Babbling Book Reviews

Waiting on Wednesday – 25 January 2012

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Christina

NOTE: This is a scheduled post.
Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, featuring upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

An Affair with Mr. Kennedy (Jillian Stone)

Title: An Affair with Mr. Kennedy
Author: Jillian Stone
Release Date: January 31, 2012 (St. Martin’s)
ISBN: 978-1-4516-2900-2
Series: The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard #1
Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

From Goodreads.com: London, 1887. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Yard man, Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King’s Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulls him unexpectedly close to the heart of the conspiracy—and into the arms of a most intriguing lady.

Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life and love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.

Comments: I saw this featured on a previous WoW and loved the sound of it. It’s set in the late 1800s, so it’s Victorian and not a Regency, and that will be a nice change of pace. Plus, Scotland Yard — who doesn’t love a good cop/detective story?

What book are you eagerly waiting for?

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It’s Friday – 20 January 2012

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Christina

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages. How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading. Don’t forget to include the title and the author so others will what you’re reading. Optional: Share your thoughts about the lines (did you like them?). Post your link on the hostess’s blog.

Darth Plagueis (James Luceno)

Forty-seven years before the harrowing reign of Emperor Palpatine, Bal’demnic was nothing more than an embryonic world in the Outer Rim’s Auril sector, populated by reptilian sentients who expressed as little tolerance for outsiders as they did for one another. — Darth Plagueis (James Luceno)

Comment: From the first chapter — the book has a prologue but of the two starting points, I liked this one better. It lets the reader know that the story begins 47 years before the events in the movie, Revenge of the Sith. In the Star Wars Universe, zero date is the destruction of the first Death Star (Star Wars – A New Hope), so this book takes place 67 years before that event.

~ & ~ & ~

Hosted by Freda (Freda’s Voice)
Rules:
? Grab a book, any book.
? Turn to page 56.
? Find any sentence that grabs you.
? Post it.
? Link it here.

The Munns were said to abhor literature and to loathe keeping records of anything other than loan notices, actuarial tables, and legal writs, and yet Plagueis was guardian of one of the finest libraries to be found anywhere outside Obroa-skai or the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. — pg 56, (Darth Plagueis ~ James Luceno)

Note: In the book, there is a mistake that wasn’t caught when it was edited. I didn’t choose the sentence because of the mistake. In fact, I didn’t realize there was one when I read the page in the course of reading the book, or when I was scanning the paragraph for a likely quote. I only realized it as I was typing the sentence, making sure I was getting all the words. When the sentence sounded odd, I realized what was wrong. The quote: “. . .Plagueis was guardian of the one of the finest. . .” I could be wrong and the quote could be “. . .guardian of the finest. . .”, but I doubt it: libraries is plural, meaning more than one library is equal to the one he maintains.

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Posted in Book Beginnings on Friday, Star Wars, The Friday 56 | Tagged | 10 Comments

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Waiting on Wednesday – 18 January 2012

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Christina

NOTE: This is a scheduled post.
Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, featuring upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

Black Howl (Christina Henry)

Title: Black Howl
Author: Christina Henry
Release Date: February 28, 2012 (Ace)
ISBN: 978-1-937007-33-1
Series: Madeline Black #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads.com: Agent of Death Madeline Black is finding out that some of the spirits of Chicago aren’t ready to cross over.

Something is wrong with the souls of Chicago’s dead. Ghosts are walking the streets, and Agent of Death Madeline Black’s exasperating boss wants her to figure out why. And while work is bad enough, Maddy has a plethora of personal problems too. Now that Gabriel has been assigned as her thrall, their relationship has hit an impasse. At least her sleazy ex-fiancé Nathaniel is out of the picture — or so she thinks…

Comments: One of the series I started last year. I’ve liked the first two, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. About the cover: Maddy has wings and I like the fact that instead of depicting her with them, she is posed against a background that looks like a pair of stylized wings.

What book are you eagerly waiting for?

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Teaser Tuesday – 17 January 2012

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Christina

This is a scheduled post.

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. You also need to share the name of the author and the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

Darth Plagueis (James Luceno)

The teaser:

Hego was not yet five years old when he began to sense that he was somehow different. Not only was he more astute than his playmates, but he could often manipulate them, arousing laughter when he wished to, or just as often tears; comfort just as often as anxiety.
– from page 81, Darth Plagueis (James Luceno)

Why I picked this book: One of my most anticipated books of 2012.

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Favorite Books of. . .2008?

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Christina

I was updating links on various yearly pages — up in the menu bar above — when I remembered, I never posted my top ten reads of 2008. Initially, I had a hard time deciding — just like last year — but a some point, I made a list. And never did anything with it.

Until now.

