Books in the House Monday

So...I made a little visit to Orchard Bookstore Sunday afternoon after seeing the movie Astro Boy at the show with Lady K (good flick BTW). I had a box of trade ins and I looked around while they perused my offerings. They took them all and I found four for my shelves and one for my sister and two for Lady K. Lady K's picks were Christmas in style, one is for Christmas crafts which will be fun to do together.

My picks are:

CARPE CORPUS - Rachel Caine, book 6 Morganville Vampires

FADE OUT - Rachel Caine, book 7 Morganville Vampires

SMALL FAVOR - Jim Butcher, book 10 Dresden Files

BLOOD RETRIBUTION - David and Aimee Thurlo, book 2 Lee Nez series

And I picked up

GARDEN SPELLS - Sarah Addison Allen for my sister

What made it into your house?

THORN QUEEN: Book 2 Dark Swan - Richelle Mead

From the back of the book: Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become a queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an enviable life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one -- except Eugenie -- seems willing to find out why.

Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty--even if it means facing the darkest--and deadliest---side of her nature....

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It appears, at least to me, that Richelle Mead can do no wrong. I've read books in two of her three series and I've enjoyed them all. And I know I will enjoy the rest of each series and I look forward to trying her Vampire Academy adventures. STORM BORN was superb and THORN QUEEN is even better.

Eugenie has her work cut out for her and it's more to do with the reluctant running of her kingdom than her work as a shaman. She is learning what it takes to be a queen, even if she doesn't think of herself as one. She wants to help the people in her area and does what she can to help them find water and how to make a living in their new desert environment. Eugenie honestly cares about people and works her way through her original thoughts on Otherworld denizens, especially as she accepts herself as at least half Otherworld.

Five honkin' excellent beans......

BLOODY AWFUL - Georgia Evans

From the back of the book: In the second of Georgia Evans' supernatural trilogy, Gloria Prewitt must reveal her greatest secret to have any hope of saving the people she loves....

As the district nurse for a country village outside London, Gloria has the respect of the town and the satisfaction of helping those who need it most. She'd lose both if anyone discovered that she turns into a furry red fox and runs through the Surrey hills by moonlight. But what she sees on those wild nights suggests Brytewood is under attack--from a saboteur with superhuman powers and the force of the Nazi Luftwaffe behind him.

What can one werefox do against a predator with devastating weapons at his at his command--and the strength of the undead besides? What can a woman with a secret reveal without losing all she has? With the help of a couple of Devonshire Pixies, a Welsh dragon, and two men too stubborn to admit they're outnumbered, Gloria might just find out the answers....

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I really enjoyed the first in the series, BLOODY GOOD , but this one is even better. Alice and Peter are getting married and are only really peripheral in this story. This one is more Gloria, the were-fox, and her dilemma of wanting to help her village and what to do about her growing attraction to the manager of the 'secret' munitions plant on the hill. She knows something is going on with the new baker in town, something sinister, but who can she trust?

Her romance with Andrew bounds along at a gallop, which I reckon is what happens in certain circumstances like war occurring on your home ground.

The vampires in this one are as different as they can be in any story I've read in my much loved paranormal books. They are truly evil and truly helpful.

I love this village of Brytewood, too. I'd like to find out what draws these Others to this particular place.

I really look forward to the third book in the trilogy, BLOODY RIGHT, which looks to be about Gryffyth Pendragon, invalided out from the war against the Third Reich. There's still war to be fought at home....

Five excellent Other beans.....

It's Time for the Annual Book Blogger Holiday Swap

Just found out about the annual Book Blogger Holiday Swap. I signed up and now want to share with whoever finds this on this here blog o' mine. Head on over here and sign up before 12 November and you can be part of this fun Secret Santa style prezzie exchange.

Books in the House Monday

From Ginny: THE GHOST WRITER - John Harwood, this one's been on the WWBL for a while, Thank you Ginny!
From Deb, my sweet SIL: STILL LIFE - Louise Penny
Book win from fab Jennifer Rardin: OVER MY DEAD BODY - Michele Bardsley, signed!!
From Janet: BOOKMARKED FOR DEATH - Lorna Barrett
MURDER IS BINDING - Lorna Barrett

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE - Annette Curtis Klaus, narr Alyssa Bresnahan

From the back of the book: Vivian Gandalon is a teenaged werewolf with problems. Her father, the pack leader, was killed in a fire, and so the pack is in disarray. The young male members of the squabbling pack howl for her, but still she feels alienated and alone.

To be more than human is a lonely thing. Vivian longs to have friends and fit in as school. She yearns to escape her legacy of violence and forbidden appetites, but the beast within her longs for something elementally deep and rich. She glories in her ability to change form woman to wolf. How can she choose between being human or beast? She fiercely hopes that her relationship with a kind and sensitive meat-boy, a human, will help her find some answers.

