Teaser Tuesday January 31, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser today is from Penelope & Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley.  This is one of the free books I loaded on my new 6" E Ink Kindle.  The book was published in 2006 and is out of print

"Damien had never believed in magic, but his people did."

"Alexander, a man Damien's own age with cold blue eyes in a dark, handsome face, had calmly and ruthlessly blocked every one of Damien's attempts to step into his father's shoes."
 

What Else I Read in January of 2012

Paranormal:


The Golden Shield of IBF by Jerry Ahen - This is a fun paranormal that start at Dragon Con in Atlanta and moves to another world before coming back to Dragon Con.


No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper.   The book cover makes this look like a Historical Romance but don't be fooled.  Joan comes from the future to destroy the person who loosed demons on the world.  In her time humans are loosing and she is the only hope for the future.  She arrived in the past and is found by 
Simon Grenville. Simon practices magic and agrees to help Joan but first he must turn her into a proper English lady.  It was a good story, exciting at the first, it slowed down in the middle and picked back up in the then.  If you like Paranormal you might ant to give this one a try.


Science Fiction:


One Good Soldier by Travis Taylor - I started this one some time ago and just got around to finishing it.  It is the last in the series and does a good job of wrapping everything up.


Science Fiction Romance:


B Cubed Book One Born by Jenna McCormick.  I found this one on the SFR Brigade Push Contest.  It is erotica.  While there was quite a bit of world building with the story it was primarily sex.  I like more story less sex so it was not one of my favorites.


The Warlord's Comeuppance by Gail Koger.  Another book I found on the SFR Brigade Push Contest.  The opening was great but the rest was a disappointment.  Don't be fooled by the opening.


Romance:


Mad About the Earl by Christina Brooke.  I read the first chapter in this book when it was included in Heiress in Love and immediately put the book on my pre-order list.   I was surprised by how the story developed.  It was not at all what I expected from that teaser chapters.  It was a good story but I felt it was a little uneven.

Musing Mondays January 30, 2012

This week’s musing asks…

How far along are you in your current read before you start thinking about what you’ll read next?

My answer:

I always have a list in my head of books I want to read so when I start a new book I am already thinking about my next read.  That does not mean I will actually read what I plan.  Things happen.  I see something that looks interesting and it goes to the top of my list.  I think that list in my head is a defense to a make sure I am never out of a book to read.  I suspect I would panic if there was not a book around to read.  Do I need help?  I don't think so.  There are much worse things to panic about.

In My Mailbox January 29, 2012

In My Mail Box is hosted by The Story Siren and is an opportunity to share the books I get each week. 

Once again my mail box was a little empty.  I only got two new books this week.  Both are from Amazon Vine.

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas - Lisa is one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading the first book in her new contemporary romance series.

Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik - I have followed the adventures of Captain Will Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire.  The alternate reality series is set during the Napoleonic Wars and this time they are off to South America.

I did buy myself a small treat.  I went to Staples in December and turned in a drawer full of printer cartridges.  When I got my Staples Rewards this month I had almost enough for the small 6" E Ink Kindle.  I purchased it yesterday.  It is my third eReader (Yes, I know no one needs that many).  It is very basic but I plan to use it only for items where Amazon has exclusive rights. I have already loaded all the free books that were sitting in my Kindle for Mac file on my computer.  I do not like reading on the computer so they had remained un-read.

As the Pig Turns, An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton

Mystery

Agatha is at it again in As the Pig Turns.  While stopped in traffic she takes her hands off of the wheel to wipe her nose and is ticketed by a policeman out to make his monthly quota.  The next day he gives her another ticket for going 2 miles over the speed limit.  Agatha blows off some steam in the local pub saying he should be roasted like a pig.  So guess what?  Someone killed him and tried to roast him just as Agatha said should happen. 

Agatha wants to walk away from this murder but is hired by the policeman's ex-wife to solve the crime.  She can't turn down the money so she takes the case.  Much mayhem follows.

There is a cute scene at the first of the book that is not a spoiler.  Agatha helps the local vicar (who cannot stand Agatha) solve a problem.  I loved it when Agatha asked if she could call him Alf and he said no definitely not.

This is one book where Agatha does not spend a lot of time obsessing about a man.  Charles and James are both in the story but she seems to have lost interest in both.  However, after all is solved a new man shows up.  I will have to wait to see if he is still around when the next book comes out.

Minotaur Books published As the Pig Turns by M.C. Beaton in 2011.

Book Beginnings on Friday January 27, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Katy from A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.


I am just starting the The Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes.  The first sentence tell you that it is Science Fiction.

"Botanica was a medium sized crater recently sealed to hold an atmosphere of oxygen baked from lunar rock and nitrogen imported from Aeros asteroid."


I just started so I don't have anything to say about the story yet.  

