It's the end of May (actually, the beginning of June, I'm running behind) and time for the month's books in review.
1. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner, 4/5.
My review.
2. Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James, 4/5. I'd seen this recommended by several blogs for its cute story, witty dialogue, and sexy romantic tension. I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. The characters were great, well-rounded, and acted reasonably. The drama kept everything interesting without overwhelming the story or characters. The author was obviously knows a lot about law practices, and it makes the story feel very real.
3. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine, 2.5/5. I think I've reached my limit on this series. It's a somewhat unique vampire series that kept its charm for the first couple of books, but now focuses on teenage romance drama with vampires throw in to keep things from getting too boring. The plot's contrived at best - the characters take a road trip and generally act TSTL. There's a weird teen/adult dynamic that I've noticed before; despite the adults having centuries of experience, the 18 & 19 year old kids still manage to outsmart them - and it's not done well. I doubt I'll pick the next book in this series up.
4. Storm Front by Jim Butcher, 4.5/5.
Review.
5. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, 4/5.
Review.
6. Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green, DNF. The first 50 pages of this are exposition - and the characters weren't interesting enough to make me care. The background was poorly done - the main character's a detective who, ten minutes after a client comes to him, takes her case, immediately ventures to a place (the preternatural dark side of London - the nightside) that he swore he'd never go again, and brings her with him. I wasn't buying it.
7. Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly, 2/5.
Review.
8. A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare, 3/5.
Review.
9. Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta, 3/5. This was funny but a little over-the-top - it was trying a bit too hard. The protagonist was likable for the first half of the book, but got to be a bit much by the end. I wasn't much of a fan of the supernatural element - it was one of those books where it doesn't make it clear whether it's actually supernatural or not, and did a lot of handwaving in the process. I love the cover, though.
10. Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter, 3/5. The plot and characters were unique and interesting, but it felt a little . . . bland. I never really felt connected to either. The character's voice was very holier-than-thou which fit her but got a little annoying after a while. It's the first in the series, but I don't think I'll read the sequel - it just didn't click with me.
11. Bloodlist by P.N. Elrod, 3.5/5. A short, interesting mystery/detective story. The vampire element is very traditional, but all the more interesting for it (these vampires don't sparkle, need dirt from their graves, sleep through the day, etc). There's a lot of flashbacks that weren't integrated very well, but it did add to the mystery. An interesting debut - the first in the Vampire Files series, and I think the next will be even better.
12. Runaway by Meg Cabot, 3.5/5.
Review.
13. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer, 2.5/5. This is the first Georgette Heyer book I've read and haven't liked. It was funny and the main character was decently developed. There were a lot of quirks that started annoying me by the end - the overuse of exclamation marks, and especially a couple character's habit of dropping the subjects (Asked him if he was going. Said he wouldn't go. Don't know why he isn't going. Know why he isn't going? etc. Etc. Etc). The love interest was supposed to not be very smart, but the only thing I noticed about him was he never used subjects (see above). The romance itself didn't really develop - it seemed to be more the heroine's gratitude toward the man for getting her out of awkward social situations - nothing that convinced me it would last. The secondary characters were wonderful - funny characters with their own personalities.
14. Demon Moon by Meljean Brook, 3.5/5.
Review.
15. Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, 3/5. An interesting premise, but not one that really connected with me. This is less urban fantasy and more what I'd call suburban fantasy (haha). The characters and plot were interesting, but not all that deep. The main character was constantly commenting on her failures as a mom/wife - but it felt like she was fishing for compliments ("oh, I'm such an awful hostess; the dinner party I pulled together in twenty minutes complete with five courses and dessert is missing cocktail napkins!" kind of thing). The backstory drove me absolutely crazy - there were so many holes and lack of description in her past. I probably won't pick up the next in the series (California Demon). Another cute cover.
16. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, 4/5. A very good YA debut novel by Ms. Hawkins. The premise - a teenage witch used her powers too often and is sent packing to a boarding school for various magic-using/supernatural creatures and is thrown into a world she doesn't understand - is pulled off wonderfully. The world-building isn't anything special, but it's solidly done. The characters (i.e. teenagers) are very realistic, and the narrator is very funny. The romance was a little complicated, but the drama didn't overwhelm it. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. Not much of a fan of the cover.
17. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews, 4.5/5.
Review.
18. Fat Cat by Robin Brande, 3.5/5.
Review.
19. Spell Bent by Lucy Snyder, DNF. When the main character started describing her plan to go out to a park in the middle of day and have sex with her boyfriend to create magic, I knew this probably wasn't the book for me. I didn't make it far on this one. The world-building didn't get off to a good start (though, to be fair, it might have improved), the main character was a bit of a sex-addict ditz, and the plot wasn't selling me. The relationship was already established and played a large part in the plot - which is never a plus for me. I put this one down after about 50 pages. Ridiculous cover.
20. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, 4/5.
Review.
21. Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen, 1.5/5. The main protagonist exhibits the characteristic symptoms of the
Blank Page Heroine. She has a bland personality, no hobbies, and little life outside boys. She makes major life decisions to be with a boy she's known for like three days. The high school situation wasn't written very well or realistically, and the boy that she originally liked but wasn't The One turns out to be huge jerk (why do bad YA books always do that? The boy is either perfect boyfriend material or unbelievably horrible. Why no mediums that just don't work out?). The plot was predictable, and by the end, I was only skimming it. Don't really like the cover.
22. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, 2/5. An odd book. I felt like there was a wall between me and the plot and characters - I couldn't connect with them. Their reactions didn't fit the situations very well, and the characters themselves were oddly written. A weird cover, I'm not sure what to think of it.
23. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, 4.5/5.
Review.
24. Cool Beans by Erynn Mangnum, DNF.
Review.
25. According to Jane by Marilyn Brant, 1.5/5.
Review.
26. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, 4.5/5. Review coming soon.
Ratings:
4.5 - 4
4 - 5
3.5 - 4
3 - 4
2.5 - 2
2 - 2
1.5 - 2
DNF - 3
Average: 2.9 (without DNFs: 3.3)
Genres:
Urban fantasy - 9
YA - 8
Romance - 6
Contemporary fiction - 5
Fantasy - 4
Historical - 3
Sci-fi - 1
Mystery - 1
Paranormal romance - 1
Suburban fantasy - 1
High fantasy - 1
Challenges:
1st in a series: 9 (20/50) [+7 from last month] - Storm Front, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, Prospero Lost, Bloodlist, Carpe Demon, Hex Hall, Kushiel’s Dart, Demon Princess, The Boyfriend List
2nd time: 2 (23/50) [-2] - Demon Moon, Kushiel’s Dart
YA: 8 (32/50) [-2] - Kiss of Death, Runaway, Hex Hall, Fat Cat, Demon Princess, Brightly Woven, Along for the Ride, The Boyfriend List
Support Your Library: 22 (84/100) [+8]
New Author Challenge: 15 (39/50) [+12] - Julie James, Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kathleen O’Reilly, Marta Acosta, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Julie Kenner, Rachel Hawkins, Robin Brande, Michelle Rowen, Alexandra Bracken, Sarah Dessen, Erynn Mangnum, Marilyn Brant, E. Lockhart
100+ Books: 23 (83/100) [+9]