And, while I’ve been pretty scarce lately on the blog, I’m still reading up a storm. Come visit me over at Goodreads for my latest reads. Also, I’ll continue posting reviews over at Book Binge.

Meanwhile, I’m knitting like crazy, getting ready for Christmas. Regular posts will resume in the New Year!

September 13, 2011:
Black Gold (Takhini Wolves, book 1) by Vivian Arend

I’m always a sucker for a good shifter story, and this one sounds like fun.

Alaskan lone-wolf shifter Shaun never expects to be mated to a southern belle, but when he encounters researcher Gemmita, he is thrown for a loop.

My attention was caught by Gemmita, a woman who is trying to assert her independence and get out from under her sheltered upbringing.

I enjoy fated-mate stories, if I can be sold on the emotional connection (not just the sexual/magical connection). I’m hoping for lots of sparks of chemistry and romance from this one.

September 13, 2011:
Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

A couple of months ago, my book club read the graphic novel, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, which I totally loved. Since then, I’ve been reading the rest of Willingham’s Fables series.

So, it was with great interest that I saw he now has written a middle-grade book. From the description, it seems like his wonderful imagination is in top form.

When Boy Scout Max, is lost in the woods, he encounters assorted interesting creatures, and flees for his life from scary hunters, known as the Blue Cutters. Max must solve a mystery in order to save himself, and his new friends.

September 20, 2011:
Tempted by His Target by Jill Sorenson

Excerpt here.

Jill Sorenson has become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. I love her smart and strong heroines, and her sexy heroes. Also, she has a great way of incorporating gritty realism in a way that meshes perfectly with steamy suspense.

In Tempted by His Target, party-girl Isabel is wanted in a drug-related murder. It’s undercover US Marshal Brandon Knox’s job to bring her to justice. However, he finds himself protecting and fleeing with Isabel after he saves her from a murder attempt.

I find I’m really beginning to enjoy “on the run” plots lately (ala The Pharaoh’s Concubine, about which I posted last week), and Tempted by His Target looks like a fun one.

September 20, 2011:
The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, book 2) by Clay and Susan Griffith

Book 1 in the series, The Greyfriar was on of my favorite reads so far this year. I loved the swashbuckling romance amid a steampunk world, filled with creepy vampires, mysterious caped heroes, and kidnapped princesses.

Even the kidnapped princess, Adele, was a wonderful surprise, since she is no delicate miss. She was brave, independent, and smart. When the Greyfriar rushes in to rescue her, he’s just as likely to find that she has already rescued herself (or at least gone a long way in the process).  And, the Greyfriar himself is a great romantic and slightly tragic hero.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot of The Rift Walker, since that will give away events in book 1, and I’d hate to spoil it. However, I will say that I can’t wait for more of the Greyfriar and Adele’s adventures in The Rift Walker.

September 20, 2011:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns (The Fire and Thorns trilogy, book 1) by Rae Carson

I found the description of this book really intriguing. Especially, since it’s felt like a lot of YA is sort of blending together for me, and I was struck by The Girl of Fire and Thorns’ original premise.

Underachieving and underestimated, Princess Elisa lives in the shadow of her older sister. She bears the Godstone in her navel, but has never lived up to its heroic destiny.

Married off to an indifferent the king of a land in turmoil, Elisa must take charge of her life and discover her destiny as the bearer of the Godstone.

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So that’s what is on my radar for the rest of September. What’s on yours? Got any new releases you want to share?

In random awesomeness, Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is running in the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell 5K Run on November 20, 2011, and is running in my honor!

Last night on Twitter, Sarah mentioned she was considering entering a 5K. I replied that while I’ve volunteered at the run, I’ve never been able to run, since I have arthritis. (More on that in a sec.) And, faster than you can say, “Wham, bam, thank you mam,” Sarah was registered for the run!

Then, came the most important part, the planning of the 5K wardrobe. Of course it had to have LOTS of jingle. Oh! And, the most fashionable of Menorah headwear.

When I was 14, I began to get mysterious pains in my legs. Over the next 4 years, I was diagnosed with pinched nerves, pulled muscles, and teenage-girl hysteria. (Seriously, I had 3 doctors stare me down and say nothing was wrong with me even though I KNEW my legs hurt.) However, when I was 18, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease—an auto-immune intestinal disease, that resulted in my seeing a rheumatologist. (Often, people with a Crohn’s will get a secondary form of arthritis during a flare-up.) Not only did I have Crohn’s related arthritis, I also had another, second form of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis. (Yes, I seem to have hit the arthritis jackpot.)

One of the best support systems that I found in my 20s was a young adults with arthritis support group. We met regularly for advice, support, and socializing, and volunteered for arthritis-related events, including the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell run.

Over the years, I’ve had 7 surgeries (including a revision on my right hip-replacement this past February), braces, medications, and more scans, tests, and x-rays than you can shake a stick at. The Arthritis Foundation provides research grants, education for people with arthritis and their families, and exercise classes, as well as lots of other incredible programs. You can learn more about them, here.

I’m so touched that Sarah is not only participating in an event that will support the Arthritis Foundation’s efforts, but that she will also be doing it in my honor.

Please support Sarah’s effort in raising money for the Arthritis Foundation.

Run, Sarah, run!

On the personal front, the kid is back in school, and we are now in the midst of soccer season. Twice weekly practice, and weekly games make it a big part of our week. Things are pretty hectic, what with making sure soccer clothes are clean, and homework is done before practice. But, once we’re at the park, it’s all fun and games.

Things are also going to get crazier yet, since next week I will be having surgery to remove my gall bladder. I’ve been told it’s a minor out-patient surgery, so I’m hoping I’ll bounce back relatively quickly. And, if nothing else, it’ll serve as a great excuse to spend the following week reading and relaxing. (Hey, I’ve got to take my opportunities where I can!)

Can you believe, that after almost a year of living in our place, we finally unpacked our books a couple of weeks ago? We’d been waiting for some furniture changes in our office, and I really didn’t want to have to move the books once they were unpacked. Our furniture situation was finally resolved, and there were no more excuses. And, while we did have to move the graphic novels over to the shelves that hold the comic book boxes—yes, we have custom shelving for the comic book boxes, can you get any geekier?— we were able to fit all of our fiction onto one wall, filled with bookcases.

Let me tell you, there is nothing more goofy than 2 Lit majors arguing over how to shelve books. If you were a fly on our wall, you’d have heard questions like:

• Honey, should I put the Asian lit together with the Asian American lit? (Answer: a quick vehement NO)
• Does Balzac’s Seraphita go on the European lit shelf or on the literary criticism shelf? (Answer: a ridiculously long debate that ended in putting it on the lit crit shelf)
• Should Octavia Butler’s books be classified as contemporary fantasy or sci-fi? (Answer: a still debatable sci-fi shelving)

I have to say that my guy and I thoroughly enjoyed the day organizing our books. And, I actually spent an additional morning just playing among my bookcases (the 2 on the left, pictured here, and my other small “imminently tbr” in my bedroom). It felt so satisfying getting things organized and cleared up. We now even have additional guest sleeping space in the office, as well as a comfy reading nook, just for me!

I’ve just finished listening to Killing Floor by Lee Child. I don’t often read suspense-thrillers, but I’d heard so many good things about the Jack Reacher series, I thought I’d give it a go. It was a fun, pulpy read. Jack Reacher’s character made the book stand out. He really reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” character in the Sergio Leone movies. I’m still mourning the fact that Tom Cruise has been cast in the Jack Reacher role for an upcoming movie. You know. The 6’5″ 250lb  ex-military policeman. *headdesk* (This fact was broken to me on Twitter during a highly amusing and very depressing conversation with @younglibrarian, @SonomaLass, @cjewel, and @MeganMulry.)

