The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu

3.5 STARS

This book was recommended by a few of the sci-fi/fantasy authors that I follow on Twitter so when it showed up priced at a reasonable price on pre-order, I did just that and pre-ordered it. :)

Were it not for those recs, I would never have picked it up. It sort of sounds like a New Adult type novel, which I dislike a lot. I don't usually read a lot of science fiction, being more of a fantasy afficionado. And the cover doesn't speak to me. *LOL*

But I'm glad I picked it up because it was quite a fun read! I enjoyed the characters, even the bad ones! The plot was full of twists and turns and at one point a little over half the way through, Chu gives the story a hard left turn that left me quite blinkity-eyed. I wasn't sure he could pull it off satisfactorily, but in the end, yes, it did work and it made things rather interesting.

So now I want more about Ella and Io and Cameron and the rest of them! And I have added another author to my list. :) I will have to check out his other works.

Fish Out Of Water by Amy Lane

4 STARS

So one of my faves, Amy Lane, has turned her hand to trying one of my favourite sub-genres, romantic suspense! And the results are pretty damned good!

I love this set of MCs. Jackson is just such a guy! And Ellery is like a sexy... I want to say Felix Unger! *LOL* I like how they mesh together, and how Ellery turns out to be the driving force behind the relationship. He's so... SURE and competent and positive and I really, really liked him. :)

The cast of secondary characters is quite wonderful too. Amy is an excellent creator of unexpected families. Jackson's nextdoor neighbour, Mike, I think is my favourite. Ellery's mom is a very close second. (I saw Christine Baranski in my mind's eye whenever she appeared on the page.)

And for those who are bemoaning that this book isn't as 'sweet' as Amy's usual fare... well of course not! These are MEN, not youths! There were definitely spots of sweetness though, and if those readers didn't catch them, then maybe they need to slow down and actually read the damned book.

And yes, it is the first of a series. (I honestly don't think there's a romance writer out there who is capable of writing standalone novels any more.) And that's good news because I am quite eager to head off 'fishing' once again!

The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu

4 STARS

The Dandelion Dynasty - Book 2

I took a long while to read this one because, not only was it a big read, it was so delicious that I had to savour it, like a beautifully aged single malt.

I found the first half of the book somewhat slow, but the writing is so gorgeous that it really didn't matter. We have moved on to the next generation of characters from those that starred in the first book, Grace of Kings.

Ideas are put forward about culture and war and power and equality that make a person stop and ponder things for a while. It's never as simple as right and wrong, or black and white. The characters are multi-dimensional and all have flaws as well as good qualities and while there were times when I knew exactly what they'd do, there were other times when I was surprised by the paths they took.

And I have to say, I love how small things that happen in the beginning of the book, come back around and end up being something really, really important.

Ken Liu is a wonderful talent and he writes EXCELLENT books! I highly recommend this series if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into, something that tastes fresh and new and different. :) I can't wait for the third book!!

The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen

 4 STARS

It truly is a diary. Don't be reading this if you're looking for a cohesive narrative, but you enjoy an entertaining stream of consciousness, then this is your book!

Andy Cohen knows EVERYBODY! And he seems to have an opinion or three on them all.

This was really a very entertaining read, so much so that I'm waiting for his first book, Most Talkative, to go on sale and then I'll pick it up.

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

5 STARS

Chief Inspector Gamache - Book 9

How the Light Gets In is, in my humble opinion, the best Inspector Gamache novel yet, hands down.

This is the 9th Gamache book and it seems as if we've been building towards this tale and this climax from the very beginning of the series. Well, I guess it doesn't just seem that way, we actually have.

We have the mystery du jour, which has to do with a set of quintuplets inspired by the famed Dionne Quints. It's interesting and does keep one guessing until late in the book. But I think, far more important, is the way the mystery mirrors what the characters we have come to love (and hate) are going through in the over-arcing - through 9 books - mystery of the Sureté.

My emotions have never been twisted and played so much by a freaking mystery! These characters - man, oh man, I've come to love them so much - they have already gone through so much and in this book, they go through so much more! Whether it be Gamache himself, or his closest team members, Beauvoir and Lacoste, or the denizens of Three Pines ( and yes, thank God, we go back to Three Pines), especially Olivier and Ruth - this volume of the series brings watershed moments for all of them, I think.

There is one scene in the last few chapters, where I actually broke down and sobbed for what was on the page! The love, the hope, the loyalty, the trust... OMG, it was amazing. And of course, on the other hand, we have the hate, the jealousy, the evil, the betrayal and every emotion, the positive and the negative, they're just so damned real!

I don't know where we go from here. I have two more books in my TBR pile and then the latest book, #12 to get and then I'll be all up to date. The author has mentioned though, that she has started the next book, so that's very good news!

I want to mention, as well, while I was reading this book and the previous one, the author has been going through the loss of her beloved husband. My condolences, Louise.