Chosen by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am so torn on this. There is a reason why all of my reviews look like I love everything. I just do not like giving negative reviews at all. Anything less than 5 feels negative to me. I will refrain from giving a synopsis of the book since that can be obtained from Amazon. I will say it is a fast read and I finished it in one day. I was eager to see what happened next in the Anna Strong story. There was a very strong start and the pace was pretty fast. But, midway through the book it felt like someone else picked up the story. It felt rushed. What should have been a very sad moment towards the end did not feel that way because everything felt rushed and as if I was missing part of the story. I am not sure what happened and I do not recall the previous books feeling like this. I am still interested in the story, just a little confused.



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The Osiris Ritual by George Mann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a good follow-up to The Affinity Bridge. There are some aspects that troubled me, not with the writing, but, with content. But, that is my own personal preference and I will not let it taint my comments about the book. The depth of the characters is extremely well done, though I would like to know more about Ms. Hobbes' parents. Each time you think there is a singularity to the motives of Newbury and Hobbes, and really every other character in the book, you find that there is duplicity everywhere. It is intriguing and I cannot wait to find out what happens now that more secrets have been revealed. I did not feel as much of the immersion into the Victorian era as I did in the first installment. Not that it was not there, just that it was overshadowed by the characters, their decisions and actions.



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The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It seems that I am on a roll and love all of the books that I have been reading lately. I liked The Affinity Bridge enough to go out and buy the next installment, The Osiris Ritual, with 20 pages left. I am typically not typically a reader of books that considered historical in the time frame. But, Gail Carriger has gotten me hooked on the Steampunk sub-genre of urban fantasy. George Mann has taken this genre and made it his own. Newbury and Hobbes, the key people in this series, are great. They each have their secrets, or so they believe. Queen Victoria is a force to be reckoned with in this series and I cannot wait to jump into this next one.



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Blameless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Gail Carriger's Alexia Tarabotti series NEVER disappoints. I absolutely loved this book. It was fresh, funny, and full of action and a great follow-up to Changeless. There was mystery, intrigue and enough catalysts to start me on my countdown to Heartless. The descriptions of the trek across different countries pre-automobile were great and exemplified how wonderfully the author does with "steampunk". I was never a historical book reader. But, I have fallen in love with this series. I even bought the audiobook of Soulless just to hear the voice interpretations with the accents. Character development was awesome and the surprises thrown in there just made this book even better.



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Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book filled a craving to read more about the Fae and Lee Carroll's interpretation of these supernaturals was great! I loved reading more about New York and The Cloisters and the descriptions of the different New York areas made Black Swan Rising an amazing Urban Fantasy adventure. I was quite worried by one of Garet's decisions and I had to stop and ask myself, is this really how the typical person would behave. When I decided that most likely it was, especially given her past experiences, I could move forward, wishing that we did not make such rash decisions, but, knowing that we do. I look forward to the next installment in this turbulent series.



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Afterlife by Merrie Destefano

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book and I am totally floored by it. It went beyond anything I could even imagine. It was urban fantasy based in a place I love to read about, New Orleans. But, this New Orleans is a futuristic one where life and death are completely turned on their ears. Where cats are not the only ones with nine lives, if you choose that path. (Not a spoiler because it is in the description on the back of the book. If fictionally questioning God's plan is offensive to the reader then this book may not be for you, unless you see it as just that, fiction. But, if you don't have to suspend belief in what is important to you to enjoy a book, then this book is a MUST READ. To say it is original is an understatement. It challenges you, makes you think it is going to turn left, then suddenly turns right. It grips your emotions and makes you fear for the characters because you care so much for what happens to them and about the choices that they make. I have to buy the official copy of it for my library because it is a must keep.



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Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. It had a different feel from the other Tate Hallaway books that I've read. She had a different spin on vampire life and history. It was nice to see more of the parent/child relationship in a young adult book where a lot of them now have the young adult off on their own for various reasons. I often thought of the other series as a little more light stories. This one felt slightly darker and it was interesting to see the growth of the main character. I look forward to seeing more about Ana and her relationships with not only her family but also her friends and schoolmates.

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When Blood Calls by J.K. Beck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was asked to read this book prior to its release and give a review. I was so excited at the prospect at my first official review after rolling out my new blog, that I did not investigate what it was about. I decided the title said it all.When I read the first chapter I thought "oh no I am in deep trouble. I agreed to review this and I hate reading books with legal proceedings as the backdrop." I had two more false starts and on the third one I said to myself "no you agreed to do this read the book and be honest with your how you felt."I just finished it and I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised! The legal proceedings were original, not overwhelming and the interweaving of urban fantasy into that part of the story captured my attention. I also was worried when I read the publisher blurb that said the book was a combination of dark paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I am not a big fan of paranormal romance. But, I have read one or two because the subject captured my interest. When Blood Calls has interesting characters and a mystery that kept me up reading late. I almost took it with me to a cookout just so I could see what would happen next. I loved seeing new paranormal creatures and a nice spin on not only the legal system, but, also "inter-species" relations. I am happy I overcame my initial reaction and was introduced to this enticing new world.

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A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I bid on the book at an auction for diabetes earlier in the Spring. I was truly excited to have a chance to see it before the U.S. release in 2011. I truly loved this book. Kat is extremely feisty and headstrong. She is precocious and sometimes makes you wish you could reach out and grab her around her neck. But, I love their family connection and watching them learn about their family history. The period descriptions and the expectations of how women, even female children are interesting. The family dynamics which involve the blending of families is amazing. I look forward to the next installment of this book!

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