Medieval-A-Thon Reading Challenge in May

After I finished O.W.L.s Magical Readathon in April I thought I could use a break and some slower book reading time.

Aaaaand then I found THIS video!

The video was a nice surprise and it gave me a big shot of reading energy for May. I actually jumped about glancing at my bookshelves looking for books that fit this challenge. I love the visual format of the prompts! Here they are:

This first picture shows the amount of books you need to read to get the status you want. The highest number of seven books is motivating and doable for me.

Just like you would customize your character in a game you get to pick out your wardrobe by using the prompts for the books. The wardrobe choices are simple and fit the medieval theme nicely.  Seeing a prompt “A pristine book” made me intrigued. The approval of getting freaky when choosing the best looking copy of the book in a bookstore made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

To keep with the times there is a selection of prompts that provide you with weapons. As soon as I saw them I knew which ones I wanted even though the completionist in me wanted them all! Again the prompts are motivating and interesting. I wanted some more clarification on the “A heavy book” prompt though and decided to settle on 500+ pages book for that one.

The part of choosing one’s companions was very interesting to me and the most problematic. I am glad I’m not a dog person since I don’t really have a buddy to read books with anyway. Some of the prompts I needed clarification for. “A book high on my bookshelf” refers to a book that is on top of the TBR list or is stored on the highest shelf you have at home or in the library. “A tall hardcover” is simply a big format book in hardcover binding.

At first glance these are the books and prompts I picked out right away. First three books are wardrobe related prompts. The fourth book is weapon related prompt. And last three books are companion related!

Dragon on the cover 

The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2) by Rick Riordan

This book I just missed out on the April challenge and it is a great opportunity to get myself to read it! The dragon on the cover is mechanical but it is still a dragon! The outfit this prompt comes with is cool looking and I like it.

 

A book under 300 pages

Incubus Dreaming (The Incubus, #2) by A. H. Lee

This is the third and final book in the series and I was meaning to finish it soon anyway. I was looking for a prompt to pair it with and finding out it has 299 pages made it perfect for this prompt. The outfit for this prompt are okay for a working clothes when going undercover or something.

 

A shiny book

The Testament of Loki (Loki #2) by Joanne M. Harris

For this prompt I had a few options and then I decided to go with this one. The cover has some nice shiny decorations and I really like the design. I read the first book not that long ago and I liked it enough to push this book higher on my TBR list. I really love the outfit for this prompt it looks severe and cool and I kinda like that right now.

 

Start or finish a duology

The Fates Divide (Carve the Mark, #2) by Veronica Roth

It has been a really long time since I’ve read the first book of this duology! When I got the perfect prompt to include this book I could not stop grinning! I was apprehensive about reading this book because I feel unsure if I will be able to get into it since too much time has passed between now and the first book. This is my only weapon prompt and it is for the dual wielding swords! I knew I wanted them right away.

 

A book high on my bookshelf

Death of a Darklord (Ravenloft #13) by Laurell K. Hamilton

This book sits atop of my bookshelf and it is one of the rare unread books there. I am fascinated by Ravenloft setting and I love other book series by this author. I’m kinda scared what this book will be like. As a prompt for the companion a goat was not my first choice but I know how fierce those animals are!

 

A book that begins with a “C”

Carry On (Simon Snow, #1) by Rainbow Rowell

I had few options for this prompt and was pleasantly surprised when I realized just how many options I did have. I could use this book for other prompts as well – I have kinda high expectations from this book and there is a dragon on the cover, also the color on the cover is one of my favorites. I am a cat person so a cat companion prompt was a must!

 

A tall hardcover

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan, John Rocco

“A tall hardcover” got me a bit confused. I had to look it up just to be sure but right away I choose one of the biggest hardcover books I had that were not encyclopedia type of a book. My boyfriend got this book for me on one of hist travels and I was super happy about it. The horse companion was a must so I was glad I could cover this one!

I loved the prompts and how easy it is to pick a doable number of books and prompts to achieve a result. After the books I read in April this challenge looks like a great way to keep my reading numbers up. I had to stop myself at picking only seven books for the title of Empress even though I wanted to add some more books that I could connect to the prompts. This speaks just how delighted with this reading challenge I really am! I am so thankful and happy to the Medieval-A-Thon creator Holly Hearts Books for making such a wonderful reading challenge! Give her YouTube channel some love HERE.

I’m going into this challenge almost a whole week late so wish me luck!

 

April Book Wrap Up 2020

Monthly reading review – April 2020

This April I have read:

 

Kitchen Princess Omnibus, Vol. 3 (Kitchen Princess, #5-7) by Natsumi Ando  ★★★★

The Vegetarian: A Novel by Han Kang  ★★★★

Bite Me (Bitten, #1) by C.C. Wood  ★★★

Ender’s Game (Ender’s Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card  ★★★★

Children of the Spider by Imam Baksh  ★★★

Maneuver (Men of Inked: Southside Book 1) by Chelle Bliss  ★★★

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling  ★★★★★

Fork In The Road by J. Coyne  ★★

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  ★★★★

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson, #11) by Patricia Briggs  ★★★★★

The Last Blackstone Dragon (Blackstone Mountain, #0.5) by Alicia Montgomery  ★★★★

Master vs. Mistress (Red Chyrsanthemum Series) by Em Brown  ★★

Mastering the Virgin (Mastering the Virgin Box Set Book 1) by Simone Leigh  ★★★★

The Naughty List (Make Mine A Menage, #1) by Jodi Redford  ★★★

Zog by Julia Donaldson  ★★★★★

Alpha’s Blood (Midnight Doms #1) by Renee Rose  ★★★

A Girl, a Goat, and a Zombie (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #25.1) by Laurell K. Hamilton  ★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read? 

This April I have read 17 books. This is the most I have read in one month for a few years now! I pushed myself and challenged myself to read more. For some reason I am a bit apprehensive to congratulate myself and be happy for it.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in April? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

The books I enjoyed the most were Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson, #11) by Patricia Briggs and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling. I feel happiness and comfort when I read my favorite book series and read about my favorite characters. Mercy Thompson has once more proven herself to be one of the best characters I have ever read! Also reading the first book of the Harry Potter series for the first time ever in my wonderful Hufflepuff edition was a dream come true!

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

This April I have gone overboard with Kindle freebies – mostly erotica Kindle freebies and some of the were not so great. Fork In The Road by J. Coyne was more of a blurb than a real story with severely underdeveloped characters and very visible “new writer” style.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

The whole month was dedicated to the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon reading challenge which I decided to try out for the first time. I choose the books for all twelve prompts and ended up reading ten out of those twelve. I even squeezed in some books to fir for my other challenges and I feel very good about those. I was escaping the plan all the time by getting some Kindle freebies and reading those instead.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

I finished the last Mercy Thompson book I had and got the series up to date – now I I can wait for the last book Smoke Bitten to come out in mass market paperback. I read all the Kitchen Princess manga I had as well. I tried a lot of new book series on Kindle and have finally started the Harry Potter series in my own hardcover Hufflepuff edition which I plan to continue on reading.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

The Vegetarian was well off my comfort zone and it has stayed with me. I would like to try to push it for my book club reading when I get a chance to since I want to discuss it more but have decided not to make a review on it just yet. Harry Potter was a dream to read!

Final thoughts on April 2020 reading

April was a weird month in general I hope I will spare some positive energy for some May reading. I’m still in awe for the number of books total I’ve read. I’m hoping my thoughts will settle better for O.W.L.s Magical Readathon walktrough post I’m planing to write soon!

