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)

• If I Wait For You by Jane Goodger: B-
• The Gin Lovers #1 by Jamie Brenner: B-
• Little White Lies: The Gin Lovers #2 by Jamie Brenner: B+
• Society Sinners: The Gin Lovers #3 by Jamie Brenner
• Vice and Virtue: The Gin Lovers #4 by Jamie Brenner
• Dangerous Games: The Gin Lovers #5 by Jamie Brenner
• Hell Hath No Fury: The Gin Lovers #6 by Jamie Brenner
• Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction ed. by Steve Berman: B
• The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan: B
• Black Ice (Ice #1) by Anne Stuart: C-
• On Thin Ice (Ice #6) by Anne Stuart: B
• Immobility by Brian Evenson: B+
• Old Poison (Dangerous Ground #2 by Josh Lanyon: B
• Everything Changes (Alex Kennedy #1.5) by Megan Hart: C-
• Pressure Head by J. L. Merrow: C
• All Roads Lead to You by Harper Fox: D+
• Heart Trouble by Josh Lanyon: D+
• Perfect Day by Josh Lanyon C-
• The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinez: B
• My Scandalous Viscount (Inferno Club #5) by Gaelen Foley: C+
• Born In Trilogy (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame) by Nora Roberts (Re-read): A-
• Occultation and Other Stories by Laird Baron: B+
• The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron: B+

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?

Minis: Romance Suspense, Erotic Romance, M/M Romance

Here are my reactions to some of the books I read in October in my favorite short, quick mini-impressions format. They are featured in order of books read, and as you'll see below my grades fluctuate from a solid B to D+'s for these seven reads. Genres included are romance suspense, erotic romance, m/m romance and m/m romance suspense.

Black Ice (Ice #1) by Anne Stuart: What happened between this book and me? Well, I loved the suspense/thriller aspect of the book but didn't enjoy the romance. Why? Well I question whether there's consent from the heroine during the first sexual encounter. The hero is overwhelmingly cold and for most of the story is thinking how or when he will or might kill the heroine. Not very romantic. Stuart's heroine mentions and dismisses Stockholm syndrome as a reason for her feelings throughout the story, however that's the only way I see this woman falling in love with this man. The fact that she's a bit on the clueless side and her judgment seems to be impaired so that her actions magnify the danger do not help. This suspense/thriller romance would have worked really well for me without the romance though. If this couple had walked away from each other at the end, I would have been better satisfied because in my opinion Stuart can write some exciting, thrilling suspense and action scenes. Grade: C-

Old Poison (Dangerous Ground #2) by Josh Lanyon: I enjoyed the second book in the Dangerous Ground series by Josh Lanyon more than the first book! It has one of the best "happy birthday" bedroom scenes I've read in any book. *g* There's a good mixture of romantic and erotic scenes, as well as suspense and action. There are a few incidental details that I found out of place, but overall Old Poison is a solid, enjoyable gay romance/mystery suspense. As a result of liking this one, I will definitely read the next book of this series.  Grade B

Everything Changes (Alex Kennedy 1.5) by Megan Hart: A look at events that happened in Hart's Tempted from Alex's point of view. Written in broad strokes without much detail and very little emotion, this short piece didn't do much for me personally except to reiterate my initial thoughts about Jamie and Anne as two self-centered people who use and hurt Alex to please themselves. This is a sad story that I did not find erotic, nor does it showcase Hart's talent for rendering detail.  Note that the cover featuring two males is extremely misleading. I cannot recommend this novella as a standalone read, nor to first-time readers of Hart's works. However, I would say that this book is a "must" read for fans of the narrator, Alex, and the book Tempted. Grade: C-

Pressure Head by J. L. Merrow: I liked this romance between a man with psychic abilities and the bully who made his life a misery in high school. Merrow has a flair for featuring characters who are very different from each other and selling a happy ending, but this romance did not quite convince me in the end -- too much unresolved anger on both sides and not enough time to resolve all the issues to make this relationship work, made the happy ending questionable for me. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery the main characters solve together. An average read by this talented author. Grade: C

All Roads Lead To You by Harper Fox: I do enjoy a good gay romance by Harper Fox, unfortunately this was not it. Set in Italy, in my opinion this story about a model-turned-rent boy and his first love-turned-mafia boss tried too hard. It had a pretty unbelievable plot line with too many different conflicts going on at the same time and little room for development due to the short format. A good premise never realized. Grade D+

