Supernatural: Nevermore

Listening to: Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas

Ok, so I accidentally read this one out of order, not paying attention when I picked up Witch's Canyon and Goodreads informed me that it was book number 2. Oh well, the only impact that really had was that in the epilogue of this one, when the boys are handed the case that they would take care of in the next novel, I suddenly understood a little more. This early in the series, and being a long fan of the show, reading them out of order didn't effect anything.

So, at the start of this book the author so kindly tells us exactly where in the series it fits. Between episodes "Crossroad Blues" and "Croatoan" is where this story takes place. Sam's wrist is still in a cast, having been broken a few episodes back, as they head to New York to take care of a case for Ash as well as a case Sam caught in a paper. As the boys bounce back and forth between the two cases, trying to make their way through the crowded city not only in their car but with the cops keeping a watchful eye out for them, there is a lot of the banter that I have missed in these later seasons. It was also very satisfying to read of Dean flirting with a particular bartender outside his normal standards, and getting just a glimpse a little deeper into him when he is turned down.

We also get a little look into how others saw John Winchester. whereas in the next book we got to see flashbacks from boys about John's strict training that actually proved helpful, in this book we hear from a few people that have worked with John in the past, and found him extremely difficult. It's good to get a little deeper into the story like that.

I really enjoyed DeCandido's writing and look forward to reading the third book in the series, Bone Key, also by him. Let me know what you think of the series if you have been able to pick the books up!

Supernatural: Witch's Canyon

July: Books with trees on the cover.

Ok, so I really stretched it on this book fitting into this month's category, but hey, those are trees behind Sam and Dean! Honestly, I have been planning on reading these books for a while now, since a friend gave me a stack of them when she had to downsize her book pile. With the boys back in Vancouver for filming and season 13 right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to revisit the world from a new angle.

This book, the first in the series, takes place soon after t season 1. There are mentions of John Winchester's death (and if that is a spoiler you are far too behind to be complaining) but there is no mention of the major story arc from season 2. It does refer to the few months they have been traveling together to give the reader a little of the time frame. For this particular case the boys are in Arizona to investigate a series of murders that occurs once every forty years. And boy does it turn out to be a big one. Along with leading the boys repeatedly to square one with how little there is to go on, the number of bodies that drop in this book is astonishing. One of the worst cases the boys face if you ask me.

I really enjoyed this book! One of the nice things about this is being able to jump right into the story, it's just a case fic, you don't need to know which big bad they have been fighting up to this point. We also get a bit more backstory through memories that Dean has of training with his father when they were younger. Also included is the quip almost mandatory to the story that brings a little "what fourth wall" humor to the story when a suspect repeatedly calls Sam by his brother's name, insisting that he just looks more like a Dean. Something we got to see a little more of was a look into Dean's personality from how Sam sees it. The way he gives all the credit of solving the case to others, or turning down asking that one girl out with a bravado that Sam sees right through. This book falls right in line with how the show used to be, what drew me to the series in the first place, and what made the story so great.

I look forward to picking up the next book, so look for another post soon enough! Jeff Mariotte did a great job with this one, but one of the things I love about tie-ins are the chances to read different authors while staying with the characters I love. (Also why I love fanfic, but in this case all stories are show approved.) Next up is Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido which now I know is listed as the first novel of the series. (oops)

Noragami: Stray God vol. 1

This was the other new manga I picked up on my last trip to the library. The name sounded familiar but I have not looked to see if it is an anime that I had glimpsed or not. I should look that up.

In this story Yato is a homeless god looking to make a name for himself. But he is doing it by promising to help anyone in need, by posting his number everywhere, hoping for calls, and charging a mere 5 yen until he can save up to buy a shrine for himself and hopefully bring worshipers to him.

So in this volume we have 3 short stories mostly. The first a little introduction to Yato via a tale of him helping a young girl being bullied. The second his meeting Hiyori when she tries to save him from getting hit by a bus. The third is a continuation of the second that better fits the style of "chapters" but it still feels a bit disjointed.

I am not as impressed by this story as I thought I would be when I read the description. I don't know if it is just the way the first chapter seems separate from the other two (which is more annoying when you know that what feels like the narrative voice is no one in the chapter) or just the subject matter or Yato being kind of a jerk. Whatever it is, I am going to try and give the story a second chance by picking up the next volume. If I remain unimpressed than I am giving up. I really hope the story picks up! Either way, I'll let you know what I think!

