How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf

Title: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf

Author: Molly Harper aka Molly Harper White

Publisher: Pocket Book Paranormal Romance

Series: Naked Werewolf, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781439195864

Pages: 371

Obtained: personal copy - through some PBS swap (I can't remember which exactly)

Comments:

I've enjoyed Molly Harper's books in the past.  And I tend to enjoy books (or at least romances) set in Alaska.  I'd love to visit there; if I thought I could realistically handle it, I think living there would be great.  Of course reality and the way I picture things going in my head can be so vastly different. 

Anyway, the book started with those advantages.  Beyond that, Mo's background is just so different and strange, it would be hard not to be interested.  I love the way she manages to insert herself into the community.  And then you get to the paranormal werewolf thing.  I really enjoyed Mo and Cooper's relationship.

Overall, it was a really fun read.  I was definitely interested in reading more, too.  Unfortunately, the second book in the Naked Werewolf series, The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf, is about Cooper's sister Maggie, who I didn't care for.  So I'm hesitant, but I'm sure it'll be one of those books that makes me wonder what took me so long once I actually do read it.

I Accidentally read these books...

I don't think I even mentioned it on here when I "read" The Accidental Werewolf.  I skimmed and jumped through it quite a bit, and I don't think I was hugely impressed (I read it earlier this year but my memory is already vague).  Anyway, I couldn't quite make myself give up the next two, which I already owned via paperbackswap.com, without reading them.  So I read Accidentally Dead and The Accidental Human.
They were fine.  Each took a turn keeping me up when I should have been sleeping.  But I had to skip some with both of these as well.  I found Nina of Accidentally Dead whiny and Wanda, the heroine of The Accidental Human annoying because she refused to share what was going on with her friends.  But something in the books must have been good enough to keep me reading, and quickly. 

Here we go, now... Here, here, here we go...

Sorry about the title.  I have a stupid boy band song stuck in my head.  Anyway... on to what I've been reading...

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow (personal copy via J. Kaye - thanks!)

Going into this I knew that J. Kaye felt this was the best of the series, but questions aren't answered, and a reviewer on pbs said it was their least favorite, but too many loose ends.  Complete opposite opinions but on one thing everyone agreed.  Now for my take... It's neither my favorite nor my least favorite.  I enjoyed it just as I've enjoyed them all.  I can guess about some of the loose ends.  Because this is a YA series and you don't have all the answers when you're a YA. 
Since I'm so motivated by characters, though, lets discuss them... I wanted Dru to treat Ash better.  To view him as more than a puppy or toddler, but a friend.  I was dissapointed in how that aspect worked.  I just can't decide on Christophe.  I never loved him, and I don't think I ever will, but I came the closest to being okay with him in this book.  I stopped loving Graves after the first book, but the insight to him in this one helped me remember why I had.  Even if the changes in him make me think I never could love him again.  I don't know what to say about Dru herself.

Artistic License by Julie Hyzy (ebook free through Sony Reader Store)

I own several of Julie Hyzy's backlist, but this is the first I've actually read.  I enjoyed it.  I mostly liked Annie, minus some stupid moments w/ her ex. ... I didn't like her ex at all.  Overall, I liked the story.  It's categorized as a mystery, and I don't know how accurate I'd say that is, but still...










"Clever is as Clever Does" by Linsey Lanier (ebook short story free through Sony Reader Store - still currently free in multiple e-formats - I've linked to Smashwords)

The second of the Clever Detective shorts.  It was fun just like the first.  I really want to read the third "Cleverest of Them All" but unlike the first two, it's not free.  So it's only $0.99... I have not paid for a single e-book yet.  I might have to break down and make this my first.  Very frustrating.  But that tells you something about how fun they are, right?  Try the first one.  And try reading it out loud in a dramatic fashion.  Seriously.  Maybe you'll be as hooked as me.

