Wednesday, October 31, 2012

WoW: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we can post our links and see what books others are waiting for. It spotlights upcoming releases.

I have already read the eARC of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold twice but I am still eagerly awaiting this book's release on Nov. 6 so that I can add this hardcover to my Bujold collection. I am trying again to order the Limited Signed Edition. Hopefully this will not have the same problems as the last LSE I tried to order.

Here is the description:
Book Fourteen in the best-selling Vorkosigan series.

GOOD INTENTIONS, BAD INTEL

Captain Ivan Vorpatril sometimes thinks that if not for his family, he might have no troubles at all. But he has the dubious fortune of the hyperactive Miles Vorkosigan as a cousin, which has too-often led to his getting dragged into one of Miles’ schemes, with risk to life and limb—and military career—that Ivan doesn’t consider entirely fair. Although much practice has made Ivan more adept at fending off his mother’s less-than-subtle reminders that he should be getting married and continuing the Vorpatril lineage.


Fortunately, his current duty is on the planet Komarr as staff officer to Admiral Desplains, far from both his cousin and his mother back on their homeworld of Barrayar. It’s an easy assignment and nobody is shooting at him. What could go wrong?

Plenty, it turns out, when Byerly Vorrutyer, an undercover agent for Imperial Security, shows up on his doorstep and asks him to make the acquaintance of a young woman, recently arrived on Komarr, who seems to be in danger. That Byerly is characteristically vague about the nature of the danger, not to mention the lady’s name, should have been Ivan’s first clue, but Ivan is no more able to turn aside from aiding a damsel in distress than he could resist trying to rescue a kitten from a tree.

It is but a short step down the road of good intentions to the tangle of Ivan’s life, in trouble with the Komarran authorities, with his superiors, and with the lethal figures hunting the mysterious but lovely Tej and her exotic blue companion Rish—a tangle to test the lengths to which Ivan will go as an inspired protector.

But though his predicament is complicated, at least Ivan doesn’t have to worry about hassle from family. Or so he believes . . .

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Dangerous Affairs by Diana Miller


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from Dangerous Affairs by Diana Miller. This is one of my recent romantic suspense Amazon Vine picks. Here is the description:
When soap opera star Abby Langford leaves Los Angeles for her Minnesota hometown, she’s hoping to give her nine-year-old daughter the peaceful childhood she never knew. But instead of tranquility, Abby finds an old knife hidden behind a wall of her new house. Then the nightmares start: a blood-soaked victim and a killer’s arm slicing through the air, again and again.

Abby wonders if she’s having the nervous breakdown the tabloids claim she already had, especially when sexy, skeptical police chief Josh Kincaid questions her story. When menacing hate mail arrives, Josh’s professional concern for Abby soon evolves into an intense attraction, and the feeling is mutual. But as Abby’s visions grow more graphic and gripping, so does her fear.

Somewhere in the shadows of Abby’s memory lies the key to a very present danger. But she’ll have to stay alive long enough to find it…
Teaser:
"Make her a soap opera star who quits her show and moves back to her hometown to face painful memories from her past. They always say you should write what you know."

Monday, October 29, 2012

Purging and Reorganizing My Book Shelves

Caution: This post contains a large number of huge pictures.

I have a problem. I might go so far as to say I have an addiction. I can't stop buying books. I have bookshelves in most rooms of my house and have run out of walls to build more. The time has come for a major weeding and reorganization of my shelves.

This is what precipitated the book purge. Here are adult books that are TBR and don't have a home - 3 laundry baskets, 2 milk crates, two cloth grocery bags and two boxes. Needless to say, I can't find a book when I want it. Luckily, I list all the books I own on my LibraryThing account so that I know if I already have a book. That doesn't mean that I know where it is though.
I currently have bookshelves in my family room, my Master Bedroom, and my office. It is my goal to make the shelves in my office my adult TBR pile. That means I need to weed the books I have already read to get rid of enough books to empty those shelves. 

I spent all day Saturday going through the shelves in my family room which contained authors B - L. Running out of space there meant that all the A authors and quite a few of the B authors had moved into the office. Here is the finished (?) family room.



Now the first shelf starts with A and I have four empty shelves at the end. Next, I need to move into the Master Bedroom which currently looks like this:
Here is the current state of the Office shelves which have authors S - Z:
Unfortunately, the bottom two shelves on the right section of bookshelves are already TBR books. I don't think that I will have space to empty all the bags, baskets and boxes onto the shelves I am going to be able to clear. I will likely have books two deep on the TBR shelves but that is still better than the current mess.

Here is what I am getting rid of:

There are seventeen grocery bags of books containing 575 books - 72 hardcovers, 36 trade paperbacks and 467 Mass Market Paperbacks. I have a couple of friends who want to go through the bags but whatever is left is being donated to the Rochester Friends of the Library for their annual sale. I can't wait to get these out of my house and into the hands of readers who would like them.