The Demon Prince of Momochi House vol. 1

I know it has been too long since I picked up a book and finished it, I am so sorry no new reviews have been posted! Once more I pulled myself out of a reading slump via a new manga series. So here, have a look at the series I will now be hunting down!

The story is centered around Himari Momochi, an orphan recently turned 16 who has been willed a large house that belonged to her family. Only, when she gets there she discovers that squatters are already living there! One of them is Aoi, the handsome boy who accidentally broke the seal on the house before Himari could and has now been possessed with the magic to protect the house, which lies on the border between the spirit world and the real one.

One manga in, only 3 chapters, and I am kinda already hooked on both Himari and Aoi! I knew as soon as I read the description of the book that it was right up my alley with the spirit world, girl alone in the world, and a possible love story. Add to that the beautiful artwork that Aya Shouoto gives and I was instantly loving the story!

So far there are 11 books listed over on Goodreads, so I will be looking for them all at the library. Depending on the status of the story when I get to volume 11, I'll try to post again when I get there to let you know how I feel about the story after I have read more of it. If you have read it before, let me know what you thought of it!

Would-Be Witch

This one was a just for fun when I should be reading others book that I saw while walking the shelves at the library. It's been sitting on the stack for a few weeks and finally yesterday I told myself I either pick it up and read it or take it back so I can focus of others. Well, I read it! In on day.

So, Tammy Jo is a small town Texan girl. At 23 she is a very popular pastry chef with sass and an ex husband that does not believe in the divorce paperwork. Oh, and she comes from a very long line of powerful witchy women. Only, she has no magic. At all. And now she has no job. And the locket that contains a dead ancestor's soul has been stolen. Chaos has descended on Tammy Jo's small town life and she is just trying to hold onto the bits.

I haven't read a book in this genre in a while now, it having been way longer than I would care to admit since I picked up a Kim Harrison book to enjoy. But for some reason I saw this one and it really caught my attention. And now I am so glad that I decided to read it before forcing myself to give it up as a lost cause. Because this was such a fun read and I am itching to pick up the next one.

Tammy Jo is a very sassy southern woman, which makes her instantly likable in my opinion. Throw in her magical heritage and the 2 gorgeous guys she has fawning over her, and she has a lot I wish I had. Plus an absolutely amazing cat! All of this makes the story very upbeat and fast paced as Tammy Jo tries to not only figure out what is going on but try to fix what little she can with her limited resources. Then you have broody warlocks that should be off limits, werewolves with their wires crossed, a very flamboyant but helpful vampire, all thrown into a town of muggles so oblivious it's dangerous. But it all works! Frost manages to fill the pages with these odds and ends wonderfully, inciting me to continue reading well into the night to try and figure out just what was going to happen to everyone!

Now, I am not saying this book was the best ever written. I really hope you don't pick it up expecting a masterpiece only to crash my comments in upset. No, this book was simply fun. I have no major complaints about it, none, because it is what it is without trying to be something better. It's a short, quirky supernatural romance with a very stubborn female lead who is caught between two wonderful men who have their faults. It was a quick fun read that was just good enough to get me to pick up the next one in hopes of more of the same. The characters were wonderfully balanced creations of good and bad so that I loved every one of them (except the werewolves obviously) and the story had just enough weight that it gave me a reason to keep turning the pages.

I really enjoyed it and hope you do to if you choose to pick it up! I look forward to the next one in the series!

Between Worlds

Finally I got around to reading this second novel in the Cemetery Tours series and my only regret is not getting to it sooner!

After Micheal Sinclair declared to the world that yes, he does in fact see ghosts, his friend Luke Reiner approaches him once more asking to join him on his show Cemetery Tours. This time, his presence is a stipulation one of the home owners has placed on their allowing the tv show to film there. Michael reluctantly agrees after Luke and Kate, Micheal's now girlfriend, team up against him. We join Michael, Luke, and Kate once more on a ghost hunt that gets out of hand as the crew learns more about the ghost haunting a home in Maine.

