Showing posts with label October. Show all posts
Showing posts with label October. Show all posts

Monday, November 12, 2012

October 2012: Monthly Reads Recap

October was a good reading month and pretty well balanced genre-wise. There's a little bit of everything in there: historical romance, romance suspense, young adult fantasy, gay romance, a memoir and contemporary romance.


I enjoyed my reads, but there are always stand outs. For me, the dramatic historical serial The Gin Lovers by Jamie Brenner definitely stood out because of the 1920's atmosphere and New York City setting, the characters, and all the delicious drama. I reviewed the first two episodes, and although a bit behind because real life got in the way, expect reviews for the rest of the episodes.

I already mentioned Occultation and Other Stories and The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron as great reads in the speculative fiction horror category, as well as Steve Berman's Wilde Stories 2012 Gay Speculative Fiction Anthology, however Immobility by Brian Evenson is another story that stood out and stayed with me for quite a while because of the stark moodiness of the piece.

On the bright side, re-reading the Born In Trilogy by Nora Roberts when hurricane Sandy hit, proved to be the right picks. Talk about comfort reads! That was a treat I haven't allowed myself for a couple of years. It was fun spending a couple of days with Nora's great characters in that small fictional Irish village again.

As to the rest, please click on titles to read reviews or posts.

Total read: 25
New Reads: 22    Re-reads: 3
  Contemporary Romance: 6 (3 romance, 2 romance suspense, 1 erotic romance)
  Historical Romance: 8
  Speculative Fiction/Horror: 3
  Young Adult/Fantasy: 1
  Non-Fiction: 1
  LGBT: 6 (1 spec fic, 5 romance)


That's it for my October reads! I again hit my TBR pile throughout the month and read 11 books from there! I'm really trying to get to a few of the books I've purchased before the end of this year, which is approaching really fast! How was your October? Did you find any great reads you would like to recommend?

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

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

Hope you all had a great Halloween!!

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

Here's my summary for the month:

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

Favorite Reads in October:
  • Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) Elizabeth Hoyt: A
  • The German by Lee Thomas (LGBT Thriller/Mystery): A-
The German captured my attention with its bone chilling prologue set in Germany and once begun, I couldn't put it down. However, this fantastic thriller by Lee Thomas is set in a small town in Texas during WWII where two young men are found skinned and disemboweled with snuffboxes stuffed in their mouths and inside them, notes written in German. You can only imagine how the townspeople react, particularly since there is a small German community residing among them. However, it is when young Tim Randall and his friend Bum spy on Ernst, the German, see him having sex with another man and become convinced that he is the killer that things really turn ugly.

The German is an unforgettable thriller with plenty of tension, excellent pacing and characters. Thomas uses the small town's paranoia to build some incredible tension and keep the reader guessing as to who the killer is, giving The German that great edge that all good thrillers require. However, with its bone chilling prologue and a terrifying torture scene, there is also a strong horror edge to this story. Most importantly, through this suspense/thriller Thomas deeply explores individual and group reactions to different types of fear. Highly recommended.
Lots of Excellent B Reads:
  • Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery, #3) by Victoria Dahl: B+
  • Tis The Season To Be Sinful Adrienne Basso: B+
  • Silver Shark (Kinsmen #2) by Ilona Andrews (Sci-Fi/Romance): B+
I've been waiting for a continuation to this world ever since I read and loved the first novella Silent Blade back in 2009, and the Ilona Andrews team rocked it! I love the world building, the characters and the stories they've created for this science fiction romance set so far. 
In Silver Shark they continued as they began, with a strong female character who is equal to the male protagonist in strength, excellent plot, pacing and sci-fi details with romance and a passionate interlude that fits in with the story. In this second installment the only weakness for me came with the rather abrupt ending which then goes to an epilogue that doesn't include the two main characters. However, this sci-fi world just became better and even more intriguing. I can only hope that eventually a full length novel will come along. Now, that would really rock my world. :)
  • Coming Home by Victor J. Banis: B+
  • Flawless by Carrie Lofty: B
  • Sex, Straight Up (Those Sexy O'Sullivans, #2) by Kathleen O'Reilly: B
  • Unwrapped by Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell: B
  • a+e 4EVER by Ilike Merey: B
  • The Back Passage by James Lear: B
  • Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, #1) by Josh Lanyon: B
  • Sort of Stranger Than Fiction (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: B
  • Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane: B
  • Angels of Darkness by Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Sharon Shinn, Meljean Brook: B-
  • One Less Stiff at the Funeral (Petit Morts ) Sean Kennedy: B-
And Some Interesting C Reads too:
  • Fallen Angel by Logan Belle (Erotic Romance): C+
Fallen Angel is the second book in Logan Belle's erotic romance series Club Burlesque. I did not read the first book Blue Angel, so I can tell you that I was a bit lost when it came to some of the characters and  exactly how they fit into the story, at least toward the beginning. However, Fallen Angel mainly focuses on Mallory after she decides to give up going to law school to concentrate on a burlesque career, and to earn extra money takes on a paralegal job during the day working for sexy Gavin Stone. In this installment, Mallory's unhappy with long time boyfriend Alec because he keeps pushing their sexual boundaries to include a third party. In particular Violet Offender a new performer in the club. In the meantime, Violet is really interested in Mallory (I mean really, really interested), and she plays the role of a manipulative, vampy, villainous dominatrix to a "t"!! I kind of liked Violet!

