April 2011 Book Journal

THE ATROCITY ARCHIVES: The Laundry - Charles Stross, sci-fi/fantasy, BOCD, highly excellent

ONE WAS A SOLDIER: Clare Fergussen Mystery - Julia Spencer-Fleming, suspense, ARC/TPB, superb

A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS: Jesse James Dawson #1 - K A Stewart, UF, MPB, highly excellent

TALE OF BRIAR BANK: A Cottage Tale of Beatrix Potter - Susan Wittig Albert, cozy, BOCD, good

THE TALE OF HAWTHORN HOUSE: A Cottage Tale of Beatrix Potter - Susan Wittig Albert, cozy, BOCD, good

URBAN SHAMAN: Walker Papers - C E Murphy, UF, MPB, excellent

WILD INDIGO: Wild Mystery - Sandi Ault, suspense, MPB, good

THE HERETIC: Book One of the Templar Chronicles - Joseph Nassise, UF, e-book from the author, highly outstanding

BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4 - Rick Riordan, YA fantasy, BOCD, good stuff

HAUNTING JORDAN: Port Chatham Mystery #1 - P J Alderman, paranormal mystery, sooooo good and soooo glad I have the next in the series on the nightstand

ORIGINAL SIN: Sally Sin Adventure - Beth McMullen, funny spy adventure, ARC/TPB from LibraryThing, hellah awesome

Books: 7

Audio: 4

April total: 11

YTD: 44

Please! Don't Kill the Bees!!

When you see something like this swarm of bees on a tree or near the house....please DO NOT immediately go get the insecticide and spray them down. PLEASE, instead, call your county or state extension office and ask for the phone number of a local beekeeper who will be more than happy to come get them and take them to a new location. WE NEED BEES PEOPLE!
We have this cottonwood tree in our front lawn. If it were not for the shade the tree provides, the falcons who come back each year to nest in it and the hive of bees that lives in the hollow, that tree would be gone. But because of the shade, falcons and, most importantly, the bees, we keep the tree and put up with the crappy seed pods, sticky blooms that leave purple marks on the pavement and the leaves that we have to rake and bag each fall....the many many many bags of leaves.....
So the bees hatched a new queen this year. The older queen took some of the hive and moved out, but it's been cold this week and they sort of hung out on the side of the tree. DH looked it up and this is normal behavior. He asked me to look up info on who we could call to come get them and relocate this swarm. We know the importance of bees in the world. I called yesterday, Deborah came over on her lunch hour to get as many as she could. She hopes she got the queen. She called to say that she'd be back for the rest that evening. When she got back, the swarm had moved on, DH told her he'd seen them down the street on a big Mugho pine. By the time she got down there, the bees were dead. The DUMB-ASS house owner saw the bees in his tree, freaked the hell out and immediately sprayed them down with insecticide. Deborah knocked on his door to explain exactly what it was he had done, but doesn't think she got through his dumb-ass thick skull.
So I am hoping to let you all know by way of my blog....PLEASE DON'T KILL THE BEES!!! We need them! Or we don't get tomatoes...
Or these GORGEOUS blooms

Or these...

Or these....which the butterflies obviously dig, too

And my happy little chocolate flower...

THE HERETIC: The Templar Chronicles Book One - Joseph Nassise

Synopsis: At the end of the First Crusade the church created a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar. Now, rising up from the ashes of history, they are the Vatican's last defense in the war between good and evil....

Cade Williams is no ordinary man. A chance encounter with a powerful supernatural entity left him possessed of certain unique abilities, including the power to cross between the lands of the living and those of the dead. Now, as commander of the Echo Team, the special operations unit within the Templar hierarchy, Cade has devoted his life to using those 'gifts' to protect mankind from supernatural threats and enemies.

When a group of necromancers known as the Council of Nine begin attacking Templar commanderies, Cade and the men of Echo Team are called in to deal with the problem. They quickly discover that the necromancers are after the Spear of Destiny, a legendary relic whose poweers they hpoe to twist to their own ungodly ends. The Echo team cannot allow that to happen, no matter the cost...

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Good versus evil, the timeless battle, is part of what makes a superb urban fantasy. Good are the Knights Templar that everyone has assumed was annihilated in the 14th century when the Order had been accused of witchcraft. The Order of the Knights Templar had just gone underground, then "reborn as a secret military arm of the Vatican with the mission to defend mankind from supernatural threats and enemies."

The main character is William Cade, The Heretic. He is the leader of Echo Team, members of the Templars, but with permission to work independently from the rest of the Knights. When things get so hinky that the Order can't get it done, Echo Team is called in.

Cade has powers of his own, using them and the Knights to fight evil in all forms and what appears to be revenge on what he calls The Adversary, the entity that killed his wife.

Ther is an enemy, The Other, with power beyond what's been witnessed before and it is attacking the Templars' bases in search of an artifact and it's up to Cade and his team to find this powerful being and annihilate it before it can succeed its mission.

This story moves supremely fast, holding the reader in its grasp, until the very amazing end. I cannot wait to read the next in the series, A SCREAM OF ANGELS and A TEAR IN THE SKY.

Thank you, Joseph, for emailing me with the request to read and review this hellah awesome book.

Five amazing more Cade and Echo Team please sparkly diamonds...

BOOKS IN THE HOUSE MONDAY - 25 April 2011

From Becky @ NoMoreGrumpyBookseller:

TRACKING THE TEMPEST: Jane True #2 - Nicole Peeler, UF, MPB

BONES OF A FEATHER: Sarah Booth Delaney #11 - Carolyn Haines, Southern mystery, ARC (release date of 21 June)

B&N (due to fun on BittenByBooks):

GREEN-EYED DEMON: Sabina Kane #3 - Jaye Wells, UF, MPB

BittenByBooks win:

HOURGLASS: Evernight #3 - Claudia Gray, YA paranormal, HB

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:

AFTER HOURS: Tales from the UR-Bar - anthology edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray, UF, MPB

LICENSE TO ENSORCELL - Katharine Kerr, UF, MPB

HAUNTING JORDAN: Port Chatham Mystery #1 - P J Alderman, paranormal amateur sleuth, MPB

GHOST SHIP: Port Chatham Mystery #2 - P J Alderman, paranormal amateur sleuth, MPB

FALSE MERMAID: Nora Gavin #3 - Erin Hart, suspense, TPB

FORCE OF HABIT: A Falcone & Driscoll Investigation - Alice Loweecy, suspense, TPB

VAMPIRES: The Recent Undead - anthology edited by Paula Guran

WILD INDIGO: A Wild Mystery - Sandi Ault

From the back of the book: The high desert of New Mexico becomes the backdrop for this debut novel---one that "crackles with life and novelty" (The Washington Post)--of ancient rituals, restless spirits, a desperate female fed, and a crime that could destroy an entire culture...

Bureau of Land Management Agent Jamaica Wild has witnessed the death of a Tanoah Pueblo man--he was trampled by buffalo. The tribe declares the incident a suicide, the FBI concurs, and the body is hurried to ceremony before the sun can go down on the man's spirit.

But Agent Wild suspects foul play. Haunted by his death, she pursues her own investigation, leading to a labyrinth of clandestine Pueblo religious rites, peyote cults, and Hispanic and Tiwa witchcraft. After the tribal government and local paper make allegations that Jamaica caused the stampede, she finds herself banned from the Pueblo, suspended from her job, and allied with an old, reclusive curandera who induces trances and casts spells. Jamaica is determined to solve this mystery by any means, but what is revealed is a greater secret regarding Tanoah Pueblo---one that threatens its future and its past.
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I love finding a new to me mystery series, especially the ones set close to home. The book creates a draw that makes me want to visit the area at the soonest.
Sandi Ault has either lived this life or does a helluva fab job of researching all aspects of Pueblo life, herbal and witchcraft lore, federal agency bureaucracy and what it's like to live with a real wolf.
There are some scenes of Jamaica's past and past cases that I hope get addressed in future books in the series. Little cliffhangers abound to keep the reader asking for more info.

Four coming back for more beans.....

Happy Easter to you

Happy Easter 2011

We have completed the annual dying o' the eggs that Lady K won't necessarily eat nor does she expect them to be hidden anywhere (she digs the plastic eggs with goodies and toys and maybe a quarter or two inside that EB brings)......but we do love the color mixing, dipping, dotting, striping..seeing what we get.

Happy Birthday SEESTER!

I hope it's groovy!

Books in the House Monday - 18 April 2011

BittenByBooks winnin':

MIDNIGHT RIOT - Ben Aaronovitch, UF, MPB

WAKING NIGHTMARES - Christopher Golden, UF, signed MPB

Library Thing:

MINDING BEN - Victoria Brown, contemporary fiction, TPB/ARC

ORIGINAL SIN: A Sally Sin Adventure - Beth McMullen, mystery, ARC/TPB

Marie-Louise:

NIGHT ROAD - Kristin Hannah, contemporary fiction, ARC/TPB (and some fab bookmarks!)

Ginny:

AN INCOMPLETE REVENGE: Maisie Dobbs #5 - Jacqueline Winspear, mystery

THE MAPPING OF LOVE AND DEATH: Maisie Dobbs #7 - Jacqueline Winspear, mystery

A LESSON IN SECRETS: Maisie Dobbs #8 - Jacqueline Winspear, mystery

Blooms on Sunday - 17 April 2011

My fine crop of dandelions are coming along nicely Grape hyacinth...love these bulbs! Must plant more this fall

Definitely getting more of these wee daffies from High Country Gardens

These gorgeous little tulips came from High Country Gardens, too...note to self..more of these beauties

Blue Bonnet Restaurant ----YUMMEH!!

DH asked if I'd like to go the Blue Bonnet today since we were more or less in the neighborhood. We hadn't been since we were pregnant with Lady K, so, needless to say, I was quite enthusiastic. I don't care that it is on Broadway in Denver and we live up in the burbs near Boulder, we will not wait this long to go back next time. The BEST food, the best service, everything was outstanding. I had one pork and one chicken adobado taco (OMG!) with black beans and rice....DH had one fish taco, one chicken barbacoa taco, and one carne asada taco with black beans and rice. We were both super happy with our choices and can't wait to go back and try something else. Plentiful chips and salsa...we brought home a quart of the salsa, BTW.

WOLF MOON - Charles de Lint

From the back of the book: Wolf magic, harper spells....

His name when he was human was Kern, and it seemed he had been running forever, for he had become the most feared of beings: a werewolf. When the change had first come upon him, his parents had driven him away with silver daggers. Later, Kern sought human companionship. But he could not hide the truth for long, and so he kept running until he ran headlong into the deadliest pursuer of all----a harper bent on stealing his life away.

By chance Kern was able to take refuge at the Inn of the Yellow Tinker, a warm and welcoming place where he might find a home if he guarded his secret well. And at the inn, Kern found a woman he was destined to love. But could he risk both human and harper vengeance to keep her?

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Charles de Lint...this is only my second of his books. First was WIDDERSHINS, part of the acclaimed Newford series, modern fantasy at its finest.

WOLF MOON is a superb fantasy set in a time of tinkers, mages, wee folk, harpers, and werewolves. The werewolf/shapeshifter aspect of the story was a new one to me, the way Kern became a werewolf. He was born a werewolf, no one else in his family is one, just him. He wants to fit in somewhere, but knows it's always just a matter of time before he is reviled and cast out or killed. Kern is on the run, finds refuge with the innkeeper, Ainsy and her friends and family. He thinks he is still on the run, but might be able to rest his soul for a bit with Ainsy who has enchanted him and maybe captured his heart.

Five fantasy at its finest beans......

RED-HEADED STEPCHILD - Jaye Wells

From the back of the book:

Things to do:

1. Infiltrate rival vampire cult and assassinate the leader

2. Get rid of demon houseguest

3. Ditch the hot mage stalker

4. Betray family

In a world where being of mixed blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn't really fit in. And being an assassin--the only profession fit for an outcast--doesn't help matters. But she's never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she's on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family, and some unexpected new talents, Any of these things could be worryingly life changing, but together they could be fatal....

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It took the longest time for me to get Sabina's adventure. I have a signed copy and I have this thing with my signed copies...kind of like when you live somewhere and know that you can visit the tourist areas any time since you live there and the places will always be...well..there! My signed copies aren't leaving the shelf. They are mine to read at any time, which leaves them on the shelf for longer than unsigned ones...

Anywho...I won't let that happen next time, especially the Sabina Kane series. LOVED this book! My favorite character has to be Giguhl, the demon come to take out Sabina and has a hard time of it. He is just so funny! "Must not kill the demon cat. Must not kill the demon cat." (read the book and you'll know)....

Five will definitely not let the next one languish on the shelf beans....

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY: Lucy Valentine #3 - Heather Webber

From the back of the book: Lucy Valentine is still searching for love----for her clients and for herself---and this time, she's about to go public with her private displays of affection.

"Exposed" by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy's only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy's secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy's spotlight....

No, it's not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-tunred-private-eye who's stolen Lucy's heart. It's a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed "The Lone Ranger", who's been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown's abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients' old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively.....

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I really enjoy my time when I get to read what Lucy Valentine is up to in each book. She's sweet, feisty, funny and really wants to enjoy her life and love with Sean and figure out how to deal with her nutty parents who are up to. And who is this Lone Ranger throwing money in the air to the happy masses?

Next book, I hope Heather tells more of the story of Lucy's best friends in the whole world, Em and Marisol. I love their friendship and how they get along and I want to see everyone happy.

Five feisty funny sweet beans.....

Books in the House Monday - 4 Apr 2011

From Orchard Gently Used Bookstore: MADE TO BE BROKEN: Nadia Stafford #2 - Kelley Armstrong, thriller A FLASH OF HEX: An OSI Novel - Jes Battis, UF Powell Books via Jenna, cool chickie: THE NAME OF THE WIND - Patrick Rothfuss, fantasy, signed THE ADVENTURES OF THE PRINCESS & MR WHIFFLE - Patrick Rothfuss, not a children's book, signed GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE: A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden - Graham Kerr, signed B&N for a book signing to see Jeanne Stein and support local authors: HEXED - anthology w/Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, Jeanne C Stein, ARC signed by Jeanne, book release 7 June A HIGHLANDER'S HOMECOMING: Daughters of the Glen #6 - Melissa Mayhue, fantasy romance, signed by the author BEYOND MAGIC - Lizzie T Leaf, fantasy romance, signed by the author From Dad: KILLING TIME - Linda Howard, paranormal suspense NOW & THEN: Spenser #35 - Robert B Parker, suspense THE SIEGE - Stephen White, suspense THE GENEVA DECEPTION - James Twining, suspense 61 HOURS: Jack Reacher #14 - Lee Child, suspense ABOVE THE LAW - Tim Green, suspense TWISTED - Andrea Kane, romantic suspense THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB: Jo Beckett #1 - Meg Gardiner, thriller TRIPTYCH - Karin Slaughter, thriller INVISIBLE PREY: Lucas Davenport #17 - John Sandford, suspense TRUE EVIL - Greg Iles, suspense THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINTS - Amanda Stevens, thriller MORTAL PREY: Lucas Davenport #13 - John Sandford, suspense WHAT THE DEAD KNOW - Laura Lippman, suspense CLOSE - Martina Cole, suspense ONE GOOD TURN - Kate Atkinson, suspense THE LOST THRONE - Chris Kuzneski, suspense IN THE WOODS - Tana French, suspense PYRES - Derek Nikitas, thriller THE WRONG MOTHER - Sophie Hannah, suspense RATS: OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORY & HABITAT OF THE CITY'S MOST UNWANTED INHABITANTS - Robert Sullivan, non-fiction

GONE WITH A HANDSOMER MAN - Michael Lee West

From the back of the book: "All I ever wanted in life was true love, a set of copper cookware, and the perfect recipe for Red Velvet cake. The last thing I wanted was to end up on Charleston's six o'clock news, accused of murder and a slew of other crimes."

After Teeny Templeton catches her fiance playing naked badminton with two other women, she finds herself in a whole lot of trouble. When he is found dead a few days later, all fingers point to her and Teeny's only hope is an old boyfriend-turned-lawyer. With evidence mounting and the heat turning up, Teeny must figure out where tolive, how to support herself, how to clear her name, and how to protect her heart.

