Looking for more by way of Immobility & Boy Kings

I can't seem to shake the mood to pick up books that push those reading comfort zones, clearly searching for a challenge that comes from edgier reads instead of settling for the comfortable and pretty.

Right now I'm reading two books: The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinez. This book is different from This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz, for one it's a memoir and not literary fiction, but I find it interesting that in this book the author battles with the machista male culture that he has inherited from his Latino father, grandfather and uncles, although this time as perceived from a Mexican-American perspective. There is more there, of course, there's the push and pull of two very different cultures and how this can tear apart, confuse or have an adverse effect in the lives of that first generation born in America. The amazing sub-culture and different world found in a border town -- division of loyalties within communities or from individuals. So far I'm finding this book both amusing and sad, but honest in its rendering, and yes it does push comfort zones although in an entirely different way from Diaz's collection of fictional short stories.

*****

The other book I'm reading is Immobility by Brian Evenson, a post-apocalyptic tale that so far strikes me as a mixture of science fiction and horror. I'm not far into this book, but there's a starkness and darkness to it that grabbed me from the start that makes me want to return to the book again and again.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the beginning:

"A sensation of coming back alive again, only not quite that, half life maybe." [...] "Slow shift to white noise."

***

When they first woke him, he had the impression of the world becoming real again and he himself along with it. He did not remember having been stored. He could remember nothing about what his life had been before the Kollaps, and the days directly before they had stored him were foggy at best, little more than a few frozen images. He remembered tatters of the Kollaps itself, had a fleeting glimpse of himself panting and in flight, riots, gunfire, rubble. He remembered a bright blast, remembered awakening to find himself burned and naked as a newborn -- or perhaps even more naked, since all the hair had been singed from his body or had simply fallen out. He remembered feeling amazed to be alive, but, well, he was alive, it was hard to question that, wasn't it?

And then what? People: he had found them, or they had found him, hard to say which. A few banded together, acting "rationally" instead of "like animals," as one of them must have put it, attempting to found a new society, attempting to start over.

Not having learned better, he thought grimly, the first time.

Was it all coming back to him? He wasn't sure. And how much of what was coming back was real?

What was his name again?

I have Christmas books to read and hmm... not in the mood to read those yet. (grin) Let's see if my reading mood changes soon!

TBR Review: On Thin Ice (Ice #6) by Anne Stuart

On Thin Ice by Anne Stuart

Elizabeth Pennington has come to the war-torn South American country of Callivera to volunteer at a tiny mission. Kidnapped by the local rebels who are more interested in ransom than politics, she ends up at their camp in the Andes where she meets Finn MacGowan, member of the infamous Committee, a covert organization dedicated to destroying terrorism. MacGowan has been held hostage for almost three years, and he's chosen the night she arrives as the night he plans to escape. When he does, she follows him, heading down the steep mountainous terrain with another hostage, the teenage son of a Hollywood millionaire. Rebels, soldiers, traitors and near-drowning follows them on their journey. As they travel from the mountain fortress to a transatlantic freighter, an old cafe in Spain ending in a shootout at a farmhouse in France, MacGowan reluctantly falls in love, and Beth learns that the cynical, dangerous soldier-of-fortune might be worth saving after all.

I first read Black Ice (Ice #1) for the TBR Challenge this month, but having had some pretty mixed feelings about that book decided to read and review another book by Anne Stuart that I had waiting in my Kindle, the last book of the same series, On Thin Ice (Ice #6). It was a great move on my part. On Thin Ice has all the elements that I really enjoyed about Black Ice, the thriller non-stop action with a male character who has all the skills to survive in a dangerous environment, and a plot full of violent danger and twists and turns, where the differences between the villains and good guys are not always clear to the reader. However what's different in On Thin Ice is the romance and the fact that the male and female protagonists turn out to be likable, and our female character doesn't immediately fall for the "hero," although of course she does fall for him.

Both Finn MacGowan and Elizabeth Pennington have been kidnapped by the Guiding Light in the fictionalized South American country of Callivera. Elizabeth arrives on the camp, where MacGowan has been held for three years, and that same night they escape along with sixteen year-old Dylan and another captive. Once they're on the run the action doesn't really stop until the end of the story as they are pursued by the members of the Guiding Light through the mountains, and later on by CIA agents. MacGowan is running towards revenge against anti-terrorist organization members of the Committee whom he believes let him rot as a captive for three years, and Elizabeth rightfully believes she can only survive by sticking with him.

