Books for January

So we’ve just about hit the end of the post-Christmas/New Year period – I think this has to be my least favourite time of year (back to work after a long-ish break, no holidays to look forward to, etc etc), with the only bright spot being that the days are slowly getting longer.

And I have to say that my new releases list for January isn’t that long either.  In fact, if it wasn’t for Kelly Hunter, it would look incredibly depressing.  Talk about January blues.

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Kelly Hunter‘s THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE’S DAY (contemporary romance): This is an interesting experiment – it’s actually an expanded version of her first M&B romance, WIFE FOR A WEEK.  From her website:

[...] ‘The Trouble With Valentine’s', which is my first ever published story (Wife for A Week) writ long – as in I’ve expanded it by 30,000 words. It’ll be released in Jan/Feb in the UK and Aus under the Mira imprint. [...] I love this story – it’s the first in the Bennett series – and the expansion explores more of the brothers, more of Jasmine and Kai (the secondary romance) and more of my favourite themes.

I was curious about this because WFAW was the book that kickstarted my Kelly Hunter glom, and despite my reservations about this being the same book recycled in new packaging, I caved and bought it.  I’ll be honest and say I probably wasn’t the ideal audience for this book – I was distracted by the fact it was WFAW II, and probably spent more time flipping between the two books to see what had been added or changed than actually reading the story itself.  If you’re curious, the Jasmine/Kai strand has been expanded significantly (and for the better, IMO), there are nods towards the fact this is being packaged as a Valentine’s Day romance, more mentions of Hallie’s brothers, and some additional scenes between Hallie and Nick.

I think when (because it will probably be when, not if) I do a re-read of this one, it’ll work much better because I’ll be focused on the actual story instead of wondering about the differences. If you haven’t read WFAW and are interested in starting this series, I’d recommend you pick up this version instead – it’s more expensive than a M&B as it’s been published under the Mira imprint, but you can probably get it off Kobo with a discount coupon.

The perfect Valentine’s gift?

As far as women’s fashion accessories went, he was spectacular. A black-haired, cobalt-eyed, dangerous- looking toy who no doubt warned you outright not to bother playing with him if you didn’t like his rules. He was like a Hermes handbag; women saw and women wanted, even though they knew the price was going to be astronomical.

Hallie Bennett likes a challenge, though – and his offer is tempting: $5,000 if she pretends to be his wife for a week. It might not be the most traditional Valentine’s Day proposal… but she’s hardly a traditional girl. Maybe a week in the high life, with a man to match, will be just the ticket. Just as long as she doesn’t start wishing the ‘I do’ is real…

Out now

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Kelly Hunter‘s THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY (contemporary romance): And then the Kelly Hunter that I’m really looking forward to – her debut for the new Harlequin KISS line in the US.  I’d have picked it up regardless of reviews, but I’ve already heard good buzz about this book and it had a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.  It’s also the Dear Author book club pick for February.

Good job? Tick. Newly purchased apartment? Tick. Evie’s life is on a pretty even keel at the moment. The only thing missing? A man with an edge to keep things interesting. Enter Logan Black. Tortured, distant and sexy, Logan has edge written all over him. He’s also the man who tipped Evie over the edge a few years back – she gave him everything, but he didn’t know when to stop taking. Leaving Logan was the hardest thing Evie’s ever done. Until now. Because Logan’s back, the chemistry is as blistering as ever, and this time he’s not going anywhere…

Out January 22

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Julie Hyzy‘s FONDUING FATHERS (cosy mystery): And the last of the January new releases on my list (I did say it was short).  I’ve been following this series since the first book was released, and while I’ve had my ups and downs, the White House setting keeps me intrigued.  If you’re interested, Christina @ Babbling Book Reviews did a series spotlight that summarises all the books to date.

White House executive chef Olivia Paras has enough on her plate. But after gaining new information about her father’s death, the First Family isn’t the only family Olivia is concerned about.

