Book Review: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

If you’ve ever visited my blog before, chances are you’ve seen me raving about Patricia Briggs and the detailed, layered, rich world she’s created in her novels. Patricia Briggs is probably best know for her Mercy Thompson series (which I love more than words can say!) — and fortunately for her devoted readers, she’s also given us a wonderful spin-off series, the Alpha & Omega novels.

And… after a wait of three years, we finally have Dead Heat, the 4th book in the series. Worth the wait? You bet. (Thank you, Ms. Briggs!)

In a nutshell, the Alpha & Omega books center around main characters Charles and Anna Cornick. Charles is the 3rd most dominant werwolf in North America, and the only born — not made — werewolf, thanks to his Native American mother’s magical talents. Charles has inherited his werewolf nature and scary strength from his father, the ruler of the wolves, and a gift for magic from his mother. Charles is feared by all, as he’s been given the role of enforcer and assassin, sent by his father to keep the peace and keep werewolves in line.

The Alpha & Omega series is driven by Charles’s relationship with his wife and mate, Anna, a rare Omega werewolf who has the power to soothe anyone she encounters. Over the course of the series, Anna has grown from scared, brutalized victim into a powerful yet gentle presence whose unique talents make her a perfect partner for Charles.

Okay, I’ll just say it: I love these two. Their love story is special, I love their dynamic as a couple, and they bring out the best in each other. Plus, only Anna allows Charles the room to let his gentler, loving side out. He’s strong and terrifying, but he’s also a total sweetie who’s madly in love with his wife.

Charles just stared at her.

“You know that, right?” she said. “Most people stay out of your way, but the defenseless ones, the hurt ones, they just sort of gradually slide into your shadow. Not where you’ll notice them too much — but you keep the bad things away.”

He still didn’t say anything. She buttoned her jeans and then took the two steps to press against him.”We know,” she whispered to him. “We who have been hurt, we know what evil looks like. We know you make us safe.”

He didn’t say anything, but his arms came around her and she knew that she had told him something he didn’t know — and that it mattered.

Each of the Alpha & Omega books revolves around a central mystery which Charles and Anna must help to solve. In Dead Heat, someone has targeted the human family of an Alpha werewolf in Arizona at the same time that Charles and Anna are visiting to purchase a new horse. While protecting the family, they realize that a dangerous fae is involved and is most likely responsible for the disappearances of children from the area over the course of decades. Charles and Anna team up with both FBI and supernatural law enforcement specialists to track down the bad guy (a very, very bad guy) and make sure that no other children become its prey.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t go any further in describing the plot. Suffice to say, Dead Heat absolutely lived up to my expectations and had me furiously turning pages (when I wasn’t cursing the fact that I didn’t have the time to just read straight through without stopping). The action and adventure are pulse-pounding, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. There’s tension and drama, yet at the same time, Briggs keeps the banter and love between Charles and Anna at the forefront, so that we still get to savor the little, lovely moments between them that are the heart of these wonderful novels.

Adding a nice touch to the book is the introduction of Charles’s old friend Joseph, a Navajo and son of a werewolf, who is in the process of dying an old man’s death when the book starts. Joseph’s extended family covers generations and brings together some new and interesting angles, adding new depths to what we know of Charles and his past and introducing some great characters. I hope we’ll see more of this group in future books!

My only complaint about this book is that it takes place almost entirely in Arizona, and I missed the Montana setting of earlier books, as well as the Montana pack and its familiar characters. While Charles’s father Bran is always in the background in both series, I would have loved to see a bit more of him in Dead Heat, as he’s one of my very favorite characters. Still, the Arizona storyline gets an A+ as far as I’m concerned, which more than compensates for my minor little complaints.

Actually, I do have one additional complaint: I want more! The book wraps up when the mystery of the fae is resolved, but I wanted more of Charles and Anna! They’re at an interesting point in their relationship (I’m being intentionally vague here), and I want to see what happens next. Plus, the downside of reading these books as soon as they’re released is the excruciatingly long wait (okay, it’s only a year, but it feels longer!) for the next book, either in this series or in the Mercy Thompson series.

I can’t say it often enough: If you enjoy urban fantasy, and require your series to include well-defined characters, compelling story arcs, and an altogether unforgettable, fully-formed world, then you must check out Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. Go in order, take it slowly, and enjoy. I don’t know anyone who’s started these books who hasn’t become hooked. Quality writing, amazing characters, fantastic plots. What more could you want?

