are ending and others are just beginning (sort of). I can't wait to see what happens next. The first two chapters are now available on Harrison's website with the next two coming soon. Pale Demon will be released on February 22, 2011.

Now, the best part: a GIVEAWAY! Who wants my LibraryThing ARC of Pale Demon? (US only) Remember, this is an ARC so it won't last forever. (A few pages are already loose.) But who cares if you don't have to buy it? Here's the deal. Become a follower (current followers are eligible too) and leave a comment and the winner will be picked randomly on January 31, 2011. I will get it to the winner before it's release date! Good luck!

Review: Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

2011-01-06T15:28:00.012-05:00

At the tender age of twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed the brutal murder of his father, a scientist wrongly framed by the US government, and shot down by police during a hostage crisis.

More than twenty years later, Gideon finally gets his revenge and fulfills the promise that he made to his mother on her death bed to clear their family name.

He brings down the man who destroyed his father. But then a mysterious witness steps forward to confront Gideon on his crime - and to offer him the chance of a lifetime...

I look forward to the new Pendergast novel by Preston and Child every year and in 2011, they will have two new books to offer: Cold Vengeance, the next Pendergast, out in August; and Gideon's Sword, book one in a new series about a man named Gideon Crew.

Gideon is a genius and a retired art thief. He's also a con artist and a pretender and can become anyone in the wink of an eye. He has a legitimate job that he keeps for fun (and rent money) at the Los Alamos National Lab testing parts that are used in nuclear devices. He is not especially close to anybody.

Revenge takes up most of Gideon's time at the beginning of Gideon's Sword. His mother made him promise on her deathbed that he would make the man who murdered his father pay for it and also know who it was that hurt him. Afterward, Gideon is approached by a man with a request: come to NYC and listen to a proposal. A private company that does contract work for the government wants Gideon to retrieve some ultra-sensitive information from a Chinese national who is flying to the US against his country's wishes. Needless to say, the job becomes very complicated very quickly. Gideon enlists the help of an old acquaintance and a prostitute to complete his assignment.

Gideon's Sword reads like you're watching an action movie. There are car chases, international locales, government conspiracies, secret agents, and assassins. Exciting and, at times, unbelievable, this book is a lot of fun. The rights have already been bought by Paramount and Michael Bay so look for a movie in a few years.

Gideon's Sword will be released on February 22, 2011

Review: Once Upon a Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

2011-01-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

Lady Victoria Jane Emerson left behind her girlish notions of romance when Jonathan deserted her without a backward glance. Now the time has come when she must finally choose a husband, and she has vowed to marry someone who will never break her heart.

Jonathan Pierce Thatcher, Viscount Remington, has returned home, free of all his family’s debts. Only to discover that by some miracle he has been chosen to vie for the hand of his beloved Victoria. To convince his only love to once again believe in the magic of love and the promise of desire will be his greatest challenge yet. And one he cannot fail!

Delilah Marvelle is making one heck of a splash into the world of historical romance with her Scandal series. They're not technically her first books but these are definitely getting more attention in the mainstream market. Once Upon a Scandal is the second in this series and I found it to be just as good as the first.

Victoria was less than a year away from her coming out season in London when Jonathan made a play for her heart. A complete romantic, Jonathan wooed her with sweet words and only one kiss. They were already friends but he wished to have a promise from her before he left for Venice that she would wait for him to return. It should have been seven to ten months, tops, but instead he was gone for five years. And he wouldn't tell her why he couldn't return. From Victoria's perspective, it felt like he dumped her as an afterthought. He stopped replying to the letters she wrote and forbade her cousin, his best friend, from telling her the truth about him. It broke Victoria's heart, a heart that was already fragile after losing her mother and twin brother years before, and so she never married. Fast forward five years. Victoria's father is dying from tertiary-phase syphilis and doesn't even remember her. She is informed that three men have agreed to vie for her hand in marriage and she must marry one before her father is too ill to stand at her wedding - her inheritance depends upon it. Guess who shows up that night to be one of the three? Jonathan. Victoria has to speak to each for an hour before making her decision and than marry them within a week. How does someone make a decision like this, especially with these circumstances? Where has Jonathan been the last five years? And does Victoria still love him?

Delilah Marvelle does not make life easy for her couples, does she? (See my review for Prelude to a Scandal.) I consistently find it appalling, the way that women were treated back then for I do not doubt that this scenario was likely forced upon some poor girl back then; possibly now too. Many men also didn't have it all that easy either, I suppose. Anyway, Once Upon a Scandal is a bittersweet love story. The sex theme is back, too, in a different incarnation, yet still applied to the man in the equation. Sexual abuse in literature or fiction is generally forced upon the woman and I appreciated that Marvelle is turning the tables on that. (Not that I like reading about sexual abuse in any fashion.) I also liked that Jonathan's version of romance didn't involve sexing up Victoria, exactly, as well as his devotion to her and their love. On the flip side, I felt that the villain, Marchese Casacalenda, was rather uneven. He does all these horrible things (i.e. rape, murder) because his influence and money has bought him impunity and then at the end, he voluntarily acquiesces and accepts bodily harm? That felt inconsistent and didn't make sense. On the whole though, I found Once Upon a Scandal to be a riveting story.

The Perfect Scandal, starring Marquis Moreland, one of Victoria's suitors, is the final book in this series. I will definitely be reviewing that one as well.

Once Upon a Scandal can be found in stores on January 18, 2011. The Perfect Scandal will be out on February 15, 2011.

Look! LOOK!

2011-01-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

There's no blurb yet but we do have a release date of June 21, 2011! Woot! Already, my ear infection in my left ear and the crick in my neck from sleeping funny are so much better :)

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

2011-01-02T22:45:00.003-05:00

Rebellious teen Demon Trapper Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself-and that's exactly what Lucifer is counting on.

It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night.
Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell. (from demontrappers.com)

First off, I would like to pose a question. Why is it that UF/PNR/YA writers like to pick on Atlanta? I have never been there so I have no personal feelings toward it one way or another but it seems that lately, when a book is set there, the city is one step away from being demolished! In The Demon Trapper's Daughter, Atlanta is bankrupt. There is a huge gulf between the classes and folks just barely scrape together a living. Demons are everywhere and they wreak havoc as much as possible. In the beginning of TDTD, Riley is sent to a university law library to capture a "Biblio-Fiend," a tiny demon who lives to ruin books. It's favorite method of destruction: peeing. These little buggers like to sneak into libraries (and if there's rare books there all the better) and pee everywhere, shredding pages as they go. Their kryptonite: boring literature. Riley read it part of the first page of Moby Dick and it was down for the count. (I can relate.) Into it's little sippy cup prison it went. Only...not.