Olivia has always believed that her father was an honorable man—until a trip to visit her mother reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the army. Olivia is even more shocked to learn that he was brutally murdered because someone at his company suspected him of selling corporate secrets. Refusing to believe that her father was a scoundrel, Olivia won’t rest until she proves his innocence.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, Gav, Olivia must reach out to her father’s colleagues to discover the truth behind his murder. What she’s about to discover may not only put her at risk, but threaten national security as well…

Out now (author website)

Books for January

Or maybe book.  I’m not sure why, but January tends to be a really slow month for new releases that interest me.

So there’s only one book this month that I’m thinking of getting (and note the thinking, because previous books in this series have been a bit hit-or-miss for me:

Julie Hyzy‘s AFFAIRS OF STEAK (cosy mystery): I love the White House setting of this series, but the characters sometimes grate on my nerves.  I’ll still probably get a copy when this books comes out though.

Blurb:

White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady’s assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

Out Jan 3

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And yeah – that’s it.  However, I’ve recently discovered Fantasy (and now Lightspeed Science Fiction & Fantasy) online magazine – I’m enjoying browsing their free stories.  The Naomi Novik one (“Vici”) was previously published in THE DRAGON BOOK anthology and I’ve read it already, but it was a lovely funny re-read.  And there’s a Seanan McGuire contribution, “Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage”, which combines loving pokes at old-school fantasy adventures with a bit of a haunting twist. And well, lots more which I haven’t gotten around to reading yet.

January Reads

Alternative post title: Better late than never.

No, really, I have an excuse!  I’m still trying to figure out how to cross-post between Goodreads and here.  And I did get all my January reads eventually logged onto Goodreads, and then realised it would also make sense to get them here as well.

So, without further ado, here are the books I read in January – not full reviews as such, but pretty much my response to Goodreads’s question “What did you think?”.

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A Grand Deception by Elizabeth Mansfield (historical romance)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun farce of hidden identities, though you’ve to suspend disbelief at times. It did go down the road of “love at first sight”, which is not a favourite trope of mine, but oh well. I liked the charity schoolmistress aspect – with the caveat I’m not a stickler for historical accuracy.

 

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Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks (urban fantasy)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Definitely one of the stronger installments in this series – while I wouldn’t recommend this to someone new to the series, I thought this book built on existing relationships beautifully. More Rule/Lily, more Isen and his sons, and without going into too many details, I loved Arjenie and thought she was a breath of fresh air.

It’s funny how you love some books so much that aspects that would usually bother you otherwise don’t – here it was the info-dumping. Some scenes were pretty exclusively info-dumping sessions, but you know, I love, so Ms Wilks gets a pass.

I am a bit more meh about the “Great Bitch” plot arc, but having said that, I thought the book ended on a really good note and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

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Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh (paranormal romance)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A slightly shaky start to the book – a bit too much info-dumping and some rather over-the-top melodramatic scenes. However, once the hunt for the fallen archangel started in earnest, I was drawn into the story, and yeah, the sequels are now on my list of books to buy.

The angel twist – very unlike the angels in, say, Sharon Shinn‘s Samaria books. Instead, it was more of “right, what can be more bad-ass than a vampire… let’s have angels!”. Or archangels, rather.

I’d have liked more exploration of the angel mythology, possibly one for later books? And there was sequel-bait everywhere, not that I’m complaining – I vote for Ilium myself!

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The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones (children’s fantasy)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fun read, but not as addictive as the first two Chrestomanci books, IMO.

I think this is partly to do with the numerous POV characters – I suspect I’m not quite the right audience for this book. Also, there was a slight lack of Chrestomanci himself in this book – sigh. I’ve a soft spot for that man.

It is a nice play on Romeo & Juliet and I loved the Marco/Rosa subplot. And like all DWJ books, very inventive storytelling and a villain that would probably have given me nightmares had I been younger.

On a sidenote: I borrowed my copy from my library and it dated back to the 1970s, IIRC, and had a totally old-school cover.

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Wings of Equity by Sean Kennedy (m/m fantasy)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

An imaginative setting – though I have to admit I’m still trying to get to grips with steampunk and am wondering if this is it? Certainly this book appears to be tagged as steampunk in various places.

It was a quick and easy read, but it’s the world, rather than the romance, that has left more of a lingering impression.

