Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 new titles

I’ve been waiting for a miracle and some free time to sit down and write reviews on all the books I read in 2011. That however didn’t happen! So here is a quick list (for the sake of record keeping) and a quicker grading system and commentary. In no particular order, I give you:

-“Inheritance” (Inheritance Cycle, Book 4) by Christopher Paolini. Grade: 2/5, weaker than the first couple of books of the series.

-Blue Bloods series, by Melissa de la Cruz including: 1-“Blue Bloods”, 2-“Masquerade”, 3-“Revelations”, 4-“The Van Alen Legacy” , 5-“Misguided Angel” , 6-“Lost In Time” and the two complementary books: “Bloody Valentine and “Keys to the Repository . Grade: 2.5/5, Gossip Girl gone vampire, totally mushy teenage love!

-Witches of East End” (The Beauchamp Family) by Melissa de la Cruz. Grade: 3/5, new series involving Northern Gods and Valkeries.

-The Soul Mirror” A Novel of the Collegia Magica by Carol Berg. Grade 4/5, a little dark!

-“River Marked” (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) by Patricia Briggs. Grade 10/5, Mercy gets married and learn about her father and his people!

-“Shot Through Velvet” A Crime of Fashion Mystery by Ellen Byerrum. Grade 2/5, this series is dragging on and on and getting more boring.

-“Blackveil” (Green Rider) by Kristen Britain. Grade 6/5, dark and saad and full of heartache with a very uncertain ending. Wish Ms. Britain would hurry and write the next one!

-“Absolutely, Positively” A Lucy Valentine Novel by Heather Webber. Grade 1/5, happy reading and happy ending!

-“Iron Crowned
(Dark Swan, Book 3) by Richelle Mead. Grade 2/5, a hurried story, rushed and illogical!

-“Pale Demon” and “The Hollows Insider: New fiction, facts, maps, murders, and more in the world of Rachel Morgan” by Kim Harrison. Grade 10/5, Rachel Morgan is getting better and better!

-“A Red Herring Without Mustard” and “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows”, the Flavia de Luce Mysteries by Alan Bradley. Grade 10/5, I am still so in love with Flavia!

-“One of Our Thursdays Is Missing” by Jasper Fforde. Grade 4.5/5.

-“Bless the Bride” and "The Amersham Rubies" (Molly Murphy Mysteries) by Rhys Bowen. Grade 5/5. So good, but if it was me, I won’t have married Daniel!

-“Tangled Threads” and “Spider's Revenge (Elemental Assassin, Book 4 and Book 5) by Jennifer Estep. Grade 10/5 for both. I adore Gin, her royalty and her cruelty!

-“ First Frost” and “Touch of Frost” (Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep First Frost is a Kindle eBook. Grade 5/5 for both. The start of very promising series.

-“The Gathering” (Darkness Rising, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong. Grade 5/5, can’t wait for the second book.

-“Dead Reckoning” (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) by Charlaine Harris. Grade 3/5, Sookie wasn’t acting like herself. I think the series has started to bore the author!

-“Lord Langley Is Back in Town” by Elizabeth Boyle. Grade 1/5.

-“Kiss of Snow” (Psy/Changeling) by Nalini Singh. Grade 3/5

-“Hunt the Moon” A Cassie Palmer Novel by Karen Chance. Grade 0/5, the series is not worth following anymore!

-“Kitty's Big Trouble” (Kitty Norville, Book 9) and “Kitty's Greatest Hits” (a collection of stories) by Carrie Vaughn. Grade 10/5. Can’t wait for the next one!

-“Hexes and Hemlines” A Witchcraft Mystery by Juliet Blackwell. Grade 1/5. Losing its appeal!

-“Heartless” (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger. Grade 10/5, love love love!

-"Marine Biology" by Gail Carriger. Grade 3/5. romance!

-“Ghost Story” (Dresden Files, No. 13) by Jim Butcher. Grade 4.5/5. A little repeatetive, hope next one is better!

- “Waking the Witch” and Spell Bound(Women of the Otherworld, Book 11 and 12) by Kelley Armstrong. Grade 4/5, unfinished ending, aww!

-“The Tale of Castle Cottage(The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter) by Susan Wittig Albert. Grade 5/5, so sad the series ended, I loved the Land between the Lakes!

-“Succubus Revealed”(Georgina Kincaid, Book 6) by Richelle Mead. Grade 2/5, disappointing and rushed!

-“ The Magicians and Mrs. Quent” and “The House on Durrow Streetby Galen Beckett. Grade 5/5, new series, a little Victorian and little magic and little space adventure!

- “Heist Society” and “Uncommon Criminals” (Books 1 and 2 of Heist Society series) by Ally Carter. Grade 5/5, fun and exaggerated, total teen fantasy!

-“The Nonesuch”, “False Colours", “My Lord John”, “Powder and Patchby Georgette Heyer. Grades 2.5/5 for all. What can I say, I went through a Heyer phase!

-“ Wicked Appetiteby Janet Evanovich. Grade 1/5.

-“ The Iron Duke” (A Novel of the Iron Seas) by Meljean Brook. Grade 2/5, steampunk!

-“ Lady-Protector”The Eighth Book of the Corean Chronicles by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Grade 4/5, I should read the hwole series!

-“The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoiseby Julia Stuart. Grade 1/5, slow and boring!

-“ Masques” and Wolfsbane”by Patricia Briggs. Grade 5/5 for both. As good as Mercy’s series. Wish Ms. Briggs would continue the series.

-Undead and Unfinished” (Queen Betsy) and “Wolf at the Doorby MaryJanice Davidson. Grade 1/5 for both. I’m not reading anything else from MaryJanice Davidson, seriously, enough is enough!

-“The Astronomer”A Novel of Suspense by Lawrence Goldstone. Grade ?. Honestly I can’t remember!

-“Roast Mortem" (Coffee House Mystery) by Cleo Coyle. Grade 0/5, very cheesy!

-The Bohemian Girl” by Kenneth Cameron. Grade 2.5/5, dark mystery!

-“An Unforgettable Ladyby J. R. Ward. Grade 0.5/5

-“Lunch in Paris” A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard. Grade 1/5, great start, could have been better!

-“Strange Brewby P. N. Elrod. Grade 4/5, anthology, all great stories!

-“I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You”, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy”,Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover” , “Only the Good Spy Young(Gallagher Girls series) by Ally Carter. Grade 2.5/5 for all, YA fun!

-“Whose Body?”, “Murder Must Advertise”, “Five Red Herrings” , “Strong Poison” and “The Documents in the Case” (Lord Peter Whimsey Mysteries) by Dorothy L. Sayers. Grade 1/5, slow old-fashion mysteries!

-“Lover Unleashed” A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward. Grade 0/5, why am I reading this BS?!

-“Death's Excellent Vacation” by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. Grade 4/5 average, anthology, some stories are very interesting!

-The Lady Most Likely...”A Novel in Three Parts by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway. Grade 4/5, nice romance!

-“Dead in the Water”, “A Mourning Wedding and “Requiem for a Mezzo” (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries) by Carola Dunn. Grade 1.5/5, old fashion mysteries!

-“ Home Improvement: Undead Editionby Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. Grade 4/5, mostly. Anthology, many of the stories are great!

-“ Very Classy: Even More Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady” by Derek Blasberg. Grade 4/5, worth reading!

-“How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Lifeby Melissa Hellstern. Grade 5/5, love Audrey!

-“Canyons of Night” and “Midnight Crystalby Jayne Castle. Grade 4/5, I love Harmony!

-“Curiosity Thrilled the Cat” and “Sleight of Paw” Magical Cats Mysteries by Sofie Kelly. Grade 2/5, nice slow mysteries!

-“A Werewolf in Manhattan” and “Werewolf in the North Woods” (A Wild About You Novel ) by Vicki Lewis Thompson. Grade 1/5, fun romance!

Well, these may not be all the new books I read in 2011 but all that I could remember!

In addition to those books that I reviewed in previous posts, I ended the year with a sum total of 134 give or take a few! Not bad for an awfully busy year!