And with that opening snafu, The Demon Trapper's Daughter kept me up until 2:30 am last night. I just couldn't put it down. I laughed and I cried and I rolled my eyes many times. I marveled at this clever world that Jana Oliver has created with it's different classes of demons, some ridiculous but most very dangerous. My favorite, besides the ones that pee, is the "Geo-Fiend," a class Five demon that you can't fight unless you're able to get them to touch the ground. They float, you see, and use earth magics to use the elements as their weapons. Plus, they're just BIG. Nasty, but cool.

Riley is a typical teenager with abandonment issues. She's clingy with her dad because her mom died of cancer. Riley only exists in extremes with her feelings; she used to have a crush on her dad's trapping partner, Beck, but now she hates him. She is almost to the point of obsession of making her dad proud of her as a trapper. She is in constant fear of disappointing him. It doesn't occur to her that her father already loves her and is proud of her but wishes that she did something else with her life, something way less dangerous. Riley is loyal and intelligent but just a bit clueless about the men in her life. I liked her but will like her even more after she can get over herself just a bitty bit.

As for the book as a whole, it is a well-written, evenly paced story with plenty of action. I was particularly amused by the necromancer parade that visited the cemetery while Riley stood vigil. There's not much romance here either unless you count a few kisses between Riley and the do-gooder Simon. A nice guy for certain but not the one who will last until the end, I think. Neither will the mysterious boy; that's where Beck will come in (eventually). I appreciated the lack of girly swooning here; it's obvious that while boys are an important part of a teenage girl's life, for Riley, they're not the top priority at the moment.

There is a subplot in TDTD that is touched on a few times but is barely explained until you are smacked over the head with part of it at the end. I'm hoping that the next book in this series has more to tell on the subject because my interest is piqued. The Demon Trapper's Daughter is the first book in a new series that I definitely want more of. It will be available on February 1, 2011.

On second thought, you know what? Sorry, Atlanta. Any writer who wants to pick on you is fine with me.

Letting Go and New Beginnings

2011-01-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

It's the beginning of a new year so you know what that means: it's time for my annual recataloging of my library. I simultaneously loathe and enjoy this yearly reckoning; giving up books is never easy for me as I get unreasonably attached to my library. But it's a necessary evil. I bring in WAY more books than I send out and something's gotta give. Reclaiming any space is good though.

The question is...which books do I get rid of? If I have them then there was a reason, right? I mean, I wouldn't have bought/borrowed/traded/downloaded them if I wasn't interested or they didn't sound like a good read. What I really need is a more judicious eye when it comes to accumulating them. More often than not I know my reasoning is along the lines of "yes, I could get this from the library but that's only for a limited time. What if I can't get to it in that time period? Wouldn't it just be easier if I had my own copy?" Seriously, people, I can rationalize almost anything when it comes to books. It's time to stop and get control! *sobs*

Oh hell.

Now you know why I only do this once a year.

Our Most Anticipated Books of January

2010-12-31T19:14:00.000-05:00

Jane's Pick:

The book that caught my attention this month is The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston. It's written in the form of a journal that Bess has kept throughout her various incarnations. The idea of traveling with an immortal witch throughout the centuries really appeals to me. This book is being released on January 18th.

In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate: the Warlock Gideon Masters. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers and making her immortal. She couldn’t have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he will be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.

In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life. Her solitude abruptly ends when a teenage girl named Tegan starts hanging around. Against her instincts, Elizabeth teaches Tegan the ways of the Hedge Witch, in the process awakening memories—and demons—long thought forgotten.

Part historical romance, part modern fantasy, The Witch’s Daughter is a fresh, compelling take on the magical, yet dangerous world of witches. Readers will long remember the fiercely independent heroine who survives plagues, wars, and the heartbreak of immortality to stay true to herself, and protect the protégé she comes to love.

Jen's pick:

No surprise here: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning. It's the long-awaited finale to her five-book-long Fever series that has kept me and a million others holding our breath for a year and a half, waiting to see what really happened at the end of Dreamfever. I'm planning an attempt to reread the first four books before this one gets here. *gulp* Here's for a HEA for Mac, people. If you hear a crazy woman howl in the evening of January 18th, you'll know why.

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh — a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.

Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world... or destroy it.

I would also like to mention J. F. Lewis' Crossed, the third book in his Void City series. Eric the vampire is superfun and I can't wait to read/see him again. Crossed is out on January 25.

COMMITTED. CONFLICTED. AND UTTERLY CHAOTIC.

In spite of his continuing hot-blooded affair with his soon-to-be sister-in-law Rachel, Eric’s plan is simple: Give his vampire girlfriend Tabitha the fancy wedding she’s always wanted, then head off to Paris for their honeymoon in the hopes of tracking down his sire, the Empress vampire Lisette. The City of Love proves anything but romantic when the True Immortal rulers of Europe try to block Eric from entering the Continent—and subject Tabitha to a series of challenges to prove her vampire worth. Back home in Void City, Eric’s volatile daughter Greta is getting lonely and bored—and that’s not good news for anyone. And when, like a bat out of hell, Lisette descends upon Void City to wipe Eric and his brood off the face of the earth—forever—this much is clear: the honeymoon is over.

2010 in Review: My Favorites

2010-12-30T15:22:00.001-05:00

Here we are in the end of another December. How many of us think at the end of each year, "Boy this year went by fast! It seems like it was just January!" I know I do. So, here's a few of my favorite things that happened around me this year. Imagine what 2011 will bring.

This is Harley. In May, we foolishly went into the local Petsmart for flea stuff for our other cats and ended up in the kitten room. There, we found a little girl kitty who had her arms sticking out of her kennel, waving them around as if to say "Over here! Over here! I've been waiting for you all day!" Mind you, she was meowing as fast and as loudly as she could manage. (She still does.) So we brought her home and (eventually) named her Harley. She's a stinker (literally and figuratively) but we love her anyway.

Media gurus may be saying that 2010 is NOT the year of the ereader but I must disagree. I became the proud owner of not one but two ereaders this year and I love them both. How could I not like anything that allows me to buy books at the touch of a button and actually have them in seconds? Oh yeah.

NYCC 2010 was so fun! I got lots of free stuff, got to see lots of cool stuff, but most of all I got to meet Jen D. from Not Now...I'm Reading! We had a blast at the con for two days plus a trip to Chinatown - hmmm...dim sum :) Can't wait to hit Philly in August at Authors After Dark!