I loved getting to join the team once more for a wild and humorous ride. Jacqueline has a unique gift in building up the world of Michael Sinclair where he can talk to ghosts, Kate can sense them, and Luke likes to poke them with a stick. The banter between the characters, including Brink, Michael's ghostly roommate, really makes you laugh out loud at least a half dozen times. Also in this one is a tragic love story that focuses around the ghosts the team is trying to find evidence of, and the heartbreak leads to some pretty crazy moments for everyone.

Jacqueline also steps outside her zone and takes us to the stunningly beautiful Maine, describing an incredible home and a quaint town that made me wish I could take a trip up there while reading this one.

Of course I am going to recommend everyone read this second great novel from Smith. Specifically to those that took the chance in reading the first one. This was a great follow up novel and I am looking forward to the third one.

You're Never Weird On The Internet (almost)

June: Books written by celebrities.

When did I first become aware of Felicia Day? I don't even know. I remember seeing her on Eureka and recognizing her immediately, so I had to have seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog by then. I don't know if I saw the episodes of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer before or after I knew her name. But I know for a fact when I saw her on Supernatural I fangirl squealed and did a jumping dance in the middle of the living room because Felicia Day was so cool and on my new favorite show! I didn't get to watch her show The Guild when it first aired but I have since made up for that by watching it multiple times and mentioning it to all my friends. So basically it's like I've always been aware of Felicia Day, even though she has only been an actress since 2001. Maybe it's like Joss Whedon said in his intro: "She's something more than a self-made woman - I sometimes think she's not a human woman, that she willed herself into existence, before willing the world to make a place for this new, unfathomable creation." Felicia Day willed herself into my life, and it has been glorious ever since.

In her memoir Felicia tells the incredible tale of how she grew up home-schooled, managed to start college at age 16, and obtained two Real Degrees while never getting her GED. Than she moved to LA with the feeling that she was just meant to be an actress. And it seemed that anything she wanted to do, she put her mind to, and rocked it.
Only, it didn't keep happening that way.
While most of the world sees Felicia Day as this incredibly bubbly, happy, bright person who is not only beautiful but is also a gamer, which is just awesome, people don't suspect the underlying anxious, over-worked, neurotic that hides behind the games she played until she had pushed most of the world out.

And this is why I love Felicia Day. On top of the fact that I always love her bigger characters, I started to catch glimpses of the real Day sometime after she stared in Eureka and what I saw fascinated me. I'm not a major gamer, but I love to sit and loose myself in some Zelda when I can. I spent most of my teen years behind a computer screen in RPG chatrooms because I could be better than who I was IRL. I am addicted to stories because they are the easiest way for me to loose myself (and reading is something that people will encourage). And with all the convention panels I was getting to watch on YouTube, I started to see someone that I could relate to. And she was awesome!

Reading this book I got a closer look at Felicia Day than I ever had before. She opens her soul for the readers and welcomes them in to follow her journey through not only her childhood and move to LA, but the tough years including the two she spent literally addicted to WoW and then later when depression and anxiety got a hold of her so bad that her health took a turn for the worse. Day does not sugarcoat how hard things got for her, and I love that, because people that go through the same need to see that other have it just as bad. And her making her way out of it and doing something incredible, gives the rest of us real hope.

When I saw that Felicia Day wrote a memoir I got so excited, because she is awesome and I love to read about peoples' lives, how they got to where they are, and what they take from that experience. I got so much more in this book. I got to see hope that even though I am incredibly anxious and what people think of my work terrifies me, I can still put it out there, because I made a think #LookIt.

I really encourage everyone to read this one. It's full of laughter and sweet stories and awkward moments. And then it's full of truth and honesty. For the gamers, the women, the socially awkward creative people. Everyone feeling like maybe their passion is just too weird. Everyone that overthinks things to the point of insomnia. Here is a book written by a woman that gets it. And says that it is ok to be like that, you can make something of it, you just got to try. So give the book a read, and tell me what you think about it!

Supernatural: John Winchester's Journal

I was looking for a book to read as I wait for my order from Barnes and Noble, something light that I could finish in a day maybe, that would help me clear my palate so to speak before picking up my next book club read. Well, I had been putting this one off for a while now since I am not a big fan of John Winchester, but it did the trick, got me thinking about Supernatural which I think about all the time anyway, and I was done in a day and can move on to the next book tomorrow. After I watch this week's episode of Supernatural that is.

So, if you are unfamiliar with the show, as you live under a rock, let me give you the highlights: John Winchester was just your average father of two boys, Dean (4) and Sam (6 months), loving husband of Mary, and a small town mechanic. Until November 2nd, 1983 when John stepped into his youngest son's nursery to find his wife pinned to the ceiling and catching fire. After getting his sons out of the house and discovering that he was not crazy, he had seen something unexplained, John became what is known as a hunter. This book follows John over the course of the next twenty-two years as he tries to find out what killed his wife, raise two boys, and kill the monsters that go bump in the night. The journal ends right as episode one of the show begins.

This book did a great job of reminding why I don't particularly like John Winchester. And it does that by being well written with the approval of the show's creator, meaning that fans get to see a little more of what happened in those absent years, learn a little more about the man that taught the two greatest hunters in North America, and even find out some more about the monsters the show is prided on bringing to life.

If you choose to read this one keep in mind that it is a journal, written by a man that never talked about his feelings and was slowly working his way further into the world of the supernatural to find out what killed his wife so that he could finally avenge it. That all means that the narrative is disjointed, the time line is full of gaps, and increasingly the story if more focused on the information gathered on monsters than thoughts or reflections of the boys John is raising to be soldiers. There are four dates every year John consistently marks: Dean's birthdays, Sam's birthdays, John and Mary's wedding anniversary, and the date of Mary's death. And with each year that passes the notes about the first two get smaller while the pain of the last two never diminishes. This book did an excellent job of showing the slow progression from the smiling, proud father to the obsessed, hardened hunter. It does an excellent job at complementing the series.

I recommend all fans of the show give this book a read, as it helps pull a little more from the backstory to explain a bit more about why the boys are the way they are, why they were so driven to find the demon that killed their mother, even Sam who had tried to take a step back from the hunting life. Just keep in mind, maybe John Winchester was not the best dad.

Final Life

April - Books with RED covers.

At the 2015 Texas Teen Book Festival my mom met a local author, Rose Garcia. They talked, my mom thought her book idea sounded cool, she bought the book. She just passed it on to me to read. And while I was interested in the idea behind the Transhuman Chronicles, I feel that the book has left me with less than stellar feelings.

To start with, I don't feel as if Garcia sat down and worked through all the details of the story. There are points during which she contradicts herself, going back and correcting what the main character had been told. She passes these off as 'well, we kept this little bit from you' or 'it's just a theory but it could work even though I just said yesterday that it wouldn't' and maybe it works for her, but I was left feeling a little shafted.

There were also too many moments of recap. I know what all has been happening in the story so far, because like the main character I have been there for it all. Why she feels the need to recount events that happened yesterday (repeatedly through the book) I don't understand, and I certainly didn't need it as a reader.

This being said I did find the book interesting enough to sit down and read it in one day, so there's that. Like I said, it is an interesting idea, nine lives in which you can figure out your purpose and this one girl who is on her last life and the fate of the world rests on her surviving to the next day. Throw in the fact that her parents are sort of superhumans with special powers that totally skipped her in the worst hand dealt ever, a dramatic move to not only a new town and state but who different climate during the main character's senior year of high school, and a love triangle that just breaks your heart for one guy but you also can't help but hope for the other, and you have yourself an entertaining read at the very least. So who knows, maybe this will become your new favorite book or author if you give it a chance. I'm only telling you my problems with the story so you are forewarned about it's shortcomings. None of the issues I had with the writing kept me from finishing the book, and I think that's what counts. Plus, it never hurts to support a new author.

I do think I will pick up the other books in the series at some point in the future. I do want to know where things go from here for the main characters after all. I just don't see it happening right away. If you do read the book, let me know what you think! I would love to hear a second opinion!

Scream Street : Blood Of The Witch

The second book in the Scream Street series, this book continues the story of young Luke's adventure to find the relics of the town's founding fathers so he can open a portal back to the real world so his parents can get out of the crazy town! Accompanied by his two friends, Resus and Cleo, he is on the hunt for the second relic. But it's not just the supernatural scavenger hunt they have to face as the conniving Sir Otto Sneer has created yet another problem for the residents of Scream Street to try and get his hands on the book helping Luke.

This book was a bit sillier than the first since Sir Otto's plan causes first the creation of vampire rats which only spreads to the occupants of the small town. But hey, what do you expect when reading a kid's book about monsters if not a little silliness to help keep the audience entertained. It was still full of funny moments, actions scenes, and even a light-hearted drama as Luke's parents try to fit in.

