Update + South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

Wow, it has been a whole week since I posted. Let's dust off my little blog.

I read up a storm during the month of April (25 books), but only reviewed one book. This is what happened. First, I basically spent every single minute of my spare time reading instead of blogging. Second, I joined Scribd two months ago and took advantage of my first free month and first month and decided to become a paid subscriber ($8.99 per month). Needless to say I went nuts reading backlist books and/or old releases, or complete series I've been wanting to get to. Hmm... in some cases, I already have the print books (some are on my Kindle too) but it just became a matter of choosing a more accessible format -- ebook or audiobook. Anyway, I continued with the self-indulgent binge reading that I began in March by reading what I want to read when I want to read it regardless of release date, genre, etc. The good news for me is that I am again reading, and enjoying, a little bit of everything! ROMANCE (Yay!), LGBT (Hurray!), Sci-Fi (Fireworks!), Fiction, and more…

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami (Naxos Audiobooks, narrated by Eric Loren)

I began the month by listening to the audio book South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami. This was my second audio experience, and my first in a long time. I enjoyed the narration and was able to get lost in the story without getting pulled out or bored by his voice. The plot is another matter as I did not find it exceedingly fascinating. My ongoing lack of excitement had much to do with Murakami's main characters, particularly the male character's passive inaction and the female protagonist's almost ghostly essence, or better yet Murakami's attempt to make her a mystery goes so far until, in my estimation, she becomes a non-entity and nothing more than a vehicle for the male character's ponderings.

Murakami's main character, Hajime, is a man who allows life to happen. Hajime is in an almost constant state of emotional stagnation for most of his life. He is seldom proactive, forward momentum is missing. Hajime is aware of the disconnect that occurs between his thought process and the lack of action that permeates his life. The man marries, has children, and becomes moderately successful because his father-in-law provides him with the means to do so. He seems content with his life, although there is a sort of awareness on his part, a certain resentment, but again what is there to do but go on and succeed as best he can?

Since Hajime is both emotionally stagnant and disconnected, the majority of his interpersonal and personal relationships lack intimacy. However, this man has also been obsessed (note that I did not say emotionally involved) with Shimamoto, a young girl with a lame foot, since he was a boy. At that point in his life Hajime felt a connection with her yet when his family moved away to a nearby neighborhood he allowed the friendship to die. He proceeds to obsess about this "perceived connection" with Shimamoto throughout long years, using it as a pretext to sabotage all other relationships but never seeking her out.

A reunion takes place between Hajime and Shimamoto when she shows up at his jazz club later on in his life. By that time he is married with children, however that doesn't stop him from lying to his wife and risking everything in order to grasp that old and longed-for perceived connection. Shimamoto has lived and is supposedly living some sort of complicated life that the reader never gets a handle on, and first becomes too overtly coy and mysterious about her life, while later turning into the sort of foggy Japanese female whose essence as a character is rooted in unknown tragedy.

Overall, I found South of the Border, West of the Sun to be a highly atmospheric story, moody, with lots of rain, inner philosophical monologues about life and the complexities of human connections. This passive journey of a man without a true destination has some beautiful passages with music that becomes part of the atmosphere: classical, jazz, and old standard titles that can almost be heard on the background. For me, this was a taste of Murakami's work, but I will move on to read (or listen) to his better known works.

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Coming up next: My Patricia Briggs reading binge continued in April with the complete Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series.

Review ⎪Glitterwolf: A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self ed. Matt Cresswell

"Dear Me,
It is not easy to write this review. It took me longer than expected. The letters I read in this collection were deeply moving, and as consequence left me thinking too much about a 16 year old dreamer and the lifetimes lived since. Could I ever be brave enough to share myself, my truths, as intimately and bravely as these writers? I don't believe so. But they did. And, now, I can't stop thinking about their honesty, struggles, happiness, and sorrows." Hilcia

Glitterwolf: A Letter To My 16 Year Old Self edited by Matt Cresswell is a collection featuring 33 LGBT authors sending a letter to their sixteen year old selves. The core theme is Identity. The identity theme is strongly carried throughout the collection by contributing authors identifying as gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, genderqueer, and one from a married gay man who remains in the closet to this day. The letters’ contents are as diverse as the writers’ identities and experiences.

"I know you're not like the other girls in your class, you never have been, you never will be. That's okay though, it really is, you can live in that in-between world quite happily where you're female but you're not a girl. Not girlie. You don't need to be.

It doesn't matter. None of it. None of the little boxes you're so desperately trying to fit yourself into matter. Not now, not later." Rhian Williams

The collection is 78 pages and the majority of the letters are one to two pages long. Length, however, does not preclude this collection from making a high impact on the reader. All the letters are personal and deeply moving.

"Days that feel dark, days that seem neverendingly hopeless, do end. The sun does rise, whether or not you want it to (and there are days you want both). Accept joy. Accept love. Accept the messiness of existing. Embrace it all. You will never have the chance to do so again once it's gone. Breathe." Victoria Villasenor

The letters range from the optimistic and brilliantly defiant to sad and downright dark in content. There is no getting away from a shared sense of loneliness, isolation, subtle anger, and caring tenderness. There is also hope, whether the focus of that hope is centered on finding love or a successful career shifts with each individual.

I also found it fascinating that there is a secondary, underlying generational theme to this collection since the contributors' ages range from the early 20's to the 60's. The letters are written from the present to the writers’ past selves, and so age, hindsight, and experience must be taken into consideration. Unfortunately, place and society's fluctuating viewpoints are also a factor.

"It is so easy to be queer, where and when you are, or is it me? I don't even remember realizing I was different to my friends or deciding to keep it a secret. It was no problem." Nick Campbell

Campbell's experience seems to be in the minority. The majority of the letters show inner and outer struggles. Older generations and those growing up in small towns seem to have had a tougher time as teenagers struggling with identity issues. Gay poet C.S. Crown's letter is representative of his generation's experiences, however, it stands out for different reasons. Crown is 65 years old, married, and in the closet. This fascinating letter clearly, and without hesitation, outlines a lifetime of decisions.

"[…] the shadows from your closet will call out to you over and over again, and you will dream of the man-you-might-have-been. Look carefully at the shadows; I am one of them. Will you recognize me?" C. S. Crown

Ultimately, the strength of this excellent collection lies in the intimacy with which the contributing writers, as individuals, share pivotal moments while in their journey to embracing identity -- going from the uncertain questioning of the 16 year old, to the knowing, accepting, “Me.” Highly recommended.

"When you are my age, even earlier, you'll find that your name would stand for something that you no longer identify with, your identity as a boy. You are probably saying right now "What are you talking about?" Hello, I was you. I know about how much you felt since you were 5 that you should've been born a girl." Paulina Angel

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Glitterwolf: A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self edited by Matt Cresswell is out now available via all Amazon marketplaces. It has been released on its own, or can also be purchased as part of Issue Eight of Glitterwolf. The Attic Press Website: www. glitterwolf.com

March 2015 Recap: Books + Favorites

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

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

Favorite Reads of the Month:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TBR Review⎪Patricia Briggs: Overview Alpha & Omega

This overview of Patricia Brigg's Alpha & Omega series was originally written as my March 2015 TBR Challenge post. It was ready, however, my computer was down and I was not able to post it. I did not want to waste it, so I'm cheating and posting it as my March/April contribution! Included in my overview you will find two rereads, two TBR reads, and one new release.

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NOTE: Take into consideration that I came to Briggs' world from a fresh perspective, not having read the Mercy Thompson books.

I reread the introductory novella Alpha & Omega, and again was taken aback by Anna's violent introduction to her life as a werewolf. The sexual and physical abuse were a turn off to me when I first read it and that did not change the second time around. Additionally, the quick, 10 minute bonding between Charles and Anna's wolves was predictable. The fact that at the end Anna, after having been physically and sexually abused for years, went away with a stranger to a strange place in a matter of days, was a huge turn off for me. Wolf non-standing, her human self should have had more reservations. Those were still my thoughts after rereading the initial novella.

I also reread Cry Wolf. This is where my feelings about the Alpha & Omega series began to change. The book is a thriller in disguise. It's violent with action and a great mystery. But what stands out for me is that this is where Anna begins the process of discovering who she is as an Omega wolf, and learns what she can do. Additionally, although Briggs threw Charles and Anna together in that first novella, their relationship slows down so that Anna as human and wolf can take the time to heal. Charles as Anna's mate is the key to her healing, not necessarily because of the wolf bond, although that is a factor, but because Charles is also a patient and understanding man striving to make her whole again. Charles is a fantastic character -- fascinating in how divided and yet whole he is as man and wolf, lover and killer.

For me, those two sides of Charles really come to the forefront in Hunting Ground, #2 and culminate in Fair Game, #3. Hunting Ground focuses more on Anna's growing abilities and confidence as an Omega wolf, but Charles' duality, his conflict as the Marrock's executioner, is also present. I love Hunting Ground for the excellent introduction (as a new reader to Brigg's world building) to magicks and new characters, the other packs and of course more of Bran, the Marrock who rules the Alphas and the werewolf packs in the U.S. After reading Cry Wolf, I already knew that witches and black magic were part of Briggs' world, but I was surprised to meet vampires and the fae in this story. I particularly enjoyed the Arturian references in the thriller/mystery story arc, which by the way was rife with action, danger, and turned out to be a great mystery to the end.

But really, the fae and Bran really come to life in my favorite book of this series thus far (the one I LOVED) Fair Game! Wow! This book not only focuses on Charles' duality by showing his intimate struggles with his role as the pack's executioner, but it also brings the fae to light with a bang. In this fantastic urban fantasy thriller, Charles and Anna work closely with four agents from government agencies -- FBI, Homeland Security -- as well as two men from a shifter/other hate group to find a serial killer who has been kidnapping and murdering weaker half-breed fae. I also realized while reading this book that Bran is not only ruthless, but also a sad and loving creature. I'm really curious about this complex character and hope his story is told at some point. Fair Game is a well-rounded urban fantasy installment with the romance taking a step forward, as Anna takes the lead when Charles falters -- that is a lovely turn of events. And, it has a fantastic finish! Dramatic, unexpected, and just. . . yes, I loved this book.

Of course after finishing Fair Game, I immediately purchased and read the latest release Dead Heat. I liked it. In this book we see a relaxed Charles and a more confident Anna. A loving couple whose bond is in place. Dead Heat also has a good mystery to solve, one that involves children and the fae. However, the reader also gets an important part of Charles's past here as he and Anna travel to Arizona and meet his old friends at a horse ranch. I have to admit that although I enjoyed the scenes of Charles and Anna at this horse ranch, there are way too many of those scenes to be had. One of my favorite things about this book, however, is that I found out how werewolves are made! Gruesome, but key to Brigg's world building in my opinion. As far as the mystery goes, I figured out who the villain was early in the game (immediately), so although the chase was great, as well as heartbreaking at times, the climax was just okay for me. My favorite aspect of this book has to be how Brigg's shows her main characters' growth -- Anna's kick-ass confidence as mate and Omega wolf, and Charles' friendly and more vulnerable side with other characters beside Anna.

Conclusion: So yes, I'm hooked on this series. I love the world-building, the characters, and the thrilling, action-packed mysteries. However, going from that first novella where I was so turned off by the violence perpetrated against Anna and ending with Dead Heat, what I like the most about this series is how well Briggs deals with Anna's psychological healing. Briggs doesn't use the "love/sex heals all" device with Anna, instead it is a slow and steady process. Anna may never conquer all her fears even with Charles at her side, they both know this, but she is healing and growing. I love that.

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Throughout all these years, I read detailed reviews for the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series because I never planned to read the books, so I knew that there was a triangle. When this series was first released I did not read UF, and hurtful, angsty triangles do not appeal to me. HOWEVER, after reading the Alpha & Omega series, I wanted to know more about the world-building and some of the characters mentioned, in particular Charles' brother Sam and their father Bran. So, after all these years I went ahead and read Moon Called. And guess what? I just finished Bone Crossed, Book #4 and am going on to read the rest of the series.

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose is a fast paced romance suspense/thriller with almost non-stop action and a classic psychopath serial killer -- ruthless, cold, unbalanced -- at the center of the suspense plot. By using the killer's point of view during key segments of the story, Rose allows the reader to experience his focus on Dr. Faith Fry, the main character of the novel, as well as the horrible physical and psychological violence his victims suffer. This twisted, violent point of view, although extreme at times, built up tension and kept me on edge until the end.

The romance is secondary to the suspense. Rose, however, weaves it in along with all the non-stop action and violence that takes place. The love that grows between the intended victim, intelligent and gutsy Dr. Faith Fry, and FBI agent Deacon Novak develops at the same breakneck speed as the action and short timeline that Rose utilizes to hunt the killer.

Deacon is physically different. Going by Rose's descriptions of him, Deacon could have become a caricature. Instead,intelligent and with vulnerabilities, a family and a need to love and be loved, Deacon is much more. Both he and Faith are lonely at heart and click almost instantly. Although the timeline for this romance is short, Rose takes the time to integrate family histories and backstories for both main characters. Danger and adrenaline helps this couple bond quickly, turning deep attraction into more.

Many viable suspects are introduced and kept me going back and forth trying to guess the identity of the villain. However, there is lack of good follow-up throughout the investigation that I found slightly frustrating, and much running around going on. The thriller sections could have been tighter, however I found Closer Than You Think a great read. The story is violent, mildly sexual, with more sexual tension than graphic scenes, it shows loving as well as dysfunctional family ties, and some intriguing secondary characters that I want to know better. Grade: B+

BOOK SUMMARY:

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day.

But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are.

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

NOTE: A big thanks to Leslie, from Leslie's Psyche, for recommending this book.

Update + Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James

I finally picked up my precious computer from the Apple store today! I've been so busy there was no time to get it. There wasn't much wrong with it, thank goodness, but it is now working like new. In the meantime I've been enjoying a few favorite movies -- The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies & The Lord of The Rings Trilogy -- and the A&E production of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth! And of course, I am waiting breathlessly for the second season of Outlander to begin.

I've also been catching up with some reading. I finished Dreamer's Pool by Juliette Marillier (upcoming review) and I picked up The Rake by Mary Jo Putney just to find out if the reread would help get me back on the historical romance horse. I am happy to report that it did!

I read Three Weeks with Lady X (Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #1) and Four Nights with the Duke (Desperate Duchesses #8) by Eloisa James consecutively and basically in one sitting each! That hasn't happened for me in a long while.

My reactions to Eloisa James' historical romances are usually mixed -- I either love them or they don't work for me. Once in a while, however, those feelings get all tangled up in one book. I love sections of a book while other sections don't quite work. That's what happened to me with Three Weeks with Lady X.

Let's see. I loved the first half of Three Weeks with Lady X where the relationship between the protagonists and background exploration begin. The Duke of Villiers' eldest bastard son Juby/Tobias, now calling himself Thorn, hires Lady Xenobia India St. Clair to refurbish and redecorate a newly purchased country estate to impress his intended bride's mother. During this first section of the book, it quickly becomes evident that Thorn is a vastly wealthy but crass man whose years as a mudlark had a deeper influence on his character than his later education among aristocrats. He is an extremely successful as well as an acutely intelligent businessman and inventor, but his ideal wife material is a young woman known throughout society as a 'simpleton,' a woman he chose for her sweet character and love of children.

India, our female protagonist, is far from 'sweet.' She is the orphaned daughter of a Marquees, left without a dowry when her parents died. India, however, didn't sit around waiting for a husband to save her from destitution, instead she earned her own dowry by reorganizing and redecorating households for the aristocracy. Additionally, although she has had multiple marriage proposals, India will not choose a husband or marry until she is ready.

Upon meeting, Thorn and India develop a type of prickly relationship that leads to heated and amusing exchanges, quickly evolving into the sort of friendship that includes physical contact. It concludes with India lying about her virginity and giving herself, without second thought, to Thorn in a heated, off-the-charts passionate sex scene.

(WARNING: some spoilers ahead)
Then. . . everything falls apart for a while. Let's keep in mind that when all of the above takes place Thorn is not yet engaged to his chosen intended. However, even after having had sex with India, he still plans to go through with the engagement to Lala. Thorn further complicates matters by inviting his best friend Vander, the future Duke of Pindar, as a possible match for India! India willingly goes along with all of this and even considers Vander as a future husband while falling in love and still banging Thorn. (End SPOILERS)

Of course after all of those WTF moments, a highly dramatic farce ensues. And it just so happens that I love a good farce by Eloisa James, so you can see where I'm going, right? Because of course this is a romance and after all is said and done, Thorn is not about to let India get away. Villiers is involved, (I adore Villiers) and there is begging as well as some fantastic over the top fun along with emotional scenes all the way to the end. Plus in the middle of everything, James inserts a ward for Thorn -- the orphaned, overly eloquent and sincerely out of whack six year-old Rose whose grammar and vocabulary are more advanced than India's or Thorn's. Rose & Thorn. It's not easy people.

So yes, Three Weeks with Lady X was a roller coaster read and in the end I gave it a C+ because despite those "what the heck are they doing?" moments, I really enjoyed the first and last sections of the book. This book is a sort of continuation by way of a spin off of the Desperate Duchesses series. I think of it as the "manly man" series since so far the males are big, rough around the edges men oozing testosterone.

This post turned out to be longer than expected, so I will post my impressions of Four Nights with the Duke separately. The romance between Vander, The Duke of Pindar, and Mia, daughter of his mother's lifetime lover. Yeah. . .

ETA: I'm out of my mind. It's Three Weeks with Lady X, not Three Days! Edited…

Ini-Minis: The Buried Giant, Snowed In + More

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

Unique way to explore Ishiguro's favorite theme: memory (the effects of long lost or skewed recollections). Unfortunately the fantasy setting utilized to explore this theme in The Buried Giant is not as effective as the historical setting in The Remains of the Day or the speculative setting in Never Let Me Go. A B- read because Ishiguro's excellent writing abilities cannot be denied.

Snowed In (Kentucky Comfort) by Sarah Title

Snowed In was the perfect contemporary romance novella to read during an early March snowfall in the Northeast US. This quick romance is both cute and amusing. I found it enjoyable, predictable moments and all. I loved Pippa -- the only secondary character making a real impact. I read this novella at the right moment and it was a B- read at the time. Expect insta-love, predictable moments with some very cute interactions. After a quick reread, downgraded to a C.

The Gentleman and the Lamplighter by Summer Devon

A good m/m romance with a grieving Lord and a lamplighter as main characters. This novella has likable characters with enough emotions and historical background to make it an enjoyable read. Unfortunately the page count becomes a detriment and toward the end the novella has that rushed, underdeveloped feel. Nevertheless, I would read another book by this author, so a C read.

Checking Out Love by R. Cooper

I can't say much more than this story is short, cute, and pretty much an average m/m romance. I won't reread it and it is not a keeper. A C read.

Pride Mates (Shifters Abound) by Jennifer Ashley

Great premise, disappointing execution. Not much more to say about this paranormal romance except that I remember having a few problems as the story moved along. This was a February read and as of now I have to say that it is extremely forgettable. A C- read for me.

Tempting Meredith (Lovers & Friends #3) by Samantha Ann King

Tempting Meredith is an erotic romance with a threesome as the core basis for the romance. This erotic romance did not work for me as I did not buy the relationship between the three people involved. While in college the female first participates in a disastrous threesome that leaves her emotionally scarred. One of the new men in her now adult life is one of those men from her first college experience. That did not make sense to me. Additionally, I found the sexual encounters between the three people involved emotionless, while the two men had some good chemistry going. That is not a good development for a threesome, so that brings this book down to a D grade.

