August (37)

(For some reason colors aren't working properly right now. I'll try to fix it in a few days.)

You've Got Murder (Turning Hooper, #1) - Donna Andrews ★★★ 298 pgs

The story is about an AI computer who begins to worry about her programmer when he goes missing. She gets the help of two human "friends" and together they attempt to find out why he's gone missing.

Tales of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong ★★★★ 387 pgs

I started reading the first 2 or 3 stories when it first came out, but didn't finished it until now. I normally don't get into anthologies because I'm constantly having to re-adapt to new characters and new worlds. With all of these stories centering around characters I'm familiar with, and being from the same author, it made it easier to stay focused. I really enjoyed them. Some seemed insignificant, but most were wonderful. I loved the story of how Clay and Elaina met. I just love to read about them in general, so the story was an added bonus. I also enjoyed the stories on Page and Lucas, as well as Eve and Kristof. It was nice to get some background info on Kristof, and even better to get to see some things from Lucas and Sean's perspectives. Can I just say Sean seems to be a good guy and his lot sucks. I would love to have a book on him, but with the title of the series being Women of the Otherworld I won't hope excessively.

Kiss of Death (The Morganville Vampires, #8) - Rachel Caine ★★★ 241 pgs

Not my favorite Morganville book. Although there was a cool trick with a pencil.

Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls, #4) - Ally Carter ★★★★ 240 pgs

This may be a kids series, but it's so much fun to read. I love the girls and everything they get themselves into.

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1) - Suzanne Collins ★★★★★ 374 pgs

A great story with good characters. I can see why everyone is obsessed with it. There's a lot of action, drama, and suspense to keep the reader interested. It's a story of people placed in a horrible situation and how they must adapt to survive.

Catching Fire (Hunger Games, #2) - Suzanne Collins ★★★★ 400 pgs

** spoiler alert ** I liked the Games better in the first book. For some reason I didn't like the layout of the second one. It's a smart idea, but it was more unrealistic since it obviously felt more man-made and less natural than the previous field of play. It made me feel more like I was reading a book than lost in their world. Granted, it's easy to get sucked in. I enjoyed the story and I look forward to the finally. I have a feeling District 13 is around the Knoxville/Oak Ridge area since they're talking about being prepared for nuclear fallout. It should be interesting to see if I'm right since I'm from the area.
I'm not sure who Kat will pick boy wise, but statistically it's normally the boy that gets the most time on the page. I think I'd be happy either way.

Mockingjay (Hunger Games, #3) - Suzanne Collins ★★★★★ 390 pgs

My original feelings:
Amazing. Powerful. It was really hard to read certain parts. A great end to the series.
Now:
I took a star away. I enjoyed it a lot, but there were one or two bits that upon reflection keep it from being perfect. It's still a solid trilogy that I highly recommend.

Leaving Paradise (Leaving Paradise, #1) - Simone Elkeles ★★★★★ 303 pgs

Amazing story.

Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles ★★★★1/2 368 pgs

4 1/2 stars. Elkeles is good at writing books that make your heart flutter and your gut wrench at the same time. She's quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Water Bound (Sisters of the Heart, #1) - Christine Feehan ★★★★ 480 pgs

This is a spin-off from the Drake Sisters and I really enjoyed it. It's a bit more of an internal drama with the two characters than anything action packed. I think most of the Drake books had a bit more going on action-wise. This one spends a lot of time inside the same home. Despite that, I think it's interesting that Feehan has given a strong female character a disability that a lot of people have encountered. I've worked with autistic kids and most people don't realize that there are high functioning autistic people out there. People who have amazing minds, but problems fitting in socially. Feehan's one of those writers that a lot of people read so I'm hoping some people learn not to judge those with disabilities and just assume everyone with a mental issue has the brain of a child. I'm proud that she's making a statement. Now, because of that issue, most of the book is centered around her ability to cope mentally with different situations and Lev's ability to help her through them. I think this is why some people claim boredom. For me, it made me what to see the book through to see how she deals with everything.

Death's Excellent Vacation - Charlaine Harris ★★★ 368 pgs

There were three good stories, a lot of mediocre ones, and one or two bad ones.

C. Harris - This was her best short story so far. Normally I'm highly disappointed in her shorts, but this one was fun. Probably because Pam was involved. I would have loved to hear Eric's reaction to what Sookie and Pam did.
S. Smith - I was bored.
J. Frost - I love Cat and Bones and this was still good. The only problem, and it's the same that I have with every Bones book, was that it didn't keep going for thousands of pages.
D. Stashower - On the border between interesting and bored. I'd like to try one of his books before I make a decision on him.
A.L. Martinez - Odd. I'm not sure what else to say.
J. Abbott - This story was interesting. I'm slightly curious about the author now.
L.A. Banks - Rather funny. I think I'll move her up on my TBR list.
K. Macalister - Not bad. I'm always on the fence with her stories. I find them annoying and yet slightly entertaining.
C. Golden - I was definitely curious. I might try something else of his later.
L. Saiintcrow - Ehhh.
C. Grabenstein - Interesting. Had a theme I didn't expect.
S. Newman - It was okay.
T. Kelner - Cute. I'm interesting to see what else he's written.

Carpe Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Kate Conner - Deomon Hunter, #1) - Julie Kenner ★★1/2 477 pgs

A little soft in content, but different.

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1) - Seanan McGuire ★★★ 346 pgs

Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4) - Stephenie Meyer ★★★★★ (reread) 756 pgs

I reread this for a book group. I'd probably only give it 4 stars now.

Darkfever (Fever, #1) - Karen Marie Moning ★★★ 304 pgs

I found the story to be interesting, but the writing style to be a bit odd at times. I didn't like her writing it as if she were writing of past events and giving up recaps at times. I am curious to learn more about the world though. This is one of those series where each book gets better. By books 3 and 4 she's leaving cliffhangers that make you want to throw a tantrum for not having the next book available. Especially book 4.

Bloodfever (Fever, #2) - Karen Marie Moning ★★★ 306 pgs

Faefever (Fever, #3) - Karen Marie Moning ★★★★ 327 pgs

Dreanfever (Fever, #4) - Karen Marie Moning ★★★★ 362 pgs

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, #1) - Chloe Neill ★★★★ 341 pgs

This was a really fun and entertaining book. I liked the plot and the characters and how things came together. I think that if there were just a little more umph to the story I would be happy to give it 5 stars. There just needed to be a little more of an action sequence, or a more dire circumstances. Despite that, I really enjoyed the book and I'll jump straight into book 2.

Friday Nights Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, #2) - Chloe Neill ★★★★ 357 pgs

A little better than book 1. It leaves some loose ends so make sure you have book 3 ready or you'll get antsy.

Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3) - Chloe Neill ★★★★ 355 pgs

4.5 Best in the series so far. I absolutely loved it. This book is what will keep me reading the series. The author finally got to the place I wanted her to be with her writing. The action was bigger and better. There's still room for adding more if she wants, but she's done enough to satiate that aspect that I felt like was missing. Where the hell is book 4? I want it now!

Firespell (Dark Elite, #1) - Chloe Neil ★★★ 256 pgs

Wings (Wings, #1) - Aprilynne Pike ★★★1/2 294 pgs

3 1/2. Cute story. Great for young adults.

Spells (Wings, #2) - Aprilynne Pike ★★★1/2 359 pgs

Bite Marks (Jaz Parks, #6) - Jennifer Rardin ★★★ 336 pgs

It was okay. The voices in her head just weren't entertaining to me.

Unsympathetic Magic (Esther Diamond, #3) - Laura Resnick ★★★ 400 pgs

A fun read. Book 2 was incredibly funny. Book 1 was rather pointless. I'll stick with this series. It's rather kooky, but it's interesting. I wish this one had been a little better, but after doppleganger gangsters it's kind of hard to match. Plus, she had to explain a lot of voodoo practices for you to understand what was going on and I think that was one of the major differences

The Demon in Me (Living In Eden, #1) - Michelle Rowan ★★★★ 336 pgs

This was a cute romance. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait for the next one. Rowan's books are always a little cheesy, but they're great for getting out of your head.

Intertwined (Intertwined, #1) - Gena Showalter ★★★ 440 pgs

There was something that I liked about this even though there's something about the book that made me not want to like it. It's like Showalter couldn't figure out what paranormal group to deal with so she threw them all in there. There were some good parts to the story, but there were also times when I wondered why I kept reading. I'll give book 2 a try and see what happens.

Oh My Goth - Gena Showalter ★★★ 256 pgs

A cute little teen story about prejudiced based on looks. It's not the best story in the world, but it's fun and has a good message.

Angels' Blood (Guild Hunters, #1) -Nalini Singh ★★★★ 339 pgs

I stayed up until 8am this morning to finish it. I spent the whole book confused because I distinctly remember things turning out differently in the short story, so I just had to know what was going to happen. I didn't realize until a few moments ago that things were so different because it's about Sara and not Elaina. Anyway, I don't think I normally would have given it more than 3 1/2 stars, but it was different from what I was expecting and that shock gave it an added bump.

Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunters, #2) - Nalini Singh ★★★★ 323 pgs

Confessions of a Werewolf Supermodel - Ronda Thompson ★★★ 352 pgs

Incredibly cheesy, but slightly fun. I wouldn't pay for it.

Chick With A Charm (Babes-on-Brooms, #2) - Vicki Lewis Thompson ★★★★ 336 pgs

I absolutely love this series. It's really cute. I think I liked book 1 a little more, but these are great books when you want to have a fun read.

The Missing - Shiloh Walker ★★★★ 313 pgs

Nothing like I had expected. It really is a love story. It's brutal and lovely at the same time. Some of the story is difficult to read. Taige uses her psychic abilities to try and help abused and kidnapped children. She tries to find them before it's too late. Cullen is one of those characters you just fall in love with, but he screws up. It's one of those books that's happy and painful all in one breath. There was some weight to this story.

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane, #1) - Jaye Wells ★★★★ 352 pgs

Sabina is a half-vampire, half-mage who has been brought up to be an assassin for a council of vampires. She is sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a competing faction, but her loyalties are tested. Not knowing who to trust, Sabina must struggle to figure out everyone's motives, where she stands within their plans, and whom - if anyone - she will side with.

It's not the best written book out there, but I enjoyed it. I think that author has some issues with repeating phrases or using the same descriptive words at times, but the plot was interesting enough that it didn't bother me enough to care. Plus, the repetition was minimal. It just happened to be unique enough that it was noticeable. I was interested enough to download book 2 when I finished, rather than wait to see if the library would get it.

The Mage In Black (Sabina Kane, #2) - Jaye Wells ★★★★ 326 pgs

Hex in High Heels (Jazz Tremaine, #4) - Linda Wisdom ★★★ 384 pgs

I thought this one was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. I liked it a little better than the last one. It's not well written, but it's entertaining.