Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells (thoughts)

Warning: Spoilers may abound as this is the 3rd in the series!

Brief summary from Goodreads:

"The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. She has to save her sister from her mysterious captors. And in order to do that, she has to broker a deal between the mages and the vampires before all hell breaks loose.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won’t be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about, she’s got to save herself from the ghosts of her past. Because the past is haunting her. Literally."

Likes?

I feel like it is cheating if I say everything but that is literally the truth. I loved this book, thought it was just as good as the first two (if not better), and couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. What more could you want from a book? I loved that we saw Sabina and Adam's relationship develop more in this novel, and I can't wait to see what will happen in future books between them. The story was filled with suspense as Sabina is constantly hunting down leads attempting to find where her sister is being hidden. I also liked that we are beginning to see more of Sabina's magical abilities and I'm hoping that we continue to see her grow in future stories. I loved the new characters that were introduced especially the drag queen appropriately named "Pussy Willow". Even with the new characters, Sabina was as kick-ass as ever while also having a little vulnerability to her. Her character is one of the reasons why this series is so great. Plus, Giguhl of course :) This is a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend! And if you haven't given Sabina a try already then you really should.

Dislikes?

My only dislike is that I have to wait so long for Silver-Tongued Devil to come out. I really don't think that I can wait.

Final Thoughts:

Enough with the gushing already...if you can't tell, I loved this book and I love this series! Jaye Wells is one of those authors that I would read ANYTHING that she has written (or is going to write). This series is just that good in my opinion. I thought that this book was a great addition to this series and I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Sabina finds herself in next.

Disclosure: I checked this book out from my local library but it is going on my buy list! I'm thinking a reread will be in order of this series soon :)

P.S.- Here is a link to my thoughts on Red-Headed Stepchild and The Mage in Black if you are interested. I would definitely recommend beginning with the 1st book in this series!

On My Wishlist (Radar) #6

With all of the excitement of BEA and Armchair BEA this week, I was thinking about how many of my reads have been published in 2011. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE new releases (especially for books that I feel like I have been waiting forever for) but what about all of those other books that I want to read? So I thought I would give a little love to all of those books on my wishlist that were published earlier than 2011.


Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

"October "Toby" Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas...

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer."

Every since I learned that Seanan McGuire and Mira Grant were one and the same I've wanted to read this! Feed was so freakin awesome that I have no doubts that this urban fantasy series will be made up of the same awesomeness :)



Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

(Summary for Ink Exchange)

"To 17-year-old Leslie, the tattoo is a thing of indescribable beauty, a captivating mark that she must make her own. But this subtle web of eyes and wings brings with it a transformation that no sweet young girl would ever imagine or welcome. Like its predecessor, this stand-alone sequel to Wicked Lovely plunges its youthful heroine into a faery world of almost constant peril. A tantalizing urban fantasy that won't let go."

I've read Wicked Lovely before but it was a few years ago...and after reading Graveminder by Marr and loving it, I'm looking forward to going back to her YA series. I'm thinking a reread of Wicked Lovely is in order before moving on. I can't wait!


What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

"In London, 1811, a young woman is brutally raped and murdered, her body left on the altar steps of an ancient church. The prime suspect: Sebastian St. Cyr, a brilliant young nobleman still haunted by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. Now he is running for his life, desperate to catch the killer and prove his innocence. Moving from Mayfair's glittering ballrooms to St. Giles's fetid back alleys, Sebastian is assisted by a band of unlikely allies and pursued by a Machiavellian powerbroker with ties to the Prince Regent himself. "

As soon as I saw this cover I knew that I wanted to read this one. It is the beginning of a new to me mystery series and I can't wait to begin reading it!




Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

"After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.
Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.
Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, Birthmarked explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code."

I've been wanting to read this one for some time now. I've heard that the 2nd book is coming out soon so I'd better get moving and read this one. Love the cover of it as well!

So here are some older books that I really want to read as well. I could have added a couple of hundred other books but that will be a post for another day :) Any older books that you have on your wishlist???? Or do you read new releases only?

The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels (thoughts)

From Goodreads:

"While the body of rodeo star Pony Jones lies motionless in the northern Alabama woods, her spirit is on a mission to find her killer. Invisible to the eye but not to the sixth sense, the only thing Pony can do is guide the living to the truth.

