October Round-Up!

Please excuse this brief introduction to my October round-up - I've started National Novel Writing Month! But I still took a break from typing madly away at my new novel to let you know what sorts of books I read in the last thirty-one days:

*October Winners*

To Have and To Hold, by Patricia Gaffney. Romance, Historical. A+

Pros: Gorgeous language, nuanced characters, beautiful relationship. Cons: Rape scene. Hero's an ass for the first half.

Burn for Burn, by Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han. A+

Pros: Excellent developed heroines, great continuation of story, well-established but subtle paranormal element. Cons: Doesn't really stand on its own.

*October Dud*

This is W.A.R., by Lisa Roecker and Laura Roecker. YA, Contemporary. C

Pros: Revenge. Cons: Cliched, unlikable characters. Badly constructed plot.

*The Best of the Rest*

In This House of Brede, by Rumer Godden. Fiction, Contemporary (circa 1960). A

Pros: Diverse cast of female characters, eye-opening examination into monastic life. Cons: No real plot.

Thieftaker, by D.B. Jackson. Mystery, Fantasy, Historical. B

Pros: Interesting setting, colourful characters. Cons: Repetitive plot, so-so mystery.

Trial by Desire, by Courtney Milan. Romance, Historical. C+

Pros: Awesome heroine, interesting dramatic plot. Cons: Condescending jerkface hero.

The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake. Fiction, Historical. DNF

Pros: Historical detail, decent writing. Cons: Utterly boring and a complete lack of plot.

September Round-Up!

September was a weird month for me. I didn't read as much as I wanted to - in hindsight, I think my decision to recap some awesome shows turned into a much more time-consuming endeavour than I'd anticipated, and it kept me from reading and blogging about books as much as I had wanted to. And this is a book blog (primarily). So less recapping, more reading from now on!

*September Winner*

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell. YA, Contemporary. A

Pros: Lively and relateable heroine. Great examination of creative process. Hilarious skewering of fandoms. Cons: A wee bit on the long side. Love interest is great - but maybe a little too perfect?

*September Dud*

The Burning Sky, by Sherry Thomas. YA, Fantasy. D

Pros: Interesting concept. Cons: Utterly cliched execution, Mary Sue heroine, implausible set up, lacklustre magical worldbuilding. 

*Best of the Rest*

The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancy. YA, Science Fiction. A-

Pros: Fantastic heroine, strong concept, interesting themes, entertaining romance. Cons: Plot is a bit unfocused, too much depressing navel-gazing.

Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein. YA, Historical. B+

Pros: Well-written, great themes and use of storytelling. Cons: Emotionally distancing.

One Perfect Rose, by Mary Jo Putney. Romance, Historical. B

Pros: Protagonists are refreshingly reasonable, happy people. Cons: Cliche-laden. Silly ghost ending.

August Round-Up!

And that's the summer, you guys. It's time for fall - colourful leaves, hot cocoa, overcast skies, and blessedly reasonable temperatures.

So what happened during this last month of summer? Other than finding out my novel's about to be published (still squeeing over this!)? I read a bunch of books!

*August Winner*

OCD Love Story, by Corey Ann Haydu. YA, Contemporary. A+

Pros: Fascinatingly detailed account of mental illness, great voice, empathetic protagonist, good tension. Cons: Kind of a misleading cover.

*August Dud*

Hope's Folly, by Linnea Sinclair. Romance, Science-Fiction. DNF

Pros: Great worldbuilding, lots of detail. Cons: Too much detail, drowning in detail, boring boring detail, just not enough story.

*The Best of the Rest*

Deerskin, by Robin McKinley. Fantasy, Fairy-Tale Retelling. A-
Pros: Gorgeous writing, exquisite detail, excellent build of tension. Cons: Slow pacing, ending is a bit abrupt.

Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Middle Grade. B
Pros: Lovely writing style, nicely balanced tone. Cons: Weird, unsatisfying ending.

Written On Your Skin, by Meredith Duran. Romance, Historical. B
Pros: Exquisite writing, great dialogue, good heroine. Cons: Slack pacing, no real suspense plot, couldn't connect with story.

The Infinite Moment of Us, by Lauren Myracle. YA, Romance. C+
Pros: Good development of heroine's parents, nice supporting characters. Cons: A poorly-drawn Evil Slut Villain, no real plot, goopy romance.

Just Like Fate, by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young. YA, Science-Fiction. C
Pros: Great concept, some interesting implications. Cons: No follow-through on concept, lame romance.

My Quarterly Round-Up

So, as you may have guessed - I can sometimes be a little forgetful. However, forgetting to do my monthly round-ups for three months running is a bit of a stretch, even for me! The only excuse I can find is that I was busy with Book Expo at the end of May, and then busy recovering from Book Expo at the end of June, which may have led to me forgetting those two months.

Either way, I'll round-up all three months in one convenient post for your reading pleasure!

May

*May Winner*

 Some Kind of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce. Fantasy, Contemporary. A-

Pros: Fantastic writing, well-developed characters, great use of themes. Cons: The actual fairyland scenes pale in comparison to the rest of the novel.

*May Duds*

Last Summer at Mars Hill, by Elizabeth Hand. Fantasy, Anthology. C-

Pros: "The Have-Nots" and "Engels Unaware." Cons: Everything else.

Fathomless, by Jackson Pearce. YA, Fantasy. C-

Pros: Interesting adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" story. Cons: Silly world building, ridiculous characterization, more victimization of women, weak story.

Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight. Mystery, Contemporary. B
Pros: Interesting examination of mothers and daughters, excellent use of alternate POVs. Cons: First half of the novel is really slow, main character is rather terrible at crime solving.

A Woman Entangled, by Cecilia Grant. Romance, Historical. B-
Pros: Lovely writing, as always. Unconventional set-up. Cons: Lame pay-off, too little conflict, passive heroine.

June

*June Winners*

Can't Buy Me Love, by Molly O'Keefe. Romance, Contemporary. A+

Pros: Lively characters, great conflict, gorgeous writing style. Cons: Some repetitive angst, a couple of bone-headed hero decisions here and there.

