Charlaine Harris. Plus I found the first one interesting.
Comments:
Girl can't catch a break. Fast paced (read it within an hour). Looking forward to book 3.
Update: Read this one about a month ago? I think? While sitting in a hospital. No worries, nothing bad. It was one of my dad's frequent hospitalizations for his mental illness.
Title: The Marshal's Justice
Author: Delores Fossen
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue #1635
Series: Appalosa Pass Ranch
ISBN: 9780373699025
Length: 219 pages
Obtained: Free copy from BEA
Why this book?:
In the mood for quick romance.
Comments:
I did NOT believe the love between the heroine and hero. Lust, sure. Love of the child, sure. But otherwise? He spent to much of the book not trusting and not forgiving.
Title: Horse of a Different Killer
Author: Laura Morrigan [Website][Facebook][Twitter]
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
ISBN: 9780425257210
Obtained: Library copy
I enjoy this series, though once again I found myself scraping my brain to remember what happened in the first two stories leading up to it. This time around Grace's sister is suspected of murder, Grace's usual sources are unavailable to her for one reason or another, and she must scramble to find the truth... and a missing possibly mistreated horse along the way.
I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
Title: Texts From Mittens: A Cat Who Has an Unlimited Data Plan and Isn't Afraid to Use It
Author: Angie Bailey [Website][Website/Book Facebook][Website/Book Twitter]
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 9780373893225
Obtained: Library copy
Very cute. Parts were funny and needed to be shared. Parts were silently amusing. And parts were okay, moving on...
Title: Through the Woods
Author: Emily Carroll [Website (scroll down for "About" section)][Publisher Page][Twitter]
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 9781442465954
Obtained: Library copy
This is a series of stories all featuring a "through the woods" element.
The thing about this book is that you need to pay attention to the recommended ages. Because my 7yo nephew came to look at it with me, and I was reading aloud (just because I enjoy it). He didn't understand the first story (and I didn't explain), and the second story creeped him out so bad he had nightmares. When he saw the cover nearly a month later he called it the "bad book". So FYI, it is intended for "Ages 14 and up".
But back to reading aloud, it works wonderfully with a low slow tone. I loved the atmosphere and flow of the stories. The one story I didn't care for was "The Nesting Place". Ugh. But otherwise the stories shared a kind of cool and creepy feel, with corresponding images.
I enjoyed this book, and Midnight Texas. This is a multi-perspective story, but it works.
Once again, though I am left knowing I really need to read and/or re-read some of Charlaine Harris's other series. I especially need a refresher on the Sookie Stackhouse series, because a couple more came out in this story and some of the story line actually reflected things that had happened in the Sookie series. But I also need to read the Aurora Teagarden books (which I never did) and finish the Lily Bard books.
Why this book?: I read everything new by AQ/JAK/JC
Comments:
The heroine's name is Ursula. That is what first struck me about the
book. When I hear Ursula, I don't think historical English woman
(though I suppose that suits). I think Disney villain - one that creeps
me out more than most other Disney villains. Once I pushed past that I
was able to continue with and enjoy the story. It has many of the same
characteristics that make AQ/JAK/JC books comfort reads, so it was a
feel good story. Nothing else especially stood out as being something I
should mention though.
Obtained: Purchased at a convention so I could get an autograph/picture with Charlaine Harris
Why this book?:
I wanted to read it eventually because I have enjoyed Charlaine Harris's writing in the past, and I knew it was connected to the Harper Connelly series which I finished in January 2014. I needed to read it now because I offered in in a paperbackswap.com game, and needed to get it in the mail.
Comments:
I quickly found myself interested in Midnight and the "characters" (I mean that it multiple ways) that inhabit it. I found (to my surprise) that not only is Manfred from the Harper Connelly series in this book, but also Bobo from the Lily Bard series. I knew there had to be other characters from other series, so I've gone looking. Sheriff Arthur Smith is apparently from the Aurora Teagarden mysteries (Found this thanks to LibraryThing). I'm not entirely sure who is from the Sookie Stackhouse series. It has been so long since I've read any of them (2009)... between my memory slipping and potential name changes... But I'm sure at least one character is from that series.
Anyway, so beyond spotting familiar characters among the pages of the story,the story itself was interesting. Manfred is setting up in this quaint little town. He fits in rather well, as he's as different and accepting of different as the other residents. He's with many of these characters at a picnic when they discover that Bobo's missing girlfriend is actually dead and there is a murderer among them. But figuring out who that might be amongst such a tight-knit group where you don't ask questions and leave each-others secrets be is not so easy.
I look forward to reading more about the residents of Midnight, Texas when book 2, Day Shift, comes out May 2015.
