2011 Moments and Final Recap!

Well, my overall recap for 2011 is here at last! It was a very good year! I read more than expected considering my crazy work schedule and family's health problems, but best of all I read some excellent books along the way and had a good time too.

Favorites:

• 2011 Year-End: Favorite Books: All done!
• LGBT 2011: Favorite Books and Authors: All done!

Best Moments of 2011: Meeting friends (old and new), bloggers, and authors.

• Meeting a Friend, NYC, Dinner, and Books!
• Meeting Nalini Singh!
• RWA Literary Signing
• Catching Up June's Events, Books & Bloggers
• NJ Bloggers: Dinner, Books and the Heat!

Favorite Posts/Reviews:

• The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa - Talk about obsession, I actually wrote THREE posts about this book: The review, plus two posts at my side blog Quotes & Thoughts, with my favorite of those two being Sex and Power in the Feast of the Goat. 
• The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers: I loved this book and writing the review was a pleasure, but then came the cherry on top. I'm not a fangirl, far from it, but when Mr. Jeffers came by and left a comment on my review, there was a flutter of the fangirl about me for a minute there... I admit it! LOLOL! 
• John Donne - The Good Morrow: This was a totally self-indulgent post that went up after I spent weeks perusing some of my favorite works by Donne. If left up to me I would probably have posted about ten pages on his poetry and essays, but I figured you would all be snoring by the time I finished. LOL! Instead my post became a very small summary. To all those Donne-crazed fans who came by and made it my second most visited post of the year, a BIG thank you!! ;P

Worst moment of 2011:

• Deleting ALL the numbers for previous years from my Stat Counter! Yes... in January 2011, I accidentally deleted my Impressions "project," lost all my numbers, and was not able to recover them. My numbers started anew as of the second week of January. Again! Oh... the idiocy! 

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2011 Challenges:

As far as Challenges go, I only joined two in 2011: I continued the In-Death Challenge hosted by The happily ever after... where I failed miserable by not reading any books during the whole year! I mean, not ONE -- see my summary page. Fail! [Hangs head in shame]

I also joined the 2011 Book Club: The Women of Fantasy hosted by Jawa Reads, Too! I did a better job there. I chose four books to read for the year. Unfortunately as you will see on my summary page, I completed one book and "DNF" (did not finish) two of the books. The book club did not continue with reading and discussions after June, so the fourth book is still in my TBR.

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Numbers

Total books read: 202

Total Posts: 153

Total Reviews/Minis: 156
Books by Categories:
  LGBT (Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Thrillers, YA): 57
  Contemporary (Romance/Fiction/Erotica): 48
  Historical: (Romance/Fiction): 44
  Paranormal Romance: 11
  Urban Fantasy: 11
  Fantasy/Speculative Fiction: 10
  Science Fiction/Science Fiction Romance: 8
  Mysteries: 5
  Misc (Fiction/Children's/Poetry/Non-Fiction): 7

During 2011, I kept better records at Goodreads than I did at my blog. I actually had to reconcile my books read titles and numbers between the two sites! LGBT is my highest number for the year and that is a surprise (TY 57 vs. LY 36), especially since I read very few books in that category during the first half of the year. And I'm quite happy with the increase in the historical romance numbers (TY 44 vs. LY 26). I didn't quite reach my personal goal of reading 12 books for the year in the Fantasy category, but did increase the number (TY 10 vs. LY 2).

Observations:

• A noticeable change from 2010 to 2011 is the fact that I read more new releases and less books from my TBR or "to be read" pile of books. As a matter of fact, I added quite a bit to that pile! 
• In 2011 I also accepted more books or ARCs for review. That's unusual for me, but even through all the stressful family emergencies somehow I found the time to keep up with most of the commitments I accepted during the year, and discovered some favorite reads and authors there! So, it turned out to be a good overall experience. 
• This was the year of the anthology for me too. I read approximately 15 anthologies that included everything from 3 to 29 novellas or short stories! That's a record for me. 
• And last, but not least, I joined Twitter after much bellyaching. I still don't really use it much and only think of using it after the fact, but I'll get there, someday. *g* 

That is it!! Now I'll look forward to 2012, and start fresh with the new year. :)

December 2011: Reads and Minis

Happy New Year everyone! Hope your holidays were fabulous!

Here's my last monthly recap for 2011. It's a long one. I read more than expected due to the fact that I was on vacation for over a week and just relaxed. Some of those reads are short, but I did manage to get in some full-length novels in there as well.

One of my top reads for the month made it to my top ten favorite reads for the year, one was an honorable mention, and the other two were read during the last week of the year! I ended the year with a bang, just the way I like it.

Here are my reads for December, 2011:

Total Books Read: 23  DNF: 1
   Contemporary: Romance, Erotica - 5
   Historical Romance: Novels, Short Stories - 6
   Paranormal Romance: 1
   Science Fiction: 1
   Fiction 2
   Non-Fiction: 1
   LGBT: Fiction, Romance, Mysteries, Erotica - 7

My top reads for December:

• Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey: A

Leviathan Wakes! Yes! This is a science fiction opera with all the action and science fiction details any reader would expect of just such an endeavor. Yet for me, the characters in this fantastic space adventure are the ones that lifted it from being a just another tale about ships and chases through the stars. Miller, the pulp fiction noirish style, cynical detective, obsessed with finding one girl and relentless in his pursuit. And, Captain Jim Holden a rather naive, gung ho Captain with a rag tag crew who in his pursuit of revenge finds a truth bigger than the known universe. A mystery/thriller in space with amazing characters and fantastic science fiction details. What else can a geeky girl like me ask for? This book made it to my top ten favorite reads of 2011. 