Her grief-stricken father, Titus, wants nothing more than retribution for his daughter's death, so when former police detective Jo Beth Dawson comes to town, something compels him to seek out her help.

But when Jo Beth and Titus team up to track down Pony's murderer, it turns loose a whirlwind of intense emotion and unexpected encounters. As they uncover more and more clues leading them to the killer, dark family secrets are revealed and the two must search their souls for redemption."

My Thoughts:

The Tender Mercy of Roses was a quiet novel driven by the main characters and the secrets that have shaped their lives. The story is shaped by Jo Beth, a former detective turned self-destructive alcoholic, with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Jo Beth is one of those characters that I couldn't help but feel for from the very beginning. Both her past and her downfall are given to us in pieces throughout the story. This helped to add layers to the story as Jo Beth is pulled into the investigation of Pony's death. My favorite part of this book was hands down the characters in the story. I felt they were well developed, realistically portrayed, and just were plain interesting. I wanted to read about their stories, figure out the secrets that they were possibly hiding, and see how it all tied into the mystery of Pony's death. The mystery was part of the story but it wasn't the main focus. Instead, the focus of the story was the past and how hidden secrets affected all of the character's lives. It was Pony's story, her father Titus' story, and of course it was Jo Beth's story as well. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. The writing was gorgeous at times and I found myself just going along for the ride that the author was leading me. This wasn't a fast-paced novel by any means but instead a novel that was meant to be savored and enjoyed. I really liked the atmosphere created within the book. The author was able to create a haunting atmosphere where nothing is what it seems and the most important thing was staying true to oneself. I found the ending to be very satisfying and I was sad to see it end. All in all, this is a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend especially to those who enjoy literary fiction. Recommended!

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review from the publisher as part of a Gallery Books Blog Tour. My thanks for the chance to share my honest thoughts!

On My Wishlist (Radar) #5

On My Wishlist is my way of sharing all of the books that I cannot wait to get my hands upon and read. These are all 2011 releases and I can't wait till they come out. It is so hard to be patient sometimes...especially when I want to read them RIGHT NOW!


Phoenix Rising (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurences Novel) by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris

"Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian. These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray."

Why, why, why does my library system not have this book yet?? I WANT it so badly!!!!! I feel like a little kid saying "gimme, gimme" but I can't seem to help myself :)




Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

"Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses."

Umm...I cannot tell you how badly I want to read this book after reading that summary. And the cover is just gorgeous!!

The Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley

"The year is 1827. For Adam Quire, an officer of the recently formed City Police, Edinburgh is a terrifying place. It is a city populated by mad alchemists and a criminal underclass prepared to treat with the darkest of powers. But nothing can prepare him for the trail of undead hounds, emptied graves, brutal murders and mob violence that will take him into the darkest corners of the underworld and to the highest reaches of elegant Edinburgh society."

Doesn't this sound SOO good?? I can't wait to get my hands on it!





Deadline by Mira Grant

"Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun."

Do you know how much I loved Feed by this author?? Loved it and can guarantee that it will be one of my top ten reads this year! Now I want to read this one so bad it hurts!

Oh my...I don't even know how I'm supposed to wait for all of these to come out. Patience isn't my strongest quality...LOL! And look at all those covers...they are just stunning! It is a good thing I have a bunch of good books on my shelves right now or I don't think that I could wait for these to be released!

The White Devil by Justin Evans (thoughts)

From Goodreads:

"When seventeen-year-old Andrew Taylor is transplanted from his American high school to a British boarding school—a high-profile academy for the sons of England’s finest—his father hopes that the boy’s dark past will not follow him from across the Atlantic. But blood, suspense, and intrigue quickly surround Andrew once again as he finds himself struggling with a deadly mystery left unsolved by a student from Harrow School’s past—the enigmatic poet Lord Byron."

My Thoughts:

Sounds creepy, right? This book was filled with creepy, atmospheric moments that had me turning pages and guessing to see what would happen next throughout the story. The author creates such a dark mysterious atmosphere with a boarding school and ghost at the center of the story. The setting of the story was one of my favorite parts of the book as it adds so much to the storyline and the book itself. This book is just filled with atmosphere and I couldn't get enough! I found the storyline and history of Lord Byron, the poet, both interesting and intriguing. This book made me want to learn more about Byron's life and I'm looking forward to reading his poetry at some point in the near future. I couldn't help but be reminded of Jennifer Egan's The Keep as I was reading this book. Both books were filled with a gothic, creepy atmosphere and setting that kept me turning the pages. This book had a few intense, weird moments that also mirrored my reading experience of Egan's novel. Has anyone else read both of these??? I found that I couldn't put this book down though as I wanted to see what would happen next. Andrew was an interesting main character as he is mainly an outsider throughout the novel. His loneliness and sense of isolation helped to add to the creepiness that was present throughout the book. I don't want to say too much more and give anything away with the plot so I'll cut my thoughts a bit short and just say READ THIS. All in all, this was a book that kept me thinking about it long after I put it down and I'm looking forward to reading this author's other novel. Definitely recommended but with a warning that it was slightly graphic in a few parts....nothing that would stop me from telling others to give this book a try though.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review from the lovely people at Harper Collins. These are my own honest thoughts!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 16th, 2011)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!


This week was a good week for me as I was able to finish two books and begin a third. That is pretty awesome considering I sometimes have a hard time finishing one book in a week....finding the time to read amid all of the craziness can be trying :) Last week I finished:



The White Devil by Justin Evans: This book was oh so creepy and filled with atmosphere. My review should be up sometime later this week.

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black: Great beginning to a new urban fantasy series and my review can be found here.

I'm now reading The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen. I've been in the mood for some romance lately and this is going to fit perfectly. I'm not very far in yet but the book is good so far! Up next will probably be a book from the review pile...I'm thinking The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels since it is for an upcoming blog tour. I've got my fingers crossed that a few of the holds that I have at the library come in as well. This week is going to be crazy busy in between work, baseball games, and normal everyday stuff. Hopefully, I'll at least be able to sit down and read at some point....LOL! Have a great week everyone and happy Monday!

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black (thoughts)

From Goodreads:

"Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . ."

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid beginning to a new urban fantasy series. In my opinion, Jenna Black has created an original debut filled with gods, olympians, descendants, and a little bit of mythology tossed in. I was hooked from the very beginning especially with all of the suspense that was interspersed throughout the story. I don't usually skim or skip ahead but there were times when I just couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I had to know right then and I cheated just to see...LOL! That is a sign of a good story in my opinion. Nikki was an interesting main character as she starts to learn about both her immortality and powers that come along with being a descendant. I would have liked to see her have a little more confidence in herself but it was easy to understand why she didn't have it. Her past made her more than a little vulnerable and it was interesting to see how it affected her choices. The Olympians were more than a little scary and I'm looking forward to seeing the role that they play in the next book. Overall, I found this to be a solid debut, and I'm looking forward to reading more about Nikki and the new world that she finds herself in. Recommended!

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book for review as part of a blog tour for Gallery & Pocket Books SciFi/Fantasy Group. Unfortunately this review is a bit late due to extenuating circumstances..my apologies!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (thoughts)

From the back cover:

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb-males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her. She has everything she ever wanted-except freedom. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late."

My Thoughts:

Wow! So there has been a ton of hype surrounding this book and lots of love/hate reviews. I loved it myself and found that I could not put this book down. The author has created such a realistic, horrible world that Rhine is living in and trying to escape from. Rhine's character was easy to relate to and came across very realistically. She was confused at times throughout the story as she tried to deal with everything that was happening to her...the wealth and luxury that she was now living in, her scary father-in-law, and her supposed "husband" who really knew so little of what was going on. This book had me constantly on my toes waiting to see what was going to happen next. I grew attached to Rhine from the very beginning of the book and wanted to see her both safe and free. It is a dystopian novel so I knew from the very beginning that there might not be a happy ending. This thought in the back of my head kept me turning the pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next, to ensure that Rhine would be okay. I just didn't want to put this book down. And what I liked about it best is that the ending left things open but in a way that was okay to me as the reader. I'm SOO looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy as I can't wait to see what happens next! Highly recommended to both fans of adult and young adult books!

Disclosure- I was kindly sent a copy of this book for review free from the publisher. My thoughts are my own :)

The Sunday Salon - April in Review

Good morning Saloners! And a Happy Mother's Day to all of those mothers out there as well. I've been spending a lazy morning drinking coffee while the kiddos play on the floor in the living room. I love waking up this way! But somehow it has come to my attention that today is already May 8th. How has that happened??? I find myself behind in sharing my April reads and I'm behind in reviews as well. Go figure :)




I still need to share my thoughts on both of these reads which hopefully I will find time to do this week. I loved both of them for very different reasons and am excited to read more by these authors. I'm currently in the midst of The White Devil by Justin Evans. It has a very weird and creepy atmosphere to it, and I find myself constantly wondering what will happen next. I'm hoping to finish it up sometime early this week. I'm also still working on Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein. I'm a slower reader when it comes to nonfiction but I'm still plugging away at this book. I need to get going though as I believe it is due at the library very soon and I'm not even half way through. And then there are all of the books that I want to read next....don't even get me started on those. Did you see my latest library loot?? I'm finding it kind of overwhelming right now :) But on to the books I finished in April. I read the following:

1. Surrender The Dark by L.A. Banks
2. Affinity by Sarah Waters
3. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton
4. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
5. Demon's Are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom
6. Hush by Cherry Adair

April was a much better reading month for me compared to March although I still didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to. Maybe this month but I like to try and keep it low key around here so who knows?? I do know that there are a TON of books that I want to read RIGHT NOW! Seriously, how to find the time to read them all? Anyways, I thought I would leave you this lovely morning with my latest attempt to get all three kiddos in the same picture, looking at the camera at the same time :) And for the record it hasn't been going very well. LOL!


This was at an indoor waterpark and boy did we have fun! Have a great Sunday and Mother's Day everyone!

Library Loot

Library Loot is the weekly meme hosted by Marg and Claire that asks us to share what we found at the library recently.

I love my local library system! I find that I'm addicted to requesting books from the library especially after I read a good review or get a new recommendation. Currently, I have seven books on hold including The Girl in the Steel Corset from my last wishlist post. I sure hope that it comes in soon. I've also been on a romance kick lately and am always open to some recommendations with that genre. I usually favor paranormal or historical romances if that helps at all :)








1. The Native Star by M.K. Hobson- Love the cover to this one!

2. Uncertain Magic by Laura Kinsale- Part of my romance kick that I am on.

3. The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen- Another romance :)

4. Destiny Kills by Keri Arthur- This is the 1st book in this series by Keri Arthur. I really enjoy her Riley Jensen series so I'm looking forward to reading this.

5. White Cat by Holly Black- I've read Tithe by this author and liked it so I have high hopes for this book.

6. Taken By the Others by Jess Haines- I loved the 1st book in this series and am excited to continue on.

Look at all of those pretty covers. I'm looking forward to reading each one of these! And now if only my holds would all come in....LOL!

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton (thoughts)

Brief summary from Goodreads:

"Never say die. That's the philosophy Agatha Raisin clings to when she comes home to cozy Carsely and finds a new woman ensconced in the affections of her attractive bachelor neighbor, James Lacey.

The beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. And Agatha, that rose with many thorns, hasn't a green thumb to her name. With garden Open Day approaching, she longs for a nice juicy murder to remind James of her genius for investigation.

And sure enough, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by an appalling murder. Agatha seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim. Problem is, Agatha has an awkward secret of her own . . ."

Likes?

Agatha is my favorite part of these books. Her character makes these books so enjoyable and keep me coming back for more. I liked that she started to look at James in a different light and wasn't constantly making a fool of herself over him. Just sometimes :) And I found it to be enjoyable to see how Agatha has adjusted and become a part of the small village. Her insecurities come across realistically and I'm constantly wondering what kind of trouble she is going to get herself into next. I was happy to see all of the old characters from previous books back in this one...it was like visiting old friends.

Dislikes?

This wasn't my favorite of the series but not for any particular reason. The mystery was interesting but I didn't find myself really trying to figure out whodunnit or anything. I was more interested in seeing what Agatha was going to do next and the crazy schemes that she was going to come up with. I just didn't quite connect with the storyline for this book but was glad to revisit this series and the characters.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I found this to be a good read but not great. I enjoyed dipping back into this series and will be continuing on with it. I'm hoping that the next book draws me down into the story more but no matter what I'll want to see what kind of adventures Agatha has next. I would definitely recommend this series but start from the beginning!

Disclosure: I checked this out from my lovely, local library :)

Here is a link to a very short review for Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton (turns out I never reviewed Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet)