My Book Haul/In My Mailbox

The Story Siren hosts a weekly meme where bloggers can share what goodies they've purchased/received this week. If you get a chance head over to The Story Siren and check out what everyone is up to! This week my local Waterstones had a clearance to sell some books with broken or bent covers, but where only £1 so I had to pick up a few books...I was practically forced to! :)

Mirror Dreams - Catherine Webb

Publisher: UK - Atom

Every dream you've ever had, and every dream yet to come, exists somewhere in the Kingdoms of the Void. Every nightmare, too. Because there has to be balance - it's the rules. Problem is, the Lords of Nightkeep aren't big on rules. They're more into Conquest, Fear, and Eternal Darkness For All. It takes an extremely powerful Void wizard like Leanan Kite to keep 'em in check. But right now Kite has other worries, and Nightkeep is growing strong. Its Lords hunger for power. And they've turned their gaze toward Earth...

Catherine Webb wrote this as a teenager and gathered rave reviews. More recently she has published the Mathew Swift books - A Madness of Angels and The Midnight Mayor - both of which I LOVED! So when I saw this I couldn't resist the opportunity to try her earlier YA books.

Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

Publisher: UK - Bantam

There are threads in our lives. You pull one, and everything else gets affected. When they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car pulled up their street. One boy got in the car, two did not, and something terrible happened – something that ended their friendship and changed all three boys forever. Twenty-five years later, Sean Devine is a homicide detective. Jimmy Marcus is an ex-con who owns a corner store. And Dave Boyle is trying to hold his marriage together and keep his demons at bay –demons that urge him to do horrific things. When Jimmy Marcus’ daughter is found murdered, Sean Devine is assigned to the case. His personal life unravelling, he must go back into a world he thought he’d left behind to confront not only the violence of the present but the nightmares of his past. His investigation brings him into conflict with Jimmy Marcus, who finds his old criminal impulses tempt him to solve the crime with brutal justice. And then there is Dave Boyle, who came home the night Jimmy’s daughter died covered in someone else’s blood…

One of the first books I reviewed on this blog was Shutter Island and I really enjoyed it so when I saw Mystic River I thought it would be good to try another book by the same author!

The Protector's War - S.M. Stirling

Publisher: US - ROC

Ten years after The Change rendered technology inoperable throughout the world, two brave leaders built two thriving communities in Oregon's Willamette Valley. But now the armies of the totalitarian Protectorate are preparing to wage war over the priceless farmland.

I have the first book in The Change Series - Dies The Fire on my wishlist so I may 'do a Melissa' and start the series in the middle to see if I can follow what is happening! :)

The Stepsister Scheme - Jim C Hines

Publisher: Daw Books

What would happen if an author went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for his plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie's Angels? What's delivered is The Stepsister Scheme—a whole new take on what happened to Cinderella and her prince after the wedding. And with Jim C. Hines penning the tale readers can bet it won't be “and they lived happily ever after.”

I love the premise of this book - Disney princess crossed with Charlies Angels? I just want to pick it up and start reading! :)

Firelight -  Sophie Jordan

Publisher: UK - OUP Oxford

 Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. She longs for the freedom to make her own choices, but when she breaks the 'no flying' rule, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defence is her secret ability to shift into human form. And her rare ability to breathe fire makes her desirable, and important, to the survival of the draki. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. There she meets gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: he and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slipping away, and if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

I had this on my wishlist a couple of week ago so when I spotted it on special offer I couldn't resist! :)

Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock 3) - Faith Hunter

Publisher: US - ROC

Things are heating up in the Big Easy. Weres have announced their existence tot he world, and revived the bitter tensions that run between them and their old enemies: vampires. As a trusted employee of Leo Pellissier, Blood Master of the City, Jane finds herself caught in the cross fire. When Jane is attacked by a pack of marauding were-wolves, she is thankful for the help of a mysterious stranger named Girrard. He explains that he used to be Leo’s “Mercy Blade,” a sacred position charged with killing vampires who have gone insane. What Jane doesn’t know is why this powerful assassin left New Orleans − or, more troubling, why he’s now returned. It’s definitely not to make Jane’s life easier...