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Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy (mystery)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, the bad first: Some of the secondary characters are very black and white, and really become very annoying in a frustrating way, as they appear to have no redeeming characteristics at all. I suppose this could be viewed as a plus point – the writing is good enough to actually have the characters annoy you?

I’m still loving the White House backdrop and the whole Presidency transition thing reminded me of Ellen Emerson White‘s President’s Daughter series, except from the other side of the fence, so to speak, which was intriguing.

The whole book built up to a rather fast-paced and action-filled climax, which I was not expecting, but it was in a good way! I am surprised Ms Hyzy is hinting at a new love interest, which is an interesting choice in a cozy mystery IMO – on the other hand, I don’t read that many cozies myself…

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The Fifth Kiss by Elizabeth Mansfield (historical romance)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one had a massively intriguing back cover blurb – the heroine kissing her brother-in-law. How does the author redeem both the heroine and hero after that?

A sweet regency (published in 1981), and I really enjoyed the romance. Not sure I was entirely comfortable with some of the underlying messages – she marries him to look after his children, six months after the wife/her sister died, but at the same time I did believe in the romance.

I’ve a soft spot for Elizabeth Mansfield and ended up buying quite a few off Better World Books over Christmas – I’m glad I’ve a few more to read!

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So that’s it for January.  And yes, I’m currently working on my February books list – but don’t hold your breath

Books for January

I’m a bit late putting this post up, but there aren’t that many January new releases I’m excited about (for a change!).  The two that I’m getting are continuations of existing series:

Eileen Wilks‘ “Blood Challenge” (urban fantasy): Eileen Wilks’ Lupi series appears to fly somewhat under the radar (or maybe I’m just hanging out in the wrong places?), as I don’t see them appearing on many review sites.  On the other hand, this is the seventh in the series, so it must have an audience.  It’s an autobuy for me – I love the Lily/Rule relationship and the Lupi world created by Ms Wilks.

Back cover blurb:

Lily Yu and Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail. Death threats. Lily’s car is vandalized. But professionally, things are going smoothly . . . until a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree.

Then Rule’s brother, Benedict, catches a lovely intruder–twice. The first time she’s sneaking around the home of the leader of Humans First. The second time, she sneaks into Nokolai Clanhome with a mysterious potion.

It may not be possible to deal with the rapidly escalating situation the way Lily always has: through the law. Especially when she’s pulled off the case due to an alleged conflict of interest. Lily’s loyalties will be stretched to the breaking point when she discovers that the deaths in Tennessee were only the opening skirmish in an all-out war.

Out now (excerpt)

Julie Hyzy‘s “Buffalo West Wing” (cosy mystery): I was more on the fence about this one, because while I loved the first of these White House Chef mysteries, the previous release, “Eggsecutive Orders”, didn’t quite work for me – I thought the story itself felt disjointed and Ollie, the main character, frustrated me with her unwillingness to trust other characters without any real reasons.  However, I recently read and enjoyed one of Julie Hyzy’s backlist books on the Kindle, which reminded me that I do like her writing.  And I really like how these mystery books gives us a peek behind the scenes at the White House.

Back cover blurb:

With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can’t afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a “no-wing” situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets.

Out now

Books for January

Happy New Year all!  The requisite 2009 wrap-up posts will be coming your way shortly, but first, here are the January books I’m planning on getting.

 

Karen Chance’s “Death’s Mistress” (urban fantasy):  Karen Chance* is one of my all-time favourite UF writers, and this is the second installment in her Dorina Basarab series, set in the same world as her Cassie Palmer books.

I saw this on the shelves yesterday (can I just say I heart Penguin for releasing the UK version at the same time as the US?) and promptly grabbed it.  And pretty much devoured it immediately.  Never mind the fact I was having a wonderful time reading another book** – I started reading “Death’s Mistress” on the Tube on the way home due to lack of other reading material, and really, couldn’t stop.  It was good.

Karen Chance’s writing just gets better with each book.  I remember finishing her first book and feeling slightly dazed with the nonstopactionfromthefirstpagetothelast, not to mention the complicated plot, which made so much more sense on the re-read.  While “Death’s Mistress” is still a brilliantly fun rollercoaster of a ride, the pacing has improved immensely, and the characters remain just as engaging as ever.  And yes, sexy vampires.  I’m going to say it, Karen Chance’s books are my replacement for the Anita Blake series.

