Friday 56!

About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you.
  
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
• Don't go for your favorite book. THE CLOSEST.

The light fixtures were something from a futurist’s brain fever.

-Ravenous by Sharon Ashwood

Tasty Tuesday

Than Hell Anthologies

Hotter Than Hell ~V^^^V

I will probably go back and read all of these stories at some point. I enjoy several of the authors and have plans to read some of the others I am unfamiliar with. For now this review is for:

Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison- A story of a banshee trying to feed her baby daughter. She feeds off of emotions and has a run in with an ex lover. Was ok, rather confusing but ok.

Life is the Teacher by Carrie Vaughn- Story of Emma's first feeding. She is a new vampire and very hesitant to do the deed. In the end she "mans up" and gets the job done. It was an alright story, really not related to the Kitty series. 



Dates From Hell ~V^^^V


Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison is a little side story from Ivy's point of view. At this point in the series I am still really unsure as to how the whole vampire, living and dead things works. That said I found the story a little difficult to follow and understand. I don't know if I much care for Ivy.

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands is really just a fluff romance. I love Lynsay, her humor and sexual intention come out in this story. I enjoyed it but wish that it was another Argeneau.

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong introduces two upcoming characters in the Women of the Otherworld series. Karl and Hope are not two of my favorites but I did enjoy reading of their first meeting and adventure together.

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland I love Lori but I have only ever read her werewolves before. I feel like this story was a Phoenix Chronicles prequel? Not sure, either way I enjoyed it and believe I may add her PC series to my TBR pile. ~Michelle 

Bound by Blood by Amanda Ashley

Bound by Blood (Bound #2) by Amanda Ashley ~V^^^V

This was better than the first one but it wasn't GREAT. I have to say that I was disappointed with the demonizing of Kaitlyn's father. Her mother came off just as naive as she was in the first book. Drake on the other hand has become a tyrant. I know that fathers are protective of their daughters but this was extreme, to the point of making him hate-able. As he is the hero of the first book its very sad. Beyond that the story seems to drag and then jump in turns. Its on OK story but this series just isn't that great. ~Michelle 

Master of Darkness by Angela Knight

Master of Darkness (Mageverse #9) by Angela Knight ~V^^^V 

This was OK but not great. I was highly anticipating Miranda's story and while many parts of this story pleased me it felt slow. Maybe it was lacking something, I had a longer time getting hooked and staying hooked than usual. Justice and Miranda are awesome together and the story was rewarding, the sex was very hot. This just was not my favorite in the series, I really thought it was going to be. ~Michelle 

Friday 56!

About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you.
  
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
• Don't go for your favorite book. THE CLOSEST.

She wanted control, wanted to show him she wasn’t the same girl she’d been ten years ago. She wasn’t so easily manipulated.

-Riding Wild by Jaci Burton

A Tale of Two Vampires by Katie MacAlister

A Tale of Two Vampires (Dark Ones #10) by Katie MacAlister ~V^^^^V

Oh Katie, how you crack me up. I really enjoyed this Dark Ones novel. The humor was full in effect and I loved Io. Really I found that Io and Nikola were a hoot together. I did note that some themes were reoccurring as in all of Katie MacAlister's books. The typical male who knows all, the female extended inner monologue and the distractions. I have to admit to getting lost a few time because the usual order of events was interrupted a few too many times by side conversations. The solution was a bit too pat for me but I LOVED that we got a few bits from Nikola's viewpoint. The romance was sweet, the couple are fabulous together and their was plenty of steam. ;-) ~Michelle 

Tasty Tuesday

Shaded Vision by Yasmine Galenorn

Shaded Vision (Sisters of the Moon/ Otherworld #11) by Yasmine Galenorn ~V^V

I don't know why I keep reading this series. Delilah is my favorite sister so there is that. However this book was basically about Camille, my least favorite, told from Delilah's voice. The over use of analogies and excessive physical descriptions is annoying as hell. I don't need to know every detail of every outfit everyone wore. Then there were other details that made the story so unbelievable it was ridiculous. Sigh, how many more books are expected? ~Michelle 

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6) by G.A. Aiken ~V^^^V

This story was pretty straight forward. The romance was just that, boy and girl know each other, fight the pull and eventually come together. It was pretty Blah. I know a lot of people were anticipating this one, I was not. Neither character did much for me. I had noticed in the previous book as in this one, Aiken is taking this to a fantasy genre, less romance. The end result is a good story but not a good romance. Overall the book was OK, not great and not awful. ~Michelle 

Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires #5) by Chloe Neill ~V^^V


I have really gotten that hooked on this series. I think I saw potential but its still not come to be. Merit still seems like a whoa is me child, when she is clearly an adult. She has grown but she still behaves as a child in some aspects. Ethan is just an ass. I would really like to have him stay dead. At this point his character is filler. Merit needs to strike out on her own. Lets not kill off characters and then drag them back because fan backlash was harsh. Ethan is an anchor and Merit needs to be free of him. Mallory's character has also done a huge 360. She's good, she's bad, and... she's good again. BARF! She has seemed to be a self centered jerk since Merit was changed so it really isn't a stretch for me to see her as evil. All in all I keep hoping this series will grow but at this point it seems to show that Chloe is clearly letting the story write itself without any real end game. ~Michelle

Friday 56!

About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you.
  
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
• Don't go for your favorite book. THE CLOSEST.

“Eager to get started, are you?” Turning away, Judd stared toward the kitchen, then back to Emily. “I wasn’t up yet. If you want coffee, you’ll have to make it.”

-Outrageous by Lori Foster

Blood Lite Anthology

Blood Lite (Blood Lite #1) ~V^^^V

by Kevin J. Anderson, Nancy Kilpatrick, Jeff Strand, Don D'Ammassa, Charlaine Harris, Sharyn McCrumb, Steven Savile, Jim Butcher 

The Horror Writers Association Presents Blood Lite...a collection of entertaining tales that puts the fun back into dark fiction, with ironic twists and tongue-in-cheek wit to temper the jagged edge.

Charlaine Harris reveals the dark side of going green, when a quartet of die-hard environmentalists hosts a fundraiser with a gory twist in An Evening with Al Gore...

In an all-new Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher, when it comes to tracking deadly paranormal doings, there's no such thing as a Harry's Day Off for the Chicago P.D.'s wizard detective, Harry Dresden...

Sherrilyn Kenyon turns a cubicle-dwelling MBA with no life into a demon-fighting seraph with one hell of an afterlife in Where Angels Fear to Tread...

Celebrity necromancer Jaime Vegas is headlining a sold-out séance tour, but behind the scenes, a disgruntled ghost has a bone to pick, inKelley Armstrong's The Ungrateful Dead.

Plus tales guaranteed to get under your skin - in a good way - from:
* Janet Berliner
* Don D'Ammassa
* Nancy Holder
* Nancy Kilpatrick
* J. A. Konrath
* F. Paul Wilson
* Joe R. Lansdale
* Will Ludwigsen
* Sharyn McCrumb
* Mark Onspaugh
* Mike Resnick
* Steven Savile
* D. L. Snell
* Eric James Stone
* Jeff Strand
* Lucien Soulban
* Matt Venne
* Christopher Welch

So let the blood flow and laughter reign - because when it comes to facing our deepest, darkest fears, a little humor goes a long way
!

I read two of the stories in this Anthology. 

The first "Where Angels Fear to Tread" by Sherrilyn Kenyon, says "Dark Hunter World" but I really didn't think it was related. I also didn't recognize it as any other SK series I read. However despite the shortness of the story it was still quite interesting and had all the usual things that hook me into one of Sherrilyn's stories. 


The Ungrateful Dead by Kelley Armstrong was a Women of the Otherworld novella. Necromancer Jaime has a run in with a truly awful ghost. When calling in help to banish him, Savannah comes to "help". It was an amusing story and some what frustrating. I can see what Jaime means when she says the "dead can be way too needy". ~Michelle 

Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Time Untime (Dark Hunters #17) by Sherrilyn Kenyon ~V^^^^V


Once again this was another fabulous Dark Hunter story. Delving deep into the Mayan culture and exploring the current fears of 2012. I liked both main characters, I loved that old characters came to help and that this story wrapped in some previous story parts. I will admit to getting weepy during a few portions of the book as well. I adore this series. ~Michelle 

Tasty Tuesday

Otherworld Stories by Kelley Armstrong PART 1

This is a review of the novellas, and other short stories or deleted scenes form the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. There are so many that again I will do two parts, check back for the second half. 

 Men of the Otherworld ~V^^^^V
An excellent collection of short stories involving Werewolf Alpha Jeremy and his "son" Clayton. I thoroughly enjoyed the background stories on both of them. I am anxious to go ahead and begin the full length novels.

Tales of the Otherworld ~V^^^^V
I am going to review just Bewitched because I haven't seen it listed separately anywhere. Bewitched is the story of Eve and Kristof's meeting. Eve trains Kristof and soon things start to develop, before they are in love. Just when things can't be anymore perfect Kristof's father interferes. I really liked this story and was heart broken by the ending. I am curious however to meet these two again later in the full length novels. 

The whole collection of Otherworld short stories is excellent. I suggest reading this if you are checking out the Otherworld novels. 


Rebirth ~V^^^V
Well it was very short but I liked it. This was my very first Kelley Armstrong story. I met Aaron and learned of his "turning" into a vampire. He was quite reluctant to live that way and met Cassandra who helped convince him to keep on living. I liked the writing style and am intrigued by this world Kelley Armstrong has written. I am going to keep on reading.


Infusion ~V^^V
The story of Malcolm finding and impregnating Jeremy's mother. We get glimpses into Malcolm's mind, which is all kinds of sick, as well as insight into what might be the differences in Jeremy. Obviously Jeremy's grandfather is the sane one. It was short and not necessary to read but you might as well.



Savage~V^^^^^V
The story of how Jeremy found and raised Clayton as his own. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I gained an in depth understanding of how Clayton's mind works. I also saw Jeremy in a less overbearing light. Well I guess I saw him as more of a mother than anything else. I laughed quite a bit while at the same time I found some parts evoking other emotions. Overall its an excellent story, a must read.

Ascension ~V^^^^^V
This short is about Jeremy's coming to power. How much that had to do with Clayton and how sick Malcolm was. I liked this one for the insiders look at Clayton's way of thinking but there were times when I was freaked out. Nonetheless I really enjoyed this one. I recommend this one to complete your Otherworld reading.

Demonology~V^^^V
This story is of Talia, a young single mother who has a child with some strange "abilities". She is on the hunt to figure out what is "wrong" with her son, when she meets Robert Vasic. They meet at which point she becomes convinced he has answers for her. This story was short and though I don't know any if any of these characters appear later in the Otherworld I am definitely intrigued. I think I am really going to enjoy this series.

Birthright~V^^^V
The story of Logan joining the pack. He doesn't know his father or anything or really anything about himself. A letter arrives in the mail with a name and address which he follows. The story is short but gives you a quick background on a few characters. I thought it was OK, just wish it was longer but in the grand scheme of things I think I will get plenty of Otherworld by the time I am through.

Beginnings ~V^^^V

A very short story telling us why Clayton bit Elena. The insight into his mental workings is always fun. I also saw Elena in a new light. I am not sure how I feel about her yet but we will see how I feel after reading Bitten. Another unnecessary read but you might as well.

Becoming ~V^^^V
Excellent inclinations and an interesting look into Elena's change. I still need to read the full length books but according to reading order I am doing this correctly. I think I will have a very thorough knowledge of all the Otherworld players by the time I start Bitten. I am really enjoying the whole thing so far.

The Case of the Half Demon Spy ~V^^^V
A cute little story about Adam and Paige's first spying case. We meet them as two close friends in their teen years. Looking to stop a possible spy for the good of Adam's father. There are hints of later romance between the two, should be interesting to find out what becomes of them as adults.

Expectations ~V^^^V
The youngest Cortez excepts a job t o steal some Grimwar from Eve. We get a glimpse at Savannah and a reminder that Eve kicks major ass. This story was another really short one but it was worth it.

Truth & Consequences ~V^^^V
The first story written of Elena. As a paranormal investigator she and her partners are looking into a story of werewolves. This story was super short but it did show how kick as Elena can be. I liked it.


Territorial ~V^^^V
I am thinking that this short story is about how a deal was struck between Karl and Daniel? I am not to sure, there was definitely plenty of back story layed out for Karl so I can honestly say going into a story with him I will have a real character understanding. Alright, time for the next short.

Ghosts ~V^^V
This is a Otherworld short about Werewolf Alpha Jeremy. He is haunted by ghosts of memories of decisions he has made. It mostly just gives you some insight into his personality and his father figure mentality to his pack. It is really just a refresher of the events from Bitten. Another great short, for anyone who is committed to the Otherworld series.

Escape ~V^^^V
Eve and her daughter Savannah have been kidnapped. This short gives a little background about the two and mentions a few other names that you will come to know in the series. The story is a hear tin your throat cliffhanger. I NEED to read the full length story to find out what happens.

Wedding Bell Hell ~V^^^V
A cute story about the stress of planning a wedding. Paige and Lucas are counting down the days to their wedding and trying to make all the decisions. It reminded me of the stress of my own wedding. It is well written and understandable for everyone either planning or who has planned a wedding.

 

Adventurer ~V^^V

This Otherworld short is about Kenneth, a shaman. He helps Jeremy the Werewolf Alpha get a set of blueprints for an upcoming event. It really doesn't have much bearing on the overall story and was very short. If you like the Otherworld stories and want all the information you can get, go ahead and read it.

Bargain ~V^^^V
A short story where Xavier plots to get Elena's help in collecting the "From Hell" letter. This is just a back story, it really has no barring in the entire story and will not give insight to anyone who is unfamiliar with the Otherworld.

The Case of El Chupacabra ~V^^^V
This is really just a look into how Paige and Lucas found an office and really established themselves. We get insights into Paige and Adam's friendship. A look at the power that Lucas' father wields and see how much Paige and Lucas love each other. Savannah and Cassandra are awesome. Frankly I love the lunatic Cassandra and Savannah has no problem calling her out. I was cracking up. We also have an inspiring story of Sean. He finds the courage to say no to expectations and come out of the closet. A fun but unnecessary read. I say do it anyway.


Framed ~V^^^V
This short story is for the Nick fans. He is drugged and blackmailed. Not wanting to cry to the pack he handles it on his own. There is no barring on the series as a whole, it is merely a look into Nick's mind and his daily life. ~Michelle 

Otherworld Stories by Kelley Amrmstrong PART 2

Here are my reviews of the rest of the Women of the Otherworld short stories and deleted scenes. 

Twilight ~V^^^V
Story about Cassandra losing some of her luster for life. Her "rebirth" day is coming and she becomes to distracted to take her annual kill. I liked this because Cassandra is one of my favorites in the series. 

The Ungrateful Dead ~V^^^V
Necromancer Jaime has a runin with a truly awful ghost. When calling in help to banish him, Savannah comes to "help". It was an amusing story and some what frustrating. I can see what Jaime means when she says the "dead can be way too needy".

Kitsunegari ~V^^^V
A short story about Jeremy finding out some of his background. He knows he is werewolf but is unsure of what else. Jaime a is in this story as well. It was rather short but covered the necessities.

Zen and the Art of Vampirism ~V^^^V
I like any story that puts Hans in his place. This is the story of how "Hans" tries to move into Toronto and take over as the Vampire leader of that city. It was short, a little icky and a whole lot of "YES!" Very short, not really huge on the overall plot line of the story but still entertaining.

Angelic ~V^^^^V
First I have to say again, that Eve and Christ are my favorite WoOW characters so I was excited to read this short. I was a little sad that Eve was asked to delay her vacation and do one more thing. That thing results in her reliving some very sad memories that broke my heart and upset me as they were old news. I was sad that there wasn't too much Christ either. I liked that Eve was able to kick some ass and learn a lesson along the way.

Checkmate ~V^^V
This was a short side story about Elena and Clay tracking down a killer in Winnepeg. Not much to it but fans of Elena and Clay or of the series as a whole would enjoy this snippet.

Recruit ~V^^V
A VERY short extra before Frostbitten. It is merely an insight into how Elena and Clay come by information leading them to investigate in Alaska. It was alright, only a couple pages.

Lucifer's Daughter ~V^^^V
I actually really enjoyed this Hope and Karl story. It was really just kind of silly and pointless. It was very short but it was sweet and it gave me a little extra background and insight into the couple. Its worth the time if you are ready the Women of the Otherworld series as it is only about 25 pages.

Counterfeit Magic ~V^^^^V
Paige and Lucas are asked to investigate Fight Club deaths. In the meantime their marriage is having issues. This book was SO good. I was biting my nails and panicking, I was completely sucked in... Then it just abruptly was solved. It was a total let down. I know there are page limit issues with novellas but this was just OMG, OMG OMG! Huh. Bummed me out. I liked the wrap up in the end but I was still bummed out by the abrupt change of events. ~Michelle

Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

This series is a fabulous read. There are a great number of short side stories and novellas that can be read as well. I will post reviews of those separately. Today here is my review of the series. 

Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong ~ V^^^^^V


Bitten ~V^^^^V
I was very anxious to read a full length Women of the Otherworld novel after reading so many of the short story prequels. I have to say that it did not disappoint. I was immediately thrown into the world and captivated by the characters. My man issue was with Elena, I think most of my problem stemmed from my background knowledge of all the characters. I found Elena whining and playing victim way too much. I am hoping that as a result of the end of the book I will find that she grows more and is embracing her destiny more soon. That complaint is minimal as I gave this book 4 stars and can't wait to see what else Kelly Armstrong has in store for this series.

Stolen ~V^^^^V
Great story. I read this one out of order so I will admit to VERY quickly reading through the chapters that covered previous book knowledge. Once i hit the title situation I was loving it. The captivity was intriguing and annoying in some places. I loved the first introduction to a bunch of major players later in the series. I also second my initial reaction to Paige, she definitely gets on my nerves. She grew on me throughout the series but she is an acquired taste that I had to develop. So all in all, another fabulous Women of the Otherworld novel. 


Dime Store Magic ~V^^^^V
I liked the POV of changes in this book. I always like to peak inside everyone's heads. That said I think that I liked Paige more than Elena. The witch thing was a lot more interesting than a "whoa is me" werewolf. I liked Lucas quite a bit as well. I couldn't believe how horrible she treated him in the beginning. I loved that Savannah is still around and that we will be seeing more of her throughout the series. I can see there are so many ways to take this world, it should be an interesting journey.

Industrial Magic ~V^^^^V
I liked that this was a continuation of Paige and Lucas' story. Paige is workign to get her own coven going, in the meantime Lucas' father as asked her and Lucas to help him discover who is murdering witches. What I loved about this book is the appearance of the past characters and introduction of some new interesting ones. The mystery itself was pretty straight forward and the romance took a bit of a backseat throughout most of the novel. Paige, Lucas and Eve are a great team/ family, struggling to make it. Lucas could get a bailout from his family but he is set in his ideals. I liked Lucas's family, I liked Cassandra, I love Eve and so many more. This series is pretty fun.

Haunted ~V^^^^V
I loved this one. Eve is so far my most favorite female in this series. I was so excited to read of her and Chris together for the first time since the series prequels. There is so much about Eve's life that was tragic and in this book she gets the opportunity to right some wrongs and do some things she has been longing to do. I was a little saddened with the ending but the journey was spectacular and the I think it all works out in the wash. Should be interesting to see what will happen with her in later books and I am anxious to find out more about Jamie and Jeremy.

Broken~Have to finish

No Humans Involved ~V^^^^V
Jamie, finally gets the chance to prove that she can do something with her powers. She is on set for a reality television show, while there she is trying to court Jeremy. She also notices ghosts in the garden near by. This prompts an investigation by her and things get deep from there. I liked Jeremy and Jaime together. I loved the way she initially was so tongue tied around him and then later gains her confidence. Their sex scenes are intense and naughty, I liked it. What I didn't like was the situation to which Jamie was trying to solve. The details were a bit graphic and disturbing to me. Really its well written but ICK. The appearance of Eve and the usual misunderstanding of her job is typical and frustrating but I love Eve. So far I can't find any real complaints about this series. Back to reading for me.

Personal Demon ~V^^V
I really just didn't care for this one that much. I found myself not really caring what happened with Hope and Karl. I have read of Karl previously and I found him to be unlikable. I just couldn't connect with them. I found myself only really reading this one for the Paige and Lucas story and they are not two of my favorites either. I can still say that this is one of the better books out there and the series is still going strong. I have no desire to quit just yet, I just hope the next book has more interesting main characters. 

Living with the Dead ~V^^^^V
This one hooked me immediately. But I ended up just giving it 4 stars because it started to drag on and I was frustrated. I was having the hardest time figuring out who this story was about. There were so many players and so much action it was definitely a page turner. I again just started to become overwhelmed by the shear number of players and all the plot lines. I think my favorite characters in this story were Robyn and Finn. I am anxious to see if there are more stories of Finn. This book overall was a great story and highly recommend it.

Frostbitten ~V^^^^V
Wow, there was a quite a bit happening in this book once again. This series seems to get more and more interesting with each title. I am not a huge Elena and Clay fan so this is not my favorite book. However I can say that I was invested in the dynamic of the two. The first meeting after being separated for two weeks was HOT. I was also interested in the delving into other shifters and mythology around the many kinds. I think I like Reece as well. Overall I will call this another success in the Women of the Otherworld series.

Waking the Witch ~V^^^V
Yeah finally a Savannah Levine book. She is all grown up and while Paige and Lucas are on vacation she takes on a case on her own. This one was all murder mystery and I was a little bummed out that so far Savannah hasn't gotten herself a man. Now I will say that she is still quite young and we can all wait for it. I am hopeful for Adam, I have actually been waiting for him to get a woman of his own for ages as well. Anyway once again this book is another excellent addition to the series.

Spellbound ~V^^^^V
This was a follow up to the previous Savannah story "Waking the Witch". We see Savannah sans powers and parents for a good chunk of the novel. In the end this was a little more "waking" than the previous because she learns to grow up throughout this story. There are SO many previous characters, so many players, new and old bad guys and a whole lot of plot here. Its hard to pick just one this to really love about this book. I can say that I had several epiphanies with Savannah and then a few "Grrr" moments as well. This was a nonstop action book. I am sad to see that I only have one more book left before the series concludes, just when things were really getting thick. This is one series I won't soon forget and its making its way to one of the top spots on my Urban Fantasy Favorites/ Recommendation list. ~Michelle 

13~ Waiting for my copy

A couple of Kids Books

Occasionally I will read a kids book, to preview for my kids or just because I thought it sounded cute. Here a couple of those.

What Really Happened in Roswell? Just the Facts (Plus the Rumors) by Kathleen Krull and Christopher Santoro ~V^^^^^V
I loved this. Its a informative recounting of the events that occurred in and around the Roswell incident. The facts are recounted along with the "beliefs" of people involved. The book is an easy read for those new to longer (or "chapter") books. The illustrations are adorable and the open ended, "what do you think?" at the end of the book is perfect.


Monsters: Hologram World by Dugald A. Steer and Justine Peek ~V^^^^V 
A perfect seasonal read for younger kids. Its informative, giving facts along with mythological information. The illustrations and holograms are super fun.



Bailey School Kids: Aliens Don't Carve Jack o' Lanterns by Debbie Dadely, Marcia Thorton Jones and John Steven Gurney ~V^^^V
Pretty cute. This story is about the Bailey School kids preparing for Halloween. Along the way they discover an alien in their midst and all the candy has disappeared, just in time for the holiday. The kids need to save the day in more ways than one. ~Michelle 

Friday 56!

About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
• Don't go for your favorite book. THE CLOSEST.

On the other hand, she was looking for answers.
They could be behind that door.
-Witch Fire by Anya Bast