Herding Cats II

Chris and Nymeth are responsible for bringing this one to my attention. Maybe I won’t be able to read five, but thinking of the five I would include inspired me to join up. Renay of Let’s Get Literate is hosting this one, and has set up the following guidelines:

Here are the rules Herding Cats II (April 1st, 2009 – December 31st, 2009):

1. Make a list of five books you love. Directions:

• Five. I’m as serious as a beached whale.
• All titles must be books you’ve read in 2007, 2008 or 2009.
• Please don’t list a series; just the first book. If you really want to list a book in the middle of a series, you can, but it has to be that specific book.
• Feel free to share why you’re putting the book on your list, because I am nosy.

2. Post your list:

• in your own journal, in the comments here, whatever is fine. Share the list here.
• Lists should be public (no locked entries, no logging in to view).

3. Browse the new book list. Stay a while. Read a few (eta: if you want; not even reading is required this time around if you don’t have time to commit to a new challenge but still want to share your favorites).

4. If you review your books, you can share the reviews. You know, if you want. No pressure. Definitely not.

The home page for this project is at http://www.echthroi.org/getliterate/herdingcats/ (or http://tinyurl.com/cdxk45). If you twitter, feel free to #herdcats over there.

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I could go crazy trying to narrow the books I love down to five, so I’m just going to throw out the first five that come to mind:

1. The Manual of Detection (Jedediah Berry) – Jedediah Berry had me wound around his little finger from page one of his debut novel. I hope lots and lots of people discover this one!
2. Daughter of the Blood (Anne Bishop) – The first novel in the Black Jewels trilogy. The books in this series always make the top of my list(s) because they are just flat-out fantastic.
3. New Amsterdam (Elizabeth Bear) – Remarkable atmosphere and well-drawn, memorable characters make this one not to be missed.
4. Silent in the Grave (Deanna Raybourn) – I am a huge fan of Ms. Raybourn! Her Julia Grey books are unreasonably fantastic.
5. Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Lisa Shearin) – Because I’ve been re-reading the first two books in this series as I (impatiently) wait for the third, The Trouble with Demons, which is coming out late April.

Red-Headed Stepchild Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered for a chance to win Jaye Wells’ debut novel, Red-Headed Stepchild! The response was fantastic.

The winner was selected using Random.org, and is…

Dawn M.

Dawn, I’ll be emailing you shortly to get your snail mail address. Congrats!

You should be able to find this one in stores today, so I hope those of you who are interested go out and pick up a copy. It’s a very promising start to a new series. I know I can’t wait for the next one.

A Few YA Weekend Reads

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she’s got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad’s girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar…and that’s just how she likes it.

Of course, that doesn’t help her get noticed by her crush. Hannah’s sure that gorgeous, sensitive Josh is her soul mate. But trying to get him to notice her; wondering why she suddenly can’t stop thinking about another guy, Finn; and dealing with her parents make Hannah feel like she’s going crazy. Yet she’s determined to make things work out the way she wants — only what she wants may not be what she needs….

Something, Maybe was cute, on the lighter side and easy to read. I picked it up on the recommendation of Bookshelves of Doom. (I figure whenever a character makes you want to say/type their name like this, “FIIIINNNNNN!!,” as she did in her review, well, as one who reads for character it’s my duty to check the book out.) While I can’t say I connected with the character quite as enthusiastically, I can say that I see the appeal.

So even though the love story didn’t wow me, I very much appreciated Hannah as a character. She got on my nerves a few times, but all was well when she thought this: “I feel like I’m pieces of a person instead of the real thing.” Because that right there? I can relate. And I’m willing to bet that a bunch of teen readers will, too. And seeing Hannah put together the pieces is worth the few hours it takes to read the book all on its own.

Russel Middlebrook is convinced he’s the only gay kid at Goodkind High School.

Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school’s baseball team. Soon Russel meets other gay students, too. There’s his best friend Min, who reveals that she is bisexual, and her soccer–playing girlfriend Terese. Then there’s Terese’s politically active friend, Ike. But how can kids this diverse get together without drawing attention to themselves?

“We just choose a club that’s so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!”

I have to admit that I had a definite agenda for reading Brent Hartinger’s Geography Club. For some time now the novel has been at the center of a censorship storm involving a public library and a parent who believes that the book is inappropriate for teenagers. Since I wasn’t familiar with the story – and because my library has a copy in our YA collection – I thought it best to remedy that. I found it to be a quick read with a strong narrator and, honestly, it seemed fairly tame in terms of content. (Russell, our narrator, even kicks the reader out, so to speak, when a scene hints at ‘more.’) And there was another character, Brian Bund, that struck a cord with me; he was an outcast simply because the school needed one, and he fit the bill. Brian spoke volumes about dignity and tolerance, and those are certainly qualities I can respect and want to see proliferated. I’m definitely glad I read this one.

The Manual of Detection ~ Jedediah Berry

In an unnamed city always slick with rain, Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency. But when an illustrious detective, Travis Sivart, goes missing, Unwin is reluctantly thrust into the role of investigator. His only guidance comes from a sleepy secretary and the pithy yet profound Manual of Detection. Soon he finds himself framed for murder, pursued by gunmen, and confounded by a femme fatale. Meanwhile, strange and troubling questions proliferate: Why does the mummy at the Municipal Museum have modern-day dental work? Where have all the city’s alarm clocks gone? Why is Unwin’s copy of the Manual missing Chapter 18?

When he discovers that Sivart’s greatest cases were solved incorrectly, Unwin must enter the dreams of a murdered man and face a criminal mastermind bent on total control of a slumbering city.

Just four pages into Jedediah Berry’s debut novel, I turned to my husband and said: “This book is amazing. Like, really fantastically good.” Isolating the sentence that had prompted me to speak, I read it to him, smiling.

As he had the previous morning, and the seven mornings before that, Unwin willed with all the power in his lanky soul that time, like the train at the end of its track, would stop.

My husband is not a reader and he looked at me, baffled. What was so great about it, he wanted to know. And you know what? I couldn’t give him an answer. Because, who knows, maybe those words would only work for me, maybe I would be the only one who felt like a loose loop of yarn caught on an exposed nail after reading that sentence. But I certainly didn’t want to unhook myself from the book, wouldn’t dream of it, in fact.

And still, saying The Manual of Detection is “amazing” and “really fantastically good” doesn’t cut it.

See, first, there’s Charles Unwin. I liked him a lot. For me, he was reminiscent of Richard Mayhew from Gaiman’s Neverwhere in that he rather blithely walks into and through an extraordinary situation, and manages to be unintentionally charming and endearing all the while. I loved Unwin’s tendency to tell anyone everything, the exact opposite of what a detective would do, and I loved that, perversely, he never suffered any consequence for the things he revealed. In fact, it seemed to help him. I also loved that he was unknowingly brave, unswervingly calm even when running for his life, and that in the game of hide and seek that is The Manual of Detection, Unwin was “it.”

The man with the blond beard looked up, his eyes bulging with violence. “Find another phone,” he hissed. “I was here first.”

“Were you speaking about me just then?” Unwin asked.

The man said into the receiver, “He wants to know if I was speaking about him just then.” He listened and nodded some more, then said to Unwin, “No, I wasn’t speaking about you.”

Unwin was seized by a terrible panic. He wanted to run back to his seat or, better yet, back to his apartment, forget everything he had read in the Manual, everything that had happened that day. Instead, without thinking, he snatched the telephone out of the man’s hand and put it to his own face. He was still shaking, but his voice was steady as he said, “Now, listen here. I don’t know who you are, but I’d appreciate it if you’d keep to your own affairs. What business is it of yours what I’m doing?”

And that leads me to my next point, this sort of sly humor, almost like humor without conscious thought, that is a near constant thread throughout the novel. So, add the humor and the wonderful characterization to Berry’s stylized, intelligent writing and puzzle of a plot, and what you’ve got is something truly special. Seriously, I strongly urge you to find a copy of The Manual of Detection. It’s like everything and nothing you’ve ever read.
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Once Upon a Time III Challenge
1. The Shadow Queen
2. Vampirates: Black Heart
3. The Manual of Detection*

*I’m including this one because, well, I think this sentence from the novel sums up why nicely: “In his dream of Lamech’s dream of Hoffman’s dream of Sivart’s dream, a dreaming Unwin opened his bathroom door…”

Library Loot

Almost every day I bring home library loot – working in one does have its benefits! But I thought, since I’m currently reading a book that is phenomenally fantastic and have nothing much else to post until I can assemble my thoughts on it for a review, that I’d share what will be coming home with me for weekend reading.

Something, Maybe (Elizabeth Scott)
Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she’s got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad’s girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar…and that’s just how she likes it.

(This one comes highly recommended, so I may just have to put it on the top of the pile.)

Stargazer (Claudia Gray)
Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them. But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school. Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca’s secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

A Perfect Darkness (Jaime Rush)

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger. A sexy stranger awakens Amy Shane in the dead of night. Lucas Vanderwyck barely has time to whisper a few words before three men burst into her bedroom and drag him away. But what Lucas reveals shatters Amy’s safe little world forever. Lucas and Amy share a psychic gift—a gift that could put them in mortal danger. And as they share night after night of savage passion, as a shadowy government conspiracy tracks their every move, they will fight to save each other. But only with their powers of second sight can they escape the terror of a perfect darkness.

Taken by Storm (Angela Morrison)
Leesie Hunt has many rules: No kissing. No sex. No dating outside the Mormon faith. When Michael Walden-a deep-sea diver who lost his parents in a violent hurricane-arrives in town, Leesie sees someone who needs her. They fall for one another, even though his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above. Will their intense chemistry be too strong to resist? Leesie and Michael must make the hardest choice of their lives: whether to follow their beliefs or their hearts.

Hope’s Folly (Linnea Sinclair)
Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a ragtag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be if he can get his command ship—the derelict cruiser called Hope’s Folly—functioning. Not much can rattle Philip’s legendary cool—but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She’s the daughter of his best friend and first commander—a man who died while under Philip’s command and whose death is on Philip’s conscience. Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly minted rebel leader, once she learns the truth about her father’s death? Or will her passion for revenge put not only their hearts but their lives at risk? It’s an impossible mission: A man who feels he can’t love. A woman who believes she’s unlovable. And an enemy who will stop at nothing to crush them both.

Jeaniene Frost – Destined for an Early Grave Cover

Head over to Jeaniene Frost’s LiveJournal to get a look at the step-back cover, too. In the same post she lets all of us eager Night Huntress fans know that an excerpt will be posted at the end of April. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely excited!

Once Upon a…Pool?

Okay, so maybe I said there would be no Once Upon a Time III pool for me. Maybe I thought it would hold me back, that I’d get all disappointed if I veered away, etc. and so forth. But with two of my five books read, well let’s just say I feel a little easier about giving in. So, what might one of my remaining three be? Perhaps one of these…

Or maybe those three won’t be any. I’ve just got to remind myself that it’s okay if they’re not. But odds are good considering I’ll read Shearin (Trouble with Demons) and Butcher (Turn Coat) immediately upon getting them. And anyway, I’ll get to them all at some point! (We all know how that goes, right?) 

Vampirates: Black Heart ~ Justin Somper

There’s a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li and will include pirate prodigy Connor Tempest.

Meanwhile, Connor’s twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother. Sally Tempest has some important and shocking news that will leave the twins facing a very uncertain future.

Oh, Justin Somper, you do know how to tempt and tease! Revelations abound in this fourth installment in Somper’s wonderful Vampirate series, and while the ending isn’t quite as cliffhanger-y as the previous books’, it’s enough to leave you wondering and wanting so much more.

It seems I’m really setting myself up for failure here with these Once Upon a Time books I’m selecting; there’s just no way for me to write reviews when they fall in a series and to do so would mean revealing major spoilers. In this case, not one book stands alone; you really do need to read them in order. Somper excellently weaves various plot points through each book, creating a story arc that is thrilling and sweet, action-packed and tight with tension. The chapters alternate points of view, which is absolutely necessary and seamless, and that hook makes it impossible to put these books down.

But if I’m being honest, one of the things I love best about this series? It got my teen patrons talking – enthusiastically talking – during three separate book discussion group meetings. Their enthusiasm stirred up so much interest that the books took our local middle school by storm and suddenly tons of teens were coming in asking, “Do you have that Vampirates series? I heard it was really good.” Do you have any idea what that kind of talk does to a librarian’s heart?

Part of what makes this series so special is that there is no gender or age barrier to cross. There’s truly something for everyone: Sword fights, nautical knowledge, vampires, pirates, romance and a little bit of piratical mayhem. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This is the type of series that you want to talk about because you come to care deeply for the characters, because there are so many mysteries to solve, because you want to try to puzzle out what’s going to happen next with someone else. This is the type of series you want to share. And that, I guess, is why I decided to read it and include it in this challenge. So, somewhere down the road, if you give Vampirates a try, start with Demons of the Ocean and see how the waters treat you.
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Once Upon a Time III Challenge
1. The Shadow Queen
2. Vampirates: Black Heart

The Shadow Queen ~ Anne Bishop

It’s hard to adequately describe how I felt – feel – about the Black Jewels Trilogy. Some reading experiences are like that. I mean, I could say that I didn’t read about the world Bishop created, but that I became a part of it. I could say that the characters tugged at me, but really they tore me up, slid under my skin, and have refused to leave since. And I could say that it’s something like relief, knowing that with books like The Shadow Queen, they aren’t going away to not come back just yet. And still that wouldn’t do it. But it’s enough to let you know going in that the anticipation I felt for this new chapter in the Black Jewels saga bordered on the absurd, and that the joy I took in reading it was sharp and sweet.

Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand-without a leader and without hope.

Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who remembers the Blood’s code of honor and lives by the Old Ways. The woman chosen to rule Dena Nehele, Lady Cassidy, is not beautiful and believes she is not strong. But she may be the only one able to convince bitter men to serve once again.

Having come off a few unsatisfying encounters with books, I knew that if anything could tempt me back, could soothe and rile my love of story it was Anne Bishop. For me, reading about Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan, Janelle and the rest of them, is strangely calming, reassuring. That sense of homecoming was even more pronounced with The Shadow Queen because its focus was on family, on healing, on taking risks and making a stand. Because of that, it wasn’t as violently tension-laden as the original trilogy, but then, I’ve never expected the books that came after to be carbon copies of the first three, and as a result have never been disappointed.

I’m not going to even attempt to write a review of the novel, not in the true sense, because while it’s a standalone effort, it’s part of something greater. Something that needs to be read as a whole to be fully appreciated. So my suggestion? Get a copy of Daughter of the Shadows. Or, better yet, get the entire trilogy in the omnibus edition. Give yourself a chance and a week to settle in with it. For me it was worth every ache and twinge I felt in my shoulder that resulted from carrying around over 1200 pages in my bag for the time it took me to absorb every word. These books are truly fantasy at its finest.
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Once Upon a Time III Challenge
1. The Shadow Queen

Once Upon a Time III

There are two challenges that come up each year that I wouldn’t dream of denying myself, and Carl has announced the start of one of them: Once Upon a Time III.

A celebration of fantasy, mythology, fairy tales, and folk lore, this challenge speaks to just about all of my reading whims. Carl is such a wonderful host and through his challenges you – or at least I – feel a true sense of community, of kinship.

This challenge runs from March 21st to June 20th, and there are several ‘Quests’ you can take up. I’ll be going with ‘Quest the First’ for which I have to read five books from the four categories above. I’m not going to post a list or pool, but I will be contributing reviews to the OUT III’s review blog.

I’ve really been looking forward to this one and now I can’t wait to dive in!

(There is a banner for this challenge but, for whatever reason, it won’t seem to post. <grumble> I’ll work on it.)