** A word of clarification: While Dead Heat is the 4th Alpha & Omega novel, the story actually starts with a novella called Alpha and Omega, available as a stand-alone e-book or in two different collections, On the Prowl and Shifting Shadows. Be sure to start with the novella or you’ll be missing the crucial beginning to the story. Spoken by one who learned the hard way!**

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The details:

Title: Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega, #4)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: March 3, 2015
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Purchased

9Mar2015

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/9/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park: Very enjoyable! My review is here.

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs: I’ve barely had time to read this week, which is SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING, especially since I finally have Patricia Briggs’s new Alpha & Omega book in my hands. I’m trying to savor every moment, even though my reading is all happening in teeny, tiny snippets.

Off-line:

An insanely busy week at work plus a hectic home schedule has kept me hopping (and not reading). But on the plus side, my wonderful daughter came home for a few days and we’re having fun family time.

Fresh Catch:

Two books I’ve been dying for arrived on their release day — Dead Heat (see above), plus the newest from Mary Doria Russell, who is just brilliant no matter what she writes about:

And look what else came in the box along with Epitaph! Okay, it’s not a book, but I was still thrilled when it arrived (and hey, it’s based on a book!):

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

First up, I need to finish Dead Heat! (Although, to be honest, I kind of hate the idea of finishing and then just having to wait for another installment in the series.)

After that, I need to start tackling a book club book (In Falling Snow) and a review book for an upcoming blog tour (The Witch of Painted Sorrows).

Now playing via audiobook:

It’s a Patricia Briggs era chez moi, for sure. Continuing on with my audio re-read of the Mercy Thompson series, I’m about halfway through with book #4, Bone Crossed. I’m loving every moment.

Reading with my kiddo:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Week 3 of our Eragon read. Sloooooooow going. But we’re hanging in there.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. One chapter per week… we’ll be done next week!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015.

OBC Book of the Month for March: In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl. I’m really looking forward to this one! Discussion opens March 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

7Mar2015

Blogger Spotlight: Meet Eugenia!

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I have so many wonderful people in my life who are just as crazy about books and reading as I am! I thought I’d put together some reader and blogger spotlight posts to highlight some of the folks who I love talking books with. Getting the ball rolling…

Meet Eugenia! My friend Eugenia is someone I know from real life, an avid reader, and one smart cookie. She’s recently joined the book blogging world, and I’m thrilled to be able to chat with her about her new blog, Jewish Books Are Awesome:

Introduce yourself! Who are you, what’s your background, hobbies, interests, etc..

My name is Eugenia, coming to the web waves courtesy of Shargorod, Ukraine and Berkeley, California. I am a Jewish accountant (one of several in my family’s current generation) working for a Jewish Bay Area organization. I have absolutely no background in literature other than my abundant twenty-five years of love of reading and few dozen essays I had to write in college. I haven’t had an interest in writing books since my teenage years of poorly written poetry. I read. That’s what I do.

Why did you decide to start a blog? Why “Jewish Books Are Awesome?” How did you come up with the name, and what does it mean to you?

I started this particular blog as a bit of a joke initially. I’ve written in diaries for as long as I can remember and I have every single one I’ve written since the age of 13. I experimented with online diaries back in the ’90s and early ’00s with the help of Open Diary and LiveJournal, but those blogs had no real purpose other than spewing out my inner thoughts and experiences onto the world. They gave me an opportunity to share myself behind the anonymity of a computer screen, but eventually life got in the way and I found less and less time to talk about myself. And yet, the nagging thoughts continued. At one point about three years ago, I almost had it when I thought that I could turn my reading obsession into something tangible and started a generic book review blog…..but I got lazy and it never went past 4 entries. It may still live somewhere in the web clutches, but I can’t even find it. 🙂

Anyway, enough history (as if such thing is possible – I LOVE and LIVE history). About six months ago, I was having a silly conversation with my best friend (who is like a sister and is a rabbi!) on Facebook. Prior to this, I had started giving her Facebook community group Judaica book recommendations. She had recently self-published her first book and was telling me about an idea to promote her book. She offered bloggers a free copy of her book in exchange for a special feature on her author page complete with blogger bio and photo. So she says to me, “So it would look something like this – Example: Eugenia, Blogger at JewishBooksAreAwesome.com and provide link to their site.” I being the giant nerd, thought the name was brilliant and for some infernal reason decided to right then and there create a blog with that name before it had been taken. So really, blame my sister.

