Latest reading
It very much looks like I won't make it to even 100 books this year, which is a pitiful number by my standards. Though I guess one of the reasons is that I haven't been reading that much manga this year. It's easy to inflate the numbers by marathoning through a couple of multi-volume mangas, because they are short and fast reads most of the time.
I haven't been that active in posting for a some time now, which I guess is one more reasons why I always end up with these huge book lists to comment on. Sigh, I'll try to do better next year. I'm also trying to get this out before the year end, so I can do the traditional librarything book poll after I've commented on all my reading this year :). (I might still finish a book or two before midnight tomorrow, but at least then it'll only be a book or two to comment on...)
66. Ilona Andrews: Magic Burns, 75. Magic Strikes, and 76. Magic Bleeds
I got a second hand copy of the first book on a whim at last Summer's Finncon and ended up liking it quite a bit. These are books 2-4 in the series and I have to say they just get better.
We learn quite a bit more about Kate Daniels and the reasons why she is so secretive about herself. There is also lots more about the shifter community and some quite credible threats in each of the books. Can't wait to read the next book, which should be out sometime next year.
73. Charlaine Harris; Nalini Singh; Ilona Andrews; Meljean Brook: Must Love Hellhounds
This is an urban fantasy anthology containing stories by each of the authors mentioned above. My reason for getting was the Kate Daniels story by Ilona Andrews which offered some very important insight to a couple of the side characters. Other stories were okay.
67. Lois McMaster Bujold: Cryoburn
Latest book in the Vorkosigan series has Miles on a mission that specializes in cryogenic storage of bodies and has made an industry and culture of keeping death at bay. Miles, of course, runs across something iffy and does his best to stir up things like usual. The themes of death and immortality were running throughout this book, but most of the story was a light romp, only made poignant by the ending. Not one of the best, not not one of the worst either.
68. Lora Leigh; Erin McCarthy; Nalini Singh; Linda Winstead Jones: The Magical Christmas Cat
This was a light paranormal romance anthology which is going straight to my Bookmooch giveaway pile. Okay reading, but nothing memorable.
69. J. D. Robb: Promises in Death, 70. Creation in Death, 71. Naked in Death (reread), 72. Glory in Death (reread)
I was in the mood to continue my Eve Dallas binge after I got a couple more volumes in the series, but I also ended up rereading the first two books, because I wanted to get back to where it all began. Promises has Eve investigating the murder of a police officer, and Creation has her going after a serial killer who likes to artfully pose his victims in public after their deaths.
I think this series is best in small doses, since the stories do tend to get very formulaic and repetitive after a while, but I still quite like the detective elements and the puzzles that Eve is trying to solve.
74. Loretta Chase: Don't Tempt Me
This was a fun historical romance novel. Zoe Lexham returns to England after having been kidnapped by white slavers in her teens and spending years in a harem. It is all a very big scandal and only her childhood friend Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont can save her from utter disgrace. He doesn't get much help from Zoe, though, since she is still as outspoken and nonconforming as ever. And of course there is the sexual tension between the two, which doesn't make it easier to protect her reputation either.
It's a pity my copy had gotten wet at some point and is now hopelessly distorted and bent from the paper having gone wavy with moisture.
77. Georgette Heyer: The Nonesuch
This is in a more traditional mode of historical romance. Sir Waldo Hawkridge arrives to a village after having inherited a property in from a distant relative and, of course, sets the entire neighbourhood atittle with his arrival. Miss Trent is the sensible companion trying to take care of her charge who is the local beauty, but has a difficult time with a very wilful and selfish girl. Tiffany, of course, sets her sights on the new arrival, sure of her success, but it seems Sir Waldo is more interested in her companion.
Heyer's books are always entertaining and this was no exception. Not one of the best, but still quite nice reading.
