Jan - 2nd Half

First, let me promise you that, contrary to any conclusions you may have drawn from my last post, I do not have some sort of side deal going with Jacqueline Carey. I just like what I like. If you would read her books already, you would understand.

Second, let me assure you that reading will not be equated to dating again in this post (or ever). That may have been ill-advised. But hey, I picked a metaphor and, by God, I stuck to it.

Third, I need to give a shout out to one of my friends and fellow bloggers, JD, over at Condescension and Other Social Activities. If you enjoy that I don't sugar coat my thoughts on the books I read, you should check her blog out. She and I met in college (we were sorority sisters), and her friendship really changed me for the better. She lives her life the way she wants to, stands up for herself in the face of crappy customer service, tells it like it is and is my all around bitchiness idol. Heart you, JD! :)

Now, the books:

Fantasy (you know, cause I like it)

1) Blackveil by Kristen Britain

As I mentioned a few posts back, I felt a bit let down by The High King's Tomb, but I was pleasantly surprised by Blackveil. While I don't read a lot of romance, I am all about the girl getting the guy. Especially when they are soooo right for each other. I think that the thing that upset me most about High King's Tomb was that this didn't happen. Additionally, I felt like the girl did an awful lot of shit for the guy, and he selfishly just led her on, then told her how he felt, then went back to being engaged to someone else. It pissed me off. Also, when I was reading, I was thinking that it was the last book in a trilogy, and I wanted all the loose ends tied up in a nice little bow. Which did not happen.

After reading Blackveil, I am glad that there are more books coming. While Blackveil did end with a cliffhanger, and leave me feeling stressed out about how the love triangle (triangles?) would get resolved, rather than annoying me (like The High King's Tomb), Blackveil made me want to send the author an email to hurry along her writing.

One thing I have enjoyed about Britain's writing all along is that, while it certainly shares some elements with other fantasy series, it is also quite unique. There is no other series that I have read where the magic of the humans or the elves is quite like the magic in Sacordia. The Green Riders are very unique in what they do, the Elves (or Elt, but same dif) are much like elves everywhere, and both parties point out other magic in the world, but we are only exposed by the evil of Mornhavon and his followers (with the exception of all the gadgets that the sisters have in their posession). Blackveil introduces new magic in the form of a ring that sings the siren song of the sea to Lord Amberhill, and Britain drops little hints and tantalizes that there is more to come with this story line in future books.

I can't wait to see what Britain has in store next, and I may go back and give some of the other books another chance. If you are in the mood for some standard fantasy fare, or if you particularly enjoy books about horses (and NOT in the way of Divine by Nature - EW), you should check this series out. The first book is The Green Rider.

2) Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

This story kind of reminded me of The Mortal Instruments, although it didn't really have the same kind of melodrama as that series (which is a good thing in my book). Don't get me wrong, I did like The Mortal Instruments, I just felt like it was a little over the top in the angsty teenager department. That is not to say that Archon didn't have its share of melodrama - it was just different.

First, I am not sure of the intended age of the audience for this book - it seems like it is meant for a young adult reader, but it was awfully dark for that age group. The protagonist, Angela (side note: thank God the author makes a little joke about the name, because I seriously couldn't deal with a girl named Angela as the protagonist in a book about angels unless it was meant to be sort of tongue in cheek) is very troubled, and frequently describes previous suicide attempts and her time in a mental institution. She is also described always wearing long sleeves and leggings because her arms and legs have terrible scars from her self harm. And she attempts suicide at least twice in the book.

Similarly, I couldn't understand why the Vatican was the chosen setting. I get that the book was about angels and biblical prophecy, but I can't believe the sorts of things the students (all seemingly high school age) at the academy there were getting into. It seemed such an unlikely place for priests in training to be sleeping with female stuedents in the academy and students to be members of a group called the pentacle society that engages in demonic rituals. It just didn't track for me.

