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 57 - 61 & Read For The Record Day

I thought Read For The Record Day would be a good time to catch up on my books. This event is a worldwide campaign to share the joy of reading with children, and this year's book was The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

When I was young, and my parents lived in my grandparent's basement after they moved back to this state, my grandfather used to read to me every morning before he went to work. I can't say I even have any really clear memories of it, but I've never lost my love of reading, so I know firsthand that this kind of effort really can make a lifelong difference =)

#57
Kitty Takes A Holiday
Kitty Norville Book 3
Carrie Vaughn

Hmm, of course these books get harder & harder to talk about without spoilers the farther it goes ... I'll just say that she didn't take the vacation I was expecting & half hoping for (with one of the characters from the last book), and the vacation she did take was not a very restful one. Which I guess is good, since that would probably have made a pretty boring book LOL.

#58
Kitty And the Silver Bullet
Kitty Norville Book 4
Carrie Vaughn

In this book, Kitty tries to fly under the radar when she heads back to the home she's been basically exiled from in response to her mother's sudden illness, but she's not too good at going unnoticed. She has to choose between running, leaving her family, or making a stand and getting involved in the local supernatural politics.

#59
Mean Streets
Anthology

I didn't make it all the way through this one, but I'm giving myself credit because I honestly did try ... but I only really got this for 1 out of the four novellas (the one by Jim Butcher), and I ended up reading 2, but the others I just couldn't get through, before I had to return this ... and I don't think I'll ever bother to get it again to finish them either.

#60
The Storm Witch
Dhulyn & Parno Book 3
Violette Malan

I love this author, and I really wish she had more books =( Dhulyn & Parno are Mercenary Brothers (although Dhulyn IS a girl, she's still a Brother), and before they can wrap up the loose ends & issues left over from the last book, they're roped into a quest pretty much clear across the world. But they're badass of course, so nothing they can't handle =)

#61
Kitty And the Dead Man's Hand
Kitty Norville Book 5
Carrie Vaughn

I think this title must be a reference to something I don't know, because most of the other titles have been self-explanatory or at least obvious by the end of the book. She goes to Vegas in this one, maybe it's a reference to something there? I've never been ... hmmm, if anyone happens to know, drop a comment.

That's what I've finished up until now ... I kind of wonder if I'll even hit 100 books by the end of the year. For those of you who think that's a ridiculous goal, it's not that so much as knowing last year I ended up reading 130. So I feel behind, even though I'm reading pretty much everything I want to. Just not as much time to explore new authors I guess. Thanks for reading.

~Colette