May's Books

I read a lot of books in May, but I never did get around to posting them like I've been doing this year.  June's list looks to be really short, having finally put my ass in gear and getting to work on things that needed my attention.  May was a month of in between though, and in needing some escape, I read a lot of fantasy type fiction.  I usually like to mix it up and read some other genres in between the fluff books, but serious make-believe was obviously what my brain was craving in May, and lots of it.  Not that I'm apologizing.  Those were some fun books.

Queen of the Darkness: The Black Jewels Trilogy 3 (Archive)… by Anne Bishop

(borrowed)  -  This rich trilogy about witches and demons and ancient magic stayed consistently compelling right through the very last sentence. Fantasy is a tricky thing that can go bad so easily, but the rules of this world and all the characters in it were solid and believable, which made it easy to get emotionally wrapped up in the unfolding story, a story that never once weakened enough for me to slip out. This is one of those stories you miss when it's over.  -  5/5 stars

Mistral's Kiss (Meredith Gentry, Book 5) by Laurell K. Hamilton

(personal collection, now swapped)  If you're reading this series, then it suffices to say this is more of the same: more sex leads to more power leads to more desire for sex and power... Wash. Rinse. Repeat. [EDIT: I just noticed I read book 5 without ever reading book 4 (found it under my nightstand) and never even suspected I might have missed something. That speaks a lot about the "plot" in this series.]  -  3/5 stars for pure "brain candy"

The Keys To the Kingdom, Book 1: Mister Monday (Keys To The Kingdom, The)… by Garth Nix

(personal collection)  Not quite as involved as the Harry Potter series, but full of much more inventive imagery. Although the story felt a little flat to me, this was just the first book in the series, and I liked what I read enough to want more. I'm hoping the remaining books develop into a story with a little more depth. I would expect the young, target audience for this story would just eat it up.  -  3.5/5 stars

A Stroke of Midnight (Meredith Gentry Novel) by Laurell K. Hamilton

(personal collection, now swapped)  I found this book in the Merry Gentry series to be quite compelling. It was still as if I was watching Hamilton masturbate with her word processor at times, but there was enough plot to make up for that awkwardness. This book is a fine example of why I'm still reading this series.  -  4/5 stars

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield

(personal collection)  This is a story-teller's story. If you love richly spun stories, if you just love books in general, I highly recommend picking this book up and giving it a try. It reads like any of my favorite classics, an enchanting web of words with a most satisfying ending that had me smiling through tears. I'm keeping this book, and I didn't have to think twice about placing it in a position of honor on my shelf of classics next to "Jane Eyre".  -  5/5 stars

The Keys To the Kingdom, Book 2: Grim Tuesday (Keys To The Kingdom)… by Garth Nix

(personal collection)  I found this second book a little more compelling than the first. There's just still a little too much that gets resolved by chance or by someone showing up in the nick of time, which leaves the story still feeling shallow. The imagery in The House is fantastic though, which is enough to amuse my imagination when the plot starts to feel a little thin.  -  3.5/5 stars