Death's Head: Maximum Offense by David Gunn - Sven Tveskoeg is back and just as deadly as ever, as he and his unit of misfits and rejects head to the artifical world of Hekati on a rescue mission. - with a new commanding officer, a greenhorn colonel who's never been in combat. When the mission turns out to be fake, Sven wonders if he's being set up. Wouldn't be the first time. Violent, anti-anyone but his unit, 98.2% human, Sven is a seriously bad-ass soldier with a serious attitude problem. Hmmm, my kind of guy.
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip - Copied from amazon.com: In tone more gothic horror than straight fantasy, this somber novel lacks a clear protagonist, each character being more intent on finding his or her own path than fighting any clear battle. But the fine prose is nothing less than what one would expect from a World Fantasy Award winner, while the detailed portraits of the dying city coupled with the gloomy attitude of its citizenry are quite chilling. I copied it because that describes it better than I would ever be able to. I always love McKillip's work, but found this one less accessible than usual. (100 books, A to Z, BA)
Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson - this, on the other hand, was funny, romantic, hot and a lot of fun to read. A true crime writer goes back to her childhood home to write a book about a small town love triangle that went bad. The twist is one of the deceased was her mother. She meets the hot guy - he's the son of the man her mother was having an affair with. They click big time - until he finally finds out her real identity.
Small town secrets, fiery sparks, witty banter - and a kitten! :)
The Barrens and Others by F. Paul Wilson - Another collection focused more on the creepy and suspenseful, though Wilson does do gory. Some stories related to comic books and a couple of screenplays. And Repairman Jack. Good stuff. (A to Z)
both: 100 books
Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews - delightful Southern chicklit with a foodie edge. Gina Foxton's health conscious cooking show gets canceled when the sponsor finds his wife in bed with Gina's producer/boyfriend. But the producer/now ex-boyfriend finds them a chance for a new show. But the Cooking Channel is also interested in another local area show with a male chef, called Vittles. Sparks fly between Gina and Tate - and the show sponsor dreams up a way to drum up interest in the new show - a Top Chef Survivor kind of reality show, where Gina and Tate will compete to find ingredients and cook for judges. But things really start cooking between Gina and Tate :) Fun, flirty, and hungry making, but her other novels were better. Go to the library or wait on the paperback.
The Third Circle by Amanda Quick - newest book in the Arcane Society series - chronologically the second, fourth written. Leona Hewitt has the paranormal power to work with crystals, meets up with Thaddeus Ware, a formidable hypnotist, while both are trying to steal the same crystal from a antiquities collector. A murdered prostitute and a poisonous vapor complicate things, as does the attraction between them. Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz - frothy fun. This series is written under both names, Victorian times under Quick, current time frame under Krentz - so far, two each. (A to Z)
The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky - On a rainy night, Deborah Monroe and her daughter Grace are driving home, when a man comes out of nowhere and the car hits him. The man turns out to be Grace's history teacher and later dies. Grace was driving, but Deborah sends her home to look after her younger brother, who's alone, and never mentions that fact to the police, who assume she was the driver. It's a interesting premise, but most of the characters felt very flat and cliched - angsty teen, stern father, black sheep sister, etc. I did like the sister, but the best part was the relationship between Deborah and Tom, the victim's estranged brother. *That* felt more like the Delinsky stories I've read and enjoyed. Readable, but forgettable. (EMAH, BAM - the Book A Month theme was mothers, so I chose Mother's Day as the holiday for Every Month a Holiday)
all books: 100 books (currently at 85)
Cauldron by Jack McDevitt - A failing space program gets a boost from a new star drive and two veteran pilots get to return to deep space to test the drive and investigate some mysterious space objects. Vague description, I know :) but the detail is too long. Book is readable and enjoyable, but has very little zip (I was going to say 'drive', but decided not to go there). Very slow throughout, and then the main mystery of the omegas is handled very quickly. For fans mostly.
