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

Books 39-44

#39
The Enchantment Emporium
Tanya Huff

Tanya Huff is one of my favorite authors (yes, I'm aware how often I say that LOL) & while she has a couple other series that I would have loved to see another book for, after reading this one now I'd like it to have a sequel =) At least in part because there are so many unanswered questions, or questions just partially answered.

#40
Undead And Unwelcome
Queen Betsy Book 8
MaryJanice Davidson

Betsy is, in answer to a long-spoken prophecy, Queen of the Vampires. Which is nowhere nearly as dramatic as it sounds, if I had to give this series a genre I think it would be something like comedic romance, because MaryJanice Davidson is an author who can literally make me laugh out loud ... which can draw some strange looks from non-readers I'll admit.

#41
8th Confession
Women's Murder Club Book 8
James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

I like being able to discuss these books with my friend, but she likes them quite a bit more than I do. Sometimes they're hard to fit in when I have other books that I really would prefer to be reading. I did squeeze this one in but I'll admit I'm kind of glad that there's not a release date for a 9th book LOL.

#42
Raven's Shadow
Patricia Briggs

I've been reading so much urban fantasy lately I thought I might have trouble getting into something like this that is more high fantasy, set in a created world rather than kind of just an altered version of our own reality, but Patricia Briggs sucked me right in within the first couple of pages.

#43
A Bone To Pick
Aurora Teagarden Book 2
Charlaine Harris

I kind of hate to say it, because I really like Charlaine Harris, but this book kind of bored me. Not that it wasn't a good book, as a mystery it was really good, but it was just so ... normal. No supernatural happenings at all, and for me to tolerate that, I guess I need more than a whodunit murder mystery.

#44
Kushiel's Dart
Kushiel's Legacy Book 1
Jacqueline Carey

I recommended this book to my friend, and when I picked it up for her & took a look "just to refresh my memory" I was 84 pages in before she even came to get it & had to go get another copy for myself & re-read this along with her. I think I originally read this 2 or maybe 3 years ago, and I wanted to re-read it eventually, but she gave me a good excuse. I was really nervous about her liking it, because it's beyond totally opposite of what she normally reads, but she got sucked right in & at this point has finished this first book & started the 2nd =) And at 700+ pages in the hardcover, this is a doorstopper of a novel, and it's not because the author can't shut up, it's because there really is that much story to tell.

And I'm still not caught up ... but I think this post is long enough for now LOL. Thanks for reading.

~Colette