Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012

Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

We're done with looking back, and ready to look at the goodness that 2012 will bring! I always love reading YOUR top 10 lists, so make sure to link yours in a comment below.

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (June 12th 2012)

This is my 2012 must read. If I could only read one new release next year, I would choose this one. Diana Peterfreund has written two of my uttermost favourite books, and I expect this one to be just as brilliant. It's a post-apocalyptic retelling of Persuasion, how awesome is that?

Title: Rapture

Author: Lauren Kate

Publisher: Delacorte Books (June 12th 2012)

Look at that beautiful cover. It's stunning. I love it so much, it's way better than the meh that was Passion. I can't wait for this one to come out.

Title: Under The Never Sky

Author: Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins (January 3rd 2012)

I'm quite interested by this one. The blurb sounds interesting, and the cover looks amazing. Luckily I won't have to wait all that long, It's already coming out in a few days!

Title: A Beautiful Evil

Author: Kelly Keaton

Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 21st 2012)

The second book in the Gods & Monsters series. Part one, Darkness Becomes Her was one of my favourite reads of 2011, and this one might become one of my 2012 favourites.

Title: The Springsweet

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 17th 2012)

The Vespertine was one of my 2011 favourites. The Springsweet sounds very interesting, and I'm definitely looking forward to lay my hands on this one.

Title: Blackout

Author: Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit (June 7th 2012)

I'm still reading Feed, but I have a feeling I will need part three within a few weeks! I love the combination of zombies and blogging. Although I'm not that charmed with this cover.

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 3rd 2012)

She has a crossbow! Assassins and court intrigue, what more does a girl want? The heroine looks totally kick-ass. I can't wait to read this one.

Title: Honalee

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: Createspace (?)

Honaleeee! This book has been scheduled for release for almost two years, and I hope 2012 will be the year we can finally read it! I love the cover. Purple is my favourite colour, hehe.

Title: A Witch in Winter

Author: Ruth Warburton

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (March 2012)

It sounds really good. The blurb tells us the main character isn't submissive, and I'm looking forward to see how that plays out. I hate female leads that hide behind the hero *shivers*.

Title: Thumped

Author: Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (April 24th 2012)

It's pretty awful of me to be looking forward to Thumped. I read Bumped and absolutely hated it. But I have a secret love of writing rants, and I'm kind of expecting a very rant-worthy book.

Pick Your A Thon: Get Organised Challenge

Pick Your A Thon is a fun read- & reviewathon hosted by The Book Monsters. Hop over to their blog to sign up and join in! (:

Update: I finished my first readathon book today, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, which makes me a happy girl. It was really good, I'm looking forward to read the other books in the series. There are so many plot twists! I also started Feed today. I don't usually read zombie books, so I'm looking forward to see how I like this one. So far, so good.

The Challenge: Today's challenge is to get your reviews a bit more organised. I'm pretty much a mood reader, and tend to be not that great with deadlines. I am trying to keep up with my Netgalley books that I like to review on their release date. I'll just make a list here for Netgalley books that I still have to read and at what date they have to be read and reviewed. Maybe I create a little bit of order into my reviewing chaos!

January 3rd - Alienation by Jon S. Lewis (Thomas Nelson)

January 15th - Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (Harlequin)

January 24th - Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy (Harlequin)

February 14th - The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice (Knopf Doubleday)

March 8th - Katana by Cole Gibson (Flux Books)

April 8th - Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves (Flux Books)

I also added these into my organiser so I remember when to post which review. Turns out I have quite enough time to review al my books. So I'll list some older books that I would like to review upcoming months.

January 6th - Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee (Carina Press)

January 12th - Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens (Carina Press)

January 18th - Carry by Stephen King (Hodder)

January 21th - Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo (Thomas Nelson)

I'm feeling so organised right now. :D This is definitely on of the most productive challenges I have ever participated in!

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Top 10 Characters in 2011

Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

The assignment for today is to list your top 10 bookish characters. I'm having the same problem I had with yesterday's assignment; I haven't read enough 2011 releases to keep this list strictly to 2011 published books. You'll have to do with my 2011 reads!

I always love reading YOUR top 10 lists, so make sure to link yours in a comment below (:


1. Alexia Tarabotti from Soulless by Gail Carriger: This awesome heroine has no soul, but that certainly doesn't mean she has no heart. Good-mannered but still kick-ass, Alexia was my favourite heroine of this year.

2. Rachel from Blood Work by Kim Harrison: A very stubborn witch, Rachel is one of my all-time favourites. When I first met her in Dead Witch Walking I was instantly in love with her humour. I especially love how she grows as a character throughout the books.

3. Astrid from Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund: Not only have these books killer unicorns, but also amazing characters. Astrid is smart and responsible, and easy to relate with. Even though she hunts massive horned monsters.

4. Ari from Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton: One of the most bad-ass heroines I've come across in YA books. Even though she has been through an awful lot, she's not bitter but still a good person. I also found it really refreshing that she knows how to use a gun.

5. Louisa from Wildthorn by Gail Carriger: Sweet and intelligent, Louisa is independent in a time where independency in women was frowned upon.

6. Will from Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare: The typical mysterious guy almost every young-adult novel has, with his sarcastic bad boy shell with a troubled sweet soul somewhere hidden deep inside him, that only the heroine can reach. I really liked him though, and he's one of my favourite characters.

7. Colt from Invasion by Jon S. Lewis: Loyal to his friends and intelligent. And he can kick alien butt. And he goes to a secret school where Bigfoot is a teacher. Not only does he feature in my top book boyfriends list, he is also just an amazing character.

8. The Fool from Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: I loooove his character. There is so much more to him than he let's everyone think. To the world he is just a Fool, someone the king keeps around to entertain him. But in fact he just acts like a retard while being one of the smartest and manipulative persons at court. One of the coolest characters ever.

9. Ivy from Blood Work by Kim Harrison: Best friend of Rachel, Ivy is an interesting character. As a living vampire she is caught between the mortal and the vampire world. I love her for her complexity.

10. Sherlock Holmes from The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz: He is one of the awesomest characters ever created. I love him in the movies and in this book. I have yet to read the original though.

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Pick Your A Thon: Sign Up

I stumbled across this fun read/review-athon today and I thought I'd give it a try. I might not be able to read that much but I always like to participate in this kind of events. Plus the blog is called The Book Monsters, and you all know I love monsters!




What book(s) are you starting with?
I'm going to dive into all the books I got for Christmas! And maybe get through some more Netgalley books that I have for review.

I hope to read / review:
My goal is to finish at least two books. I'm starting so many books right now but never finish them. Maybe this will be the little push I need to finish 'm (: I don't really have to review them immediately, I still have a lot of reviews that need posting.

Books I hope to read / review or at least will try to get to:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder and maybe get started in Feed by Mira Grant.

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Top 10 Book Boyfriends of 2011

Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

The assignment for today is to list your top 10 book boyfriends of this year. I will have to resort to listing the awesome guys that I've read about this year, and not those who are published this year. I just haven't read enough 2011 published books to compile a list of those.


1. Jack from Everneath by Brodi Ashton: He will not only knock your socks off, but he also is a really nice guy. I won't spoil anything for you, but the things he does for his loved ones... You can't help but love him.

2. Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I've been team Peeta since day one. I hated Katniss when she just couldn't see that Peeta was the right one for her. If she doesn't want him, I'll take him!

3. Barrons from Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning: I'm not sure if I want Barrons to be my boyfriend... Some creepy unseelie fae may turn up at your doorstep at inconvenient times. But at least he is hot.

4. Zsadist from Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward: He is the ultimate tortured hero. Well, maybe because he was literally tortured, but that aside. Emotionally damaged as he is, he still has a soft side. And when it shows, it will make your knees turn into jelly.

5. Lord Maccon from Soulless by Gail Carriger: Unmannered as he may be, he is still one awesome werewolf. Pack alpha by night and investigator by day, he is definitely one interesting wolf.

6. Nathaniel from The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell: A mysterious artist with magical powers. What more can you wish for in a bookish boyfriend?

7. Colt from Invasion by Jon S. Lewis: Loyal to his friends and intelligent. And he can kick alien butt. And he goes to a secret school where Bigfoot is a teacher. He deserves to be on the list.

