Manic Monday: Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur, Grimspace by Ann Aguirre and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Each Monday (or the closest I can get to Monday) I will be posting a Past/Present/Future Reading Post called Manic Monday. Don't hate me if I post it on a Tuesday - it just indicates how "manic" my Monday really was! If you want to see more of what I have been reading, I try and update my Goodreads account with each book I am reading.

What I just finished reading

Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts
Stars: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
When a renowned writer with a fierce drive to discover the truth agrees to pen the biography of a Hollywood film legend, she encounters resistance from the woman's stepson after she tries to dig into the woman's past. First time in hardcover.

Why I picked it up: I needed something to take with me on my travels yesterday.
Why I finished it: I got into the intrigue of the story and couldn't remember who the killer was.
I'd give it to: Nora Roberts fans.

What I am reading now

I am going to be reviewing for Love Books and the first one I am to review is Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur. I like her Riley series, so I don't see any hardship in having this review finished by Wednesday. I haven't been in a reading mood in the last couple of days, and have been watching dvds instead. I feel really bad about not reading but when I can't concentrate, it is best not to push myself! Wish me luck with this review LOL

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Blurb from Goodreads:
In this exciting debut, author Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.…

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her.

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Blurb from Goodreads:
As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her…for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.




Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Blurb from Goodreads:
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day comes a devastating new novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.

Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is another classic by the author of The Remains of the Day.

What I am reading next

Rosie (@Fangbooks on Twitter) lent me a big juicy bag of books! I am tossing up whether to read the second Ann Aguirre book straight away, or read about cowboy vampires... decisions decisions...

Manic Monday: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Each Monday (or the closest I can get to Monday) I will be posting a Past/Present/Future Reading Post called Manic Monday. Don't hate me if I post it on a Tuesday - it just indicates how "manic" my Monday really was! If you want to see more of what I have been reading, I try and update my Goodreads account with each book I am reading.


What I just finished reading
Suzanna's Surrender by Nora Roberts
Stars: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
Suzanna Calhoun and her sisters simply had to find the priceless emeralds hidden somewhere in their ancestral home. The jewels were the key to the deadly mystery that had threatened them for so long. And for Suzanna they were something more - her link to a man whose past was tangled with hers in ways she was only beginning to understand.

Holt Bradford had love ...more Suzanna Calhoun and her sisters simply had to find the priceless emeralds hidden somewhere in their ancestral home. The jewels were the key to the deadly mystery that had threatened them for so long. And for Suzanna they were something more - her link to a man whose past was tangled with hers in ways she was only beginning to understand.

Holt Bradford had loved Suzanna for more years than he cared to remember, loved the laughing girl she'd been and the gentle, fragile woman she'd become. He'd never once told her what was in his heart, but now he had no choice. He had to protect her from the shadows swirling around her, and he had to make her his at last...

Why I picked it up: I was bored.
Why I finished it: I was bored.
I'd give it to: Anyone who loves Nora Roberts.

What I am reading now
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Blurb from Goodreads:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

What I am reading next
Tomorrow I am buying Suzanne Collin's Mockingjay! *squee*



P.S. - Who do you think the best Paranormal Romance authors are?

Funky Fridays: The Search by Nora Roberts (cover)

Welcome to Funky Fridays! 
It is time we do something different to celebrate TGIF. Instead of focusing on the content of what we are reading (writing reviews, finding teasers to share, etc.), I thought I would start a meme on the covers of the books we are reading. There are some really amazing covers out there, and they really are worth sharing.

The Book Bites "Funky Friday" meme works like this:

• Every Friday, have a look at the books you have read in the last week and choose the cover you loved the most. If you aren’t a big reader (some of us are freaks of nature) think about the last 5 books you read, and choose one from those).
• If you know the name of the artist (it should be listed other side of the title page and is also sometimes on the back cover), please include it, so people can look into their art.  
• Think about why you liked it. Was it because you loved the artist, the concept, the model? Or maybe it was really in keeping with the spirit of the story?
• Find a picture of your favourite cover (scanned or online – if in doubt try fantasticfiction.co.uk) and share it with us. I recommend a minimum size of 200x325 so you can see the cover clearly.
• Tell us why you like it, what draws you to it, and tell us if it affected how you approached the book.
• Enjoy all the pretty covers! There are so many amazing, creative, inspiring and meaningful designs floating around the traps. Friday seems like a good time to celebrate this.
• Feel free to continue this on your own blog and share the funky Friday cover love! <3

Yes, I am late! I had a big long weekend! Forgive me?