I also don’t have a 2010 list posted, but that’s because I didn’t read as much that year, due to the move. I’m thinking of just picking a few and calling the list “My Favorites”.

So. . .I present – 2008 Top 10. I’ve quoted my reviews and linked to the full post.

(And if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll already know what I picked as #1)

10. Guardian’s Keep (Lori Devoti) – “Loved it. From the Passages Pro software (is it Vista compatible?) to Kelly’s uninvited house-guests.”

09. Silent in the Grave (Deanna Raybourn) – “I loved the characters. I loved the Crown raven. The touches of humor.”

08. Snowbound (Janice Kay Johnson) – “I loved this book. It’s emotional, especially the last third of the book. I thought the story unfolded believably, and the characters were likable (the hero is a reader). “

07. To Hell with Love (Sherri Erwin) – “An unconventional romance, with a bittersweet ending you can see coming a mile away. Yet it still managed to move me to tears — which is no small feat, as I don’t cry easily. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hear “You Are My Sunshine” again without getting choked up.” (Note: Other than my favorite quotes and the summary, this is the entirety of my review).

06. Black Ice (Anne Stuart) – “Wow. Yes, Bastien isn’t your typical romance hero, and that’s what makes him interesting. A ruthless agent tired of the “at any cost” mandate of the agency he works for, Bastien is beyond burnout.”

05. Wife for a Week (Kelly Hunter) – “I was charmed by the book and there were several laugh-out-loud moments for me. I liked Nick, Clea, and Hallie.”

04. Twist (Colby Hodge) – “There is a lot of action in this book. Ever seen an episode of Buffy, especially one with a lot of slayage? Speaking of the vampire slayer, the author is a fan of Joss Whedon and there are several references to him or his shows. There are other pop culture references, from Grey’s Anatomy to The Princess Bride.”

03. The Spymaster’s Lady (Joanna Bourne) – “I loved Annique. At the risk of repeating what others have said, Annique is very French. Her observations and commentary had me chuckling.”

02. Dark Deceiver (Pamela Palmer) – “I really loved this book. I loved watching Kaderil’s transformation from the Punisher to the man who would forsake even his life to save the human world — all for the woman he loved. Ms. Palmer added a little more to the world-building with the backstory of how the stones ended up in our world. The book ends with the possibility of more stories to come. I can’t wait to see what she does next!”

And the Number 1 book (surprise, surprise):

01. Magic Burns (Ilona Andrews) – “Writing a coherent review has become impossible to do. Every time I’ve sat down to do it, I end up picking up the book and re-reading parts of it. I loved this book. I love the characters.”

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REVIEW – Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Christina

Grave Witch (Kalayna Price)

Title: Grave Witch
Author: Kalayna Price
Copyright: 2010 (ROC); 325 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-46380-7
Series: Alex Craft #1
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads.com: As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself — who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans — nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around . . .

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something — though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex — but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life . . . and her soul.

Comments: Another case of “I wish I could remember what prompted me to get this book” syndrome. I can’t remember if it was a review, bookshelf bingo, or some meme that brought it to my attention. However it happened, I’m glad I picked it up.

The back blurb is accurate, and I want to avoid spoilers, so there is no need to re-hash the plot. Instead, I decided that I will talk about the things I liked.

The world building — Nekros City sounds like a normal US city. It’s not. The magic opened up folded areas, and now the US has four more states. Magic and the fae are tolerated, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any discrimination. Some of the non-magical have even formed a political party, called Humans First Party

Alex — I liked her a lot. She has her small circle of friends for support, and her dog. Death hangs out with her sometimes, which can be a bit awkward because she can’t always be sure if he’s just visiting, or if he’s there to do his job. I liked her power. Morbid, and comes with a price, but can be handy for solving murders — only if there wasn’t such resistance to the idea. In fact, at the start of the book, Alex is scheduled to assist with the first-ever testimony of a shade at the trial of her suspected murderer.

Falin Andrews — Mr. Grumpy Pants. It’s his murder investigation that Alex is poking her nose into. If he isn’t yelling at her and threatening to have her arrested, his saving her life and feeding her. Yes, feeding her. The man can cook. And clean. She should keep him.

I really enjoyed the story. Some things I guessed right off — like I knew who would be the killer’s last intended victim, but not the why. There are a few things that I’m hoping will be addressed in a future book — the soul collectors, for instance. And is Roy really sticking around? He’d be great at surveillance and she wouldn’t have to pay him!

I have the second book and I plan to read it soon.

