P is for The Paris Secret

Author: Angela Henry
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Mystery
Release January, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5/5

Description:Less than twenty-four hours after fleeing to Paris, Maya Sinclair is the prime suspect in a brutal murder—and targeted by the real killer. When she's viciously attacked in the gardens of Versailles, Maya barely escapes with her life thanks to sexy French journalist Simon Girard.

Simon has been investigating the mysterious death of his brother, an art forger with ties to the woman Maya is suspected of killing. Still healing from heartbreak of his own, Simon reluctantly joins forces with Maya, who has awakened feelings within him he thought long dead.

Their search for answers uncovers the existence of a secret society, and puts them on a quest to find a missing crucifix rumored to hold the key to everlasting life. Together, Maya and Simon race through Paris one step ahead of a killer who will do anything to ensure some secrets remain buried forever...

Review: Ok, can I just say that I love Angela Henry? Cos I do. She's such an awesome writer. I got The Paris Secret expecting awesomeness and I'm glad to say Ms. Henry delivers.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• While wearing the ring that supposedly belonged to the Black Nun of Moret, a 17th century nun, Maya has flashbacks of the nun's life. This would've been cool if this were a paranormal/fantasy/mystified book, but it's not. It's a romantic suspense. The flashbacks kind of came out of nowhere. Ms. Henry really didn't need them. With that being said, it didn't take away from the awesomeness that is this book.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• I LOVE the character of Maya. She's feisty and strong. Her boyfriend broke her heart, but instead of staying home an wallowing in self-pity, she flies off to Paris to mend her broken heart. What she goes through didn't break her.

• I like the fact that Maya's a librarian, but not a stereotypical librarian.

• The action. I've mentioned it so many times before, but I love action. The Paris Secret had it. It kind of reminds me of something like The Da Vinci Code with secret societies and the "whodunit" factor.

• Simon is a worthy hero for Maya. He's sexy and passionate. He's masculine, but not too masculine enough where you don't see his emotions as he tries to solve his brother's murder. The romance between Simon and Maya is HAWT!

• Through Ms. Henry's descriptions, I can "see" Paris. Her descriptions are vivid.

If you like romance, mystery, and suspense, The Paris Secret is definitely the book to get!

I is for Iron Queen

Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release: February, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5

Description: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Review: Julie Kagawa does it again. I tell you, I have enjoyed this series. For those who don't know (where have you been), this is book #3 in the Iron Fey series. Book #1 is The Iron King and book #2 is The Iron Daughter.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• It was slow at times, especially at the beginning.

• I have to wait for book #4, The Iron Knight.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• Meghan's growth. In my review for The Iron Daughter, I mention how I found her to be whiny at times. I'm glad to say she's matured considerably. She's more confident in her abilities. She's deeply in love with Ash, but not to where she can't let him go. And man is she kick ass in this book! I like Meghan more now than in the previous 2 books. Seriously.

• I like Ash's growth. We saw more emotion in this book. While I'm still Team Puck, I actually like Ash's and Meghan's relationship here.

• Puck is able to let Meghan go. He still loves Meghan and would rather she be with him, but he didn't let the fact that she chose Ash stop him from fighting with them. A lesser man would've left them to fight on their own, but not Puck. Can Puck please have his own book? PLEASE? It would be so awesome if he found love. *sigh*
  

• Oh, the action! Like I've said before, I'm an action junkie. Give me a book or a movie that pumps up the adrenaline and I'm a happy woman! The fight scenes here...I could so imagine them on the big screen.

• Ms. Kagawa's world building. Her descriptions are awesome.

• The book pulled my emotions, especially towards the end. I felt Meghan's emotions.

• The ending. Whoa boy that ending. I did NOT expect it, but boy did I love it.

The Iron Queen is awesome. Point blank. I'm so looking forward to see what Ash is going to do in The Iron Knight. I. Can't. Wait.

Book Review: Twice Bitten

Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Release: July, 2010
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5

Description: Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.

Review: Chloe Neill is becoming one of my favorite authors. I so heart both her Chicagoland Vampires and her Dark Elite series. Twice Bitten is book #3 in the Chicagoland Vampires series.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• I would've like to have seen more of Merit's witch bff, Mallory, and Mallory's boyfriend, Catcher. That's it.

WHAT I LIKED:

• Oh, how I love the character of Merit. Let me count the ways! She's sassy, independent, a kickass fighter, etc. She wants Ethan and is drawn to him, but she doesn't wither if and when he rejects her. She's strong, yet vulnerable. And I love her voice.

• The tension between Merit and Ethan. It has been mounting up since book #1. I won't reveal whether anything happens or not.

• I heart the secondary characters. They all bring something to this book.

• OMG, the action. I'm a big action movie junkie, so of course, I'm addicted to books with action. Merit holds her own, with her fighting skills and her katana.

• The book is well-written and fast-paced. It didn't lose me and held me til the end.

I so heart this series!

ARC Review: The Fairy Godmother

Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Romance, Fantasy
Release: July, 2010
Source: Net Galley
Rating: 3/5

Description: In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale….

Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella— until fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! So she set out to make a new life for herself. But breaking with “The Tradition” was no easy matter—until she got a little help from her own fairy godmother. Who promptly offered Elena a most unexpected job….

Now, instead of sleeping in the chimney, she has to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who keep trying to rise above their place in the tale. And there's one in particular who needs to be dealt with….

Sometimes a fairy godmother's work is never done…

Review: I rather liked this fairy tale/fantasy. It had a different take on Cinderella. The main character, Elena, was born to be her kingdom's Cinderella. Both her parents died; she had the horrid stepmother as well as the two annoying stepsisters; she was even treated as a mere slave in her parents' own house. When she turns 18, though, no prince arrives to take her away. Instead of becoming Cinderella, she becomes an apprentice to the Fairy Godmother, Bella, who takes Elena under her wing and teaches her everything she knows. As an apprentice, Elena learns about "The Tradition," the force that makes everything happen in fairy tales. Eventually, Elena takes Bella's place as Fairy Godmother and does an excellent job.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• Alexander, a prince and Elena's love interest, didn't transform on his own. He was supposed to learn his lesson and be transformed, but he had help. I would have liked for his change to come from within...not without.

• The story got became too long at times. It was almost as though she was trying to cram everything into one book.

• The sex scenes. It would've been ok if they fit in, but they didn't. The scenes came out of no where and completely threw me off. Here's an example: "...and it wasn't until he'd stolen up her skirt and suddenly his head was - good heavens! What was he doing between her legs..." Ms. Lackey didn't need the scenes. The book would've been fine without.

WHAT I LIKED:

• I loved the character of Elena. She was strong, despite horrible circumstances. When she became an apprentice, she worked hard at learning. That's why she became one of the best.

• I loved the different take on Cinderella, featuring a strong character. Cinderella was never really my favorite fairy tale, but I loved this take.

• I liked the storyline and the idea of "The Tradition" and how fairy tales worked.

Overall, this was a pretty good book that I enjoyed reading.

Book Review: The Iron Daughter

Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult; Paranormal; Fiction; Fantasy
Release Date: August 2010
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5

Description: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review: This is the second book in the Iron Fey series - the first book being, The Iron King. I loved book #1, so of course, I wanted to read book #2. I liked The Iron King better, but that usually happens with series. The Iron Daughter was good, though. I did like it.

What I Didn't Like...

• My only issue with this book is the Meghan/Ash relationship. Her moping over him and her undying devotion to him was kind of annoying to me. I can't get with the whole "moping over a guy cos he doesn't love me/woe is me" attitude. That's just me. Teen girls may relate to Meghan. I don't know. And am I the only one who prefers Puck over Ash, anyway? I'm still hoping she wakes up and falls for Puck. I'm not crazy about icy, emotionless, yet sexy guys. Just like I've always preferred Jacob over Edward in Twilight.

What I Did Like...

• Julie Kagawa does an excellent job with her creative worldbuilding. Her descriptions are spot on.
• I could feel Meghan's emotions. While I didn't like her devotion to Ash, I felt her emotions.
• I LOVE the cover. I'm a big fan of captivating covers and this is one of them.
• I love the characters of Ironhorse and Grimalkin. Very endearing.
• The twist in the story that happens when Meghan meets Leanansidhe, the Dark Muse.
• I love Meghan's growth. She develops into a stronger character.

