strange and random happenstance

Thanks to all who entered, I really really wish I could have given you all a book just for stopping by, but I can't... though there will always be more giveaways! Thanks to random.org, that most wondrous of sites, able to do what before I'd need a hat, a lot of numbers and a bunny rabbit assistant, no, don't question the need for a bunny! Anyway, thanks to said site, our winner is elaing8! Who would very much like to be a panther, which I can respect. While I love the big cats, I'd prefer to be small just for the sake of movie around stealth like. I can't wait to see which book elaing8 chose...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 1 comments  

Labels: Giveaway, Mercy March, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs

River Marked (Mercy Thompson Book 6) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 1st 2011
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Mercy Thompson has been tricked. She's been fooled into believing that a shot gun wedding to Adam was her own idea. But her mother and Adam's daughter are far more cunning then she gave them credit for. She should have known better. On the bright side, everything turned out better than she could have expected and her and Adam get to sneak away to a campground on the Columbia River in a gorgeous new RV. As soon as she learned that the RV was lent to them by a fairy and that the state of the art campground was owned by a fairy, her and Adam should have turned right around back to the Tri-Cities. Fairies don't just do favors. They always expect something in return. Sure enough, turns out something evil is lurking in the waters. It soon marks Mercy's leg, and the idyllic honeymoon turns into something entirely different. It becomes a struggle to survive and save lives.

Mercy has grown to accept that her life will be full of danger and death, but this outing offers something more. Answers. The local tribe of Native Americans throws in their lot with Mercy to avenge the death of one of their own and to make the river safe once more. Among them, yet apart, Coyote appears. As in THE Coyote. He has answers, if he chooses to share them that is. He sheds light on Mercy's past and the father she never knew. He also provides some help with a certain walking stick that is inordinately fond of showing up in random places, not always trying to trip Mercy, but usually succeeding none the less. For a piece of wood it is very helpful. With Mercy and Adam trying to save the innocent as well as each other, this is going to be Mercy's toughest battle yet. Without a pack, without knowledge of those whom she must trust, with magic she never knew she possessed, a very magical fake Stonehenge and some nasty otters, her goodbye letter to Adam might end up being read this time.

With a long running series you always run the risk of it going stale. Look at Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels. The most recent book in her series lacked a plot, I think mainly due to the fact she has reached an unwieldy number of characters that everyone cares about and that must be included. That's a sarcastic must by the way. Catching up with everyone took up all 300 some pages with nary a hint of plot. Charlaine needs to break the mold, do something different and escape all her characters that are controlling her narrative. Charlaine, look to Patricia Briggs. Patricia Briggs did just that in River Marked. Briggs took Mercy and Adam away from the pack and into unfamiliar territory. Not only did this allow us to see how the couple actually function as a couple, but it allowed a breather from pack politics and vampire machinations. Charlaine, take note! That little scene with Stefan, we got caught up with him and then moved on to a story with structure, we didn't spend an entire book dealing with Stefan's depression and worsening state that resulted from his maker's betrayal.

What else made this novel work for me? Well, we finally had some answers! Mercy was able to find out more about her powers and what she is capable of. She's been in desperate need of a "How to be a Shifter" guide for awhile, and Coyote got to be that guide. The evil that was faced, while yes, it did tie into the fae, it wasn't solely fae, it was something else. Her books tend to be vampire/fairy/vampire/fairy, alternating the menace from book to book. It's a little nice to say, evil river demon isn't it? Such a refreshing new evil. I really have fallen for this series, and that walking stick, and I felt that this was an enjoyable quick read, yes, I did ignore homework, which is a rarity for me. River Marked also provided breathing space for character development without a pack breathing down our neck. Briggs has an innate ability to let her characters grow and change naturally. We have seen the bond between Mercy and Adam grow, we have read along with all Mercy's exploits, and I have to say, if Briggs keeps this up and is able to keep these characters real and the stories fresh, I'll be reading it for a long time to come.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Adam, Charlaine Harris, Columbia River, Coyote, Mercy Thompson, Native American, Otters, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Sookie Stackhouse, Stefan, Tri-Cities

Hunting Ground (Alpha and Omega Book 2) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: August 25th, 2009
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★
To Buy
Charles and Anna are still adjusting to married life. Charles isn't used to letting anyone into his closed off, sequestered little world and Anna is having trust issues after the brutality she faced at the hands of her previous pack. But personal issues have to be set aside for the greater good of the werewolves. Bran, the Marrok, the Alpha of all North American Alphas, has called a meeting in Seattle where the European werewolves can voice their concerns about the announcement of their existence. They don't have a vote or a choice. This will be happening. But Bran is willing to offer them whatever they need in return, from monies to shelter. The Italians, Germans and French werewolves are the main factions, with England being solely represented by their leader Arthur. They all have personal grudges and feuds. The Italians are bringing another Omega, Ric, whom they swiped away from the Germans, and France is being represented by Chastel, THE BEAST, whose blood lust is notorious. Charles has such concerns over his fathers safety that he does the unheard of and stands up to his father saying that he and Anna will go in his stead. Charles does not care if the others view this as a slight. It's for his father's protection. Arriving at the local packs landing strip, Anna and Charles head into Seattle. For Charles, this is not his element. He is one with nature, not concrete and noise, which is what Anna is. She loves the bustling metropolis right on the water, reminiscent of her hometown, Chicago. Their first stop off is to visit the fairy that Bran has negotiated with. Dana is to see that there is no bloodshed and the truth is spoken, of course, it is virtually impossible to do that around werewolves anyway.

Once their offering has been given to Dana all sorts of hell starts to break loose. There are too many Alphas in once place. First they all show up at a local restaurant and the fracas has to be calmed. The next day Anna is taken shopping by a member of the local pack and his white witch wife, where they are promptly attacked by vampires using werewolf pack magic. But this doesn't stop business from continuing on as usual and dinner parties needing to be attended. Anna and Charles visit Arthur and his human mate Sunny for dinner. Arthur believes he is the reincarnation of the real King Arthur, and even carries around a sword he claims is Excalibur. Sunny will be the first victim. It should have been Anna, but, her life seems to be worth something, unlike others. As death starts to reign down on what was to be a "peaceful" conference, Charles is glad his father isn't present, but he sure wishes that Anna was out of harms way. Trying to untangle who is really behind these attacks and who they can trust will take all the courage and strength the newlyweds have. And hopefully they'll get a happily ever after.

Intertwining myth and pack politics, this is the least successful of Briggs' novels I've read. So much of what drove the first installment of the Alpha and Omega series was the ping ponging back and forth between the confused minds of the two leads. Will they make this work, can they truly be mated. Seeing as at the beginning of this book they are together and everything is going as smoothly as it can given that they have just recently met, there is way to much uncertainty in each other and too much possessiveness on the part of "Brother Wolf." They are MATED. In the world Briggs has created, they are together, there's no going back. They are one. To then have them doubt this over and over makes you kind of want to slap them. But aside from their obvious character flaws, this book took to long to get to the center of all the swirling red herrings. Once you finally got there you realized, it's kind of cool. This is a neat integration of Arthurian Legend and other mythologies into a world of werewolves. But it took a long time of "are we there yet" to reach the point of satisfaction. While I am interested to see what happens to these characters, if they keep doubting themselves and their purpose, I'll start doubting why I'm still reading this series.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Charles, Chastel, Excaliber, Fairies, Hunting Ground, King Arthur, Marrock, Mate, Patricia Briggs, Seattle, Werewolves

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Carola Dunn
Published by: Minotaur
Publication Date: March 29th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the Spring of 1926, the corpses of three men are found in shallow graves off the beaten path in Epping Forest outside of London—each shot through the heart and bearing no identification. DCI Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, the lead detective, is immediately given two urgent orders by his supervisor at the Yard: solve the murders quickly and keep his wife, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, away from the case! Thankfully, Daisy’s off visiting their daughter at school. But when a teacher is found dead, Daisy is once again in the thick of it. As Daisy tries to solve one murder, Alec discovers that the three victims in his case were in the same Army company during World War I, that their murders are likely related to specific events that unfolded during that tragic conflict, and that, unless the killer is revealed and stopped, those three might only be the beginning."

I love Daisy, of course that must be said with the caveat that I've just started the series, so I hope by this most recent addition it is just as wonderful.

The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: March 29th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The much-anticipated return of Henning Mankell’s brilliant, brooding detective, Kurt Wallander.

On a winter day in 2008, Håkan von Enke, a retired high-ranking naval officer, vanishes during his daily walk in a forest near Stockholm. The investigation into his disappearance falls under the jurisdiction of the Stockholm police. It has nothing to do with Wallander—officially. But von Enke is his daughter’s future father-in-law. And so, with his inimitable disregard for normal procedure, Wallander is soon interfering in matters that are not his responsibility, making promises he won’t keep, telling lies when it suits him—and getting results. But the results hint at elaborate Cold War espionage activities that seem inextricably confounding, even to Wallander, who, in any case, is troubled in more personal ways as well. Negligent of his health, he’s become convinced that, having turned sixty, he is on the threshold of senility. Desperate to live up to the hope that a new granddaughter represents, he is continually haunted by his past. And looking toward the future with profound uncertainty, he will have no choice but to come face-to-face with his most intractable adversary: himself."

The brooding Kurt returns, and I couldn't have thought of a better title for a Wallander book... it's so... apt.

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
Published by: Crown
Publication Date: March 29th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 768 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The highly anticipated sixth book of Jean Auel's Earth's Children® series, THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES, is the culmination fans have been waiting for. Continuing the story of Ayla and Jondalar, Auel combines her brilliant narrative skills and appealing characters with a remarkable re-creation of the way life was lived more than 25,000 years ago. THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES is an exquisite achievement by one of the world's most beloved authors. "

How long have we been waiting for the conclusion? Cause I remember my Grandmother reading these in the 80s.

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 29th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Still reeling from the deaths of her fairy cousin, Claudine, and many others in 2009's Dead and Gone, Sookie Stackhouse struggles with paranormal politics in her entertaining if slow-moving 10th outing. When Claudine's triplet, Claude, appears at her doorstep, Sookie reluctantly allows him to move in. The government threatens two-natures with mandatory registration, and tensions run high in the local Were pack. Then Eric's maker, a Roman named Appius Livius Ocella, arrives without warning, bringing along Alexei Romanov, whom he rescued from the Bolsheviks and turned into a vampire. Though the action often builds too slowly, the exploration of family in its many human and undead variations is intriguing, and Harris delivers her usual mix of eccentric characters and engaging subplots."

Not the best in the series... but then again, that little Romanov vamp is hilarious.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anthem for Doomed Youth, Carola Dunn, Charlaine Harris, Daisy Dalrymple, Dead in the Family, Henning Mankell, Jean M. Auel, Kurt Wallander, The Land of Painted Caves, The Troubled Man

Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: July 29th, 2008
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Anna is off to Montana with Charles. Little does she know that in the dark, snowbound forest, evil is lurking. Leaving Chicago behind is at once exhilarating and terrifying. She no longer has the fear of her pack, she now has the fear of the unknown. What does Charles expect of her? Is he really a good man? Upon landing in Aspen Creek, Anna is all the villagers are talking about. The stoic and cold Charles has found a mate. Too bad the first time that she gets to be presented to the masses is at Doc Wallace's funeral. A time of respect and reflection is turned into a bit of a to-do when another wolf, Asil, makes a bit of a play for Anna, but recoils when he realizes she's an Omega. Later, back at Charles' house, he explains to Anna that she's quite a catch and that they aren't officially mated yet, so others will set their cap at her.