I think I still have one more weekend of work in order to finish the Master Bedroom and the Office but I can at least see the light at the end of my organizational tunnel. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to be getting de-cluttered. I thought it would be harder to get rid of books than it has actually been. I think it helps that I am donating the books so that other readers can have a chance at them.

PS. I have thirteen boxes of books containing 418 titles in a closet that haven't been opened since I moved to this house twelve years ago. I think I will be getting rid of those too and regaining some valuable closet space. 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? Oct. 29, 2012


It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.


I had a slow reading week this past week but I did get a lot of reorganizing done. I am writing a post with photos about my reorganizing which should be up on Monday too.

I read these:
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette was an eARC from NetGalley. This young adult paranormal takes place in Minneapolis and stars a girl named Audrey who has a mother who is a superhero and who learns that her mom fights monsters not crime. Audrey gets pulled into the battle and learns a lot about herself, her family and her past in this entertaining first novel.

Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson is also a first novel that I received from Amazon Vine. This is a paranormal about a young woman who is a Null. Vampires and werewolves turn human when they get within ten feet of her. She works for the head vampire cleaning up crimes committed by vampires, werewolves and witches. This one is a mystery as the main character needs to find out who committed a particularly grizzly crime before she is executed for it so the lead vampire can save face. She is assisted by a human police officer and a werewolf who are both sort of love interests. 

My reviews for both of these titles will be posted on Nov. 3.
I am currently reading The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa. This book is in her Iron Fey series and stars Ethan Chase who was kidnapped by the fae when he was four and who now hates the fae though they won't leave him alone. 

These are the next six on my review stack. Some of them will be read next week.
I still have Sapphire Blue by Kirsten Gier and Dead Girl Moon by Charlie Price on my stack of October review books. I got both of these from Macmillan.
The first two on my adult stack for November are A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry and The Trial of Fallen Angels by James Kimmel Jr.
The next two young adults to read for early November are Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman and Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman.

This coming Saturday will be another travel day as I go to the Cities for an author signing at Uncle Hugo's. Lois McMaster Bujold will be signing and I need to get my hardcover copy of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. I have already read the eARC twice and just purchased the finished ebook. This one is for my keeper shelf.

What do you have planned for the coming week?

Stacking the Shelves (Oct. 2, 2012)


Tynga of Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

This week I added six books to my TBR mountain. Click on any of the titles for information about the story and for purchasing options. Most links go to Amazon.
Baen Books released the eARC of Necessity's Child which is the latest book in Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden Universe. I already have pre-ordered my hardcover copy of this book which will be released on Feb. 5 but there is no way I can wait that long to read it. I had to buy it now so that I can read it as soon as possible.

While I was at Baen, I remembered that I hadn't yet purchased the ebook version of Lee and Miller's Dragon Ship. I already have the hardcover and have the eARC but I bought this one anyway so that the collection on my Kindle is complete.
Speaking of my Kindle. I also bought Claimed by a Vampire and Forever Claimed by Rachel Lee. These are books two and three in this series. I already have Claim the Night which is the first book in the series on my Kindle. A friend of mine met the author's son which made us both interested in reading these books. I am a fan of Rachel Lee's contemporaries but haven't read any of her paranormals. 
I also received two books for review from the Amazon Vine Program. Both of these are romantic suspense/thrillers published by Montlake Romance and each will be released on Dec. 4. I chose She Can Tell by Melinda Leigh and Guardians of Stone by Anita Clenney.

What did you add to your stack this week?

Saturday, October 27, 2012

ARC Review: Rancher's Deadly Risk by Rachel Lee

Rancher's Deadly Risk
Author: Rachel Lee
Publication: Harlequin (October 16, 2012)

Description: In these rugged mountains, Cassie thought she'd finally found the small-town welcome she's been looking for her whole life. But after she stops some school bullies, suddenly the rest of this close-knit community isn't acting so friendly. The threats begin, and this schoolteacher has nowhere to turn for help—until a rugged, mysterious rancher steps in.

Lincoln Blair has been drawn to Cassie from day one. That's why he's avoiding the too-tempting new teacher—he knows from experience that outsiders get bored and leave. Still, he just can't help wanting to protect Cassie when trouble starts. As her danger grows, Linc realizes it's his heart he's forgotten to safeguard….

My Thoughts: I was a little afraid that the bullying theme of this romance would overwhelm the romance but Lee managed to include enough romance by the end of the story. Cassie, a new teacher in Conard County, steps in to stop some boys from bullying another boy and sets off a whirlwind. Her actions have a lot of repercussions because one of the bullies is a star on the basketball team that might be going to State. The community seems to be picking sides.

But there are more than just opinions and sideways glances. Someone makes a threatening phone call, leaves a dead rat on her desk at school, and vandalizes her car. Fellow teacher Lincoln Blair steps in to aid Cassie even though he is reluctant to get close to her. After all, he fell for an outsider once before and she broke his heart when she left him. 

Both Linc and Cassie have their own insecurities which often leaves them talking at cross purposes and misinterpreting each other. Cassie was bullied when she was younger and is also used to men coming and going in her life. She feels pretty insecure about herself and doesn't think she is attractive. As I mentioned already, Linc doesn't want to get involved with someone who can't deal with his lifestyle as a high school science teacher, football coach, and rancher. He thinks Cassie is really hot but has been keeping her at a distance to protect himself. 

The bullying theme was strong in this one. Both Linc and Cassie want to do something to change the culture of the town and the school. Both were afraid that too many people were just passing off bullying as "kids will be kids." It takes the attempted suicide of the victim to wake up the community.

The one weakness that I thought this book had concerned the villain. He seemed to come out of nowhere and have no real motive for his actions. There was no real foreshadowing that led to him. 

I did enjoy the romance and think other fans of Rachel Lee will enjoy this one too.

Favorite Quote:
Damn, life could be unfair, making him want what he was pretty sure he couldn't have. Making him want another woman he probably couldn't trust. Making him want all kinds of things that weren't his to take or enjoy.

A better man would have stepped back then, feeling he'd made his point that she wouldn't face this alone. But he wasn't a better man. The desire pounding in him weakened him, and drove caution into the background.
I received the eARC from Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday Memes: Rancher's Deadly Risk by Rachel Lee


Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This Friday I am spotlighting a book I recently received from NetGalley. Rancher's Deadly Risk by Rachel Lee is a Conard County book and is in the Harlequin Romantic Suspense series. I used to read Rachel Lee and especially her Conard County books all the time but haven't now for a few years. I am eager to reacquaint myself with this author and series.
Here is the description:
In these rugged mountains, Cassie thought she'd finally found the small-town welcome she's been looking for her whole life. But after she stops some school bullies, suddenly the rest of this close-knit community isn't acting so friendly. The threats begin, and this schoolteacher has nowhere to turn for help—until a rugged, mysterious rancher steps in.

Lincoln Blair has been drawn to Cassie from day one. That's why he's avoiding the too-tempting new teacher—he knows from experience that outsiders get bored and leave. Still, he just can't help wanting to protect Cassie when trouble starts. As her danger grows, Linc realizes it's his heart he's forgotten to safeguard….
Beginning:
Cassoe Greaves felt the winter nip in the Conard County air as she left her small rental house to head for school.
Friday 56:
Plenty of guys had made passes at her. Full-figured but not ugly was her pronouncement. Problem was, she didn't quite believe the "not ugly" part.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

ARC Review: Edge of Oblivion by J. T. Geissinger

Edge of Oblivion
Author: J. T. Geissinger
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 2, 2012)

Description: Morgan Montgomery is waiting to die. Branded a traitor by her tribe, the Ikati shape-shifter has no hope for mercy--until Jenna, the Ikati's newly crowned queen and Morgan's former ally, offers one last chance for redemption. Morgan must infiltrate the Rome headquarters of the Expurgari, the Ikati's ancient enemy, to destroy them once and for all. The beautiful renegade has just a fortnight to complete her mission or forfeit her life. Because she does not travel alone...

Xander Luna is a trained assassin and the Ikati's most feared enforcer, famed for his swift brutality and stony heart. Fiercely loyal, he is prepared to hate the traitor under his watch--until they come face to face. For Morgan arouses something unexpected inside of him, something that threatens everything he believes in and the fate of the tribe itself: a love as powerful and passionate as it is forbidden.

My Thoughts: Fans of the paranormal and shifters in particular will enjoy this exciting story that combines danger and romance. Morgan has been sentenced to death for actions she took that endangered her secretive Ikati colony. Her one chance to save her life requires her to go to Rome and locate the Expurgari who are her tribes ancient enemies.

Morgan doesn't travel alone though. Accompanying her is Xander Luna who is one of a small number of assassins who act as the Ikati's enforcers. If she doesn't find the Expurgari in fourteen days, Xander will kill her. Almost as soon as they get to Rome they find what they think is a feral Ikati but soon learn that he is the head of a secret hidden colony based in the catacombs under the Vatican.

Between falling in love as possibly the most star-crossed lovers ever and trying to find the colony of Ikati, Xander and Morgan are kept very busy. We learn much about the barbaric and brutal lives of the Ikati and the role of women in the culture as we see Morgan struggling to live free or die and see Eliana who is a princess of the hidden Ikati but who has never been allowed to leave the catacombs. 