Can you tell us a bit about your blog? What’s your main focus? What types of posts might we expect to see?

Ultimately I had started a blog because I felt I had something unique to say. As a Jew I am very proud of my people and my heritage and it felt so natural to want to show the world, those who may know a little about us and those who may know a lot, that we are not just characters in news headlines and protests. Jews as a people have four thousand years of culture to offer the world. I wanted to try and offer a tiny slice of that. And what better way to share it with the world than through my love of reading? What better way to show the world that Jews are awesome than through written word?

My focus is specifically Jewish-themed books. These are books about Jewish culture, Jewish history, Jewish art, Jewish characters written by and large by Jewish authors but that is not in any way a requirement. So far I’ve done an even mix of fiction and non-fiction works and would really love to continue maintaining that mix. I noticed that I enjoy not just writing a single post about a book of choice, but often write a mid-read reflection of it as well. Occasionally I do throw in posts about my love of reading in general, I try not to be too partial to memes but sometimes they capture how I feel about reading so much that THEY MUST BE SHARED!

Has anything about blogging taken you by surprise?

I have been most surprised by the amount of work blogging takes. I used to think that I could just pick a book, sit down, read it, and then go right to talking about it. Book reviews are actual legitimate work. I found that I can do most of the above mentioned things easily (though reading a book in one sitting is a bit of a stretch) except the last. It’s rather hard to just get to talking. It’s hard to talk without any kind of a framework because without some form of structure, I feel that the reviews just become babble. No one wants to read a disorganized mess. In line with that, I was surprised by the fact that in order to have a structure in my reviews, I actually needed to take notes. Kind of like where I was in college. Notes about the characters, notes about the events I thought pivotal. And the odd curious quote.

What’s been your best experience as a blogger so far?

I am very easy to please. All it takes is the little WordPress notification at the top of my tablet toolbar and I am happy as a clam. I’m just excited people are giving it the time of day. I knew that with a niche blog like mine it would be a challenge getting people interested, but I’ve had the pleasure of knowing that people on multiple continents have dropped in on my blog. Australia, India, UK, Philippines. How cool is that? It just blows my little heart that people are interested in what I have to say.

What book that you’ve featured on your blog has meant the most to you or had the strongest effect on you, and why?

When one reads books about Jews, one can never escape the specter of the Holocaust. Three Minutes in Poland has had the most profound effect on me and my readers’ reactions to it have reassured me that I was on the right path with this blog and its purpose. I wouldn’t want to turn this particular answer into yet another discussion of the book (ok, I actually would but I don’t think we have time for that so here is a link to the review instead.) But let it suffice that reading about Glenn Kurtz’s doggedly determined search of the people featured in his grandfather’s film shows to me how relevant history still is. They always say “Never Forget” and yet, we are human so we do. Books like Three Minutes serve as more than a testament to the dead, they are reminders of our relevance as a people and how extremely important it is for people to continue to be educated about what could be. One should never ever stop learning.

Tell us about your reading habits – what do you read for fun?

FYI, I do not just read Jewish-themed books. I’d probably lose my mind a bit if that were the case. I’ve been trying to read a non-blog book while reading something for the blog. I have been known to indulge in chick lit though I have my standards. I am a big fan of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner.

What’s your favorite reading spot?

I like to read in bed the most but I have been blessed with the ability and desire to read just about anywhere. In a passenger seat of a moving car, standing on a packed commuter train, walking through a hallway at work, occasionally in the bathroom…..

Do you have any requirements for when you’re reading (music, location, no talking, etc.)?

If I am really focused on a book, I can’t handle much noise. Music generally isn’t a good idea though I can handle talking around me as long as no one is expecting me to fully pay attention to the conversation. I’ve been known as a child to read in the presence of classmates while ignoring them completely.

Besides the books you feature on your blog, what’s your favorite book from the last 12 months?

I’ve really fallen in love with Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. I think I wolfed down all 8 books in less than three months.

LOL. “Wolfed” down. Oh, that’s awesome…

What book do you find yourself recommending most often?

