Out With a Bang Readathon Day 2

I had a pretty good day 2 of the Out with a Bang readathon.

I finished Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan and also wrote and scheduled the review for Jan. 20. Total = 296 pages


I also read The Heart of Winter which is an anthology by Maggie Shayne, Linda Winstead Jones and Day Leclaire. I got it from NetGalley for my Kindle yesterday. It has a January 4 release day. So it moved to the top of my TBR stack. The review is written and will be posted on January 8. Total = 320 pages


I read a total of 616 pages on Day 2.


I also want to thank the person who gave me the idea of printing out a calendar to schedule my blog posts. It lets me feel much more organized to see a calendar with posts filling in lots of the squares. I'm sure there would be a way to do this using Google Calendars but this is one time when I want the print pages sitting on a clipboard near my computer. 

Today my plan is to clear my Google Reader which is overflowing with Friday Blog hops and then read two ARCs I have for review - The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor and The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

Over 40 Blog Hop

A friend pointed my way to this hop and I am proud to join in. This is hosted by Java at Never Growing Old.


The RULES to join in are very simple!

1. Grab the button
2. Add your link to the list
3. Visit as many other blogs as you can
4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)


While I love reading a wide variety of blogs, it will be fun getting to know some bloggers in my age group too.

Out With a Bang Readathon Day 1

I had an interesting day one for the Out With a Bang Readathon. I wasted away the entire morning reading posts in my Google Reader and doing other bloggish things to get ready for 2011. I set up my Google Docs spreadsheet for 2011 challenges. It looks like I'll be taking part in five this coming year. I didn't actually start reading until almost 12:30.

I finished Dan Gutman's The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable which I have on my Kindle from NetGalley. I also wrote and scheduled the review for Jan. 3. I had half the book to go. Total - 150 pages


I read Antony John's Five Flavors of Dumb and wrote and scheduled the review for Jan. 7. Total = 352 pages.


I began reading Allison Brennan's Love Me to Death that I have for review from the publicist. I'll be hosting a tour stop for her on Jan. 21. Total = 185 pages


Total reading on Day 1: 687 pages

Review: Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight
Author: Elle Jasper
Publication: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)


Description: Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...


My Thoughts: This is a quick reading erotic vampire romance. Riley had a troubled adolescence (which she tells us frequently in the first few chapters) but she has straightened her life out and is a responsible tattoo artist raising her younger brother. When the brother and his friends unleash ancient evil in a prank in a local cemetery, Riley is introduced to a portion of Savannah she didn't know existed. she meets a family of vampires - the Duprees - and falls in love with the eldest son. 


The villains in the story are two brother vampires Victorian and Valerian who had been imprisoned by the Gullah population until Riley's brother Seth and friends turned them loose. Seth was turned by the vampires and now Riley and Eli have just one month to put down the threat and save her young brother. It will take a month before the two released vampires have the strength to complete their evil plans. But they are able to send very erotic dreams into Riley's head as she sleeps.


As an added complication, Riley's blood is especially appealing to vampires and it has been masked by her Gullah guardian Preacher. The Gullahs and the Duprees have a treaty in place in Savannah. The Gullahs meet the vampires needs and the Duprees keep worse vampires out of Savannah.


This was an interesting romance for those who like their heroes dark and scary.  Of course the heroine is kind of dark and scary herself. I'll be watching for the sequel next summer.


Favorite Quote:

I've walked Savannah's cobbles the whole of my life, been in the darkest alleys, and I've seen a lot of crap go down. I've been in a lot of crap as it was going down. I was one effed-up kid back then, and if it weren't for Preacher, I still would be. But I'd never had a feeling creep over me like this one. I wanted to continuously look over my shoulder, or worse--overhead.

2011 Shifter Challenge

I have decided to sign up for still another challenge. Parajunkie is hosting the 2011 Shifter Challenge. I love shifter books. I have tons on my Kindle that I haven't had a chance to read yet. This challenge was made for me. 


