And now for the next round. This group is all fantasy, and it runs the gamut from sort-of religious fantasy, to dragons and urban fantasy.

First, I’ll go ahead and admit it: I read Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini. I have heard/read a lot of the criticism directed at the guy, and I feel sorry for him. Honestly, I think a lot of it is sour grapes on the part of his critics. I mean, I certainly didn’t write a best-selling novel when I was fifteen, a book which then spawned a movie and two sequels already. I don’t believe in dogging on other writers. Do I wish I had already published three popular novels and had one of them made into a movie? Yes, obviously. Does that make me want to go around spouting off about how much better a writer I am than Christopher Paolini? Uh, no. (Okay, climbing down off my soapbox now. Sorry for the detour.)

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I’ll talk about Brisingr. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it was far from the worst. It had none of the pseudo Star Wars and Lord of the Rings trappings of Eragon (And yes, I do remember being annoyed by those things when I read that book.) The writing seemed much stronger than that first book, stronger even than Eldest. It took me a while to get into it, but then, I’m not much for battles and wars, so I think that’s why my interest lagged a bit, but it had a lot of action and some pretty good revelations that I, at least, didn’t see coming. I would recommend it.

Legend of the Firefish, by George Bryan Polivka, was a little different from most fantasy books I’ve read. It was set in a fantasy world, yet the Christian theology (with Jesus as the Son of God, dying on the cross) was intact, and was a motivating force. The MC was a believer who stowed away aboard a notorious pirate ship, determined to learn the secret behind catching and killing the Firefish (huge sea monsters). In doing so, he left all he loved behind and open to the whims of a dangerous swordswoman bent on revenge. This is the first of the Trophy Chase trilogy, and I fully intend to read the others, as I enjoyed this one.

Next up is Storm Born, by Richelle Mead. I’ve read Ms. Mead before and been impressed, and this was no exception. It’s about Eugenie, a shaman who banishes spirits and fey from the mortal world. I’m intrigued by anything to do with the fey, so I was sold immediately. Then Eugenie becomes the subject of a powerful prophecy, and the target of demons and other fey with ambitions (or delusions of grandeur). I couldn’t put this one down, and I liked Eugenie (not to mention Kiyo and Dorian) a lot. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

Last up is Wicked and Curse, both by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie. These are about Holly Cather, who is suddenly orphaned and has to live with an aunt she never knew about. It turns out that her family were powerful witches, and their perennial enemies are still out to get them, leaving Holly and her family in peril, while Holly is strangely attracted to the son of the rival family. These stories had a good premise, but I found the writing a little uneven in places. Certain dramatic, important events were pretty much skipped over, and the next sentence would start off weeks, or even months, later.

Dark Matter, by Cameron Cruise was an interesting read. I had never heard of the remote viewing program when I started reading the book, and I figured it was just something the author came up with (imagine my surprise when I saw a mention of it in relation to another book this past week). Autistic kids are turning up missing, and psychic twins Adam and Evie are involved.

I read Ted Dekker’s Thr3e on the recommendation of a friend (Thanks, Jake!). I never did figure out who the bad guy was in this book, so the end came as quite a surprise. The MC, Kevin Parson, gets a phone call on his way home from work. The caller asks him to confess his sin in three minutes, or his car will blow up. Kevin has no idea what sin he’s supposed to admit to, but he does manage to get the car off the freeway before it explodes. And that phone call is the first of several that lead him back to a dark time in his childhood, and raise some very unhappy memories.

The next book has a lot of flashbacks and childhood memories as well. Whispers, by Lisa Jackson. Claire St. John comes back to her childhood home (along with her two sisters), at the request of her father, who is running for governor. Her father wants to know what really happened the night her fiancée was killed all those years ago. But Claire and her sisters have never told anyone what actually happened. To make matters worse, writer Kane Moran is back in town, too, writing a story about the whole situation. And he’s part of Claire’s past as well. Interesting story, with the flashbacks skillfully woven in. I enjoyed this one.