March Book Wrap Up 2020

Monthly reading review – March 2020

This March I have read:

The Gospel of Loki (Loki #1) by Joanne M. Harris  ★★★★

The Darkness: Darkness/ Batman & Darkness/ Superman 20th Anniversary Collection by Garth Ennis, Jeph Loeb, Ron Marz, Scott Lobdell, Marc Silvestri  ★★★★★

Book of Wayward Girls and Wicked Women edited by Angela Carter  ★★★★

Seize The Night (Moonlight Bay, #2) by Dean Koontz  ★★★

Incubus Caged (The Incubus, #1) by A. H. Lee  ★★★★★

Incubus Bonded (The Incubus, #2) by A. H. Lee  ★★★★

Shutdown (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, #22.75) by Laurell K. Hamilton  ★★★★★

Ice (Dragon Clan #1) by Skye Jones  ★★★★

Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6) by  Lisa Kleypas  ★★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read? 

This March I’ve read 9 books. I only stated reading more actively in the second part of March and even posting about it so I’m happy at how my reading month turned out.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in March? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

I have read a fair amount of Kindle freebies this month and even bought some Kindle books. From all of them I enjoyed The Incubus book series by A. H. Lee the most. I bought first two books from the series and loved them. I loved reading Shutdown from Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton and I was inspired to go trough some Anita Blake books and might even prepare myself to reread some. Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas arrived and it was so good I devoured it in a few days of reading.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

Seize The Night by Dean Koontz was a book club assignment reading that was a bit hard to read. I started on the Croatian translation which had so many issues with the actual translation and the very small font. I ended finishing the book in English on my tablet reader. It was supposed to be a thriller horror but I feel a sleep quite a few times trying to read it…

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

Lately I’m doing good on all my reading challenges and I slowed down on some of my planned reading in March.  Five of the nine books I’ve read were not planned. Still I managed to read enough to keep up with my reading challenges and I feel good about that.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

The Incubus book series by A. H. Lee is definitely a series I would like to continue. Also Loki series by Joanne M. Harris is something I would like to finish.  This March I have found a new interest in rereading Anita Blake book series and I will see how that idea pans out.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

In this time of the world wide epidemic many more books are becoming available to readers everywhere online. I recommend you check out what is available and find some new author to try out!

Final thoughts on March 2020 reading

My reading count is slowly picking up and I did a bit more reviews in the second part of March. I hope I can continue with the posting and reading in an interesting and enjoying way for myself and the occasional readers of my posts.

I did three book reviews in March and you can check them out:

The Gospel of Loki (Loki #1) by Joanne M. Harris  ★★★★

The Darkness: Darkness/ Batman & Darkness/ Superman 20th Anniversary Collection by Garth Ennis, Jeph Loeb, Ron Marz, Scott Lobdell, Marc Silvestri  ★★★★★

Book of Wayward Girls and Wicked Women edited by Angela Carter  ★★★★

Happy reading everyone!

August book wrap up!

My monthly reading review for August is one I’m very happy about! For the first time in quite a while I’ve read enough books to get into the double digits! It makes me happy and I feel very optimistic and motivated for my reading this year altogether.

Monthly reading review – August 2019

This August I have read:

 

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna book 1) by Kendare Blake ★★★

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman ★★★★

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3) by Rick Riordan ★★★★

Threads and Portents (Wayward volume 4) by Jim Zub ★★★★

Tethered Souls (Wayward volume 5) by Jim Zub ★★★★★

Bound to Fate (Wayward volume 6) by Jim Zub ★★★★

Serpentine (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★★

All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin ★★★★

Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert ★★★

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause ★★★★★

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 by Bisco Hatori ★★★★

The Dune is missing on the picture because it was borrowed

1. How many books you’ve read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

I’ve read 11 books in total! This includes one manga and three graphic novels. I’m proud with the amount of books I’ve read.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in August? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

Blood and Chocolate was a refreshing surprise of the genre. I liked the the way the characters were portrayed a lot! Wayward graphic novel series was great source of information on Irish and Japanese lore and legends as well as some historical details. The essays after the story were very informative.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

There were not any bad books I’ve read in august but some were a bit harder to read. Dune seemed a bit slower than what I’m used to and required more concentration during reading. Anna Dressed in Blood was just on the border of how scary I like my books to be. I guess I just got really into it and reading it before bedtime did not help either. I do plan to read the second book by the end of the year.

