June 10 (36)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1)- Alan Bradley ★★ 374 pgs

The mystery was okay but there was nothing that interested me enough to keep reading. If I hadn't chosen it for a challenge book I might have put it down early on. I like that the kid was smart, but I didn't connect to the story. I may or may not attempt book 2. It started to get a little more interesting toward the end so I might give it a chance.

Burning Alive (Sentinel Wars, #1) - Shannon K. Butcher ★★★ 358 pgs

It was enjoyable. However, I'd like to read the next book before I make my final decision for some reason. I thought it was a lot of fun and interesting, but something is pushing me away from really loving it. Maybe it's the fact that the bad guys are kind of giant blobs. Or, some of them at least. I think I just need more tangible villains.

The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1) by Bree Despain ★★★ 372 pgs

I enjoyed reading, but it was lacking something to make it great. I think it will be forgettable in a few months time. I expected it to be better for some reason. It'd get it from the library instead of pay money for it.
Despite it lacking something to make it great, it was an interesting story and I had fun reading it.

Karma Girl (Bigtime, #1)- Jennifer Estep ★★★ 360 pgs

Cute.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #1) - Joanne Fluke ★★★ 436 pgs

It was cute. Light, but entertaining. I love that the book came with cookie recipes. I can't wait to read the rest of the stories.

Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #2) - Joanne Fluke ★★★ 320 pgs

Again, the story was really cute. There's a few Stephanie Plum like moments, but in reality Hannah is her own character and doesn't get into the same unbelievable situations as Plum. I really enjoyed reading the story. It's a nice light, stress-free read.

Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen, #3) - Joanne Fluke ★★★ 320 pgs

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #4) - Joanna Fluke ★★★ 256 pgs

Every single one of these books begins with her waking up. I need a new beginning.
I like that Mike is starting to trust her. Also, the two man thing needs to be concluded in the next book or two or else it's going to get old.
After having read a few of her books it's becoming obvious as to who is the killer. Her style is predictable.

Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #5) - Joanna Fluke ★★★ 305 pgs

The killer was pretty obvious.
I'm starting to not like either of Hannah's men. Norman lacks fire and Mike doesn't support Hannah like he should. He started to do better in book 4, but he resorted back to an idiot in this book. If he spent more time with Hanna then perhaps she wouldn't almost get herself killed all the time.
Anyway, I'm kind of tired of the fact that Bill and Mike are apparently not intelligent enough to solve a case. The cops should get one eventually, and not because Hannah has to pretend to not know how things fit together. What on earth are the guys doing working until midnight with nothing to show for it?
It doesn't sound like I enjoyed it, but it's still a fun read. I'm just flustered with it at the same time.

Sugar Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #6) - Joanna Fluke ★★ 168 pgs
---(It has over 300 pages, but most of it is recipes so I'm being good and not counting that)

This was a short one (168 pages). The rest of the book is recipes for Hannah's cookbook.
I liked that the murder was a little different this time. However, Mike is still being an idiot and I'm not happy about that. I wondered why everything was coming to a close so quickly, but I guess that's because of all the recipes.
Apparently, after having read ahead on some people's reviews this triangle is still going on during book 12. I'm sorry, but you can only keep the tension building for 3 books. Something needs to happen by book 4, even if that something is that neither man get the girl. A reader needs resolution. You can push it to book 5 if absolutely necessary, but 12? The problem with that is repetition. You start dealing with the same issues time and time again and there's nothing new and exciting in the book. These are already a cookie cutter series that uses the same formula and similar plots for every story! You can't make them even more repetitive without losing your fan base, which is what it sounds like happens as the books go on. I'll keep reading because I'm obsessive about finishing what I start, but I'm doing so with reservations.

Peach Cobbler Murder (Hannah Swensen, #7) - Joanne Fluke ★★★ 294 pgs

I liked this one a little better than the last. However, it did take a while for the murder to happen. I think I'm okay with that since it broke from the typical format of the books and kept me from being bored. I never thought Fluke would kill off the character she did, but I'm glad that she made that decision.
As for the guys, something finally happened. Thankfully! (Well, it did and it didn't, but it was at least something that was different enough.) I think Mike had bad timing in his choice at the end of the book and could have picked a better way. I loved Norman's response. I'm actually glad Hannah makes the decision that she does. (For now at least...)
Trying to be vague and not give away spoilers sucks.