Other than Three Minutes in Poland? You might think I am a bit of a weirdo, but Great Mortality by John Kelly was fantastic. It’s the history of the European Black Death aka the Black Plague that took out millions in the late 1340s and beyond. I am also a huge fan of Mary Roach’s work, especially Bonk. Anything by Lisa See and Jim Butcher. Hands down.

Any books you regret reading?

I haven’t thought much of Jane Green’s and Sophie Kinsella’s last -oh I don’t know- 3 books each? Either I grew up or their story telling ability just went out the window.

What are your hopes and dreams for Jewish Books Are Awesome?

I hope people keep reading and enjoying my musings. Now is not the easiest time to be a Jew and I want to continue conveying to people how fascinating my people and our stories are. We are the People of the Book (Shout out to Geraldine Brooks!) and it’s only appropriate that through books I can share our history and culture.

Anything else curious readers should know?

I can read in two and a half languages! I am also a pretty bad-ass embroiderer and a halfway decent crocheter.

Thank you, Eugenia!

Don’t forget to check out her reviews and musings at Jewish Books Are Awesome!

Did you enjoy this post? I did! I plan to continue shining a spotlight on the readers and writers in my life, whenever inspiration strikes (and I can find willing victims). If you have suggestions for future spotlight posts, please let me know! And I’d really love it if you’d leave a comment or two on my chat with Eugenia. Thanks!

5Mar2015

Thursday Quotables: Bone Crossed

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
(Mercy Thompson series, book #4 – published 2009)

I’m working my way through this amazing series for a 2nd time, listening to all the audiobooks. These snippets don’t really show much about the plot, but they do capture the insane world that’s just a given in these books.

It was strangely intimate, Stefan holding me as he drank from Adam’s wrist, and Adam leaning harder into me as Stefan fed. Intimate with an audience. I turned my head to see that my mother still held her gun in a steady two-handed grip, pointed at Stefan’s head. Her face as calm as if she saw burnt bodies appear out of nowhere, then rise from the dead to sink fangs into whoever was closest to them all the time, though I knew that wasn’t true. I wasn’t sure she’d ever even seen one of the werewolves in wolf form.

One more:

He was huge, an earthly mass of gray and blue, still vaguely human-shaped, but his face looked like it had melted, leaving only vague bumps where his nose should have been. His mouth was pretty easy to spot — it would be hard to miss all those big teeth. Silvery eyes, too small for that huge face, glared out from under sparkly blue eyebrows. He shook himself, and the sparkly dust scattered again, melting as it touched warmer surfaces. He was shedding snow.

In the silence that followed, a small cranky voice said, “Freakin’ snow elf.”

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Leave your link in the comments — or, if you have a quote to share but not a blog post, you can leave your quote in the comments too!
Visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

4Mar2015

Book Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

In Flat-Out Love, college freshman Julie learns an important life lesson: Never rent an apartment sight-unseen via Craigslist.

When Julie arrives in Boston from small-town Ohio to start her college adventure, she’s in for a rude awakening. The apartment she’s rented (and paid for via cashier’s check — not smart) doesn’t exist… although there is a bustling burrito place at the same address. Left on the sidewalk with all of her suitcases and no place to go, Julie is taken in by the family of her mother’s college roommate, although the two have been out of touch for years.

Julie is welcomed into their large home, and despite the family’s oddities, finds it warm and comfortable. Odd? You bet… especially the life-size cardboard cut-out that the youngest, 13-year-old Celeste, takes with her wherever she goes. Flat Finn looks just like real Finn, the absent oldest brother who, Julie is told, is busy traveling the world on a non-stop adventure combining volunteer work and thrill-seeking. Flat Finn sits at the dinner table with the family, comes in the car to drive Celeste to and from school, and watches over Celeste when she sleeps at night.

When it turns out that there simply are no affordable apartments to be had and the dorms are all full, Julie’s temporary refuge turns into a permanent arrangement for the year. The family loves having Julie around, and she forms a tight friendship with middle brother Matt, a self-proclaimed geek studying at MIT who lives at home and seems to be Celeste’s main caretaker. Meanwhile, Julie also finds Finn on Facebook and strikes up an online friendship with him… which turns into a flirtation… which turns into a whole lot more.

