Friday, August 31, 2012

Ditched August Books

Here are the books I wound up ditching in August and why I ditched them.

TITLE: Belle's Song
AUTHOR: K. M. Grant
PUBLISHED: 2012 (2012 debut)
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical fiction
PREMISE: Girl goes on religious pilgramage. Pretty much it.
REASON I DITCHED IT: One word: BORING! Nicely written. But dull, dull, dull. The main character was flat as all get out and a whiny flat character at that and after about a hundred pages of me going "what is the point of all this?" I finally gave up because after a hundred pages if I don't care then I won't be motivated to finish your book.

TITLE: Glimmer
AUTHOR: Phoebe Kitandis
PUBLISHED: 2012 (another debut, gotta say 2012 class you all are not impressing me this year)
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal romance thing
PREMISE: A boy and a girl wake up with no memory of each other or themselves and try to clue themselves in.
WHY I DITCHED IT: Mostly time crunch. It was due in the library and I just wasn't feeling the book so I decided not to bother. Plus the main girl Elise was driving my last nerve with her judgemental slut shaming. Seriously YA authors: ENOUGH WITH THE DAMN SLUT SHAMING. It's really starting to get on my nerves to the point I will stop reading books that have it and don't even try to hide it. And please don't tell me that the main character being horrified to find out that she was blonde, a cheerleader, wore sexy clothes, and slept with her boyfriend was not in anyway slut shaming. That was another thing that bugged me about this book: stereotypes galore. Maybe the mystery would have been worth dealing with the super annoying characters and the slut shaming but somehow, I doubt it.

TITLE: Above
AUTHOR: Leah Bobet
PUBLISHED: 2012 (another debut)
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban fantasy thing.
PREMISE: Um....there's people with gifts a la X-Men and their hunted is basically what I got from it.
WHY I DITCHED IT: It was utterly confusing and the author failed to make me care in the first half of the book in order to make sense of all the confusion. I will say the world was interesting but I just couldn't understand half of what was going on because the author failed to explain any of it. 

Book Review: Losers in Space

TITLE: Losers in Space
AUTHOR: John Barnes
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: parody/science fiction/dystopian
PREMISE: A group of teens in the future have a plan to get famous in a future where fame is everything. But then things go wrong...
MY REVIEW: So this book is kind of difficult for me to review. A large part of me loved the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy sort of feel to it. I totally got what the author was trying to say with it and I dug the overall message. Plus the notes for the interested could sometimes get hilarious and I adore the snarkiness of the authors note in the beginning. If you think he's kidding about the "hardcore" science fiction readers, no. He seriously isn't.
On the other hand though...another part of me found it hard to get into. Mostly because I found the characters endlessly irritating. I don't think there was one character I liked. I mean the MC had her moments for sure but her intro was ruined by how just plain bitchy she was and still was through out the novel. Flawed characters are interesting sure, but when you find it hard to actually like anyone...that's a problem. Plus, as fun as the snarky tone of the book was, it dragged. Like a lot.I'd wadger about a hundred pages or so could have been cut. It's bad when you find the notes explaining things in the world more interesting then the actual plot itself.
So my conundrum is: I find the book well written and I like the ideas going on in it....but it's rather boring and I don't see many people, except for really big science fiction readers getting into this.
WHO SHOULD READ: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fans, parody fans, Terry Pratchett fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five broken space ships

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Book Review: Shine

TITLE: Shine
Book 3 in the Shade Trilogy
AUTHOR: Jeri Smith-Ready
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PREMISE: When Aura's boyfriend Zachery is taken by the DMP she does her best to find him.
MY REVIEW: This is a paranormal romance trilogy that I greatly enjoyed. Yes, there are a few flaws in it. I'm still a little fuzzy on a few things. But overall, this trilogy was strong and I am going to be looking into the author's adult books and I hope she does more YA. Because YA could use more of this.
Aura is a likeable heroine. She is proactive, she doesn't sit there and whine, she goes out and gets stuff done. Yes, a large part of the plot revolved around her love for Zachery but I actually buy this romance and see why they work so well so I don't mind it. It's actually a healthy relationship. Plus, Aura's friends are fabulous. Megan and Siobhan rock so hard. Can we marvel at the fact that there's actual female friendship in this? No frienimies stuff. It's refreshing to see. On top of that, the plot around the DMP is actually interesting and makes some sort of sense. This is a very interesting world that the author has come up with. Overall this was a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy.
I for one am very sorry that this trilogy is coming to an end. It's been a fun ride. Like I said, I hope the author writes more YA but if not, I'll read anything else she chooses to write.
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that have read books 1 and 2, paranormal romance fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five shady agencies 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Ten Bookish Confessions

This is a weekly meme hosted by the gals over at The Broke and the Bookish.

My Top Ten Bookish Confessions

1) I know my library card number by heart. I use the library reserve system basically all the time and the reserve system online requires you to put in your number every time you reserve a book so really it's my library's fault.

2) The librarians have gotten so used to me reserving a big batch of books every two seeks that they just put my books on the bottom shelf in a basket for me.

3) I hate the New York Times (and others) Bestseller List. Well, hate may be a strong word. But I strongly dislike how it makes mediocre and bad books popular, and how lazy book readers (ie people who don't actually read books all that often) use it to judge whether or not a book is worth it. If I had a dime for every casual reader who used the "well it's on the bestseller list so it must be good!" aruguement on me, I'd be a very rich girl. On the other hand, sometimes it does every so often point the way to decent books. So it's sort of a neccessary evil I guess for me. I dislike it, but at the same time it can sort of help.

4) I don't think I've ever liked or have been interested in a Oprah Winfrey book. I have read and liked The Color Purple but that was for class. I probably would have never been interested in it otherwise. Oprah's taste and mine just do not mesh at all.

5) I have never read The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In my defense I plan on fixing this problem very soon so I can go see the movie. I have a rule where I don't see a book adaptation unless I've read said book.

