Bought in September

For someone who's trying to shrink their TBR pile I'm still buying books. This is what I've picked up in September:-


Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (not sure I like the change to the UK covers)

Every Good Thing by M. Jules Aedin (bought after reading Jenre's review)

Branded by Fire - Nalini Singh (even though I'm a few books behind on this series, still buying the current books)

Wicked Game - Jeri Smith-Ready

Hominids - Robert J. Sawyer (impulse buy in Borders)

Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin

As I'm trying to make an effort to catch up on the series that I've been neglecting I thought I'd make a start with one of my favourites - the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. This is book #3 and finds Jaz and her vampire boss Vayl, undercover in Iran looking to take out a terrorist known as the Wizard. Vayl and Jaz are working with Jaz's brother Dave and his unit on this assignment, but unbeknownst to Dave there is a mole on his team feeding information back to the Wizard.

I love the excerpt used at the very front of the book, the one used to get browsing shoppers to buy.

"Watch out! Watch out! The dead are rising!"

Now if that doesn't get you to take a second look I don't know what will.

I have to admit that unlike the previous two books in the series I didn't settle into this one straight away. It took until page 17. :) Okay, maybe just before that on page 15, when Jaz makes this comment about her father.

...I want to thump our father over the head with a large blunt object. Like his ego.

Whether or not you love this series will depend on a large part on whether or not you love the protagonist. And Jaz can sometimes be a bit annoying, but what saves her (for me) is the fact that she has this incredibly snarky voice (inner and outer) and that if you're willing to understand her point of view (and make allowances for when you don't) it's one hell of a ride.

Of the three books I've read so far this is probably my least favourite. But that's not really a detrimental comment as such, just an observation. Though I do have some concerns. (And this somewhat ties into what's happening in Book 4 which I'm reading at the moment, but I'll mention that in the book 4 review) I'm hoping that Jaz isn't turning into one of those UF heroines that all the male characters want to get into the sack. She seems to be getting a little too invincible and everyone thinks she is amazing. At the moment what stops that from being completely annoying is that as the reader we have the luxury of seeing inside her head and knowing how insecure she is at times.

What does happen here is that along with the Wizard plotline, we have some previous plot threads tied up - we find out how Jaz's gun/crossbow came to be named. If this was mentioned in one of the previous books I don't remember it. Also, to some extent the situation over Vayl's sons is dealt with (he's waiting for them to be reincarnated and whenever there's a possibility they may have turned up his priorities become skewed.)

If this book had a theme it would be - Nothing is as it seems. Jaz has to hide the fact that she knows there's a mole from her brother, Vayl conceals the fact he is still searching for his sons from Jaz - putting the mission in danger. Jaz takes a trip to Hell and has to come to terms with some of the things she sees there, though ultimately that journey will save them all.

The banter between the characters is as good as ever. And this wouldn't be a Jaz and Vayl review if I didn't include a favourite snippet from them.

"Bub? Is that my new nickname?"
"Sure."
"I hate it," Vayl said decisively."Give me another."

I still say that Jennifer Rardin has one of the best grips on how to write a vampire character than most other authors.

This is one series I don't see me giving up any time soon.

(For Xena fans who've read the book - is it just me or on page 303 does Jaz start channeling Lucy Lawless from The Furies episode. One minute I was in Iran, the next moment I was in a Fury temple in Greece. Though I guess that's a question that only the author could answer.)

Been Away for a While

Hope there are still people out there reading this. :)

Didn't realise it had been quite so long. Some things have been happening away from the internet, which means I haven't been able to spend so much time surfing and my reading has gone drastically downhill as well. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks after I have got through my english lit. exam (October 14th :grits teeth:) I'll be back to posting more regularly.

When I have been online I've got terribly addicted to the German soap opera Alles Was Zahlt. Gee hope I've remembered that right and haven't just insulted everyone. Just off to check my spelling is reasonably okay...and it is...lol.

I first got pulled in through eskimokissproject on Youtube, but am now watching the full episodes on the RTL website as well. Even though these are in German (as is the website) and I haven't spoken the language since high school - it's amazing how much is coming back.

There's a clip below from one of my favourite eps, which isn't the famous shower scene. But I think is one of the funniest moments. Yes, I am trying to addict as many other people as possible too. :)

Last Assignment...

...submitted.

Yay! and Phew! Thank goodness for that. All over bar the revision and the exam. :(

Normal service to resume shortly.

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs - So Far

I've said it before, but boy do I hate the UK covers.* Anyway it's the story inside that's important. And so far I'm loving this, my favourite aspect of the Mercy Thompson universe is the exploration of relationships between characters.

Also big cyber hugs and kisses across the internet to Patricia Briggs.

"He wasn't breathing, but vampires didn't, not unless they needed to talk or pass for human."

One of my top two vampire peeves dealt with in a sentence. :)

* Have seen the UK covers for the Charles and Anna (Alpha and Omega) series and my honest opinion is that they're not too bad for an urban fantasy cover. But I think they are misleading, seeming to show Anna more as a gun toting bog-standard UF heroine, rather than a peacemaker who uses her influence to calm psychopathic alpha wolves.

When Do You Give Up On a Series?

Ever since I realized how far behind I was getting on the series I follow, it's crossed my mind that maybe I should drop a few, even though I'm reluctant to do so. Some of these stories I've been following for years. Reading KMont's blog When Your Favorite Fails You made the question pop back into my mind.

Truth be told I've only given up completely on one series - Anita Blake Vampire Hunter - I'm more of a straight urban fantasy fan and I love the PI twist. But when the style of the stories changed I stopped following the series.

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series I've kind of fallen into an apathy with. I've got To The Nines and Ten Big Ones on my TBR pile but I don't feel any kind of desire to put them on the top. And currently I have no intention of buying any more books in the series. Maybe it's because the storyline seems to be ongoing with no destination.

Anyone who read my TBR post knows I love my series books but at some point do you just give up?

If a series changes drastically from book 1 to book 7, how long do you give the author the benefit of the doubt that they know what they're doing. I know of readers who have got rid of all but the first three of their Black Dagger Brotherhood books. I'm hanging in there at the moment, but I have gone from inhaling the latest book as soon as I've got it, to abandoning it on my TBR pile. I still haven't read Lover Avenged.

When Lynn Viehl announced that Stay the Night would be the last of the Darkyn series, part of me was disappointed. It was a ride that I didn't want to end. But having finished the series (which I think will carry on in some form in the new Kyndred series) I can't help thinking that in some ways she had the right idea. Having a strong over-riding story arc kept the story fresh and vital.

I don't think that's a method that would work for every writer, and nobody wants to read books that are cookie cutter. But I think staying on target, staying on plot, staying on mission (call it what you will) is important not only to readers but also to the coherent development of characters within a story or series.

Another good example of this is Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. Her books standalone (or in pairs) but are filled with characters whose lives overlap with each other and plots which continue from book to book. The style of writing stays fresh and so does the story.

Are there any series that you've just lost the will to follow? Or are there any new series that I shouldn't miss out on? Yes, I am always looking for more. lol

Series I have no intention of giving up on - Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs, The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong, Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin, Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews.

Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin, So Far

Absolutely bombing through this one. It took me a little longer to get into that the previous books - I wasn't hooked til page 17! lol

I have got to pick up the next couple of books in this series. I've got Bitten to Death but think a couple more have been released.

Complete review will be up in the next couple of days.

One of my favourite lines, mainly because I'm just sooooo not a patient person. I try to be, I really try but I suck at it.

I'm sure the cosmos has a greater purpose for surrounding me with patient people. But mostly it just makes me want to scream.