The Exchange Student by Kate Gilmore - Talk about a foreign exchange student! Fen is an alien from Chela, one of nine teen Chelans sent to Earth to live with human families and learn about life here. 16 year old Daria isn't thrilled to have Fen come into her home, but when she realizes he is as much an animal lover as she is, she opens up. She is a registered zookeeper, helping to breed endangered animals. But Fen and friends do have an ulterior motive. Which, thankfully, isn't the cliched 'eating humans' motive - though, at points, I did wish it was(Daria's sister is a stereotypical fashion fanatic teenager). Nice stuff about animals and ecological disasters. (YAC)
Tracing the Shadow by Sarah Ash - Plot is extremely complex. Interesting characters, nice magical feel with some very different types of magic. Some good action, but loads of explication. Almost too many characters. Felt like more of a setup for the next book(s). Would be interested in the next one and in her other books. Good writing.
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau Wilce - First the purely silly - great cover to the hardback and I love the author's first name (yes, I'm a Ladyhawke fan & a Guy Gavriel Kay fan). Another complex plot, with good characters, with way too much explication as compared to the action. Some very inventive, original ideas that could have used some better editing. But would be interesting in at least looking at the next one. (YAC)
all books: 100 books
Legends by LIFE Magazine - photographs of legendary people and quotations about them by other famous people. Some nice pictures and quotes. (888, BAM)
The Quotable Star Wars - quotations from the original trilogy. Cute. Has a few photographs. (A to Z, 888)
all books: 100 books
Endless Blue by Wen Spencer - A missing ship's warp drive reappears and on a mission to find out where it came from, a new world and new aliens are found, along with a possible way to stop the war going on back in the rest of the universe. That is the short, uncomplicated version :)
The long version is *very* complicated - and the new world is confusing, but this has great characters. Real, flawed, confused and absorbing.
both: 100 books, A to Z
The Pub Challenge (see sidebar to the right) rules were to read 8 books published in 2008. Duma Key and Sizzle and Burn were my first two and I read the last six this month :) The first 4 of them were the new entries into great series, the 5th is an author I've read a lot, and the 6th was an ARC I got from LibraryThing.
Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker - Jesse Stone finds himself helping an old foe save a young girl from her gangster father and a gangbanger boyfriend. Reminds you of April Kyle & Paul Giacomin in the Spenser series. Not his best, but a nice familiar kind of read.
Nightshade by Susan Wittig Albert - Albert shakes up the usual China Bayles storyline by alternating characters this time between China and her PI husband as they delve into the recent murder of her newfound half-brother and the decades old death of her father. Finishes up a story arc began a couple of books ago. A cozy, with lots of interesting tidbits about herbs.
Small Favor by Jim Butcher - the new Dresden File! Weee! The Winter Queen, Mab, is calling in one of her favors - she wants Harry to rescue someone. And that someone is Gentleman Johnny Marcone, who's been taken by unknown magical forces. But the Summer Queen is opposed and sends opponents after Harry. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Winter Study by Nevada Barr - Park Ranger Anna Pigeon returns to an old post for a winter wolf study, as her current Rocky Mountain post may get its own pack of wolves soon. But soon after her arrival, the packs start acting strangely - as do several of the study group members. After one woman is killed - apparently by a pack - Anna's investigation places her directly in the line of fire and the question nearly becomes which one will kill her - the wolves, the cold, or one of the group. Kind of a 'locked door' mystery. Excellent entry into an excellent series.
Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark - 10 years ago, Carolyn's older brother Mack left his college dorm - and was never seen again. But he called every year on Mother's Day just to say he was okay. This year Carolyn's anger gets the best of her and she decides to find Mack. But someone close to her doesn't want Mack found. Good premise, kinda dull presentation. Clark's last couple of books have felt tedious to me - it's still readable, but ultimately I didn't really care.