Hilarious, sexy, and wise, this debut mystery from acclaimed author Michael Lee West is full of surprises.

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On the back of the book, one of the blurbs states that they hope that there is going to be a sequel...I am with the blurb writer! I love mysteries of all kinds and in the tippy top are the ones taking place in the South. There's humor, food and superb characters along with the mystery solving.

I adore Teeny! She is the epitome of my vision of the strong, sassy, git'r'done Southern woman who finds herself in a pickle and goes about doing what needs doing to get out of it.

The dialogue tickled me no end, from PI Red calling Teeny 'girlie' to Teeny's way of getting through situations with imaginary recipes like Smother Your Love gravy poured over Forget Him pork chops, with a heaping side dish of He's Better Off With Her pie.

Thank you, LibraryThing, for sending this out to me for my February selection!

Five big ol' sparkly had me at nekkid badminton diamonds.....

Blooms on Sunday - 27 Mar 2011

Soon to be a new varietal of butterfly....

Lady K making friends with a horseshoe crab

Owl butterfly taking a pause at the Butterfly Pavilion

THE KING OF PLAGUES: A Joe Ledger Novel - Jonathan Maberry

From the back of the book: From New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry comes the next Joe Ledger novel---Joe and the DMS are up against a group set to unleash a weaponized version of the Ten Plagues of Egypt on the world....

Saturday 09:11 Hours: A blast rocks a London hospital and thousands are left dead or injured.....10:09 Hours: Joe Ledger arrives on scene to investigate. The horror is unlike anything he has ever seen. Compelled by grief and rage, Joe rejoins the DMS and within hours is attacked by a hit-team of assassins and sent on a suicide into a viral hot zone during an Ebola outbreak.

Soon, Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences begin tearing down the veils of deception to uncover a vast and powerful secret society using weaponized versions of the Ten Plagues of Egypt to destabilize world economies and profit from the resulting chaos. Millions will die unless Joe Ledger meets this powerful new enemy on their own terms as he fights terror with terror.
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Jonathan Maberry had me at GHOST ROAD BLUES (my review), the Pine Deep Trilogy, and I am now a fan of the Joe Ledger series. I was exhausted after each reading time, so this made for a good bedtime read for that, though it did make for some whack-a-doodle dreams.

The reader's eyes are flying across the page to keep up with quick scene changes and multiple characters, but the quick interludes within the chapters and the thriller storyline makes the pages turn faster and keeps you up way after your bedtime so you can read one more page.

I highly enjoy the way Maberry writes a fight scene. I could almost see the end result of bullets and the fists and definitely dreaded what would happen with the infectious diseases. The descriptions were raw and graphic.

The only time I felt like skipping ahead was while reading the scenes with the Seven Kings, the Goddess and the soldiers blindly following along. Not that the scenes were badly written, far from it. I just have a hard time dealing with zealots in any way, shape or form. And these are zealots who are the worst, the ones following the money.

THE KING OF PLAGUES is available on 29 Mar 2011. I received this ARC from the publisher.


Five stay up all night from the vivid whack-a-doodle dreams beans....

Books in the House Monday - 21 MAR 2011

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:

WARRIOR: The Blades of the Rose - Zoe Archer, steampunk, MPB

DEAD DANCING WOMEN: Emily Kincaid Mystery #1 - Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli, amateur sleuth, TPB

TWELVE - Jasper Kent, historical supernatural, TPB

LibraryThing

GONE WITH A HANDSOMER MAN - Michael Lee West, Southern mystery, ARC, release date 12 Apr 2011

unknown, but Thankin' whoever sent this to me!

ONE WAS A SOLDIER: Clare Fergusson #7 - Julia Spencer-Fleming, mystery, ARC, release date 12 Apr 2011

Contest win from Michele Lang via Bitten By Books:

Bag of cool schwag

Whole Lotta Signed Bookmarks from Kalayna Price

Whole Lotta Signed Bookmarks from Julie Hyzy

Signed by the author:

MASTER AND APPRENTICE: Gavyn Donatti Novel - Sonya Bateman, UF, MPB

8 years ago today....

Happy Birthday Lady K! What a great way to start Spring Break every year....