2 Bloggers 1 Series - Magic Breaks

And just like that, Stormi and I are back with reviews for the 7th Kate Daniels book, "Magic Breaks."  The months are flying and so are the books. I can't believe only 3 left.  However, Anne from Books of My Heart recommended that we really should read "Iron and Magic" between books 9 and 10 so we are planning on working it in as well.  Wish us luck, it centers around Hugh and we both despise him...I mean, REALLY despise him.  Oh well, on to this month's read.  And make sure to go check out Stormi's thoughts @   Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

TITLE: Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7)

AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews

PUBLISHER: Ace Hardcover

PUBLISHING DATE: July 29, 2014

FROM GOODREADS: As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate. 

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear… 

MY THOUGHTS: First things first, where oh where is my precious Grendel?  What's up with that.  No mention of him whatsoever if I recall correctly.  Of course that might be because this book is so jam-packed full of action from start to finish that had he been present, I probably would have worried about him endlessly.

So "Magic Breaks" is kind of a turning point in the series. In fact, it very much feels like the last installment, but the author makes a note in the beginning that it isn't the case.  I'm glad because I'm not quite ready for it to end.  Curran goes out of town on a hunting expedition and no sooner than he leaves, does the Conclave erupt with murder and mayhem.  It's up to Kate to figure out what is going on, protect her people, not get herself killed and oh yea, possible battle her father to the death.

I don't want to give a lot away because I hope that if you haven't read this series yet, Stormi and I have inspired you to give it a go.  But I will say that I even though I had a few minor issues with this one (see above Grendel statement, and oh yea, not a lot of Curran), I am enjoying this series as much now as I did when we started it in January.  Kate really is a wonderful character with plenty of sass to provide some small chuckles even in the grimmest of situations.  And once again, a lot of my favorite side characters are present.  I even managed to like Desandra and never thought that would happen after book #6!

I will say that as I mentioned above, I'm not real happy with Hugh and can't imagine what happens in the next two books which warrants him having his own spin-off book.  However, I will trust my fellow bloggers and at least give "Iron & Magic" a chance.  Bring on book #8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RATING: 4 PAWS (again, see more Grendel and more Curran comments above).

Can't Wait Wednesday (228)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

So the public has spoken - Cass is now a full-time contributor to Can't Wait Wednesday.  That means each week you'll see two books here. Of course Cass is already lobbying for an increase in salary (at least he works for treats - and bandanas).

FROM GOODREADS: For lovers of the supernatural and the macabre comes this collection of ghostly and chilling stories from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Fantastic psychic visions, specters looming in the shadows, encounters with deities, a man who switches bodies with a cat—be sure to keep the light on whilst reading these tales.

The Last Séance gathers twenty stories, some featuring Christie’s beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, in one haunting compendium that explores all things occult and paranormal, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I've been wanting to try an Agatha Christie book and I think this is a great place to start. 

CASSIUS'S PICK:

SYNOPSIS:  On call at Crater Emergency Animal Hospital, I, Doctor Kallie Collins, receive a curious request from the sheriff’s department. I’m to meet with a detective at a small ranch outside of town.

You see, there’s this dog with a bone he’s not willing to part with.

On scene, the dog tells me the bone is human. Actually, he shows me the location of the body, complete with a human skull, through an animal-communication technique I learned a couple years ago. Now I have to explain how this works to the detective, convincing him I’m not the murderer.

Who knew a simple farm visit would put me in the middle of a murder investigation? Well, I did kinda jump into this mess. I had to. I know what happened. The two four-legged witnesses to the murder told me.

And I’m the only one listening.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  Hmmm, I'm thinking the vet can hear us dogs talk - what about you? That sounds really cool and although Mom and Dad understand me pretty well, if they could learn how to REALLY communicate with me, we'd be set!  I'd definitely get a snack raise for that!

SO WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

TTT - What I Eat and Drink While Reading

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week we are sharing our favorite things to eat and drink while reading.  I'll be honest and admit I don't really have a go-to choice when reading but I will try to share some favorites.

I am obsessed with these things.  Until last year I could only find them at Easter, but then they got smart and started selling them all year round.  Definitely my favorite snack candy.

I don't drink plain water much so these flavored packets are a lifesaver. Since cutting out almost ALL soda last year, I'm always searching for new flavors.

I love Iced Coffee all year round.

What can I say, sometimes you need something stronger.  Nothing like a Corona with Lime.

Remember when I said I cut out almost ALL soda.  Well, now you know the exception to that rule.

So there you have it, candy and beverages.  It's just too messy to eat a lot of foods when reading.

Apex Back Catalog Tour - Desper Hollow

This month I am teaming up with Apex to help promote some of their back catalog. When I heard about their plan for a month-long event, I reached out to them and am thrilled to be taking part.  

TITLE: Desper Hollow
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Massie
PUBLISHER: Apex Publications
PUBLISHING DATE: June 3, 2013

FROM GOODREADS: It begins when mountain matriarch Granny Mustard decides she wants to live forever, but then is killed. Her slow-witted but equally hardheaded granddaughter Jenkie decides to pick up the ball and run with it, taking Granny's unperfected immortality moonshine recipe, a socially-inept friend named Bink, and dreams of fame and fortune to an abandoned trailer up in Desper Hollow. 

But slow-witted can't stand against the terrible power Granny initiated. Jenkie's experiments only worsen the troubles with Granny's original recipe, bringing dead critters and a few stray folks back to a state of hungry, vicious, mindless animation. Now a stash of the living dead is locked up in the back of the trailer, a howling herd that has Jenkie terrified. And Armistead, one of the red-eyed living dead, seems way too alert for comfort. 

Mountain resident Kathy Shaw and Hollywood pitchman Jack Carroll, who is looking for the next hit reality show, find themselves caught up in the growing horror surrounding Desper Hollow. They can't avoid it and must face it head on. So must Armistead, who fights the fog of his ghastly condition to discover the truth of who he really is. 

MY THOUGHTS:  I read this book pretty much in its entirety over Labor Day and it was a perfect way to spend a relaxed afternoon.  One night most of the mining town near Desper Hollow goes up in flames.  Granny Mustard, the moonshine running matriarch of the Mustard clan dies in the fire.  However, what most don't realize is that Granny was working on the key to mortality and may have been "dead" when she died.  Her granddaughter Jenkie wants to continue her plan and in the process, is creating mutated undead critters and people and locking them up in a rundown backwoods trailer.  A Hollywood producer shows up because Jenkie has pitched a rather unique reality show.  But will he make it out alive when people are turning up dead all over the place?

Like I mentioned, this book was just so much fun.  It was pretty much non-stop action and there is quite a wide variety of characters.  The fact that it takes place in the backwoods of Appalachia makes it even more atmospheric and scary.  Jenkie was not a likable character, but even so, I had to admire the fact that she really wanted to prove to her family she was capable of doing important things.  There is also one particular zombie, Armistead, who is different from all the rest and I kept waiting to find out what his purpose was, and when I did, it was a prefect ending.

I also feel like I have to mention this cover.  Apex truly has some wonderful covers out there and this one is no exception.  The cover represents the tale perfectly.

If you like action-packed zombie tales, then definitely give "Desper Hollow" a try.

RATING: 4 PAWS

Also, Apex is offering 25% off everything in the Apex store all month long with discount code SEPTEMBER.  Check them out HERE.

What's Happening...(09-14-19)

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out.  

So remember the cooler Fall temps I bragged about?  Well they ended.  We've had heat indexes of almost 100 all week.  Needless to say, the pup playdate has been put on hold until it is a tad cooler but I hope it can happen in the upcoming week.  And there will be plenty of pics.  Also, Cass will soon be modeling his bandana collection on our Instagram account so make sure you follow us so you can see his excitement!  

We managed to watch "The Dead Don't Die" this week. I think it was an homage to George Romero films and I usually don't like comedy/horror movies but this one was cool.  It had lots of great actors and Bill Murray was awesome.  I also started Season 3 of "13 Reasons Why" and have seven episodes left.  So tell me, did anyone else go to a school where so much drama and so little education took place???  Besides that we've been watching lots of football and working on my #Monsterathon challenge.  I hope to squeeze the new Elton John movie in this weekend too.

Speaking of the Monsterathon, I've now terrorized 2, 252 villagers so I'm inching closer to wiping out my hometown.  Keep cheering me on.  Pretty soon the place will be off the map entirely!  I hope to have finished "YOU" by the time you read this. I had to put it aside to read some blog tour books.  Then I plan on starting "The Imaginary Corpse" and "Time's Convert."  

I actually hauled a few physical books this week.  I had preordered "The Institute" and "Gideon the Ninth" and then one of my favorite authors, Laura Daleo, reached out and sent me a copy of her newest book "The Soul Collector."  

And finally, after not having any review copies for a week or so, a few did come in this week.  "In Cold Chamomile," "Coached to Death," and "Apple Cider Slaying" are both cute cozies.  "Blind Search" is a sequel to one of my most anticipated reads - which I STILL need to get to.  I think "A Sanctuary of Spirits" sounds good and is there any question why I am hauling "What I Lick Before Your Face."  

So all in all a pretty good week.  Hope you guys have had a wonderful week and have lots of fun things planned this coming week!

#Monsterathon Group Read

TITLE: Unnatural Creatures Anthology
AUTHOR: Stories selected by Neil Gaiman
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
PUBLISHING DATE: April 2013

MY THOUGHTS:  So for the Monsterathon, each team had to read a certain short story for this collection.  In addition, you could then terrorize additional villagers by reading the other teams' stories.  One thing I learned - I definitely think I picked the right team.

Team Beast's assignment was "The Griffin and the Minor Canon" by Frank R. Stockton.  Basically a small town is visited one day by a large griffin, who has come to see his likeliness on the church wall.  Everyone in the village is terrified and the Minor Canon is elected to try to reason with the griffin and persuade him to leave.  I don't want to give a lot away but I will say I really felt sorry for the griffin in this tale and in my opinion he was just a very large, very misunderstood creature.  See, told you I picked the right team.

Team Conspiracy had to read the tale included by Gahen Wilson.  It has at title which can't be pronounced , , and everyone has basically called it "The Spot." In this tale, a grumpy all man becomes obsessed with a spot on his breakfast napkin, which sort of in turn becomes obsessed with him.  The spot moves throughout the house and ends up getting very hungry.  The ending was abrupt and I didn't really enjoy it at all.

Finally, Team Haunts read "Come Lady Death" by Peter S. Beagle.  A wealthy lady is throwing a dinner party and decides she want to invite Death because she thinks the individual is completely misunderstood.  She also thinks it will be quite a feat and her popularity will increase if she can get Death to actually arrive.  Turns out Death does in fact show up, but she has an ulterior motive of her own.  Of this three, this was my second favorite and I liked seeing how everything played out.  I knew Death had something in mind when she arrived, but was still somewhat surprised by the outcome.

So there you have it - my rundown. I do think at some point I'll read the rest of the stories in this novel but since I read another short story collection for the Monsterathon, I felt I needed to focus on some other books instead. 

RATING: The Griffin and the Minor Canon - 4 PAWS
                 The Spot - 2 PAWS
                 Come Lady Death - 3 PAWS

Apex Back Catalog Blog Tour - Appalachian Undead

This month I am teaming up with Apex to help promote some of their back catalog. When I heard about their plan for a month-long event, I reached out to them and am thrilled to be taking part.  Today is the first of three Apex-related posts.  Hope you enjoy them!

TITLE: Appalachian Undead (Anthology)
AUTHOR: Edited by Eugene Johnson & Jason Sizemore
PUBLISHER: Apex Publications
PUBLISHING DATE: October 2012

FROM GOODREADS: Almost Heaven....

Or is it? The culture of the Appalachians is steeped with folktales, legends, and deep-rooted religion. There is much to love in the beauty of the rolling hills and friendly rural families, but something malicious hides just beneath the surface. Something dreadful. Something hungry... Can the people of the region stand up against the hordes of the Dead? 

Appalachian Undead takes a look at the dark side of Appalachia, where the undead walk, driven by old magic and their hunger for us. Can Appalachia stand against and army that never tires and is always hungry? With new intriguing tales of the undead, by some of the best names in horror, including Jonathan Maberry, Gary A. Braunbeck, Tim Lebbon, Elizabeth Massie, Lucy Snyder, Bev Vincent, Tim Waggoner, John Skipp and many more. 

MY THOUGHTS:  First things first - look at that cover.  I think it's absolutely gorgeous which is why I even enlarged it.  I even think the little hound dog with his glowing red eyes looks awesome.  I knew immediately this was one of the titles I wanted to review because I live in the Appalachian area.  Also the forward from the editors talked about actual places in WV which I recognized which always fun. 

"Appalachian Undead" is a collection of zombie tales.  Some offer a traditional take on them while others are more unique.  I recognized some authors featured such as Jonathan Maberry and Tim Waggoner, and found some which are quickly becoming favorites of mine such as Bev Vincent and Elizabeth Massie.  I also have to have to give props to this book for featuring so many female horror authors. 

Below I'll include a list of at the tales included but let me point out a few faves.  "When Granny Comes Marchin' Home Again" is a wonderful story about Granny Mustard, whom I also got to meet in "Desper Hollow" which I am reviewing next week.  It was great to see how the whole thing started and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.  "Black Friday" is a perfect story about that infamous shopping day and only goes to strengthen my belief that I should stay home.  And "Calling Death" takes old mining folklore a step further and infuses it was a healthy dose of scares and thrills. Finally I have to mention "Repent, Jessie Shimmer!"  All I have to say is zombie crocodile.  Also the MC is so snarky that I am sure I'll be picking up the author's series which focuses more on this wonderful character I just met.

Here is the entire content: 

• When Granny Comes Marchin' Home Again - Elizabeth Massie
• Calling Death - Jonathan Maberry
• Hide and Seek - Tim Waggoner
• Twilight of the Zombie Game Preserve... - S. Clayton Rhodes
• Being in Shadow - Maurice Broaddus
• Sitting up with the Dead- Bev Vincent
• The Girl and the Guardian - Simon McCaffery
• Repent, Jessie Shimmer! -Lucy Snyder
• Almost Heaven -Michael Paul Gonzalez
• On Stagger - G. Cameron Fuller
• We Take Care of Our Own - John Everson
• Sleeper - Tim Lebbon
• Reckless - Eliot Parker
• Company's Coming - Ronald Kelly
• Black Friday - Karin Fuller
• Spoiled - Paul Moore
• Miranda Jo's Girl - Steve Rasnic Tem
• Times Is Tough in Musky Holler - John Skipp & Dori Miller
• Long Days to Come - K. Allen Wood
• Hell's Hollow - Michael West
• Brother Hollis Gives His Final Sermon from a Rickety Make-Shift Pulpit in the Remains of a Smokehouse that now Serves as His Church - Gary A. Braunbeck

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves short story collections, zombies, or good old Appalachian folklore and history.  You'll most definitely find some new faves!

RATING: 4 PAWS

Also, Apex is offering 25% off everything in the Apex store all month long with discount code SEPTEMBER.  Check them out HERE.