This Week in Books and Media

This was an indulgent reading kind of week for me since three favorite authors came out with their newest books.  They all do fit within the parameters of my reading award but I tend to leave these authors to others since I like them too much to effectively judge the quality.  If you like urban fantasy, be sure to try Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs. Other favorites are J.D. Robb and Gail Carriger.  Try them, you might like them:-)

Books:

Changes by Jim Butcher - There are big changes in store for Harry (hence the name Changes) this time around.  It seems like the bad guys keep getting badder and I am not sure what Jim will do for the next novel. Maybe a nice apocalypse?

Changeless by Gail Carriger - Book two in this series starts out with our newly married couple learning to live together in wedded bliss.  Of course, this being a novel, happy and carefree can't last. This time the magical beings are being affected by a strange field that is damping magic and making the ghosts go away forever. Added to that, there are werewolf pack dynamics to work through and some new quirky characters to decipher.

Freeze Frame by Peter May - I hadn't read this author before and thought that the mystery did pretty well as a stand-alone. I wouldn't have known why the main character was working his way through unsolved murders if I hadn't read a review but that didn't detract significantly from the story.  I cannot tell you what a joy it was to read a mystery with clues. Clear, well-defined clues that actually made it possible to solve the murder. I did figure out who did it but by the time I did, the clues were pretty clearly showing the way. I also liked the main character and his interactions with the townspeople. I did not, however, like the girlfriend but maybe the reason she was so awful was explained in a previous book.  I will definitely look for more in this series.

Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb - Eve and Roarke are back again in their gazillionth mystery. Robb never fails to please with her complex characters. These are sexy novels and the crimes are usually pretty brutal so I wouldn't suggest this for anyone who likes clean, cozy mysteries but I love these. 

Devils in Exile by Chuck Hogan - Home from the war, Neal Maven is working dead-end jobs and feels marginalized and unappreciated for his service to his country. When a mysterious stranger with flashy clothes offers a way to use the skills he learned in Iraq to take down drug mavens and dealers he jumps at the chance.  Soon he is living the good life and things couldn't be going better but when he falls for his boss's lady and the rest of the team starts to get careless he decides he wants out, which is when the real trouble begins.  I have said before I need my thrillers to be action packed and full of adrenaline for the entire book. This delivered from start to finish with a fully fleshed out main character who was never cliched or predictable.  

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler - This was a fun new series if you like paranormal fiction. It had a slightly different twist and a much more venerable heroine than one usually sees in the paranormal genre.  The heroine knows she is different from most people and after finding a dead body in the sea one night, she suddenly discovers there is a whole world of supernatural folk living in the same town.  She and the hot vampire (of course) band together to solve the mystery and also discover they have romantic feelings for each other. There are some very clear clues about the direction the next book in the series will take.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs - I stayed up late last night to finish this one. I love the Mercy Thompson series.  The main character is a shape shifting coyote who owns her own garage and repairs cars for a living. Her next door neighbor is a hot werewolf (of course), his teenage daughter and his pack. Also populating this world are the Fae, vampires, etc....  Mercy spends her spare time flirting with the werewolf, solving mysteries and trying to navigate pack politics.  Start with Moon Called if you want to read this series.

DVD's:

The Men Who Stare At Goats - This was an odd movie. I liked it but it didn't completely keep my attention. I had to watch this twice because I would find myself wandering off at various points to clean the kitchen or text someone. I even did it the second time when I was making a point to watch.