SF Mini: City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions—until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

City of Stairs by Bennett was my favorite December 2014 read. The book has much to recommend it. It begins slowly with an investigation into a murder that has political ramifications affecting two continents -- truthfully for a while I thought the story was going to evolve like other sff/mysteries I read last year. That was not the case.

Instead what develops is rather unique. There are layers and layers to the story -- history of war, the consequences of slavery, censorship and forced acculturation by conquerors, secrets that shatter the characters' views of themselves as well as their homeland's actions, and the hidden secrets of Bulikov, City of Walls. Most Holy Mount. Seat of the World. The City of Stairs. Nothing is as it seems and everything is revealed at the right moment. Bennett digs into some of these layers while only touching on others.

The characters are fantastic, from Shara to Sigrud, Vohannes, and Mulaghesh. This is a conflagration of genres and tropes: dark fantasy with magic, technology, gods and goddesses thrown in for good measure and a fantastic crime mystery at the center of it all. City of Stairs was my last read of 2014 and I don't want to go on without giving it a high recommendation. It was the perfect way to end the year. (September 2014, Broadway Books)

December 2014 Recap: Books Read + Minis

I am finally going to close 2014 by posting my December recap. I was on vacation throughout the holidays and took the opportunity to read a few books that had been lingering in my TBR. As you can see below, there is only one new holiday book included in my least of reads.

Total books read in December: 11
Contemporary Romance: 1
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy: 1
Science Fiction/Fantasy: 3
LGBT: 6

1) City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett: B+
2-4) Provoked, Beguiled, Enlightened (Enlightenment Trilogy Books 1-3) by Joanna Chambers: B+
5) Turnbull House (Porcelain Dog) by Jess Faraday: B+

My favorite December reads were City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett, a SFF book that has received positive responses from readers. I meant to read it earlier in the year, unfortunately City of Stairs was the last book I read in 2014 and did not get a chance to review it. I plan to review it this month.

The other December favorites are Turnbull House (Porcelain Dog #2) by Jess Faraday, and Joanna Chambers' Enlightenment trilogy. Both were included in my LGBT Favorite Books and Authors list -- one as part of a duology and the other (all 3 books) as a highly recommended trilogy.

6) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: B
7) Night Shift with Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, Mila Vane: B
8) Between the Sheets by Molly O'Keefe: B
9) Comfort and Joy with Joanna Chambers, Harper Fox, L.B. Gregg, Josh Lanyon: B

My B reads are all on the strong side. My thoughts about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers are outlined in my review. However, I also enjoyed the PNR/Urban fantasy anthology Night Shift in its entirety. Although I do admit that my favorite story is "Magic Steals" by Ilona Andrews. I mean who doesn't love Jim and Dali?

The contemporary romance Between the Sheets by Molly O'Keefe deserves a better title. The content just goes so much deeper than that title implies. There is sex (seldom between the sheets), and it is the hot kind, but there are other, deeper issues going on in this story that make this contemporary by O'Keefe a strong read.

And, the Comfort and Joy m/m romance holiday anthology is quite solid and one I'm keeping on my reread pile. I gave two of the stories a higher grade, but all four are enjoyable! These were my minimalistic (rushed) comments at Goodreads:
Rest and be Thankful by Joanna Chambers - Great! (4.5)
Out by Harper Fox - Solid (4.0)
Waiting for Winter by L.B. Gregg - Cute (3.5)
Baby, it's Cold by Josh Lanyon - Yummy (3.5)
Overall, a solid anthology that may become a "comfort" holiday reread in the future. Recommended.

10) The Boy with the Painful Tattoo by Josh Lanyon: C
11) Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta: C-

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo is the third installment of Lanyon's Holmes and Moriarity romance/mystery series. I have really enjoyed this series and the characters thus far. So I hate to say this, but this installment, although good, did not quite do it for me. Chris and JX do not spend enough time together or working on their relationship, and the level of Chris' neurosis is so high that it hurts to read it. All of the above interfered with my enjoyment of the mystery which, taken on its own, was good.

And Memory of Water is a young adult speculative fiction novel by Finnish author Emmi Itaranta. This is the English translation of the novel. I gave it 2 stars at Goodreads because frankly the writing is beautiful, but my enjoyment of the book was next to nill. Here are my comments such as they are: "I wanted to love this book. The writing style is beautiful and the world-building interesting [enough]. Unfortunately, I ended up reading it in fits and starts. It just became a tedious, slow read and I forced myself to finish it. Obviously not for me." This is an award-winning book, loved and lauded by some readers and not-so-loved by others. Obviously, I fall under the latter.