Start: 1 January 2012
Finished: 5 January 2012

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

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Posted in 1st Person POV, 4 Stars, Fantasy, Magic, Other Supernatural Beings, Reviews | Tagged 2012, 2012 Mount TBR Challenge, 2012 Off the Shelf Challenge, 2012 Reading Has Its Rewards, 2012 Speculative Fiction Challenge | 4 Comments

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It’s Friday – 13 January 2012

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Christina

Book Beginnings

Affairs of Steak (Julie Hyzy)

Peter Everett Sargeant and I walked east on H Steet as fast as our short legs would carry us. — Affairs of Steak (Julie Hyzy)

Comment: Reminds the reader that both Ollie and Peter are short.

~ & ~ & ~

Friday 56
Hosted by Freda (Freda’s Voice)
Rules:
? Grab a book, any book.
? Turn to page 56.
? Find any sentence that grabs you.
? Post it.
? Link it here.

Tom had never trusted me, despite the fact that I’d proved myself again and again. That was just one of the issues between us. — pg 56, (Affairs of Steak ~ Julie Hyzy)

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Posted in Book Beginnings on Friday, The Friday 56, White House Chef series | Tagged | 8 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – 11 January 2012

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Christina

NOTE: This is a scheduled post.

Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, featuring upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

Alpha Instinct (Katie Reus)

Title: Alpha Instinct
Author: Katie Reus
Release Date: February 7, 2012 (Signet)
ISBN: 978-0-451-23609-8
Series: Moon Shifter #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance

From Goodreads.com: Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

Comments: I prefer shifters to vampires, so when I see a new shifter book, I take note. It sounded interesting.

What book are you eagerly waiting for?

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Posted in Katie Reus, Waiting on Wednesday | Tagged | 2 Comments

Teaser Tuesday – 10 January 2012

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Christina

This is a scheduled post.

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:

Please avoid spoilers!

Affairs of Steak (Julie Hyzy)

The teaser:

Truth was, I didn’t like it, either. Dark rooms were never inviting and I got a sudden tingling along the back of my neck
– from page 11, Affairs of Steak (Julie Hyzy)

Why I picked this book: Reading about Ollie and her staff in the White House kitchen has become a January tradition.

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Review – Her Singapore Fling by Kelly Hunter

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Christina

Her Singapore Fling (Kelly Hunter)

Title: Her Singapore Fling
UK Title: Red-Hot Renegade
Author: Kelly Hunter
UK ISBN: 978-0-263-87743-4
UK Publisher: Mills & Boon
UK Series: Modern Heat
N. A. ISBN: 978-0-373-52807-3
N. A. Publisher: Harlequin
Series: Harlequin Presents Extra #143; Bennett Family #5
Copyright: 2011; 184 pgs
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary: Jacob “Jake” Bennett and Jianne Xang married young. He was already raising four younger siblings and pursuing his dreams of winning a world title in martial arts. Though she tried to adapt, Jianne was ill-prepared for life in the Bennett household. Their personalities, their ways, and her own history played a part in her decision to leave. Twelve years later, Jianne finds herself back in Jake’s life. A rather insistent, and unwanted, suitor is trying to court her. He’s been sending her gifts and invitations, and has even followed her to Singapore. She believes that if it looks like she’s reuniting with her husband, then her suitor will give up and go back to Shanghai.

Comments: I’ve put off reading this because I know it is the last Bennett family book and I’m sad to see it end. I’ve enjoyed the series and I’ve become a fan of the author.

Red-Hot Renegade

Jake and his failed marriage have been in the background throughout the series, so it was good to finally learn more about him and the woman he loved, and what drove her to leave him. Having read the other books featuring Luke, Pete and Tris, I can well imagine how overwhelmed Jianne must have felt.

Sometimes, I have a hard time articulating what I loved about a book and end up spending a lot of time trying to write it down, only to have wasted hours getting nowhere. So, I’ve decided to pick two quotes from the book. The first is Jianne, talking to Jake:

“I’m sorry I brought my problems down on you. I’m so sorry for what this fight has cost you, body and soul. But I’m thankful for everything that makes you what you are. For your integrity, and your honour, and your strength that you so often put at other people’s disposal. If Zhi Fu needs a reason as to why I could never love him, he need only to look at you.”

The second is Jake talking to Jianne. It’s actually part of longer speech.

“I was their rock, you said, and maybe I was, but you were my rock, and things got a lot worse after you left. For all of us.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I neglected you. I wish things had worked out differently. Jianne, if there is one thing about your memory of our past that I would change it’d be your belief that you were a burden to me. That you weren’t of any help to the family you were burdened with. You did help. More than you’ll ever know.”

Like the other books in this mini series, there are the light, funny moments and snappy dialogue, much of which involves Jianne’s new-found desire to shop for household items.

“We’re not talking about buying the man an island, Jianne. We’re talking about buying him a couch. And possibly a lamp.”

“A sideboard would work in that space too,” said Jianne.

All in all, a satisfying end to a fun series.

Start: 1 January 2012
Finished: 1 January 2012

Rating: