152. The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green...

About the book:

The name's Bond. Shaman Bond.

Actually, that's just my cover. I'm Eddie Drood. But when your job includes a license to kick supernatural arse on a regular basis, you find your laughs where you can.

For centuries, my family has been the secret guardian of humanity, all that stands between all of you and all of the really nasty things that go bump in the night. As a Drood field agent I wore the golden torc, I killed monsters, and I protected the world. I loved my job.

Right up to the point when my own family declared me rogue for no reason, and I was forced to go on the run. Now the only people who can help me prove my innocence are the people I used to consider my enemies.

I'm Shaman Bond, very secret agent. And I'm going to prove to everyone that no one does it better than me.

drey's thoughts:
Ok. I really didn't want to do this. But I can't help it. I picked you up at least (at least!!) a half-dozen times over the past 6 months. My first problem--and this is just me!--is with the character's name. Shaman Bond. I'm a HUGE Bond fan, and there's only one. Another thing that nagged at me? The multiple references to his golden armour & it's super-magical invisibility effects. For example, "utterly undetectable", pg 6. "Couldn't see or hear or smell me", pg 7. "No one sees me unless I want them to.", pg 9. And again--"No one sees us--unless we want them to.", pg 9. "My armour was still in full stealth mode, so the guns couldn't track me.", pg 13. I mean, seriously. How many times do I need to read about how you're completely undetectable, before I believe it? This is fantasy, after all.

Chapter Seven picked up the pace quite a bit. But then I got to Chapter Eight, and all that adrenaline went bye-bye... *sigh* So. I didn't finish the book. I tried. Really. I even skipped the pages that so annoyed me. And still, no dice.

If you've read The Man with the Golden Torc and have a different opinion, please do share. I'm pretty darn sure mine isn't the only opinion out there on this book. =)

Title: The Man with the Golden Torc
Author: Simon R. Green
ISBN-10: 0451462149
ISBN-13: 9780451462145
Paperback: 398 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2008

Challenges: Ban on Spending

148. The Devil You Know by Mike Carey...

About the book:

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stomping ground. It may seem like a good ghostbuster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle--but there's a risk. Sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him, and he'll be lucky if he only ends up dead. So Castor plans to get out of the game--right after he pays the bills with one last case in an old museum. But instead of driving out the ghost, Castor stirs up a life-leeching demon, a were-beast, and a ruthless East End gang boss, all of whom want to stop him from getting too close to an unpleasant truth. Stop him cold...

drey's thoughts:
I won a set of Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels from scifiguy.ca back in July, and finally got around to reading the first book, The Devil You Know. And what a book this is. I had picked up Simon Green's The Man With the Golden Torc before, and while there are some similarities (both have male protagonists, both are set in London, both have the heroes in a spot of trouble), I must say I really enjoyed The Devil You Know much more (wait for that review to post--when I eventually finish writing it).

Felix is in a bit of a spot. He's supposed to do a job to help out his friend & landlady. But the party's a bust (very enjoyable reading there!), because he let his temper get the better of him. So now he's going to have to take on another exorcism, which he very much wants to stop doing, even if that's what he's good at. The history behind this is a tad sad, but I'm a spill-no-beans kinda gal.

Anyway, Felix takes the job, and spends some time running around playing Hercule Poirot, trying to figure out who the ghost is, and why it's haunting the museum. What he finds and how he concludes the job is why you read the book. It's tightly-written, the characters are real, and the plot will keep you reading till the end. Pick this up if you're a fan of urban fantasy, Harry Dresden, or just a good read.

Title: The Devil You Know
Author: Mike Carey
ISBN-10: 0446618705
ISBN-13: 9780446618700
Paperback: 501 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2008 (reprint)

Challenges: 100+, 1st in Series, Ban on Spending

117. Dixieland Sushi by Cara Lockwood...

About the book:

Wax on...

