The Bride Wroe Black Leather by Simon R. Green

About the book: In the secret heart of London, under the cover of endless darkness, the Nightside caters to anyone with any unusual itch that needs to be scratched. But enter at your own risk. The party animals who live here may be as inhuman as their appetites...


My name is John Taylor. The Nightside is my home. I didn't plan it that way. In fact, I once tried to get away. But I came back. And now it seems I'm settling down, with a full-time job (in addition to my work as a very private eye) as Walker-the new Voice of the Authorities in the Nightside-and a wedding in the offing.

I'm marrying the love of my life, Suzie Shooter, the Nightside's most fearsome bounty-hunter. But nothing comes easy here. Not life. Not death. And for certain, not happily-ever-after. Before I can say "I do," I have one more case to solve as a private eye-and my first assignment as Walker.

Both jobs would be a lot easier to accomplish if I weren't on the run, from friends and enemies alike. And if my bride-to-be weren't out to collect the bounty on my head...

First line: I went walking up and down the packed streets of the Nightside, making my way through all the desperate conversations and dodgy deals, through all the damned and the disgraced, all the lost souls searching for something they could buy, then call love; and everywhere I went, people nodded quickly and politely to me, and out of respect.

My thoughts: This is book  number 12 in the Nightside series and apparently the last. I have always enjoyed this quirky, unique series and hate to see it end. As endings go, this one was great. The series was wrapped up nicely with Shotgun Suzie and  and John Taylor getting married, but only after John solves his final case as a PI. It had everything I've come to expect from a Nightside novel: strange beings and places, good vs evil, friends, enemies, friends who could be enemies, over the top action, weird sarcastic banter, and....I could go on but I won't.  This has never been a serious series, but it is lots of fun to read with it's outrageous situations, locations and characters. Here is an example of an ongoing situation: John never gets in a cab, never calls for a cab because .....it might eat him. Yep, that is common in the Nightside. This one had all that in spades. The stories are always a bit on the dark side, which works since the sun never shines in the Nightside. I'll miss this series. I may have to go back and reread them.

Quote:

1. "Half my taste buds are still crying their eyes out, and the other half are threatening to sue for post-traumatic stress disorder.""
2. “After all, you’re only an immortal until someone manages to kill you. After that, you were just long-lived.”
3.  "...Anyway, Dagon told me he'd Seen something really dangerous coming to the Nightside."   I waited. But that was all he had to say. "Well" I said, "Nothing to scary about that. It's pretty much business as usual, in the Nightside."

Challenges:
100+

Death's Excellent Vacation ed. by Harris and Kelner

About the book: The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story.
New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns.

With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque. Learn why it really can be an endless summer-for immortals.

My Thoughts:

Ghost Story, Jim Butcher - 9780451463791

About the book: When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

My Thoughts:  This is the 13th book in this series: The Dresden files. While this won't be among my fovorites of this series it was very readable and enjoyable. I must that I waited anxiously for this one because I feared it might be the last. So, not only did I enjoy this story I was relieved at the end! If you haven't read any of this series start at the beginning. Fans will like it.

Rating: B

Crimes by Moonlight ed. by Charlene Harris

About the book: A winning mystery collection edited by and featuring an original story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris.
Nighttime is the perfect time for the perfect crime-especially in the realm of the paranormal. #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris edits and contributes an original story-set in her Sookie Stackhouse universe-to this anthology of mysteries from the dark side. Other featured Mystery Writers of America include Carolyn Hart, Barbara D'Amato, Margart Maron, Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane, and Elaine Viets.

My thoughts: I liked this book of short stories. Most of the stories held my attentiom and caused me to want to learn more about several of the authors. Urban fantasy from a variety of authors, what could be better? Readers of crime fiction should like this. If you haven't read Urban Fantasy this might be the place to start. If you like it already then by all means get this!