Mallory on the other hand is quite frustrating as a character. She doesn't really know what she wants! She goes back and forth between burlesque and law a few times, and yes it's frustrating -- the woman is worse than a weather vane. She's upset with Alec because she suspects that he wants to continue having threesomes, but she'll have a go with another woman and constantly lusts after her boss. Hmm... yeap! So, what did I like about this book? Well, I love the burlesque world that Belle pulled together in this book. It really is intriguing, plus the secondary characters and circumstances had me going throughout the story. There's no way I will miss the next book in this series, if only to find out what Violet will do next and what's going to happen with the clubs! (Aphrodesia - Source: Kensington Publishing)
  • Critic's Choice (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: C
  • Private Dicks by Katie Allen: C
  • Happy Endings by G.A. Hauser: C-
  • Clouds and Rain by Zahra Owens: C-
Re-read:
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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

October 2011: New Releases

Holy great release month! There are lots of books being released this month. I'm looking forward to reading quite a few of them. The list is long and extended.

October 4th alone was a great day for releases. Let's see, here are three books I already have in my possession, although there were a couple of others that I purchased and am not highlighting or decided to get later... one of these books I've already read and reviewed:


Angels of Darkness Anthology with Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn
The Son of Nepture (Heroes of Olympus, #2) by Rick Riordan
Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Upcoming Releases I'm really looking forward to reading:


Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Finally, Silence's story in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt! I'm loving this series and will absolutely read this book as soon as it hits the shelves.
The Famous Heroine/The Plumed Bonnet by Mary Balogh
Release Date: October 25, 2011
This two/fer release by Balogh looks very tempting to me. It's very rare that I miss a release by Mary Balogh, and if I can't find the original books, I will definitely buy this one!
Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl
Release Date: October 25, 2011
This is the third installment in Victoria Dahl's Donovan Brothers Brewery contemporary romance series and another definite read for me. I still have Bad Boys Don't in my TBR, but hope to read it before this one releases. I liked Eric! :)
Holiday Releases
Then there are all the new Holiday books (yes I said Holidays!) that I received for review and that are releasing in October. I always remember that every year there are friends who ask about Christmas or Holiday books, so here are a few new ones. Of the following there are a few that I will be reading and two that I've read or am reading at the moment:


A Texas Christmas with Jodi Thomas
It Happened One Christmas by Kaitlin O'Riley
Season for Temptation by Theresa Romain
Tis the Season To be Sinful by Adrienne Basso
Christmas At Timberwoods by Fern Michaels

Here's one contemporary, and if you like a little heat for your holidays, one erotic romance:


Unwrapped with Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell
Silent Night, Sinful Night with Sharon Page, Melissa MacNeal, Chloe Harris

I had so many new releases this month that I decided to link you to Goodreads for the book descriptions, otherwise the post would have been too long.

So, what about you? What new releases are you looking forward to reading in October?
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Monday, November 1, 2010

October 2010 Reads, Updates & Judith Ivory

October was an excellent reading month for me, not so much in quantity, but in quality. As you'll see, I had quite a few favorite reads and very few disappointments. It was one of those rare, lucky months. An interesting note? My favorite picks are all by favorite authors and three of them are new releases, keeping a few of these authors at the top of my list. :)

Challenge Updates: On October 9th I posted the last scheduled review for the 2010 M/M Romance Challenge. I signed up for 20+ books read and reviewed, and read/reviewed 22. So, I'm 100% done for this year. Yes! You can access my completed list here.

On the other hand, I can't seem to get going on the book I originally chose for the Big Book Challenge. The size is not a problem, the story is just not clicking for me and frankly it might be a DNF at this point. I've already read two other Big Books and am thinking of changing this title for another one. If I can't get back to it by end of week, I will definitely change it. :(

October reads:

Total books read: 14
Re-reads: 1
New reads: 13

Favorite books this month? (Click on titles and link to reviews)
Biggest Disappointment?
  • The Indiscretion by Judith Ivory: C-
I was looking forward to reading The Indiscretion by Judith Ivory and I'm afraid I wasn't too thrilled with it by the time I finished. That first part of the book, "The English Moor" had potential, but as the story moved along it just fizzled for me. I never really got to know those characters -- not really -- there were reasons behind their actions, but no real depth. I didn't really like the main characters and that was also a problem. I didn't understand why Sam didn't just turn around and walk away from Lydia. To top it all off, Sam's lack of self-worth was very unattractive. I don't think this couple would have had a happily ever after if not for some last minute, unexpected circumstances. I enjoyed some aspects of the writing, especially during that first part of the book, and that kept me reading and searching for more. I will be reading The Proposition. 
Balance of books read:

