What is Women's Fiction?

I was talking with Brie from Romance Around the Corner the other day about authors and books that we enjoyed...  and it gave me an idea for a discussion topic. However, while I was figuring how to introduce that discussion, I ran into a little obstacle. What is the definition of women's fiction? And then, I realized that not everyone had the same definition of women's fiction...

If you look it up on Wikipedia - most reliable source on the internet *sarcasm*, here is what you'll find:

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books that are marketed to female readers, and includes many mainstream novels, romantic fiction, "chick lit,"and other sub genres.

In a broad sense, I guess yes, that's what women's fiction is. However, when I say women's fiction, I mean the genre... and well if it's women's fiction, can it be romance and chick-lit as well? I figure also that everyone has its own definition of women's fiction - the genre, and I got curious :)

What is Women's Fiction for you? How would you describe the genre?

For me, women's fiction can contain strong romance threads or romantic elements, but it's more about the journey of the heroine than the HEA ending. As a result, I often associate books with older heroines or heroines with grown children to women's fiction. I feel the empty nest syndrome is a perfect platform for women's fiction, because that's when many heroines are starting a new life and searching for their identity. Obviously, it's not limited to those storylines, but I find the identity question is a recurring theme.

Also, I consider books in which there are many women of different ages going through different stages of their lives to be women's fiction. The different friendships, relationships and feeding each other off from their experiences are part of the journey.

For example, Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series, Susan Wigg's Snowfall at Willow Lake and The Goodbye Quilt, Susan Mallery's  Already Home and Barefoot Summer are women's fiction books for me. In many cases, there is a very fine, thin line between women's fiction and contemporary romance... but  I think the distinction is there.

 Agree, disagree? I'd love to hear what you have to say :) So feel free the comments!

Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Let see, few things I want to address before getting to the review :) First, a little reminder about Saturday's Week-End's Mini feature. The poll is up on the sidebar and open till tonight, 11.59pm! So if you haven't vote, please do so!

Second, I've made some changes to the blog layout :) Most noticeable is the background LOL. I loved the previous background, but if you had a too big screen, you ended up with the background running out and a chunk of white on each side of the screen ^_^; Plus, I had the previous background for a year or more already and felt it was time for a little change. I've also tweaked the colors, but otherwise, most of the blog remains unchanged. Let me know if there's any bugs or things I should work on or change! Thanks!

Now, onto the review! As I mentioned in my last Hauling Sunday post, I've read Ms Eulberg first two releases, The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice, and enjoyed them. However, I wasn't sure I would pick up Take a Bow right away because it was a hardcover... And when you see the difference in sizes for the hardcover and paperback, you wonder if the hardcover price is really justified ^_^; So I was going to try to wait a year for the paperback release - have I made it, I think it would have been a miracle LOL. Anyway, I was lucky to come across a copy of Take a Bow... and I LOVED IT!!! I loved it soooo much that I needed my own copy and therefore, ordered one. And now, I'm going to share my love with you all! Are you ready? :P

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
published by Scholastic in April 2012

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

The Story: The following summary is quite detailed. I wouldn't say there are spoilers per se, but it gives you a better idea of what's going on. If that's what you want, then read on :) If not, skip to the review section! 


Take a Bow follows the life of four teens - Carter, Sophie, Ethan and Emme - as they navigated their senior year at the New York City High School of the Creative and Performing Arts (CPA). Every year of high school is important, but senior year even more so because everything seems to be at stake: their futures, careers, love lives and friendships...

Carter Harrison was a child actor who became big with the Kavalier Kids movies franchise. Afterwards, he became the basic go-to kid for cute for all the big movies, Oscar presentations, etc. When the roles started to dwindle down, Carter decided he wanted to go to high school and try being normal. However, high school didn't turn out to be as he expected and he is still trying to figure out who the real Carter Harrison is. One thing Carter's sure of is that he no longer wants to be an actor... but how will the people around him react when he tells them he wants to pursue arts?

