We'll just have to make sure it's not a BoTM; that way, there's a chance you might read it!! LOL ^_~

101. The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz - 3.75 stars.

Book 4 of the Blue Bloods series, The Van Alen Legacy, was pretty good as far as this series goes. The writing is somewhat lacking and shallow, but story arcs and plot make up for it. I was glad with how the threesome/foursome conflict was resolved and I liked how the author gave some depth to other characters (seems like Mimi is getting her own arc/mini trilogy), but there seemed to be an overall lack of character development. Just a lot of getting from A to B without any REAL satisfaction. In particular, I did not like that Jack was a big blank in this book; we did not get one thing from his POV except how he felt after "the kiss", and that really wasn't enough. Instead of being mysterious, he just seemed to be missing, and I felt his absense a lot in this book.

I lovvvvvved the Sorcery & Cecilia books. I think that the third one is actually my favorite. The older I get, the more I enjoy stories about people who are settled into their lives together, with children, etc., - just as much, if not more, than the stories about people just getting together.

I'm just starting The Van Alen Legacy. As of page two, I realize that I've forgotten a lot of what happened at the end of book three, even though it wasn't THAT long ago that I read it. :p

Yes, the Sorcery & Cecelia books are so much fun! I have book 3 at home and can't wait to start! :)

I also can't wait to hear what you think about The Van Alen Legacy.

Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh" wrote: "101. The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz - 3.75 stars.

Book 4 of the Blue Bloods series, The Van Alen Legacy, was pretty good as far as this series goes. The writing is som..."

Ahhh :( Jack is one of my favorite characters! Oh well, my library still doesn't have our copy in yet so I am still waiting.....

Melis, if you want, I can mail it to you and you can send it back whenever you want, no rush. :)

Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh" wrote: "Melis, if you want, I can mail it to you and you can send it back whenever you want, no rush. :)"

Thanks for the offer Jenn! I'm sure my library will get it in soon though...in the meantime I have lots of other stuff to read :)

So true, Melis! :) There is just not enough time in a day...

102. Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks -4 stars.

Shadow's Edge, book 2 of the Night Angel Trilogy, was not as enthralling as the first book, but still very, very good. I really like most of the main characters and how some of them develop (Logan and Vi) is both rich and surprising, while there was only one (Elene) that was annoying and needed to go away. A few things bothered me, one being that the author takes you into another world so completely that the use of modern language/slang was often a bit jarring and felt like it needed to be toned down. Another thing is that people would show up then disappear or events and plot twists would happen simply for the sake of moving along the plot and it was frustrating and confusing at times. For example, Jarl? Solon? Gnasher? Complaints aside, I still love this story, I care about the characters, the action is exciting, and the plot is unpredictable. On to the final book!

103. Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland - 4 stars.

I loved Star of the Morning because it's classified as romantic fantasy and it definitely had more romance than the other fantasy series I'm reading, The Night Angel Trilogy. Although the main heroine is not an assassin, she still kicks ass because she is a mercenary, woohoo! There is not enough action in this book (and a lot of telling not showing), and the plot is not all that original, but the world-building is pretty good and the characters are engaging, especially the two main characters, Morgan and Miach. I think they make a great potential couple and can't wait to read the next 2 books in this trilogy.

104. Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks - 4.5 stars.

I loved Beyond the Shadows, the final book of the Night Angel Trilogy, although it took me forever to finish. There were just so many different things going on in this book (and in the trilogy as a whole) and the plotlines were taking me places I didn't expect. Lots of sad things happened (torture, death, etc.), people's destinies changed multiple times, and not everyone got a happy ending, but I have to say that the journey to get to the end was completely satisfying.

105. The Mage's Daughter by Lynn Kurland - 4.5 stars.

106. Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland - 5 stars.

Ag ag ag! I LOVED this trilogy of the Nine Kingdom series so much I want to marry it. Strike that, I want to marry Miach. Even though Morgan and Miach are so perfect for each other, I think Mrs. Jennifer AY Miach has a nice sound to it. *sigh* *more sighing* Seriously, I cried throughout half the book of The Mage's Daughter, because the way the author writes romance is so powerful and heartwrenching and the wrenching of my heart did not stop as I continued reading the last book, Princess of the Sword. The strength and beauty of the writing DEFINITELY lies in the characters, although I also liked the action/plot and the way the magic was described. Overall, an amazing experience.

107. Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - 3.75 stars.

Front and Center is the last book of the Dairy Queen series and I enjoyed it. I thought it wasn't as strong as the previous two books, and found myself getting irritated with DJ's insecurity and self-doubt and, well, excuses. No doubt teens are filled with insecurity and for the most part, I liked DJ's frank and funny voice, but her stubborn indecisiveness played out for so long that I lost some of my sympathy for her. All in all, I did like how everything ended up and that the author tied up most loose ends, which is really nice when it comes to trilogies.

Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh" wrote: "105. The Mage's Daughter by Lynn Kurland - 4.5 stars.

106. Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland - 5 stars."

Did you get these from the library? They sound amazing!

I did, but I want to buy them! I even kept these last 2 books this past weekend and just re-read my favorite parts over and over. And over again.

This series might not be for everyone, but shoot!, it just got to me.

Did you want to throw it on the Kindle or would you prefer paper form?

That's a great idea! So I just checked and they don't have the first one on Kindle yet, but the second and third is. Also, all 3 books are super cheap (cheaper than the Kindle version) so maybe I should just get them in paper form? What do you think?

Hm, if the first isn't available and they're cheaper to buy paper copies, I'd go with those. ^o^

Affirmative.

I'm so OCD that, personally, I need to have all the books in a series in the same format. So when BDB 7 is released in mass market format? I'm buying it. Even though I have the hardcover. Oy.

I feel you; I like to have all the books in a series in the same format as well. Although I can say that I haven't gone so far as to get a book in both formats! LOL

Sans wrote: "I'm so OCD that, personally, I need to have all the books in a series in the same format. So when BDB 7 is released in mass market format? I'm buying it. Even though I have the hardcover. Oy."

Sans - I agree with you. I actually sold my hard copy and am picking it up in paperback so it matches. I hate it when there all short and one tall and then they dont fit all on the same shelf. Ya ya I know.

You and be both, sister.

Hey, I like your new avatar! Is that Chobits?

okay, I need to know about this Mage series. Sounds so good! I'm confused? Which one is first? Please advise, Mrs. Jenn AY Miach!

LOL! Ok, it goes:

1) Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland
2) The Mage's Daughter by Lynn Kurland
3) Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland

If you do read them, I hope you like them!

Must do some research! I want to read all of your posts on them, but I don't want any spoilers! Is there romance? Swords? Fighting? Horses? What's going on? Let's see if you can describe it in one sentence! :)

To answer your questions: YES! Yes. Yes. And yes.

In one sentence: It involves a beautiful but deadly mercenary who hates magic but may or may not have her own magical origins who falls in love with a handsome but humble prince, who may or may not be a powerful mage in his own right and there is also a well of evil and ugly magic and beautiful magic and lost families and many tears and sadness and despair and dejection, but it's also balanced out by a lot of hope and forgiveness and persistence and love.

Oh...this sounds so fun! Yeehaw! Must put it on my list! Hush Hush was so compulsive, and I think Beautiful Creatures will be too. I want something to follow them that will make me crazy about it and never want to put it down! I'll put them on hold at the library! By the way, a few kids at school are reading The Thief. It's making me miss Eugenides!

I keep seing Kurland's books all over the place and was thinking I'd have to check her out soon. This seals it. I'll have to add another author to my must check out list. Dang! That list keeps growing. Oh well, better too many than too few. :)

Lisa, Kurland mainly writes Romance and the Nine Kingdom series is labeled as Romance Fantasy. It is very chaste, and I've read that her romances are pretty tame as well.

Viola, I have pre-ordered Beautiful Creatures for the Kindle so it better be good! :) OMG, I am SO EXCITED about book #4 of The Thief and so sad that we have to wait until March of 2010. If Melis can get an ARC of that one early (and let me borrow it, lol), I would seriously be in her debt FOREVER!

108. Splendor by Anna Godbersen - 3 stars.


*BIG TIME SPOILERS*

I guess I should be thankful that Splendor, the final book in the Luxe series, was less of a full-on punch in the face, and more like a slap. I guess I should have been forewarned from the previous books in the series of the extent the author would go to make her heroines suffer, but still, I came into this book feeling hopeful. Granted, the entire book wasn't doom and gloom with every character dying of a broken heart, but the couple I had pinned most of my hopes on suffered the most. And the worst part is that it just felt so undeserved!! OH MY GAH, the way the author layed out Henry's future was just so bleak and cynical and jaded, I really HATED that. In contrast, the way Elizabeth's story played out -- everything unbelievably wrapped up in a beautiful, little bow courtesy of a dark stairwell -- was hard to swallow. I can't say that I think the author followed through with the build up of Elizabeth's emotional arc, and although I am happy that she finally ended up with love, I hope it was not at the expense of her sister's storyline. I can see some justification by the author that Diana's future couldn't have ended any other way if she stayed true to herself, but almost every action and thought up until her final decision said otherwise. So, I can't say I saw any real payoff for Diana's emotional arc either.

Speaking of action, this book was non-stop. Soooooo much was packed in there, taking us from one plot point to the next, that there was barely any time to get to know more of the characters. I guess the author figured we got enough character development and depth from the first three books?? There were just a LOT of background, backstory and details that seemed to be missing and that the author took for granted that the reader would care about; or maybe she wanted them to make their own conclusions.

I still gave this book a break at 3 stars because I couldn't put it down and I did care about most of the characters and what happened to them, I'm just not happy with where they all ended up. Some deserved better and some deserved worse, but why is it that I felt like I came out the loser?

Jenn said,"Kurland mainly writes Romance and the Nine Kingdom series is labeled as Romance Fantasy. It is very chaste, and I've read that her romances are pretty tame as well."

Gosh, most people warn about books being too steamy. What are you trying to say Jenn? *bats eyes innocently* After all I like most romance books for their historical and contemporary qualities. *chuckle* That's my story and I'm sticking to it! ;) Actually, if the story is good enough it doesn't matter if it's steamy or not. I just love a good romance.

Lisarenee wrote: "Gosh, most people warn about books being too steamy. What are you trying to say Jenn? *bats eyes innocently* After all I like most romance books for their historical and contemporary qualities. *chuckle* That's my story and I'm sticking to it! ;) Actually, if the stories good enough it doesn't matter if it's steamy or not. I just love a good romance. "

LOL, Lisa! Hmmm, you're acting like I don't actually look at this group's book list... ^_~ That's what this series was for me - pure, old-fashioned ROMANCE. *sigh*

Jenn, you just know I HAVE to add these Lynn Kurland books to my to-read list now. I can't resist a good romance! Too bad I haven't got time to order them from the BD to take with me on my trip. I just got Soulless, though, and am definitely bringing that! Woohoo! Sans' and Julie's reviews of it have got me so excited to read it! ^_^

Jenn, just put the Kurland books on hold! Wahoo! I can't wait! I have to finish Beautiful Creatures first, which I haven't even really started. I have high hopes for it though since it has popped up on all the "Best of 2009" lists.

Something else totally unrelated: I do enjoy a good steamy read every now and then, but it's all about the writing...I mean, you don't have to be explicit with the details to make it hot to trot. Like in BDB, well, that's pretty detailed and has me flying through the pages, but then in something like Hush Hush, which totally had me blushing MANY times, it's all about the gestures, language...it's very subtle. Yum yum!

Oh, getting the trilogy for your trip would have been a great idea, Jayne!

Yay, I'm glad you got them on hold, Violey!

109. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - 3 stars.


*BIG TIME SPOILERS*

I have to admit that I had high hopes going into Hush, Hush and it just really let me down on a couple of fronts. First and foremost, the buildup of the romance was a bit sketchy. I get that Nora was attracted to Patch (can you pick a less sexy name??) from the get-go, but mostly what I got from her was fear, and aside from him being sexy, I just got a lot of attitude and smirking. Oh, the smirking! He was either acting mysterious (he had an unreadable face, of course) or smirking. The leaps in logic Nora makes in figuring out he's a fallen angel is tenuous at best, and the reasoning and timeline between Patch's "I love you, I'm going to kill you" rationale was confusing. In the flashbacks, Patch had been following Nora and falling in love with her (so much so that other angels were noticing) and yet he hadn't even met her. Then he meets her by enrolling in her school, tries to kill her, but saves her in the next breath, has no idea about the other threats in her life (or rather does nothing about them), until the whistle blows at the 2 minute mark and then he's there to help save the day. And the whole physical angel body that does not feel anything but "emotional desire"? Really? So when they're breathing heavy and making out, he's really just getting emotionally aroused??

I guess there were just some ideas I couldn't wrap my head around and therefore couldn't really BELIEVE in their romance until near the end. I didn't get the how and why they fell in love in the first place, but I admit it was easier to buy once Patch finally shed some light on his past and why he was around.

Otherwise, I did think it was a super fast read and there was definitely something there that kept me wanting to continue reading. I liked both main characters well enough, and although the plot was less than satisfying, it was interesting.

Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh" wrote: "109. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - 3 stars.

Review to follow."

I'm looking forward to hearing what you thought about it. Especially since you said you were conflicted.

Yay! There will be a bunch of us reading Kurland's books around the same time. I reserved them as well.

3 stars for Hush Hush? :( Really? It's one of my favorite YA reads for 2009! Methinks you are getting me back for my bad thoughts about Lament. :)

LOL, Violey! Shoot, you hated Lament and I definitely didn't hate Hush Hush, but maybe I got too carried away with the hype before I actually read the book.

Looking back, I didn't hate Lament. I was mad at the romance that seemed to just be full throttle in two seconds. I said I would give it another try, and I promise I will! It might be a long time from now though because A) I have so many other things to read and B) I totally want to forget what I read so I can start with a clean slate. Know what I mean?

I still can't wait to read your review though! I read some on Amazon, and most of them were good, but some were disapointed in the book. I wonder if you felt the way they did.

I'm reading Beautiful Creatures right now, and it has received a TON of hype, which I know about, but I'm still not reading any of it. Sometimes I get turned off by something simply because everyone else won't shut up about it! Isn't that terrible?

I"ll see what I can do about the ARC copy of the fourth Whalen Turner book....hmmmm maybe I'll try hunting down/stalking the publisher :)

Jen! Where's that review of Hush Hush?

HOLY COWZA! Yes, we need the ARC copy of The Thief series! I'm ready to be reunited with Eugenides, when I'm finished with Ethan and Miach first, of course!

By the way, several of my students are reading The Thief for a project in class, and one component is the Casting Call where they select actors for the characters. Any suggestions for Eugenides?

And yes, where is that review of Hush Hush?

Btw, Sans, Melis and I loved it. We might duel over Patch. :)

I'm reading the first of the Kurland books Jenn AY recommended.

Ok, I finally reviewed Hush, Hush.

Response to Hush Hush Review: SPOILERS!!!

Mrs. Miach,
I read a few reviews on Amazon that said similar things to your review about Patch and how stalker-esque/creepy he sounds. When I read those, (I didn't want to say anything until I read your review), I was struck by how some of their statements were similar to what the haters say about Edward Cullen! Funny, huh? Of course I don't think that about Eddie because I lurrrrve him, but I know many think he is creepy for wanting to kill Bella the first time he sees her, sneaking into her room at night to watch her sleep (something I once read that a serial killer did!), and then he is always controlling her and telling her what to do. It's funny how our perceptions are so different (the Eddie lovers and those that are freaked out). And also, isn't it crazy how you described Patch, or if you look at what I said about Eddie, that you would think a person in real life who did those things was totally bonkers! But because he is golden and dazzling and full of chagrin and lines like, "you're exactly my type of heroin" or something sexy that Patch says, we can overlook it. I'm just rambling. I've been wanting to make that comment since I read the reviews on Amazon, but I didn't want to say anything yet.

Anyway, I like your review and will be thinking about what you said when I reread it. Honestly, I was really attracted to Patch (I know...I hate the name too!) because he was BAD! I had a streak (and apparently still do) where I liked boys that were absolutely NO good for me at all. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the development of Patch and Nora's relationship rather than my own lust over this very, very bad mysterious boy! :)

Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh" wrote: "Ok, I finally reviewed Hush, Hush."

Cool. This is gonna be my first plane read next week, so I'll see what I think compared to you.

Also reviewed the 4th Luxe book, Splendor.

So, in Splendor, does she reincarnate all the people she got rid of? That would make me happy. :)