Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Occultation and Other Stories - Barron, Laird

Occultation and Other Stories was a Free Friday nook book. I was so tired of slogging through this book that I quit in the middle. It was worth every penny I paid for it. Did I mention it was free?

This is an anthology. I made it through Forest, Occultation, The Lagerstätte, and Mysterium Tremendum. That was more than enough for me. The author is clearly in love with his own words. Many many many of his words. A Reader's Digest condensed version of this book would probably fit on a greeting card. What's worse, for horror stories these weren't scary, just tedious. Not recommended.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Buck Fever - Rehder, Ben

Buck Fever is a Blanco County Mystery. It's 50% humor, 50% mystery, and all good. It's also free for Amazon prime members.

John Marlin is the game warden in Blanco County Texas. Deer season is about to start and there's something going on that gives new meaning to the term Buck Fever. Between the deer, corrupt politicians, bumbling wannabe bad guys, and the real bad guys, John and his best friend Phil Colby have their hands full. This novel is a real hoot. Highly recommended.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

A Discovery of Witches - Harkness, Deborah

A Discovery of Witches is yet another take on supernatural creatures. In this book's world there are humans, and supernaturals. The only supernaturals introduced so far are witches, demons, and vampires, but this is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, so who knows what's in store.

Diana Bishop has her PHD in the history of science. She's studying old books on alchemy in the Oxford library when she discovers a volume that's enchanted. Diana knows this because she's a witch. Granted, Diana is witch who does her best to repress her ability, but a witch she is.

Matthew Clairmont is a professor of biochemistry at Oxford. He's very interested in the enchanted manuscript that Diana discovers. That's because Matthew is also a 1,500 year old vampire. That's where the fun begins.

This is a great book. The characters and settings are interesting, and the action keeps you turning pages long after you should have gone to bed. I'm looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted - Kaufman, Andrew E.

The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted is a great thriller. You never know what direction the next plot twist will take. This is another free book for Amazon prime members. It's $2.99 for everyone else, and well worth it.

Patrick Bannister came home to Black Lake Georgia to bury his mother. That was something he'd been looking forward to for a long time. What he discovers, going through things from his and his mother's past, begins a mystery that will change his life forever. The question is, will he survive the change? Patrick discovers that the evil that was buried with his mother was just a shadow of what's out there waiting for him. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Terrene: the hidden valley - Liu, Eric

Terrene: the hidden valley is an amazing book and it's free. This is science fiction that doesn't have space ships and aliens, but once you get started you won't miss them. My only reservation is that the author either drank the cool-aid when it comes to global warming, or he makes that assumption in this book. Regardless it's a great read.

Flora is a student. She doesn't aspire to be an institute scholar, but Flora has some questions for the next scholar she meets. Jane is a scientist. She wants to save the world and isn't going to let anything stop her. Flora and Jane are partners in an amazing effort to save the planet. The question is, will they be in time? This is a fantastic story. I can't believe it's free. Very highly recommended.