Cherry Cheesecake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #8) - Joanne Fluke ★★ 356 pgs

I liked this one. I think this series is best when the whole group works together. I loved that you got to see Mike in his role of detective more than just the occasional reference to something he's done. I also like that he was willing to work with Hannah a little bit. I would love for them to actually work on a case together. and have him go along Hannah. Minus the B&E of course...
For those of you that are looking specifically for a murder mystery, this isn't really a good book to pick up. The murder didn't happen until page 200. I was okay with that, but I know a lot of you would be put off by the delay.

Peach Cobbler Murder (Hannah Swensen, #8) - Joanne Fluke

I liked this one a little better than the last. However, it did take a while for the murder to happen. I think I'm okay with that since it broke from the typical format of the books and kept me from being bored. I never thought Fluke would kill off the character she did, but I'm glad that she made that decision.
As for the guys, something finally happened. Thankfully! (Well, it did and it didn't, but it was at least something that was different enough.) I think Mike had bad timing in his ch...more I liked this one a little better than the last. However, it did take a while for the murder to happen. I think I'm okay with that since it broke from the typical format of the books and kept me from being bored. I never thought Fluke would kill off the character she did, but I'm glad that she made that decision.
As for the guys, something finally happened. Thankfully! (Well, it did and it didn't, but it was at least something that was different enough.) I think Mike had bad timing in his choice at the end of the book and could have picked a better way. I loved Norman's response. I'm actually glad Hannah makes the decision that she does. (For now at least...)
Trying to be vague and not give away spoilers sucks.

Hourglass (Evernight, #3) - Claudia Gray ★★ 339 pgs

Bullet (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #19)by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★ 368 pgs

I give it 3 stars only because I love the characters. I believe Leslie's review summed it up when she said:
"For some reason, after reading "Skin Trade" I was under the impression that future Anita Blake books would be heavy on the plot, mystery, action, and less on the sex. "
I felt the same way. Bullet feels like a transition book. That's fine. However, Anita is a vampire hunter/necromancer. I became addicted to the series because of the wonderful characters and the fact that Anita hunts things. She goes out, gets herself into all kinds of issues and kills things. Anita stopped hunting. It's like everything came to her and fell into place. Anita use to kick ass! Now, she's an interesting character with a lot of interesting people surrounding her, but despite Hamilton's attempts to show her as a strong female she's not getting it across like she use to. I get that her letting the boys win fights is a sign of her trust and maturing, but Anita needs to hunt. It's the premise of her character. I was so excited after Skin Trade thinking that the huntress was back, but Hamilton got my hopes up.
Also, I get that for the most part Hamilton's sex scenes have a plot purpose, but when they stretch out as long as they tend to, you kind of forget what the plot was. It took me until page 100 to even figure out what the plot was! Some of the plot lines need to become clearer sooner. Some people love the sex, and I know that there are authors who make her look tame, but Hamilton has a wonderful ability to write interesting plots and I'd like to see more of them. I just wish she'd find a balance between now and her early books. I thought she had in Skin Trade. Or, that she was at least getting closer...

Club Dead - Charlaine Harris ★★★★ 274 pgs (Reread)

Definitely cheesier on the second read. I still enjoy them, but Harris isn't the best writter.

Must Love Hell Hounds (Guild Hunters, #1.5; Kate Daniels, #3.5; The Guardians, #5.5 ) - Charlaine Harris ★★★ 361 pgs

3.5. The Harris was boring. The Singh was very interesting. It has me wanting to finally pick up her books and start reading more about Sara and Deacon. I liked the Andrews and the Brook's.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)- Rachel Hawkins ★★★ 336 pgs

I enjoyed it, but did not find it as great as everyone told me it would be. I didn't really feel a sense of urgency to the story. I feel like the build up could have been more suspenseful. There are a lot of YA books that don't make you feel like you have to be a teenager when reading them; this one did. I liked something about the book that I haven't been able to place, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I were 10-15 years younger. There was something campy about it. Despite having wished it were better, I will read book 2. I just won't pay for it next time.

Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Keener ★★★★ 392 pgs

So it's cheesy, but I loved it. I just love the characters. She had my busting up.

A Girl's Guide to Witchcraft (Jane Madison, #1) - Mindy Klasky ★★★ 432 pgs

Cheesy, but fun.

Sorcery and the Single Girl (Jane Madison, #2) - Mindy Klasky ★★★ 400 pgs

Magic and the Modern Girl (Jane Madison, #3) - Mindy Klasky ★★★ 416 pgs

This book was the one that wrapped everything up. I'm glad at how the ending turned out and I liked the last line. However, there were a lot of parts in the middle of the book that just felt unnecessary. Will for instance. He's introduced in the last book and it just seems awkward. If she ended up with him it would seem odd, but if she ended up with someone else then Will was pointless. If he had been introduced earlier then it wouldn't have seemed as strange, but...

