Waiting on Wednesday - 1/5

Okay "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my waiting on Wednesday book is After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn. I have liked all of Vaughn's previous book (she is most well known for the Kitty  Norville series).  This one is supposed to be about super heroes kind of and I am excited to read it.  See below for cover and synopsis.

After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

Length: 304 pages

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: April 12, 2011

ISBN: 978-0765325556

Synopsis from Amazon.com: "Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.

This all-new and moving story of love, family, and sacrifice is an homage to Golden Age comics that no fan will want to miss."

Early Review - Vesper (Deviants, Book 1) by Jeff Sampson (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 304 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 25, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0061992766
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Deviants trilogy
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program.  This is the first book in the Deviants trilogy by Jeff Sampson.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I read this book, but I ended up liking it a lot.  It was a great read with some interesting plot twists and some interesting ideas.  Some of the concepts in this book are loosely related to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The night that Emily Cook dies weird things start happening to Emily Webb.  Emily Webb is a self-pronounced geek who prefers her books and her movies to any outside company but one night that all changes.  One night she changes into Nighttime Emily and sneaks out of her window and is running around town like a crazy woman.   This change becomes a nightly occurring leaving Daytime Emily confused and upset as Nighttime Emily slowly erodes Daytime Emily's relationships with her parents and friends.  Then things get weirded, Daytime Emily changes past Nighttime Emily into something other.  The thing is this is happening to other teens as well and on top of this there is a serial killer out there shooting teens in the head.  Could it all be tied together?  Can Emily figure out what is going on before Nighttime Emily either destroys Daytime Emily's life or is hunted and shot down by the killer?

I was surprised about how much I liked this book.  It was incredibly engaging and very easy to read.  Emily Webb is a very realistic and likable character.  The book is told from Emily's point of view but is broken up by interview bits taken at some lab where Emily is being held.  These interview clips give a glimpse into Emily's future and add mystery as she relates her story as her first week as a Deviant.

I really enjoyed the plot pace of this book, it starts out a bit slow and slowly builds tension...then the action comes at you non-stop.  I liked the ideas behind that book too, how Emily's personality changes but she is still Emily at the same time.

The only complaint I really have is that the side characters suffered from being underdeveloped.  Hopefully we will see more development in that area in the first book.

The story ties up well but really leaves you wanting to know more about the Deviants and what they are up to.  As a reader I really want to see the scope of the story broadened, it was pretty narrow in this book told strictly from Emily's point of view.

Overall and excellent book.  Creative and well-written and very engaging.  Emily was a very real character going through some crazy stuff, there is a lot of suspense and mystery that really keeps you hooked.  I am excited to read the next book in the series and see what happens with all of these Deviant characters.   This was one of the better young adult urban fantasy novels I have read in a while.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- The Debut Author Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Teaser Tuesday - 1/4

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB ofShould 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!


This week my teaser comes from Vesper (Deviants, Book 1) by Jeff Sampson.  I am about two third's of the way through this book and enjoying it.  



Here it is: "I squeezed my eyes shut and shoved back the out-of-place desires and daytime me's questioning voice.  It didn't matter what Daytime Emily had to say about the weird urges.  My mission was to find Megan, then find Terrance, then do something to get back at him." Pg 47

Review - Tempest's Legacy (Jane True, Book 3) by Nicole Peeler (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: January 3, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0316056601
Stand Alone or Series: Book 3 in Jane True series, 6 books planned
Source: ARC from Netgalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Jane True series by Nicole Peeler; right now Peeler has six books contracted in this series.  I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.com.  This book was an absolutely fantastic addition to the series, I loved it a lot.  It is funny, broadens the story a lot, Jane really grows as a character and there is more Anyan.  I do have a warning for readers who are into this series coming from the paranormal romance angle; this book is definitely more of an urban fantasy.  In the previous books there were a lot (a lot, a lot) of hot scenes between Jane and Ryu, in this book the romance is mostly absent.  So if you are reading it for the hot scenes beware that is not really what this book is about.