November Reads + Favorites

I hope everyone in the States had a Happy Thanksgiving and holiday weekend with family and loved ones. My monthly reading summary is short. I read a total of 6 books during the month of November. I began a few others that I didn't finish mostly because of poor concentration on my part. The following are the books that kept my attention:

November Total Books: 6
Historical Romance: 2
Science Fiction: 1
LGBT: 3 (Fantasy 1, M/M Mystery Romance 1, M/M Romance 1)

My Favorite Books:
That Door Is a Mischief by Alex Jeffers: A
This gay fantasy about men and fairies obviously hit the spot for me and is an all around winner. Jeffers is an extremely talented writer, hard to resist because he consistently brings on that winning combination of great prose, depth, and imagination to his books.

Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch #2) by Ann Leckie: B+
Ancillary Sword is the follow up to the one of my favorite reads of the year, Ancillary Justice. I particularly love the tight focus that led to further exploration of character and world in this second installment.

A Place Called Harmony by Jodi Thomas: B
If you are familiar with Jodi Thomas's books you know that both her historical and contemporary romances are filled with warmth that leave the reader feeling great. A Place Called Harmony is a western historical romance that leaves the reader satisfied because of the warmth, love and kindness found in the individual characters, as well as the loyalty and strength found in them collectively as community. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

Fair Play by Josh Lanyon: B
I became a big fan of Elliot and Tucker after reading Fair Game, one of my Lanyon favorite reads. Fair Play has a good combination of crime mystery and enough emotional battles between Elliot and Tucker to keep their romance interesting. Elliot's issues with control outside the bedroom and his struggles to understand Tucker's tenderness and love continue. Elliot is such an over-sensitive, prickly, contradictory character! The mystery is particularly interesting as it involves Elliot's radical father and his involvement in 60's politics and anti-government activities. Lanyon lays out the differences in belief between father and son, as well as the reasoning behind violent vs. peaceful radicalism during those times. Overall, a solid installment with a wish that this series continues.

Darling Beast (Maiden Lane #7) by Elizabeth Hoyt: B
Darling Beast is a solid, enjoyable historical romance by Elizabeth Hoyt with plenty of heat. One thought that I did not include in my mini-impressions: I'm not sure where Hoyt is going with the Maiden Lane series. The main thrust of the series has shifted it no longer has that dark, heavy atmosphere, or the everyday characters that I so loved in the first few books. It seems that although there are still non-aristocrats as characters, aristocracy wins the day -- Dukes, Viscounts, Ladies. I will continue reading the series, but, will Hoyt return to the troublesome streets and dirty alleys of London? I can only hope that the wonderful atmosphere that initially won me over will return to this series.

There's Something About Ari by L.B. Gregg: C+
I enjoyed this friends-to-lovers m/m romance by L.B. Gregg. This is a good story about a young man whose best friend ran away and returns home after succeeding as an actor. Of course he still lives at the same address and works at the same place -- his future smashed to pieces when his mother died and he had to take care of his young brother. I like the reasoning behind this couple's separation and lack of communication, as well as how this couple of friends come together. I believe that, for me, this story is a bit short and needs that extra LBG pop and sizzle to make it a personal favorite. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Changes + September 2014 Reads

CHANGES: September was a tough month my friends. I have some ongoing personal issues at home that are not going to get easier. My husband is gravely ill and my time is now precious. As a result, I must make a few changes around here.

I've already slowed down posting reviews and that will continue. However, reading has always been my own personal kind of meditation and I'm going to need that space. So, in the near future I will continue reading and sharing my thoughts as often as possible. My husband John has asked me not to give up on my blogging and, as long as I enjoy it, I won't. Regardless, to further alleviate personal stress I will not accept ARCs for review until further notice. See Disclosure/Rating page.

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READS: Now, on to my September reads. Two of my top books of the month have winter themes. The Bears of Winter ed. by Jerry L. Wheeler is my favorite LGBT anthology of the year to this point. It's erotic with excellent creative writing and fantastic editing. The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire finally hooked me on the October Daye urban fantasy series. I'm now a true fan. And then there is I Knew Him by Erastes, a great historical thriller with first rate writing and a central character I won't soon forget.

September 2014 Books Read: 9
Contemporary Romance: 1
Paranormal Romance: 1
Historical Romance: 1
Urban Fantasy: 2
Science Fiction: 2
LGBT: 2

SEPTEMBER 2014 TOP READS:

The Bears of Winter ed. by Jerry L. Wheeler: A-
The Winter Long (Toby Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire: A-
I Knew Him by Erastes: B+
Downfall (Cal Leandros #9) by Rob Thurman: B
An American Duchess by Sharon Page: B-
Frozen by Meljean Brook: B-
The Winter Lodge (Lakeshore Chronicles #2) by Susan Wiggs: B-
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler: C+
The Forever Watch by David Ramirez: C

SEPTEMBER 2014 OTHER REVIEWS AND POSTS
In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4) by Kristan Higgins
August 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads, Old & New
Hilcia's Minis: YA Wallflowers & Dark Horses + LGBT Mysteries: Porcelain Dogs, Cambridge Fellows & Think of England

August 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads, Old & New

Summer is over and my reading was great! I did not read all the books on my list, but my hot streak held in August 2014 with lots of excellent books. I'm going to have a tough time choosing personal favorites. Frankly, I was not sure how to go about doing that -- so many of my choices exceeded expectations. My list is a combination of brand new and older releases, so I decided to just separate them this time around. Check them out:

AUGUST 2014 BOOKS READ: 14
Contemporary: 1 (Erotic Fiction)
Urban Fantasy: 2
Fantasy: 1
Mystery: 1
YA Fiction: 1
LGBT:  8 (Speculative Fiction: 1, Mystery: 3, Gay/MM Romance: 4)

Top Reads from old releases:
Broken by Megan Hart: A
The Dark Horse (Longmire #5) by Craig Johnson: A
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: A-
The Affair of the Porcelain Dog by Jess Faraday: A-
Lessons in Love (Cambridge Fellows #1) by Charlie Cochrane: B+

Top Reads from New Releases:
The Mirror Empire (Worldbreaker Saga #1) by Kameron Hurley: B+
Visions (Cainsville #2) by Kelley Armstrong: B+
Wilde Stories 2014 ed. Steve Berman: B+

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron: B
Think of England by K.J. Charles: B
The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black: B-

I enjoyed this book much more than expected. So subtle and quiet and beautiful. John and his baby. John and his horse-lord. Great mature romance and father-son story. I even understood where the mean ex was coming from. A pleasure. (M/M Romance)

Let It Ride (Pickup Men #2) by LC Chase: C+

I liked this second installment in the Pickup Men series by LC Chase. It was emotionally gratifying, both joyful and angsty, with a conflict that combines sexual exploration and learning to accept real love when it comes your way. (M/M Western/Romance)

If Wishes were Horses by Silvia Violet: D

This M/M Romance did not work for me. This is a case of insta-lust with feelings of quick love following, lacking the intimate moments or friendship to build up to that love.

Upcoming Review:
Home Fires Burning by Charlie Cochrane

Reread: Omens (Cainsville #1) by Kelley Armstrong

AUGUST 2014 OTHER REVIEWS & POSTS:
Books: August/September 2014 New Releases!
July 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads + Minis
Review: Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #8) by Ilona Andrews
Review: The Girls at The Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

July 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads + Updates

July was over a couple of weeks ago, and I am finally ready to post the month's recap. It was a really good reading month with five highly recommended reads, two of them top reads. But as you will see below, the rest are not too bad at all.

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Total Books Read: 18 (4 rereads) 
 Contemporary Romance: 4
 Historical: 3 (Romance/Fiction)
 Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 6
 Urban Fantasy: 1
 LGBT: 4 (Spec Fic/Thriller, Contemporary fiction/romance, M/M Romance & Mystery)

Top Reads of the Month:

My two top reads of the month, although different, kept me at the edge of my seat. Lee Thomas' Butcher's Road, a historical crime thriller with speculative fiction elements, is so fast-paced and edgy that it spoiled my reading momentum for a few days -- I kept looking for another great shot of adrenaline just like it and couldn't find it. I ended up rereading a favorite book afterward before picking up another new read. World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters, a pre-apocalyptic mystery, had the same effect on me for different reasons. The end of a great trilogy, this book's main character, his journey through a pre-apocalyptic world, and the questions he asks through the mysteries he solves, stayed with me for a long while. The last page of this book is just. . .

1)  Butcher's Road by Lee Thomas: A-
2)  World of Trouble (The Last Policeman III) by Ben H. Winters: A-

In July, the B+ reads are all highly recommended. In My Favorite Uncle, I loved Marshall Thornton's excellent writing along with the wit and depth, while in The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine the historical fiction, setting, characters, and atmosphere kept me thoroughly engaged. In Seduced by Molly O'Keefe on the other hand, I loved for the gritty presentation of the characters' post-civil war struggles and the redemptive qualities found in the romance.

3)  My Favorite Uncle by Marshall Thornton: B+
4)  The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine: B+
5)  Seduced by Molly O'Keefe: B+

In the B grouping, there are more solid B's than mixed bags. Of the B books reviewed, Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique and Only Love Garrett Leigh are both strong reads with either solid plotting and/or writing style, characters, and atmosphere that do not let the reader down. And while The Iron King by Julie Kagawa falls under this category with a fantastic world-building and a young adult romance that I believe young adults will enjoy, that same romance was not entirely satisfactory for me personally. I will be reviewing the remaining books soon.

6)  Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews: B
7)  Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique: B
8)  The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa: B
9)  Only Love by Garrett Leigh: B
10) Mr. Right Goes Wrong by Pamela Morsi: B-
11) Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins: B-

My C list is quite short this month. Dissonance is another young adult fantasy piece with an intriguing world-building and a great mystery that kept me reading. Unfortunately the majority of characters are tough to like and the young adult romance that takes center stage did not work for me at all. And unfortunately, although the story in I Want to Hold Your Hand has its highs and positives, I just did not buy the happy ever after, making it a highly frustrating romance read.

12) Dissonance (Dissonance #1) by Ericka O'Rourke: C+
13) I Want to Hold Your Hand by Marie Force: C-

I had a fantastic rereading month in July since all the books I chose are favorite A and B+ reads. All my rereads were highly enjoyed, however, I miss reading good historical romances and Duchess by Night was a treat. I'm also craving mysteries at the moment, so Fair Game was the perfect choice.

Favorite rereads:
14) Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
15) Duchess by Night (Desperate Duchesses #2) by Eloisa James 
16) Countdown City (The Last Policeman II) by Ben H. Winters
17) Fair Game by Josh Lanyon

To be reviewed at a later time:
18) In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

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That is it for July 2014. I'm already deep into my August summer reads, and will try to keep up with my updates. Mysteries, mysteries and more mysteries, I'm craving mysteries. :)

June 2014: Recap, Favorite Reads, Updates

I'm late posting my recap for the month of June, but it was a necessary evil as I had to play a bit of catch-up first with reviews and such before posting it. I found some great reads in the otherwise busy, stressful month of June. It was good kind of stress with lots of work as I readied myself for an extended holiday week during the first week of July, and our sweet Cami's eighth grade graduation in the middle of it all. My daughter Vanessa was a happy, proud mom! We were all happy and proud! Kids grow too fast, don't they?

Going back to books, I hit my summer reading list and managed to read a few romances by favorite authors, mysteries, and a series of LGBT books on my list of "must" reads.

Total Books Read in June:  11
Contemporary Romance: 1
Historical Romance: 1
Paranormal Romance: 1
Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Speculative Fiction/Horror): 1
Mystery (Contemporary Western): 1
LGBT: 6 (Fiction: 1, Historical Fiction/Romance: 1, Romantic Fiction: 1, YA Western Romance: 1, MM Romance: 2)

Top Reads of the Month:

My June top reads fall under vastly different categories, yet all three have something in common. Beautifully written and executed, these are books with memorable characters and journeys too riveting to put down.

1)  The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey: A
2)  Wingmen by Ensan Case: A
3)  Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath: A-

All three B+ reads were greatly enjoyed by me. I'm addicted to Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire contemporary western mystery series (both the book and TV series), and a long time fan of Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series, neither installment disappointed. I'm also a fan of gay fiction short story anthologies, and in June I read a great one! (See note and information below)

4)  Any Other Name (Walt Longmire #10) by Craig Johnson: B+
5)  Shield of Winter (Psy/Changeling #13) by Nalini Singh: B+
6)  With: New Gay Fiction ed. by Jameson Currier: B+
A note on Jameson Currier's With: New Gay Fiction: I did not review the whole anthology, instead I highlighted three short stories, however, the book contains 16 short stories in total. It took me a while to finish this anthology because I read each story between other books. As a final assessment I will say this, the editor chose the right stories and writers for this anthology, and each story is definitely worth reading. As a bonus, I found a few new-to-me authors whose works I will be reading. Below, I'm including the book summary and list of contributors.

With: New Gay Fiction, edited by Jameson Currier, features sixteen authors writing on relationships with men: gay men with their friends, lovers, partners, husbands, dates, tricks, boyfriends, hustlers, idols, teachers, mentors, fathers, brothers, family, teams, co-workers, relatives, and strangers.

Contributors include David Bergman, Michael Carroll, Lewis DeSimone, Jack Fritscher, Ronald M. Gauthier, Michael Graves, Shaun Levin, Dan López, Jeff Mann, Vincent Meis, Matthew A. Merendo, Joel A. Nichols, David Pratt, Tom Schabarum, Stefen Styrsky, and William Sterling Walker.

The B grouping of books read in June were all solid, as in "you can be assured, these are very good reads." Again, these are very different reads even though two are in the LGBT category. Now and Yesterday is adult gay fiction with a multi-layered plot that invites deep thought, while The Filly is a young adult western romance enjoyable for its beautiful writing, fantastic western atmosphere and a great journey. And let's not forget No Sunshine When She's Gone, a light and breezy contemporary romance that is perfection as a beach or poolside read.

7)  Now and Yesterday by Stephen Greco: B
8)  The Filly by Mark R. Probst: B (Upcoming Review)
9)  No Sunshine When She's Gone (Barefoot William #3) by Kate Angell: B

The two reads that fall under C grades in June are from the MM Romance category and both are from favorite authors. These are both good M/M romances with Sam and Aaron by L.B. Gregg a bit more enjoyable for me than Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon. I don't have anything negative to say about these stories, except that neither book really stood out for me when compared to previous works published by these great authors.

10) Sam and Aaron (Men of Smithfield #5) by L.B. Gregg: C+
11) Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon: C

That is it for June 2014. I'm already deep into my July 'summer' reading list and trying to do a better job of keeping up with reads and reviews!

May's Reads: Romance, Short Stories, SF & LGBT

My reading picked up significantly in May! A few things happened during the month. On the personal side of things, my husband went back to work and we are, slowly but surely, getting back on schedule. Blog-wise, my 5th blogiversary was May 8th and surprisingly I missed it this year! I guess it's time to stop celebrating.

In May, I also read 5 new contemporary (plus 1 reread) and 1 western historical romance which made me happy. It has been a long while since I read that many mainstream romances in one month. I guess I'm getting back in the "mood," and I'm hoping it lasts.

So, without further ado, here's my list of reads for the month of May 2014:

Total books read: 18
Contemporary (Romance/Fiction): 5
Historical (Romance/Fiction): 1
SF/F/Speculative Fiction: 3
LGBT: 8
Reread: 1

May's Favorite Books:

It Happened One Wedding by Julie James: A-
The Girl with All the Gifts (extended free preview) by M.R. Carey: A-
In Want of a Wife (Bitter Springs #3) by Jo Goodman: B+
The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere by John Chu: B+
Reverting to a Wild State by Justin Torres: B+ (Free Fiction at New Yorker Magazine)
Naming Ceremony: Stories by Chip Livingston: B
The Will by Kristen Ashley: B
Grunt Life: Task Force Ombra by Weston Ochse: B
Scrap Metal by Harper Fox: B

Superhero by Eli Easton: B

Superheroes is worth mentioning. It's a well-written LGBT YA romance with an emphasis on friendship and love that I enjoyed because of the sweet relationship between the two main protagonists -- childhood friends whose love for each other changes and grows as they grow. You can't go wrong with this one.

The Enlightenment of Daniel (Sex in Seattle #2) by Eli Easton: B

This is a more complicated friends to lovers M/M romance by Easton. This time the male protagonists are adults, one married with children and the other, a man in his 30's who comes to the realization that he's gay. Well, being the type of man who does his homework, he actually goes to a sex therapist for confirmation and is rather hilarious in his pursuit of the truth -- I enjoyed those moments more than I can say. But the plot also involves a dying father, and a vicious wife as well as two children. Thankfully, Easton works all of these conflicts and the romance quite satisfactorily before the end.

Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon: C

Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley: C

Sun-Kissed by Laura Florand: C

Sun-Kissed is my first try at a Laura Florand book, or in this case a novella. It covers the romance between Mack Corey and his long-time friend Anne Winters. The setting is the wedding between Mack's youngest daughter Jamie and Dominique (Snow-Kissed, Amour et Chocolat series). And of course other protagonists from Florand's series also make appearances, but, the novella is all about Mack and Anne.

Mack finally works up the gumption to to let Anne know that he's (has been) hot for her. They are both 53 year-old adults with grown, married children, so what's to stop them from changing what has basically been long-term platonic dating to dating with a physical relationship? Only Anne's need to fight stands in the way. First thing I thought when I began reading was that Anne's character was based on Martha Steward -- craft television mogul, convicted for lying about insider trading, blond, cool, collected, blah, blah, blah -- and unfortunately I couldn't erase that thought from my mind. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the dialogue, the romance, or the characters. I actually enjoyed the mature romance in this novella, particularly the emotions and feelings faced by Mack, the empty-nester. It's just too bad "info dump" in the guise of internal monologue was used so frequently to drive the story forward that it really slowed down the pacing of the novella down to a crawl for me. Not a good beginning to my exploration of Florand's works, but I will still try one of her full-length novels.

Fighting to Stay by Kasey Millstead: D-

I thought of this piece as a poor imitation of Ashley's Motorcycle Man. Enough said.

May's reread:
Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale

Reviews to come:
Fairs' Point (Astreiant #4) by Melissa Scott
Best Gay Stories 2014 ed. by Steve Berman
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In bookish news: The Lambda Award winners were finally announced. Congratulations to all the winners! Particularly to Alex Jeffers, winner of the Gay Erotica category with The Padişah's Son, and to Melissa Scott & Amy Grisswold winners of the SF/F/Horror category with Death by Silver.

April 2014 Reads: Recap, Favorites + Minis

April was a cold, rainy month. Spring arrived, but winter decided to stick around (it snowed in April) and we are still experiencing some very cool days around this part of the country. I can't wait for some sun and heat! Anyway, April was also a very busy month around my house. Family came to visit from Seattle, my husband is still at home recuperating, and I've worked some late nights! My reading and blogging schedule has gone out the window, but at this point I'm hopeful because my end-of-month and beginning of May reading has been great so far!

Total April reads: 6
 Contemporary Romance: 2
 Paranormal Romance: 1
 Science Fiction: 1
 Fantasy: 1
 LGBT: 1 (western historical romance)
 DNF: 1

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: A-*
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is, without a doubt, my favorite read of the month. It is also on my list of favorite reads for the year, and Maia is on my list of memorable characters. If you like fantasy, court intrigue, and a hopeful, if intricate, plot with a fantastic main character, I urge you to read The Goblin Emperor. It's a refreshing change from all the dark fantasy reads around.