The Last Oracle by James Rollins - not really any info at the amazon.com page - the book doesn't come out until July. I snagged an Early Reviewer's copy from LibraryThing :) A think tank of world scientists have been experimenting for years on ways to manipulate and enhance the abilities of autistic children with savant talents. But a rogue group within have different experiments going - with the plan of creating a world prophet for the new millennium, which will rise out of a manufactured disaster. SIGMA Force commander Gray Pierce races to stop the disaster and save the children, but to do that he must first solve a mystery that dates back centuries to the Greek Oracle of Delphi. I hadn't read any of the other SIGMA Force books, but will look them up. Reads in the manner of Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, and Dan Brown. Nonstop action. The afterword where Rollins points out his research is very interesting. (A to Z)
All books: 100 books
Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies by Kurian, Thompson & Davidson - the usual "Dummies" stuff, fun yet informative.
Sex For One by Betty Dodson - very open, positive book about masturbation. Originally published in the late 70's/early 80's and has a definite "conciousness-raising" kind of vibe, but, then again, that's what it's trying to do. (A to Z, 888)
The Forbidden Body by Shelley Bovey - subtitle is "Why Being Fat Is Not a Sin". Bovey addresses lots of issues about why it does seem to be a sin, pointing out many of the myths and assumptions about fat and the unrealistic body images that people have today. Flawed, but passionate - informative and kind of depressing. (888)
The first two books and the last one seem very contradictory :) Being a very overweight person, I'm contemplating having the lap-band surgery for health reasons, but I still think fat people are treated horrendously in our society and am always looking for information to use to counter all misconceptions.
All books: 100 books
Ragamuffins by Tobias Buckell - sequel but much more typically SF. Spaceships and guns :) The aliens who control most of the galaxy have decided that humans need to be eliminated. Humans, of course, fight back. A young woman, Nashara, has been implanted with a virus that could help take down the computer networks of the aliens' minions - but her survival afterwards is uncertain. The two books connect when the wormholes between the worlds are reopened, allowing the planet on one end and the ships on the other to seek help from each other. I'll be looking for more from Buckell definitely!
The Service of the Sword by David Weber et. al - a Worlds of Honor story collection. I love Honor Harrington and her universe. Several excellent military sf authors offer up stories. Good stuff.(888)
The Night Room by E.M. Goldman - A group of high school students are offered a chance to to participate in "Argus", a VR program that lets you see yourself 10 years in the future at their high school reunion. The only problem is that one of them isn't alive. So the group decide to try to stop one's future death, which may have been planned by a vengeful computer hacker. Characters start off fairly stereotypical, but develop real personalities as the story goes on. Entertaining, but not essential. (YAC)
all books: 100 books
A Homecoming For Murder by John Armistead - Sheriff Bramlett is looking forward to spending some quality time with his grandson, but work interferes. The body of a male school teacher is found murdered in a graveyard - and it turns out the deceased wasn't the nicest guy, which makes for lots of suspects. Bramlett is especially concerned as his grandson may have seen and been seen by the murderer leaving the scene. More of a procedural than a thriller, lots of homey small town touches, and several side plots make a nice solid read. (A to Z)
Mission Canyon by Meg Gardiner - I got this one and the first Evan Delany based on a rave review by Stephen King. Not sure I like them quite as much, but they are good. Evan's lover Jesse was paralysed below the waist in the same hit and run that killed his best friend several years ago. Now it looks like the driver, who fled the country, is back. But his return stirs up more than Jesse and Evan - a computer company, a Russian mobster, and the Feds are all putting pressure on Evan and Jesse to make them stop hunting the driver or else. (888)
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - School shooting aftermath. I liked it - and I didn't. Some of the characters were very well done - a good look into the effect bullying can have. Some of the characters were just caricatures (and were meant to be) and were irritating in a way that made it easy to put the book down. And it felt tedious. Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin was better.
all books: 100 books
Nameless Night by G.M. Ford - I really liked this - the main character has no memories of who he is, except for a name. And when that name is sought out on the web for information, the government shows up and comes down hard on whoever was looking. It's a fairly standard conspiracy thriller, but I like Ford's work. (A to Z)
The Murderer's Club by P.D. Martin - The psychic part was a bit annoying, but it was nice that the character wasn't thrilled with her abilities and was reluctant to use them. The murderer's club idea I really liked. Need to find the first book in the series, but not having read it wasn't a problem - some references, but fairly well standalone.
Double Cross by James Patterson - Another good Alex Cross book - I like these so much more than his collaborations. Not as tight a story as some of the earlier ones, but still a page-turner.
all books: 100 books
Red As Blood by Tanith Lee - twisted fairytales - some of the famous tales with wicked twists - such as a perfectly good stepmother, whose stepdaughter *reeks* of evil.
Chicks In Chainmail - warrior women, chicks with swords. Funny, fluffy. (A to Z)
all books: 100 books, 888
Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson - lots of fun - combination of a coming-home story and chicklit, but much better than that. Arlene made a deal with God - she'd leave Alabama and stop lying and fucking if God would make sure Jim Beverly's body was never found. Nine years later, it looks like God may have broken his part of the deal, so Arlene's heading home, planning her lies, and deciding to go ahead and have sex with her African-American boyfried before she introduces him to her lily-white family.
You've Been Warned by James Patterson & Howard Roughan - it's weird - I find the Alex Cross books *so* much better than any of the books Patterson cowrites (I have the new one to post about). This one, while readable, is time I'll never get back.
both: 100 books, A to Z
End of Feb: 36 books, Authors needed: ABDEQRTUXYZ, Titles needed: BCEHJKNOQUVWXZ
I wouldn't call it his 'best', but it's definitely one of his better ones. (The Pub challenge)
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz - A golden retriever is rescued from an abusive owner by Amy Redwing and her architect boyfriend Brian McCarthy. Nickie becomes a key figure in a twisted duo's plan of sadistic revenge. I enjoyed it, but didn't think it was his best (actually one of his bests includes a dog too - Watchers).
A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen - Nice and twisty procedural thriller. Hannah's present as a crime scene investigator comes into conflict with her past as a survivor of a female/male serial killer team - the female leader was her mother. Now it looks like her mother may not be dead, so Hannah reopens the case. I can't believe such a thing would be allowed, but, hey, it's fiction - and good. (A to Z)
The Intruders by Michael Marshall - Go read the summary at Amazon - it's too complicated :) Kinda X-Files, kinda twisty thriller - requires a fair suspension of disbelief, but good writing and characters. (A to Z)
all books: 100 books
Sizzling by Susan Mallery - 3rd in th Buchanan series. Fun fluff. (A to Z)
Getting Rid Of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie - more fun fluff - hardcover reprint of older paperback original.
Tempting by Susan Mallery - 4th in the Buchanan series. More fun fluff.
all: 100 books
edited 2/28/08 to add third book.
Gold Unicorn - sequel to Black Unicorn. Tanaquil is pressed into service under her half-sister, the Empress, and gives life to the gold unicorn, a war machine. Probably would have helped to re-read the other first. Lovely writing, but just didn't grab me. (888 challenge A to Z)
both: 100 books
The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight) by Joss Whedon - Buffy after the activation of all the slayers. Graphic novel. Nice. (A to Z)
Sinfest by Tatsuya Ishida
Life Is My Bitch by Tatsuya Ishida
Both of these are comic collections of the web comic Sinfest - which I love. Slick, Monique, God, the Devil... great stuff.
