Sunday, July 31, 2011

Books Read in June/July

I know, I know...I didn't post my June reads. I'm well aware of that. Suffice it to say I was busy with other things (Aspergers does not allow for interference when it raises its ugly head). So, without further ado.

The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin (5 Stars)
The last in the series by Jennifer, who passed away before the book was released. Its a wonderful end to Jaz and Vayle's adventures. I highly recommend this entire series. It has humor, adventure, action, romance and a kick-ass heroine who's both a sociopath and a caring friend. Must own.

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (5 Stars)
The latest in the Kate Daniels series. What can I say about this one? Kick-ass heroine, shapeshifting hotties (Curran is melt in your mouth delicious - lol), adventure, action, romance, an amazing world, scary scary vampires...its just wonderful. Another must own.

Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay (5 Stars)
Another fantastic book. First in a series. I blogged about it already, so go back and read what I had to say. Troubled heroine with serious issues, fascinating world, action, angst. Must own.

Afterlight by Elle Jasper (3 Stars)
This was an interesting book with some issues. Riley Po is a tattoo artist who's brother Seth is becoming a vampire. She had to turn to a vampire to help save him. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It had all the right elements. My biggest problem with it was Gullah (if you've read it, you'll know what I mean). I swear, if I had to read that word one more time I would have screamed.  Gullah this, Gullah that, Gullah Gullah Gullah. Ack. Don't get me wrong, its a good first book. Although Riley tended to piss me off at points, I still intend to read the sequels.

Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh (4 Stars)
Elena is a hunter. Her latest mission? To hunt down a rogue Archangel. This brings her into contact with Raphael, another Archangel who's sexy and dangerous himself. Interesting world, badass heroine, action, and just a little drop of romance. I thought Raphael was a bit of a dick, but I'll definitely be reading the sequels to this...in fact, they're already added to my TBR pile.

Stripped by Marcia Collette (3 Stars)
I wasn't a huge fan of this book - I bought it on my e-reader for dirt cheap. I liked the storyline, but I thought the characters were underdeveloped and things just didn't gel perfectly for me. Still, for the price, its okay.

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells (5 Stars)
I love Sabina Kane. She's an awesome heroine. Sensitive, badass, a little lost. Her grandmother is a total bitch. And I love Gighul (a demon watching shopping channels cracked me up). I've read this one before - its the first in a series (which I also give 5 stars), but I just felt like reading it again. Must own.

The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan (5 Stars)
This is the final book in a trilogy. Anyone who follows my blog knows I had a bitch of a time finding this book. I don't know why but none of the bookstores around me carried it. It's a damn fine series, so that just pisses me off. This book is told from the perspective of Sin, a dancer in the Goblin Market. The books center around two brothers, Alan and Nick, and their fight to survive the mages that would like to see them dead. I'm not telling any more than that, because these books should be read and savored. They're YA, but they're not dumbed down. Must own. Even if you have to hunt for them...

A Shot in the Dark by K.A. Stewart (5 Stars)
The second installment in the Jesse James Dawson series. Jesse is a husband, father, friend and modern day samurai who fights demons to get people out of contracts made with them. I LOVE this series. I love Jesse. He hurts. He fights. I can't help but think of a Yoda poster I bought my son. "Do or do not. There is no try." Jesse gets in there and does it, no matter the cost to himself. An absolute must own series. Buy it. Buy copies for your friends.

Dead Iron by Devon Monk (6 Stars)
Steampunk meets western meets urban fantasy meets horror meets....well, hell, this is an amazing book. Cedar is a tortured hero - turned werewolf by a god, forced to rid the world of the Strange. Think evil dark steampunk fae with monstrous hungers. What can I say about this story except its original, scary, smart, and thoroughly engrossing. I don't like westerns. And while I love steampunk, I find a lot of steampunk books hard to read. This book hooked me. I loved it. A must own.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (6 Stars)
Clare and Sam are two teens torn apart by the fact that they're both werewolves. Sam can't stop shifting. Clare has never shifted. These books are an emotional rollercoaster ride. They're traumatic. They're engrossing. I cried. I threw the 2nd book across the room at the end. They'll rip out your guts, spit them on the floor and not give a shit. Forever is the satisfying, if a little bit heartbreaking, end to the trilogy. These are not only a must own - I recommend you get the hardcovers. Because you're going to want to read them again and again. Wow.

Viper Moon by Lee Roland (3 Stars)
I wish I could say I enjoyed this book. To some extent I did. Parts of it worked for me. Other parts, not so much. The world is interesting. The storyline is excellent. I like the main character when she's kicking ass and hunting bad dudes. I like the two male interests (Michael is fascinating and Flynn is just sweet). Here's my issue...You meet a guy, fuck him and all of the sudden - less than 24 hours have passed - he's your boyfriend and you're declaring undying love for each other? What??! Not only that, but Cass (the heroine), is constantly bitching and moaning about how every little thing that happens means he's going to leave her. She hasn't known him a day!! I tried to pretend they'd known each other longer to get through the story. Frustrating, but worth reading.

Desdaemona by Ben Macallan (4 Stars)
I'm actually only half-way through with this book, but I love it. I might even upgrade to 5 stars if it continues to impress. Jordan is a 17 year old boy - he's been 17 for a long time, but I don't know how long yet. He finds kids and returns them home. And he has 6 fingers on one hand. Desi is a teenage girl - only she's not anymore, really - she's a daemon. She hunts down Jordan to help her find her sister, who's gone missing during her servitude to something. I'm not sure if its the devil or something else yet. Written from Jordan's perspective, it is brilliantly done in little snippets of connections. I can't wait to see what happens....

 ,...and since I want to get back to it, so that I can finish it today, that is the end of my list. Two months. A total of 13 books. Pathetic. But they were, for the most part, highly entertaining and well written books. Go forth. Read. Over and out.

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