Unofficial July RAK Round-up

Lately I've been hearing about something called RAK.
It turns out to mean Random Acts of Kindness and it's an initiative from Book Soulmates.

People can sign up for RAK each month and post a book wishlist on the Book Soulmates site. Other people can look at this wishlist and decide to send one of the books on this wishlist to the person who posted the wishlist. A random act of kindness!

Isn't that a cool idea?

Still I wasn't sure if I should join this RAK thing, but then the awesome Stella from Ex Libris said I could try this RAK thing together with her and if I thought it was fun I could officially join RAK. I decided to give it a try.

And just look at the awesome books she send me!

So, yes: I do think this RAK thing is fun!
I will officially join RAK in August, but for now I want to thank Stella for her random act of kindness:

Stella, you are awesome!

Married With Zombies - Book Review

Married with Zombies (Living with the Dead #1)
by Jesse Petersen

What is it about:
Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

What did I think of it:
After reading Petersen's short story collection 'In the Dead: Volume 1' I just had to read one of her full novels, so that's why I picked up 'Married With Zombies'.

And I can tell you it's a great read.

This book has kick-ass action, humor, suspense and best of all: lots of zombies and zombie mayhem. Petersen has a very pleasant writingstyle and combined with the cool story it made me tear through this book in record time. The worldbuilding is very good and I loved how each chapter began with a handy relationship tip for those couples who're fighting zombies. The one thing I can say against this story is that Sarah and David are acting very blasé about the zombies very early on in the story, but I'm willing to let that slip as there's so many cool zombie moments in this book.

I will most certainly read the next book in this series and I can advice this book to any fan of zombie books.

Why should you read it:
This fun book is a very handy guide on how to survive a zombie outbreak and save your marriage in the process as well!

City of Ghosts - Book Review

City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane

What is it about:
Chess Putnam has a lot on her plate. Mangled human corpses have started to show up on the streets of Downside, and Chess’s bosses at the Church of Real Truth have ordered her to team up with the ultra-powerful Black Squad agency to crack the grisly case.

Chess is under a binding spell that threatens death if she talks about the investigation, but the city’s most notorious crime boss—and Chess’s drug dealer—gets wind of her new assignment and insists on being kept informed. If that isn’t bad enough, a sinister street vendor appears to have information Chess needs. Only he’s not telling what he knows, or what it all has to do with the vast underground City of Eternity.

Now Chess will have to navigate killer wraiths, First Elders, and a lot of seriously nasty magic—all while coping with some not-so-small issues of her own. And the only man Chess can trust to help her through it all has every reason to want her dead.

What did I think of it:
This book is so awesome!

As I have mentioned before Kane is a master at writing cool, likeable characters, even when those characters are addicts or hoodlums. In City of Ghosts is again the characters that shine, especially Chess and Terrible. The interaction between them is intense, heart-wrenching and utterly awesome. Usually I'm not fond of it when my lead character is in a fight with one of the love interests, but here it carries the story for me. The action storyline is pretty good as well, even though there's one plothole that annoyed me a bit, but it's a small one, so I won't hold that against the story. So far this book is my favourite in this series and I'm already looking forward to the next.

Why should you read it:
If you haven't started this series yet, you really should:
Chess and Terrible are brilliant characters.

My Life as a White Trash Zombie - Book Review

My Life as A White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie #1) by Diana Rowland

What is it about:
Angel Crawford is a loser

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue--and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey--just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

What did I think of it:
I confess.... I bought this book because of the cover!

That being said: I really liked this story. Angel is a cool character, the concept is cool as well, the story is intriguing and funny at times, and Rowland's writing is decent. I did think the romantic storyline could have been fleshed out more than it is. Now it felt a bit too forced and unnatural.
The overall story was a bit slow too and this made me lose my interest at times, but the action that did happen was cool enough to get me through these slow parts to get to the ending of this book. I'm not sure if I will pick up other books in this series, but for a zombie book with hardly any zombie mayhem this is a pleasant read.

Why should you read it:
It's got a zombie that works at a morgue!

Teaser Tuesdays - Archangel's Consort

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

They'd been roommates at Guild Academy, and after they graduated. "Yes." Some part of her hadn't stopped screaming since that murderous day almost two decades in the past.
(page 199, Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter #3) by Nalini Singh)

The Last Twilight - Book Review

The Last Twilight (Dirk & Steele #7) by Marjorie M. Liu

What is it about:
Doctor Rikki Kinn is one of the world's best virus hunters. It's for that reason she's in the Congo, working for the CDC. But when mercenaries attempt to take her life to prevent her from investigating a new and deadly plague, her boss calls in a favor from an old friend- the only one who can help.

Africa- a land of lush veldts and roaring falls, untamed splendor and primal fury: Amiri's home, where he was raised to race as a cheetah, to wake with the sun. It is also a land of lingering nightmare, where he was kidnapped and experimented upon by the evil group named the Consortium. Now, against his better judgement, Amiri has been asked to return to his homeland by his colleagues in Dirk & Steele- men who are friends and brothers, who like himself are more than human. He must protect a woman who is the target of murderers, who has unwittingly involved herself in a conflict that threatens not only the lives of millions, but Amiri's own soul... and his heart.

What did I think of it:
With each book I read in the Dirk & Steele series I'm falling more in love with it. Liu has a way with words that has me totally engrossed from the start of a story to the end.

The Last Twilight is my favourite book in this series so far. The suspense, the action, the characters, the romance: they're all amazing. Liu manages to get you involved in the life of both Amiri and Rikki as well in that of minor characters. I like how Liu lets characters from earlier books return, although in a way that you're not missing out too much if you haven't read the earlier books. Another thing I admire about Liu is how she manages to mix action and romance in such a way that neither is snowed over by the other as sometimes happens in Paranormal Romance. And have I mentioned lately how brilliant Liu's writingstyle and her worldbuilding are?

So, yes: I'm completely hooked on this series and on Liu's writing and will be trying to get my trotters on anything written by Liu.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool, suspenseful, action-packed Paranormal Romance.

Hunting Party - Book Review

Hunting Party (The Serrano Legacy #1) by Elizabeth Moon

What is it about:
Heris Serrano was an officer born of a long line of officers. Being forced by a treacherous superior to resign her commission under a cloud was not just the end of a career path; it was the end of everything that gave her life meaning. Still, even ex-captains grieving for lost careers must eat, and Heris has wound up as "Captain" of an interstellar luxury yacht. Being a rich old lady's hyperlight chauffeur isn't quite the same as captaining a dreadnought, but nothing Heris will ever do again will compare to that. Or so she thinks....For all is not as it seems aboard the good ship Sweet Delight, and soon Heris finds herself fighting for her life against as varied and villainous a bunch of cutthroats, smugglers, and "sportsmen" as ever had the misfortune to cross her path when she was a captain of the fleet.

What did I think of it:
I picked this book up as it sounded like it could be an interesting read, but I found it rather boring.

The actual action only starts in the second half of the book and is over much too soon, after which there's still a lot of the book left where there's lots of non-action again. There's also a sudden love interest thrown in after everything is solved to give the book a happy end, while so easily this love interest could have been mentioned earlier in the book. As for lead character Heris: there's too little emotion in her thinking and in her actions to make me feel for her. I will confess I was more emotionally invested in minor characters than in her or other main characters. The book is classified as Science Fiction, but this setting is just fluff and isn't used to its full potential.

That I finished this book at all is because Moon's writingstyle is pleasant and because there were some interesting plotpoints and I really hoped the story would redeem itself, but it was not to be. Which is sad in my opinion as with a few modifications and with a faster pace this story could have been an awesome read.

Why should you read it:
It's a pleasantly written adventure.

Feast: Harvest of Dreams - Book Review

Feast (Harvest of Dreams) by Merrie Destefano

What is it about:
Madeline MacFadden ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.

But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts -- and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast.

Once again Maddie's dreams -- and her soul -- are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.

What did I think of it:
As I loved Destefano's Afterlife I have been looking forward to reading Feast since I heard about it (and come on, who wouldn't want to read a book with the title: Feast, Harvest of Dreams).

With such high expectations there's always a chance that a book will disappoint, but Feast delivers, even though in a completely other way than I expected.

I had thought it would be much like Afterlife only in a different setting, but were Afterlife is a gritty, realistic Urban Fantasy, Feast is a dangerous and dark fairytale which grabs you and holds you until the very end. The worldbuilding is imaginative and beautiful, but still so real you could imagine to see the creatures from Feast sneak around outside your house on a dark autumn night. There are multiple viewpoints in this book, but Destefano is a master in getting you involved in the life of each of them, even the not so pleasant ones.

Voodoo Bride would have liked the romance to be a bit more present than it is, but otherwise this is a beautiful and haunting story and I hope Destefano will write more books like Feast.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful, dark fairytale

In the Dead - Book Review

In the Dead: Volume 1 by Jesse Petersen
(ebook)

What is it about:
When the Zombie Apocalypse began in Seattle and spread within days to almost the entire western half the country, the survivors had to figure out how to deal with the plague and live one day at a time. These are their stories.

If you liked Jesse Petersen's zombie comedies Married With Zombies, Flip This Zombie and Eat Slay Love, these nine stories are set in the same world, but from the perspective of other survivors.

What did I think of it:
I have been doubting if I should start on the Living With The Dead series by Petersen, so when the chance to read and review this collection of short zombie stories by Petersen came along I jumped on the opportunity.

If Petersen's other books are anything like these short stories I've been a fool to hold off reading them!

These stories are fun, scary, touching, gross and have the proper ravenous kind of zombies. Some of the stories are perfect as they are: a short moment in time, telling you more than a complete novel could. Others are begging to be taken on a ride and shaped into a series. But each and every story in this collection is a gem which I'll be rereading often.

I really hope Petersen will write many more of these shorts and her Living With The Dead series just bumped its way to a leading position on my wishlist.

Why should you read it:
Who can resist 9 awesome zombie stories?!


Buy this from Amazon

Teaser Tuesdays - Love Lust

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

As part of the Menage a Blog a teaser from Amber Scott's Love Lust
(Make sure to check out yesterday's post if you haven't done so yet!!)

The bittersweet feeling of missing old love mixed in with the thrill of new left me feeling hollow and bright all at once. Sometimes, I really missed feeling plain bored.
(page 38, Love Lust by Amber Scott)

Voodoo Bride's Author Love - Amber Scott (+ giveaway)

Amber Scott is an author I met online while stalking another one of our favourite authors. Amber had an interview up on her blog with that author and the interview was so entertaining I hung around after reading the interview and found out Amber's blog was a fun and friendly place to be.

As the stories that Amber had written sounded like they were of the contemporary romance kind and I'm not too fond of most contemporaries I didn't read them at first, but after lurking and commenting on her blog for awhile and discovering what a fun and cool person Amber is, I decided I should give one of her novellas a try. I picked The Best Revenge an erotic novella where the lead character decides to get back at her cheating boyfriend by seducing his best friend. And I was so glad I gave Amber's writing a try! The Best Revenge is a fun, sexy and hot read!

The next book I read was Play Fling another contemporary romance although with a bit of paranormal mixed into it. And I discovered that I actually really liked contemporary romance if it was written in the fun and delightful way Amber writes her stories.

But Amber doesn't stop at writing just contemporary romance.

Another great read is Love Lust, a wonderful erotic paranormal novella.

And Fierce Dawn, a paranormal romance filled with magical creatures, handsome (winged) men and suspense.

What I admire about Amber's writing is how she makes characters come alive and makes them likeable or despicable depending on their actions and view of the world, but above all she makes them believable and human (even the not so human characters).

So all in all Amber Scott is an author I admire both for her personality and for the amazing books and stories she writes.

And today I got the opportunity to actually share my love for Amber's writing with you all!

Amber is competing today in Menage A Blog with two other authors for getting the most people to support them.

What does this mean for you?

1 - Everyone who comments on this post gets a free ebook by Amber Scott
(your choice among Amber's indie titles)

2 - If you go over to Amber's blog and leave a comment to cheer her on at the Menage A Blog post which will be posted somewhere today (july 18th) you could even win a Kindle!

