Monthly Round Up - September 2011

As this is my first full month of blogging, I've decided to introduce a new feature rounding up the posts from that month.

My Month in Books:

This month I have read 10 books for a total of 4032 pages. I also began my first ever blog based reading challenge Fall into Reading and I've read 3 of the books. Links to my reviews are below:

Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (guest blog @ E&K Family Book Review)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Dark Lover by J. R. Ward
Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward
Lover Awakened by J. R. Ward


Book Awesomeness:

I'm taking the overall scores for each book, adding them up and turning them into a percentage to give an overall 'book awesomeness' score for the month. The score this month is:

93 %

Most Beautiful Cover:




My favourite cover from the books I read this month is The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. I had a lot of 9/10 covers this month, so picking by score alone was out meaning I had to look at them as a whole and pick one. I love the simplicity of the cover and the blue/black colour combo adds a creepy dimension that fits the book really well.






Overall best book:

My overall best book from this month is Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I really loved the world building in the book because it was incredibly complex featuring loads of different races but presented in a way that it never became overwhelming. I really liked Evie as a character and I thought Lend was a great love interest for her.

Lover Awakened by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Awakened
Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-21936-7
Pages: 434
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #3
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Among the Brotherhood, Zsadist is easily the most terrifying member. Having survived a horrific past as a blood slave he is now known for his unquenchable rage and sinister appetites and is feared by everyone who has even heard his story. A chance meeting introduced him to Bella but when she is kidnapped by the Lessening Society Zsadist will stop at nothing to get her back. When he does, he is overwhelmed by an emotion he has never experienced before...desire.

This is the third in the awesome Black Dagger Brotherhood series (after Dark Lover and Lover Eternal) and one I was really looking forward to. Zsadist has been a shadowy figure in the books since the very beginning, scaring even his fellow brothers. Ironically the only person not scared by him is Bella but since she was taken by the Lessers at the end of the last book, Zsadist has become even deadlier.

The pacing is brilliant, first with the struggle to get Bella back and then with her recovery. There is a massive twist part way through that I didn't see coming and found heartbreaking. It will echo through the future novels and I'm interested to see where the author goes with it, as it destroyed something I thought was an untouchable part of the series.

The book is a bit more romance focused than the previous two, with more emphasis put on Zsadist whose past is shown through a series of flashbacks. I really enjoyed watching Bella gradually help Zsadist come to terms with his past and to allow himself to feel again. That said the background storylines continued with Butch still fixated on Marissa (their book is next), the focus on Mr O and the Lessening Society, the development of the pre-turn John and also introducing a new kind of vampire in Bella's brother Rehvenge. The world building deepens with this book as well, giving insight into the vampire aristocracy known as the glymera.

All in all this was a great read and I can't wait for Lover Revealed.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 49/50

Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Eternal
Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-21804-9
Pages: 441
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #2
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Rhage is one of the most dangerous warriors within the Brotherhood. Cursed by the Scribe Virgin for his reckless nature, Rhage is full of strong impulses that must be indulged lest his inner dragon emerge and reek destruction. When Rhage crosses paths with Mary Luce he is desperate to claim her for himself, as is the dragon inside him. But Mary has survived more than Rhage can comprehend and with her trials starting again there are some things even Rhage can't protect her from.

This is the second book in the awesome Black Dagger Brotherhood series (after Dark Lover) and I have to say I enjoyed it as much as the first. There were a few comments in the previous book about the unlikeliness of Rhage ever settling down which I found hilarious given that I knew his book was up next. I liked Rhage in the previous books, and his portrayal as the cursed warrior fits well with Mary who, unsure if she can even save herself, spends all her time trying to save others.

Once again the romance is well written and runs alongside additional storylines, this time introducing John Matthew as a character (his book Lover Mine is the eighth in the series) and focusing on a different Lesser called Mr O who was introduced in the previous book. The bad-guy perspective isn't something frequently done in paranormal romance books, but it gives a lot of depth to the story showing that the Lessers do have their own individual motivations.