• War by Sebastian Junger: B+
• We the Animals by Justin Torres: B+
• The Proposition by Judith Ivory: B+

The enjoyable Bs:

• Drown by Junot Diaz: B
• Detours by Jeffrey Ricker: B
• Adam by Jacquelyn Frank: B
• The Rake's Christmas by Edith Layton (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B
• The Surprise Party by Mary Balogh (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B
• The Art of Dying by Josh Lanyon and Jordan Castillo Price: B
• Best Gay Stories 2011 edited by Peter Dubé: B-
• The Christmas Ghost by Sandra Heath (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B-
• Lone Star by Josh Lanyon: B-
• Winter Knights by Harper Fox: B-

Here come the C's:

• Sweetwood Bride by Pamela Morsi: C
• A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman: C
• Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen: C
• Cowboy Come Home by Janette Kenny: C
• The Birches by Xavier Axelson: C
• Three to Tango with Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Bethany Kane: C
• Risque Business by HelenKay Dimon: C-
• Terms of Surrender by Leslie Kelly: C-
• Submission (Deviations #1) by Chris Owen & Jodi Payne: C-

I love Chris Owen's writing style and own this series. Unfortunately, I "DNF" (did not finish) this book the first time I tried reading it a couple of years ago. I know a lot of readers love this series, so I decided I would try it again and finish it this time. Frankly, I had the same reaction this time and for the most part the book seems rather clinical and flat, lacking real emotion and passion. At least that's the way it read to me. I didn't connect with the characters at all. However, this time I continued to the end. There does seem to be a bit more of an emotional connection between the characters on that last third of the book, but by that time it was a bit late for me as a reader to connect with them. Obviously this book/series is not for me.

And one lonely DNF (did not finish): I usually don't include DNF's with my list. However in this case I wanted to give the book a chance and read over half of the book before simply realizing that the book is just not for me.

• The Hunter by Theresa Meyers - DNF (Read 55% of the book)

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That's it for December! I'll be writing a few reviews for my December reads. We the Animals by Justin Torres was a huge surprise and one that I'll be talking about. The Proposition by Judith Ivory was a delightful read full of mustaches, legs, ferrets and some wonderful characters. Drown by Junot Diaz is a fiction book I read for my Internet Book Club, and of course there's Jo Goodman's first contemporary romance, A Place Called Home, and Jacquelyne Frank's paranormal romance, Adam -- the last book of her Nightwalkers series, #6.

Did you find any gems in December?

End of Year Reading: Justin Torres and...

Day after Christmas... is everyone shopping? I'm on vacation and yes I'll be shopping later. *g* In the meantime, I've been reading! Yes, between Friday after work, the crazy and lovely Noche Buena and a lovely and lazy Christmas Day, I read. This year it wasn't my turn to cook, bake, or do the honors. That fell to one of my lovely sisters-in-law and one of my brothers. *g* So, I'm enjoying a relaxing holiday season.

What did I read? A couple of GREAT books from my "to be read" pile that I left as end-of-year reads. The first book I read Friday night, and the one that really impacted me the most?

We The Animals by Justin Torres

• I would say, why oh why did I wait until the end of the year to read this little book? On the one hand I want to kick myself for waiting, but then... it was the perfect time to read it too. We the Animals is not a perfect book, but my goodness this debut novel by Justin Torres certainly makes an impact! I will probably review it or talk about it in January because I think I have to, but yes... a little gem. (2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Then of course I picked up some Christmas related romance novellas, and I went with these:

A Regency Christmas VII 

• From this anthology, I read The Christmas Ghost by Sandra Heath, The Rake's Christmas by Edith Layton, and The Surprise Party by Mary Balogh. These short novellas were perfect. They got me into the holiday spirit as I readied myself for our lovely Christmas Eve celebration with family and friends. (1995 Signet)

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon & Winter Knights by Harper Fox

• As part of the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology, both of these stories are second chance-at-love stories that take place during Christmas and both of them have that bit of the "miracle" about them. Josh Lanyon's Lone Star, is the story of two childhood friends, a ballet dancer and a Texas Ranger, whose love ended a long time ago when they were young men. His story has a western flavor because of setting, although not necessarily a western theme. A Lanyon-style romance without a mystery to solve at the end. Harper Fox's White Knights is a contemporary Arthurian tale set in Northumberland. As always I enjoyed her characters' struggles and darkish writing style. There are second chances, and then there are second chances... and Fox's characters certainly find out what the term means in this Christmas story. (2011, Carina Press)

And I finished a couple of anthologies I began reading earlier:

Best Gay Stories 2011 edited by Peter Dubé

• This is an anthology I began reading a couple of months ago and kept on reading slowly. There are some excellent novellas in here. One of my favorite stories by Sandra McDonald is included, and of course other writers whose works I've come to really enjoy as well. I actually became interested in reading the anthology after reading the "blurb" and Mr. Dubé's focus for this anthology. (2011 Lethe Press)

When we tell our own stories, it becomes clear that we’ve moved well past the sentimental coming out story, the boy-meets-boy romance, the dangers and pleasures of sexual adventure, and we’ve done it without having to abandon them--because those things still happen and are still important. But we’ve found new ways of thinking about them, and have more experience to share, a deeper understanding of them, and we’ve added an array of other stories, from other parts of our lives, and dreams, and troubles to them. We’ve moved past the “gay story” and towards “gay stories.”

The other anthology I finished is erotica!

Three to Tango with 

Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Bethany Kane

• This is another anthology I began reading a while back and just finished off! Now, I can tell you that I most definitely have favorites from this collection of novellas where threesomes (M/M/F) give it its name. For me those two stories are Dirty/Bad/Wrong by Lauren Dane and Flipping for Chelsea, the hot, hot story by Emma Holly. Of course, Megan Hart's Just One Night and Bethany Kane's On the Job fit the name of this anthology to the "t" and they are enjoyable as well. So you can pick and choose, but all are good erotic reads. (2011, Berkley Heat) 

So, that was my weekend/holiday reading! These were all short reads, but a good beginning to my vacation reading and a great way to end the year! I have one more week to go, let's see if I find any other little gems before then. :D

Minis: Jeffrey Ricker, Leslie Kelly, Susan Andersen, Pamela Morsi

Is everyone else overwhelmed this December? I am. It seems as if there's no time left for breathing, let alone reading or blogging. Business and the holidays -- a crazy combination. I am getting ready to go on vacation. One more week to go, and then ten whole days off! Hopefully during that time, I will have time to read all those books I planned to read and that I piled up on my table. But enough whining already!