But the possibilities of other mates is not on Anna's mind. She's worried over Charles still recovering from the Chicago trip and the fact that his father is sending the two of them out into the forest to track a rogue werewolf that is causing trouble. The trouble could be one of two things, it could be a simple rogue, or it could be a power play to intimidate the Marrok and make him back down on his decision to "out" the werewolves, like the fae did twenty years earlier. Neither Charles or Anna think they are in any danger, but Asil knows differently. He is dreaming of her. The young upstart witch who murdered his beloved. The fact that the rogue werewolf has the same markings as Asil's dearly departed Sarai means something. Can a pack of werewolves band together and make a stand against the evil in the forest? Even if that evil might be a very deadly witch.

I loved this spin off from Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. Here we do get a bit more of a romantic boy and girl co-narration going on, but we also get a riveting story and some history. With a smaller cast of characters fighting for survival in the woods, it's kind of like Michael Crichton does werewolves, of course, I should mention that I am a fan of Crichton, and this isn't a slur on the book. Also, delving deeper into the characters that have mainly stayed on the sidelines or in Mercy's back story gives even more depth to the world Briggs has created. From learning about Bran's youth and how he was changed into a werewolf, to Charles' own upbringing and his type of magic. I'll add here, I so want to be able to conjure clothes for myself like Charles does. It seems like such a useful power, especially in the colder climates. I feel like I need a sweater, bam, I have one, awesome! See what I'm saying?

But hands down, it was Asil that rocked my world. A werewolf of legend whose wife was a healer and a wolf and he cultivated roses in Spain till one day their young ward, from a powerful family of witches, turns against him and his life is ruined. So heart wrenching, and so not vampires and fairies. I'm so glad we got to have some witch action in this book, varies it up from the vampire book, fae book, vampire book, fae book pattern that Briggs has established in her previous series. Though I still have some unanswered questions about Walter... but overall, I'm very satisfied, reading to dive into book two and keep my wait for River Marked as painless as possible.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Asil, Bran, Charles Cornick, Cry Wolf, Michael Crichton, Montana, Omega, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Sarai, Spain, Werewolves, Witches

On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 7th, 2007
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★ (Alpha and Omega only)
To Buy
The cat needs to be fed. Anna may be dead tired after a long shift at work, but that doesn't mean she'll forget her neighbor's cat. All she really wants to do is curl up and go to sleep, but a promise was made to Kara. Even if the cat hates Anna, not surprising, seeing as most cats hate werewolves. But she'll calmly sit and read the newspaper till Mouser is done, because in that way of all cats, he has an idiosyncratic habit, his is needing someone around while he eats. But everything leaves Anna's mind when she sees a picture of a young boy in the paper, Alan MacKenzie Frazier. Alan has been missing for two months... but Anna saw him in a cage at her Alpha's house being prepared for sale quite recently. Times are tough for a werewolf, and very tough if you belong to Leo's pack with Justin as his second. The 40% tithe is nothing compared to the beatings and rapes that Anna has had to endure. But Alan, Alan is something new and she dares to call the Marrok in Montana, the Alpha of all Alphas. As it turns out, Bran is aware of the peculiarities happening in the Chicago packs and is sending his son Charles, who is enforcer and executioner in one. Anna goes to the airport to meet Charles's plane and they have an instant connection. Charles's wolf feels immediately that he has found his mate and it is his duty to protect and care for this underfed and abused redhead. But there's something more about Anna. Something that everyone in the pack should have noticed and respected. She is an Omega. She is not submissive, she is not lowly, she is magical and has the ability to sooth the savage beast as it where. With Anna at his side, Charles vows to get to the bottom of the mysteries in the Windy City, and if he's not wrong, which he seldom is, there will be blood shed and death.

This little short story in the On the Prowl anthology sets the stage for the Alpha and Omega series that Patricia Briggs has written. But more than that, it also fills in some blanks from the first Mercy Thompson book, Moon Called. Moon Called starts with the appearance of Alan MacKenzie Frazier in the Tri-Cities in Washington State. He has bad tidings from Chicago, but before they can get the truth out of him he is killed. We then follow Mercy on her mission out west. But we only hear a little about the mission in the heartland that Bran sends Charles on. Turns out it was quite interesting, what with love at first sight, Greek food and silver bullets, not to mention a crazy rapist or two. Seeing as this is a prequel and is setting the scene for a new series, how important is it that you hunt down a copy of this before jumping into the world of Charles and Anna? I'd say pretty important. After having read Cry Wolf, I think you might be lost jumping into this world without the back story. And the back story here is quite important. But it's a quick fun read with an even better book to follow.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Charles, Cry Wolf, Marrok, Mercy Thompson, Moon Called, On the Prowl, Patricia Briggs

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The latest installment in the beloved, best-selling series is once again a beautiful blend of wit and wisdom, and a profoundly touching tale of the human heart.

At a remote cattle post south of Gaborone two cows have been killed, and Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s No. 1 Lady Detective, is asked to investigate by a rather frightened and furtive gentleman. It is an intriguing problem with plenty of suspects—including, surprisingly, her own client.

To complicate matters, Mma Ramo-tswe is haunted by a vision of her dear old white van, and Grace Makutsi witnesses it as well. Is it the ghost of her old friend, or has it risen from the junkyard? In the meantime, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s apprentices may have gotten a girl pregnant and, under pressure to marry her, has run away. Naturally, it is up to Precious to help sort things out. Add to the mix Violet Sephotho’s newly launched run for the Botswana Parliament and a pair of perfect wedding shoes—will wedding bells finally ring for Phuti Radiphuti and Grace Makutsi?—and we have a charming and delightful tale in the inimitable style of Alexander McCall Smith."

