Friday, January 15, 2010

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

This is a series debut for Harrison she is usually an Adult writer and this is the first in a YA series. I have to say it's definitely put together like a Harrison book. The heroine is a strong, take care of herself and everyone else around her type and the plot has lots of twist and turns to it. Just when you think you know where the story is going she swings it in another direction. Madison Avery was murdered but she's still there by choice? fate? She has stolen an amulet that make her appear alive and well. She is being assisted by light angels and hunted down by dark angels. Definitely a fun and interesting read. I kind of wish it was one of her adult series because her adult books average 400 pages and take a day or two to make it through. This took me an afternoon and I was done. I have to say she has a great way of ending books though. Where you want more of the story but don't feel like you walked away in the middle of a conversation and left hanging. Can't wait until the next installment to this series!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

This series was a lot of fun! The only thing I was disappointed was that some books are told by one character and some of the others are told by others.I'm not a big fan of books that change POV it usually turns me off a series. The books told by Elena Michaels are AWESOME. I really like her as a character. I'm not really sure what it is about her that I like so much because all the characters are strong women. Armstrong is very good at highlighting the strengths of some of the "weaker" characters. For instance Elena is a werewolf, the only female, and she is strong both in mind and body. She is very well educated and knows how to command attention. On another hand, Jaime is a necromancer and other than being able to talk to and see the dead she has no other power. She's not physically strong but she is of strong mind (rare for a necromancer according to Armstrong). None of these books need to be read in order. There are few references to the other books but Armstrong does a pretty good job of summarizing whatever she references. This also gets my recommendation. The only ones I don't HIGHLY recommend are Haunted (it was Eh), Personal Demon and Living with the Dead (I didn't care for Hope Adams)

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed

This is another keeper on my bookshelf. Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a shape-shifter who lives in a world that could be the real world if it had werewolves, fae and vampires in it.She is an auto mechanic that was raised by werewolves. It's definitely an Urban Fantasy. There are some suspenseful type parts through the series that really draw you in. Patricia Briggs is another author that doesn't give too much detail. If possible I think that she could give a little more details in some areas. They are all quick reads. There aren't a lot of dramatic parts. I think the biggest dramatic aspect is the love triangle that starts in Moon Called and isn't really settled until Bone Crossed but then picks up another triangle towards the end. I recommend this series. The next book in the series "Silver Borne" is to be released February 2010.

I'm waiting to read the Alpha and Omega series by Briggs until there are a few more books in the series.

The Hollows by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking
The Good, the Bad and the Undead
Every Which Way but Dead
A Fistful of Charms
For a Few Demons More
The Outlaw Demon Wails
White Witch, Black Curse

This series was recommended to me by a friend. I really like it. It's a little slow in the beginning but I have decided most series (Night Huntress excluded) take me a couple of books to really get hooked. I say the first few chapters of Dead Witch Walking were slow and kinda like "ok where are we going" but it clears up and the story starts to play out. I have to say my fav book in the series was Every Witch Way but Dead (3rd in the series). Though most of the books in the series dont leave you hanging in a climax (only one, White Witch, Black Curse does) it's best you read them in order so you know the history. My fav character in the series is, by far, Al. Rachel is also a pretty well put together character. She has a ironic and sarcastic sens of humor which I find hilarious. I think the only character that I don't really care too much for is Ivy. Jenks is a riot! You'll laugh and cry (and cry laughing) through this series. The next in the series Black Magic Sanction is due to be released in March 2010 for HC and April 2010 for PB. This is another book I can't wait to read!

On another note. Kim Harrison's suggestions have made me read a lot of the books I have and all of which she recommended I have liked as well.

Author's website:
http://www.kimharrison.net

Some of my favs

Night Huntress Novels by Jeaniene Frost
Halfway to the Grave
One Foot in the Grave
At Grave's End
Destined for an Early Grave

I gotta say that this is a series I ABSOLUTELY adore. It includes all the makings of a well put together series. It has a good plot in EVERY book, there is no wait and make you see what happens a year from now. It has GREAT characters. Cat is a strong, independent woman who ,though occasionally she needs saving, she doesn't sit back whining about how no one is saving her. I tend to like strong heroines in my stories, someone I can admire. "Bones" or Crispin is swoon worthy and again a very well put together character. I HIGHLY recommend this series. I picked Halfway to the Grave up at Border's one day and bought it based on the cover art. So who ever said dont judge a book by it's cover? I also have to make a comment about Frost's writing style. She has a way of not over-doing it. She adds enough detail to where you could easily picture the scene playing out in your head without drowning you in detail. She also doesn't add anything that isn't pertinent to the storyline. If it's in there it's need to know. I have read this series over and over again and I never tire of it. I still laugh at the innuendos and the little jokes and I REALLY cant wait until her next book is released just because I love it that much. Also, in Feb 2010 she has a spin off series being released I recommend you reading this one first just so you can get to know all the characters.

Author's website:
http://www.jeanienefrost.com

My Book List

So I get asked a lot for book recommendations, I think I'll turn this blog into my personal book criticism blog. If you like Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy or what some consider Horror you will probably find this list more appealing. I tend to like books about a world that doesn't exist(though if it's Urban Fantasy, I like the fact they write it like it could). I've decided that I deal enough with reality if I'm reading I want to escape to a place that isn't!

Some of my favorite authors include:

Jeaniene Frost- LOVE LOVE LOVE her writing style.
Kim Harrison- another HUGE fav of her writing style
Karen Chance
Keri Arthur
Kelley Armstrong
Vicki Petterson

Series that I recommend by these authors are Night Huntress(Frost), The Hollows(Harrison), Cassandra Palmer(Chance), Riley Jenson, Guardian (Arthur), Women of Otherworld (Armstrong) Signs of the Zodiac (Petterson)

Demons Not Included by Cheyenne McCray
is another book I enjoyed but it's the 1st in a series that just began in 2009. I recommend this book though it was a lot more entertaining than some of McCray's other books. McCray is usually a romance author that really likes to write the raunchy romances. The only reason I trudged through her Magic series is that I like the underlying storyline. I just skipped through all the smut.

I recently finished the Vampire Diaries and have to say it was horrible. I really dont like to read YA series but I have been watching the TV series and since typically the books are better than the movies/TV shows I thought it would be a great read. I hate it when I'm wrong! The screenwriter for the TV series had a better idea of who these characters should be. He gave them more depth than Smith and overall gave more importance to the right details compared to Smith. I understand it seems to be a rule that if you are a YA author you MUST describe everything in such detail but, hey, if it has nothing to do with the plot leave it out. Really, I don't need to know the color of everything the character sees unless somehow it's important to the plot or an event down the line. The best written part of this series was the ending not because it was the end but that is where Smith really pulled out the big guns. She didn't over describe anything, she kept focus as to what was important, I was feeling for the characters and could easily picture everything that went on. I was even crying. I dont recommend this series at all and I'm not sure I will be reading anything else by this author.


That's it for now I'll post more later! :)