Night Shift (Jill Kismet Novels): Lilith Saintcrow

Meet Jill Kismet, she is rough, tough, and damaged….

I liked the first in the Jill Kismet series, it was a good quick read and I can see myself re-reading this series. The heroine, Jill Kismet, has quite a few issues but we get to see her struggle through them. The action was quick and the dialogue snappy. There was no shortage of sarcasm in the book. I liked the development of the Were culture, I am looking forward to see where the storyline goes with it.

I took a look at the reviews on Amazon for this book and I noticed that someone is complaining that the book is another Dante book with a different lead and less sex/romance. I am not sure that I would classify this book in that light. There are some similarities, tough heroine….fights demons, lots of action. But the character of Jill Kismet is unique, she has her own history and her own issues that do not resemble Dante Valentine’s at all.

Now that I think about it,  I can see Dante Valentine & Jill Kismet having a gore-fest over coffee. <snort />

Website: http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/

The Iron Hunt: Marjorie M. Liu

I have been reading lately but I have not been updating this blog. I am such a slacker geek, ah well…. At lunch I finished Marjorie M. Liu’s new UF “The Iron Hunt”. I started it last night and the only reason that I put it down was to sleep and go to work.

I liked it quite a bit, the pace was fast and the storyline was engaging. By the time that I had finished the book I was left with more questions than when I stated. That’s a good thing, it makes me want to go out and read more in the series. If this was a standalone novel I would be complaining about the same thing, but I know that there will be more in the series.

Marjorie M. Liu has proven to be a good author for series reads, and I am glad that she has created a new series and expanded out from Dirk & Steele. I hope that she keeps going, because she seems to have the Midas touch right now.

If I could gripe about anything it would be that we join the heroine when she has already is in a relationship with someone, and there is a definite story there. I would like to explore that story and find out what happened to the woman that was raised to believe that developing relationships are not the path of the hunter.

Product Description
Demon hunter Maxine Kiss wears her armor as tattoos, which unwind from her body to take on forms of their own at night. They stand between her and her enemies, just as Maxine stands between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veils. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment—and one man— changes everything.

Website - http://www.marjoriemliu.com/Home.html

Blog - http://webpetals.livejournal.com/

Shanghai Blog - http://web.mac.com/marjorieliu/Site/Shanghai_Blog_Home/Shanghai_Blog_Home.html This blog is funky in the display (maybe a mac vs. pc thing?), anyway if you subscribe to the RSS feed it’s fine or look at the archives.

 

Another Amazon/Kindle modification…

Another Kindle/Amazon modification that I would make is to change the recommended list format when you are surfing Amazon.

This is what the list looks like now:

There is a line item for each product. Which would be great in a typical e-commerce solution, but with Kindle you are actually selling the same product in a different format.

What I would like to see is another filter option at the top in the view menu “All | New Releases | Kindle”.

I would also like to see a “Buy for your Kindle” button added for each product, if the kindle format is available. I really don’t want to have to go to the product detail to see if the Kindle edition is available or mark a product as not interested for one format only to have to mark it again a couple of pages later in the recommended list.

Oh and while I am whining about what I want…. Please give me a request this book in Kindle format option. I want Amazon to give their publishers information about who wants the books in Kindle format. If a publisher knows that I am not purchasing their book because of the format, maybe they will consider offering it in that format. (ok, it will have to be more than just me wanting it.)

 

Whine whine whine….

Kindle Savings to date

So, I have had my Kindle since May 18^th and I have saved 32$. That is about 10% in a little over 2 weeks. Pretty good Donkey, pretty good… At this rate, I should make back my investment without any problems.  

UPDATE: I am up to $55 dollars saved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Smoke and Murder: Elizabeth Lowell

Blue Smoke and Murder is the latest in the St. Kilda romantic suspense series. It falls in line with a lot of Elizabeth Lowell’s writing, which is what I expected. I enjoyed this book, even if it was not as fast paced as some of the others. I liked the detail and richness that the author conveyed about the Western Art scene. The heroine’s background was interesting considering recent events in the media about Polygyny, I wish that there was more back story for the heroine to fully fill out the character. Considering what you see in the news, it does not make sense that the heroine is that well adjusted. Maybe I am making more of it than it is…

Anyway, despite my nitpicking it was a good story and I was entertained. Will I re-read it? Probably not. But I would recommend it for a romantic suspense reader.

Kindle

About a week ago I received my Kindle and I am really enjoying it. There are some features of the Kindle that I really love and some that I think need work.

In a week I have saved $29.96 on books, which makes me happy. I should be able to make the cost of the unit back within a year at that rate. The screen is a dream to read, I have sat on the couch for several hours reading without a headache. Usually I have to stop reading an eBook after a while because I develop a headache, not with the Kindle.

Purchasing the books via the interface on the Kindle is quite easy and I really like the sample feature. It’s like sitting in a bookstore reading the first chapter over tea. I just tried the Save for Later feature over the handheld and it’s nice. I wish that they would implement that functionality on their website. Would it be so hard to add a Kindle wish list? Or extend the current wish list for Kindle books. Not sure, I have never dug into their code base, but I would love the functionality. I keep my wish list private and use it to track books that I am going to purchase. I tried pre-ordering the books but that just got me into trouble, I would up with duplicates and never knew what was going to arrive on which date. The account section for orders needs to be expanded for people that have several order and pre-orders. The current views of looking at recent orders and the last six month of orders just don’t cut it when you have several pages. Amazon needs more filters and some searching capabilities, come on guys it’s just some ad hoc reporting! (that should have been a separate rant)

I really wish that the releases would get updated in a timelier manner. I am looking to purchase a Samhain Publishing eBook by Kate Johnson, I know that Samhain published it on 5/20/2008, but I have yet to see it in the Kindle store. I contacted Samhain to see if it was going to be released in Kindle format, they were very nice and told me that all of their new releases are published in Kindle format. So, what’s the deal? Why can’t I get my book?

I have read a lot of people have issues with the button placement and want a color screen. Not much of a big deal for me, you learn where to grab the unit fairly quick and if you need color… go to the library. I am using the Kindle for text based reading, not visual imagery. Would I appreciate it if the Kindle had color graphics? Sure, but it’s not necessary.

Over all, I agree with the majority it’s a good product and I am happy that I purchased it. Does it have room for improvement? Yes, but what doesn’t?

Disappearing Nightly: Laura Resnick

I just read Disappearing Nightly for the 3^rd time, and I have to say it’s still fun. The cast of characters is madcap and that appeals to my sense of the absurd. Have you ever seen Desperately Seeking Susan? Well remember the scene(s) in the magic club? That is what some of the scenes and character descriptions in DN are to me. Some of the other descriptions are of a higher caliber magic show. And who couldn’t like a heroine named Esther? One of my favorite people is named Esther and they share some of the same personality quirks…or I am just insane.

The story was fast paced and fun, the heroine was a down to earth flake (but I liked her). And the villain got his just reward at the end of the book. I am not sure why the second in the series is delayed and with a new publisher, but I really hope that it makes it to market. I think that Esther and her friends have more adventures to experience. I also want to see how Esther’s love life develops. J

Bone Song: John Meaney

Bone Song is stimulating and different, it’s also intriguing and chilling. The world is built with such a dark and dramatic flavor that it sucks you in and does not let you go…easily. If a book had a visual flavor I would compare it to Brazil, Gattica, and several other industrial/goth movies. The concept of bones as a power source is intriguing, it also raises several moral issues that the author does not address directly. The moral issues are outside the story line, but you think about them as the characters think about them. The core story is about protecting a talented Opera Diva and the people behind the murders of several other artists. The chase is as interesting as the reason behind the murders. I also enjoyed several of the sub characters, you can see the author going further with this world and the sub characters. I can also see the author leaving the novel as a single volume, leaving the audience wanting more…

The Darkest Night: Gena Showalter

This is going to be a guilty pleasure series for me. I enjoyed the novel, it was fast paced and fun. The author took a classic tale and twisted it to fit into her setting. I would like to see what happens to all of the players involved. I will defiantly get the next in the series.

If there was one thing that I could complain about it would be that the heroine was kind of flat at times, by flat I mean submissive or a wuss. Why would a person raised in a controlled environment not rebel? But I can say with a strong hero that has the violence demon as passenger, the heroine is the perfect foil.

Description

An immortal warrior cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again. A mortal woman with a power beyond imagining…

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member – a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments. . .and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love…

 
 

Website

http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/

Series Website

http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net/

Blog

http://genashowalter.blogspot.com/

Angel of Mercy: Toni Andrews

I enjoyed the second in the Mercy series (Beg for Mercy, Angel of Mercy). The heroine is a flawed person trying to do right in her world and I find that appealing. The heroine is on a quest to find out her origin and the depth of her powers. The quest is not in the limelight in this novel, but more of a sub-plot. In Angel of Mercy, there is a mystery that the heroine and her Scooby Gang are out to resolve. The reader follows the heroine on a journey that brushes the boundaries of morality.

How far would you go to save a child in need?

 

Description

Last month I killed a man… and now I’m afraid what I might do next

As a hypnotherapist with a special talent, I’m very good at getting people to overcome their problems. My own problem, however, is that my talent comes from a dark place. If I tell you to do something, trust me: you will do it. Most of the time I can keep things from getting out of hand, but when my emotions interfere, I lose control. That’s when people get hurt, sometimes even killed.

The only ones who know I’ve got a secret are my best friend Sukey and my boyfriend Sam. So far I’ve been able to keep them safe from the psychic cross fire, but what if one day I can’t? Like now. Because now I find myself in the shadowy world of battered women and children, where I’ve met a little girl who’s been violated in the worst possible way. As you can imagine, my emotions are about to interfere.…

Website

http://www.toniandrews.com/

http://toniandrews.bravejournal.com/