In contrast to her boyfriend Carter, Sophie Jenkins has always known what she wants to be: a singer superstar. When she auditioned for CPA, she had it all planned out: attend CPA, also have her best friend Emme who's a great songwriter enrolled, land all the lead roles, get the most coveted spot in the Senior Showcase and then, get a record contract by the time she graduates. However, things didn't go as she planned, what with all the good roles going to her nemesis, Sarah Moffitt. As a result, senior year is Sophie's last chance to get noticed and she's more determined than ever... no matter what the cost is.

Ethan Quinn is a genius when it comes to composing music and writing song and is considered the best at CPA. He's also the lead man in Teenage Kicks - a rock band that was formed with Emme Connelly, Jack Coombs, Ben McWilliams, all fellow students in music composition at CPA, on their first day of freshman year. For shy Ethan, being the lead man in the band was hard and it had a tumultuous effect on his relationship with his girlfriend and his music. After a dressing down by Emme, Ethan has gathered himself and is walking the straight line. He's desperate to prove to Emme that he has changed, for their friendship to be back on track... And with college looming ahead, he wants Emme to know his love for her and for them to be together.

Emme Connelly knows senior year is going to be busy and stressful with school work, band practice, the Senior Showcase and auditions for colleges. Her dream is to make it to Julliard. Luckily for her, Ethan is always there to encourage her. However, he's set a condition for her in order to use his studio to record her pre-audition CD: to sing her own songs. When Emme is invited to audition for the Senior Showcase as a singer - a very high honor, it doesn't go down well with Sophie... and it makes Emme realizes who are her true friends, the ones who always had her back. With friendships, love and her future at stakes, it's time for Emme to stand up for herself and step up to the plate.

My Opinion: Going into Take a Bow, I have to admit I wasn't too sure what to expect, because the blurb is a bit vague. Also, while I enjoyed Ms Eulberg's previous books, I had some apprehension due to the blurb because I'm not a fan of high school drama and it seems inevitable in the story... And indeed, there was some echoes of high school drama, but it definitively wasn't the focus of Take a Bow. I felt the book was more about friendships, their dreams and their journey :)

So I really, really enjoyed and loved Take a Bow :) However, to be frank, I'm having finding the right words for this review - this is my third attempt ^_^; It's hard to put it into words because as soon as I started reading Take a Bow, it just felt right and I was sucked in the story. I really liked how the book opens with the four characters awaiting for their audition to CPA. We get a brief introduction to each character, but also a feel of their personalities and their aspirations. More importantly though, it immediately sets the tone of the book and introduces the readers to the reality of their world. Then, fast-forward four years and Carter, Sophie, Ethan and Emme are about to start their senior year... and that's when the story really starts :)

Now, when I think of Take a Bow, three elements come to mind: the characters, the friendships and the setting. To me, it's the combination of the three that made Take a Bow such a winner :) I'll start with the easiest for me: the setting. I really liked that CPA was not a regular high school, because for me, it added another layer of complexity, set Take a Bow apart from most contemporary YA books and made it more interesting. Why? Because most students attending CPA are passionate about their arts, know what they want in their future and are already on the path of achieving it. Singing, writing music, dancing... these are not hobbies for them, it's their livelihoods. And I find admirable that they commit to it at such a young age. And it definitively was a commitment. Otherwise, why audition each semester simply to remain at CPA and then, audition for roles or spots in productions and showcases and actually perform? The auditions and the competition also contributed to make the characters tougher and more mature... It felt like a totally different world to me while still remaining a contemporary book and feeling real. So the setting was definitively key for me here :)

