My June 2014 "Must Read" List

I have my list of "must reads" ready for the month of June. There's a little SF/F here and a little paranormal romance there, mainstream contemporary fiction,  historical fiction, and of course LGBT reads. What you won't find in this post are straight up mainstream contemporary or historical romance reads. I will be picking those up as the mood strikes.

Some of these books (like Shield of Winter and Cibola Burn) have been on my list since last year, but the rest are all recent additions.

Check out The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey, I read the extended preview and now I'm waiting anxious to read the novel. And, The Girls at the Kingfisher's Club by Genevieve Valentine caught my attention the first time I saw the cover and blurb -- a fairy tale with Roaring 20's flappers? Yes! With The Rise and Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman, the cover didn't grab me, but the book summary caught and kept my interest.

I'm determined to catch up with Gabaldon's Outlander series and Written in My Own Heart's Blood is definitely on my list of reads this summer! Then there's favorite author Meljean Brook, reading Frozen is a given and the same thing goes for L.B. Gregg's Men of Smithfield series. I love it, so Sam and Aaron will be an automatic buy for me. And, last year Berman's Best Gay Stories 2013 anthology was filled with quality stories. I wasn't planning on missing the 2014 edition.
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SHIELD OF WINTER by Nalini Singh (Psy/Changeling Series)
Print Edition releases June 3, 2014/Digital edition releases June 5, 2014 (Berkeley)

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to suffocate her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M. R. Carey
Releases June 10, 2014 (Orbit)

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.

THE GIRLS AT KINGFISHER CLUB by Genevieve Valentine
Releasing June 10, 2014 (Atria Books)

From award-winning author Genevieve Valentine, a "gorgeous and bewitching" (Scott Westerfeld) reimagining of the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses as flappers during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan.

Jo, the firstborn, "The General" to her eleven sisters, is the only thing the Hamilton girls have in place of a mother. She is the one who taught them how to dance, the one who gives the signal each night, as they slip out of the confines of their father’s townhouse to await the cabs that will take them to the speakeasy. Together they elude their distant and controlling father, until the day he decides to marry them all off.

The girls, meanwhile, continue to dance, from Salon Renaud to the Swan and, finally, the Kingfisher, the club they come to call home. They dance until one night when they are caught in a raid, separated, and Jo is thrust face-to-face with someone from her past: a bootlegger named Tom whom she hasn’t seen in almost ten years. Suddenly Jo must weigh in the balance not only the demands of her father and eleven sisters, but those she must make of herself.

With The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, award-winning writer Genevieve Valentine takes her superb storytelling gifts to new heights, joining the leagues of such Jazz Age depicters as Amor Towles and Paula McClain, and penning a dazzling tale about love, sisterhood, and freedom.

WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon
Releasing June 10, 2014 (Delacorte Press)

1778: France declares war on Great Britain, the British army leaves Philadelphia, and George Washington’s troops leave Valley Forge in pursuit. At this moment, Jamie Fraser returns from a presumed watery grave to discover that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered (to his horror) who his father really is, and his beloved nephew, Ian, wants to marry a Quaker. Meanwhile, Jamie’s wife, Claire, and his sister, Jenny, are busy picking up the pieces.

The Frasers can only be thankful that their daughter Brianna and her family are safe in twentieth-century Scotland. Or not. In fact, Brianna is searching for her own son, who was kidnapped by a man determined to learn her family’s secrets. Her husband, Roger, has ventured into the past in search of the missing boy . . . never suspecting that the object of his quest has not left the present. Now, with Roger out of the way, the kidnapper can focus on his true target: Brianna herself.

THE RISE & FALL OF GREAT POWERS: A NOVEL by Tom Rachman
Releasing June 10, 2014 (The Dial Press)

Tooly Zylberberg, the American owner of an isolated bookshop in the Welsh countryside, conducts a life full of reading, but with few human beings. Books are safer than people, who might ask awkward questions about her life. She prefers never to mention the strange events of her youth, which mystify and worry her still.

Taken from home as a girl, Tooly found herself spirited away by a group of seductive outsiders, implicated in capers from Asia to Europe to the United States. But who were her abductors? Why did they take her? What did they really want? There was Humphrey, the curmudgeonly Russian with a passion for reading; there was the charming but tempestuous Sarah, who sowed chaos in her wake; and there was Venn, the charismatic leader whose worldview transformed Tooly forever. Until, quite suddenly, he disappeared.