Out Jan 5 (though obviously on the shelves now), excerpt here

 

Julie Hyzy’s “Eggsecutive Orders” (mystery): Cute-sy title aside, I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book in Julie Hyzy’s cosy mystery series, focused on Ollie Paras, the executive chef at the White House. 

The blurb:

Chef Olivia Paras has too many eggs in one basket-and is feeling like a basket-case…
When NSA big shot Carl Minkus dies right after eating the dinner Olivia Paras’s staff had prepared, all forks point to them. Now the Secret Service is picking apart the kitchen–and scrutinizing the staff’s every move. The timing couldn’t be worse with the White House Lawn Easter Egg Roll to prep for without access to a kitchen. Olivia must find the real culprit–before she cracks under pressure.

Out Jan 5, can’t find an excerpt

 

Courtney Milan’s “Proof by Seduction” (historical romance): After stumbling over Courtney Milan’s blog sometime back and loving the excerpt from her debut novel, she’s going to be the first new-to-me historical romance author that I’m reading in ages. 

I’m serious.  I can’t remember the last time I bought a historical written by someone not already on my autobuy list.  But the scene in the “Proof by Seduction” excerpt made me snicker and her prose is beautiful.  Maybe 2010 will be the year I rediscover my historical romance reading roots?

The blurb:

SHE IS HIS LAST CHANCE FOR A FUTURE OF HAPPINESS . . .

Jenny Keeble has never let her humble upbringing stop her. She’s made her way in the world as a fortune teller, one who convinces her clients her predictions are correct by telling them what they most want to hear. Business is good… until she meets her match in the form of Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a scientist and sworn bachelor.

HE JUST DOESN’T KNOW IT YET.

Broodingly handsome, Gareth is appalled to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of "Madame Esmerelda," and he vows to prove her a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth’s calculated plan— until he can’t decide whether to ruin her or claim her for his own. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know . . . and the boundless possibilities of love.

Out Jan 1, excerpt here

 

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* Linking to her News page instead of the homepage, as that has music.

** Diana Gabaldon’s “An Echo in the Bone”: I’m reading Echo as though it was a series of short stories or a collection of vignettes from [Claire / William / Brianna and Roger – delete as appropriate]’s perspective, as opposed to one massive doorstopper of a book. And enjoying it immensely.  We’ll get to the end when we get there.

The Fourth Quarter of 2008

And the end is in sight!  I may actually finish my 2008 Review posts before the end of January.

 

October

I was on holiday for most of October, which explains the massive total of 20 books read during this month.

I had never quite managed to understand why Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series (urban fantasy) was so popular, having read the first book “Storm Front” a while back and not being too impressed.  Nath convinced me to give the books another go, and restart the series from Book 4 (“Summer Knight”) instead.  That made all the difference and I’m now an official Dresden Files fangirl.  Proved by the fact I read the next seven books in this series during the month.  I will say that I’m unlikely to go back and read the second and third books in this series though.

I got my hands on Kristin Cashore’s novel “Graceling” (YA fantasy, first of three linked books) and discovered why there was such a buzz around this debut.  One to appeal to Tamora Pierce fans (of whom I am one), with good storytelling, a strong heroine, and a touch of romance.  Although in hindsight, I could have done without the cutesy names.

Mercedes Lackey released a new Valdemar book (“Foundation”, fantasy and first in a trilogy, I think), the first one in years, and despite it not really being up there with the Arrows and Last Herald-Mage trilogies, I loved revisiting her world and reading more about the founding of the Heralds’ Collegium.

And I started Richelle Mead’s “Vampire Academy” series (YA urban fantasy), reading both “Vampire Academy” and “Frostbite” (Books 1 and 2 respectively), and found it an engrossing and entertaining series.  I’ve enjoyed her Georgina Kincaid books, so I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to reading the VA books.

 

November

It was back to work, and I managed to read ten books this month.

Karen Chance is one of my favourite UF authors, and I enjoyed her “Midnight’s Daughter” (urban fantasy, Book 1 of a Cassie Palmer spin-off series).  While probably not one for new readers to the series, I liked seeing her world from the viewpoint of a different protagonist, and as always, I love the plotting and non-stop action.

