Books I’ve Read

I’ve been slack in my reading lately, but I finally finished Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines this weekend, marking the 800th book I’ve read since I’ve been keeping count.

Goblin Quest focuses on Jig, a scrawny, little nearsighted goblin who gets roped into leading a group of adventurers through a mountain filled with all kinds of nasty things. There are hobgoblins and poisonous fish creatures and undead corpses and, of course, a dragon sitting on a hoard of treasure.

Along for the ride with Jig are two arrogant princes, a reluctant elven thief, and a dwarf who likes to drink ale and draw maps. The book is basically a Dungeons & Dragons adventure come to life. And before you ask, yes, I play D&D, making me a total geek. 😎

The book starts out slow, and Jig’s whining about being a goblin and treated like dirt by the other adventurers gets old after a while. But the book picks up steam as Jig realizes that he’s stronger and braver and smarter than he thinks. Plus, Jig has a cool pet — a fire-spider named Smudge.

A good, solid, fatansy read. You’ll get a real kick out of it if you play D&D because you’ll recognize all the stereotypes. So, thumbs up.

What about you? What have you read lately? Inquiring minds want to know …

Finished Ask the Parrot by Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake).

It’s about Parker, the coolest, calmest, coldest thief ever. When we last saw Parker, in 2004’s Nobody Runs Forever, he was climbing up a hill, trying to evade the police.

Ask the Parrot picks up right where the last book left off. Parker gets to the top of the hill, where he runs into Tom Lindahl. Tom has a grudge against the racetrack where he used to work because he blew the whistle on some illegal activities there, and the higher-ups fired him. So, instead of turning Parker over to the police, Tom brings him in on his plan to rob the racetrack. Parker, needing some cash and a place to hide after the botched job of the last book, agrees. What follows are a series of twists and turns as Parker tries to keep one step ahead of the law — and some local folks who are just a little too interested in him.

I really enjoyed this book … until the third part. Then, Stark veers away from Parker’s point of view and delves into what the other characters are thinking and doing. We don’t get to see Parker for several chapters. There’s even a chapter from the parrot’s point of view. It was … strange. But Stark got back on track in the last fifty pages, and Parker got to go through with the racetrack job. With a few complications, of course. 🙂

This is one of my all-time favorite series. I love heist books, and Stark delivers plenty of thrills and chills throughout the course of the Parker series. There are double-crosses and botched robberies and successul getaways galore. Oh yeah, lots of people die, too. If you like hard-boiled crime with a memorable anti-hero, you’ll like the Parker books.

So, thumbs-up.

What about you? What are you reading right now? Inquiring minds want to know …

Happy New Year! 🙂

I started things off right today by finishing a book, Flirting with Danger by Suzanne Enoch. 52 more to go for the year …

It’s about Samantha Jellicoe, a professional thief who gets more than she bargained for when she breaks into the mansion of sexy millionaire Richard Addison. Sam is suspected of murder, and she and Addison strike a deal — he’ll help clear her name, and she won’t steal anything from him — except maybe his heart …

If you like heist movies with a lot of romance like To Catch A Thief, you’ll like this book. Sam and Richard are equally matched in everything — brains, beauty, razor-sharp wits. And the heist scenes were interesting without dwelling too much on gadgetry, which is always a plus. (I hate authors like Tom Clancy who focus on every single detail of a weapon, etc.)

The only thing I wished were a tiny bit different was Richard. He really bullied Sam at times throughout the book and almost thought of her as another piece of his art collection. A little too alpha male for me, but he redeemed himself in the end by … well, I won’t spoil it for you.

Overall, thumbs-up.

And when I read the author bio, I had another reason to smile. It turns out that Suzanne once submitted a script for The A-Team, one of my favorite shows ever. So nice to read about another fan. I pity the fools who don’t watch that show … 😉

Today, I’m going to blog about the last book I read in 2007 – Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky.

It’s about Jane Madison, a rather insecure librarian who discovers a treasure trove of witchcraft books in the rundown cottage she’s forced to move into. Lots of chick-lit hijinks ensue, like Jane accidentally casting a love spell that goes awry.

I really liked how Klasky created her magic world/rules, and she’s got lots of great descriptions in the book. I could really relate to Jane’s love of books, if not Shakespeare. I only wished she’d included the recipes for all the yummy treats that Jane’s friend, Melissa, bakes.

I would have liked it a little more if Klasky had stretched beyond the usual chick-lit conventions. The book features Melissa, the best friend who’s overly anxious to find Mr. Right, and Neko, a gay familiar who knows everything there is to know about makeup and mixing mojitos. Pretty standard stuff for a chick-lit tale.

And there was one plot twist and Jane’s reaction to it that had me scratching my head. Let’s just say that someone from Jane’s past suddenly appears. I didn’t quite buy how Jane let this person back into her life. But maybe she’s just more forgiving than I am.

But overall, a solid read. Thumbs-up.

To recap, I read 53 books in 2006. Not too shabby, considering the fact that I have a day job and write at night. But it was 3 short of my goal of 800. Next year, I want to be up to at least 850 books read — hopefully more.

What about you? Are you going to read more in the New Year? Inquiring minds want to know …

Finished Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson this weekend.

It’s about Katie Chandler, a woman from a small Texas town who heads to New York to find fame and fortune — or at least a decent job. Katie is an ordinary woman — so ordinary that she’s immune to magic. Naturally, Katie gets a job seeing through illusions for a magic-based company. There’s a talking gargoyle, a cute wizard named Owen, and frog kissing in Central Park, among other things.

It’s a nice, fun read with good world-building. If you like chick-lit with a twist (like I do), you’ll probably enjoy this book. My only quibble was that Katie’s aw-shucks-I’m-just-a-simple-Texas-girl-what-do-I-know? routine seemed a little forced towards the end after she’s been promoted to Merlin’s right-hand woman. Obviously, she knows something or she wouldn’t have scored that particular job.

But what caught my attention most was the following passage on page 130. Katie has just witnessed Owen perform some major mojo to save her from an intruder: 

I understood why heroines in superhero movies were always swooning into their unitard-wearing heartthrobs’ arms after being rescued. It wasn’t that they were shrinking violets or weak girly-girls. It was just that seeing a man do something so extraordinary and supernatural to save you has a way of making your knees go weak in a very pleasant way. I’d always heard power was an aphrodisiac …

As someone who writes about superheroes, I found this passage to be particularly interesting — and right on the money. It’s not so much the costume and secret identities that make superheroes appealing — it’s how they selflessly use their powers to help others, especially the people they love. And that tight leather and buff bodies certainly don’t hurt anything. 😉

What about you? Do you ever find yourself rereading a bit of dialogue? Inquiring minds want to know …