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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Flying Blind (Deborah Cooke)

Title: Flying Blind
Author: Deborah Cooke
Copyright: 2011 (NAL); 309 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-23388-2
Series: The Dragon Diaries
Sensuality: Kisses
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

From the Back:  Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal — well, as normal as a girl obsessed with drawing dragons can be.  The thing is, she’s always been told she’s special and destined for great things.  It’s not just because of her good grades, either.  Zoë is the Wyvern of the Pyr — the one female dragon shape shifter with special powers.  But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr, and her powers are AWOL.  Worse, there’s no reference book to consult, and the last Wyvern is dead.  Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts.  Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, and she’s suspended from school and headed to a shape shifter boot camp with guys she’s known all her life.  But soon she’s doubting her powers — and even some of her friendships .

~&~

1. Reason for choosing this book:
One of my favorite paranormal romance series is Cooke’s Dragonfire series. When I heard that she was doing a Young Adult spin-off featuring Zoë on her journey to become the new Wyvern, I was excited. The Dragon Diaries a trilogy, with the second book due in December and the third in June 2012.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
I thought the author did a great job with Zoë. She’s a smart girl, but she’s still insecure about things — particularly her near-absent Pyr abilities. But she also thinks, and worries, about the type of things an ordinary 15 year-old girl would be concerned with. Zoë’s not perfect, nor is she the most popular or prettiest. She isn’t one of the cool kids and I like that about her.

Can the trilogy stand alone (separate from the adult series)?  Probably. But there are some things about the Pyr world (that are known to the readers of the adult series) that Zoë is unaware of, despite being raised by her both parents. Though it’s understandable that her father, Erik, can’t teach her how to be the Wyvern, but what about the recent history of the race and more of its lore? For instance, Zoe doesn’t know why there could never be anything between her and Nick Shea, Donovan and Alex’s son. New readers learn along with Zoë.

Beside making it more accessible to new readers, there is a possible “in-story” reason for Zoë’s lack of  knowledge.   Eileen, her mother, is not happy about Zoë’s supposed destiny as the Wyvern and may have forbidden Erik and the others from revealing too much. Mother and daughter have the following exchange early in the book:

“Well, you father will be pleased, at least.”
Really?
I might live to tell about this after all. I glanced up in time to see her turn away in disgust.
“I thought it was my destiny,” I dared to say.
My mom was impatient with the idea. “Well, you can’t blame me for hoping that destiny might pass you by, that you might just be a normal teenager.”

Having knowledge of the Pyr world can work against you. I found it a little disconcerting to learn about the mages, as if they had been around for a while. They don’t play a role, so far, in the adult series.  There has been some interesting tidbits in Whisper Kiss and Darkfire Kiss that could be paving the way for expanding the world building. I’m even more interested than before to read the next Dragonfire book as well as the second book in Zoë’s trilogy.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
Readers who like dragon shifters and who enjoy reading Young Adult.

Started: 9 October 2011
Finished: 11 October 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book. ETA:  I also won an ARC of this book in a charity auction.

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Kindling the Moon (Jenn Bennett)

Title: Kindling the Moon
Author: Jenn Bennett
Copyright: 2011 (Pocket); 360 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4516-2052-8
Series: Arcadia Bell #1
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Arcadia “Cady” Bell is a magician who co-owns a successful demon bar and frequently helps her elderly, Earthbound-demon neighbor lady with her pesky imp problem. She has a few friends, but because of what happened with her parents, she doesn’t let anyone get too close — she’s hiding out and she can’t tell them the truth about her past: Cady’s parents were accused of murdering several people and they are on the run from the law. Cady believes it was a set up, but proving it has been difficult. Enola and Alexander, her parents, are powerful magicians. Though the regular people (called savages) just think it was an occult killing, the magical community believes it was a power struggle between rival organizations.

