Vanessa’s Comments (group member since Jun 15, 2017)

Vanessa’s comments from the Read, Reading, Planning to Read and More group.

Sorry about all of the typos, I can't correct them on the app.

There is another Cat and Bobes book coming out on April 18th next year. It's called "Both Feet in the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel".
This will be about Bone's search for Cat when she left him, (to protect him), and joined the special government team. It's $4.99 to pre-order on kindle.
I did enjoy the last book from Bones' point of view.
Has anyone else been reading any if the Kindle vellas?
I liked a few if them but I had to drop one that I had started because it has too many chapters and every trope that you can think of.
I've read a few by a new to me author, Kimberly Titus who has a couple different 'vella"s "Murder, Mayhem, & Macrons", "Murder, Marriage, and Mai Tais" and "The Shores of Driftwood Isle".
I read a couple of Rebecca Zanetti's Wolf and Knifes Edge, Alaska stories.
One by Eloisa James, "The Seduction Series, (Season 1).
Another new to me author is John Conroe with his "Darkin Knight".
Many times these stories are part of a serial which they call "seasons".
What I fins really nice is many times the authors write about their experiences, ask opinions via polls, and give incites into their writing process. They're kind of fun. Just don't get caught reading a really long story, oy you'll end up spending lots of money on a novella. You buy tokens and each chapter costs so many tokens, (the pricing goes by word count).
I'm almost done with the last book in
Annette Marie's Unveiled series, "The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid". These are a great read and all are on Kindle Unlimited.
is anyone else doing the Kindle Year End Challenge? I started these a couple of years ago and they are a way to read different genres of books. They also encourage me to make an effort to finish the challenges.
On audio I am listening to the Below Stairs Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley. These are a Victorian Era historical Murder mystery series. They are well written and because the main character is a cook, it has lots of food recipes. Not for the hungry reader, wink, wink.

I forgot to add that "You Can Hide" was a ARC from NetGalley, and will be coming out on November 29th.

I finished "You Can Hide" by Rebecca Zanetti. This is the second book in her mystery/thriller Laurel Snow series. This book cooks from the very beginning. Rebecca Zanetti has the ability to capture my interest right from the opening line.
The Laurel Snow series has been exciting, intriguing, and has a slow burn romance.
Laurel and her Wildlife, Fish, and Game counterpart Huck Rivers, solved a serial killer mystery in the first book "You Can Run" and they are tasked with solving another in this book. There are lots of characters, lots of suspects, and even some that cross paths. The main characters actually talk with one another to solve problems in their friendship and in their jobs.
This book was a easy read but I wasn't sure who the "killer" was until the end, and even then there is still a mystery or two that haven't been solved. All in all, I would give this book/series a 5* rating.

Thanks Melindeeloo, that sounds great. Please let us know when it comes out.

Doug... I agree with HappyBookWorm, The Ravenels are a great read, one of my top historical series.
HBW... That's great news about Jacka starting a new series, I look forward to it. I thought that he did a pretty good job finishing the Alex Verus series.

HappyBookWorm... I've given up on Rothfuss, I really thought that "The Name of the Wind" was excellent, but sadly it's gone the way of Martin's Song if Ice and Fire series, and Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series. We'll be in perpetual limbo waiting on the "next" book.

I just finished Jodi Taylor's latest release in the Time Police/St Mary's spinoff, "About Time". I must day that she is really hitting her stride in this series. This latest book has lots of action and the answers to a couple of mysteries that have been hanging around throughout these books. I really liked this latest storyline. We get more info about Jane, the answer to a couple of questions that involve Luke, much more from Matthew and Mikey. Team weird is maturing and each has a separate adventure.
Max and one of the Time Police officers do an illegal jump in the "secret" pod.
This book has lots of chaos, lots of jumps, some answers, very funny lines and alliterations, and surprisingly no angry badgers. I think that this was the best yet, and rivals some of the better St Mary's novels. I would rate it 5*s.
That's two great books in a row that I have listened to, I hope to continue my good luck.

So I finished "Killers of a Certain Age". I really loved it. The characters acted like a group of long time friends would. They aren't all sweetness and roses to each other. The story is narrated by Billie. one of the 4 women assassins. Their relationships are complicated and there are a couple of peripheral characters that make the storyline multi directional. There are flashbacks to jobs in their early days that serve to introduce various players in the present time who can be either friend or foe. This is a vengeance theme, and I like the final outcome. I'm not sure if there will be more novels involving these characters but I would love to read more about these women. I give this a 5* rating.
Next up is the latest book in the St Mary's spin off about the Time Police, "About Time".

