Books and a heat wave

What you can do when you have hurt your knee and it is hot outside?
Try to read as more as you can obviously.
Best of this week reads were:
“Twice Bitten” the third book of “A Chicagoland Vampires” series by Chloe Neill. Ethan and Merit are providing security for a shifter summit and get involve in interracial politics. Their hope of an alliance with shifters in case of war with humans is very slim as someone is trying to kill the top dog (wolf!) and blame it on vampires. Merit makes some bad decisions but one good thing comes out of it: She and Mal are friends again. This book is nonstop action and a little heartache.

“Kitty Goes to War” (Kitty Norville, Book 8) by Carrie Vaughn. Eight books into the series and this series still goes strong. The plot and storytelling is mesmerizing and the old characters are changing and developing naturally, well as natural as you can expect a bunch of supernaturals can change!
Kitty gets a call from a military base concerning some werewolf soldiers. There is also the small matter of Speedy Mart owner and weird rumors of strange rituals. With the help of Cormac and their trusty pack of wolves Kitty and Ben are up to their neck in snow and trouble.

“Sherlock Holmes: The American Years” edited by Michael Kurland is a collection of ten stories by different authors and in different styles, all wonderful! Mark Twain and R.L. Stevenson are narrators of two of the stories. Sherlock’s sister tells another one.
This Sherlock is more emotional than Sir Conan Doyle’s, of course he is younger. He even has a little crush on a beautiful actress.
Intrigued? You better be! This collection is so good, you want to read it more than once and then go back read all the original Sherlock Holmes stories.

And how can I forget? “Daring a Duke” the fifth book of The Courtesan Series by Claudia Dain was just what the doctor ordered for a hot summer afternoon.
The wonderful thing about this book is that the whole story happens in a day. It’s a nice quirk, isn’t it?
Jane Elliot (an American) has come to England with her two brothers to attend the wedding of her cousin the heir of Hyde dukedom. Thrice widowed Duke Edenhum takes one look at her and wants to marry her. So he enlists the help of Countess Daleby, the notorious Sophia. Sophia is also an old friend of Jane’s mother, so she has to help Jane (when she asks for help) not marrying anyone. A lot of gossip and subplots and a hilarious cast of characters later, everyone is deliciously satisfied. In the course of this story we learn a little more about the mysteries of Sophia’s past.
And if you are like me, the more you learn about her, the more you love the series and the more impatiently you will wait for the next book.

Now is the turn for the not-so-hot books of the week. You might think having a heat wave and temp. topping 90 degree, I would welcome some wet-blankets but then you haven’t read these ones:
“You’re So Vein” (The Others, Book 7) by Christine Warren. So I started midseries again, but I assure you this book was the first and last one I’m reading from this author.
So very cheesy! Apparently all the supernaturals in America are one big happy family and all the top dogs are married to a group of girlfriends. This one I read was the story of Ava Markham, a wisemouth (!) anti-“Other” bossy member of that group which is attacked by a vampire and is turned accidentally. Vladimir (Dima) something-or-the-other is saving her afterlife and becomes her mentor and (yes, oh so unexpectedly!) love of her (after)life!
Kill me now!

“Cum Laude” by Cecily Von Ziegesar wasn’t in the league with “gossip Girl” series. This is a lame story about how a group of freshmen adopt to a small college life in a campus in beautiful Main.

“Early to Death, Early to Rise” by Kim Harrison. Now I love Ms. Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series, but this Madison Avery series is not working out in my humble opinion. Too weird if you ask me, too simplified, too rushed… Wish Ms. Harrison hasn’t started it. I wonder who told her YA books shouldn’t have a plot?!

“Tranquilista” by Kimberly Wilson is a life style book about being a trendy and hip yogi and all around cool girl. My impression was that Ms. Wilson has serious delusions of grandeur, thinking herself a great author and life couch.
The book is a mismatch of trendy lingo with French and British expressions randomly thrown in. It reads like rambling of a cheerleader turned yoga enthusiast who is high on something, too much sugar is my guess. Too fluffy, too sugary, too cheesy! Ugh!
If there were a couple of useful tips in the book, all those fluffiness did a good job of obscuring them.
Why do I read this trash?!

Best of the best

I finished “Sizzling Sixteen” (Stephanie Plum, book 16) by Janet Evanovich in a daze. Maybe that is not a good description and “in confusion” is better.
Stephanie’s cousin, Vinnie; has been involved in some shady doing and is kidnapped by a mafia boss. Stephanie, Connie and Lula have to save him if they want to have a job. The way to recover him is full of action and stink bombs!
Now what had me a little bored was Stephanie’s yo-yoing between Morelli and Ranger (again!). Sheesh! Can’t this girl make her mind?! This hazy love-triangle is becoming a little tired if you ask me!

“Changes” (Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher was a great story if a little sad and frustrating. Harry hears that his daughter is stolen by the vampires of red court. He has to join forces with his ex, Susan; to recover their child. The problem is he is in something way over his abilities, so he starts looking for allies and cashing in all the favors he is owed. When those are still not enough, he has to make deals and accept offers that may endanger his soul and freedom. But he does it all to save his little girl.
Ooh, I don’t know about the ending though. Mr. Butcher did the same thing with the book 11 too, keeping us all on hot coals for a year; waiting for the next book.
So very unfair!

“Spirit Bound” (Vampire Academy, Book 5) by Richelle Mead was not in caliber with the other books of the series. I liked this series because of it’s logical and real plots and believable characters. Rose in “Spirit bound” disappointed me. Her reaction and decision were too childish and rash. She is supposed to be an official adult now, being 18 and out of school but it wasn’t shown in the story at all. She was reacting more like a 14 years old! “Should I kill Dimitri?... No, I can’t I love him…he is going to kill me… I kill him..I can’t… ooh, I kill him!” Not so good, Ms. Mead, not so good!
Also I liked this series because it didn’t have those ultra-dramatization of most Young Adult books, as I said most characters were very real and logical. But in this latest book, I can see the beginning of teenage-y drama, sacrifices and un-reasonable loves and … you know; all those mushiness that are the hallmark of YA romances. More is the pity, this series was going good so far!

And the “Best of the Best” for this week goes to “Changes”, of course!

Alexia and Garnet

Bought and finished “Changeless” by Gail Carriger the second book in The Parasol Protectorate series. Alexia is working well both in the role of queen’s official and a wife but when her husband suddenly heads north to Scotland all alone and a new disease is targeting supernaturals, Alexia is picking up her new and improved parasol and riding an airship or dirigible to the rescue.
The story has a curiouse ending which leaves you on pins and needles for the next 3 months until the third book comes out!

“Honeymoon of the Dead” (Garnet Lacey, book 5) by Tate Hallaway was not in the league with the previous books. It was a harried story of Sebastian and Garnet getting arrested and kidnapped multiple times in a three day period. Our happy couple a snowed in on the way to their honeymoon and keep seeing goods and goddesses in every turn. Also they keep visiting dark cold cells in turn, arrested by immigration and FBI or kidnapped and hospitalized. Wow, Ms. Hallaway sure was in need of a solid plot!

I am…

…way behind in writing my reviews.
First I took a few days to read the whole Sookie Stakehouse series in anticipation of watching the “True Blood” second season on DVD.
Then “A Cast-of-Coven” A Witchcraft Mystery by Juliet Blackwell. Lily Ivory is trying to make some friends, learns of Max intentions toward herself and banish a demon. All in a day’s work.

“Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit” (A Novel of King Arthur) by Mercedes Lackey had put a new spin on the old legend. I generally don’t like these type of rewrites, so read it at your own risk.

“The Enchanted Emporium” by Tanya Huff was good soon as you got over the shock of the differences! OK, that peaked your curiosity, didn’t it? Alysha Gale learns that her wild grandmother’s passed away and left her a junk shop. She moves to Calgary to take care of business and find out what has happen to Gran. A crazy bunch of supernatural characters are ready to help her or eat her, whichever comes first.
This book is full of pies! Have a blueberry pie ready in case of emergency!

Did my yearly reread of “Desiree” by Annemarie Selinko. Love the old story!

Am reading “Twice bitten” A Chicagoland Vampires Novel by Chloe Neill. Merit and Ethan are providing security for a shifter summit and get involved in politics again.
And also the 16th book of Stephanie Plum series: “Sizzling Sixteen" by Janet Evanovich.