Once again, Julie Kagawa does a wonderful job with this book. I'm so excited cos I have an ARC of book #3, Iron Queen, which comes out this month.

2011 Reading Challenges

Obviously my blog has the same look. The new look is coming, I promise. Also, I've been sick with sinuses (ugh), so this week, I won't be blogging as much. Next week, I'll be back in the game!

Now, on to other things. It's that time of year again...time to join reading challenges. Here are a list of challenges I've decided to join. At the end of this post, I'll list the names of some of the books I plan to read and the challenges they belong to. Some of the books qualify for more than on challenge. Now, the thing this year for me is to actually review the books. Last year, I completed most of my challenge lists, but forgot to review. This year, I'm trying to do more book reviews this year.

This challenge is hosted by The Story Siren . The goal is to read at least 12 from new Young Adult/Middle Grade authors.

Ok, I saw this one and knew I had to join! I absolutely LOVE kick ass heroines! Yvonne over at Diva Bookcase is hosting it. All you need to do is read at least twelve books featuring kick ass heroines. The heroines do not have to be the main character, but a big part of the story. The books must be read in 2011.

The purpose of this challenge is for readers to diversify their reading and send a message to publishers: we want more PoC literature and less of white washing of covers. You can sign up here. I'm going for Level 4 or 5.

• Level 1: Read 1-3 POC books
• Level 2. Read 4-6 POC books
• Level 3. Read 7-9 POC books
• Level 4. Read 10-15 POC books
• Level 5. Read 16-25 POC books

This challenge is hosted by Jamie at For The Love of YA. Anyone can join. There are four levels. I'm thinking I'm gonna go for Level 3.

• The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
• The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
• The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
• The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.

This challenge is hosted at I Eat Words. Books must be MG or YA and all series must have at least 3 books by the end of 2011. I'll start with Level 3.

• Level 1-Trying it Out 3-5 Books
• Level 2-Making an Effort 6-8 Books
• Level 3-Working Hard 9-12 Books
• Level 4-Fully Committed 13-16 Books
• Level 5-Beyond Obsessed 17-22 Books
• Level 6-Addicted and Loving It 23-30 Books

I figured I can get some adult reading in this year, too. This challenge is hosted by Naida at The Bookworm. All you have to do is read at least 5 romance books. Romance can be anywhere from regency romance to YA romance...as long as there's a love story between the two main characters.

CHALLENGE BOOK LIST - There are many more books on my list, but here are a few to start off. In most of the series books, I've already read book one.

* DAC - Debut Author Challenge; KAC - Kick Ass Heroine Challenge; POC - People of Color Challenge; YAC - YA Challenge; YASC - YA Series Challenge; RRC - Romance Reading Challenge

• Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa (KAC, YAC, YASC, RRC)
• Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa (KAC, YAC, YASC, RRC)
• Kick - Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman (POC, YAC)
• The Divas: India - Victoria Christopher Murray (POC, YAC, YASC)
• The Divas: Veronique - Victoria Christopher Murray (POC, YAC, YASC)
• The Divas: Aaliyah - Voctoria Christopher Murray (POC, YAC, YASC)
• Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison (DAC)
• Vampire Huntress Books (12 in all) - L.A. Banks (KAC, POC, RRC)
• Shadow Walker - L.A. Banks (KAC, POC)
• Manifest - Artist Arthur (POC, YAC, YASC)
• Mystify - Artist Arthur (POC, YAC, YASC)
• Mayhem - Artist Arthur (POC, YAC, YASC)
• Lost Voices - Sarah Porter (DAC)
• Famous - Simone Bryant (POC, YAC)
• Rival - Sara Bennett Wealer (DAC)
• How Lamar's Bad Prank Won A Bubba-Sized Trophy - Crystal Allen (DAC, POC)
• OyMG - Amy Fellner Dominy (DAC, YAC)
• Exorsistah: X Returns - Claudia Mair Burney (KAC, POC, YAC, YASC, RRC)
• Exorsistah: X Restored - Claudia Mair Burney (KAC, POC, YAC, YASC, RRC)
• When The Stars Go Blue - Cardidad Ferrer (KAC, POC, YAC, RRC)