Kathy's Summer Reading Challenge

School's out for the summer and I can finally dive into my huge stack of TBR books.

1. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow (293 p.) -- Dru Anderson is used to traveling with her father from place to place killing evil supernatural things but she is in over her head when her father is turned to a zombie and she is forced to kill him. Something is after her and she doesn't know who to trust. Should she trust her new friend Graves who befriends her but who has been bitten by a werewolf or Christophe who seems both strange and dangerous? Can she trust them both? Or neither? This is a good YA that is obviously the beginning of a series. It will go to my HS Media Center come Fall.

2. His Son's Teacher by Kay Stockham (246 p.) -- School's out but I needed to read a book about a teacher. It has been a long time since I read a Harlequin romance. This was a quick, light, fluffy read perfect for a day when I was already brain-fried. Both characters have self-image problems and insecurities. She weighs too much and overeats when stressed. He is hiding his inability to read. They come together when his son, who is also struggling to learn to read, needs a tutor and she needs a trainer to get in shape for her dream vacation. Naturally, they fall in love and have many misunderstandings along the way.

3. A Soldier's Homecoming by Rachel Lee (216 p.) -- I like a good return to Conard County. I think that I have read most of them. Connie has come home with her daughter after fleeing an abusive relationship and is working as a deputy; Ethan is invalided out of the service and has come to meet the father he never knew. They are thrown together when Connie's daughter seems to be a target for someone who might want to abduct her. Love blooms. Not very suspenseful but a good story anyway.

Welcome to the group!

4. Burning Wild by Christine Feehan (443 p.) -- Jake is descended from leopard shifters and part of a breeding experiment by his parents who abuse him regularly as a child. He grows up determined to destroy them. Emma is an orphan and newly married when the mother of Jake's child and her lover run head-on into her car and kill her husband. Jake sees her and immediately wants her. It was an interesting romance and paranormal once I got over a bit of cognic dissonance (Amazon River in Borneo?). If you can suspend your disbelief, this one is typical Feehan.

Welcome to the group Kathy.
Strange Angels and Burning Wild sound interesting - I have added them both to my wishlist.

5. Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance (373 p.) -- Dorina is a dhampir. She is tasked by her sire to find her uncle to return him to prison. She needs her sire's help to find her missing roommate so she agrees. She would prefer that her uncle be dead and is willing, even eager, to kill him herself. Lots of violence and mental distress here. I will be looking for the sequel even so. Interesting world and interesting heroine.

6. Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton (486 p.) -- Anita receives a head in a box from Vittorio and has to go to Las Vegas to try to stop whatever he plans. She goes as a US Marshall along with Edward, Bernardo and Otto. This one has a lot less sex and a lot more plot than usual. It is good to learn more about Edward, Bernardo and Otto (who is still major creepy). Anita learns more about the tigers too and adds a couple more men to her list of dependents.

7. The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff (361 p.) -- Allie inherits an antique store from her grandmother and, since she has recently lost her job, moves to Calgary to check out the business. She comes from a family of unusual people and is also eager to get away from the "aunties". She finds that she has come to a very volatile situation with a sorcerer and dragon lords among other problems. She also meets and falls in love with the man who will complete and balance her. Once I got into the world building I really enjoyed this book. It is a satisfying stand alone novel but I would be eager to read sequels in the world.

#8: That one looks pretty good. Thanks for the recommendation.

8. Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead (320 p.) -- Georgina is drinking too much, smoking too much and being too depressed as she tries to get over the break-up with Seth when Jerome is summoned and she loses all of her powers and can be with Seth again. She decides to try to find Jerome even though it puts her in danger from other demons. This was a very entertaining episode in the series. I like Georgina and eagerly read each new episode.

9. Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs (264 p.) -- Phoebe has finished year 12, descovered she is a goddess, and has a hot new boyfriend. All should be wonderful -- except she can't control her powers and is in danger of being smoted by the gods and her boyfriend is secretly meeting with his ex-girlfriend. She has to attend goddess boot camp with 10-year-olds to try to get control of her powers, train for an upcoming marathon, figure out what is going on iwth the boyfriend, and try to discover why her father was smoted. Should be a busy summer? This was a good sequel to Oh My Gods.

#11: Sounds fun! I will look for both of the Childs' books.

10. Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn (285 p.) -- This one was a slow read for me. I just couldn't really get into the story. Here is the jacket blurb. "Life is getting stranger by the minute. First, Iris and I unearthe the diary of one of the bartenders at the Wayfarer, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. And then, when I discover a ghoul in the woods near our home, we know there must be a necromancer nearby -- another sign that something is wrong. But the blood really hits the fang when we discover a secret society bent on winning Shadow Wing's favor. Now it is up to us to stop the chaos they have unleashed, and to prevent the demon they summoned from devouring Delilah's soul..." I have all the books. This is five and I see that I haven't read four. Maybe that would make the difference.

11. Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey (645 p.) -- Moirin is a daughter of the Maghuin Dhonn through her mother and is raised by her in the wilderness. Her father was a D'Angeline priest who served Naamah. Moirin inherits gifts from him too. When she goes through the Maghuin Dhonn rite of passage she finds out that she has a destiny over the water and sets off to discover it. First she goes from Alba to Terre D'Ange to meet her father and has a variety of adventures. Her adventures take her to far Ch'in as she searches for her destiny. This was an excellent page turner. The language is beautiful and pulled me right into the story. I have read all the rest about Alba and Terre D'Ange and believe that anyone who hasn't could be rather lost. There is so much back story that was told in the first series of books. Excellent!!

>14 kmartin802:: I'm glad to hear this. I've been uncertain about reading it because I liked the first series so much and didn't it spoiled.

12. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (292 p.) -- I have been following this series since the beginning but now, because of the HBO show TrueBlood which bought on DVD, I wanted to read the first one again. I was pleasantly surprised that it held up as well as it did. This was an enjoyable read and I am now eager to watch more of the DVDs. Except for a new character on the DVDs, the DVDs follow the book pretty closely. Why, I wonder, is violence so much more graphic when seen than when read?

13. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund (259 p.) -- Aerin and Dane meet at the premier school of their universe. Both are remarkably intelligent and have numerous secrets. They are both competing for number one spot at the school and somewhat reluctantly become friends. In the course of their school year they learn about each other and about themselves and their pasts. Quick read and needs a sequel. I care about them and want to know about their future.

#17: That one looks like one I would enjoy. I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation!

14. Cry Mercy by Toni Andrews (316 p.) -- Mercy continues to try to find her birth parents is the hope of finding out why she has the powers she has. She also gets involved in Tino's quest to get out of his gang and go legit. You can see the family that she is gathering around her and one character names it "her family of choice". This was interesting and satisfying. I'll be looking for the next book to find out more about Mercy and her powers.

15. Santa Olivia by Jacqueling Carey (341 p.) -- Loup Garron is born in the no man's land between high fences separating the USA and Mexico. There is no hope and no future in the town that serves the army base. Their existence is secret from the rest of the world. She is the daughter of a local and a genetically engineered soldier who is deserting. She has extra stength and speed and has no fear. Once she is orphaned she joins with other orphans to try to right the injustices in the town by doing deeds to aide people in the name of Santa Olivia.

16. Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (190 p.) -- 39 Clues, Book 4 -- Amy and Dan follow the clues to Egypt in this one. They don't know who to trust. Those who seem to be allies double cross them. Nellie displays hidden depths not seen in the other books. They get locked in a tomb and have to explore an island buried by the Aswan Dam. 'Alistair was there when they died' is the page code. When who died is my question. Myrrh is the clue.

Did you enjoy Santa Olivia? Its next on my TBR.

Thanks for the heads up on the series - like I need another one. I am planning to order from Amazon today so I will get them and try them out. I would love to read the librarian mysteries this fall. Remind me when you get back. I think the page code from Beyond the Grave is talking about Amy and Dan's parents. Just a thought. I can't figure out where all the clues are leading though.

17. Kiss of Fury by Deborah Cooke (392 p.) -- The Pyr (good dragons) are fighting a war with the Slayers (bad dragons). The Pyr want to protect the Earth and humanity. The Slayers don't care about the Earth and want to wipe out humanity. When a Pyr has a firestorm it means that he has found his human mate. Donovan has a firestorm and Alex Shea is his mate but she doesn't want a mate. She wants to get her ecologically friendly car to a show. The Slayers want to prevent that and kill her. Donovan has to protect her even though he doesn't trust himself with a mate. OK. I have the 3rd in the series and will read it after higher priority books.

18. Prey by Rachel Vincent (386 p.) -- Faythe is being hit with problems from all sides. Manx is on trial with the pride council, Kaci is getting sick because she won't shift, her dad has lost his position as the head of the council and playing politics for all he is worth, Marc has been exiled from the Pride. When she goes to escort Manx to her trial and passes through the territory of the strays, she, Marc and her group are attacked by a large group of strays. Marc is kidnapped and hurt badly. She has to locate him, figure out who is targeting strays, and protect Kaci from being kidnapped by another Pride. This one is full of excitement and adventures. Faythe is growing up from a self-centered adolescent into a woman who is willing and able to fight for her Pride.

19. The Unexpected Hero by Rachel Lee (210 p.) -- Krissie Tate comes back home to Conard County. She has been a military nurse in Iraq and a VA Hospital and now wants a quieter life. Except, once she starts at her new hospital, patients start dying in suspicious circumstances. She and David, a doctor with military experience too, have to figure out who the real murderer is while falling in love.

20. Real Men Last All Night by Lora Leigh et al (360 p.) -- Four novellas of varying quality. I bought this for Lora Leigh and Cheyenne McCray but liked the Heidi Betts story best. Yes, there can be too much sex in a story. Most of them were sort of boring because there was so little story around the sex scenes and the sex scenes were not a story for me.

21. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (357 p,) -- Dain is a Lord and an abused and abandoned child though within a life of luxury. Since he has been told he is wicked, he is determined to grow up to be wicked and does. Jessica is a determined young woman who is very beautiful and very practical and determined to save her brother from the wicked Lord Dain. Naturally they fall in love. He fights it but she is determined to win him. Started slow, ended excellent!

I'm with Tad, and glad that you reviewed Naamah's Kiss. Yours is the first review I've seen of it.

22. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (308 p.) -- Stephanie is at it again. I think she destroys 3 cars in this one. Only one of which is hers. Poor Ranger. Lula watches a celebrity chef get his head chopped off and becomes a target of the killers. Lula decides to enter a barbecue contest for the reward and has Stephanie and Grandma Mazur as assistants. None of them can cook or have ever barbecued. And someone is out to wreck Ranger's security business and he asks Stephanie to help. This one was laugh out loud funny in a number of places.

23. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh (339 p.) -- A new take on a paranormal world. Archangels rule with angels and vampires as subordinates. Archangels are incredibly powerful and dangerous. Raphael, an archangel, is beautiful but so lethal that no mortal wants his attention. Hunters track down errant vampires for angels. Elena is a hunter who is contracted by Raphael to find another archangel that has devolved and is on a killing spree. She must keep this secret as no one is to know that it is possible for archangels to go bad and as an archangel her prey is something that she has never tracked before. The story is about the hunt and about how Elena changes the archangel Raphael and perhaps the whole social order. I really hope that there are sequels planned. It was a fascinating world.

24. Second Skin by Caitlin Kittredge (327 p.) -- Luna has switched to the SWAT team but is called upon by Bryson to help out when werewolves from the oldest Nocturne City packs start turning up dead after being shot execution style. Luna traces the killings to a band of wendigos (shapeshifters who drink blood and can turn to smoke and shadow). She is also targeted. On the personal front, she is having problems with Dmitri. He is dealing with the demon bite and with wanting her to join his pack. It was a book filled with violence. Good story though.

25. Undone by Rachel Caine (305 p.) -- Cassiel is a Djinn who defied her ruler and forced her to be human as a punishment. She must get power from the wardens or die. She is paired up with and Earth Warden and becomes close to him and his family. When he and his wife are killed in a drive-by shooting and their 5-year-old is kidnapped. She teams with her warden's brother to track the child down. She stumbles onto a very difficult situation with a rogue djinn who has the destruction of everything in mind. There will be a sequel to this one.

26. Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge (335 p.) -- This reads as a combination of urban fantasy and steampunk sort of. It also reminded me of Lord of Scoundrels in that the characters spoke to each other in a way that sounded angry of dismissive and only what the reader brought to it read in love and caring. Pete is a police inspector in London who had a strange experience as a teen when her sister's boyfriend Jack Winter brought her along when he did magic. She thought he died and so was very surprised when he intersected with one of her kidnapping cases. She uses him as a source when another child is kidnapped and they develop a relationship again. It combines magic and mystery in a gritty London. Fascinating. I'll be looking for the sequel Demon Bound in December.

It looks like I'm on pace to hit my 75 books during my summer vacation goal. It doesn't feel to me that I am reading as much as normal. I'm spending a lot of time at the casino and just generally on the internet. That really cuts into my reading time!

27. Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan (441 p.) -- This should be the conclusion of the Drake Sisters series. They have run out of sisters. This is Elle's story. She is the youngest and the one destined to have seven daughters to continue the legacy. She is a secret agent who is kidnapped by someone she suspects of human trafficking and tortured. Though her psychic talents are blocked she is sometimes able to connect with her destined mate Jackson. She is rescued but then has to battle for her recovery and to end the threat from her psychic kidnapper. The torture was intense and hard to read. The series was good.

28. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (372 p.) -- Lady Olivia hears rumors about her next door neighbor and decides to spy on him from her window to see if they are true. Sir Harry works for the War Department as a translator and knows Olivia is spying on him but doesn't know why. When they meet, they don't like each other but on further acquaintance interest and love grows. This one was laugh out loud funny which is a nice change from all the grim paranormals I have been reading.

29. The Secret Wedding by Jo Beverley (408 p.) -- Christian Hill fights a duel, kills a man, and marries the girl the man ran away with when he was 16. Then he goes off to fight in the French and Indian War. He believes that his wife died. The girl -- Caro Hill -- survived but was told that Christian died. Now she wants to marry and needs to be sure. Christian begins looking for her 10 years after their wedding. Naturally, they find each other when searching but both are under assumed names and neither realizes who the other is. They fall in love but that doesn't solve all the problems. Rothgar gets involved too and does some string pulling. Interesting book. Second in series of three.

I liked Larklight - it took a bit to get into it, I think because of the Sookie kick I have been on - it's a good story.

30. Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance (386 p.) -- "Cassie Palmer may be the all-powerful Pythia now, but that doesn't mean people have stopped trying to kill her. Most of the supernatural players don't want independent-minded Cassie as cheif clairvoyant -- and they'll stop at nothing to see her six feet under. The vampire senate does support Cassie in her position, but their protection comes with a price ... But even the vampires will have trouble keeping Cassie alive not that the self-styled god Apollo, the source of the Pythia's power, has it in for her in a big way." This was an excellent adventure. Non-stop action with some humorous moments. Psychic drag queens? We learn more about Cassie, Pritkin and Mercea in this one.

31. Made to Be Broken by Kelley Armstrong (398 p.) -- Nadia is living her day job when her teenage help disappears with her baby and no one seems to care except Nadia. She begins trying to find out what has happened to Sammi and Destiny. Also, Jack has an accident and needs a place to recover, Quinn finds out who "Dee" is in her other life, and Evelyn wants to make an offer that Nadia can't refuse. Nadia's relationships with Jack and Quinn and with her "second job" all form major parts of this book. This is an interesting thriller with an unusual main character. I don't know of many books with a hitman for a main character.

32. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (310 p.) -- Kate Daniels is a mercenary who is working with the Knights of Merciful Aid helping solve magical problems. Her friend, a young werewolf named Derek, is beaten and left for dead sending Kate to take part in the Midnight Games to get revenge and to keep the Pack safe. Her relationship with Curran deepens and we find out more about her background as they have to fight rakshasas who are secretly being controlled by Roland, the most powerful being in the world, and (secretly) Kate's father. I want more books about Kate and Curran.

I just finished Magic Bites - I loved it! I have already ordered book 2 - this must be three.

It is the 3rd book. Apparently, at least according to LibraryThing, I have and have read the first two. Now I want to read them again. I'll have to grab them when I go home next week.

33. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (358 p.) -- This and two sequels have been sitting on my TBR pile for quite a while. I kept passing over them. That was a mistake! Cat Crawfield is the child of rape. Her mother was raped by a vampire (apparently a really rare occurrence). Cat has been looked down upon as illegitimate by the town and brainwashed by her mother to hate all vampires. She has inherited some vampire traits and uses her talents to kill vampires. She meets Bones when she tries to kill him but she can't. He trains her to fight better and convinces her that all vampires are not evil. They fall in love despite Cat's serious misgivings. They work together to hunt down a vampire who is kidnapping and killing young women. Interesting love story with a kick-ass heroine who also has vulnerabilities.

35. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (357 p.) -- Cat walked away from Bones to save him and is working for a shadowy federal bureau that fights against vampires. However, Bones is looking for her, someone has a contract out on her life, and Bones' sire wants Cat to belong to him. Bones returns and has to convince Cat that they are safer together as they try to solve the other problems. Excellent!

36. At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost (342 p.) -- Cat and Bones are working for their government agency and Cat is planning a wedding when they become the target for a vengeful vampire that feels scorned by Bones. There is a lot in this one about vampire politics and vampire powers as Bones and Mencheres share power. Recurring characters like Ian and Spade make appearances. Interesting book! I'm eager for the next one coming out July 28. I already have it on preorder.

37. Eve of Darkness by S.J. Day (344 p.) -- "For Evangeline Hollis, a long-ago fling with a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks just became a disaster of biblical proportions. One night with a leather-clad mand of mystery has led to a divine punishment: the mark of Cain. Thrust into a world where sinners are drafted to kill demons, Eve knows her learning curve must be short. A longtime agnostic, she befrudgingly maneuvers through a celestial bureaucracy where she is a valuable but ill-treated pawn. She's also become the latest point of contention in the oldest case of sibling rivalry in history..." This was curious. I will be reading the sequels to find out what happens but not immediately.

38. Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (345 p.) -- Mercy is a DarkRiver sentinel and Riley is a SnowDancer lieutenant. Both are powerful people in their packs which maintain a truce and are just starting to become friendly. They are both very attracted to each other despite numerous problems. One problem looks to be disarray in the PsyNet and military actions including terrorist activities by the Human Alliance. Mercy and Riley have a lot of distractions as they try to figure out a relationship that will work for both of them.

39. Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris (273 p.) -- Roe goes to pick up her sister-in-law Poppy for induction in the Uppity Women's Book Club and finds her stabbed to death. Roe has to investigate and learns a lot that she wishes she didn't know about Poppy and all her men. Meanwhile, her much young brother hitchhikes across the country to her because his parents are divorcing. Robin brings out her jealous streak, Sally is losing her memory, and Roe is scheduled to meet Robin's mom. A comforting cozy mystery.

40. Black Hills by Nora Roberts (472 p.) -- Lil and Cooper have known each other since they were kids and he came to South Dakota to visit his grandparents. They fell in love at 18 and 20 but went their separate ways breaking Lil's heart. They meet again at 30 and 32 when Coop comes back to South Dakota and Lil has her doctorate and has opened a refuge for wild cats. Someone is killing people and has targeted Lil. Lil and Coop have to try to settle their misunderstandings while trying to protect her from a serial killer. Very good romance!

41. Strange Brew edited by P. N. Elrod (371 p.) -- Short story collection by a number of authors who write paranormals. All of the stories were good. I think I liked the one by Karen Chance the best. I already read most of the authors. Faith Hunter and Jenna MacLaine were new to me. There books would be worth looking for if I had fewer than 500 in my TBR pile. As it is, I'll wait until I hear their names again before hunting for their books.

42. Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson (304 p.) -- My first Kindle read. Betsy and Sinclair are taking Antonia's body home to the werewolves on Cape Cod and explaining her death. Meanwhile her sister is going crazy and killing vampires back home in St. Paul. Marc is trying to get help but using email acronyms so that Betsy hasn't any idea what he is saying. It is the usual Betsy romp. A quick read.

43. Divine By Mistake by P. C. Cast (704 p.) -- This is an interesting novel about a woman who is taken from home in Oklahoma to the mystical world of Partholon where she is a dead ringer for the Goddess of Epona (only much nicer than the real goddess). She has to deal with her complete confusion, marriage to a centaur, and invasion by Fomorians who are essentially vampires. Shannon is a HS English teacher, wine lover, and antique shopper. Somehow she fits in pretty well in Partholon. This book is the reason I bought a Kindle and I'm glad I did.

44. Burn by Linda Howard (367 p.) -- Winning a mega lottery ($295 million) does change your life. Jenner wins at age 23 and finds out who her friends are. Once she is betrayed by everyone she moves to Florida and hangs out on the fringes of the wealthy set. She has one good friend who is the daughter of a very rich man. They are scheduled to go on a cruise when the friend is kidnapped to ensure Jenner's good behavior as she acts as a foil to a team investigating one of the ship's owners. She becomes very close to Cael as she is constantly in his company. She is a strong, smart character. The mystery is interesting and the book reads very quickly.

45. Dying Bites by D. D. Barant (304 p.) -- FBI profiler Jace is ripped from our reality to look for a serial killer in an alternate reality. In that reality, humans are a threatened minority. Vampires, werwolves and golems dominate. Jace has to deal with culture shock and assess her values as she tracks down the human terrorist who is killing vampires and werewolves. Jace is snarky and smart mouthed and an interesting character. First in a series.

#55: That one looks like a fun read. Thanks for the recommendation.

46. Tailspin by Catherine Coulter (346 p.) -- Sherlock and Savich adventure. Jackson is ferrying Dr. MacLean when he is forced to land because someone planted a bomb in his plane. Rachael is running from a murder attempt when she sees the plane come down. They team up to try to figure out who is trying to kill them and why. Interesting episode in an on-going series. Quick and light read.

47. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (321 p.) -- Kate Burkholder is police chief in a small Ohio town. She is formerly Amish and has a secret that causes nightmares. A serial killer is targeting the town and brutally torturing and killing young women. Perhaps it is the same killer that was active years before (and that Kate thought she killed after he raped her at age 14). BCI investigator John Tomasetti is sent to investigate. He is addicted to pills and alcohol as a coping mechanism after a mobster raped, tortured and murdered his wife and two young daughters leading him to go vigilante and kill the mobster. These two damaged people must solve the crime and begin to heal in the course of their investigation. Very good thriller.

48. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (351 p.) -- This YA title tells about Jess's senior year. This is the year that she discovers that she is a vampire princess when her betrothed comes from Romania to marry her. She is not amused. Being realistic and rational (actually she calls herself a mathlete), she has trouble with the concept of vampires. And, although her betrothed is hot, she takes an immediate dislike to him. One interesting sidenote are the chapters he writes home to the uncle who raised him and sent him to marry Jess. I think the teens will like this one.

49. Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland (370 p.) -- Kara Gillian is a police detective investigating her first murder. He is a serial killer called the Symbol Man. Because Kara is also a demon summoner, she can see arcane traces on the bodies. When Kara is practicing her summoning, she accidentally summons a Demon Lord. Can and will he help her solve her case without killing her? She also has to work with the FBI and conceal that she is a summoner.

50. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (260 p.) -- Kate is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who cleans up magical problems. When her guardian -a knight-diviner - is killed, she is determined to find out who did it and to take revenge. Along the way she deals with the Masters of the Dead who control vampires and the Pack of the shapeshifters who are led by the Beast Lord. It is easy to see that she has secrets. She says that she has problems with authority and that is very clear. She is tough and smart-mouthed character.

51. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (260 p.) -- Kate is trying to track down someone who shot at her when she stumbles onto a mystery. She finds a young girl who is searching for her mother and Kate agrees to help her. Along the way she becomes involved with witches and Celtic mythology. We learn more about vampires and about shapeshifters. Her relationship with Curran deepens. He is very gradually wearing down Kate's resistance as she opens herself up to the possiblity of friends. It may be safer to keep people away but she can see the benefits too.

52, Blood Bayou by Karen Young (413 p.) -- This was an Early Reviewer book. It was an "inspirational mystery". Camille and Jack were once married but divorced seven years ago. Camille is a lawyer for a project that frees wrongly convicted felons from prison. Jack, an alcoholic, has been in prison for a vehicular accident that occurred when he was drunk and left a young man a quadriplegic. While in prison he found God and has now become a minister. They come together again when one of Camille's felons is released from prison and almost immediately is accused of murdering Jack's sister. Camille is determined to prove that he didn't do this even though the police are convinced that he did. After a few attempts on her life, she convinces both Jack and the police that they have the wrong man. It was a good mystery although I knew the murderer by about the middle of the book. There were also lots of subplots -- Jack's new faith and Camille's lack of faith; Camille's dad's attempts to manage her life and his involvement is shady business deals; Jack's involvement with the young man he crippled.

53. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (262 p.) -- Sookie is loaned out to Dallas and has a run-in with the Fellowship of the Sun. She is also trying to figure out who killed her friend Lafayette. She meets shapeshifters in Dallas and a Maenad in her own woods. Bill learns that he is related to the Bellefleurs.

54. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (259 p.) -- Sookie and Bill are having problems. He is obsessed with work and ignoring her. He goes away to do something and leaves his work in his hidey hole at Sookie's. Then he is kidnapped and Eric encourages Sookie to try to find him. She meets a were named Alcide Herveaux when he owes Eric and agrees to escort Sookie to Club Dea where she hopes to overhear where Bill is. She finds him and rescues him among a great many other adventures. Their relationship is essentially over. However, Sookie is developing a relationship with Eric and also with Alcide.

55. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (291 p.) -- Sookie has a number of problems. Her brother Jason is missing. She finds Eric on the side of the road running in fear. He has lost his memory. Witches have cursed him. She provides shelter for him and comes to care for the new kinder, gentler Eric but knows it can only last until his memory returns. She has to search for Jason and battle witches. She also has additional encounters with Debbie Pelt. All she really wants for a New Years' Resolution is to not get hurt. It doesn't work out so well.

56. Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris (295 p.) -- Things just pile on and on for Sookie. Jason is now a bitten werepanther. Someone is shooting shifters including Sam and Calvin Norris. There is a power struggle in the leadership of the Shreveport weres when Colonel Flood dies. Debbie Pelt's family is sending private investigators around. Someone tries to burn Sookie's house down. Eric is constantly trying to find out what happened during the time he lost his memory. Whew! This one was action packed!

Hey - I see you are twice as close to 75 books as I am - I just finished Strange Brew - I can't wait to start reading more books by these authors. I like the Sookie books much more than I liked the short story by Charlaine Harris. I really liked the
Cin Craven story by Jenna Maclaine - have you read other books by her? I am sure I should never have read this collection, now I have to get all the Patricia Briggs books that I have in my to be read stack and put them at the top. My house will never be clean!

Jenna Maclaine was new to me too. I don't have anything by her yet. I'll have to check and see if I can get anything for my Kindle. You will like Patricaia Briggs. I am eagerly awaiting her August release.

57. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong (372 p.) -- Armstrong is twittering as ElenaMichaels about her next book. It made me want to read the Women of the Otherworld series again. This one introduces Elena Michaels who is the only female werewolf in the world. She was bitten by the man she loved and was engaged to and has hated him ever since. She is having great difficulty getting used to life as a werewolf. She had a dysfunctional childhood and has a dream of living the American dream (Canada-style). Becoming a werewolf made it impossible and she is pouting and holding a major grudge and has apparently done so for about 10 years. She is living her dream life in Toronto and hiding that she is a werewolf from the man she thinks can help her live out her ideal life when she gets a call from her Pack to come home because the pack is having trouble with stray werewolves. She feels a duty to go back, reconnects with Clay (her former fiance), and gets heavily involved in the werewolf life again. Great introduction to an interesting world.

59. Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara (461 p.) -- Kaylin Nera has to revisit her past when the fief she left at age 13 starts have major problems that can cause a collapse of civilization as she knows it. We learn a lot more about the history of the world and how magic works in it as Kaylin, Tiamaris and Severn try to find out what is going on in Berren and try to fix it. Kaylin and crew enter a tower and go back in time to learn about the city and the threats that menace it.

60. Night's Edge: Dancers in the Dark\Her Best Enemy\Someone Else's Shadow by Charlaine Harris, Maggie Shayne and Barbara Hambly (368 p.) -- This is a collection of 3 short novels (novellas) about things that go bump in the night. The Harris story is about a vampire-human dance team and how he helps her get rid of a stalker. The Shayne story has a writer who discredits psychics move into a haunted house and having one of the psychics she is trying to discredit help her settle the ghosts. The Hambly story deals with a haunted building in NYC. This is a reprint from 2004 and seems vaguely familiar to me but, if I read it, I didn't keep it then. The stories were nicely creepy. This was a Kindle read.

>68 kmartin802:: Bitten looks like a good read, have added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation.

61. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (400 p.) -- Cat and Bones are still together and finally able to relax after solving the major problems in the last book. However, Cat is having odd dreams about another vampire. She finds out that she had been claimed by another vampire when she was 16 but Mencheres had rescued her and buried the memory because he saw a vision that she was supposed to be with Bones. Now the other vampire wants her back and is willing to do anything to make it happen.

62. Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann (403 p.) -- Alyssa Locke, Sam Starrett and their son Ash go East on what should be a simple assignment -- teach security to a newly-elected New York State assemblywoman. But it seems the threat is real and is aimed at Alyssa. An old enemy is targeting her and this time he is determined to win. There are lots of romantic threads too as we catch up with other old favorite characters. The main romance deals with Dan Gillman and Jenn who is best friend and administrative assistant to the assemblywoman. We also get to catch up with Jules and Robin. This was a real page turner. Author's note says that there will only be one more volume in the Troubleshooters series. I'm going to really miss it.

63. Storm Cycle by Iris and Roy Johansen (402 p.) -- Rachel is a computer genius who is managing a supercomputer and using it to try find a cure for a rare disease that her sister has. Tavak is a genius adventurer who is looking for the discoveries of an ancient Egyptian physician that might offer a cure (and make him a fortune). He is stealing time from her computer but asks for her help when he is trapped in a tomb by rivals also looking for Peseshet's secrets. Together they search for Peseshet's hidden tablets and survive many harrowing attempts on their lives.

64. Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh (352 p.) -- "Reporter Cassa Hawkins has always supported Breed rights—especially in light of a specimen like Cabal St. Laurents, the epitome of the male animal. But when the Breeds are incriminated in a series of violent murders, it’s left to Cassa and Cabal to discover the truth before they become prey." Cassa is Cabal's mate but both have been determined not to be mates. Both have major trust issues. This one has a lot of breed politics and hot sexual scenes. There is a rogue breed determined to kill those who hunted for breeds and Cassa makes good bait for one of the hunters.

65. Ranger's Apprentice: The Seige of Mackindaw by John Flanagan (293 p.) -- Alyss is a prisoner on Castle Mackindaw and Will is determined to get her out and to stop a potential invasion of warriors from Scotti. Horace is there to help too. Alyss and Will finally acknowledge their feeling for each other.

#72: I am a fan of Johansen's Eve Duncan series, but have not read Storm Cycle yet as it is not in the series. It looks pretty good, so on to Planet TBR it goes!

#74: I have been reading the Ranger's Apprentice books, too. I have readlly enjoyed the series.

67. Treason's Shore by Sherwood Smith (691 p.) -- This concludes the adventures of Inda. Life is OK in the capital city as Inda serves as Harskaldna to Evred. He is adjusting to life without constant battle. He is working on reforming the academy. But he gets a call to keep a promise he made to defend the strait from the evil Venn and has to head back to war again. He is conflicted because Evred wants him to conquer the kingdoms there (with only the very best of intentions of course) and Inda wants to do his job and come home. We learn more about the Venn and their politics as we see their civilization almost crumble because of an evil mage. We catch up with old friends -- Fox, Tau, Jeje, Tdor -- and find out how their lives are progressing. This big, complicated fantasy is great for those who like battles and moral dilemmas.

68. The Eternal Kiss by Trisha Telep, ed. (416 p.) -- Thirteen short stories by authors I know as novelists. The stories were OK. I find that I don't really care for short stories. I don't feel that enough happens or that there is enough character development for me to really get into the story. These were all vampire stories with young adult characters. Holly Black's really took the romance out of being a vampire in her story. Rachel Caine's was in her Morganville vampires world.

69. The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook (356 p.) -- This was an interesting coming-of-age fantasy about a young girl who was raised as a princess and finds that she was only a decoy for the real princess. However, she does find that she is the apprentice of the chancellor who is playing some deeper game with other players in other countries. From the back blurb -- So what's a royal highness to do when she discovers she's a royal target? Ditch the Misdev soldiers occupying the palace, use magical abilities she didn't even know she had, restore the real princess to the throne, and save her own neck. Bu first, Tess has to deal with the scoundrel who's urging her to run away from it all, and the Misdev captain who's determined to thwart her plans.

#78: Sounds fun!

70. Knockout by Catherine Coulter (417 p.) -- This is the latest Sherlock and Savich adventure. It starts with Savich in the middle of a bank robbery. One of the robbers escapes and is determined to kill Savich. Another thread has a little girl in danger contacting Savich psychically. Both threads intertwine but do not intersect as both Savich and Sherlock are busy and in great danger.

Hang in there, you are very near to completing the 75 challenge goal! Congratulations

71. the 39 Clues: Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman (168 p.) -- Amy and Dan are off to Russia to follow clues. They work with Hamilton Holt to solve this puzzle. They also get help from the mysterious NRR who is a very powerful Lucian. I like that kids learn some history as they read these books. This one has a lot of information about the Romanovs, the Russian revolution, and the Amber Room.

#80: I have not read that one yet by Coulter, so I will have to track it down. I do enjoy her FBI series. Thanks for the recommendation!

72. Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready (392 p.) -- Ciara Griffin is a recovering con artist who is determined to go straight when she interns as a marketer for a radio station that is in danger of being sold unless sales numbers increase. Ciara quickly becomes involved with the station and the DJs who just happen to be vampires. There is an interesting twist to the vampire myth. Vampires are frozen in time to the time they died. They can't adjust to changes and often exhibit obssessive-compulsive traits. Also vampires don't live long lives. Most die about 80 years after turning. Ciara forms a relationship with a young vampire and is determined to help him change to be able to fit into the future.

73. My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent (279 p.) -- Kaylee Cavanaugh has a problem. She can sense when someone is about to die and is compelled to scream bloody murder. She was hospitalized after one such episode and thinkgs that she is going crazy. Then she meets a boy who knows what is going on and tells her that she is a bean sidhe and so is he. They get involved because young girls are dropping dead and their names aren't on the list of those the reaper is supposed to harvest. Their are family problems including a missing father, an irritating cousin, and an aunt and uncle who are keeping secrets from Kaylee. This was a good, readable YA book. I look forward to the sequel.

74. Goddess of the Sea by P. C. Cast (368 p.) -- Christine (CC) is an air force sargeant who happens to hate to fly. Naturally then after celebrating her birthday with KFC and champagne and performing a ritual to Gaea asking for magic in her life, she is in a plane crash and will die if she doesn't exchange her life with Princess Undine who is a mermaid. As a mermaid CC has to avoid her evil brother and fall in love for some reason that escapes me now. This was a pretty typical fantasy romance. There are more books in the Goddess series but I don't feel compelled to search them out. I like her House of Night books better.

75. Cape Storm by Rachel Caine (320 p.) -- Joanne and David have gathered djinn and wardens to comandeer a cruise ship to head out to sea to battle a storm that Bad Bob has set up. Joanne also has a growing demon mark also courtesy of Bad Bob that is growing and stealing her personality. There are constant battles with creatures sent by Bad Bob and with the demon mark. It was a quick read with lots of excitement and action.

76. Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (384 p.) -- Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy's premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo's mother, Kamele, and Kamele's onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo's life, in Jen Sar's house at the outskirts of town. Suddenly, though, Theo's life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo, who has a notation in her file indicating that she is "physically challenged" has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a team mate during a scavage game. With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go “home,” to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be. Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professors must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she'll be left in the care of the man she calls “Father,” Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her! This was an excellent coming of age story that I first read in rough draft when the authors were posting a section a week on the web.

77. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King (448 p.) -- Mary and Sherlock are back home in Sussex after 7 months away. There is a mystery about Sherlock's beloved bees abandoning one of the hives but that mystery is trumped when Sherlock's son Damian Adler comes to Sherlock to ask him to search for his missing wife and daughter. Sherlock hadn't seen his son for five years since he had exonerated him of murder and had never met him before that incident. Sherlock is on the case and so is Mary but they spend much of the book pursuing leads separately. Both end up investigating strange religions and the Bohemian lifestyle and surreal art as they try to find out what has happened to Damian's wife and daughter.

78. Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder (448 p.) -- Opal is still in trouble with both the mage council and the blood mages. She can't convince the council that the blood mages still exist and are still a danger. She also can't convince the council that her strange new powers don't make her a threat to them. This is a good coming-of-age story as Opal becomes a more self-confident person in charge of her own life.

79. Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens (480 p.) -- Dalziel finally gets his romance. He is certain that he can't love. After all, no one in his family for generations has loved. He is a duke and a marcher lord. Minerva is the chatelaine of his principal seat and an orphan who was raised in his home. She has been fascinated by him her whole life but knows that she is not someone who could be his wife. This was a very compelling romance as both learn to set aside their assumptions and fall in love. There is also some danger as the last traitor that Dalziel has been pursuing has yet to be caught.

80. Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon (352 p.) -- This is a Dark Hunter novel about Fang. He is a wolf who falls in love with a bear (Aimee Peltier). This is totally not allowed and both know it. They try very hard to do the right thing. The Peltiers and Sanctuary are being targeted for destruction by an old enemy. The wolves are always being hunted by other wolf packs and by daimons. The book is filled with typical series actions. The events are written around the events of other books in the series making it somewhat confusing for those who haven't kept up. It was OK but won't make my rereading shelf.

WOW! You are really zipping through the books. Congratulations on reaching the 75 challenge goal.

81. Loving a Lost Lord by Mary Jo Putney (352 p.) -- From the Amazon review -- Battered by the sea, Adam remembers nothing of his past, his ducal rank, nor the shipwreck that almost claimed his life. However, he's delighted to hear that the golden-haired vision tending his wounds in his wife. Mariah's name and face may be familiar, but her touch, her warmth, feel deliciously right. When Mariah Clarke prayed for a way to deter a bullying suitor, she didn't imagine she'd find the answer washed ashore on a desolate beach. Convincing Adam that he is her husband is surprisingly easy. Resisting the temptation to act his wife, in every way, will prove anything but. And now a passion begun in fantasy has become dangerously real - and completely irresistible. I like that Putney is going back to her historical fiction roots and away from the paranormal. This was a very pleasant read. There were, however, an enormous number of coincidences on the way to a happy ending. There is also room for at least six more novels telling the stories of friends and siblings.

#95: I did not know that Putney had returned to her historical romance roots. I will have to start looking for her books again. One of my favorite romances is one of hers, One Perfect Rose. If you have not read that one, I recommend it.

#96: My all-time favorite book by Putney is Angel Rogue. I have two copies in case I wear one out.

82. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs (304 p.) -- Charles and Anna attend a meeting with the European alphas to let them know that the Marrok is going to out the werewolves. They have to deal with a crazy alpha who doesn't want that to happen, a member of the fae who has a grudge against the Marrok, and another alpha who wants Anna so that he can have an omega wolf of his own. Anna grows and becomes more comfortable with her role among the wolves. She still has major issues relating to the abuse she was subjected to in her previous pack.

83. Even Money by Dick Francis (368 p.) -- Ned Talbot is a bookie who was trained by his grandfather and took over from him after he died. He meets his father at the track one day and is with him when he is murdered an hour later. He had believed that his father was dead and had been for almost all of Ned's life. Ned gets involved in the shady dealings that his father was involved in having to do with forging RFIDs for race horses and he has to deal with a bigger bookmaking firm wanting to force him out of business. He also has to deal with his wife Sophie's mental illness as she battles manic depression.

84. Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle (384 p.) -- Lyra is an amber-tuner and independent prospector who discovered a stash of incredibly rare and powerful amber. Cruz is a member of a huge and powerful family that also works with amber and takes the find away from her. However, before he does so, they fall in love. After he does so, she sues him until she runs out of money and has to abandon the suit. He comes to her again when he needs help with the find. Both are descendents of the Arcane Society though Lyra doesn't know she is. Both have strong pychic abilities that are unusual. Lyra also has a dust bunny named Vincent who paints (and there is quite a market for his work).

85. Frederica by Georgette Heyer (448 p.) -- Frederica comes to London with her family to make a good marriage for her beautiful sister. She asks the Marquis of Alverstoke, a distant cousin, to sponsor them to the ton. He is bored and decides to do it (mainly to one-up his overbearing sister) and finds that it is hard to be bored when Frederica and her sister and brothers are constantly getting into scrapes and needing his rescue. This is a wonderful romance with two very interesting characters.

#99: I liked that one when I read it earlier this year as well. Have you read any others by Heyer?

I have read all of Heyer's Regencies. I discovered The Corinthian in my HS Library when I was in 9th grade in 1964. I am replacing my worn copies of my favorites with the new editions being done by Sourcebooks. They are very pretty books and let me appreciate old favorites again.

We read Friday's Child in the group earlier this year. It was the first of Heyer's romances that I have read, although I had read a couple of her mysteries.

I actually finished Frederica not too long ago, as well. I think there's a Heyer trend in the 75 Challenge group :)

#103: I think there's a Heyer trend in the 75 Challenge group

Oh, yeah. Roni is a BIG Heyer fan!