Throughout the dangerous escape, Finn and Beth develop and maintain a dialog that is both entertaining and sexy. Finn wants Beth, at first because he spent three whole years without a woman (this becomes an ongoing joke between them), and slowly because he truly falls in love with her, but Finn's failed Irish charm and the way he goes about turning Beth around to his way of thinking is the best part of their romance. I love Finn's character and the fact that he is ruthless but caring and tender with Beth, and that he uses his ruthlessness to fight his own needs in order to protect Beth from himself.

On the other hand, Beth hates sex and doesn't understand why she's attracted to cynical Finn, a man who kills for a living, and convinces herself that her conflicting emotions surfaced as a result of Finn saving her life more than once. Beth is rather stubborn and frustratingly straight at times, but I like that she gives as good as she gets from Finn, and that she doesn't roll over for him or is intimidated just because she is dependent on him for survival.

Characters from other Ice novels make appearances as secondary characters. Peter Madsen plays a big role, while others play small roles. This is the last of the Ice novels, so it serves as sort of an epilogue novel with babies and happy ever afters for some of the Committee agents, but they don't take page time away from the main couple. The climactic scene is actually anticlimactic and not as good as the action that takes place up to that point in the novel, and the romance between Finn and Beth ends with a really good line that is "very much Finn," but it is a rather abrupt ending for my taste.

These two novels, Black Ice and On Thin Ice, are my first reads by Anne Stuart. Black Ice is super exciting when it comes to the thrilling action, but for me the "romance" is questionable and did not work. However, I'm glad that I read it first and picked up On Thin Ice which turned out to be a well balanced thrilling romance suspense with likable central characters. I will probably give some of the other Ice novels a try to see if they work for me.

Theme: PNR/Romantic Suspense
October

Category: Romance Suspense/Thriller
Series: Ice Series
Release Date: September 15, 2011
Grade: B

Visit Anne Stuart here.

Series:
Black Ice, #1
Cold as Ice, #2
Ice Blue, #3
Ice Storm, #4
Fire and Ice, #5
On Thin Ice, #6

2012 Halloween Reads: Steampunk/PNR/LGBT Spec Fic/Horror

October means Halloween! So it is time vampires, zombies, evil-doers, the strange and the weird to give us chills and thrills. For the past month I've been in the mood for the chills, thrills and the strange, so I've been reading and accumulating recommendations for you -- both recent releases and back list books. Here are some of my favorite reads:

STEAMPUNK & PNR: (Click on titles to read reviews)

Riveted (Iron Seas #3) by Meljean Brook (Steampunk/Adventure/Romance)

If you like romance with great world building and amazing steampunk details that do not get in the way of the story, then Riveted is for you. This third book is the latest release in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series and it was a favorite for me because of the sweet romance between the main characters, as well as for all those great details I mentioned above. 

New Amsterdam Series by Elizabeth Bear (Fantasy/Mystery/Steampunk)

The New Amsterdam series by Elizabeth Bear is not a new release, as a matter of fact the first book was released in 2007 and the last in the trilogy in 2010. But this wonderful series with its excellent writing, vampire detective and a forensic female sorcerer as central characters, alternate world, unique format, and subtle steampunk details is worth reading. My favorite two pieces of the trilogy were New Amsterdam and The White City, but believe me... Seven For A Secret is no slouch either. A moody, atmospheric and different kind of mystery solving read. 

Hearts of Darkness: A Deadglass Novel by Kira Brady (Paranormal Romance) 

Of the paranormal romances I've read recently, Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady is the darkest one, and the one I recommend be read during this time of the year. It has vampires, dragons, werewolves and other pretty unique beings, but I think what I loved the most about this novel was the way that Brady fused the dark, moody atmosphere usually found in an urban fantasy book with the romance found in PNR. There's a combination of dark and light that I enjoyed about this book, so yes... I recommend it.

LGBT SPECULATIVE FICTION & HORROR:(Click on titles to read reviews)

Green Thumb by Tom Cardamone (Queer Speculative Fiction) 

When it comes to speculative fiction if you're going to read one book this year, I recommend that you pick up Tom Cardamone's Green Thumb. If you are a spec fic fan, you'll appreciate the amazing characters, the atmosphere and worldbuilding, and most of all the creative twists and turns Cardamone uses to take this story from beautiful beginning to amazing end. 