Netgalley.com is one of the coolest ideas that the book industry has come up with in YEARS. In love at once with Netgalley last summer when I saw that a fellow book blogger got an ARC of Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn, I instantly joined and as soon as I got my copy of DRtD, I rushed to my local B&N to get my very own nook. By that evening I was in love. They have an extensive catalog of authors by well-known publishers like HarperCollins, Harlequin (my fave!), and Hachette Book Group. I check a few times a week to see what's new and usually let a squeal or two if I find something good. Thank you Netgalley for making my 2010 an awesome year of reading!

I would also like to thank the PTB for letting my father catch his colon cancer before it spread. That was a hairy couple of months there and I thank God every day for his recovery. Amen!

Best Book of December 2010 (and November too!)

2010-12-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

Hooray for YA! This has been an awesome year for me and YA books and the two books I am writing about here are no exception. Anybody who thinks YA books are too juvenile are deluding themselves and some of my favorite series ever have been YA. So, click the link to make the jump to see two YA books that impressed the heck out of me. The best part? Neither has vampires or werewolves :)
December's pick:

Alona Dare is the Queen Bee of her high school. She's the one who decides who is popular and who is not, what's in or out. When she steps off the sidewalk one morning while talking on her cell and gets hit by a bus, she's killed instantly. What's shocking to her, though, is what happens at school after's she's gone - her best friend is now dating her boyfriend and everyone else seems to be happy she's dead. It isn't until she notices loser-y Will Killian laughing at her misery that she realizes that just because a girl's dead doesn't mean she's completely out.

Will Killian has his own problems. Like the kid in the movie, he can see dead people. That wouldn't be so very bad if the dead didn't notice him too. They hound him so that he will help them resolve what's keeping them from moving on. His ghost problems have landed him a psychiatrist with dubious motives and multiple stays in mental facilities. He can't function in public without his iPod to drown out the dead folks and so when Alona saves him at a particularly bad time, he ends up agreeing to help her out with her afterlife if she will help him with the other ghosts. The only problem is, he didn't expect to like her as a person. And she didn't expect to like him either. How do you date a dead girl? And who is the ghost that keeps trying to kill him?

I liked Alona. Lots of other reviewers have compared Alona to Rachel McAdams' Regina from Mean Girls. I somewhat agree; I don't think Alona was as ruthless as Regina but she certainly does like to be in control of her kingdom. The interesting thing about Alona? Her social life has absolutely nothing to do with how she lives at home. Her mother is an alcoholic and her father moved out after the divorce. He left and dumped his problems on his daughter's lap and she's been struggling to keep her two worlds apart. The reader gets teased through most of the book with why Alona was so distracted by her phone conversation and while I won't spoil the reason here, I will say that it certainly does explain a lot about her character and why she's so angry.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Will. Having the gift of being able to see and talk to the dead may have some advantages but for Will, they're ruining his life. Bouncing in and out of mental hospitals and being doped to the gills hasn't helped him like his iPod does; drowning out the voices of the dead let him act relatively normal even if he'll be prematurely deaf from the high volume music. Definitely not a good way to find a girlfriend.

I really dug this book. The light tone and frequent humor make The Ghost and the Goth a quick and enjoyable read. I was disappointed when I closed the back cover because I wanted more Alona and Will! Thank goodness there'll be a sequel; these two are definitely worth another visit. Queen of the Dead comes out on June 7, 2011.

November's pick:

READ THE ASTONISHING STORY OF LOVE AND MURDER AND MADNESS ABOARD AN ENORMOUS SPACE SHIP BOUND FOR THE FUTURE.

Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen passengers aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. They have been led to believe they will wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future.

But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy is mysteriously unplugged from her cryo chamber, the near-victim of an attempted murder.

Amy discovers an enclosed world where nothing makes sense, where Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy and Elder are instantly bonded. But can they trust each other? All Amy and Elder know is that they must discover Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke Amy tries to kill again.

Across the Universe is Titanic meets Brave New World.

First off, I would like to say that the reason that I quoted the blurb on the back cover of my ARC instead of summarizing the story in my own words is that I had no idea how I would have done it without completely blowing it and spoiling everything. Across the Universe startled the hell out of me, you know. It has made me instantly wary of any sci-fi movie or book where the characters have to go in stasis first (for starters). In fact, being frozen like Amy was is now on my list of things that I never want to experience in my life. Never ever. And that part was just the beginning. Literally.

Across the Universe is an eye-opening, claustrophobia-inducing, cringe-worthy space epic. Beth Revis has posited a worthy question: What will humans do when someone tries to control every aspect of their existence to suit their purposes? It was appalling, really, the lengths to which Eldest went to keep his thumb on the people of Godspeed. At the same time, I was fascinated in the small traveling world that had been created on Godspeed: crops, livestock, even simulated sunshine and rain were fashioned to imitate Earth. However, it's a flimsy simulation, no more apparent than when Amy tries to go for a run and at one point, almost crashes into the wall. From page 138:

   I take three steps behind me, almost stumble, turn around, and race away faster than I've ever run. This is not my measured run from before. I am not pacing myself, counting my breaths, conscious of my strides. I race like a monster is chasing me; I race as if they were chasing me. I cannot go fast enough. I tear through the tall grass of the fields, the thin blades slicing my skin like paper cuts. I break corn stalks as I pound through the field.
   I run and run and run.
   Past the hospital, through the garden, past a pond.
   And to the cold metal wall.
   I stop, gulping at the air, my heart racing in my ears. I reach up with one hand and touch the wall. My fingers curl into a fist, but it falls weakly to my side.
   And that's when I realize the most important truth of life on this ship.
   There is nowhere to run.

Across the Universe grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the last word. What has happened to the mission that Amy and her parents were sent to complete? Who is prematurely thawing out people and why? What happened on Godspeed to change the social hierarchy from a democracy to a dictatorship? Can you manage to read this book without shuddering in relief that you are not a passenger on this ship? I know I couldn't.

Across the Universe will be available on 1/1/11.

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock

2010-12-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Or is it Spock Lizard?

I am thisclose to completing my 2010 Finish That Series Challenge. Wednesday is the 29th, which gives me three days to complete Cold Moon Rising and Serpent Moon by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. Due to some required emergency housecleaning and a marathon of The Big Bang Theory dvds, I didn't get any reading done today. **sheepish**

I have to say, Adams' and Clamp's series is much better with Tony Giodone as the focus. When Tony is the main character, the books are in first person but when he's isn't, they're in third. It really does make a difference and I wonder why they did it that way.

Will I commit to any reading challenges in 2011? That's a big fat negatory. I am just contrary enough that even if I agree to read a particular book I'll automatically want to read something else. Yes, I am that stubborn.

