Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Top Ten Unconventional Beach Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

In all honesty, I wasn't too stoked for this topic. It always comes up around this time of year so I was expecting it, but there was also a part of me that kind of thought about skipping it. Then, one of the suggested 'twists' on this was 'beach reads for people that don't like typical beach reads'. ... Those ladies are brilliant!

I'm not the sort to read what other people commonly call 'beach reads'. So, if you're like me - and have to be all difficult about your beach reading - here's ten books I'd recommend to pack with the sunblock and shades.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Memorial Day (And Military Sci-Fi Books)


For those of you that don't know, here in the US, Memorial Day is a federal holiday that is for the remembrance of people that died while serving in our armed forces. It originated as 'Decoration Day' which was created after the American Civil War in 1868 as a day to place flowers on the graves of those that died during the war. While that was a Union holiday, eventually Union and Confederate holidays combined into what we now know as Memorial Day.

I would like to take a moment to voice my gratitude to the brave men and women, living and dead, that have served. Thank you.



I also decided that I wanted to share a few of the fictional books I've read either about the military or with character/s in the military. Then to my utter shame, I realized I've read very few.

Of these, my favorite is definitely the Confederation series by Tanya Huff. Which starts with Valor's Choice. (A military sci-fi heavy on the aliens.) I also enjoyed Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon - the rest of the series not being as good, I thought. For a more civilian look into a sci-fi military, the later books in the Earth Girl series by Janet Edwards is amazing.


I was really hoping I'd have some historical military books to add here but, while I know I've read them, they are completely escaping me at the moment.

What books with military personnel or setting have you enjoyed? Would you please leave me some suggestions? And they don't have to be just sci-fi - historical, contemporary and fantasy (seriously, I would love to find some military fantasy!) are all genre's I'd love suggestions from!
Image from here

Friday, May 27, 2016

May Wrap-Up


Another month another slew of books off my TBR!

I can't believe it's already the end of May. Where has my year gone?

Anyway, I've been really lazy this month - I think the Dog Days of Summer are setting in early - so all I've been wanting to do is read. Let's just say that this means I've read a crazy amount this month. So far this month, I've read more books than any other month this year and have also read more pages. Besides that, I have the highest average rating for the books I've read so far this year. (I love my spreadsheet, if you can't tell.)

Of the books I've read so far this month (as I know I'll read many, many more over the long weekend) only two of them were rated below three stars - and they were both series sequels. While I've gotten better about DNFing books, I still won't drop a series in the middle of a book.

(There've also been a lot of comics and manga this month.)

What I've been reading...


The Cassini Code by Dom Testa - ****
Earth Flight by Janet Edwards - *****


Karneval Omnibus #2 by Touya Mikanagi - *****
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer - *** - Review
Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes - ** - Review


Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines - ***
Improper Relations by Juliana Ross - **


Liberty by Lindsay Buroker - *****
The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary - ****


 

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan - **** - My Thoughts
Hera 2781 by Janet Edwards - *****
The Scofflaw Magician by Honor Raconteur - *****


Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea - *****
Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson - ****
Arisa Vol. 11 by Natsumi Ando - ****


Arisa Vol. 12 by Natsumi Ando - *****
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - ** - Mini Review
Spark by Anthea Sharp - **** - My Thoughts


Once Upon a Scandal by Julie LeMense - ***** - Mini Review
Entreat Me by Grace Draven - ****


Buying ban information to date...
I can buy/get free 1 book for every 5 I read.
Series continuations are free.

Physical books read: 61
E-books read: 47

Physical books bought: 10
E-books bought: 18


What I've watched...

While I have a whole bunch of shows started and/or half-watched, this month has been mostly a little of this and a little of that and the only things I've finished have been a couple of rewatches.

I rewatched
Season 6 of Numb3rs
Season 2 of Elementary
Season 1 of Leverage


And there's my very boring month of May. How was yours? Has it started getting hot where you live, yet, or are you in the south and just getting started on winter? And does anyone else feel like all they want to do is curl up with a book and read?

Thursday, May 26, 2016

May Book Haul

Okay, I don't know what happened this month, but I went totally crazy buying books. Please bear with me.

This shall forever after be known as the manga month!



Karneval Omnibus #2 by Touya Mikanagi
Karneval Omnibus #3 by Touya Mikanagi
Arisa #11 by Natsumi Ando



Arisa #12 by Natsumi Ando
Pandora Hearts #6 by Jun Mochizuki
Pandora Hearts #7 by Jun Mochizuki




Alice in the Country of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit #2 by Quinrose


And eBooks...Don't Forget the eBooks


Liberty by Lindsay Buroker
Hera 2781 by Janet Edwards
Spark by Anthea Sharp


Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea
Mercenary Courage by Ruby Lionsdrake
Warrior Mage by Lindsay Buroker


Masque by W.R. Gingell
Timepiece by Heather Albano
Improper Relations by Juliana Ross


And it's not like I haven't bought enough already...


The Surrogate Sea by Danielle E. Shipley
Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson


Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines
Rebel Mechanics by Shawna Swendson
Two Renegade Realms by Donita K. Paul


The Dark Zone by Dom Testa
The Heart of Valor by Tanya Huff
The Paladin Caper by Patrick Weekes


Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

...

What was I thinking?

What was I thinking?!

Was I thinking?

If you'll excuse me, I am going to go over here and quietly expire as I get crushed by my TBR stack.