A Shiny Tin Star by Jon Wilson (Review to come)
I received an ARC of A Shiny Tin Star by Jon Wilson from Lethe Press in April. The publisher is due to re-release the book in July 2014. I know it's early, but I began to skim the first few pages, ended up reading the whole book, and actually began rereading it as soon as I finished it. My review will be posted closer to release, but just so you all know, this gay western historical romance is also a favorite read for the month of April.

Heaven's Queen (Paradox #3) by Rachel Bach: B
This is the final installment of Bach's Paradox science fiction trilogy. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed riding that roller coaster through space with Deviana Morris and the rest of the crew. This is a solid, entertaining, and well written science fiction trilogy with a memorable central character and a romance. Some readers have called this trilogy "UF in space," and have compared Devi to Kate Daniels. I don't know if I would go that far, but Devi does have a fabulous voice, and the action is fantastic. The romance is a slow build that becomes central in this book and the story as a whole ends well. I recommend the whole trilogy -- the first and second books having the most action, conflict, and filled with mystery, and this one a slower pace, romance, and all the answers.

Sex and The Single Fireman by Jennifer Bernard: B

Sabina and Roman are a great couple that made Sex and The Single Fireman a solid, enjoyable, and entertaining contemporary romance read. What's not to like about a gorgeous Italian fireman who just happens to be a great single father, a fantastic cook, and who has a touch of the alpha male, and although brooding, knows how to turn a woman's knees to water? Sabina, a firefighter herself, is no slouch. She's a strong character with a mysterious past, sexy and hot for her man, but not a pushover.

The story takes place in a station where hot firefighters have been the subject of unwelcome media attention due to a curse. This curse is a bit of a weak storyline, but the setting and circumstances make for a fun moments, cute situations, and great dialog. Bernard weaves in 9/11 and the impact it had on firefighters all over the country. A New York City native, Roman was personally affected by the terrible events, however, Bernard doesn't overwhelm the romance with that situation. On the contrary, she handles it beautifully. I picked up this book after reading Sonia's TBR review, and am so glad I did. I agree with her, Sex and The Single Fireman is not perfect, but it is an enjoyable contemporary romance. I look forward to reading more by Jennifer Bernard.

A Light at Winter's End (Cedar Springs #3) by Julia London: B-
My TBR review of the month, A Light at Winter's End was a very good read with two unlikable characters (the sisters), facing some seriously bad circumstances and dealing with deeply rooted family dysfunction. A combination women's fiction and romance, this book made think hard about how detrimental labeling children's personalities can be: the "smart," the "pretty," the "lazy" child -- how this labeling may or does affect how those same children see themselves (often through a narrow lens) throughout their lives.

Shadow Spell (Cousins O'Dwyer #2) by Nora Roberts: C

I wish I could say that I loved this book by Roberts. I am a long-time fan after all. With Shadow Spell, Nora Roberts continues the story of the cousins O'Dwyer by weaving the romance that develops between Connor O'Dwyer and childhood family friend Mara Quinn, and the cousins' efforts to defeat evil Cabhan who, although weakened, regains enough strength to attack both Connor and Mara. My favorite parts of this book are the flashbacks that take the reader back to the story of the original three and the connection that is established between Connor and Emmon through dreams. The dream connection is a new element added to this trilogy, but the rest is pretty much more of the same found in the first book: the three couples working together to defeat Cabhan by getting together, cooking, discussing how to do it, with a few weak attacks taking place throughout the story and a big one at the end. Additionally, how Cabhan is defeated at the end is foreshadowed in this book -- that was disappointing.

I love when the friends to lovers device is used to build a romance. Unfortunately although we're "told" that Connor always felt that Mara was the right woman for him, I didn't feel that at all. Instead, it felt as if they were very good, caring friends even as a kiss leads to more. It all comes about abruptly and moves from there with few personal conflicts coming from Mara affecting the relationship. In other words, the romance between Connor and Mara lacks spark and heat -- passion.  I'm hoping that the last romance will add a bit of punch, and/or passion to this passionless trilogy, but at this point I doubt that will be the case. So far this is a predictable series with comfortable "chicken soup" moments, and likable characters, but for me this particular book has nothing that raises it above an average read.

DNF: Did not finish (not for me):
My one DNF of the month was The Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James, a book I've had in my TBR for years! I read as far as page 143 or 48% in my Kindle, and couldn't continue. I know the reason behind that is because I could not stand Jason, the male protagonist. Taylor, the female protagonist, says of him at one point, quote "The man was a total penis." And he was. . . really full of himself. Additionally, I didn't enjoy the back and forth that went on and on between the characters, and Taylor was not exactly endearing either. Oh, well. Although this book was not for me, I'm glad that I finally attempted to read it, and I'm also quite happy that my first book by favorite author Julie James was Something About You followed by my favorite to date, A Lot Like Love!