When it comes to the characters, I have to command Ms Eulberg for coming up with interesting, layered characters, but also for her writing since Take a Bow is told from four different POVs and each had a very distinct voice. Also, it was great to be privy to all four's thoughts and emotions and it definitively  made the book stronger. Another kudo to Ms Eulberg for the intricate ways all four storylines connected and intersected each other :) Sometimes, when you read a book with multiple POVs, it feels a bit clunky, the change of POVs too abrupt... But in the case of Take a Bow, it flowed really well and it did feel like I was reading one book and not four stories. Oups, got a little carried away LOL. Back to the characters. I absolutely loved Carter, Emme and Ethan, they were great, real and so lovable!! I liked how Carter was so down-to-earth when it came to his fame, his acting career and his talent. He was just a nice guy, trying to figure out who was the real Carter Harrison and in no way was he spoiled or arrogant. I think it speaks very loudly of Carter's personality and the way he was raised. What I liked the most though was Carter's journey throughout the book, the growth and the maturity he gained. I liked that he realized that nobody was pushing him to be an actor, that all these years, he's misread his mother's behavior and action. She wasn't pushing him to be a superstar; she wanted him to be happy. I thought for him to walk away from acting to pursue his passion was both brave and wise. Emme, I loved Emme!! At first, she appeared to be shy and not confident, but the inner strength this girl has! I also loved her loyalty to her friends, even if someone might not have deserved it... and that part of Emme really made me connect with her. I've been in Emme's shoes where I knew I was being manipulated and used... But at the same time, it's hard to give up such a friendship that was so dear to you. Even then, Emme never stooped to the level of being mean or wanting revenge... And I loved seeing Emme coming out of her shell and gaining confidence. As for Ethan, I have to admit that I had some doubts at first. The guy definitively made some mistakes... But once you see the way he stood by Emme, always being there for her, loving her... He definitively redeemed himself. You can't help but loving him and root for him! And I believe that with Emme, he won't repeat the same mistakes. He has someone to ground him... Finally, there's Sophie. She was made to be the villain of the book and therefore is not very likable... and yes, in some ways, her character is a bit stereotypical. However, it doesn't make her character less real. What I liked is that Ms Eulberg didn't backtrack at the end, redeeming her character. Sophie is the way she is and does not change. I'm sure she did consider Emme as her best friend when she was younger, but truth is, the most important person to Sophie is herself. Even when she was dating Carter, she was already imagining their breakup - just before her launching her first release ^_^; Everything she did was to achieve superstardom and that's what mattered to her. In a way, you have to admire her determination and her will... even though she's going about it the wrong way.

Finally, the friendships. I loved, loved the many friendships in Take a Bow. The chemistry and bond between the members of Teenage Kicks is the friendship that stands out the most for me. How Ethan, Emme, Jack and Ben (by the way, Jack and Ben were great, great secondary characters!!) formed an unit and had each other's backs. The support the boys gave Emme, how everyone was happy for each other when accepted in the college of their choices, etc. Carter envied Emme for the band friendship and I did too :P I also enjoyed the budding friendship between Emme and Carter; how good a listener Emme was and her encouragements to Carter. Also, how Carter was there for Emme. Even the brittle friendship between Sophie and Emme... In this case, it felt like the two girls just grew apart and this happens so often in high school. Sometimes, you have to let go even if it's hard... I have a feeling Ms Eulberg wanted to write about friendships at different states and how they affect one's life and she did a great job. I also very much loved the romance between Emme and Ethan and I liked how Ms Eulberg focused on theirs, that she didn't feel obligated to give everyone a love story. Emme and Ethan had such a chemistry, they knew each other so well. Seriously, they were a great match and it was very heart-warming to see them finally get together :P Friends to lovers theme lovers, you're going to like this one :)

Take a Bow was almost the perfect contemporary YA for me... but it wasn't because of two things. The first is I wished we've seen a bit more of Emme's feelings towards Ethan throughout the book. I loved how it ended, the way they get together... Emme's declaration that she's had feelings for Ethan for a long time... and how she didn't need to figure them out while Ethan had a girlfriend, etc. was really perfect. However, throughout Take a Bow, we read about Ethan's feelings for Emme and understood where it came from. But I don't feel the same way for Emme. What she said definitively made sense and I know it was genuine.  Perhaps she didn't want to acknowledge her feelings and therefore that's why we didn't get more... but I thought it came a little bit out of the blue ^_^; My second is wishful thinking on my part: I wanted Take a Bow to be longer. I loved everything about it, but I can't help but think that if it was longer, the book would be more completed and perhaps, we'd get more development for Emme's feelings for Ethan :P Seriously though, I think Ms Eulberg should consider writing slightly longer book :)