I've been reading the latest from Deanna Raybourn, "Killers of a Certain Age". I'm only a couple of chapters in but it has been great so far. Four women in their 60's have worked for a covert operation as assassins for the last 40 years. On their supposed "retirement " cruise. they find out that they are to be a younger assassin's next hit. They kill him before they get a chance to get the code to disable the bomb and have to stage an engine fire to evacuate the boat, but they have to disappear from the ship's manifest so that they can pretend that they were killed. Because of those circumstances they have to hide from the very organization that trained & employed them.
Raybourn is a terrific writer I love some of her previous series. so I'm looking forward to her writing in the present era.
I am listening to this novel on audio and someone complained that the voices of the women didn't sound old enough. As someone of that certain age, I can argue the point that the voices are as normal as a 60 something year old should sound. What did they think. that your voice gets craggy as soon as you turn 50 or 60? LOL!

The 4th and final book in Guild Codex Unveiled, "The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid" released in the end of September. I really like these and you can't beat them on KU.

LoveYourShelf... Yes audible credits do expire in 1 year. I would love to use libro, but sadly many novels that I listen to aren't on it. Many of the library digital books aren't what I read either.

Welcome back Kristi! I haven't tried any of the graphic audios I might give an IA one a try.

I have been reading some of the kindle-vella's.
I'm currently reading a new to me author. Kimberly Titus. All of the novellas start with Murder. They are witty and funny and oh yes someone always dies.
I've also read Rebecca Zanetti' s Wolf and Knifes Edge Alaska novellas and one by Eloisa James.
I am still waiting for the Darkkin Knight by John Conroe novella to complete.
I tried another one but it has a ton of chapters and I'm not paying $45.00 for a really poorly written story. Name a werewolf trope and it's in the story. Bad punctuation and even worse, the wrong word in place of the right one. I know that these are based on word counts,(the tokens necessary), but the excessive descriptive language is just a ploy to add to the word count. This is so terribly in need of a proofreader.
"Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder".

I finished "Viper" I liked it but I did not love it. It was really well written, and had lots of action. The "twist" was a bit unusual and the former characters of the Prison Camp series all played a role in the end. I felt that Ward was hurrying the finale, and it felt like the end of the "Prison" series. She has more to clarify, so I think that she will add to the 'Wolven" segment. I like the story of Nadya and Kane, and I think that she took an easy route to bring all of the characters together. Sorry for being cryptic, but I don't want to give anything away. I would give this book 4 *'s, compared to my usual 5* ratings.
One thing that I really did like was utilizing a couple of characters who have been missing in the BDB world.

TINNGG... Holiday crafts and a couple of kittens, no calamity there. Good luck, I have a couple of cats, (brothers) and their goal in life seems to be to rearrange any project that I have going. One even chews on puzzle pieces when I have one of those in progress. Nothing is more amusing that a shiny, crinkly, well laid out project!

The latest Wrexford & Sloane novel is out. It's called "Murder on the Serpentine Bridge". This is an excellent Historical mystery series, and is great on audio. This is the 6th book in the series and it would be best if you read it from the beginning. The MC's are unusual for their time and the rest of the cast of characters are well drawn out. I really love this series.
Also on audio I am listening to Jennifer Ashley's Kat Halloway series. The main character, Kat is a young cook for fine families in Victorian London and along with a mysterious man Daniel McAdam, solves various crimes. I was offered the 6th book on NetGalley but I haven't read the rest of the series yet.
On kindle, I have been reading "Viper" the next book in BDB Prison Camp series. So far it's quite interesting, and introduces more of the wolven, Lucan's family.

I'm looking forward to that book too!

I really liked the Reacher series on Amazon. The Reacher character is played by a big man & he so looks like Jack Reacher unlike the shortie Tom Cruise. There is only one season out, currently.
I haven't seen the Joe Pickett series, yet. I really like the book series, and I'm only about half way through those books.

I haven't started the latest Jane Yellowrock, partly because of my time available to read and partly because I don't want it to end either. I will be sad when this novel is done. I have read the Jane Yellowrock series from the beginning. The second book was coming out and I decided to take a chance on the first book, Skinwalker.
It remains one of my most favorite Urban Fantasy series ever.

I listened to the start of a new series by Rebecca Zanetti. It's the Laurel Snow series. Laurel Snow is an FBI special investigator and answers a plea from her mother to please come investigate a series of murders that a local sheriff is trying to pin on her uncle.
Incredibly smart and observant, Laurel jumps right in to the investigation of several bodies that became apparent after an avalanche. Several women, all blond, all young, and all nude, have been discovered on a mountain in Laurel's home town. She teams up with a local Fish and Wildlife officer to investigate, and there is a sexual tension throughout the story. I'm not doing this justice, but Zanetti's ability to crank up the pressure had me listening and guessing for a good portion of the book.
You Can Run
The second book in the series is out November 29th and is available on NetGalley. You Can Hide

LAB... I was at work when I finished Darius, and I shed a tear or two, too. What a sweet ending! I have been contemplating a re-read of the BDB at some point. It is interesting how we forget how the BDB was in the very beginning, Rhage was all about picking up women, Z was downright scary, V was plain old bitchy, and Tor and his shellan were a true partnership. I had forgotten so much of that, I guess that you get used to who the characters become and not where they came from.
How is the hubby? I hope that he is feeling much better!