New in March

I've been a tad tardy with my book hauling this month - seasons 1-7 of Castle has been taking up way too of my free time lately.  However since I'm expecting the last of my book order to arrive before the end of next week, I thought it would be a good time to revisit what's new in my library.

Okay, as you know I pre-ordered copies of Marked in Flesh and Fire Touched.  Marked in Flesh, by Anne Bishop, arrived and looked fabulous once it was beside the first three books in the series (read it before lunch the following day! Review up soon-ish)  However, Fire Touched, by Patricia Briggs, never arrived {see HERE for more}.  Still miffed over that one so I'll move on.

Not long after that bookish drama I picked up two Miss Marple's at my local newsagents.  Talk about a lucky break as I needed them to add to my A Year of Marple book collection.  Still have a few more titles to pick up, but I think I'll have to resort to Book Depository for them.

And finally, I recently ordered the mass market edition of Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews - I'll now be up to date when the new book in the series is released later this year! - and Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.  This is definitely my 'wildcard' book for the month as I have never read any thing by him, but after watching more than a few BookTube reviews that recommended this book in particular, I thought I'd give it a go.

So, this is what's new to my shelves in March.  I hope you found something new that you might like to check out.  What did you add to your shelves this month?  Let me know below as I'd love to find some new authors ;-D

Until next time,

 

On the mend - but freezing!

I'm finally getting over my headcold, but today I wish I'd stayed in bed.  It is so very cold here.  I'm so cold that I had to go and get my little peguin gloves {aren't they so cute!}, make a hot cup of tea and get a hot water bottle!  Just so I could poddle around online and update my blog.  I wish we had central heating in unit complexes in Australia.  It would make life so much more comfortable in winter.

Review: Gunmetal Magic

Gunmetal Magic
Kate Daniels Bk 6
Ilona Andrews

Published: 31 July, 2012
ACE Fantasy, Mass Market Paperback, 434 p.
(inc. 105 pages for Magic Gifts novella)
ISBN: 978-0-425-25613-8

Some people have everything figured out—Andrea Nash is not one of those people.  After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea’s whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is to try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend Kate Daniels.

 

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano—the male alpha of the Clan Bouda and Andrea’s former lover—die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate…and must work with Raphael. As Andrea’s search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, she knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a back seat to saving the world...

 

 

After waiting a whole year for the next Kate Daniel's book, I was not sure how I would feel about someone other than Kate getting a book.  I hummed and harred about it, but in the end I couldn't resist.  Of all the characters we've met in the Katieverse, Andrea has been the most important person to Kate behind Curran.  With her earlier mysterious, and unexplained, disappearance Ilona Andrews has obviously decided it was time we finally found out what happened to Andrea after the events of Magic Bleeds, and what that meant to her relationship with the pack's peacock, Raphael.

 

Before I say anything else, I just have to say that in this book Raphael is a jacka$$.  There.  I've said it - it's now out there.  Because, even though, I love the pair of them, it made me so frustrated that Andrea had anything to do with him.  We all know that Andrea doesn't take any of Raphael's shit like Aunt B does, but after his behaviour (and his reasons for it) I just wanted to strangle him for his treatment of Andrea in this book.

 

In Gunmetal Magic we find a different Andrea.  Traumatised by what has happened in her personal and professional life, she's obviously decided enough is enough.  Andrea is finally coming into her own {yeah!} and has come a long way from the Knight that was hiding from herself and others in the early books.  Now, thanks to the events in Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays, we find a woman who has also become a harder version of Andrea that we knew and loved.  In a way I find it a bit sad, that she's had to embrace the truth that Kate and Curran live with, but the new Andrea is much more exciting to follow.

I loved this book.  There were new Gods, and creatures, kick a$$ fights, and all the usual stuff.  However, the only disappointing element I found in this book was how quickly Andrea forgave Raphael.  The fact that he not only hurt her and ripped her heart out - just to get back at her like the child he can be - but, it just happened so quickly.  She cried over him for crying out loud!  For that he should have been gotten on his knees and begged for forgiveness!  Especially after bringing another woman into her territory!  {Aunt B should have chewed him out for that}.  But no, once he'd confessed his sins, it went back to the same mating rituals, flirting, shagging and arguing, etc., as before.  So annoying.

