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Jeaniene Frost – Night Huntress Series Reading Order:

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One of my all time favorite series (including the awesome “spin-off) – this is a MUST read! A world where vampires, ghouls, ghosts, and shifters exist (in hiding) amongst our own human population! Cat (born half human, half vampire) started off as a vampire hunter, but tangled with the wrong monster. Or should I say, the right one?

Bones showed her the error of her ways, helped her embrace and develop her vampire side, and together, they have been battling evil for six books now. Always exciting, laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, and sometimes downright scary. Each installment provides a new mystery to solve, a new battle to overcome, and another chapter in an intense romance that still gives me butterflies.

It’s not always easy though. Cat and Bones have hit many walls along the way, proving that two very strong-willed, in-love, powerful individuals will sizzle right off your page.

As per the author’s website:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.

I’ve just updated this list to include all of the short stories in the correct reading order, too.

As per the author:

The NIGHT HUNTRESS series is an urban fantasy romance featuring half-vampire heroine Cat Crawfield. My heroine and hero have a difficult road ahead of them and they will have to work very hard to earn their HEA (happily-ever-after), so their story isn’t over with the first book. Hope you come along for the ride.

            

Lily’s Book Review of Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

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Unholy Ghosts
Hey guys. I am over here today to make a long distance call to my Grandmaker. You would be shocked to your toes to find out how much it costs me on my cell to call her.

Hey Grandmaker, how are you? Oh, yes ma’am me and mine are good. I called today to tell you something HUGE. I am in love. Swoon over the Moon LOVE! Le Sigh. His name is Terrible and he is beyond wonderful! He’s also a drug dealer, but I get ahead of myself. Let me tell you how we met.

On Twitter everyone was all a-tweeting about Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane. I read blog after blog talking about how great this series was. I was a little wary. I have to admit I have not be in love with any of the new series new releases. I know this was published in 2009, but I was still a little “meh” about trying it. So Maryse and me got together and said “Why not? We will read it together?” So we shook on it and off we went. Well you know me, I can’t ever wait for nothing. So this weekend I dove in, and ooo la la I am in LOVE. I heart this book.

As this is Urban Fantasy it is sort of a new reality. In 1997 The Truth was revealed. There is no God, hungry savage murderous ghosts exist and the only way to stay safe from them to align with The Church. The Church uses magic to keep them contained and banish when needed. It also pays well those who report authentic haunting but beware if you’re lying, because those sent to investigate also help to punish those who try to steal from the Church. The Church of Truth employs Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch, as a Debunker, and ghost hunter. Life is not easy for her, she is a rebel by refusing to live on church grounds choosing to live in Downside and is a drug addict, this is something the Church must not find out about.

So what happens when her drug dealer Bump decides she is going to pay him 400% interest on top of what she owes him or she can choose to do him a favor and get rid of a few ghosts for him? What do think? She agrees, but finds herself escorted and aided by Bump’s thug henchmen Terrible. Terrible’s name says it all, but his look just underlines the fact, and his antisocial manner just adds the exclamation point:

“Are you really driving a hundred and twenty?”
Terrible shrugged again.
“Not real verbal, are you Terrible?”
“This time he glared at her, the greenish lights from the dash highlighting the astonishing ugliness of his profile. His crooked nose–it must have been broken several times–the way his brows jutted out like a cliff over the ocean, the set of his jaw. She held her hands up, palms out. “Okay. Just making conversation.”
“Dames always wanna talk.”
“Not like there’s anything else they’d want to do with you.”
Terrible reached forward and turned up the radio.

I thought – man that is harsh Chess. She gets so nasty to him sometimes. Anyways she is plagued trying to find out what is going with some ghost airplanes when something really bad happens. She discovers someone has called forth a strong evil ghost and it is gaining power. She has some profound moments of thought that often times caught me unaware:

“With magic almost anything was possible; all objects had energy, and energy could be manipulated.”

And just because things in her life were not stirred up enough she gets kidnapped by a rival gang. She is told she must do something unthinkable to remain in their good graces, and being in their good graces including being alive. So what do say to a handsome, sexy and mysterious kidnapper with ultimatums?

“I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Aye, you do that, tulip. You think hard. And when you decide, you let me know.” he dug a scrap of paper from his back pocket and produced a pen from his boot. “This is my number, dig? Call me when you know what you wanna do. Or if you decide you wanna let me see that ink, aye?”
“That’s not going to happen.” She took the number, tucked it in her pocket.
“You’d be surprised, tulip, what happens when you not expecting it. Surprised, indeed.”

She also finds amazing strength inside herself, in times when there just might be little to no hope.

“Terrible thought she was brave. She remembered it now, heard his voice in her head as if he stood next to her. “They scared. Not you, though.” Terrible thought she was brave, and if he – a man whose name was Terrible, a man whose path people scrambled to get out of – thought so, it must be true. She could do this, she would do this.”