78. Charlaine Harris: Real Murders
Aurora Teagarden is a librarian who is part of a crime club specializing in real murder cases. Only on one of their meetings, it turns out someone has taken this too far, since she finds the body of one of their members who has been killed just like in the case she was supposed to have presented that night. And then the murders continue. With the help of a crime novelist who is the new arrival in town, she tries to find out who the killer is. There are also some sparks between her and the new guy, but surprisingly enough, with one of the detectives as well.
I've read books in several of Harris's series, both straight detective stuff and the stuff with more fantasy elements. This was fun, and I probably will read more novels in the series as soon as I can borrow the rest from my friend who lent me this one. Still, I'm not feeling like I must buy these if I can't get them any other way. Nice, light reading and an interesting murder mystery, but that's all.
80. Charlaine Harris: Grave Surprise and 81. An Ice Cold Grave
In Harris's Harper Connelly series, the main character was hit by lightning as a teen and after that has been able find the bodies of the dead and to sense how they died, and sometimes even see their spirits. Her powers are often viewed with suspicion by other people, authorities especially. She travels around with her sort-of stepbrother (they aren't related by blood, but their parents got married when they were teens) who acts as her manager.
In Grave Surprise they are on a case and suddenly find the body that is related to one of Harper's older cases, one that she never managed to solve. And then there is yet another body in the same grave, and they must find out who the killer was.
Ice Cold Grave has them discovering the burial site of a serial killer in a small town where everybody knows each other and nobody could have believed that something so horrible would happen there. Harper and Tolliver's relationship takes a new turn as well, though I'm not that sure what I really think about this development.
This is another okay series by Harris. The mysteries are interesting and Harper's talent gives it a nice twist. I'll be interested to read the fourth book, since it seems there is finally something there about the sister who went missing years ago...
79. Laura Anne Gilman: Free Fall, 82. Blood from Stone, and 83. Hard Magic
The first two books finish Gilman's Retrievers series, though Hard Magic starts a new series in the same world. Free Fall is the end of the Silence storyline that has been going for several books now, and Blood from Stone deals with the aftermath while also telling more about P.B. and the origin of his species, when some people go after papers left behind by his creator. I think Gilman made a wise choice to end the series here, because even though I enjoyed these books, I just wasn't feeling as enthusiastic about them as some of the previous volumes.
Hard Magic, on the other hand, felt fresh and interesting with it's focus on the beginnings of the P.U.P.I.s, the paranormal investigators specializing in crimes committed by the Talents. The book introduces the team and shows how they created new investigation methods from nothing and came together as a team in order to solve their first case. Very enjoyable!
84. Ilona Andrews: On the Edge and 85. Bayou Moon
Like I said above, I've quite enjoyed the Kate Daniels books, so I thought I'd try the Edge books as well. The premise of an area between the mundane world ("The Broken") and the magical alternate universe ("The Weird") sounded very interesting as well. Though I can't really think why these are called "urban fantasy" by some, since there is nothing urban about them. The first book takes place in a forest and the second place in a swamp, both in the middle of nowhere. Nothing urban about them at all...
Rose Drayton lives on the Edge doing her best to take care of her two youngers brothers. They are poor, but surviving. Then one day a stranger, who is clearly a blueblood aristocrat from the Weird appears on the edge of her property.
Rose has had bad experiences with people coveting her powers ever since she flashed white (the lighter one's magic flare is the better - flashing white is almost unprecedented amongst Edge-dwellers) during her Graduation ceremony. People have tried to kidnap her and sell her just because of her powers. So she is justifiably wary of the stranger.
But she finds that she must trust Declan and the bargain they end up agreeing on, because there is something new and dangerous in the woods and it seems the only solution is to band up together and fight the new threat that is related to Declan's past.
The second book has one of the side characters from the first one as a lead. William is a changeling who can change shape into an animal form. His kind are viewed with suspicion and are mostly placed in strict state schools in his native country of Adrianglia, but the neighbouring state of Louisiana slaughters his kind at birth or on sight.
