Salt and Silver

I really hate to say bad things about a book, but this one didn't do it for me. I started reading this last night and was over half way done before i gave up.
The story idea wasn't bad - a hellmouth in someone's diner, a hot demon hunter, and a girl with developing powers. Yay, right? It was written in first person and it felt like the whole book was just this girl's stream of conciousness. I didn't feel connected to the story, to the characters or even to her. The main character was supposed to be nearing 30 but acted 14.
I really felt like i was reading a young adult book honestly. Except for the sex scenes - and that was just randomly thrown in there. We went through the whole first quarter of the book with the protagonist making it clear that the hero wasn't interested in her. Then suddenly..he's feeling her up in the basement. And it wasn't the hot spontanious groping either - i felt like i'd missed a page or something.
I honestly felt like i was hearing this story second hand, it just didn't pull me in. Some parts were pretty funny, the author has a quirky sense of humor that got me giggling a couple times.
I also didn't like the main character, Allie. She was kinda stupid. and spoiled. and childish. Which i supposed she was supposed to be, since she was a former rich girl turned poor diner manager but i never saw any growth from her. She just kinda told us that she was rich and now she was all responsible and grown up and stuff.
Over all i'd say no. I might read something from her again..just to see if her writing has improved because like i said, good story idea and quirky humor...but i'm not going to finish Salt and Silver.

Cassie Palmer Series

Okay so i just finished the Cassie Palmer series by Karen Chance. So far it's up to 4 books. Touch the Dark, Claimed by Shadow, Embrace the Night and Curse the Dawn.

I LOVED this series! It's now on my list of series that i keep up with.

The story is about Cassie Palmer a twenty-something claravoyant who has been hiding out from her surrogate vampire guardian for years. Her side-kick is Billy a card shark who died decades ago, he was dropped into a lake to drown and ended up bonding with a necklace he'd been wearing at his death. Now Cassie owns the necklace and Billy does errands for her in exchange for sharing some of her energy and keeping him a bit more active than the average ghost.

It's been discovered that Cassandra might be next in line as Pythia and ancient office dating back to the priestesses of Apollo. Cassie wants none of this and no one but the vampires seems to want her in the office either.

Dont let the first book discourage you. Although it was very well written it was a bit of a struggle with so much back story to get out, flashing forwards, backwards and even Sideways in time. I had serious concerns about continuing with it just because i'd find my self lost and confused.

But the author really hit her stride with the second and third book in the series. I Love how Cassie and Pritkin interact! The books sometimes remind me of a paranormal version of the Stephanie Plum series as we watch Cassie blunder her way through one fight to the next..somehow surviving on sheer luck and help from her friends. We get to watch Cassie finally accept her position as Pythia and stuggle to be the person she Wants to be instead of what everyone else would like to make her. She fears being controlled by the vampires and the circle.

All in all, i love this series. It's laugh out loud funny, seriously fast-paced, and full of action. There is Never a dull moment and no point where the story lags. The romance is great too - the tension between Pritkin and Cassie is just what I've been looking for and the scenes with Mircea are hot.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

..On to the next....

You're the One that I Haunt

I just finished "You're the one that i haunt" by Terri Garey

It is the 3rd installment in the Nikki Styx series. Nikki experienced a near death experience, went to the light and returned..with a gift. She can now see dead people. Over the last 2 books she has met the devil, found a long lost and unknown twin sister and hooked up with the hot er doctor that brought her back to life.

In this book the devil, Sammy, is back to cause trouble again. He has opened a shop accross from her's in Five Points. An angry anorexic ghost, a child molesting television evangelist and a visit from her cross dressing grandmother/father and her spell casting garden club make for a fast paced and fun story.

I enjoyed the book - I really like the character Nikki Styx. She really doesn't want this 'gift' she has been given and isn't into the whole new age/psychic or wiccan stuff. She has a unique style and view of the world. And her best friend Evan is a hoot.

I would totally recommend it for a quick, light, paranormal read. Although if you are looking for something heavy on the romance, this wouldn't be the one for you. Although Nikki and her doctor are sweet and truly care about each other - the point of the story isn't really about their relationship or chemistry. Tho she does write Sammy well. She manages to give the devil a human and sexy aspect that even I, knowing that bedding down with a demon is never a good thing, couldn't help but wonder if maybe it would be worth it....

A beginning

I wanted to create a space where i could talk about the books i'm reading.



A little bit about me, I'm 27 years old. I work in a Bookstore. And my To-Be-Read pile is now up to 160 books. I have them stacked on the shelves of my entertainment center. They used to have their own small bookcase - two short shelves that i used as a nightstand. However my 'pile' has grown too large for it and now my bookcase hold my shoes.



My goal for this year is to read everything in my pile. It did not get this large because i am a slow reader or because i just buy too many books. I was in college until 6 months ago and wouldn't allow myself to read fiction. I knew that if i did i'd never get my homework done. So, for 2 years my pile grew. It was much larger than it is now. I made some painful cuts. Books that i thought I Might like, if i were in the right mood.... where taken to the used bookstore for credit. I then used that credit to fill in the holes of some of the series i had.



See, i rarely buy my own books. My sister-in-law is as big of a bibliophile as i am. The only difference is i keep my books when i'm done and she doesn't. We read generally the same thing, which makes me the happy recipient of all of her books when she is finished.



Okay. Well so far this year i've read...

The entire Anita Blake series, by Laurell K. Hamilton (erm..15ish books?)

The entire Dark-hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. (23ish books)

Nora Roberts: The Circle Trilogy (3 bks)

Nora Roberts: The sign of Seven trilogy (3 bks)

Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

some true crime book that isn't really important now - it was pretty creepy tho - as reality tends to be

Yasmine Galenorn - Witchling, Changeling and Darkling
Patricia Briggs: Bone Crossed
Kim Harrison: White Witch, Black Curse

I'm sure there are a few tucked in between those. Those have been my big projects. The Hamilton and Kenyon series.

I'll make individual posts to talk about each series i've read..if i have anything to say about it.