When her parents are unexpectedly spotted in Texas, the Luxe Order– a major occult organization — demands that Cady’s former order surrender her parents, or give up Cady in their place. With a deadline looming, Cady needs to find the demon that was supposedly a witness to one — or more — of the murders with the hope that it can prove their innocence. The problem: the information she has is sketchy and her resources are limited.

Cady is introduced to Lon Butler, someone who might be able to help her, by a mutual acquaintance. Lon has the mother lode of demon reference books in his possession. He’s famous photographer (though Cady’s never heard of him) and a bit of curmudgeon — which is understandable, once you learn about his “knack” (Lon is an Earthbound demon). Lon is also a single father to a 13-year-old son, Jupe. Initially, it seems like he is unwilling to help, but he eventually agrees and begins researching her mystery demon while Cady tracks down someone who might have useful information about one of the murders.

Comments:  I really enjoyed this book. Cady is likable — well-adjusted for someone who’s life has been mostly lies. Lon’s a frustrating mystery to Cady at first, but he’s a great guy — a devoted father and he does care about Cady. What we learn about him hints of a wild past. Jupe is a bundle of boundless energy and enthusiasm, and he and Cady hit it right off the bat.

There are two types of demons in this book: Earthbound and Æthyric. Earthbound are almost as harmless as your average psi. Some low-level Æthyric demons got stuck in human bodies a couple centuries back. They reproduced with each other over the years, so there as still “pure” Earthbound demons — human/Earthbound pairings produce human children. Their knacks range in usefulness — minor healing, lock picking, empathy. Æthyric demons are potentially more dangerous.

I plan to continue this series and I’m looking forward to the next book.

(cross-posted from Good Reads)

Started: 28 August 2011
Finished: 2 September 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Secret Society Girl (Diana Peterfreund)

Title: Secret Society Girl
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Copyright: 2006 (Delta); 291 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-440-24389-2
Series: Ivy League #1
Sensuality: N/A
Genre: Young Adult

This story is told from Amy’s point of view. She’s a junior at a fictional Ivy League school (Eli). It’s late April, the school year is winding down, students are preparing for final exams, summer internships, and commencement. It’s also the time when the campus’s secret societies “tap” the rising juniors they wish to fill their ranks. Amy, as the editor of the campus literary magazine, knows she’s a shoo-in for the Quill & Ink. It’s tradition. So when she’s tapped by a member of the Rose & Grave, she’s suspects that maybe someone is playing a prank. The R&G NEVER taps women. It’s a “good old boys” society, reputed to be very powerful (CEOs, presidents, politicians, etc. can claim membership).

The this year’s graduating class has decided to get with the 21st century and tapped several females. Amy, after seeing her new brothers and sisters, can’t figure out why she was tapped. She’s got good grades, but she’s not nearly as smart as some of the other new members. Nor is she from a “legacy” family, or from a wealthy or politically powerful one, nor is she famous in any other way. It puzzles her, but bigger things are taking place to occupy her mind. Though the graduating class of Diggers has decided to be progressive, the board of directors and “old school” alumni aren’t happy with the decision. They are determine to force Amy and her fellow females Diggers out of the Rose & Grave and punish the seniors.

Comments:  I really enjoyed this book. I liked Amy. I liked the author’s writing style and the book had it’s funny moments. When I started reading the book, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Despite it’s funny moments, the book has a serious point — accepting others not because of their sex, race, sexual orientation, social and economic background, or religion, but who they are as a person. Amy and her sister Diggers may have won this first battle but, from the looks of it, they’re not completely out of the woods yet.

Favorite quote:
I stood there, alone in the Calvin courtyard, and began to question the veracity of Brandon’s ongoing Hopelessly-Devoted-to You act. The man had just ditched me for intramural badminton.

Started: 29 April 2011
Finished: 1 May 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Hot Mama (Jennifer Estep)

Title: Hot Mama
Author: Jennifer Estep
Copyright: 2007 (Berkley); 356 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-425-22300-3
Series: Bigtime #2
Sensuality: Hot (ha!)
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Spoiler: If you haven’t read the first book, and planned to, then it might be a good idea to stop reading and turn back now! There’s no way to talk about this book without revealing the true identities of the superheros.

From the Back: By day, Fiona Fine is a successful couture designer, catering to the high-society players of Bigtime, New York. By night, she’s Fiera, a superstrong superhero who can create and manipulate fire with her bare hands. Fiera, along with the other members of the heroic Fearless Five, makes life miserable for the ubervillians who want to take over the city.

~&~

1. Reason for choosing this book:
I read and enjoyed the first book in this trilogy.  I’d been meaning to read the other two books in the series for awhile.  I picked this book because it fit the requirements for a reading challenge:  the main character is involved in fashion industry.  I also read it as part of a game of bookshelf bingo.  The remarks below are cross-posted from my comments about the book during the game, with some minor editing.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
Hot Mama was written in first person.  I felt it worked better as an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance.  In fact, I would have rated higher had it been an UF.

What I liked:

Fiona’s dedication to her duty as she sees it:  protect the innocent and stop the uber-villains, preferably without killing them.  She doesn’t see herself as a vigilante, exacting her own justice as she sees fit.  If at all possible, villains are captured and turned over to the police.  Death sometimes happens — for instance, failing to heed warnings to flee when things about are about to explode, self-destruct, or backfire is an occupational hazard faced by both superheros and uber-villains.  Killing them for revenge is a no-no in Fiona’s book.

Fiona isn’t in it for the glamor or notoriety.  She would be the first to admit that being a superhero is a lot of hard work.  It’s dirty, rough, painful.  She may have super strength and be immune to flames, but she can still get hurt.  And as for notoriety, it’s no picnic having the press constantly in your face, prying, and asking inane questions.  She already puts up with it as a successful fashion designer.  However, Fiona also knows that fame has it’s uses, and she uses her popularity to further worthy causes important to her.

The Fearless Five is her family and she’d do anything for them.  Chief Newman is her father, but the rest of them are just as important to her.  Fiona may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Carmen, but she’s grown to accept her for Sam’s sake.  She’s even gotten to the point of confiding in Carmen, and see her as a friend and confidant.  The same goes for Lulu Lo  — Carmen’s hacker friend and Henry’s honey — to a lesser extant.

I also liked that the superhero aspect of the story was over-the-top and intentionally corny.  It was fun!

What didn’t work:

The romance.  I had no problem with Fiona’s issue regarding whether she was ready to move on after her fiancés death — I thought it was realistic to still have her doubts.  I also liked that she was willing to sacrifice her own chance at happiness if Johnny continued his vigilante ways.  The romance just felt flat to me.  I think it was a combination of the first person narrative and the quantity of Johnny’s page-time in the book.

I liked the first book, a lot of the second book (including Fiona), and the author’s writing style in general, so I plan to read the last book.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
It’s fun and over-the-top.

Started: 12 April 2011
Finished: 15 April 2011

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Buffalo West Wing (Julie Hyzy)

Title: Buffalo West Wing
Author: Julie Hyzy
Copyright: 2011 (Berkley); 275 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-425-23923-0
Series: White House Chef Mystery #4
Sensuality: NA
Genre: Mystery

SPOILERS! But NOT for the Mystery!

It’s Inauguration Day, so things are busy for Ollie and her staff at the White House. A box of take-out chicken wings, intended for First Kids Abigail and Josh Hyden, mysteriously shows up in the kitchen. There is no note explaining who it came from and no eyewitnesses to verify how it got into the White House. Ollie follows protocol and puts it aside to give to the Secret Service. However, the First Kids see the box and, of course, they’re eager to dig in. Ollie refuses to give it to them until it’s been cleared, disappointing the youngsters. Several people, including the First Lady, think that Ollie’s over-reacting, that she should have given the box of wings to Abby and Josh.

Ollie soon learns that the wings were, in fact, poisoned. However, the Secret Service has forbidden those who are privy to this knowledge from mentioning it to anyone else, including the First Lady. This doesn’t bode well for Ollie, since she’s gotten off on the wrong foot with Mrs. Hyden for not consulting her about the wings in the first place, and now it looks like Ollie might be out of a job since the Hyden’s are bringing in their personal chef.

Comments: This book is my favorite one, so far, in this series. The mystery and the secondary story lines really worked for me. Ollie has matured in her role as the executive chef. She’s gotten better at handling Peter Sargeant, the snobby and pompous sensitivity director, who constantly hopes she gets fired. Added to the mix is Virgil Ballantine, personal chef to the First Family. On several occasions, his actions either make Ollie look bad or puts her in a difficult position. Ollie handles each situation like a mature, reasonable adult. She is dedicated to doing her best, and doesn’t require the press and notoriety the others — people like Sargeant and Virgil — seek out.

I really do like Ollie, even with her flaws. It makes her real. She has an earnest desire to help protect the White House and the First Family. But there’s a big difference between keeping a low profile, yet still be vigilant to suspicious activity — and putting one’s nose into the Secret Service’s business, questioning their decisions, etc. Ollie may think she’s being helpful, but in a town where appearances are so important, her intentions are almost irrelevant . First, her behavior gives the impression that the Secret Service can’t do its job; that the cook had to save the day while they bumbled around like the Keystone Cops. Secondly, people like Sargeant will see Ollie’s involvement as her trying to score points with the First Family. The end of the scene were Sargeant smugly informs Ollie he intends to “keep close tabs on the children” during their transition illustrates this:

“It’s about time the First Family sees my worth rather than be dazzled by the stunts you pull. I’m looking forward to the next several weeks.”

I glared at him, knowing in my heart he was wrong, but knowing just as clearly that he would never admit it. My “stunts” had saved the White House — and its staff — from several embarrassing incidents. Was it too much to ask for a little respect from our sensitivity director?

At the door, he turned back. “After all your shenanigans, it’s my turn now.”

Ollie maybe better at handling his annoying commentary and hints, but she doesn’t truly understands him. Sargeant is all about getting ahead, being “teacher’s pet”, and nothing is going to make him see her actions in any other light. The book doesn’t show his reaction to Ollie’s heroics in this book, but even if Ollie were to take a bullet for the president himself, Sargeant would still see her “stunt” as trying to insinuate herself into the First Family’s good graces. It would never occur to him that she would do something selfless out of respect for the office or for the greater good, that such acts are part of her nature.

Later in the book, after Ollie tells Bucky and Cyan about Virgil and they discuss whether her past “shenanigans” may contribute to the Hydens booting her permanently, Bucky remarks:

“I know you don’t want to talk about why you and Tom broke up, but I have my suspicions. You’ve got to true to your nature, Ollie, and you usually are. But don’t for minute underestimate the challenges you’re stuck with because of it.”

One of the reasons I think the author saddles Ollie with the likes Sargeant and Virgil is to illustrate that point. Both men are self-serving jerks, each in their own way, yet Ollie suffers for doing the right thing, or for what she believes is the right thing.

Which brings me to Tom. If a reader picked this book up before reading the earlier ones, they would think that Tom MacKenzie was a control freak who didn’t appreciate or understand Ollie, based on her views of him and their past together. Tom is a sweetheart of a guy. While it’s true he was never happy with her getting involved in the cases, he didn’t try to run her life. Tom is a dedicated and as serious about his job as Ollie is regarding her own. Ollie would not be any more pleased to have some unqualified person — Sargeant, for example — questioning her ability to cater a State dinner, than members of the PPD would be with Ollie’s inquisitiveness. In the previous book, Ollie ended the relationship initially citing the threat Tom’s boss made regarding holding him responsible for her behavior. Shortly afterward, she does wonder if she was being completely altruistic in her motives, that she did it so she could freely poke her nose into thing with a clear conscience.

My heart truly aches for Tom. When they broke up, Ollie also told Tom she couldn’t stay with him because she couldn’t be herself when she was with him. This admission hit Tom hard, “like somebody punched him in the gut”. I think that Tom is still in love with Ollie. And to add insult to injury, she seems to be seriously interested in another agent, one who doesn’t work in the White House — one who seems just as much as a sweetheart as Tom, but also seems to understand her “need to be useful”. When Ollie visits Tom’s office on a job-related matter, she also asks whether the other agent has been reassigned since she hasn’t heard from him for several days. Tom looks “hurt, curious, and sad”. He assures her that the agent in question is still on the investigation, but will not be in communication with the PPD for a period of time. Ollie presses for a more specific time frame and Tom tells her:

“Don’t push me, Ollie.  This is hard enough.”

“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t.

And that, Ollie, is part of the problem.

Despite this, I still loved the book.  It made me think and care about the character’s future.  I understand that, if Ollie wasn’t inquisitive or in the thick of things, there would be no series.  And I can also understand why there might have been a reason (for the author) to end the relationship.  There is no realistic way Tom could turn a blind eye to Ollie’s actions and still be the head of the PPD.  People (Sargeant, again!) would see such behavior as his condoning it.  The new guy is different in that he doesn’t work in the same environment, so he won’t always be around as much (or so I assume).  He also comes with his own history, so there’s no way to predict how the relationship will develop.  I also think he’s perceptive enough to have picked up on Tom’s true feelings for Ollie and that could add another aspect to the development.  I’m looking forward to seeing how thing will proceed, and I’m very eager for the next White House Chef book.

Start: 10 January 2011
Finished: 16 January 2011

Rating:

Loved It!

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Other Books in the Series:

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Black Wings (Christina Henry)

Title: Black Wings
Author: Christina Henry
Copyright: 2010 (Ace); 295 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01963-2
Series: Madeline Black #1
Sensuality: NA
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Madeline Black escorts the soul of the recently departed to the Door, the portal to the Here-after. Being an Agent of Death comes with wings and some magical abilities, yet Maddy rarely has to call on those abilities. And the only type of fighting she, occasionally, engages in is the verbal type — some of the dearly departed aren’t keen on leaving and will exercise their freedom of choice by refusing to be escorted. This is frowned upon by management and it is considered a failure on the part of the Agent.

Maddy’s life is pretty routine: discharging her duties as an Agent; butting heads with her boss J. B.; worrying about whether or not she can get a tenant so rental money will start coming in again; working on articles as a freelance writer; hanging out with her best friend Patrick; and spending quality time with her gargoyle, Beezle. Things start to look up, or so Maddy thinks, when a good-looking guy shows up to view her rental. Beezle doesn’t like him, but he won’t tell Maddy why. Other than his asking a few odd questions, Gabriel seems harmless, and Maddy is confident that Beezle would tell her if he was a threat to her.

But shortly after Gabriel’s arrival in Maddy’s life, chaos erupts. She’s attacked by demons. The death of a fellow Agent makes Maddy question what happened to her mother and if there are other Agents who’s deaths are suspicious. Her boss doesn’t believe in demons, so he thinks she’s nuts and won’t help her investigate (vampires, werewolves, and the fae exist, but not demons as far as J. B. is concerned). Secrets come to light and Maddy finds herself tapping into powers she never knew she had and she has no idea how to control. And to top it all off, she finds herself in the middle of the political machinations of the fallen angels.

Comments:
Despite her flaws, I really liked Maddy. She sometimes acts or speaks without thinking, but I can understand why she does what she does at times. Her life is completely up-ended. She’s trying to fight enemies stronger than her — and if she does succeed in destroying them, she’ll be in big trouble with the fallen angels. She’s being manipulated by others with hidden agendas and she resents how some of them are trying to run her life.

Of all the males in Maddy’s life — not counting Beezle — Gabriel is the only one who I think truly cares for Maddy for herself, and would have her best interest at heart, regardless of his situation. And because of his predicament, any relationship between them is at a stand-still. A LOT of things have to change in their world for them to be together.

The world building is pretty interesting. I like the concept of the Agents. I’d like to know more about how and why the whole business of soul-collecting ended up a bureaucracy, and I hope the author gives us more back story on this.

I also liked Beezle. I wonder how many other readers thought of the gargoyles from Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” whenever Beezle was in a scene.

The story is nearly non-stop action. I found it hard to put down at times because I was caught up in what was going on and I wanted to know what would happen next. I will definitely be reading the next book.

Start: 1 January 2011
Finished: 4 January 2011

Favorite Quote:
“And where does Lucifer live?”
“Los Angeles.”
“Of course he does.”
– Maddy, Gabriel

Rating:

Liked A Lot

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Bellwether (Connie Willis)

Title: Bellwether
Author:  Connie Willis
Narrator:  Kate Reading
Length: Unabridged (6 h, 30 m)
Published: February 2009 (Blackstone Audio, Inc)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Fiction
Start: 16 November 2010
Finished: 19 November 2010
Source:  Public Library

From Audible.com:  Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennett O’Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions – with the unintended help of the errant, forgetful, and careless office assistant Flip.

Why this book?
One of my favorite Connie Willis books. I’ve read it several times, but not in the last four years (due to it being in storage). Also, it was one of the few books I was actually interested in listening to that the local library had in their virtual stacks for download, and it was available — no waiting list. As I stated before, I was looking for books I’d already read and loved, so this was a no-brainer for me.

Narrator: Kate Reading
First off, isn’t that a great last name for someone narrating a book? I enjoyed her narration so much, there were times that I did not want to stop listening. I suppose that’s the audiobook equivalent to “I couldn’t put the book down”. Since I save audiobooks for my commute, I normally stow the iPod and earphones when we get close to my destination. However, once the sheep got loose, I was so into the story that I got off the bus and was nearly home before realization hit me. By that point, the story was almost over anyway, so I finished it.

Ms. Reading (ha!) did an excellent job of giving Sandy’s various co-workers and the people she interacts with their own distinct voices. You could tell the various eye-rolling, sighing-because-you’re-making-me-do-my-job service personal apart, just as you could tell the difference between Sandy’s co-workers — even if you couldn’t remember which one was planning a birthday party and which one was having relationship issues. The book is written in 1st person and the narrator changes her voice slightly so you know when Sandy’s talking to the other characters and when she’s the narrator. Sandy-the-narrator sounds more confident and sarcastic, while Sandy-the-character is more soft spoken and a little hesitant.

I thoroughly enjoyed this adaption of Bellwether and I plan to purchase my own copy so I have it on hand to listen to again.

About the Story:
Bellwether is SF, but not the type most people would describe if asked. It’s about chaos theory and researching trends. It’s about how a misdelivered box can lead to falling in love. It’s about how one person can wreck so much havoc, that things actually work out for the best in the end because of it. There are no spaceships, aliens, or time-travel in this book.

Ratings:
Story: 5 stars
(I’m still working on how to rate the narration)
Overall Reading:  Excellent
Characters: Excellent

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For 2010 “pages read”: 247 pages (own a paperback copy of book)

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Bleeds
Author: Ilona Andrews
Copyright: 2010 (Ace); 349 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01852-9
Series: Kate Daniels # 4
Genre: Urban Fantasy
**** SPOILERS ****

From the back:  Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially, as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle — especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community. When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years — and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father. This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

**** SPOILERS ****

1. Reason for choosing this book:
I chose this book because it’s my #1 favorite Urban Fantasy series.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
The characters. Kate’s a strong person, but she still can be hurt, both physically and emotionally. Same with Curran — Gordon’s Curran POV for this book illustrated how much Kate means to him.

Some observations/thoughts:

• After reading the prologue, way back before the book came out, I speculated that the reason Curran was a no show was due to loups. It was the first thing that made any sense to me. I never believed for a moment that he’d stand her up on purpose: he won a bet involving food and a scantily clad Kate — he’d been hauling rocks for weeks and he’s had plenty of time to fantasize about the evening. Nothing short of his duty to the Pack and injury/death would keep him from attending.
• Did Mahon have a hand in the two challenges that prevented Curran from going to Savannah? I can’t see him deliberately goading his people into challenging Curran — that would be throwing aways lives, plus one might have gotten REALLY lucky and beat Curran (I know, impossible, but still…). Yet, it seems too coincidental to be a random, unrelated thing.
• Even if Curran had gone to Savannah, some variation of the breakfast table conversation that takes place later in the book would have occurred — and with the same results.
• It’s good to know that I wasn’t wrong about Roland targeting the Pack because they’ve become too powerful. Makes me even more interested to know the details behind why and how Greg gained Friend of the Pack status. Did he know about Curran’s background?
• Aunt B explains it all. Again!! One of my favorite scenes in the book.
• Some interesting new characters: Barabas, Jezebel, and Naeemah. I wonder if we’ll be seeing Naeemah again in future books. And Grendel.
• Still don’t like Saiman. Still don’t trust him.
• Good to see Dali again.
• Great antagonist! And what a hoot. The scene in Kate’s apartment is great. Calling the apartment a hovel! Giving relationship advice. Too funny.
• Looking forward to seeing what happens with Andrea and the Order.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
There’s a little of everything in it: action (okay, maybe more than a little of this), romance, humor, great characters (as I type this, I can’t help thinking about Peter Falk’s character in The Princess Bride movie — the book gets a number of mentions/references in Magic Bleeds)

Favorite Quote:
“We should clap or something,” Curran said. “She’s trying so hard.”
“Maybe we could scrounge up some panties to throw.”
– Curran, Kate

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

Started: 16 May 2010
Finished: 16 May 2010

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Other books in the Series:

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Moon Called (Patricia Briggs)

Title: Moon Called
Author: Patricia Briggs
Copyright: 2006 (Ace); 288 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01381-4
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Sensuality: N/A
Genre: Urban Fantasy

From the Back: Mercy Thompson’s sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf. She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire. But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself . . . and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

~&~

I saw this format on the Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell’s blog. She, in turn, got it from Jenny at Jenny Loves to Read. I think I’ll give it a try.

1. Reason for choosing this book:
Seen it recommended by readers who were fans of Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series.  I hadn’t planned on reading it just yet — but lo! — one of the GoodReads groups had picked Patricia Briggs to be the featured author for November. I’ve had Cry Wolf in my TBR since it first came out, but decided to start from the beginning.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
I have to say, I wish I had picked this book up sooner. Mercy does remind me of Kate, though different enough that it’s not like I’m reading the same character. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and she has  a penchant for driving hot, Alpha men crazy.  Mercy has had a comparatively normal life.  She has a small circle of family and friends, some who are part of the pack, though generally she avoids attracting the attention of the wolves.  There are vampires, though they’re not any more date-worthy than Ilona’s. However Stefan, the VW owner, seems different from the rest of his group.

I was comfortable with the world-building is this book.  I wasn’t confused or frustrated with how the information was conveyed to the reader.

I also loved Mercy’s sheep.  Too funny.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
I would recommend this book to readers who are new to Urban Fantasy. The series isn’t long  — the sixth book comes out in hardback in 2011, so there is time to get caught up.

Favorite Quote:
“I forgot to tell you that I joined the secret society of villains while I was away,” I told Samuel, exasperated. “I am now trying to put together a harem of studly, muscle-bound werewolves. Please. Remember, I didn’t know Mac until he dropped in my lap sometime after the villains screwed up his life.”
– Mercy

Started: 1 November 2010
Finished: 17 November 2010

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.