Then I read The Healer, by Sharon Sala, about a man who has a weird connection to animals. This ability has kept him on the run for years, from the man who wishes to use his talent. Jonah ends up in a tiny town, and helps Luce’s grievously wounded dog. The two of them connect, and soon he’s caught up in the mystery of her stalker, as well as when his own follower will catch up. I liked this book, too. The little town was very vividly imagined, and I liked the characters a lot as well.

Last up is Caitlin’s Guardian Angel, by Marie Ferrarella. I have to confess, I borrowed this book, read it two months ago, and it’s been long-since returned, so I’m a little fuzzy on the details. It’s a romance, though, about Caitlin, who owns a lingerie shop (I thought that was pretty cool.). On her way to work one morning, she witnesses a murder. The detective who responds is someone from her past. Their relationship ended badly, through misunderstandings on both parts. They have to work together to keep Caitlin safe from the murderer, and to resolve old issues. This was a pretty good, quick read.

Of the next group of books, there were three I hadn’t read before, with one of those authors also being new to me, and the other two old favorites. One book I had read before, multiple times, although I’ve read nothing else by that author. And one book I think I’d read before, from an author I’ve read many times. Confused yet?

The new-to-me book and author was Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder. Can I just say that I really, really liked this book? It’s a couple of years old, and I’m pretty sure there’s at least one sequel already out (yes, I must get it). It’s about Yelena, who is about to be executed for murder. At the last minute, she’s offered a choice: execution or to become food taster for the Commander (a position also fraught with danger, since the Commander is a political target). Not only is she in danger in her new position, the chief of security gives her Butterfly Dust, a strong poison that she must have the antidote to each morning (Oh, Ms. Snyder, you are so cruel to your characters! I love it!). Add all this to the fact that someone in the castle is spying on the Commander, the father of the man she killed is out to get her, and she’s unexpectedly developing magical powers she can’t control (and in a land where magic is outlawed, no less), and you see just how interesting this book is. From the first page, I was hooked.

Let’s see, the book I think I’d read before, from an author I’d read many times was Godplayer, by Robin Cook. I was a little dissatisfied with this story, but I think it’s because it was already familiar to me. I’ve read Robin Cook many times before, and have usually enjoyed the stories. This one’s about an intern, married to a renowned surgeon, who works in a hospital where post-op patients are dying mysteriously. She gets involved in trying to figure out the cause, and then tragedy strikes her own life, and she also ends up in the hospital herself. Lots of drama and conflict, especially between her and her husband.

I read Blaze, by Richard Bachman (or, as the whole world knows him: Stephen King). First of all, sometimes I wonder about Mr. King’s sanity. Now, I think I’ve read pretty much everything ever written by him except for Rose Madder (somehow, I’ve never been able to make myself pick this one up). And, like a lot of other people, The Stand is my favorite of his novels. I’ve even read most of the Bachman books (and if you’re looking for a real head trip, read The Regulators and Desperation back-to-back. You’ll start to question your own sanity.) But Blaze is something else entirely. I picked it up at about 10 p.m., and finished it a little after midnight that same night. No sleeping ’til I found out what happened. Clay Blaisdell and George Rackley are long-time partners in crime who’ve planned the perfect crime: kidnapping the infant heir in a wealthy family. George is the smart guy in the partnership, but there’s one little problem: by the time the kidnapping goes down, George has been dead for several months. So Clay’s on his own. Except he’s not, since he keeps hearing George’s voice telling him what to do.

I read The Keepsake, by Tess Gerritsen. Loved it. I’m a fan of hers, and I’ve liked all of her books, but I really enjoyed this one. It combines two of my favorite things to read about: forensics and archeology. The string of murder victims in this story have all been preserved rather uniquely, with ancient techniques (including one mummy). And there’s something weird about Josephine Pulcillo’s past that the archeologist doesn’t want the cops to know about. Again, I read this straight through and could not put it down. Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles are big players in this one, too, and they’re as fun as always.