Finally, while I appreciated the whole notion that 'good' isn't always what it appears, and heart-rending beauty can often mask cruelty and the kind of disinterest only achieved through years of decadence, I felt like it went a little too far, and the characters became sort of one dimensional. Perhaps the author was going for archetypes?

I suppose there are worse ways I could have spent my afternoon, but I think this was enough of The Books of Raziel for me.

3) Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

Another of the books of the Edge, and Andrews does not disappoint. (You can see here that I already read the other two books by Ilona Andrews set in this universe, On The Edge and Bayou Moon.) I love that the other Edgers always make at the very least a cameo in the next book - that way, you can catch a glimpse of how they are doing, but you get to have another adventure. It is always nice for a reader to see that the 'happily ever after' part of a story continues. (True story - I always wondered how Jane Austen imagined Elizabeth's and Mr. Darcy's lives together after they were married. Did they have children? What happened to her sisters? What about Charlotte and Mr. Collins? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!!).

I looked on Ilona Andrew's website about this book series (trying to find out what was on deck), and she mentions there that she and her agent (among others) had a difficult time categorizing these books, and I can see why. I suppose that they are sort of an urban fantasy/spy/romance novels, and as such, follow a particular formula:

Horrible thing happens + Female protagonist meets male protagonist + They hate each other + Then they love each other + They have hot sex + Disaster is averted + They live happily ever after = Awesomely entertaining afternoon with the girly movie of the book world. Except with sword fights, dragons, magic, bounty hunters and impending doom.

I'm not knocking the formula - I know what I am going to get from Ilona Andrews, and I keep coming back for more. While I am waiting for the next book of the Edge, I am going to rekindle my interest in Kate Daniels, starting with book one in that series, Magic Bites.

4) Something from the Nightside by Simon R Green

I came upon this book by way of one of those 'If you like this, read this' books (similar to how I found Maledicte). Since I found that I enjoyed Jim Butcher's work so much, I entered 'Dresden Files' and Something from the Nightside is what popped out. Well, I can certainly see how that link was made. Something from the Nightside features a private investigator with a gift that makes him the target of powerful adversaries, a soft spot for women and a certain disregard for the letter of the law while upholding the spirit.

In general, Something from the Nightside was a pleasant diversion. It was like a combination of The Dresden Files and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Green tried to use the inspired, gritty language Gaiman employs throughout his work, combined with the maverick PI persona and the more conversational tone Butcher uses in his. The result was a sort of mixed bag. There were parts that really shone, elevating sections to something more than just a fun read, and there were parts that sort of felt abrupt or obvious. And the last paragraph was just...cheesy. It read like the last scene in a t.v. pilot episode.

All told, as a series opener, it was fairly good. The PI protagonist, John Taylor, is likeable and mysterious enough that I want to see what happens to him as the series progresses, and the Nightside itself has the potential to go in many different creative and creepy directions. I will likely pick up the next book in the series, and more by the author, but not until other, more appealing reads are complete.

5) Saint's Astray by Jacqueline Carey

Readers, did you know that I absolutely adore Jacqueline Carey's writing? Well, I do. You can read about how much I totally heart her here, here, here, and here.

Saint's Astray is the sequel to Santa Olivia. I wasn't planning on reading another book this month, but I started it last night and stayed up until 3:30 to finish it - it was just that good. I got very involved with Pilar's and Loup's stories as they faced new and different challenges - each of the girls grew in their own ways throughout the book, both on their own and in their love for each other.

The story was action packed, the prose (as always) gripping, and the underlying message thought provoking and meaningful. Please readers, for the love of God, read some books by this amazing author. You will not regret it. I promise.

Thriller/Mystery ('cause I'm not a one trick pony)

1) The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey

This book is something I picked up at the library the other day when I was playing 'library roulette'. It was pretty short (which seems to be sort of mystery/thriller standard), and it was certainly a page turner, so it only took a few hours to read. The story got a little unbelievable toward the end, but all the same, I really enjoyed it. I don't usually read this type of book, and I will say that it was more than slightly reminiscent of a movie I have seen a time or too.