Talented narrator Alyssa Bresnahan casts a spell over listeners as she becomes the beautiful and sensuous young werewolf princess. This suspenseful, haunting, and magical tale is best read by the light of the full moon.

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Alyssa Bresnahan, the narrator, is the reason I kept listening to this story. I did not like Vivian at all. Klaus wrote the character well as I wanted nothing more than to reach inside the story and smack the crap out of Vivian, spoiled and self-centered creature that she was. She couldn't understand why no one wanted to be her friend, since she was so special and beautiful.

The story of the pack and the hierarchy was a fascinating aspect that didn't get a lot of play. Another little downfall, I figured out who the bad guys were as soon as the bad stuff started happening to Vivian.

Alyssa Bresnahan kept me listening, though. Some narrators can do that for a story. I will look for more of her narrated works.

Four because of the narrator beans....

Lady K's Halloween 2009

Behold, the Winged Vampire Princess....

October 2009 Book Journal

October was all horror or paranormal...a fun month of reading....

BROKEN - Kelley Armstrong, MPB, love the Elena stories

DEATH'S DAUGHTER - Amber Benson, MPB, pretty darn entertaining

DEAD UNTIL DARK - Charlaine Harris, BOCD

LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS - Charlaine Harris, BOCD

DEFINITELY DEAD - Charlaine Harris, BOCD

THE MEDIATOR: REUNION - Meg Cabot, BOCD, excellent

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK - Neil Gaiman, BOCD, highly superb

THE HARROWING - Alexandra Sokoloff, MPB, good horror story

SOULLESS - Gail Carriger, MPB, darn good and book 100 for the year

HEAD GAMES: A Body Bags Mystery - Christopher Golden, BOT, darn good

STORM QUEEN: Dark Swan #2 - Richelle Mead, MPB, superb

BLOOD & CHOCOLATE - Annette Curtis Klaus, BOCD, so-so story about a spoiled brat werewolf teen

Books: 5

Audio: 7

Total for the month: 12

Total for the year: 103

Fall Back 2009

Don't forget, One Hour BACK!!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you! Going out Trick or Treating? Parties? Any plans at all? The weather was warmer yesterday, so the melt has begun. The streets are clear, so Lady K and I walked to her school's annual Monster Mash last night and we will do the haunting of the neighborhood this evening starting around 5pm.

Sledding Fun...Or How We Like to Use 18 inches of snow

Day 2 of the Snowstorm

Lady K and her buddy...now under even more snow...

Lady K loves shoveling snow....

The woodpile is getting loaded up....

Snow for Halloween?

We got us a humdingah snowstorm going on....here's the front porch

The Colorado Blue Spruce in the front...

Lady K in her element......

Books in the House Monday

From Dad:
THE NIGHT FERRY - Michael Robotham, suspense
BLUE HEAVEN - C J Box, suspense
QUANTICO - Greg Bear, suspense
FREE FIRE - C J Box, suspense
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD - Greg Iles, suspense
TRIPWIRE - Lee Child, suspense
THE STRAW MEN - Michael Marshall, thriller
CITY OF THE SUN - David Levien, suspense

From cousin Kathy in Wise, Virginia:
VERY VALENTINE - Adriana Trigiani

From Mary Ann (for my seester):
THE SUGAR QUEEN - Sarah Addison Allen

From the author, thanks to Goodreads Book Giveaway:
DEATH MESSAGE - Mark Billingham, suspense

From Lisa @ Online Publicist
THE HANDY ANSWER BOOK FOR KIDS (AND PARENTS) - Gina Misirglu

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:
CRIMESPOTTING: EDINBURGH CRIME COLLECTIONS - Anthology

Big Ass Box of Books from Our Lady of the Books Pamala:
CORPSE POSE: A Mantra For Murder Mystery - Diana Killian, cozy mystery
24 HOURS - Greg Iles, suspense
THE HARD WAY - Lee Child, suspense
TRIPWIRE - Lee Child, suspense (now have three copies)
MORTAL FEAR - Greg Iles, suspense
INNKEEPING WITH MURDER - Tim Myers, cozy mystery
SHAMUS IN THE GREEN ROOM - Susan Kandel, cozy
BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE - Lee Child, suspense
WITHIN THE SHADOWS - Brandon massey, horror
RUNNING BLIND - Lee Child, suspense (now have two copies)
DROWNED NIGHT - Chris Blaine, horror
MURDER ON WASHINGTON STREET: Gaslight Mystery - Victoria Thompson, cozy
CRY WOLF - Patricia Briggs, paranormal
THE GIRLS HE ADORED - Jonathan Nasaw, thriller
WICKED THINGS - Thomas Tessier, horror
FEAR THE NIGHT - John Lutz, thriller
THE FALLS - Ian Rankin, suspense
BLEEDING HEARTS - Ian Rankin, suspense
EVERY FEAR - Rick Mofina, suspense
FROST OF HEAVEN - Junius Podrug, thriller
FORTY WORDS FOR SORROW - Giles Blunt, suspense

SOULLESS: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel - Gail Carriger

From the back of the book: Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and a werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia is responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

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I was intrigued by the reviews I'd read on this one, immediately added it to the WWBL...and it really didn't take long for it to be on Mt Git'r'Read...then not long for it to be in the stack that went with me on the roadtrip to Virginia.

I liked the premise that this was Victorian England and werewolves and vampires were an accepted part of society. Alexia is dryly funny and I could see myself being friends with her, soulless or no.

There was more romance (sex) than I'd anticipated, but it wasn't overwhelming or dismaying. I enjoyed the analytical thoughts of Alexia as she 'explored' her interactions with Lord Maccon. She compared these interactions to the books she'd read in her father's library and found the books lacking.

My favorite character was Alexia's vampire friend, Lord Akeldama. He is smart and witty and perfect friend to Alexia.

Ms Carriger has one of the most inventive alternative past history's built for her characters. This is a Victorian England with the manners, class structure, and behaviors we know and has an added twist of the hives of the vampires and the packs of the werewolves integral to the society.

Four gaslight with a twist beans....

THE HARROWING - Alexandra Sokoloff

From the back of the book: Baird College's Mendenhall echoes with the footsteps of students heading home for Thanksgiving break and Robin Stone, who won't be going home, swears she can feel the creepy, hundred-year-old residence hall breathe a sigh of relief for its long-awaited solitude. As a massive storm approaches, four other lonely students reveal themselves to Robin: Patrick, a handsome jock; Lisa, a manipulative tease; Cain, a brooding musician; and Martin, a scholarly eccentric. Each has forsaken a long weekend at home for their own secret reasons.

The five unlikely companions establish a tentative rapport, but they soon become aware of another presence disturbing the building's ominous silence. Are they the victims of an elaborate prank, or is the energy evidence of something genuine--something intent on using them for its own terrifying ends? Together they'll face three long days and dark nights before the world returns to find out what's become of five students nobody wants and one will miss....

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October is my month for trying to read horror and paranormal only. This is the first (and maybe only) for the month. I am glad I read this as my purse book as I know I'd have had wild-ass dreams of the extremely scary kind. I enjoy the horror novels that lets me use my imagination and not have everything spelled out in big bloody letters. That's what makes the movie Psycho remain the flick that keeps my shower curtain open after watching it every time.

Alexandra Sokoloff writes a genuinely creep me the hell out book and I can't wait to read more!

Four scare the piss out of you beans.....

HEAD GAMES: A Body of Evidence Thriller - Christopher Golden, narr Julie Dretzin

From the back of the book: Jenna Blake is home from college for the holidays, and this is one vacation she'll never forget. First, the mayor appears to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Then, several childhood friends suddenly erupt in murderous rages.

As a pathology assistant working with the county Medical Examiner, Jenna has more than a passing interest in these events. Together, she and Dr Slikowski uncover evidence suggesting the mayor was dead before he fell from the building. And when authorities blame the teenage violence on video games and movies, Jenna believes something far more sinister is behind the madness.

Christopher Golden is an award-winning , LA Times best-selling author. Other books in his Body of Evidence series includes BODY BAGS (Loved it!) and SKIN DEEP. Through narrator Julie Dretzin's riveting performance, Jenna emerges as a smart and brave young woman.

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I do enjoy this series of YA forensic mystery. Jenna is smart and her character is written enough as an 18 year old learning how to get older and going home isn't easy, but an intelligent 18 year old who knows she will be up for the journey.

Jenna comes home for Christmas and realizes that she isn't sure one can really go home again. She is torn between missing her mom and her friends in her hometown and missing her other home at college with her job working with Slick and Dyson and the friends and boyfriend in her college life. The murders of the families throws a light on the changes in her relationships with her high school friends. She feels compelled to help the police and her friends think she's weird for wanting to do so. The murders are appalling, but they think Jenna is full of herself now. The police think she's too young to be of any help.

There are some amazing co-ink-e-dinks that move the story along at a rather rapid pace, but it's a short book, so it was likely necessary and reasonably understandable.

I look forward to reading/listening to the rest of the series. Christopher Golden is on my WWBL and has been for a while. Highly recommend...

Four don't judge a book by it's young cover beans.....

Lady K-ism of the Day

Lady K upon finding out her lunch menu from school stated that October is Spinach Month: "Well, that's just wrong!"