On My Wishlist (16) June 9, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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Title: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Genre: Paranormal
ASIN: B005SF3L76
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
From Amazon:
What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Hidden in the dark heart of Victorian London, the Romanesque school was dreadfully imposing, a veritable fortress, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met its powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadows, of the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She saw simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow white hair, pearlescent skin, and uncanny gift. This arched stone doorway was a portal to a new life, to an education far from what could be had at a convent—and it was an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…
I heard about this book through Goodreads recomendations. It sounds fanciful and lighthearted which is something that appeals to me. I’ve always been fascinated by anything with Jack the Ripper and anything paranormal is right up my alley! Hopefully I’ll be able to read this soon.
On My Wishlist (15) June 2, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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Title: Tempest Rising
Author: Nicole Peeler
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
From Amazon:
Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn’t quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.
Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new “friend,” Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.
It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever-rub the genie’s lamp.
I first heard about this series from She Wolf Reads. I seem to hear about a lot of books from the Wolf. She featured Nicole Peeler on a Five by Five post and she featured the cover artist Lauren Panepinto for Shelf Candy.
Naturally I was intrigued and so I’ve got all the books on my wish list waiting for the day I have an opening in my TBR pile. Especially since I’m such a fan of Urban Fantasy and strong female protagonists which by all reports, Jane True is.
Plus, I really love the covers. Although I’ll be getting the Kindle versions so I don’t think that will factor in too much. How I miss book covers.
Have you ever bought a book because of its cover? If so, which one?
On My Wishlist (14) May 26, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
I’ve been on an angel kick lately. As long as the book isn’t too weighed down in dogma I enjoy it. I’ve downloaded a few Indie books about angels and I heard about this one from a friend on Goodreads. It looks like a good read. I just have to wade through my TBR pile to get to it!
There’s a second book out in the series too. That should be incentive to read the book. Just in case there’s a cliffhanger at the end, at least there’s another book to continue on. From all reports there isn’t, but just in case there are unanswered questions.
Hopefully I’ll get to it within the next two to three months!
On My Wishlist (13) May 19, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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Title: Retribution Falls
Author: Chris Wooding
Genre: Steampunk
Available at: Amazon – Barnes & Noble
Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn’t just a nuisance anymore – he’s public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. But Frey knows something they don’t. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he’s going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons. It’s going to take all his criminal talents to prove he’s not the criminal they think he is …
I found this book via the Goodreads recommendations filter. Some hail it as a Firefly simulacrum. While I’m not expecting an exact likeness, I wouldn’t mind some similarities. After all, this is a Steampunk book and Firefly was a Sci-Fi series. Exact is not what I’m going to get.
I haven’t had much of a chance to read my Steampunk books and I miss delving into that genre. It still looks like a fun ride. I look forward to the day when my to-read pile gets a little thinner and I can purchase it.
On My Wishlist (12) May 12, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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Title: The Gray Wolf Throne
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Genre: Fantasy
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana”Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he”s concerned, the princess”s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen. Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he”s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough. The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.
The Gray Wolf Throne is the third book in the Seven Realms Series. I have the first two books in my library but I never did buy this one. I’m not sure why not. I really want to read this series and I keep meaning to set aside the time to do so but other things keep getting in the way.
Maybe one day soon.
On My Wishlist (11) May 5, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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Title: Thicker Than Water
Author: Mike Carey
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
Names and faces he thought he’d left behind in Liverpool resurface in London, bringing Castor far more trouble than he’d anticipated. Childhood memories, family traumas, sins old and new, and a council estate that was meant to be a modern utopia until it turned into something like hell . . . these are just some of the sticks life uses to beat Felix Castor with as things go from bad to worse for London’s favourite freelance exorcist.
See, Castor’s stepped over the line this time, and he knows he’ll have to pay; the only question is: how much? Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew. And just when he thinks things can’t possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy . . .
Title: The Naming of the Beasts
Author: Mike Carey
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but if you ask Castor he’ll tell you there’s quite a bit of arrogance and reckless stupidity lining the streets as well. And he should know. There-s only so many times you can play both sides against the middle and get away with it. Now, the inevitable moment of crisis has arrived and it-s left Castor with blood on his hands. Well, not his hands, you understand; it-s always someone else who pays the bill: friends, acquaintances, bystanders.So Castor drowns his guilt in cheap whisky, while an innocent woman lies dead and her daughter comatose, his few remaining friends fear for their lives and there-s a demon loose on the streets. But not just any demon – this one rides shotgun on his best friend-s soul and can-t be expelled without killing him. Looks like Felix Castor-s got some tough choices to make, because expel the demon he must or all Hell will break loose. Literally . . .
Thicker Than Water and The Naming of the Beasts are the fourth and fifth books respectively in the Felix Castor Series. I love this series. It’s very much like a Dresden Files series with ass-kicking action and sardonic humor.
I picked up this series awhile ago and I keep meaning to go back to it but other books keep getting in the way. Hopefully I’ll be able to return to it soon.
On My Wishlist (#6) March 17, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, kobo abe, the ruined map, wish list
2 comments
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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by Kobo Abe
Mr. Nemuro, a respected salesman, disappeared over half a year ago, but only now does his alluring yet alcoholic wife hire a private eye. The nameless detective has but two clues: a photo and a matchbook. With these he embarks upon an ever more puzzling pursuit that leads him into the depths of Tokyo’s dangerous underworld, where he begins to lose the boundaries of his own identity. Surreal, fast-paced, and hauntingly dreamlike, Abe’s masterly novel delves into the unknowable mysteries of the human mind.
I’ve already read one book by Kobo Abe, which is The Woman in the Dunes and I’ll review that next week. I enjoyed it very much and I have another book of his on my nightstand, The Box Man, that I’m looking forward to reading. Understandably, The Ruined Map is high on my wish list.
Once I get a hold of a certain author, I want to read every single work they’ve ever written. I become enamored of them and carry on a certain love affair with their writings.
Have you ever become so gripped by an author that you’ve had to read every single book they’ve ever written? If so, who was it? If not, why not?
On My Wishlist (#5) March 10, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: banana yoshimoto, book talk, kitchen, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here.
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by Banana Yoshimoto
Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen is an enchantingly original and deeply affecting book that juxtaposes two tales about mothers, transsexuality, kitchens, love, tragedy, and the terms they all come to in the minds of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan. Told in a whimsical style that recalls the early Marguerite Duras, “Kitchen” and its companion story, “Moonlight Shadow,” are elegant tales whose seeming simplicity is the ruse of a masterful storyteller. They are the work of a very special new writer whose voice echoes in the mind and the soul.
Kitchen won two of Japan’s most prestigious literary prizes so with a recommendation like that it makes me eager to get my hands on this slim novel. With such a popular book, I really want to see what the fuss is about. It was on the bestseller list for over a year in Japan. Even more fuss! I’m tempted to buy a copy right now!
Has any book that won literary prizes tempted you?
On My Wishlist (#4) March 3, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, haruki murakami, japan, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here
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Haruki Murakami is fast becoming my favorite author and Wild Sheep Chase is his first novel published here in America. It’s a “mock-hard boiled mystery”. The story promises to be big on “dreams, hallucinations, and wild imagination.”
It begins simply enough: A twenty-something advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend, and casually appropriates the image for an insurance company’s advertisement. What he doesn’t realize is that included in the pastoral scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man in black who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences. Thus begins a surreal and elaborate quest that takes our hero from the urban haunts of Tokyo to the remote and snowy mountains of northern Japan, where he confronts not only the mythological sheep, but the confines of tradition and the demons deep within himself.
In this impressive sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase , Murakami displays his talent to brilliant effect. The unnamed narrator, a muddled freelance writer, is 34 and no closer to finding happiness than he was in the previous book. Divorced, bereaved and abandoned by his various lovers, he is drawn to the Dolphin Hotel–a strange and lonely establishment where Kiki, a woman he once lived with, “upped and vanished.” Kiki and the Sheep Man, an odd fellow who wears a sheepskin and speaks in a toneless rush, visit the narrator in visions that lead him to two mysteries, one metaphysical (how to survive the unsurvivable) and the other physical (a call girl’s murder). In his searchings, he encounters a clairvoyant 13-year-old, her misguided parents and a one-armed poet. All the hallmarks of Murakami’s greatness are here: restless and sensitive characters, disturbing shifts into altered reality, silky smooth turns of phrase and a narrative with all the momentum of a roller coaster. If Mishima had ever learned the value of gentleness, this is the sort of page-turner he might have written.
It promises to be an enjoyable ride and I can’t wait to get them!
What books are you anxious to get on your shelves?
On My Wishlist (#2) February 18, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: books, kotaro isaka, reading, remote control, wish list
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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click here
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Masaharu Aoyagi, a former delivery-truck driver in the city of Sendai, is unemployed. Two years ago he achieved brief notoriety for rescuing a local actress from a robbery attempt while making a delivery to her apartment. Now he is back in the spotlight – this time as the main suspect in the assassination of a newly elected prime minster who had come to Sendai for a hometown victory parade.
Set in a near-future Japan modeled on the United States, Remote Control follows Aoyagi on a forty-eight-hour chase, in a dramatic retelling of the Kennedy killing with Aoyagi in the role of a framed Lee Harvey Oswald. A massive manhunt is underway. As Aoyagi runs, he must negotiate trigger-happy law enforcement and Security Pods set up throughout the city to monitor cell-phone and email transmissions and keep a photo record of street traffic. Can he discover why he has been set up and who is responsible? Can he find the real assassin and prove to the world his innocence – amidst media pronouncements of his guilt – before the conspirators take him out?
Isaka’s style is compared to Haruki Murakami, an author I’m currently deeply in love with as far as prose goes. I’m very interested to see how Isaka’s style compares.
Unfortunately, “Remote Control” is only available in Hardcover format. It’s expensive at that as well. I can either wait it out a bit or bite the bullet. I’m really not sure what I’ll do.
The Akamai Reader 