After the events of the first book, he has been living on the Edge for some time, until he is contacted by the agents of Adrianglia, asking him to go after the Louisianan spy master. William has a long-standing vendetta against Spider, the spy, and doesn't need much persuasion in order to take on the mission. What he didn't count on was to meet Cerise Mar, the fiercely independent fighter trying to protect her family from a long-time feud while trying to find out with her parents who have disappeared.
I very much enjoyed these books and hope there will be more in this world. The blending of romance and action and fantasy was nicely done and I liked the world very much. The characters were interesting and, of course, who can resist kickass ladies like these :).
86. Kay Hooper; Iris Johansen; Fayrene Preston: The Delaney Christmas Carol
87. Lisa Kleypas: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour
And last but not least, two Christmas themed romances that were the perfect light reading while visiting my mother during the holidays. The Delaney Christmas Carol is actually a collection of three novels involving members of the Delaney family, one set in the past, one contemporary, and one set into the near future.
All stories involve a magical mirror that shows scenes from the past, present or future to the members of the Delaney family. It links these stories together, but also plays an important part in all the romances as well.
Like I said, fun light holiday read. Enjoyable, but not too memorable. And by the third book I was already mostly skimming.
Though she is better known for her historicals, Kleypas's latest contemporary romance is a nice tale where three brothers are taking care of their dead sister's daughter and it is apparently the beginning of a new series, probably involving each of the brothers. In this, the Mark Nolan receives the custody of his niece Holly and unfamiliar to parenting does his best with the help of his two brothers. Six months later, he is dating a nice and attractive woman when he comes across Maggie Flynn who has started a toy shop in the island.
There are immediate sparks between the two and Maggie also achieves an instant connection with Holly who hasn't spoken since the death of her mother. However, she is wary of romance since she is a widow whose first husband died of cancer. Yet, it is impossibel to fight fate and their mutual attraction.
This was a nice read and I'll be intereted to find out more about the other two brothers.
Gah, finally got to the end. Yay me! Forgive any typos or incoherence, I'm too tired to read through this thing again.
I haven't been that active in posting for a some time now, which I guess is one more reasons why I always end up with these huge book lists to comment on. Sigh, I'll try to do better next year. I'm also trying to get this out before the year end, so I can do the traditional librarything book poll after I've commented on all my reading this year :). (I might still finish a book or two before midnight tomorrow, but at least then it'll only be a book or two to comment on...)
66. Ilona Andrews: Magic Burns, 75. Magic Strikes, and 76. Magic Bleeds
I got a second hand copy of the first book on a whim at last Summer's Finncon and ended up liking it quite a bit. These are books 2-4 in the series and I have to say they just get better.
We learn quite a bit more about Kate Daniels and the reasons why she is so secretive about herself. There is also lots more about the shifter community and some quite credible threats in each of the books. Can't wait to read the next book, which should be out sometime next year.
73. Charlaine Harris; Nalini Singh; Ilona Andrews; Meljean Brook: Must Love Hellhounds
This is an urban fantasy anthology containing stories by each of the authors mentioned above. My reason for getting was the Kate Daniels story by Ilona Andrews which offered some very important insight to a couple of the side characters. Other stories were okay.
67. Lois McMaster Bujold: Cryoburn
Latest book in the Vorkosigan series has Miles on a mission that specializes in cryogenic storage of bodies and has made an industry and culture of keeping death at bay. Miles, of course, runs across something iffy and does his best to stir up things like usual. The themes of death and immortality were running throughout this book, but most of the story was a light romp, only made poignant by the ending. Not one of the best, not not one of the worst either.
68. Lora Leigh; Erin McCarthy; Nalini Singh; Linda Winstead Jones: The Magical Christmas Cat
This was a light paranormal romance anthology which is going straight to my Bookmooch giveaway pile. Okay reading, but nothing memorable.
