bau03229

01:08 am - Friday Part 3

I managed to get all of the books at the library at once and decided to make the most of the chance to read them all in order
30) A Kiss of Shadows by LK Hamilton
"All it would take was my true name being mentioned after dark, and it would float back to my aunt.
She was the Queen of Air and Darkness, and that meant that anything said in the dark was hers to hear, eventually. The fact that spotting the missing Elven American Princess had become more popular than spotting Elvis helped. Her magic was always chasing blind leads. Princess Meredith skiing in Utah. Princess Meredith dancing in Paris. Princess Meredith gambling in Vegas. After three years I was still a front-page story for the tabloids, though the latest headlines had been speculating that I was dead as the King of Rock and Roll . . .

Three years ago, Princess Meredith fled the court of her cruel Aunt Andais, the Queen of Air and Darkness, leaving that garden of decadent delights and backstabbing intrigues for the comparative calm of Los Angeles. Using her magic to pass for human, Meredith began a new life as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now Doyle, the Queen's chief bodyguard and assassin, has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not. The product of a marriage designed to cement peace between the rival Seelie and Unseelie courts, Meredith has always been scorned by both factions in spite of her royal blood. But that blood is behind the Unseelie Queen's surprisingly urgent summons. For ever since the fey's exile from Europe to America, their power and purity have been fading. Desperate to renew her race, Queen Andais now pins her hopes on a contest between Meredith and her own son, the sadistic Prince Cel. The first to produce a child will win the throne. The loser's reward will be death . . .

31) A Caress of Twilight by LK Hamilton
After eluding relentless assassination attempts by Prince Cel, her rival for the crown, Meredith now has a whole new set of problems. To become queen, she must bear a child before Cel can father one of his own. But havoc lies on the horizon: People are dying in mysterious, frightening ways, and suddenly the very existence of the place known as Faerie is at grave risk. So now, as she enjoys the greatest pleasures of her life while attempting to conceive a baby; she must fend off an ancient evil that could destroy the very fabric of reality. And that's just her day job.....

32)Seduced by Moonlight by LK Hamilton
I am Meredith Gentry, P.I. and Princess Merry, heir to the throne of Fairie. Now there are those among me who whisper I am more. They fear me even as they protect me. And who can blame them? I've awakened the dazzling magic that's slumbered in them for thousands of years. But the thing is, I can't figure out why. My aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, is no longer distracted by her usual sadistic hobbies. Her obsession has turned unwaveringly to me. The mission to get me pregnant and beat my cousin Prince Cel to the crown is taking longer than expected. Even though I spend each night with the Queen's Ravens, my immortal guards, no child has come of our decadent pleasures. But something else is happening. My magic courses through me uncontrollably. And as I lock my half-mortal body with their full-Sidhe blooded ones, the power surges like never before. It all began with the chalice. I dreamed of it, and it appeared, cool and hard, beside me when I awoke. My guards know the ancient relic well - its disappearance ages ago stripped them of their vital powers. But it is here with us now. My touch resonates with its force, and they're consumed with it, their Sidhe essences lit up by it. But even as they cherish me for this unexpected gift, there are those who loathe me for it. Me, a mongrel, only half fey and part mortal. The Unseelie court has suffered for so long, and there are some who would not have it weakened further by an impure queen. My enemies grow in number every day. But they do not know what I am capable of. Nor, for that matter, do I...

33) A Stroke of Midnight by LK Hamilton
I am Meredith Gentry, PI and Princess Merry, heir to the throne of Fairie. I have departed the safe haven of Los Angeles to face the peril and deception of my first home, the Unseelie court. There, my enemies are many, and my guards may not be able to protect me from the treachery of the unseen foes that will stop at nothing to keep me from the throne. As for my quest to produce an heir and thereby save myself and all that is faerie from utter destruction - well, I am still trying. As pregnancy becomes ever more urgent, I must leave the protected beds of the Queen's Ravens and lie with other men, men whose designs and allegiances remain in question. And a night of delirious passion will transport me and my new lovers to another place, the mysterious dead gardens - an event that portends great unrest in the forces of magic. In order to save myself and those I love, I must walk into the very mouth of danger, and visit the Goblins in their lair - as well as the cunning King Taranis himself, who has an astonishing proposal for me. For I alone hold the power to rescue the universe, even if it requires aligning with my greatest and most dangerous of adversaries. But I'm running out of time...

34) Mistral's Kiss LK Hamilton
I am Princess Meredith Gentry, heir to a throne of faerie. Once upon a time I had a day job. I was a private detective, but being a princess seems to have become a full- time occupation…
My aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, will have it no other way. I am virtually a prisoner here, incarcerated with some of our world’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards…and my lovers. For I have a duty to perform: I must produce an heir. They say practice makes perfect; well, that may be. The pleasures have been many but there is still no sign of a child, and no heir means no throne. But that’s the least of it. If I fail, my life is forfeit – death awaits at the vengeful hands of my cousin Cel and his followers.