all books: 100 books
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - I enjoyed this (not surprised as I usually like Pfeffer's work) - a meteor hits the moon and knocks it closer to Earth, resulting in catastrophic climate changes. Told journal-style, teenager Miranda tells of life after the strike - the fear, the hoarding of supplies, and dealing with life and family in the face of possible death. (YAC challenge, A to Z)
Strays by Ron Koertge - was good. 16 year old Ted is placed in foster care after the death of his parents. Ted is used to spending most of his time with animals - his dad owned a pet store and they had lots of pets. Now he's at a new inner-city school, dealing with all new people and trying to deal with his parents' deaths. Nice side element of Ted talking with animals and how his new life affects that. (A to Z)
Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White - Oh, man, I was so jazzed to find out this book had come out - I love the President's Daughter series. Meg is close to the edge after her kidnapping ordeal and the follow-up medical ordeals to fix her hand and knee. Feeling trapped at the White House, she decides to go ahead and go off to college, where she finds things aren't much easier - the Secret Service invasion hasn't endeared her to her dorm mates and the papparazzi annoy them all; her health issues continue; plus there's getting to know new people and the whole college experience. Meg is a great character and White tells a great story. (YAC challenge, A to Z)
Dark Congress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by Christopher Golden - An ancient goddess is released and the Dark Congress convenes to determine whether demons will continue to live in the shadows or come out into the open to prey upon humans. Old grudges will be brought to the table and the demons will need an arbiter. And they have chosen - Buffy Summers. Fun.
Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels - Josh was a designer baby - born so his stem cells could be used to save his older brother Max, who was dying of cancer. Now Max is in jail, charged with murder. Is Max guilty? And if he is, is it Josh's fault? Something in his genes? The dead girl's sister seems to think so. Good thriller - interesting look at genetic engineering, also gaming (title refers to a game all four kids play)
Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson - meh. Readable, but kind of predictable. Maybe because I didn't go to my prom? (and don't feel I missed out on much) It's fun fluff, with some more mature issues (sex and drugs). It might pair well with the movie Pretty In Pink - man, James Spader was so delightfully nasty :) (A to Z, YAC)
all books: 100 books
edited 2/28/08 to add last book
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld - Second in the Uglies trilogy. Tally has become a pretty and has forgotten much of her time in the Smoke. But a party crasher leads her to a hidden stash: 2 pills and a letter from herself, written while still ugly. She and new boyfriend Zane each take a pill and then try to get the other pretties in their group to remember and to challenge the status quo. Definitely have to read in order, but a very good follow-up - now I have to get Specials and Extras. (challenge: YAC)
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz - Paranormal romantic thriller. Raine is settling her late aunt Vella's estate when psychic sensibilites lead her to find a bound, kidnapped young woman in a padlocked room in the basement. Entering her life immediately after is P.I. Zack Jones, also a sensitive, who asks for her assistance. They have an immediate connection, but there is a huge complication - he works for the Arcane Society, the group she blames for her father's death. And his offer of letting her have copies of her father's case file are enhanced by the idea of working with someone who understands and shares her abilities. I love Krentz (and her alter ego Amanda Quick) - zippy dialogue, quick action, speedy plots - she'd fall into the guilty pleasures category, except that I don't feel guilty about reading :) (challenge: Pub)
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain - With shades of Silence of the Lambs, Cain's detective Archie Sheridan is in charge of a regrouped task force charged with finding the killer of several local teen girls. His investigation is complicated by the addition of a reporter and his weekly visits to Gretchen Lowell, an incarcerated serial killer with whom he has an intense personal connection - he was to be one of her victims, but instead she let him live and torments him with the prospect of more bodies. Cool :) Archie is a great protagonist and Lowell is one serious deranged individual.
The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Bob Lee Swagger finds himself in Japan, delivering a sword taken as a prize of war during WWII, to the son of the man his father fought during battle. Bob Lee really likes Philip Yano and his family and is stunned to find out that they've all (except the youngest girl) been slaughtered soon after he left. Bob Lee immerses himself into the world of the samurai, determined to avenge the Yano family. I agree with reviews that Bob Lee's swordsmanship requires total destruction of believeability, but I thought the passion of the man believeable and the samurai and sword lore was excellent.
(challenges all books: 100 books, A to Z)
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