I've wanted this book for ages and just couldn't resist the little voices in my head telling me to get it any more! :-)

SO what have you picked up this week? :)

On My Wishlist #45

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! Just in case there is a zombie outbreak I want to be prepared so I will need to read all the zombie books coming out in the next few months!

My Life As a White Trash Zombie - Diana Rowland

Publisher: DAW (July 2011)

Angel Crawford is a loser. Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken. That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue--and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse. Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey--just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat. Literally.

Diana Rowland's Demon series is a favourite of mine so the fact that she has also written a zombie novel is so exciting. Plus the cover is so different from anything I've seen before!

Dust and Decay (Benny Imura 2) - Jonathan Maberry

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 2011)

It's six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny's best friend Lou Chong are going with them. Sounds easy; sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. And as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland. Because in the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything. And not everyone in Benny's small band of travellers will make it out alive.

I loved Rot and Ruin (review here) so I'm really excited that I don't have to wait too long for the sequel to be released. I really hope Benny and his friends have a better luck this time around...but somehow I don't think they will! :)

Rebirth (Aftertime 2) - Sophie Littlefield

Publisher: MIRA Books (July 2011)

The end of the world was just the beginning.
Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy. Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence. Flesh-eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass’s lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns. The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity’s rebirth—at all costs. Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.

Aftertime was another zombie book I loved (review here) and added to that Sophie Littlefield was kind enough to answer some of my questions (here), I've been waiting with the appearance of patience for this book for a while!

So what are you wishing for this week? :)

Teacher's Pet Review

Teachers Pet

-          Richie Tankersley Cusick

Publisher: Point Horror.

First Published in UK in 1991

Kate loves to be thrilled and is fascinated by horror. But she get more than she bargained for when she goes on a week-long writing conference. First, her teacher, William Drewe goes missing. Then someone tries to frighten her in the woods.

Another little flash back to my teens when I used to gobble up Point Horror novels quicker than an anteater swallows ants! This is a fairly typical one that I read in the earlier 90s originally but little sticks out in my mind about it. Re-reading all these years later, I was amused by the setting – a wooden camp near a lake surrounded by forest – perfect for isolation and screaming at shadows! Still, it’s not a bad story with a few twists and turns along the way. There are few red herrings which do make you wonder what is going on. The banter between Kate and her new friends is fun – I love Tawny’s innocence.

What I didn’t like was how every guy seems to fall for Kate straight away – she didn’t seem all that exciting or attractive. But then again this happens all the time in teen books where some unassuming teen manages to snare every guy in town…I guess my main complaint is that this story is not that original. It takes well worn horror tropes and uses them well, but I missed any originality. It’s not a long book – just over 200 pages and I managed to read it in one train journey. This is a light, fun thriller – perhaps more suited for pre-teens than teenagers.

Recommended for fans of Chris Priestly and Caroline B Cooney. 6 out of 10

The Book Vixen's YA of the 80s and 90s Reading Challenge Book 12/12

Mel's Random June

Half the year is over! I've been enjoying the long evenings and bright mornings, even if the British summer time does like to throw the odd shower and thunder storm into the mix! Has everyone been enjoying the strawberries? :-)

Yummy!

And coming up in July I'm looking forward to a week's holiday - I'm off to Cyprus to sit in the sun, crack open a few books, pick at some yummy mezze and poke around the local sights - I can't wait! I also hope to only read books I want too while on holiday. In fact I'm planning on making July my joyful July reading month - I'm only reading books I want to and no review copies (unless it's one I really want to read!) Don't worry though - I won't desert you! I plan to have a few posts scheduled while I'm away and perhaps a little suprise or two...

So back to June and how did I do in reducing the never-ending TBR pile?