Last up in this group is Link, by Walt Becker. Okay, I’ve read this book at least three times previously, and it always fascinates the heck out of me. Again, it has archeology in it. And it’s about the missing link, something else that’s always interested me. Although the missing link in this book is a little unexpected, and it becomes the biggest find in archeological history. Now, I know some of the stuff in this book isn’t quite realistic, but the references the author uses are realistic, and basically blew my mind. The Nephilim are in this book (and yes, that’s how I came to be interested in them years ago and writing about them for NaNo this year). But the author talks about the Piri Reis map, the flood legends in countless cultures all over the world (It’s not just Noah’s Ark, people.), as well as the precise calculations used by many different and varied cultures. Every time I read this, I end up on an internet tangent, looking this stuff up. It’s just beyond interesting to me.

Since I’ve been severely slacking off, what with the move and all, and I’ve read almost forty books since the last time I blogged about it, I’m going to have to break that down into manageable chunks and make multiple posts. I’ve read a very wide variety of things in the past few months. Still heavy on the vampires and other urban fantasy, but with a healthy dose of other things thrown in, too.

First up, is The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. In case you somehow didn’t hear, this book is about a professor that is diagnosed with cancer and decides to give his last lecture on things he wants his children to know. This lecture ended up being taped, and it turned into this beautiful book. I read this just a short while after Mr. Pausch died, and I recommend everyone read it.

Next up, is Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This is another beautiful book. It’s a true story about Mr. Hall and his wife, who get involved in helping the homeless in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Union Gospel Mission, and the impact it has on their lives, as well as the lives they touch. Denver Moore is a homeless man from Louisiana, who grew up as a sharecropper and had no education. The Halls get very involved in his life. This is a very spiritual book, especially after Mrs. Hall gets cancer. I have to admit, I cried throughout the last part of the book. What made it especially touching to me is the fact that it takes place somewhere I am very familiar with, so I felt even more connected with it.

I read Silent in the Sanctuary, by Deanna Raybourn. This is the second Lady Julia Grey mystery. I haven’t actually read the first, but I really enjoyed this one, so I’ll definitely be looking for the other one. It’s set in Victorian England, and someone gets murdered in the MC’s family home. So, she has to work together with an old love interest to solve the mystery, with some of her family members being suspect. Lady Julia is feisty and opinionated, and I really enjoyed reading about her. She’s a strong, well-written character.

Then I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt. Now, I’m pretty sure this was made into a movie (although I could be wrong), but I haven’t seen it. The book, though, I loved the book. I was drawn into it immediately. I think it was the Gone with the Wind reference at the beginning. How can any book that talks about my favorite book be bad? And I have to admit, I’ve been interested in Savannah since I read Gone with the Wind for the first time. The characters in Garden were so strong and vivid, vibrant really. I loved them. Especially Chablis! She was great. So colorful and wicked. And when the murder trial (the first one) started, that was it, I was hooked. Stayed up half the night reading to find out what happened.

Last up in this group is Mozart’s Ghost, by Julia Cameron. I enjoyed this book. It’s about a medium who has been burned in love before by men that can’t accept her gift, who falls for a pianist that moves into her building. The MC has more than her share of faults, being untrusting, very cranky, and saying ugly things to people. But I liked her. By far the most interesting character was well, Mozart’s ghost, who turned out to be quite a demanding, cheeky bloke (Sorry. Don’t know where the British accent came from.).

