December's reading
Jan. 3rd, 2010 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksWell...although it was not intentional, my reading was almost entirely concentrated on m/m romance last month. In part because there were several authors I enjoy who had year end releases, and in part because the ereleases made for easy reading as I was busy with holiday prep. There were a few exceptions, of course.
1. Family Unit by Z.A. Maxfield. (m/m romance, ebook) (B/B-) Enjoyable; different in terms of the m/m romance I've read in that the heroes are both older and one of them is raising child, his grandchild. The cover art...well, the two models look like brothers, so I was a little leery of some sort of incest story at first and was glad to read otherwise in the blurb. The use of "conservative" and "liberal" in the blurb was interesting, since I saw very little conservatism in the so-called conservative character; yes, the military is a bastion of conservativism, but not so much in this novel. The other MC's focus on his grandson struck me as a little unhealthy, since single parents date all the time. But made for a good set up. Enjoyed the plot and conflict, LOVED the opening scene.
2. An Improper Holiday by K.A. Mitchell (m/m romance, ebook) (B) Holiday themed historical romance; read this early in the month and need to re-read. Finished up with some questions about how the future would be handled -- not the HEA but other things.
3. The Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon (m/m romance, ebook) (B-) Not really sure what to think about this book; by the time I was engaged by the characters, the book was over. Need to revisit also.
4. The Nest by G.S. Wiley (gay fiction, coming of age) (B) Okay, this was a really interesting book: it's the story of a young gay man who is hiding from social services, raising his siblings after his mother left. There is a thin romance thread, but that is a rather minor part of the book. Frankly, if I'd bought the book expecting an erotic romance (which is what the cover art seems to promise, with the pretty bare chests), I'd've been quite disappointed. But since my expectations were otherwise...
5. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen -- Graphic Novel by Nancy Butler. (classic, graphic novel) Was very impressed by how Butler distilled the novel into shards but still kept the plot and characters. The art seemed very modern in contrast to the historical setting, and I wasn't really sure what to think of that.
6. The Waitress by Melissa Nathan (chick lit) (DNF) Nothing wrong with the book, just wasn't engaged by it.
7. "Christmas Promise" by Carla Kelly in the A Regency Christmas anthology (novella, historical, holiday themed) (B) While this is not my favorite Kelly novella (one with a singing Welshman is, the title escapes me, though), it was a sweet story, and it fits right in with Ms. Kelly's recent naval books.
8. Lessons in Temptation by Charlie Cochrane (m/m romance and mystery, historical) (A-) Jonty and Orlando! In Bath! With a mystery to solve! As much as I have enjoyed the series as a whole, the books in which the fellows solve older, unsolved murders appeal to me most. Plus Bath!
9. The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon (gay mystery & romance) (A-) Another older unsolved case, two in a row in my reading. This is the fifth and final book of the Adrien English Mystery series, and it serves that purpose very well. Lanyon does a very good job of drawing parallels and using foils to not only create and then solve the mystery, but to settle things between Adrien and Jake. I have a lot to say about this book, actually, if I ever get organized enough to write another review. [It seems unlikely, doesn't it? My book opinions have been few and far between lately.]
10. Carol of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara (m/m romance) (C) Objectively, the writing was good. The set up of the story and the suspense component didn't work for me for reasons related to personal experience and tastes.
11. Cover Me by L.B. Gregg (m/m romance) (C-) Predictable villain - guessed who and why the first time he appeared. The romance didn't work for me as a reader because there was very little character or relationship development; why believe in HEA or HFN since they don't know each other at all, and one seems to not like the other much other than for sex. Told a lot rather than shown.
1. Family Unit by Z.A. Maxfield. (m/m romance, ebook) (B/B-) Enjoyable; different in terms of the m/m romance I've read in that the heroes are both older and one of them is raising child, his grandchild. The cover art...well, the two models look like brothers, so I was a little leery of some sort of incest story at first and was glad to read otherwise in the blurb. The use of "conservative" and "liberal" in the blurb was interesting, since I saw very little conservatism in the so-called conservative character; yes, the military is a bastion of conservativism, but not so much in this novel. The other MC's focus on his grandson struck me as a little unhealthy, since single parents date all the time. But made for a good set up. Enjoyed the plot and conflict, LOVED the opening scene.
2. An Improper Holiday by K.A. Mitchell (m/m romance, ebook) (B) Holiday themed historical romance; read this early in the month and need to re-read. Finished up with some questions about how the future would be handled -- not the HEA but other things.
3. The Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon (m/m romance, ebook) (B-) Not really sure what to think about this book; by the time I was engaged by the characters, the book was over. Need to revisit also.
4. The Nest by G.S. Wiley (gay fiction, coming of age) (B) Okay, this was a really interesting book: it's the story of a young gay man who is hiding from social services, raising his siblings after his mother left. There is a thin romance thread, but that is a rather minor part of the book. Frankly, if I'd bought the book expecting an erotic romance (which is what the cover art seems to promise, with the pretty bare chests), I'd've been quite disappointed. But since my expectations were otherwise...
5. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen -- Graphic Novel by Nancy Butler. (classic, graphic novel) Was very impressed by how Butler distilled the novel into shards but still kept the plot and characters. The art seemed very modern in contrast to the historical setting, and I wasn't really sure what to think of that.
6. The Waitress by Melissa Nathan (chick lit) (DNF) Nothing wrong with the book, just wasn't engaged by it.
7. "Christmas Promise" by Carla Kelly in the A Regency Christmas anthology (novella, historical, holiday themed) (B) While this is not my favorite Kelly novella (one with a singing Welshman is, the title escapes me, though), it was a sweet story, and it fits right in with Ms. Kelly's recent naval books.
8. Lessons in Temptation by Charlie Cochrane (m/m romance and mystery, historical) (A-) Jonty and Orlando! In Bath! With a mystery to solve! As much as I have enjoyed the series as a whole, the books in which the fellows solve older, unsolved murders appeal to me most. Plus Bath!
9. The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon (gay mystery & romance) (A-) Another older unsolved case, two in a row in my reading. This is the fifth and final book of the Adrien English Mystery series, and it serves that purpose very well. Lanyon does a very good job of drawing parallels and using foils to not only create and then solve the mystery, but to settle things between Adrien and Jake. I have a lot to say about this book, actually, if I ever get organized enough to write another review. [It seems unlikely, doesn't it? My book opinions have been few and far between lately.]
10. Carol of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara (m/m romance) (C) Objectively, the writing was good. The set up of the story and the suspense component didn't work for me for reasons related to personal experience and tastes.
11. Cover Me by L.B. Gregg (m/m romance) (C-) Predictable villain - guessed who and why the first time he appeared. The romance didn't work for me as a reader because there was very little character or relationship development; why believe in HEA or HFN since they don't know each other at all, and one seems to not like the other much other than for sex. Told a lot rather than shown.