But why is Celeste so socially awkward and friendless? Why are the parents almost never around? What IS up with Flat Finn, and why will no one explain to Julie? What it with all the underlying weirdness?

Flat-Out Love is a fast-paced read filled with humor as well as sorrows. The Watkins family members clearly have secrets and painful incidents in their past, but author Jessica Park handles it all with a light touch. There’s no needless melodrama here — we see everything through Julie’s eyes, with a mixture of amusement, bafflement, and frustration. Julie truly cares about the family, and is able to slowly gain Celeste’s trust and help bring her out of her shell, and yet she’s still kept in the dark about all of the reasons for the family’s problems, up to and including Flat Finn.

There’s a love triangle, which in many books is enough to send me running for the hills, but it’s actually handled quite well here. Julie spends almost every day with Matt and has a close connection with him, but Finn is the one who makes her feel more, despite never having met him.

An underlying story about Julie’s absentee father and their strained relationship is underdeveloped and feels rather tangential to the whole story. Other than that, the author does a nice job of capturing the excitement of the freshman year experience, including new friends, a new city, the chance to break away from the social pressures of high school and start fresh, and the joy of finding classes and professors who inspire you.

I did pretty much guess the family secret right away (really, it wasn’t hard), but that in no way detracts from the enjoyment of the story — and I still found myself gobbling up the final chapters to get all the details and see how it would all turn out.

The dialogue is funny and breezy, and I liked the little touches such as Facebook status updates from the different characters and ongoing commentary on Matt’s choice of geeky T-shirts.

I was interested to note that Flat-Out Love was self-published via Amazon. I always assume that self-published books won’t appeal to me, but Flat-Out Love showed me that I should perhaps expand my horizons a bit!

I definitely recommend Flat-Out Love. It’s a great choice for anyone looking for a quick and light read that mixes quirky humor with real emotion. I understand there’s a companion novella (Flat-Out Matt) and a sequel (Flat-Out Celeste), and I hope to track down both.

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The details:

Title: Flat-Out Love
Author: Jessica Park
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing
Publication date: 2011
Length: 389 pages
Genre: Young adult contemporary fiction
Source: Library

3Mar2015

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: After You

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

After You

After You by Jojo Moyes
(to be released September 24, 2015 )

A sequel to Me Before You!!! Need I say more? I was so excited to hear about this during the past week. For anyone wanting to know more, check out the announcement on the author’s website or this article from USA Today.

Note: If you don’t want to see spoilers from Me Before You, DO NOT click on the links or read any synopses for After You!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

2Mar2015

Top Ten Tuesday: My top 10 favorite books from the past 5 years

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is “Top Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS from the past 3 years (you can extend it to 5 if you need to)”. I feel like I’ve posted about my favorites a lot already — and I’m not sure that my all-time favorite books would come from the past 3 – 5 years — but anyway…

Here are the books (or series) from the past 5 years that have made a lasting impression! I’m trying to throw in a few besides the ones I always rave about… we’ll see how well I do.

In no particular order (well, except for #1, which is always my #1):

1) The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon: Considering how much these books have come to rule my life, it’s funny when I stop to realize that I didn’t read Outlander for the first time until the fall of 2010!

My Outlander shelf!

2) The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs (and the Alpha & Omega books too): Another series that was pretty much love at first read for me.

3) The Shining and Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: I re-read The Shining for the first time in decades right before the release of Doctor Sleep, and reading the two books back-to-back was such a fantastically creepy reading experience.

And now for some stand-alones that I find myself recommending all the time:

4) I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

5) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

6) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

7) The Winter Sea and The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. Really, just about any book by Susanna Kearsley — yet another author who quickly became a favorite during the last five years.

8) Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. Can’t wait for the third book!

9) The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes — an author who was new to me just a couple of years ago, but whose books I’ve been devouring! The Ship of Brides is one of my favorites.

10) And finally, I just have to include the graphic novels I’ve fallen for in the last 3 – 5 years, especially the world of Fables by Bill Willingham and Y: The Last Man and Saga by Brian K. Vaughan.

What are your favorite books from the last 3 – 5 years? Please share your links!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

2Mar2015

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/2/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

What did I read last week?

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis: I DNF’d this one after about 50 pages. The quirkiness just didn’t gel into a compelling storyline for me.

Fairest: Levana’s Story by Marissa Meyer: Finished. My mini-review is here.

