Other Awesomely Awesome Books We've Read or Want to Read.

I read an awesome book. "Der Siebte Schwan" (The Seventh Swan) by Lilach Mer. The story caught me immediately, since it's a Y/A fantasy novel settled in Germany in 1913. After reading a lot of urban fantasy it was really refreshing to read fantasy in a historical setting. The writing style and the language were wonderful. It's been a while since I've read a book that well written.

Just reading Shelly Laurenston "Big bad beast". I love her characters. Other favourite authors include Eileen Wilks, Christian Warren, Lynsay Sands, Kerrilyn Sparks and of course Nora Roberts/JDRObb. I have read some of S Kenyon (her website is brillant) and Katie MacAlister (The dark one - Vampires)

Oh my, I didn't really enjoy Shelly Laurenston. I get that she's writing some funny stuff, but it lacked some deep scenes. I'd like to have some of those. Plus, what the fuck? Wolves have big feet?

"Grandma, and why do yu have such big feet?"
"To stink you to death, Red Riding Hood."

Could you write what you liked about the book? I do have some of her Pack/Pride-books here, but I don't know if I want to read them.. Hm.

Read the second "Dark Ones" book and didn't like that, either xD I dunno, I was younger then, 15 or so. What do you like about 'em?

Nora Roberts - I finally read some JD Robb and have to agree with the majority. I really like it, although I also get why some people don't. Never read a Nora Roberts-book, though. Can you recommend one?

I'm currently reading 8 different books -rofl- I dunno, I'm reading a book, then I'm online and someone reviews another book I own. So I'm like "Okay, I'm going to reat that one first and continue reading the other one when I'm finished with it." But that happens so often that I'm not "reading" 8 books lol

I marked the ones that I actually read right now

• Dream-Hunter (Dark-Hunter, #10) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
  
• Tainted by Julie Kenner
  
• Eine mörderische Hochzeit (in Death #03) by J.D. Robb
  
• The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
  
• Immortal 03: Schwarze Glut , by Joy Nash*
  
• Crave: A Novel of the Fallen Angels by J.R. Ward
  
• Noah by Jacquelyn Frank
  
• Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison

*Started that one, but I actually don't see myself reading it soon. It's in my Goodreads-currently reading shelf, though. ... And I don't know why. Okay, going to delete it there xD.

Hi Patricia. Just read your reply. Will reply in more detail next week as I am going away for a long weekend. Enjoy your weekend.

I just finished "Practical Demonkeeping" by Christopher Moore. It was a fun, quick read with relatively memorable characters. A beach read for the supernerd, I guess.

However, the best part is that conversations about what you are reading lately go like this:

"What have you been reading lately?"
"Oh, Practical Demonkeeping"
"..."
*insert interesting looks here*

They thought I was reading some sort of occult or black magic or who knows what book on taming my own pet demon or something. It was awesome, lol.

Nina, you absolutely made my day!! <3

Grainne, looking forward to it. Oh, yes, I know what you're talking about. My week's been awful. I could throw up. Is it physically possible to purge at (on?) people? That'd come in handy.. >_<

Right now reading some NetGalleys and finished Dark Hunter 10,11 and 12.

Oh, Ash..

Just downloaded on my NEW kindle (sighs and strokes lovingly), The Heat - The Big Bad Wolf Series. Mindful of everyones warnings about overspending on amazon, this was 70p (UK) and is the first of a series at the same price and...............it's quite good! I thought it might be crap so downloaded a sample and then bought the book and read in a day!! Bargain!

It is difficult though, because a lot of my reading matter is HAWT!! And people keep wanting to check out my new kindle and I keep saying 'oh yea, just give me a mo and I'll show you', then quickly scrolls to free download of Pride and Prejudice! And then, 'no, don't worry about those other books - just give me back the kindle - GIVE IT TO ME' - NOW!' No, Dad those trashy novels must have been free with the kindle - I only really want classic literature and reference books. LOL

No, Dad those trashy novels must have been free with the kindle - I only really want classic literature and reference books

catikins wrote:Just downloaded on my NEW kindle (sighs and strokes lovingly), The Heat - The Big Bad Wolf Series. Mindful of everyones warnings about overspending on amazon, this was 70p (UK) and is the first of a series at the same price and...............it's quite good! I thought it might be crap so downloaded a sample and then bought the book and read in a day!! Bargain!

It is difficult though, because a lot of my reading matter is HAWT!! And people keep wanting to check out my new kindle and I keep saying 'oh yea, just give me a mo and I'll show you', then quickly scrolls to free download of Pride and Prejudice! And then, 'no, don't worry about those other books - just give me back the kindle - GIVE IT TO ME' - NOW!' No, Dad those trashy novels must have been free with the kindle - I only really want classic literature and reference books. LOL

I have no Kindle, but my tablet.. Well, I have two reading-programs. Aldiko (for NetGalley) and MoonReader. And when my friends want to have the tablet, I either take out the sd-card OR I open the reading program that's the least embarrassing.. xD

But "No, Dad those trashy novels (..)" is priceless! Rofl xD

Heh... free trashy books with purchase of Kindle.

Ah, excuses for reading romance!

I've been paying attention to character development in romance and noticed that I don't like female leads much. Something about them usually ticks me off. I've never been able to figure out why. However... I was re-reading Lover Unbound and started thinking "Jane seems a little Mary-Sue-ish". Something about her just seems like Ward inserted herself into a book. So, now I'm thinking that I don't like Mary-Sue-esque female leads... Do y'all think most romance heroines are just Mary Sues?

I hope I'm making sense here...

Mary Sue-ish? I just read that somewhere else and I THINK I know what it means, but I better ask.. So, Mary Sue-ish?

Mary-Sues are characters authors make that are basically just them. I was using it sort of loosely though - Mary Sues are typically (bad) fan fiction characters. An example would be when you read a Harry Potter fanfiction (or something like that) and suddenly a transfer student enrolls at Hogwarts that is uncannily similar to the fanfiction's author... she would be a Mary Sue.

I don't know if there is a real book equivalent.

I know what you mean about lead females - they annoy me a LOT sometimes, for example.

Lead male tells female 'Your mine - you belong to me - MINE'. Gorgeous, tall, musceley and very, very rich lead male fists her long blonde locks (bum length of course) in his hand whilst circling her throat with his other hand. Lead female replies ' NO, never - I have my own life, house, job and I am my own woman' - She is SO angry with him.

Their gorgeous, glittery eyes meet - lead female gets horney they have donkey killing amazing sex.

Oh yea female, that told him - way to go - you are soooooooo tough!!!

OH YES!!!!

Poor donkey

Yes, that annoys me, too. It's like the author feels obligated to pay lip-service to some idea of feminism or something. O_o It's weird.

Nina wrote:Poor donkey

Yes, that annoys me, too. It's like the author feels obligated to pay lip-service to some idea of feminism or something. O_o It's weird.

May I quote you? Because I have to write a review and I already feel like -this- is a phrase I should use. :'D

Nina wrote:
I've been paying attention to character development in romance and noticed that I don't like female leads much. Something about them usually ticks me off. I've never been able to figure out why. However... I was re-reading Lover Unbound and started thinking "Jane seems a little Mary-Sue-ish". Something about her just seems like Ward inserted herself into a book. So, now I'm thinking that I don't like Mary-Sue-esque female leads... Do y'all think most romance heroines are just Mary Sues?

I thought the same thing about Jane in LU. I couldn't help envisioning JRW there with V. Also, the heroine in her second Fallen Angels series, can't recall the name and never finished the book, is very much like JRW.

I don't know JRW, so I can't judge that.. Why do you think so anyway? I think I should read it again.. But hm, I don't see why JRW would do that (on purpose, at least). She always said that V was the hardest brother to write.. Oh, maybe because of that? Whatever.

I started reading the 2nd book, but I'm only at 30 percent or so when I HAD to continue reading the Dark Hunters books.. Only 1 book left until I get to read Ash's book *dances around*

Yeah, you can use it Patricia

KTL - Jane was the most Mary-Sue acting to me. She's blond, very thin, intelligent, glasses-wearing, and in a profession having to do with the medical field. All of these are things JR Ward has mentioned she is. Now, add to that that Jane usually talks like Ward seems to...

Another thing that I noticed about the BDB heroines - I think (in general) they are all interchangeable. Bella says things that Beth could've easily said. Ehlena sounds like Mary, etc. Readers are told their personalities (Mary is caring, Xhex is a warrior girl, and so on) but half the time they revert to a generic way of acting. I think the generic personality is probably similar to Ward's.

And now I'll add a disclaimer - I'm not bashing BDB. They are crack and I'm addicted.

Patricia wrote:Only 1 book left until I get to read Ash's book *dances around*

I can tell you already that Ash's story is really good. It's a lot different from her other books though (in the first half or so anyway)

Everyone keeps saying that! I'm soo excited but afraid, too. Idk, when I read KoS I loved it. Then I started being mad at Hawke, then I did that and that and blahblah. I don't want to have those second-thoughts with Ash because of some stupid expectations of mine xD

Ah, fuck it, I'm eating some cookies now. *serious cookie-action*

Edit: If.. when.. if I have a BMI over 25 someday, I'm going to blame Sherrilyn Kenyon et cetera.

It's not bad Patricia xD It's just that Sherrilyn Kenyon writes more about Ash's past than she did with the other Dark-Hunters But you can't get mad at Ash..I cried half the time when I read the first half...The rest of the time I got angry at the other characters but never at Ash =)

Ok, after reading your notes about the Dark Hunter series I have just downloaded No1 (I think) so here go's.................should keep me going until KOS thank god!!! and thank you for the tip!! xxx

sigh.. I think I should just read it. xD

Cat, I didn't like the first one very much.

Ok Patricia, but presumably it's worth getting into???