Top Pearls 2011

And here it is!
My post with my top reads for 2011.

As you might have guessed: Laura Bickle, Jess Haines, Gini Koch and Carolyn Crane again made it in my Top Pearls list of 2011, but because I just spend the last 4 days telling you how awesome their books are I will not talk about their books again, but name the other authors and books that rocked my reading world this year.

Ann Aguirre

I will confess I read Grimspace in 2010, but in 2011 I really discovered what an awesome author Ann Aguirre is.

Her Sirantha Jax series is an emotional rollercoaster ride with me loving Jax in Grimspace, loathing her in Wanderlust and loving her all over again in Doubleblind. I will most certainly be reading the other books in this series in 2012.

Enclave is my all time favorite Young Adult read! It has a wonderfully gritty post-apocalyptic story and world and Deuce is a really cool character. I'm impatiently waiting for the next book in this series.

Stone Maiden is a bittersweet, exotic fairytale and if you haven't read it yet: get the PDF free here (although I can really advice you to get it in print, it's beautiful).

I just started Aguirre's Corine Solomon series and I'm so going to get my trotters on all books in that series as well.


Ellen Connor

Ok, this is actually Ann Aguirre again, this time teaming up with Carrie Lofty to write some amazing Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal Romance.

It's the really amazing setting that makes this trilogy so utterly awesome, although the stories are really cool as well.

I can advice this trilogy to any reader of PNR who loves post-apocalyptic settings and I hope the Ellen Connor duo will decide to write more books together.


Marjorie M. Liu

I won the first three books of the Hunter Kiss series and the prequel novella in a giveaway and I must say I'm so glad I did. Liu's Hunter Kiss series is totally amazing. Maxine Kiss is a heroine I liked from the start and her demon pals are so cool. The stories are intense and full of action. At the moment I'm waiting impatiently for the 4th book in this series (which released this week) to arrive.

The Dirk & Steele series by Liu is just as wonderful as her Hunter Kiss series and so far I've read four books in this series and have a 5th book in my tbr-pile. I will most certainly try to get my trotters on the rest of the books in this series as well in 2012.


Some other amazing reads

Feast by Merrie Destefano: this is a wonderfully dark fairytale that draws you in and keeps you captivated from start to finish.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder: An awesome Fantasy that caught me by surprise and made me fall head over heels in love with its heroine and her love interest.

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang: So much mentions of bacon in this book, but that couldn't stop me from loving this story about Abby and the Incubus she falls for.


My favorite Zombie Read

Married with Zombies and Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen are both funny and full of zombie mayhem. A terrific combination.


Voodoo Bride's favorite reads of 2011

The Goblin King by Shona Husk: Who can resist a Paranormal romance where the hero is a goblin king?

Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard: This is a perfect mix of Scifi, adventure, suspense and romance.

Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison: Tiago is so amazing! Go read this book now if you want to read a PNR with a swoonworthy hero.

Petals and Thorns by Jennifer Paris: A wonderful BDSM retelling of Beauty and the Beast.




And lastly some series that deserve an honorable mention:


The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh
The Persephone Alcmedi series by Linda Robertson
The Elder Races series by Thea Harrison
The Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane

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And that's my Top Pearls list for 2011!
Have a great New Year's Eve everyone and a wonderful 2012.

Release Day: Daybreak And Alien Proliferation

Today is the release day of two fabulous books!
If you haven't pre-ordered them yet, go read my reviews and then run to the store to get your hands on them!

Daybreak (Dark Age Dawning #3)
by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
It's been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. But she needs the help of a shapeshifter named Tru, whom she knew when he was a troubled boy. But Tru is a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses- ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they will unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.

Read my review here




Alien Proliferation (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #4)
by Gini Koch

What is it about:
Alien Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt is expecting her first baby. But the alien attacks are getting more dangerous, and now Kitty and her Alpha Centaurion husband, Jeff, have to find out who's behind the conspiracy to kill Kitty's secret agent mom and what caused Kitty's transformation into a superhuman-and they've got to do it all before the baby shower...

Read my review here!

Daybreak - Early Book Review

Daybreak (Dark Age Dawning #3)
by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
It's been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. But she needs the help of a shapeshifter named Tru, whom she knew when he was a troubled boy. But Tru is a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses- ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they will unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.

What did I think of it:
An awesome conclusion of a brilliant trilogy.

I thought Tru (one of the lead characters) was one of the coolest side characters in Nightfall, the first book in the trilogy, so I've really been looking forward to this book and it sure was worth the wait.

Tru is an amazingly cool character. He's disillusioned, brutal and selfish at first, but the inner growth he goes through in this book is believable and great to read and I liked how this doesn't mean he goes all soft, but still keeps his lethal edge.