The Book:
The Search by Nora Roberts
The Artist: 
I left the book at home, and I can't find this online. I will update this later.
The Cover:

Why I like it:
I love the perspective. Normally, and especially on romance covers, the focus is on the person or couple. It normally has the same formula every single time. This cover is interesting because the focus is on the driftwood in the foreground, with the protagonist walking away from the viewer. It is visually appealing, which I also love. I would have an image like this on my wall as artwork. The book was published by Piatkus, which is one of my favourite publishers - they always have more attractive covers than the Americans!

Manic Monday: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Each Monday (or the closest I can get to Monday) I will be posting a Past/Present/Future Reading Post called Manic Monday. I haven't been updating my reading list online, and not everyone is my friend on Goodreads to see what I have been reading. So this is a way for my friends and followers to get a glimpse at my reading agenda :D Just don't hate me if I post it on a Tuesday - it just indicates how "manic" my Monday really was! If you want to see more of what I have been reading, I try and update my Goodreads account with each book I am reading.


What I just finished reading
River's End by Nora Roberts
Stars: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
Olivia's parents were among Hollywood's golden couples...until the night a monster came and took her mother away forever. A monster with the face of her father...

Sheltered from the truth, an older Olivia only dimly recalls her night of terror - but her recurring nightmares make her realize she must piece together the real story. Assisted by Noah Brady, the son of the officer who found her cowering in her closet so many years before, she may have her chance. Noah wants to reconstruct the night that has become an infamous part of Hollywood's history. He also wants to help Olivia and heal the longing in her lonely heart. But once the door to her past is opened, there's no telling what's waiting on the other side. For somewhere, not far away, the monster walks again...


Why I picked it up: I was bored and it was sitting next to my bed.
Why I finished it: I really love Nora Robert's suspense novels.
I'd give it to: Other Nora Robert's fans. However, I wouldn't give it to my mother because she kills them in various and devastating ways.

What I am reading now
Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Blurb from Goodreads:
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic goes wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate's going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale; a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest - and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city man not survive...

What I am reading next
I need to start reading On The Road soon. However, I am going to Galaxy tonight, and I can't promise I won't buy something shiny to read LOL



P.S. - Who do you think the best Paranormal Romance authors are?

Manic Monday: Mind Over Matter by Nora Roberts

Each Monday (or the closest I can get to Monday) I will be posting a Past/Present/Future Reading Post called Manic Monday. I haven't been updating my reading list online, and not everyone is my friend on Goodreads to see what I have been reading. So this is a way for my friends and followers to get a glimpse at my reading agenda :D Just don't hate me if I post it on a Tuesday - it just indicates how "manic" my Monday really was! If you want to see more of what I have been reading, I try and update my Goodreads account with each book I am reading.


What I just finished reading
Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton
Stars: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:

When a vampire serial killer sends Anita Blake a grisly souvenir from Las Vegas, she has to warn Sin City's local authorities what they're dealing with. Only it's worse than she thought. Ten officers and one executioner have been slain-paranormal style. Anita heads to Vegas, where's she's joined by three other federal marshals, including the ruthless Edward. It's a good thing he always has her back, because when she gets close to the bodies, Anita senses "tiger" too strongly to ignore it. The weretigers are very powerful in Las Vegas, which means the odds of her rubbing someone important the wrong way just got a lot higher.