White Tigress by Jade Lee: D
Crazy for Love by Victoria Dahl: B (Upcoming Review)
Somebody Killed his Editor: Holmes & Moriarity (Book #1) by Josh Lanyon: B+
Cade Coulter's Return by Lois Faye Dayer: C+ (Upcoming Review)
Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie: Solid B
Holiday in Death (In-Death Series, Book #7) by J.D. Robb: B
I Love This Bar by Carolyn Brown: B
A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh: B+ (Upcoming Review)
Rising Moon (Nightcreatures Series, #6) by Lori Handeland (Re-read): B+

Did you have a good reading month? Any favorites or recommendations?
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

New Releases: September/October 2010

I only have two new releases in my list for the month of September, so I've decided to combine my list for September and October and as you'll see it's a small one at this point.

I would like to highlight a book I previously neglected to mention, a book that I've been waiting for with bated breath -- KILLBOX by Ann Aguirre!

I had this book down as a September 2nd release and didn't realize somewhere along the way the date changed and it turns out the book releases today, August 31st! So, I'm getting my Sirantha Jax and Science Fiction/Romance fix a few days early. I cannot wait to read this book!

The rest of the books I'm looking forward to reading are a mix of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, Young Adult Fantasy and Historical Romance.


Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.
Visit Ilona Andrews here.


Double Cross by Carolyn Crane
Release Date: September 28, 2010
SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL.

Justine Jones lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she was lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard, who gifts her with extraordinary mental powers—dooming her to fight Midcity’s shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity’s new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men—one on a journey of redemption, the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.
Visit Carolyn Crane here.


The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Release Date: October 5, 2010
First in an all-new series where seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.
Visit Meljean Brook here.


The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 12, 2010
After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they’ll need the help of some familiar demigods.
Visit Rick Riordan here.


A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh
Release Date: October 26, 2010
(First released in 1992 as a Signet Regency)
Weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions—especially when a couple seems as well matched as Randolph Pierce, Earl of Falloden, and his bride-to-be, Eleanor Transome. Ellie brings to the marriage a vast dowry, while Falloden, though distant, is handsome, tremendously desirable, and possessed of a title most young ladies can only dream of sharing.

Yet Ellie is not most young ladies. She knows that she must honor her dear father’s dying wish for her to wed the proud earl, but she dreads a lifetime in a union without love—and how can Falloden claim to love her when he married her only for her fortune? As Christmas descends upon the Falloden manor, the warmth of the season may yet melt away the trappings of duty and wealth, leaving behind only a man and a woman destined for each other’s arms.
Visit Mary Balogh here.

What are you looking forward to reading in September and October? Any good suggestions?
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Saturday, October 31, 2009

October 2009 Reads

I had an excellent reading month. A few new releases made it to my list, but this month I was able to hit the old TBR pile and made a small dent. I read some excellent books, plenty of good ones, and had only one real disappointment. I also had the chance to re-read four of my old M/M favorites -- that was fun. As you can see by this month's list, I'm way behind on my reviews, but I'll try to bring you up to date with a couple of Mini-Impression posts next week.

My favorite reads this month were: McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard, one of her old category romances -- this book is a keeper for me. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, a historical romance I've had on my TBR for a long time and could never find the right time to read, and Tabula Rasa by Tori Temple a wonderful contemporary M/M cowboy romance.

1) My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy
Upcoming Review at Musings of a Bibliophile

2) Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis

3) At The Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker

4) Flashback by Jill Shalvis

5) Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre

6) Gobsmacked by L.B. Gregg (M/M)

7) McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

8) The Lone Texan by Jodi Thomas

9) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

10) Happy Ending by L.B. Gregg (M/M)

11) The Englor Affair by J.L. Langley (M/M)

12) Reckless Behavior by Amanda Young (M/M)

13) How the West Was Done - Anthology (finished it) (M/M)

14) Tabula Rasa by Tori Temple (M/M)

15) Damn Gorgeous Jaye Valentine (M/M)

16) The Tin Star by J.L. Langley (Re-read) (M/M)

17) The Broken H by J.L. Langley (Re-read) (M/M)

18) The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson (Re-read) (M/M)

19) Out of My Mind by M.L. Rhodes (Re-read) (M/M)

20) Untouchable by Kresley Cole - Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology

21) It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

22) This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

23) A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash

24) Unwrapped by Jaci Burton

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