by Kay | Dec 30, 2009 | Events for the Bookish |
I know I said I was going to stick to the challenges I had already signed up to – but this one just needed to be joined! Also, I am already in the middle of so many series, action really needed to be taken to move me along! So I have joined the Finish that Series challenge over at Royal Reviews.
This is an opportunity to finish all of those series that have been sitting on your book shelf looking at you. With this challenge you count series completed, not books read. The object of this challenge is to finish the series.
I am going to be conservative – and go for “Fascinated” and finish 3 series! I am not going to count trilogies (like the Study trilogy that I plan on finishing) and, since most of the series I am reading are ongoing, it is reasonable to assume that I will be “finishing” the unfinished!
Here is my list!
- Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs – COMPLETE!
- Blood Bound – 5 stars!
- Iron Kissed – 4.5 stars
- Bone Crossed – 4 stars
- Silver Borne – 4 stars
- Shifters/Werecats Series by Rachel Vincent
- Rogue – 3 stars
- Pride
- Prey
- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward
- Lover Awakened – 4 stars
- Lover Revealed
- Lover Unbound
- Lover Enshrined
- Lover Avenged
I already own all these books – so finishing them will help clear out my TBR pile!
31/12/2010 – I only managed to complete one of these series! Admittedly, hoping to finish the Ward series was somewhat optimistic…
by Kay | Dec 29, 2009 | Reviews |
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows #1
Published by Harper Voyager
Pages: 432
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: EvermoreThe underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves—creatures of dreams and nightmares—has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.
Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.
Thoughts: Dead Witch Walking is ludicrously well written – excellent pace, characterization, universe building, etc. etc. Harrison is a gifted writer and created one hell of a character in Rachel Morgan. She had plot twist after plot twist – constantly revealing something new and exciting about this amazing universe.
So why haven’t I given this book a five star rating? Well, mostly because it took me so damn long to finish it. I honestly blame this book for my book blogging slump, as it took me almost 2 months to finish! That is never a good sign.
What it all boils down to are the characters. And these characters I just could not care less about. I have read some reviews that claimed Rachel was the most annoying narrator they had ever read. This is an exaggeration. Anyone who has read the Werecats series by Rachel Vincent knows that Faythe knocks all competition out of the water. However, it is unlikely that you will grow to care about Rachel in this book. I sure as hell didn’t despite my very best intentions. Had the book finished with her death, I likely would have shrugged and moved on.
Bottom line? Read it for the universe – the Hollows is an amazing place. Also, the series apparently gets a lot better by the third book. Oh, and get the UK cover! The US ones are just disturbing.
by Kay | Dec 27, 2009 | Events for the Bookish, The Sunday Salon |
It is the last Sunday of 2009 – and book blogs are a flutter with challenge posts and blogging resolutions. I seem to have joined in the crowd – signing up to the Debut YA Author Challenge, the YA Challenge and the LOTR readalong. I have previously failed miserably with reading challenges, but I hope that by limiting myself to challenges that include books I likely would have read anyhow, I might succeed this time!
Then there are the more general reading plans that have made it into posts. I was inspired by Teresa’s post on Shelf Love where she described her reading plans for 2010. There are a lot of posts like these out there at the moment – Jenny over at Jenny loves to Read is even hosting a Reading Resolutions Challenge where you have back up to help you follow through with your resolutions. Anyhow, it all got me thinking about my own reading patterns.
I don’t want to make these “official” by joining a challenge, but here are a few of my hopes for the next year:
- Stop impulsive book buying! I have mile long wishlists, but the often get laid by the way-side in favour of a bargain. I find books that I really have no real desire to read, but buy them anyways because they are only 50p. My shelves just can’t take it anymore! Just. Say. No.
- Read the books on my shelves! I have some amazing books on my shelves that I desperately want to read… until I get distracted by something new and shiny.
- Not to let my reading slumps affect my book blog. I occasionally get into a reading slump, where nothing I read is inspiring or entertaining. It usually results in me not updating!
- Read The Lord of the Rings! I have conveniently joined a readalong for this particular wish. I have never been able to make it past the first book of LOTR despite my love for the verse (and The Hobbit!). This will be the year that I succeed!
- And, on a less literary note, give up paper cups! I frequent a lot of coffee shops to read and snack – and I often get a to-go cup. It is such a waste, and is so unnecessary!
As for the 2010 reading challenges – in search of challenges for myself, I stumbled on an awful lot of others that I could not commit to! I thought I would share the list so that you could find your own! These start Jan. 1st 2010 (except one) and there is still plenty of time to sign up!
Author/Series Challenges:
by Kay | Dec 26, 2009 | Reviews |
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Published by St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 306
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.
Rec for people who love: Twilight-esque romances
Thoughts: Okay, let me start by saying that the writing in Evermore was excellent. Alyson Noel has buckets of talent when it comes to writing. I know a lot of people have criticized this book for being too similar from Twilight. But honestly, I found it not similar enough! While with Twilight, you love the book because you love the characters – I just couldn’t love these characters.
My problem was with the romance. Ever, our heroine, was wonderful. A bit thick-headed at times, but identifiable and in a very real amount of pain from the loss of her family. That she then inherited a debilitating “gift” made her suffering all the worse. It was refreshing to read about a heroine who is just as supernatural as her love interest!
But then there is Damen, the “hero”… yeah, I was not so keen on him. We never really understand his motivations – and considering his actions usually made him seem like a total asshole, I really needed some kind of explanation for his behaviour. It was frustrating, and even Ever thought so! Thing was, she was in love with him despite all her attempts to forget him completely. I had no such luck!
Bottom line? Great writing, lackluster romance. I do plan on picking up the sequels and remain hopeful that Damen will grow on me!
by Kay | Dec 25, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Here’s hoping that Santa brought you lots of books for Christmas! ♥♥
