Ringing in the New

2009 definitely had it's ups and downs. New job, new friends, new personal losses. All of it combining into year that I could have never seen coming. What I am exceedingly grateful for are the people in my life who make it worth living and the surprising joy I've gotten through writing here. It started out as an idea in high school, an idea that my friends could go to a website, see a list of the books I've read with possibly a thumbs up or down, all to help them make their own new book choices. It's evolved into Reading Amidst the Chaos, where I steadily keep my reading alive and out there for other people. I don't have to know you personally to want you to read the best of what's out there - and I hope that, at least a little, this site helps you find it. With over 100 posts and counting I feel like I finally have a rhythm and purpose with all the feelings that I have about books. I look to 2010 and hope to see this expand even more, with guest writers and contests, video chats and more. We'll just have to see how that goes though...Either way - HAPPY NEW YEAR! And I hope that you spend 2010 with the best books you can find!

To end the year on a high note, I'm going to try and do a not Bible length post about the Worth It and Not Worth It picks of 2009. I can't say that this covers everything, apparently my Google Calendar didn't start until March 2009, but I think all in all this covers most of the year so it should still be helpful.

Worth It: This was the year for sequels. Throughout 2009 I saw a lot of authors come forward with incredible additions to well loved series. Whether it was Magic Strikes by Illona Andrews, the 3rd in her series, or Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, the 11th in his, sequels just roared to the forefront with power and substance. They stood on their own with story lines and characters twists, making the whole series that much more powerful. Whether the author was old or new, sequels totally grabbed my heart this year, with ones like The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston and Burning Wild by Christine Feehan being read over and over again. Here's the final list of what really caught my attention in 2009:





Magic Strikes – Andrews
Turn Coat – Jim Butcher
Lover Avenged – JR Ward
Burning Wild – Christine Feehan
Dead and Gone – Charlaine Harris
Skin Trade – Laurell K. Hamilton
Mastered by Love- Stephanie Laurens
What a Dragon Should Know – G.A. Aiken
The Mane Squeeze – Shelly Laurenston

Not Worth It: There weren't many books this year that were completely and totally not worth my time. Even the 3 that made this list weren't complete losses, just ones that I wish I'd gotten from the library because they weren't that good and now I'm going to feel compelled to complete the series. Nora Roberts' Vision in White was just not that good. It was typical and mediocre and not an example of the type of eye catching romance that she usually writes. That's what really puts it in this category - I know she can do better and I refuse to accept that this is how she chose to start a new series (especially a trade paper series). Anthologies are always tricky, so Never After's appearance on this side wasn't a surprise, and Covet by JR Ward was just strange. I understand that it was series opener, and thus had a lot of world building and character explanations to do, but I still feel like it could have done better. So the short but sweet Not Worth It list looks like this:

Vision in White – Roberts
Covet – JR Ward
Never After - Laurell K. Hamilton, Yasmine Galenorn, Marjorie M. Liu, Sharon Shinn

Biggest Fake Out: Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.

I did this final part not to blame Patrick Rothfuss, but to mourn the book that could have been. I was SO READY for his next book to come out, and to find that it wasn't even through being edited was a bit of a shock. I'm still excited, I'm still waiting with bated breath for the book to be released, but in 2009 there was no bigger fake out than Wise Man's Fear.

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

She wanted dragon gold. She got a pair of shoes.

Many stories tell of damsels in distress, who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor, and swept off to live happily ever after.

This is not one of those stories.

True, when Creel’s aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is with the hope that the knight will marry Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it’s Creel who talks her way out of the dragon’s clutches. And it’s Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king’s city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession.

But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowingly possesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom…or destroy it.

Go buy Dragon Slippers! Immediately! Do you feel like you've lost touch with your childhood? Do you feel like you just can't remember why reading used to be fun and now it's a chore? GO BUY DRAGON SLIPPERS AND YOU'LL REMEMBER! This books is an incredible example of why juvenile literature should be embraced by all ages but especially encouraged in the young. It balances so well between being a childrens book and being a young adult novel. Creel shows the type of go-getter attitude that will endear her on the hearts and minds of everyone. And the adventure is definitely heart pounding, with dragons doing battle and good against evil at the center.

I would definitely recommend that anyone take the time to read this book for themselves or with someone younger. I'm most exited about reading the rest of this series and hopefully starting in on her other set of books.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up. A lot of fun and one that's good for everyone at any age.

Series - 1) Dragon Slippers 2) Dragon Flight 3) Dragon Spear

Servant: The Kindred by L.L. Foster

Gabrielle Cody is a paladin-God's enforcer on earth. But she's not sure she can endure the life of a holy warrior. Her relationship with Detective Luther Cross is under constant strain already, and its going to get worse.

There is a monster feeding off of human blood, flesh, and souls and Gaby must stop him. But her passion for Luther distracts her from the terrible connection she has with her quarry-and the creature's desire to devour her.

It shows you how busy life can be, when you go through your old posts and find a draft of review from FIVE MONTHS AGO that you barely remember. Oy. I need to always finish what I start - this is the lesson that I've learned from this. Now, back to the review.

I think I might have said this before, but what I find the most intriguing about this series by Foster is that it's never quite clear how much is real, how much is fantasy. You're never really certain when what Gaby sees is what's there and when it might be a hallucination. It's pretty much always implied that what she sees is what's actually happening, in all its gruesome, bloody glory, but the cops and other supportive characters in the books don't always see it. It's more that they're willing to trust Gaby's instincts than anything else. In this particular book I like the continuation of Gaby and Luther's relationship, with both of them trying to figure out how to fit in each other's lives with all these new monsters and responsibilities around them. All of the reluctantly gotten, but now treasured friends that Gaby has accumulated throughout the other books make an appearance, and Foster does a great job of making the reader excited for the next book, while also secretly dreading the monster that's going to be revealed the next time around.

Overall Feeling -Thumbs up. Of course darker than her romance, Foster shows a real aptitude for making what goes bump in the night real in our world.

Series - 1) Servant: The Awakening 2) Servant: The Acceptance 3) Servant: The Kindred

Flesh Circus by Liltih Saintcrow

The Cirque de Charnu has come.

They will clean out the demons and the suicides, and move on. As long as they stay within the rules, Jill Kismet can't deny them entry. But she can watch--and if they step out of line, she'll send them packing.

When Cirque performers start dying grotesquely, Kismet has to find out why, or the fragile truce won't hold and her entire city will become a carnival of horror. She also has to play the resident hellbreed power against the Cirque to keep them in line, and find out why ordinary people are needing exorcisms. And then there's the murdered voodoo practitioners, and the zombies.

An ancient vengeance is about to be enacted. The Cirque is about to explode. And Jill Kismet is about to find out some games are played for keeps...

Yay I'm not dead! Sorry for the absence readers - I've been dealing with house guests galore! (House guests, if you're reading this, it's not that I don't love you, it's just that you make me slightly too busy to be reading enough to write good reviews!) Anyway, what matters is that instead of rereading old stuff I finally finished something new! I think I've reviewed her books before, but it doesn't really matter for this one does it? Flesh Circus picks up where Redemption Alley left of, with Jill Kismet still fighting the good fight, trying to keep the monsters of the nightside from taking over entirely. I tried to be as committed to Saintcrow's Valentine series, but I think that Jill is just a much more compelling character, with enough twists, turns, and almost psychopathic tendencies to keep a reader interested for a good long while. And of course the types of bad guys that take center stage in these books are also what keep me coming for more. Hellbreed and Traders might be the usual, but Saintcrow manipulates what goes on them in such a way that you're never bored or feel like you know what's going to happen - in fact, it's quite the opposite. Often you feel like you're in the middle of an intricate mystery that has so many hidden components that you're never going to get out unless she shows you the way. But you never feel like you're not connected, so it's always fun to get to the end.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up. It might have taken me a few days to get enough free time to read the book, but it was definitely worth the wait. A great paranormal series to have on your shelf!

Series - 1) Night Shift 2) Hunter's Prayer 3) Redemption Alley 4) Flesh Circus

Merry Christmas!

In the spirit of the season and of the joy of the day - Merry Christmas! Try to take some time for yourself, not just your family, to reminisce on the good things you have in your life! It might not be Thanksgiving, but thanks and thoughts can still be given for everything and every person that is important.

Happy Holidays!

<3,
Dana

Buying that special gift for a book lover

It was walking into work today that made me think of this one - along with the conversations I had with my house guest last night: how do you buy a gift for someone that loves to read? It's an unexpectedly hard question once you start thinking about it. What books do they want? What books do they already have? If they follow a particular series, are they waiting for that one book to complete their set or is the whole thing a hodgepodge they're still trying to fill? Once all the questions start coming to mind it almost seems easier to scrap the whole thing and just get your friend a hat. But don't fret! I am here to tell you that it's a lot easier to buy for a book lover than it seems at first glance. All you have to remember are two simple things:

1) Don't be ashamed of buying a gift card! This is a VERY important lesson to remember! I don't care what people say about 'surprises' or proving that you really 'know' them - a book lover will love a gift card! Who doesn't love the option of buying everything they want, from now until some point in the future when they finally use up the card? Unless of course they're people like me, who have their book list planned out 6 months in advance and can use up a gift card in one trip. But even then, don't think I don't enjoy it! I have a tendency to buy a lot of the books I want, I budget for them in fact, and I think I would be making a pretty good guess to say that other book lovers do the same thing. So unless you live with them, and can search through their bookshelves to find out what they're missing (or if you have ESP, which if you do, A+ for the win! Want to give my mind a try?), it's really just better to go with the gift card. Yes it's not big and spiffy and wrapped with a bow (unless you do that box within a box trick, which unless you're experienced I wouldn't recommend), but they'll love it just as if it was.

2) Forgo the element of surprise and just ask what he/she wants. I have to say that nobody likes to hear this option but it's been the one to give me the most personal satisfaction. Say that someone is waiting to start a series of books, one that's been going on for a while now so it has a lot of backlisted titles - it's hard to just jump into that. BUT if you were to ask them if there was a particular book or books they really wanted, this gives them the chance to step forward and say 'I would love if you could get me this..." If surprises are a really big thing for you, then ask for a list of books that they want. This allows you to pick and choose as you go, thus avoiding a situation where they'll know exactly what they're opening Christmas day.

Ok guys, those are my two big tips for the holidays. Sounds simple, right? It would probably surprise you how many people stress themselves out worrying what to get for that special someone in their life. Well these two seemingly simple things will make your life easier! But what about you? What do you do when you're not sure what to get someone for Christmas or their birthday?

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus's streets. But there's unrest in Tortall's capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won't let anything - or anyone - jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won't be enough for Beka be her usual 'terrier' self. She'll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals - to be a Bloodhound...

For some reason I'm always reluctant to pick up the latest book in this series. Maybe I'm afraid that Tamora will have a sudden fit of ennui and ruin a perfectly good story so far or that all of sudden some important character will die and it'll be too much for me. Who knows? Though I have decided at this point that I blame some of my hesitance on the jacket descriptions. For some reason they give me this feeling of doom for the series - I should probably just stop reading those entirely, huh? Well either way I was happily surprised and this was a great book for the Beka Cooper series. Beka has a grown up a bit and she's a full-fledged Dog, one who gets drawn into big to-dos at home and in Port Caynn. I highly recommend that you take some time and grab this book to ad to your shelves - because whether it's for you, your children, or any neighboring relative that crosses your path, it's a fun book. And a fun book with the appropriate amount of action and romance for all ages is almost impossible to come by.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up! I great Young Adult book, but it's adult enough for all of us!

Series - 1) Terrier 2) Bloodhound 3)Mastiff (2010)