Amy's Book Nook

Not under this headline in the newspaper, I would say whatever copy editor wrote the headline didn't bother to read the story as it was "Books that describe ways of living, enjoying life" What does that even mean?

Books reviewed: Don't Hex with Texas by Shanna Swendson, These Boots Were Made for Strutting by Lisa Cach, Gemma Halliday and Melanie Jackson, Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready and From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris. 

Oh, please do visit my blog on the newspaper's website http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/blogs.detail/display/188.html to see Shanna Swendson's gues blog this week, and Jeri Smith-Ready's in upcoming weeks! Any authors out there interested in guest blogging, feel free to contact me here.

Review from Graffiti Magazine blog:

A far-off future where people can be downloaded into a hive consciousness of computers and a mega-conglomerate rules all is the setting of Michele Lang's science-fiction romance, "Netherwood."

Talia Fortune has spent enough time in the virtual reality Netherwood as her avatar personna, Amazonia, that she has become attached to the illicit pleasures of that world - fighting, romance and danger, with her cyber lover, Avenger. But Talia's Real position is sheriff and as the primary shareholder of FortuneCorp. Her grandmother and employer, Violet, who has recently forgone her body and being downloaded into the computer hive mind, gives Talia the task of tracking down a cyber outlaw Kovner in the Real, and after the last encounter with Avenger, Talia's beginning to suspect they are one in the same.

Traveling to the off-world colony, Fresh Havens, she meets with her uncle and finds that Fresh Havens is being sabotaged by the people hiding out in Gray Forest. Traveling there to put a stop to the saboteurs once and for all, she finds Kovner, who tells her something unbelievable - the computers of FortuneCorp are trying to take over and get rid of humanity and she is key to saving his people. Talia refuses to believe him though she still has feelings for him, but when circumstances begin to lead her to believe he is right, will she have the courage to stand and fight against seemingly impossible odds?

A fun blend of science-fiction scares, honorable outlaws and romance, "Netherwood" is reminscent of "Matrix" and "Terminator" movies with a bit of "Robin Hood" thrown in. It's a cool page turner that could keep you up all night reading.

"Netherwood" is published under Dorchester Publishing's Shomi line, all combining science-fiction, paranormal, action-adventure and romantic elements. It is $6.99 and is 303 pages long.

 

Review from Graffiti Magazine: Rogue by Rachel Vincent

I knew I was emotionally invested in Rachel Vincent’s “Rogue” when I was getting angry and upset with how the other characters were treating Faythe. I found myself wanting to defend her actions and her mistakes to a group of fictional people.


So I was hooked.


“Rogue” is the sequel to Vincent’s equally engrossing “Stray” - a story of a Pride of werecats and in particular, the Alpha’s daughter, Faythe, who escaped her family’s hold on her in search of a normal life at college, complete with roommates and boyfriend. In”Stray,” Faythe found her old life coming back in the form of her ex-boyfriend, Marc, who also happened to be her father’s enforcer, and was trying to protect her from a dangerous non-Pride cat, a Stray. Faythe’s independent streak and well, brattiness, ended up putting her in danger and she was kidnapped by the Stray. And Faythe had to grow up fast and became a very interesting character.


Now, in “Rogue,” Faythe has settled back into Pride life, at least for now. She and Marc are back together and working together to round up Strays that invade her fatherás territory and she has cut all strings to her past at the college.


But when Faythe and Marc start finding dead Strays, they investigate further and find a link with missing human women - who bear an uncanny resemblance to Faythe. All of Faythe’s actions are under scrutiny by her Pride, her father, and Marc, and relationships are strained to the breaking point.


Faythe is such an engrossing character in that she’s not perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes big ones that affect more than just her, and may not even be aware of it. But she tries to move on and fix things, and you have to like that in a character. She might be a supernatural creature, but she has ordinary human fears and desires - not sure about wanting to commit, wanting her independence, wanting to do her own thing and not what her family expects - and that makes her highly relatable. Vincent’s strength lies in creating these wonderful, flawed characters who practically step off the pages, putting her on the list of authors to watch.


The ending doesn’t exactly end, setting itself up for the next book, “Pride,” coming out this fall, which frankly, can’t get here soon enough for me.


“Rogue” is published by Mira Books. It is $6.99 and 394 pages long.



 

I'm a posting fool today!

The Books I Want to Read in June:
1. Face Value by Kathleen Baird-Murray - a women's fic about fashion and journalism. Sign me up!

2. The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley - Women's fic about a woman has to be married to get an inheritance. Hmmm....

3. Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski - a mystery/thriller about a group of office workers about to get picked off, literally. Sounds like The Office meets a horror movie. I REALLY want to read this!

4. Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer - Romance. I read a previous book of hers and enjoyed it.

5. The Writing Class by Jincy Willett - Mystery having to do with writing. Gee, why would I like that?

6. Whacked by Jules Asner - Mystery having to do with celebs. A book that blends my E! watching? Fun!

7. Killing Bridezilla by Luara Levine - Another mystery. What's up with me and mysteries this month?

8. Mind the Gap by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon - urban fantasy by one of my favorite Buffy-book writers about a woman caught in another world. Could be scary. You ever read Golden's vampire works? Eech!

9. Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky - another women's fic about a fashion and journalism. They keep writing 'em, I'll keep reading them.

Already On The Shelf:

1. Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - Reading now. I loved her last book, Garden Spells, and am enjoying this one so far. Her books are gentle romances with a hint of magic. Nice, relaxing stories. The Led Zeppelin of romance books.

2. Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves - A couple accidentally gets married. I love those kind of books. And I think I've read her books before and enjoyed them.

3. Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig - What's up with the wedding murder mysteries? I don't know, but it sure is fun and timely! And I'm pretty sure I've read Craig's books before too.

4. Pitch Black by Susan Crandall - Murder Mystery!

5. Bound by Shadow by Anna Windsor - NYPD and paranormal. Sounds fun!