The reading challenge for June was-
Series Love: make progress on/finish as many series as you can this month
I made progress on four series this month.
Space Janitor,
Hercule Poirot,
Dragonback,
and The Bridge of D'Arnath.
I brought four series up to date.
The Birch Creek Ranch,
Verity Kent,
Kate Daniels: The Wilmington Years,
and The Darkwater Legacy.
And I completed one series this month.
The House Witch.
Not too bad on series progress!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery
Content: Clean
When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris
to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto
unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a
long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin learns, are plagued
with their own repressed and newly corporeal memories. The Solaris
ocean may be a massive brain that creates these incarnate memories,
though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing the scientists to
shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can truly understand
the universe without first understanding what lies within their hearts.
Years ago I had seen the movie trailer for the 2002 movie version of this book, and thought it looked like a combination of romance and suspense in space. That was the extent of my knowledge of this book. So, I ended up being a little wrong about the suspense part. There was an air of mystery about everything, but the suspense level ended up being low.
In the beginning I liked this, and I was intrigued by the mysterious happenings. I kept waiting for something hair-raising to happen because I got some slightly creepy vibes from the sudden appearance of the main character's dead ex-wife. It really does feel like a psychological thriller in the beginning and I really wanted there to be a sinister element to things. But that's not the direction this story goes.
Ultimately I ended up liking the first half of the book better than the second half. It ended up getting bogged down with info dumps halfway through and never really recovered, at least not for me. Still, this was an interesting book about a first contact that goes awry. Also, I think this book aged pretty well. Oftentimes, when I read a classic sci-fi, there are outdated technologies, but with this one I thought there wasn't much of that at all. None of the tech was described in detail and that helped it to age well. I also enjoyed the concept of the alien ocean that covered the planet they are studying.
For dessert for book club, we decided to make the ocean into a pie. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of it, but we used pudding and blue and green dye swirled together with some sparkly silver sprinkles all over the top.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: A small amount of cursing; one family name that sounds like the F word, but is quite humorous; off page sex.
A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy,
romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the
royal household he serves . . . dinner.
When Finlay Ashowan
joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one
knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits
Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping
nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny
meals.
But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long.
After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar,
Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are
gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew
of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous
intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire
of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only
the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his
love life is getting complicated . . .
Sorry for the super late post for the May book club, but I finally got around to typing up something short after finishing all three books in the trilogy. This was such a charming, cozy read. It was highly entertaining and, at times, had me in stitches. There were some real laugh out loud moments in this book and I loved it! I've found that I enjoy books with magical chefs in them. I was reminded of the chef in the Powder Mage trilogy and also Orro from the Innkeeper books by Ilona Andrews. All three of the books in this trilogy got 4 stars from me. My only quibble would be that I really didn't care for the way the narrator voiced the cat Kraken in the first book. However, his voice was improved for the third book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel series. If you like cozy fantasy, fantasy with a bit of romance, or slice of life, then try this series.
![The Surprise (The Birch Creek Ranch Series Book 6) by [B. E. Baker]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/418xlg-qvpL.jpg)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Content: Clean
Romeo and Juliet’s families caused all sorts of problems, but the two lovers took that poison themselves, the idiots.
When
Beth Ellingson meets Ethan Brooks, it’s because her aunt and father are
conspiring to steal the Birch Creek Ranch from the handsome young man.
It wasn’t the cutest way to meet, but just as roses grow best when
fertilized with manure, sometimes beauty springs from tragedy.
Beth’s
father’s definitely a stinker, and she wants to spare Ethan the misery
of affiliating with him. But Ethan’s never been afraid of a fight when
the cause is just. Can these two young but beloved Birch Creek
characters find their happily ever after? Or will the biggest surprise
of their young lives derail all their plans and poison their future?
This book was an unexpected addition to the series by the author, and it definitely lived up to its name! Not only was I surprised that there would be an extra book to read in the series, but I was also really surprised by something that happened in this book. This was a deceptively deep story that feels like a fluffy romance in many ways, but there are some real serious dilemmas in this book. I enjoyed the humor that was injected into the story that added a lighter tone to it.
I've liked Ethan's character throughout the series, but none of the books ever focused on him very much. So, it was really nice to read his perspective and see what was really going on with him while everything else was happening. The author pulled this off amazingly well, as the timeline for this book spans several books in the series, giving us key moments from the books, this time from Ethan's and Beth's perspectives, and adds in lots of content between those moments. Some of which, I didn't see coming at all. At first I was sort of reeling from one big surprise, and thinking NO! But then I realized that it made this story even better in some ways. It took the story to a deeper and more serious level.