Croatian edition cover for Girl of Nightmares ( Anna book 2) by Kendare Blake

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

My reading in August was made almost completely to fit my Summer reading challenge. Only one added were the two Wayward volumes I’ve read to finish the series. I don’t think I will be able to keep this pace up after the summer but with only two books left on this challenge I might need to go back to my TBR Jar Draw reading challenge  or think up something new to keep the motivation and reading at a satisfactory pace.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

With The Ship of the Dead I’ve finished Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy – which does not seemed finished at all! After reading Serpentine I am up to date with Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series with only one short story left to get my hands on – A Girl, a Goat, and a Zombie. From the books I’ve read in August there were four that were first in a series. Dune is the one I will not be continuing. Ouran High School Host Club manga series is not a priority right now but I would like to continue it one day for sure. I’ve added the rest of the Birthright series to my TBR and wishlist and hope to get to it soon. I have the second book of the Anna duology and I plan to read it by the end of the year.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

I’ve chosen the books for my Summer reading challenge with care and I’m happy with most of them. Those are either the books I own or they fit in more than one way into what I was looking for for my Summer reading. This reading challenge proved to be very successful and I would recommend that experience for anyone who is looking for a good way to catch up with their TBR with some careful planning. My recommendation this month would be totally underrated All These Things I’ve Done and you can find my review for it HERE!

Reading Challenge update Monday

In the past week I’ve finished one book and started on one other. My reading tempo for Serpentine was a little over one hundred pages a day and it left me a bit disoriented when the book was finished. I had to take a break and contemplate the waiting for the next book in the series.

Serpentine ( Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #26)

by Laurell K. Hamilton

★★★★

It’s been two years since I’ve read the last book Crimson Death which is looming over this one quite a bit. The main character has some doubts and fears because of the events in Crimson Death. I have trouble discerning how much time has passed for the character without being explicitly told so. Serpentine was interesting and brought out some characters that were long due to make an appearance – there’s Olaf/Otto but for me it was Bernardo and Edward/Ted with his family. The most shocking thing for me in this book were not the monsters, which were again given just a little more time at the end of the book but the constant insecurities of some main characters that get in the way of the moving plot. I think I might need an update for all the characters who were not given some page time at the end of the book! There are some I miss terribly I loved the new plot twist and how everything went down though!

SPOILER ALERT

While there is a lot of Micah and Nathaniel in this book and the plot is pulled apart by their needs and insecurities, the one scene that bugged me was sex scene with Jean Claude and his – by my standards! – uncharacteristic self doubt. If I give it more thought I could probably come up with a decent explanation for it but at the moment of reading I was not so pleasantly surprised and it set my reading off balance a bit.

SPOILER ALERT OVER

I am slowly reading trough the next book for my Summer reading challenge. I’m currently on All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin. It had a very promising start and an interesting world building set in a quite bleak futuristic New York. I’m more than half trough it and the angst is rising in levels unexpected. I might have to make a break with some graphic novels from the list soon.

From last Reading Challenge update Monday I am down one more book with only four left to finish my reading challenge!