Rating: B+

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Product Description

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.
Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

Half Way to the Grave by

Product Description

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.
In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Play Dead by John Levitt

From the back: Mason is an an enforcer, ensuring that those magic practitioners without a moral compass walk the straight and narrow. Mostly he just wants to keep his head down, play guitar, and maintain a low profile with Lou, his magical canine companion. But Mason is down on his luck, and when a job with a large payout comes along, he finds the offer hard to resist.

Jessica Alexander, a practitioner of dark magic, tasks Mason with finding a missing woman and supposed thief. But the case leads to a bigger mystery involving an ancient spell book that can open paths to different worlds - something most practitioners would kill to possess. Mason and Lou are determined to keep the spell book out of the wrong hands, but that could mean sacrificing what both man and his best friend hold most dear.

First line: The rain was vicious, drenching the streets, bouncing off the pavement and running down the gutters. The wind had picked up, driving the rain sideways at times, and the bobbing red and yellow and black umbrellas danced erratically as the wind swept through.

My thoughts: This is the fourth book in the urban fantasy Dog Days series, and I thought it was the best yet. My favorite part of these books has always been Lou, the Ifrit/dog who helps Mason. Lou had some pretty big scenes in this one. I like that Lou, like Mason, seems believable. Mason is funny at times, seems a little slow on the uptake, wants to do the right thing for the right reasons and makes me root for him. The author's love of music, particularly jazz, is woven well into the fabric of the stories, into Mason's use of magic. I find this a unique feature and interesting. The other characters are well drawn, the world building is belivable, the mystery drew me along, page after page. The end of this one wasn't quite the happy ending I was expecting even though the practitioner society was saved. But what about our heroes? The cliff-hanger at the end left me a little heartbroken. It will be hard waiting to see what happens to them.

Rating:



Quote: "A volley of sharp barks brought me out of it. I looked down with some surprise and found Lou up onstage, angrily barking his head off. Everything rushed back into focus - Park Place, the bandstand, Dave and Bobby and roger, the crowd."

Links:
John Levitt

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Product Description: When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs. Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life-first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse-seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

First lines: No one is staring at you, I promised myself. No one is staring at you. No one is staring at you. But, because I couldn't lie convincingly even to myself, I had to check

My thoughts: I liked this one much more than I liked Eclipse. I liked that Bella grew up and the teenage whining stopped, at least after the wedding. I found it irritating when Bella kept whining about the great car Edward got for her. It was also irritating for her to keep whining about having to marry the love of her life. I just couldn't understand that. Generally I am a fan of the Happy Ending. I got that here. But it was not without disappointment along the way. The book could have been tightened up, it was way too long, made that with stuff that added nothing to the plot. Some of the character's personalities changed in mid-stride and became people I barely recognized. Well, enough. I'm glad I read this series after all the talk about it. It was fun escapism.

Quote: "It was not going to be the end of the world. Just the end of the Cullens. The end of Edward, the end of me. I preferred it that way – the last part anyway. I would not live without Edward again; if he was leaving this world, then I would be right behind him."

Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski

About the book: Still mourning the loss of his wife, fallen angel Remy Chandler has immersed himself in investigating dangerous supernatural cases. His latest: the theft of a cache of ancient weaponry stolen from a collector who deals in antiquities of a dark and dubious nature. The weapons, Remy knows, were forged eons ago and imbued with unimaginable power. And if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be used to destroy not only Heaven but also Earth.

First Line: It isn't easy being human.

My Thoughts:This is the second Remy Chandler novel, the first being A Kiss Before the Apocalypse. I had not read anything by Sniegoski before A Kiss... even though he is well known for his YA Fallen series.

This urban fantasy was definitely a page turner, action packed all the way and quite violent in places. I like Remy,he is strong, intelligent, funny and sensitive. Marlowe, his dog, is one of my favorite things about these novels. I hope he has a bigger part sometime. The conversations between Remy and Marlowe are great fun to read. I grew to love Maddie in the first book and hated that she died but even with her dead she is an important part of the story.

In this book the author added to his world by introducing and explaining more about the angelic hierarchy, and added new creatures as well. The end has a surprising twist that I did not see coming at all. This could be a stand alone novel, but I think you would enjoy it more if you read A Kiss... first. Urban fantasy readers will enjoy this one for sure.

Rating:




Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 261
Publisher: Roc Trade
Source: TBR pile (B&N bookstore)

Quote: Remy stumbled back a bit, bumping into the wall behind him as two Sentries emerged. They were fearsome creations, angels whose sole purpose it was to watch over the magnitude of Tartarus' prisoners, none more deadly than Lucifer Morningstar.

Links:
The Author
The book
Other books

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski

About the book: Boston P.I. Remy Chandler has many talents. He can will himself invisible, he can speak and understand any foreign language (including the language of animals), and if he listens carefully, he can hear thoughts.
Unusual, to say the least - for an ordinary man. But Remy is no ordinary man - he's an angel. Generations ago, he chose to renounce heaven and live on Earth. He's found a place among us ordinary humans; friendship, a job he's good at - and love.
Now he is being drawn into a case with strong ties to his angelic past. The Angel of Death has gone missing - and Remy's former colleagues have come to him for help. But what at first seems to be about tracing a missing person turns out to involve much more - a conspiracy that has as its goal the destruction of the human race.
And only Remy Chandler, formerly known as the angel Remiel, can stop it.

First Line: It was an unusually warn mid-September day in Boston.



My thoughts: This was a new take on urban fantasy for me. No vampires, withces or werewolves. In this series we have Remy Chandler, angel.

This story is fast-paced and action packed. It drew me in and kept me reading. Remy is a likable, interesting character who has to work hard to be human, struggling against his true self. His relationship with his dying wife is bittersweet. He loves her dearly but is now forced to pass her off as his mother at a nursing home. My favorite part is Marlowe, Remy's Labrador, with whom he can communicate.

I really liked this one and will read more in the series. In fact it may just turn into one of my very favorite UF series.

My rating:

Quote: Marlow didn't move.

Remy leaned in to the car. "What's wrong?"

"I go," Marlowe said, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"You can't come with me, pal. It's too dangerous."

"No," the dog said stubbornly, draping his head over the back of the seat.

"Listen," he finally said in his firmest tone. "I don't have time to fool around right now. It's very important that I get to where I'm going so I can take care of business and come back to get you." Marlow lifted his head to look hin in the eyes.

"When?" the dog asked. "As soon as I'm done," he explained. "I have to go and help Casey and her friend..... and then I'll come back. Okay?" The dog thought for a moment. "Must come back," Marlowe said, and Remy could sense genuine sadness emanating from the animal's words. "Pack gone. Just Marlowe. All alone."

Links:
the series
the author

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

From the back: When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab in the morgue - in a stranger's body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there - her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures lining in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three
of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor - and she can't even remember what it was.

Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice - and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again - but this time there's no second chance.

Quote: The hound pounced, its massive body on a collision course with mine. I tucked and rolled without waiting, counting on the hound's speed to carry its mass over me. Heavy feet hit the pavement. I came up and fired.

Why this book?: This was an impulse buy. I had it ans wanted to read it.

My Thoughts: Evy is another tough as nails Urban Fantasy heroine. But there was nothing ho hum or the same ole same ole about this book. The characters were fresh and new, the situations were intriguing and the world well built and unique. I didn't like that the Hunters didn't seem to work well together. When Evy finally remembers what happened to her, it was pretty horrible, not reading for the faint hearted. This was a page turner that I couldn't put down. I will be reading the next book in this series.

Links:
At B & N
Celebrate
The author

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
Monthly Mixer Mele

Total Pages in 2010:
This book - 405
Total - 3784

King Rat by China Mieville

Synopsis: Something is stirring in London's dark, stamping out its territory in brickdust and blood. Something has murdered Saul Garamond's father, and left Saul to pay for the crime. But a shadow from the urban waste breaks into Saul's prison cell and leads him to freedom. A shadow called King Rat, who reveals Saul's royal heritage, a heritage that opens a new world to Saul, the world below London's streets--a heritage that also drags Saul into King Rat's plan for revenge against his ancient enemy,. With drum 'n' bass pounding the backstreets, Saul must confront the forces that would use him, the forces that would destroy him, and the forces that shape his own bizarre identity.


Quote: This was a million miles form the tawdry world of conjuring tricks. His life was in thrall to another hex, a power which had crept into his police cell and claimed him, a dirty,raw magic, a spell that stank of piss. This was Urban voodoo, fueled by the sacrifices of road deaths, of cats and people dying on the tarmac, an I Ching of spilled and stolen groceries, a Cabbala of road signs. Saul could feel King rat watching him. He felt giddy with rude, secular energy.

My thoughts: Wow! What a ride. This dark urban fantasy story, Adult Fairy Story, that is basically a good verses evil story that kept me turning pages. Here the Pied Piper is an evil control freak who only wants to kill. I like the way this author takes figures from folktales and mythology, The piper, King Rat, Anansi, and adds Loplop, Bird Superior (who is a creation of the artist Max Ernst) and mixes it all up in the everyday world. King Rat has appeared in several books I've read over the years, but only in small parts. In some ways it reminded me of Neverwhere (one of my all time favorites) with none of the humor. It was a gritty story. Some of the discriptions, while true to the characters, gave me TMI.

S*P*O*I*L*E*R

I will complain about the end, where in the Big Fight, our hero did practically nothing. After spending many sentences in the book showing how he can control the rats, he didn't tell them anything. He could have had them rush the tape player for one thing. But then that would have cancelled the control of the Piper over all the people at the club. I'm giving it a B. I liked it and if you like urban fantasy, I think you'll like it too.

Links:
preview
China Mieville

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; Reprint edition (October 6, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312890729
ISBN-13: 978-0312890728

Challenges:
100+ Reading challenge
Totally British challenge
Monthly Mixer Mele
NaJuReMoNoMo

Pages in 2010:
This book - 318
T0tal - 2171

A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

Product Description: Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-in one special volume-from the New York Times bestselling author. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her "spunky" (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-together in one volume. Stories include "Fairy Dust," "One Word Answer," "Dracula Night," "Lucky," and "Giftwrap."

Quote: Bubba the Vampire and I were raking up clippings from my newly trimmed bushes about midnight when the long black car pulled up.

Why this book you might ask: I'm a fan of the series.

My thoughts: As I've said before I'm not into short stories much, but I wanted to read these since I like this series. The 5 stories were:
"Fairy Dust" In which Sookie is asked to help find a murderer.
"Dracula Night" Eric Northman is a frantic fanboy? Well he is hoping that Dracula will visit his party this year.
"One Word Answer" The begining of the story about the death of Sookie's Cousin Hadley.
"Lucky" Can luck be used up? Read and see.
"Gift Wrap" Sookie is alone at Christmas but it turns out to be one of the best.

The only problem I found was that the stories were short (HAHA) and there weren't enough of them.

Links:
Charlaine Harris Interview

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Ace (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441017835

Unleashed by John Levitt

From the back: Mason is an enforcer, keeping magical practitioners on the straight and narrow, and he knows how dead he'd be without his "dog" Louie. Louie's more than a canine - he's an Ifrit, a faithful familiar who's proved time and time again theat he's a man's best friend, if said man values staying alive.
But this time Louie's in the line of fire. Practitioners in San Francisco have been dabbling in magic far beyond their control. Now they've accidentally unleashed a monster into the world. It's mauling humans and killing any Ifrit it can find. Mason and Louie must track and collar it. But doing so will lead them to an evil darker and more subtle than any they have ever faced.