Now Mistral, captain of the queen’s guard, has come to my bed. In doing so, he defies her and risks her terrible wrath. But our joining together has reawakened old magic, a mystical power so ancient that none can stand against it and survive. Not my strongest and most favoured consorts, my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even my Storm Lord, Mistral himself. And yet because he helped bring this magic forth, he may live another day.

If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there is hope. I may still defeat those who would see me fall. Though shadows of obsession, cunning and conspiracy gather, I may survive.

Current Mood: bouncy

12:43 am - Friday Part 2

23)Billy by Pamela Stephenson
The inside story of the one of the most successful British stand-up comedians, as told by the person best qualified to reveal all about the man behind the comic, his wife – Pamela Stephenson

24)The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
25)The Secret of Spiggy Holes by Enid Blyton
I loved these books when I was little and decided to read them again as I was bored

26)Spilt Second by Alex Kava
After Albert Stucky, a brutal and clever serial killer known as "The Collector," escapes from prison, he forces FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell, the agent who originally captured him, to play a deadly game when he targets her and everyone associated with her, pushing her to the very edge of sanity. Reprint.

27) The Black Magician Triology Book: The Magician's Guild by Truidi Cananvan
"Each year the magicians of Imardin gather together to purge the city streets of vagrants, urchins and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no one can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as impenetrable as they believe. Sonea, angry, frustrated and outraged by the treatment of her family and friends, hurls a stone at the shield, putting all her rage behind it. To the amazement of all who bear witness, the stone passes unhindered through the barrier and renders a magician unconscious. The guild's worst fear has been realised ...There is an untrained magician loose on the streets. She must be found before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home."

28)The Black Magician Triology Book:The Novice by Truidi Cananvan
"Sonea knows the other novices in the Magicians' Guild all come from powerful families, but she also knows she can turn to Rothen and Dannyl for help when she needs it. That is, until someone starts spreading malicious rumours about her - and Akkarin, the High Lord, steps in. Prompted by the Guild Ambassador, Lord Dannyl leaves for the Elyne court. His first order from Administrator Lorlen is to resume, in secret, High Lord Akkarin's long-abandoned research into ancient magical knowledge. Not knowing the true reason for his journey, Dannyl is soon facing unexpected dangers. Meanwhile, Sonea has almost forgotten the High Lord's dark secret, but keeping the truth hidden may be a grave mistake."

29)The Black Magician Triology Book: The High Lord by Truidi Cananvan
"In the city of Imardin, where those who wield magic wield power, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magician's Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot that may destroy the entire world ...Sonea has learned much at the magicians' guild and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect. But she cannot forget what she witnessed in the High Lord's underground room - or his warning that the realm's ancient enemy is growing in power once more. As Sonea learns more, she begins to doubt her guildmaster's word. Could the truth really be as terrifying as Akkarin claims, or is he trying to trick her into assisting in some unspeakably dark scheme? "

I loved this series of books, they were really well written with fantastic characters. Once again my favourite character got killed though.

12:17 am - Friday 21st September Part 1

19)A Season For The Dead by David Hewson
"When a man enters the Vatican library carrying a bloody bag and lays the skin of a man across the table of his ex-lover, Nic Costa and his partner follow to see what is going on. Costa is an Italian police officer and knows that he has no jurisdiction in the Vatican but he enters the library to help. There is not just one murder, however, but multiple ones where the victims are posed as martyrs and the connection between all the victims is sleeping with one person: Sara Farnese. Meanwhile, Costa has to deal with his ailing father, pain in the ass boss Falcone, and controversial cardinal. " taken from http://aceandhoserblook.blogspot.com/2007/08/season-for-dead-by-david-hewson.html

20)Snow Storms In A Hot Climate by Sarah Dunant
"Is Elly's love affair with a New York cocaine dealer too deep and dark to be broken - even by an old friend? Who is she most frightened of - the drug or her 'golden boy' Lenny? When Marla responds to Elly's call from America she finds herself ensnared in the twilight world of drug smuggling. Though she thinks she can tell truth from lies, she too begins to get sucked in, equally fascinated and repelled by Lenny, master of the cocaine circuit. Obsession, betrayal and revenge twist into an ever-tightening knot in this breathtaking psychological thriller. "

21)The Crowded Bed by Mary Cavanagh
Joe Fortune, a Jewish GP, has been married to Anna, his Aryan beauty, for twenty years, in a relationship that is sustained with great passion and happiness. But in the shadows of their lives, dark secrets are hidden. Joe has long nurtured a desire to murder Gordon, Anna's father; a motive born of past events and involving revenge, mutual hatred, and Gordon's deep prejudice for Joe's Judaism. 'If you wrong us, shall we not seek revenge?' Anna too is hiding deep, painful secrets. In a highly charged expose, the reader is led back and forth over the changing face of the last half century to discover love, lies, passion, religion, cruelty and violence. While the powerful Joe is revealed as angry and resentful, Anna's quiet dignity discloses her own extraordinary and shocking revelations

22)Kitty Takes A Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
After being exposed on national television while turning wolf, Kitty heads to the mountains of Colorado to pen her memoirs and get some much needed R and R. But this is Kitty, so trouble is never far behind, and instead of Walden Pond, she gets Evil Dead. First someone leaves grotesque animal sacrifices on her front porch to curse her, then werewolf hunter Cormac shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell, Kitty's lawyer, slung over his shoulder. Two hotties and one Kitty in a single-room cabin - can the situation get more tense? When a wolf-life creature with glowing red eyes starts niffing around the cabin, Kitty wonders if any of them will get out of these woods alive

12:40 am - Lots and lots of books

Well thats me finally caught up with all the books that I've read, now I'll be able to put books up as I read them individually and actually have time to do a proper review of them.

12) Size 14 Isn't Fat Either
Synopsis
It's the first day of the winter semester at New York College, and assistant dorm director Heather Wells has a lot more to worry about than room-mate conflicts. One of the New York College cheerleaders has lost her head - literally - in the Fischer Hall cafeteria, and no one can find the rest of her. With the entire population of the dorm under suspicion for murder, it doesn't look like anyone on campus, least of all Heather, who is starting night classes, is going to have a good semester. She's got a decapitated cheerleader and a demoralized student body to deal with, as well as enough guy problems to make a normal girl seek shelter in a convent. With her ex insisting she has to be at his wedding - The Celebrity Wedding of the Decade, her incompetent new boss freaking out over his job demands, her long lost father looking to reunite (with an eye on Heather's far-from ample bank account), and the love of her life still no closer to realizing she's the girl of his dreams, it's no wonder Heather prefers questioning suspects to dealing with her personal life. But when the murder trail leads her to the door of one of New York College's oldest and wealthiest fraternities, Heather finds that initiation rites have been taken to a whole new level ...

I'm not sure why I picked this up at the library as I read the first book "Size 12 isn't Fat" and wasn't that impressed by it but I wanted something light for reading after work. It wasn't terrible, the main character was annoying in places and her song writing was terrible. At the start of each chapter, we get "treated" to excerpts of her songs which are awful. An example of which being
"When night ends
At breaking dawn
You know you've been partying
Way too long" :S and all the other characters go on about what an incredible musician she is!
An average read, nothing exciting.

13) The Graft Martina Cole
In her latest novel, Martina tells the story of Nick Leary - devoted father, loyal friend and shrewd businessman - and what happens when a masked intruder breaks into his home.... In her unique style, Martina Cole holds up a mirror to our society, writing about tough and often harrowing subjects in a brutally honest and compassionate way. Her characters are injected with sympathy and warmth and there is an honesty in her books that speaks to millions of people.

I love my Martina Cole books. Danny introduced me to them about Christmas time and now I'm hooked. Her characters are really well written and even though her books are a bit depressing you can't put them down as you're that desperate to find out what happens to the characters. This one was even more depressing than the others and while I really enjoyed it, I'll not be reading any more Coles for a couple of months.


14)The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
From the Inside Flap(taken from amazon again)
He holds the secret that can end the world.
The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he dicovered the secret of eternal life.
The records show that he died in 1418.
But his tomb is empty.
The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.
That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.
Sometimes legends are true.
And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time

This was one of the books my brother got out the library that I decided to read on a whim and actually quite enjoyed though I would have liked it more a few years ago. It ended on a cliff hanger and I want to know what happens. Next book now! ...please. This is why I generally wait til all the books in a series are out I'm not good at waiting to find out what happens

15) Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
Synopsis
Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station - and a werewolf in the closet. Sick of lame song requests, she accidentally starts "The Midnight Hour", a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. After desperate vampires, werewolves, and witches across the country begin calling in to share their woes, her new show is a raging success, but it's Kitty who could use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal un-dead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew...

Another light read, good for reading after a long day at work/uni when you don't want to think too hard.

12:06 am - July 20th Books I've Read

More Books I've Read

6)The Obsedian Dagger: Being The Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb
Synopsis
There seem to be some odd things going on in the city of London, lately. Take the murders, for instance; quite peculiar. And those missing statues - what's going on there? And shouldn't Saint Paul's have a roof? Odd...Horatio Lyle, of course, is no stranger to...well, strangeness. In fact, he finds the lure of the unknown quite invigorating. But having just survived the most frightening episode in his life, the last thing he wants is that pompous Lord Lincoln sticking his nose in again and demanding that he take on another case the police are too thick to solve. Of course, His Lordship can be painfully persuasive at times, so it should come as no surprise that Lyle, along with his young proteges Tess (the thief) and Thomas (the toff), and his faithful hound Tate (the smart one), is soon up to his cravat in events of a singularly unscientific nature. Actually, it would all be terribly exciting if only they weren't trying to kill him.

7) Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
http://www.kimharrison.net/Dead%20Witch%20Walking.htm Amazon didn't really have a plot summary so theres a link to an excerpt from the first chapter

8)The Observations by Jane Harris
book synopsis
Scotland,1863. In an attempt to escape her not-so-innocent past in Glasgow, Bessy Buckley takes a job as a maid in a big house outside Edinburgh, working for the beautiful Arabella.
Bessy is intrigued by her new employer, but puzzled by her increasingly strange requests and her insistence that Bessy keep a journal of her most intimate thoughts.
And it seems that Arabella has secrets of her own – including her near-obsessive affection for Nora, a former maid who died in mysterious circumstances.
Then a childish prank has drastic consequences, which throw into jeopardy all that Bessy has come to hold dear. Caught up in a tangle of madness, ghosts, sex and lies, she remains devoted to Arabella.
But who is really responsible for what happened to her predecessor Nora? As her past threatens to catch up with her and complicate matters even further, Bessy begins to realize that she has not quite landed on her feet …

9)Conspiracy In Death by J.D Robb
Synopsis
With the precision of a surgeon, a serial killer preys on the most vulnerable souls of the world's city streets. Detective Eve Dallas is assigned to investigate. But as she is lured into a cat-and-mouse game with the killer, Dallas also becomes the focus of an internal investigation.

10) Loyalty In Death by J.D Robb
Synopsis
An bomber is stalking New York City. He is sending Eve Dallas letters promising to wreak terror and destruction among the corrupt masses. And when his web of deceit and destruction threatens those she cares for most, Eve fights back. It's her city. It's her job and it's hitting too close to home.

11) Witness In Death by J.D Robb
Synopsis
With the 'in death' series, Nora Roberts has created her own futuristic world - set in 2058 - following the adventures of feisty female detective Eve Dallas and her ongoing relationship with reformed criminal and self-made billionaire Roarke. In 'Witness in Death' there is always an audience for murder.

Current Mood: chipper

01:21 am - Backlash

The government is currently trying to pass through a ban on violent pornography however it has failed to make clear the extent of the proposed bill. The petition that it sent out invited people to oppose

The government's proposal paper is littered with hypocrisy and misleading claims.

http://www.backlash-uk.org.uk/mislead.html This page discusses all of these.

The goverment claims that material encourages violent behaviour despite the fact that its own consultation paper explicitly says that there is no evidence to support this.

The proposed ban also implies that "pornography itself is an act of aggression, inflicted on women by men" Many women enjoy porn indeed many play active parts in making it, the "government is basically is suggesting that a sizeable proportion of women require protection from their own sexuality. This is no way for a democratic government to treat its adult citizens." ( I thought that quote summed it up perfectly)

I highly recommend looking around http://www.backlash-uk.org.uk/index.html and reading up on the proposed ban. I myself strongly oppose the proposed bill and plan to protest against it. I feel that the government has no right to determine what consenting adults get up to in the privacy of their own homes. Indeed a ban like this would only affect consenting adults while doing very little to prevent any real harm.

I'll even quote Tony Blair on this saying ".... there are areas in which the State, or the community, no longer has a role or, if it does have one, it is a role that is completely different. It is not for the State to tell people that they cannot choose a different lifestyle, for example in issues to do with sexuality. " (Tony Blair 5th September 2006) It will be interesting to see whether he stands by those words

Below are some quotes from the Backlash website. Scarlet magazine has also been doing a Backlash column in recent issues showing women's thoughts on the bill

Current Mood: aggravated

01:33 am - A Quick Personality Test

 ENFp - "The Reporter

"In a relationship you are inspired by as exceptional, extraordinary and irresistible partner as yourself. You recognize talent in people when you see it and know well how to manage people's feelings and opinions to serve your needs. You feel that to be knowledgeable is important and essential to you but you can never be sure that your erudition is adequate. You enjoy simple physical pleasures and people who know how to create them."

LOL oh well at least it says nice things

http://socionics.com/sta/sta_turbo.html?ENFp:

Current Mood: apathetic