A✔ Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna book 1) by Kendare Blake
N    Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
A    Angel & Faith: Live Through This (Season 9, Volume 1) by by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs (Artist)
S ✔ The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3) by Rick Riordan
T   Wayward, Vol. 4: Threads and Portents (Wayward volume 4) by Jim Zub
A ✔ The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto
S ✔ Sigvald (Warhammer Heroes #4) by Darius Hinks
I ✔ I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft #7) by P.N. Elrod
A ✔ Serpentine (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton

A  * All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
D ✔ Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert
A  ✔ Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
M ✔ 9 From the Nine Worlds (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) by Rick Riordan
O ✔ Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1by Bisco Hatori
V    Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Reading Challenge update Monday

Last week I started and finished

The Ship of the Dead

(Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3)

by Rick Riordan

★★★★

I know it is supposed to be a trilogy but it did not feel like the end of the story! I loved some of the scenes and ideas. As usual this was an entertaining read and I had so much fun. This series does good in pointing out some cultural and religious issues that might be problematic to some and unknown to others. I was not happy with the finale. But i did get a little nudge to continue the The Trials of Apollo series due to some little hints and crossover from Percy and Annabeth in this book. I left it at The Dark Prophecy ( The Trials of Apollo book 2). I read the first book The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo book 1) a little over year and a half ago! Even though this third book of the trilogy did not end on a high note as I expected I still feel that Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is my favorite of all the series and Magnus remains my favorite character. At times he played a dumb but well meaning blonde and he reminded me a bit of Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon!

Also there were some very memorable scenes that might inspire some fan fiction writers and might be even worth searching out on the darker recesses of the Internet.

SPOILER ALERT!

Magnus has played pull the rope in Hotel Valhalla war games, only, the losing side got dragged trough melted chocolate. Magnus was on the losing side and was covered in chocolate sauce when this happened!

Alex was in his guy form when it happened and I know many a reader that will squeal at this part of the book. It is a lovely scene though. With Magnus totally oblivious to his own appeal. I searched for some fan made artwork of this but none I’ve found were satisfying with the amount of chocolate that was involved!

SPOILER ALERT END!

The very same day I wrote my last Reading Challenge update Monday the awaited Serpentine ( Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton came in the mail!

I’ve already half way in the book and I’m actually prolonging it to enjoy myself more. I remembered why I love reading this series and it will be a long time until the next book is out and even longer until I get to read it since I’m buying mass market paperback editions only.

As the Summer reading challenge goes I’m on my tenth book with only five left. This week I read one and a half of another book. I’m left with three books and two graphic novels to finish! I’m actually reluctant to read any of the graphic novels since I know I will not stop at reading only one. I have the whole Vampire Academy series at the ready on the shelf and I’m wondering will I be tempted to read it through as well?

A✔ Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna book 1) by Kendare Blake
N    Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
A    Angel & Faith: Live Through This (Season 9, Volume 1) by by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs (Artist)
S ✔ The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3) by Rick Riordan
T   Wayward, Vol. 4: Threads and Portents (Wayward volume 4) by Jim Zub
A ✔ The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto
S ✔ Sigvald (Warhammer Heroes #4) by Darius Hinks
I ✔ I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft #7) by P.N. Elrod
A *    Serpentine (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton

A     All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
D ✔ Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert
A  ✔ Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
M ✔ 9 From the Nine Worlds (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) by Rick Riordan
O ✔ Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1by Bisco Hatori
V    Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Longest book series – Anita Blake Vampire Hunter

The first book I’ve read by Laurell K. Hamilton is not part of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series actually. The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book series (from now on ABVH) was something a friend mentioned. Since I liked the other series  – Merry Gentry, I went all out and got myself a box set with first four books of ABVH. The box set design was in the form of a small coffin (?) all black and with the top kinda sticking out of any bookshelf. I was in college back then and it was the middle of exam season. I went on a small reading spree -four books in four days! before I started my exam studying. Needless to say I was hooked!

The ABVH book series is a long standing one and is still going strong. It has 26 books up to date and the author is actively writing new ones each year. The first book Guilty Pleasures came out way back in 1993. which makes this book series old enough to drink in the US and is older than the age of the main character in the first book (Anita is 24 years old in the first book).

I vaguely remember running trough those books back then. I would read them at a book a day pace as soon as I got them. I’m not a fan of horror setting much but there was something about the main character that inspired confidence despite her many dark adventures. The world and the creatures in it appealed to me.

So when the adventures started to go further south and into supernatural relationship polyamourous exploring I did not mind that much. They were still the characters I liked reading about and I wanted to know more about them. By then the reactions of some readers were far from positive. Many were annoyed with how little the story progressed and how the main character was acting and developing. The sex scenes were handled badly in some books due to how explicit they are. Not many readers like to read books this erotic and even less readers can make a transition from so much smut and sex with big doses of supernatural creatures and all sorts of perverse topics and then switch to coherent mundane stories. At times even the author had trouble getting it done.

As the books of the series pilled up so did the many ideas to new merchandise and promotion. From never happening TV show deals to more creative and doable graphic novel editions by none other than Marvel Comics! These things often happen with long lasting book series. The graphic novel editions came out for the first three books and brought a new story of how Anita met Edward called Vampire Hunter: The First Death which was one of the fans favorite things to wonder about.

I have mixed feelings about the graphic novel editions since they changed the original artist from the first two editions and it makes the character sometimes look like they come form the old Egyptian wall murals with their eyes looking weird and plastic in general.

But I digress from the books…

There are many fans of the books who could not handle how this book series evolved into something completely different than it was back in the nineties when it first came out. The author used her books to speak about issues she holds important personally – relationship dynamics – and many readers don’t find it that interesting. Many more are offended by the sex scenes. And truth be told there are some books of the series that are just a few sex scenes put together and some relationship talk in between. For people who wanted more detective horror action from the first nine books way back these things seem off-putting and waste of time.

I’ve thought often on what holds me to this series for the sum of my adult life. I would always go back to the characters and creatures I enjoy reading about. Twenty six books in I am holding the pages and wondering all about the new strange creatures this books is bringing out. I still feel intrigued by the story and keep reading. I even think about rereading some of the books again just to make sure I understand the characters and how they were first imagined. Twenty six years is a lot of time for a book series to go on and there aren’t many out there this long. Only one’s that come close I can think of are manga book series that surpass it by the number of volumes but not even close to the number of years they can last.

The bad marketing puns like: The corpse laughs…but only after it kills! did not help…

I’ve made posts before on this book series and I will probably do them again sometime in the future. If you’re interested here is the Book covers around the world post I’ve made with some weird and interesting covers of the series. All things considered I’m actually happy with how the cover art style stood the test of time and managed to keep it somewhat composed in art and book design style.

I’m still wishing for the special omnibus editions that came out in limited quantity with covers made by Luis Royo over twenty years ago which I posted about in my Wishlist presentation exactly five years ago! There is one other book series by the same author I own and it’s Merry Gentry book series. I like collecting the short story compilations as well and I hope that some of the short stories that only came out in digital form will be someday available as a collection as well.

I’ve decided almost a decade ago that I’m all in with this book series. I want to see it trough. A sort of relationship I’ve committed myself to for better and for worse. As long as the author keeps writing I will be reading. After two decades here’s to two decades more!

Reading Challenge update Monday

It has been an exciting week since last month for my Summer reading challenge . I have finished two books and started on the third one! I was holding out for Serpentine (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton which was supposed to arrive  in paperback edition I pre-ordered earlier this year. Two weeks ago I got the message from Book Depository that the book arrived earlier and is being sent. I’m still waiting on it to arrive though. Two or three weeks is normal waiting time but I was really hyped after that message.

Since the last Reading Challenge update Monday  the two books I’ve finished are Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert and Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. I started on The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3) by Rick Riordan.

Dune (Dune #1)

by Frank Herbert

★★★

I speed trough this 500+ pages science fiction classic. Conveniently, this book was voted as a summer reading assignment by my book club. While filled with thoughtful quotes it also made me question my grasp on English language. As it happens with some science fiction books author used a wide variety of words he made up and added some new uses to words that were used through the past. Throw a mix of different languages in there and you get a rich and colorful landscape of Dune. It was interesting to find a few verses in one of the Slavic languages and see it being interpreted by the characters a bit wrongly. I can also feel the test of time since this book was written in the 1965. Parts of this book were filled with such passion and from another angle the book was cold and calculating just like the ideas and politics it spoke about.