6) I am a Nerdfighter...who has never read John Green. I know, I know, I suck. I have been to Green's nerdfighter sight and I read his blog and I think Green is a very awesome guy. I've just never gotten around to picking up his stuff. Again, I plan on fixing that sometime this year. Probably will be reading The Fault in Our Stars soon.

7) I don't hate Hush Hush as much as I know I should. To be clear, I don't think the books are fabulous. Patch/Nora is HUGE problamatic relationship, it's definitely cliche, and the writing is gag worthy sometimes. But...I get why people like it and I will be reading the Finale. I don't buy the books though because I refuse to support authors who have problamatic relationships like this in their books.

8) I read Twilight fanfiction. Mostly of the Leah variety. I tend to stay away from the Bella/Edward fics unless said fic has Bella becoming badass and dumping Edward's butt. What can I say? Twilight is one of the rare cases where I honestly think a large part of the fanfic writers are more talented then the writer of the original book.

9) I don't think Wuthering Heights is a romance novel and it irritates me to no end how people constantly call it one. WH is a gothic novel. That happens to have a romatic subplot. If one can call Catherine and Heathcliff's obsession with each other romantic. I particularly don't think it's romantic but I'm apparently in the minority.

10) I have had the Sabriel Trilogy on my bookshelf because it was given to me as a gift for about two years now but I haven't read it yet. Maybe I should get on that....

Monday, August 27, 2012

Book Review: Until I Die

TITLE: Until I Die
Book 2 in the Revenants series
AUTHOR: Amy Plum
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal/romance
PREMISE: Kate gets used to life with Vincent when startling things about the Revenants reveal themselves...
MY REVIEW: Well...I do feel this was a improvement over the first book. All my previous issues still stand though, especially when it comes to the piles of YA cliches that are in here. Number one being Vincent/Kate are a sappy and slightly bland couple. But they're still better then previous couples such as Patch/Nora so I guess it could be worse.
I will say though, this book actually made me like Kate. I had nothing huge against her in the first one, I just found her rather boring. Kate still has a long way to go before she becomes a fully fledged character but in this one she actually is sort of proactive. She takes steps to protecting herself, she doesn't sit back and wait for Vincent to give her all the answers, and she has quit it with the emo thing. All in all, a vast improvement from book 1 Kate. There were also some plot twists at the end I wasn't expecting so that was nice to see although I don't for a minute believe that Vincent is really dead. Please. I gaurentee you, he will be back next book. Probably just as Jules makes his move on Kate and then there goes the love triangle plot for book 4. Yeah, sorry I just don't have much faith in YA creativity. Been burned too many times.
But all in all this was a improvement over the second book though I still say the series as a whole is average. It's a fun average though and well worth a library read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that have read Die for Me, Paranormal romance fans, Twilight fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five pretty dresses

Sunday, August 26, 2012

September 2012 Book Picks

Here are all the books in the month of September 2012 that I'm eager for and you can expect a review for in the future. Eventually.

YA:

The Diviners Book 1 by Libba Bray.-Because it's Libba Bray back to doing historical fantasy. Bring it.

The Lynburn Legacy Book 1: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan-Three new series out by three of my favorite authors. This September is like Christmas for me.

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron-Yay for more steampunk YA! I totally approve of this trend!

The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox-With a name like that, I have to give this a look.

Croak Book 2: Scorch by Gina Damico-I really enjoyed Croak which was a combination of Percy Jackson and Dead Like Me. Looking forward to book 2.

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst.-Because I'm always up for a Durst book. She's such a wonderfully creative fantasy author.

Darkwater by Catherine Fisher.-A new book from the author of the very underrated Incarceron books.

Gone with the Respite Book 2: Dearly Beloved by Lia Habel-Dearly Departed was a fun read for me. Granted, zombies as a love interest will forever be wierd but this book made me like it.

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley.-Honestly this one I'm little wary of but I'm going to give it a shot because of all the buzz it's getting. Just don't be shocked if it turns out I don't like it.

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan.-Fantasy sort of thing that looks like it could be cool.

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr.-Another favorite author with a book out this month. Did I mention it was a early Christmas?

Undead by Kirsty McKay-2012 debut that looks like a fun zombie romb. I'm in.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.-It's Patterson. I'm pretty much up for anything he does.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett.-One of my favorite authors tackling Dickens? YES PLEASE!

Raven Cycle Book 1: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater-Because it's Maggie Stiefvater. Though I need to get to Forever...

White Rabbit Chronicles Book 1: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter-So I've tried Showalter before and was less then impressed. I'm hoping I'll like her YA books better then her adult ones. Besides, with a awesome title like that, how can I not give this a try?

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui. English translation of a very popular book from Japan. Some of you may know its anime movie counterpart.

Birthright Book 2: Because it is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin-Because I really liked All These Things I've Done despite it's slight emoness.

Adult:

The Revivalist Book 2: Two Weeks Notice by Rachel Caine-A fun UF series even if it's not very original. Although when I was in BN yesterday, I could have sworn I saw this book...;side-eyes BN;

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall-Awesome looking book about Lucy from Dracula who is not too pleased with her portrayal in the book. This sounds so awesome.

The Lotus War Book 1: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff.-Cool looking fantasy book.

The White Forest by Adam McOmber.-Fantasy that sounds like it might be fun.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling.-Judging from the net I seem to be in the minority in the fact that I'm happy Rowling is doing something completely different from Potter. She's doing what authors should do: different things. Do I expect this to be the next Potter? Probably not. Do I expect to love it as much as I love HP? Nope. But it's Rowling so I'm sure the book will be good. I have a feeling poor Rowling is basically going to hear "Well...it's okay but it's not Harry Potter" in like every other review for this and probably every other book she writes for the rest of her life.

Spellmason Chronicles series: Alchemystic by Anton Strout-Fun looking UF. Though I have to say, the cover and the idea remind me strongly of the old Disney cartoon Gargoyles (an awesome show, watch if you can ever find recordings).

So those are the books I hope to read eventually for the blog from September 2012. How on earth I'm going to accomplish this, I do not know.