This past weekend, I also read Pharaoh’s Concubine by ZA Maxfield and The Tempering of Men by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear. Both were excellent reads. Here’s a couple of mini-reviews I did for them over at Goodreads:

Pharaoh’s Concubine by ZA Maxfield:

I really liked this romantic suspense. It put me in mind of Jane Seville’s Zero at the Bone and Brooke McKinley’s Shades of Gray.

Dylan and William go on the run, to prevent Dylan’s mobster lover from killing William in retaliation for a botched kidnapping attempt on Dylan. There’s lots of suspense and angst. Dylan’s character grows so much through the story, as he makes peace with his past and reunites with some of his family. I loved Williams low-key intensity, and his ability to see through Dylan’s pretty-boy image, and into his heart.

The Tempering of Men by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear:

I’m currently reading Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy. I’ve heard so much buzz about this sci-fi romance, and was thrilled to find it when I went to the Borders closing sale in Rancho Cucamonga. I really like the originality of the world, and Finn and Edie’s relationship. I’m already planning on reading book 2, Children of Scarabaeus.

I’ve also started Cherie Priest’s Hellbent in in audio. I really enjoyed the first in the Cheshire Red series, and though the narrator sounds a little too smirky at times, the narration is mostly well done.The story itself is really good, and I like how Raylene, despite her desire to be a tough cookie, keeps finding herself taking care of those around her.

Later this week, I’m hoping to get to Midnight by Ellen Connor, Good Girls Don’t by Victoria Dahl.

So, that’s what’s been going on with me. What’s been going on with you? Read any good books lately?

September 6, 2011: One Salt Sea (October Daye series, book 5) by Seanan McGuire

This series has become one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. The author weaves a good, fast-paced story for Toby and the gang. And, I also enjoy the theme of what it means to be a hero—especially through the eyes of a woman— on which Seanan McGuire often touches. I also enjoy the chemistry between Toby and Tybalt, the King of the Cats.

September 6, 2011: Archangel’s Blade (Guild Hunter series, book 4) by Nalini Singh

While I didn’t enjoy the last book as much as the other books in The Guild Hunter series, I do enjoy the series originality. I’m excited about Archangel’s Blade, because this is the first book that will depart from Elena and Raphael’s relationship, and focus on Dmitri, Raphael’s second in command. I’m hoping this will shake things up a bit. My hopes are high, since I’ve already been hearing great buzz about it.

September 6, 2011: Never Enough (Brown Siblings, book 4) by Lauren Dane

I’m still behind 1 book in this series, but am really looking forward to Adrian’s story.

I’ve really enjoyed all of the stories, and (eldest brother) Brody’s most of all. I like how we get bits and pieces of the other siblings’ stories without sacrificing the central relationship. Dane always conveys the depth of the main characters’ feelings so well.

I just LOVE this cover!

September 6, 2011: Midnight (Dark Age Dawning trilogy, book 2) by Ellen Connor (aka Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty).

I had really high expectations for Nightfall (book 1 in the trilogy) and it lived up to all of them.

The world is dark and gritty and the action is intense. I’m looking forward to seeing how Chris, who is just beginning to become hero material in Nightfall, fills that role in Midnight.

Three years pass between the 2 books, and I’m really curious about how the world has developed during that time.

September 6, 2011: Cipher (Southern Arcana, book 4) by Moira Rogers

I read books 2 and 3 last month, and am so excited I didn’t have to wait long for Cipher.

Kat and Andrew’s story has been unfolding slowly over the course of the series (& boy has it been a bumpy ride!), and now they will finally get their HEA.

One of the great things about this series is that the wolf/supernatural politics are just as absorbing as the romance. I also can’t wait to see what will happen after the events in the previous book.

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That’s a lot for 1 week, isn’t it? Is there anything coming out this coming week that you’re excited about?

Come and tell me about yours!

