Books in the House Monday - 23 Aug 2010

Big ol' box of books arrived on my doorstep last week from my buddy Jenna over at Imzadi Dragonfly. She's been going to some superb book signings at Powells in Cedar Hills and has hooked me up with some signed books as well as some extra goodies.
The signed books:
BITTEN: Women of the Otherworld #1 - Kelley Armstrong, MPB
SUCCUBUS BLUES - Richelle Mead, MPB
KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR - Carrie Vaughn, MPB
KUSHIEL'S DART - Jacqueline Carey
GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson
POLTERGEIST - Kat Richardson
UNDERGROUND - Kat Richardson
VANISHED - Kat Richardson
LABYRINTH - Kat Richardson

The goodies:
Sanctuary Season 2 DVD

MEAN STREETS - Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Simon R Green, Thomas E Sniegoski
MIND GAMES - Carolyn Crane

Ursula K LeGuin
THE OTHER WIND
THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS
TEHANU
THE FARTHEST SHORE
A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA
THE TOMBS OF ATUAN

And some cool schwag:
Labyrinth puzzle, bookmarks, postcards, keychain, scented erasers, Hello Kitty lip balm, stickers...some of this I'm sure I'm to share with Lady K

THE RECKONING: Darkest Powers Book 3 - Kelley Armstrong, narr Cassandra Morris

From the back of the BOCD: Cursed with the ability to raise the dead, 15-year-old Chloe Saunders inspires fear and awe in everyone she meets. A normal life is all she wants, but that simply is not possible.

With her friends--Tori the witch, Derek the werewolf, and Simon the warlock---in tow, Chloe is on the run from the treacherous Edison Group. Years before, the unscrupulous corporation genetically engineered the teens, giving them incredible powers. But resistance to their experiments is growing, and their secrets are coming into the light. Now armed with new information and new allies, Chloe and her ragtag band are set to take the fight directly to the Edison Group's door. Their mission is threatened, however, when a teenage love triangle begins to form.

A #1 New York Times best-selling author, Kelley Armstrong concludes her Darkest Powers trilogy with this third installment. Narrator Cassandra Morris voices all the adventure and angst with verve and passion.

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I started this series with the second book,THE AWAKENING. Got confused, but enjoyed the story. Listened to the first one, THE SUMMONING, refreshed and ready for this--the third (and best) one.

Each of the teens, especially Chloe, are getting more assured in their abilities and powers, much to the dismay of the people who take them in to shelter them from the Edison Group. Derek is having issues with being a werewolf, but dealing with them as best he can with Chloe's help. Simon is bummin' about his slowly coming along magical powers while Tori's are smokin' right along.

What I really like about this series is how it shows the growing pains of being a teen as well as being a teen with uber abilities. Each has to mature emotionally as well become stronger in personality and powers.

The blurb above from the back of the BOCD states that this is the last of the trilogy, but I looked it up on fantasticfiction for Kelley Armstrong and it posts that there is one more, THE GATHERING, coming out next year. I really hope so.

Five growing powers beans.....

THE SUMMONING: Darkest Power Book One - Kelley Armstrong, narr Cassandra Morris

From the back of the BOCD: Chloe Saunders isn't so different from most other 15-year-old girls. She wants to hang out with friends, flirt with boys, and fit in at school. Unlike her peers, however, Chloe has a hidden paranormal ability---and on the same day she belatedly enters womanhood, she sees a ghost.

Soon Chloe is seeing dead people lurking about everywhere. The terror and bewilderment of their haunting presence--and everyone's refusal to believe her--cause Chloe to have a mental breakdown. So she's committed to Lyle House, a home for troubled teens. But that may not be what the place is really for at all, because Chloe isn't the only resident possessing a strange "gift". Take Derek, for instance--the toothsome patient who sometimes howls at night.

Kelley Armstrong, the author of many New York Times best-selling suprnatural thrillers, bursts onto the YA scene with THE SUMMONING--a novel sure to resonate with fans of the Twilight series. Cassandra Morris grips listeners with an entrancing narration.

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I liked this way better than TWILIGHT (yes, I read it to see what the fuss was all about...it wasn't all that). Kelley Armstrong writes a grittier, less angst-filled paranormal story of well-drawn characters going through the trials of being a teen, let alone being a teen with supernatural abilities.

Chloe discovers she can talk to ghosts, she's a necromancer. She is slowly discovering the abilities of the fellow housemates at the center and that the staff members aren't exactly as willing to help as they claim to be.

The draw is there for anyone who likes a little horror, a little teen issues, a lot of good paranormal. This is a great beginning to the series. I listened to the second one first...that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this one. I am caught up and got re-introduced to everyone, good guys and evil scientists.

Now on to #3, THE RECKONING...

Five I see dead people beans....

BROKEN: Women of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong

From the back of the book: In this thrilling newnovel from the author of INDUSTRIAL MAGIC, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on twenty-first century Toronto--and become his next target....

Ever since she discovered she's pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she's never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who's given birth. But, thankfully, her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper. As a distraction, the job seems simple enough--only the letter contains a portal to Victorian London's , which Elena inadvertantly triggers--unleashing a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs.

Now Elena must find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they're looking for -- which, for some unknown reason, is Elena......

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I love this series!! And the ones that star Elena are the best as far as I'm concerned. It took a lot for Elena to come back to her pack and admit her feelings for the abrasive Clay. Don't think that because of that statement that this is a paranormal romance. It very much isn't. I love the relationship Elena has with her sweetie, but the relationship between Elena and Clay does not take center stage. It's the relationship Elena has with the pack and friends that is there as well as the action of the mystery that is in the middle of it all. Well written storylines with intriguing mysteries to follow and excellent paranormal characters.

This is a seriously fast-paced page turner that I highly recommend.

Five catch the Ripper beans.....

Kelley Armstrong is Guest Blogging over at Amberkatze's!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! Kelley Armstrong is guest blogging over at Amberkatze's blog today! There's a chance to win a copy of the latest Women of the Otherworld series, FROSTBITTEN, too. Get on over there and have a chance to win and read the cool blog post.

Interview with Kelley Armstrong over at AmberKatz

AmberKatz has a very cool interview with Kelley Armstrong, author of the Women of the Otherworld, on her site. There's a chance to win a Kelley Armstrong book, too.