Years later, Tooly believes she will never understand the true story of her own life. Then startling news arrives from a long-lost boyfriend in New York, raising old mysteries and propelling her on a quest around the world in search of answers.

FROZEN by Meljean Brook
Releasing June 15 (Self-published)

For a year and a half, Olivia Martin has tried to forget Erik Gulbrandr, the glacial man who’d scorched her mouth with a single kiss. But when Olivia finds herself snowbound with Erik on the winter solstice, she discovers that the man who set her body aflame is cursed by abominable needs — and a desire that might destroy them both…

SAM and AARON (Men of Smithfield #5) by L.B. Gregg
Releasing June 16 (Carina Press)

With our family's legacy, Meyers B&B, in the flailing hands of me, Sam Meyers, and my sister Wynne, we're determined to revive the place. We've started a series of blind-date cooking classes, and taken on our first boarder. Granddad is even now rolling in his grave.

Signed up for the class is our new guest, Aaron Saunders, a Californian transplant who's distractingly handsome and clearly up to no good. I can't quite figure him out. He blew into town and has been relentless in his search for…something.

The sexy sneak is intriguing. And we've had a steamy moment. Or two. But now I can't stop wondering why he's searching in secret. From the library, to the historical society, to my own backyard, Aaron leaves no stone unturned or record book unopened. He's definitely gotten my attention. But that might not be the only thing he's after.

CIBOLA BURNS (The Expanse) by James S.A. Corey
Releasing June 17 (Orbit)

"An empty apartment, a missing family, that's creepy. But this is like finding a military base with no one on it. Fighters and tanks idling on the runway with no drivers. This is bad juju. Something wrong happened here. What you should do is tell everyone to leave."

The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonize has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Ilus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire.

Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage, and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world. The struggle on Ilus threatens to spread all the way back to Earth.

James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the midst of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail.

And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilization that once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed it.

BEST GAY STORIES 2014 edited by Steve Berman
Releases June 20, 2014 (Lethe Press)

In the 2014 edition, fiction, essays, and memoirs by: Michael Alenyikov, Richard Bowes, Michael Carroll, Lou Dellaguzzo, Michael Thomas Ford, L.A. Fields, Guy Mark Foster, James Gifford, Trebor Healey, Andrew Holleran, Ed Kurtz, Dmitry Kuzmin, Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Sam J. Miller, James Powers-Black, Jason Schneiderman, Max Steele, Stefen Styrsky, Josef Winkler, Mario Alberto Zambrano.

The rest of my June reads will be a surprise (to you and me). How about you? Do you have a list of "must reads" for June?

Sci Fi Books Old & New: When the price is right

For some reason even after that eReader made it's way into my loving hands, I've always preferred to read my science fiction and fantasy tales in print format. To date, I still buy the big, meaty science fiction and fantasy books in print and just love to hold them. However, that's not to say that if I find a great buy in digital format I won't buy it either. When the price is right... I buy!

Here are a couple of contemporary SFF releases and three of those classics we've been discussing this month that I purchased for my eReader:

Some of The Best From Tor.com 2012 edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Liz Gorinsky, David G. Hartwell

A collection of some of the best 2012 original short fiction published by Tor.com. Authors: Elizabeth Bear, Adam Troy Castro, Paul Cornell, Kathryn Cramer, Brit Mandelo, Pat Murphy, Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Rachel Swirsky, and Gene Wolfe.

What I'm loving about how this collection is formatted is that each individual story has its own cover page with original art, title page, table of contents, and then the story. It individualizes every single book. And of course the fact that this collection is free! Price: $0.00
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Gods of Risk (Expanse #2.5) by James S.A. Corey

If you are reading and love The Expanse space opera by James S.A. Corey the way I do, then you probably already read The Butcher of Anderson County (Expanse #1.5). But just in case you have not, it is available for $1.99 for your eReader. And as an aside, I love every cover in this series so far... including those used for the novellas.

As tension between Mars and Earth mounts, and terrorism plagues the Martian city of Londres Nova, sixteen-year-old David Draper is fighting his own lonely war. A gifted chemist vying for a place at the university, David leads a secret life as a manufacturer for a ruthless drug dealer. When his friend Leelee goes missing, leaving signs of the dealer's involvement, David takes it upon himself to save her. But first he must shake his aunt Bobbie Draper, an ex-marine who has been set adrift in her own life after a mysterious series of events nobody is talking about.

Gods of Risk - Price: $2.99
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Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton

Almost half a century ago, renowned science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton introduced apprentice cargo master Dane Thorson in Sargasso of Space and Plague Ship.

This is a wonderful beginning to the Solar Queen series, and I'm very glad that it is available in digital format. Some of these books are next to impossible to find in print format! I already read and reviewed this book (you can read it here).  Price: $3.99
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Visions of Distant Shores: An Andre Norton Collection 

This is a great buy, particularly because it contains seven Andre Norton novels in one volume. I just believe that even if there is one book out of the seven that you love, it is worth the price. I'm sure there will be more than one good one in there, though. I already read Storm Over Warlock from this collection. Following is the content:
"Storm Over Warlock"
"Star Born"
"Star Hunter"
"Plague Ship (Star Queen #2)"
"Voodoo Planet (Star Queen #3)"
"The Gifts of Asti"
"The People of the Crater"
Price: $0.99 cents

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The Best of Phillip K. Dick (Unexpurgated Edition) (Halcyon Classics Series)

With eleven of Philip K. Dick's best short stories in this collection, there is no question that this a win-win! Here's the content:
"Beyond the Door"
"Beyond Lies the Wub"
"The Crystal Crypt"
"The Defenders"
"The Gun"
"The Skull"
"The Eyes Have it"
"Second Variety"
"The Variable Man"
"Mr. Spaceship"
"Piper in the Woods"
Price: $1.99 

I have more in my eReader, particularly from the Halcyon Classics Series, but I don't want this post to go on forever. Note that with the exception of Andre Norton's Vision of Distant Shores, the rest are short stories or novellas. If you prefer to hunt for those old classics in used book stores, great! I do too! But, if you can't find them... it is great to know some of them continue to be available to new readers in digital format.
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The 2013 Science Fiction Experience and The Vintage Science Fiction Month

Overview: The Expanse by James S.A. Corey (Leviathan Wakes #1, Caliban's War #2)

Last year I read, and loved, the first book in James S.A. Corey's science fiction space opera series, The Expanse. As the first book, Leviathan Wakes sets up the trilogy perfectly, and in Caliban's War development of the world, characters, and circumstances are magnified and expanded upon.

Overview: The Expanse
The writing team that makes up James S.A. Corey, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, borrowed from different genres to set up this series. This is a space opera, which means lots of action adventure in space with a wide variety of characters, but so far there are also strong elements of a mystery/thriller in both installments. The authors made this blend of genres work.

Science Fiction: The Expanse series features the space battles and action that are expected of a space opera. Those battles are described in detail, but not to the extent that a military sci-fi story would take such scenes, instead they are quick and to the point. The same can be said for science details, explanations are given to satisfy, but more often than not the little nitty gritty details often found in hard sci-fi are not there. Readers looking through a magnifying glass for in-depth scientific details will be disappointed, while others, like me, will be thoroughly satisfied.

Other Elements: Because the battles are fast and furious and the scientific details are part of, but not central to the story, the reader focuses on the rest: the plot that drives each story, the characters that populate them, the overall story arc and the atmosphere. In addition to science fiction action adventure, there are other elements that made both books excellent reads for me. In Leviathan Wakes it is the noir mystery/thriller detective aspect of the story, mixed with more than just a dash of horror. Caliban's War has the mystery/thriller with a healthy dose of political intrigue added to the action, and while the physical horror is less prominent, it takes on a more psychological flavor.

The World: The world is our own solar system. The Epstein Drive allowed humanity to reach the outer planets in our solar system, including the Belt, if not the stars. Natural resources give Earth its power while Mars holds the technological advantage. Although allies, Earth and Mars are fierce competitors that see each other as possible enemies -- political games and jockeying for power abound -- and there's always the possibility that open war might ignite.

Belters are at the bottom of the food chain. The engineering genius of Tycho Manufacturing and Engineering Concern allowed humans to populate the artificial environment of working stations in such places as Ceres and Eros, by building reaction drives that allowed asteroids to spin, as if on an axis, and stabilized the massive rocks, creating huge artificial planets. Because of the artificial environment -- low gravity, artificial air and light and confined spaces -- throughout the centuries Belters have physically mutated to accommodate that environment.

Belters depend wholly on Earth and Mars for everything they need to survive: security, money, goods, technology, food, water, and even the air they breath. Earth and Mars control Belters by using these needs against them, particularly food, water and air. As a result, there is a rebel faction pushing for the Belt's independence and demanding they be recognized as important contributors to the solar system. The OPA, or the Outer Planets Alliance is that faction and Fred Johnson, an Earther known as the Butcher of Anderson Station, is their leader. (See mini about short story here) 

The Conflict: The main conflict is one where the major players, Earth and Mars, are fighting for power, with Belters playing the role of underdog. Major corporations, political games, greed and fear all play a major role as our main characters find out throughout the course of their adventures. Alien presence is not exactly physical, but takes the form of a protomolecule sent to our solar system, finally proving that there is something "out there" and that "they" have either been or are trying to get "here." The race to own the protomolecule is what it's all about, and of course to the greedy, the end justifies the means.

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1)

Leviathan Wakes is told in the first point of view from the alternating perspectives of the two main characters: Captain Jim Holden and Detective Miller, with the first chapter told from Julie's point of view. This splits the story into two: a space adventure and a detective story, with both halves meeting and mixing quite effectively in the middle to provide the thrill.

The mystery in Leviathan Wakes is followed by a "nourish" character that could have stepped straight out of a pulp fiction novel. Detective Miller, the depressed, and cynical Belter who becomes obsessed with finding and saving a young girl serves as the "mood" setter for the novel with his pessimistic and cynical views. Miller needs to save and be saved, and Julie is his answer. When I visualize Miller, I see him in black, white and different shades of gray, never in color.

Color is saved for Holden from whose perspective we experience the space adventure. An Earther, Captain Jim Holden is a terminal ideologist and rather naive. With his linear way of thinking, Holden is portrayed as a straight shooter who thinks that if he tells the truth as he sees it others will do the right thing, and more often than not winds up causing mayhem. However, Holden's character serves to counterbalance the pessimism and cynicism that Miller brings to Leviathan Wakes. If Holden balances out Miller, Holden's mixed crew helps to balance Holden's character. Naomi, a Belter, Alex, a Martian and Amos, an Earther, all provide that much needed backup that a Captain in a science fiction adventure needs, with Naomi serving as the romantic interest in the story.

The action is fast and furious, almost non-stop, for Holden and his crew as they race to save themselves and the solar system. The plot takes the characters, and the reader, into a world where humans turn into the unknown by the unknown, making room for incorporating some pretty horrific scenes as greedy and unscrupulous humans experiment with what they see as alien technology. The 'whodunit' is full of twists and turns with an unexpected final truth that will change humanity forever, and one that also provides an exciting and organic ending to this first installment in the series.

Leviathan Wakes is the first book in this science fiction opera that has all the action and enough science fiction details any reader would expect of just such an endeavor. Yet for me, the amazing characters and the excellent mystery/thriller in this fantastic space adventure are the ones that lifted it from being just another tale about space ships, spectacular battles and chases through space. This book is a big winner for me all around.

Caliban's War (The Expanse #2)

Caliban's War has a different atmosphere. There is a new mystery to follow, but the "noir" atmosphere found in the first book is lost as the James S.A. Corey writing team adds new characters to the mix, further develops the world and expands the overall story arc introduced in Leviathan Wakes.

The story is again divided into alternating chapters told in the first point of view from the perspective of the main characters. However, in Caliban's War there are four narrators: Holden, Prax, Bobbie, and Avasarala with the first chapter narrated by Mei. Interestingly enough, there are still two halves to the story as Holden and Prax quickly team up to provide a combination of space adventure and mystery/thriller and Avasarala and Bobbie do the same to provide the political intrigue and the rest of the details necessary to solve the mystery.

Prax is a botanist at the agricultural Ganymede Station where Bobbie is a Marine for the Martian forces. When a monster kills UN Marine Forces and all of Bobbie's crew as they each patrol their sides of the fields, leaving her as the only survivor of the incident, The shooting is misunderstood and a battle breaks out between Mars and Earth, damaging and dooming Ganymede Station.  Bobbie is lifted from the station and taken to Earth and the UN where she meets Avasarala and enters the world of political intrigue. Meanwhile, Prax rushes to pick up his daughter Mei so they can evacuate, but finds that she is missing along with 15 other children suffering from the same illness. Desperate, Prax lingers on the station looking for his missing daughter and unable to find help from the authorities begs help from Holden who just arrived with his crew at the station under OPA orders to check out the situation.

The race is on again for Holden, Prax and the Rocinante's crew as in the process of looking for Mei they find residue of the alien protomolecule that was thought to be under control or only found at Venus. Fear takes over, but worst than that are the questions: What was that thing? Who has been tampering with the protomolecule?  Everybody is pointing fingers, war between the planets is imminent... and Venus is still changing. Soon it becomes clear that while some are looking at the trees, others are looking at the forest and that winning this war means more than just grabbing power.

Caliban's War is a great follow up book to Leviathan Wakes. The characters are not a disappointment either. There's character growth for Holden, Naomi and the crew, plus the romantic storyline between Holden and Naomi continues, conflict included. Avasarala, as assistant to the undersecretary of executive administrator at Earth's UN, is the best new character introduced to the mix -- a little tea-drinking grandmother that makes a foul-mouthed sailor sound like schoolboy (dang can she swear!), she is a tough-as-nails politician who plays the "game" to win or die. I again found the action to be excellent, even  though there was element of predictability during the battles. There is a great resolution to the conflicts presented in this installment, and yes... the ending left me holding my breath! Not a cliff hanger, but it definitely left me wanting more, now!

Conclusion: Leviathan Wakes is an excellent beginning to The Expanse series and a book that I highly recommend, and Caliban' War is a great follow up book with no real disappointments. When I began reading this series, I understood that this was going to be a trilogy. That made me really happy. Abbadon's Gate will be the last book of this trilogy and will complete the story that started with Leviathan Wakes. However, the authors have been contracted to write five additional novellas in this world so they can complete the overall story arc. I'm excited!

New Releases: June 2012

June Releases are almost here already! There are quite a few books that I'm looking forward to reading this month. As always, I will highlight only a few from my list.

These are books that I can't wait to read!

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Title: Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi
Release Date: June 5, 2012

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

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Title: Hex Appeal edited by P.N. Elrod
Release Date: June 5, 2012

Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…

In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty- third century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

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Title: Scandal Wears Satin (Dressmakers #2) by Loretta Chase
Release Date: June 26, 2012

From the Journals of Sophia Noirot: A dress is a weapon. It must dazzle his eye, raise his temperature . . . and empty his purse.

A blue-eyed innocent on the outside and a shark on the inside, dressmaker Sophy Noirot could sell sand to Bedouins. Selling Maison Noirot's beautiful designs to aristocratic ladies is a little harder, especially since a recent family scandal has made an enemy of one of society's fashion leaders. Turning scandal to the shop's advantage requires every iota of Sophy's skills, leaving her little patience for a big, reckless rake like the Earl of Longmore. The gorgeous lummox can't keep more than one idea in his head at a time, and his idea is taking off all of Sophy's clothes.

But when Longmore's sister, Noirot's wealthiest, favorite customer, runs away, Sophy can't let him bumble after her on his own. In hot pursuit with the one man who tempts her beyond reason, she finds desire has never slipped on so smoothly . . .

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Title: Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane Series #4) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Release Date: June 26, 2012

A MASKED MAN . . .

Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles-protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . .

Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society-flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons-Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar-and his lips so tempting.

A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY

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Title: Starlight (The Christies #2) by Carrie Lofty
Release Date: June 26, 2012

An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father’s ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law’s bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie’s posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police.

Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex’s guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man—vital and strong—behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests— and in a lasting love that conquers all?

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Title: Caliban's War (The Expanse) by James S.A. Corey
Release Date: June 26, 2012

We are not alone.

On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes and threatening to spread out into the solar system.

In the vast wilderness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance. When they agree to help a scientist search war-torn Ganymede for a missing child, the future of humanity rests on whether a single ship can prevent an alien invasion that may have already begun . . .

Caliban's War is a breakneck science fiction adventure following the critically acclaimed Leviathan Wakes.