The ending is cleverly done as while it concludes this book, it leads straight in to the next book. Bella is introduced in this book as a friend of Mary's and she interacts with Zsadist on several occasions. The cliffhanger at the end of their storyline means I can't wait to get reading their book.

All in all this was a great read and I can't wait for Lover Awakened.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 48/50

Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

Title: Dark Lover

Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-21695-3
Pages: 393
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #1
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Wrath is the last purebred vampire on the planet. After watching his parents slaughtered by members of the evil Lessening Society, Wrath found himself the reluctant king and leader of a band of warriors known as the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Now he's mourning the loss of his friend and warrior Darius, and finds himself with another unexpected responsibility. Darius has left a half-breed daughter, Beth, and he needs Wrath to protect her.

This is the first in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series which has been recommended to me so many times I've actually lost count. I've read this book twice now, and I'm happy to say I enjoyed it even more the second time through. The world is incredibly well developed with no info dumping, instead there is a glossary at the start of the book for all of the new terminology introduced - like Lessers (bad guys), Shellan (wife) and Doggen (butler).

Wrath and Beth are great characters that really come to life on the page, and I was completely glued to their story throughout. Their romance is realistic and the book is also grounded with other storylines, like the fight against the Lessers and the choices of one particular Lesser Mr X. The pacing of the book is excellent - managing to balance the slower emotional side of the story, with action packed fight scenes and a creepy view-behind-the-curtain of the Lessening Society.

The rest of the brothers are introduced, along with a human cop, and each is really unique. Introducing all the brothers here also means I'm now really looking forward to the rest of the series (especially Zsadist's book) so I can find out even more about them.

All in all this was a great read and I can't wait to get stuck into Lover Eternal.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 48/50

Fall into Reading - Question 1

As part of the Fall into Reading challenge, Katrina at Callapidderdays is going to be posting a reading related question each Wednesday. I'm hoping to answer them here each week, partly to keep me motivated for the challenge itself (I find it way too easy to forget about challenges) and partly because there's a great group of people taking part and I'd like to see their answers.

If you're wondering what the whole Fall into Reading thing is about, check out my original post here or Katrina's "The Basics" post here.


This weeks question is: How much do book reviews influence your decision to acquire and/or read a book?

Reviews do influence my decision to acquire/read books quite a bit. I tend to do my research about books before I get hold of them and I always try to read at least one positive review, one negative and one that falls in the middle. That way I can get a variety of opinions and any commonalities between the reviews can highlight the books good or bad points. It also means in the case of massively reviewed books (like Twilight or Harry Potter) I'm not attempting to read through hundreds, or even thousands, of reviews.

What I look for in reviews differs a lot by genre. If cozy mysteries have readers figuring out the ending early on, I won't bother. If romances are overly sickly, urban fantasies are overly graphic or young adult books have incredibly immature lead characters again I won't bother. At the same time, if a reviewer's love for the book shines through (and it's reviewers like this that made me first want to write reviews myself) I may overlook certain elements of the book that may not be to my taste and give it a try anyway.

That said, I do impulse buy based on covers, titles and special offers. I tend to do that in physical bookstores where there aren't really accessible reviews. I hadn't heard anything about Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire novels, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files or Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld novels before buying them and they are three of my favourite series even after years of reading and rereading :)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN: 978-1-4063-0764-1
Pages: 492
Series: The Mortal Instruments #3
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Clary Fray has had a rough time. She discovered that she is a Shadowhunter, that she has fallen in love with her brother and that her father is a racist homicidal maniac. Now Clary is travelling to Idris, the true home of all Shadowhunters to discover more about her abilities and to aid in the fight against Valentine. But there are those who would seek to protect her, and those who would betray her, and Clary knows nothing of the world in which she finds herself...least of all who to trust.

This is the third book in the Mortal Instruments series (after City of Bones and City of Ashes) which was initially intended as a trilogy but extended to six books after the author realised there was essentially another trilogy left to tell about these characters. Having finished this book, I agree and I can't wait to see what the author does next.

The story is great and Idris fits into the existing world of the books well. I loved seeing the Shadowhunters' home city of Alicante (even if the name does remind me of a Spanish resort) and it was well developed. The pacing is kept high throughout with lots of twists and turns, although I figured out a major one quite far in advance which dented my enjoyment a bit.

Clary's unusual talents are finally explored in more depth and many secrets from her past are revealed. Simon, however, steals the show as the Daylighter - a vampire with no reaction to sunlight. He reveals so much about the Shadowhunter world that would have remained hidden otherwise and really comes into his own as a character. Another favourite for me in this book is Alec who starts to take a more mature approach to his feelings and abilities.

The ending is cleverly thought out and ties up most of the loose ends to provide a cohesive ending without seeming contrived. However there is ample material for the continuation of the series, and I can't wait to see how the adventures of Clary and friends continue.

All in all this was a great read and I'm really looking forward to City of Fallen Angels.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 47/50

Top Ten Tuesday (3)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and the Bookish where a new top ten list is posted each week. This week is: Top Ten Books I Want To Reread which isn't the easiest topic for a chronic rereader like me, so I'm cheating a little and using series I want to reread.

1. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
I've only read the main four books once, a little before the first movie came out and all in the space of about 2 days. I really enjoyed them, but I'd like to reread them as I'd like to review them. Also, I need to read The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner and I don't remember her from the books at all.

2. The Hollows by Kim Harrison
I've read and loved the first five, but it's been ages since I've reread them. I just got the 9th from the library so I can see a series (re)read in the near future.

3. The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
I have four of these on my Fall into Reading list. Most have already been reread at least once, but I'm hoping to get the reviews I've written posted and the rest read and reviewed during the challenge.

4 & 5. The Weather Warden and Outcast Season books by Rachel Caine
I love these books, and I'm planning on rereading the first eight Weather Warden books before I read the final one. The Outcast season books (technically just the first) I'm waiting for the complete series because the first one didn't really have an ending, it just stopped. I don't want to deal with that annoyance again, despite how much I liked the book, so I'll wait until I have all of them.

6. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden is awesome and I've really enjoyed the books. It's one of those series I know I'll reread over and over, and is one I happily grab whenever I want a male lead. Incidentally, it's one of the few male protagonists I read, and one of the (fewer) male authors.

7. Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon
I've been wanting to review these for a while as I definitely have favourite books in the series and I'd like to see how they fare on a points basis. When I started reviewing like this some results really surprised me, so now I want to know how old faves score :)

8. Evermore by Alyson Noel
I've only read the first book in the series, in a train station after I missed a connection and was left with 3 hours to kill. I enjoyed it a lot at the time, but I'd like to read it when I'm not really stressed out and frustrated to see if my opinion changes.

9. The Hollow by Jessica Verday
I've recently gotten the third in the trilogy so I'm hoping to have time to reread the first two before I get to it. Even if I don't, I love the books enough they'll be reread multiple times.

10. Dark Lover by J. R. Ward
Not a series I know, but the next book I want to read...and it's a reread so it's snuck on here :)

Teaser Tuesdays (4)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser:

People aren't born good or bad. She'd always thought that was true, but in the images the angel had showed her, she'd seen her mother call her own child evil, a monster.

~ Page 273, City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN: 978-1-4063-0763-4
Pages: 411
Series: The Mortal Instruments #2
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Clary Fray now knows that her past is a lie. Her mother hid her true identity, and Clary's discovery of her role as a Shadowhunter is tainted by the realisation that her crush Jace is in fact her brother. But with their homicidal father Valentine still on the rampage, Clary and Jace must learn to deal with their emotions and begin to fight back against him...and against the dangers from within the Shadowhunter's Clave itself.