How awesome is that!

So go over to Amber's site and the Menage a Blog site and pick your side in this battle of the authors! (Amber is the best I can tell you ;-) and get a free ebook along the way!

Magic to the Bone - Book Review

Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom #1)
by Devon Monk

What is it about:
Everything has a cost. And every act of magic exacts a price from its user - maybe a two-day migraine, or losing the memory of your first kiss. But some people want to use magic without paying, and they Offload the cost onto innocents. When that happens, it falls to a Hound to identify the spell's caster - and Allison Beckstrom's the best there is.

Daughter of a prominent Portland businessman, Allie would rather moonlight as a Hound than accept the family fortune - and the strings that come with it. But when she discovers a little boy dying from a magic Offload that has her father's signature all over it, Allie is thrown into the high-stakes world of corporate espionage and black magic.

Now Allie's out for the truth - and must call upon forces that will challenge everything she knows, change her in ways she could never imagine ... and make her capable of things that powerful people will do anything to control.

What did I think of it:
I had some difficulties losing myself into the world Monk creates. Magic being distributed along cables like electricity? It really took a lot from me to go along with this I will confess. But as the writing was good and Allie was an intriguing character I decided to take the magic distributing for granted and from then on I was able to dive into the story, with only an ocassional 'yeah, sure' moment. All in all it turned out to be a pleasant read, with cool characters, but with a bit of a rattling story and setting. I did enjoy the book enough to give the next book in this series a try, but hope the story will improve as at the moment it's the characters and the writing that make this book.

Why should you read it:
It's a well written Urban Fantasy with cool characters.

That's Not Your Mommy Anymore - Book Review

That's Not Your Mommy Anymore: A Zombie Tale
by Matt Mogk, with illustrations by Aja Wells

What is it about:
In the ongoing effort to warn an unprepared world of the rising danger from zombie attacks, one vulnerable group has been left out — small children. That's Not Your Mommy Anymore offers social workers, counselors, and educators a helpful new tool to communicate with hard-to-reach at-risk youth. This inviting and entertaining story helps early readers understand for themselves that a mom who has fresh brain casserole in the oven instead of her usual meatloaf is probably not their mommy anymore.


What did I think of it:
I really like this book. Both the story and drawings are funny and really compliment each other. In rhyme you are told how to recognise when your mommy might not be your mommy anymore while the drawings give you visual aid to make sure you know what to look for. It's a quick, but fun read and because of the nicely done drawings it has a high reread possibility.

Why should you read it:
It's a must read for zombie fanatics and those who suspect their mom might be a zombie.

Covet - Book Review by Voodoo bride

Covet (The Fallen Angels #1) by J.R. Ward

What is it about:
Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about-his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.
Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he's good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart-and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I usually like my romances to be paranormal, but this is one romance that would have worked better for me if it had ditched the paranormal stuff and had stayed well within the lines of contemporary romance.

I quite liked Vin and his love interest Marie-Terese and they have some very good scenes together, but I just couldn't buy all the paranormal stuff in this story. It felt unnecessary and overly complicated for what in fact is a rather straightforward romance. Add to that a suspense storyline that was crossing over in 'too much coincidence'-territory and I was close to putting the book down. I only finished the book because I really wanted to see Vin and Marie-Terese get their Happily Ever After.

Chances of me reading more in this series are slim to none, but I might give other books by Ward a try as I've heard many people rave about her Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Why should you read it:
It's a nicely written paranormal romance.

Unholy Magic - Book Review

Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane

What is it about:
For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.

Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.

What did I think of it:
It isn't the story that makes this series awesome in my opinion.
To be honest: I think the story suffers from too much convenient coincidental occurrences. Still I absolutely love this series and it's Kane's writing style combined with the amazing characters that pull this off.

It's a rare writer who can write a criminal, violent character like Terrible and make him more than likeable. Same goes for Chess: she's an addict, does stupid things and still I'm rooting for her. It's these and other characters and their interactions that make me read this series and turn a blind eye at the obvious flaws in the storyline.

Not that the story is all bad: it's actually a cool and creepy story if you don't focus too much on the coincidental stuff, but it's the characters and the writing that make the story come to life and turn it from a nice read to a reread favourite. If Kane keeps writing her characters the way she does I'll keep on reading this series.

Why should you read it:
If you like grim, character-driven Urban Fantasy you should really read this series.

Teaser Tuesdays - The Last Twilight

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A tired smile touched the young man's mouth, and for a brief moment the two men stared at each other with a weight and gravity that made Rikki feel totally insignificant, a stranger amongst friends. It made her wonder how they saw her -if she was nothing but a paycheck. A burden.
(page 94, The Last Twilight by Marjorie M. Liu)

War with the Newts - Book Review

War with the Newts by Karel Čapek

What is it about:
War with the Newts (1936) is Karel Čapek's darkly humorous allegory of early twentieth-century Czech politics. Captain van Toch discovers a colony of newts in Sumatra which can not only be taught to trade and use tools, but also to speak. As the rest of the world learns of the creatures and their wonderful capabilities, it is clear that this new species is ripe for exploitation – they can be traded in their thousands, will do the work no human wants to do, and can fight – but the humans have given no thought to the terrible consequences of their actions.

What did I think of it:
While in Prague I decided I should try a book by a Czech author. I picked up War with the Newts as the concept of intelligent newts sounded intriguing.

It was a very interesting and at times funny read.
It's build up in three parts and of these part one is the most funny and the most like an actual story. Part two is rather dry and written like a collections of articles, although there's lots of humor in this part as well. Part three is the most grim and written like the recounting of historical happenings.

What surprised me is how current this story still is today as it's written in 1936. It paints a very accurate, cynical picture of human nature, while using humor to do so. The writing is a bit old fashioned at times, but not so much that it annoyed me and apart from some articles in part two that were a bit too dry for me I really enjoyed this book.

The one negative thing I can say is that I think the book is one chapter too long. I could have done without the last chapter, which for me took away from the powerful message this book is carrying out.

Why should you read it:
It's a disturbing, but humoress look into human nature.

I'm Back!

I'm back and online again after a lovely week in Prague!
I saw lots of cool books, but they were all in Czech.

I'll be back to my regular reviewing and posting starting tomorrow!

Might go Missing for a Bit

If I'm not posting the next couple of days it's because I'm without my internet connection, so don't worry. I'll be back soon!

On other news:

Deceived by the Others by Jess Haines will be released on July 5th!

Make sure to keep an eye out for it as it's a read you don't want to miss.

And hop over to Jess' blog to enter her DBTO release celebration giveaway:
here
I've heard she's giving away underwear for your books!

The Red Heart of Jade - Book Review

The Red Heart of Jade (Dirk & Steele #3) by Marjorie M. Liu

What is it about:
The grisly murders are just the beginning. Dean Campbell, ex-cop and clairvoyant, is sent to investigate. He is with the Dirk & Steele Detective Agency, that global association of more-than-human men and women. Shapeshifters, psychics and other paranormals, Dean and his peers are devoted to protecting life. But there are those who live to destroy.

In Taipei, he finds the remains of burned-alive men and women, bits of bone and ash, that reveal a pattern far more deadly than any he has foreseen. Someone knows Dean’s secret. And they know more—of a power that can change the world, and of a woman who can complete him: Mirabelle Lee, the childhood sweetheart he’d once thought dead. Now, all that remains was blinding light and searing pain, potent passion and a purifying fire. And beneath it all is…The Red Heart of Jade.

What did I think of it:
I had a bit of trouble getting into this story at first, but once I did it was an exciting read from there on. The story did feel a bit over-complicated from time to time, but Liu's writing is so beautiful I'm willing to go where she leads me and take any twisted road to get to the conclusion which so far with every book has been more than satisfying. There was lots of action, cool characters and a very sweet romance. This might not be my favourite book of this series so far, it certainly is a treat for any Liu fan, although I wouldn't recommend this one to people who are new to her books.

Why should you read it:
Fans of Liu can't go wrong with this book!