Jen Nakamura Taylor thought she left behind her awkward past of growing up half-Japanese, half-white in a small Southern town when she moved north to produce a popular Chicago television show. But when she gets word that her Southern Belle cousin is marrying Kevin Peterson, the very boy Jen loved-with-a-capital-L for years, she realizes she can't run from her past forever. Not only does the news conjure up sticky memories of growing up with a mixed heritage in the South (soy sauce on chicken fried steak, anyone?) but now the very single and very busy Jen has got to find a date for the wedding--a grand affair that could put Scarlett O'Hara to shame.

Wax off...

Riley--Jen's cute British friend from work--seems just the ticket; even his girlfriend thinks it's a good idea. But as Jen and Riley whistle on down to Dixie, sparks start to fly. Add to the fire the grown-up but still charming Kevin Peterson, who appears to have a soft spot for Jen, and, well, whoa. It's going to take everything Jen has (and a lot of help from the Karate Kid-wisdom of her pop culture hero Mr. Miyagi) to survive the meeting of past and present, and of North and Far East and South...where Jen finally learns to come to terms with her heritage, her love life, and herself.

drey's thoughts:
I picked up Dixieland Sushi on a whim--it's got a cute cover, I loved the title, and checking out a book about a half-Asian growing up in the South tickled my fancy... I've had it for 7 months now, and picked it up last night for a bit of light reading. And boy, did it do the trick.

Dixieland Sushi is light-hearted chick-lit at it's best--humorous, witty, and entertaining. The dialog is quick and crisp. The repartee between Jen and Riley is spot on. I can see these guys hamming it up in my head. The book switches back and forth between Jen's current day and her past--LOVED the references to her childhood, with her crush on Kevin, her BFF-till-she-betrayed-her, her squabbles with her sister Kimberly, and her life in general... Jen's family is definitely quirky, to say the least!

If you need another easy-to-read, chick-lit book for your beach bag, you can't go wrong with this. =)

Title: Dixieland Sushi
Author: Cara Lockwood
ISBN-10: 0743499425
ISBN-13: 9780743499422
Paperback: 283 pages
Publisher: Downtown Press, 2005

64. Hot Flash by Kathy Carmichael...

Hot Flash was a book I won from Yankee Romance Reviewers, wayyyyyy back in February... It came from the author herself, signed with a personal note & everything. How lovely, eh? =)

Anyway, I finally picked it up. Needed something lighter after the recent fare I've been reading... What can I say, I LOVED it. It fit my mood perfectly, and provided exactly what I was looking for - humor, sass, a very likable main character, and an actual storyline. Sure, it didn't require a lot of thinking, but that's what made this just perfect. =) I mean, how could you resist a book that starts out with "Birthdays are like a box of Tampax."? I snorted. Really.

Hot Flash tells the story of Jill Morgan Stern, 40-year-old single mom and sous-chef trying to figure out how to pay for college for her talented artist son Stephen. She decides to send out a survey to a list of married couples, seeking the secrets of their success. The responses she receives add to the humor factor, even though there's plenty of humor already.

Pick this one up for a light-hearted, entertaining read.

Title: Hot Flash
Author: Kathy Carmichael
ISBN-13: 978-1-934-75503-7
Paperback: 371 pages
Publisher: Medallion Press, 2009

40. Jack with a Twist by Brenda Janowitz...

After Scot on the Rocks, Brooke's life is back on track. Gorgeous fiance? Check! Great new job? Check! Fabulous designer making her a custom wedding dress? Check! So, what could go wrong? You know something goes wrong, or there wouldn't be a story, right?

How about we start with the family clashes between the parental units? Over the menu, the location, the cake... What about her best friend Vanessa's divorce, taking place right now? And her mom's not-so-subtle hints that Brooke's size 10 isn't quite svelte enough for that designer dress that she'll be wearing...

On top of that, she lands the case of her career. Only to face off in court against none other than the man she's about to marry. Jack with a Twist is an escalation of events when neither will back off the case. And Brooke ~ sleep-deprived, wedding dress-less, suspicious-of-Jack's-new-associate, pile-of-wedding-plans-to-take-care-of, asleep-on-her-feet Brooke ~ finally decides that this Jack is not the Jack she thought he was.

Brenda Janowitz is as entertaining with Jack with a Twist as she was with Scot on the Rocks. Grab it for a quick, fun, read. Don't forget the chocolate!

Oh, and come back on Monday (March 2nd) for a giveaway of Jack with a Twist!!

Title: Jack with a Twist
Author: Brenda Janowitz
ISBN-10: 0-373-89555-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-89555-7
Publisher: Red Dress Ink, 2008

29. Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz...

Title: Scot on the Rocks
Author: Brenda Janowitz
ISBN-10: 0-373-89528-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-89528-1
Paperback: 293 pages
Publisher: Red Dress Ink, 2007

What do you do when your ex-boyfriend - the ultra-competitive one, who always has to "win" - invites you to his wedding? So what if he's getting married to the latest It Girl? Do you go, or not? Do you agonize for hours (days!) over the decision?

Brooke actually experiences this. Her ex-boyfriend is getting married (yes, to the It Girl), and calls to gloat/invite her to the wedding. So Brooke does what any sane not-at-all-jealous/envious/insert-your-version-of-the-green-eyed-monster-here girl does - she accepts the invitation. And tells the ex that she's bringing her fiance. The Scot (from the title)...

Little does she know that by the time the wedding rolls around, she'll be sans Scot (who never even made it to fiance), and agonizing whether to show up solo or not show up at all. One bright idea later, her friend Jack is escorting her to the wedding, complete with kilt & Scottish accent.

Scot on the Rocks is a funny and entertaining story about a girl who has everything working the way it's supposed to, before it falls apart. She scrambles to try and salvage the pieces, and discovers along the way that she might not want all those pieces after all. And sometimes what you're really looking for has been right next to you all along. A great first novel for Brenda Janowitz.

28. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies
Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN-10: 0-689-86538-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86538-1
Paperback: 425 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2005

The world is very different from the one we know now. Cities are smaller, and very compact. Everything is done with the aid of technology - including walls that absorb discarded items and recycles them. And where you wait until your sixteenth birthday, eagerly anticipating the process that will make you a Pretty. Because, duh, you're just an Ugly till then.

Tally Youngblood is one of those anxiously waiting for her sixteenth birthday. She's the last of her friends to turn Pretty, and she can't wait. She meets Shay, another Ugly, who shares the same birthday. Shay takes Tally adventuring beyond the city limits, telling her that there are people, Uglies, who live "outside," in the Smokes, where they don't have to become Pretty.

Then Shay runs away. And Tally is told that in order to be Pretty, she'll have to track Shay down and lead the Specials (for Special Circumstances) to the Smokes. And even though Tally doesn't want to betray her friend, she has to do this, because she just has to be Pretty. Because what would life be, if you're not Pretty?

Uglies is a captivating story where the main character has her eyes opened to the reality of the world she lives in. One where normal is biologically unacceptable, and everyone goes under the knife to achieve perfection. It is the story of her need to conform, followed by her understanding that there can be a different view of life - one where you don't have to be what you're told, and can be who you want. And as understanding and realization grow, the need to be Pretty doesn't seem so pressing anymore.

I've now got Pretties on my library queue. I cannot wait to read what happens next to Tally...

23. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
ISBN-10: 0-440-24098-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-440-24098-3
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Dell, 2007

Darkfever tells the story of how MacKayla (Mac) finds out about the world of the Fae while seeking the truth behind her sister's death. Not only does she find out that the Fae actually exist in this world, she also finds out that she's one of a very few who have the power to see through their glamour, and can freeze them in place with a single touch. That's enough to make any grieving sister run screaming to the other end of the earth. Unfortunately for Mac, she doesn't...

While in Dublin, she meets Jericho Barrons, the tall, intensely masculine, mysterious, filthy-rich owner of Barrons Books and Baubles. Jericho also happens to be looking for the same thing that Mac's sister tells her to find - a very powerful book that's very much wanted, by good guys and bad alike. (Can I call them "guys"?) And Mac has to figure out if he's on the "good" side or not. While she's figuring that out, she meets V'lane, prince of the Tuatha De Danaan. Or, as I'd call him, Sex-on-Wheels. That would be the only reason Mac finds herself taking off her clothes in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. Right?

I guess Mac was okay as the "heroine" of this book. She flies across an ocean without any help from anyone. She gets lost in the streets of Dublin. At night. After she finds out that there are scary creepy things crawling around out there. She stares at the fae so hard that other sidhe-seers have to clock her upside the head to get her to stop. Sometimes it seemed like a smidgen more common sense would've been a good thing for Mac to have... 

I also had a hard time pronouncing some of the terms used, like Sinsar Dubh, even in my head. That's my own problem though - guess I'm not used to words that don't sound like they're spelled. =) However, it did put a little itty-bitty damper on my enjoyment of the story, because I kept stopping to think "how do I say that again?" while reading... Maybe by the time I get to Bloodfever I'll have figured it out. If you're a fan of Moning's Highlander series (which I figured out were romance novels), there's more fantasy than romance in this book (yes, even with mr. sex-on-wheels). If you're a fantasy buff, pick it up for the storytelling.

2009 Ban on Spending Challenge...

J.Kaye put out an S.O.S. for someone to run this challenge for 2009. I nuttily volunteered. Mostly because I agreed with the spirit of the challenge. I spend way too much on books. Authors, publishers, and retailers probably love me for it, but my budget needs some control. Ok, LOTS of control. And since I now wield (& use!) a library card, I can try to put some parameters around buying books.

So, without further ado, here's my rules for the 2009 Ban on Spending Challenge:

1. List all the books on your TBR list. Every single one.
2. No purchasing books for yourself until all the books listed are gone. No purchasing books for other people with the intention of reading them after they are finished. Library or other borrowed books can’t be listed.
3. Any books won in a raffle or given to you as a gift will be added to this list.
4. Books to be reviewed for promo companies, other blogs, authors, etc. do not count and are not added to this list.
5. Challenge runs January 1st to December 31st, 2009. Start anytime and list as many or as few books as you have. Once all books are checked off from the list, the ban is lifted and the spending can begin again.
6. If you don't have a ton of books to list, but would still like to participate in the spirit of the challenge, you may elect to participate in a period of "abstinence" ~ e.g. no buying from January through April. Make sure to state your intent & the period of time you're abstaining for.
7. I MAY have a prize at the end of the year, I'll have to think of the qualifications (most books waded thru? longest wait? random?).
   
8. If you don't have a blog and would like to still join, list your books in the comment section below.
   
9. Any questions? Post a comment, & I'll figure it out. =)
10. Have FUN!

I think if I can do this well, I might be able to save enough for a Kindle... That's a HUGE incentive for me! =) My list.

Sign up using Mr. Linky:


Enter your challenge books here:

My entry for the 2009 Ban on Spending Challenge...

Since I'm hosting this challenge, I should probably take part in it, huh? =)

My TBR list:

1. Darkfever ~ Karen Marie Moning (review)
2. Uglies ~ Scott Westerfeld (review)
3. Dixieland Sushi ~ Cara Lockwood
4. Magic to the Bone ~ Devon Monk
5. The Man with the Golden Torc ~ Simon Green
6. Playing for Pizza ~ John Grisham
7. One Foot in the Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost
8. The Riven Kingdom ~ Karen Miller
9. Scot on the Rocks ~ Brenda Janowitz (review)
10. Jack with a Twist ~ Brenda Janowitz (review)
11. The Memorist ~ M.J. Rose
12. Wife Goes On ~ Leslie Wehr
13. City Dog ~ Alison Pace
14. Time of My Life ~ Allison Winn Scotch
15. Gods Behaving Badly ~ Marie Phillips
16. Jinx ~ Jennifer Estep
17. Funny in Farsi ~ Firoozeh Dumas
18. Hot Flash ~ Kathy Carmichael (review)
    
19.