Heaven is for Heroes by P J Sharon (ebook free through the Trick or Treat event this past Halloween)

Overall, I liked this story.  It's a young adult book, and it can be difficult to remember that when the characters are going off to war, being killed and/or injured, etc.  Then you think about how soldiers really do go overseas and fight that young and you get chills.  Anyway, it's a very emotionally driven story.











I've been trying to work on The Roman Hat Mystery (Ellery Queen) for the Vintage Mystery Challenge but it's slow going, even though I like it so far.

We've more books to conquer! Onward ho!

I got some more action in my reading this week....

Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin, Bk 4) by Jennifer Estep (library copy)
AND
Spider's Revenge (Elemental Assassin, Bk 5) by Jennifer Estep (library copy)

I'll say again what I've said before (in case you missed it?)... I favor thief and assassin books.  Since it fits the latter, this series already has a head up.  But on top of that, Gin is a great character.  She can be cool and get the job done, but she has a heart, etc. underneath it all.  I really like her.  And Owen (and I am soo glad she settled into things with him) and the other characters that make up her "family" are just good characters all the way around.  That extends to the bad guys too.  There isn't any quibbling.  No "I like this character even though they're actually supposed to be the bad guy."  No.  These bad guys are straight up despicable.  There's no liking them.  I can't wait to see where the story goes from here in By a Thread.

Defiance  (Strange Angels, Bk 4) by Lili St. Crow aka Lilith Saintcrow (library copy)

I couldn't remember huge chunks of the story with such a gap in time between when I read Jealousy and Defiance.  It took me a bit to catch up and get with the program since St. Crow jumps straight into the action from the very beginning.  I liked the overall story, I especially like Ash.  He's probably my favorite character in the whole book.  I was irritated with Dru that she made this one stupid and, to me, obvious mistake (can't say more without spoilers), but overall she's getting better with her new circumstances.  Now I'm all set to read Reckoning.

"Familiar"

Title: "Familiar" from Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love

Author: Michelle Rowen

Publisher: RP Teens

Copyright Date: 2010

Print Date: July 2010

ISBN: 9780762439492

Pages: 32

Book Description (from back cover):

'Til Death Do Us Part...

For those who thirst for accounts of paranormal romance, Trisha Telp has compiled some of the most thrilling tales of forbidden love in this collection. First crushes and last rites; dark spells and bright magic; forbidden lovers and enchanted beings—and always , always hungry games of desire. Puckers up for a darkly sweet collection of ghosts, shape shifters, fairies, unicorns, vampires, and demons in tales from today's biggest writers of the paranormal persuasion.

Comments:

I actually made up a post-it note for this so I'd remember.  What follows are my notes (parenthetical notes are my current interpretations of what I had joted down)...

Cute. Short, obviously. Not a lot of depth possible. As much as possible crammed in. (Referring to depth.) Leaves a lot to the imagination. (I'm pretty sure I meant this in a positive way.) Good Characters. Quick ending. (Apparently I wasn't in the mood for complete sentences.)

Anyway, I had intended to read all the short stories then write a line or two about each one, hence the post-it note. As that isn't going to happen, I thought I'd share my thoughts on what I did read.

White Witch, Black Curse

Title: White Witch, Black Curse

Author: Kim Harrison

Publisher: eos

Copyright Date: 2009

Print Date: March 2009

ISBN: 9780061138010

Pages: 504

Series: 7th full-length book in the Hollows series





Book Description (from dust jacket):

New York Times bestselling author
Kim Harrison returns to the sinister and
seductive Hollows for the newest
blockbuster adventure featuring Rachel
Morgan, witch and bounty hunter

Some wounds take time to heal . . . and some scars never fade.

Rachel Morgan, kick-[butt] witch and bounty hunter, has taken her fair share of hits, and has broken lines she swore she would never cross. But when her lover was murdered, it left a deeper wound than Rachel ever imagined, and now she won't rest until his death is solved . . . and avenged. Whatever the cost.

Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and when a new predator moves to the apex of the Inderlander food chain, Rachel's past comes back to haunt her.

Literally.

Comments:

This will be a bit rambling. This is my first attempt at "review"ing one of this series. Something about it causes a jumble of thoughts without much order.

Anyway, I know I've said (repeatedly) that I'm hooked on this series. It really surprises me. For one thing, while I enjoyed the first book, I was sure I'd be fed up with the series by the 3rd or 4th. I was worried there'd be too much sex or... well I skip those parts so if a story evolves around it, I have issues. Instead, I found myself caught in the overall story.

This particular book adds in some new creatures, some vengence and closure, some characters that I suspect came out in short stories (I haven't read any of the shorts and can't say for sure), and of course, several of the characters from previous books. Speaking of, I'm not sure how much longer Jenks will be around for these books, and I'm not sure how well the series will last after that, so... something to see about.

I'm looking forward to reading Black Magic Sanction (currently 7th in line for it at the library).

Combo - Review: Kim Harrison

Title: Every Which Way but Dead
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: HarperTorch Fiction
Copyright Date: 2005
ISBN: 006057299X
Pages: 501
Series: 3rd full-length book in the Hollows series
Where I got this book: Checked out from Library
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: A Fistful of Charms
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: HarperTorch
Copyright Date: 2006
ISBN: 9780060788193
Pages: 510
Series: 4th full-length book in the Hollows series
Where I got this book: Checked out from Library
-----------------------------------------------

Title: For a Few Demons More
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: eos
Copyright Date: 2007
ISBN: 9780060788384
Pages: 456
Series: 5th full-length book in the Hollows series
Where I got this book: Puchased the HC (no DJ) from the local library booksale room
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: The Outlaw Demon Wails
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: eos
Copyright Date: 2008
ISBN: 9780060788704
Pages: 455
Series: 6th full-length book in the Hollows series
Where I got this book: Puchased the HC from the local library booksale room
--------------------------------------------------------------------------










Comments:

I waited too long to blog these. Even though I read them all in the same week. So much happened between them that I cannot go back the earlier ones. It's difficult to discuss them individually.

Not that they don't all have parts I liked more than others. Things I could have done without (the whole Rachel/Ivy thing is played too much in some of them). Things that drew me in (Rachel's connections with so many various groups and species is pretty cool, for instance)...

But I'm more focused on what will happen next. Suffice it to say, this series has had me on an emotional roller-coaster. I wasn't expecting to be sucked in.

I have since read White Witch, Black Curse, but it was read during a separate week (not to mention being the most recent that I've read) and will get a separate review.

shiver

Title: shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Copyright Date: 2009

Print Date: August 2009

ISBN: 9780545123266

Pages: 390

Series: 1st of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy

Book Description (from dust jacket):

the cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf — her wolf — watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human — and Grace must fight to keep him — even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Comments:

After much pressure (okay, make that many recommendations) I started reading shiver (at 3am, don't ask why). Four hours later I'm writing this post, wondering how I should express my enjoyment without using such strong words as love (as in, "I loved it.").

I did really enjoy it. It was a great story, with great characters. Grace and Sam were especially awesome and WooHoo! for a book that doesn't toss in multiple prospective romances (yet...since I obviously don't know what will come in the next two books). I keep coming across the word poetic to describe this book, and it was. Lots of deep feelings being expressed, but without being overly dramatic.

Oh, and I totally missed it until chapter 53, but each chapter gives the temperature (in Farhenheit). I'm blaming my oversight on the late hours and sleep deprevation.

So, I definitely looking forward to reading more of this series. While shiver isn't a cliffhanger in the sense that the main issue is, temporarily at least, resolved, there are many unanswered questions and story threads waiting to be answered and/or finished. July is too far away, but I'm hoping reading Lament (same author, different series) will help compensate some.

