74.
Title: [Deep Kiss of Winter]
Author: Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Pages: 436
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 11, 2012
Rating: **1/2

I've encountered both of these authors with varying success before, and as I approach a paper on paranormal romance I thought jumping into this pairing would be a good step back into the genre.  Both works, as this marketing scheme requires, are loosely related to a single idea used to bind the two stories together, with a bit of fan-girl-fawning over each other in the acknowledgements.  Cole's is certainly the stronger story, although neither is particularly captivating. Fans of either should stick with solo publications.  

75.
Title: [Anna Dressed in Blood]
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Horror
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: December 12, 2012
Rating: ****

Anna Dressed in Blood is a true ghost story, of the kind that so often mark a horror enthusiast's early introduction to the genre.  This begins as the kind of story I would "sneak" out of the library and read under the covers, a la Scary Stories to Read in the Dark.  Cas is a ghost-hunter who, like his father, is dedicating his life to sending back murderous spirits.  He takes up the athame after his father ultimately lost who own battle with such a spirit, and with his witch mother travels the country, trying to keep the living safe from the dead.  As has to happen in YA novels, something is different about this ghost - Anna Dressed in Blood - and Cas finds himself with unlikely accomplices, despite his years of solo work. 

Blake wonderfully weaves in traditional ghost stories into this plot, giving audiences the hitchhiker and the haunted house that are so often abandoned after summer camps are a thing of the past.  Anna Dressed in Blood favorably reminds me of I Am Not a Serial Killer, and like the latter has what I'll call an "unnecessary element" that detracts from narrative.  Overall, the book is highly successful, and highly enjoyable. 

76.
Title: [Penelope]
Author: Rebecca Harrington
Pages: 120 read before giving up
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed:
Rating: **

I can understand why people would find this book entertaining, and even why people would like Penelope, the socially awkward and completely human Harvard freshman trying to find her way.  Personally, I found Penelope overly immature and dull, and found the social interactions even less interesting than when I myself was in college.  Penelope is not for me. 

77.
Title: [The Darkest Prison]
Author: Gena Showalter
Pages: ?  LT says 448, but there's no way
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 13, 2012
Rating: ***

Standard fare. 

78.
Title: [Amittyville Horrible]
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages:
Genre:
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 13, 2012
Rating: ****

When Armstrong concluded her Otherwood series with Thirteen she promised fans that this wouldn't be the last they'd see of the characters they'd come to love, and with the novella/short story "Amittyville Horrible" she keeps that promise.  This one follows Jamie, necromancer, as she's roped into another reality special - "for charity."  Like always, Armstrong is consistent with her characters, paces the stories well, and offers a twist I didn't expect.  "Amittyville Horrible" is a very fun read. 

79.
Title: [Delirium]
Author: Lauren Oliver
Pages: 480
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Borrowed from the library
Date Completed: December 17, 2012
Rating: **

Love is identified as a fatal disease, a "cure" is found, and the US closes its borders as it pushes to eradicate human connection in pursuit of "happiness."  Yes, you've stumbled upon a YA dystopian.  And, of course, this means that a rebellion is brewing, and our perfectly plain and unassuming protagonist is in for dangerous romance, rebellion, and chaos. 

Delirium was listed by a colleague as being one of "the best" of the genre, and if this is true then I would have to identify the genre as one that is inherently weak.  The story is trite and the plot devices are shallow; that an author would actually say that love is a disease is sophomoric and uninteresting, overshadowing all that could be redeemable in the narrative. 

57. 
Title: Thirteen
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 464
Genre: Supernatural
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: July 29, 2012
Rating: *****

Kelley Armstrong is one of the stronger urban fantasy authors I have had the pleasure to read.  Unlike some authors, who find themselves laden with too many characters and too little plot as a series continues, Armstrong has no difficulty picking and choosing protagonists for individual novels, and leaving others behind.  For this reason, the series never really becomes stale, and while I prefer certain character sets as a reader, I can appreciate Armstrong's efforts with the series as a whole.

Armstrong has said on Twitter that she always intended the Otherworld series to finish with thirteen books, and so presents Thirteen as the conclusion.  In this installment a great deal of resolution is offered, in largely satisfactory ways.  The conflicts are consistent with the rest of the series, and the characters remain consistent, so the development of the novel will likely appease longtime fans of the series.

As an added bonus, Armstrong revisits the beginning of the series in a prologue, and offers an epilogue for a nicely circular narrative.

I would likely rate this book as a single volume at a 4 or even a 4.5, but Armstrong is bumped to a five for consistency and strong management of the series as a whole.

59.
Author(s): Kelley Armstrong
Title: Spell Bound
Publication: Hardback
Pages: 325
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: July 26, 2011
Rating: ****

Spell Bound is the twelfth (of a planned thirteen) and latest of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, and once again features a growing Savannah Levine. Fresh off a case with a less-than-satisfactory conclusion, Savannah makes a rash wish that, when granted, causes her to reconsider all that she knows about her current life. Throw into the mix an underground supernatural political movement, general chaos, and as many characters as Armstrong could possibly fit into a single novel, and the result is Spell Bound.

The novel itself is not as strong as many others in the series, primarily because there are too many stories - and too many loose ends - that Armstrong is trying to weave together. As a whole, the book feels like what it actually is - the build-up for the "big finish" that Thirteen is promising to be. This installment will hold the interest of fans - and does provide some emotional development - but probably isn't for anyone who has been waning.