I’ve read quite several thrillers in the last couple of months. I hate to lump them all together, but it’s been almost two months since I read them, so I’m afraid the details are a little fuzzy to me at this point. (My apologies to the authors.) I read Michelle Gagnon’s The Tunnels. Pretty good book. Some really creepy scenes that take place in, of course, underground tunnels. I liked the added drama of a mysterious cult as well. Then I read Carolyn Haines Revenant. Frankly, the title of this made me think of horror movies, but I’ve probably just been reading too many vampire books. This one is a murder mystery where the bodies of women are turning up, all missing their ring fingers, and also with a veil. It had an unexpected ending, which is great, because I hate it when I guess who the killer is early in the story. I also read The Night Café, by Taylor Smith, and The Hunted, by Rachel Lee. The Hunted is about a reporter investigating the international sex-slave trade who ends up smack in the middle of the action, and has to depend on an FBI agent to help her out. Lots of action in this one, and it was a fun read. The Night Café is about a woman who takes a job as a favor to her sister, and ends up as a murder suspect.

I re-read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. I think this is my favorite book so far this year (And yes, this is the second time I’ve read it this year, too.) I was going through kind of a rough patch personally, and this book helped. Next up were Flirting with Forty and The Frog Prince, both by Jane Porter. These books have been on my TBR list for a few months, and when I got a gift card for my birthday, I decided to try them out. I’m glad I did. The Frog Prince was good. And I can relate to the MC’s dilemma of looking for a good man, then just giving up on focusing on living her own life. Flirting with Forty was great! I loved it. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to Hawaii on vacation and fall in love with a hot (and younger!) surf instructor? No one I know. This book made me so hopeful about my own life.

And of course, I read some vampire books. Big surprise, right? Just One Bite, by Kimberly Raye, is the latest in the Dead End Dating series. For someone who really doesn’t focus much on fashion or shoes, I really do like these books. (A little too much, apparently. After finishing this one, I had the almost uncontrollable urge to buy a cute pair of heels. And I don’t ever wear heels!) There was a lot of humor in this one, and of course, more of the delicious Ty. Then I read The Watcher, by Jean C. Stein. Please tell me why I read the fourth book in a series first? (Because my best friend loaned it to me.) It was good, though, and I didn’t really have trouble with jumping into the middle like that. In fact, I’ll probably be buying the other books in the Anna Strong series as well. And, last but not least, I read Love Bites, by Lynsay Sands, which is book two in the Argeneau Vampire series. I really love these books. There’s always some great humor in them, and the vampire men are always yummy. Eventually I’ll collect all of these. (Again, I started the series randomly, although in this case it was with books 7, 8, and 9. Go figure.)

This will probably be a short post, since I’ve read all of these books before except for two. I started re-reading Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books again for fun. I really love these books. I’m just in awe of Ms. Evanovich’s talent for humor. Seriously. These books inspired a desire in me to right something funny as well. (NaNo 2008, anyone?) If you haven’t read them, you should. The accident-prone, car-destroying heroine is fabulous, as are her love interests, Joe Morelli and the tempting Ranger.

I also re-read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyers, in preparation for the fourth and final installment in the series, Breaking Dawn. These books really blew my mind when I read them the first time. I found myself just as sucked in on this read, like I had no idea what was going to happen next, even though I did. Everyone I’ve seen either loves or hates these books, and I weigh in firmly on the “loves” side. I went into Breaking Dawn hoping that Bella would end up with Jacob. (I love Jacob. Not that I dislike Edward, but I just adore Jacob. He’s so…cute.) I knew she wouldn’t, but I couldn’t help but hope. Without giving too much away, can I just say that I found Ms. Meyers’ solution to this conundrum acceptable? (Hey, if I couldn’t have what I wanted, could I at least be satisfied with what I got?)

I also read The Host, by Stephenie Meyers. Quite a change from the Twilight books, I must say. But I liked it. I cannot even fathom how difficult and strange it would be to have my mind in someone else’s body, and be fighting that body’s mind for possession. Oh, and trying not to fall in love with someone my body’s real mind loves. Very interesting read. I found the first third or so a little slow, but then I got into it. I hear there are supposed to be two more of these books, and if so, I look forward to them.

Instead of doing one huge post on what I’ve read since last time, I’m going to break it down into smaller groups. This one is the books I’ve read by Conestoga authors. I had already read P.C. Cast, Rachel Caine, and Deborah Leblanc, but Michelle Bardsley and Dakota Cassidy were new to me (though I had heard of their books).

I love P.C. Cast’s Goddess Summoning books. I’ve always liked mythology, and I love how these books combine it with modern day life into charming romances. Goddess of Spring is about Hades, and how a modern woman from Tulsa switches bodies with Persephone and goes to live in the Underworld to help the spirits of the dead. Of course she falls in love with Hades, but the Lord of the Underworld is a big stickler for honesty, and finding out she’s been lying to him puts a damper on things. She also has a great relationship with animals, and the “dread steeds” of Hades are devoted to her, which adds a great touch of humor.

Goddess of Light was also good. It’s about Apollo, who visits the modern city of Las Vegas and falls in love with an interior designer. His interfering twin sister is also with him, and of course she causes trouble.

My absolute favorite of the Goddess Summoning books so far is Warrior Rising. It’s about Achilles. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. This is set during the Trojan war, and the siege of Troy. Hera, Athena, and Venus are tired of the never-ending war, so they decide to find a modern-day woman to distract Achilles. They settle on Kat, who is a counselor, but before they can proceed with their plan, Kat and her best friend Jacky are in a terrible car accident. The goddesses snatch up the souls of the two women, and put them into the bodies of a princess of Troy and her maid. Then the fun really begins. Two middle-aged women from Tulsa who are suddenly young and lovely Trojan maidens? Not only that, but in her first life, Jacky was African American, and now she’s white, which doesn’t make her all that happy (and also adds some hilarious moments). Kat must cure Achilles of his beserker rage to keep the oracle’s prophecy of his death from coming true. This book is one I will definitely read again. Probably quite soon.

I had read Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series, but not the Weather Warden books, so I picked up Ill Wind. I’m so glad I did. This is about a Weather Warden, Joanne, who’s running for her life. She has a demon taint and is accused of murder, so she’s trying to find Lewis, the most powerful Warden. Too bad she has to deal with Djinns, other Wardens chasing her, and a nasty storm that’s been following her for days. I was really excited to find out how many other books in the series are already out. And I just ordered the second one.

I had read one of Deborah LeBlanc’s books before (Morbid Curiosity). I was a little unsettled by it, and I hadn’t really planned to read anything else of hers. Then I sat in on one of her panels on paranormal investigation, and another on thinking outside the box. She mentioned a friend of hers who was convinced the house he’d grown up in was haunted, so Ms. LeBlanc went with him to check it out. That house wasn’t haunted, but the spoke to the contractor, and found out the house was actually half of a larger house. So, of course, she went to the other half of the house and spoke to the woman who lived there. Turned out that half of the house was haunted. And the story idea for A House Divided was born. Of course I bought it. The first couple of chapters scared the crap out of me (What can I say? I’m a chicken.) The two halves of the fictional house both end up on the same street. One of them is a beauty salon, the other a café. And something is trying to get the two halves together. This is a pretty good ghost story, with some cool twists. I couldn’t read it at night, though. Too afraid something was going to get me.

I bought Dakota Cassidy’s The Accidental Werewolf and Michelle Bardsley’s I’m the Vampire, That’s Why because of a panel I sat in on called Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (about mixing action with romance). I liked the things they had to say, so I bought their books (plus they had a pretty cool goodie bag). The Accidental Werewolf was pretty funny, about a makeup saleswoman who gets nipped by a werewolf when her ankle-biter dog attacks him. She’s in complete denial, even though her blonde hair is now brunette, and she has to shave her legs multiple times a day. Then she gets kidnapped, and everything just gets worse.

I’m the Vampire, That’s Why takes place in Broken Heart, OK, a small town with a high divorce rate which gets taken over by vampires. There’s a crazy vampire/werewolf hybrid running around “killing” people, except they turn into vampires. But at least having friends in the same situation as yourself makes it easier to deal with little issues like how to get your children to do their homework when you’re sleeping like the dead during the day. You should definitely read this book. I just ordered the next two books in the series.