This series has been flirting with a 5 star rating from me for a while. It's one of my favorite series I've read in the romance genre, and I always end up feeling a lot of things after I finish one of these books. I was thinking about what makes this one a 5 star read over the others that were 4 and 4.5 star reads for me, which is what I rate most of the books I really enjoy. I think the thing that put this book in the 5 star category, was the fact that I didn't see that surprise coming, but also the wonderfully insightful advice Ethan receives from his mom and Steve on the matter. Plus, it had me feeling so emotional as I got to the end. All these books have been about real love, not just that feeling you get when you love someone, but real enduring love that gives and sacrifices and supports, and I felt that even more with this one.
Ethan is a young man that is mature beyond his years, but he didn't just happen that way accidentally. He became that way because of his two wonderful parents, and his own personal choices, and he was a pleasure to read about. I liked how this book showed us the flip-side to that with Beth's parents and how she struggled to feel like she had worth because of her upbringing. But it also showed how you don't have to come from a wonderful, loving home to actually be a wonderful, loving person yourself. Beth was a good example of that. It was interesting to get her perspective on her parents this time around and see some things about them that weren't in the other books.
I'm looking forward to the last book in the series, even though I know after it's done, I'm going to miss these characters so much. I wouldn't be opposed to more surprise books!
Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: A hot and heavy makeout session
Lord Michael Dunham is bored of Society, bored
of fickle women, but above all that, he is afraid. His father suffered
from madness and Michael is terrified that he will inherit the same
affliction. He scrutinises his every mood swing, his every expression,
to see if he can detect any signs that he is developing the symptoms. It
blights his life. He has determined that he will never marry, putting a
wife through the same that his mother suffered and he certainly will
never have children. The disease will die with him.
Miss
Elizabeth Rufford is a young lady who is more comfortable managing an
estate as far away from Society as she can possibly be. She would rather
being planting crops, than dancing a Quadrille, rather be building
walls, than playing cards. She did not seek a London season when she
came out of the schoolroom and would be happy never to visit the
capital.
A line in a will force the two together. Lord Dunham
is Elizabeth’s guardian whether she likes it or not, and she really does
not like it! Bounding into his life in the most outrageous way
possible, Elizabeth makes an impact she never intended to. Michael is
drawn to the feisty woman and suddenly finds that it is hard to fight
one’s demons when Elizabeth Rufford is a part of your life.
What is happening? This is the third book in a row that I've written a review for that I had issues with. I was in the mood to read a romance and this one was on my Kindle. I think I had gotten it for free at one time. Anyway, I decided to try it. It had me hooked from the beginning and it was going really well, despite the usual annoying romance novel tropes. Then somewhere around the halfway mark it just became utterly ridiculous.
I enjoy a drawn out romance of the "when will they finally get together" type, but it has to be plausible. A character yearning for someone he can't have can be good in a book. It builds tension between the characters and longing for the reader. But this went on for too long and for a ridiculous reason. At some point characters need to talk to each other instead of make assumptions, and well before the end of the book. I didn't like the back and forth that we were treated to with Michael's character. Michael made some assumptions and based everything on them as if they were facts. It was incredibly annoying. The first one had to do with why he thought he couldn't be with Elizabeth. For this big assumption, all he had to do was talk to his sister. He could have done that years before the events in this book and saved himself a lot of worry and anguish. The other really annoying one had to do with why he didn't ask Elizabeth to marry him, after he had decided he would.
Somewhere in the middle of the book, there is a pretty hot and heavy make out session between them and some confessed feelings as well, and it seemed pretty obvious how they both felt about each other at that point, so some of the assumptions and confusion about feelings later in the book didn't make much sense to me, but Elizabeth's confusion was more understandable than Michael's assumptions. He later stupidly asks Elizabeth why she needed to get away from him, and calls her a foolish girl for being confused about how he felt. By the end of the book I wanted to throw something at him! Also, the make out session was a little too much for my liking, and felt a little out of place.
The other thing that I thought was ridiculous was the part with the plotting relatives and all that happened with that. In my opinion, it just went a bit over the top. So, 2.5 stars because I enjoyed parts of the story, but it had some pretty big flaws as well.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content:Strong Language
A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.
A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.
The world has never even noticed them. That's about to change.
Their
stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a
tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another.
A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the
pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities
burned.
DNF at 60%.
I tried to get into this
book, and for a little while at around the 24 percent mark, it finally
had me, but it didn't last. I've decided to just move on because I have
no desire to pick this up again. It's unfortunate. I love the cover and
the concept is interesting, but the writing isn't pulling me in enough. I liked The Book of the Ancestor Trilogy by this author, but unfortunately, I haven't liked anything else, so it may be time for me leave this author's books on the shelf from now on.
Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Goodreads for providing me with an ARC and a beautiful hardcover copy of this book.