I couldn't help but contrast this title with some of the other books about shifters I have read. This one is definitely more violent and more restrictive. The draconian methods used to keep the Ikati colonies hidden were brutal and unforgiving. 

I recommend this one and the first book in the series - Shadow's Edge - to fans of darker paranormals.

Favorite Quote:
"In the end, everything matters" was his cryptic response. "The big triumphs and failures are what we most remember, but all the little mindless moments, all the forgotten details of your life matter, too. It all matters, because it all adds up to who you really are."
I received this ARC as an unsolicited review copy. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

WoW: Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we can post our links and see what books others are waiting for. It spotlights upcoming releases.

I am really excited for the release of Cold Days by Jim Butcher. This is the next installment in the Dresden Files series. It will be released on Nov. 27.

Here is the description:
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

 After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

 Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…His soul.
This one has been on my wishlist for a while. I have already pre-ordered my copy.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Edge of Oblivion by J.T. Geissinger

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My book this week is Edge of Oblivion by J. T. Geissinger. I received this paranormal/shifter story as an unsolicited review copy. Here is the description:
Morgan Montgomery is waiting to die. Branded a traitor by her tribe, the Ikati shape-shifter has no hope for mercy--until Jenna, the Ikati's newly crowned queen and Morgan's former ally, offers one last chance for redemption. Morgan must infiltrate the Rome headquarters of the Expurgari, the Ikati's ancient enemy, to destroy them once and for all. The beautiful renegade has just a fortnight to complete her mission or forfeit her life. Because she does not travel alone...

Xander Luna is a trained assassin and the Ikati's most feared enforcer, famed for his swift brutality and stony heart. Fiercely loyal, he is prepared to hate the traitor under his watch--until they come face to face. For Morgan arouses something unexpected inside of him, something that threatens everything he believes in and the fate of the tribe itself: a love as powerful and passionate as it is forbidden.
Teaser:
"I'm unfortunately without clothes," Morgan continued, turning her wrist in a slow, graceful motion to indicate her spectacular nudity. He tried to sputter out a reply, but she went on, ignoring him. "Would you be a dear and find me something nice to wear to my execution?"

Sunday, October 21, 2012

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Oct. 22, 2012)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.


I had a massive reading week this past week in large part because, when I saw the doctor Monday morning, she told me to go home and rest and then prescribed an antibiotic that acted like caffeine. No daytime sleeping = lots of reading time.

I finished:
Rancher's Deadly Risk by Rachel Lee was a romantic suspense title I got from NetGalley. This one had a bullying theme that almost overpowered the romance but was still a pleasant book. My review will be posted on Oct. 27 but the book is available now.

Edge of Oblivion by J. T. Geissinger was an unsolicited review copy that was also a good paranormal romance though the shifter society was a little on the brutal side for me. My review will be posted on Oct. 25  but the book is available now.
Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson was a review book I got through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.  This romantic suspense title spent a lot more time talking about each character's relationship with God than I am comfortable with in a book. The heroine was a very unique character. My review is here.

Dangerous Affairs by Diana Miller was one of my recent Amazon Vine picks. I really liked this romantic suspense title in part because it was set in Minnesota and also because both of the main characters were really nice people. My review will be posted on Nov. 1.
Silent Revenge by Laura Landon featured the kind of female lead that is seldom seen. She was deaf and trying to hide it from the society she feared would shun her because of her handicap. This one also had a particularly nasty villain. My review is here

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski was a young adult science fiction story that I got from Macmillan. It features alternate worlds and a heroine who didn't know she was not a human. It also features a really nice romance. My review will be posted on Nov. 1.
Beta by Rachel Cohn was also a young adult science fiction story. This one came from NetGalley. I enjoyed this exploration of a future dystopia where clones were created to be slaves. My review will be posted on Oct. 27. The book is available now.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin was a science fiction/dystopia that I received from Macmillan. I especially like the main character in this one and am eager to follow along with this series. It also has an interesting love triangle. My review will be posted on Oct. 25. The book is available now.
I am currently reading Dark Star by Bethany Frenette. This young adult paranormal is set in Minnesota and features a character whose mother is a superhero. 

Next week there are four books on my stack that will finally finish all of the books I had for review in October. (Somehow I committed myself to read 22 review books in October!)
Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson is an Amazon Vine pick. It is also a romantic suspense title and the only adult book left on my October stack. 

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa is a young adult paranormal/fantasy. I have wanted to read this one since I got it from NetGalley on August 1. It has finally made it to the top of my review stack.
I also have Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier which I have wanted to read since I finished Ruby Red and have had on my stack since June 21. I got this young adult time travel story from Macmillan.

Dead Girl Moon by Charlie Price is also an ARC I got from Macmillan. This young adult mystery will be released on Oct. 30 and sounds really good.

What do you have planned for this week?