My Grade: A-. I really enjoyed Take a Bow and am recommending it to everyone :) It officially became one of my all-time favorite YA novels and have propelled Ms Eulberg onto my auto-buy author list :P I hope everyone who gives it a go enjoys it as much as I did :)

PS - Ouf, this was a long review! LOL.

Hauling Sunday LXXVIII

Yay! I got some books this week! :) Made my week and birthday better :)

First, in the mail:

Unmasking Kelsey by Kay Hooper - This is another reprint. If I'm not wrong, it's also the last book in the Hagan series. I'm way behind on the series, but one day when I want to catch up, I'll at least have the books :)

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg - I've read and enjoyed Ms Eulberg's previous releases, The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice (and I've just realized I've reviewed neither ^_^;). However, I wasn't too sure about Take a Bow. I think one issue I have with Ms Eulberg is while her writing and the stories are great, the books are rather short. If you have the opportunity, go to the bookstore and check it out. Compare the hardcover and paperback version and you'll see a dramatic difference... So I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the hardcover price. However, I somehow got my hand on a copy of Take a Bow, read it and loved it soooo much that I needed my own copy :) This one is my favorite book by Ms Eulberg so far :P

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Last week, I got a coupon from Chapters/Indigo through the mail. It was a 10$ off on a minimum purchase of 50$ with an expiration date of May 20. Now, there's a lot of books I want in May as you've seen in our new releases post :P However, there's also a lot of books I've pre-ordered and waiting to receive. The ones that I have not pre-ordered, well they're coming out on May 29... So after some juggling and calculations, here is what I got :)

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan - I was a bit hesitant about this one because I feel the series is simply not as good as the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I mean, it's the same concept, but with Egyptian mythology. However, at the end of the day, between the two series, this is the one my sister reads! LOL. Also, something else that swayed my decision is that The Serpent's Shadow turned out to be the last book in the Kane Chronicles :)

Forgotten and Revived by Cat Patrick - I read Forgotten already and it's a YA book that I really, really enjoyed. I've already had plans to buy both Forgotten (which just came out in paperback) and Revived which is Ms Patrick's new release. The only thing holding me back was which covers ^_^; I really don't like the new cover for Forgotten. Every time I glance at it, it seems to me the girl has fangs and this book has nothing to do with vampires! As for Revived, the cover is not that bad, but there's another that I like better... Although I can't seem to be able to order it over at Book Depository :( In the end, the coupon won out :)

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And to end the week, Ames sent me a coupon code for Kobo :) So here is what I got:

Kiss the Bride by Deirdre Martin, Christie Ridgway and Laura Florand - I have read all three authors, but the entry for which I'm buying the book for is Ms Florand's All's Fair in Love and Chocolate :) Since this book in print is trade-size, the price for the ebook was much better, especially with the 50% off :) Thanks Ames!

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What are your new books this week? :)

Week-End's Minis XIII: Eon - Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

As promised, this week's WEM features Eon: Dragoneye Reborn! I hope you guys enjoy my honesty! Oh, do not forget to cast your vote for next week's WEM!


Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

published by Firebird (Penguin) in June 2009

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured. When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Eon/Eona duology, Book #1

What do you need to know? Eon takes place in a world that is very similar to China or at least has very strong Asian influences and which is also made of magic. The basis is Chinese astrology - each year is associated with a zodiac sign which is in turn associated with a particular dragon, in a cycle of 12 years. These dragons are elemental beings that are able to manipulate the natural energy of the world "Hua." Only certain persons called Dragoneye, chosen by the dragons themselves, can access this enormous power to help or break humanity. These persons are chosen through a rigorous process and then, a ceremony. Every New Year, 12 boys who were born on the year of the ascending dragon are presented to the dragon and one is chosen. For 12 years, that boy will be an apprentice, learning under the supervision of the Dragoneye. Once it's the zodiac year of the boy again, i.e. 12 years later, he will become Dragoneye and master, while his own master retires. For example, in the book, the zodiac year is the Rat and therefore, the ascending dragon is the Rat Dragon. Eon, the main character, is a candidate hoping to be chosen to become the apprentice to the Rat Dragon's Dragoneye. During this year, the Rat Dragon's power is at its strongest, meaning that the Rat Dragoneye will be the most powerful. However, things don't go as planned, because Eon is not chosen by the Rat Dragon... instead, he is chosen by the most powerful Dragon of all, the Mirror Dragon (technically, it's the Dragon of the year of the Dragon so I guess that's why they call it Mirror Dragon), who has disappeared for hundreds of years!

His reappearance and his choice of Eon, who's a boy with an handicap (lame leg), is surprising to say the least. None knows what should be done and the Emperor decides that Eon will be co-ascending Dragoneye along with Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye. What Eon learns later on is this is also a tactical move from the Emperor... Indeed, he is growing old and sickly and rumors of a coup by his own brother, General Sethon, are brewing... Especially that Lord Ido seems to have sworn allegiance to General Sethon.

However, Eon has problems of his own... or should we say, her own. Yes, Eon is a girl and technically, girls are not allowed as candidates and even less, Dragoneyes! Nobody expected Eon to be chosen by the Mirror Dragoneye and be thrusted in the spotlight. If Eon's identity is found, she as well as her master and their household will be accused of treason and that is punishable by death. In addition, while Eon has been chosen by the Mirror Dragon, her bond with the Dragon seems precarious and she has no access to its power... With Lord Ido trying to vie for power, it puts Eon in a very dangerous position and she has to figure things out... before everything is too late.

Why this book? I heard a lot of good about Eon: Dragoneye Reborn; however, I was always hesitant about it, because of the strong Asian influences on the world. I used to read a lot in Vietnamese when I was younger and from experience, I know some of the stuff just doesn't translate well in English. The language and culture are so different that some words just don't exist in English and therefore, it is not fluid. It's the same reason I have yet to read Jeannie Lin, despite the good buzz this author is getting.  In the end though, I broke down because both Mariana and Christine absolutely adore this book. Also, I do love the cross-dressing trope :P

What I liked? Overall, I can see why Mariana and Christine loved this book so much and why it is a winner for so many on Goodreads. The world building and story are both very complex and interesting. For my part,  I especially liked the secondary characters such as Lady Dela, Ryko, Prince Kygo and Rilla. How everyone gathered around Eon and supported her. Also, the writing style is good and made Eon very readable...

Also, Eona reminded me a bit of Katniss - the way both of them became the face of resistance without wanting to. I thought it was an interesting parallel, especially since Eona was playing a game as dangerous as Katniss in the end.

Unfortunately, that was pretty it for me ^_^;

Any issues? Sigh. As I said earlier in the review, I came in with some apprehension and most probably, it really influenced my reading of Eon: Dragoneye Rebon. I wished I'd been able to let go and enjoy the book as it should, but I couldn't.

First, I do think there was a lack of fluidity; however, it was subtle. I was probably over-sensitive to it, but I just can't help it. However, as I said, it was still very readable and I attribute this to Ms Goodman's talent. Also, for me, the whole palace setting, royalty and Chinese astrology was all very familiar to me. Felt some parts were very predictable.

I was also a bit disappointed with the lack of humor. I think one of the reasons I enjoy reading cross-dressing heroines so much it's because there are always some funny situations arising from it... but it definitively wasn't the case with Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. The tone is very solemn throughout the book. Also, while Eon/Eona was a very complex and interesting character, I didn't find her very likable and never really connected with her. I know her life is at stake and the circumstances are not all of her doing, but she was so focused on her, her fate... it bothered me. At this point, she has to realize that she's part of something bigger and have to act consequently. Also, because Eon/Eona had so many personal concerns and worries, it translated in many monologues and it made for a slow pacing.

