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! :)
Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley - kind of a contemporary fantasy/science fiction blend. Set in an alternate Earth, at a dragon preserve. Teen boy on his first solo overnight in the park finds a dead poacher, a dying dragon mother, and one live baby dragon. Story is set as the book the guy wrote about what happened. Was good, but not great. For great McKinley, read The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword, or Sunshine.
both: 100 books
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
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
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
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
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
The Fat Girl's Guide To Life by Wendy Shanker - Tired of the dieting mentality, Shanker decides to go after life at her current size and takes on society's prejudices, media, and medical 'experts' to show that you don't have to be thin to have a life. Lots of humor, lots of excellent points. There are better books on the subject, but Shanker kicks some butt here :)
(challenges: 100 books, A to Z)
Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde - How will you be remembered after you're gone? Velde's novella shows different points of view in each chapter as Raquel's classmates deal with the news of her death. Also seen are glimpses of her family, the witnesses to the accident, and the driver of the car that hit her. Short, but powerful - another hit by Velde.
(challenges: 100 books, A to Z)
Diana Tregarde Investigates by Mercedes Lackey - SFBC omnibus - includes Children of the Night, Burning Water, and Jinx High - 788 pages! Before Buffy or Anita Blake, Diana Tregarde was a Guardian, protecting good from evil, doing battle with the occult. Somewhat dated, but still kick-ass. Diana takes on psi-vamps, Aztec spirits possessing human bodies, and a sorceress targeting a friend's teenage son and in danger of waking a slumbering goddess. Burning Night really reminded me of LKH's Obsidian Butterfly - just without the gore.
(challenges: 100 books, A to Z, 888, Chunkster)
Replay by Ken Grimwood
Ever wonder what it would be like to live your life over again, while still knowing what you know now?
Jeff Winston gets to find out. He's 43, unhappy at work and at home. He's on the phone with his wife, when he dies. Then he wakes up in his 18 year old body in his college dorm with all his memories of the next 25 years intact. What changes should he make, what things should he do?
But when he hits that day again at 43, he dies again. And wakes up again. Replaying his life.
But during one replay, something new happens - he finds someone else who's replaying too. Can the two of them figure out what's going on? And what can they do with their knowledge of what's going to happen?
WInner of the 1988 World Fantasy Award.
The Man With the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green - nice mystery/fantasy mix
The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling - continuation of the Change series, with Rudi going to investigate Nantucket. Ends on a cliffhanger - argh!
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George - very fun story about a girl who finds her wish to become a dressmaker entangles her with dragons, a prince, and a battle for the kingdom. Aimed for a younger teen/upper elementary audience, but definitely for any age.
Fantasy: Fortune's Fool by Mercedes Lackey - a Five Hundred Kingdoms fairy tale - I like this series.
Teen: Undercover by Beth Kephart - a female Cyrano de Bergerac with a teen slant - very good.
Nonfiction: The Big Book of Cross-Stitch Design by the Reader's Digest Association - lots of nice designs
Betty Crocker's Soups and Stews - I'm trying to get back into cooking good things :)
Southern Living Slow-cooker Cookbook - and into using the crockpot - I copied some recipes, now I just have to try them :)
a very slow reading month - only 11 books, but raises my total to 243 for the year.
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
another funny. I like Moist and I am soooooo a Vetinari fangirl :)
Bitterwood by James Maxey
This one is actually a fantasy with a science fiction background. It starts off on an Earth ruled by dragons, where humans are slaves or pets. Bitterwood is a dragonkiller, out for vengeance against the creatures who killed his family. Then the story expands into a post-apocalyptic world where the dragons' "Magic" is shown to be science - human created science. Definitely not the average dragon story. I enjoyed it, but found parts lacking - I think I wanted to see the "after" part of the story, where the dragons and humans were more on an equal footing. No idea if he's planning on writing that or not.
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - an unhappy boy slips away into a fairy tale-type world, where the tales tend to be more on the dark side. Much better than my description.
Horror/graphic novel:
Guilty Pleasures, Volume 1 by Laurell K. Hamilton - wanted to see how they were adapting it, but probably won't continue since I have the books.
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