Burn for Burn, by Siohban Vivian and Jenny Han. YA, Contemporary. A+

Pros: Excellent characters, fantastically intricate and well-realized smalltown setting, great writing. Cons: Weeeird psychic powers out of nowhere, total cliffhanger ending.

*June Dud* 

Far, Far Away, by Tom McNeal. YA, Fantasy. D

Pros: A connection to fairy tales. Cons: Awful manic pixie dream girl heroine, non-entity hero, stilted writing and dialogue, wildly uneven tone.

Openly Straight, by Bill Konigsberg. YA, Contemporary, LGBT. B
Pros: Interesting concept, original discussion, good characters. Cons: Main character is a bit whiny and privileged, ultimate pay off a little too obvious.

Review Round Up: The Sweet Dead Life (YA, Fantasy, B), The Governess Affair (Romance, Historical, B-), The Third Angel (Fiction, Contemporary, B+)

Dragon Keeper, by Robin Hobb. Fantasy, High. C+
Pros: Interesting world building. Cons: Too much fanservice and repetitive exposition, too little actual story. Incredibly slow set-up and abrupt ending.

July

*July Winners*

The Hidden Heart, by Laura Kinsale. Romance, Historical. B

Pros: Exotic settings, developed villains, good heroine. Cons: Meandering plot, too-angsty-to-live hero.

The Universe Versus Alex Woods, by Gavin Extence. YA, Contemporary. B

Pros: Humorous writing style, interesting subjects. Cons: Unfocused plotline.

*July Dud* 

Everything and the Moon, by Julia Quinn. Romance, Historical. F+

Pros: The heroine is pretty awesome. That poor, poor, heroine... Cons: She winds up with a misogynist narcissistic hero who kidnaps her, assaults her, restricts her movements - and is baffled that she assumes he's going to be just as bad when they're married.

Hot Under the Collar, by Jackie Barbosa. Romance, Historical, Novella. B-
Pros: Mature, reasonable characters. Some nice drama. Cons: Conflict is solved too easily.

The Son, by Philipp Meyer. Fiction, Historical. C
Pros: Detailed setting and history. Cons: Distant characters, unfocused plot.

Forever and a Day, by Jill Shalvis. Romance, Contemporary. C
Pros: Decent writing, good plot set up. Cons: Incompetent heroine, unbelievable and cutesy small-town setting.

The April Round-Up!

April Showers - nah, not where I'm from. April for my town was a mess of freezing winds and blizzards. That's right - snow. Snow in April! Difficult to walk through, yes - but it did give me more opportunities to curl up with a blanket and a good book. Here's what I read in April:

*April Winners*

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. High Fantasy. A+

Pros: Great setting, rich character development, exciting story, interesting backstories. Cons: Pacing is a little slow at the beginning, but totally worth it.

Black Silk, by Judith Ivory. Romance, Historical. A+

Pros: Gorgeous language and detail, clever manipulation of historical romance tropes. Cons: Slow and subtle pacing may be a little too slow and subtle.

No April Duds this time around - the worst books I read only merited C+ grades, so I figured that's not nearly bad enough to label them duds.

*Best of the Rest*

Kiss the Morning Star, by Elissa Janine Hoole. YA, Contemporary. A-
Pros: Thoughtful integration of religion into the plotline. Exquisite writing style. Cons: Wonky pacing, inscrutable character decisions, abbreviated ending.

The Killing Moon, by N.K. Jemisin. High Fantasy. B
Pros: Original and detailed world building, interesting plot, diverse characters. Cons: Uneven worldbuilding leaves plot holes, characters are colourful but shallow.

42. Film Review. Historical. B
Pros: Great baseball scenes, a winning performance from Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson. Cons: Emotionally heavy-handed plotting, Harrison Ford's mumbling line reads.

Simply Love, by Mary Balogh. Romance, Historical. C+
Pros: Nuanced heroine. Interesting mother-son relationship. Lovely setting. Cons: Slow pacing and too little conflict. Overabundant and intrusive prequel- AND sequel-baiting.

The Mockingbirds, by Daisy Whitney. YA, Contemporary. C+
Pros: Excellent depiction of recovery from assault. Awesome female characters. Cons: Central gimmick is just that - a gimmick, and a boring one at that.

The March Round-Up!

March is over, Lent is over - bring on April and Spring! I am currently making plans to attend Book Expo America again this year - including the BEA Blogger Con! Home to see as many of you as possible in NYC!

But enough about that - here's what I read last month:

*March Winner*

Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes. Fiction, Contemporary. A+
Pros: Marvellous characters, profound slow-burning romance, balanced tone. Cons: First chapters are a little predictable.

*March Dud*

Follow My Lead, by Kate Noble. Romance, Historical. C
Pros: Unconventional Regency setting. Charming hero. Cons: Boring top-heavy plot, TSTL ninny heroine.

*Best of the Rest*

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein. YA, Historical. A
Pros: Excellent twist, well developed heroines, great historical detail, emotional ending. Cons: Bit slow to start.

The Last Hellion, by Loretta Chase. Romance, Historical. A
Pros: AMAZING heroine, great writing and plotting. Cons: Villain is an inconsistent cartoon.

Teeth, by Hannah Moskowitz. YA, Fantasy. A
Pros: Effective setting, heart-tugging characters, thought-provoking themes. Cons: Some unresolved issues. Uneven ending. Extremely dark.

Black Powder War, by Naomi Novik. Fantasy, Historical. B+
Pros: Dependable world building, nice character development, excellent historical detail. Cons: Meandering plot. Middle-book-itis.

Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez. YA, Contemporary, LGBT. B+
Pros: Good pacing, well-drawn characters and themes. Cons: Writing style is skewed a little young.

Rosemary and Rue, by Seanan McGuire. Urban Fantasy. C
Pros: Excellent world building, original characters. Cons: Boring plot, reactionary heroine, really obvious villain.

The February Round-Up!

Wow, this month sure went quickly! Almost like it had fewer days than every other month! *rim shot*

*February Winners* 

The Diviners, by Libba Bray. Fantasy, Historical, YA. A+
Pros: Gorgeous setting, lyrical writing style, snappy dialogue, fantastic heroine, great premise! Cons: All that greatness plus an enormous pagecount makes this a physically heavy book. So there's that.

Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman. Fantasy, Historical, YA. A+ **Joint review with Foz Meadows**
Pros: Excellent concept, great magic system, well-drawn heroine, swoony romance. Cons: Some of the world-building is a little too far-fetched.

*February Dud*

You Can't Hurry Love, by Christine Ridgway. Romance, Contemporary. D

Pros: A few laughs here and there. Cons: Manipulative Dick Hero, woo-woo psychic powers out of nowhere, utterly contrived plot.

*Best of the Rest*

The Red Garden, by Alice Hoffman. Fantasy, Fiction, Short Story Collection. B+
Pros: All solid stories set within the same setting along a chronological time period. Cons: One or two of the stories don't really go anywhere, but that's about it.

To Catch a Bride, by Anne Gracie. Romance, Historical. C
Pros: Interesting setting (at first), strong and practical heroine (at first). Cons: Nothing gold can stay - also, insensitive portrayal of barren women.

Altered, by Jennifer Rush. YA, Science Fiction. D+
Pros: An interesting mystery with original clues. Cons: Silly sci-fi plot, over-objectified teenage man candy, lame-ass wish fulfilment heroine.

Never Lie To a Lady, by Liz Carlyle. Romance, Historical. DNF
Pros: Excellent setting and detail, complex character backgrounds. Cons: Overly-complex backgrounds, boring characters, hero is inexplicably and melodramatically angsty, too many details not enough plot or emotional investment.

The January Round-Up!

It's time for the monthly round-up again!

I have some nice plans in the works. Firstly, I've been working on my Cinderalla novel. Yes, again. I've kind of lost my fiction writing mojo but I just have to keep at it. It's such a good idea, and the first chapters are just so phenomenal I've been unable to abandon it. So here's to trying again!

Later this month, I'll also be posting my first joint review!

Anyhoo, here's what I read last month:

*January Winner!* Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. Thriller, Contemporary. A
Pros: Phenomenal writing, excellent pay off. Cons: Sluggish pacing in the middle, creeeeepy creepy storyline.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. Middle Grade, Fantasy, ReRead. A
Pros: Intriguing themes, good characterization, all-round enjoyable story. Cons: Dobby.

The Bridal Season, by Connie Brockway. Romance, Historical. B
Pros: Fluffy and charming - plus a lovely Beta hero. Cons: Unrealistic, a bit shallow.

Speechless, by Hannah Harrington. YA, Contemporary. B-
Pros: Excellent character development, original concept, great themes. Cons: Childish writing style, weak ending.

Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion. Horror, Contemporary. C
Pros: Lovely writing, interesting themes. Cons: Poorly developed setting and world building, pretentious message.

A Matter of Class, by Mary Balogh. Romance, Historical. D
Pros: Lovely writing. Cons: Completely blank characters, no conflict, DUMB AS HELL plot twist.

*January Dud* Sanctum, by Sarah Fine. YA, Paranormal. D
Pros: Fantastic POC heroine. Cons: Goopy romance, inconsistent and undeveloped worldbuilding, very troubling social commentary on the nature of suicide.

My ReRead Rollout - The Results!

Okay, sorry this post is a little slow, but my Year End post took longer than expected, and I've been working longer hours at my Paying Day Job.

So during the month of December I decided to reread some of my favourite novels (or novels I perceived to be my favourite), and the results were thus:

Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Did It Hold Up? Yes. Yes it most definitely did! Anne is still awesome, Diana Berry is still a bosom friend, Matthew still makes me cry, and Josie Pye is still a bitch! It really amazed me how many layers this book has, how many more different things I noticed about this book reading it as an adult. I may now have to read the other books in the series again!

The Secret Pearl, by Mary Balogh.
Did It Hold Up? Yes. This time around (since I'd already written a review), I focused on what I felt to be the most powerful aspect of this book: the villains. Well-developed, creepy, tragic, they were so memorable and contributed so well to the romanticism and drama of the novel, I figured they deserved their own examination.

Fitzpatrick's War, by Theodore Judson.
Did It Hold Up? No. Not really. I think the reason I enjoyed exploring the novel the first time was thanks to the unique formatting of the story as well as the detailed world building. However, rereading the novel when I already knew the plot allowed me to notice how incredibly slow and overdetailed the story was - how much more time was wasted on minutiae than the plot, which was far more simple than I'd remembered. Still, if you love detailed, original settings and military stories, you might still enjoy it.

Beauty, by Robin McKinley.
Did It Hold Up? No. I reread this one with a little impatience - probably because I already know how the fairy tale goes so I found the lead-up (which explains Beauty's family and backstory) to be a little top-heavy, while the part that matches actual fairy tale was disappointingly bare of the elaboration or character development (especially on the Beast's part) that I was hoping for. However, McKinley apparently plumbed the Beauty and the Beast well another time for Rose's Daughter, so I might try reading that, someday.

The Birth House, by Ami McKay
Did It Hold Up? Yes! I still enjoyed this novel just as much as I did back in University. Interesting themes, great characters, fabulous historical details, strong feminist undertone, and a gorgeous writing style. Even though her second book wasn't nearly as good, I'll be keeping this novel on my Keeper Shelf for a long time to come.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
Did It Hold Up? Yes indeedy - enough to make me want to re-read the whole series!

Private Arrangements, by Sherry Thomas.
Did It Hold Up? Better! I really enjoyed the novel the second time around, and I tried to figure out why I loved it now when I was only ambivalent towards it before. The only explanation I can really come up with beyond My Tastes Have Matured is that Sherry Thomas' style was so different (read: better) than a lot of what I was reading at the time that I didn't connect to it the same way. Now that I'm used to (read: adore) her style, I was able to truly enjoy coming back to her debut novel. What can I say? I'm a hopeless fangirl.

I must admit, I might have to do this again next year. There's just something so relaxing about reading a book that you've already enjoyed. So, dear readers, have you taken to rereading any of your favourite classics lately? If so, which ones?

The November Round-Up!

Well, November was a pretty good month for me. I'm just coming off a week's much-needed vacation, I finished my NaNoWriMo novel (well, I made it to 50,000 words anyway), and I made a plan for my December (My Re-Read Rollout!). And besides all that, I managed to read a few books! Here's the breakdown of my November reads:

Sacred Hearts, by Sarah Dunant. Fiction, Historical. A
Pros: Excellent period detail, thoughtful Catholic themes, engaging characters and conflicts. Cons: Pacing is a little slow.

Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor. YA, Fantasy. A
Pros: Excellent worldbuilding, compellingly ambiguous themes, excellent writing. Cons: Kind of a bummer book.

Beguiling the Beauty, by Sherry Thomas. Romance, Historical. A-
Pros: Gorgeous writing, intriguing themes, exquisite period details. Cons: Asshat hero, heroine is a bit of a doormat in the latter half of the book.

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone, by Kat Rosenfield. YA, Contemporary. A-
Pros: Lush writing, good suspense, excellent setting. Cons: Inconsistent characterization.

When the Duke Returns, by Eloisa James. Romance, Historical. B
Pros: Bubbly writing, good description, swift pacing. Cons: Future Couples hog too much screentime, hero is a selfish ass.

The Virgin Cure, by Ami McKay. Fiction, Historical. C
Pros: Good period detail, lovely writing. Cons: No real plot, cop-out ending.

Crewel, Gennifer Albin. YA, Science Fiction. C-
Pros: Creative world-building idea, solid writing. Cons: Inconsistent heroine, misogynist gender themes, slutshaming, ridiculous love triangle.

The Blessed, by Tonya Hurtley. YA, Fantasy. F
Pros: I'm still a Catholic after reading it! Cons: Inconsistent worldbuilding, abysmal pacing, a total lack of plot until the last third, nasty unsympathetic protagonists, gratuitous violence against women, and misappropriation of Catholic religious elements.

The October Round-Up!

Happy Halloween, folks! I'm writing my October Round-Up a little early this month, if only to get it out of the way to leave more room for NaNo'ing come November! And here are the books I read and reviewed over the last 31 days:

The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman. Fiction, Historical. A
Pros: Absorbing moral debate, well-developed characters, magical setting. Cons: Slow pacing.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Cathrynne M. Valente. Middle Grade, Fantasy. A
Pros: Endlessly creative setting, excellent characterization, gorgeous wordplay. Cons: Uneven pacing, occasionally cluttered language.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns. Anthology Review. YA, Fantasy, Horror. A-
Pros: The zombie stories. Cons: The unicorn stories. And Justine Larbalestier's commentary.

Cold Magic, by Kate Elliott. Fantasy, YA. B-
Pros: Intricate alternate world, gripping actual plot. Cons: Infodumps out the whazoo, irritating characters.

I Kissed an Earl, by Julie Anne Long. Romance, Historical. B-
Pros: Self-aware heroine, intriguingly complex financial storyline, strong writing. Cons: Heroine is a loathsomely spoiled idiot for the majority of the book.

*October Dud* Seize the Fire, by Laura Kinsale. Romance, Historical. D+
Pros: Conflicted hero, some serious dramas. Cons: Boring, sluggish pacing, and the most stupid, useless, crybaby heroine in existence.

Who knew a Laura Kinsale book would wind up a dud? How was your month, reading-wise?

The September Round-Up

Well, dear readers, I am currently writing to you on my brand-shining-new MacBook. No more PCs for me! Learning to use a Mac for the first time since 1997 is pretty slick, especially since the modem doesn't make those beeping, screeching noises anymore! Progress!

Hopefully having a computer that isn't a rattling jalopy of a piece of crap like my previous Acer will inspire me with new stories and ideas - and all in time for NaNoWriMo next month, too!

With another month around the corner, it's time to go over what I read in September:

*September Winner!* The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. Historical, LGBT, Fantasy. A+
Pros: Gorgeous language, relatable hero, swoon-romance. Cons: Hero a little indecisive. Novel loses confidence in the middle.

A Season to be Sinful, by Jo Goodman. Romance, Historical. A+
Pros: Fantastic mystery, developed characters, delicious slow-burning romance. Cons: Some slow pacing, a few confusing scenes.

Origin, by Jessica Khoury. YA, Science Fiction. C+
Pros: Interesting themes, colourful setting. Cons: Unbelievable insta-love romance, ridiculous ending.

What's Left of Me, by Kat Zhang. YA, Science Fiction/Alternate Universe. C+
Pros: Interesting concept. Cons: Piss-poor worldbuilding and repetitive pacing.

The World According to Garp, by John Irving. Classic, Contemporary. C
Pros: Fascinating exploration of themes of gender, sexuality and art. Cons: Very long and boring, "tell over show" writing style.

*September Dud* 
Lord of Ice, by Gaelen Foley. Romance, Historical. DNF
Pros: Saucy heroine (only at the beginning). Cons: Uninteresting and unoriginal plot, violent hero, "Innocent" Heroine used as Tylenol for Man Pain.

The August Round-Up!

Fall!

FALL! My favourite season! Everything smells like smoke, the leaves turn brilliant colours and I become inexplicably excited. Let's hope this helps recharge my creative batteries. I'm backing away from fiction writing (at least on any particular project). This month, I'll focus on worldbuilding and plotting the idea I'm still holding on to, and doing writing prompts from Twitter.

As for books, I read the following:

*August Winner!* A Precious Jewel, by Mary Balogh. Romance, Historical. A
Pros: Unconventional characters, particularly the hero. Lovely writing. Cons: Hero is an ass and heroine is a martyr for much of the novel.
 
Sex with the Queen, by Eleanor Herman. History, Nonfiction. A-
Pros: Excellently paced, lots of details and scandals. Cons: Author's attempts to inject romantic conjecture into the nonfictional narrative fall flat.

Tigers in Red Weather, by Liza Klaussmann. Fiction, Historical. B+
Pros: Excellent changing perspectives throughout the years, nice details, interesting story. Cons: A little bit of "Rich People's Unhappy Lives" Syndrome. 

The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Stephen Galloway. Fiction, Historical. B
Pros: Detailed setting, subtle characterization, strong female protagonist. Cons: So very definitely NOT a happy fun-times feel-good book.

Chocolat, by Joanne Harris. Fiction, Contemporary, Book to Movie. B
Pros: Mmmm, chocolate! Beautiful writing too. Cons: Very unclear themes at the end. Super-creepy villain.

The Girl Most Likely To... by Susan Donovan. Romance, Contemporary. B-
Pros: Layered characters, nice backstories, emotional beginning. Cons: Lots of male entitlement, too little romantic conflict, plus a total whackadoodle deux ex Real!Father ending.

Not Proper Enough, by Carolyn Jewel. Romance, Historical. C
Pros: Lovely writing, excellent depiction of setting. Cons: Booooooring as hell. No actual plot.

*August Dud* Kingdom of Gods, by N.K. Jemisin. High Fantasy. C-
Pros: Solid writing, decent conclusion to trilogy. Cons: Plot is all over the place, scattershot characterization, slow slow slow pacing.

Ravishing in Red, by Madeline Hunter. Romance, Historical. DNF
Pros: It looks like the story gets better after 100 pages. Cons: Those first 100 ages really aren't worth it.

Throne of Glass, by Sarah Maas. YA, Fantasy. DNF
Pros: Um, it's got a nice cover? Cons: Cliched writing, cliched love triangle, cutesy inconsistent mass-murdering puppy-saving heroine, no subtlety or complexity at all (which makes me cringe whenever it or another review brings up the WHOLLY UNFOUNDED Game of Thrones comparison).

The July Round-Up

Another month has come and gone - which means (eep!) I only have one month to go until my deadline! Write write write...But enough about that! What did I read this month?

*July Winner!* Every Day, by David Levithan. YA, Fantasy. A+ 
Pros: Unique storyline, great characters, fascinating exploration of varying teenage perspectives, epic romance. Cons: Ending is a little unclear.

Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Romance, Classic. A+
Pros: Lovely romance, clever subtext, fantastic heroine (my favourite of Austen's). Cons: Some mixed messages.  

The Vicious Deep, by Zoraida Cordova. YA, Fantasy. B-
Pros: Great depiction of Coney Island setting, hilarious hero POV, great family dynamic, strong female love interest ... Cons: ...strong female love interest exhibits strength by doing stupid things. Magical mermaid setting is less well developed. Sloppy and unresolved ending. 

Crazy for Love, by Victoria Dahl. Romance, Contemporary. C 
Pros: Solid writing, lots of drama. Cons: Hero's serious anxiety disorder is shrugged off, unrealistically. Muddled romantic obstacles.

Wake, by Amanda Hocking. YA, Fantasy. D+
Pros: Heroines' love interests are respectful, nice boys. Interesting gender reversal in the supernatural-creature romance. Cons: Flacid "tell over show" writing style. Cutesy romance. Underdeveloped siren villainesses come close to body- and slut-shaming.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer. Middle Grade, Fantasy. D+
Pros: Witty dialogue, creative idea. Cons: Lame "tell over show" writing style, over-convenient and nonsensical world-building, pedantic and patronizing tone, overromanticization of villainy.

*July Dud* Sins of a Wicked Duke, by Sophie Jordan. Romance, Historical. D-
Pros: Hero has a wicked-cool snake tattoo on his nipple - and don't worry if you missed the first time it was mentioned, it'll only be referenced again ANOTHER 1,284 TIMES. Cons: Victim-blaming slut-shaming sexually-assaulting hero + doormat "Oirish" Heroine with Fantastic Hair = The Opposite of FunTimes. 

The Heir, by Grace Burrowes. Romance, Historical. DNF 
Pros: Hero and heroine are respectful, sensible people who like to talk out their problems. Cons: Over a hundred pages of talking about their problems without actually encountering any problems! ZzzzZZzz....

The June Round Up!

June was a pretty big month for me. I went to Book Expo, my blog turned eight years old, I posted about the merits (or lack thereof) of happy blogger fairy dust, and I set a deadline for my novel. My writing's actually started to pick up. I've read a lot of advice from different writers and blogs over the years, and for the most part ... I've ignored it. I always seemed convinced that everyone writes differently and that things that apply to other people might not apply to me.

But I finally found a piece of advice that resonated with me - pick small goals. Sounds stupid. What could be a small goal about writing? Well, for me, it's going for a small results-based goal rather than a strict count. Going in and telling myself "write as much as you can" isn't a goal. It's pretty open-ended since I can't really define "as much as you can." It means that more often than not, I feel like I haven't written enough, that I haven't met this goal, and that shoots down my morale.

Moreover, measuring progress by word count (other than during National Novel Writing Month) doesn't really mean anything. I could (and can, and HAVE) written thousands of words that do absolutely nothing to further the plot or get me closer to the end of my book. So instead of word count, I do scene count. I decide on a scene, and I write until I get to the natural conclusion of that scene. It may take a thousand words, it may take three hundred, but when I'm done, it's there, I get a sense of accomplishment, and my book has progressed in a significant way (one more scene means way more than another 500 words).

Anyway! The reviews:

*June Winner*
The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth. YA, Contemporary. A-
Pros: Fantastic, nuanced characterization. Detailed environment. Engaging coming-of-age storyline. Cons: Slow pacing for the first two-thirds. Occasional overabundance of detail. Some narrative loose ends.

The Wild Marquis, by Miranda Neville. Romance, Historical. B+
Pros: Delicious hero, interesting book collecting subplot. Cons: Heroine is a bit of the silly type who sometimes ignores sage safety advice for the plot to go forward.

Throne of Jade, by Naomi Novik. Fantasy, Historical. B+
Pros: Amazing worldbuilding, fantastic bromance between and dragon. Cons: Slow slow slooooow pacing.

Pixar's Brave. Animated Film, Fantasy. B
Pros: Strong female-centric storyline, no tacked-on love interest. Cons: Uneven pacing, narrow scope.

Where It Began, by Ann Redisch Stampler. B
Pros: Interesting mystery, hilarious hilarious voice. Cons: Heroine is completely passive in her own story.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Fantasy, Contemporary. C
Pros: Original storyline, detailed setting. Cons: Dull characters, scattered and unfocused narrative.

Motherland, by Amy Sohn. Fiction, Contemporary. C-
Pros: Soapy scandals galore! Cons: Unrelatable characters, unresolved storylines, and SURPRISE INCEST.  

*June Dud*
Dark Fever, by Karen Marie Moning. Urban Fantasy. D+
Pros: The brief appearance of a fairy so sexy he literally causes people to spontaneously take their clothes off. Cons: Dickbag hero, TSTL heroine, gratingly annoying future-heroine narrator spoils all the good parts, no conflict resolution at all.

The May Round-Up!

Hey y'all! Currently chillin' in my apartment, feet propped up with a heating pad. My feet, which have so far carried me everywhere my entire life without a single complaint, have suddenly decided they are shy, fragile, retiring creatures. So I am indulging them for the nonce, because I will be an absolute slave driver come BEA - which I am leaving for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW! Whoo! Anyhoo, my May has gone thusly:

A Gentleman Undone, by Cecilia Grant. Romance, Historical. A+
Pros: Beautiful writing, superbly detailed and sexually-experienced heroine with math skills, realism, grit, and passion. Cons: I got nuthin'.
 
Delicious, by Sherry Thomas. Romance, Historical. A+
Pros:  Gorgeous, gorgeous writing. Mouthwatering descriptions of food. Lots of historical detail and drama! Interesting secondary romance. Cons: The whole plot point where the hero never sees the heroine's face until the end gets a little tiresome.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor. YA, Fantasy. A+
Pros: Breathtaking writing, highly original story, great heroine, lovely romance. Cons: Um, the sequel's not out yet?

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. YA, Contemporary. A
Pros: Bitchin' heroine, creative feminist commentary, no obvious love triangle, unconventional ending. Cons: Plot kind of jumps all over the place. Heroine, while bitchin', is also occasionally kind of a bitch, too. 

The River King, by Alice Hoffman. Fiction, Contemporary. B+
Pros: Alice Hoffman is da bomb, yo. Cons: Not her best - meandering storyline, little payoff. 

Catch and Release, by Blythe Woolston. YA, Contemporary. B-
Pros: Excellent writing, subtle characterization. Cons: Unsettling and unsympathetic male protagonist, directionless ending.

Never Love a Lawman, by Jo Goodman. Romance, Historical. C+
Pros: Detailed setting, excellent Western-style action scenes. Cons: Evasive characters, slack pacing.
 
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. YA, Contemporary. C
Pros: Fascinating look at how a myriad of small actions beget large consequences. Cons: Ugly central concept and the suspense aspect is wasted with a cheap cop-out on the part of the male protagonist.

The April Round-Up

Whoo-hoo! I actually made it to 700 posts!

Yes, I think I can safely say that I've regained my reading and blogging groove. I'll admit I hit kind of a slow patch for, oh, pretty much all of 2011, but now that I've (almost) weaned myself off of Tumblr, carved a regular reading time back into my day, and reorganized my blog, I'm hitting my stride.

So I'm back to doing my Monthly Round-Ups! Albeit with a more streamlined format than before. No Picks or Duds this month, either - too many books with a similar grade.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth. YA, Dystopian. B+
Pros: Interesting worldbuilding. Tough heroine. Human drama in a futuristic setting. Cons: Slow pacing. Sudden "Mwahahaha!" Evil Villain Master Plan. 

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, by Erin McCahan. YA, Contemporary. B+
Pros: Increasingly layered storytelling. Bright, bubbly heroine. Great voice. Cons: Worst Mom Ever. A little cutesy.

Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta. YA, Contemporary. B+
Pros: Fascinating mystery. Yummy hero. Fantastic supporting characters. Weepy ending. Cons: First fifty pages are remarkably frustrating. Most of the adults in the story are STONE COLD JERKS, y'all.

Range of Ghosts, by Elizabeth Bear. Fantasy. B+
Pros: Unique worldbuilding. Great characters. Even greater lady characters. Cons: Some contrived plot points. Unclear goals. Romance seemed a little tacked on.

Not That Kind of Girl, by Siobhan Vivian. YA, Contemporary. B
Pros: Multifaceted female characters, excellent message and theme. Cons: Heroine is a bit of a bitchface - that's the point. But still. Bitchface.

Storm Glass, by Maria V. Snyder. YA, Fantasy. C, but really a DNF.
Pros: Layered heroine, solid worldbuilding. Cons: Useless love interests. Too many stories at once. Really boring after about halfway through.

Accessible Love Stories, Anthology Review. Romance, Contemporary. C-
Pros: Three okay stories, one good one. Cons: One seriously wanky pretentious story, and one ABSOLUTE SINGULARITY OF LITERARY FAIL.

Undressed, by Kristina Cook. Romance, Historical. C-
Pros: Surprisingly nuanced depiction of alcoholism. Cons: Everything else. "Scotland rules, England drools" mentality. Dumbass heroine. Cartoonish use of child abduction plot.  

Dark Lover, by J.R. Ward. Romance, Paranormal. C-
Pros: Well, it's certainly entertaining. Cons: The way watching a dude run into a glass door is entertaining.

Scoundrel's Kiss, by Carrie Lofty. Romance, Historical. DNF
Pros: Good description and use of setting.  Cons: Boring! Inconsistent themes. Annoying heroine. Super boring. Lifeless action scenes. Did I mention boring?

Tempted by His Kiss, by Tracy Anne Warren. Romance, Historical. DNF.
Pros: Um, competent English? Cons: Completely unoriginal characters and plot. Heroine with no sense of boundaries. Weird almost date-rape scene. Cutesy prepackaged sequel bait family members.

January (and December and November) Round Up!

Once again, sorry for the unexpected radio silence. I'm exhausted - I had a lot of overtime at work lately, but even more time-, energy-, and creativity-draining is the fact that I am moving out of my parents' house and into an apartment of my own, come the fifteenth. For me, that means a lot of flailing around, changing addresses, getting renter's insurance, finding and measuring (and RE-measuring) furniture, considering the expense of appliances, linens, and how many bookshelves I can possibly squeeze into my new place. Sadly, it also required purging a few books off my TBR - the ones I picked up because they were free or recommended but that, after several years, I still haven't brought myself to read.

I'm excited and terrified. It's a nice place with a balcony. But it's away from my muuuuum. *sniffle*

In other news, I'm booked for RWA 2011 - only this time I'm getting a roommate (possibly two). When I lived rent-free I could afford a room to myself, but those halcyon days of folding and washing clothes in exchange for home-cooked meals, shelter and HBO are over.

With all that, however, I've still been reading, and now that I have a spare moment, it's time for my November/December/January Round Up. I carried December over because that's when I had the Yearly Round Up. And I'm carrying November over because I only finished three books that month (I know, what was wrong with me, right?).

For Heroines, we got:

• 1 Tempestuous Artist
• 1 Undercover Dressmaker
• 1 Pure Virgin(tm) Heiress
• 1 Independent Widow
• 1 Clueless Pharmaceuticals Representative
• 1 Former Sitcom Star
  
• 1 Quakin' Quaker
• 1 (Sort Of) Wicked (Kinda) Witch
• 1 French (or *IS* she?) Spy
• 1 Artificially Impregnated Party Planner
• 1 Fake Pilgrim
• 1 Tormented Governess
• 1 Desperate Single Mother

For Heroes, we got:

• 1 Five-Year-Old Boy
• 1 Hungry Lion
• 1 Stroked-Out Aristocrat
• 1 Retired Football Star
• 1 Cleaned-Up Hollywood Fuckup
• 2 Colin Firth Look-a-Likes
• 1 Albanian Secret Service Agent
• 1 English Spymaster
• 1 Incompetent Viscount
• 1 Angsty McSadPants
• 1 Crippled Soldier
• 1 Pretentious Unicorn

For Obstacles, we got:

• "I'm not happy - I liked living in an 11 by 11-foot shed! What's wrong with Ma?"
• "I can't love him - he's only seducing me for my secret England-invasion plans!"
• "I can't love her - I might psychically see into our future when we have sex!"
• "I can't love her - I can't even speak!"
  
• "I can't love her - I might eat her by accident!"
• "I'm not happy - because I'm all green and emo and there are bad things going on with the government and stuff. I think."
• "I can't love him - I just got widowed and my sister is missing!"
• "I can't love him - his boozing and drug usage got our hit show cancelled!"
• "I can't love him - I'm already married. Plus enjoying sex is only for whorish women."
• "I can't love him - I'm pretending to be the help!"
• "I can't love him - I've got three of my friend's buns defrosting in my oven!"
  
• "I can't love him - he's fictional! And bears an awkward resemblance to both Colin Firth and my sexy coworker!"
• "I can't love her - I've got sssecretsss! And prequel baggage!"

In Miscellaneous, we got:

• One Hidden Pistol
• 3 Psychic Powers
• 2 Magical Pairs of Shoes
• Several Disreputable Siblings
• 2 Strokes
• 1 Garden Shed
• 1 Broken Unicorn Horn
  

*January Pick* Flowers from the Storm, by Laura Kinsale. A+
Pros: Handsome hero, lots of angst, intriguing and original plotline.
Cons: Heroine is a bit of a buck-buck-buck-buckaaaw!

The Spymaster's Lady, by Joanna Bourne. A
Pros: Wily heroine, emotional nuance, hell of a bathtub scene.
Cons: Hero falls in love mighty fast for an emotionally-walled-off spy, not that I mind overmuch.

What I Did For Love, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. A
Pros: Great world-building, fantastic secondary cast, intriguing hero.
Cons: Not enough intriguing hero POV. Heroine's pretty judgy.

Room, by Emma Donaghue. B+
Pros: Original premise, great use of dramatic irony and limited perspective.
Cons: Entire story told in five-year-old voice can be tiring, contrived depiction of media.

Captives of the Night, by Loretta Chase. B+
Pros: Lovely writing, intriguing mystery, well-rounded secondary cast.
Cons: Heroine's characterization is inconsistent, and mysterious hero remains a little too mysterious.

Since the Surrender, by Julie Anne Long. B
Pros: Gorgeous writing, hero who isn't overcome with angst.
Cons: Anticlimatic ending, overblown "dark past" between hero and heroine, completely inappropriate sex scenes.

Immortal Outlaw, by Lisa Hendrix. B-
Pros: Smart heroine, intriguing riddle plot, handsome platonic stallion manfriend.
Cons: Hero has identical angst to last hero in series, episodic pacing.

Finding Perfect, by Susan Mallery. C+
Pros: Incredibly sympathetic heroine journey, nice hero who endured feminine betrayal without becoming a misogynist douchebag, no baby epilogue *despite* a pregnant heroine!
Cons: Cartoonish elements, exaggerated and undeveloped villains, cheesy supporting cast.

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. C
Pros: Lovely writing, on occasion.
Cons: Story serves to Make a Point - consistent plotting and character development take a back seat.

The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount, by Julia London. C-
Pros: Um, the hero's not a total jerk?
Cons: Lots of subplots, too little time, not enough conclusions. Redonkulous supporting cast.

One Touch of Scandal, Liz Carlyle. C-
Pros: Somewhat interesting paranormal idea.
Cons: Angsty McSadPants hero is dreary, paranormal powers not really explained, heroine is bland.

Tumbling Through Time, by Gwyn Cready. D+
Pros: Bubbly comedic voice.
Cons: Plot makes no sense. None. Nada. Just imagine a wacky buttoned-up drug executive making out with two versions of Colin Firth.

*January Dud* Lord of Legends, by Susan Krinard. D
Pros: Um, it has unicorns? *sparkle sparkle*
Cons: Should have called the hero a uniBORING. Heroine is a judgmental little prude. Evil Vagina villainess helpfully explains to us how liking a lot of sex makes you EVIL.

October Round-Up

Yes, I know, I know. I'm late. Also, once again I didn't read as much as I normally do. That, I can blame on two things: a certain time-travelling romance novel that took a hell of a long time to read, and this guy (Jensen Ackles):
Yup. A few months ago I decided to rent the first couple of discs of the first season of Supernatural just to see what all the fuss is about. Cut to now, where I've burned through five seasons to catch up with the sixth (now airing on the CW).

They say that, with Supernatural, you're either a Dean girl or a Sam girl - well, I'm a Dean girl. Who knew? I'm normally kind of annoyed by the Angsty Tormented Brooding heroes in romance fiction and yet Mr. Ackles' portrayal of Dean, a demon-hunter willing to go to any lengths (read: Hell) to protect his brother, is the core appeal of the series.

The only problem with now being caught up with season six is that now I have to wait a whole week for the next episode! Waaaaah.....

But hey, this is a book blog, not a Supernatural Superfan blog, so on with the books I read.

For Heroines, we got:

• 1 Leggy Linguist
• 1 Sheltered Innocent
• 1 Illiterate Commoner With a Secret Past
• 1 Time-Travelling War Nurse
• 1 Indecisive Bigamist
  

For Heroes, we got:

• 1 Perfectly Perfect in Every Way, Redheaded Virgin Outlawed Scottish Laird with a Heart of Gold
• 1 Brain-Damaged Duke
• 1 Unintentional Homewrecker
• 1 Jaded Rake
• 1 Almost Bigamist
• 1 Virile Ratcatcher
  

For Obstacles, we got:

• "I can't love him! Well, I can - so long as I can love this other dude, too. Hey! I have a solution! Why can't they both love me? At the same time, I mean? Who could object to that?"
  
• "I can't love her! She's too innocent, and I'm too tawdry and jaded in that terribly witty way that women find so appealing."
• "I can't love him! He catches rodents for a living and still manages to be smarter than me!"
  
• "I can't love him! I'm already married - and besides, he's way too pretty, virginal, honourable, well-liked, well-endowed, educated, and lion-hearted for my tastes. Uh, right?"
• "I can't love him! I'd make a terrible duchess!"

In Miscellaneous, we got:

• 1 Controversial Spanking
• 1 Hidden Ferret (Guess where!)
• 1 Parentage-Proving Locket
• Several Stolen Blackberries
• 1 Evil Witch
• 1 Epic Mustache
  

*October Pick* The Proposition, by Judith Ivory. A+
Pros: Sexiest hero I've read all year. Gorgeous writing. Nice sexual awakening for heroine.
Cons: Big Surprise at the end was a wee bit tacked on.

One Night For Love, by Mary Balogh. A
Pros: Tough conflict, realistically portrayed romantic rival, fantastic character arc for heroine.
Cons: Hero is a bit on the passive side.

Venetia, by Georgette Heyer. B+
Pros: Bubbly writing. Lively heroine. Dark, sympathetic rake hero.
Cons: Blather - and lots of it. Unnecessary family "twist" at the end.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. B-
Pros: Good writing. Excellent setting detail. Well-drawn, wry heroine.
Cons: Scottish Messiah Jamie is a bit oversold. Founding member of the "This Book Is Too Damn Long" party.

*October Dud* A Hint of Wicked, by Jennifer Haymore. C+
Pros: Legitimately difficult conflict. One of the heroes isn't too bad.
Cons: The other hero is a dick - and he gets the girl. Also their child is probably the devil. Also there's no romantic development whatsoever.

September Round-Up

Truth be told, I didn't get a lot of reading done this month. Sorry, guys. There are a number of factors that contributed to my all-time monthly low:

1. I got a job, one that takes up a massive amount of a day. Who knew?
2. I got my driver's license, so while I still read on the bus to work, I took the bus (and, therefore, read on the bus) this month less than I used to.
3. September is TV premiere month!
   
4. I read Robin Hobb's Ship of Destiny which, while an awesome book and totally worth it, took a long-ass time to read, especially considering the previous three factors.

Anyway, for Heroines, we got:

• 1 Spirited Hoyden
• 1 Virgin Widow
  
• 1 Stripper-Nurse ("Helloooooo, Nurse!")
• 1 Heroine ... who really doesn't do anything other than Make Good Coffee and Bread
  
• 1 Regency Miss with Deep Sexual Daddy Issues
• 1 Kidnapped Innocent
• 1 Vampire Juliet

For Heroes, we got:

• 1 Glorified Thundercat
• 1 Undercover Angel
  
• 1 Tortured Spy
• 1 Sexy Pirate with a Dark Past
• 1 Lonely Wolfking
• 1 Virgin Nerd Fireman
• 1 Demon Stripper

For Romantic Obstacles, we got:

• "I can't marry her - she caught me having a Fake Pagan Orgy Cult Party!"
• "I can't love her - I'm already dead!"
• "I can't love her - she's a vampire!"
• "I have to save my ship - but she doesn't need me anymore!"
• "I can't love her - I'm broke and angsty and a virgin!"
• "I can't love him - he's a man who tells me what to do and I am an Strong, Independent Woman (tm)!"
  
• "I can't love her - I'm too deeply in debt!"
  

In the Miscellaneous Department, We Have:

• Several Fake Orgies
• 1 Barbed Penis
• 1 Fender Bender
• 1 Evil Fake Artist
• 1 Angry Dragon
• 1 Misunderstanding About Birth Control
  

*September Pick* Re-Read Review: Ship of Destiny, by Robin Hobb. A+
Pros: Great characterization. Excellent examination of women. Adventure. Dragons. Sweeping romance! Engaging antiheroes! SERIOUSLY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THESE BOOKS WHY AREN'T YOU DO SO RIGHT NOW?!
Cons: A little bit slow in the middle this time around.

Lord of Fire, by Gaelen Foley. B-
Pros: Yummy dark hero. Surprisingly decent character development. Lovely writing.
Cons: Crazy-stupid story. Fake orgies for Great Justice?

Under Fire, by Jo Davis. C+
Winner of the Too-High Expectations Award
Pros: Hot firemen.
Cons: Shallow characterization. Obvious villain. Sluggish pacing. Heroine who is both nurse and stripper and yet doesn't understand birth control.

*September Dud* Anthology Review: Hot Spell by Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Meljean Brook, Shiloh Walker. C-
Winner of the "What is Read Cannot Be Un-Read" Medal
Pros: Meljean Brook's story. The language and worldbuilding in Emma Holly's.
Cons: The lack of conflict in Emma Holly's. The ridiculous worldbuilding in Lora Leigh's. The lame-ass Romeo and Juliet set-up in Shiloh Walker's. And oh just before I forget - THE BARBED PENIS IN LORA LEIGH'S STORY. Yes, ladies, his penis has a hook on it. Just what every woman wants.