Penny was a more difficult character for me to connect with. She's all set on doing good in a way that would make her vulnerable and easy prey if she didn't have her magical powers to protect her. Her character really showed her youth and it was good to see how she toughened up.

The romance between them was intense and they really are a good match as both had character traits the other could learn from.

The story was less gritty and grim than the previous two, but just as exciting. The setting and world are awesome, although there seemed to be less world building, but that's probably because I'm already familiar with the world after reading the first two books, so any world building that was done didn't give me anything new.

I will confess I'm totally bummed out this is the last book in this trilogy, because I could have read many more books set in this totally awesome post-apocalyptic setting. So I'm hoping Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty decide to write more books together.

Why should you read it:
It's the best post-apocalyptic PNR series I've ever come across.


pre-order:

Expected publication: December 6th 2011

Midnight - Book Review

Midnight (Dark Age Dawning #2)
by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
Three years of wandering the postapocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of hope. A harrowing loss drove him from his home, and he hasn't stopped moving-until he encounters Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders from Rosa Cortez-the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing Rosa needs is a feral loner upsetting the town's tentative balance. However, for the good of her people, she lets Chris stay, and as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, Chris and Rosa battle hellhounds and dust pirates while also fighting desperate attraction. To save them, love must overcome the pain of the past-and build a future in this brutal Dark Age...

What did I think of it:
This book is pure awesomeness!

I already loved book 1, Nightfall, but Midnight is even better. I absolutely love the setting and world building. The Connor duo (Carrie Lofty & Ann Aguirre) sure know how to create an exciting, gritty and thrilling post apocalyptic world. I could talk for hours about the setting alone which is so immensely inspiring it made me really want to start writing my own post apocalyptic story. (Can you tell I have a weak spot for post apocalyptic settings ;-) )

The romance was intense and I loved Rosa and Chris.
Rosa is a really strong, kick-ass heroine, but with a vulnerability that she keeps hidden deep inside and which made her very loveable. I will confess I liked Chris much more in this book than in Nightfall. He sure did some growing up, so to speak. There are several really cool other characters as well and it's a shame none of them will (probably) show up in the last book in this trilogy (Daybreak) as I really would have loved to read more about some of them.

The action storyline was really cool as well and I liked how the Connor duo didn't fall back on the same dangers that were present in Nightfall, but instead created new dangers, which kept the story exciting and unique while it still is a perfect sequel to Nightfall.

I can honestly say this book will go on my favourites shelf and will be reread often. I'm already looking forward to the last book in this trilogy: Daybreak, which will be released in December.

Why should you read it:
Post Apocalyptic Awesomeness!

Teaser Tuesdays - Midnight

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!

This one (book 2 in the Dark Age Dawning Trilogy) just came in the mail today and I'm really looking forward to read this as I loved Nightfall, the first book in this Trilogy. I bumped this one right to the top of my To-be-read list.

While Jameson was thin and quiet, he had a scary affinity for knives - and that meant nobody would question her choice. He was the child of a Filipina mother and an American GI, and when his dad died, leaving them destitute, he'd battled his way to some renown and joined an underground fight circuit.
(page 1, Midnight by Ellen Connor)

Nightfall - Book Review

Nightfall (Dark Age Dawning #1) by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought in her wildest nightmares that his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan in place to save her-one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.

The mysterious ex-Marine named Mason owes a life-debt to Jenna's father. Skilled and steadfast, he's ready for the prophesied Change, but Jenna proves tough to convince. Until the power grid collapses and mutant dogs attack-vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.

When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them. As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes too, forever altered by supernatural forces. To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion-a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.

What did I think of it:
I will confess I expected this book to be all romance with a small side order of paranormal action, especially as it's classified as Paranormal Romance. But being an absolute sucker for post-apocalyptic settings and knowing one of the two authors behind the name Ellen Connor was Ann Aguirre (the other being Carrie Lofty), I was curious enough to want to give this book a try.

And I was proven wrong in my assumptions once again!

This book is a seriously awesome post apocalyptic adventure and totally blew me away.

Aguirre and Lofty create a thrilling, dangerous and exciting world, filled with monsters, horrors, heroes, hope and love. The writing is excellent and the story grabbed me from the start: I just couldn't put the book down until I finished it. The characters were all amazing and felt very lifelike. Next to the lead characters there are some really cool other characters and I'm already looking forward to reading the other books in this trilogy as my favourite character will be lead character in book 3.

The romance was both frustrating and satisfying. Jenna and Mason were seriously ruffling each others feathers in a way that made me want to kick them, but at the same time it fit with their personalities and their background, so I'd have been disappointed if they had acted otherwise.

All in all a read that has a big chance of ending up in my list of favourite books of 2011.

Why should you read it:
This book is made of post apocalyptic awesomeness!