It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Sept. 12, 2011)

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.

Well, the first week of school is in the books. I forget each year how sore my feet are after a day of standing and walking. I don't wear shoes all that often in the summer and my feet send protests each fall when I have to again. The kindergartners are adorable, the sixth graders enthusiastic, and the senior high kids are getting used to their new netbooks. Hopefully, we will have all the bugs worked out and all the students will finally have theirs and have caught any problems. This should make life in the media center slightly less chaotic.

I did get some reading done but not as much as I had hoped. Last week I read:

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost which is the latest in the Cat & Bones series. They need to find out how to kill a ghost who is a serial killer. Here is my review.

Dead End in Norvelt is a new middle grade novel by Jack Gantos. I got this one for review but wasn't really enthralled with it. It lacked adventure or any real excitement. The language was wonderful but not much happens. My review is here.

Archangel's Blade by Nalina Singh had enough action and excitement to make up for the Gantos book. It also had a hot romance and well-written and well-rounded characters. I love her Guild Hunters series and this one was a great example. My review will be posted on Sept. 15.

I am currently reading another review book. This one is on my Kindle from NetGalley. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson is a young adult fantasy. Elisa is a chosen one, born to do some great task, but she is also the neglected younger princess. When she is sixteen she is married to a king from another country and sent off to live with him. The country is under threat from invaders who are especially interested in gaining control of her. This story is very good so far. 

Next week I plan to read a couple more reserve books and maybe even get to some of the ones on last week's list. First up are the review books:

The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen is a graphic novel. I am not a big fan of graphic novels but am a big fan of dragons and Jane Yolen. This one should be good.

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett is from Amazon Vine. It is based on the myth of the minotaur and is a romance too. Again, it should be good.

Left over from last week are:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens

But they may be set aside again because New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb comes out. This is the latest in her Eve Dallas-Roarke series and will be read as soon as possible after it arrives. 

Those are my plans. What was your week like?

In My Mailbox (September 11, 2011)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

This was a week of sequels. Every book I got this week was part of a series.

Pirate King by Laurie R. King is the latest in the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes series. I have enjoyed this historical mysteries and have high hopes for this one too.

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh didn't even hit the TBR mountain before I began to read it. I love this series and have always been fascinated with Dmitri. It is time he has a romance of his own. Thus far it has all the tension and sizzling heat that I have come to expect from this author.

Blood Spirits by Sherwood Smith follows Coronets and Steel. I liked the first book which I would describe as a contemporary fantasy and am eager to read this one too.

I finally got a copy of The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth. I have been waiting for a reasonably priced copy to become available in Amazon Marketplace. This week it finally did. I began reading this one at work on Friday as soon as it arrived. So far, I am enjoying it. 

I also added a couple of books from NetGalley to my review stack this week. Both of them will be published on Nov. 15.

Tricks of the Trade by Laura Anne Gilman is the third in the Bonnie Torres series. I have been enjoying the characters in this series and want to know what is happening next.

Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh is also part of a series. But this is a series written by different authors. I have not read the rest and chose this one completely because it was by Nalini Singh. It is the last of the series. Hopefully, I won't be too lost. 

That was my mailbox. What did you get in yours?

Book Review: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

One Grave at a Time
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publication: Avon (August 30, 2011)


Description: Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving-leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.


My Thoughts: This was another great adventure for Cat & Bones. I love the way their relationship is deepening now that they are married. The problem in this one is finding out a way to kill a ghost.


Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. He delighted in raping, torturing and burning young women at the stake after "convicting" them of being witches. Unfortunately, dying doesn't stop his personal reign of terror. Each Halloween he is able to become corporeal and continue his tradition. 


When one of Fabian's friends - another ghost named Elisabeth - tells Cat the story, Cat is determined to find a way to stop Kramer. Since her last adventure gave her a way to call ghosts and remnants to her, Cat thinks that she is suited for the job. But Kramer is much stronger and much more dangerous than she had anticipated. Even when he doesn't have a body, he is able to become a poltergeist and interact with physical objects. And Cat can't strike him back. She engages a medium named Tyler to see if she can find a way to banish him. Tyler provides some comic relief to the tension of the story because he is a homosexual who is constantly lusting after the very sexy vampires.


Cat and Bones along with their friends Spade, Denise, and Ian have to find a way to set a trap for Kramer and rescue this year's intended victims. Complicating matters is the fact that Cat's Uncle Don didn't cross over when he died and he is around as a ghost. He wants Cat to find a way to get him to the after-world - but not until he figures out what the new boss of his old organization is up to. This new commander has a hidden agenda and an over-fascination with Cat. He gets in the way of Cat's plans and provides a number of complications.


If you are looking for strong urban fantasy with a strong romance element, the Cat and Bones series is a good choice. Bones is a very romantic hero. Cat is a strong and competent heroine.


Favorite Quote:

"Personal space," Tyler chided, when I let him go. "And, you know, a towel would be the least you could put on."

I burst out laughing. For years, I'd been discomfited by the blase attitude most vampires had about nudity, and yet here I was, hugging someone I'd known less than two weeks while wearing nothing but some stray suds.

I bought this one. You can get your copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

BookBeginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I just got One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost and couldn't wait to begin it. It is the latest in the Cat & Bones series. The product description is short and sweet: Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving-leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.


