2010 Books 49 - 61

I'm pretty much seriously doubting I'll make my goal of 100 books for the year - I'd have to read like a book a day for the rest of the year, and I don't think that's going to be happening, with holiday shopping & cooking & everything else!  But here's what I've been reading lately:

 

#49

Courting Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 5

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

This book follows Lucius - the eldest living upyr, and the last who remembers the very beginning of their race.

 

#50

Twice Bitten

Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires Book 3

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

Not my favorite book of the series - too much setting up of things.  Which I suppose is a good thing, if I want this to be a long-running series, but I think there could have been some more actual action going on.

 

#51

Kissing Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 6

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

#52

Breaking Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 7

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

#53

Saving Midnight

Emma Holly

Fitz Clare Chronicles Book 8

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

These were the first 3 books of the series that really almost stood alone as a trilogy - following the same characters throughout the books rather than just being set in the same world as the rest of the series.

 

#54

Dark and Stormy Knights

Anthology

Urvan Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This anthology featured short stories by:  Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, P.N. Elrod, Deidre Knight, Vicki Pettersson, Lilith Saintcrow, and Carrie Vaughn.

 

I liked this anthology because the stories were a little longer- if you get over 10 authors, sometimes the stories almost seem too short to even bother with.

 

#55

Immortal Sea

Virginia Kantra

Children of the Sea Book 4

Paranormal Romance

 

Until this book, the series has mostly been focusing on the selkie, but this book gets more into the finfolk - who are more powerful in that they can take on the form of any creature in the sea, rather than just seals.  They don't have any skins to be stolen either, making them less vulnerable than their kin.

 

#56

Path of the Sun

Violette Malan

Dhulyn & Parno Book 4

Fantasy

 

Not exactly a cliffhanger ending, but I will say that there were more loose ends left hanging that I'd prefer LOL - at least considering there is no release date for the 5th book yet!

 

#57

The Demon's Daughter

Emma Holly

Tales of the Demon World Book 1

Historical Paranormal Romance

 

Wasn't quite sure whether to classify this as Historical Paranormal or Steam-Punk ... somewhat of a fine line I suppose, and kind of open to interpretation.

 

#58

The Truth of Valor

Tanya Huff

Confederation  Book 5

Sci-Fi

 

I used to read a lot more sci-fi than I do now, but there are still a few series that I can't pass up when a new book comes out & this is one of them.  I actually kind of thought that book 4 might be the last one, because things seemed to be neatly wrapped up - but of course things are never that simple for Torin.

 

#59

First Blood

Anthology

Paranormal Romance

 

This anthology featured short stories by:  Susan Sizemore Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green, and Meljean Brook.

 

I originally picked up this anthology for the Guardians short story (Meljean Brook) & it took me just forever to get through the rest of the stories.  Of the other 3 authors, I think only one of them would I care to read again.

 

#60

Side Jobs

Jim Butcher

Dresden Files - Anthology

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This anthology is a collection of all the Dresden Files short stories, plus a brand-new novella that takes place after the last book, Changes.  I had my hopes that it would take the edge off of the cliffhanger that book ended with, since Ghost Stories isn't due out until spring 2011 - but no such luck.  Although it starts mere hours after the end of Changes, the entire story is narrated by Murphy, and no further clues to Harry's fate were given.

 

#61

Intrigues

Mercedes Lackey

Valdemar - Collegium Chronicles Book 2

Fantasy

 

I have been reading the Valdemar series since I was about 12 LOL.  It's always a world that I enjoy, even if things are a little more black & white - simple - than in other series that I love for their complexity.

So, now I'm caught up for the moment posting books =)  A pile out from the library, as usual, but I've just been having trouble fitting reading time in - so many other things I am equally behind with that clamor for what little free time I have.  What do you have a bookmark in at the moment?

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

2010 Books 34-38

Getting behind posting books again, I don't think I posted any at all in August!  And although everyone teases me, I feel so far behind my normal pace for the year - so here are a few to start catching up: 

 

#34

Running With The Pack

Anthology

Werewolves, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This anthology featured short stories by:  Carrie Vaughn, Steve Duffy, Marie Brennan, Jeffrey Ford, Samantha Henderson, C.E. Murphy, Stephanie Burgis, Laura Anne Gilman, Molly Tanzer, Mike Resnick, Genevieve Valentine, Lawrence Schimel, Maria V. Snyder, Karen Everson, N.K. Jamison, Geoffrey H. Goodwin, Mike Brotherton, Amanda Downum, Jesse Bullington, Peter Bell, Erzebet YellowBoy, & Susan Palwick.

 

& no, this wasn't a particularly thick anthology with that many authors - the short stories were mostly all just really short.  Normally that would not be my thing, but I enjoyed almost every single one which is rare with a collection of this many authors, many of which I hadn't read before.

 

#35

Some Girls Bite

Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires Book 1

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

This is me judging a book by it's cover again - although it was actually the cover to the 3rd book that caught my attention, then I had to go back & find the first book.  I like this series, it's not like "Oh my God best thing I've read lately" but it was a fun read, if a bit quick.

 

#36

Naamah's Curse

Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Legacy Book 8 (Moirin Book 2)

Historical Fantasy

 

I know I have some readers who've also read this series, and I just have to say, I was really uncertain if I was going to enjoy the narration for Moirin's POV, but she gets into just as much trouble as Phedre (the narrator for the first 3 books).  I can't wait to read the third book of this trilogy, yet at the same time can't help but wonder what will come after Moirin's tale is told ... I love this world & I certainly hope Jacqueline finds another muse & continues to write in it.

 

#37

Undead & Unfinished

MaryJanice Davidson

Queen Betsy Book 9

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

I was confuzzled by the time I finished this one.  Time travel can do that - and the epilogue didn't help matters any.  Still, I like these books, they always make me laugh out loud.  I love MaryJanice's writing style - and found I can get even more of it over at her self titled blog, which you can check out by clicking HERE.

 

#38

Friday Night Bites

Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires Book 2

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

Kind of a lull in the 2nd book, lots of setup-type stuff going on ... I wasn't exactly bored, but I felt I could have been more entertained.  I've got the 3rd book out from the library right now but haven't started it yet.

 

This is not fully caught up, but it's a start =)  I'm off the next 2 days from work so I'll try to fit a few more in - especially since my internet seems to be fixed now - the service tech that came out on Monday ran a new line from the pole to the house after finding the signal in the yellow zone, and I haven't had any problems since so far (*knock on wood*).

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette