Gavin’s Comments (group member since Apr 10, 2012)

Gavin’s comments from the Book Bitten group.

LOL. We can agree on that. Buying new books should not be so much fun!.

Heather wrote: "Is anyone else's to be read pile growing way faster than you are able to read through it?"

Yes! I think I add three books to my to-read pile for every one I read. Still, better to have too much books than not enough.

Beza wrote: "I've always hated The Lord of the Rings, but cant seem to get away from it because of the new Hobbit movie! I another book that I hated was the Twilight series, thank God that franchise is done wit..."

They say that The Hobbit is supposed to be a far more accessible read than The Lord of the Rings. Not that I can confirm this myself. I just could not take any more after my own attempts at reading The Lord of the Rings.

Give the movie a chance it may be OK:P.

Favorite characters are always so hard to choose for me. That's because I seem to have a new favorite every other month, lol.

My current favorite is Locke Lamora. The quick witted, smart talking con man, and thief extraordinaire from Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia.

I hope more of you will be around to take part and comment in this months group read! Feel free to discuss as you go through reading. At the end character discussions, plot discussions and overall enjoyment factor are always good!

Don't forget to use the spoiler tag too.

Question prompts (feel free to add more thoughts about the book):

Did you enjoy it? Why/why not?
What did you think to the protagonist? Anything you'd change about the character?
Will you be continuing with the series? Is this your first Kami Garcia book?
What were your thoughts on the narrative?
Anything you'd improve?
Your usual genre?
Are you looking forward to the movie?

I've read a whole bunch of great books this month.

First was my re-read of . The second book in Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards series. The whole series is fantastic and I highly recommend reading it. Red Seas is just as good as the first book. We still have the fantastic witty banter of the characters, the elaborate cons, and the complex plot but this time we also get Locke and Jean trying their hands at being pirates!.

Next I read a short YA book . This was pretty good. Not perfect but good. It was a sad sort of book about a girl who feels compelled to help people for a reasons she does not understand. I loved the fact that her help did not come without consequences. Also the whole concept of the Forgotten was very interesting.

Next I read modern sci-fi classic by Ken Grimwood. I love time travel books and this did not disappoint. It's about a guy who dies at 43 and then wakes up back when he is 18. He lives his life over again and then dies at 43 and wakes up at 18 again, and again. Well you get the point. This was a well done character driven novel as the main character gets to change the decisions he makes in every new life and is also completely unaware why such a thing is happening to him. It was an interesting read which could have been a lot better if it was not for the disappointing end.

Of course I squeezed in the group read . Which is a beautifully written five star book!. If you have not read it you are missing out.

Now to round out the year I'm reading another book in the BDB series . I love the author and the series so I'm expecting to really enjoy this.

Have you guys been reading anything good?.

I thought this was really good. It was a fantasy romance set in the backdrop of a whole bunch of exotic locations like Marrakech, Prague, and the fantasy world of Eretz. Daughter of Smoke and Bone delivered everything I could ask for in a book. It had action, mystery, surprises, romance, and a complex plot that had no character you could really call the bad guy. The war between the Angels and the Demons (Chimera) was unique and certainly very different from what you get reading the average Angel book. Which is good as it let the author have free reign to create a whole new world and back story for both the Angels and the Demons.

Laini Taylor's writing is simply beautiful. The lush exotic descriptions of the locations and the strange but wonderful characters made it really easy to become swept away by the story. The story was worthy of the great writing. I never lost interest for a single minute. (view spoiler)[Karou's life in Prague, her journeys on teeth errands, the arrival of the angels and the revelations of the otherworld were all fantastic. The romance between Karou and Akiva was believable, enjoyable and full of surprises. The book had a twist which sort of took it in a little bit of a different direction for the final third of the book but I was just as happy to read about things from Madrigal's perspective as I was from Karou's. I loved everything about it, even the Cliffhanger ending that has left me gasping for the next book in the series.
(hide spoiler)]

Anyone interested in a real treat should try the audio version narrated by Khristine Hvam. It was fantastic and Hvam's performance really brought the characters and world to life. The performance deservedly won an Audie for best fantasy audiobook.