Quote: 1. Somewhere in the undergrowth and tangled brush, the creature waited for us. Victor was over to my left, carrying the sawed-off shotgun. Not much of a weapon if you need to aim, but for close-up work it’s unbeatable. Lou ranged ahead, light on his paws, using only his dog senses for once. His magical talents were useless in tracking this thing, but he still had those sharp ears and even sharper sense of smell.

Why this book you might ask: Third in the Dog Days urban fantasy series, I had to buy it and read it.

My Thoughts: There was a lot going on in this book to keep you guessing proving that this series is not slowing down a bit. In fact I think that mystery here is the strongest of the three Dog Days books. It is certainly certainly the most tangled. Lou is the perfect sidekick for Mason as they face the strange "unleashed" monster from another....... place. Mason and Louie will do anything for each other, including placing themselves in harm's way to save each other. I'm liking the characters more and more as we go along. Mason is a truly good guy if a little unmotivated, Lou is a great new and unique character, Eli and Victor are strong characters that are filling out. I like Campbell, she is smart, resourceful, and cool in stressful times I hope.....

I can't wait for the next installment!

Links:
Buy the eBook
Excerpt From Unleashed

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace (November 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441017983
ISBN-13: 978-0441017980

Urban Fantasy, Ifrit, Mason and Louie, magic, mystery, Dog Days

New Tricks by John Levitt

From the back: Mason used to work as an enforcer, ensuring that magic practitioners walked the straight and narrow. But he gave all that up for a quiet life scraping out a living playing his guitar, keeping a low profile with Louie, his magical...well, let's call him a dog. Luckily, Louie has a sixth sense for danger, and Mason knows exactly how dead he'd be without him.

It's Halloween in the Castro district of San Francisco, which means that for once mason doesn't have to worry about the fact that vampires and ghost are stalking the streets. What he does have to worry about is how his old flame Sarah became the victim of an attempted possession-leaving her an empty shell. Mason's only clue is the green rune stone found in her hand...

Quote: Dhougras? They're like Ifrits, but not quite as pleasant. I know they help practitioners, at least the practitioners who know how to compel obedience. i don't know where they come from.

Why this book you might ask: It is the next book in the series and I liked the first book.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Dog Days and am pleased to say that I enjoyed this installment just as much. I like the characters. Mason is a brave & caring guy who combines understated charm, magic, music, good will, and at times ineptness to make him very likable. Lou, Mason's....ummm...dog.... makes the books for me, though. I did figure out early on who the bad guy was and kept wondering why Mason didn't see it. I'm enjoying this new to me urban fantasy series. I understand that something escaped from this book to lead into the next. Up next: Unleashed!

Links:
Interview with the author.
Read chapter 1.
John Levitt's website
John Levitt's online journal.

Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Ace (November 25, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441016561
ISBN-13: 978-0441016563

Urban Fantasy, ifrits, San Francisco, mystery, murder, magic, Dog Days

Dog Days by John Levitt

From the back: You'd think that having magical talent would be a good thing, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. Sure, it can be useful.It's fun to pull off the occasional illusion. I've been told I'm not living up to my potential, but all I want is to keep my head down and play guitar. Unfortunately, someone in San Francisco has decided that's not an option.

Mason used to work as an enforcer, ensuring that those magic practitioners without a moral compass walked the straight and narrow. But he gave all that up for a quiet life, scraping out a living playing his guitar, keeping a low profile with Louie, his magical....well, let's call him a dog. Luckily, Louie has a sixth sense for danger, and Mason knows exactly how dead he'd be without him.

But there are some kinds of evil that even Louie can't sniff out. Leaving a club one night, Mason is attacked by an assailant who is most definitely of the supernatural persuasion. He realizes that someone wants him dead. To defend himself, he'll have to fall back on the one skill he's mastered in music and magic - improvisation...

Quotes: If a dog can shrug, that's what he did. I knew he understood; I just hoped he could contain himself. As was all to clear from his interactions with pancakes and squirrels, self-control is not his strongest attribute.

Why this book, you might ask: It was the glowing dog on the cover that reeled me in.

My thoughts: I really liked this book! I am a fan of urban fantasy generally and I enjoyed this one more than most. Urban fantasy with dogs (sort of) what could be better? The Ifrits, of which Louie (the sort of dog) is one, are magical companions (similar to familiars) to people with talent. They choose who they will befriend and it isn't always the most talented.

I like the magical world Levitt has created for his books. San Francisco seems real. The origins of the Ifrits is unknown, and why they choose who they choose, or why they leave when they leave is a mystery. I liked all the characters. They were very different from each other but worked well together. The story was suspenseful with some twists. One big surprise was where the jewels the bad guy has come from. The bad guy was really bad. Evil. Twisted. You would love to hate him. Good riddance.

Fans of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series will enjoy this, I think.

Links:
Author's site.
John Levitt at Live Journal.
Preview chapter one here.
A review at the SF site.

Paperback: 297 pages
Publisher: Ace (October 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441015530
ISBN-13: 978-0441015535

urban fantasy, mystery, ifrit, dog, familiar, magic

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Product Description: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.



Quote from the book: "You don't think of me as a delicate flower in comparison to you?" When I laughed again, he pressed, "Okay, what words would you use then?"I leaned back in the seat, thinking, as Sam looked at me doubtfully. He was right to look doubtful. My head didn't work with words very well—at least not in this abstract, descriptive sort of way. "Sensitive," I tried.
Sam translated: "Squishy."
"Creative."
"Dangerously emo."
"Thoughtful."
"Feng shui." (p. 207)

Why this book, you might ask: I picked this book up to read because I've seen so many reviews of it on different book blogs.

My thoughts: This is one of the few YA books that I have read so I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. It was at heart a love story, girl loves paranormal boy. Sam and Grace, the main characters were sweet and likable. I enjoyed new look at werewolves: it's cold weather that causes them to change into wolves instead of the full moon bringing it on. They are wolf for the winter and human when it turns warm.

This isn't fast paced page turner, rather it is a romantic, angst-y story with some suspense.
I found myself skimming through the middle of the book. The second half kind of took off and was very entertaining. The characters did work well together and were developed. I can see why it would draw the YA crowd. Over all I liked it, it is one that I will remember just because it is so different from what I usually read.

Links:
Maggie Stiefvater's site.

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 392 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545123267
ISBN-13: 978-0545123266
YA, teen, warewolf, paranormal romance

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

About the book: The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council--and there's only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden.
Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head--someone like Harry.

My Thoughts:This was the 11th installment of the Dresden Files and I liked it a lot. Morgan, who until now has made Harry's life miserable, is accused of killing another wizard and comes to Harry for help. As much a Harry dislikes Morgan he knows Morgan couldn't have done this. He sets out to prove Morgan's innocence and runs into a variety of enemies including a skinwalker, The Binder, and the Black Council. The Skinwalker kidnaps Thomas, wanting to exchange him for Morgan.

I think this book is a turning point in the series. A relationship is ended, people (esp. Thomas) are changed, and, Morgan, a character who's been around since the beginning dies. This novel contains a lot of action, what a page turner! It is interesting that characters that have been around since the beginning reveal things about themselves we didn't know before.

There are two story lines in this novel. One is Harry's search for the truth behind the death of the wizard Morgan is accused of killing. The second involves the threat of the Black Council, proving that it is in fact real. But by the end of this novel questions are answered and the stage is set for for the next novel. Harry has found allies in his fight to find the Black Council. Can't wait to read it!

I enjoyed the humor through out this book. I also enjoyed seeing the return of the werewolves, the involvement of the White Court, and the important part played by Toot-Toot. I would love for Mouse to have a bigger part!

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