69. J. D. Robb: Promises in Death, 70. Creation in Death, 71. Naked in Death (reread), 72. Glory in Death (reread)
I was in the mood to continue my Eve Dallas binge after I got a couple more volumes in the series, but I also ended up rereading the first two books, because I wanted to get back to where it all began. Promises has Eve investigating the murder of a police officer, and Creation has her going after a serial killer who likes to artfully pose his victims in public after their deaths.
I think this series is best in small doses, since the stories do tend to get very formulaic and repetitive after a while, but I still quite like the detective elements and the puzzles that Eve is trying to solve.
74. Loretta Chase: Don't Tempt Me
This was a fun historical romance novel. Zoe Lexham returns to England after having been kidnapped by white slavers in her teens and spending years in a harem. It is all a very big scandal and only her childhood friend Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont can save her from utter disgrace. He doesn't get much help from Zoe, though, since she is still as outspoken and nonconforming as ever. And of course there is the sexual tension between the two, which doesn't make it easier to protect her reputation either.
It's a pity my copy had gotten wet at some point and is now hopelessly distorted and bent from the paper having gone wavy with moisture.
77. Georgette Heyer: The Nonesuch
This is in a more traditional mode of historical romance. Sir Waldo Hawkridge arrives to a village after having inherited a property in from a distant relative and, of course, sets the entire neighbourhood atittle with his arrival. Miss Trent is the sensible companion trying to take care of her charge who is the local beauty, but has a difficult time with a very wilful and selfish girl. Tiffany, of course, sets her sights on the new arrival, sure of her success, but it seems Sir Waldo is more interested in her companion.
Heyer's books are always entertaining and this was no exception. Not one of the best, but still quite nice reading.
78. Charlaine Harris: Real Murders
Aurora Teagarden is a librarian who is part of a crime club specializing in real murder cases. Only on one of their meetings, it turns out someone has taken this too far, since she finds the body of one of their members who has been killed just like in the case she was supposed to have presented that night. And then the murders continue. With the help of a crime novelist who is the new arrival in town, she tries to find out who the killer is. There are also some sparks between her and the new guy, but surprisingly enough, with one of the detectives as well.
I've read books in several of Harris's series, both straight detective stuff and the stuff with more fantasy elements. This was fun, and I probably will read more novels in the series as soon as I can borrow the rest from my friend who lent me this one. Still, I'm not feeling like I must buy these if I can't get them any other way. Nice, light reading and an interesting murder mystery, but that's all.
80. Charlaine Harris: Grave Surprise and 81. An Ice Cold Grave
In Harris's Harper Connelly series, the main character was hit by lightning as a teen and after that has been able find the bodies of the dead and to sense how they died, and sometimes even see their spirits. Her powers are often viewed with suspicion by other people, authorities especially. She travels around with her sort-of stepbrother (they aren't related by blood, but their parents got married when they were teens) who acts as her manager.
In Grave Surprise they are on a case and suddenly find the body that is related to one of Harper's older cases, one that she never managed to solve. And then there is yet another body in the same grave, and they must find out who the killer was.
Ice Cold Grave has them discovering the burial site of a serial killer in a small town where everybody knows each other and nobody could have believed that something so horrible would happen there. Harper and Tolliver's relationship takes a new turn as well, though I'm not that sure what I really think about this development.
This is another okay series by Harris. The mysteries are interesting and Harper's talent gives it a nice twist. I'll be interested to read the fourth book, since it seems there is finally something there about the sister who went missing years ago...
79. Laura Anne Gilman: Free Fall, 82. Blood from Stone, and 83. Hard Magic
The first two books finish Gilman's Retrievers series, though Hard Magic starts a new series in the same world. Free Fall is the end of the Silence storyline that has been going for several books now, and Blood from Stone deals with the aftermath while also telling more about P.B. and the origin of his species, when some people go after papers left behind by his creator. I think Gilman made a wise choice to end the series here, because even though I enjoyed these books, I just wasn't feeling as enthusiastic about them as some of the previous volumes.
Hard Magic, on the other hand, felt fresh and interesting with it's focus on the beginnings of the P.U.P.I.s, the paranormal investigators specializing in crimes committed by the Talents. The book introduces the team and shows how they created new investigation methods from nothing and came together as a team in order to solve their first case. Very enjoyable!
84. Ilona Andrews: On the Edge and 85. Bayou Moon
Like I said above, I've quite enjoyed the Kate Daniels books, so I thought I'd try the Edge books as well. The premise of an area between the mundane world ("The Broken") and the magical alternate universe ("The Weird") sounded very interesting as well. Though I can't really think why these are called "urban fantasy" by some, since there is nothing urban about them. The first book takes place in a forest and the second place in a swamp, both in the middle of nowhere. Nothing urban about them at all...
Rose Drayton lives on the Edge doing her best to take care of her two youngers brothers. They are poor, but surviving. Then one day a stranger, who is clearly a blueblood aristocrat from the Weird appears on the edge of her property.
Rose has had bad experiences with people coveting her powers ever since she flashed white (the lighter one's magic flare is the better - flashing white is almost unprecedented amongst Edge-dwellers) during her Graduation ceremony. People have tried to kidnap her and sell her just because of her powers. So she is justifiably wary of the stranger.
But she finds that she must trust Declan and the bargain they end up agreeing on, because there is something new and dangerous in the woods and it seems the only solution is to band up together and fight the new threat that is related to Declan's past.
The second book has one of the side characters from the first one as a lead. William is a changeling who can change shape into an animal form. His kind are viewed with suspicion and are mostly placed in strict state schools in his native country of Adrianglia, but the neighbouring state of Louisiana slaughters his kind at birth or on sight.
After the events of the first book, he has been living on the Edge for some time, until he is contacted by the agents of Adrianglia, asking him to go after the Louisianan spy master. William has a long-standing vendetta against Spider, the spy, and doesn't need much persuasion in order to take on the mission. What he didn't count on was to meet Cerise Mar, the fiercely independent fighter trying to protect her family from a long-time feud while trying to find out with her parents who have disappeared.
I very much enjoyed these books and hope there will be more in this world. The blending of romance and action and fantasy was nicely done and I liked the world very much. The characters were interesting and, of course, who can resist kickass ladies like these :).
86. Kay Hooper; Iris Johansen; Fayrene Preston: The Delaney Christmas Carol
87. Lisa Kleypas: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour
And last but not least, two Christmas themed romances that were the perfect light reading while visiting my mother during the holidays. The Delaney Christmas Carol is actually a collection of three novels involving members of the Delaney family, one set in the past, one contemporary, and one set into the near future.
All stories involve a magical mirror that shows scenes from the past, present or future to the members of the Delaney family. It links these stories together, but also plays an important part in all the romances as well.
Like I said, fun light holiday read. Enjoyable, but not too memorable. And by the third book I was already mostly skimming.
Though she is better known for her historicals, Kleypas's latest contemporary romance is a nice tale where three brothers are taking care of their dead sister's daughter and it is apparently the beginning of a new series, probably involving each of the brothers. In this, the Mark Nolan receives the custody of his niece Holly and unfamiliar to parenting does his best with the help of his two brothers. Six months later, he is dating a nice and attractive woman when he comes across Maggie Flynn who has started a toy shop in the island.
There are immediate sparks between the two and Maggie also achieves an instant connection with Holly who hasn't spoken since the death of her mother. However, she is wary of romance since she is a widow whose first husband died of cancer. Yet, it is impossibel to fight fate and their mutual attraction.
This was a nice read and I'll be intereted to find out more about the other two brothers.
Gah, finally got to the end. Yay me! Forgive any typos or incoherence, I'm too tired to read through this thing again.