Books
Sweet Valley High: Perfect Summer - Francine Pascal (BV's YA of the 80s and 90s)
Now You See Me - SJ Bolton (BCC's Mystery and Suspense Challenge)
Married with Zombie - Jesse Petersen (FCC's Speculative Fiction Challenge)
Bitten In Two (Jaz Parks 7) - Jennifer Rardin
Shady Lady (Corine Solomon 3) - Ann Aguirre
White Cat - Holly Black
The Deadliest Bite (Jaz Parks 8) - Jennifer Rardin
The Owl Service - Alan Garner

EBooks
Tomorrow's Guardian - Richard Denning
Heart of Evil (Krewe of Hunters 2) - Heather Graham
Morlock Night - KW Jeter (FCC's Speculative Fiction Challenge)
Feast - Merrie Destefano

Guest Reviews
Sarah reviewed her birthday book: The Sterkarm Handshake - Susan Price

Author Interview
Merrie Destefano stopped by for some Q&A about her new release Feast

Other Posts
In Book Temple, I discovered the joy of swapping with Read It- Swap It
I did a guest post showing off my book shelves over at The Overflowing Library
Same Book/Different Cover looked at Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
I also started Creature Feature which looked at why Zombies are so popular
 In addition there were the usual wishlist posts, in my mailbox and Throwback Thursdays.

So with all that in mind my reading challenges status looks like this:
BCC's Mystery & Suspense Challenge - 8 Read, 4 Left to read
FTC Speculative Fiction Challenge - 13 Read - officially I've completed this! Yay! However, I'll continue to post reviews and see how I can do in the second half of the year.
BV's YA of 80s and 90s Challenge - 11 Read, 1 Left to read

Personal Classic Challenge -  3 Read

Highlight of the Month: Merrie Destefano's answers to the Q&A were great!

Honourable Mentions: Shady Lady was probably my favourite read of the month! 

So what was your month like? :)

Author Interview: Merrie Destefano

Yesterday I reviewed Feast by Merrie Destefano and today I'm lucky enough to welcome herself to my little corner of the blogosphere..

Hello Merrie, thanks for coming by. Lets dive straight in shall we?

First tell us a little about yourself...

Let’s see. Where to start. I’m an animal-loving, tree-hugging, short person who loves to laugh and eat chocolate. I also love stories that take me someplace I’ve never been before—although whether that’s another world or another country doesn’t matter. I love both reading and writing and I’m always striving to accomplish new things when it comes to the craft of writing. Before making the jump to full-time novelist, I worked in publishing for twenty years. During that time, I worked in a wide variety of jobs: graphic designer, illustrator, production coordinator, book editor, publisher  and magazine editor, to name a few. I studied fine art in college and have always been torn between art and writing. I seem to be happiest when I can find a way to incorporate both elements in my work. In my debut novel, Afterlife, the main character was a musician. In my new release, Feast, my main character is a writer. So I guess I subconsciously bring my love of art into my stories.

Your second book – Feast: Harvest of Dreams was released on 28^th June - how would you describe it to readers?

Feast is about a young woman who ends up in the wrong place at the right time. Maddie MacFadden is a writer who retreats to the mountains in need of inspiration. Instead, she finds herself the target of a deadly hunt and, unfortunately, seems to be only one who can see the monstrous winged beasts who are after her. The very thing she thought she was lacking—creativity—ends up being the only thing that can save her.

The Darklings in Feast are an unusual type of supernatural creature – did you do any research for them?

Not as far as what they looked like, but I did do a lot of research on dreams, since that was a strong theme in the book. Also, I had recently done a great deal of research on vampires and werewolves for some work-for-hire books. I wanted to create a new creature and put a new spin on some old legends. In the end, the Darklings became a combination of vampire, werewolf, faery, doppelganger, shape shifter and Muse. They were beings who had masqueraded as these mythic creatures in the past and actually spawned the legends about those creatures.

The supernatural has always been popular at the moment for books, TV and films – what do you think draws us to these types of stories?

I honestly believe that there is another world—a spiritual or supernatural world—that interacts with our world on a daily basis. And I also believe that we have a natural curiosity about who and what inhabits that spiritual world. For that reason, I think we are attracted to books, TV shows or movies that deal with these supernatural elements. We are seeking the truth, we want to know more, we want to see behind the veil into a hidden realm and encounter someone greater than ourselves. I also think that deep down inside we realize we are not alone in this universe and a part of us wants to know who else is here.

Dreams play an important part in Feast – both the sleeping sort and ambitious – do you have any unusual/different dreams you feel like sharing?

I do! I had a strangely prophetic dream once. I dreamed I was at a conference, sitting at a table with a woman who looked familiar, although I didn’t know her. She leaned forward and whispered confidentially that I wouldn’t be working where I was very much longer (I was a magazine editor at the time). I got really excited when she told me that because I had grown so weary of that job. Then she said that she wasn’t supposed to tell me what was going to happen next, but that it was going to be fabulous. Well, I didn’t know if the dream was prophetic or not, but I figured maybe I should pay attention. I started saving as much money as I could and, sure enough, two months later I got laid off. Fortunately, we had a good amount of money saved by then. So I decided to take the next year or two off work and try to get one of my novels published. Four months later, my agent sold my debut novel, Afterlife, to HarperCollins! I’ve been a full-time novelist and freelance editor ever since. I really believe that the dream helped me to get ready for the transition, both financially and emotionally.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

Yes, although I’m not sure if many people would call it supernatural. I have this strange gift where sometimes I just “know” things. I’ll give you an example. Once, while driving home from work, I got stuck in a nasty L.A. traffic jam during a nasty heat wave. I had nothing to do, no cars were moving, so I started staring at the people in the car in front of me. All I could see was the back of their heads, but I began to imagine what was going in their car. Before long I came to the conclusion that she was pregnant and her baby was due any day, and that he had a new job and was worried about losing his job if he was late. Weird, right? When the cars finally started to move, the car in front of me stalled. The man got out, pushed it to the side of the road. When his wife got out, I saw that she actually was nine months pregnant. At that point, I realized that I had to help them. I pulled over and asked if they needed a ride. The man said, yes. Apparently, he had a new job and was worried about losing it if he was late (!!). Also, his wife was due to deliver their baby the next day and he was worried about her standing out in the heat too long. Believe it or not, this type of thing has happened to me many times.

Your main character Maddie used her childhood holiday as a refuge – where would you go for your own refuge?

I love the woods. That’s one reason I set this book on the edge of national forest—so I could spend time there as I was writing. My refuge-of-choice has always been any place with lots of trees, so many that they crowd out the sky. One place in particular comes to mind, although I don’t remember how to get there. When I was nineteen, I stayed in a cabin by a lake with my sister in the Wisconsin Dells. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I’d love to find it and go back there some day.

What have you got coming up next?

As far as writing goes, I’m currently working on an e-book novella that would be a prequel to Feast. It’s titled Cursed and I hope to have it out soon. As far as events go, I’ll be at Comic Con in San Diego at the end of July and at World Fantasy Con in San Diego in October. You can also see a list of blog stops and book signings on my website here 

                                                         

Finally  a 60 second, quick question quiz

Favourite Book you’ve read?

Almost always, the one I’m reading right now. So that would be: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks.

Favourite Book you’ve written? <Cruel question I know!>

The one I just finished that isn’t published yet and is kind of secret. =)

Favourite food?

Guy Pearce in The Time Machine

Pizza

Favourite film?

So many to choose from! Okay, The Time Machine with Guy Pearce.

Favourite music?

Coldplay

Favourite authors?

Laurie Halse Anderson, Kimberly Derting, Holly Black, Carrie Ryan, Michael Connelly, Robert Jackson Bennett, Diana Abu-Jaber, Sue Monk Kidd, Janet Fitch, and many more.

Any pets?

Two German shepherds and a Siamese cat

Favourite saying/quote?

          “I dream my painting and then I paint my dream,” by Vincent Van Gogh.

Thank you so much for stopping by Merrie!

Thank you so much, Mel, for inviting me on your blog! It’s an honor to be here and I really appreciate it.

Feast is out now to buy now and keep up to date with all Merrie's doings...

Merrie's Website

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Early Review: Feast

Feast: Harvest of Dreams

-       Merrie Destefano

Publisher: Harper Voyager – released 28^th June 2011

Review copy courtesy of Netgalley & Harper Voyager

Madeline MacFadden ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in  Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered.  And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills. But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts -- and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast. Once again Maddie's dreams -- and her soul -- are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.

The first thing that struck me about Feast was how melodic the prose is, it flows beautiful with descriptive passages and action all gorgeously rendered. It’s like sipping a dessert wine after a particularly satisfying meal. It feels timeless and reads like an ancient legend, while firmly set in the modern era. Each chapter is told in the first person but from multiple narrators which manages to make you emphasize for many of the characters and opens up the town of Ticonderoga Falls. Maddie, herself is a strong character who clearly loves her son and is hurting from her marriage break up. Ash is still guilt-ridden over a mistake from years before and struggling to connect again. They are surrounded by townsfolk who know more than they say.

The Darkling creatures that Merrie introduces us too are different from any preternatural creatures I’ve read about before with shades of shifter, vampire and fae but unique. I was never sure if they were good or evil or just different. The insight into these different creatures and their powers was a lovely change from angst-ridden vampire. Some of the secondary characters are a little wasted – I’m thinking of Ash’s sister and handmaiden particularly, but it’s a little like asking for additional bread with your dinner; not really necessary when the main characters are so filling.

There are still a lot of questions left unanswered – where the Darklings actually come from,   how the legend and legend keeper actually works, but I found myself so caught up in the writing and the story that it didn’t bother me while I was reading. It’s great to see a different style of story being told rather than another Urban Fantasy rinse and repeat.

Recommended for fans of Ilona Andrews and Kate Griffin. 8 out of 10.

** Stop tomorrow when the author, herself Merrie Destefano will answering a few questions! **

Guest Review: The Sterkarm Handshake

Back in May I held a competition for you all to suggest a book for my regular guest reviewer, Sarah to recieve for her birthday and then review. Well, the winning book was The Sterkarm Handshake and here's Sarah's review! :-)

The Sterkarm Handshake

- Susan Price

Publisher: Scholastic

For generations, the Sterkarms plundered the Scottish border. They were known for shaking on a bargain with a dagger clutched firmly in one hand — and for not keeping their promises. Now people from the 21st century have found a way to travel to the Sterkarms' time. The 16th century is rich in natural resources and historical detail, perfect for the modern investor or scholar. Anthropologist Andrea Mitchell finds more than research there, as she falls in love with a young Sterkarm warrior. But when he realizes how powerful and destructive the visitors truly are, he vows to keep them from his land forever. And in the bloody battle that ensues, Andrea must choose between her love and her world.

My birthday prize review is finally here!!!!  To remind you, I picked The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price, for the reason that I had yet to find a time travel book I liked, and because the nominator obviously loved the book and had done so for a long time.  And I am very glad I selected this book, because finally I have read a time travel novel I could actually enjoy.

The Sterkarm Handshake is set in both the 16th and 21st centuries, which have been connected via The Pipe, a physicist's creation that the author doesn't bog the reader down with too much information about.  Whilst I know many authors like showing off their intelligence and imagination by coming up with the pseudo-science behind inventions, it was refreshing to not have to worry for once about whether I'd even understood the individual words!

The 21st Century protagonists aim to create amicable relations with the 16th Century Sterkarms (a territorial, clannish race of people that live in the no man's land between England and Scotland), often via bribery with aspirin and whiskey, in order to plunder the 16th Century's natural resources for 21st Century use.  Strangely, at no point do the 21st Century scientists seem to consider whether taking oil, coal etc from the 16th Century could actually have an effect on the current day...

The central characters are a very mixed bunch from teenage pretty boys to last chance saloon down and outs, and in fact I ended up much more on the side of the 16th Century (which I'm not sure I was supposed to!).  There is also a multi-time love story, which, unfortunately, I really disliked.  The lady concerned is a whiny, indecisive, cry-baby, which is not a description many central characters should be proud of...

To conclude, there is much to like about The Sterkarm Handshake - it's an engaging, easy-to-read book with some fascinating commentary on 16th and 21st Century politics and lifestyles - however, for me there were also some serious flaws.  They didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole, but they do prevent it being rated as a favourite, 7 out of 10.