I only read nine historical romances throughout 2008 and my favourite by a mile was Eloisa James’ “When the Duke Returns” (Book 3 of the Desperate Duchesses series).  On the face of it, the series premise doesn’t sound that much different from that of other historical romances out there – the duchesses and their recalcitrant, indifferent men – but as it is, I can’t remember when I’ve last enjoyed a historical romance series so much.  The opulent Georgian setting, the characters, their chemistry, the angst – it all came together in this one to make an excellent book.  I have very high expectations for the final two books out in 2009. 

And oh, Juliet Marillier’s “Daughter of the Forest” (fantasy, Book 1 of the Sevenwaters series).  I’ve had this book sitting in my TBR pile forever, and was finally moved to read it following the glowing reviews of the new book “Heir to Sevenwaters” set in this world.  And I loved.  Adored.  Passed the book on with a you-have-to-read-this-now recommendation.  Ordered the next two books from Amazon.  You know, on paper, this wouldn’t be a book that I’d enjoy.  I never was keen on retelling of fairytales or Celtic settings or the fey.  But Ms Marillier is a wonderful storyteller, and I’ve fallen in love with her Sevenwaters world.

It may have been only ten books read this month, but there were some very good ones there!

 

December

A very good reading month to end the year with.  I liked practically all the books I read this month and I’m finding it tough to narrow it down to the ones I liked best.

I finished Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters trilogy (“Son of the Shadows” and “Child of the Prophecy”) and immediately ordered “Heir to Sevenwaters” (no, I don’t know why I didn’t order them all in one go either).  I always start the year hoping to come across a new-to-me author with a marvellous backlist that will capture my imagination, and Juliet Marillier was probably my 2008 author (previous years being Elizabeth Peters, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Georgette Heyer in 2007, 2006, and 2005 respectively).

I read Josh Lanyon’s “Death of a Pirate King” (mystery, m/m romance, fourth in the Adrien English series) and “The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks” (mystery, m/m romance, standalone), and wasn’t disappointed.  I’m completely hooked on the Adrien English series and the Adrien/Jake relationship (think dysfunctional yet sooo right at the same time).  And Mr Lanyon’s writing is beautifully sparse yet descriptive.  I love the way he sketches in the background and atmosphere so easily, and his strong characterisation – his stories are the type where you never want to reach the last page.  M/M romance is a new subgenre for me this year, and I’m glad I decided to try something new.

And honourable mentions must go to Jenna Black’s “The Devil’s Due” (urban fantasy, Book 3 of the Morgan Kingsley series), Jim Butcher’s “Princeps’ Fury” (fantasy, Book 5 of the Codex Alera series), and Julie Hyzy’s “Hail to the Chef” (cosy mystery, Book 2 of the White House Chef series), all three of which were latest installments in ongoing series, and which I enjoyed very much.

 

So that’s my month-by-month review (previous parts one, two, and three linked here)… and err I’m not finished yet with 2008.

The First Quarter of 2008

Okay, I’ve been wondering how to go about doing this, and I think I’m going to start off with a month-by-month review, based on notes made in my trusty reading spreadsheet. 

 

January

Highlights for me were Patricia Briggs’ “Iron Kissed” (urban fantasy), Eileen Wilks’ “Night Season” (urban fantasy) and Catherine Asaro’s “The Ruby Dice” (science fiction).  Now the first probably has had the most air-time (or is that blog-time), but I have much love for the other two as well. 

“Night Season” is the fourth book in Ms Wilks’ Lupi series – yes, werewolves as well, but so not Mercy Thompson.  Instead you have an equally kickass heroine in Lily Yu, a homicide detective, and a very alpha hero in Rule, the werewolf prince with a rather complicated family.

“The Ruby Dice” is the latest in Ms Asaro’s Skolian Empire series, and one that had me holding my breath up to the very end.  A very satisfying read.  If you’re a SF/Romance fan, you have to try this series.

I read 11 books in January, which was around average for me.  This included three Elizabeth Peters’ books (mystery, all standalone), so I was polishing off the rest of her backlist.

 

February 

Moving on to February, standouts for me were Julie Hyzy’s “State of the Onion” (cosy mystery), Nalini Singh’s “Mine to Possess” (paranormal romance), and Barbara Michaels’ “Stitches in Time” (mystery).

Ms Hyzy’s book was an impulse buy in a bookstore, and one that paid off in spades.  I really really liked – and moaned about the fact that not only was it the first in her White House Chef series, it was also her first cosy mystery.  Sigh.  I did note at that time that she had written a few suspense novels, which I still haven’t tracked down *checks The Book Depository and finds out that “Deadly Interest” is retailing for £20* umm… maybe not.

“Mine to Possess” was Clay and Tally’s story in Ms Singh’s Psy/Changeling series – one of the things I like most about this series is the worldbuilding and how the overall story arc is developing.

I continued reading Barbara Michaels a.k.a Elizabeth Peters backlist and “Stitches in Time” was a very spooky read.  This is loosely-linked to “Ammie, Come Home” and “Shattered Silk” – I think I preferred “Shattered Silk” best out of the three.

10 books read in total during February, but not a fantastic reading month.  I read Maria Snyder’s “Magic Study”, which *whispers* reinforced the fact that her books aren’t for me despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews elsewhere, Alexandra Potter’s “Me and Mr Darcy” my I-know-I-don’t-care-for-chicklit-so-why-do-I actually-buy-them purchase, and “My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon” anthology, where I only really liked three or so of the short stories (Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, and PN Elrod’s).

 

March

And then March – Keishon kicked off the TBR Day challenge and I started with Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Legacy”, which I loved.  This was the first blogland challenge I’ve participated in, mainly because I’m rather lazy and anything requiring me being organised normally ends in dismal failure.  But having viewed my TBR pile with horror at the beginning of the year, I decided anything that would make me read from my TBR pile would be a good thing.  And it was – it not only made me read books I already had, it made me post about them.  I daresay without this challenge, I would have been pretty rubbish at actually writing any reviews.

I also loved Deanna Raybourn’s “Silent in the Grave” (historical mystery), which I finally picked up after reading numerous recs.  This book totally wins my best opening line award for 2008: “To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

I read Elizabeth Moon’s fifth and final book in her Vatta’s War series “Victory Conditions” (military SF) and thought it was easily the best in the series.  I also very much liked Jo Beverley’s “A Lady’s Secret” (historical romance) and JD Robb a.k.a Nora Roberts’ “Innocent in Death” (futuristic mystery), both part of long-running series, with the latter probably longer than most.

I read 15 books in total during March, and re-reading the list of books I read makes me smile, so it was a good month.

 

Much longer than I thought this would be – and nine months left to go!

Holidays!

After a really hectic month or so, I am now officially on holiday until the New Year!  Even better, my Amazon order with Juliet Marillier’s “Son of the Shadows” finally arrived yesterday.  Perfect weekend reading.

I’ve been rubbish at blogging recently, but here are some not-so-recent reads that I’ve liked:

I enjoyed Jenna Black’s “The Devil’s Due” (third in her Morgan Kingsley UF series).  I had a couple of issues with the second book (mainly around a slightly unsympathetic protagonist and TSTL secondary characters), but this one totally worked for me.  Probably one of the few mainstream UF series out there with a secondary m/m romance with BDSM leanings as well – though feel free to prove me wrong    I’m looking forward to the next.

Also really liked Julie Hyzy’s “Hail to the Chef” (second in her White House Chef cosy mystery series).  I would have liked a bit more romance (okay, a lot more – it was practically MIA here), but I love the way she incorporates White House traditions and protocol into her books.

Jim Butcher’s “Princeps’ Fury” (fifth in his Codex Alera fantasy series) was also an enjoyable read.  I was thinking about this series the other night, and came to the conclusion that it is “safe” fantasy – you know that the good guys always eventually win and no one you’ve invested in will be killed off.  Which means that you can read it late at night and know you’ll sleep soundly afterwards.  Does that sound silly?  Anyway, entertaining as always.

So plans for my first day of hols?*  Watching the Strictly Come Dancing final, followed by “Son of the Shadows”.  I’m probably growing old, but at the moment, that sounds like the perfect Saturday night.