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen: I finished it, but just barely. I was under the impression that Beastkeeper would be a YA fairy-tale retelling, and thought it sounded quite fun from the synopses I’d seen. But… well, the protagonist is 12 years old, yet the writing seemed a bit older than middle grade, and the story itself was oddly complicated in some ways without actually ever making a whole lot of sense. The best I can say about this book is thank goodness it was a quick read! Otherwise, I might have just walked away.

Off-line:

My son and are I working our way through my Firefly blu-ray set, and we’re having a blast! We’ve managed to watch seven episodes so far, and seeing him get into it is so good for my devoted old Browncoat heart.

Fresh Catch:

Two new books arrived this week, thanks to the speedy (and free) delivery elves at Book Depository:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’ve just started Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park — but need to finish up pretty fast because this is going to be a big week for new releases, and I have books arriving Tuesday that I absolutely want to start the second I open up my Amazon box!

Now playing via audiobook:

I finished Iron Kissed, book #3 in the Mercy Thompson series, and moved immediately onward with #4, Bone Crossed. Despite having read Iron Kissed before, it still made me cry. Iron Kissed is probably the most upsetting of the Mercy books, but it’s also incredibly powerful and moving. I love this series!

Reading with my kiddo:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Week 2 of our Eragon read. It’s holding our interest, but left to my own devices, I’m not sure that I’d want to stick with Eragon. It feels a bit too much like a LOTR wannabe, in my humble opinion.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. One chapter per week… and the end is finally in sight!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015.

OBC Book of the Month for March: In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl. I’m really looking forward to this one! Discussion opens March 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

28Feb2015

Take A Peek Book Review: Fairest: Levana’s Story by Marissa Meyer

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought. This week’s “take a peek” book:

Synopsis:

(via Goodreads)

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

My Thoughts:

This slim novel is sure to please fans of the Lunar Chronicles books, finally giving us the backstory of just how Queen Levana ended up so crazy evil. Of course, it will also frustrate fans of the Lunar Chronicles, being so short and including a tease for the next (and final) novel in the series, Winter, due out in November.

In Fairest, we learn about Levana’s horrific childhood with her cruel and deranged sister Channary, and see how Levana, to a certain extent, never stood a chance of being a decent, well-adjusted person. The Lunar ability to create glamours and hide one’s true face is put to full use, as Levana uses a series of mind-tricks in her desperate search for love and happiness. But love that is coerced isn’t love, and Levana’s path from her teen years until the point when her story meshes with the Cinder timeline can be seen as one long, twisted, downward spiral.

There are places where I felt pity for Levana, perhaps even understanding. How could someone raised as she was be expected to turn out with any hint of a moral compass? Still, the sympathy is pretty quickly destroyed as Levana’s mad quest leads her to greater and greater acts of horrifying cruelty and devastation.

The hardcover edition of Fairest includes the first three chapters of Winter, which I decided not to read. I’d rather wait until I have the entire book in my hands!

Fairest answers a lot of questions about Levana’s past and the history of Lunar-Earthen politics and war. If you’ve read the first three books in the series, you’ll absolutely want to read Fairest as well. And for anyone who hasn’t given this series a try yet… jump on board! I was very late to the party, thinking that all the hype around the series couldn’t really hold up, but I was — happily — proven wrong. I really love this series, and can’t wait to read the conclusion… despite hating the idea of getting to the end!

Want to know more? Read my posts on Cinder and my Lunar Chronicles series binge.

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The details:

Title: Fairest: Levana’s Story
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: January 27, 2015
Length: 222 pages
Genre: Young adult/science fiction
Source: Library

26Feb2015

Thursday Quotables: Eragon

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
(published 2002)

“Before your grandfathers’ fathers were born, and yea, even before their fathers, the Dragon Riders were formed. To protect and guard was their mission, and for thousands of years they succeeded. Their prowess in battle was unmatched, for each had the strength of ten men. They were immortal unless blade or poison took them. For good only were their powers used, and under their tutelage tall cities and towers were built out of the living stone. While they kept peace, the land flourished. It was a golden time. The elves were our allies, the dwarves our friends. Wealth flowed into our cities, and men prospered. But weep… for it could not last.”

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Leave your link in the comments — or, if you have a quote to share but not a blog post, you can leave your quote in the comments too!
Visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!