I'm working my way through this series and this ebook was convenient.
Comments:
While most of this book is NOT set in Shakespeare, I still enjoyed it as a look into Lily's family, as well as her budding relationship.
Lily's sister is getting married and Lily has come home to face the whispers and fill the part of bridesmaid for her sister. It's stressful, but she's managing. It helps that her romantic interest has surprised her by showing up and offering moral support. The problem? Oh, just a case of a kidnapped child and some murders.
While I tend to prefer reading holiday book around the holiday taking place this one wasn't too overwhelmingly Christmas and I still enjoyed it. I did guess the bad guy, but it was a gut feeling and not something based on the clues (though I'm sure they were there).
Anyway, I will be continuing the series with Shakespeare's Trollop.
As soon as I saw Charlaine Harris had a couple new series coming out I requested the library purchase them. This was after reading the Harper Connelly series and starting the Lily Bard series.
Comments:
Reading this went very fast. I started on my lunch hour and was 3/4 through when I had to go back to work. I finished it that evening.
The story is very graphic (in the violence, etc. not the graphic novel format, though it is that too) and I can definitely see Charlaine Harris's writing in it as that (the graphic nature) is something I noticed quite a bit of in her other series.
While part of what made it such a fast read is its format, part was due to how engrossing the story was. I was almost, though not quite, as interested to learn who Calexa was/is as she is. I found her newly discovered (newly occurring?) abilities intriguing. Another part of what makes the story move is the jumps in time. Days, weeks, and months go by, all with just quick notations here or a flash over pictures there.
I was a bit thrown by the way Calexa narrates the stories. I'll admit I don't read graphic novels often, so perhaps this is normal. But I expected thought bubbles in present tense, not narrations to catch the reader up on the time jumps. (I hope that made sense... I don't know how else to explain it.)
Anyway, the story exclusive to this book of the new series revolves around a group of teens that decide to get into some dark stuff in the cemetery where Calexa is living (mostly on whim, but with one serious participant) and get involved in murder. Calexa is a witness, but can she do anything to seek justice for the victim?
I look forward to reading Inheritance and finding out more of Calexa's past, as well as seeing what other mysteries she will stumble upon while living in a cemetery.
I'm going to be frank. I read a blur of Charlaine Harris eBooks, moving immediately from one to the next, and most of them on my stay in Europe. I don't have many impressions of individual books. But I'll give overall impressions and comments of the series (so far as I've read them).
Harper tends to hold herself back with the reader as much as the other characters in the book. And when she wasn't distant, as the narrator, she was graphic (more so than I appreciated, though I'm sure others wouldn't mind).
Tolliver was okay, I guess. He had jealousy issues, but then with Harper's combination of obliviousness mixed with her wishy-washy commitment (there were all these comments about how she found Manfred so tempting), I guess I can't entirely blame him.
I did like Manfred, which is good because he has his own new series (trilogy) - Midnight, Texas - starting with Midnight Crossroad.
I've heard GREAT THINGS about this series. So I was kinda surprised about Lily. She's possibly even more withdrawn than Harper. This is perhaps more understandable considering her background - brutal rape, etc. But it does make it harder to connect with the character. I was also thrown by the weight-lifter thing, although I get it, again considering her background. But because of this background she makes choices I don't understand.
Like in the very beginning of Shakespeare's Landlord, Lily witnesses a body being disposed, and she tampers with evidence (!!!) because it could point to her. Maybe that sounds common sense to you, but it caught me off guard. I guess maybe because I'm used to amateur sleuth types immediately reporting the bodies they find. (Because while I wouldn't call these books cozy, Lily does play the amateur sleuth role.)
Anyway, I will continue to see how the series progresses with Shakespeare's Christmas.
The Sookie Stachouse Reading Challenge is hosted by Beth @ Beth Fish Reads.
It runs through June 30th, 2010 - there is still time. So, if you're interested in signing up, go here.
The post for reviews and updates by the participants can be found here.
Unfortunately, while I participated, I did not review any of the books/stories for this challenge.
I read 9 books (one of which was a re-read) and 5 short stories (which can now be found in one anthology, if you don't want to hunt them down like I did) for this challenge.
The Books/Stories:
1. Dead Until Dark (I've read this one, but I'll re-read it for the challenge)
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World "Fairy Dust" found in the Powers of Detection anthology "One-Word Answer" found in the Bite anthology "Dracula Night" found in the Many Bloody Returns anthology
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead "Lucky" found in the Unusual Suspects anthology
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead to Worse "Gift Wrap" found in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology
9. Dead and Gone