The Martian Alliance 1: The Royal Scam by Gini Koch

Space Opera/Science Fiction Romance

I have two complaints about The Royal Scam.  First and foremost it just was not long enough.  It is listed as a short story and it is.  Thankfully there are to be more to follow.  My second is unusual.  After I bought The Royal Scam from Musa and downloaded it to my computer I tried to side load to my Nook (the only way to get it there if I did not buy from Barnes and Noble) I was told I did not have permission to load the story to that location.  It took me a long to read because I had to read on my computer and I kept forgetting it was there.

Now to the story:  It is fast paced, full of action and humor.  Gina managed great character development in a short number of words. By the end of the story I felt like I knew most of the crew of the Hummingbird.  There are no wasted words in the story; each is used to convey something important to the reader.  Things are not as they seem at the beginning of the story and there is a lot of room for future adventures with the crew of the Hummingbird.

I don’t want to give any of the story away so just let me urge you to buy and read The Royal Scam.  If you were not a Gini Koch fan before you read it you will be after.  I consider it to be a must have short story for Space Opera/SFR Fans.

Musa Publishing published The Royal Scam by Gini Koch in 2011.

The Dimensional Shift by Frances Pauli

Science Fiction Romance

I found The Dimensional Shift on the SFR Brigade’s Pitch Contest and went to Barnes and Noble to purchase and download the ebook.  This is cute story with an unusual main character.  Chloe’s job is cleaning rooms in a local hotel in the northern US.  Her job is seasonal as the hotel has few guests in the winter.  On one of her last days of the season a woman in room 306 walks in from the balcony while she is cleaning.  The only problem is that there should not have been anyone in the room.  Drew, the only occupant, was out and when he returned confirmed that the woman must have broken in.  Meeting Drew leads to a job offer for Chloe.

Drew offers her a job at twice the pay at a hotel he helps manage.  She does not have to move and she can commute to work from her living room.  The hotel is an inter-dimensional hotel catering to being from different dimensions.  Chloe will be working in the human section.  Chloe is still cleaning rooms but is drawn into an ongoing mystery.  She must use her skills to find the answerers to several question, not the least of which is whether or not her boss, Drew, is interested in her.

I enjoyed the story.  At times it was a little slow, mostly because of the world building.  The characters were fun and unique.  The concept was interesting and lends itself to future stories.  In fact the second book featuring Chloe is already out.  I was going to purchase it but found that it was not available as an ebook at Barnes and Noble.  That was a surprise.  I need to check the publisher’s web site to see if I can purchase it there.

Awe-Struck published The Dimensional Shift by Frances Pauli in 2010.

Waiting on Wednesday January 25, 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


I am waiting on Wen Spencer's Elfhome.  It will be released on July 1, 2012.  It is available to purchase as an eARC but I am waiting for the final copy of the book.


Here is what the Baen Website says about the book.

"Pittsburgh, PA: magically transported to a world of elves and magic. Now Tinker, once a downtrodden waif from that city, but lately a full-blooded elf ruler, must root out and destroy an evil plot that involves the kidnapping and breeding of elf children. Sequel to Tinker and Wolf Who Rules."

Teaser Tuesday January 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser is from the book I am reading now, Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder.  I just started the book but have already been drawn into the story.


" I touched the back of his neck with my hand."

He arched back in silent surprise before collapsing."


Here is what Goodreads says about Touch of Power.


Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Musing Mondays January 23, 2012

 
This week’s musing asks…

Why do you think that the Young Adult genre is so popular with even the adult readers? Do you read YA books, yourself?

Musing Mondays is sponsored by Should Be Reading.

I think that the story lines are what a catching on with both Young Adults and adult readers.  I don't read much YA but when I do it reminds me of the adult fiction I read years ago.  I am reading more YA as I find reviews on other blogs.  It is just a small percent of what I read and that percent probably will not increase.

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

Science Fiction

Lord of Light was our Science Fiction Book Club selection for January.  I like to post how everyone liked the selection.  Lord of Light got two thumbs up and 8 thumbs down for the member attending.  I was one of the thumbs up.  What I liked was the Zelazny’s use of language and the way words flowed giving a vivid description of events, people and places.  What the 8 thumbs down did not like was the story itself.

 

It is a strange story.   The first part of the story is actually the last part of the story.  You start when Sam comes back and then follow Sam into his past before coming back to the present.

Here is the description from the back of the book:

“Earth is long since dead.  On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon.  Only one dares oppose them:  he who was once Siddhartha and is no Mahasamatman.  Binder of Demons, Lord of Light."

Lord of Light is an Hugo Award winning book.   While the group as a whole did not like Lord of Light (this seems to be a trend with older award winning books)  they did decide to add one of Zelazny’s Amber books to the schedule next year.  One member said they were very different from the writing style in Lord of Light and worth a try.

IN My Mailbox January 22, 2012

In My Mail Box is hosted by The Story Siren
and is an opportunity to share the books
I get each week. 

Click on this link to see what books other bloggers received this week.




This was a slow week in my mailbox.  I got one audio book from my local library.  It was the third book in Simon Morden's Metrozone series.  I got Degrees of Freedom.  I love this series so since I listen to audio books in the car one audio book In My Mailbox will allow me to read from my TBR pile.

Borealis, The Novellas, That Syncing Feeling by Michelle Levigne

Science Fiction Romance

When I reviewed Black Dragon I saw that there was soon to be another Borealis Novella released.  Somehow I missed the release date and just found That Syncing Feeling when I checked Desert Breeze’s web site to see what was new.

  

I really like the Borealis series but I have to say that this story was not about Borealis or the Borealis Universe. 

Rover Pilot Lieutenant Nureen Keala gets caught in a dimensional rift and ends up in a different universe and near Borealis.  Commodore Tedrin Creed was a war hero in Keala’s universe who apparently died in a battle 50 years ago.  He was good friend of Keala’s grandfather and Keala’s personal hero.   It turns out that Creed was caught in the same rift.  He has been keeping low profile on Borealis since arriving. It seems that the rift not only changed his location, it also affected time. For Creed only five years have passed.

Creed realizes that Keala is in a vessel from his universe and he has only days before the rift will open again and allow him to return home.  Neither trusts the other; Keala because Creed is too young and Creed because he fears that Keala is a trap to get him to share technology with the TPP. 

Creed’s situation reminded me of the Black Jack Geary in Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet series.  It just was not as well done.  When I got to the end of That Synching Feeling I found that there was a novel set in Keala’a and Creed’s universe due out soon.  Keala is the best friend of the main female character in that book.  That Synching Feeling felt more like a plug for that book than it felt like a Borealis story.  While the story was OK, I was disappointed.  It was not really a Borealis story.

Desert Breeze published That Syncing Feeling by Michelle Levigne in 2011.

Book Beginnings on Friday January 20, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Katy from A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.


My book beginning this week is from One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde.


"The remaking was one of those moments when one felt a part of literature and not just carried alone within it.  in less than ten minutes, the entire fabric of the BookWorld was radically altered.  The old system was swept away, and everything was changed forever.  But the group of people to whom it was ultimately beneficial remained gloriously unaware:  the readers.  To most of them, books were merely books.  If only it were that simple.."






Here is what Goodreads says about One of Our Thursdays is Missing.


Jasper Fforde's exuberant return to the fantastical BookWorld opens during a time of great unrest. All-out Genre war is rumbling, and the BookWorld desperately needs a heroine like Thursday Next. But with the real Thursday apparently retired to the Realworld, the Council of Genres turns to the written Thursday.

The Council wants her to pretend to be the real Thursday and travel as a peacekeeping emissary to the warring factions. A trip up the mighty Metaphoric River beckons-a trip that will reveal a fiendish plot that threatens the very fabric of the BookWorld itself.

Once again New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde has a field day gleefully blending satire, romance, and thriller with literary allusions galore in a fantastic adventure through the landscape of a frisky and fertile imagination. Fans will rejoice that their favorite character in the Fforde universe is back.

Theories of Flight by Simon Morden

Science Fiction/Audio Book

SPOILER ALERT:  Don’t read if you don’t want some spoilers.

When we left Samuil Petrovitch in Equations of Life he had defeated The New Machine Jihad, was in a hospital, his heart had given out, the hospital did not have a new heart and Mattie left to find a new one.  Things have changed since then.

As Theories of Flight begins we find Samuil at his desk looking at a spear that was built to Samuil’s equations, is a work of art, but does not perform as expected. He is taking his glasses off and putting them on pushing them up his nose and something new.  He is twisting his wedding ring.  He also has a new title.  He is Dr. Samuil Petrovitch.  It looks like things are going well in his life but that is soon to change.  There are people who want his knowledge and if they cannot get that they want him dead.  No only Samuil but all the people who were with him when he defeated The New Machine Jihad.

Once again Samuil is going to take a licking and keep on ticking.  I have fallen in love with this series.  Samuil is such an unlikely hero but he never takes the easy path.  He is loyal to his friends and refuses to desert them.  When his enemies’ attack using the people of the OutZone Samuil rises to the occasion and brings victory from defeat.

I have the next book Degrees of Freedom ordered in audio books form and hope it comes today.  A side effect of listening to the books is my new ability to swear in Russian.  Samuil uses a lot of Russian swear phrases and as long as Toby Moore, the narrator of the books, has the correct pronunciation I even say everything correctly. 

I visited Simon Morden’s web site and saw there is a contract for book four in the series. 

Recorded Books produced Theories of Flight by Simon Morden in 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) January 18, 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


I am waiting on Jack Campbell's next book in the Lost Fleet Series;  The Lost Fleet, Beyond the Frontier - Invincible.  I loved first group of books in this series and this next group look to be even better.  If you are a Science Fiction Fan and have not read any of these get started.  You are in for a treat.

Teaser Tuesday January 17, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser is from The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges.  Page 77.

"I tried again to push through the soldiers, but the ignored me completely."

"I wonder what frightened your brother's horse, Duchess.  He seemed find until you approached."