Heart Trouble Josh Lanyon: I love Josh Lanyon, but for me Heart Trouble turned out to be a surprisingly incomplete, outdated, and underdeveloped short story (very short), lacking in both detail and real emotion or connection between the two main characters. There is no happy ever after (which I don't usually mind), instead the story ends with the beginning of what might be a relationship. Why? I don't know. I didn't really understand when these two men 'clicked' with each other. A solid writer, Lanyon doesn't usually receive low grades from me, unfortunately I can't really recommend this story. Grade: D+

Perfect Day Josh Lanyon: Perfect Day is another very short story by Lanyon. This romance features the breakup between a man in love with a lover who lost his partner and is still grieving. In this short story, Lanyon successfully establishes an emotional connection between reader and narrator, but unfortunately there is an unlikely happy ending brought about or influenced by rather contrived circumstances. Grade: C-

That's the end to my minis, hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Question: I love writing mini-impressions or mini-reviews. Do you enjoy reading mini-reviews? Or do you prefer the long, extended version of reviews with all the details and spoilers? 

This n' That: Catching Up + Nora Roberts, Laura Lee Guhrke

Has it been almost a week since I last posted? It has! There is so much going on. Post-Sandy, I'm back at work but our offices are not 100% yet. My boss lost her home and much more than that, so she's gone for now. Additionally, New Jersey's Courts in the north of the State are still closed or just now beginning to open -- at this point I'm basically catching up on a little paperwork and getting ready for the avalanche of work once everything reopens.

But there are other reasons! On the bright side, our family welcomed a new addition, my middle brother's third daughter. Natalia A. J. arrived on November 3rd and weighed 8.5 lbs. She arrived just in time to bring happiness and much needed brightness to all of us! I'm a tia again!

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Born In Trilogy

What about reading? Well, during the hurricane I was unable to read new books, so I picked up an old favorite comfort re-read, the Born In Trilogy (1994 to 1996) by Nora Roberts (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame). Why do I love this trilogy? Well, Roberts has a way with her depiction of those small little rural places in Ireland. In this case it's County Clare with its farming land, the village, pub, and all the requisite places: castle ruins, cliffs, and the sea. But of course Roberts' characters, from the protagonists to the villagers, are the main attraction. There is spitfire Maggie and her jackeen Rogan, cool-as-a-cucumber Brie and her charming Yank Grayson, and of course beautiful-oh-my-god-I-have-a-crush-on-him Murphy Muldoon and clueless-somebody-smack-her Shannon. I've read and re-read this trilogy countless times and know these books like the back of my hand. I still love them!

My favorite hands down? Although Born in Fire IS fiery and Born in Shame has my favorite Irish hunk Murphy Muldoon as its hero, for me Born in Ice is the most romantic of the three books and the one I read slowwwly this time around. It took me forever to finish it because I wanted to savor every word. Have you read this trilogy by Nora Roberts? It's a classic and it is still my #1 favorite trilogy by this author.

Conor's Way

I also read Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke. I loved, loved this historical romance! Truthfully? I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I looked at this book critically (as a reviewer), and if you review books, you know there are always flaws to find or nit picking to do. But, sigh... as a reader, there just was not one aspect of this book that I did not enjoy! From Conor and Olivia as our main romantic couple, to Olivia's three little girls who play their roles as secondary characters to perfection, the characters are fantastic. I love the mixed setting -- the small town in post-revolutionary American South in the present, and a famine-plagued/post-famine Ireland full of revolutionary Fenians in Conor's past. This was an emotionally wrenching story with a tortured hero, but it was also sweet, sweet, sweet, with a great strong spinster heroine and three little girls that will win your heart. Lovely!

This week I also picked up and finished Velvet by Xavier Axelson. A gay historical romance, this is Axelson's first full-length novel. I will be reviewing it soon.

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Last, but not least, today is National Election Day in the U.S., it comes every four years and doesn't take too much of our personal time. So, please don't forget to vote!

2012: Xtra Scary Recs + Upcoming Holiday Reads

It's Halloween. For those of you celebrating the day, have a Happy Halloween! I've been reading many a scary book (or short story) these past few months. You can even read my recommendations post here where I chose some of my favorite books. The following three books are the last of my Halloween recommendations and I'm done for the year.