Here are the rules from Parajunkie's site:

1. Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating. That post is the link that you will include in the Mr. Linky below. The link should be the post link not just your blog link.
2. Grab the button and display it in the post (use grab code underneath the button) or on your sidebar so others can join in the fun.
3. Challenge goes from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011
4. The challenge is to read 20 books that have a SHIFTER as a MAIN character, either protag or antagonist
5. There will be a post that goes up for January 1 where you add each book as you read them and discuss books read in the comments

This one sounds like a bunch of fun. Bring on the werewolves and cougar shifters and lion shifters and any other kind of shifter.

ARC Review: Pack of Lies by Laura Ann Gilman

Pack of Lies
Author: Laura Anne Gilman
Publication: Luna; Original edition (January 18, 2011)


Description: Funny how life can turn you upside down…

My name is Bonita Torres, and eight months ago I was an unemployed college graduate without a plan. Now I’m an investigator with the Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations team of New York. Pretty awesome, right?

The Cosa Nostradamus, the magical community, isn’t quick to give up its secrets, though. Not even to fellow members. Not even when it’s in their best interests. So we’ve been busting our tails, perfecting our forensic skills, working to gain acceptance. The team’s tight… but we have our quirks, too. And our Big Dog, Benjamin Venec…well, he’s a special case, all right.

But we can’t give up. We’re needed, especially when a case comes along that threatens to pit human against fatae. But one wrong move could cost us everything we’ve worked for…

My Thoughts: This was an enjoyable paranormal mystery story. The crew is trying to become more established as an unaffiliated investigative agency that helps police the paranormal community. But they are facing all kinds of opposition from the Council members and from the lonejacks. Their current case looks like it should be open-and-shut. Two talents attempt to rape another Talent who happens to be the virginal companion to a kirin - an almost mythical member of the fatae community. The kirin kills one of the attempted rapists. However, the male survivor says that they were set up. Our team of investigators has to try to sort out the truth in order to protect the reputation of their new firm and to bring justice to the victims.


Meanwhile, Bonnie Torres who is one of the puppies is having some kind of magical relationship with one of the Big Dogs - the two founders of PUPI. Somehow their talents are meshing allowing them something like telepathy and the ability to read each others mind and emotions. While Bonnie thinks Ben is hot, she doesn't want to have an office romance. Ben is as confused as she is about the new relationship.


And the other partner's sister is still trying to undermine the new business and is willing to do anything and work with anyone even though she has been censured by the Council for her previous actions. Tensions are already high between the Talents and the fatae and her actions are ratcheting them even higher. 


This was an action packed story with lots of interesting paranormal powers and a wide variety of paranormal creatures. It is interesting seeing the events that we have seen in the Retrievers series from another viewpoint. I recommend the series to lover of urban fantasy. The main character - Bonnie - is a unique and sympathetic character.


Favorite Quote:

Yeah, Venec was undeniably hot, if you liked the brilliant, dark-eyed, moody, remote sort, and I knew damn well that he felt some of those sparks, too. I'd been around that block a time or two before, and I could tell when someone was reacting. He was also the boss, ant that was more important than any fireworks show. I might be dead and stupid, but I wasn't dumb. A bed partner was easy enough to find. A good job? Lots tougher. Especially for someone with our...call them specialized skills. I wasn't going to risk that, not for anything.

Previous book in the series: Hard Magic

Teaser Tuesday: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

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 teaser this week is from a fun historical fiction novel. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig is great for those who cut their teeth on The Scarlet Pimpernel by Orczy as I did. I have found it to be laugh-out-loud funny in places too.


Teaser:

If she didn't do something to distract herself soon, she would probably start running madly about the room or jumping up and down or twirling wildly in circles, just to spin off some of her excess energy. Even one of Uncle Bertrand's lectures on cross-breeding sheep would be welcome.

I have just begun this book but I am enjoying it immensely.