This brings me to the storyline... I couldn't help but wonder how Eon and her master thought she could have spent 24 years disguised as a man?!? Even if people believed "he" was castrated, that didn't make sense for me. How complicated the logistic would be... and I felt both of them played a really dangerous game. Wouldn't it have been easier for her master to find a boy instead? Even if Eon/Eona had great potential. Also, at the end of the day, was Eona only chosen because she was female? Would any girl would have done or was Eona really chosen because she was female and had potential? Also, if I understood it correctly, the boys that are introduced as candidates have to be born in the same year of the dragon they are wooing. Therefore, they should have been 12 years old right? Then, how could Eona who is 16 years old, technically stand a chance? That was a puzzle for me as well. I felt there was a lot of holes in the concept... I know things had to be changed because Eona was a girl, but I don't understand how Eona and her master thought she stood a chance in that case.

Finally, I just didn't feel this book. I never got engrossed in it :( I know I have to shoulder part of the fault, but that's the reality at the end of the day.

My Grade? D. I originally gave it a C+ in Goodreads, but after writing this review, I wasn't honest with  myself. The truth is Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was simply not for me. I read this book with apprehension and I never felt once that I was wrong, that I should kick myself for letting my apprehension take over and make me read this book only now. Instead, reading Eon: Dragoneye Reborn only confirmed my apprehension was correct. At the end of the day, I just didn't feel it when it came to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn and unfortunately, I won't be reading the sequel.

Review: Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

Friday, Friday, Friday, yay!! I'm glad it's the week-end tomorrow :P I feel like I have been slacking off a little on reviews this week, although at least, I did have a few posts :P Basically, I blame work. The summer semester has officially started and I have two summer students this year. So the week was busy with orientation, supervision and training. It wouldn't be too bad if the two of them had the same level of lab experience, but they don't. Ah well. The good news is one of them is a reader!! Yay, someone new to share my love of books :) She mainly reads fiction, but not romance. Can't have everything, LOL, but it won't stop me from pushing some on her :P I also realized that I'm getting old. Duh, my birthday was yesterday, LOL, but I don't feel old. However, we were discussing manga and there's a lot of very popular titles that she hasn't read and my co-worker S and I are telling her she should read. While we were talking, I realized the reasons she hadn't read these manga is that most of them are done series - now. However, when S and I read them, they had just started or were not too far advanced. I guess a 10 years difference is big LOL.

Anyway, I really wanted to have at least a review up this week. This one took me the whole day to write, but it still counts :P Enjoy!

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
published by DAW in March 2012

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: InCryptid series, Book #1

The Story: In this world, paranormal beings are known as cryptids and are the targets of the Covenant of St. George. This organization - several centuries old - exterminates all "monsters" without discrimination, no matter the consequences on the ecosystem. A few generations back, the Healy clan broke off from the Covenant because they realized that some cryptids were harmless and actually necessary for the well functioning of the ecosystem. The Covenant didn't care much about the breaking off, but when one of their Hunters, who was sent to kill the Healy clan, saw the light and sided with the Healy, well the Covenant took issue and started to fear "propaganda" and therefore, the Healy clan was considered persona non grata.

Nowadays, the Healys are known as the Price family and each member has dedicated his/her life to cryptozoology - the study of cryptids. The exception is Verity Price, age 22. It's not that she has no interest in cryptids... Only her true passion is ballroom dancing. She's convinced her parents to let her pursue her two passions. As a result, Verity has moved to New York City where she'll be able to compete and audition for Broadway while keeping an eye on NYC's cryptids. However, she soon learns it's hard to juggle the two when a Covenant Hunter - Dominic De Luca - appears in her city, scouting the area for a purge, and female, virgin cryptids start disappearing. When Very realizes that Dominic is not responsible for the disappearances, the two join force to investigate and run into snake cultists... which strongly indicates there is a dragon, a cryptid species thought extinct, in town...

My Opinion: I'm always on the look-out for new authors to read and one name that keeps popping up for me is Seanan McGuire. I've really been wanting to give her a try, especially since Li is a huge fan of her urban fantasy October Daye series. However, I've been holding up because I simply don't like fae/fey/fairies - I don't know why, but they just don't do it for me and never had ^_^; So when Ms McGuire had a new book from a new series that did not involve fae/fey/fairies coming out, I knew this was it :)

Overall, I think Discount Armageddon was an interesting book. I really liked Verity's character :) She's young, but she knows what she wants and she's going after it. She's also smart enough to figure out when she needs help and calls home for advice. The girl is gutsy, smart and fun. What more can a reader ask? I also loved the Price family! That family is totally wacky, but it makes for great fun LOL. In Discount Armageddon, except for one of Verity's adoptive cousin, none of her relatives showed up in New York City. Instead, they interact with Verity via phone conversations. Given how unconventional and boisterous the family seems to be, I think it was a good idea from Ms McGuire to introduce them in small doses :P I admit, at times, I found the background on the family a bit confusing and I wished for a more detailed family tree (there's one at the beginning of the book). Seriously though, I cannot wait to find out more about them and see them in action! :)

As for the story, I thought it was okay. I liked the mystery plot involving the dragon. However, I think the flow and the feel of Discount Armageddon was bogged down by all the cryptids introduced and their descriptions. It wouldn't have been so bad if there hadn't also been the background on the Price family and the Covenant, information about the training Verity has gone through and some explanations about how the ballroom world functions ^_^; I mean, it's a lot of information at the end of the day, almost all given from Verity's POV, so that means a lot of monologues. If there had been more action, it might have balanced out, but as it is, it just slowed down the book in my opinion.

One thing I'm not sure about in Discount Armageddon is Dominic and the romance. Dominic was an okay character. I liked that he wasn't too stubborn and was willing to work and cooperate with Verity. It was refreshing that he didn't treat Verity like the devil incarnated. At the same time though, Dominic and Verity come from two different sides and have completely different ideologies about the cryptids. To see them getting along so well and fast was unexpected. I expected and almost wished for more animosity given the situation and that we'd see progression in their relationship throughout time. Yes, that would have made it a bit typical of urban fantasy... But to have them trusting each other so fast, it didn't really work for me :( I felt it was very impulsive of Verity to jump into bed with Dominic. I don't think he has a hidden agenda, but she really doesn't know him well... it's dangerous in my opinion. Finally, I felt Verity and Dominic lacked a bit of chemistry which didn't help things for me.

Oh, I cannot end this review without mentioning the Aeslin mice. They are cryptids that look like mice but who can talk and have their own religion. They were really cute and hilarious... and I'm also glad I'm not so great at visualizing things LOL. They were a character on their own and one of the best parts of the book :) I'm looking forward to reading more about them, Sarah (the adoptive cousin) and Verity!

My Grade: C+. While I thought Discount Armageddon was an enjoyable book, I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I think part of it is due to Discount Armageddon being the first book in the series and another reason was the too high expectations. I'm definitively going to give the second book a try, hoping that the series will get better.

Happy Birthday to Us!!!

Not a review, although one is on its way! Seems like have last week of intense blogging, my brain is taking a short break :)

This post is for Tracy and me!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE TWO OF US, TRACY!!!

Hope we have a great day and may the year be good to us! :)

And a big thank you for all the birthday wishes I have received! :) You guys are great and I love you all so much!

New Releases - May 2012

Okay, so I don't usually let you know about our New Releases posts over at Breezing Through and I probably should. I claim laziness ^_^; However, I think this has been our longest New Releases post ever and I wanted you to know about my hard work LOL. No seriously, May is gearing up to be an awesome month for new books! And so many books I'm looking forward to! Check it out here!!

 What about you? What are the books you're going to get? Did we miss any?