This is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series (after City of Bones) and I couldn't wait to see what happened after the shock revelations at the end of the last book. Clary has returned to Luke's and is spending her time with Simon while Jace, Alec and Isabelle have all returned to the Institute. Valentine is still a threat and is continuing his plans to destroy both Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike, and Jace comes under suspicion from the Clave.

The story is quite well paced, although several of the twists aren't fully explored, like Clary's unusual abilities. There's a quite a lot of development of Clary and Jace's backstory, along with several hints that they are not as they appear and may not even be related after all. Valentine is certainly twisted enough to invent that kind of trauma, and also if they are his creations as opposed to his children it is reasonable he would still regard them as siblings.

Simon's story also takes several surprising turns, first with Clary and second with an impulsive decision that has far-reaching consequences. Magnus Bane also reappears and becomes more ingrained in the story through his connection to Alec. In terms of the romance it's a bit all over the place with some ending, some beginning and some muddling through, and rather than affecting a simple love triangle it appears most of the characters have messy love lives.

All in all this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to City of Glass.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 45/50

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos

Title: Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Author: Choderlos de Laclos
Publisher: Oxford World Classics
ISBN: 978-0199536481
Pages: 402
Series: N/A
Type: Adult Classic
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Wealthy, devious and bored the Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil have formed an alliance and begin a dangerous game of seduction and domination. Eager to preserve their reputations, Valmont as a libertine and Merteuil as a lady they act out their roles with passion and vigour. Yet by targeting the naive Cecile Volanges, the lovestruck Chevalier Danceny and the pious Madame de Tourvel the pair don't realise that in a game this deadly, the guilty will suffer along with the innocent.

I'm a long term fan of the movie Cruel Intentions so I've wanted to read the original book for a while just to see how it compares. Now I have I can completely understand the controversy and scandal that resulted from the publication of this book in 1782. I'm also amazed at the modernity of the story. I enjoyed the modern feel to the book, and if that is down to the translation alone then I applaud Douglas Parmee for making the book so easy to read, but it could be that the themes of love, lust and betrayal are universal.

Written as a series of letters between the main characters, the author does imply that these were real people and obscures the identity of various individuals and places, as well as the year the events take place in. However there is also a publishers note stating this is a work of fiction. Whether these characters or just people like them actually existed, the book remains a view on the excesses of wealth and twisted games played by those in positions of power.

Merteuil and Valmont are incredibly devious and twisted, playing their games with a kind of maniacal glee and delighting in the suffering they entail. Cecile is incredibly naive as is the Madame de Tourvel and they get swept along with Valmont's schemes without realising the danger they are in. But I ended up feeling sorry for Valmont who is as much a victim as a victor, caught in his own web and at the mercy of the viscious Merteuil.

All in all this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 44/50

Guest blog (1)

My first ever guest blog post has just been published over at  the awesome E&K Family Book Review where I reviewed The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. If you'd like to see what I thought, click here.

Fall into Reading 2011

Fall into Reading is a yearly reading challenge hosted at Callapidderdays which basically involves making a list of books you'd like to read this fall (i.e. between September 23 and December 22) and then reading them.

I'll be tagging all my reviews as 'fall into reading' and a wrap up post will appear on December 22 showing how I've gotten on with the challenge. My list is divided into three parts: single books that are either not part of a series, or the only one I'm intending to read; new series where I haven't read any books; and existing series where I have read one or more books before. Appearing with the books I intend to read are also 3 books which I won't be reading but I will be posting my existing reviews for.

As this challenge is open to participants of all ages and some of the books I'm reading have titles that could be seen as inappropriate, I have decided to use this post as a summary. There are covers from the single books and from the first in each series for the new and existing. A full list of titles can be found by clicking here or on the Fall into Reading tab.

Single Books

1. Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson
One I've had on loan from the library for a while, from an author that is totally new to me. I love the title and can't wait to get reading.

2. Beastly by Alex Flinn
Another one from the library that I borrowed after seeing previews for the movie. It looked really good, but I'm waiting to watch it until I've read the book.

3. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
I've recently read and enjoyed the first four Night Huntress books, and Spade is one of my favourite characters. I can't wait to read a book focused on him.

4. Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost
Another tie in to the Night Huntress series, this time focused on Mencheres who I'd like to know more about as he's a more mysterious character.

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Another library that has been mentioned several times before on my blog. One I definitely need to read!

6. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Yet another one from the library this sounds really interesting with an unusual lead character. I'm a big fan of urban fantasy so I'm looking forward to this.

7. Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend by Katie MacAlister
This is the bind-up edition of Katie MacAlister's two YA novels Got Fangs? and Circus of the Damned. It fits into the timeline of the Dark Ones novels (36-43 on my list) but can be read alone hence it's position here.

8. Hook, Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Another one that has been mentioned before on my blog. I won this a while back and I really need to get reading :)

New Series

9-18. The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine (10 books)
The biggest series on my list, which I own partly due to some incredible offers on the series and partly because I love the author's Weather Warden series. I can't wait to see how she is with YA.

19-21. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (3 books)
I have the first two books in this trilogy and I'll probably pick up a copy of the last at the signing I'm going to next month. I've heard such great things so I'm hoping the books live up to the hype...and the gorgeous covers.

22-24. The Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden (3 books, with 7 additional reviews)
This trilogy follows on from the incredible Tomorrow When the War Began series. I'm hoping to read all three books, and also post my reviews of the 7 original books.

Series I've started

25-33. Otherworld Novels by Kelley Armstrong (9 books, including 4 re-reads and 3 additional reviews)
A bit of a mix with a series I've loved for years. I'll be posting my reviews of the first 3, re-reading the next 4 and reading the remaining 5 for the first time. I can't wait to revisit the Otherworld.

34-35. Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon (2 books, including 1 re-read)
This is the YA spin-off series from the uber-successful Dark Hunter series focusing on Nick Gautier. I loved Nick in the adult books, and I'm looking forward to (re)reading these.

36-43. The Dark Ones by Katie MacAlister (8 books, including 1 re-read)
This is one of those series where I read the first one and loved it enough to buy the rest of the books...which I then forgot about and never got round to reading. It ties in with book 7 above.

44-49. Shifters Series by Rachel Vincent (6 books, including 4 re-reads)
A brilliant urban fantasy series. The first book is similar to Bitten from the Otherworld series, but it soon develops into a unique world. It's now complete and I desperately want to know how Faythe's story ends.

50-57. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward (8 books, including 1 re-read)
This has been heavily recommended, but like the Dark Ones I stopped after book 1. I can't wait to get reading them though: the enthusiasm of the die-hard fans is contagious!


This isn't in any kind of reading order, although I will read each series in order, so if you have any recommendations on what to read first let me know :)

~~~~~~~

If you are also participating in the challenge, post a comment and let me know. It'd be great to see your lists :) If you are just finding out about the challenge now and want to participate click the button on the sidebar and it will link you across to the right page.

Booking Through Thursday (5)

Do you carry books with you when you’re out and about in the world?

And, do you ever try to hide the covers?

I almost always have at least one book on me when I'm out and about. I don't tend to hide the covers though. Once a guy walked the length of a train carriage to try to read the back of my copy of Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton, so I do occasionally pick strange titles just to see what people will do...like What do you say to a Naked Elf? by Cheryl Sterling (which is a great read!). And it's impossible to forget all the commuters attempting to hide their Harry Potters with a paper :)

However, there are covers out there that I would be embarrased to be seen reading, like this for example. I have the first book in the series, and I'm now putting off reading it because I really don't like this cover. It's just too much and I do not want to have to explain what I'm reading on the bus, especially if there are people with kids.

Teaser Tuesdays (3)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

 

My teaser:

All the smart young men about town clamoured for the honour of being the apple of discord. I'd even have joined in the fray myself if the high favour attained at that time by the Comtesse de ------ had allowed me to look elsewhere until I'd been fully rewarded...

~ Page 208, Les Liasons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos