Double Cross

Book Details:
Genre: urban fantasy
Page Count: 336
Publication Date: Sept. 28, 2010
Why I read it: book 2 in a trilogy
Grade: A

The plot:
Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

My review:
You know how sometimes you read the first book in a series, and you really like it, but then you get book 2 in your hands and you're afraid it won't be as good, so you put off reading it? I did that a little bit with Double Cross. Lately urban fantasy series have been disappointing me. But I shouldn't have worried about this one. In fact, I would say that Double Cross is better than Mind Games. Which is good--authors should improve with each book. But if Carolyn Crane gets any better, I'm afraid I might have a heart attack while reading the next book. Or a vein star episode. Like my head might seriously explode.

The biggest problem with this book was that it ended. It was like I was on this really awesome ride with lots of twists and turns, and the ride got really intense, and I started getting worried, like WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH THIS RIDE AND WHAT'S COMING NEXT? And then the ride comes to a sudden stop. And I know there's more ride, but I can't go on it right now. Logically, I feel like it was as good a place as any to end this part of the story, unless she was going to wrap up the whole story right now (but since it's a trilogy, that wasn't happening), it's just that I want to find out what happens right this minute.

So, I really like Justine. I like that she's conflicted, and that there are no easy answers for her. I even kind of like this love triangle, even though I normally hate love triangles. Both Packard and Otto are so horribly screwed up (as is Justine), but they've also got very attractive things about them. And maybe what I like about them is that they don't have everything going for them. Just about everyone in this book is flawed in some way, some a lot more than others, but the world somehow seems to stay believable. And I've grown to really care about some of these characters--maybe a little too much, judging by my reaction to the ending.

Double Cross has been enough to renew my faith in the urban fantasy genre. Before this I had gotten very burned out, and it seemed like there was nothing new there to find. This is different. It's emotional, heart-pounding, gray area all over the place wonderful. I would highly recommend this one! Any book that leaves you with an intense emotional reaction has to be doing something right. I'll leave you with what I facebooked right after I finished it:

Just finished a book that I want to punch in the face. Not because it was bad. It was excellent, but it's book two of a trilogy, and it was very cruel of the author to end it where she did.

Allegra Fairweather

Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 209
Publication Date: May 26, 2010
Why I read it: netgalley review copy
Grade: B-

The plot:

Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I'm the woman to call. Just don't call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.

With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I've heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what's under his kilt.

Luckily, I'm ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I'm grateful for his help-but he's also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I've got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking...

My review:
Let me tell you right up front that I think this book is only available in e-book edition. I enjoyed this one, but it was really nothing more than a fun, easy read; a good way to pass a couple of afternoons. What I liked best, I think was the setting. I would love to travel to Scotland. Forget the handsome men in kilts, I'm jealous of Allegra just for the scenery. And it was very much a part of the story, so that's good.

Allegra is a fun character, even though she seemed to have a bit of a hard time figuring anything out. If she really does have a 99.5% success rate, I don't know how she did it. She kind of bumbles around and figures things out only with luck. But still, she's fairly tough (although it does help that she has a guardian angel to get her out of all kinds of scrapes), and definitely likable.

There was a little bit of romance here, but not too much. It didn't overshadow the story, at least. It seems that this is the start of a series. Book two is already written and has been acquired by the publisher. So that's good news for those who liked this first one, but I'm afraid of the direction it'll take. I didn't think her romantic interest in her guardian angel was all that great, but I think it'll become more and more the focus. We'll see, it could be done well. I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance, especially if you're not as interested in the romance. If you're looking for a hot and heavy bodice-ripper type novel, this isn't it.

Mind Games

Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 371
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Why I read it: wanted to
Grade: B

The plot:
Mind Games follows the adventures of Justine Jones, a hopeless hypochondriac who longs to be normal. Instead, she is recruited to join a psychological hit squad in a city terrorized by criminals with strange powers…only to fall for her most dangerous target!

My review:
I wasn't expecting to like this as well as I did. I'm not sure why. Carolyn Crane's blog is highly entertaining, so why would I expect any less of her book?

I liked the concept of the disillusionists (the psychological hit squad), which is different from anything else I've read. There were a few things that were predictable, but the plot was complex enough that I was interested in what was going on throughout the whole book.

I thought Justine was a great character. I don't remember reading anything else with a hypochondriac as the main character, and it definitely added an interesting dimension. I like that she wasn't a pushover, and she had quite a strong personality. She was maybe a little too quick to jump into bed at times, but I guess it's forgivable, since I liked her in every other aspect. I also really liked Shelby, who was also a disillusionist. There's something about characters with Russian accents that I like.

I would recommend this to fans of the urban fantasy genre. It wasn't too heavy on the romance, and it didn't use the same old plot ideas that you'll find in a lot of urban fantasy. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, which I've already got on hold at the library.

The Candidates

Book Details:
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Count: 293
Publication Date: Aug. 24, 2010
Why I read it: ARC Tour
Grade: B

Cover thoughts:
I'm not sure about this cover. I don't love it. I guess it kind of goes along with the story a little, though.

About the author:
You can read about Inara Scott here. After reading her bio on her site, I realized I really like her. The Candidates is her first novel.

The plot:
It's been a few weeks since I read this, and I didn't take any notes. And I have a horrible memory. So all of those combine to make probably not the best review. Dancia likes to fade into the background. This is in hopes that she never gets close to anyone, because when she does and they are threatened, bad things happen. See, she has a special power. And then she's recruited to Delcroix Academy, a school for diplomat's kids and child genuises. But after she starts there, she realizes that weird things are going on at Delcroix, and her new friend, bad boy Jack, is determined to find out what's going on.

Characters:
I liked Dancia okay, but here was yet another YA book with some sort of a love triangle. I think it's become a cliche in YA lit, and I wish authors wouldn't use it as a crutch so much.

Setting:
Delcroix Academy was suitably creepy, and books set in boarding schools are always fun.

Read this if you're in the mood for: a YA paranormal that doesn't feature vampires or werewolves, and that is better than a lot of the other YA that's out there.

Continue or part ways? I will continue with this series. It ended in such a way that I'm curious to find out what happens next.

Book of Love (Knight Angels, #1)

Book Details:
Genre: YA paranormal/fantasy
Page Count: 395
Publication Date: April 26, 2010
Why I read it: ARC Tour
Grade: D

Cover thoughts: The cover is pretty enough, but I don't really think it has much to do with the book. I think that's pretty typical for these types of books, though.

About the author: You can find out more about Abra Ebner here.

The Plot: Some high school kids have powers. But not in a cool superhero type of way, more of a life sucks cause I have this power type. There are a couple of angels, some mind readers, a shape shifter, the kitchen sink . . . the problem with the plot is that it's never really clear what's going on, and at the same time there's too much going on. Too many things thrown in all willy nilly. And at the same time, nothing is happening. Yes, I'm being contradictory, but this book brings it out in me. For a much more in depth synopsis of the book, visit goodreads.

Characters: I didn't like a single character in this book. I can't even count how many times these characters "smirked" or looked smug. Is that supposed to be endearing? Because it's not. By the time I finished the book, I truly hated every single person in the book. If I had to be around these people in real life, I'd probably move. I also didn't really find the relationships realistic (or even the characters themselves, for that matter)

Setting: The world building here is pretty terrible. I don't understand the rules, I don't understand why or who or what or anything! It felt like the author pulled a bunch of different ideas out of the air because they sounded good, and put it all in a book.

Notable quotes:
"I thought about my dream, thought about the taste of his lips on my fingers."

"I felt smug as I puffed my chest. 'And what will this poison do?'
Max watched me with a smirk on his face."

Yes, I know. This is what the whole book is like. You can find the words smirk or smug on just about every page.

Read this if you're in the mood for: something that is similar to Twilight. The writing quality is the same, and it has the same whiny, angst-filled writing that so many people must have loved, considering the popularity of Twilight.

Continue or part ways? I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series, or looking for more by this author. We just didn't connect.

Nightshade

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Genre: YA fantasy/paranormal
Page Count: 464
Why I read it: ARC Tour
Grade: B-
Publication Date: Oct. 19, 2010

Synopsis:
While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

My review:
I really liked the writing here. The flow was good, and it was never slow. Unfortunately, this book falls victim to the love triangle of death that has been killing my enjoyment of most YA novels lately. I don't mind a little romance in my books. In fact, I prefer it. But I'm talking about a little romance. And I'm sick to death of love triangles. To me, it shows a definite lack of imagination and creativity on the part of the author. I imagine it's a lot easier to write a book when you can devote at least half of it to the internal angst of the main character who must choose between two hot guys who are in love with her. "I want him to kiss me . . . now he's kissing me . . . I like this . . . this can't happen! . . . stop kissing me . . . oh no, maybe he's mad at me and will avoid me . . . oh, there he is again . . . I want him to kiss me . . ." This seemed to be a major theme throughout.

Plus, it seems that if there is a love triangle, I inevitably like the wrong guy. The one that is never chosen, which is really frustrating! Okay, now that I've got my major reading pet peeve off my chest, I'll get back to the story. It's good. I thought a lot of it was very original. I felt like there was just enough information given at just the right times that the suspense was kept up without me feeling completely lost. That is, until I got to the end, and realized that I really knew nothing, and had no idea what was going on. There is a cliffhanger ending, so bad that it's almost like the book ended mid-paragraph. I don't care for endings like that, where the reader is forced to read the second book. I've said it before, but if you make your first book good enough, readers will read the second book without you having to leave them hanging quite so much.

If it weren't for her inability to just choose a man and stick with him, I would have really liked Calla. She is strong, mostly independent, and interesting. The love triangle just ruined her for me, though, and I had a hard time liking her in that context. Also, I just never connected to Shay (the human boy she saves) as a character. I didn't find him attractive at all, I actually found him kind of annoying, and he is such a central character.

So, if it sounds like I hated this book, I really didn't. I thought the writing was wonderful, and therefore was even more disappointed than I would usually be over the stupid plot devices. The author has so much potential. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, but I'm prepared to be disappointed some more. I would recommend this one to YA fantasy fans, but if you hate love triangles as much as I do, beware--it's one of the main themes of the book.

Silver Borne

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 342
Why I read it: 5th in a series
Grade: A

Synopsis:
When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

My review:
After not loving the previous book in the series (although I still liked it), I'm happy to say that I'm fully back on board with Mercy. This was a great book that left me feeling so many different emotions. I'll admit, at the beginning of the book I wondered if Mercy's story had been told, and if it was just being dragged out now, but reading this book changed my mind, because I love these characters and I want more of them.

Up until this book, I haven't been feeling the Mercy and Adam love. I'm not sure why, because I like both characters a lot, but I didn't like them together. Now they're one of my favorite literary couples. What a difference a book makes! I love the characters Patricia Briggs writes--she has a way of making you care about them, and boy did I feel really sad a lot of the time while reading, because the characters were so sad.

I really love this series, and would highly recommend it!

The Dark Divine

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Count: 372
Why I read it: local author
Grade: C

Synopsis:
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

My review:
Maybe I need to take a step back from reading these YA paranormals, because I'm getting irked with all the similar elements. Why does the male lead always have to be a "bad boy" who is always perfect looking with a bad attitude? And why does the female lead seem to always have almost nothing on her mind besides the boy?

This one was really no better or worse than the rest of what's out there, although I found it to be pretty slow moving, with not nearly enough action. The Dark Divine is well-written, though--enough that even though it was moving slowly I was inspired to keep reading.

It also seemed to take a little too long for the mystery to unfold. With Grace sitting back and not looking at what was right in front of her, all the while lamenting that she wants to know what's going on. In this sense the characterization was a bit uneven, for me.

I would probably recommend this to fans of YA paranormal, because it's really similar to the rest of what's out there, and if you like that, you'll like this.

Lord of Misrule

Title: Lord of Misrule
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
 Page Count:  231
Why I read it: 5th in a series
Grade: C

Synopsis:
The tenuous peace that exists between the living and the undead in the town of Morganville is once again threatened, forcing Claire Danvers to make a life-or-death decision. 




My review:
I feel like this series is going down a bit as it goes on.  It could just be that I'm not particularly interested in the direction the story is going.  Also, it's pretty slow moving.  The whole book only covered a couple of days.  Granted, it's not a long book, but it just felt like not a whole lot was happening.  They were just kind of running from place to place, with the usual action scene near the end.

I'm also not feeling the characters all that much.  There's no one that I particularly care about, or who stands out all that much.  I feel like after five books I should know these characters better. 

I'll still continue on with the series, and I would recommend this series to someone who likes YA paranormal, but I think there's a lot better YA out there right now.

Hunting Ground

Title: Hunting Ground
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 286
Why I read it: 2nd in series
Grade: B+

Synopsis:
Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son -and enforcer -of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles's reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer -or Charles will take the fall.

My review:
Patricia Briggs is one of those authors I can always count on for good books.  I don't think I've read a book of hers that I haven't really liked.  This one was no exception.  Hunting Ground was fast paced and had some good twists and turns, even though I kinda saw it coming.

I love that she has strong female characters who can hold their own (and then some) with the men.  I'm starting to like this as well as the Mercy Thompson series, which is saying a lot, because I think that's my favorite paranormal series, maybe.  I like Charles and Anna's relationship.

I would definitely recommend this and any other book by Patricia Briggs.  Start the Alpha and Omega series with Cry Wolf, or you could start with the Mercy Thompson series, which starts with Moon Called.

Original Sin

Title:  Original Sin
Author: Allison Brennan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 442
Why I read it: received review copy from the publisher
Grade: C+

Synopsis:
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

My review:
Original Sin started off a little slow, and didn't really grab me up front.  When I was about 100 pages in or so, I started feeling like there must be a previous book with some of these characters, because events kept being eluded to in such a way that it seemed like there had been another book.  So I looked online, but there wasn't.  I guess it's just the author's style in giving backstory, just different than I'm used to.

But then things started picking up, and I got very interested in what was going to happen.  I knew going in that this was the first book in a series, so it probably wouldn't wrap up all neat and tidy, and it didn't.  I wasn't sure if I was going to continue on with the series, but because of something that was hinted at near the end, that I can't talk about because of spoilers, I'm going to have to read on. 

I've never read a paranormal quite like this one.  The world was different, in that magic was bad.  Even in the characters who were good guys, or who wanted to do the right thing, using magic wasn't a good thing.  It's definitely a different idea, because usually in paranormal stories, although there are always bad witches/wizards, magic in itself is never inherently bad.

I would recommend this to fans of paranormal.  If you're not a paranormal reader, this probably isn't the place to start.

REVIEW - Undead and Unwelcome

Title: Undead and Unwelcome
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Paranormal Chicklit
Grade: C-

From the back cover:
Fifty thousand angry werewolves.  That's what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia's body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Manor.  Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well--and wracked with guilt.  She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will greet her with fangs or friendship.

While Betsy and her husband, Sinclair, try to make nice, their legal ward, BabyJon, freaks out ever werewolf he meets.  Meanwhile, Betsy's posse back at the St. Paul mansion is not LOLing.  Increasingly frantic e-mails alert Betsy to her half sister's increasingly erratic behavior.  Looks like the devil's daughter is coming into her own--and raising hell.  All in the name of making Betsy's life easier, of course.

My review:
I don't know if I can continue reading this series.  The author tries to be funny, and I guess it's just not my kind of humor, because it comes of more annoying than funny.  And the main character, Betsy, seems to get more clueless and self-centered by the book.  I don't really care about her as a character, and I find that I don't really care about any of the characters.  They're not written in a way that you can become attached to them.

A lot of it may have to do with the first person narrative.  I've never cared for it.  I almost always find the character whiny, selfish, and unlikeable.  It makes it hard for me to get into the story.  For about half of the book, I contemplated giving up or heavily skimming.  But then it got fairly interesting, and since it's a short book with big words, I just kept on reading and finished it.  I wouldn't recommend this unless you're hooked on this series, or unless you're a glutton for punishment.

Light My Fire

Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one was good. I'm really interested to see where things go in the next book of the series. I think the on and off relationship with the main characters does get a bit tiring, but it's still readable.


View all my reviews.

Read-Headed Stepchild

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This wasn't my favorite paranormal. I think the main character was a little annoying, and ready for violence too often when it wasn't necessary. Also, the demon in this was way too similar to the one from Katie MacAlister's Ashling Grey series. It was too similar to be a coincidence.



That being said. I will be reading the next book in the series. I was interested enough to want to read on to find out what happens, and I think the author definitely has potential.


View all my reviews.

Bone Crossed

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This wasn't my favorite of the series. It was still good, but there was just something about it that I didn't like as well.


View all my reviews.

Stray by Rachel Vincent

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds. Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. I'd been warned about Strays: werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared. This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever and whoever I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them.

The cover description of this book didn't really excite me, so I wasn't necessarily looking forward to reading this one. But as soon as I started, I was sucked in and had a hard time putting it down. And this was through a whole 600+ pages. I felt like there were never any slow parts, and the writing flowed really well.

I know there were others who read this who were annoyed by the main character, but I wasn't really bothered. I understood her frustration and the reasons behind it, and while I thought she did a couple of stupid things, it wasn't as bad as some heroines of books I've read, and I think it was the only way the author could move forward her plot.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series. This is one I would recommend to anyone who likes paranormals, but even with how much I enjoyed it, I probably wouldn't recommend it to those who don't like paranormals.

Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister

Aisling Grey is back-and in more trouble than ever. She thought being a courier would be easy. It's not. She thought being a Guardian would come naturally. It doesn't. She thought she could get out of being a wyvern's mate. She can't. And she never thought she'd be irresistible to men. But she is.

This is the second book in the Aisling Grey series, and it had been quite awhile since I read the first, so there were a lot of things I couldn't remember. I didn't feel lost, though, and I quite enjoyed this one. Katie MacAlister isn't one of my top favorite paranormal authors, but her writing is entertaining and easy to read. And I'll for sure go on with the rest of the series.

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals — a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.

This is the fourth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. I've really liked all the books in this series, and am definitely going to continue reading.

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

This is the second in the Women of the Otherworld series. The series started off slow, and I almost gave up on the first novel, Bitten, but I'm really glad I didn't. I liked Stolen even better than Bitten, I think. New characters are introduced, and it goes from being about Werewolves to being about all kinds of different paranormal creatures. Fun reading!

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten is about a woman who was turned into a werewolf against her will. She wants to fit into the human world as much as possible, but something goes wrong with her former "pack", and she has to return to them.

This book started off a little slow, and I actually almost gave up on it. I'm so glad I didn't, because I ended up loving it. It kept me up really late one night because I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. The characters are interesting, and the plot really moves. I will definitely read the rest of this series, and I also have learned a lesson about giving up on books too soon.