All the same, I did enjoy the book, and if you are looking for an adrenaline fueled diversion for a few hours, I think you will too.

2) The Lost Sister by Russel D McLean

Another 'library roulette' selection that turned out well. I must first say, I REALLY dislike beginning with the second book in a series. As someone who reads a lot a fantasy, I am used to much of the ground work about characters being laid in the first book, and it being practically impossible to really get the full experience of said book without having read the preceding work. This doesn't seem to be quite as big of an issue with mystery books, but The Lost Sister did make some reference to events in the authors prior work, The Good Son. Thankfully, these were more like little glimpses of the protagonist's back story, and weren't really distracting from the story line.

Having that confession off my chest, I can say that the story here was really, really engaging. The characters were all multi-faceted, and the tale twists and turns as a PI tries to solve a crime based on so much hearsay. I must say that I was surprised at the end, and I look forward to catching myself up by reading The Good Son.

If you are in the mood for a mystery, check this out. I will warn you that it is a little bloody, and there are certainly more cerebral tales, but still, a very enjoyable read.

Books from before - Part 2

Since I am home and feeling wretched, I thought I would at least post the second installment of my Books from Before. Enjoy!

#36. The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey

Read it (and the rest of the series). Typical fantasy, and rather enjoyable too, but a little young for my taste.

#37. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

Read it. Depressing and intriguing at the same time, and kind of reminded me of the movie The Island.

#38. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Read it. As far as young adult fantasy books go, it was pretty good. I definitely liked it much more than other YA werewolf books…

#39. Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

Read it. Really enjoyed it. Although it is a fantasy book, and includes a princess, she is an ass-kicking warrior priestess first. So, that has to count for something. This is a touching fantasy novel that any young adult would enjoy.

#40. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Read it. Haven’t seen the movie yet (I doubt I could make Corey watch it). This was a pretty good book – I must say it is the first time I considered that Charlotte Lucas might have been a lesbian, and that actually holds up after additional thought. This book definitely gets kudos for making me think of favorite classics in a new way.

#41. The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo

Read it. It was OK. And made me realize that I can live the rest of my life without ever reading another ‘romance’. These books are just so bland, as a general rule. There isn’t really a plot, there is just…melodrama. This genre is like the soap opera of the book world, and I am just fine without that.

#42. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Read it (and Bayou Moon)! This is the kind of romance I can really enjoy. Not the soap opera kind, rather the action packed, “I’m a kick ass woman, so you better send me a REAL man” kind. I have read several of the Kate Daniels Books by Ilona Andrews, and this was a little different, but I really liked it. The setting kind of reminded me of the swampy, gothic decay of Charlaine Harris’ Bon Temps, but the writing style and plot lines sure do blow Sookie out of the water.

#43. The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell

Read it! This was like Matchstick Men meets Oliver Twist, only darker. It was kind of intriguing, although I could see how some people may not have enjoyed it - it does take some time for all the plot points to fully unwind.

#44. The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

Read it! Mystery, set in French countryside? Yes please! This was an excellent mystery novel, and reminded me of just how much I love all things French. You should read it. Really.

#45. Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, Crushing Heartbreak and Astonishing Luck on Our Way to Love and Motherhood by Casey Goldberg, Beth Jones and Pamela Ferdinand

Read it! Although the title is a huge mouthful, this book is amazing. As a 30 something woman who feels the ever more insistent ticking of her biological clock, this book was truly heart rending. It touched me in a very meaningful way, and I recommend it to any woman struggling with fertility or any other type of personal adversity.

Books from Before - Part 1

So, are you wondering what happened to those 30 odd books that used to be on my sidebar? Well, I read them. Plus many others. But back to those books (the others are kind of irrelevant at this point). To make the new start nice and fresh, I wanted to give a quick run down on those 30ish books. Just in case you were curious.

#24. First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain

Read it! After The Green Rider, I was really into this fantasy world. I liked the further exploration of Karrigan's powers in this book, and looked forward to finishing up the series with the next book. Except the series didn't end there, but more on that later.

#25. The Cello Suites: JS Bach, Pablo Casals and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin

Read it, and totally loved it. As a cellist, I found this book fascinating, and I think that any history lover or musician would enjoy it too. Pablo Casals had such an amazing life, and I really enjoyed how the book itself joined Bach, Casals and the actual piece as well.

#26. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Read it! Maybe the Classics aren’t so bad? This really stoked my interest in politics again, and Corey and I had many debates about it.

#27. The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain

Read it! First thoughts? “I wish that Kristen Britain would resolve this plot already”. But, I did enjoy it, and will be reading the next book in the series soon.

#28. Cakes and Ale by W Somerset Maugham

Read it, and wish I could get those moments of my life back. This is everything I hate about Classic literature. If you are even tempted to read this book...don't.

#29. Inside Out by Maria V Snyder

Read it! I love Maria V Snyder, and this was just a great read. If you have a young adult reader in your house, buy this for them. They will really enjoy it. The sequel, Outside In, was good too! I can't wait to read her next book (not part of this series), A Touch of Power.

#30. The Other Boelyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Read it! Not so sure it is really historically accurate, but fairly enjoyable all the same. Also, I did quite enjoy the movie, but that could just be because my bestie & I watched it together at a "sleepover" (can you still have those past 28 years old? We made pitas fried in bacon fat and pumpkin cake, so I guess that kind of counts).

#31. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Read it! I.Loved. This. Book. And now I understand why everyone thinks Neil Gaiman is the shit. If you haven’t read it, remedy immediately.

#32. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Read it! Nice little diversion, as always. Patricia Briggs is such a good author for a quick urban fantasy read, and you can depend on her books to draw you in. Plus, I really like her heroine - she isn't really a girly girl, and I dig that.

#33. Green by Jay Lake

Read it, and thought it was so-so. I felt like an entirely new plot started halfway through, which was odd because the original plot was so good.

#34. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King

Read it, loved it. I thought the whole Sherlock Holmes spin-off was brilliant, and it made me want to read more Sherlock Holmes books. It was like classic literature fan fiction.

#35. Psion by Joan D Vinge

Read it! Really, really liked it. This is what sci-fi should be, in my mind. I have notions of reading the rest of this series in the near future, once I finish what is currently on my plate, so to speak.

I fail at blogging

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I totally suck at this whole blogging thing. It is just so rough for me to make time to log on and post. So, I am switching it up - bi-monthly. And I will just do a mass blog about all the books I have read in those two weeks, along with any news. I think it will be much easier.

So - news first.

1) I obviously did not read 100, or even 50 books, totally missing my goal. This is what happens when you have a job that sucks up hours and hours of your life in overtime. For which I don't get paid since I am a manager. But, c'est la vie. All I can do is move on.

2) I got myself a Kindle. I adore it. It isn't fancy or touch screen or anything. But I still adore it. Also, my husband adored my Kindle and kept "borrowing" it. Guess what he got for Christmas? :)

3) Although I adore my Kindle, I still adore "analog" books. I will post about both e-books and regular books on here, because I love them both.

4) I realized from my experiment in reading and blogging that there are just some genres that I HATE. I can't help it. Classic literature is not my friend - I have read everything I want to read in that genre, and, truthfully, it mostly consisted of Jane Austen. So sue me. Might I try Steinbeck (at Corey's insistence)? Perhaps. Is Vonnegut a brilliant, life altering author? Maybe. I will never know. I am not going to push myself here - maybe I will try one or two classics, but honestly, I read for fun. Some classics are just drudgery for me, and that's that.

5) However, I did learn from my experiment that I enjoy mysteries, biographies, sci-fi, graphic novels, some non-fiction (if I find the subject interesting enough) and well written fiction. So, at least in that the experiment was not a total failure.

6) I have some new rules for this blog's new year:

• I will NOT be limiting myself to genres this time. It sucked. I will just read what I want to read, and post about that. Trust me. It will suck much, much less.
• Since I work ALL THE TIME, I will include audio books as well. A book lover's gotta get her fix somehow, right?
• Finally, I WILL be posting about re-reads. If I like it enough to read it twice (or more), you should read it too. Trust me, I know good books.

Now for the books. Reading highlights for 2011 included some truly delightful reads. Note that every last one is fantasy. I can't help it, I like what I like.

1) Game of Thrones by George RR Martin.

I will admit that the first time I tried to read this book, I failed utterly. It just had SOOOOOO many characters. Enter the HBO series. After watching the first episode, I was totally hooked. I must say, the series has to be one of the best adaptations of a book I have ever seen. I feel like I was the lucky winner at a BOGO sale. Once I got into it, the book was excellent, and I highly recommend it.

2) Codex Alera by Jim Butcher

At the recommendation of one of Corey's friends, I read this entire series over the summer. It is just the kind of epic fantasy that I totally love - magic, magical creatures, a righteous quest. There are 6 books in the series, and you will not want to stop in the middle, so I recommend getting them all at once so you don't have to. Book one, Furies of Calderon is pictured.:)

3) The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

I seriously bought this book the day it came out. And read it that night. How could I resist another Richard & Kahlan book? I don't know if I expected too much from this book since I was so wrapped up in the characters from the previous 11 books, but it didn't draw me in quite as much as the others did. I still really enjoyed it, and might go back and read the other books then give it another try (this is what my hubby is doing - he hasn't read The Omen Machine yet. I think this is the best course of action).

4) The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

At the recommendation of that same friend of Corey's I decided to give these a try too (there is also one season of a t.v. show, which was pretty good). I am not quite finished (halfway through the last one), but I am still sticking it in this section. These are kind of different - I guess you could call them urban fantasy, but they also have a mystery element to them. Each is a great quick read, and I have read this one almost entirely on my Kindle. Storm Front, pictured, is the only one I actually bought in "analog" format.

5) Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey

I. Love. This. Author. Seriously. Naamah's Blessing was a fabulous end to the trilogy of books about Moirin. Having recently read another of Ms. Carey's books, I can definitely say that she will never be typecast. Each of her protagonists has their own unique voice. Moirin was definitely not Phedre or Immriel. But she was compelling in her own way, with her own magic and adventures. If you haven't read anything by Jacqueline Carey, and have liked my other recommendations, remedy that immediately. I think you should start with the first book in this trilogy, unless your tastes run a little darker, then you should start with Kushiel's Dart.

6) The Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara

I read all the books (so far) in the Chronicles of Elantra series over Thanksgiving this year. This is another series with magic and fantastic creatures. Sagara also does a delightful job of blending a police drama with amazing fantasy, and I highly recommend this series as well. It was delightful, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, Cast in Peril. Cast in Shadow, pictured, is the first book in the series.

So, there you have it. I didn't make my goal, but I did read a ton. And I am back to blogging about books. Post about the first half of January next week.

#22 - The Conjurer by Cordelia Frances Biddle

320 pages, Mystery

The Conjurer is set in Philadelphia in 1842 and is the story of how the sheltered life of Martha Beale changes after her father, a wealthy financier, disappears while hunting. Rather than making her own choices, her father's sinister secretary, Owen Simms, manipulates her until he has exerted complete control over her life and her decisions. In spite of the preponderance of evidence to the contrary, Martha believes her father might still be alive, and Thomas Kelman, a skilled investigator who is also assistant to the mayor of Philadelphia, investigates Lemuel Beale's disappearance, along with the ritual murders of several young prostitutes. Concurrently, a conjurer, Eusapio Paladino, enters the picture - complicating matters with his visions of the murders and his affair with a wealthy society woman.