 

*Yes, I know technically the first day is Monday, but still!

Books for December

Okay, a bit late with this one, but here are the new releases I’m planning on getting this month:

Jim Butcher’s “Princeps’ Fury” (fantasy):  Book 5 in his Codex Alera fantasy series.  Technically a November release, and one I bought in my BooksonBoard splurge last week.  I’m a couple of chapters in at the moment, and am hoping to finish it over this weekend.  It’s a completely different setting to his Dresden Files books, but just as enjoyable, if not more.  The last book finished with a couple of major events and revelations, so it’ll be interesting to find out what happens next.

Excerpt here (out now)

Julie Hyzy’s “Hail to the Chef” (cosy mystery):  I loved the first book in this mystery series (“State of the Onion”) when I read it at the beginning of this year, and have been waiting impatiently for the second book to come out.  Olivia (Ollie) Paras is a White House chef, so you get food and mystery combined in this series, with a sprinkling of White House trivia.  Oh, and a dash of romance.  The perfect recipe.

No excerpts, but more series info here (out now)

 

“Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar” (fantasy): This is a collection of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar world.  Contributors include Tanya Huff, Judith Tarr, Rosemary Edghill, and many others, plus there is an original short story by Ms Lackey herself.  I’m a sucker for all things Valdemar, so yes, I think I will probably get this.

No excerpts (out now)

 

 

“Unusual Suspects” (mystery/fantasy):  I got this the other day, it’s a follow up to the “Powers of Detection” anthology that came out a couple of years ago, IIRC.  Contributors include Charlaine Harris (with a Sookie story) and Sharon Shinn (contemporary ghost story).  I’m about three-quarters through and have enjoyed most of the stories so far, only skipping one because the way the dialogue was written gave me a headache.  The Sookie story is much better than the one in the “Mistletoe and Wolfbane” story, btw – but then again, I thought the MaW one was a bit of a letdown.  I liked the Donna Andrews story, and oh, I’ve just looked her up and she writes straight cosy mysteries – I may have to check them out!

No excerpts (out now)

 

So it’s a quiet month for new releases, especially full-length novels.  A couple of other releases that I’m considering are “Fast Ships, Black Sails”, a pirate anthology with Sarah Monette and Naomi Novik amongst the contributors, and “The Vorkosigan Companion”, a reference book for Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series.

Why I should read more from my TBR

You know that feeling when you’re a couple of chapters in and just *know* it’s going to be a good book?  That’s how I felt when I was reading Julie Hyzy‘s “State of the Onion” yesterday.

It’s a cosy mystery – this is one of the genres where I’m always looking for new authors.  And if I’m honest, not usually succeeding.  The last cosy mystery author I got excited about (and completely glommed) was Deborah Donnelly and her Wedding Planner series, and that was about a year ago.  By the way, I only found out this category of books had a name last year.  I’m slow.   

Right, back to “State of the Onion”, Olivia Paras (Ollie) is a White House chef, who’s in the running for promotion to executive chef when her boss retires.  But it’s not all smooth going for Ollie.  Not only does she have competition for the executive chef role (an old rival who now hosts a television show), she starts the book off by braining a suspected terrorist with a frying pan.  And then gets tangled up in a whole assassination plot which strains her relatively new relationship with her boyfriend (who just happens to be a Secret Service agent).

My thoughts?  Great set-up, tight plotting.  Ollie’s a woman you’ll want to be friends with, and thankfully, avoids the TSTL trap.  Excellent cast of secondary characters too.  The mystery kept me guessing until the end (caveat: I’m not fantastic at figuring out whodunnits anyway).  And all of this is combined really well with the cooking bits and White House insider info.  I loved the trivia, not just the recipes and culinary tips, but also the White House protocol and traditions.  I never once felt as though Ms Hyzy was info-dumping (unlike a scrapbooking mystery I read some time back which felt like a how-to guide). 

Can you guess that I really really liked it?  I’m disappointed that it’s Ms Hyzy’s first cosy.  Darn.  On the other hand, it looks as though she’s written a couple of romantic suspense books I may just look up.

Oh, and it’s been in my TBR for less than a month.