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In April I read few books, but I enjoyed the majority of them. I also reread my two favorites of the month: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison and A Shiny Tin Star by Jon Wilson.  They are very different reads, yet they have something important in common: memorable protagonists who continue to visit or stay with the reader after the story is done.

How about you? How was your April reading? Did you find a fantastic book or a memorable character? 


Just Read:  The Will by Kristen Ashley

What have I read lately? Goblin Kings, Witches, Lords & Virtues

Happy Monday! How's everyone? I've had an unscheduled week off from blogging, but here I am again. I've been busy for the past couple of months and my reading and concentration are shot. There's a bit of "reader's block" going on and I'm having trouble choosing and/or finishing books at the moment, although I've finished a few.

What have I read? Last week I read Shadow Spell (Cousins O'Dwyer #2) by Nora Roberts which turned out to be a pretty average, predictable read for me, as opposed to The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison which was excellent! I will review this book soon, but people, this fantasy is a must read! Maia, Maia, Maia . . . While that was a great reading experience, we all know what happens after we finish an excellent book. Nothing satisfies. I ended up rereading What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long, a historical romance I loved, to see if maybe that would boost my interest in romance? In historical romance? But. . .

What am I reading now? Nothing. Instead I am anxiously awaiting for books due to release on April 8th!

How was my March reading? Well, not fantastic as you'll see below. It is pretty much a list of popular hyped up books of which a couple worked for me. My top reads of the month were Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Murder of Crows, The Others Book #2 by Anne Bishop, but my FAVORITE was really my reread of Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. I still love that book!

I also ventured into some dystopian YA by reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. That was a really quick read that I found entertaining. I really liked dystopian Chicago as the setting, and the premise along with the young characters kept me interested until the end. I was particularly taken with the idea that a society would come to the conclusion that the best way to function would be to split into factions depending on "virtues" (mind you, only ONE virtue, as if humans would ever be able to eradicate the rest from themselves!)-- intelligence (Erudite), bravery (Dauntless), selflessness (Abnegation), honesty (Candor), and those who believe in peace (Amity). Of course the young protagonist, Beatrice or Tris is a Divergent, someone who possesses more than one virtue (imagine that) and therefore a danger to society as is. I wasn't quite sure what to make of a dystopian world-building where no real back story is given in the first novel of the trilogy about what happened to get society to that point. Who the heck came up with this brilliant idea? How or why did society end that way? I suppose the details are given later in the trilogy, and even though the story is kind of romantic/cute in an extremely violent sort of way, I'm not sure I'm interested enough to find out by reading the other books. I heard the movie was good. :)

Also, following my Gabaldon read and reread last week, I read Lord John and the Private Matter. Lord John Grey is an interesting character to me since he is the one gay character that Gabaldon portrays in sort of a positive light in her Outlander novels -- he is honorable and as straight forward as he can be given the times, laws, and dangers that a homosexual man faced during those times. This book is a sort of military mystery that Lord John solves with help from his brand new valet Tom Byrd and a few military comrades. There are details about Lavender House, an underground club where homosexual men gather, but there is also blackmail, murder, and dangerous liaisons. This is not as great a book as Gabaldon can write. The facts and details are there, but it is missing emotional impact. So this was a good, but not great read for me.
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Total books read: 7
 Contemporary: 2
 Historical Fiction/Romance: 3
 Urban Fantasy: 1
 Fantasy: 1

Top Reads of the Month:
Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon: B+
Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others (Book #2) by Anne Bishop: B+
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: B-
Divergent by Veronica Roth: B-
Lord John and the Private Matter (Lord John Novel) by Diana Gabaldon: C

Re-read:
Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Upcoming Review:
Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry

February 2014 Recap: Reads, Minis + Link

I didn't read a lot of books during February -- either because I didn't have the time or because I wasn't able to concentrate. However, the majority of the books I was able to read were highly enjoyable.

TOTAL BOOKS READ: 6    DNF: 1
Contemporary Romance: 2
Science-Fiction: 2
LGBT: 2 (Young Adult)

TOP READS OF THE MONTH:
Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy #1) by Jeff VanderMeer: A-
Annihilation is one of my two top reads of the month. The emotionless, distant, disconnected voice of the biologist as she narrates the fantastic setting and weird events that occur in Area X swept me away to another world and kept me on edge to the end. I'm now both dreading and waiting impatiently for the continuation of this story in the next installment Authority.

The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker: A-
The Unwanted also made it as one of my February top reads. I finished it on the 1st and it was the best way to begin my reading month. I really loved this LGBT young adult fantasy by Jeffrey Ricker who created a great adventure filled with wonderful characters and relationships.

Honor's Knight (Paradox #2) by Rachel Bach: B+
I liked the second book in Rachel Bach's science fiction Paradox series even more than Fortune's Pawn! And I liked that first book. Devi's space adventure continues, her budding romance goes through some changes, and the overall story arc takes some twists and turns that you wouldn't believe. I'm having a lot of fun reading this series.

Too Much of a Good Thing? by Joss Wood: B

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing when everything clicks in a new relationship? Apparently so. Lu chose to give up part of her youth and a career to become a full time mother to her twin brothers when their parents died. Now that the boys are grown and leaving home maybe it's time to catch up on what she missed out -- things like clubbing and dating. Ex-rugby player, now rugby coach Will Scott is in town temporarily and after meeting him under unusual circumstances, Lu decides he is perfect for a temporary, fun relationship. But complications arise when they click perfectly, in every way.

Will has more than a bad boy reputation, he was a bad boy during and after his failed marriage to another athlete. He really likes Lu and would prefer to spend time and have fun with her as a friend/companion instead of having a temporary sexual affair or a couple of romps in the sack. Lu, on the other hand, really wants that romp. The problem? They become friends who have fun together and genuinely like each other and neither wants to mess that up, but when they are together the sexual tension and desire takes over.

I liked that they're both adults and frank about their desires and objections. This is a really sexy couple even when they are not having sex. A few things niggled. One: Lu chose to give up her career, etc., (she didn't have to) to take care of her brothers, but seems to spend an awful lot of time feeling sorry for herself about it. Two: It is true that people change and are affected after a failed marriage, but Will sure gives his ex and that failure a lot of power over his life for a long period of time -- too long if you ask me. Regardless, those niggles didn't take away my enjoyment of the overall romance between Lu and Will. The push and pull and sexual tension, the friendship and adult relationship that develops, all serve to make this an enjoyable, solid contemporary romance. (Harlequin/KISS/ November 19, 2013, Kindle Ed)

The Last Guy She Should Call by Joss Wood: B

This is another solid contemporary read by Joss Wood. In The Last Guy She Should Call, Wood uses a "friends to lovers" device where the main characters go from fun, hostile, bickering interactions to a hot, "OMG, I have to have him/her" lust filled relationship. Wood develops this one well, particularly since both the male and female protagonists have family issues to work on. I like that those issues are not wrapped in a neat little bow at the end because in real life that's not always possible. Yet, the romance is still the focus and quite enjoyable. I'll be reading more books by Joss Wood. (Thanks to Nath for her review and recommendation).

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian #1) by Diana Rowland: DNF
It is never easy for me to DNF a book, unfortunately as it turns out this popular book was not meant for me.

UPCOMING REVIEW:
Cub by Jeff Mann
Cub is a young adult LGBT contemporary by the talented Jeff Mann that released in February. I'll be telling you all about it soon.
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LINK/COMMENTARY: I am an avid science fiction reader and a huge fan of the science fiction genre. As such, I've been following the latest controversy involving the Hugo Awards and Jonathan Ross. There is a great post written by Ana at The Book Smugglers that resonated with me, particularly since my love of SFF, speculative fiction, and magical realism first came from reading books written in the Spanish language by authors from different cultures. I'm still thinking about her words. Check it out: Smuggler’s Ponderings: History, Fandom and Masters of Science Fiction .

January 2014: Recap + Update

In January I reviewed and completed the 2014 Sci-Fi Experience, closed the year, and mostly reviewed books read during December 2013. So, January was a very busy month for me, at least blogging-wise, and my reading wasn't too bad either.

Total books read: 15
Contemporary: 3
Historical Romance: 1
Urban Fantasy: 1
Fantasy: 1
Science Fiction: 2
LGBT: 7

Favorite Books from books graded:
Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie: A
Now and Forever by Logan Belle: A

Clean Sweep (Inn Keeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews: B+
Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction ed. by Timothy J. Lambert & R.D. Cochrane: B+
Fortune's Pawn (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach: B
One White Rose (The Clayborne Brides #2) by Julie Garwood: B
Can't Buy Me Love by Molly O'Keefe: B-
My Heartache Cowboy (The Cowboys #2) by Z.A. Maxfield: B-
Spook Squad (PsyCop #7) by Jordan Castillo Price: C
Exit Strategy (Nadia Strafford #1) by Kelley Armstrong: C
Behind the Curtain by Amy Lane: C-
Love Me Back to Life by M.L. Rhodes: D

Upcoming Reviews:
Red Caps: New Fairy Tales for Out of the Ordinary Reader by Steve Berman
Scruffians: Stories of Better Sodomites by Hal Duncan

Reread:
Written in Read: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop

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If you read my blog, you may have read in a previous post that my husband was hospitalized on February 2nd. He came home this past week and is recuperating and doing better every day! Thanks to all of you who called, emailed and left comments. Your support is sincerely appreciated! [De todo corazón. . .]  I've been home with him playing "nurse," unable to spare time for blogging or reading. Things, however, are slowing down at home and hopefully by next week I'll be able to catch up with reviews and reading. :)

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend. Keep dry & warm… enjoy the snow!