Another installment in the beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It's the summer of 1932 and Maisie Dobbs has been wondering lately whether she is descending into the doldrums. Those bracing fears are jolted away when she receives an official request to begin undercover work probe activities "not in the interests of His Majesty's Government." After accepting a position as a junior lecturer in the Cambridge philosophy department, she begins observing as students and faculty members vie for political dominance. Matters reach a flash point, however, when her college's controversial pacifist founder and principal is murdered. As officials fumble on with their investigation, Maisie focuses on the Nazis in her midst. A breakthrough book for an award-winning British author whose popularity has grown steadily with each new release."

I new Maisie Dobbs with perhaps my favorite cover yet!

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
Published by: Delacorte
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.

Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction? "

The third in Ryan's succesful Forest of Hands and Teeth series.

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Philomel
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Scorpia has dogged Alex Rider for most of his life. They killed his parents, they did their best to con Alex into turning traitor, and they just keep coming back with more power. Now the world's most dangerous terrorist organization is playing with fire in the world's most combustible land: the Middle East. No one knows Scorpia like Alex. And no one knows how best to get to Alex like Scorpia. Until now.

The chases have never been more intense, the fights more treacherous, or the risks so perilous to mankind. And this time, Alex won't get away."
Ah, Anthony Horowitz, I will follow you anywhere...

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
Published by: Riverhead
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Many think of 1776 as the most defining year of American history, the year we became a nation devoted to the pursuit of happiness through self-government. In Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell argues that 1898 might be a year just as crucial to our nation’s identity, when, in an orgy of imperialism, the United States annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and invaded Cuba, and then the Philippines, becoming a meddling, self-serving, militaristic international superpower practically overnight.

Of all the countries the United States invaded or colonized in 1898, Vowell considers the story of the Americanization of Hawaii to be the most intriguing. From the arrival of the New England missionaries in 1820, who came to Christianize the local heathen, to the coup d’État led by the missionaries’ sons in 1893, overthrowing the Hawaiian queen, the events leading up to American annexation feature a cast of beguiling if often appalling or tragic characters. Whalers who will fire cannons at the Bible-thumpers denying them their god-given right to whores. An incestuous princess pulled between her new god and her brother-husband. Sugar barons, con men, Theodore Roosevelt, and the last Hawaiian queen, a songwriter whose sentimental ode “Aloha ‘Oe” serenaded the first Hawaii-born president of the United States during his 2009 inaugural parade.

With Vowell’s trademark wry insights and reporting, she lights out to discover the odd, emblematic, and exceptional history of the fiftieth state. In examining the place where Manifest Destiny got a sunburn, she finds America again, warts and all."

One for my mom, she just loves Sarah Vowell!

The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason
Published by: Mira
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member of the Dracule—a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls—the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral…until Angelica.

Angelica Woodmore possesses the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger—for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him—to protect her.

Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica…but this vampire never backs down from a fight.

Colleen Gleason back to what she does best... VAMPIRES!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Lesson in Secrets, Alexander McCall Smith, Anthony Horowitz, Carrie Ryan, Colleen Gleason, Jacqueline Winspear, Sarah Vowell, Saturday Big Tent Wedding, Scorpia Rising, Vampire Voss

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Del Ray/Dabel Brothers
Publication Date: August 25th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Vampire Challenge, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Mercedes Thompson has arrived in the Tri-Cities for a job interview. Trained as a History teacher she is hoping to get a job at the local High School. Summer is almost over and her time to find employment is running out. Once the school year starts it's a waiting game till the next year. But before she can even go to her interview she's out running in her coyote form and she is attacked by a pack of werewolves. Not that this is news to her, seeing as she was raised in the Marrok's own pack in Montana. But what is unusual is that another pack of werewolves saves her. Too bad her car wasn't as lucky. Forcing it to the nearest mechanic, Mercy steps in a heap load of trouble in the form of vampires, but she had to save Tad, the little Fae boy. Tad offers her a job, if a nine year old is allowed to do the hiring when his father is drunk with grief. Zee disagrees and promptly fires Mercy. But despite all the wolves and vampires and warnings to leave town now, it's starting to grow on her, despite not getting the job at the High School. Also, if she could finesse Zee to take her back, a mechanic is better than a burger flipper any day. But soon the two packs decide it's time for a throw down and Mercy is caught in the middle.

I am always hesitant of comic adaptations of book series that I love be it Buffy or what have you. Some of that has to do with the artists and the over sexualization of the women and some of this has to do with the writing. But I felt confident to pick this up because Patricia Briggs herself did a lot of the writing, but more importantly, it was a prequel! Sure, we have learned almost all the information provided here in narrative form through back stories and asides in the Mercy Thompson series. But it's fun seeing Mercy's first interactions with Stefan, Zee and Adam as it played out, not in bites and pieces thrown in to help plot development. Also, can I just say, the art is amazing. All the characters are portrayed in a realistic and plausible manner, espcially in the second half. Mercy looks about what I pictured Mercy to look like. And about is good enough for me when it comes to fictional characters in comics. She has a uniqueness and a personality, and gorgeous tawny eyes that made me connect with her on a level I haven't before, versus some Lara Croft big boobed barbie. I am just so pleased to have a more accurate representation of the world I love in the graphic medium, and it's made me slightly psyched for their adaptations of the rest of the series... even if I'd take new material over old any day.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Adam, Buffy, Comics, Lara Croft, Marrock, Mercy Thompson, Mercy Thompson Homecoming, Patricia Briggs, Tri-Cities, Zee

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson Book 5) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 30th 2010
Format: Hardcover, 342 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Zee's son Tad calls Mercy with worry over a mutual acquaintance. Phineas helped Mercy exonerate Zee with the loan of a book from his store awhile back, so the least she owes him is to check up and return the book. Instead of relieving Tad's fears, Mercy gets a bad feeling. But it's late and she heads home. Things with Adam are going well. She's learning to like the connection they now have, even if the constant feeling of the pack is a bit unnerving. A bit unnerving amps up to a real problem when out bowling someone in the pack plants bad thoughts in her head and a young child is almost hurt. But almost hurt is nothing compared to actually hurt. Samuel has tried to kill himself. Too long in the world and burying too many friends, he has tried to take his life and his wolf half has decided to take over. But the expected massacre of a werewolf without the human half in control does not happen. Sam seems remarkably on top of it... so perhaps if Mercy can just stay away from the pack for a few days so they won't report Sam to his father for execution she can sort this all out. And with the self imposed exile from Adam, she worries she's hurting him, when really she is just trying to protect Sam. As is the case with Mercy, things never go as planed. Instead of everything getting easier, everything gets harder. She looses Gabriel, her garage assistant, because his mother worries about the risk of werewolves, plus, it doesn't look good when a reality bounty hunter show shows up with a fake warrant for your boyfriends arrest with guns loaded.

One thing is clear. There's someone out to get her, and she has a feeling it has to do with Phineas' book, which can mean only one thing. Fae. Soon her home is torched and Adam is wounded. His lack of strength leads to the members of the pack who have been messing with Mercy to make a power play that goes wrong. But the one thing that is made clear is who the real threat is. Turns out it's not just fae, but a Fairy Queen. She wants the Silver Borne. It should have revealed itself through death or fire, but it remains hidden. So the Queen has taken matters into her own hands, or more aptly, hostages. She has kidnapped Gabriel and will make an exchange for the Silver Borne. Mercy agrees to the trade, even if she's not sure the book is the Silver Borne, and other nonsensical restrictions the Queen places her under in order to secure Gabriel and Phineas' safety. Turning to Zee they find a ray of hope. Ariana. Phineas' grandmother, the maker of the Silver Borne and Samuel's lost love. Working through all their difficulties, they head to the Queen's secret liar in Underhill and attempt to get back that which was stolen. But once you're in the land of the fairies, nothing is as it seems and you're playing by their rules. Rules they like to twist to their advantage. Here's hoping when they get out it's the same century.

My least favorite book in a long time in this series. First, let me get the tiny rant off my chest. Again with the kidnapping!!! Ok, rant done, mini rant shall not return till the next kidnapping... River Marked perhaps? Now as to why I didn't feel that "connection" with this book. To me, it took too long to delve into the fae plot while spending too much time on werewolf pack politics. Plus once we get to the fae we're in Underhill and have lost any real sense of how these characters work in the real world. The series works because it's our world, only different. It has an inherent plausibility to it that was lost the second they went into fairyland. It's like Mercy inadvertently ended up in a Tolkien story. But whereas this took us too far away from reality, the reality tv show crew took us too far into reality. It made it too "now." Which is why I've always disliked the references to Buffy. It's too current. Scooby-Doo is more a part of our shared cultural heritage, whereas Buffy is a show for fringe groups and has a cult following, ie, the readers of this book series. It was just too all over the place, lacked coherence, and with a depressing subplot. I hope River Marked gets back on track, because I don't want my new favorite series to go off the rails!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Buffy, Fae, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Samuel, Scooby Doo, Silver Borne, Underhill, Werewolves, Zee

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
Published by: Harper Teen
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It was a slender length of rusted steel, tapered to a point at one end and jagged at the other, as if it had broken. A thousand people would step over it and think it trash, but not her.

This was the tip of a rapier.

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure. The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.  

Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn."

Carrie Vaughn is expanding into YA, looks like fun!
 
Michael Palin Diaries 1980-1988: Halfway to Hollywood by Michael Palin
Published by: Thomas Dunne Books
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 680 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The second volume of Michael Palin’s diaries covers the bulk of the 1980s, a decade in which the ties binding the Pythons loosened—they made their last film Monty Pyton’s Meaning of Life in 1983. For Michael, writing and acting took over much of his life, culminating in his appearances in A Fish Called Wanda, in which he played the hapless, stuttering Ken, and won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. Halfway to Hollywood follows Palin’s torturous trail through seven movies and ends with his final preparations for the documentary that was to change his life—Around the World in 80 Days.

During these years he co-wrote and acted in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits as well as spearing in Gilliam’s follow-up success Brazil. Palin co-produced, wrote and played the lead in The Missionary opposite Maggie Smith, who also appeared with him in A Private Function, written by Alan Bennett. In television the decade was memorable for East of Ipswich, inspired his links with Suffolk. Such was his fame in the US, he was enticed into once again hosting the enormously popular show Saturday Night Live. He filmed one of the BBC’s Great Railway Journeys as well as becoming chairman of the pressure group Transport 2000. His life with Helen and the family remains a constant, as the children enter their teens.

Palin’s joy of writing is evident once more in Halfway to Hollywood as he demonstrates his continuing sense of wonder at the world in which he finds himself. A world of screens large and small."
I have been waiting what seems like forever for the second installment of Palin's Diaries to come stateside. FINALLY!

The Evil Garden by Edward Gorey
Published by: Pomegranate
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Great-Uncle Franz, beside the lake, is being strangled by a snake.

The peaches, apples, plums, and pears are guarded by ferocious bears.

Alexa watches while her aunt is pulled feet first inside a plant.

A happy, naive family enters the Evil Garden (free admission!) to spend a sunny afternoon in its inviting landscape, lush with exotic trees and flowers. They soon realize their mistake, as harrowing sounds and evidence of foul play emerge. When humongous hairy bugs, famished carnivorous plants, ferocious fruit-guarding bears, and a sinister strangling snake take charge, the family's ominous feelings turn to full-on panic—but where's the exit?

Edward Gorey leads us through this nefarious garden with a light step. His unmistakable drawings paired with engaging couplets produce giggles, not gasps. Perhaps The Evil Garden is a morality tale; perhaps it's simply an enigmatic entertainment. Whatever the interpretation, it's a prime example of the iconic storytelling genius that is Edward Gorey."

I love all the is Edward Gorey. And that's all that needs to be said.

Whedonistas by Women Who Love Joss Whedon
Published by: Mad Norwegian Press
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In Whedonistas, a host of award-winning female writers and fans come together to celebrate the works of Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Doctor Horrible s Sing-Along Blog). By discussing the impact of Whedon's work, their involvement with his shows fandoms and why they adore the worlds he's created, these essayists aim to misbehave in Whedon's rich, fantastical worlds. Essay topics include Sharon Shinn (Samaria series) and Emma Bull (Territory) elaborating on the perfection of Firefly, Jeanne Stein (the Anna Strong Chronicles) revealing Buffy's influence on Anna Strong, and Nancy Holder (October Rain, The Watcher s Guide) relating on-the-set tales of Spike menacing her baby daughter while Riley made her hot chocolate. Other contributors include Seanan McGuire (October Daye series), Elizabeth Bear (Chill), Catherynne M. Valente (Palimpsest), Maria Lima (Blood Lines), Jackie Kessler (Black and White), Mariah Huehner (IDW Comics), Sarah Monette (Corambis), and Lyda Morehouse (AngeLINK Series). Also featured is an exclusive interview with television writer and producer Jane Espenson. "

Ever since this group of ladies did their tribute to Doctor Who, I've been waiting with baited breath for this one. While Doctor Who is fabulous, Joss made me who I am... I only wish they could have gotten the cartoon on the front to look a little bit more like my master.

William and Kate Paperdolls by Tom Tierney
Published by: Dover
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 32 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"To Commemorate the Marriage of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton, 29th April 2011."

Ok, I'll admit, this is a little cheesey, and I'm not sure of my feelings towards Kate, but I love Tom Tierney. I used to collect all his paperdolls and all the ones he did in magazines. He is an amazing artist and I am still bitter about the incident with the mold in my basement that distroyed them all.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Carrie Vaughn, Diaries, Edward Gorey, Halfway to Hollywood, Michael Palin, Steel, The Evil Garden, Tom Tierney, Whedonistas, William and Kate Paperdolls, Women Who Love Joss Whedon

Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson Book 4) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: February 3rd, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 309 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Vampire Challenge, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy(different edition than one reviewed)

If dealing with the fall out from her rape weren't bad enough, try a vampire falling straight into your living room while your mother is visiting. It's no wonder that Mercedes is at the mercy of her panic attacks. Stefan's arrival is a warning. The vampires know that Mercy not only killed the demon ridden vamp, but also one of their own, the one responsible for creating the demon abomination. Also, if Stefan happened to kill Mercy in his starved state, well... that's one problem solved. It soon becomes clear that Mercy's life isn't going to magically snap back into place like a rubber band.  Her garage, her sanctuary, was violated by Tim and his attack, and now the outside has been trashed by his cousin looking for a little justice. It would offend Mercy more if they had bothered to spell the insults better. But underneath the tagging lies a message. Written in paint and magic. Two crossed bones. When Stefan finally recovers he not only carries more information about the threat that is posed to Mercy, he also changes her life dramatically. Freaking out at the link between the vamp and the shifter, her mate Adam hastily brings Mercy into the pack. Something that no one thought was possible has now become a reality. Mercy, a little coyote shifter, is now a member of a werewolf pack. She has the bonds and might of the pack. A pack that isn't really pleased to feel the coyote in their midst.

But Mercy being pack gives the wolves leverage with the vampires. They will try to organize a cease fire to their mutual benefits. The wolves are sick of being singled out, Mary Jo has already paid the price with her death, albeit "mostly dead." Though Mercy's absence might be beneficial at this delicate time. Mercy decides to take up an old college "friend's" offer to help her with a ghost problem. So off to Spokane Mercy goes to do some Ghostbusting at Amber's, being warned to avoid the one vampire whose territory it is, James Blackwood. As to the ghostbusting itself, she's not sure how she'll do it... the knowledge that her ability to see ghosts is part of the "walker" package is new knowledge she hasn't had time to fully explore. But at Amber's it is quite clear that her young, deaf son Chad, is being haunted by a seriously nasty poltergeist. It's also equally clear that avoiding Blackwood is out of the question, seeing as he's Amber's dinner guest... only who's for dinner? Mercy suspects she might be the main course when she wakes up with two puncture wounds on her neck. But Blackwood is something like she's never encountered. A vampire who controls a city as large as Spokane who can also walk around in daylight! After a very brutal attack against Chad, Mercy convinces the family to leave and heads home. It's not long before the vampire politics of the Tri-Cities, coupled with Chad's kidnapping lead her once more to Spokane... but can she survive?

This story had me up late, reading into the wee hours, but ended for me on a dissatisfying note. I loved the integration of Mercy's new knowledge of what her being able to see ghosts means coupled with a traditional haunting in a spooky house, but I felt the resolution was sloppy. Having yet another kidnapping is hackneyed, I mean, seriously!?! This series really focuses too much on kidnapping. I for one don't want to be a werewolf, not because of the whole hairiness, but because of the high risk of being held hostage! And why can't they ever just want money? No, it's always something ingrained in their lupine lifestyles or tied in with their vampire politics. Also, you'd think that they'd be better suited to stop this from happening, what with their supernatural prowess, but no. Aside from the kidnapping issues, which will arise again in this series I am sure, I felt the tying up of all the loose ends, the Blackwood connection, the haunting, the reason Amber contracted Mercy all these years later to be rushed. To end the story on the aphorism "you are what you eat" seemed like a really bad pun. There was such flow and fun to the story and it ended with a groan. Also, can we just not add zombies to this series. I think they're a little overplayed don't you?

But while I did have these issues with bad jokes and overly complicated vampire politics, it didn't take away from my enjoyment in reading. In fact, I think that Mercy's character development really soared in this installment. Her vulnerability that now resides within her core, that used to be so strong. Her learning that she does need to lean on someone from time to time and that that's ok. She doesn't need to be the damsel in distress or the heroine each time, she can reside in the shades of grey between the two. As for her panic attacks. I thought these were wonderfully handled. Patricia Briggs really got you into the zone and made you feel what a panic attack feels like. I can attest with first hand knowledge, she captured the suddenness, the unexpectedness and every other conflicting emotion perfectly in Mercy. Mercy just keeps growing on me, so human despite her occasional furry form.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Aphorism, Blackwood, Bone Crossed, Ghostbusting, Kidnapping, Mercy Thompson, Panic Attack, Patricia Briggs, Poltergiest, Rape, Spokane, Stefan, Tri-Cities, Vampires, Werewolves

Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson Book 3) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: SFBC Science Fiction Book Club
Publication Date: 2008
Format: Hardcover, 710 Pages
Challenge: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Never be in debt to a fairy. Never say thank you to a fairy. But most importantly, when you borrow something from them, just do what they tell you, nothing more. Mercy did a little something "more" and now has a debt to pay off. The fae have been sequestered in their own little camps ever since they came out a dozen or so years earlier. Whether it was for their protection or ours is a matter for debate. The fae are a secretive lot, not trusting the police or government. So when a killing spree happens in the Walla Walla Reservation, they aren't likely to turn to the police. They'll police there own. But sometimes it's good for a little outside help. This is where Mercy comes in. She knows enough to keep her trap shut. Plus there was that whole "favor." Also, in human form, but even more so in coyote, she has remarkable smell, which most fae lack. After persuading the rent-a-cop on duty who works for the BFA (Bureau of Fae Affairs), O'Donnell, Mercy is let into the reservation. Cookie cutter houses in perfect rows that surely are an illusion, or so her nose is telling her. From crime scene to crime scene she is led as she tries to sort out the various smells to find the one link. But her nose does tend to lead her into trouble and she stumbles past the glamors and sees the sea. The faries higher ups, the Grey Lords, are not going to like this one bit. And neither does Mercy, she can't figure out why the murders are happening. What is there link besides the person who killed them?

Things don't start to look up for the fae when Zee is arrested for the murder of O'Donnell, the reservations guard. Zee won't suffer in prison like other fae, seeing as he has an affinity for the substance that harms most, iron. Despite Zee's protestations that Mercy is done with this case, that she can't stick her nose into fae business anymore, she's not one to listen. She's a very nosey coyote, especially when her friends are at stake, despite the Grey Lords ruling that Zee is the fall guy. Soon she's embroiled in anti fae groups with an Arthurian nut Tim and has attracted a fae artifact to her, the walking stick comes and goes as it pleases, but if she wanted to have lots of sheep, she's all set. But maybe this loyal stick is a clue. What if the other victims were also guarding objects of power? Objects that held magic so great that they are a danger. Magic that not even the fae can do anymore in this waning world. Objects they will do anything to get back and to silence Mercy about. But in a world filled with the supernatural, sometimes it's just the plain natural that can do the most damage and can ruin your life. Just when Mercy had sorted through her feelings about Adam and Samuel, everything changes by the violent act of one human being.

The magical masquerading as the everyday. That which is normal posing the greatest threat. This book just completed my love of Mercy Thompson and became my favorite book in the series. The intermingling of fairy tales and myth becoming real, but in the most dangerous and threatening of ways. Fairy Tales are real. Just that thought sends chills down my spine. I love the idea that these simple bedtimes stories are really warnings. We see, more than before, how much power the fae have at their disposal and how nice they have been playing, without killing children and eating their bones, which many, I'm sure, want to do. There is more of an old world, mythic feel. The vampires, for the most part, just keep themselves to themselves with their little herd of sheep that feed them. The fae are an entirely different situation. They have been exposed to the world for a long time. Exposed in a way they controlled, just as the werewolves are trying to do. As meek and magicless. They spend everyday hiding what they are. And now, being attacked, they lash out and show their might. But their artifacts are even more dangerous. Because while the fae just protect them. When a power hungry human gets his hands on them, it shows that humans and their greed and avarice are far more of a threat than the fae are. Because the fae, while hiding their "monsters" are still known to be something "other" not far below the surface. Whereas a human as a monster... it just makes it that bit more scary. There's no way for Mercy to sense magic or otherness. There's no way for her to protect herself. What Mercy goes through and how she deals with what happens has made me connect to her on a new level. Seeing beneath her bravado, giving her vulnerability makes her more relatable. More like me, though I have never been through what she has on a human level. I've never had men fighting over me, which thankfully is resolved in this book on the flirty end of the spectrum, to the horrors of the attack at her garage. But I have had moments of panic and despair, and tearing down a little of her armor has made her a little more human.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Fae, Fairies, Fairy Tales, Mercedes Thompson, Mercy Thompson, Murder, Patricia Briggs, Reading Challenge, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla Fae Reservation, Zee

One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
Published by: Viking
Book Provided by Viking
Publication Date: March 8th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy
The written Thursday Next has a lot to handle. Since the destruction of Thursday1-4, Thursday5 has become the only written Thursday Next with five books falling to her. She views it her duty to due justice by the real Thursday Next, which none of her fellow book characters like. Under the regime of the previous Thursday they were allowed to run whatever scams and deals they felt like, secure in the knowledge of a strong reader base due to the amounts of sex and violence. That reader base is gone. There are now only a few die hard readers, leading the books to become more in danger. But the Bookworlds love of the real Thursday should keep their place at the far end of speculative fiction and fantasy. Of course, all these changes would be easier if the real Thursday would stop by and give a thumbs up to quell the rising discontent, especially at the arrival of Thursday's new understudy, Carmine.

Sadly, the understudy is a must, because while failing to be a Jurisfiction agent, Thursday has managed to get a little power investigating Bookworld accidents... one of which takes her across the remade Bookworld to conspiracy, where she not only finds something fishy, but she realizes people are thinking she's the real Thursday, not the written one. To add further confusion, she has ended up with the real Thursday's Jurisfiction badge, because the truth could be stranger than anything those conspiracy nuts could dream up. With doubt lingering as to where the real Thursday is and if the written Thursday might only think she's written and actually be real, Thursday, whichever she might be, views it her duty to get to the bottom of things with her trusty new sidekick, Sprocket, the automaton butler. But there are people who don't want the truth uncovered, mysterious Men in Plaid, and there's the peace talks with Racy novel coming at the end of the week that if Thursday isn't there for, could mean all out war. Sneaking off to the real world, Thursday finally meets the love of her life, Landen, omitted from the books for copyright reasons. It would be so tempting to stay, blue fairy it and become the real Thursday, whether she is or not. But the "Thursday" in whichever Thursday she is, won't allow questions to be left unanswered. So back in the Bookworld, secrets must be uncovered, the truth found and Thursday's identity solved.

Jasper Fforde books are usually very meta, but I think I've reached my threshold. This book was a Thursday Next book without Thursday Next. Instead we follow around the written Thursday, who, while thankfully is not contemplating her navel too much, is still just not Thursday enough. Even if she's able to confuse the other characters in the book, you could tell she wasn't the genuine article. There was just too much that bothered me in the book to make this an enjoyable read. The major gripe I have is the entire reinvention of the Bookworld. Instead of the Bookworld we knew and loved with the great library and jumping from book to book, now we have an actual world, there's even a map. Couple this with Thursday not really being Thursday and it's like Fforde is starting back at the beginning. I don't want to start back at the beginning! I have grown to know and love the characters and the world he has created, only to have him completely destroy it. Characters we cared for are now through the looking glass and act as vapid and self obsessed "actors." Turning everything on it's head we get too much Bookworld and not enough real world. You need grounding to make something this far out there work, and without Laden and the kids, there is no grounding. Plus the whole reason for the Racy Novel war, which has been brewing for a long time, seems to only work within the new world structure with a globe and geography... which leads me to wonder, why was there a war looming before the reinvention? But worst of all? The cliffhanger from previous novel is still unresolved with this "filler" book. There was no tying up of loose ends, just a lot of jokes and asides that led nowhere.

Now, my mini-rant above, doesn't mean that there wasn't things that I enjoyed. There was a through plot, which some of his previous books have lacked, it just wasn't the one I wanted. I also love how he is will to take the piss out of himself with the self mocking tone indicating that his books have an inherent crappiness that leads to them being remaindered. Of course he also hints, that these are almost proto novels, his books aren't done, and it will take written Thursday's intervention for the books to evolve into the books we know and love. The Thursday Next books aren't "there" yet, but one day, they will be. I also liked the little Agatha Christie Death on the Nile parody as well as Jenny's existence being established. It was also nice to see Fforde reaching out to currently popular genres like Steampunk and Fan Fic, which, while Fan Fic does verge on the line of plagiarism, I like that the island was a fun and happy place, if lacking depth. It kind of reminded me of a Con. But at the end of the day, the little things didn't help the big things. I hope that the next Thursday Next book actually has Thursday and not some pale imitation. Each book has been a little weaker, and a little more a shadow of the initial genius of The Eyre Affair, and maybe it's time to put Thursday out to pasture, because if this "reinvention" was a way to try to invigorate the series, it failed. If given the choice though, I still think he should focus on writing the follow up to Shades of Grey, the best book he's ever written and one of my favorites of all time.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Bookworld, Death on the Nile, Fan Fic, Jasper Fforde, Jurisfiction, Landen, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Racy Novel, Shades of Grey, Steampunk, The Eyre Affair, Thursday Next

One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: March 8th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"With the real Thursday Next missing, the "written" Thursday Next leaves her book to undertake an assignment for the Jurisfiction Accident Investigation Department, in Fforde's wild and wacky sixth BookWorld novel (after Thursday Next: First Among Sequels). As written Thursday Next finds herself playing roles intended for her real counterpart, BookWorld's elite try to deal with a border dispute between Racy Novel and Women's Fiction. It's not always possible to know where one is in BookWorld, which has been drastically remade, or in Fforde's book, which shares the madcap makeup of Alice in Wonderland, even borrowing Alice's dodo. Outrageous puns (e.g., a restaurant called Inn Uendo) and clever observations relating to the real book world (e.g., the inhabitants of "Vanity" island now prefer Self-Published or Collaborative) abound. Fforde's diabolical meshing of insight and humor makes a "mimefield" both frightening and funny, while the reader must traverse a volume that's a minefield of unexpected and amusing twists."

Yeah for a new Jasper Fforde book! Always inventive, always original. Plus, I have to say, my favorite cover yet, it's like a literary Mad Men!

The Complaints by Ian Rankin
Published by: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: March 8th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Nobody likes The Complaints—they're the cops who investigate other cops. It's a department known within the force as "The Dark Side," and it's where Malcolm Fox works. He's a serious man with a father in a nursing home and a sister who persists in an abusive relationship, frustrating problems about which he cannot seem to do anything. Then the reluctant Fox is given a new case. There's a cop named Jamie Breck, and he's dirty. The problem is, no one can prove it. As Fox takes on the job, he learns that there's more to Breck than anyone thinks—dangerous knowledge, especially when a vicious murder takes place far too close to home. In THE COMPLAINTS, Rankin proves again why he is one of the world's most beloved and bestselling crime writers, mixing unstoppable pacing with the deeper question of who decides right from wrong."

This one's for my Mom, a huge fan of Rakin's Rebus novels. Personally I like John Hannah as Rebus, so at least we have something to talk about.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ian Rankin, Jasper Fforde, John Hannah, Mad Men, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Rebus, The Complaints, Thursday Next