Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine

Title: Total Eclipse (Weather Wardens #9)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Roc 2010

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 305

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seriously Series; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading;

How I Got It: I own it

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it form those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.

Holy crap! What a way to end the series! I sped through this volume on the edge of my seat. I couldn't wait to see how Joanne got herself of the end-of-the-world situation she got herself into. The volume did not disappoint. Like most of of the books in the series, this one hits the ground running. The action starts right away and never stops. I loved that! We get a whirlwind of activity and yet we still connect to the characters. I loved seeing some of the side characters reappear, but glad that Caine focused on our main group. I was even satisfied with the ending and epilogue. Usually I hate epilogues, but this one was nice. Overall, I really liked this series. The middle books meander a bit from the main story arc, but everything gets back on track for a couple of explosive books at the end.

Weather Warden:

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Title: Gulliver's Travels

Author: Jonathan Swift

Genre: Classics; Fantasy

Pages: 333

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- 18th Century; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf; Book to Movie; 1001 Books; Fall into Reading; Fantasy Project

How I Got It: I own it

Jonathan Swift's satirical novel was first published in 1726, yet it is still valid today. Gulliver's Travels describes the four fantastic voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a kindly ship's surgeon. Swift portrays him as an observer, a reporter, and a victim of circumstance. His travels take him to Lilliput where he is a giant observing tiny people. In Brobdingnag, the tables are reversed and he is the tiny person in a land of giants where he is exhibited as a curiosity at markets and fairs. The flying island of Laputa is the scene of his next voyage. The people plan and plot as their country lies in ruins. It is a world of illusion and distorted values. The fourth and final voyage takes him to the home of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses who rule the land. He also encounters Yahoos, filthy bestial creatures who resemble humans.

I can't believe that I've never actually read the entirety of this novel. Sure, I've read excerpts. I know most of the storyline. I've seen multiple television and movie adaptations. I've also read basically everything else that Swift has written. But somehow I've never actually read the whole book. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the book, but the notes really helped me understand the satirical nature of Swift's writing. The problem is that Swift wrote this very specific to a time and place. I love his commentary on the political state of Great Britain. While Gulliver goes on four adventures and meets four basic groups of people, the Lilliputians are still my favorite. I love how Gulliver finds himself a part of this strange land. A good book but because of its very specific nature, it's a hard volume to get into for modern audiences.

Movie:

I had hoped to watch the Ted Danson miniseries version of the book, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Boo! So I settled for the Jack Black version because the library had it in stock and available for loan. I was very disappointed by this adaptations. All of the satire is lost with Jack Black's incessant nonsense. Even the inclusion of Chris O'Dowd and Catherine Tate (two awesome British actors!) could not save the ridiculousness of this movie. Definitely a disappoint. Glad I didn't pay for this one at all...

FrightFall Readathon Update #2

Pages Read Today: 333 (Gulliver's Travels) + 39 (Total Eclipse)

Pages Read Total: 863

Books Read Total: 4

Comments: Made it through a never before read classic and started on the last book in a modern series. Very excited about my progress so far this week! Hoping to knock out Total Eclipse tomorrow or Saturday and start on my fifth book of the book.

FrightFall Readathon Update #1

Pages Read Today: 308 (Cape Storm) + 120 (San Diego 2014) + 63 (Witches 101)

Pages Read Total: 491

Books Read Total: 3

Comments: Action adventure, witches and zombies! A great way to start off the readathon. Now to keep the momentum going.

Witches 101 by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Witches 101: A Witches of East End Primer

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: Hyperion 2011

Genre: Paranormal; Witches

Pages: 63

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft; Monthly Key Word - October; ebook; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: iPad read

Almost three million copies of The Blue Bloods series in print, Melissa de la Cruz has now written her first paranormal romance for adults, on sale June 21st. The first in the Beauchamp Series, the book features a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites. It’s a page-turning, heart-stopping, magical summer read, fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.
But before you read the book, meet the Witches! In this primer, you’ll meet the three Beauchamp women – Joanna, Ingrid, and Freya – learn a little bit about their special powers, and even get some tips so you can cast a few spells of your own.

Hmm... This was a free teaser ebook for the new Witches of East End series. I was intrigued by the series concept and the appearance of the Beauchamps in the Blue Bloods series. The ebook itself gives the reader a chapter about each of the Beauchamps. We are teased with a larger mystery and storyline. it definitely doesn't stand on its own, but I am fairly interested in reading the series now. I just kinda wish this was a full story to get us into the series, instead of the opening chapters.

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant

Title: San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats (Newsflesh novella)

Author: Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit 2012

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 120

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; ebook; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: iPad read

It was the summer of 2014, and the true horrors of the Rising were only just beginning to reveal themselves. Fans from all over the world gathered in San Diego, California for the annual comic book and media convention, planning to forget about the troubling rumors of new diseases and walking dead by immersing themselves in a familiar environment. Over the course of five grueling days and nights, it became clear that the news was very close to home...and that most of the people who picked up their badges would never make it out alive.

Ran across this novella being reviewed on another blogger's site. I loved the original Newsflesh trilogy, so I had to download this one right away. And during the FrightFall Readathon seemed like a great time to read a little zombie story. Those who have read the trilogy know how this story is going to end. We know all about The Rising. But the story is written so well that I kept seeing glimpses of hope and survival until the bitter end. It's a great little short read to introduce you to The Rising or just as an extension of the original trilogy. Love, love, love!

Newsflesh

#0.4 Apocalupse Scenario #683: The Box
#0.5 Countdown
#0.75 San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats
#1 Feed
#2 Deadline
#3 Blackout
#3.5 How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea
#3.6 The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell
#3.7 Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus
#4 Rewind

Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

Title: Cape Storm (Weather Wardens #8)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Roc 2009

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 308

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin and her new husband, the Djinn David, are running from a malevolent hurricane bent on destroying her. Joined by an army of fellow Wardens and Djinn onboard a hijacked luxury liner, Joanne has lured the storm into furious pursuit. But even their combined magic may not be enough to stop it-nor the power-mad ex-Weather Warden controlling it...

After the whirlwind that was Gale Force, I liked the slightly slower pace of this volume. I liked getting back to being focused on the main characters of the series. Instead of attempting to update everyone, we get more Joanne, David, and Lewis. I really really love Lewis in this volume. He has taken complete responsibility for the Wardens and for the Earth itself. I also love the villain in this volume, very over the top and slightly cartoonish, but in a good way. And I was very excited about where the whole series is going. I'm very excited to read the last volume in the Weather Wardens series.

Weather Warden:

FrightFall Readathon - Starting Line

Goals:

Read 3 books
or read 1000 pages
Review all books read

TBR List:

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Cape Storm by Rachel Caine
Witches 101 by Melissa de la Cruz
Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

FrightFall Readathon is Coming! Beware!

From Seasons of Reading:

It's here! The official sign up for the FrightFall Read-a-Thon! A week long fest of scary reading (well, at least one scary book anyway). All you have to do to participate is read at least one horror/scary book. For the faint-hearted among you, it can be a spooky mystery, a scary thriller, or something classically gothic. Children's books are also allowed. It's not so much about the quantity of our reading, but the quality, right? But...if this read-a-thon helps you to mark a bunch of books off your TBR pile, so be it! As you all know, I will not be hosting any mini-challenges. I prefer to focus on the reading, as many of my participants do. However, if anyone else would like to host a mini-challenge, you are more than welcome. Of course, there will be a big giveaway at the end. And we will have a few scheduled Twitter chats again. Schedule will be listed in the starting line post. Our twitter hashtag is #FrightFall. As I did during High Summer, I will post a midway check in too.
Official dates and times for the read-a-thon...Monday, September 30 at 12:00am EST through Sunday, October 6 at 11:59pm EST (adjust times according to your particular time zone).

I can't wait until this one starts. Now I need to figure out my TBR pile. Need something scary...

FrightFall Readathon Wrap-Up

Pages read today and yesterday: 228

Pages read total: 1959

Time read today and yesterday: 2 hours 39 minutes

Time read total: 19 hours 14 minutes

Comments: I got so busy with J coming home that I forgot to update yesterday. Oh well... I didn't read as much this weekend as during the week. That's how it usually goes. I did dive into Feed. It's different type of zombie book, set 25 years after The Rising and involving viruses. But I really like it. Hopefully I fill finish that on Monday and jump right into the sequel, Deadline. I'm very happy with my total page and time counts. I knocked out almost a book a day and multiple reading challenge spots. Plus it's always fun to read some scary zombie books. Until next year!

My goals:

Read at least 5 books √
Review all books read √
Update once a day -- so close!

TBR List:

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
The First Days by Rhiannon Frater
Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
Siege by Rhiannon Frater
Feed by Mira Grant -- in progress
Deadline by Mira Grant
Blackout by Mira Grant
ADDED -- Persuasion by Jane Austen

Siege by Rhiannon Frater

Title: Siege (As the World Dies #3)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 364

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I won it

The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits. Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s righthand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers. In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined survivors.

What a conclusion! When I go into a zombie novel, I kinda root for a happy ending, but realize that isn't not necessary for a good book. Without giving away details, this series has a relatively happy ending. I am satisfied. Throughout the series, I grieved over the loses. And yet I rejoiced at the triumphant moments. Overall I think the series is a story of hope. Even in the zombie apocalypse, we must have hope. While the religious areas got a bit cliched, the overall message of hope was nice to hear from the survivors. The characters are real people to me now. I see each of them in my mind. I want to be friends with Katie and Jenni. I want to play with Jack. I want to help Jason build his contraptions. I want to train with Nerit. I want to gather in the dining all with all the residents. I want to sit in Juan's memorial garden and reminisce about those we lost. For me to get so deeply into the world of the series, I know it's a great one. Check it out!

As the World Dies

#1 The First Days
#2 Fighting to Survive
#3 Siege
#4 Untold Tales Volume 1
#5 Untold Tales Volume 2
#6 Untold Tales Volume 3
#6.5 Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale

FrightFall Readathon Update #5

Pages read today: 208 (fighting to survive) + 364 (siege)

Pages read total: 1731

Time read today: 1 hour 59 minutes (fighting to survive) + 3 hours 21 minutes (siege)

Time read total: 16 hours 35 minutes

Comments: I wasn't planning on a marathon read today, but I couldn't help it. I finished Fighting to Survive and jumped right into Siege. I had to finish the series. it was just way too good!

Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Title: Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I won it

Picking up where The First Days ends, Fighting to Survive features the further zombie-killing, civilization-saving adventures of a pair of sexy, kick butt heroines and the men who love them. A hundred or so survivors of the zombie plague have found tenuous safety in the walled off center of a small Texas town. Now the hard work of survival begins—finding enough food; creating safe, weather-resistant shelter; establishing laws; and fighting off both the undead who want to eat them and the living bandits who want to rob and kill them.

And the saga continues. Oh my this one was a roller coaster. I still absolutely love the characters in this series. Katie is amazing and full of heart. Jenni is growing on me. She isn't as annoying as in the first book. Nerit is just awesome and stoic and a sniper! Travis is a great addition for the women heavy cast list. Juan also grew on me throughout the book. The plot is full of twists and turns. Every time things seemed to calm down in the fort, another threat popped up. I loved the crazy action scenes. But I also got very connected to the quiet moments. The deaths of the likable characters really hit me. Overall this volume was amazing. Can't wait to dive into the conclusion.

As the World Dies

#1 The First Days
#2 Fighting to Survive
#3 Siege
#4 Untold Tales Volume 1
#5 Untold Tales Volume 2
#6 Untold Tales Volume 3
#6.5 Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale

FrightFall Readathon Update #4

Pages read today: 335 (the first days) + 156 (fighting to survive)

Pages read total: 1159

Time read today: 3 hours 5 minutes (the first days) + 1 hour 32 minutes (fighting to survive)

Time read total: 11 hours 15 minutes

Comments: Late last night I started The First Days and just plowed right through to the end. Oh my! Such good zombie fun... I stayed up way to late, but it was worth it. Today I started the second book of the trilogy, Fighting to Survive. I may or may not finish it tonight, but I thought I would tally up my progress today before I got too tired. Can't wait to see what happens!

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Title: The First Days (As the World Dies #1)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 335

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I won it

The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni’s stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

Oh My! What a zombie novel! We are immediately thrown into the action. The first scene is utterly horrifying. I was terrified at what would come next. The book starts in action and just never stops. Right away I latched onto Katie as my identifiable character. She is strong and yet has a vulnerable spot. I loved the chapters told from her perspective. Jenni was a bit crazy or as Juan would say loca. I just never completely came around to her. But I understand that her background as a battered woman defines her current relationships with others in the fort. The other inhabitants are just as interesting and engaging. The novel has just the right amount of gore and suspense and then quiet moments between survivors. I am so glad that Rhiannon Frater was encouraged to publish the book. I can't wait to dive right into the next installment...

As the World Dies

#1 The First Days
#2 Fighting to Survive
#3 Siege
#4 Untold Tales Volume 1
#5 Untold Tales Volume 2
#6 Untold Tales Volume 3
#6.5 Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale

FrightFall Readathon Update #3

Pages read today: 189 of Persuasion

Pages read total: 479

Time read today: 1 hour 40 minutes

Time read total: 6 hours 38 minutes

Comments: I finished Persuasion today, but got sidetracked with cleaning and crafting. I attended a great meet and greet and came away with a ton of new scrap papers. So I crafted instead of read. Bad Tobe! I promise to get back on track tomorrow with the start of The First Days by Rhiannon Frater. So excited to get to this trilogy.

FrightFall Readathon Update #2

Pages read today: 144

Pages read total: 479

Time read today: 1 hour 55 minutes

Time read total: 4 hours 58 minutes

Comments: I spent the day up in San Francisco visiting a friend. I did get to read on the train to and from, but the idea of lugging around a bulky book just seemed like a bad idea. Thankfully I had the iPad charged up and ready to use. I plunged into Persuasion by Jane Austen as a great comfort read.

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux

Title: Sadie Walker is Stranded

Author: Madeleine Roux

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 2012

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 335

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it!

Sadie Walker is one of the survivors in this new world. Living in north Seattle behind barrier that keep the living in and the dead out, she trying to get back to a normal life, while raising her eight-year-old nephew, if anyone even knows what “normal” is anymore. Then everything goes sideways when Shane is kidnapped by a group of black market thieves and they bring down a crucial barrier in the city while trying to escape, and flood the city with the walking dead. After rescuing her nephew, Sadie and Shane escape Seattle on the last remaining boat, along with other survivors. However, now they must face the complete chaos of a world filled with flesh eating zombies and humans who are playing with a whole new rule book when it comes to survival in their journey to find a new place that they can call home.

Oh! Such ambiance. Such suspense. Such horror. I was concerned that a continuation of Allison Hewitt's story would disappoint. That book had such vibrant characters that I worried. Thankfully I was wrong in my concerns. This story jumps right into the action and never stops. We follow Sadie and a ragtag band of misfits as they try to survive after The Outbreak. I loved the setting of the Pacific Northwest. I could almost hear the seagulls and smell the brisk salt air wind. This zombie novel doesn't have much gore, but it sure has enough terror and gotcha moments. I loved this book so much that I plowed right through it in one sitting. Great novel!

FrightFall Readathon Update #1

Pages read today: 335

Pages read total: 335

Time read today: 3 hours 3 minutes

Time read total: 3 hours 3 minutes

Comments: I started reading Sadie Walker is Stranded and just couldn't stop. I plowed right through that book staying up way to late... But it was a good read. Tomorrow I need to write the review and start my next book: The First Days by Rhiannon Frater!

FrightFall Readathon Oct. 1-7

From Seasons of Reading:

It's here! The official sign up for the FrightFall Read-a-Thon! A week long fest of scary reading (well, at least one scary book anyway). All you have to do to participate is read at least one horror/scary book. For the faint-hearted among you, it can be a spooky mystery, a scary thriller, or something classically gothic. This time I'm allowing children's books for those of you who have kids...with one condition...five picture books equal one novel. Sound fair? Middle grade novels can count as one book. I will not be hosting any mini-challenges, as we learned from my last two read-a-thons, focusing on the reading rocks. However, if anyone else would like to host a mini-challenge, you are more than welcome. Of course, there will be a big giveaway at the end. And we will have a few scheduled Twitter chats again (and perhaps some more reading sprints). Our twitter hashtag is #FrightFall.

I doing an all zombie readathon. I have 7 more slots for my zombie reading challenge and I am determined to complete them this week. 7 books in 7 days... challenging yet possible.

My goals:

Read at least 5 books
Review all books read
Update once a day

TBR List:

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
The First Days by Rhiannon Frater
Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
Siege by Rhiannon Frater
Feed by Mira Grant
Deadline by Mira Grant
Blackout by Mira Grant