NOTE: Titles are linked to book descriptions at Goodreads.

Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop is a multi layered installment that further explores expands, or fully brings to light already introduced conflicts while opening up new dangerous threads. Residents of the Lakeside Courtyard and their human friends continue to be the main focus as they are pulled into all of these conflicts which include but are not limited to: the manipulation of humans by humans through the hidden or not so hidden agenda of the Humans First and Last Organization; consequences brought about when a group of cassandra sangue were released by the Others and brought their plight to the public’s attention; further exploration of human / Others relationships, and tentative, but effective, exposure to the terra indigene or earth natives from the wild country.

Bishop expands the world-building and kicks forward the overall storyarc by utilizing the already established characters. For example, instead of introducing a myriad of extraneous characters to establish the terrors that the newly freed cassandra sangue suffer, Bishop introduces one new cassandra sangue to the mix and heavily utilizes Meg's character as a general example of what all they girls are experiencing. Bishop achieves this by having Meg regress to a similar level of distress as she becomes overwhelmed by stimuli and loses control of the cutting urges.

Meg’s distress is an effective tool as far as the overall storyarc is concerned. However, as a central participant to everything that is going on in this story, Meg becomes more of a distraction than an asset to the Others. For the first half of the book her character disappointingly regresses to that overprotected needy role I believed she was slowly shedding on Murder of Crows, Book 2. Bishop’s Meg is an interesting and different kind of female protagonist though. She is not part of the action or fights battles, and could easily be dismissed as a sweet seer who has caught the male protagonist’s eye and makes everyone around her feel protective.

Meg's character, however, is central to this series. She has served as a catalyst to all the events occurring. The best example is how Simon and the Others at the Lakeside Courtyard slowly began to view humans as more than meat and has grown so that this viewpoint has extended outside Lakeside to other Courtyards. Furthermore, Simon's view of humans has evolved enough that some of those humans are now under the Others’ protection. This evolution in Simon's views, limited as they are toward certain humans, has not only served to open the Others’ eyes as to what is happening in the human world-at-large, but has also attracted the attention of the terra indigene or earth natives residing in the wild country, terrifying and mysterious breed just beginning to make themselves felt. Everything is connected.

In addition to Meg and Simon, Bishop also utilizes Lieutenant Montgomery of the Lakeside Police Department to further the overall storyarc by intrinsically integrating his personal life to a key section in this book. Strong contributions by secondary characters are a given, as Bishop closes some threads in this installment while expanding and opening others. Expect power plays as well as power issues -- some expected and others surprising to say the least.

The personal relationship between Simon and Meg moves forward in slow motion. The friendship has deepened to a point where they seem to be more of an oblivious couple. Meg and Simon admire and are fiercely protective of each other. However, while they have become jealous or territorial of their alone-time and accept the need to be together, there is a sense that the reality of romance has not fully entered their minds. Would a real romance with a human be acceptable to the Others? I am simply not sure how a romantic relationship would work between Simon and Meg. I am not sure that Bishop will take their relationship that far, although I am fervently hoping that she will do just that because this is the cutest couple I’ve come across in a long while -- Simon's wolfy / doggy reactions to Meg are too adorable for words.

Vision in Silver has action, a couple of mysteries, those fun and joyously adorable moments I love, a big build-up and a quiet resolution with a narrated climax that came as a bit of a disappointment. I do, however, appreciate how brilliantly Bishop ties things together to effectively and almost effortlessly further the overall storyarc. This is a great installment and a must read for fans of this excellent series. Grade: B+

The Others Series:
Written in Red, Book #1
Murder of Crows, Book #2
Vision in Silver, Book #3

February 2015 Recap: Books + Favorites

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

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

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

Favorite Read of the Month:

The Devil in America by Kai Ashante Wilson: A-

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