8. Fitz from Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: Sort of an anti-hero, poor Fitz has to go through the hardest of hardship. Everything goes wrong in his life. I just want to hug him for a looooong time.

9. Sherlock Holmes from The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz: Aww, can I just have him? Pretty please? He can tell what I've done in the past days, what I'm thinking about and what I'm going to do next by just looking at me. How cool is that.

10. Finn from Incarceron by Catherine Fisher: Brave but not heroic, I wouldn't mind saving Finn from a prison at all.

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Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

Today I'll be sharing my favourite book covers. I haven't read all of these books, but I did drool over their pretty covers! Feel free to share your favourite covers below.

As always, the covers link to Goodreads.

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Publisher: Egmond USA, 400 pages (June 14th 2011)

Everything from the pose, the dress, the hair is absolutely perfect. By far my favourite cover of 2011.

Title: So Silver Bright

Author: Lisa Mantchev

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 354 pages (September 13th 2011)

I love all the covers of the Théâtre Illuminata series. I read the first one, Eyes Like Stars this year and the inside matches the beautiful outside! 

Title: The Vespertine

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Publisher: Harcourt, 293 pages (March 7th 2011)

This book was also featured on yesterday's list as one of my favourite 2011 reads. It has a great historical atmosphere, and let's face it, I'm a sucker for dresses.

Title: Carrier of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon

Publisher: HarperTeen, 342 pages (October 14th 2011)

I love how the letters become white where her dress is. The cover has a simplicity that makes it very pretty. I haven't read this book, and I'm not sure if I want to. It sounds a bit like a Twilight-lookalike. It is set in Ireland though, which seems interesting... If you've read it, let me know what you think? (:

Title: Sweetly

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publisher: Little Brown, 312 pages (August 23rd 2011)

The branches make a creepy face! How cool is that. I read the first book in this standalone series, Sisters Red, and I really enjoyed it. This is a modernisation of Hansel and Gretel and the cover fits perfectly.

Title: The Replacement

Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill, 343 pages (September 21th 2010)

I know I'm kind of cheating here because this version of the book was published in 2010. You can see the 2011 cover here. I very, very much prefer the old one. It looks so creepy and mysterious. A bit twisted and horror-ish in a not gross way.

Title: Forever

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 390 pages (July 12th 2011)

All the covers in this series look soooo good in real life. I got the boxed set for Christmas and they're beautiful. A fun touch is that the font inside matches the colour of the cover. The letters in Forever are red for instance. I don't know how this will effect readability, but it looks good.

Title: Wise Man's Fear

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Publisher: Gollancz, 994 pages (March 1st 2011)

I have a little crush on big books like this. It's one of the best epic fantasy covers I've come across. It has the character in a battle pose, but this one is more mysterious with the shadows and the autumn leaves.

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Harper Collins, 384 pages (January 24th 2012)

Okay, I know I'm cheating again here. It's not exactly published yet, but I did read it this year. I can tell you it's really good. My review will be up on the publication date. I love the red dress that matches the red letters, and that her dress looks to be turning to dust at the bottom.

Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelly Keaton

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 273 pages (February 22nd 2011)

I have no idea why I like this one because it doesn't really resemble anything, yet I'm still very much drawn in by this one. I can't wait 'till the second part comes out!

Top 10 Books I've Read in 2011

Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

Today I'll be sharing my top reads of this year. Feel free to share your favourite reads below!

As always, the covers link to Goodreads.

Title: The House of Silk, a Sherlock Holmes Novel

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Publisher: Orion, 294 pages (November 1st 2011)

I'm a bit on a Sherlock Holmes spree here and The House of Silk was just perfect for that. The mystery had me guessing 'till the very end, I didn't see it coming at all.

Title: Blood Work

Author: Kim Harrison

Publisher: Random House, 176 pages (July 12th 2011)

My first graphic novel ever, but as all of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan books I just tore through it. And now I want to read more graphic novels!

Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelley Keaton

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 273 pages (February 22nd 2011)
My Review

A perfect mix of paranormal and mythology. Darkness Becomes Her stars one of my favourite heroines of all times. Part two in the series should come out soon, I can't wait!

Title: Dark Lover

Author: J.R. Ward

Publisher: Signet, 416 pages (April 11th 2007)
My Review

I never expected to like paranormal romance this much, but the Black Dagger Brotherhood made me love them instantly. I especially love that the heroines are just as strong as the heroes.

Title: The Vespertine

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Publisher: Harcourt, 293 pages (March 7th 2011)
My Review

This was one of the first historical romances I ever really loved. Normally I just can't stand the romance, but The Vespertine's was amazing.

Title: Darkfever

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 382 pages (October 31th 2006)
My Review

I have officially caught the Fever! I breezed through the first four books this year, and I'm looking forward to read the last part in the series soon!

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic, 374 pages (October 1st 2008)

My Review

I was very surprised by this one. But I only loved The Hunger Games. I liked Catching Fire, and hated Mockingjay with my guts. Still, The Hunger Games is one of my favourite reads this year.

Title: Ascendant

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: HarperTeen, 392 pages (September 28th 2010)

The second book in the Killer Unicorn series, Ascendant was even better than the first one (which I gave five stars also). It has action, love, loss and so much more. 

You can also read my review for the first book in the series, Rampant.

Title: The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

Author: Emilie Autumn

Publisher: Emilie Autumn Ent. LLC, 274 pages (December 15th 2009)

I have been a fan of Emilie Autumn's music for years, so when the second edition of her book came out with signed book plate I instantly ordered it. Part autobiography, part fiction this is one of the best books I ever read. If you want to know what it's like to be in an actual mental hospital, this is a perfect read.

Title: Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Publisher: Yearling, 256 pages (May 9th 2000)

This book was AWESOME. If you haven't already, read it. It was so much better than I expected it to be. I can't really write a review about it, but I can recommend it as much as possible!

Merry Christmas and Wonderful Holidays!

Look, look it's a polar bear with a present!

Anyway, I just want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas time! Whether you're celebrating with your family or just staying home with a nice book and some movies, have a great holiday (: <3

I will see you all again in three days, when I participate in the Top 10 of 2011 event.

From Book to Movie: The Hobbit

It's still a very long wait, but the movie version of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Hobbit will make it's worldwide debut in December 2012. Yesterday was the official trailer release (which you can watch below). I have to say, it looks absolutely amazing. It has the same ambiance The Lord of the Rings series had too, that made them such epic films. I'm very glad The Hobbit is by the same director, Peter Jackson. He did such a great job bringing LOTR to life that I'm sure The Hobbit will be in capable hands.

I am very much looking forward to this from book to movie adaptation. Although I wonder why the it should be in two parts... The book really wasn't that long. I'm sure they had a good reason to do so.





You can also watch this trailer in super awesome quality wide screen. Or you can visit the official The Hobbit blog, where you can find up to date news on the movie.

Review: The Angelic Mysteries by James Sanderson

The Angelic Mysteries by James Sanderson

2 out of 5 stars

Self-published
Received this copy for review from the author

I rushed through The Angelic Mysteries in about one hour. However, this kind of themed book shouldn't be rushed through. You have to create some time to ponder about the theme, about the message. For me it felt like the book just didn't have enough words.

Daniel is travelling through Europe, trying to find himself, to find God. On a misty day in Holland he meets a mysterious woman, Sarah. She claims to be an angel, descended from haven. But she is in terrible danger, she says. A demon from hell is after her.

I liked the story. I liked the theme. It just could have been so, so much better. For every sentence in this book, I would like to add five more. Not more plot, just more words. More descriptions, more emotions, more everything. Just so it can become a story, not just words on a page. I want to smell the stinking water of Venice. I want to feel the rain on my skin. I want to know the main characters.

Throughout the novella, I found the main characters Daniel and Sarah terribly lacking. They don't seem to have a personality at all, they are just means to tell the story. It felt like they were puppets in a puppet-show. One-sided characters that the narrator uses to get his message across. Being a person that likes first-person narration, I'm more used to really being inside someone's thoughts. I now missed all the emotions that make characters human, likeable.

The upcoming paragraph contains some ranting of a teeny bit annoyed Dutch person, that stubbornly claims to know more about Europe than a writer from Colorado.

Through the lack of detail I was left wondering even in which time this book is set. The writer mentions having to show your passport before crossing the Dutch-German border. If this book is meant as a contemporary, I would like to rectify something. Within the European Union, which includes (but is not limited to) the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy, you never have to show your passport at the borders. We call it "open borders". People within the Union are free to travel anywhere they want. It would now be completely impossible for Daniel to be denied crossing into France from Italy, just because he hasn't got a passport on him. There are no border offices any more. I live in the Netherlands myself, about 5 minutes from the German border. I can dance on the street that forms the borderline, and the only indication that I would be dancing on German terrain, would be a little sign that says "Welcome to Germany!".

The only point I have here, is that, if this book is meant as contemporary, I would like the author to research more about the countries he writes about. If it is set pre-WWII, I take everything back. Even though he has clearly never been to Venice. Try finding an empty alley there. I wish you a lot of luck, and preferably some kind of miracle.

I would still be interested in reading a full-length novel by Mr Sanderson though. If he does some more research, learns to incorporate some more details, he could write something beautiful. He has the potential and the ideas that make a book utterly awesome, he just has to make sure his writing matches his plotting talent.

In case you're interested, this is how the Dutch-German border looks. On the right side of the street you live in Germany, on the left side you're living in the Netherlands. The picture was made 5 minutes from my house, during soccer-season.

Blurb

Traveling to Europe to escape the specter of madness in his life, Daniel Allman meets and falls in love with a woman who believes herself to be an angel. She is being pursued by a psychopath; a man she believes is an anti-angel. An action-packed thriller, a tender love story, and a literary adventure. The Angelic Mysteries: Where Heaven and Earth Meet.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: Shine by Lauren Myracle (4/5 Stars)
• Review: Hard Day's Knight by John G. Hartness (4/5 Stars)
• Review: Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho (4/5 Stars)

More links

• Author page
• Goodreads

Harry Potter December: Part 4

I like shiny cups!

I decided to reread all the Harry Potter books this December! As a part of it, I am having this little event here on my blog, Harry Potter in December. Click here to find the other posts.

I'll also occasionally update through my Twitter account with the hashtag #readingharrypotter. Come join me if you like!

The fourth update already! Here are the stats:

• Pages read (this book): 370
• Pages read (total): 1267
• Currently at: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (#4)
• My thoughts: About halfway now. I love this one, it has the perfect balance between dark and light. Harry fighting with dragons is always awesome, and it's nice to see he's actually a boy! There are a lot of interesting characters in this one like Krum, Fleur Delacour and Cedric Digorry among others. Plus, Hagrid's crush is so adorable!
  Hmmm, I don't think I'll make it to read all of the books this months. But I will try to get as far as I can; will probably end up somewhere in book five or six.

In My Mailbox

It's time for In My Mailbox, a weekly meme by The Story Siren!

So this week my signed copy of Darren Shan's Birth of a Killer finally arrived! I have been waiting for it to arrive for quite a while now. It came in a big box with at least five layers of bubblewrap, haha! Got some more books for review from Netgalley too. Next week's IMM will be a very special one, featuring all my Christmas gifts! :D

Click on the covers to go to their Goodreads page.

Bought:

I've been collecting Darren Shan's books for years, and I'm very proud to have this hardcover signed edition now! I hope I'll sometime be able to see him in real life so I can get a few of my other books signed too (:

Received for review: 

I've always wanted to try Maria V. Snyder's books, so I took the opportunity when I found this book on Netgalley. The cover looks stunning. I love the purple flowers.

A simple, yet beautiful cover. I already finished reading this book, but it will be released February 2nd, so my review will posted then on my blog. I have to say I was pretty much blown away by the story. It has such a subtle way to bring it's message across. I loved that even though it deals with faith and God, it isn't preachy in any way.

So, that's it for me! What is in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment!

Top 10 of 2011: Sign Up

I stumbled across this event, and it seems a great way to conclude this year! Organised by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, Top 10 of 2011 is an event to connect bloggers from all over to share their Top 10 lists. Make sure to visit one of their sign up posts.

The Schedule:

• Monday 12/26 – Top 10 Books I’ve read in 2011
• Tuesday 12/27 – Top 10 Book Covers of 2011
• Wednesday 12/28 – Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011
• Thursday 12/29 – Top 10 Characters in 2011 (This can be anything you'd like to make it for characters. You can post your favorite Villains, etc. Just be sure that this post is character based.)
• Friday 12/30 – Top 10 Books I’m looking forward to in 2012 (also on this day, we'll each be adding something of a recap of the total number of books read, pages read, etc. This part of the post is optional. Feel free to add any stats you'd like to share with everyone. So, if you'd like to also include some end of year stats, feel free to join us!)

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger
(Parasol Protectorate  #1)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Orbit

This was one of the surprises of the year. Even though I have had the Parasol Protectorate series on my TBR for a while, I never really looked into them and what they were about. All I knew was that they were classified as steampunk, a genre I love.

Miss Alexia Tarabotti is a special woman, in several ways. She is a spinster in her twenties, deemed unmarriageable because of her mysterious Italian father, her interest in science and other unladylike topics, and her slightly sarcastic wit. On top of that, she is a preternatural. Miss Tarabotti is not in possession of a soul. When she is most rudely attacked by a vampire, she is sucked into quite dangerous business, dealing with even more dangerous yet very attractive werewolves...

I absolutely ADORE the world Ms Carriger has created. Not only is the story of Soulless set in Victorian society, even the supernaturals are affected by the setting. Being a werewolf is no excuse for dressing poorly, and you better have good table manners as a vampire. It makes for such bizarre situations, it is utterly brilliant. I actually snickered while reading this book. Maybe I am even guilty of outright giggling.

Another massive plus is that at no point in the story the romance felt icky. Usually, when the heroine and hero are getting the hots for each other, I am not quite there with them yet. In Soulless I had no such issue. From all the adult romance storylines I have come across, this was one I was most comfortable with. It all felt so natural, the bickering, the little bits and pieces of tenderness. It all came together in such a way that I was fully invested in the scene, which is accomplished very rarely by books I read.

Alexia was an interesting character to read about. Even though she might not technically has a soul, she has enough brains to make up for it. She is a pleasant conversationalist with a healthy self-image and enough thinking capacity. She is nothing like her shallow half-sisters, constantly fussing about who wears what, and what they will wear to that party. What I liked was that even though Alexia in spirit resembles a modern woman, she still has some very distinct Victorian values. It was a great little touch, adding a lot of credibility to the story. You can really feel Ms Carriger has thought every detail through.

Soulless is a highly original book that I would certainly recommend to all lovers of steampunk, the paranormal, or historical romance. From the first page the dreamlike prose draws you in, and won't let you go until you have finished the story. I cannot wait to read the next installment, and find out what is in store next for this soulless heroine.

Blurb

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (4/5 Stars)
• Review: Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens (2/5 Stars)
• Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher (4/5 Stars)

More links

• Author page
• Press
• Goodreads

Christmas Wishlist

So it's almost Christmas, and I thought I'd share some of my wanted books for this year! I always love this time of the year, and the big stack of books that I'll get make it even better (: I do wonder where I'm going to leave this bunch though, all my shelves are already packed...

Clicking the pictures will bring you to Goodreads. In case of a series it will link to the first book in that series.

Can you believe that I still haven't read the Shiver series?! I love these covers, they look so beautiful and winter-y. A great read for on the couch with hot chocolate!

Usually I'm not one for graphic novels, but to be honest I will buy anything by Kim Harrison. For me she's still one of the best urban-fantasy writers out there. Plus, the art on this one looks really good. I'm looking forward to see how it turns out.

I don't think this one need a lot of explaining. It has zombie stories. And killer unicorn stories, including one of a favourite author of mine, Diana Peterfreund. This anthology also includes titles from big names like Holly Black, Scott Westerfield, Meg Cabot and more.

Another series I can't believe I haven't read yet. I did read Clockwork Angel and enjoyed it, so I'm quite sure I will like these too. Clockwork Prince is on my wishlist too of course.

I read the first book in this series and it didn't really fall well with me. I heard that the main character gets a little less obnoxious in the other books, so I'm giving it a second chance. The books are pretty cheap too (: