Having marathoned through both seasons of "Life", a show I love to bits, I wanted to dig up some other Damian Lewis stuff. He's one of my favourite leading men, after all. Well, the obvious thing to do was to watch "Band of Brothers", which I did. That is one incredible show. If you have any interest in WWII and can bear seeing a lot of gore and exquisitely acted human suffering, I recommend the show. One of the most impressive mini-series ever, it's dramatic and oddly beautiful. The ensemble is breathtaking, the story is paced well and each of the characters seems to have an equally compelling voice.
After finishing Band of Brothers, I dug up some of Lewis' older work. A dark and quirky comedy called "The Baker" was the first one I watched. It was nice to see him in a lighter role and the film itself worked for me. I cackled with evil glee through most of it. Warmly recommended to those who do not take films too seriously and like their romantic comedies a little warped.
I followed this up with "The Situation" which was a small, but surprisingly engaging film about the American presence in Iraq. Lewis' role was a bit smaller, but the film worked. It showed the locals as human beings for a change and the film was much better for it. The Iraqi photographer played by Mido Hamada was a good character and a rare one, I think, in a Western-made film. Connie Nielsen, not one of my favourite actresses, did her part well enough, but I felt she lost out to the strong male performances. An interesting, but naturally rather depressing flick on a subject that was current in 2006 when the film was released and is still as current, sadly.
"The Escapist" is a prison movie from 2008 and Lewis' role was small, but very memorable. Brian Cox was the lead and he did a good job with the relatively mediocre script. I don't think I've liked Joseph Fiennes in anything since Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth and I didn't believe him as the tough guy in this one, either. I think he was miscast. Dominic Cooper, whom I still see only as the guy singing ABBA in swimming trunks, was okay. Not stellar, but decent enough. The plot bothered me. The script tried to be clever and didn't quite pull it off, in my humble opinion. Worth a watch. If there's nothing better on. Definitely no re-watch value, though and if you want to see a good prison movie (about escaping, too) just see "The Shawshank Redemption" and forget about this one.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Sunday, 14 November 2010
On the Joys of Rereading
One of the most common questions people ask me when they see my crammed bookshelves is: "Have you read all of these?" Well, I haven't, there are books that sit firmly on the TBR list and some that I've received as gifts that just don't interest me, but I'm too polite to regift them. The second most common question is: "What do you do after you've read a book?" I usually draw a blank for a while. I don't understand, what do they mean, what do I do? Well, I put it in my shelf, of course! I boggles my mind that some people don't realize that I might want to reread a book. These individuals tend to also gape at my DVD collection and ask why I would want to see the same film twice, let alone more times. I don't bother with explanations anymore. I just say: "The fact that you needed to ask me that question tells me that you won't understand why, so I won't waste my breath trying to explain it to you." I don't say that to be rude, I say it because it's true. You either are the type to read books and see movies more than once, or you're not. That's how I've experienced it, anyway. My friends and family are either fellow hoarders or own very few books or films. There seems to be no real middle ground.
Some films and books simply improve with several viewings or readings. Some are sort of comforting in their familiarity. I have films and series on DVD that aren't incredibly great, they didn't knock me off my seat or anything, but they were fun to watch, easy to watch and very often there was something that simply struck the right chord at the right time. Those become everyday favourites. You might put the film in the player, switch the movie on and putter around the flat while paying attention only every now and then, but you know what happens in the story at any given time, so it's okay. A book you know almost word for word can still entertain. Like an old friend who doesn't tell you new jokes, but you like the old ones anyhow.
It sometimes happens that I might suddenly feel like rereading a certain book in a series. I do so and then end up rereading the whole series. I love having that choice. I love revisiting characters and stories. I love that whenever I feel like reading, I can go from shelf to shelf and really take my pick from among so many. That is why I don't usually sell on the books I'm more or less forced to buy because of my situation as a English reader in a non-English-speaking country. If I drown in books and movies one of these days (as I have been told by numerous people I will), I say it's a fine way to go.
Some films and books simply improve with several viewings or readings. Some are sort of comforting in their familiarity. I have films and series on DVD that aren't incredibly great, they didn't knock me off my seat or anything, but they were fun to watch, easy to watch and very often there was something that simply struck the right chord at the right time. Those become everyday favourites. You might put the film in the player, switch the movie on and putter around the flat while paying attention only every now and then, but you know what happens in the story at any given time, so it's okay. A book you know almost word for word can still entertain. Like an old friend who doesn't tell you new jokes, but you like the old ones anyhow.
It sometimes happens that I might suddenly feel like rereading a certain book in a series. I do so and then end up rereading the whole series. I love having that choice. I love revisiting characters and stories. I love that whenever I feel like reading, I can go from shelf to shelf and really take my pick from among so many. That is why I don't usually sell on the books I'm more or less forced to buy because of my situation as a English reader in a non-English-speaking country. If I drown in books and movies one of these days (as I have been told by numerous people I will), I say it's a fine way to go.
Recent Reads
Right, school and other inconveniences have kept me from my blogging again, but here are some of the books I've worked on lately.
Jim Butcher: Storm Front and Fool Moon, books one and two of the Dresden Files
Now, I must admit to being something of a sexist reader. I prefer books written by women, hard to say why, I just do. Something about the tone, I suppose. I'd heard good things about Butcher's work, so I decided to give the Dresden series a whirl. Storm Front seemed to start a bit slowly and I needed to really work to keep reading, but then suddenly I couldn't put it down. The same happened with Fool Moon. Slow build, that's the word. Mr. Butcher does it well. Harry Dresden is an old-fashioned, flawed hero and really quite a great guy. The mystery part of the plots was well-written and the action was nonstop once you got to it. Another admirable thing about Butcher's writing is that he's not afraid to have bad things happen to good people or to back his hero into corners. It makes for good suspense writing and great action scenes. Not my favourite series in the urban fantasy genre, but a solid good read. Will probably look further into the series in the future.
M.C. Beaton: Snobbery With Violence
The murder mystery/comedy of manners featuring Lady Rose Summers and Harry Cathcart was a subtle, but very amusing and interesting read. Set in Edwardian time, the intricacies of the social world and a juicy murder mix in a manner most entertaining. I'd read a few mysteries from Ms. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series before and found them nice enough. This series is probably more my cup of tea. I already have the second book in the series ordered from my favourite bookshop.
J.R. Ward: Crave and An Unforgettable Lady
Crave is the second book in the Fallen Angels series and I'm still sitting on the fence about the series. I like the leading man Jim Heron and his sidekicks, I'm not sure about the others. Still a good read, to be sure. I'd just go with the Black Dagger Brotherhood books if I had to recommend something by Ward.
An Unforgettable Lady is an old book which found its way to reprint when the BDB made a splash. It's a contemporary romantic suspense novel, and a good one, really, but like the Fallen Angels, it plays second fiddle to the BDB. Still, if urban fantasy isn't your bag, you can get a look at Ward's cool style of writing from this one. Her distinctive voice isn't quite at its current level yet in this earlier novel, but it's getting there.
Jim Butcher: Storm Front and Fool Moon, books one and two of the Dresden Files
Now, I must admit to being something of a sexist reader. I prefer books written by women, hard to say why, I just do. Something about the tone, I suppose. I'd heard good things about Butcher's work, so I decided to give the Dresden series a whirl. Storm Front seemed to start a bit slowly and I needed to really work to keep reading, but then suddenly I couldn't put it down. The same happened with Fool Moon. Slow build, that's the word. Mr. Butcher does it well. Harry Dresden is an old-fashioned, flawed hero and really quite a great guy. The mystery part of the plots was well-written and the action was nonstop once you got to it. Another admirable thing about Butcher's writing is that he's not afraid to have bad things happen to good people or to back his hero into corners. It makes for good suspense writing and great action scenes. Not my favourite series in the urban fantasy genre, but a solid good read. Will probably look further into the series in the future.
M.C. Beaton: Snobbery With Violence
The murder mystery/comedy of manners featuring Lady Rose Summers and Harry Cathcart was a subtle, but very amusing and interesting read. Set in Edwardian time, the intricacies of the social world and a juicy murder mix in a manner most entertaining. I'd read a few mysteries from Ms. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series before and found them nice enough. This series is probably more my cup of tea. I already have the second book in the series ordered from my favourite bookshop.
J.R. Ward: Crave and An Unforgettable Lady
Crave is the second book in the Fallen Angels series and I'm still sitting on the fence about the series. I like the leading man Jim Heron and his sidekicks, I'm not sure about the others. Still a good read, to be sure. I'd just go with the Black Dagger Brotherhood books if I had to recommend something by Ward.
An Unforgettable Lady is an old book which found its way to reprint when the BDB made a splash. It's a contemporary romantic suspense novel, and a good one, really, but like the Fallen Angels, it plays second fiddle to the BDB. Still, if urban fantasy isn't your bag, you can get a look at Ward's cool style of writing from this one. Her distinctive voice isn't quite at its current level yet in this earlier novel, but it's getting there.
Monday, 11 October 2010
I'm Alive and Reading
Yes, hypothetical followers, I'm still alive and reading, it's just been a terribly busy September and I only now recalled my poor blog.
I've been reading voraciously as usual, but I can't possibly include all of the books here, so I'll just mention the cream of the crop.
Most of the books I've read are just installments in the aforementioned series, but it's worth mentioning some of them again just because the writers are so brilliant.
First, Ilona Andrews. From only having read On the Edge since I last blogged, I've become a huge fan. I just finished Bayou Moon (which I loved) and have also read all four Kate Daniels books as soon as I've got my little, greedy paws on them. Kate is great (I bet she'd kick Anita Blake's butt any day of the week). Curran is yummy. The magic and the action never stop (well, except when tech hits) and these books are simply fantastic reads. Hard to put down, very addictive. I finished Magic Strikes in the middle of the night and I just had to get out of bed, boot up my computer and order Magic Bleeds. That's how good they are. Shoo. Go buy. Now!
Gail Carriger's loony Victorian parasol-armed adventures take her heroine Alexia Tarabotti (Maccon) on a highly original and truly ingenious tour of Europe. I love the language in these books, as well as the sense of comic timing. It's like reading Jane Austen when she'd been to her father's brandy decanter a bit too many times. A deep bow of respect to Ms. Carriger. Also for her incredible website everyone interested in Victoriana should check out! http://www.gailcarriger.com/
Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle (that is Jayne Ann Krentz in her futuristic element) was exactly what I've come to expect from the great author. A book that is quite simply good reading. I've been a fan of her paranormals since I first managed to locate Orchid from her "flower trilogy" and the current ghost hunter world is a strong creation. I wouldn't start with this one if her paranormals are new to you, though. I'd go back to After Dark and After Glow, the duology that first introduced the ghost hunters and the new world of Harmony. MC is technically a part of the Dreamlight Trilogy, but it works as a stand-alone novel perfectly well, as do most of the Arcane Society books. Oh, and dust bunnies rule.
I also read the latest installment in Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series. Now, I'll be frank and admit that my interest was waning a bit after the Rogue Hunter three. I don't know why, they weren't bad and I reread them before Born to Bite (this latest book) came out. But I was happy to find that Born to Bite was very good. It answered a lot of questions, was well-paced and had a lot of what I like best about Sands' writing in it. The humour, the intrigue and the romance. I'm looking forward to the next Argeneau book again :)
Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising was a very refreshing book so I was looking forward to Book Two, Tracking the Tempest. I wasn't disappointed. An addictive, quick read, in Jane True's honest voice... I lapped it up. More please! I get the cover art a little better since reading the second book, by the way. I still say it's not necessarily the best way to sell the book, but I get it.
I picked up Lori Foster's Back in Black, which was a sort of an impulse buy. I've liked (not loved) Foster's work previously so it was a bit of a gamble. As I've mentioned before, I pretty much have to buy what I want to read, which means that I've got books in my shelves that I kind of wish weren't there. Back in Black turned out to be a keeper, though. Something about the leading characters worked for me. An interesting addition to the Fighter series and good contemporary romance with suspense elements.
Phew. Now I'm taking a breather...
I've been reading voraciously as usual, but I can't possibly include all of the books here, so I'll just mention the cream of the crop.
Most of the books I've read are just installments in the aforementioned series, but it's worth mentioning some of them again just because the writers are so brilliant.
First, Ilona Andrews. From only having read On the Edge since I last blogged, I've become a huge fan. I just finished Bayou Moon (which I loved) and have also read all four Kate Daniels books as soon as I've got my little, greedy paws on them. Kate is great (I bet she'd kick Anita Blake's butt any day of the week). Curran is yummy. The magic and the action never stop (well, except when tech hits) and these books are simply fantastic reads. Hard to put down, very addictive. I finished Magic Strikes in the middle of the night and I just had to get out of bed, boot up my computer and order Magic Bleeds. That's how good they are. Shoo. Go buy. Now!
Gail Carriger's loony Victorian parasol-armed adventures take her heroine Alexia Tarabotti (Maccon) on a highly original and truly ingenious tour of Europe. I love the language in these books, as well as the sense of comic timing. It's like reading Jane Austen when she'd been to her father's brandy decanter a bit too many times. A deep bow of respect to Ms. Carriger. Also for her incredible website everyone interested in Victoriana should check out! http://www.gailcarriger.com/
Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle (that is Jayne Ann Krentz in her futuristic element) was exactly what I've come to expect from the great author. A book that is quite simply good reading. I've been a fan of her paranormals since I first managed to locate Orchid from her "flower trilogy" and the current ghost hunter world is a strong creation. I wouldn't start with this one if her paranormals are new to you, though. I'd go back to After Dark and After Glow, the duology that first introduced the ghost hunters and the new world of Harmony. MC is technically a part of the Dreamlight Trilogy, but it works as a stand-alone novel perfectly well, as do most of the Arcane Society books. Oh, and dust bunnies rule.
I also read the latest installment in Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series. Now, I'll be frank and admit that my interest was waning a bit after the Rogue Hunter three. I don't know why, they weren't bad and I reread them before Born to Bite (this latest book) came out. But I was happy to find that Born to Bite was very good. It answered a lot of questions, was well-paced and had a lot of what I like best about Sands' writing in it. The humour, the intrigue and the romance. I'm looking forward to the next Argeneau book again :)
Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising was a very refreshing book so I was looking forward to Book Two, Tracking the Tempest. I wasn't disappointed. An addictive, quick read, in Jane True's honest voice... I lapped it up. More please! I get the cover art a little better since reading the second book, by the way. I still say it's not necessarily the best way to sell the book, but I get it.
I picked up Lori Foster's Back in Black, which was a sort of an impulse buy. I've liked (not loved) Foster's work previously so it was a bit of a gamble. As I've mentioned before, I pretty much have to buy what I want to read, which means that I've got books in my shelves that I kind of wish weren't there. Back in Black turned out to be a keeper, though. Something about the leading characters worked for me. An interesting addition to the Fighter series and good contemporary romance with suspense elements.
Phew. Now I'm taking a breather...
Friday, 27 August 2010
Autumn Reads
Okay, I read most of these over the summer, but I was too tired/lazy/busy to blog about them. But on with the books.
First of all, I'd like to rave about Faith Hunter's Rogue Mage trilogy, which I finished over the summer. Very cool. Rather dark, but incredibly detailed, imaginative and meticulously researched. Kudos. Too bad the series seems to end there. I would have loved to read more about Thorn's antics and what happens next in the post-ap world...
Another writer who gets more praise from me is Kresley Cole. I devoured Demon from the Dark in a single day. Wow... The men she writes are so hot they pretty much singe your fingers from the page. Another good one for the Immortals After Dark series. I wouldn't recommend starting the series from this (the latest) installment. Hunger Like No Other starts the series and is one damn fine book. I'd suggest starting with that one.
I'm officially hooked on both Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs. I can pretty much recommend anything by them if you like urban fantasy. Yup, I'm still on that trip.
First of all, I'd like to rave about Faith Hunter's Rogue Mage trilogy, which I finished over the summer. Very cool. Rather dark, but incredibly detailed, imaginative and meticulously researched. Kudos. Too bad the series seems to end there. I would have loved to read more about Thorn's antics and what happens next in the post-ap world...
Another writer who gets more praise from me is Kresley Cole. I devoured Demon from the Dark in a single day. Wow... The men she writes are so hot they pretty much singe your fingers from the page. Another good one for the Immortals After Dark series. I wouldn't recommend starting the series from this (the latest) installment. Hunger Like No Other starts the series and is one damn fine book. I'd suggest starting with that one.
I'm officially hooked on both Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs. I can pretty much recommend anything by them if you like urban fantasy. Yup, I'm still on that trip.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Series and Trilogies and Such
As a hardcore reader, I follow several series by different writers. I thought I'd list some just to make a list (there is something nice about making a list, isn't there? I wonder why that is...).
It's kind of difficult to list things by genre, because fantasy/science fiction/mystery/romance and so on and so forth mix so freely in the hands of many writers, so here are just the series I try to follow and some that have already been finished that I've enjoyed.
Kresley Cole: Immortals After Dark (romance, (urban) fantasy)
-a great variety characters and supernatural beings, refreshing and often very sexy
J.R. Ward: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Fallen Angels (slightly darker romance/fantasy)
-dramatic and well-written, sometimes pretty harsh and the language can be rough, but I think it all works beautifully
Jayne Ann Krentz: The Arcane Society (paranormal romantic suspense, varying from Victorian times to the future), Harmony (futuristic romantic suspense)
-an ongoing series which dips into all the three times Krentz places her stories in, always a solid, good read
Carrie Vaughn: Kitty (how could I resist a werewolf called Kitty? :D urban fantasy)
-quirky, very suspenseful, a leading character I adore
Gail Carriger: Parasol Protectorate (Victorian, steampunk, mystery, bit of romance there, too, and lots of humour)
-weird, absurd and just brilliant
Lynsay Sands: Argeneau/Rogue Hunter (romantic, funny, with a fresh take on vampires)
-lighter than many other vampire series though not without excitement, unapologetically romantic and often absurd and hilarious
Charlaine Harris: Sookie Stackhouse, Harper Connelly, both urban fantasy/mystery, with some romance thrown in (and finished series Lily Bard and Aurora Teagarden, both more traditional mysteries with great leading ladies)
-they're all great, what can I say...
Laurell K. Hamilton: Merry Gentry (sexy urban fantasy) and well, I still read Anita Blake every now and then...
-the Merry Gentry series is about the Sidhe, it's highly imaginative and very sexy, and Anita, slew of lovers aside, can still kick butt and some of the more mystery-oriented books in the series are very good
Jeaniene Frost: Night Huntress (aka Cat and Bones, romantic urban fantasy)
-there's just something addictive about this series and the leading couple is a fun one, to be sure
Mary Balogh: the Slightly series, the Simply quartet and the ongoing series about the Huxtables (Regency romance)
-one of the few Regency writers I just can't stop reading, the characters are simply stellar and the period detail is excellent
Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum (humorous mysteries)
-Stephanie Plum is one of those heroines who make me feel like a success; absurd mysteries with hilarious characters, family-drama and PB&J thrown in
Maria V. Snyder: Study trilogy, ongoing Glass series (fantasy)
-a wonderfully created world (the same in both series), engaging characters, plenty of twists and turns and back-stabbing, love it :)
Faith Hunter: Rogue Mage and Jane Yellowrock
-kick-ass heroines, interesting plots, the first series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and the second is a contemporary urban fantasy
And these are just off the top of my head. I'm constantly running out of bookshelves. I guess it's my bad luck that I prefer to read in English which means that the local library can only help me so far (my country is bilingual and let me tell you, English isn't one of the two). If I want to read something, odds are that I have to buy it. Hence the hoarding. Not that I'd let anyone have most of my books. I like being my own library :D
It's kind of difficult to list things by genre, because fantasy/science fiction/mystery/romance and so on and so forth mix so freely in the hands of many writers, so here are just the series I try to follow and some that have already been finished that I've enjoyed.
Kresley Cole: Immortals After Dark (romance, (urban) fantasy)
-a great variety characters and supernatural beings, refreshing and often very sexy
J.R. Ward: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Fallen Angels (slightly darker romance/fantasy)
-dramatic and well-written, sometimes pretty harsh and the language can be rough, but I think it all works beautifully
Jayne Ann Krentz: The Arcane Society (paranormal romantic suspense, varying from Victorian times to the future), Harmony (futuristic romantic suspense)
-an ongoing series which dips into all the three times Krentz places her stories in, always a solid, good read
Carrie Vaughn: Kitty (how could I resist a werewolf called Kitty? :D urban fantasy)
-quirky, very suspenseful, a leading character I adore
Gail Carriger: Parasol Protectorate (Victorian, steampunk, mystery, bit of romance there, too, and lots of humour)
-weird, absurd and just brilliant
Lynsay Sands: Argeneau/Rogue Hunter (romantic, funny, with a fresh take on vampires)
-lighter than many other vampire series though not without excitement, unapologetically romantic and often absurd and hilarious
Charlaine Harris: Sookie Stackhouse, Harper Connelly, both urban fantasy/mystery, with some romance thrown in (and finished series Lily Bard and Aurora Teagarden, both more traditional mysteries with great leading ladies)
-they're all great, what can I say...