The Last Twilight (Dirk & Steele, #7) - Marjorie M. Liu ★★★★ 368 pgs

I stuck with the first few in the series even though they weren't great. I just saw the potential for something good and hoped that one day the author would get there. Luckily, she's slowly improving. This book was a lot more interesting for me. Maybe it's my fear of books/movies that have monkeys passing viruses on to humans, but I started out in a state of suspense and worry. It was hard to tell who was going to turn out to be a good guy and who was going to turn on Rikki and Amiri. The fact that they were in the Congo also helped create a sense of suspense with the plot. When militias, bribed officials, and other things rip apart a nation and make survival difficult for the average person, there's an added layer of uncertainty on whether your characters will survive their ordeal.

The Wild Road (Dirk & Steele, #8) - Marjorie M. Liu ★★ 368 pgs

This has to have been the worst one in the series so far. I was thinking that Liu was getting better, but...
I liked the characters, but I didn't like how everything came together in the climax of the book. Of course, the epilogue was cute, but that doesn't help the fact that I was bored when the big finale scene finally came up.

The Fire King (Dirk & Steele) - Marjorie M. Liu ★★★ 336 pgs

There was something about the way this book started that got me interested from the beginning. I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.

Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely, #4) - Melissa Marr ★★★ 340 pgs

I enjoyed the story, but I think I would have been more interested in the book if I had read the other one's right before. It took me too long to place everyone and remember what had happened in previous books, which made it difficult to become consumed by the story.

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, #5) - Richelle Mead ★★★★ 489 pgs

I liked it. I still like Shadow Kiss the best. This book did sound like it's setting everything up for the ending. Not knowing what will happen is killing me at the moment, but I'm sure I'll get over it after the next book.

New Moon (Twilight, #2) - Stephenie Meyer (reread) ★★★ 563 pgs

It's not as good anymore. I'm kind of Twilighted out for the moment. I gave it 4 stars the first time I read it.

Eclipse (Twilight, #3) - Stephenie Meyer (reread) ★★★★★ 629 pgs

I went through these two since the Eclipse movie is coming out.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer ★★★ 178 pgs

It was okay for a short story. Nothing to squeel over...
I'd love to find out what happened to Fred.

Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks, #2) - Jennifer Rardin ★★★★ 352 pgs

I want to know what happens next!

The Immortal Hunter (Rouge Hunter, #2 and Argeneau, #11) - Lynsay Sands ★★★★ 360 pgs

The Renegade Hunter (Rouge Hunter, #3 and Argeneau, #12)- Lynsay Sands ★★★★ 384 pgs

Cheesy, but oh so cute.

Defending Angels (Beaufort & Company, #1) - Mary Stanton ★★★ 293 pg

It's between okay and I liked and I see potential so I'm giving it a chance. I liked that the idea was something that I haven't seen before and I'm excited to find out what will happen next. I see some missed opportunities with whatever is going on action wise, but I think the author might be trying to remain vague so that the plot can unfold further in future books. If the "action" sequences had a little more substance to them I would have really enjoyed it. Hopefully the next one will reveal more and won't be as vague.

Angel's Advocate (Beaufort & Company, #2) - Mary Stanton ★★★★ 292 pgs

I enjoyed it. It was better than book 1 since there was more too it. There's still some gaps with the action sequences.
I like her growing relationship, but I'm not sure if anything will come of it. I'd like to read book 3 next, but I have to finish some library books first so I'll get to it as soon as possible.

Kitty Goes to War (Kitty Norville, #8) - Carrie Vaughn ★★★★ 384 pgs

I liked it. It was traditional Kitty. I feel like I was more along the ride for her emotional issues than any real fear for her safety like in the previous book. Despite that, it wasn't a bad ride. It was nice to see Rick back, but I'd like to see him participate a little more. I was very excited to have Cormac back, but it just doesn't feel right when he doesn't have guns to play with. Of course, Vaughn mentions this so it fits within the context of the story. The one issue that I've every had with the books is that it feels like Cormac and Kitty would make a good couple. Maybe they would be too volatile, but it'd be fun to read. I think Ben balances her out so I understand the choice. I just wonder if it would have been different if Cormac hadn't gone to jail.
Anyway, I really liked the new guy in the book and I hope to hear a reference about him in a future story.