Books for Jo

Let me sleep on this one

[reblog] The Filk Song, as requested

rameau: Helen is a genius.

 

http://ctrlq.org/files/screenshots/b880892edc0bd3dd232cafb55f627d1a.png

 

 Every star you rate  

 Every shelf you create  

 Every writer you berate  

 Every status update  

 STGRB will be watching you

 

 Every single byte  

 Every review you write

 Every new site

 Every perceived slight

 STGRB will be watching you

 

 Oh can't you see  

 Your praise belongs to me

 How my poor heart aches

 With every list you make

 

 Every screenshot you take  

 Every book you forsake  

 Every discussion in which you partake  

 Every reputation you break  

 STGRB will be watching you

 

 Since you gave me one star I only complain

 I dream at night, I can only see disdain

 I cry "bully" but it's you I can't restrain

 I feel so hurt and long for the financial gain

 I keep calling stars, stars please...

 

 

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HAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAH

That was thebest moment in my day!

Source: http://helenthehermit.booklikes.com/post/498447/the-filk-song-as-requested
The best EVER
The best EVER
SPOILER ALERT!

Fantasy Lover(Dark Hunter) - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Yes, I did once again read this book. Dark Hunter is a very loved series for me. Being Greek  I grew up with the legends and myths the series is based on and that makes the series extra special for me.

 

Growing up I had this set of books(eight of them) that were the re-telling of Greek Mythology written in simple words and illustrated for children. I loved those books. Since kindergarden my mother would read them to me every night. I remember begging for more than one story every single time. They were the first books I read on my own(how proud I was of myself) and I actually still have them on my book shelf(some so tattered they need paper clips to stay in one piece). One was Odyssey and the other the Iliad whereas the other six are full of short stories like King Midas, or Pershephone and Hades or even Sisyphus and Orpheus. Some of them are sad and others happy but each and every one of them was a favorite so you can understand why I love this particular series so much. Of course this book is fiction so to make the stories persuasive there are a lot of inacuraties in the myths but this doesn't reduce it's appeal in the least.

 

Eros and Psyche was one of the stories I enjoyed more than others. I always liked that Aphrodite was such a "mean" girl. Were she to live in today's world she would totally be the "evil cheerleader". This book is about Aphrodite's other son, Julian.

 

As usual with Kenyon the story isn't full of laughs and giggles. The hero had a bad childhood and an even worse adulthood until the moment he meets our heroine, Grace Alexander, a very ordinary woman with a good but wounded heart.

 

I always wondered why it's usually the male protagonist that has the "bad" future in Kenyon's books. You would think that because of her difficult childhood SK would write about tortured heroines instead but it's usually the hero that has had it bad. Maybe it makes it easier to keep a distance?  I don't know. As the books progress the drama keeps getting more and it's possible that it becomes too much at some point. I personally believe that SK is overdoing it just a little bit in the latest books but that's my personal opinion. Anyway...back on track...

 

Julian is a sex slave. Yeap, a nice, wet dream wrapped in a two thousand year old scroll. After a drunk birtday party for two with her best friend Grace summons him without believing that it would actually work. Now the rest is obvious...

 

Boy sees Girl.

Girl sees Boy.

Sth clenches, sth goes up.

Tah-Dah.... It's love.

 

The story is nice enough. Julian helps Grace get over some difficult things from her past, Grace heals Julian by loving him just the way he is, Aphrodite bitches a bit but comes around, the bad guys are defeated. The story is solid. The love isn't exactly growing slowly but it isn't insta-love per se either. More like insta-lust followed by a two-weeks-love.

 

Kenyon's writing is very effortless and not tiring in the least, you can see that the writer is much more immature(in her work) while writing this book than when she wrote her 20th in the series but it just makes it seem fresh not badly worked. Her use of formal and informal speech as well as colloquialisms to show the difference between the characters' upbringing, time periods and nationalities is actually quite impressive and well done(although reading greek spelled in English made me cringe a bit every single time). Generally it's a well worked piece of contemporary literature. (I read this phrase in an article and always wanted to use it...See? It makes me look sophisticated.)

 

This book started an obsession for me which will propably not be done until the moment SK decides to finish the series and then I'll be re-reading and re-reading it again until each and every line in the books.

 

PS. This one isn't my favorite in the series but it's high on the list.

Magic
Magic

Obsidian Butterfly(Anita Blake) - LKH

Obsidian Butterfly - Laurell K. Hamilton

To begin with I have to say that this book is one of my favorites from this series. It is quite true that I have several emotional changes during Anita Blake's books. For several reasons I love and hate this series but the truth is that I have never been bored for a minute while reading one of the series' books!

Why I love the books 

1) Anita Blake is a woman who can mesure up almost to every man or woman she comes across either human or supernatural and that makes an interesting heroine at the very least. I may not always like her but I always find her entertaining.

2) The plot in every book is always different enough to be captivating so you never get the idea that you read the same things all over again. The crime stories are always interesting and fresh. Yes, she usually hunts vamps but that's the job description. The adrenaline rush during reading the books is addictive.

3)The gory stuff are really a plus in my opinion...I can see why many disagree but I find it really fascinating the way she doesn't shy away from the disgusting details.

4) The supportive characters are always a major part of the story and are always different enough from each other not to be boring. Again you don't always like them but LKH knows her character development. AB probably has the best bad guys of UF.


What I don't really like about the books 

1) The misogynistic comments are a really big downside in the Anita Blake books. Usually the cops but a lot of times Anita herself seem to display a very racist side with comments about other women's behaviour and usually in the books only Anita comes out as a strong female character. Some would say that since Anita can take everyone out either male or female it can't be that bad but the fact is that it is actually that bad. Anita is just too hypocritical. She judges prejudiced people while she displays a highly judgemental and prejudiced behaviour.

2) The sex is just too much. Sometimes I think the books tip the balance between adult romance or erotica and porn! As the books progress the sex scenes become more blatant and frequent to the point that I actually just skip them all.I know that the vampires in Jean Claude's line feed on lust but you can read so many sex and orgy scenes before you've had enough.

3) Asher is actually pretty annoying. He is full of envy, complaints, arrogant in some things and completely insecure in others and he just whines his way through the books.

Why this particular book 

1) No sex is the biggest reason. It has an interesting mystery story with much action and NO SEX!

2) Edward is just a favorite! I love all the books in which he has a lead role and it doesn't get more lead than this. He is interesting without all the lust that Anita seems to have for almost everything that belongs in the male category.

3) The plot is more interesting than most the other books, the characters fascinating, the southern pieces seem to give another flavor to the story and the fact that she doesn't have all her lovers in her feet seems to give the book a more adventurous side beside the romance feeling that most of the others have.

4) No Jean Claude, Richard, Asher. In the early books I kind of liked Richard but then he started behaving like a jerk and he never stops the whining, along with Asher they make your brain bleed with all the complaints. Jean Claude is kind of ok but really at some points he gets just as clingy as the other two and you can never tell whether he is a good guy or a bad one (it made things interesting for a while but at some point you get fed up).

Now I know that I seem to like the book for what it doesn't have more than for what it has but it is true that if there weren't so many moments where Anita puts down other female characters it would be an amazing book. Now it has to go with just great!

^^
^^
Styxx - Sherrilyn Kenyon I think I'll give this one a 4. Maybe a 4,5 or a 4,75. Oh, screw it. It's a 5!!!

Where to begin with this one? You think you know your characters and then "BOOM", the skies open, the fires roar and suddenly you're in a new world. Let me explain...

Styxx

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See that gorgeous guy? That's Ash's twin the infamous Styxx. Before his book Styxx was an arrogant guy who saw the light to me. Boy was I wrong Styxx's life was an even bigger tragedy than Acheron's. Everything bad that happened to Ash happened to Styxx as well. And were Ash had at least one or two people who loved him uncoditionally Styxx had no one. He grew up in a violent family, with negligent and many times cruel parents, two siblings who begrudged him every breath, an asshole for an uncle. He was just so caring and loving that you couldn't help siding with him every single time. The one light in his life was Beth and she was taken from him as well. I think I cried the whole way through the book.

Beth

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I loved Beth. She was a nice girl(goddess), fresh and hopefull but she wasn't a naive little virgin. She knew what she wanted and did what she had to get it. She wasn't unnecesarily cruel but she was no pushover either. I enjoyed her snarky side. I think that generally she was one of SK's best heroines so far.

Acheron

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I am so used to rooting for Ash that I was so majorly disappointed by the fact that he behaved like a jerk. Styxx tried so freakin hard and every time he got only a slap in return. If Ash was a real life person I'd have slapped some sense into him but I won't get the satisfaction. *sad face*

Ryssa

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What a selfish bitch. I didn't have much love for her in Acheron's book and I actually hate her in this one. Ash had some excuses for his behaviour but this jealous, spoiled brat had none at all. Every time someone said something good for Styxx or did sth good for him(usually by accident) she was there to poison the moment. She was the only one being spoiled and loved by everyone and she begrudged Styxx every moment of success.

Apollo

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Now Apollo makes Artemis look like a harmless little kitten. The things this guy does. He is just so perverted and cruel that I don't have the words to describe him. I won't try. Just be prepared for hard-core abuse.

I can go on and on and on. There are so many characters in this book that I won't be able to sum it up if I continue. What you have to be prepared for...

1) Two revelations concerning characters we love. *faint*
2) The "baddie" for me(which you won't get if you haven't read my reviews so bad for you).
3) Prepare to change your mind for many people.
4) Much blabbering.
5) Gods from both Greek and Egyptian pantheons. *fangirling*

Okay...Here I must add some things because it's very obvious were I got bored with writing this. It will be even more spoilerish than the previous so stand warned.

I loved the book. I loved it but still some things annoyed me. To begin with it had the same problem as Acheron's. The "past" part was too long. Yes it didn't exactly drag but it was too emotionally loaded and got a tiny bit tiring by the time you finished it. It was important that we knew these things to be able to invest on Styxx's happiness but it could have been described with less words. Thank god for Galen or I would have dropped the book just because I couldn't bare the bleakness.

Then came the "modern" part which wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I mean the dessert? Really? How....Boring. It was so uninteresting. All the other heroes had violence and risks and excitement in their live. Styxx decided to live in a tent with the sand for company. It was a bit dissapointing tbh.

And of course in the end everything had to resolve in about 10 seconds flat. The only positive was the Urian thing. I loved that little surprise there.

PS. Did you see the next book's blurb? Why two strangers? I want Savitar(with Apollymi or I'll be really disappointed) or Urian damn it! I want them yesterday.
Circus of the Damned - Laurell K. Hamilton Now this book, this probably is my second best in the series. I loved almost everything in it.

The most important pro is that there is Edward to be had. Cold, ruthless Edward with a soft spot for Anita but for Anita the friend, maybe even Anita the baby sister, not Anita the "sex bomb".

Then we have the first Richard appearance. Damn but the guy was full of potential. Charming and full of humour. The Richard we meet in this book has nothing to do with the whinny, cruel, jealous SOB he becomes later on. He is interesting and funny.

The bad guys are as always perfect. LKH knows how to write the "bad" ones. She makes them just crazy enough to never know what's gonna happen next. Also the fact that she usually has more than one bad guy around gives the books more to keep your attention.

Larry is also first introduced in this book. He seems so young and naive. He gives the book something fresh and different from all the jaded "monsters".

JC is at his worst. He keeps on his manipulative ways once again. What boggles the mind is that he actually has the nerve to play the "hurt" party because Anita won't play servant for him although he never actually asked her opinion before marking her. Oh, the nerve.

The story was captivating. You have to give it to LKH, she knows how to write a book. Maybe you don't agree with what she writes, maybe you want to curse and rave at the characters but you still keep on reading. The books seem kind of alive. They don't have boring moments. I would be the first to admit that the series is full of faults but I still keep coming back to it every time I want something action packed.

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The Laughing Corpse - Laurell K. Hamilton The Laughing Corpse is one of my least favorite AB books and I really don't know why. It's interesting, doesn't have all the sex craziness, no relationship drama but still... It doesn't have Edward either.

There is this one moment in the book that ruins it for me. Anita is, if nothing else, supposed to be the good guy(she says so herself many times) but in order to get what she wants from Wanda she lets JC terrify the poor woman. That's just wrong in my book.

Then we have the "Manny thing". I mean good guys are you know...good. They don't go around sacrificing people. Why does everything have to be so grey in this series? Black and white are nice colours to have as well.

Generally the book was good enough. I liked the Seniora a lot for a bad guy. She had all the right psychotic characteristics. I didn't like Gaynor though. He was greedy(too greedy) not crazy. Weird? Me?

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Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton I have to admit that this is my favorite love-to-hate series. It has so many faults it isn't even funny after a point but damn it's addicting. You know you shouldn't, you know it's bad but you still come back for more.

Anita is a dilemma for me. On one hand she is strong, gutsy, snarky enough but not too much. She keeps you entertained. On the other hand she is a prejudiced idiot. She is kind of misogynistic(as the books progress she only gets worse), kind of prudish, a lot of narrow-minded. I kind of hate all these stuff in my heroines.

Then we have Jean-Claude who is a manipulative SOB who probably would sell his own mother if it helped him in any way. I don't much like JC, in this or the next books. He is too self-centered IMO. His goals the only thing that matters, the fact that to get there he has to use people he supposedly "cares" about never seems to stop his quest for more power.

The rest of the characters are very steadily on the "positive" side for me. The baddies are you know, bad. Cruel, wicked, psychotic. Exactly as they should be.
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Phillip was kind of heartbreaking. Every time I read his reactions and answers I wanted to cry a little and kill Anita for being so harsh and judgemental with him.

And of course the highlight of the book was Edward. Damn but I love Edward. I want a series based on him. He would make probably the best good-vilain out there.

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They probably didn't have this Edward in mind when they made it but I so am team Edward.

I have again mentioned that I love the gory details in the Anita Blake books. It's just so easy to get into the scene with your mind. Probably why some people hate it but I enjoy it(possibly disturbingly much).

Something else that annoys me so much in the books is the names. When someone talks, especially Anita they use their interlocutor's name every other word. It's so annoying to read the whole "I know Phillip. The master wants to see me Phillip. I'll be there Phillip. Jump off a bridge Phillip." See? An-no-y-ing

Generally I like the book. It is one of the best in the series because it's before the whole relationships drama and non-stop sex.
Taking a Shot - Jaci Burton Now this one was the best in the series so far. O still don't much like the sex scenes but it was definitely better than the previous two the story seemed more whole somehow. Jenna's denials got just a tiny bit on my nerves but generally this one is a solid 4.
Changing the Game - Jaci Burton Another 3,sth.
The Perfect Play - Jaci Burton 3.5 maybe. I don't have time for a review so it'll have to wait.
Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street, #1.6) - Samantha Young I still don't like Ellie all that much. Too naive and romantic for my tastes but she is a strong person and Adam didn't much deserve her. I didn't see any kind of connection between them but that's ok, it was just a short story and it was enjoyable...

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On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street, #1) - Samantha Young I was pleasantly surprised when I realised this book was much lighter than I thought after reading the blurb. The characters although they came with baggage never became overwhelmingly emotional. I'd been stalling reading this because I thought it would prove to be depressing but I was wrong...

I have to admit that I usually like a book more if the heroine is the one with commitment problems. I think it's mostly because I can relate. I don't like long relationships and big words either. (Luckily I'm too young for it to be worrisome.) So you can understand why I would like Joss. Did I think that at some points her denial was a bit too much? Kinda. But I liked the fact that she knew that she was lying to herself. It even had a line in the book... I've always being good at lying to myself. I also enjoyed the fact that even though Joss was closed off to the point of frustration she didn't have a problem with who she were. She didn't have the usual "I'm not adequate" thoughts that most heroines have. It did have some moments that she worries that she wasn't Branden's usual type but no self-deprecation.

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I actually liked Braden so much. He was the typical "millionaire-bad boy-player" of contemporary romances but he had something that other characters usually lack. When he realised he wanted Joss for more than a casual bed buddy he went after her. No trying to deny it or fight it or whatever. And although I know that for most girls this line -"I have a girlfriend but I'm not blind.Just because I cant do anything , doesnt mean I'm not allowed to look."- would be a huge turn off to me it was honest and so damn true. I challenge you to find me a man or woman whom because he/she is in a relationship doesn't look around. It doesn't mean you act on it but you definitely look IMO. I also enjoyed how loving and protective he was of his family.

One thing I have to say that I know most people won't agree with is that I didn't like Ellie all that much. She was overly sweet, too romantic, and the "thing" she did to bring Branden and Joss together just pissed me off. Adam on the other hand was soooo awesome!!! I also hated, absolutely hated Jo. I don't know if I'll be reading her book.

I liked the story in general(okay loved it). I was sad when it was finished. The "therapist" breaks made me laugh my head off most times. The panic attacks seemed just a tiny bit overkill though, don't know why.

That's it. I'll make sure to try more novels by this author.

Currently reading

Dead Witch Walking
Kim Harrison
Progress: 10 %
Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #2)
Sherrilyn Kenyon

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