Again, this week I began reading a couple of books and have not been able to finish them. It has been frustrating! A frustrating month. I don't even have a review ready today... sigh. So I figured I would give you an idea of what I've read so far this month which totals five whole books! (ETA: Guess I wasn't done whining)

• I began the month on a high note by reading Jeffrey Ricker's  gay fiction debut novel Detours. This story is rather interesting in that it begins with the main character saying a hopeful good bye to the man who might be the love of his life two weeks after they meet, only to go home and become involved with another man right after he finds out that his mother died unexpectedly. From there the story really becomes a kind of road trip where this character comes to terms with his life, past and future, as well as his mother's passing, all while accompanied by his mother's ghost. Detours turned out to be engrossing, amusing, and in many ways deeply moving. 

• Gears changed when the month became complicated and I picked up Terms of Surrender by Leslie Kelly. This is a Blaze and as such it's up there on the hot sexin' scale. I enjoyed it up to a certain point, but there were too many circumstances where plausibility became a problem. Marissa is a psychologist, an anonymous blogger on the side and a published author. She gets a job as a lecturer on an Air Force base and falls for Danny, a man who she thinks is a mechanic but turns out to be a pilot. There's the misunderstanding trope, the baggage, and the "I hate what you do for a living, but I'll do you anyway" theme going on in this book. These two were ripping their clothes off all over the base and everywhere else, but... Mari still had a problem with Danny's job, not the man himself. The story had its moments, but that's about all I can say. 

• Then I decided to continue hitting my contemporary "to be read pile" and read Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen. I loved Playing Dirty, the third book in this contemporary trilogy, but unfortunately I had problems with this book. Let's see, I like the premise of the story itself, where Poppy and Jason's romance grows while they help unruly teenage "taggers" pay for bad behavior by working in a community project. It's one of those romances that begins with lots of suppressed heat that comes off as hostility and eventually it turns into hot steam. Why the problem then? A couple of problems with the characters themselves, beginning with Jason who calls Poppy the "Babe" from beginning to end. This irked me to no end! I'm sorry, but he really comes off as a chauvinist pig, insecure or not (he carries tons of personal baggage and doesn't think he's good enough for her). Then Poppy goes around feeling "diminished by him" but still allows him to run over her, through her and around her -- until almost the end. This was okay, but not my favorite read in this trilogy so far. :( 

• As the month continued I totally went 180 degrees in my reading and picked up War by Sebastian Junger. This is a non-fiction read and not my usual choice of read during the holidays. However, again I was looking through my "to be read pile" and there it was... staring at me for the 100th time. I began skimming and couldn't stop reading. I already wrote a mini-review for this book, so I'm not going to go on about it. I'll just tell you that reading this book floored me and I do believe it is one of the reasons I couldn't continue to read anything else for while. The documentary really drove the whole thing home too. Great work! 

• When I read War, I had already begun reading Sweetwood Bride by Pamela Morsi. I love this author, however, unfortunately this is not my favorite read by her. Eulie lies by saying she's pregnant and the community of Sweetwood, Tennessee forces Mosco to marry her. In fact, all they have shared is a sweet peck by the river. What Eulie really wants is to garner a secure future for her five siblings. Mosco has dreams! He dreams of going to Texas after he's done fulfilling his duties to his crippled uncle Jeptha, and a wife and children are not part of his plans. As much as I enjoy Morsi's writing, her deep character development and stories, I'm afraid that I just could not for the life of me get behind what Eulie did to Mosco. She forced him into a relationship and killed his dreams forever. I don't care if they fell in love, I just couldn't get past that initial feeling that Eulie was a selfish girl/woman. Even to the end I feel that Mosco wanted to get on that horse to ride west. 

So, that's it... those are the books I've completed in December so far. I have read a few short stories here and there from Christmas anthologies. I also began reading A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman and The Hunter by Theresa Meyer, but have not finished them. Hopefully this weekend!

November 2011 Reads + Minis: Joanna Bourne, Xavier Axelson and more...

November is over! The month just flew by, didn't it? I don't think I accomplished half of what I wanted to do. There were stressful and frightning moments along the way, but also some really wonderful times with family and friends.

Reading-wise the month was definitely a good one. I read a mixture of contemporary, historical, and gay romances, plus some gay fiction -- must of them really enjoyable reads! So it's a tough month to choose favorite reads because for different reasons in one way or another most of them had so much to offer. You'll see mostly Bs below, and that's because for the most part I chose to read what turned out to be solid books in November. I was lucky that most of the new releases and TBR reads suited me just fine!

In addition to the books I'm listing, I also read a few of the novellas included in the Christmas anthologies my friend sent me last month with the Mary Balogh books. However, I'm not including them with my November reads because I want to finish the whole anthologies first. :)

November reads:

Total books read: 14
  Contemporary: 4
  Historical Romance: 4
  LGBT: 6 (Romance: 4 YA/Mystery: 1 Fiction/Romance: 1)

Top Reads

• The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas: A-
• The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne: B+
• The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers: B+
• The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne: B+

I read this book in preparation for The Black Hawk (because that book looked so good!), and I wanted to get some background on the main characters, Justine and Hawker. Well, surprise, surprise The Forbidden Rose turned out to be quite a read! I was immediately caught up in the romance, the adventure and most of all with Joanna Bourne's prose.

I loved how Bourne weaved romance and adventure with some history. Loved, loved how she fictionalized Robespierre's downfall and all the twists and turns that took place in the spy plot. Very well done! The characters are outstanding as are the circumstances that surround them. Doyle and Marguerite's romance turned into an exciting sensual adventure that I couldn't stop reading. Why not an A then? For me there are a few instances where circumstances become quite convoluted (the jailbreak for example), but where the danger factor turns out to be minimal, so that those scenes end on a flat note after all the build up. Of course I couldn't help but fall in love with young Hawk and Justine -- I mean talk about excellent, intriguing, secondary characters. I finished this book and rushed to read The Black Hawk.

All those wonderful Bs! 

• Chulito by Charles Rice-González: B

Although I already reviewed this book, I have to mention (again) that this story really grabbed me. And this is where choosing favorites this month was quite tough for me. Why? Well, although a B grade to me means that it's a solid read with few issues, this book is also the one that stayed with me the longest. So don't let the grade or whatever minor personal issues I found mislead you, this is a great, great read! And for those of you who emailed me and want to know (I left this out of my impressions/review), there is a "happy ending" to this story. *g* 

• The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi: B 
• Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron: B 
• All They Need by Sarah Mayberry: B 
• The Incident by Xavier Axelson: B

The Incident by Xavier Axelson is one of those books that is tough to qualify and I thought I would begin by just giving you a quick idea of what it's all about. Officer Michael Carmac made a split-second decision while in the line of duty that haunts him. He drinks and the one person who kept him together throughout the whole mess was his partner, Officer Bertram Angel. As time goes by, Michael discovers that his needs for more than support and friendship from Bertram are tougher to hide. But losing a friendship that means so much to him because of his desire is not an option.

This is not a long story, yet I found that it has the qualities of both romance and fiction. Both characters are quite compelling, particularly Carmac whose situation is heartbreaking. Axelson delves deep into this man's painful and guilt-ridden, lonely life. The relationship between Bertram and Carmac is complex and beautifully realistic in the way that it is related. They have been friends as well as partners for years, and Bertram is the one person who has always been there for Michael -- the one he leans on maybe too much. This is a romance with a happy ending, but it's not a typical gay romance, and that is due mainly to Axelson's approach and execution. This is another solid and enjoyable B read for me. (Seventh Window Publications/August 13, 2011)

• Muscling Through by JL Merrow: B 

This is a quicky. I enjoyed this gay romance for its point of view! Al's simplicity of thought and uneducated background expose the truth behind people's cruelties and flaws. There's more to him that what's obvious at first glance. There's a great lesson here -- treat people for who they are, not "what" they are or appear to be. I love that Larry truly sees and loves Al. (Samhain Publishing/July 19, 2011)

• A Spirit of Vengeance by Angela Benedetti: B

This is a Single Shots Classic I've had in my TBR for a long time and it's a very short story. I've enjoyed Angela Benedetti's writing in the past and I know I will continue to do so in the future. I don't know if I mentioned it here before, but the pacing and momentum experienced when reading her stories, always make them fast paced reads -- I love the tempo in her writing. In A Spirit of Vengeance I did find that, however the emotions, the grief and love were also a huge part of what kept me reading. Do I have a complaint? I always want more! I wanted it to be longer... *g* (Torquere Press, September 29, 2009)

• By The Book Nancy Warren: B- 

And some really good Cs! 

• The Next Always: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy by Nora Roberts: C+ 
• Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Café by Xavier Axelson: C 

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NOTE: The holidays are almost here and I can tell because my UPS guy showed up with the package containing my books for review (for the month of November) on November 29th! That's unfortunate because some of the books in that bundle really caught my eye. I will be reading and reviewing them in December since they look good.

So in November, what book made it to the top of your list? I had a tough time choosing, and as you can tell by my notes above, I enjoyed most of them. Any great, unforgettable reads?

October 2011: Reads + Minis! Lee Thomas, Ilona Andrews, Logan Belle

Hope you all had a great Halloween!!

I indulged this past October and read quite a few spooky reads. Well, I read lots of books period. Earlier this month I posted some recommendations from favorite Halloween reads I either read during previous months or previous years, but this last month I could not stop myself and kept on with the same theme. I also read a couple of great Christmas books. However what you will notice when you see the grades, is that I read quite a few good books. So my reading wasn't only on the plentiful side, it was also quite enjoyable for me for personally.

Here's my summary for the month:

Total Reads: 23 (+1 Re-read): Print Books: 5  ebooks: 19
Contemporary Romance: 4
Historical Romance: 3
Urban Fantasy: 1
Science Fiction: 2
LGBT: 13 (Spec Fic: 1  Mystery: 6  Gay Romance: 5  Young Adult: 1)
Young Adult: 1

Favorite Reads in October:

• Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) Elizabeth Hoyt: A
• The German by Lee Thomas (LGBT Thriller/Mystery): A-

The German captured my attention with its bone chilling prologue set in Germany and once begun, I couldn't put it down. However, this fantastic thriller by Lee Thomas is set in a small town in Texas during WWII where two young men are found skinned and disemboweled with snuffboxes stuffed in their mouths and inside them, notes written in German. You can only imagine how the townspeople react, particularly since there is a small German community residing among them. However, it is when young Tim Randall and his friend Bum spy on Ernst, the German, see him having sex with another man and become convinced that he is the killer that things really turn ugly.

The German is an unforgettable thriller with plenty of tension, excellent pacing and characters. Thomas uses the small town's paranoia to build some incredible tension and keep the reader guessing as to who the killer is, giving The German that great edge that all good thrillers require. However, with its bone chilling prologue and a terrifying torture scene, there is also a strong horror edge to this story. Most importantly, through this suspense/thriller Thomas deeply explores individual and group reactions to different types of fear. Highly recommended.

• Embassytown by China Mieville: B+
• The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan: B+

Lots of Excellent B Reads:

• Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery, #3) by Victoria Dahl: B+
• Tis The Season To Be Sinful Adrienne Basso: B+
• Silver Shark (Kinsmen #2) by Ilona Andrews (Sci-Fi/Romance): B+

I've been waiting for a continuation to this world ever since I read and loved the first novella Silent Blade back in 2009, and the Ilona Andrews team rocked it! I love the world building, the characters and the stories they've created for this science fiction romance set so far. 

In Silver Shark they continued as they began, with a strong female character who is equal to the male protagonist in strength, excellent plot, pacing and sci-fi details with romance and a passionate interlude that fits in with the story. In this second installment the only weakness for me came with the rather abrupt ending which then goes to an epilogue that doesn't include the two main characters. However, this sci-fi world just became better and even more intriguing. I can only hope that eventually a full length novel will come along. Now, that would really rock my world. :)

• Coming Home by Victor J. Banis: B+
• Flawless by Carrie Lofty: B
• Sex, Straight Up (Those Sexy O'Sullivans, #2) by Kathleen O'Reilly: B
• Unwrapped by Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell: B
• a+e 4EVER by Ilike Merey: B
• The Back Passage by James Lear: B
• Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, #1) by Josh Lanyon: B
• Sort of Stranger Than Fiction (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: B
• Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane: B
• Angels of Darkness by Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Sharon Shinn, Meljean Brook: B-
• One Less Stiff at the Funeral (Petit Morts ) Sean Kennedy: B-

And Some Interesting C Reads too:

• Fallen Angel by Logan Belle (Erotic Romance): C+

Fallen Angel is the second book in Logan Belle's erotic romance series Club Burlesque. I did not read the first book Blue Angel, so I can tell you that I was a bit lost when it came to some of the characters and  exactly how they fit into the story, at least toward the beginning. However, Fallen Angel mainly focuses on Mallory after she decides to give up going to law school to concentrate on a burlesque career, and to earn extra money takes on a paralegal job during the day working for sexy Gavin Stone. In this installment, Mallory's unhappy with long time boyfriend Alec because he keeps pushing their sexual boundaries to include a third party. In particular Violet Offender a new performer in the club. In the meantime, Violet is really interested in Mallory (I mean really, really interested), and she plays the role of a manipulative, vampy, villainous dominatrix to a "t"!! I kind of liked Violet!

Mallory on the other hand is quite frustrating as a character. She doesn't really know what she wants! She goes back and forth between burlesque and law a few times, and yes it's frustrating -- the woman is worse than a weather vane. She's upset with Alec because she suspects that he wants to continue having threesomes, but she'll have a go with another woman and constantly lusts after her boss. Hmm... yeap! So, what did I like about this book? Well, I love the burlesque world that Belle pulled together in this book. It really is intriguing, plus the secondary characters and circumstances had me going throughout the story. There's no way I will miss the next book in this series, if only to find out what Violet will do next and what's going to happen with the clubs! (Aphrodesia - Source: Kensington Publishing)

• Critic's Choice (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: C
• Private Dicks by Katie Allen: C
• Happy Endings by G.A. Hauser: C-
• Clouds and Rain by Zahra Owens: C-

Re-read:

• Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale: A+

September 2011 Reads & Minis

September is over! I am so glad... lol! September was a long burn-out month for me with lots of work and running around. I was behind the eight-ball for most of the month, and in need of rest and relaxation. My blogging and reviewing suffered and yes... I ended up slow blogging for the month. However, although much of my time was spent away from the computer, I took the opportunity to read whenever possible. Thank goodness because I definitely need those books to relax. :)

Overall September turned out to be a pretty solid reading month. It was pretty well-balanced when it comes to diverse genre reading, although I do wish I'd included a straight science-fiction romance read in there (not steampumk), but in the end decided to go with literary fiction instead. I'm including two minis in this post, as well as an impromptu review I first posted at Goodreads for Captain Harding's Six Day War by Elliott Mackle.

Here are my reads for September:

Total Books Read: 14
  Contemporary: 3 (Romance: 1 Erotica: 2)
  Historical Romance: 2
  Historical Fiction: 1
  Paranormal Romance: 3
  Fantasy/Steampunk: 2
  Literary Fiction: 2
  LGBT Gay Fiction: 1

• The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (Re-read): A
• Captain Harding's Six Day War: A Novel by Elliott Mackle: B+

Hah! I really enjoyed this book. The writer pulled me in to the story from page one. I meant to skim it to read later and ended up reading it in one sitting. It's all about Captain Joe Harding's escapades at the Wheelus Military Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. Set in the 1960's right before the Six Day War in the Middle East. That Joe is something else! "He's got balls." He's in the military, gay, and deep in the closet -- he has to be in order to keep his career intact and himself out of the brig. Remember these are the 1960's so it's worse than let's say.... last year! He transferred in as a crazy Colonel's right hand man and administrator with the idea of being discreet and maintaining a low personal profile. But that's just not Joe!

In a short period of time Joe's having under cover affairs with two different men, making goo goo eyes at the American Ambassador's young son, and getting himself and a friend in trouble at an all-men party turned orgy. Joe's not very subtle, even though he really tries. In the meantime he's making friends and enemies. As both he and his friends become embroiled and get caught in the middle of military politics, often due to deep-set prejudices (related to race, sexual orientation and gender), Joe becomes bolder in his attempts to save himself and his friends from disaster, and wages his own Six Day War at Wheelus. Of course as in all wars, expect victory, defeat, some wounded and casualties.

This is a fast paced story, full of excellent military details. I loved Joe's story, from the sexual escapades and attempts at self-deception that affected his personal life, to the manipulative machinations that he and friends used to achieve their ends (complete their mission) at the military base. The secondary characters are wonderful in this story too (both friends and foes). Disbelief must be suspended a couple of times before the end, and those pesky military acronyms get to be a bit much at times, however, this was a great read with a surprisingly sweet ending. This is my first read by Elliott Mackle and I really enjoyed the writing style. I’ll follow up by reading It Takes Two. (LGBT Gay Fiction)

• Demon Marked (The Guardians #7) by Meljean Brook: B

• The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith: B

I featured this book in my recommendations for Halloween/October reads because I really did love the fact that the vampires in this steampunk/fantasy book are portrayed as such vile creatures. They are scary, violent and not a one sparkles in the bunch. It has been a while since I read vampires that were this nasty. The humans are quite intriguing themselves, not quite a black and white portrayal there either. Besides the way vampires and humans are characterized, there's quite a bit to recommend this first book, the adventure is fast paced, the world building is engrossing and the characters that populate the book are quite intriguing. Toward the beginning of the book there seem to be a bit too much of the passive third person point of view going on and it slowed down the action, but later on I either became accustomed to the writing style(s) or the plot reeled me in enough that this stopped being a problem for me. I enjoyed it enough that I'm reading the second book.

• Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl: B
• Archangel's Blade (Guild Hunters, #4) by Nalini Singh: B

I'm not following this series, yet I picked up this book mainly because it's all about Dmitri the vampire. This is one of the most violent romances I've read in a while. I liked the fact that Singh didn't change Dmitri's character to fit the romance and that he remained a "killer" even as he exhibited a softer side. I admired his loyalty and tenderness throughout the whole story when all I expected was passion. Honor was also a good protagonist who turns out to be quite strong while working on her recent traumatic experiences. Unfortunately, neither the numerous flashbacks, nor the foreshadowed reasons given at the end for Honor and Dmitri's romantic union really worked for me. Despite that, overall this was an enjoyable UF/Romance book that in many ways felt more like a paranormal read. 

• The Book of Want by Daniel A. Olivas: B (Upcoming Review)
• Supernatural by Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank, G.A. Aiken: B
• Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman: B (Upcoming Review)
• The Blushing Bounder (Wild & Steamy Anthology) by Meljean Brook: B
• Los cachorros by Mario Vargas Llosa: C
• Tempting the Highlander by Michele Sinclair: C
• Raw Desire by Kate Pearce: C
• Rough Play by Christina Crooks: C-

That closes my September reads. My top three picks of the month were The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (Historical Fiction); Captain Harding's Six Day War: A Novel by Elliott Mackle (Gay Fiction), and Demon Marked by Meljean Brook (Paranormal Romance). How about you, any great reads in September?

August 2011 Reads, Quotes & Minis

Well, summer is officially over! I can't believe it. My August reading was a bit of a challenge, not because the books I read were not good, but because I had to struggle to squeeze them into my schedule during the month due to unexpected circumstances. Interestingly enough, although I didn't review many books during the month, there are a couple there that I predict will be included in my top ten list of favorite books read and reviewed at the end of the year.

This month I've decided to feature quotes from some of the books that I'll be reviewing in the near future. I've been collecting quotes lately, and I'll let you know the reason for that later... but for now, here are my reads for August and some of those quotes:

Totals Books Read: 12
Contemporary: 2 (Romance: 1 Erotic Romance: 1)
Historical Romance: 6
Paranormal Romance: 1
LGBT: 2 (Speculative Fiction: 1  Young Adult: 1)
Fantasy: 1

• Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up edited by Steve Berman (Upcoming Review): This is an anthology written about and for LGBTQ young adults that is not to be missed. Here's a quote from the Introduction by Steve Berman, he says it best:

"I'm daydreaming as I type this -- the look on a fifteen-year-old Steve's face as future (or is that present? damn, time travel plays havoc with adjectives and tenses) me hands him an anthology of stories, all showcasing the self-esteem every LGBT kid needs. No, deserves. I'd probably be all mumbly-mouth, telling teenage Steve to read this story first...no, that story. Well, I'd recommend he avoid the intro or else the entire space-time continuum might collapse around New Jersey (a risk in any era, let me tell you). That fifteen-year-old me would be able to face high school, then college, then his twenties without much of the fear of being alone, being different, being gay. He would know that the voice he used to entertain himself with odd stories could be heard by many who understood the daily trials (harassment by bullies, hiding from parents and straight friends).

Voices are meant to be heard."

• Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman (Upcoming Review): This is another anthology except that this one is all about that wonderful speculative fiction sub-genre that I love! There are some excellent stories in this anthology by authors whose works are new-to-me and that I'll be looking for in the future and others whose works I've read. A quote for you from Oneirica by Hal Duncan (Artefact II):

"I raise my own hand now, feel the weight of wood in it. I do not have to look to know that I'm holding  a mace or sceptre of sorts. I have been carrying it all along, the thyrsus of Dionysus and the club of Heracles, the staff of Prospero and the spear of Longinus, Odin's Gungnir and Sun Go-Ku's Rúyì-Jĩngũ-Bàng. It is the most modern magician's wand and the most ancient spearthrower. I squeeze it in my grasp and it shrinks to a twirlable size, sits comfortably between my fingers, a pen. There is no need for any statement of authority more grand than this, I think, not in this day and age. What was comfortable in one era as a humble reed with a wedge-shaped end, will be comfortable here and now as simple ballpoint. It is the most important of all these objects of power, I think -- though I am prejudiced, I suspect -- the original of all tools for shaping order and chaos."

• Snowflakes and Stetsons: Western Christmas Wishes by Jillian Hart, Carol Finch, Cheryl St. John (Upcoming Review): This is a holiday anthology of the western historical romance kind... yeap! It's lovely and cozy and warm and just what I needed to read toward the end of this last month.  I know I'll be re-reading it during the holidays too... here's a quote from The Magical Gift at Christmas by Cheryl St. John:

She looked into his eyes.
"I will come back for you."
"I know."
"No one can find you here."
"We'll be fine, Jonah."

He wanted to kiss her. His gaze dropped to her lips, now chapped from the cold and wind, and he wanted to press his mouth against hers and feel her sweet warmth.

She knew what he was thinking, because her eyelids fluttered and even more color than what the cold created rose in her cheeks. "You may kiss me."

She never stopped surprising him.

• The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley: B
• One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry: B
• Leah and The Bounty Hunter by Elaine Levine: B
• The Tempering of Men by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (Upcoming Review)

This is the much anticipated sequel to A Companion to Wolves, a fascinating fantasy book that I read at the beginning of just this year. I'm a fan of Elizabeth Bear's writing, although I've never read anything else by Sarah Monette. I can tell you that this book is obviously the middle of what is shaping out to be a fantasy trilogy with Norse culture as its base, a fascinating study of the bond between man and animal, as well as relationships between the men, plus the social structures that they've built between themselves and those of other beings. It's a fascinating world full of nuances with plenty of room for exploration.

