Month: September 2011
Review: A cold day for murder by Dana Stabenow
The first novel in the popular Kate Shugak Series, A Cold Day for Murder established Dana Stabenow as a new voice in Alaskan mystery writing, and earned her an Edgar Award
Series review: The Desire,Ok novels by Leah Brooke
The other things have to do with the publisher. The covers, well, let’s just say that they aren’t the most professional covers. Then there’s the price. I haven’t bought the latest book in the series yet, mainly because Siren want 9.99 dollar for it and I balk at that. There are few authors I pay over 9.99 for, and at the moment Leah Brooke isn’t on that list.
Review: Truth and Consequences by Linda Winfree
Selected reviews set in a small town
When I started to look think about it, I realised that I already had reviewed books that fit the theme. So here comes my favorites.
Kat among pigeons by Lazette Gifford
A Tailor-made bride by Karen Witemeyer
A veiled deception by Annette Blair
Review: The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller
The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller
The particulars: Mystery, Medallion Press, available as e-book and in print.
Grade: B
Blurb:
Bonnie Pinkwater is a teacher, a good one. She cares about her students. So when Peyton Newlin, a thirteen-year-old math genius, disappears, Bonnie starts nosing around.One by one, students who were competing with the young genius start turning up dead and Bonnie suspects Peyton may be narrowing the field. Then Peyton himself turns up murdered. Bonnie’s investigation ratchets up.What she discovers is a coven of witches, a teenage comic book magnate, a skinhead Neanderthal with violent propensities, an abusive father, an amorous science teacher, and a mistranslated medieval mathematics manuscript. Somehow, all the pieces have intersected at the tragically brief life of her math protégé.As the body count mounts, Bonnie realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Because whoever is eliminating her beloved students, has now decided East Plains, Colorado would be better off without one aging math teacher.
The Review:
I downloaded this when it was offered for free at BN a couple of weeks ago. The title intrigued me, and at first I believed it had a paranormal element. Someone claimed it was YA. I don’t quite agree with that. Yes, it felt like a YA mystery but the narrator was Bonnie Pinkwater, a 53 year old math teacher.
Missus P as her students call her were a hoot. I loved her for her snarky thoughts, both when it came to students and police officers. But the main reason I loved her was the fact that she felt like a teacher that genuinely cared about her students.
The book starts with a murder, and soon Bonnie Pinkwater is hip deep trying to solve it. ( I felt for the cop, who happened to be one of her old students.) As she tries to solve murder mysteries, and dealing with upset parents, and equally upset students, she is also moving on after her husband’s death. I must admit that I felt lukewarm towards Armen. Oh, he was a nice character, but it took a long time before I realized that he was 50, I thought he was 40ish.
Still, this was a quaint mystery with a touch of romance. I liked the plot, it wasn’t fast moving but the twists took me by surprise.
Will I pick up the next one? Maybe. It depends on the price.
Theme: Small town USA
Unlike the last theme that focused on regency, this theme will be a mixed bag. I plan to take you on a trip from Alaska to Lousiana, and in between. You will meet scientists, a werewolf or two, sheriffs, vampires. And cowboys, of course. As you can see, the genres will be pretty diverse. There will be some paranormals, some urban fantasy, a little bit of contemporary romance, a couple of mysteries. The only thing they will have in common is that they is set in a small town, somewhere in the US.
I actually look forward too it!
Switching Grade system
Until now, I have used Goodreads stars as a grading, but I have been getting more and more frustrated over the inflexibility in that system. So I have decided to switch to A-F grading system on the blog. Also, I’ll be post reviews on the blog first, and then Goodreads instead of the other way around.
Charity Sunday: Entangled
This another new feature: I plan to post something that has to do with charity on Sundays, since it feels like the right day to do it. This month it will be anthologies that are new or upcoming. Next month it will be something else.
From the press release:
Eleven authors have banded together to support breast cancer research with their writing. Authors4theCure, which includes award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors, as well as two breast cancer survivors, is donating proceeds from the sale of their paranormal anthology, Entangled, to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).