 
Typically, I tend to be a bit compulsive when I read a series, hating to read out of order. However, when I was asked by the author to review this novella, I was assured that the story would stand alone just fine. And, I was so relieved to discover that it was true. While there were some references to what took place in Taken to the Limit, book 1 in the Limit War series, I never felt like I was missing out on any important storyline, character development, or information.

I really liked this story of Teryn, a strong, kick-ass heroine, and Drel, a shy but tough beta hero. Pushed to the Limit opens with Teryn arriving on the planet Viela after being lured to it by communications tech Drel. She quickly sees it for the trap that it is, and Drel realizes that he’s made a big mistake. When they join forces against the Dusk (a stealthy invading force) and Vielan collaborators, the story kicks into high gear.

At the beginning of the story, their connection felt sort of  like “insta-love,” with a pretty extreme reaction on Teryn’s part just by hearing Drel’s voice as he guided her and her crew to land on Viela. However, as events unfold, Teryn and Drel are given an opportunity to connect and get to know each other. (The time-frame is still pretty fast, but the time is well spent, with each learning what makes the other tick.) I really appreciated that even in the compressed format of a novella, a good amount of it was focused on developing their connection. One really gets why they are drawn to each other.

As far as the world-building, there was just enough given the novella-length, with out the story feeling either wallpaper-y or too dense. There also was a good balance between the romantic relationship and the larger story arc.

I would really enjoy seeing a long story in this world, with a greater complexity of plot and more time to develop characters. However, Pushed to the Limit was a satisfying introduction to the series, and I’m now curious enough about it that I’ve gone ahead and bought the first book. I’ll be looking forward to reading more about the Limit War.

I received this book from the
author, for review purposes.

I love this series, and was so glad that the long wait between books 3 and 4 was finally over. Iskander has been put through the mill in previous books in this series, so I’ve been really looking forward to his getting a shot at a HEA.

First off, let me say that this is the fourth book in the series, and given the complexity of the world and the character relationships, I highly recommend reading them in order. I’m usually a stickler about these things, and the payoff will be worth it in this case, since the larger story arc continues to get more and more interesting as the books progress.

The world of demonkin, witches, and mages waging a power struggle  in modern-day San Francisco is dark, sensual, and often violent. Nikodemus, the leader of the kin, is struggling to keep the peace between his kind with their witch allies, and the power-hungry mages.

Paisley, a human woman who owns a bakery and rents a garage apartment from her sexy (and unbeknownst to her) demonkin landlord, Iskander, stumbles into this explosive situation when Kessler, a dark mage awakens an incipient magic in her, and begins to terrorize her.

I really liked Paisley. While she’s often put in terrifying, confusing, and overwhelming situations (at the beginning of the book she is completely unaware of the non-human world) she deals with it in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. Her naiveté doesn’t result in tstl actions, as often is the case with uninformed heroines.

Iskander is someone who has been through hell, been damaged, especially by his crazy blood-twin, and is often on the edge of losing it, himself. I love how when he’s put in the position of guarding Paisley, she brings out another side of him that we haven’t seen in previous books. He’s not just a bad-ass alpha around her, but also a considerate protector (and, eventually,) lover. Their love scenes are HOT, and I love how Iskander, for all his passion, always tries to make sure that she is ok with his more “demon-like” aspects.

While the story itself took a little bit to really get going, once it did, I love where it went. I found the story behind Kessler’s actions original and absorbing, and it kept me turning pages. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see where the larger story arc continues to go.

Related posts about the series:

• Just finished reading…My Immortal Assassin by Carolyn Jewel
• My Top 5 . . . paranormal romances

I received this book from the
author, for review purposes.

Thanks to Random.org, the randomly selected winner for Nightfall is…

Sherri A. Dub

Congrats, Sherri! Drop me a line at reneesbookaddiction AT gmail {dot} com with your mailing address, and I will forward it to co-author Ann Aguirre who is generously providing the book!