• Unlocked by Courtney Milan: B-

This novella by Courtney Milan was a mixed bag for me. There were so many things to like... how well Courtney Milan developed both the characters and the situation between them in such short format is one of them. The fact that Evan had the courage to rectify a wrong in front of society was another. The way Lady Elaine Warren led her life and became nothing for a period of ten whole years, and the fact that she only came back to "life" because Evan saved her in front of society was not. There was something lacking in Elaine's character, she allowed herself to be broken by the ridicule of one man and one woman. Was there really no one else to see her for who she really was during those ten years?

There are a few other inconsistencies (the rope scene) and some of the dialogue that pulled me out of the story. I did like the unexpected way in which Evan and Diana worked out their differences, and that Milan developed a friendship between Evan and Elaine before their romance came to a conclusion. This made sense as she at least needed that space of time to reconcile her feelings for Evan. This novella is a rather inexpensive ebook and I would say worth reading.  

• Temptation Island by Lorie O'Clare: B-
• It's Always Been You by Victorial Dahl (Upcoming Review)

I read two books by Victoria Dahl in the space of a week, a historical romance and a contemporary. I'll tell you right now that I enjoyed the contemporary much more than the historical... this was a good romance, but not one that will stay with me. I will let you know more about it later. 

• A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran: C
• Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison: C

That's it for my August reads. Although I have yet to review three of my top reads for the month of August, from the books read and reviewed my top recommendations are The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley, One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry and Leah and The Bounty Hunter by Elaine Levine. I can tell you that September is already shaping out to be a good reading month for me. How about you? Any great reads in August?

July 2011 Reads & Minis

July was a hot month in more ways than one... hot temperatures and hot books. I began the second half of the year in good form by reading some excellent books, and as you'll see below, I have four top picks! Of course there were also some deep disappointments, but that's par for the course.

What will I remember about July? All the historical romances I read about Dukes! I read three in a row and it felt as if I had Dukes coming out of my eyeballs, lol! Thank goodness some of them were really worth reading. *g*

I read 16 new books in July and that's too many to recap by writing minis, so I'm highlighting my highs and lows. The rest of my July reads can be viewed here.

I'll begin with my recap:

Total books read: 16
Re-read: 1
Contemporary Romance/Fiction: 4
Historical Romance: 5
Urban Fantasy: 1
Paranormal Romance: 2
LGBT: 4 (Gay Fiction: 2, Gay Romance: 1, Mystery/Romance: 1)

Top July Reads:

• The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers - My top pick of the month and an amazing contemporary gay fiction read. Expect a review this week. (Upcoming Review)
• Silk is for Seduction (Dressmaker Sisters, 1) by Loretta Chase: I believe this is the first historical romance to receive a straight A from me this year! I loved it, no question about it. Grade: A
• What I did for the Duke by Julie Anne Long: This is another historical romance that I really enjoyed, both for the romance and the humor. This one helped with my craving for historicals this month. Grade: A-
• Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey: I truly enjoyed this contemporary. I can't believe I waited so long to try Shannon Stacey's series about the Kowalskis and then began with the third book! I do have the first book of this series in my TBR and will definitely read it. Grade: B+

Biggest Disappointments:

• Waking Up with the Duke (London's Greatest Lovers #3) by Lorraine Heath: This was a highly anticipated read for me that didn't quite make the mark. You can find out why in my review. Grade C-

• Baby, Drive South (Southern Roads, #1) by Stephanie Bond: This contemporary romance just fell flat for me. I didn't like either one of the main characters. The female protagonist couldn't make up her mind between the man who dumped her because she wasn't attractive or young enough for him, and the immature "hero" who attempts to keep her around by lying to her. She was pitiful and he was annoying. I never bought the fact that he fell for her, and couldn't believe that she actually vacillated about staying because the ex-boyfriend might want her back. Pitiful! At this point the only thing that kept me reading were the two other brothers who seemed interesting, and I figured I would read the second book. Grade: D
• Baby, Come Home (Southern Roads, #2) by Stephanie Bond: Well, I should have known better! The second book was even more annoying than the first one. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately the female protagonist, whom I really, really hated disliked, and the way the story was going made it impossible for me to keep going. Too bad, I liked Kendall in the first book and thought his story had potential. DNF

• One Whisper Away (Ladies in Waiting #1) by Emma Wildes: This is another book I really wanted to like. I've enjoyed a couple of stories by Emma Wildes in the past. However, I'm afraid that after reading 59% of the story I couldn't continue. The clichés were far and wide and I couldn't get past them: the American half-breed who inherited the title of Earl, but who although educated in expensive American schools and having resided most of his life in Boston, behaves like a boor when he hits English society. Cliché. Society in America was quite strict at the time and even with the differences in culture, this man's lack of knowledge and his behavior were too unlikely to suffer through and something I didn't expect to find in this book. Riding the London streets without a shirt? Really? *Sigh* I've read scenes like these too many times throughout the years to continue... DNF

Of course I'm not done reading historical romances yet. At the moment I'm reading Meredith Duran's A Lady's Lesson in Scandal, my first read by this author (yes, it is!), and I have a few other ones waiting on the wings, Mary Balogh and Madeline Hunter's latest releases are two of them. Plus, I'll be reading a couple of new gay fiction releases for review in August as well... hmm... so many books, so little time!

My number one pick for July was The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers, what about you? What book did it for you in July?

2011 Mid-Year Recap

I'm a bit late posting my mid-year recap, but it's still July, so not too late. :)

It's not easy choosing top new releases for me. I don't give away too many A's (8), and some of those are either for re-reads or older publications that I've read. So when it comes to choosing favorites, I do go to the top grades but then have to dig into my pool of B+'s (19) and B's (23) which are more abundant.

