January reads

So far: 6 books read this year.

Not a bad start at all. Things have slowed down over the last week though.

All of the books are listed in the 100+ challenge - I've just put specialised challenges in brackets.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibboston

I started to find the rhythm about a 1/2 way through the book as there were more and more interactions. And of course with the introduction of Muriel, who I didn't like from the start.


The Gift by Cecilia Ahern

Lou is a man who is busy, busy, busy. You want to strangle him for being so clueless about his family but as time he grows on you as you see the doubts creep in and him realising what is important. While people may say this is cliche, it is something that makes you think about the way we spend our time. And really with the world seeming to speed up on us, this is a good thing - to think.
(Spec Fiction)

At Twilight by Maggie Shayne
This is books 4 (Beyond Twilight) & 5 (Born in Twilight) from the Wings of The Night series. You don't really need to read the others to understand what is going on. There's little bits of information that is repeated, such as certain mortals having a rare gene that allows them to become vampires. And characters that reoccur but you don't really need their back story to follow it. I quite enjoyed the two stories and the way vampirism is handled. I'll read the previous books and then start from book 6 again.

(Spec Fiction)

House of Cards by C.E Murphy

Book 2 of The Negotiator Trilogy. I must say I enjoyed the rhythm of this book more than the first one. Oh don't get me wrong, the first one was good, but I thought it was better in this one. Margrit continues to be involved with the Old Races- and while on one side she wants things to be normal, on the other she loves the thrill of it also.

(Horror & Urban Fantasy)

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

I loved this book and the writing - the humour always makes me laugh in Jenny Crusie's books and I love the rhythms of her scenes. She does things we are not told to do like say 'she thought' but she makes it works and I think who cares re those conventions. Her dialogue is witty and fun, and you you wonder if there ARE ghosts in the house or if it all a hallucination. Not to mention an ex-husband and wife who have never gotten over each other despite the ten years apart. It's a fantastic read.

(Romance)

The Dead of the Night by John Marsden

A great continuation to Tomorrow When The War Began. What I like about it is that is frank - the characters question, they are teenagers who are scared and tired, and they act REAL. And so while there's a lot of planning, a lot of talking and a lot of thinking, it feels right. Will definitely continue with this series.

So there you have it, the 6 books of January!

Summing up:

Speculative Fiction - 2/12

Horror & Urban Fantasy - 1/24

Mystery & Suspense - 0/12

Stephen King - 0/12

Romance - 1/24

Looks like Spec Fiction is in the front :)

Happy Reading all!