My rating: No rating at this time
Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content:
After being murdered, his consciousness dormant
and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water
trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic
to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.
But why
was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world
since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear
to be growing in influence?
Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.
He’s not going to like the answers.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with and ARC of this book.
The reading challenge for May was, May the 4th be with You (Sci-fi Month).
Unfortunately, I didn't read anything specifically for this challenge
because I just didn't have time with all the other books I had planned,
but three of my planned reads fit into it. These are all in the
sci-fi/space opera/space mystery realm.
The Dust of Kaku (Space Janitor #2) by Julia Huni
The Trouble with Tinsel (Space Janitor 2.5) by Julia Huni
and Dragon and Slave (Dragonback #3) by Timothy Zahn
My reading list for June has eleven books on it. I feel like it might be a little ambitious, especially since one of them is huge, but I'm looking forward to reading them.
I've got these lined up over at Fantasy Buddy Reads-
Witch King by Martha Wells
A story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.
"I didn't know you were a... demon."
"You idiot. I'm the demon."
Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' Witch King....
After
being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of
time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a
lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That
was never going to go well.
But why was Kai imprisoned in the
first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And
why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?
Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.
He’s not going to like the answers.
The Shadow Casket (Darkwater Legacy #2) by Chris Wooding
A BAND OF REBELS.
A TRAITOR IN THEIR MIDST.
A REVOLUTION ABOUT TO BEGIN.
It's
been three years since Aren seized the Ember Blade. Three years since
they struck the spark they hoped would ignite the revolution. But the
flame has failed to catch. The Krodans have crushed Ossia in an iron
grip of terror. The revolution seems further away than ever.
Far
in the north, the Dawnwardens seek to unite the fractious clans of the
Fell Folk and create a stronghold from which to retake their land. But
even if they can overcome the danger of treachery from within, they
still have to contend with the dreadknights. Only the druidess Vika can
resist these near-unstoppable foes, and there's only one of her.
But
what if there was a weapon that could destroy the dreadknights? A
weapon of such power it could turn the tide? A weapon that, if it fell
into the wrong hands, might mean the end of all hope?
The Shadow Casket has returned from out of the past, and it will save or damn them all.
Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #2) by Ilona Andrews
A new town, new friends, new challenges…. And a new heart-stopping
adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ilona Andrews.
Kate, Curran, and Conlan may have left Atlanta for Wilmington, but the
usual magic mayhem has also hitched a ride!
Kate and Curran have just settled into their new home and
their 'low prolife,' when a local businessman approaches them with an
offer they can’t refuse. A mysterious evil has spawned in the nearby
forest and is holding a defenseless town hostage. The ‘due date’ is
rapidly approaching.
It’s exactly the kind of fight the Lennarts
can’t resist, not for the prize the town offers, but for the people who
will surely die if they ignore it. If they succeed, they’ll be rescuing
an entire community and can build a strong new base for their family and
the Wilmington Pack. If they fail...well, fail is a four-letter word.
Nothing comes without a price. Now Kate must decide if she has what it takes to pay it.
The Soul Weaver (The Bridge of D'Arnath #3) by Carol Berg
The Prince of Avonar is in desperate straits.
Betrayal devastates his plan to defeat the vile Lords of Zhev’Na without
violence, and then a ruthless attack leaves his beloved wife near
death. As frustration and anger shake the fragile joining of the
Prince’s body and soul, war engulfs his magical realm. Sixteen-year-old
Gerick, half-crazed with nightmare visions, pursued by past horror and
his father’s wrath, flees beyond the boundaries of the known worlds. In a
sunless realm of misshapen misfits, he discovers unlikely purpose and a
devastating clue to the brokenness within himself. With three worlds on
the brink of ruin, the Prince and his son must look deep inside
themselves to discover the truth of their enemies—a mystery bound up in
Gerick’s emerging magic, a world newborn from chaos, and a whisper
buried deep in Dar’Nethi legend. "This is Gerick’s story and we quickly
learn this is a different young man from the child that we saw in
Guardians Of The Keep. The past does not lie quiet in Gerick, with his
nightmares and fears of a corruption that could hurt those he loves.
Plots and counterplots [will] intrigue the reader with surprise twists
and turns.
Dragon and Herdsman (Dragonback #4) by Timothy Zahn
Orphan Jack Morgan, after losing his Uncle Virgil, has bonded with Dracos, K’da poet-warrior who requires hours daily on his host's back to survive, and escaped with fellow mercenary Alison Kayna, to the primitive Rho Scorvi planet. But they find a small lost colony of Draycos’s own race, the Phookas, grown slow, lethargic, and unintelligent. Before a thief, soldier, and slave, Jack must become a herdsman to protect the Phookas from danger, and guide them deep into the unexplored forest.
The House Witch Volume 3 by Delemhach
House witch Finlay Ashowan is pulled out of
the kitchen—and into the fire—as war, family, and love collide in the
third book of this fantasy romance series.
Having somehow
convinced Lady Annika Jenoure to marry him, all Finlay Ashowan wants to
do is settle down, cook some good meals, and enjoy a quiet life in
Daxaria. But fate has different plans.
Fin’s father, Aidan
Helmer, fire witch and servant of King Matthias of Troivack, has arrived
in the kingdom with devastating news: Annika’s brother Charles has been
taken prisoner, and the only way his life will be spared is if Annika
or Fin goes to plead his case. Given that an attack from Troivack is
imminent, there’s no way some trickery isn’t involved in this plot.
Now
it’s up to Fin, with the help of his family, friends, and wily kitten
familiar, Kraken, to attempt a daring mission of rescue and espionage.
But he’ll need to move quickly—because if he can’t find a way to fend
off his father and keep Daxaria safe, all his dreams might go up in
flames.
With twists and turns around every corner, The House
Witch 3 brilliantly continues this irresistible new series, replete with
romance, magic, courtly intrigue, mystery, and humor.
These are my reads with The Mystery Book Club-
A Certain Darkness (Verity Kent #6) by Anna Lee Huber
Set in Downton Abbey-era post-World War I England, this action-packed series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries is a treat for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Ella MacNeal.
March 1920:
Life has turned unsettlingly quiet for former British Intelligence
agent Verity Kent and her husband, Sidney. But even that false calm is
about to end. As threats remain, the French authorities soon request
Sidney’s help with a suspect who claims to have proof of treason—shortly
before she is assassinated. And Verity, too, is called to investigate a
mystery...
The murder of a Belgian lawyer aboard a train seems
at first to be a simple case of revenge. But the victim was connected to
British Intelligence, and possessed papers detailing the sinking of a
gold-laden German ship during the war.
As Verity and Sidney dig
deeper, they discover their cases are intertwined—and a lethal adversary
persists. Officially, the Great War may be over, but this is a battle
of nerves and wits they cannot afford to lose…
Glitter in the Stars (Space Janitor #3) by Julia Huni
Cleaning the galaxy, one cruise ship at a time.
When
maintenance technician Triana Moore gets temporarily transferred to a
passenger liner, she doesn't expect luxury and relaxation. Bot-minding
is the same on a station or a ship. But with twelve-hour workdays and
five roommates in her cabin, Triana thinks she should have read the
employment contract more carefully.
Days into the cruise, her
boss, Les, goes missing. Triana dusts off her sleuthing skills to start
snooping. Together with a retired Marine Corps dance instructor, a
socially inept hospitality intern, and her favorite security agent, she
must navigate more than just the solar system. They dodge dance
competition divas, reality show cameras, and the occasional wealthy
sociopath to search for the missing supervisor.
Will they find
Les before she goes dancing through the stars? And will they find time
to hit the buffet before all the chocolate strawberries are gone?
My 'Pick it for Me' book for June-
The Hunter's Girl (The Hunter's Girl #1) by Barb Hendee
Cooper Reyes and Lee Nevada run their own
business hunting things no one else wants to hunt—ghosts, vampires,
werewolves, and other dark entities. Before taking a job, they have
clients sign a “hunters not responsible for damage or collateral”
contract. They do a job, and they leave.
Then one night, in a hunt
gone wrong, they orphan a teenage girl with a speech impediment. To
Lee’s shock, Cooper won’t leave her to social services, as he doesn’t
think she could survive the foster system. This would shatter their “no
collateral” policy... and possibly their partnership.
They bring her
to their log house in the forests of Quinault, Washington, and try to
figure out how all of this is going to work. Though still damaged, she
begins trying to fit into their life and home, determined to prove her
worth. When it turns out she may have gifts and secrets of her own,
Cooper and Lee have to face even harder decisions.
Taking in a stray is never simple.
Our Book Club book for June-
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
When Kris Kelvin arrives at the
planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a
painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical
likeness of a long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin
learns, are plagued with their own repressed and newly corporeal
memories. The Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates these
incarnate memories, though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing
the scientists to shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can
truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies
within their hearts.
The Hercule Poirot book for this month-
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (Hercule Poirot #21) by Agatha Christie
The meticulous detective Hercule Poirot suspects the worst of the death of a dentist in this classic mystery by Queen of Whodunits, Agatha Christie. Even the great detective Hercule Poirot harbored a deep and abiding fear of the dentist, so it was with some trepidation that he arrived at the celebrated Dr. Morley’s surgery for a dental examination. But what neither of them knew was that only hours later Poirot would be back to examine the dentist, found dead in his own surgery. Turning to the other patients for answers, Poirot finds other, darker, questions.…