63.
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Title: Waking the Witch
Publication: Hardback
Pages: 309 pages
Genre: Fiction, horror
Acquisition: Purchased August 6, 2010
Date Completed: August 8, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Armstrong had me until page 278. The novel that had the potential to be the most satisfying in a summer of genre-flops suffers from a rather unfortunate series of concluding twists. Prior to a rather jarring shift in the narrative, Waking the Witch is an entertaining look at Savannah Levine, all grown up and "on her own" as she tackles a case without supervision. The twists are numerous, and the mystery involved is enthralling ... right up to the Great Revelation. Still, fans of the series are likely to enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to the next one, which is apparently due out this November.

32.
Author: Lara Adrian
Title: Shades of Midnight
Publication: Kindle Edition
Pages: 420 pages
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: Purchased April 20, 2010
Date Completed: April 24, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The frequent use of "female" keeps my right eyebrow hovering near my hairline, but I'd be lying if I tried to suggest that I don't enjoy Adrian's books. Her take on vampire romances isn't something I would usually enjoy, but the Midnight Breed series is like chocolate chip cookies - and my sweet tooth is only getting worse as time goes on.

33.
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Title: Tales of the Otherworld
Publication: Hardcover, April 2010
Pages: 387 pages
Genre: Horror
Acquisition: Purchased April 24, 2010
Date Completed: April 28, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

While I enjoyed the most recent book in the Otherworld collection, I did not find Tales of the Otherworld to be as entertaining as Armstrong''s previous collection, Men of the Otherworld. Both books present history and background that is entertaining to fans of Armstrong''s series, but would likely confuse readers who have not already been introduced to the principal characters. However, I always enjoy the opportunity to explore the world and characters a little further, and Tales of the Otherworld allows just that.

23.
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Title: The Summoning
Publication: HarperCollins, 2009. Paperback.
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: YA
Acquisition: Purchased March 18, 2010
Date Completed: March 19, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is the first in her "Darkest Powers" series for young adults. The book introduces the character of Chloe, and how the young girl finds out she's not who she thought she was. Armstrong sets the series in the same world she created in her "Women of the Otherworld" series, and I appreciated the linear transition. Armstrong doesn't "write down" to her audience, and she masterfully explores the implications of being a young supernatural in the world she has already established. Recommended for teens and adults who enjoy supernatural fiction.

Another one for the "Books off the shelf" challenge, which has put me at my revised goal for the year!


140. Armstrong, Kelley. Exit Strategy. 480 pages. 12.15.09.


I don't actually remember purchasing Exit Strategy, but it is likely Amazon pointed the title out when I was ordering another book by Kelley Armstrong. I initially read the first 200 pages, and then put the book down as other things caught my eye. Resolving to finish things from my own shelves gave me a great reason to pick it up again.

Exit Strategy follows Nadia - an ex-cop turned hitwoman - as she and a collection of other hitmen try to hunt down one of their own who has turned serial killer. While each professional has their own personal reason - from personal to simply bad for business - Nadia is fueled by a sense of justice and ultimate desire to protect.

Overall, I found the book to be very entertaining. I like hitmen (fictionally - my sense of self-preservation keeps me from liking real ones), and Armstrong delivers a wide range to chose from. The sense of secrecy between them keeps any characters from feeling too shallow, while preserving the sense of mystery surrounding not only the case, but the "who and why" of how the group comes together.

At 480 pages it's a nice meaty chunk of entertainment that is perfect for a long snow day or lounging by a pool.

Thank you for all the well-wishes, everyone! Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day.


119. Armstrong, Kelley. [Frostbitten]. 339 pages. 10.5.09.

Fairly typical of Armstrong, but no less entertaining for it.


120. Verne, Jules. Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. 279 pages. 10.8.09.*

A mysterious creature is haunting the seas, and Professor Aronnax is determined to discover the origins of the beast. However, the encounter brings more than he ever expected, as he is captured by the strange and withdrawn captain of a submarine ship and whirled around the world's oceans. The aquatic wonders he experiences thrill his academic soul, while the actions and motivations of his host leave him questioning both the individual and civilizations at large.

Verne's underwater adventure is the latest novel I have read to my toddler at bedtime, and is far from my favorite. As we finished the third Verne novel we have approached I found myself lamenting a brilliant story bogged down by careless prose; I found that the language was flat and uninspired, and the sentence structure was unbelievably choppy. The failings of the writing itself took away from what would otherwise have been a book full of wonders, and I believe we will leave Verne buried once and for all.

A couple more cheesy novels

8. Hamilton, Laurell K. Mistral's Kiss. 302 pages. 1.28.09.

I don't really know why I bother with this series - I don't find it all that engaging. But it serves as a substitute for tv, and is usually good for an evening or two of mindless entertainment.

9. Armstrong, Kelley. Men of the Otherwold. 369 pages. 1.29.09.

Despite the unfortunate title, fans of Armstrong's "Otherworld" novels will be delighted by this collection of tales. True to her style and faithful to her characters, Armstrong provides readers with the background and embellishment they desire. While the Clay that narrates many of the stories seems at time at odds with the Clay of the novels, the stories themselves fit perfectly with the history Armstrong has alluded to all along.I'm already eagerly awaiting the next collection.