March 2015 Recap: Books + Favorites

Finally, here is my monthly reading recap for March 2015. With my computer out of service for almost a month, it took me a while to catch up with some of my reviews. I'm still not up to date with them all, but I'm almost there.

March 2015 Total Books Read: 14 (3 rereads)
Contemporary Romance/Fiction/Suspense: 3
Historical Romance/Young Adult: 3
Fantasy: 2
Urban Fantasy: 6

Favorite Reads of the Month:

I read some great books in March. From the new releases, my favorite book was Vision in Silver, the third installment in Anne Bishop's The Other's series. So far, in my opinion, this has been an above average fantasy/urban fantasy series I recommend to everyone. Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim) by Juliet Marillier was released in November 2014, a fairly recent release. I liked this first book in Marillier's new fantasy series so much that I will be preordering the second book scheduled to release in November. The third book in my favorite's list and the one with the highest grade is Fair Game, Book #3 of Patricia Brigg's Alpha & Omega series. Released in 2012, it is part of Brigg's backlist and my absolute favorite of that series thus far.

Fair Game (Alpha & Omega, #3) by Patricia Briggs: A- (2012 Release)
Vision in Silver (The Others, Book #3) by Anne Bishop: B+ (2015 Release)*
Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim) by Juliet Marillier: B+ (2014 Release)*

Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, #2) by Patricia Briggs: B+
Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose: B+
Lovely Wild by Megan Hart: B
Four Nights with the Duke (Desperate Duchesses #8) by Eloisa James: B
The Buried Giant by Kasuo Ishiguro: B-
Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega, #4) by Patricia Briggs: B-
Three Days with Lady X (Desperate Duchesses #7) by Eloisa James: C+
Snowed In (Southern Comfort Novella) by Sarah Title: C

Rereads:
Alpha & Omega Novella (#0.5) by Patricia Briggs (Reread)
Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) by Patricia Briggs (Reread)
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine (Reread Internet Book Club)
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What have I been reading lately? One of my self-appointed goals this year is to read books I have been accumulating by Japanese authors Murakami, Mishima, and Kawabata. I began by reading a book from Haruki Murakami's backlist, South of the Border, West of the Sun.

I also read four m/m romance books by Mary Calmes from my TBR. However, the majority of my reading time has been spent on a Patricia Briggs reading binge. I am almost finished with the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. It has taken me approximately eight days to read 7 books, with the 8th book to go and I'm about half-way through Briggs' collection of Mercyverse novellas. Not bad. I also finally read Walter Mosley's science fiction novella Jack Strong: A Story of Life After Life

What else? I'm about half-way through Neil Gaiman's collection of short stories Trigger Warning, and about two-thirds done with Jonathan Harper's collection Daydreamers. I am reading these short stories at a slower pace while I commute. :)

My reading mojo is slowly creeping back and I hope to hit a pile of LGBT themed books gathering dust on my coffee table. Now if I could only get my reviewing mojo to return. One step at a time, I guess.

February 2015 Recap: Books + Favorites

February was a terribly busy month for me. It was also extremely cold and depressing. I read, but for the most part the books were either novellas or short stories. There are only a few full-length novels on my list. As far as reviewing? I did not find the time to really sit down and write reviews the way I wanted to.

My favorite read of the month is the SFF novelette by Kai Ashante Wilson, The Devil in America. My favorite full-length novels from this list are Entreat Me and Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1) by Grace Draven, both fantasy romances, and the gay fiction debut novel by Michael Harwood, The Manservant. Lots of B's and C's.

February Books Read: 16 (Novellas: 10)
Contemporary: 2
Paranormal Romance: 1
Fantasy Romance: 2
Science Fiction/Fantasy: 7
Young Adult: 1
LGBT: 3 (M/M Romance: 2; Gay Fiction: 1)

Favorite Read of the Month:

The Devil in America by Kai Ashante Wilson: A-

As for the rest of my February reads:
The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey: B
Entreat Me by Grace Draven: B
Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1) by Grace Draven: B
The Manservant by Michael Harwood: B
Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen: B
Sleepwalking Now and Then by Richard Bowes: B-
The Chance Planet by Elizabeth Bear: B-
Kiss and Tell (Harlequin Blaze #429) by Alison Kent: B-
The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Ann Noble: C+
The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert: C+
A Short History of the Twentieth Century, or, When You Wish Upon a Star by Kathleen Ann Goonan: C
Checking Out Love by R. Cooper: C
The Gentleman and the Lamplighter by Summer Devon: C
Pridemates (Shifters Abound) Jennifer Ashley: C-
Tempting Meredith (Lovers & Friends #3) by Samantha Ann King: D+

January 2015 Recap: Books, Reviews & Posts

This year, although I signed up to participate in the 2015 Sci-Fi Experience, my mood took me elsewhere and I read everything but science fiction. It happens. My year began with a great contemporary fiction book, as a result I followed through by picking up fiction, non-fiction, and other assorted books accumulated but not read in 2014. I spent most of the month catching up by reading books from my TBR.

Additionally, I am making an effort to get my reviewing mojo back. It is amazing how quickly and easily we lose it when we don't use it on a regular basis. Since I returned to blogging in November, I have been writing minis, and this month I finally moved on to writing full reviews again. That is a step forward. Hopefully, I can keep it up.

January 2015 Total Books Read: 12
Contemporary Romance: 2
Fiction: 4
Non-Fiction: 1
Fantasy/Fiction: 1
Urban Fantasy: 4

Favorite Books of the Month: (Click on title links to read reviews & posts) 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: B+
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: B+
Big Boy (Strangers on the Train) by Ruthie Knox: B+

The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood by Richard Blanco: B
Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood: B (Upcoming review)
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami: (Upcoming review)
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: C+
Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott: C+ (See mini below) 
Seven Years by Dannika Dark: C+
Bloodsick: An Old World Novella by Melissa F. Olson: C
Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard #1) by Melissa F. Olson: C-
Of Wings and Wolves (The Cain Chronicles) by SM Reine: C-

Additional January Posts:
LGBT: 2014 Favorite Books & Authors
2014: Top Books of the Year
SF Mini: The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Closing: The 2014 TBR Challenge
December 2014: Books Read + Minis

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Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott

I purchased this book based on Leslie's great review. She positively loved this book. It is book three of a contemporary series with famous music band members finding a happy ever after. I should have read the first two books of the series first but this one sounded good. I enjoyed this romance to a certain degree. There were some terribly cute moments,  good sexual tension throughout the story, and a sense of fun as a result of the young band members that intermingle on an almost daily basis with this couple.

There were also situations and characterization issues that did not work so well for me. For example, the female protagonist is supposed to be a tough and comes off as such at the beginning of the story when she is first hired to become Stage Dive's lead singer's companion or 'babysitter' while he goes through substance abuse post-treatment and therapy. Unfortunately, she promptly becomes adoringly in lust with him, and willing to forgive some of his worse behavior. Our male protagonist had a terrible childhood and struggles with addiction. He is used to getting his own way and can be pretty persuasive (manipulative). As a result there are scenes with inexcusable behavior on his part toward a woman he considers a friend. Don't get me wrong, he also shows vulnerability as their friendship grows and he becomes emotionally dependent on her. The story is compelling in many ways, particularly the sense of fun along with sections about how severe family dysfunction affects the male protagonist's self-destructive behavior, as well as his relationships with others.