Blood and Chocolate

by Annette Curtis Klause

★★★★★

I did not know much about this book. It was a present and for years it was left forgotten on my shelf. I picked it out because the authors name matched the letter A I needed for my Summer reading challenge. The book and the characters pleasantly surprised me. I liked this perspective on the werewolf theme and coming of age characters. It’s a very charged and a bit raw book. Definitely a guilty pleasure type of a book. Intriguing use of the chocolate motive in between the lines got me thinking. The amount of chocolate through the book was less than expected though.

I’ve officially read more than half of the books for my Summer reading challenge! I’ve read eight out of the fifteen titles and I’m currently reading the ninth one!

A✔ Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna book 1) by Kendare Blake
N  Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
A     Angel & Faith: Live Through This (Season 9, Volume 1) by by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs (Artist)
S *  The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3) by Rick Riordan
T   Wayward, Vol. 4: Threads and Portents (Wayward volume 4) by Jim Zub
A ✔ The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto
S ✔ Sigvald (Warhammer Heroes #4) by Darius Hinks
I ✔ I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft #7) by P.N. Elrod
A    Serpentine (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton

A     All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
D ✔ Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert
A  ✔ Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
M ✔ 9 From the Nine Worlds (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) by Rick Riordan
O ✔ Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1by Bisco Hatori
V    Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

TBR Jar Draw March 2018

I really enjoyed my TBR Jar Draw pick for February – Strange Candy. The short stories are my favorite form and I often get surprised at how much I like them. Especially if some time has passed since I’ve read any.

You can check my Strange Candy by Laurell K. Hamilton review —> HERE.

The two draws I have not read are going back in the jar:

# The Witch with no Name (The Hollows #13) by Kim Harrison

# Sigvald (Warhammer Heroes #4) by Darius Hinks

My three new TBR Jar draws are as follows:

1# The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I had this book on my TBR list for quite a long time. This book has all the elements I love in a good story but for some reason I did not jump on it right away. I only got it last year though. There were also some attempts to push it as a book club reading which would have been a good way for me to push it up on the TBR list. I do hope I will find the inspiration to read it soon.

2# Uncle Silas by Sheridan LeFanu

This book was one of the spur of the moment buys. I did not think it trough. I just vaguely heard about the topic and genre and then someone was praising it and then next thing that happened was I went and bought it… Since then I have less spur of the moment buys episodes but I am still curious of the theme and Victorian Gothic period. Sadly I have been disappointed with some Gothic novels I read before and I did not get much incentive to take this book on.

3# Fringe: Tales From The Fringe by Various

This is a graphic novel with short stories by various authors and artists. I was never much of a fan of the TV show Fringe but my boyfriend loved it. This graphic novel was a gift for him. I don’t remember even putting it in the TBR Jar. I do vaguely remember reading some of the stories but would not mind reading trough it again.

I might choose an easy option and go with the graphic novel for March. Although I am really interested in The Princess Bride as well. I plan on reading some of the books that are part of my TBR Jar challenge and are not in the Jar Draw for March anyway. I will see how it goes time wise…

Strange Candy – Book Review

Finished reading

Strange Candy

by Laurell K. Hamilton

★★★★

Expectation

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of my most read authors. I’ve read both of her big book series Anita Blake and Meredith Gentry. While I have some of her other works as short stories and even another standalone book, this is the only short story collection she is the only author of. I liked the concept of the collection and I wanted to see her stories that are not urban fantasy related read like for me. I was very looking forward to short stories from the world of Anita Blake.

 

Summary

1# Those who seek forgivness ★★★★

Insight into life of Anita Blake the animator and how she deals with every night zombie raising business. It is set before any of the series events in the books. Interesting but rather depressing when looked trough the series as a whole.

2# A Lust of Cupids ★★★★★

This is a cute short story perfect for Valentines day! In the story people sometimes get chased by little Cupid like creatures who shot them with arrows to fall in love or just get infatuated. I loved the concept and the humor of the story. I enjoyed the methapore of the story a lot! Would not mind reading about the vengance either!

3# The Edge of the sea ★★

Story about murder and mystery with supernatural twist. Dark and melancholy. I did not like this story. It was sad and traumatic.

4# The Scarcity of lake monsters ★★★★

This was a well balanced story that made me sad. I like the characters and the idea of fantastical creatures being real. I was lulled into this story with first part being endearing and then got smacked down and a bit heartbroken. Good story though!

5# Selling houses ★★★★★

Simple and concise story set in the Anita Blake world. The main character is a civilian woman realstater checking on a house she needs to sell. There were some nicely creepy elements and the story was a great fit.

6# A token for Celandine ★★★★

The most complex story so far. I like how deep the world felt right away. It was set in a fantastical world akin to those of Dungeons and Dragons. He first part seemed a little hard to get into but it went much better toward the end. It was a nice little adventure. This story is set in the Nightseer world.

7# A clean sweep ★★★

A really short story based on an idea of a cleaning super hero. I liked the twist at the end but I wished there were some more meat to it all.

8# The Curse-Maker ★★★

Very much DnD type of story. There’s a bard thats gotten cursed with sickness and theres a female warrior who loves him and wants to find the one who is responsible. I liked the parcticality of the sorcerer in the story. The blade was interesting. As usuall the end shows much more promise that the begining of the story. Story is set in the Nightseer world.

9# Geese ★★★

More magic and sorcery. I found the story quite weird for some reason. It was OK but a bit too much angst for some reason. The idea off a shapeshifter taking refuge in the animal form appealed to me a lot. The ending was just confusing for me

10# House of wizards  ★★★★★

I loved the idea of magic and non magic world coliding in such a way. I also have growing respect for people who are good at usefull and practical things. This story just felt sweet and lovely.

11# Here be dragons ★★★★★

Strangely alluring and complex supernatural story. I was fascinated with character motivations. In the core it is a dark story about sociopaths. Children of the story are different. There is strength and there is also hope. Interesting take on human need for intimacy.

12# Winterkill ★★★★

Another story form Nightseer world. Main theme is revenge killing.  I liked the magical aspects of the story. There are always some glimpses into horror in most stories in this collection. I think that is just the author’s writting style. There is certain strength in main female characters and also backup male characters seem to have come from a same mold. I liked the story and the angsty feel to it.

13# Stealing souls ★★★★★

A very well rounded short story with Sidra and Leech. This one more than the rest made me remember playing RPG with the group of people. There was something endearing in reading a thief do his trapfinding thing. Liked this story a lot!

14# The girl who was infatuated with death ★★★★★

Last story I might have read a long time ago in another short story collection called Bite. It has been so long that I am simply not sure anymore. It has been almost a year since I last read Anita Blake novel Crimson Death. It made me remember how much I liked reading them again. These characters have a special place among my favorite books.

“I like to think that Irving is somewhere chasing angelic speedboats, or maybe he’s got his own wings. Surely, even God needs a laugh now and then, and Irving is a funny guy, for a monster.”
― Laurell K. Hamilton, Strange Candy

Conclusion

I liked that conceptually each story had a character driven by something like a personal weakness, like some strange candy… One thing that struck me as kinda odd is that there were so many stories with characters from Nightseer novel yet there were no Merry Gentry related stories. I enjoyed most of the stories and the writing was what I expected it to be. I don’t usually read fantasy so much and reading these short stories made me read more fantasy in February than I did for the better part of the last year. I am still not fan of fantasy.