I, surprisingly, really enjoyed this book. It was almost more historical fiction than mystery, but the sinister elements and unknowns made it fit handily into the 'mystery' genre. Martha was a likable enough character - a bit naive for the age she was given in the book, but I suppose that is to be expected in a woman of that time period. I found Emily Durand, the wealthy socialite, to be actually be a more interesting character than Martha - she at least does more than sit around feeling sad about her situation. Additionally, the subtitle 'A Martha Beale Mystery' is really quite misleading. I kept waiting for Martha to do something to solve the mystery, then at least to have a hand in someone else solving the mystery, then to acknowledge that there was actually a mystery occurring. I was disappointed in this regard.

That being said, it was an interesting story with (perhaps more than) its share of compelling characters. I would certainly recommend it as a good introduction to this author, and will probably read other books by her. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

# 9 – Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

Mystery , 249 pages

I have always wanted to read a book by Agatha Christie, and choosing one to start with was kind of daunting – there were many in the mystery section at my local library. I chose Peril at End House for what you may think is a ridiculous reason, and maybe it is. I just really like to say the word ‘peril’. Seriously.

Peril at End House starts with Hercule Poirot and his Watson-like friend, Hastings dining on a patio while Poirot vacations in Southern England. Poirot is delighting in his recent retirement from his life of solving crimes and how he is unlikely to return when the fetching Nick Buckley has a narrow brush with death, right in front of their table. Poirot is intrigued when he finds that this is the fourth such incident, and decides to take upon himself the task of solving this crime before Ms. Buckley is killed.

I know that is a painfully short review, but I found this to be such a delightful book that I don’t want to spoil any of the mystery for any of my readers. I really enjoyed Christie’s writing style, and I could picture Hercule Poirot as though he were actually in the room with me (in my head, he is a French version of Adrian Monk). The ending was a surprise to me, although I had my suspicions about at least one of the characters.

Particularly after dragging my feet through Catch-22 , Peril at End House was like a breath of fresh air. This was quite an enjoyable read, and if you are new to reading mysteries or an old pro, I highly recommend it. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

#3 - Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber

Mystery, 384 pages

OK, I'll admit it; I picked up this book because the cover looked cool. So, when I opened the book to the front cover and read that the mystery was about SIDS cases and an infant murderer, I almost decided not to proceed. Thankfully, there are no graphic descriptions of infant killing in this book.

Origin is told from the perspective of Lena, a socially inept fingerprint analyst with an intuitive gift for discovering hidden motives and mysteries at crime scenes and among evidence. Cases that had previously been closed and attributed to SIDS have now been re-opened because a wealthy parent had the right connections, and Lena is suddenly central to the investigation. This thrust into the limelight coincides with (and is perhaps the cause of) a large scale unravelling of her world and lifestyle. As Lena examines evidence and crime scenes, she also begins an examination of her own origins, as she seems to be integral to both the case and the crimes. Lena (with a little help) finally does manage to solve the case, and her life will never be the same again.

I will stop there with my synopsis, because I don't want to give anything away. Although I am not generally a fan of mystery novels, I did enjoy this one. Lena really fascinated me. Throughout the book, I had a variety of opinions about Lena. First, I thought that the author just made her weird for the sake of having a weird character, and that Lena's suspicions about her past were completely true. Then, I thought that she was just on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Finally, I came to the conclusion that Lena suffers from some kind of mental illness or is perhaps autistic. This was an intriguing choice for a protagonist. I enjoyed experiencing Lena's emotional and mental growth as the story progressed, and, although I didn't love her or feel a personal connection to her, I was glad for her at the end of the story. For Lena, the story didn't have an 'and they all lived happily every after' ending. It was more of a 'I am making baby steps toward getting better' ending, which is frankly a lot more like real life.

The 'whodunit' part of this book was interesting as well. I had my suspicions about the killer, and I can't say that their identity was a real shock when it was finally revealed, but it wasn't something that I got right away either. The motive of the killer, however, was something that really took me by surprise.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read. The protagonist was interesting, the supporting characters were vivid and the end was definitely a bit unexpected. After reading this work, I definitely want to check out more by this author. I would give this one a 4 out of 5.