Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings

I changed the name of my weekly list of new reads. "Books Bought and Received" was a bit boring as far as titles go, so I came up with "Feeding the Need to Read". I think this title says it all.

This week was a very good week in books for me.

Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh

I won this over at Odd Shots and it's signed by Meljean Brook!

Book Blurb from Amazon.com:

From New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris and Nalini Singh and national bestselling authors Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook, tales of man's worst friend...

In these hound-eat-hound worlds, anything goes... and everything bites.

Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer's realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets, in Charlaine Harris's The Britlingens Go to Hell. Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of non- lethal vampire trackers, one that intends to eradicate the entire species of bloodsuckers, in Nalini Singh's Angels' Judgment. Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world-and whose scent he's following-in Ilona Andrews's Magic Mourns. Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind- and damn sexy-companion and a hellhound in Meljean Brook's Blind Spot.

These four novellas by today's hottest paranormal authors will have hellhound lovers everywhere howling.

About the Authors
Charlaine Harris writes both fantasy/mystery and mystery. The HBO series True Blood is based on her Sookie Stackhouse novels. Nalini Singh is the author of the Psy-Changeling and the Guild hunter series. Ilona Andrews is the author, most recently, of Magic Strikes. Meljean Brook is the author of the Guardian series.

Dark Time by Dakota Banks
Book 1, Mortal Path

I recieved this book from RachaelFromNJ in exchange for a review on her blog Enchanted by Books.

Book Burb from Amazon.com:

Three hundred years ago, she sold her soul to a demon. Now she wants it back.
For centuries, the woman calling herself Maliha Crayne has lived a second life—as an assassin for the malevolent creature who owns her soul. A haunted killer with the blood of countless victims on her hands, she has finally discovered a way to nullify the demonic pact that chains her: If she saves a life for every one she has taken, she will be free.
But if she fails, her punishments will be unspeakable, unendurable . . . and neverending.

Tainted ARC by Julie Kenner
Book 1, The Blood Lily Chronicles
Release Date: October 27, 2009

Recieved for review.

Book blurb from Amazon.com:

Lily Carlyle has lied, cheated, and stolen her way through life.

But in death, she'll really get to be bad...

When her little sister is brutalized, a vengeful Lily determines to exact her own justice. She succeeds at the cost of her own life, but as she lies dying, she is given a second chance. Lily can earn her way into Paradise by becoming an assassin for the forces of good.

It's the job Lily believes she can really get into-but she doesn't realize that she may not be able to get out.

Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin
Book 3, Jaz Parks

I won this over at Amberkatze's Book Blog and it's signed by Jennifer Rardin!

Book Blurb from Amazon.com:

I'm Lucille Robinson (aka Jaz Parks). This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take-them-out-and-run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We've never gone in which such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um...nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit. To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. This is going to be a blast.

I noticed the other day, surfing Amazon.com, that the Sookie Stackhouse Series is getting revamped with new book covers and reissued. Looks like they are doing a tie-in with True Blood HBO series with these. The new covers have a Young Adult book cover feel to them. I could only find the first six in the series with new covers and I couldn't find any other information about them. So, I'm not sure if they are going to revamp all of the book covers in the series or just the first six.

Before I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse Series, I had seen these books at the book store but never bothered to pick them up because of the covers. Now, if the books had the new covers, way back when, I would've picked them up sooner. True Blood, the HBO series, brought my attention to this series, when it premiered last fall. Of course, now I'm hooked on this series, books and HBO shows, line and sinker.

As an aside, if I had been blogging before January of this year, I would've know this was a good series. Thankfully I came out of my hidy-hole and ventured onto the intrawebs after hours. Being a web developer as my profession, when I got off work, I would avoid the computer like the plague. Something changed/clicked last December, don't remember what it was. Just glad it did.

The old book covers did grow me as I read the series but I do like the new ones. What do you think about the new covers? Do you like them?

New Covers	Old Covers
July 7, 2009
August 5, 2009
September 1, 2009
October 6, 2009
November 3, 2009
December 1, 2009

Book covers are from Amazon.com

I've seen this book meme on a couple of blogs, Literary Escapism and Anna's Book Blog. It looked like something fun to do and wanted to give it a go. As I was going through these questions, I realized just how tough some of them were to answer. You'll be able to tell by my vague answers. Also, I did add one question, "Favorite Fantasy?" The question list just didn't seem complete without it for me.

What author do you own the most books by?
Sherrilyn Kenyon. I have every one of the books on the Dark-Hunters and Dream-Hunters series, including anthologies and guide. Also, have all of the Drizzt Do'Urden books by R.A. Salvatore.

What book do you own the most copies of?
Two copies of Gena Showalter's Heart of the Dragon, one is autographed by Gena. I usually do not have more than one copy of a book. I don't collect multiples of the same book, one copy is good enough.

What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I wouldn't say I was ever in love with a character, I would call it a crush or puppy love. That being said, I'm a "book du jour girl" when it comes to the fictional characters in a books, a book hussie.

What book have you read more than any other?
I really don't like to reread books because I am so enthralled with the aspects of the unknown/not knowing when it comes to reading.

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
I really don't remember what I was reading at that age. But I will say The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis to this day, is a bright spot in my childhood reading.

What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
I pondered this question for a good while but came up with nothing.

What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
In urban fantasy, it's between Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris and The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein. I really liked both. In Fantasy, The Pirate King by R.A. Salvatore.

If you could tell everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
I would be real hard put to pin down just one book. I like so many books, it almost seems like I would be cheating on one book for another. So, I plead the fifth here.

What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture by Martin Fowler, I had to read this for work. The difficult part of reading this book, wasn't understanding it, because I did. It was rereading sections because my mind would wander. Yawn.

Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Concerning books neither, because I can't read either languages. Not sure why this question is here. o_O

Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?
I pick Shakespeare because I've had more exposure to his works.

Austen or Eliot?
Honestly, neither.

What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I don't have one. I don't read to impress anyone, I read because I enjoy it.

What is your favorite novel?
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, has earned this spot since it's the book that introduced me into the world of paranormal/urban fantasy reading.

What is your favorite play?
I don't have one but if I ever got the chance I would love to see Cats.

What is your favorite poem?
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

What is your favorite essay?
I haven't read an essay since college. And I don't recall what any of them were.

What is your favorite short story?
I just drew a blank here, none come to mind.

What is your favorite non-fiction
Since I don't read non-fiction unless it is a requirement of some sort, I don't have one.

What is your favorite graphic novel?
I haven't read any but I do have The Watchmen on my TBR list.

What is your favorite science fiction?
I haven't read any science fiction in sense of Star Wars type books but I love to watch it. Growing up, Star Trek and Buck Rogers were some of my favorite shows, later as an adult the X-Files. Now a days, it is the Stargate series. I plan on reading Grimspace by Ann Aguirre, which is a space opera.

Who is your favorite writer?
I have too many favorites to name just one. But if the favorite writer question was plural, I would say R.A. Salvatore, Anne Rice, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jeri Smith-Ready, Barb & J.C. Hendee, Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, Charlaine Harris, Jeanne Stein, Anne Bishop. Should I stop now?

Who is the most over rated writer alive today?
Before I answer, I'm putting up my force field shield because I know there are many who would stone me for this answer. Stephenie Meyers, her books are okay but I do not think they are all that and a bag of chips.

What are you reading right now?
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Best Fantasy?
The Dark Elf Trilogy, Collector's Edition (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn) by R. A. Salvatore

Best Memoir?
I've actually never thought about reading one.

Best History?
History is not a favorite subject of mine, so no books come to mind unless you want to count The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. :D

Best Mystery or Noir?
The Descent by Jeff Long