Since I don't have that many top reads so far this year, I've decided to make it easy on myself. I'm choosing the top 3 A's & 1 B+ for new releases, top 3 A's for backlist reads, and 3 honorable mentions that, although they didn't receive an A grade, were highly enjoyable for me personally and are books that I highly recommend.

Total New Books Read January through June: 83
  Contemporary Fiction/Romance: 28
  LGBT Fiction/Romance/Mystery: 17
  Historical Romance: 16
  Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance: 10
  Science Fiction/Fantasy: 8
  Mystery: 2
  Poetry: 1
  Anthology (mixed genres): 1

Favorite new releases to date:

• Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling, #10) by Nalini Singh (Berkley) Grade A: This is a book that was highly anticipated by me personally and didn't disappoint. I love that Singh hasn't lost her touch when it comes to her tight world building in this long paranormal romance series, and that she continues to focus each story on the main couple. Hawke and Sienna were da bomb! Loved, loved their slow-building courtship and of course, their happily ever after. I'm not the type of reader who likes to invest in long series, so it says a lot to me personally that I can't wait to read the next book and the next book in this series by Ms. Singh. (Paranormal Romance)

• The Sweetest Thing (Lucky Harbor #2) by Jill Shalvis (Forever) Grade A: A contemporary romance that took me by surprise, especially since I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The Sweetest Thing is a book that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I loved the combination of Tara's tart personality with Ford's super sexy persona. The community of Lucky Harbor, Tara's sisters and the fun events that developed made this a fun, sexy and romantic read that I just loved and will most definitely re-read in the future. (Contemporary Romance)

• Slant by Timothy Wang (Tincture, Lethe Press) Grade B+: This gay fiction read was Wang's first novel and, with minor exceptions, it was a magnificent debut. The writing, characterization and plot were all excellent, with a narrative voice that kept me wanting more until that last page was turned. I loved his multi-layered approach to the subject at hand, where he confronts one Asian gay man's confusion and struggle on different fronts: sexuality and ethnicity on a personal level, as well as within the gay community and mainstream society as a whole.  (LGBT - Gay Fiction)

Favorite book from backlist or previous year's releases:

• Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (St. Martin's Press) Grade A: I was introduced to Crusie's backlist last year and this was a book that everyone seemed to love. I loved it too. I fell in love with Min and Cal, after all what is there not to love? But most of all I liked that Crusie focused this book on the very sensitive subject of women, weight and romance. Specifically, I liked that she showed both sides of the coin -- those who find beauty and truly love the person for who they are (Cal); and those who "claim" to do so, but whose love turns out to be the "toxic" kind (Min's mother). I've seen too much of this type of "toxic love" not to recognize the truth of it... so needless to say the whole story resonated with me. (Contemporary Romance)

• The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay (Bold Stroke Books) Grade A: This touching contemporary tale about the struggle a family experiences when one of two sons comes out of the closet stayed with me for quite a while. It was complex, entertaining and true to life. This is a book that I recommended and think should be read by all those who are interested in helping family, neighbors or friends that are going through this struggle. (LGBT Contemporary)

• Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (Carina Press) Grade A-: Now here's a book that took me totally by surprise. I won this book at DIK and read it off the cuff without really knowing what I was in for... and boy did I enjoy it! I don't have a lot to say about it besides all the praises I sang to it in my review, except to repeat that I really appreciated the true passion and the historical details found in the story. I read the second book in this series Portrait of Seduction and it was a B+ for me, not in the A category but a winner nonetheless, making Carrie Lofty a must read author for me in the future. (Historical Romance)

Honorable Mentions:

• Dust by Elizabeth Bear (Jacob's Ladder, #1) (Spectra) Grade B++: The first book in this science fiction opera trilogy turned out to be a total obsession for me. I couldn't put it down until I was done with it. I gave it a B++, but it really should have been an A-... it's one of those books where the grading needs to be adjusted. Really! This book's world building was complex, but the story itself was quite absorbing and just the fact that I was obsessed with it says a lot. At least for me. :) (Science Fiction)

• A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (Tor) Grade B+: This fantasy story by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear was another one that really stayed with me for a while. The way the authors interpreted the bond between animal and man was quite unique and absorbing. However, what I find interesting about this story is that although most of the main characters are male and in the surface males rule, there's a distinctive undercurrent of female power in the story. There's a second book releasing in the fall and I'm certainly curious as to where the authors will go with the story. (Fantasy)

• Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro (Berkley) Grade B: Here's a contemporary romance that I enjoyed so much that I ended up writing two posts about it. It's a book that I recommend if you want to read a fun romance this summer. There's romance, heat, sand, a great beach front community and an adorable dog that will win your heart in about a second. Yes, I'm still talking about that dog, lol! It's interesting because although I gave this read a solid B, it really should have had that + sign at the end based on the fact that I enjoyed it so much. (Contemporary Romance)

Needless to say there are other books that I loved and recommended throughout the first half of the year. I really DO hate to simplify my favorites to such a short list because there are many books that stay with me. I cannot end this post without mentioning the following:

Within contemporary women's fiction/romance there are two such books:
Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale: B+, and
Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards: B+

In contemporary romance, I'll go with
A Lot Like Love by Julie James: B+, and
Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas: B+

Then there's historical romance where I "discovered" and highly enjoyed:
The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser: B+, and
Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell: B+

In addition, within the M/M romance sub-genre, Harper Fox became a favorite author with the titles:
 Driftwood: B+ and
 The Salisbury Key: B+.

And last, but not least, I decided to place this top pick separately because it's not romance or fiction. Although I rarely indulge my love of poetry in this blog, I do put up a post here and there. As a result I can't end this post without mentioning one of my favorite books this year so far, a small book of poetry I reviewed back in February, Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria. This is a book I truly enjoy -- because I still re-read it -- and which received one of those rare A's from me.

That's it for the first half of the year. I've already read some wonderful books in July! How about you? What book was your top choice for the first half of 2011?