All in all it was one of my favorite YA books ever and easily a five star read!.

I'm going to nominate a couple of books that are due to hit the big screen anytime now.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

PLOT:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.


Killing Floor by Lee Child

PLOT:

Welcome to Margrave, Georgia—but don't get too attached to the townsfolk, who are either in on a giant conspiracy, or hurtling toward violent deaths, or both.

There's not much of a welcome for Jack Reacher, a casualty of the Army's peace dividend who's drifted into town idly looking for traces of a long dead black jazzman. Not only do the local cops arrest him for murder, but the chief of police turns eyewitness to place him on the scene, even though Reacher was getting on a bus in Tampa at the time. Two surprises follow: The murdered man wasn't the only victim, and he was Reacher's brother whom he hadn't seen in seven years. So Reacher, who so far hasn't had anything personal against the crooks who set him up for a weekend in the state pen at Warburton, clicks into overdrive.

Banking on the help of the only two people in Margrave he can trust—a Harvard-educated chief of detectives who hasn't been on the job long enough to be on the take, and a smart, scrappy officer who's taken him to her bed— he sets out methodically in his brother's footsteps, trying to figure out why his cellmate in Warburton, a panicky banker whose cell-phone number turned up in Joe's shoe, confessed to a murder he obviously didn't commit; trying to figure out why all the out-of-towners on Joe's list of recent contacts were as dead as he was; and trying to stop the local carnage or at least direct it in more positive ways. Though the testosterone flows as freely as printer's ink, Reacher is an unobtrusively sharp detective in his quieter moments—not that there are many of them to judge by.

Despite the crude, tough-naïf narration, debut novelist Child serves up a big, rangy plot, menace as palpable as a ticking bomb, and enough battered corpses to make an undertaker grin.

Winner of the 1998 Barry Award for Best First Novel, awarded by Deadly Pleasures magazine.

Even though the hero in Killing Floor is meant to be something like 6'4. Tiny Tom Cruise has decided to cast himself in the role. If nothing else the differences between the book and the movie should be interesting!!!.

Time to start nominations for January!! We are a little late getting this up and running so there is only a few days for nominations!.

I hope more of you will choose to nominate a book. PLEASE get involved and take part guys.

Has to be:

- A book we haven't read before, but can be a previously nominated.
- A stand-alone or first in the series.
- You can nominate a maximum of two books.
- Has to be fiction.
- Biographies and autobiographies that border towards fiction are acceptable.

Please post you nominations by December 31st!!

Happy nominations.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

We are a little late in posting this thread this month. If you have read it feel free to share what you thought of it with us.

Question prompts (feel free to add more thoughts about the book):

Did you enjoy it? Why/why not?
What did you think to the protagonist? Anything you'd change about the character?
Will you be continuing with the series? Is this your first Laini Taylor book?
What were your thoughts on the narrative?
Anything you'd improve?
Your usual genre?

Don't forget to use the spoiler tags!.

Beza wrote: "I just finished Angelfall AMAZING can't wait to review it!"

It is a really great book. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!.

I'm reading . After finishing and loving Lover Unleashed I'm in the mood for even more J.R. Ward.

Also reading . I love David Gemmell and while this was a difficult audiobook to acquire, I'm sure it will be worth the effort!.

I've re-read a couple of old favorites recently:
and both were fantastic but I already knew that:).

Also squeezed in a novella by another of my favorite authors by Brandon Sanderson. Very enjoyable even if it was a little short!.

Also read . It's a tiny 36 page novella in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. It was good and has really left me looking forward to the release of

Now I'm reading . This is another great entry in an absolutely fantastic series.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

PLOT:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?.


14 by Peter Clines

PLOT:

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.

Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...

I was slightly disappointed with Firelight. It was OK but I was expecting it to be much better. I gave it a three star rating.

It started out following the Beauty and the Beast fairytale but moved on to telling it's own story mid way through. Which was both good and bad. Bad because I love Beauty and the Beast retellings and good because it introduced some interesting and unique plot threads into the storyline.

I've heard Firelight described as an action romance and would have to agree but I do wish it had delivered a little bit more on both fronts.

Both the main characters were very likable and had a great mix of strength and vulnerability to them. They also had great chemistry with each other and it was easy to believe in the romance between them even though Archer did spend most of the book hiding his appearance from Miranda!.

Archer hiding his appearance from Miranda for so long actually really worked, because like her, the longer it went on the more desperate I became to find out what he was hiding. When the big reveal eventually did come it was not disappointing.

The secondary characters were interesting enough and I look forward to reading more about them in the sequels. Which I do plan on reading!.

I did! Iron Fey was just that good.

You should because VA is a good series. was a little disappointing though. It had a very slow start but did make up for it a little by having a good ending.

Just finished . It was good. A weird blend of superheroes and zombies, but it worked.

Now reading . I just wish this was a full book rather than a tiny little novella.

Olivia, I'm glad to see you enjoyed reading . Are you planning to read the next two books in the series anytime soon?.

I've been reading The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa this month:



Four books and three novellas. They were really good. The main character Meghan was likable and really grew over the course of the series. I love books about the Fey and this did not disappoint with great interpretations of all the characters you would expect, plus tons that were all Kagawa's own.

Now I'll just have to wait patiently for
to be released on audio!.

Now I'm reading . Loved the first three books in the series so I'm hoping for more of the same.

Olivia *^*A Very Busy Gurl*^* wrote: "This month we're reading Firelight by Kristen Callihan.

Another Fantasy book. I think we might as well rename outselfs Fantasy Bitten at this rate. "

Admit it Olivia, you love fantasy books as well:). Plus in the past we have read either epic fantasy or YA fantasy books. Firelight is a fantasy/paranormal romance. We are branching out and being adventurous this month!

I really enjoyed The Iron King. I love books about the Fey, and this is one of the better Fey books I've read so far.

There was loads of reasons to love this book. Great world building, interesting and varied characters, plenty of action, and of course the romance!.

I liked Meghan as a main character. She was just an ordinary girl pulled into an extraordinary world. It probably helped that she had the hilarious Puck as her protector and guide through Fairyland.

The secondary characters were a varied and likable bunch. It was hard to pick a favorite as all three of Meghan's main companions ( Puck, Ash, and Grimalkin ) were fantastic in their own way.

The whole concept behind Iron Fey was interesting and gave the story a real unique feel.

My only slight problem was that the story was a little predictable at times, but truly that's a minor complaint.

This was my first Julie Kagawa book and I suspect it's only a matter of time before I've read all of her books:).

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

PLOT

Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.


Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

PLOT

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable.

But the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.

With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise

I really enjoyed Seraphina. I agree with Kevin, the book had a little bit of everything. It did have a surprisingly slow paced plot, but still managed to hold my attention from start to finish.

I liked the characters especially Seraphina, Orma, and Glisselda. Even the characters like Ardmagar Comonot, who was difficult to like, were still interesting.

I think my favorite part was when Seraphina met her grandfather for the first time. The whole scene showed Serephina's bravery and intelligence wonderfully.

There is a few things I would change. (view spoiler)[I was not a big fan of the romance between Seraphina and Lucian and Rachel Hartman will have a hard task winning me over to it in the second book, because even though I like both characters, I'm a little disgusted by how they are treating Glisselda. Poor Glisselda she cannot even trust those who are closest to her (hide spoiler)]

Fantasy is my favorite genre. I have read some really great books in the genre lately like The Name of the Wind, Warbreaker, and The Way of Kings so had been fearful Seraphina would suffer under their long shadow. Happily this was not the case.