Laurell K. Hamilton: Merry Gentry (sexy urban fantasy) and well, I still read Anita Blake every now and then...
-the Merry Gentry series is about the Sidhe, it's highly imaginative and very sexy, and Anita, slew of lovers aside, can still kick butt and some of the more mystery-oriented books in the series are very good
Jeaniene Frost: Night Huntress (aka Cat and Bones, romantic urban fantasy)
-there's just something addictive about this series and the leading couple is a fun one, to be sure
Mary Balogh: the Slightly series, the Simply quartet and the ongoing series about the Huxtables (Regency romance)
-one of the few Regency writers I just can't stop reading, the characters are simply stellar and the period detail is excellent
Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum (humorous mysteries)
-Stephanie Plum is one of those heroines who make me feel like a success; absurd mysteries with hilarious characters, family-drama and PB&J thrown in
Maria V. Snyder: Study trilogy, ongoing Glass series (fantasy)
-a wonderfully created world (the same in both series), engaging characters, plenty of twists and turns and back-stabbing, love it :)
Faith Hunter: Rogue Mage and Jane Yellowrock
-kick-ass heroines, interesting plots, the first series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and the second is a contemporary urban fantasy
And these are just off the top of my head. I'm constantly running out of bookshelves. I guess it's my bad luck that I prefer to read in English which means that the local library can only help me so far (my country is bilingual and let me tell you, English isn't one of the two). If I want to read something, odds are that I have to buy it. Hence the hoarding. Not that I'd let anyone have most of my books. I like being my own library :D
A Spot of Urban Fantasy (Surprised? Not.)
Being at loose ends at this awkward stage between studying and a hypothetical summer job, I've made it my mission to start reading through my towering TBR pile.
I hadn't read Ilona Andrews before, but for a long time I'd heard nice things about her work. Since I felt a hankering for urban fantasy, I picked up On the Edge and started reading. Excellent fun, nice world-building, a good bit of romance, a few great beasties. A thoroughly enjoyable read and a quick one for me since I just breezed through it in one day. Then I wished I hadn't because it ended. It was one of those books :) On to Andrews' other series now, I think...
Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising was another recommendation. I simply have to bring this up: I was kind of confused by the cover artwork. I don't usually much pay attention to covers since some of my all-time favourites have terrible or tacky covers. Romance and Fantasy as genres are kind of known for the occasional lousy covers, after all. It's not bad, it's actually very pretty in that manga-inspired way, I just think it doesn't fit with the tone of the book. The cover led me to expect something more 'young adult' than the novel was; it was a mature book in my humble opinion. I did like the book very much, the leading character Jane True has to have one of the most distinctive voices I've read and her inner dialogue is incredibly well-written and often laugh-out-loud funny. This story also gets a few bonus points because the leading character isn't a vampire or a werewolf. Thumbs up for the variety :) Loved the story and will read the next installment. Still, I just don't get the cover... But that's details. It's a fun book and absolutely worth checking out.
I hadn't read Ilona Andrews before, but for a long time I'd heard nice things about her work. Since I felt a hankering for urban fantasy, I picked up On the Edge and started reading. Excellent fun, nice world-building, a good bit of romance, a few great beasties. A thoroughly enjoyable read and a quick one for me since I just breezed through it in one day. Then I wished I hadn't because it ended. It was one of those books :) On to Andrews' other series now, I think...
Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising was another recommendation. I simply have to bring this up: I was kind of confused by the cover artwork. I don't usually much pay attention to covers since some of my all-time favourites have terrible or tacky covers. Romance and Fantasy as genres are kind of known for the occasional lousy covers, after all. It's not bad, it's actually very pretty in that manga-inspired way, I just think it doesn't fit with the tone of the book. The cover led me to expect something more 'young adult' than the novel was; it was a mature book in my humble opinion. I did like the book very much, the leading character Jane True has to have one of the most distinctive voices I've read and her inner dialogue is incredibly well-written and often laugh-out-loud funny. This story also gets a few bonus points because the leading character isn't a vampire or a werewolf. Thumbs up for the variety :) Loved the story and will read the next installment. Still, I just don't get the cover... But that's details. It's a fun book and absolutely worth checking out.
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