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Lately I’ve been struggling to get through Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books. I’ve read every single one & have been reading them for a decade. I’ve always loved the world, the story & the characters but the past few books have caused me to slowly lose interest.

I’ve had Affliction in my beside table for the last 3wks & have only made it halfway through. I find I just can’t bring myself to slog through Anita’s personal shit for this book’s plot. I found myself w/ time enough to read some tonight & was surprised by the sense of dread I was overcome w/.

It’s w/ a heavy heart that I hang up my love for the Anita Blake series but when I choose to do something - anything - else besides read a book, there is something wrong.

I’ll wait patiently for the next Merry Gentry book but for me, Anita is done.
sigh

The Caster Chronicles have been a highly entertaining read. The world beneath the world woven by the authors is fascinating, terrifying & delightful. The stories being told from the male protagonist's POV is refreshing in the teen lit world where things are told from a decidedly more feminine angle. But the part of these books that kept me hooked was the character's grief & their processing of that grief. The authors show a unparalleled familiarity with mourning that you don't find in teen lit. In reading these books, I've discovered different ways to process my own grief.

Recommended.

In the third (& currently last) book in the Alex Craft series, Kalayna Price takes us deeper into Faerie & that taste whets a readers appetite. I have enjoyed the city of Nekros & it's inhabitants & I'm crossing my fingers (& toes) for a deal to be hammered out for Alex Craft's story to be continued. Here's hopin'!

Kalayna Price continues to impress w/ her ability to vividly tell a story & keep a reader hooked until the last word. In 'Grave Dance' we get a more intimate look at the folds in time & space in Price's world. For me, that is the most fascinating part. Picking up the third book & hoping that Price's publisher chooses to continue w/ Alex Craft's story.

This is a new series for me that I picked up by chance at my local library. Now, I'm very glad I reserved the other two that have been published so far. Kalayna Price's world is both gritty & vivid. I love the idea of pockets of faerie being time & space folds. That's fabulous. Alex Craft is a powerful yet vulnerable heroine & her relationship w/ Death is fascinating. Like Neil Gaiman, I love that Kalayna Price's depiction of Death strays from the preconceived notion of this archaic figure. All things said, I'll be diving right back into Nekros w/ 'Grave Dance'.

I had to read this before the movie premiered (it's my thing, I like to have my own picture in my head for a story before a movie imposes someone else's picture). It's very formulaic. Star-crossed teen lovers with a paranormal twist which is now it's own genre these days. Refreshingly, the story is told from the male protagonists POV which gives 'Beautiful Creatures' a small leg-up on other books in it's niche. All in all, this was a fun read that would appeal to both Twilight & Sookie Stackhouse fans. Picking up the next book soon, & looking forward to the film release.

I am very much enjoying Dr Sam Owens perspective. I love rooting for her in her recovery from the tragic loss of her family. Xander & his family are a hoot & a half. The bioterrorism plot of this book are both terrifying & fascinating. Altogether, this read was easier to get through emotionally than 'A Deeper Darkness' but no less thought provoking.

Tory Brennan's narrative seems to be developing as her story does which makes continuing to read Kathy Reichs' YA books a pleasure. The pirate theme of this book in her Virals series was fabulous. I loved following the clues on their treasure hunt. All said, Seizure was a very fun read & Aunt Tempe's cameo appearance was just what the doctor ordered.

A long but easy read & quite entertaining. Kathy Reichs' first foray into YA paranormal fiction is a win. The science is both easy to grasp & even the weird stuff is plausible. I enjoyed Reichs' take on a teen narrative. Her storytelling abilities never disappoint. Hope to see more of Tory Brennan. (& maybe a special guest appearance from Aunt Tempe?)

I've always felt closer to Dr Sam Owens than Lt Taylor Jackson so reading that her story now is one so heartbreakingly tragic because of the loss of her husband & children in the 2010 Nashville Floods was absolutely gut-wrenching. The haunting depression & lingering overwhelming sadness was nearly too much to bear as a reader. Though A Deeper Darkness' story is a crime thriller, it is also a breath taking examination of grief & recovery. Although I'm heart sore for Sam in the loss of her family, I'm hopeful in her recovery of her life. Looking forward to the next one.

Just like A Discovery of Witches, Shadows of Night was a book I couldn't put down. The vivid recreation of Elizabethan Europe was entrancing & the past-present volley kept me connected to the story. I can't believe I have to wait soooooo long for the conclusion. But I dearly hope Deborah Harkness eventually creates another series in a world as magical as the All Souls Trilogy. She is a singularly talented author.

I seriously could not put this one down. I'm picking up the next book tomorrow but already dreading the wait for the third. Such are the pitfalls of loving a new series of books.