Happy New Year everyone! Have fun and be safe!

What I Got for Christmas

2010-12-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

Seriously people, my addiction now knows no bounds. When my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, he was only surprised a little bitty bit when I answered "A Kindle 3 with Wi-Fi!"

You might wonder why I, a woman who already owns a nook, would want a Kindle too. The answer is this: I got tired of being left out. B&N has a great selection of books but it seemed like more authors and publishers work with Kindle. I kept seeing books I wanted on amazon that I couldn't get on B&N and it was pissing me off. The Kindle for PC just wasn't enough. Thus, I am now the proud owner of a Kindle 3 with Wi-Fi. Who needs 3G at home when you already have a wireless network in your house?

Now that I have both of these ereaders, I expect y'all will want to know which one I like best? I don't know. They each have their pluses and minuses and I like them differently.

My ebook shopping domination shall continue next with Google eBooks. Mwah hahaha!

Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

2010-12-25T22:52:00.002-05:00

In less than twenty-four hours Meghan Chase will be seventeen. Although, technically, she won’t actually be turning seventeen. Having spent the past year in Faery gives her the benefit of not aging.

However, Meghan’s been banished from Faery for choosing her dark prince, Ash, over the will of her powerful father, Oberon, King of the Summer court. Now Meghan, her winter prince and prankster best friend Puck try settling into a normal human life, first near New Orleans and later in a magical cottage provided by Leanansidhe, Queen of exiles. But her time in this makeshift home, and more important her time with Ash, doesn’t last as the feys of Summer, Winter and Iron courts soon track them down. She thought they’d left Faery behind forever, but pressing matters cause the three exiles to be summoned to war.

A new alliance is made, along with a few contracts, of course, and Meghan, half Summer faery princess, half human, is pressed to choose Fey over her mortal beginnings. Will she abandon her human heart for an iron will that will help her survive?

For as Meghan Chase can confirm—in real life, unlike books, faery tales don’t
necessarily have happy endings. (from netgalley.com)

As with the first two books in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, The Iron Queen doesn't disappoint. This is a compelling YA series and The Iron Queen in particular is written with a light but deft hand; the romance doesn't get too sappy and the action is exciting but not overwhelming. It is all too common these days for YA romances to become heavy-handed and Bella and Edward-ish and so for this series - which does have a love triangle - to manage to avoid all that is impressive. Also, Ash is way cooler than Edward. (Pun totally intended.)

The Iron Queen picks up shortly after the end of The Iron Daughter. Meghan and Ash have been exiled from Faery and are wondering what they're going to do with themselves when they are thrust back into the war with the Iron Fey. There is still a false king leading the opposition and he is winning. The iron glamour is spreading throughout Faery like a cancer and it is only a matter of time before Faery is completely fouled. The summer and winter courts ask Meghan to do the impossible a second time: kill the Iron King.

I can't say this enough: the concept behind this series is so unbelievably cool. Julie Kagawa is telling a story that we should all listen to: technology is taking over the planet and we're going to be sorry one day. Environmental politics aside, The Iron Queen is clever, sad, and sweet. I absolutely can't wait for The Iron Knight, book four and written from Ash's perspective. Here's hoping for next summer!

The Iron Queen will be out on January 25, 2011.

Review: Prelude to a Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

2010-12-25T22:39:00.001-05:00

Marriage is not the end of desire...

Lady Justine is willing to trade her good name, her reputation and her place in London’s gossip-hungry ton to secure her father’s release from prison. But when the notorious Duke of Bradford counters her offer with a proposal of marriage, the stakes grow higher still. For while the smoldering lord is famous for his conquests, the man is oblivious to both her devotion and her charms. And Justine is soon afraid she has wagered all for naught…

Are you ready to be scandalized?

I have been looking forward to Delilah Marvelle's Prelude to a Scandal ever since I read the article on her in RT Book Reviews magazine. Finding new authors to get excited about is one of my favorite things to do EVER and so I couldn't wait to get a copy of this book.

The Duke of Bradford is a man who needs a wife that can handle him and his problems and Lady Justine is his perfect match, the liberal-minded daughter of a scandalized scientist who writes research papers discussing the sexual habits of animals and landed himself in jail. She needs money and influence and he needs a wife. It certainly doesn't hurt that Bradford has been obsessing about Justine for years and Justine is infatuated with him as well. She's the type who can keep him on the straight and narrow and I appreciated her for it. I liked Justine even more when she gave him her copy of How to Avoid a Scandal, the ladies' guide for navigating society without trouble. That took spunk.

Not surprisingly, the main topic of this book is sex. Sex addiction to be more specific. In most romances of this particular genre, sex is a focus but it's relatively normal as it's fun for the main characters; but here the main man is fighting his compulsion for his sanity. It takes a careful writer to treat this scenario without judgment and compassion and Delilah Marvelle is more than up to the task, her treatment of Bradford realistic. On the whole, Bradford is a decent man but when his compulsions take over, he's crude and thoughtless. He feels shame for his lack of control and has changed his rakehell ways to become master of his own domain.

Delilah Marvelle packs quite a bit into the first book in her Scandal series. I am looking forward to reading books two and three, Once Upon a Scandal and The Perfect Scandal, respectively.

Prelude to a Scandal is now available in stores.

Reading Meme, The Rest of the Story

2010-12-25T13:46:00.001-05:00

Let's knock the rest of this sucker out, shall we?

Day Seventeen – Favorite trilogy or tetralogy: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Day Eighteen – Favorite book cover: Don't have one. Some are more appealing than others, of course, but I don't have just one. They're like potato chips!

Day Nineteen – Best ensemble of characters in a book: Harry Potter and his friends and enemies, definitely. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape, Sirius, Malfoy, etc. The list can go on and on. Rowling rocks!

Day Twenty – Favorite kiss or love scene: The kiss between Darcy and Ethan at the end of Something Blue by Emily Giffin. It had been brewing for almost that whole book.

Day Twenty-one – Favorite fictional romantic relationship: Claire Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne from Julia Spencer-Fleming's awesome mystery series. An Episcopal minister (Claire) and a married police chief (Russ) struggle with their emotional bond and attraction to maintain propriety in their little upstate NY town while they solve murders. Talk about sexual tension!

Day Twenty-two – Favorite ending/climax: Snape’s reveal in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It made me sob like a baby and explained so much.

Day Twenty-three – Most annoying character: Susan Silverman from Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. I love his books but he wrote the most annoying women possible in fiction. Susan is Spenser's longtime girlfriend who is afraid of commitment and baby-talks to her dog. Can we just kill her already?

Day Twenty-four – Best quote: The first lines of Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn. "To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor." What a hook.

Day Twenty-five – A book you plan on reading: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Because every book lover who reads romance should read it at least once. Real original, I know.

Day Twenty-six – OMG WTF? plot: I have no idea.

Day Twenty-seven – Favorite non-mainstream writer: Steve Niles. He writes horror novels and comics and is utterly hilarious. And scary.

Day Twenty-eight – First book obsession: Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, and Baby Sitters Club series. I used to collect these en masse and could read them in about five minutes but I hung on every word. I can't wait to read the new Sweet Valley series that comes out in 2011.

Day Twenty-nine – Current book obsession: Audiobooks are my newly discovered literary vehicle and I couldn't get anything done in my house without them.

Day Thirty – Saddest character death: Kisten from Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series. Kisten was Rachel's vampire boyfriend and I still have not forgiven Kim for killing him three books ago. I was so relieved that she finally wrapped up the mystery surrounding his death in Black Magic Sanction but even writing this little about him makes my eyes prickle. R.I.P. Kisten, I had to put you in here somewhere!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A New Challenge (and it wasn't my idea)

2010-12-20T20:36:00.008-05:00

Now this is a challenge I can complete :) (I can hope, can't I?) Go HERE to check out the details but the gist is this: It's all about finishing up those series that everybody has sitting on their shelves after they've read the first book or so. Now, it's late and I'm dead-ass tired so I will be going through my collection tomorrow and picking out those leftovers to finish but I expect to list at least three. Maybe more.

UPDATE: It turns out that I'm a new term that I just made up: a serial series separator. A serial series separator is a type of reader who likes to read the first book (sometimes first two) in a series, works themselves into a frenzy of "I have got to get the rest of "enter author's name here"'s books", and then moves on to something else. Lather, rinse, repeat. So when I went to my books to pick out a few series to list, I came up with a whole sheet of names. Here's the ones I picked:

C. T. Adams & Cathy Clamp's Tales of the Sazi series

~~Hunter's Moon~~
~~Moon's Web~~ (Update: Finished on 12/20)
~~Captive Moon~~
~~Howling Moon~~
~~Moon's Fury~~
~~Timeless Moon~~
~~Cold Moon Rising~~
~~Serpent Moon~~

Jennifer Rardin's Jaz Parks series - I have read the first four of six; I have five and six

~~Once Bitten, Twice Shy~~
~~Another One Bites the Dust~~
~~Biting the Bullet~~
~~Bitten to Death~~
~~One More Bite~~
~~Bite Marks~~

C. L. Wilson's Tairen Soul series - I just read the first in this five part series in January and have 1-4, book five will be out late this year

~~Lord of the Fading Lands~~
~~Lady of Light and Shadow~~
~~King of Sword and Sky~~
Queen of Song and Souls
Crown of Crystal Flame

That's eleven books so far. I plan to add a few more but that's enough for now :) I'll be parking the image at the top of this post on my sidebar.

UPDATE: July 20, 2010

I'm adding Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series to this challenge.

~~Some Girls Bite~~
~~Friday Night Bites~~
~~Twice Bitten~~

I committed to this challenge in May and with the exception of Lady of Light and Shadow and part of Moon's Web, I've been a very bad girl because I've avoided these books like the plague. I really need to get cracking. And reading.

Review: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

2010-12-18T21:44:00.000-05:00

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females -- supernatural, halfling, and human -- Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she's not sure which she finds more frightening. (from Hachette's website)

Tempest's Legacy is the third chapter in Nicole Peeler's wholly entertaining Jane True series. I am in love with these books. I can't get enough of them! Peeler's sense of humor, which I get a daily dose of as I'm one of her Twitter followers, makes her books a treat to read and with each new book the series gets better and better.

Reading Tracking the Tempest and Tempest's Legacy back-to-back was fun. There's lots of character development here; Jane gets stronger and more self-aware with each book. And on the man front, well, I love being right and I was when I said this in September: "I am curious to see what happens next between Jane and Ryu AND Jane and Anyan. Something tells me that the vampire won't be here to stay. Not for very long anyway." I am definitely for Anyan all the way.

I'm also liking Peeler's storyline involving "halflings," or the children of humans and purebloods. Jane, Anyan, and Ryu investigate the murders of people who worked in fertility clinics and are connected to the hideous torture and research done on purebloods. It did seem after a while that Jane's fixation on one particular individual was borderline obsession, i.e. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, and I began to wonder if she shouldn't just give it a rest. Don't worry, Jane hasn't lost her grip on sanity yet.

Obsession aside, I laughed all throughout this book. Giggles, guffaws, and chuckles were aplenty. My favorite line from page 128: "If I pee my pants I am going to be so pissed..." I can't wait to read book four, Eye of the Tempest, to see what's in store for Jane and her friends.

Tempest's Legacy will be in stores on January 1, 2011.

Reading Meme, Day Sixteen

2010-12-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

Day Sixteen – Your guilty pleasure book

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward

This is definitely one series I love but could not discuss with my mother. Hot, studly ghetto-speaking vampire men and their mates steam things up in between the bouts of action, strong emotions and humor. The bad guys are formidable even if they do smell like baby powder (how did she come up with that?) and there's an M/M romance a-brewing. Zsadist and Rhage are my favorites of all the warriors. Ward has also written a spin-off series:

I love paranormal romance :)

Reading Meme, Day Fifteen

2010-12-15T17:39:00.001-05:00

Day Fifteen – Favorite female character

It's got to be Stephanie Plum. This jersey girl is a hoot! In every book in Janet Evanovich's By the Numbers series, Stephanie gets into enough trouble for ten convicts. She blows up cars (it would be more accurate to say that other people blow up her car, repeatedly), chases down people who skip out on their court dates, takes her grandma to the funeral home, and has two men who want her. She is commitment-phobic, keeps her gun in her cookie jar like Rockford, and lives on Tastykakes. If you like books that make you smile, I dare you to read One for the Money and not want more. Any woman who is willing to drive a POS car with the word "pussy" spray-painted on the side has got to be a good time.

I will not be watching the movie.

It's Called The Reading Meme, The Catch-up Post

2010-12-14T13:23:00.003-05:00

In the interest of being lazy and all, I'll be catching up on my reading meme in one post. And I'm not going to put all that much effort into it either. I just wanted to get that out and upfront.

Where was I...oh yeah...

Day Eleven – A book that disappointed you

The first book that first comes to mind is In the Woods by Tana French. I reviewed this one a few months ago (go HERE to see). There was a lot of buzz about Tana French since her newest one, Faithful Place, had just come out, and critics and reviewers were raving about it so I figured I'd check her out from the beginning. Sigh. It is difficult to get through a book with a male protagonist who is a putz. The reader is also teased mercilessly about this unknown horror that our hero witnessed as a child but do we get any resolution? NO! I did like the female lead and she is the focus of French's second book, The Likeness, so I may pick up in the future but In the Woods was not a good way to start a relationship.

Day Twelve – A book you’ve read more than twice

There are a few books that I know I have read more than twice but I didn't want to use them here. Then, while I was at my local library and perusing the book sale shelf (shut up), I saw it:

Now, I don't like this cover and I couldn't find the cover of the copy I had way back in the day. Also, this day's topic could probably cover all of Judy Blume's books (except maybe for Forever even though I know I have read it) as I was a megafan. My third grade teacher read the Superfudge books to us in class but I had already read them all. Reading Deenie, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, and Blubber was a highlight of my teens but Tiger Eyes was always the best. A story about a teenage girl whose father has been shot dead by robbers in his convenience store and her family's subsequent exodus to New Mexico always grabbed me and never let go. I read online somewhere recently that they're making a movie based on it and I'm not sure how that makes me feel. The cast looks pretty good (check out it's IMBD page) but I'm always leery when I hear that Hollywood is using one of my beloveds to make a movie. Judy Blume's son is the director so it might be okay after all.

Day Thirteen – Favorite childhood book

Good Lord, they're mining my childhood to death for this meme! So, the book I'm picking for this day is important. Duh. I gained the whole bookworm moniker when I was a kid. I was outside on a summer day, hanging with the neighborhood kids and friends. Being me and the sort who hates to sweat and be bothered by bugs, I announced that I was going inside. I can't remember what we were all discussing/arguing about but I must have insinuated that I would rather be reading a book than socializing. "Bookworm!" they called me, to which I replied, "Nuh-uh!" I promptly went inside, laid down on my bed and started reading a book.

I'm 90% sure the book I picked up was Matilda by Roald Dahl. (The other 10% thinks it was The Witches, also by Roald Dahl. Both are fantastic.) Who of us who read Mr. Dahl's books didn't absolutely love Matilda? A story about a little girl whose parents didn't care if she went to school so learned how to read on her own and read the whole public library? Heaven! It was certainly my favorite of his; James and the Giant Peach was made into a big deal at my school instead. Years later, while I was in college, my best friend screwed up a bit and wanted to apologize so what did she do? She gave me this:

Only, you know, not a DVD. It was the nineties after all!

Day Fourteen – Favorite male character

This one was super easy. Ready? Spenser. That's right, Spenser from Robert B. Parker's novels. A smartass detective/man-who-can-get-things-done who lives in Boston, Spenser is awesome. He's even more awesome when he works with Hawk. He is the original; Robert Crais' and Lee Child's heroes are awesome too but there will only be one Spenser. If you like books and have never read a Robert B. Parker book then shame! Shame on you for you are missing some beautiful fiction. I was so sad when Parker died last year but his death was perfect for him: he died while sitting at his desk, writing. A massive heart attack robbed the world of this man's future books and his original character, Spenser. Most people have heard of the 1980's tv show Spenser for Hire; guess what it was based on? I discovered Spenser for myself right after I got married, about six years ago, and proceeded to devour every book he wrote, of which there are many. Go HERE to see his page on Fantastic Fiction so you can see them in order. One of my most treasured books is a signed copy of Edenville Owls. My all-time favorite things about Spenser is...we never get to hear his first name. Ever.

So, that's it for today. *sigh* I hope to share more tomorrow.

Reading Meme, Day Ten

2010-12-10T06:00:00.011-05:00

Day Ten – A book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving

This is going to be more about a genre than a particular book. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn was my first historical romance novel in 2008 and the rest, pardon the pun, is my history. In the past few years, romances have become predominant in my TBR pile, with historicals aplenty. As a dummy unaware of the fabulousness of this subgenre, I, too, stuck up my nose at them until I tripped over this gem and fell absolutely in love. It certainly didn't hurt that Julia Quinn is incomparable. Reading her led me to Lisa Kleypas, Laura Kinsale, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Eloisa James, and even Georgette Heyer. Historical romances rock and I am all the better for having read them.

Reading Meme, Day Nine

2010-12-09T06:00:00.003-05:00

Day Nine – Best scene ever

This one is easy. After I finished this book, I reread the last thirty pages or so with a big fat smile on my face. I am not going to quote any of it so I don't spoil it for those lucky suckers out there who have yet to discover Deanna Raybourn - and they are so in for a treat when they first read these books. The ending of Silent on the Moor, the third Lady Julia Grey novel, made me so happy that first time that I read it three times that night: twice to myself and the third out loud to my husband. (I don't think he got it.) The scene I'm picking here, however, is before the actual ending, taking place near the cottage, just after Brisbane prepares to walk away from Julia, you know, again. Obstinate men are such a pain.

Reading Meme, Day Eight

2010-12-08T21:22:00.001-05:00

Day Eight – Your favorite work in translation

Gah. I don't read many foreign books (that I'm aware of) so I'm going to have to go to with Stieg Larsson's trilogy. Translated from Swedish, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest were all absorbing reads. These were difficult books to get through as they are long, violent, and frequently ugly. That all being said, I am glad I read them.

Reading Meme, Day Seven

2010-12-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

Day Seven – A writer you don’t like

Nicholas Sparks. To be fair, I have read only one of his books - A Walk to Remember. I can promise you it wasn't.

But that's not the reason I don't like him. Despite the long list of romances he's written over the years, Mr. Sparks claims that he doesn't write romances. As if that is something beneath him, impossible to even consider.

That's okay though. We romance fans don't want him. As far as I and many other romance fans are concerned, he's not good enough for the romance genre. It seems to me that he's a screenwriter. He's reached a point where he's now writing his books for the express purpose of them being made directly into movies; for example, the production of The Last Song. (See this article: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-03-11-lastsong11_CV_N.htm)

Go HERE for a laugh and some instruction on how to make a Nicholas Sparks movie. *snicker* I never noticed the poster thing before. Not a romance writer, indeed.

Reading Meme, Day Six

2010-12-06T23:30:00.002-05:00

Day Six – Your favorite writer

Jennifer Crusie. There is no doubt.

Bet Me was one of the frontrunners in the competition for My Favorite Book Ever post from yesterday. I love Bet Me and it's my favorite comfort read. Agnes and the Hitman, Anyone But You, Manhunting, What the Lady Wants, and Crazy For You are all fantastic reads too. Her books are an automatic buy for me unless I can manage to score ARCs of them.

Jenny Crusie does not write romance. She writes chick lit. Romance is an aspect to be sure but not the focus. Her women usually undergo some kind of epiphany about their lives and then manage to Forrest Gump their way to a happy ever after. They meet wonderful men who are completely mystified by them but in the end can't help but fall in love with them. There's always conflict - like the bet in Bet Me or the ghosts in Maybe This Time - but what would a good book be without conflict? There is always humor, that trademark Crusie humor that I love so much.

She's not perfect. With the exception of Agnes, I find that her collaborations tend to be her weakest efforts but are not completely without value.

I bought her last solo paperback a little while ago but *sigh* haven't read it yet.

According to jennycrusie.com and amazon.com, her first book in her Liz Danger series, Lavender Blue, will hit the stores in June 1, 2011. There are four parts mentioned on Crusie's website with the second, Rest in Pink, to come out in July.

Follow THIS LINK to Angieville and read Angie's thoughts on Bet Me. I couldn't have done it better myself. Go HERE to find out more about this meme.

Reading Meme, Day Five

2010-12-05T20:12:00.004-05:00

Day Five – A book you hate

I had read a few other Anita Shreve books before I got to this one and liked them. When I finished The Last Time They Met, I was on a break at work and it was for that reason only that this book did not end up as a wallbanger. I hate books that pull the rug out from under you at the end - the Ha! Made You Look! ending - and Anita Shreve pulls it off so perfectly that you don't see it coming.

This is a book about lovers reuniting, renewing their relationship later in their lives after they find each other again by accident in Africa. I wasn't loving it prior to the rug pulling but the ending was the icing on the cake. Another book that pulled the same stunt: Atonement by Ian McEwan. I didn't like that one either will give it credit for one thing - it bounced pretty well.

Reading Meme, Day Four

2010-12-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

Day Four – Your favorite book ever

This is a tough pick for me. I'm not sure I have just one particular book that I love above all others because I love so many. I really had to think about it and it helped for me to go through my catalog on LibraryThing to remember all those books that I've loved and kept over the years. This book popped in my head first off and stuck around after so it became clear to me what my answer would be.

Twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer embarks on an epic quest-a walk from the seacoast of New Hampshire to the California coast-to find the talisman that will save his dying mother's life. Jack's journey takes him into the Territories, a parallel medieval universe, where most people from his own universe have analogs called "twinners." The queen of the Territories, Jack's mother's twinner, is also dying. (from stephenking.com)

That description is rather lacking for such a phenomenal book. I've read a majority of King's books including the Dark Tower series, It, The Shining, and The Stand, but I have always preferred The Talisman over the rest. I have three copies: a hardback with the red cover shown above, an illustrated set of The Talisman and its sequel Black House signed by Peter Straub and Rick Berry, and an ebook that lives in my nook. When my cousin moved from Maryland to California several years ago, I gave her my first beat-up paperback copy (with the original cover) to read on the trip. I liked the irony.

I have always felt that The Talisman was a perfect example of a coming of age story. Jack Sawyer may only be twelve when he begins his quest but he is much, much older inside at completion. Jack must travel on foot to California lest he accidentally flip to the territories. Along the way he makes friends, steals, laughs, cries, vanquishes foes, and grows up. The Talisman is loosely connected to King's Dark Tower series; the character of Speedy Parker, who may be a former gunslinger akin to Roland, is the one who teaches Jack to flip to the territories and sends him on his way.

I have read The Talisman several times and each time I discover something new. It's an excellent collaboration; I find it near impossible to tell who wrote which parts. The sequel, Black House, revisits Jack after he's all grown up. Rumors around the web claim that King and Straub are starting a third book featuring Jack Sawyer. It's definitely overdue, in my humble opinion. Jack is one of my favorite characters ever, certainly of King's books. I would definitely like to know how his story ends.

Reading Meme, Day Three

2010-12-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Day Three – Your favorite recent book

Last night my whole world came tumbling down. Now I'm running scared.

New name, new town, new life. Nastasya has done it too often to count. And there's no end in sight. Nothing ever really ends...when you're immortal.

Finally disgusted with her meaningless party-girl life, Nastasya heads to River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. She trades her designer clothes for jeans and flannel, and the hardest drink available is tea. There she meets "the Viking god," the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn. Nastasya desires him, of course, but there's something uncomfortably familiar about him that makes her wary, cautioning her to stay away. But she can't.

Soon Nastasya realizes that this place holds the key to her salvation - and her possible destruction. She's not the only one at River's Edge with dark secrets. And sometimes dark secrets can be fatal - even for an immortal.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an exhilarating story of timeless struggle and inescapable romance, in this first book of a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

I saw this one at the library the other day and was intrigued. I've never read any of Cate Tiernan's work before, though I had heard of her, so I brought this baby home and sat down with it that evening. Hours later at about 2 AM, I finished it. What a book! It's interesting that it was published as YA; all the characters might look like they're still in the latter half of their teens but they're all older than that - the youngest of them decades old. Nastasya herself is almost half a millennium young.

At first, Nastasya doesn't seem like much. As mentioned above, she's a party girl, and has been for many years. Living an empty life of bar-hopping and city-hopping with her coterie of friends seemed like a good way for her to stay shallow and unattached, or at least it was until one cold, rainy night in London, she saw her supposed best friend, Innocencio, break their cabbie's spine for kicks with his magic. Her eyes are opened at that moment and by the next morning, she's fled Europe for a little town in Massachusetts, USA. It isn't until Nastasya's been at River's Edge for a little while that we get to see that her frivolous life hasn't been easy after all; in fact, Nastasya's life has been a fairly miserable one. The only surviving member of her ubermagical family, there is a lot that she has to learn about herself and her magic.

I liked Nastasya - Nasty, as her friends call her. She's snarky as hell and I LOVED her sense of humor. Here's a taste, from pages 144-145:

...I was sweeping and humming the mice's song from [Cinderella]. And let's all ponder just how far my life had fallen, in terms of excitement and chicness, shall we? Yes. Pretty damn far.
  "I'll drive," Nell's voice said gaily from below, in the front hall. Her light brown head appeared by the stair banister, and next to her Reyn said, "I can drive." I had decided he was the Viking god Odin, god of odiousness.
  Nell gave a pretty pout, and the devil grabbed me by the tail. I called down, "By all means, let him drive, Nell. He has a weenie. It makes a huge difference."
  Her blue eyes widened and she stared up at me, first as if wondering at my audacity, then in irritation as she realized Reyn was also looking up at me.
  I was bored. Time to stir the pot a little. Sweeping busily, I said, "I mean, not with driving, it doesn't make a difference. Of course. But in other stuff. Peeing standing up and all."
  Reyn's voice was tight. "Your point?"
  "No real point. Just lobbying for your right to drive. I mean, you're old enough, right? How old are you? Like thirty?" Most of him looked barely twenty, twenty-two, except his amazing eyes. His eyes looked hundreds of years old.
  He didn't say anything, and Nell frowned. "He's two hundred and sixty-seven. I'm eighty-three. And how old are you?" Her British accent was crisp.
  "Older." I went down a step and continued sweeping. I'd gotten it down to an art: one broad stroke across, then two quick vertical strokes to get each corner. How was this saving my soul, exactly? Like, was I sweeping my way to salvation, or what?
  "Oh, good, I caught you before you left," said River, coming down the hall from the kitchen. "You two are going to town, aren't you?"
  "Yes," said Reyn.
  "And Reyn's going to drive," I said. "Because he's a booooyyyy."

She's not a people pleaser but isn't afraid to reach out if she sees someone who might need her help. She's attracted to Reyn but tells him off whenever she gets a chance. No doormat here. Nasty has a complicated past and we only get pieces of it at a time. The reveal near the end isn't earth shattering by that point, at least not to the reader. The magic element of Immortal Beloved takes a bit of a back seat for most of this book; it's essential in the immortal's lives but for Nasty, it's not as important. In fact, she's rather scared of it, or rather, what it means.

Nasty's friends, including Innocencio, are looking for her and are on their way to River's Edge. I have a feeling that they're in for a big surprise in book two of this trilogy, which is yet to be titled but looks to be released in September 2011. Nasty's coming into her own and isn't what they'll be expecting. Immortal Beloved was a pleasant surprise for me and if you want to read a YA novel that doesn't talk down to you, read it. I hope you like it too.

Reading Meme, Day Two

2010-12-04T23:18:00.001-05:00

Day Two – A book that you wish more people had read

Occult investigator Quincey Morris and his "consultant", white witch Libby Chastain, are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials. Fraught with danger, the trail finds them stalking the mysterious occult underworlds of Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York, searching out the root of the curse. After surviving a series of terrifying attempts on their lives, the two find themselves drawn inexorably towards Salem itself—the very heart of darkness. (from justingustainis.com)

Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustainis is one of the best urban fantasy novels that I read in 2008 and that is definitely saying something as that was a VERY good year for me, bookwise. In my local library system, there is only one copy of this awesome book for the whole region and every time I check its shelf at my local library, it is always there and I am sad.

There is no romance here. Not that they have time for it but Libby is a lesbian. I found that refreshing; eliminating that factor from the story left plenty of focus on the magic and a foundation of true friendship between Quincey and Libby. The plot moves along at a pace that is neither too fast nor does it allow for boredom to sneak in. It is clever and fresh with plenty of humor. I originally borrowed it from the library but got my own copy afterwards. I also bought the next book in the series, Evil Ways, and do plan to read it someday or whenever I can conquer the curse of the TBR pile.

Book three, titled Sympathy for the Devil, has been in the works for a few years now and has a release date of July 26, 2011 on Amazon.com. Look for Those Who Fight Monsters, an anthology edited by Gustainis with an awesome lineup on March 1, 2011.

Gustainis is also working on Hard Spell, the first in a new series about a supernatural cop who lives in Scranton, PA. Maybe he can check out Dwight Schrute? There has got to be something supernatural going on with that guy.

Reading Meme, Day One

2010-12-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

Day One – Your favorite series of books (with more than 3 in the series)

For my answer, I'm going to go with two series because there is no way I can pick just one. I am (more or less) caught up with both of these, which is a minor miracle in its own right. I get so emotionally involved with the leads in both series so it really is a blessing that new volumes come out only once a year. Each is expertly written with strong, well-defined characters.

First up: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

It all started with Storm Front, introducing Harry Dresden, Chicago wizard and smart-ass extraordinaire. Harry's adventures have been produced for television (albeit ill-produced and short-lived) and in a comic book series of original stories, Welcome to the Jungle, as well as the comic book adaptation of Storm Front. James Marsters, aka Spike from BtVS, is narrating them for audiobook and he has truly come to own Harry Dresden's soul.

These books are smart, extremely funny, and filled with action. I always know that when I sit down with one of these books I am in for a wild ride. With each book, Harry breaks my heart a little more. Changes changed everything - nothing will ever be the same for Harry and his friends. I can't wait to see what happens with book thirteen, Ghost Story, out on March 29, 2011.

And second: Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series

I love Sookie Stackhouse. Charlaine Harris writes Sookie about as real as possible and I think she's one of the coolest chicks in modern fiction today. A mind-reading waitress, Sookie is a favorite of the vampire and were populations in and around Louisiana. She interacts with and gets wrapped up in the troubles of all kinds of supernatural folks. Sookie is a forthright and down-to-earth southern girl who still lives in her grandma's house and works at a local bar. My favorite thing about Sookie is that she always tries to do the right thing, even if it hurts.

Charlaine Harris created a monster with Sookie that turned into a going on eleven volume book series and a highly successful show on HBO called True Blood.

Dead Reckoning will be out on May 3, 2011.

My First Reading Meme

2010-12-04T22:10:00.005-05:00

As is tradition amongst us book bloggers, I am ~~stealing~~ borrowing a book meme from Not Now...I'm Reading! It's one question a day for thirty days and here are the questions:

Day One – Your favorite series of books (with more than 3 in the series)
Day Two – A book that you wish more people had read
Day Three – Your favorite recent book
Day Four – Your favorite book ever
Day Five – A book you hate
Day Six – Your favorite writer
Day Seven – A writer you don’t like
Day Eight – Your favorite work in translation
Day Nine – Best scene ever
Day Ten – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day Eleven – A book that disappointed you
Day Twelve – A book you’ve read more than twice
Day Thirteen – Favorite childhood book
Day Fourteen – Favorite male character
Day Fifteen – Favorite female character
Day Sixteen – Your guilty pleasure book
Day Seventeen – Favorite trilogy or tetralogy
Day Eighteen – Favorite book cover
Day Nineteen – Best ensemble of characters in a book
Day Twenty – Favorite kiss or love scene
Day Twenty-one – Favorite fictional romantic relationship
Day Twenty-two – Favorite ending/climax
Day Twenty-three – Most annoying character
Day Twenty-four – Best quote
Day Twenty-five – A book you plan on reading
Day Twenty-six – OMG WTF? plot
Day Twenty-seven – Favorite non-mainstream writer
Day Twenty-eight – First book obsession
Day Twenty-nine – Current book obsession
Day Thirty – Saddest character death

Day One is on the way...