Since I Locked Myself in the Store....

I guess I'll write a blog post for Jenn whilst I await the Mighty Tallest and her keys. :D

So. Um. Where to start? I've read several books since I posted last. I've begun and not yet finished several more.... I'm busy lately and it's as though my noggin just can't focus long enough to finish a whole book.

I did read and finish Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush book 3). Loved it, as usual. I am yet again pleased by Patch's ability to retain his undeniable bad boy attitude after he falls for the girl. So many bad boys turn to goo after that fateful, true-love-finding chapter. Not so with Patch. :) He is still rather naughty. So I'm still reading. Another thing I love about this series? Nary a love triangle to be found. Sure, Nora's friends with Scott and he's probably nursing a crush for her. But Norah knows what she wants, and they seem ready to remain friends without too much complication. I appreciate the saved drama. While I was thinking of giving this one only four of five toes, I think I'll go ahead and make it five. Patch wins the book an extra toe in the prologue when he beats the bloody hell out of Nora's (oh so deserving) dad. Reading it actually made me cringe, so it deserves points for unexpected badass-ery.

And also, Kitty's Big Trouble, a Kitty Norville novel by Carrie Vaughn. I've been a big fan of this series from the start, but for some reason this installment didn't get me quite as excited as previous installments have. I kind of missed Kitty's pack, I think. And it felt a bit like Kitty is loosing steam. Not that any normal person wouldn't. I did enjoy the Chinese culture and mythology that was at the core of this book, even if it kind of clashed a little with the vampire hunting cowboy beginning. So, um.... I liked it okay. It wasn't my favorite in the series, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me either. I'll still pick up the next book when it's out. 3.5 of 5 toes.

Also, I finally read The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. Squee? So good. So creepy. So bone chillingly perfect for this time of year. The Replacement is a story about a changeling, living in a town where children sometimes mysteriously die. The town is rarely subject to any other hardships, but losing children is hardship enough. So our changeling protagonist spends his life trying to stay away from iron (not easy in this day and age) and trying to blend in because standing out could be deadly. Raised among humans, he is less than sympathetic to the plight of the creatures who abandoned him as an infant. His fight to save a little girl's life, to do what is right and not what is easy, is touching and compelling. The prose is lyrical and eerie throughout, making you feel like you're walking in a misty world full of deadly iron right beside him. Fans of Holly Black and Melissa Marr will enjoy this dark take on Faerie lore. 5 of 5 toes.



And now for the bit about Turtle Reading.

"What is Turtle Reading?" you ask. Why, I'll tell you. Turtle Reading is reading so slowly that people ask "Aren't you finished with that book yet?" and you have to answer shamefacedly, "I'm only on Chapter 14.... of 75......"

"How long have you been at it, now?" Your querulous assailant will enquire.
"Only three months," you'll reply.

This is me, reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Bit by bit, chapter by chapter, I am creeping my way through this book. Part of me does not want it to end. Part of me wants to take it in in slow motion. It's that kind of book. There are secrets and possibilities braided into every sentence, and I am enjoying picking each one apart. It's a book I want to nibble at, slowly, to better enjoy the flavor. It's not the first time I've taken so long to read a book. But with perhaps the exception of Eragon (which I found to be very slow and dull through the first half of book one), it is the only one of its kind that I think I'll actually finish some day.

I kind of want to live at the Night Circus. I'm dressing in all black and white in homage this Halloween. I think when I finish, I'll probably start it over again, to gather up the loose bits that I missed. I want to recommend it to everyone I see and talk to, but I just don't have enough faith in the general public's taste. And, too, I live and work in Griffin. So, you know... there's that. But! Jenn, I have faith in your taste, and you have to have to have to read it. :) Even though I haven't finished it, I give it all the kitten toes in the known universe.

Another book I'm inching my way through, though not as slowly, is The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan. This is hardcore, noire horror movie (the old school kind that were really scary and not just gross) grit with a truly monstrous anti-hero protagonist. Even when I'm not certain I'm reading a "scary part" it's giving me chills. Also, the book trailer (follow the link above to see it) is kind of nifty with all the creepy anagrams it reveals. Perfect Halloween read. Read it in the dark while it rains and thunders outside for maximum atmosphere. :) 5 of 5 toes (even if I'm not quite finished yet.)

And now, it's 1:00 AM (I'm home by the way. Not still stuck in the shop without my keys, thank the Tallest.) so I'm off to bed. Or maybe just off to Twitter, if I'm honest. But off to do something a little more mindless. <3

OMG

Jenn,

As you are... like... my only reader, I will do anything to keep you reading. :D New post tonight! I swear!
I'll be reviewing the new Hush, Hush book, new Elemental Assassin, lamenting the fact that Aloha from Hell is not out till Tuesday, and ...... oh wait. No. No Elemental Assassin tonight. Unless I manage to finish it. Which I may. Um.... New Kitty Norville instead. Finished that. Also! Expounding on the virtues of turtle reading certain fantastical-abulous books.

But now, I must return to work.

<3

Early Fall Reading

    I have to be the most unobservant person in the world, or at least the most forgetful. I read two books this week that have been on my list of books to read for a while now; Jinx by Meg Cabot and Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie. I either didn't know, or had forgotten that Jinx was about a girl who might be a witch, or maybe just really unlucky. And then Maybe This Time is a ghost story. Which I remembered, but I guess wasn't taking seriously. After reading them both, I kind of felt sorry that I didn't save them for October reading. But just kind of.


    Jinx is the story of Jean, a girl fleeing Iowa and a relationship gone bad. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle in NYC, Jean has a little trouble adjusting to her new life and to her cousin Torrence who is nothing like the girl she last saw five years ago. Things do not improve when Jinx befriends Tory's long time crush and refuses to join Tory's "coven." Tory mistakenly thinks that she is the great witch of the generation foretold by their ancestor, Bronwyn. It quickly becomes obvious that the real power is Jinx, and not her cousin, and Tory will go to any lengths to steal the power that is Jinx's birthright. It's a fun story with a little bit of spooky flavor. Five of six toes. :)

    Maybe This Time is a little like The Haunting mixed with High Spirits. Spooky for real, but still fun. I actually felt myself getting a little bit creeped out reading it late at night in a quite, dark house. I am maybe a bit of a wimp when it comes to these things. Subtlety frightens me much more than gore and screaming apparitions ever can. A rocking chair that rocks on its own? Chill inducing. Exorcism-esque horror scenes? Not a bat of an eye. Maybe This Time is definitely subtle. The ghosts haunting Archer House and the two young orphans who live there, don't even become openly hostile until the end. But they don't need to be hostile to be creepy as hell. The only thing that kept me from turning on extra lamps is that I feel confident that I've developed a camaraderie with the ghost in my own home. I trust "my" ghost, and after several years of cohabitation I'm not afraid of it anymore. (I am totally serious. I believe in ghosts. Don't you?)

    But the story isn't all ghosts all the time. There is a nice, steamy romance simmering on the back burner, a sweet story about the children finding family and learning to trust again, and plenty of lighthearted elements that keep the story firmly out of the horror genre. A horde of family, friends, journalists, and paranormal professionals that descend on the haunted house to either help or hinder provide a great helping of comic relief.

   Another great thing about Maybe This Time? Every time you think it's over, you discover that it really isn't. There's a double surprise ending that will have you hoping for a sequel. (And while there is no publication date, it looks like there might be just such a story in planning stages.) I've never read any of Jennifer Crusie's work before this, but I'm definitely going to pick up a few more of her books. I thoroughly enjoyed Maybe. Six toes!

Ghost Story!

Squee!

I have but two comments to make regarding book 13 of The Dresden Files.

1.) .... I freaking knew it!

and 2.) It was everything I hoped it would be. With the reasonable exception of including Book the 14th in some hidden, magical pocket at the back of the book.


If you haven't read the earlier Dresden Files books, what the Hades are you doing sitting at your computer reading this? Go! Make haste to the nearest bookstore and purchase Storm Front! You will not regret it. Trust me. I do this for a living.

Overbite

When I become an internationally famous, time-traveling ukulele star.... (Why are you snickering? It could happen.) the memoirs of my zany, musical, non-chronological escapades will be ideally captured in ink on papyrus by the ever amusing Meg Cabot. She is my favorite brain-goo remedy author. You know those times when you need something to suck you in, let you be some place else and reset your equilibrium? Make you laugh, gasp and completely fall into the pages? Meg does that for me. I heart her for it. As if the publishing gods knew I would be in need, Overbite arrived just in time to distract me from a pet tragedy.

For those who have not read the preceding novel, Insatiable, which set the stage for Overbite, let me just say that this is not the same vampire novel you read last week. And the week before that. Insatiable centers around Meena Harper, writer for an aging soap opera (Insatiable) and psychic seer of all her aqquaintances' causes of death. Oh. And her new love interest, the Prince of Darkness. There are tongue in cheek references to the current vampire popculture craze, made by Meena, vampire hunters and even vampires. So.... Yes, it's a book about vampires. But it's kind of a book about how silly our fascination with vampires is as well. And sure, Meena's in love with the number one vampire hottie in the world. But does that mean she's going to let him kill her to "protect" her, or chow down on her neck when he gets a bit peckish? Not so much. A girl has to draw the line somewhere doesn't she?

At the end of Insatiable, Meena has made certain decisions about her relationship with her vampire love. In Overbite, we see the consequences and effects of those decisions and of Meena's faith that we are all worth trying to save. These two books are a couple of my favorite additions to the vampire genre. So much so that I'll keep them on my shelf for re-reading. My only regret is that I've finished them so soon.

Six of six toes. :)

Uncommon Criminals

  Uncommon Criminals was voraciously devoured in a single night. I was late to work the next morning, but it was very much worth it.

     Ally Carter writes seriously smart kids. I love that. She balances the lack of emotional knowledge --that can only be gained with time and experience-- with intelligence and professional competence and proficiency that seems quite authentic in a modern age like ours. Isn't it funny how ten year old kids can do more with computers than their parents? It is much the same with this band of teens brought up in a family of thieves. They have inherently absorbed skills and knowledge that rivals, and at times even surpasses, that of the adults around them. Kids/Teens/Young adults are smart, capable and just plain awesome. Thanks to Ally Carter for highlighting that when everyone else is busy warning kids about the "Real World" and everything they don't know yet.

     Six of six toes. :) If you haven't read the first book, Heist Society, I highly recommend it as well.

So Silver Bright ARC Contest

Check out this super cute contest for an ARC of So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev.  Looks like a lot of fun. I can't wait to see the winning entries. They are bound to be adorable!

(The Rules as posted on the author's website):

You have to obtain photographic proof of the existence of fairies. Now, it might look like that fairy is false (a doll, a charm, a music box) but WE know that's just their wiley magic at work. Look in all the usual places: in a garden, in a tree, in a pie... Perhaps you might need to set a fairy trap with cupcakes as bait. With patience and cunning, you should be able to snap a picture of Peaseblossom or her friends!

Once you have your photo:

• Post it on your blog, your Facebook page, or your Twitter stream (bonus entries in the random drawing for doing all three!) with a link to this contest and the Théâtre Illuminata website.
• Email me ( lisa at lisamantchev dot com ) with the subject header THE GREAT FAIRY HUNT and include link(s) to your photographic evidence.
• Deadline is midnight, Wednesday, June 8th.
• Contest open worldwide, but please note if you are an international entry in your email.
• Winners will be chosen by a panel of photomythological experts by Friday, June 10th
• Original material only. Please do not yoink a picture off the internet and claim it as your own or the fairies will hunt you down and poke you with pokey things.

But perhaps you are unsucessful in your hunt for a fairy. YOU CAN STILL WIN AN ARC. If you post the details of this contest and link back to it on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter account, you will also be entered into the random drawing. Same email address and subject header as above, and please include links to the places you've posted.  :)