Angieville

This is the part where I tell you I have secretly become a Courtney Milan fangirl. That's right. I've been rather callously reading up a storm of Milan behind your backs. But it's okay. Because now I'm coming clean. The thing is, they're just so readily available for download to my Nook. And I had heard such positive feedback--kind of across the board. But more importantly, I love Milan's blog. I love it. She writes about things. About the industry and about her experience self-publishing after already establishing herself as a traditionally published author. Her take on writing and publishing is always incisive and insightful. So I was a regular reader of her blog long before I ever thought of picking up one of her books. That's actually not the first time I've found myself in such a situation. But in this case, it took quite awhile before I decided to go ahead and see if her fiction was as good as her non. So far I've only torn a path through he...

You'll remember my excitement upon discovering Cassie Alexander and Nightshifted -- her fabulous urban fantasy debut. I loved everything about it, from the killer cover to the hard-working, conflicted protagonist inside. When I realized the sequel was set to be published just a few months later I was, well, over the moon. Go on. Raise your hands. I know I'm not the only one who waits (with barely concealed ill grace) a year for each new installment in her favorite series. It can be a hard wait. I understand why, and I am nothing if not extremely grateful for everything that goes into the writing and publishing processes. But it can be a hard wait. That's why two in one year? Such a treat. That said, the closing events of Nightshifted were portentous to say the least. And I was pretty anxious about where Edie would be (and in what condition) when I found her next, who would be around to help her, and who . . . would not. Edie Spence isn't fresh off the shelf on t...

I went back and forth on this a bit, because Mr. Marion's kind of outrageous meltdown re: YA lit left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. But you know what? I really liked this book. And I am totally going to see the movie. What do you think? Zombies, anyone?

I'm pausing mid-fit of laughter to link you over to the source of my mirth . If you haven't heard of Mark Reads yet, you should possibly go check it out. Today (thanks to Li ), I ran across his take on Chapter 2 of The Woman Who Rides Like a Man --book two in my beloved Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce . I can't handle the awesome. Enjoy and have a good weekend!

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted here @ Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at anytime! It was my friends at Readerville who convinced me to give Patricia McKillip a try. This I remember very clearly. I'd never read any of McKillip's books, though I'd run across them plenty of times what with her books being shelved right next to Robin McKinley 's on all the shelves ever. And then there was the matter of her covers. Somewhere along the line, they paired her up with Kinuko Craft and decided it was a match made in heaven. For the most part, I think it is. Craft's luscious, romantic dreaminess blends perfectly with McKillip's sort of stream of consciousness fantasy. Occasionally, I long for something a bit more solid and grounded on one of her covers. But they do fit the bill in...

 The vampire and the Batgirl are mine, here with their cousins Alice & Minnie  My three rascals Me & SuperFinn