Monday, October 05, 2009

Belated Monthly Reads - September 2009

I have soooo many things to blog about... and I just can't find the time to do it :(

First of all, I'm feeling much better. Sinus infection seems to be gone, yay!! A big thank you to Leslie for her trick with the hot compress. That really helped and saved me :) One of my teeth - a wisdom tooth - still hurts from time to time though, mostly when I open my mouth really big. I wonder now if I have a cavity or not. Yesterday (Sunday), I was feeling quite dizzy - started worrying if it was sinus infection affecting my ears... but it seems to be gone. So feeling better, but still not a 100% :( Hopefully, I'll be back in full shape very soon :)

I'm going to a wedding next Saturday and guess what? Found a very pretty dress!! Phewwww, talk about crunch time. There's a story behind it, but that's for another post. I'll post a pic of it :D I can wear the shoes I bought for Holly's wedding - that's the best thing LOL :P Now, I just need to find a strapless bra and what jewelry to wear with it... Sigh.

There's something I did this week-end that I want to blog about very badly. I'll definitively try to do it soon, although it'll ruin a surprise I have for some people ^_^; However, I'm afraid if I wait more, I'll forget about it... That'd be a pity. So I guess I'll have to give it away... but that's not for today.

Today or actually tonight (of course, by the time this post goes up, it'll be tomorrow... Confused? :P), I want to FINALLY post my monthly reads for September! I'm a few days late, but better than never, right?

1) Broken by Megan Hart: B+

I'm still not sure whether I'll review this or not. Turns out this was supposed to be my TBR challenge entry, but I forgot ^_^; I know, pathetic of me LOL. All in all though, I enjoyed my first Megan Hart. The story was very poignant and it's very different than other erotica I've read. Much more depth.


2) Fade to Black by Leslie Parrish: B/B+

Fade to Black was quite good actually. Lots of comparison made between Leslie Parrish and Karen Rose - which is why I picked up the book. I have to agree. Very good with great pacing. Definitively worth the try :D


3) Pitch Black by Leslie Parrish: B-/B

Many enjoyed Pitch Black even more than Fade to Black. I did enjoy the characters very much, but I wanted a little more from every aspect - story, characterization, suspense and so on. I also think this was a case of me more than the book... Just couldn't focus on it :( Gotta say though, I thought the romance was better in this one :D


4) Duchess by Night by Eloisa James: B+

5) At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker: C

I picked up the newest Olivia Parker release and realized that I didn't remember anything of At the Bride Hunt Ball... which is why I re-read it. The book has potential, but it really falls flat in the second half. I just didn't get the hero's fascination for the heroine and why suddenly, he would decide to marry her. It also seems to me the heroine lost sight of her goals :( Oh by the way, having suffered from a bruised ankle not so long ago, I cannot imagine the heroine sneaking around with a sprained ankle. Didn't like the stepmother... but worst, re-reading At the Bride Hunt Ball, I didn't feel like reading the next book. Oups ^_^;

6) His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik: A

7) Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews: B++

This is another re-read... and I cheated, mostly focused on the second half of the book which is the most interesting. Definitively looking forward to the next book... and I just found out it was coming out in June. Why, oh why?!?!

8) Burn by Linda Howard: B+

9) Goddess of Hunt by Tessa Dare: B

Buddy review with Ames coming up at Breezing Through.


10) Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips: B

Still undecided whether I'll review this or not. Basically, I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half was a bit disappointing :( I really loved the relationship between the H/H. I believed it... I would have liked the second book to focus even more on their relationship and how they would work out the trust issue. The suspense was weak, the curse a tad ridiculous... I did like that the heroine came clean to the hero early on. She didn't hide eternally. Still... couldn't have been better.


11) Wicked All Day by Liz Carlyle: C

Hmmm, the plotline was quite original... but I guess it just didn't work for me :( Hero is in love with heroine for a couple of years, but has been treating her very coldly (didn't realize his feeling). Heroine is getting desperate... she either has to marry or will be sent back to Scotland where she'll die of boredom. She gets into a compromising situation with her best friend, the hero's younger brother... and ended up engaged to him... but he loves another. It would have worked just so much better if the heroine and her fiance had talked things out. Instead, the fiance really acted like an a$$ :(

This is sort of a sequel of My False Heart - the heroine is Zoe Armtrong, the daughter of the hero in My False Heart. I guess I was expecting something and just didn't get it :(


12) Tempted at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas: B

Review to come.


13) Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong: A-

Review to come.


So again, 13 books this month. It's a bit on the low side for me :( I blame being sick and having my routine completely turned upside down :( Problem is, I don't think it'll get better this month T_T But at least, I'll try :D

My big accomplishment in September is I actually reviewed all the books read in August. Seriously Jill, I don't know how you do it!! LOL :) Also, I reviewed more books in September then I thought... Cool :D

So anyway, more posts coming soon :D