Apart from her relationship with Raphael, Andrea also has to face some reminders of her own painful childhood. {**talk about being kicked while you're down**}  Her behaviour and reactions over the series becomes clear after reading what happened to her.  Most of the stuff you already have an idea of, but you get more details this time round.  To add insult to injury, she runs into someone from her past and has to make a decision about whether or not to take revenge.  As if Andrea doesn't have enough on her plate already!

Seriously, this is a great book.  Andrea and Raphael are a great, if twisted, couple that you can't help but love.  Aunt B makes an appearance with an offer out of the blue, and we see more of Kate's freaky Russian cousin.  I also got my Kate/Curran fix as they show up a couple of times throughout the book - which makes it even better IMO.  A great addition to the bookshelf, especially if you already have all the Kate Daniels series. 

 

 

In the mail this week

I can't believe it's nearly the middle of August already.  I have been eagerly awaiting the new release from Ilona Andrews, and yesterday Gunmetal Magic arrived in the mail.  I started it as soon as I got back from the Post Office - it was great!  The bonus novella Magic Gifts was awesome.  I loved the ending, very much poetic justice :-)

The other book that arrived with Gunmetal Magic was Book 2 of the Spellcrackers.com series, The Cold Kiss of Death, by Suzanne McLeod.  I haven't started it yet, but it's on my to do list today.  However I'm still waiting for Celebrity in Death to arrive... perhaps the mail fairies are reading it first?

And finally, I managed to find Seraphina by Rachel Hartman at my local Big W.  I snapped it up, and it is sitting on my bedside table looking very tempting indeed with that gorgeous cover.

So that's what I received in the mail this week.  Hope you found something good to read as well.

Bookshelf space issues

It's been a little while since I've posted anything about the books I've read.  Well, in recent weeks I've read a few more reference books (19th Century clothing) and they were extremely helpful.  Darn sight cheaper from the UK than in Australia though!  Ignore that snipe - outrageous book prices in Australia is a pet peeve of mine. 

As for my usual genres?  I bought a few of the Lora Leigh "Elite Ops" series.  They are great, and I'm ever so grateful that there are only 6 of them.  I already have enough trouble trying to find spots for all the Dark-Hunter, Anita Blake, Stephanie Plum, Breeds, Dark (Feehan) and other series on my shelves.  Seriously, there are some series that I think I'll be following when I'm 60!

The latest books to go on my wishlist are:

Lawe's Justice - Lora Leigh
Smokin' Seventeen - Evanovich
Wicked Appetite - Evanovich
No Mercy - Kenyon
Retribution - Kenyon
One Silent Night - Kenyon
The Guardian - Kenyon
Cast in Ruin - Michelle Sargara


I've already made a list for late Dec/Jan to take advantage of pre-sale prices. 
They include:

Death Magic - Eileen Wilks
Fair Game - Patricia Briggs
Spirit Bound - Christine Feehan
Angel's Flight - Nalini Singh

plus later in the year I simply MUST order the new Kate Daniels book.

It seems that everytime I make out a list of books, and get them, the author's decide to torture us all by announcing the next book in the series - that doesn't come out till next year!  It's a never ending cycle I tell you.

Hopefully this year Santa will be feeling generous, but I think I should really ask him for a huge new bookshelf before I buy anymore books.  Santa? ... are you listening? 

As it is, I've already filled up all the bookshelves I brought with me in the move - as well as the large one my mother and Aunt bought me as a 'house warming' gift.  I tell you, its insane.  I still have over 5 big boxes of books at my mum's house that still have to make the trip over here... and that doesn't even include the boxed up books from my childhood.  If I don't have over 5000 books, then I just can't count properly! 

I did do a little searching online for some interesting bookshelves and found some fabulous (and weird) ones.  Hmmm, maybe something like this perhaps :)

I could really enjoy filling all these shelves.  They just might hold all my books!


Update: my Salt Dough ornaments are nearly ready for painting. They have completely dried, and I've given them an undercoat to prepare them for the paints. Pics will be posted after the messy job I promise.

It's here! It's finally here!

Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday my copy of Magic Slays finally arrived!  Yippeeeeee!!!
It is only about, oh let me see ... nearly 2 weeks late, but I don't care about that now.  All that matters is that I could finally read it.  I've been trying to stay away from the reviews - I confess that I did sneek a peek at the amazon reviews - and tried to read it with an open mind.  What can I say?  I LOVED IT!

The way the story is told is a little different than previous books, plus an added bonus of finding out more about Kate's mother.  Curran is still bossy, manipulative, domineering, umm... snarly, steely eyed and all that, but his behaviour in no way detracts from the chemistry between him and Kate.  For those of you who still haven't read it (would you like a tissue to stem your tears of regret?) this book leads the continuing story of Kate in a new direction.  There are more factions working together against Roland, and the Order has been compromised - but is that with or without asshole Ted's approval?

All our favourite's are in this story - except for Dali and Raphael!  I couldn't believe that he was only mentioned in passing a few times... what the?  Hopefully he will pop up in the next installment in all his furry glory.  And to say Julie has a bad time is a total understatement, but as River Song always says 'Spoilers', so I shan't tell you what happens to her... hehe.

If you've loved the books and followed them religiously from Magic Bites, then you'll love Magic Slays.  My rating for this book?  2 paws up!

Needing a Kate Daniel's fix?

Well, look no further.  I've been feeling a tad creative lately, so I asked myself "...what wallpaper do I really, really, really want to have on my desktop?"  and as I'm waiting for my copy of Magic Slays to arrive, the answer pops into my head - Kate Daniels of course! 

So here is a 1680x1050 wallpaper I knocked up.

And before you tell me, yes, I know this isn't her usual sword.  Work with me people!

Enjoy :D

PS - am working on a Curran wallpaper now.  Will post as soon as it's ready!

Forum Overload!

I've just finished poking around some of the forums I've joined. Posted a few replies on LKH, but have only joined the Ilona Andrews (home of the fabulous Kate Daniels series) forum in the last 24 hours so I'll need a bit of time to settle in.

Not alot of traffic on IA, but a mass of choices on LKH. I've been trying to find little teasers for the next books in their series, but so far only IA has been forthcoming {and such a tease too!}. I read a prologue for the new Kate Daniels book, Magic Bleeds, that's due out in May 2010... I shouldn't have done that... how am I going to survive without a new Curran hit every now and then??? especially since reading the oh-so fabulously addictive prologue? I WANT MORE!!!

Thankfully, since I'm new to her site (well, not totally new - just more regular now :p) and have been diligently searching through the old blog entries to find anything about Kate 4. It took awhile, but I now have read all the new stuff. FYI I've also just totally stuffed myself because instead of calming my Kate-Curran desire, I've just made myself an addict. I'll get Curran withdrawal symptoms soon! Oh well. R U a Kate or an Anita fan? I've included 2 icons for you to choose from (above). Feel free to use them, but please give me credit for them and not steal them.

New Kate Daniels/Curran Snippets

I just finished reading some snippets on Ilona Andrews blog for the next Kate Daniels book, Magic Bleeds, that's due out next May. They were fantastic. Not long (unfortunately) but just enough to wet the tastebuds for more Curran-Kate. How can she be sooo mean, teasing us with tiny little tidbits? Now I just want to be able to dive into the book and find out what Curran did!

There is also a Curran POV scene from his first meeting with Kate at Unicorn Lane that was good too. Although he isn't instantly smitten like most shifters are when they meet their mates (most authors have them instantly in love, or in lust), but he is intrigued by her. That's as good a start as any to a relationship, isn't it.

Here's hoping that Ilona Andrews will add some more snippets (either of the new book, or from Curran's POV) and keep us in catnip for the next few months until the first chapter is posted on the website.

If you want to get your hands on the posting, just head to www.ilona-andrews.com/ where you can find the snippets on her blog. But for more spoilers, head on over to her forum.