Beginning:

Lasting Peace Cemetery
Garland, Texas


"Donald Bartholomew Williams, get your ass back here now!

Hey, wait a minute! He died in the last book!


Friday 56:

"When used properly Ouija boards open doors to the other side," Tyler replied, setting the box on his desk. 

Book Review: Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

Canyons of Night
Author: Jayne Castle
Publication: Jove (August 30, 2011)


Description: The island of Rainshadow is home to the mysterious, privately-owned woods known only as the Preserve. Now, after fifteen years away, both Charlotte Enright and her teen crush, Slade Attridge, have returned. But will their psi talents and Slade's dust bunny companion be enough to keep them from getting drawn into the darkness at the heart of the Preserve?


My Thoughts: This is the conclusion of the Looking Glass Trilogy which began in the book In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz and continued in Quicksilver by Amanda Quick. This story moves to the planet of Harmony and takes place on the island of Rainshadow. It is a small isolated island. Charlotte spent part of her childhood there with her aunt and now has returned to take over her aunt's antique store. Charlotte has a little-regarded psychic gift of being a rainbow reader. She can see people's auras and can tune some antiques to be just the right thing for a person. She has also recently inherited some things from a grateful client. She is busy organizing her aunt's shop and getting settled in on Rainshadow.


Slade Attridge has returned to Rainshadow to be the new chief of police. He has been forced to leave his higher profile career in law enforcement after an accident that the doctors and para-psychologists have said damaged his psychic gift beyond repair. Slade is determined to only stay on Rainshadow for a brief time while he makes other plans for his life.


Charlotte and Slade had met briefly fifteen years before and had been interested in each other but their lives led them in different directions. Now, the romance is rekindled. Slade is reluctant to make any sort of commitment to Charlotte, though, because of his very uncertain future. 


But, when Charlotte finds a dead body in her store, Slade's plans to lie low until he has has new life plans in place is derailed. Charlotte may be in danger and Slade's protective instincts come to the fore. They are both busy trying to find out who killed Charlotte's intruder and also what is going on in the Preserve. This privately owned area is changing and becoming more frightening and dangerous. 


Adding a lot of humor to the suspense and romance is Slade's dust bunny partner Rex. Dust bunnies are native to Harmony and occasionally adopt some of the humans. Rex looks cute and fluffy most of the time but he is a dangerous predator is there is a threat. Rex also loves zucchini bread which is a constant thread in this book since zucchini season has hit and one of the locals is constantly giving everyone loaves of it. He also has taken a fancy to an antique beaded evening bag from Charlotte's store and won't be parted from it. 


This one has all the elements of the most successful of Jayne Castle's books. It has romance. It has danger. It has cute dust bunnies. And it has crisp, snappy dialog. All in all, it was a very satisfying read, a great conclusion to the Looking Glass trilogy, and a great introduction to stories about the Preserve and Rainshadow.


My only quibble with the story concerns the cover. I have no idea who the cover is supposed to illustrate. Charlotte is not the kind to go around in tight leather. That aside, this one is well worth reading.


Favorite Quote:

"Are you saying that you can see something in my aura that none of the experts saw? Thanks, but no thanks. I can't afford to waste time with that power-of-positive-thinking crap."

"That's the spirit," she shot back. "Think negative. That way you're never disappointed."

The sharpness of her tone caught him by surprise. She was usually so cheerful, so sunny and warmhearted. Like a dust bunny, he thought. But dust bunnies had teeth. He thought about that night fifteen years ago when Charlotte had tried to fight off a bigger, stronger attacker with only a flashlight. Underneath all that sweetness and light, Charlotte was a fighter.

I bought this one as soon as it was released. You can get your copy here too.

Back to School Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Back to the Book Giveaway Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Buried in Books

Since I am going back to school for year 36 as a school media specialist, this seems like a perfect hop for me.

The winner will be given one book of their choice (up to a $20 value) to be purchased at The Book Depository. You can decide which book you would like the most. There are so many good ones to choose!

Here are the rules:

• You must be a follower to enter.
• You must fill out the form completely.
• You must live somewhere The Book Depository ships. (If you live in the US, I'll probably use Amazon because delivery times are faster.)

The contest runs from Sept. 1 - Sept. 7. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified on Sept. 8.

Fill out this form.

Good luck!

Click on the image at the top of the page to see a list of all the participants.

August Reading Report

It is hard to believe that August (and my summer vacation) are over. It went by so quickly. This past week I have been busy moving back to my school year home and getting ready to begin work again with my wonderful and enthusiastic students.

I read a total of 17 books in August. Eight were young adult books and the rest adult books. You can see the spreadsheet of my progress here. I read a lot of very good books this month.

My favorite young adult book was The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson. You can see my review here.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was my favorite adult book. You can see my review here.

Here is the state of the TBR mountain:

• I added 57 books to the stack this month.
• I began the month with 1142 books marked TBR.
• I ended the month with 1107 books marked TBR.

Thirty-two of the books I added in August were books for my Kindle. Of the 57 I added, 42 are still on my TBR mountain.

Instead of Spring Cleaning, I did a "start of the school year" cleaning. I decided to go through my young adult book stacks and donate those I was unlikely to read to my High School Media Center. I weeded out 81 books. Here is the visual evidence:

Now, I just have to haul them to work with me on Tuesday. I hope that my students will enjoy these new books.