Betrayals

Title: Betrayals

Author: Lili St. Crow (Lilith Saintcrow)

Publisher: Razorbill

Copyright Date: 2009

Print Date: November 2009

ISBN: 9781595142528

Pages: 296

Series: 2nd book in the Strange Angels series

Book Description (from back cover):

No more little miss nice girl

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...

Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best (okay, only) friend Graves has been bitten by a werewulf. And she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. Now Dru's strange and hansome savior, Christophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru’s killer instinct says that one of her schoolmates wants her dead.

And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within
the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide. . .

The Author Speaks:

(This video is from when the first book, Strange Angels, came out. Since there isn't a trailer for Betrayals, and I think this relates to the series as a whole, I decided to include it.)



Comments:

I read this as part of a Twitter Read-Along w/ J. Kaye (@J_Kaye).

While the first book felt like it was all action, this one radiated tension. What's going to happen? When are things going to happen? Is everything going to work out? Who's bad and who's good? Is this about the past or the future or both? What other secrets have yet to be exposed? etc... Question after question. Some are answered. Some are left for the reader to decide. (In particular, this is true of the who's bad and who's good question.) And most bring more questions.

Dru is growing up and becoming a bit more interested in having a say about her own life. It isn't a sudden and unrealistic change, but it does happen. (I was so relieved.) Graves is coming into his own as well. I'm worried about his new-found power/status going to his head, but he seems to be handling it decently for now. Christophe is ever the enigma, despite some new revelations. Maybe that's why I can't completely like him as a character. Extreme curiosity and an enigma with few answers and more questions don't necessarily go together. =)

As with the first, I enjoyed this book — despite the fact that I was a little reluctant to pick this one up once I finally had a copy available (I was worried I might be disappointed.) I am looking forward to exploring Dru's story further with the third book, Jealousy. And I do have a bit of a wait ahead of me.

Strange Angels

Title: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St. Crow (Lilith Saintcrow)

Publisher: Razorbill

Copyright Date: 2009

Print Date: May 2009

ISBN: 9781595142511

Pages: 293

Series: 1st book in the Strange Angels series

Book Description (from back cover):

Dad? Zombie.
Mom? Long gone.
Me? Well, that's the scary part.

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...

Dru Anderson has been "strange" for as long as she can remember, traveling from town to town with her father to hunt the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird life, but a good one — until it all explodes in an icy, broken-down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie busts through her kitchen door. Alone, terrified, and trapped, Dru's going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back — and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chances of survival? Slim to none.

If she can't last until sunup, it's game over...

Comments:

I read this as part of a Twitter Read-Along w/ J. Kaye (@J_Kaye) and Bella (@bellamcguire). I suspected from the couple lines I read the day I first checked it out from the library that I would have no problem getting into it. And I was right.

Dru is a likeable character, though she holds herself apart from her peers — after all, she has secrets they know nothing about. Graves (a classmate that pushes his way into her life, scary secrets or no) was even more likeable (IMO). Another character that shows up, Christophe, well — he wasn't a favorite of mine (I thought he was too manipulative, too arrogant, and to be honest, I was afraid it was falling into some Vampire trumps Werewolf line), but my fellow tweeters liked him, so ... A matter of taste, I suppose.

The story itself was intense. Action-filled, with some small lulls that allowed the characters (and reader) to regroup. Definitely not a slow book, not even in those lulls I mentioned.

I did have a couple things that bothered me a little. Mostly... Dru is so "the adults can handle it" / "everything's better with the adults handling it." I just couldn't get that. Not that teens can't lean on adults, but she wanted to give up any and all say in what was happening around her. Maybe it was the fear, but... no, I guess I'm too curious (not to mention my control issues) about everything to understand anyone wanting to completely drop out of something like this — especially considering her personal interest and investment in the results of everything going on around her.

In general, I enjoyed reading this book, and am looking forward to reading the next in the series (Betrayals). (Speaking of... It's in at the library! I can start once I pick it up...well, and once finals are over.)