I really loved Chess, maybe because of the drug addiction. It was nice to see a heroine that was not perfect and maybe because she was tough but knew her weaknesses, like when she was terrified and doing her best anyways. Terrible caught my heart by not being perfect as well, he isn’t pretty, but it was time for some flawed, dark, and underbellyish heroes to rise up. I was rolled up in the suspense and danger and rooting for drug dealers, witches with pill problems and magic to save the day.

One side note is about Downside Speak. It is like English only a little different, dig? If you read historicals and did fine with those, and read the Black Dagger Brotherhood and picked up on the lingo you’ll be fine, true?

Grandmaker, I tell you go out and get this like yesterday. For the first time in a long time I bought the second book the second I turned the last page on this one. I think I hear Maryse and you know she is going to want to talk to you. Hey Sweetpea! Grandmaker is on the phone! By Grandmaker, I know with your love for Rehv you will welcome Terrible with open arms!

Note from Maryse: Thank you Lily for hanging out with my crew! This series sounds awesome and “Terrible” intrigues me terribly 😉 ….not terribly goodlooking, but unbelievably crushworthy huh? You’ve mentionned him all week, so I’m anxious to read this!

Make sure to check out Lily’s own awesome blog – “Lilium’s Realm” – she’s hilarious and my mom (Lily’s “Grandmaker”) is addicted to Lily’s darkly humorous side, as am I 😉

Diana Gabaldon – Outlander Series Reading Order:

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The WHOLE world has been telling me about this series, and how I MUST read it immediately. From my sisters, to my nieces to my friends, it appears this is another series that will rock my world! BIG books too (which I love because they aren’t over too quickly).

Wow it DOES look amazing – time travel romance about a women torn between her husband in one time period, and her lover in another…

Update: I’ve read the first 3 and LOVE them!!! More to follow from me (check out my reviews and anything I’ve written about the author so far…)

Extras: The Outlandish Companion

            

As per the author’s webpage FAQ:

…my books don’t fit the standard conventions of the modern romance. Outlander has some elements of a standard romance–enough to make it appealing to romance readers in general–but the second and third books don’t; they deal with an ongoing relationship between two decent people who already love each other- -there’s no falling-in-love, getting acquainted, now-we-like-each- other-now-we-don’t kind of conflict. It (the Outlander cycle) is primarily an adventure story, in which history is as important a player as any of the individuals. To say nothing of which I don’t have guaranteed happy endings…

Movie Review – Let the Right One In – A Film by Tomas Alfredson

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Let the Right One In
It’s a creepy and dark vampire movie, and yet, I wouldn’t call it horror. I read about this movie a year ago, and was intrigued, and finally had the opportunity to watch it last Saturday (I was still in mourning over finishing Mencheres’s book, so I wasn’t ready to officially “move on” yet). It is based on a Swedish novel by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, (here’s the english version of the book: Let the Right One In: A Novel. It was also a Swedish film (but subtitled, and I’m a foreign flick fan – so it was all good). The “foreign” aspect of it actually lends to the movie’s surreal, eerie feel.

It’s about an angelic faced twelve year old boy (Oskar), who lives with his single (and obviously harried) mom in a tiny apartment. He is poor, unpopular and severely bullied at school. One evening, he meets a young girl his age (Eli), “mangy” in appearance, living with what seems to be her single father. Each night, they hang out together in the yard behind their apartment complex, cautiously talking, until they develop a natural rapport.

Her “father” leaves during the evenings with a suspicious looking kit. He finds unsuspecting male teenagers, puts them out with chloroform, hangs them upside down and then slits their throat to gather their blood. You quickly realize the blood is for her, and that she is a vampire. You also suspect that he is not her father, but the relationship between the two is unclear (and least it was for me). Probably watching it again would clear up my questions, but I’m not ready to go there again 😉

After his latest bungled attempts at blood collection, she is forced to feed directly from humans, and is obliged to kill them (if she does not, they risk “turning”). In his last attempt, he is caught by the police, but to keep from being recognized, he disfigures himself by dousing his face with acid, and then later, in the hospital, sacrifices himself to Eli, before he plummets to his death (what a morbid scene that was – whoa!)

Now Eli lives alone as Oskar’s neighbor, and he begins to suspect Eli is something other than normal. With her strange body odor, inability to eat the candy he offers (he spies her retching behind a building), and her reaction to his spilled blood when he tried to blood bond them as best friends, he confronts her. The movie features some of the usual vampire myths (burning in the sun, sleeping during the day and extraordinary physical abilities), but one of the most striking scenes was when she demonstrates exactly why she must be “invited” to enter.

The scenes that proceed are just as harrowing. From her androgynous ambiguity, to an accidental turning of a victim, to Oskar’s continued bullying, events unfold that change both of their lives forever. An American version entitled “Let Me In” is expected to be released October 1, 2010.

Dark and eerie, but most certainly interesting and captivating, I would recommend it, if you were in the mood for something somber that affects you deeper than the usual horror flick fear tactics. But it’s weird – you’ve been warned.

The novel
The DVD

 

Book Review – My Sister is a Werewolf by Kathy Love

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My Sister Is a Werewolf
Cute and fun (and really really HOT!!)! I always feel like I can relate to Kathy’s characters. Unlike many of the paranormal books I’ve been reading lately, her characters aren’t as “ancient” and still retain many of their very human qualities. They continue to concern themselves with mainstream human lifestyles, are emotional, and experience a range of insecurities, that of which us “mortals” can comprehend. And, what’s more, they fall in love with “mere mortals” too!

I guess, when all is said and done, when I read a book and “escape” my world, I don’t want to escape too far. I want to feel like it’s “normal” (or still somewhat realistic, as if even I could be a part of it). Our world…just “cooler”. Kathy Love, Lyndsay Sands, and even Kerrelyn Sparks deliver these kinds of stories. Characters with a modern feel. Paranormal people you’d expect to have as neighbors, or maybe even work with,  meet in a bar… 😉 *ahem* OK anyway…speaking of meeting in a bar, onto this story:

Elizabeth, the recently reunited sister of the Young brothers, is lonely (and antsy). After having lived a long life with her rough, rude and obnoxious “werewolf pack” (a biker gang that was the complete opposite of her genteel ways), she has escaped. Now living (in hiding) in the same town as her brother Christian, she is desperately trying to find a cure to reverse her “werewolf-ness”. Succeeding would mean she could finally be free of being the pack leaders mate. Cheating, abusive and psycho, her “mate” forced her into a situation she might not have accepted knowing otherwise.

One evening, “antsy-er” than usual, she goes to her brother’s bar, and finds herself uncontrollably attracted to a man (Jensen) at the next table. Her new world quickly turns upside down (but in a good way).

The man was looking at her. She’d felt his gaze before she’d actually seen it. Their gazes met, and even in the dim light, she could see his eyes were a mixture somewhere between brown and green.

Again her body told her this was what she needed. This was what she’d been wanting. He was what she wanted. She continued to stare, meeting his gaze, until he looked away. Still she watched him. Unable to do otherwise. The need was in control now.

From Jensen’s perspective:

This was too damned weird. Yet he couldn’t stop glancing at the stranger. She sat, perfectly still, her attention trained on him. She didn’t even seem to register the man beside her. Jensen shifted, his body reacting to that steady gaze as if it was a touch, stroking over him, teasing his burning skin.

I’d liken it to “love at first sight”. While she might not admit that, her extreme, undeniable, reaction to him leads her to act in ways that would normally embarrass her. Regardless, she is unable to deny her lust for him. The “werewolf” in her forces her to claim what is hers, by whatever means she can. The human in her cringes when she recalls her actions.

And what actions they are! Wooooohooo hot hot – scorching hot! She practically stalks him in a predatory,way, over and over again, and while all of his senses let him know something is off, he can’t deny this gorgeous creature that demands he ummm…”give it up”.  😯

His fingers itched to touch her, but instead he said, “This is crazy.”

She reached out and caressed him again, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. Soothing him, encouraging him. He caught her hand and pulled her back against him, kissing her. She caught the back of his head, tasting him with greedy demand.

While they sexually explore their obvious attraction, they begin to develop a deeper connection as they get to know one another. But things are never easy in a paranormal/human relationship.

Elizabeth shook her head. “You don’t understand. I can’t be with Jensen.”

“I know it’s scary, but – ”

“I can’t be with Jensen because even if he would accept me, I’m mated.”

Mina stared at her. “Oh.”

Not only does she have to contend with hiding her “nature” from him, she also continues to fear that her horrible “mate” will find her before she has found her cure.

And unbeknownst to her, Jensen also has a past of his own that he is still trying to get over – the loss of the love of his life, Katie. That, along with a few deep regrets and apprehensions, keeps the angst going strong in this tale.

There is one part of the book that I thought was going somewhere (it seemed like it was definitely set-up that way), but in the end, it didn’t happen. I’m not sure if the author abandoned that storyline, or if I simply missed a part, or if it will be explained in future books, but that would be my only complaint. I won’t say what it is, since I don’t want to spoil anything but it DOES have to do with Jensen.

Their emotional, physical and even life-threatening journey together will keep you entertained, and her protective brothers will have you laughing and feeling all warm and fuzzy (after they’re done bullying the new man in her life, that is). All in all it was a great, well-rounded, charming read!

4 stars

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