 
What I am reading now
Mind Over Matter by Nora Roberts

Blurb from Goodreads:

Theatrical agent Aurora Fields kept her personal life strictly separate from her professional one, but lines were crossed the moment she met David Brady. He had asked her client to participate in his documentary on paranormal phenomena. Aurora agreed, but stayed on hand to protect the woman from exploitation as fiercely as a mother tigress. Somehow, David saw that Aurora's tough self-image was a little soft around the edges, and he was determined to discover what she was trying to hide. He'd always considered himself a good judge of people, so why did each moment he spent with Aurora leave her as enigmatic--and enticing--as before?

What I am reading next
I have no idea. Until Wednesday, when I go and buy more books from Galaxy, I am just picking books at random. I can't wait for pay day!



P.S. - Who do you think the best Paranormal Romance authors are?

Book Club, New Purchases, Unshelved and Design

It's book club night! I am always excited about book club. You may think that is nerdy of me (well, it is!), but I really love my book club. Aside from being able to discuss books, characters, themes, ridiculously overused words in PR *snickers* and as well as tour news and new books coming out, we find out the latest gossip circulating about future books, authors and the like, and it is a great source for finding new books to read! The members have become friends, either on facebook or in the real world. I love everything about it! Well, not everything! As I was discussing with Kat from BookThingo on Twitter yesterday, we need more room. There needs to be a dedicated space for our book club meetings. At the moment we take up half of the space between the Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy and Horror shelves, and it is two rows of chairs, not a circle. It means that there is normally two or three conversations going on at once. I try and sit in the middle so I can take part in both LOL We used to have a book/series of the week, but lately those haven't been set. That has both good and bad aspects. It means that those who haven't read the book can keep up with the conversation, and lets face it, we rarely stuck on topic any way! But it also means that there isn't as much structure to the sessions. I always go to the first book club of the month, but am planning to start going to the second one as well. See, there were too many people interested in attending a Paranormal Romance book club, so they had to split us up. But they are fine with you picking and choosing, as long as you RSVP. I am looking forward to getting to know some new people. I know some who go to the other meeting, because they sometimes come to ours, and we have had a joint book club, as well as meeting them at signings. The only things I do on Thursday nights are shopping and book club, and I don't mind sacrificing one night shopping a month to talk more about books LOL So tonight and next Thursday I will be surrounded by people who share my love of books with bite :D

Last night I bought the new Richelle Mead Vampire Academy novel Spirit Bound. I am currently rereading the series, and am about a quarter of the way through the book preceding it, so I hope to start Spirit Bound next week. I am currently reading Richelle Mead as my "before bed" series, which is why I haven't finished it yet. I also bought Nora Robert's new Bride Quartet instalment, called Savour the Moment. I am loving this series. Nora Roberts is the only straight romance author I read, so it is kind of a guilty pleasure... I am not used to reading non-speculative fiction unless it is a classic or mystery LOL Her books are a lot more girly than I normally read, which is why it is such a guilty little pleasure for me. Tonight at book club (10% discount!) I am buying Erica Hayes second book Shadow Glass (I met her last Sunday!) and will look around for one more book to buy. I haven't been keeping track about what is out, so it should be interesting!

^Haha so true! I love Unshelved! I see both sides of this. Speculative Fiction readers are very particular and very predictable. There are so many types of readers in this genre, and we all have our likes, dislikes and just don't cares. It makes it hard for non-readers to recommend books that the aficionado would approve of. And a lot of those lists are stereotypical or recommend the flashy books that aren't worth reading. I think a general hint if you are trying to write this sort of list is to ask for help, research and then read the books yourself! Just because I think Dune is one of the best science fiction books ever written doesn't mean you agree with me. Its a good idea to stick to the masters of science fiction though, if you are making a list of science fiction for people who aren't fans to read!

I am thinking of changing my blog design. I normally have dark blogs with light text, but I wanted it more approachable so I went for a clean design. I am thinking of heading back to my personal preferences and maybe doing either a steampunk or goth template for this blog. What do you think? Which do you prefer to read, light or dark? Do you want a minimalist design, or something interesting? I am not quite sure which path to take... Maybe I should take yon bonny road that winds about yon fernie brae?

Book Survey III

1. What author do you own the most books by?

Nora Roberts. I buy her books at second hand stores and chain stores. I can't get my books from normal stores.... I am too much of a nerd. Which is why I love speciality stores. I own over 100 NR books, and buy a new one every month or so. I also have about 30-50 Dick Francis books.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

Pride & Prejudice. I own the vintage one I had as a kid, I used it for uni, so it is full of pencil marks. But that is okay because it is my own old copy, I am never gibing it away, and it is comparable in this instance to a text book. I got 100% on my major essay for P&P. John Gray was going to give me 99.5% for an incorrect quote until I showed him my copy. I am keeping it for prosperity only. Hideous cover by some random low-end publisher. Stephanie at work gave me a complete Jane Austen collection, which is terrific, but it is really heavy and it hurts my hands to read. So I bought a Vintage Classic edition of all her books for ease of access. I am keeping the complete works for when I travel overseas. I've had more in the past. But I think 3 is enough LOL

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

Subconsciously.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Secretly? I never keep it secret. If I like a character, the world (even if it is just my little slice of it) will know about it.

5. What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children; i.e., Goodnight Moon does not count)?

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Madeline Brent’s Merlin’s Keep
Raymond E Fiest’s Magician
JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
David Gemmell’s Waylander and Iron Hand’s Daughter
Charles de Lint’s Ivory and the Horn, Mulengro, Someplace to be Flying, Yarrow.

6. What was your favourite book when you were ten years old?

Either something by Enid Blyton, Tamora Pierce or Isabelle Carmody, or a book in the Dragon Lance or Magic: The Gathering franchises.

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

I started reading The Gone-Away world, but ended up giving it to my brother. He loved it, so it wasn’t a waste. It was a freebie from the publisher.

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.


10. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

11. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - because they could get it SO wrong...

12. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

There have been some crazy ones… But I can't remember them. I rarely do.

13. What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

Are you serious? Have you seen some of the trashy paperbacks I read these days? Some of them are quite lowbrow LOL

14. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

The Sacrifice as Terror - it is a book about the sociology of the Rwandan genocide. Fascinating but brutal.

15. What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?

I've only seen Macbeth, but that was in a warehouse. The witches were made up of 2 people each - the second was on the shoulders of the other. These came apart and cavorted as demons, covered in red body paint, and one kept pawing my leg. It was fabulous, as it was very informal, as in we were in and part of the set. I had a place at court LOL Lady MacBeth had this gorgeous red dress that had laces on the back, sort of a cross between an evening dress, a sundress and a medieval gown.

16. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

I haven't read any Russian authors.

17. Roth or Updike?

I've not read either author.

18. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

I've not read either author.


19. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

Hard one!! I love Shakespeare, Milton is fascinating, but I have to say Chaucer has a place in my heart. I love Middle English. I still need to refer back to a ME dictionary for some words though, so it isn't the sort of thing I can read on the train unless I take a bag of references with me LOL

20. Austen or Eliot?

Austen. I have an obsession. However, I just bought Middlemarch, so I will finally start reading Eliot.

21. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

1984.

22. What is your favourite novel?

Just one? Refer above to question 5.

23. Play?

Macbeth, Peer Gynt or Doll's House.

24. Poem?

Oh, hard question! Either Henry Kendall's Bell Birds or Last of his Tribe, most by William Blake, La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats or Robert Browning's My Last Duchess. There are just so many! I also have a fascination with haiku and eastern poetry.

25. Essay?

Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal.

26. Work of nonfiction?

Anything on archaeology which was written by an academic author (i.e. not the mush published by non-academic publishers)

27. Who is your favourite writer?

Charles de Lint, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jane Austen, Raymond E Fiest, David Gemmell, Dick Francis, Charlotte Bronte, Madeline Brent, Victoria Holt, etc


28. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Dan Brown.

29. What is your desert island book?

Complete Works of Shakespeare or Chaucer's Canterbury Tales or Langland's Piers Plowman. They are the sort of books I can mull over for years.

30. And… what are you reading right now?

Way too many books!!!!!! About ten, including books by Lillith Saintcrow, Lora Leigh, Susanna Clarke, Rachel Caine, Amber Benson, JRR Tolkien, Simon R Green, Anne Rice, and Emily Bronte.