December reading
Jan. 2nd, 2008 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksIt was a mostly mediocre month for reading, with a few highlights.
The great:
1. Y: the last man by Brian K. Vaughan et al. Graphic novel from Vertigo. (Volumes 5-9). A – keepers.
2. Off the Record by Matthew Haldeman-Time. M/M, self-published. Re-read, a keeper.
3. The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella. WWII historical verging on general fiction from Bantam. A/Keeper. Easily the best book of the month.
The good:
4. Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon et al. Graphic novel from Dark Horse. B-/C+. Felt very abrupt; explained the transition between Firefly and Serenity, but felt awkward. Liked the color and the art. Is it harder or easier to work with characters based on actors?
5. The Taming of Annabelle by Marion Chesney. Regency from Fawcett. Re-read. Not bad, but it was even better in my memory. Oh well. Although it was interesting to mentally compare it to more recent regencies, which are sadly one-dimensional in comparison.
6. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. Contemporary from St. Martin’s Press. B/B-.
7. Rock Star by Roslyn Hardy Holcomb. Contemporary from Genesis Press. C+/B-
8. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts. Paranormal from Jove. B/B-.
The average:
9. To Love A Stranger by Adrianne Byrd. Contemporary from Kimani Press. C+
10. On Fire by Patricia Sargeant. Contemporary from Dafina. C+
11. Thin Air by Rachel Caine. Urban fantasy from Roc. C+. I’m finished with this series.
12. And Both Were Young by Madeleine L’Engle. YA from Laurel Leaf. Re-read, set post WWII. B-
13. A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan. Historical mystery from Berkley. The last of the Nell Sweeney mysteries. C+
14. The Flyer by Marjorie Jones. Australian-set historical from Medallion Press. C/C-.
15. Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston. Paranormal from Samhain. C/C-.
16. Blackstone’s Bride by Bronwyn Williams. American historical from Harlequin. C. Interesting note – this book is labeled as a Western, even though it is set in the Carolinas. Because it didn’t really fit into any other HQN historical category?
17. Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. Historical mystery from Berkley Hardcover. C/C+
18. Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund. YA/chicklit from Delta. C
19. Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian. Paranormal from Dell. C+. It was okay, I guess, I’m just od’d on vampires. 20. Caine’s Reckoning by Sarah McCarty. Western historical from Spice. C-. I’d like a little more external plot to go with all of the sexing and mental angsting, please.
The not-to-my-taste:
21. Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury. Christian fiction from Zondervan. DNF. The football setting tempted me.
22. Warriors of Poseidon: Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day. Paranormal from Berkley. DNF.
23. If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern. Women’s fiction from Hyperion. DNF. Imaginary friends for adults don’t work well for me.
The unfinished but maybe I'll circle back someday:
24. The Food of Love by Anthony Capella. Contemporary from ?. Re-read, DNF. Not bad, just didn’t feel like finishing once I recognized it as a book I’d already read.
25. The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair. Scifi romance from Bantam. DNF. Not bad; but I put it down to run holiday errands and then couldn’t be arsed to pick it up again.
The great:
1. Y: the last man by Brian K. Vaughan et al. Graphic novel from Vertigo. (Volumes 5-9). A – keepers.
2. Off the Record by Matthew Haldeman-Time. M/M, self-published. Re-read, a keeper.
3. The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella. WWII historical verging on general fiction from Bantam. A/Keeper. Easily the best book of the month.
The good:
4. Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon et al. Graphic novel from Dark Horse. B-/C+. Felt very abrupt; explained the transition between Firefly and Serenity, but felt awkward. Liked the color and the art. Is it harder or easier to work with characters based on actors?
5. The Taming of Annabelle by Marion Chesney. Regency from Fawcett. Re-read. Not bad, but it was even better in my memory. Oh well. Although it was interesting to mentally compare it to more recent regencies, which are sadly one-dimensional in comparison.
6. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. Contemporary from St. Martin’s Press. B/B-.
7. Rock Star by Roslyn Hardy Holcomb. Contemporary from Genesis Press. C+/B-
8. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts. Paranormal from Jove. B/B-.
The average:
9. To Love A Stranger by Adrianne Byrd. Contemporary from Kimani Press. C+
10. On Fire by Patricia Sargeant. Contemporary from Dafina. C+
11. Thin Air by Rachel Caine. Urban fantasy from Roc. C+. I’m finished with this series.
12. And Both Were Young by Madeleine L’Engle. YA from Laurel Leaf. Re-read, set post WWII. B-
13. A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan. Historical mystery from Berkley. The last of the Nell Sweeney mysteries. C+
14. The Flyer by Marjorie Jones. Australian-set historical from Medallion Press. C/C-.
15. Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston. Paranormal from Samhain. C/C-.
16. Blackstone’s Bride by Bronwyn Williams. American historical from Harlequin. C. Interesting note – this book is labeled as a Western, even though it is set in the Carolinas. Because it didn’t really fit into any other HQN historical category?
17. Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. Historical mystery from Berkley Hardcover. C/C+
18. Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund. YA/chicklit from Delta. C
19. Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian. Paranormal from Dell. C+. It was okay, I guess, I’m just od’d on vampires. 20. Caine’s Reckoning by Sarah McCarty. Western historical from Spice. C-. I’d like a little more external plot to go with all of the sexing and mental angsting, please.
The not-to-my-taste:
21. Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury. Christian fiction from Zondervan. DNF. The football setting tempted me.
22. Warriors of Poseidon: Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day. Paranormal from Berkley. DNF.
23. If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern. Women’s fiction from Hyperion. DNF. Imaginary friends for adults don’t work well for me.
The unfinished but maybe I'll circle back someday:
24. The Food of Love by Anthony Capella. Contemporary from ?. Re-read, DNF. Not bad, just didn’t feel like finishing once I recognized it as a book I’d already read.
25. The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair. Scifi romance from Bantam. DNF. Not bad; but I put it down to run holiday errands and then couldn’t be arsed to pick it up again.