BCRF-funded research has helped save lives and improved the quality of care and rate of survival for tens of thousands of breast cancer patients in the past decade. Their research has revealed that the “cure” is a mosaic made up of as many approaches to diagnosing, treating, preventing and surviving as there are different types of breast cancer. The anthology is also a mosaic made up of many stories donated for this worthwhile cause.
The price is 2.99 and all proceeds go to the Breast Cancer research foundation.
Here’s the summary of the anthology:
HALLOWEEN FROST by USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep (author of the Mythos Academy, Elemental Assassin, and Bigtime series) — It’s Halloween at Mythos Academy, but Gwen Frost and her friends are in for more tricks than treats when they run into a mythological monster intent on killing them.
THE FAT CAT by Edie Ramer (author of Cattitude, Galaxy Girls) — In a battle for the souls of seven women, a wizard has the god of war on his side; all the witch has is a fat, black cat.
MEDIUM RARE by Nancy Haddock (author of the Oldest City Vampire trilogy) —What’s spooking the spirits of St. Augustine? As the witching hour of Halloween approaches, ghost seer Colleen Cotton must team with a by-the-book paranormal investigator to locate the one ghost who can save the city’s specters. If she fails, her own great grandfather’s spirit may be lost forever.
SWEET DEMON by Misty Evans (author of the Witches Anonymous series) —When Chicago’s vampire king insists Kali Sweet join his empire, the vengeance demon must rely on her ex – the half-human, half-chaos demon who left her at the altar three hundred years ago – in order to escape the vamp’s clutches.
SIAN’S SOLUTION by Dale Mayer (author of the Psychic Visions series) — When a vampire discovers the human man she loves has been captured and hung in a blood farm, she goes against her own kind and risks everything to save him.
A BIT OF BITE by Cynthia Eden (author of NEVER CRY WOLF and ANGEL OF DARKNESS) — A killer is stalking the streets of Crossroads, Mississippi, and it’s up to Sheriff Ava Dushaine to stop him. But when suspicion falls on werewolf alpha Julian Kasey—Ava’s ex-lover and the man who still haunts her dreams—Ava knows that she’ll either have to prove his innocence…or watch the whole town go up in flames.
SINFULLY SWEET by Michelle Miles (author of the Coffee House series) — When Chloe bakes a little magic into her pastries, she attracts the attention of Edward, the sexy half-demon, half-witch, who’s come to warn her those who murdered her sister are now after her.
A NIGHT OF FOREVER by Lori Brighton (author of A Night of Secrets and To Seduce an Earl) — Who is Aidan Callaghan? Mary Ellen James is intent on uncovering the truth about the mysterious man, but as she soon finds out, some things are best left buried in the past.
FEEL THE MAGIC by Liz Kreger (author of the Part of Tomorrow series) — Jenna Carmichael’s magical attempt to rectify Jessica Manfield’s birth identity takes an unexpected turn when the past comes back to haunt her.
BREAKING OUT by Michelle Diener (author of the Tudor-set historical suspense novel In A Treacherous Court) — Imprisoned in a secret facility, powerful telekinetic Kelli Barrack and two other ‘special’ inmates grab a chance to escape, only to confront their worst nightmares on the outside.
GHOSTLY JUSTICE, an all-new Seven Deadly Sins novella by New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan (author of the Seven Deadly Sins series) — Demon hunters Moira O’Donnell and Rafe Cooper are dragged into the dangerous world of nocturnal predators to find “Ghostly Justice” for a virgin sacrificed to an ancient blood demon
I Heart Indie books reading challenge
I signed up for the Indie books challenge in March, but I forgot to post about it. Oops.
This is a simple challenge, just state how many indie books you plan to read during the year. I thought about it, and decided to aim at Level 1, silver.( 7-13 books). I can already now say that I will reach the goal before that.
So far I have read 12 indie books in a number of genres. Most of them have been by authors that have been published by a publisher before. ( Yes, I am wary). Since I am close to reaching it, I have decided to up my goals to 16 books.
At the end of the year, I’ll post a list of the books I have read, and with links to any reviews. Some have been reviewed, some are upcoming :).
Next year, I’ll probably join another reading challenge. One that forces me to post, you know, reviews. But that is next year.