Stacking the Shelves: August 26th

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews that tells people what new books we've gotten over the week. Please forgive any typos you may see. I just bought a new laptop because my old one decided it was done working and I'm still getting used to the new keyboard which is different then the one I had. Plus I'm getting used to internet that doesn't quit on me every ten minutes...

So this week I actually got to a bookstore! So I may have went a little crazy with the books...Whatever, I'm making up for not buying books these past few months.

Downloaded to Kindle:

Austenland Book 2: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale-What can I say, I got a kick out of Austenland. It was silly and predictable but it was fun and fed my Austen fix. I managed to snag this book when it was a daily deal.

Bought Books:

Anna Book 2: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake-The sequel to one of my favorite books from last year. Reading this one to gear myself up for Halloween.

Abandoned Trilogy Book 2: Underworld by Meg Cabot-Because I am a Cabot fangirl for life. Granted Abandon isn't my favorite of hers but I still think it's one of the better eighty million Penelope retelling myths that we got last year.

Parasol Protectorate series Book 5: Timeless by Gail Carriger-This series is my steampunk guilty pleasure. It's another series that is sadly ending, but hey, she has a YA series starting up in the same world next year so it's not all bad.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.-I loved American Gods and I can't wait to read the sequel.

Hex Hall Trilogy Book 3: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins-Gah, I'm going to miss Sophie and friends so much but I can't wait to read this.

Paranormalcy Trilogy Book 3: Endlessly by Kiersten White.-Another trilogy that I'm really going to miss ( I adore Evie to no end) but it looks like White will be writing some new stuff and I'm all for authors trying out new things.

Friday, August 24, 2012

TITLE: Ripper
Book 1 in the new Ripper series
AUTHOR: Amy Carol Reeves
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical Fiction, mystery, paranormal
PREMISE: Abbie works at a hospital in 1888 when the Jack the Ripper murders start to occur.
MY REVIEW: I...wanted to like this more then I did. Unfortunitely it was just a bit to absurd and dull for me to say this was brillaint. On one hand the idea was interesting. I mean Jack the Ripper! Paranormal activity! This should have been right up my ally. Unfortunately Abbie tried my patience too much for me to actually like this book.
Abbie is frankly a Mary Sue. She doesn't feel like she belongs in the 1800s at all. I mean really author, a girl learning knife- throwing back then? People LETTING her learn knife-throwing? Are you serious? Abbie was clearly what the author wanted her main character to be like regardless of the fact that in the eighteen hundreds a girl like this wouldn't exist. Even if she grew up in Dublin. It doesn't help that she basically falls for William right away after a hand full of conversations, that there's a forced love triangle that was utterly pointless, and that it's utterly absurd that a police officer back then would seriously ask a woman for help in a investigation of a serial murderer.
Plus, it's honestly dull. I think I sleep read through the middle part of the book which is just a bunch of pointless drama that wasn't really neccessary. Look, I get that some liberties can be taken when you're doing a historical novel and especially when you're doing a paranormal historical novel. But there's liberties, and then just being completely unrealistic about how women were handled/treated back then. While there is some entertainment to be had here....it sort of just feels underwhelming.
WHO SHOULD READ: historical fiction fans (who don't mind huge inaccuracies about the time period)
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five wtf endings

Book Review: Glow


 

 
TITLE: Glow
Book 1 in the Sky Chasers series
AUTHOR: Amy Kathleen Ryan
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Science Fiction, dystopian, drama
PREMISE: Waverly and Kieran get tested as they're split apart by another ship coming and taking Waverly hostage.
MY REVIEW: Glow...is not a bad book persay. It just didn't really suit me at all. The characters were flat and boring. The situations were dark and all but really I felt it was mostly there to shock you and didn't really serve much purpose. And I didn't care for the way the author handled the religious aspects that much.
First of all: why is it every author who insists on putting religion into science fiction always tends to assume that Christianity will be the only religion practiced and that it'll still be practiced the same way? This bugs me to no end. What, Buddhism isn't around anymore? Jewish people are dead? Also apparently in the future, everyone is white. At least according this book. I'm sorry but considering how new Christianity is in terms of religion and how much even now it has issues, I find it really hard to believe this will be the only religion practiced. If that wasn't bad enough, I can't figure out what the author is trying to say here. Is she for religion or against it? Because in the beginning it really felt like she was writing the typical religious book: all good people are religious, all bad people aren't. Yadda yadda. But then suddenly there's a shift and then it's all the religious people are bad, everyone else is good! While I am not really a fan of organized religion (it's been used too much for people to make excuses for things like racism, slavery, the Crusades, etc for me to really be a fan) I think making all religious people out to be pious jerks...is not a good thing. For every rightous religious person I've met, there's also been a awesome religious person who's actually sat and read the bible and forms their own opinions about it. So I sort of think this is a big problem with this book. On one hand though, it does give people much thought so I guess it could be worse.
So honestly I'm terribly split on this book. I'm not fond of it that much. There's a good chance I won't be picking up the second. But it does open up the table for discussion about religion and I do think that's a good thing. I just wish the author had done it in better ways. Though I have to say the one thing that bugs me about this: WHAT DOES THE TITLE HAVE TO DO WITH THE BOOK? No really, does anyone know why this is called Sky Chasers? There were no Sky Chasers here. There was no glowing either. So what does the title have to do with ANYTHING?
WHO SHOULD READ: Christians (who are open-minded), science fiction fans, those that don't mind darkness in their YA
MY RATING: Three out of Five spaceships

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Book Review: The Death Cure



TITLE: The Death Cure
Book 3 in the Maze Runner Trilogy
AUTHOR: James Dashner
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopian, adventure
PREMISE: Thomas and his friends try to run from WICKED.
MY REVIEW: Yeah...okay. Here's the thing: this trilogy has gone steadily downhill since the first book for me. While I wasn't crazy about the first, I got why it was popular and the mysteries were enough that I kept reading. But then the second book happened and things continued to be confusing. Now the third book has happened and honestly I still can't tell you what the hell happened in it. It makes no sense. Also that summary in the back is a total lie: THERE WERE NO ANSWERS. Like, at all. Really, Dashner? Really?
If that wasn't frustrating enough I still don't see any character developement happening here at all. Teresa's death was sort of sad but not as sad as it should have been because frankly I barely knew her to begin with. All I knew about her was that she could mind speak with Thomas (and this is NEVER EXPLAINED). I can tell you I found it extremely irritating that Teresa gets villainized by the guys because she has the sheer nerve to question them and everything they're going through. Minho calls her a pill. But Brenda comes along, betrays them, but then is welcomed back to the fold once she helps them escape and the boys just love her. I mean she never questions Thomas. Please, author. Just...please.
I'm sorry but this entire trilogy was sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. I still can't tell you anything about the characters themselves other then they hung out in a maze together. I still don't have my answers about who they are. I don't know what WICKED's deal really is. This trilogy as a whole is frankly dissatsifying. The next Hunger Games my butt.
WHO SHOULD READ: boys, those that liked the first two and aren't bothered by lack of answers.
MY RATING: Two and a half out of Five unanswered questions. For the trilogy as a whole: Three out of Five for a dissatisfying ending and again: NO ANSWERS.

Top Ten Thursday (A Belated Top Ten Tuesday Post)

Yeah so I had my post for Top Ten Tuesday all planned out in my head and was pumped about getting it out on Tuesday. But Monday night my over four years old computer decided it was done with the whole working thing. It wasn't worth shelling out the money to fix it because it was so old so I'm typing this on a new computer. Ah technology.
But I still want to do this week's topic even though it isn't Tuesday so I'm typing it up anyway. I just won't add it to the linky. So, here's my list for this week:

My Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read During the Lifespan of My Blog

Well, this is a hard one for me, there have been so many good books over the years I've done this blog...But I'll try and narrow it down.

1) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett-Simply put, this book is HILARIOUS and written by two of my favorite authors. It's a win win for me. If you are not getting at least some chuckles out of this book then you either a) Have NO sense of humor whatsoever or b) Are dead.

2) American Gods by Neil Gaiman-Well honestly I've loved basically everything by Neil Gaiman but so far, American Gods has been my favorite of his (other then Good Omens). It just gives you so much to think about.

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-While I still have my beef with the ending of the Book Thief (it's just not what I would have picked) I still think it's a fantastic book and a must read if you're a YA reader or just a reader in general.

4) The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin (yes, I'm grouping series books into one. Deal with it)-Game of Thrones, what can I say? This series has gotten huge for a reason. It's action packed with fascinating characters, immersive world building, and it gives you endless discussion. I am currently only on the third book and on the enge of my seat.

5) The Millaneum Trilogy by Stieg Larsson-These books not only gave me such a fascinating character with Lisbeth but reminded me of why I enjoyed Noir fiction back in the day. It's sometimes hard to remember with the thriller genre being so littered with 2D characters and simple get it out in a month plots. I can't wait to read Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.

6) The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger-This series is just plain FUN. I pretty much fell in love from the first few pages when Alexia is attacked by a vampire and instead of wimpering like so many current heroines do, she gets irritated about the vampire inturrupting her food time and hits him with her parasol repeatedly. The characters and hilarious prose are what make this series for me.

7) The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins-What can I say about HG? It was the first set of books I fell in hardcore love with since Harry Potter. I read the first and it was pretty much all in for me since then.

8) The Percy Jackson series (and spin-offs) by Rick Riordan-Like HG I fell for this series pretty hard. I love the twists on mythology, the characters are awesome, the plot is suspenseful and it's just plain entertaining.

9) Insatiable by Meg Cabot-Well, a Cabot book was bound to show up here eventually. She is my favorite author after all. I just loved this book. It was a fabulously hilarious and lovingly mocking of the vampire craze. All done with Cabot's trademark humor and likeable characters.

10) Paranormalcy Trilogy by Kierstan White-This was a refreshing UF series. I haven't read the third yet (I literally have just bought it though so expect a review soon!) but I'm betting it'll be just as enjoyable as the first two. Evie was such a joy to read. I'm going to be sorry to see her go (but look forward to the shinyness that White has in store for us next).

Monday, August 20, 2012

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

TITLE: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Book 1 in a new series
AUTHOR: Ransom Riggs
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal, mystery
PREMISE: A boy investigates whether the stories about monsters that his grandfather told him are true.
MY REVIEW: When this came out, everyone and their mother was recomending it right and left. It got a movie deal, Entertainment Weekly was boasting about it, it was everywhere. Honestly though? I think it's pretty average paranormal du jour. Doesn't mean it's horrible. It's actually quite entertaining. But it does mean that I'm sort of scratching my head over why this became such a huge thing when there are tons of similar books like it out there. Really the only unique thing in here are the interesting photagraphs that go along with the story and the way the author tells the story.
But hey, like I said, it's entertaining. Granted the main character was kind of a priviledged whiny character for my taste but everyone else was interesting. I loved the idea of Miss Peregrine's school (even if it's slightly ripped off of X-Men) and the gifts were actually interesting. The heart of the story is also sweet and relateable even if it's not overly complicated. Writing wise...it's okay. I think the authors main strong suit is story-telling because there was a awful lot of telling instead of showing.
All in all you can definitely do worse then Miss Peregrine and I agree it's entertaining. I just don't understand why this was worthy of so much hype but then the hype machine and I have never seen eye to eye so there you go.
WHO SHOULD READ: boys, those who don't read much paranormal, X-Men fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five wtf photographs

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Stacking the Shelves: August 19th, 2012

I know I've been really bad about this meme (and others) lately. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Work and Real life have just interfered with blogging. Plus I only go to the library every other week and due to budget issues I'm not buying as many books as usual so some weeks I don't get any books.

Anyway, this is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews that tells people what new books we've gotten over the week.

Just the usual library haul this week:

Losers in Space by John Barnes. 2012 debut that I've literally heard nothing about. Hence my curiousity.

The Maze Runner Trilogy Book 3: The Death Cure by James Dashner-Mostly just reading to finish off the trilogy even though I honestly think it's gone down hill since the first book. I likely will not be bothering with the prequel which is out now.

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis. Another 2012 debut that I've heard very little about even though the summary makes it sound very interesting.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne. 2012 debut that is part of the awesome looking Fierce Reads tour. I read Struck and enjoyed that so I'm reading the others. This one sounds right up my ally.

Hourglass series Book 2: Timepiece by Myra McEntire. I wasn't as crazy about Hourglass as everyone else was. I don't know, it didn't overwhelm me. I got a kick out of it for sure. But I never got to the gushing point. I'm giving the series another shot though. Maybe the second book will make me a fan.

Revenants series Book 2: Until I Die by Amy Plum. While I wasn't in love with Die for Me, the plot and premise was interesting enough that I'm giving the author another shot. I just hope she takes it up a notch in the second.

Ripper Book 1: Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves. 2012 Historical debut. Presumingly about Jack the Ripper somehow.

Shade Trilogy Book 3: Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready. The conclusion to the fabulous Shade trilogy. Can't wait. I really wish this had gotten more buzz then it did. Oh well.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Book Review: Dreamless

TITLE: Dreamless
Book 2 in the Starcrossed series
AUTHOR: Josephine Angelini
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mythology twist, urban fantasy, drama
PREMISE: Helen continues her life as a Scion broken hearted now that she and Lucas can't be together. But then she meets Orion and quickly learns about big trouble brewing among the gods...
MY REVIEW: Starcrossed was a interesting read for me. I went into it with low expectations and wound up enjoying it much more then I thought I would. It isn't a perfect series (Lucas is a very problamatic boyfriend) but damn, it's entertaining and Angelini actually writes decently. The best way to describe this series is Percy Jackson combined with Twilight with a pinch of Mortal Instruments thrown in for good measure. Thankfully it's more PJ and MI then Twilight. The second book is just as enjoyable as the first book. Maybe more so because Orion is freaking AWESOME. Sorry y'all. Team Orion even if like with Lucas, I feel the romance developed too quickly. At least Orion is fun.
I will say, the incest in this annoys me even though I appreciate the fact that it looks like the author isn't making it just magically disappear by way of Mortal Instruments. Of course this is just the second book. I fully expect that come next book it'll somehow come out that they're not related and wind up together. I really really hope not. But...I'm pretty sure that's what will happen because this is mainstream YA. But author, if you decide not to go this route, I will adore you.
As a second book this did a good job: it dealt with consequences of the first book, it introduced new characters, created new dynamics, added in new plot points, and Helen became more independant which was very nice to see. There is still the cheese factor there of course but this is a enjoyable cheese. Can't wait for the next book. Bring on the war!
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that have read and liked Starcrossed, Percy Jackson fans, Twilight fans, Mortal Instrument fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five snarking Orions

Book Review: Storm Born

TITLE: Storm Born
Book 1 in the Dark Swan series
AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
PUBLISHED: 2008
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Faeries
PREMISE: Eugenie is a shaman who deals with faeries entering her world, for a price. Then she gets a case and it leads to her finding out about a prophecy that predicts her first born will have a great destiny...which leads to every faerie wanting to get into her pants.
MY REVIEW: First off, disclaimer: I love Richelle Meads stuff shamelessly and unrepentedly. Her books are my daily guilty pleasure crack. So...there's bias whenever I review her things. Admitedly I give her book series have a habit of all looking alike, she has formulaic plots, and they aren't terribly original. But they are damn entertaining.
I will say, this isn't my favorite series of hers. There are a few bad racial jokes in there that aren't funny (especially the thing with the roommate) and bug me. A lot. Usually she's good about that. The sex was definitely hot, hotter then most of these things, and as always: smoking hot male leads to fuel your fantasys. But the plot was sort of ho hum and predictable. There's still some interest though and I'll be reading more to see where she takes the first born thing. And for more hot sex scenes ;) Fifty Shades of Grey should take some pointers.
Basically I rec this for Richelle Mead fans and those like myself who are incurably addicted to the Urban Fantasy genre no matter how many times the genre burns us with bad books.
WHO SHOULD READ: UF fans, Richelle Mead fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five bad ass shamans

Book Review: Betrayal

TITLE: Betrayal
Haunting Emma series Book 2
AUTHOR: Lee Nichols
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal
PREMISE: Emma deals with the consequences of Cole's death as well as the idea that there may be a traitor in her mist.
MY REVIEW: So the Haunting Emma series is...fun. Not ground breaking, not best novel ever, but it is some entertaining stuff. If like me, you are addicted to the ghost genre and love paranormal romances, these books a fun distraction.
I will say the most annoying thing in the series is how often the author likes to use the "everyone against Emma card". I'm sorry this trope bugs me no matter who uses it. It's unrealistic and it's contrived and it's a lazy way to get your reader to sympathize with your character. It especially gets annoying when you have your main character try to help the people who are jerks to her like Emma did with Cole's two friends who frankly I found to be lousy. "Cole's death wasn't your fault? Oh sorry for tormenting you in school for weeks. Forgiven?" Really author? Really? These are people I want Emma to hang out with? Yeah, don't think so.
So the books are a bit mediocre but this is clearly a series that isn't aiming to be a bestseller. It's there to fill a niche for the paranormal romance genre. It does it's job well so I rec it for those looking for more ghost books.
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that read Deception, paranormal fans, ghost fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five ex dead boyfriends

Book Review: Devilish

TITLE: Devilish
AUTHOR: Maureen Johnson
PUBLISHED: 2006
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal, drama
PREMISE: Jane's best friend starts to change over night and she learns that her friend may have made a deal with a demon...
MY REVIEW: This is not one of Maureen's more well known books. I'm not even sure if people know it exists. I myself just picked it up in the library on a whim because I'm trying to read all of Johnson's stuff as she's really grown on me. I do see why it's not as popular as her usual stuff. It drags sometimes, the characters have their annoying moments, and the ending is a bit, what?
But I liked it. Jane is fun and sort of complicated and she's flawed. But I get where she's coming from. In a world full of whiny teenagers, she's refreshing. She bitches, but she doesn't play the woe is me my life is so horrible card that authors have their characters do nowadays (and which I find vastly annoying). It was nice seeing a plot about female friendship for a change and not centered around "who should I date?" or even saving the world. This wasn't your typical paranormal book.
That said, for every person that enjoys it there will be one that doesn't get it and that's understandable. It took me awhile to warm up to the book if I'm honest. Personally I felt the ending was rather unconclusive and left things wide open for a sequel (hint, hint, Johnson but only after you do your Name of the Star series).
WHO SHOULD READ: Maureen Johnson fans, Meg Cabot fans, paranormal fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five cupcakes

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Romances I Think Would Last in the Real World

This is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Romances I Think Would Last in the Real World:

1) Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling: First and foremost, these two started as friends. They have seen the worst and the best of each other. They know each other's baggage and accept it, they know each other's faults and work through it. They may be different but they also compliment each other. Ron and Hermione would seriously be that cute old couple you always see who are together and bickering but smiling through their bickering.

2) Michael Moscowitz and Mia Thermopolis from the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot: Well, I actually think most of Cabot's romances are handled well and realistically and would all work out well in the real world but especially Michael/Mia. He calms Mia the heck down, respects her, is honest with her (even if she maybe doesn't always appreciate the honesty), they recognize each other's faults, have fun together, etc. Michael is good for Mia and vice versa.

3) Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Probably on pretty much everyone's list. But for a reason. Austen made us see why these two work so well together in the book that I have no problem picturing them working out well realistically.

4) Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan: These two have a mutual respect for one another and are loyal. They may snark at each other but it's loving snark. While I bet the relationship would be one of those "having a arguement one moment, then making out the next" sort of things, it would be a long lasting relationship. Even if they broke up, I bet they'd remain friends.

5) George and Alanna from the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce: Again, mutual respect for one another. George gets Alanna and her goals and doesn't try and hold her back at all and Alanna likewise gets George and they don't try and change one another even if by simply being there fore each other they wind up changing (for the better) anyway.

6) Katsa and Po from The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy by Kristin Cashore: Well, I hate to repeat myself, but mutual respect. Are you sensing a theme? I tend to think this is a big thing in making relationships work. Both of them respect each other (yes, this took some time on Katsa's part but considering her past it's understandable), they spend time together and have fun, they help one another and don't try to keep the other from their goals. Po doesn't push Katsa into doing what she doesn't want to do and Katsa likewise respects Po's decisions about things.

7) Sophie and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: Let's face it, Howl is high maintenance. Sophie knocks him down a peg or two with affection but firmness because frankly he needs someone who will tell him he's wrong. Howl helps Sophie lighten up and have fun. They both teach other things, both actually like each other despite being different, and they help each other grow.

8) Peeta and Katniss from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: I don't care what people say about forced the love triangle (though I agree it was unneccessary). Peeta and Katniss would have been endgame with or without Gale being an idiot because they just work. I think they'd work just as well in the real world too, they'd just have lots of less angst.

9) Ethan and Lena from The Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margeret Stohl: Again, this is one of those couples who just help each other grow and have mutual respect. They like spending time together and are just very supportful of each other.

10) Lord Maccon and Alexia Tarabotti from the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger: Sometimes two people who are a lot alike can either have a bad relationship or a good one. This is an example of how it can make for a good relationship. Both Conall and Alexia are stubborn and set in their ways but their subtle differences balance each other as well. Like Ron/Hermione or Percy/Annabeth these two would probably spend just as much time bickering fondly as they would making out.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Book Review: Ghost Flower

TITLE: Ghost Flower
AUTHOR: Michele Jaffe
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mystery, drama
PREMISE: Eve gets approached by two rich teenagers who tell her she bears a uncanny resemblelance to their disapeared cousin who stands to inherit a fortune. They hatch a plot with her to get that money for themselves but as Even digs into the family history she wonders if the disappearance was really a disappearance...
MY REVIEW: Jaffe is one of those authors who I think is vastly underrated. Her Bad Kitty books are hilarious but also have interesting mysteries and Rosebush is a really interesting character/mystery piece that constantly keeps you guessing.
Ghost Flower is also a interesting mix of mystery/character study that keeps you on your toes till the end. I don't think it's as good as Rosebush but it still has the draw that keeps me coming back for more of Jaffe's writing (but seriously Jaffe, MORE BAD KITTY! I need to know what happened to the mom!). The ending is somewhat chaotic but still it has those twisty mysteries that I've come to expect and love from Jaffe.
WHO SHOULD READ: mystery fans, Pretty Little Liars/The Lying Game fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five heiresses with issues

Book Review: The Girl is Murder

TITLE: The Girl is Murder
Book 1 in the Girl is Murder series
AUTHOR: Kathryn Miller Haines
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical fiction, mystery, drama
PREMISE: In the 1940s Iris's life is upheaved after her mother's suicide. Her father, a detective has forbidden her to help with his business but when one of his cases involves one of the boys at her new school, she can't help but get involved.
MY RATING: Here's my conflict with this book: Quality wise, this book is high up there. The writing is good. The author manages to paint a really vivid and accurate picture of life during WWII and even doesn't shy away from some of the uglier aspects of life then (gasp! a author talking about racism! A main character who isn't Christian!). As a historical fiction novel, this gets a HUGE thumbs up from me.
However mystery wise...it's kind of a let down. While it is a honest portrayal, I can imagine quite a few readers reading what happened to Tommy and go "that's it? That's all I've been reading for?" Plus, Iris can really try your patience at times. I think she's a well fleshed out character, but she's also a rather bratty fleshed out character. The rest of the characters however were all interesting in their own rights and believeable though. I was especially interested in Iris's father.
However, I sort of feel maybe this is a lead in for more juicer stuff. I feel we haven't been given the whole story about Iris's mother and perhaps the mystery's in the future will be more exciting. This one was mostly about Iris proving to her father she can do the business. So I will be keeping an eye out for the second book out this year in the hopes that it takes the good stuff about this book and expands on it and makes the series more entertaining.
WHO SHOULD READ: Historical fiction fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of five for a series that has potential but not quite there yet.

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

TITLE: The Lovely Bones
AUTHOR Alice Sebold
PUBLISHED: 2006
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Drama
PREMISE: A girl gets raped and killed and watches her family cope with it from heaven.
MY REVIEW: It honestly makes me really confused about what becomes a bestseller and what does not. I just don't get it. I mean you have the Millaneum Trilogy which I get because Lisbeth is a fascinating character and the mysterys draw you in and all the characters are interesting in their own right and it has things to say. But then things like Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight make "phenomenons" and well...lets face it: there's no real quality there and while I understand teen girls eating up Twilight, I don't understand everyone else doing it as well. I just don't get why some good books become bestsellers and others get ignored, and why some bad books become bestsellers and others get rightfully ignored as they should. Then you have books like The Lovely Bones which are frankly just average but they become these huge things. Seriously book market, what the hell?
Because I'm sorry: Lovely Bones is just average. The most gutsy thing going on here is the rape scene. Once you get past that, it's the usual chick-lit drama that makes me go "Why? WHY should I care?" I mean, I applaud Sebold for tackling rape and painting it as what it is: a horrible crime. To all of you who complain about the rape scene making you uncomfortable: GOOD. It should make you uncomfortable. Rape is horrible thing even though I know todays culture makes that hard to believe, what with comedians who joke about women getting raped, and then proceed to get away with it and even have people defending them. Not to mention all the rapists who get away with their crime and even all the people who go as far as to blame the rape on the person who got raped. Rape is a crime. It's kind of refreshing seeing it painted as such for a change.
But that was seriously the only gutsy thing in here. The rest of it? BORING. Then to top it off: the rapist gets away with the crime. He is not punished at all. Oh and to send even further mixed messages, somehow (I do not get how at all) the girl who gets raped somehow lands in one girl's body as an adult and the first thing she does? Uses said body to have sex with the boy she crushed on in her teens. Wow, author. Um...what about the girl in question? I'm sure she may have objections to Susie using her body to have sex. Because you know, IT'S HER BODY. Especially wierd when one considers that Susie was a rape victem. Wouldn't she want to stay far away from sex? This whole ending made NO DAMN SENSE. Ultimately it made me wonder why the hell I bothered with the book in the first place if that was all you were going to end it with.
The writing is sound. It it had some interesting character ideas. The idea of heaven was vaguely interesting but really Christian of course (hence why this book has probably gotten the Christian seal of approval), but ultimately that's all this book was: a interesting concept that never really got off the ground. Honestly, this is what becomes a bestseller? Book market, you baffle me. You really do.
WHO SHOULD READ: I don't know, Christians? Those who are curious?
MY RATING: Three out of Five yawns

Book Review: Spying in High Heels

TITLE: Spying in High Heels
Book 1 in the High Heels mystery series
AUTHOR: Gemma Halliday
PUBLISHED: 2010
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Mystery, romantic comedy
PREMISE: Maddie has been living the high fashionista life but then discovers her boyfriend is in deep trouble and is not at all what he appears to be.
MY REVIEW: I was kind of expecting to like this more to be honest. I got a big kick out of Halliday's new YA series and when I saw this as a freebie I figured what the heck. Unfortunately this is no where near as charming as her YA series.
It's not bad or anything. If you're looking for a light cozy mystery series, this fits the bill. Unfortunately whereas the heroine in her YA series made me grin and actually had some brains, Maddie just made me want to bang my head against the wall with how dumb she was. It wasn't even a charming dumb like I think the author was going for, it was more of a "Are you serious? Are you sure this woman is a adult?" kind of dumb. Look, I don't expect all heroines to be Lisbeth Salander but for christ sakes, Maddie didn't even get that her boyfriend was a sleaze when it was pretty damn obvious after one conversation that was slimy. Then even after proof against him, she kept thinking up ways that he wasn't as bad as he seemed. UGH. I get she had circumstances but that just seriously annoyed me.
The mystery itself was...okay. Kind of obvious and anti-climatic really. I think this was written for more of the chick-lit crowd. I have nothing against chick-lit (I read Meg Cabot for crying out loud) but chick-lit can still have main characters who aren't ditzes. There were a few funny moments here and there but honestly, this book didn't really thrill me.
WHO SHOULD READ: Chick-lit fans.
MY RATING: Three out of Five shrugs

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Book Review: Taken by Storm

TITLE: Taken by Storm
Book 3 in the Raised by Wolves series
AUTHOR: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: werewolves, drama
PREMISE: The pack fights to survive against other packs who threaten them...
MY REVIEW: Well...that was unexpected and bravo Barnes for daring to take it that route. More and more I am puzzled as to why predictable series like Nightshade are more popular then this series. It makes me sad.
Now yes, there is some deus ex machina going on in here like there is with most of these things. I mean the MC's gift is still kind of eyebrow raising to be honest. But the author manages to make it work for me and it helps that she focuses more on the dynamics of the pack then the slightly convenient specialness of her main character. Because the character stuff in this series is top notch and one of the reasons I wish more people read this. This is proof that you can write entertaining fast paced YA novels and still have character development (without making it all about the romance).
For some reason I thought this was the last book of the series but with that ending...I really hope it's not the last because no way can the author leave it there. Though...I guess she could if she really wanted to be evil...But this just took this series up a notch in ways I wasn't at all expecting. Bravo Barnes even if I want to glare at you for where you left off. More please?
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that have read the first two books, werewolf fans, Nightshade fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five what the frak endings

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: August 8th

TITLE: Paper Valentine
AUTHOR: Brenna Yovanoff
RELEASE DATE: January 8th, 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal/mystery it looks like.
SUMMARY FROM PUBLISHER: The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record.  The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one.  Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders?  Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets.  She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.
WHY I'M EAGER: Yovanoff is one of those authors who is CREATIVE. This is frankly a rarity in YA. I don't think she gets enough due either because her books aren't the usual flavor that people are used to from today's YA. I can't wait to see what she does with the paranormal mystery genre. ;rubs hands in anticipation;
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Book Review: Silence

TITLE: Silence
Queen of the Dead series Book 1
AUTHOR: Michelle Sagara
PUBLISHED: 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal, romance
PREMISE: Emma finds out she's a necromancer and with that comes a whole lot of problems.
MY REVIEW: I'm on the fence with this series to be honest. Part of me was sort of annoyed by the usual suspects in it: love triangle with bad boy, oh look paranormal gift that makes MC special, slightly douchebag love interests who don't tell her crap she needs to know, etc. etc.
Another part of me however really found the world building cool. Plus it did its job and entertained me for a few hours. If one is into the paranormal thing, this definitely will give you your fix. The whole idea however is sort of hindered by the fact that you can really tell this is the authors first book.
I think I rec this for when you're in the mood for paranormal romance with not much mental requirement. I am curious to see where the author takes this. The series does have potential.
WHO SHOULD READ: Revenants series fans, paranormal romance fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five black dogs

Book Review: Ripple

TITLE: Ripple
AUTHOR: Mandy Hubbard
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mermaids, romance
PREMISE: Lexi has a dangerous secret that she is trying to keep under wraps so she doesn't hurt anyone again. Then a boy shows up at her lake..
MY REVIEW: You know what mermaid books? I'm done with you. Clearly this genre and me aren't meant to be because in all the mermaid books I've yet to have found one I've really liked. Most I'm indifferent too, the rest tend to annoy me to death with how juvenile they come accross as.
This one is no exception to the juvenile tone rule of mermaid books. Wow, could Lexi whine and angst with the best of them. Literally most of what I remember about this book was her constant emo attitude that made me groan so much that I couldn't enjoy the mildly interesting take on sirens. And really the only interesting thing in this book was the way the author went about sirens. The rest was pretty much boring boring BORING melodrama about characters I didn't even like.
The writing was passable but honestly this was just way too juvinile for my taste and I think even tweens would be bored to death with this. I still don't know what the point of it was. But it has made me realize that I just need to give up on mermaid books. Until someone writes a mermaid book that isn't aimed at the Disney Channel crowd or something then I just don't think these kinds of books are for me.
WHO SHOULD READ: Younger tweens who don't mind whining
MY RATING: Two out of Five yawns

Book Review: The Scorch Trials

TITLE: The Scorch Trials
Book 2 in the Maze Runner Trilogy
AUTHOR: James Dashner
PUBLISHED: 2010
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopian, adventure
PREMISE: Thomas and co. get out of the Maze but find more burning questions that need to be solved.
MY REVIEW: Look, I give The Maze Runner trilogy is exciting. There's this real need to know what happens next with it that came with books like Hunger Games so I do understand really why it's become popular. Plus, this is a good book for boys to read.
I just don't think it's brillaint. Characters aren't developed well (and in some cases they're stereotyped like Thomas's Spanish friend), I'm still vastly confused about what the point of it all is and what this series is trying to say, if it's saying anything at all. So while I do enjoy it and most certainly rec it...I've also read better.
But again, this is a good one for boys to read and those who are going through Hunger Games withdrawal. I do hope that rumored movie deal is true because I believe this would make a excellent film series.
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that read the first book, boys, Hunger Games fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five guns

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Book Review: Dying Bites

TITLE: Dying Bites
Book 1 in the Bloodhound Files
AUTHOR: D. D. Barant
PUBLISHED: 2009
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Urban fantasy, werewolves, vampires, mystery
PREMISE: Jace gets pulled from our world into a different universe where vampires, werewolves, and magical beings are abundance and humans are a dying breed. But she's not there for fun, she's been asked to catch a killer...
MY REVIEW: Now if Dead on the Delta is an example of how UF can be pretty damn average. This is an example of how to make your series stand out amongst the pack and create interest.
First off, Jace is an interesting and likeable protagonist. When she says she's an FBI agent, I believe her. The author uses first person POV effectively and makes me believe this is a tough FBI agent speaking. Second, the sending her to a alternate reality thing is again, used effectively. We aren't just told it's a alternate world, we're shown it. I can tell the author has sat and thought about how things would be different. Not just in the presance of magical creatures but in things like how government works, what's on TV, how music is different, etc. The MC and ourselves are reminded time and again that this world is different and it's great reading to see how much things have changed. Plus, there's a interesting mystery and villain! Not everything is black and white. This made for a nice change of pace in a world of straightforward UF.
See, not every Urban Fantasy has to be the same. This series proves that the genre isn't totally dead. If you are a adult urban fantasy reader who has become somewhat irritated with the same old, this might be a good change of pace for you. It still has the usual suspects in there of course, but it's well done.
WHO SHOULD READ: Urban fantasy fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five guns

Book Review: Dead on the Delta

TITLE: Dead on the Delta
Book 1 in the Anabelle Lee series
AUTHOR: Stacey Jay
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Urban fantasy, faeries, mystery
PREMISE: A female mystery sleuth gets caught up in a complicated mystery in a world where faeries exist.
MY REVIEW: The thing about adult UF is the books can be very hit or miss. As a whole most of these books are average, the thing that will make me or another reader want to read the book is usually a) We like the main character and find other characters interesting enough to want to spend more time with them or B) There's a larger plot going on that demands we read the next one. Hence why many of my UF reads tend to get rated average.
Dead on the Delta isn't really an exception. The MC is pretty average and not very memorable (or relateable), the mystery was average, I had trouble getting interested in it because it had that been there, done that feel that most of these series have.
So this one, like other urban fantasy series will depend solely on the reader in question. Some readers will like it, some will just not get into it. I rec it for those into southern style urban fantasy reads.
WHO SHOULD READ: Urban fantasy fans, Stacey Jay fans, mystery fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five faerie eggs