October 2014 Roundup

Hi Birds!

I'm back again with another monthly roundup. October was not a good reading month for me. I finished only nine books. I had a lot going on, you know how that goes.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black ~ A-
I enjoyed the world of Coldtown. It was different and interesting when so few new YA vampire stories are. The story opens strong and doesn't let up. Gavriel was everything I wanted in a vampire. Ruthless, cool and a little bit crazy. He reminded me a little of Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I liked that the main character, Tana, is actually the hero of her own story and doesn't depend on Gavriel or anyone else to save her. She's strong enough to determine her own fate. I liked that Black left the end open for sequels.

Mind the Gap by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon ~ B
This was a really unique adult fantasy. The authors give a cool perspective of the London Underground. I loved the idea that a city can have a soul of its own and that it remembers everything that occurred within its boundaries. It had a real Oliver Twist feel to it with the main character Jess being taken in by a bunch of thieves. I thought Jess was kind of a weak character and the plot relied too much on the shock value of multiple deaths. Cadge's connection with Jess felt much stronger than Stevie's. I wanted more of the spirits and less of the unnecessary brutality.

Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich ~ B
I thought this was a satisfying beach read. Unlike with most romances, the main character Holly was complex, mature and relatable. The main male character, on the other hand, was superficial and a bit of an asshole. I enjoyed seeing them grow as people and as a couple. A decent fluffy romance.

Midnight Secretary (vol. 1) by Tomu Ohmi ~ C
This manga got off to a slow start. I didn't like the way the main character felt she had to ugly herself up to get a decent job. Is that really a thing in this day and age? Her boss is a straight up asshole. I don't care that he's an attractive and wealthy vampire. His personality is ugly and that is a real turnoff. The end got a little steamy but I don't think I would pay full price to continue the series.

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer ~ C+
I usually like Jennifer Crusie because her romances are generally fun and quirky but this one was really not what I was expecting. The romance was a side note to a weird demon-hunting in a theme park storyline. The romances (plural) were too quick to be believable. The book tried to juggle too many things at once. When someone died the characters were just like darn and were over it ten minutes later. It took me way too long get through this book.

Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey ~ B+
Elemental Masters series No. 3. I thought that I had read this book before but about a third of the way through I didn't remember anything that was happening. I really enjoyed it though. The Cinderella retelling worked in this setting. Eleanor and Reggie both experienced a lot of trauma which gave them depth and made me root for them to make it as a couple. Neither was perfect and that's okay. I liked the end and I'm glad the stepmother got what was coming to her.

The Magdalena: Origins by Malachy Coney, Marcia Chen and Joe Benitez ~ D+
This comic's plot was bleh. The only reason it didn't get an F was the artwork.

The Farm by Emily McKay ~ B+
Another solid vampire book. The world was really interesting and well written. I liked that one of the main characters has autism. I've never seen that in a YA fantasy before. I can absolutely see something like the farms happening if there were ever a vampire takeover. The Ticks reminded me of the vampires in The Passage by Justin Cronin. I am a little dubious about Lily's actions. She is rash and takes unnecessary risks with her and Mel's lives. Carter makes a great love interest. The twist at the end was great. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Cress by Marissa Meyer ~ A-
Lunar Chronicles No. 3. I enjoyed this one more than Scarlet but less than Cinder. The stories were woven together well. I liked Cress. Her innocence and wonder were really inviting. I didn't miss Scarlet at all. That's probably why I didn't like the second book as much. She's just not a dynamic character to me and doesn't add much to the story overall. The adventure in this one was great. Cress and Thorne's trek was entertaining. I like the slow build in their relationship. No insta-love in sight. I'm a dork so I cried when a certain character dies.

Let me know what you thought in the comments below.