Out This Month

When I was way younger, and still dependent on what was translated in my country, one of my favourite things in the world, would to be to consult a list of all the books that would be released in the next month by all the publishers.
That list used to be published by a books magazine untitled "My Books", and I would have a blast making lists of all the stories I was interested in reading. #crazyBookworm
Now, having acess to the direct market _so to speak _ it has become increasingly difficult _ even with sites such as Booklikes and Goodreads _ to keep track of all the monthly book releases.
As such, I decided to try to make a list ~a feasible one~ of a small part of the books that have or will be released this month.
Some I am more than interested in reading them _ The Lisa Kleypas book for instance_ others I am curious about.
As for the rest, I thought someone "out there" with no access to netgalley or Edelweiss catalogues would like to see this.

 
 



 
   
 
 
 

Led Astray: The Best of Kelley Armstrong by Kelley Armstrong

Arc provided by Tachyon Publications through Netgalley

As someone who has read  _ and loved _the entirety of the "Women of The Otherworld" series as well as the Darkest Powers trilogy,  and lets not forget The Darkness Rising series, I am a big fan of this author.
And there's a reason to that: Kelley Armstrong's writing does not disappoint.

This book is another good example of that. If you want an anthology filled with stories that will leave you shock-surprised, this is just the thing for you!

Have fun and don't be scared by the ghosts...or the werewolf's... or just the nice friendly zombies. :)

 Rakshashi (standalone) -2.5 Stars
 Honestly I didn't start as a big fan of this one. I had no idea of what I was reading at the beginning. For that reason alone, I could have done with a little more background, since I had no idea which sort of character Rakshashi was.
The best thing about it was how it ended with a bang. Nice plot twist. 


- Kat (Darkest Powers universe) - 3.5 Stars
I actually had already read this short a while back, but since I practically didn't remember anything about it, I decided to re-read it.
It was still pretty good. Dark Powers quality good. 


- A Haunted House of Her Own (standalone) - 4 Stars
Be careful what you wish for.. 
Now, that is what I call a plot twist! Definitely didn't see that one coming. Also, people should just get cats to live with because humans are just too... murderous.

- Learning Curve (Otherworld universe, Zoe) - 3 Stars
At first I was like: "Who the well is Zoe?" 
Like I mentioned at the beginning I did read the Otherworld books but I honestly couldn't remember anything about the "girl".
 ~after checking some books~
Oh, okay, I now have a vague idea about who Zoe is.

- The Screams of Dragons (Cainsville universe, non-series narrator) - 4 Stars
If this is what I've been missing on the Cainsville series, I definitely have to start it as soon as possible. Creepy, creepy...

- The Kitsune’s Nine Tales (Age of Legends universe, non-series narrator)  -4 Stars
Another Kelley Armstrong series that I still haven't started...why?
I do not know.
Judging from this short, it seems to be pretty good.
Another one for my list. 

- Last Stand (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
A great twist on a zombies story.  People, let's not forget: Zombies have feelings too!

September Reads

  I read fifteen stories... some of them were short-stories.

So, what did I read during September?

Confirming what lately has become the rule, I pretty much hated the arcs that I read:

"A Nearer Moon" - 2.5 Stars ( children's fiction)

"A Pocket Full of Murder" - 2 Stars ( children's fiction)

"The Scorpion Rules"- 2 Stars ( Ya/ NA/ dystopia)

September was also the month in which I decided to pick up my favourite series and do a re-read of the two previous books that I had read. As I found no fault with them, I decided to maintain their five star rating:

"Ashes of Honor" ( October Daye #6)  - 5 Stars (urban fantasy)

"Chimes At Midnight"  (October Daye #7) - 5 Stars (urban fantasy)

As for the follow up, "The Winter Long" (October Daye #8) I gave it 4 Stars

Then I read the short "Through This House" ( October Daye #4.1) - 3 Stars

Beware, there's gigantic spiders in it! ( short-story)

And "Rat Catcher" ( a Tybalt Story) - 3 Stars (short story)

So technically I didn't read the entire anthologies in which both these last two shorts appeared -_-

I read two novellas:

"Turning up the Heat" by Laura Florand - 2 Stars ( contemporary romance)

"Atoning" ( Darkest Powers world) - 3 Stars ( Ya)

I also read the final instalment in Eliza Crewe's Sould Eater series, and it was good

"Crossed (Soul Eater #3)" - 4.5 Stars (YA)

A romantic comedy "When A scot Ties the Knot" - 4 Stars ( historical fiction/ Humour)

I actually managed to finish an entire anthology: although it did take me about two months to do it:" Into the Woods: Tales from The Hollows" - 3 Stars (anthologies/ urban fantasy)

I also read "Dreaming of You" by Lisa Kleypas - 2 Stars ( historical romance)

And last, but definitely not least ( one of my favourite reads in September) is Laura Florand's "A Wish Upon Jasmine ( La Vie En Rose series #2) - 4 Stars (contemporary romance)

All in all, this was a good month reading wise.

And You, what did you read?

A Red Rose Chain ( October Daye #9 ) by Seanan Mcguire

Well, it appears that hell has frozen over, because the only reason I'm not giving this book two stars is due to the fact that it's been my favourite series for the last couple of years!

I'm sorry, but as much as it pains me to say it, this was fucking boring!
And repetitive! Over and over the same things. The same stories. The same patterns. Retold ad infinitum through out the entire book. WTH?
I've just only recently read "A Winter Long". Yes, that's right: I managed to hold of reading last year's release, so that I just could devour two brand new books in a row.
And you know what, I loved that one. Even if some things still bother me. Like the lacking of some steamy pages between Tybalt and Toby -_-
Yes, that's right, I've just said... what I've just said.

Winter Long was as good as the latest instalments in this series. This one?

For me it didn't work out. There were too many characters making stupid mistakes. Hello, May and her dry-cleaning task?
Toby was being her reckless self... and people were getting elf shot by the dozens.
As a side note, I have to say that I miss Toby's coffee addiction, especially when compared with her new one SPOILER  [blood? Really? She starts sounding like a Hound on the prowl for some meat... or a very famished vampire. It has become strange and kind of disgusting.
Adding to my disappointment is the fact that due to this story's title, I was expecting this to be about Toby's mother: the elusive Ammandine.
I really hope that the next story won't be about Toby  SPOILER [dethroning another false monarch) because the thing has become boring.
Oh, and can we talk about the fact that Toby has become Wonder Woman?
The women has become pretty much indestructible. Which allows for some "lovely" SPOILER [torture sessions!) How convenient is that?
What can I say?
My feelings are with Tybalt on this: I pretty much preferred if the woman wasn't practically eviscerated in every single book she enters! It leaves me oddly emotional.

Bookdepository.com 

Through This House ( October Daye #4.5)

TW: Gigantic Spiders!

Well, I should probably write a review for this short story before I completely forgot what the thing was about!
So, this takes place a couple of books ago _ I've just finished volume nine _ when Toby was sent to open GoldenGreen's Knowe (you know, a fairy underground place?). Honestly don't read it out of order, or you'll miss a lot of the fun.

Thing is, as everything that happens in October's life, things are never as straightforward as one would expect.
The Knowe has been abandoned for so long, that it has become quite "difficult" to deal with.
Yes, I am referring to a physical location as having feelings...
Don't worry: It totally does. After all, it's located in Fairy.

What happens next is another adventure _although small, all things considered _ in the life of our Hero Toby.
And yes, it does involve gigantic _pony sized_ spiders!

______________

You can find this short-story in this Anthology : "Through This House" was originally published in the anthology Home Improvement: Undead Edition, released in August of 2011.

Bookdepository.com