Wilde Stories 2012: The Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman (Gay Speculative Fiction

I recommended last year's edition Wilde Stories 2011 because I loved it. This year's edition is also recommended. There are excellent speculative fiction stories and wonderful variety in this anthology with themes to please tastes all around. It's filled with quality stories and excellent writers. Some of my favorite LGBT writers are included, but there are new great writers in there whose stories are not to be missed.

Torn by Lee Thomas (Horror/Speculative Fiction)

I read a few straight up horror books, but of those only one had all the ingredients that worked for me, Torn by Lee Thomas. This novella was relentless in action, kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and gave me all the chills and thrills that I expect from horror. Lee Thomas' skills are in full display in this novella and I highly recommend it to horror fans.

I didn't list any romance suspense reads or straight mysteries in this list. I just read a wonderful book from my TBR that I really enjoyed, Anne Stuart's 2005 romantic suspense thriller, "Black Ice." Are there any books in those categories that you would recommend? What books have you read lately that you would recommend as a great Halloween/October read?  

Review: Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman

Wilde Stories 2012 Ed. Steve Berman
Cover Art: Ben Baldwin

Last year I loved the Wilde Stories 2011 anthology, so picking up Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman was a no brainer for me. In this year's edition, I again found excellent creative speculative fiction by favorite authors plus new-to-me authors whose works I'm going to explore in the future.

The anthology begins with an introduction by Berman where he nails exactly how I feel about reading a story/novel as opposed to watching the same (or similar) story on film. And don't get me wrong, I also love film.

Reading is such a different experience than watching film. More intimate. More revealing of the self. More secrets are told, as if the author stands just over your shoulder and bends down to whisper in your ear his tale rather than performing on a set several feet away. 

Following this introduction, Berman showcases fifteen very different stories that show the wide range and variety he discovered last year in gay speculative fiction. Personally, I think that variety is what I love and enjoy the most about reading speculative fiction. That and the fact that there's no placing most of these stories into a neat little box even when certain genres are used as a base in their construction.

I'll give you a few samples of the variety found in this anthology, even when stories seem to share similarities. There are two stories that really touched me, "Ashes in the Water by Joel Lane and Mat Joiner," and "Hoffman, Godzilla and Me by Richard Bowes." These tales are quite different in setting, mood, atmosphere and writing styles, yet pain and loss oozes out of the pages while that darkness and other worldliness that comes with a speculative fiction story is central to both. And while one story is edgier than the other, they both leave the reader in deep thought while chilled to the bone.

There are also fun tales such as "The Peacock by Ted Infinity and Nabil Hijazi," a science fiction based love story between a spambot program and a man that made me snort and laugh from beginning to wonderful over-the-top end, and Tom Cardamone's very short excellent Chinese mythology-based story, "The Cloud Dragon Ate Red Balloons," which surprisingly left me with a smile at the end. These two stories while very different are both excellent, quite creative, and fun!

Of course a speculative fiction anthology would not be complete without the all popular horror-based tale, and this year Berman features great stories I enjoyed, his own creepy contribution "All Smiles," featuring young adults, is one of them. And while Steve Berman's story is full of dread and quick action followed by a hopeful ending, in "The House By The Park," Lee Thomas contrasts the bliss of a gay couple as they find love and lulls the reader with everyday life details while all along dark evil slowly hunts them. Both horror tales are nightmare worthy, but compare that horror to the magic found in Justin Torres' creative fable "Fairy Tale," Ellen Kushner's fantasy-based tale of swordsmen "The Duke of Riverside," or another favorite, "We Do Not Come In Peace by Christopher Barsak" where Peter Pan-like young men in a familiar Neverland-like setting battle the Fair Ones, and you get the idea as to the variety of stories included.

I enjoyed reading this anthology slowly, savoring each tale on its own. It is interesting to note that even as personal taste led me to find favorite stories, it is also easy to say that the quality of the stories and writers, gay themes, plus the variety found in Berman's Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction make this anthology an overall well-balanced, rock solid read.

Category: LGBT/Gay Speculative Fiction
Series: Wilde Stories Anthologies
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/July 11, 2012 - Print Ed.
Grade: B

Stories and authors included in order of appearance:
"The Arab's Prayer" by Alex Jeffers
"Fairy Tale" by Justin Torres
"Thou Earth, Thou" by K. M. Ferebee
"Hoffmann, Godzilla and Me" by Richard Bowes
"Color Zap!" by Sam Sommer
"All Smiles" by Steve Berman
"The Peacock" by Ted Infinity & Nabil Hijazi
"Ashes in the Water" by Joel Lane & Mat Joiner
"A Razor in an Apple" by Kristopher Reisz
"The Cloud Dragon Ate Red Balloons" by Tom Cardamone
"Filling Up the Void" by Richard E. Gropp
"The House by the Park" by Lee Thomas
"Pinion" by Stellan Thorne
"We Do Not Come in Peace" by Chris Barzak
"The Duke of Riverside" by Ellen Kushner

Review: If I Wait For You by Jane Goodger

If I Wait for You by Jane Goodger

Everyone in New Bedford, Massachusetts believes Sara Dawes murdered her own parents. A price is on her head and someone has tried to kill her—not for revenge but to keep her quiet. Fearing for her life, Sara begs the stern and too-handsome-for-his-own-good Captain West Mitchell to allow her to go with him when he leaves port. She wants only to be safe.

West Mitchell wants nothing to do with Sara, but when she nearly dies in his arms, he has no choice but to take her aboard his ship. He quickly realizes he’s made a terrible mistake. The girl he thought would be a hindrance is finding a way into his heart—a heart he’d already promised to another.

When West finally realizes he cannot live without Sara, it may already be too late…

I originally picked up If I Wait For You by Jane Goodger because the settings looked particularly interesting. Part of the story takes place in a whaling ship and the other in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and of course that made this historical romance different enough to draw me like a magnet.

Captain West Mitchell takes Sara Dawes aboard his ship as his make-believe wife after she almost dies in his arms. She's sister to his third mate and has been forced to flee New Bedford, Massachusetts after having been wrongly accused of murdering her parents and setting fire to their home. Since West is already engaged and an honorable man, he figures sharing his cabin with Sara won't be a hardship. That changes quickly when sharing close quarters and Sara’s beauty unexpectedly trigger dishonorable thoughts. In the meantime, Sara can't believe that she's sharing space with a man she has admired for years, but no matter all the day dreaming, she knows that he's only keeping her aboard his ship on sufferance, and that his heart will never belong to her. Or will it?

This is one of those romances that takes years to reach the happy ever after and a final resolution to all the different threads -- a whole three years. I love the sexual tension that Goodger uses to build up the relationship between Sara and West while they are on the whaling ship. Sara's relationship with the crew, the whaling details, and the adventures they all share are part of what makes this a wonderful read. Later, the story moves to New Bedford where we meet Sara again after she has become part of society, and where the mystery of her parent's murders are finally solved.

The romance and main characters did not quite win me over, though. There's a push and pull that, although great at the beginning, goes on for way too long. West and Sara both play a game where neither will admit to themselves, never mind to each other, that they love the other when it's plainly obvious that they do. West becomes frustrating during their shared voyage, while Sara is frustrating in the extreme once West returns to New Bedford and the two are reunited after a few years apart. During those years apart Sara supposedly grew up, unfortunately her actions rarely show maturity and she uses West's younger brother in a way that was tough to appreciate.

If I Wait For You by Jane Goodger is an enjoyable historical romance with an excellent setting. It also has that 'old style' historical atmosphere with wonderful details that I so enjoy (particular to this story: the whaling and seafaring life details), a sea voyage with a great crew as secondary characters, and excellent sexual tension that is used to build up intimacy between the protagonists. However, at times the main characters are not necessarily sympathetic and the plot devices utilized to drive the romance somewhat overdone, making this a mixed bag read for me.

As a side note, If I Wait For You is self-published, so expect a few of those pesky editing errors along the way. It is also the prequel to Jared's romance, *Gifts from the Sea, a backlist release by Goodger that is currently out of print. However, per the author, look for a release in ebook format in the future. Jared is West's older brother and one of the most intriguing secondary characters appearing in this book. I’m looking forward to reading his romance.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: None (related books)*
Publisher/Release Date: Self-published/July 26, 2011
Grade: B-

Visit Jane Goodger here.