• The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer released on May 8, 2012. I purchased this huge piece for my collection and have been reading stories here and there and believe me, it's no easy task to finish this book! I haven't finished it yet and am taking my time. There are 110 amazing stories, plus the introduction by VanderMeer alone is worth buying this collection. From Lovecraft to Borges, and from Mieville to Murakabi and Gaiman, there is no waste to this book.

• Occultation and Other Stories by Laird Barron. This collection features the following short stories: The Forest, Occultation, The Lagerstatte, Mysterium Tremendum (original to this collection), Catch Hell, Strappado, and The Broadsword. If you like horror, read this collection! It is definitely on my list of favorite books read this year/ released in a previous year (May 2011).

• The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron is a novella that includes everything I expected to find in Barron's full-length novel The Croning, and sadly did not. This novella was released September 2012 by DarkFuse and it is worth reading. Here is the very short description: A man searches for his missing sister, while taking part in brutal modern-day gladiator fights and encountering cosmic horror on a grand scale. No kidding! Creative cosmic horror, grand scale, creepy, and all of it offered in a concise, bare bones writing style.

Now, I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas reads! Here are some of the books I already have in my TBR to read and review:

From Kensington Books here are four titles and book descriptions:

• Together For Christmas by Lisa Plumley (Zebra - Contemporary Romance): In a hilarious and heartwarming novel from USA Today bestselling author Lisa Plumley, a down-home diner owner meets a sexy Scrooge—but will it be a match made in holiday heaven?

• The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler (Zebra - Contemporary Romance): Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankrupted the family farm. Then her all-hat-no-cattle boyfriend sold her out on national television, ending her promising career as a chef. Now she and her squabbling sisters have partnered up in a final attempt to save their land by starting an inn and local restaurant. So it figures that with everything on the line, Amy’s key supplier is just the kind of Stetson-tipping heartbreaking bad boy she’s sworn to avoid. But Kellan Reed has a few secrets of his own–and cowboy or not, Amy can’t resist this kind of wild ride…

• His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly (Zebra - Historical Romance): When Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his rules—and surprising him in and out of bed. Phoebe has no intention of bowing to Lucas’ stubbornness, even though he offers all that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…

• Season For Surrender by Theresa Romain (Zebra - Historical Romance): Alexander Edgeware, Lord Xavier, has quite a reputation—for daring, wagering, and wickedness in all its delightful forms. But the wager before him is hardly his preferred sport: Xavier must persuade a proper young lady to attend his famously naughty Christmas house party—and stay the full, ruinous two weeks. Worse, the lady is Louisa Oliver, a doe-eyed bookworm Xavier finds quite charming. Yet to refuse the challenge is impossible—he will simply have to appoint himself Miss Oliver’s protector… Louisa knows her chance for a husband has passed. But she has no desire to retire into spinsterhood without enjoying a few grand adventures first. When Lord Xavier’s invitation arrives, Louisa is more intrigued than insulted. And once inside the rogues’ gallery, she just may have a thing or two to teach her gentlemen friends about daring…

The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler and His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly look extra good to me! I think this is a good start, but I do have a few other Christmas books in my list and a couple of Americana historical romances that I want to read for Thanksgiving. How about you? Any holiday books you're looking forward to reading? 

Post Sandy...

Hey there! First, thanks to those who checked to make sure my family and I were okay through the craziness that was Sandy!

It was an incredible storm, and thankfully we are all safe and quite lucky! My husband and I rode it out at home and except for a few small instances when the lights blinked off and on, didn't lose power throughout the whole experience. The scariest moments came from the winds buffeting our building from three sides and feeling as if the couch was being pushed through the living room wall.

Binghamton Ferry Restaurant

Frankly we were more concerned about our family members than ourselves. My sister in law who is due to have a baby any minute, and didn't have but one contraction, thankfully! My husband and daughter work by the Hudson River and had to go to work in the middle of that madness, in and out of a flood zone, so I was a bit of a wreck for a while... but all was well. That picture I'm including is a historical ferry/restaurant right down the street from where one of my brothers lives in Edgewater, NJ. Do you see a parking lot anywhere? One of my nieces is still stuck with her boyfriend in Hoboken where the streets are flooded, but thankfully she's also safe.

Lives, homes, and livelihoods have been lost up and down the East Coast, so we are some of the lucky ones.  My thoughts are with those who have lost so much!

Review: My Scandalous Viscount (The Inferno Club, #5) by Gaelen Foley

Sunday, October 28, 2012 -- We are waiting for Sandy! The freak hurricane/nor'easter/whatever that's supposed to hit the East Coast tonight or tomorrow morning. We are already experiencing some mild wind gusts and the cloud cover over our area (NY metropolitan area) is a bit ominous. We're hoping for the best, of course, and preparing for the worst at this point. The worst section of the storm is supposed to hit New Jersey and come inland... but we'll wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for us.

My heart is with those people in the Caribbean (and particularly those in my country of birth, and the city where I grew up as a child) who have lost so much, including lives! My heart is breaking for you, and I cannot bare to watch images of the devastation...

Well... enough about Sandy! I will leave you with a review of a historical romance that I read this last week, an escapist read yes, but one I needed.
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My Scandalous Viscount (The Inferno Club, #5) by Gaelen Foley

My Scandalous Viscount

Sebastian, Viscount Beauchamp, lives by a code of honor, and now honor dictates he must marry Miss Carissa Portland. He has no regrets over stealing a kiss from the adorable little busybody--a fitting punishment for putting her delectable nose where it didn't belong. But now, caught in a compromising situation, he knows he must make her his bride. He's faced danger before--but nothing like this!

Carissa is not a gossip--she's a "lady of information." And all she was trying to do was warn the rakehell Beauchamp away from an irate husband. But even she can't flaunt Society, and while her head tells her that Beau's a notorious scoundrel, her heart--and her body--are captivated by his dangerous charm. But when Carissa next goes snooping, the secrets she uncovers about the Inferno Club may prove even more hazardous than falling in love with her own husband.

The beginning of this book describes Carissa perfectly:

Some people in this world (fools) were happy minding their own business.
Miss Carissa Portland wasn't one of them. 

Carissa is often thought of as a gossip, but really she is more of a snoop and snooping gets her in trouble from the beginning of this romance to the end. Beau, or Sebastian, Viscount Beauchamp, is a rakehell and a spy who belongs to the infamous Inferno Club, so to Carissa he is more than just a gorgeous hunk who she drools after, he is a magnet full of secrets that she must discover. Once she does, Beau easily blackmails her into a marriage they both of them want, and that's where the story really takes off.

Beau wants someone to trust, to be his partner in life, and going by the way he feels about the beautiful Carissa, she is the one. Unfortunately, she seems to be keeping secrets for him and fully trusting her becomes a matter of waiting until she comes clean. While Beau is trying to resolve a serious investigation being led by enemies of the Order who are trying to destroy chivalry and honor, worrying about fellow spies battling what's left of the evil Prometheans overseas, and searching for his troublesome best friend Nick, Carissa can't help but get involved. After all snooping and gathering information is her specialty! Beau wants his wife at home, not involved in dangerous spy business, but Beau can't seem to deny Carissa anything, that is until he discovers the extent of her secret and finally puts his foot down. But when things come to a head Carissa being Carissa will do whatever it takes to keep her Beau safe!

This is a cute romance I read in one sitting and for the most part found amusing. I particularly like how frustrated poor Beau becomes while trying to keep Carissa under control and making her behaving "as a wife should." Carissa's curiosity and penchant for getting her nose into other people's business is both funny and annoying. I guess that's because you can read about it and smile, but a real person like her? Not funny... ;P

The romance between Beau and Carissa is enjoyable. It isn't fraught with lots of conflict, instead it's sweet and passionate. Beau desires Carissa, however he is really loving and in love with her. He shows it from the beginning and particularly in his understanding of her situation. Carissa is crazy about Beau, but she keeps secrets from him and is not forthcoming when she should be, creating one of the conflicts between them.

As a romance, My Scandalous Viscount is enjoyable, with two likable protagonists and spy and political games that really help the story along. I enjoy those as well. Unfortunately, there's a distinct 'wallpapery' feel to this historical romance, plus modern-sounding phraseology that pulled me out of the story more than once; example: Beau telling Carissa "you are a piece of work." However, basically I placed that aside and decided to finish the book and enjoy it for what it is, a sweet, amusing romance.

Overall, My Scandalous Viscount by Gaelen Foley turned out to be an enjoyable, if somewhat average, read for me. It is amusing, sweet, and passionate, and I'm quite sure that fans of the Inferno Club series will enjoy it much more than I did.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: The Inferno Club
Publisher/Release Date: Avon/September 25, 2012
Grade: C+

Visit Gaelen Foley here.

Series:
My Wicked Marquess, #1
My Dangerous Duke, #2
My Irresistible Earl, #3
My Ruthless Prince, #4
My Scandalous Viscount, #5

Mini: Her Ladyship's Companion by Joanna Bourne

Her Ladyship's Companion

LOVE AND PERIL ON THE CLIFFS OF CORNWALL — Beautiful Melissa Rivenwood was leaving Mrs. Brody's Seminary for the Daughters of Gentlemen for a new life. But when she accepted the position as companion to the formidable Lady Dorothy, spirited Melissa could not have known that she would soon be caught up in a web of passion and intrigue at beautiful and remote Vinton Manor.

Giles Tarsin, her haughty employer, is maddeningly aloof--and irresistibly attractive. Darkly handsome Sir Adrian Hawkhurst admires her undisguisedly with, Melissa suspects, the most impure intentions. Harold Bosworth, a family connection, appears to be ever the gentleman. But why is seven-year-old Robbie, an orphan like Melissa and the future Earl of Keptford, so terrified? Before long, Melissa is struggling to unravel dark family secrets that will lead her suspicions to center on just one man...the one man she loves!

You might wonder why Her Ladyship's Companion is Spymaster #0? Well, that's because this book is actually where Hawk's character is introduced -- Sir Adrian Hawkhurst that adorable teenager and later awesome spy! In this story he is an adult, and of course he's an investigator and Giles Tarsin's friend, not the hero of the piece, but nevertheless a fascinating character.

Her Ladyship's Companion was written by Joanna Bourne and first published in 1983, and it was one of her early books. There is much to like about this historical, for example I enjoyed Bourne's prose and love how she sets the tone for the gothic atmosphere that permeates the whole story. The male characters, both Giles and Adrian, are early examples of Bourne's later characterization of Spymaster males, and of course there's a certain ruthlessness of character to some of the secondary characters (one female in particular) that did not come as a surprise at all.

The plot itself is not the greatest in my opinion. It is a Gothic historical and there's a certain level of predictability in how it is developed, plus lack of those fine details found in Bourne's later works. However, I do believe that some of my concerns about the story are mainly due to the female protagonist, Melissa Rivenwood. Melissa is sadly lacking in judgment and not necessarily the brightest bulb when it comes to deduction. She's impulsive and doesn't trust her instincts, so that when she makes mistakes they have dire consequences. The romance itself seems a bit unlikely if Melissa's doubts about Giles and her actions are taken into consideration.

All of the above makes for a slightly above average historical romance read. But was Her Ladyship's Companion worth reading? Absolutely. I enjoyed it regardless of its flaws. For me the best reason to read this book is that it is one of Joanna Bourne's early works and that it is the building block to what would later become her fantastic Spymaster series. I absolutely recommend it for fans of the series and this author.

NOTE: At Amazon, a new print copy of this book is going for $1,049.29! A used print copy for $26.52, and the ebook edition for $3.99.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Spymaster Series #0
Publisher/Release Date: Regency Reads/January 10, 2012 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: C+

Review: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan picks up right where The Son of Neptune leaves off, just as Jason, Piper, and Leo arrive at Camp Jupiter led by Annabeth to pick up Percy. Their mission is to convince the Roman demigods that in order to defeat the vengeful Earth Mother, Gaea they must complete the Prophecy of Seven by choosing two Roman demigods who will accompany them in their perilous journey to find the Doors of Death in Greece. But first they must stop in Rome where Nico has been taken prisoner by two giants and where Annabeth has her own quest to follow.

Unfortunately just as the two group of demigods are exchanging prophesies all hell breaks loose and our friends barely get away with their lives. On the bright side Hazel and Frank help and go along for the ride, completing the Greek/Roman team. But is Annabeth really one of the Seven? Another prophecy says that "the daughter of Athena shall walk alone." Time is of the essence, but with all the obstacles they encounter along the way --attacks by Gaea's minions, mini-quests presented by spoiled gods, battles with demi-gods and monsters -- our friends don't even know if they'll get to Rome on time to save Nico never mind to the Doors of Death.

In the The Mark of Athena, Riordan again uses the third point of view and divides the chapters by featuring the different characters' perspectives -- that's seven points of view in total! Each character stars in their own mini-adventure along with one or two of the others, so it gets pretty busy along the way. As in the previous two books of this series, action is relentless making this a quick and enjoyable read.

The purpose of these mini-adventures and the journey is to forge a bond between the Roman and Greek demigods. They must learn how to work together or all is lost. Along the way, each character's weakness is revealed as well as self-doubts. Riordan uses these weaknesses to showcase the characters' strengths, then uses those strengths in a group situation to build a cohesive team. Character growth is also evident as each character works through lack of confidence and learns to trust him/herself as well as the others throughout the journey.

As opposed to those light, fun moments with the quick give and take and the amusing dialog we have all enjoyed in the previous books, particularly from Percy and Leo, self-introspection and yes, some darkness prevails in this installment. As a result this journey, although action packed and enjoyable, lacks that fun atmosphere found in The Son of Neptune. All the characters seem to keep information and details to themselves and it takes a while for them to share and trust each other with facts and visions. Annabeth in particular keeps a lot to herself by necessity, yet her point of view is really a winner. The final resolution to her lonely, frightening quest is a brilliant one.

There are moments and characters that I love in this book: I love how Riordan portrays the division of the gods (Roman/Greek), and how that division affects them. Dionysus/Bacchus is absolutely wonderful in this installment. Pepsi? Really? That is precious! And, the two giants keeping Nico prisoner had me in stitches! Those are some of the light moments that really made this book worth it for me. Percy still has the touch when it comes to witty dialog and clever lines and Leo is second best, although in my opinion his sense of humor was a bit off this time.

The Mark of Athena is a solid addition to this series, and now that Jason, Percy, Piper, Hazel, Leo, and Frank have bonded, there should be less of that transitional feel to the next book and hopefully the adventures will flow with a bit more cohesiveness. I do have questions! Will someone finally love Leo? How will Percy use his powers if there's no water in Hades? Will Jason ever develop a sense of humor, or is his resemblance to Jupiter too strong to do so? Will Piper finally learn to appreciate her powers? Who does Hazel really like? Will Frank ever get his pants back? Is Nico one of the Seven and will we get his point of view in the next book? If Annabeth is part of the prophecy, then does that make it Eight?

This book ended at a crucial moment, and needless to say I can't wait for the next book. Do we really have to wait until next year?

Category: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Heroes of Olympus
Publisher/Release Date: Hyperion Book CH/October 2, 2012
Grade: B

Visit Rick Riordan here.

Series:
The Lost Hero, #1
The Son of Neptune, #2
The Mark of Athena, #3

. . . On Immobility by Brian Evenson

Immobility
by Brian Evenson

When you open your eyes things already seem to be happening without you. You don't know who you are and you don't remember where you've been. You know the world has changed, that a catastrophe has destroyed what used to exist before, but you can't remember exactly what did exist before. And you're paralyzed from the waist down apparently, but you don't remember that either.

A man claiming to be your friend tells you your services are required. Something crucial has been stolen, but what he tells you about it doesn't quite add up. You've got to get it back or something bad is going to happen. And you've got to get it back fast, so they can freeze you again before your own time runs out.

Before you know it, you're being carried through a ruined landscape on the backs of two men in hazard suits who don't seem anything like you at all, heading toward something you don't understand that may well end up being the death of you.

Welcome to the life of Josef Horkai….

This novel is divided into short chapters that make for a quick paced, great read. Brian Evenson takes the reader through the devastated aftermath of the Kollaps, or collapse, of civilization by way of a physical journey, a sort of road trip. For most of this journey the author keeps the main character in the dark, along with the reader, about truths and real events with little foreshadowing of what's to come until about three quarters of the story when things begin to gel.

The title "immobility" is representative of more than the fact that the main character is a paraplegic, it also refers to a sort of paralysis that invades him as he has to make choices when events move quickly around him. This paralysis is well translated to the reader. However, there is also a sort of unreal or dreamlike sense to some characters and situations that are introduced by Evenson that are never quite brought to reality for anyone.

Immobility by Brian Evenson is a bleak, stark, dark, post-apocalyptic science fiction book with an edge. It is full of pessimism about humanity, and philosophical and religious undertones specifically focused on manipulations by Mormon-like groups and individuals keeping their flock in the dark for purposes of survival or to maintain a way of life. There's a search for self, knowledge as a purpose, and a pessimistic ending: returning to the known and choosing to forget rather than dealing with reality. With some excellent writing and just the right tone, not too heavy and definitely not too light, this book was the perfect read for me at this time.

Category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher/Release Date: Tor Books/April 10, 2012 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B+

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