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Title: At Last (Lucky Harbor) by Jill Shalvis
Release Date: June 26, 2012

HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG . . .
Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

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I enjoyed Scalzi's work at the beginning of the year and frankly Redshirts just looks fun! Also, I read Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P.N. Elrod in 2010 and it turned out to be pretty solid, so there's an anthology I don't want to miss.

Do you know what's interesting besides the fact that the rest these books are releasing on the same date? Chase, Hoyt, Lofty, Corey, and Shalvis wrote some of my favorite books last year and most were from these same series. It is going to be tough choosing which book to read first. It looks like my end-of-month reading schedule will be busy, busy, busy. :)

What about you? What books are you looking forward to reading in June?

This n' That: Recs, A Bargain, Reads + Updates!

Hey how's everyone this Friday? Ready for the weekend? It's a gorgeous spring day, and guess what? It's baseball time! Yankees are holding their game opener today at Yankee Stadium against the Angels. I know you all don't want to hear it, but... Go Yanks! LOL!

I guess this is the perfect time to again recommend one of my favorite fiction books with a baseball theme: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger! Have you read it? No? Well, even if you don't love baseball, you'll love this book because I dare you not to fall in love with the wonderful characters and the excellent story. (review here)

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So what else do I have for you today? Heads up people! Special subscription offer for ICARUS: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction. Lethe Press has a bargain going on today only for those of you who love great writing and/or would like to give gay speculative fiction a shot. I mentioned back in October that I love ICARUS magazine, so you know that I took advantage of this bargain. Check it out here.

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And shifting from speculative fiction to science fiction, did you know already that both Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, AND Embassytown by China Miéville made the list of finalists for the HUGO Awards? Yeap, they did!

Also in case you don't know this yet, Seanan McGuire also made it to the list of Hugo finalists under the Best Related Works Category with "Wicked Girls." And, since I featured John Scalzi during my month-long Science Fiction Experience reading binge, I'd like to mention that he also made it as a finalist under the Best Short Story Category with "The Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book 1: The Dead City." Good stuff!

I have books by all these authors on my 2012 Wish List or TBR:

Railsea by China Miéville (May 15, 2012)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (June 5, 2012)
Caliban's War (Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey (June 26, 2012)
Rosemary & Rue (October Daye Books) by Seanan McGuire - backlist title

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Last but not least, I'm reading again! Yay! I've finished some good books, some of which I've already reviewed: The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley, The Rake by Mary Jo Putney, Split by Mel Bossa, Private Eye by S.E. Culpepper and a couple of other books that I haven't reviewed yet: Just Down The Road by Jodi Thomas, and About That Night by Julie James.

Right now I'm reading a book I just received for review and that looks to be a great read, The Heart's History by Lewis DeSimone.

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That's my news today! Have a great weekend, everyone!

This 'n That: Reading Update, Romance & Scifi

Happy weekend everyone! I'm back at work and well... working! Already missing my wonderful, lazy, vacation days and very glad that the weekend is finally here.

My blogging has been spotty these past couple of weeks due to all the beginning of the year craziness, but I have found time for reading. And what have I been reading? Lots of science fiction! Yes... By participating in Carl V's 2012 Science Fiction Experience I've developed a craving for all things sci fi, and I'm the type of reader that obsesses. Sci fi and/or Fantasy can do that to me. :)

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So far this month, I've read lots of Scalzi! From the Metatropolis anthology edited by John Scalzi, I read his novella, "Quiritationem Suis." I also read Scalzi's first novel Old Man's War, and the second book of the Old Man's War trilogy, The Ghost Brigades. I followed that up with a novella set in this same world, After the Coup. Right now I'm reading The Sagan Diary in preparation for the third and last book of the original Old Man's War trilogy, The Last Colony. After I finish that book, I'll write up an overview about the trilogy. What I can tell you is that so far the first book is my favorite, it is definitely quick paced military science fiction with great action and flow. Scalzi also gives the reader something to think about without beating him/her over the head with a hammer, and yes... there's actually a love interest in there! Can you believe it? :)

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Also as a follow up to reading Leviathan Wakes in December, I read the novella The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of The Expanse by James S.A. Corey. This novella focuses on an incident that defined the career of (and eventually the man) one of the characters that plays a key role in Leviathan Wakes. Fred Johnson is the leader of the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance) by the time we meet him in Leviathan Wakes. Throughout the book he was referred to as the Butcher of Anderson Station, however that was never explained.

This story goes back in time and focuses on that story, giving the readers and fans of this new series a terrific first person account of exactly what shaped this character. It also gives the reader further insight into how Earth viewed Belters and why Fred eventually turns from hero to traitor. The story feels rather incomplete, though. By the end there's a sense that there's more to Fred, or that there should be more. The political implications are touched upon lightly in this novella, and I'm hoping that the second book of the trilogy will give us more Fred. Of course, to me this was just an appetizer before the main course. That would be Caliban's War (Expanse #2), coming in June 2012.

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And sticking with the subject of sci fi, if you like old style pulp sci fi, you need to check out Carl V's post on Hunt the Space Witch! by Robert Silverberg. I haven't read anything by this author and after reading that post of course I immediately purchased the book. I love pulp, plus hmm... check out that cover!

I also joined the 2012 TBR Challenge, hosted by our Super Librarian Wendy. However, between the Science Fiction Experience and Wendy's TBR Challenge, so far this year I've added more to my reading pile than I've read! How is that helping me? Well, hopefully it will help me gather some great titles instead of duds. Right? Isn't that a wonderful way to rationalize my recent book-buying spree? Check out my recent additions:

• Hunt The Space Witch! by Robert Silverberg
• Foundation by Isaac Asimov
• The Breach by Patrick Lee
• The God Engines by John Scalzi
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
• Ghost in the Machine by Barbara J. Hancock (SFR)
• His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman (Phyl's Review)
• Because of the List by Amy Knupp (Lori's Review)

After reading Scalzi's Old Man's War I experienced a bit of nostalgia, so to re-read a couple of books I no longer own, I also purchased in ebook format two old classics:

• The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
• Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

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In other news, I broke the sci fi spell I was under by reading a couple of contemporary romances. One of those books was by Emily March. She's a new-to-me author and for some reason I kept looking at her latest release Lover's Leap: An Eternity Springs Novel and going back to it, until I bought it and read it this last week.

This book is part of a series, but it's pretty much a self-contained romance, so it was not too tough reading it and getting into it. It's basically a story about second chances at love, errors in judgment, redemption, and forgiveness. It's an interesting series, although there's something 'quirky' about it. A lot of talk about the 'angel inside' and 'miracles.' I wasn't too taken with this aspect of the book... plus there's this character, Celeste who comes off as kind of "new-agey," who seems to be the center of the whole series. I know there was something about her that I missed. Definitely. For me, it was an okay contemporary romance with a couple of frustrating moments provided by one character that turned out to be particularly immature. Has anyone read the other books in this series? I'm curious because I liked some of the secondary characters.

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I read a few other books, including Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis, but I'll be reviewing those books later on. 

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?

2011: Favorite Quotes

I love quotes! I collect them just as I collect books. I've done this for years. I highlight them, bookmark them, think about them. I have little post-its and sticky notes all over my books, and a notebook of favorite quotes. Sometimes I re-visit them and depending on depth even have to write something about them!

Here are nine favorite quotes, and an excerpt from a poem, I collected this year.

Romance:

• "Because" ... "ye've bewitched and bespelled me, my sweet Silence, didn't ye know? I'll agree that the sky is pink, that the moon is made o' marzipan and sugared raisins, and that mermaids swim the muddy waters o' the Thames, if ye'll only stop weepin'. Me chest breaks apart and gapes wide open when I see tears in yer pretty eyes. Me lungs, me liver, and me heart cannot stand to be thus exposed." -- Mickey -- Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
• "The scent of you," he said so softly. "Heaven help me, the scent of you." -- Clevedon -- Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
• "To address your question fairly, Miss Eversea... while I understand my broken engagement is a popular topic of conversation among the fashionable set, one must consider the possibility that the end of it was serendipitous for both Lady Abigail and I. And that thus freed our hearts might now love more appropriately and happily." Take that, Miss Eversea. He was rather proud of that. That epic, steaming mound of balderdash. -- Alex -- What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long

Urban Fantasy

• "The Beast Lord walked out of the warehouse. The screen went dark. My knight in furry armor." -- Kate Daniels -- Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Science Fiction

• "The beautiful thing about losing your illusions, he thought, was that you got to stop pretending." -- Miller - Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Historical Fiction

• "In New York nobody looks at a woman with that arrogance anymore. Measuring her, weighing her, calculating how much flesh there is in each one of her breasts and thighs, how much hair on her pubis, the exact curve of her buttocks. She closes her eyes, feeling slightly dizzy. In New York not even Latins—Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans—give such looks. They’ve learned to repress them, realized they mustn’t look at women the way male dogs look at female dogs, stallions look at mares, boars look at sows.." -- Urania -- The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

Gay Fiction

• "All men have macho in them. Even gay ones, but there are varying degrees, and while most forms of macho are lethal to the progression of the world and society, there are some acceptable levels, very low levels, that can sometimes be useful." Chulito by Charles Rice-González

Gay Speculative Fiction

• "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." -- "Oneirica by Hal Duncan" -- Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman

Non-Fiction

• "Combat isn't where you might die -- though that does happen -- it's where you find out whether you get to keep on living." War by Sebastian Junger

Poetry

"Before Cortés lops off a messenger's

hands and has another trampled,

before the branding and burning,

there is wonderment

and, for a moment, endearment

as Cortés dances, off beat, around

the long neck of his field piece." --

Excerpt from Cortés and Cannon

 Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria

2011 Year-End: Favorite Books

2011 is a year I'll remember for my inconsistent reading pattern. Some months I read like gangbusters  and others I barely had the time. But I'll also remember it because if there were good reads during the first part of the year, reading-wise the second part turned out to be even better.

As always my list is compiled from books read by me during the year. I know there are many great books out there that I didn't get to! So many books! I chose my top reads from the 2011 releases only and then from those awarded top grades throughout the year. However because I do read many back list titles or books released during previous years, you will also find a short list at the bottom of this post with my favorite reads. It's only fair as there are quite a few A's in there!

I'm an eclectic reader and that's reflected throughout my 2011 choices. This year's list is comprised of books from the following genres: Historical Romance, Gay Fiction, Science Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Poetry and Contemporary Romance. Please note that this year I again posted a separate "LGBT Favorite Authors and Books" list. It is a different type of post geared towards favorite writers and their works, however you'll also see two of those books included here... without them my overall list would have been incomplete.

TOP 2011 READS: (Click on titles to read reviews)

1.   Historical Romance: Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
      (2011 Grand Publishing): A
2.   Gay Fiction: The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers
      (2011 Ticture): A
3.   Historical Romance: Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
      (2011 Avon): A

4.   Science Fiction: Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey
       (2011 Orbit): A
5.   Paranormal Romance: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling, #10) by Nalini Singh
      (2011 Berkley): A
6.   Poetry: Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria
      (2011 Univ. of Arizona Press) Grade: A
7.   Contemporary Romance: The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
      (2011 Forever): A
8.   Gay Mystery/Thriller: The German by Lee Thomas (2011 Lethe Press): A-
9.   Contemporary Romance: The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas
      (2011 Berkley): A-
10. Historical Romance: What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
      (2011 Avon): A-

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TOP 5 CHOICES: BOOKS RELEASED PRIOR TO 2011

1. Historical Fiction: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (2011 Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1 ed. Kindle -- transl. first released in 2003 by Faber & Faber): A
2. Contemporary Romance: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (2004 St. Martin Press): A
3. Gay Fiction/YA: The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay (2010 Bold Stroke Books): A
4. Science Fiction Opera: Dust (Jacobs Ladder #1) by Elizabeth Bear (2007 Spectra): A-*
5. Historical Romance: Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (2010 Carina Press): A-

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5 BOOKS I LOVED AND WILL REMEMBER REGARDLESS:

1. Science Fiction: Embassytown by China Miéville (2011 Del Rey): B+
2. Non-Fiction: War by Sebastian Junger (2010 Twelve) Non-Fiction: B+
3. Historical Romance: The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser (2010 Carina Press): B+
4. Fantasy: A Companion To Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (2007 Tor): B+
5. Contemporary Romance: A Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro (2011 Berkley): B

What do I find interesting about this year's list? For the past couple of years Urban Fantasy or Fantasy have been my first choice. This year it was a historical romance and that's a big change. Also a  couple of favorite writers didn't make it to the top of my list, although I enjoyed their new releases. Eight of the books chosen by me, from all categories and release years, are from new-to-me authors whose works I read this year. That always makes me happy!

Well that does it for 2011! What book made it to the top of your 2011 list?