This book starts off with Jane training with Nell about how to throw those mage balls she has so much trouble with.  Then Anyan arrives with some horrible news, Jane's mother has been killed.  Now Jane didn't really know her mom, but she was really hoping to know her someday so this pretty much destroys Jane.  Now Jane wants to be in on the lab investigations more than anything, mostly to revenge her mother's death.  Jane joins Anyan, Ryu and team in investigating these horrible labs where supernatural women are being experimented on and killed.  The investigation will take Jane into the Borderlands and back.  Jane will learn a lot about her past and be confronted with a lot of horrible things she has to deal with.

This was a really great book, but it was by far the darkest book in the series and was more of an investigative urban fantasy than anything else.  To be honest I enjoyed this book more than any of the previous books, but then I am a huge urban fantasy fan and the lack of romance didn't bother me.  Jane has to go through some horrible things and she is confronted with murder and torture at every turn; so there are definitely some heart wrenching parts to this book.  That being said it isn't all death and torture; Jane remains her realistic, goofy self and had me laughing out loud a number of times.  This is still a fun book to read, it just isn't as light and fluffy as previous books...it deals with some heavy, painful stuff.

I absolutely loved that Jane is getting her power under control and that she has to train to do it.  I hate it when heroines get supernatural powers and instantly just know what to do!  I love that Jane is having to work hard and practice in order to figure out how to get her powers to work the way she wants too.  I also loved that we spend more time with Anyan.  Ryu always bothered me a bit because he was just too smooth, Anyan feels so much more real to me.  Anyan and Jane have good chemistry, but their relationship remains....frustrating.

I also love that we got to go into the Borderlands in this book.  It introduces us to a wonderful new set of characters and a wonderful alternate lifestyle for the supernaturals.  We also are introduced to an ancient and powerful supernatural race that wasn't in the earlier books.

The book ends well wrapping up the main storyline in this book.  There are a number of surprising plot twists towards the end that will surprise the reader and these twists open up some major story-lines for the next book.  Even though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, I was dying to know what happens next to Jane and crew.

Overall this was an absolutely wonderful addition to the series.  It really takes the series to a whole new level.  This book wasn't as fluffy and funny as the previous books, the fun was still there but it was tempered with desperate situations and dark happenings.  I loved this book, definitely check out this series if you are a fan of urban fantasy with humor laced throughout.  It features a normal girl with extraordinary magic, that you can't help but love.  Now I am on pins and needles waiting for the fourth book, Eye of the Tempest, to come out!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge

- E-book Reading Challenge

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge

December 2010 - In Review

This month I read 28 books, another wonderful month for reading. You can see details on what I read, what series I caught up on, my favorites, and reading challenges status below.

I caught up on the following series:
Bone: Book 2, The Great Cow Race  and Book 3, Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith
Mistborn: Book 2, The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Thursday Next: Book 4, Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
Amulet: Book 2, The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
Theodosia Thockmorten: Book 4, Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R.L. LaFevers
Spellbent: Book 2, Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy A. Snyder

I started the following series:
The Last Survivors: Book 1, Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Cheshire Red Reports: Book 1, Bloodshot by Cherie Priest
Black Dagger Brotherhood: Book 1, Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Jane True: Book 1, Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

I finished the following series:
Evernight: Book 4, Afterlife by Claudia Gray
Malice: Book 2, Havoc by Chris Wooding 
Vampire Academy: Book 6, Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Trilogy, Book 2) by Brandon Sanderson (4.5/5 stars)
Bloodshot (Cheshire Red Reports, Book 1) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)
Eyes of the Storm (Bone, Book 3) by Jeff Smith (5/5 stars)
Something Rotten (Thursday Next, Book 4) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, Book 6) by Richelle Mead (5/5 stars)
In the Forest of Forgetting by Theodora Goss (4.5/5 stars)
Shotgun Sorceress (Spellbent, Book 2) by Lucy A. Snyder (5/5 stars)

Books that disappointed me this month were:
Deadtown by Nancy Holzner (3/5 stars)
Venom and Song  by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper (3/5 stars)
The Celler by A.J. Whitten (3/5 stars)
The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson (3/5 stars)

Here are the stats on the reading challenges I am participating in:
- Summer Romance Challenge: Complete!
- Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Debut Author Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Young Adult Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge: Complete!
- GLBT Reading Challenge: Complete!
- 100+ Book Reading Challenge: 261 read
- 1st in a Series Challenge: Complete!
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List: Complete!

The full list of books that I read this month are shown below. 
1.   Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestion (4/5 stars)
2.   The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Trilogy, Book 2) by Brandon Sanderson (4.5/5 stars)
3.   The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1) by Kazu Kibuishi (4/5 stars)
4.   Deadtown by Nancy Holzner (3/5 stars)
5.   Venom and Song (Berinfell Prophecies, Book 2) by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper (3/5 stars)
6.   Side Jobs (Dresden Files Short Story Collection) by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)
7.   Life as We Knew It (The Last Survivors, Book 1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer (4/5 stars)
8.   Bloodshot (Cheshire Red Reports, Book 1) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)
9.   The Great Cow Race (Bone, Book 2) by Jeff Smith (4.5/5 stars)
10. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (3.5/5 stars)
11. The Celler by A.J. Whitten (3/5 stars)
12. Afterlife (Evernight, Book 4) by Claudia Gray (4/5 stars)
13. Eyes of the Storm (Bone, Book 3) by Jeff Smith (5/5 stars)
14. Animal Farm by George Orwell (4/5 stars)
15. Something Rotten (Thursday Next, Book 4) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
16. Havoc (Malice, Book 2) by Chris Wooding (4/5 stars)
17. The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)
18. Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, Book 6) by Richelle Mead (5/5 stars)
19. Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1) by J.R. Ward (4/5 stars)
20. Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh (Theodosia Thockmorten, Book 4) by R.L. LaFevers (4/5 stars)
21. In the Forest of Forgetting by Theodora Goss (4.5/5 stars)
22. The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson (3/5 stars)
23. Shotgun Sorceress (Spellbent, Book 2) by Lucy A. Snyder (5/5 stars)
24. Tempest Rising (Jane True, Book 1) by Nicole Peeler (4/5 stars)
25. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey (4/5 stars)
26. The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor (3/5 stars)
27. Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, Book 2) by Nicole Peeler (4.5/5 stars)
28. Huntress by Malindo Lo (5/5 stars)

In My Mailbox and Mailbox Monday - 1/3

IMM is a meme started at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.


Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.


Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page


Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I did another Vlog this week which you can watch below.  I got a little confused when I was describing Double Cross, so you get to watch me sit and think for a few seconds there :-)  Anyway hope you all enjoy!

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

The Cloud Searchers (Amulet, Book 3) by Kazu Kibuishi

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Graphic Novel Review - The Cloud Searchers (Amulet, Book 3) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 208 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: September 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0545208857
Stand Alone or Series: Book 3 in the Amulet series
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 5/5 star


This was the third book in the Amulet series by Kibuishi.  It was an excellent installment in the series; the beautiful artwork and fantastic storyline make it a pleasure to read and very engaging.

Emily, Nevin, and crew set out to find the forgotten city of Cielis in hopes of finding the other Stonekeepers and saving the land from the evil Elf King's rule.  Trellis, the Elf King's son, joins the team after being declared a traitor by his father.

This was a wonderful read.  The story deepens even more in this installment.  A lot is learned about the history of the world and about how the Elf King came to power.  Like the previous books there is a lot of adventure.  When the characters set off in an airship to find the lost city of Cielis they are attacked by Wyvern's and have to battle a furious storm. 

This installment is paced wonderfully, introduces the readers to new wonders, and progresses the story quickly leaving it at a good point.  The artwork is just..well..it is absolutely spectacular.  There is so much beauty and magic in the artwork that goes with the story; together they are just absolutely magical and wondrous.

Overall an excellent installment.  Fans of the first two books will love this one.  The artwork is spectacular, the story deepens as we learn more history, and I just can't wait to see what happens next.