Again this was a cute book in the series, and I like where things are going for the character's and story. I enjoyed it and can't wait for my son to bring home the next one for me to read! I will let you know what he thinks about it as soon as he gets the chance to read it, too!

Scream Street : Fang Of The Vampire

Jareth found this book at the school library and brought it home to read. Of course I saw it and thought, "well that looks interesting" and knew I had to read it. The reading level listed on the inside is 4.8, so of course it was a fairly easy read for me, which is good because I am pretty sure it is overdue.

It turned out to be a cute little story following three kids as they start a scavenger hunt for objects to help them get out of the town in which they live because one of them is worried for his parents. Oh, the kids just happen to be a warewolf, vampire, and mummy and they are getting the clues for the relics needed from a talking book!

As the first book in the series it followed their journey to finding the book and the first object needed. It is a delightful twist on the monster story with this young man worried for his parents who happen to be completely normal. The book is complete with daring moments, witty speech, and a few shenanigans. What do you expect when one of the characters is a zombie of what I am sure was once a hippie stoner!

Jareth didn't get the chance to read the book since they were accidentally hidden in my room among other books, but he is going to be checking them out once more from the library so that he can give them a chance as well. I'll add his opinion to this post when he does. In the meantime I have to say I enjoyed it and am quickly picking up the next book! I think it's a great pick for any young readers looking for something different in their main characters!

Guilty By Association

Feb. - Books published in the last 5 years.
BONUS - This one is to be published on April 1st, 2016

The best thing about this month's theme is that it forces us to explore new writers since there is a good chance the authors we love may not have published a book in the last five years, or if they did we already read them. I picked out my two books, got excited, and then was given an opportunity. Someone in a writing group I am part of on Facebook wanted some bloggers to read and review her work to help get it out there. Best. Decision. Ever!

Guys, meet E. A. Copen, author of this new series about Judah Black, an agent working for the BSI, the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. Judah has just been reassigned to a supernatural reservation in Texas where all kinds of people humans would consider monsters have been herded and given too many rules on how to live. Judah has been dropped into the deep end of a pool of people who don't trust her, don't want her in their business, and have more issues than Copen can encompass in one book. Before Judah can even clock in on her first day she finds a murder victim. The investigation that follows follows is a series of ups and down with plenty of road blocks giving Judah ten more questions for every answer she manages to wrangle. But Judah is damn good at her job, keep that one in mind.

I think one reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I am a huge fan of Kim Harrison's Hollow's series. While there is enough similarity between the two to drew a new fan into Copen's world, there is plenty of differences that never did I actually find myself comparing the two. Judah is a single mom that works for the government organization that hovers on threatening her entire life. In stark contrast to Harrison's series where supernatural's outnumber humans due to a tomato virus, Copen's world finds supernaturals treated like second class citizens forced to walk a very fine line so they don't rock the boat. Because that could lead to be being dragged from your home and killed while your pregnant wife watches. While Judah works for the system that controls not only where supernaturals can live but when they can have children, she isn't blind to the injustice and finds herself far more sympathetic to the plight of her new neighbors.

Literally my only complaint about the book is the occasional typo that jerked the writer in me to the side itching to correct a few words before I could continue reading. But you have to keep in mind this author threw herself out there, self published (as far as I am aware) and wrote an amazing book. Trust me, you can over look the mistakes for the awesome story.

Oh, and of course I am going to whine about the fact that now I have to wait for the next book! But you can be sure I am going to be keeping my eye very closely on this writer. I will be eagerly awaiting any news for future books. So as soon as April 1st hits, get your copy of the book (I will also be buying a paperback copy to show of on my shelf) and join me in loving this new series. I see great things in this author's future.

Bobby Singer's Guide To Hunting

A book a friend recommended.

David Reed is a script coordinator for the show Supernatural and has even wrote a few of the episodes himself. So when he picked up his pen to write a companion book to the show, telling the story of Bobby Singer a little more in depth, it was an excellent idea! Reed takes a character that has grown in importance throughout the show, one who is greatly loved (and missed) by fans, and gives him a tough case that makes him take a closer look back at his life as he fights loosing his memories to a monster he can't even remember encountering. Through his nostalgia we find out more about the crotchet old hunter than we are allowed since the show is very focused instead on Dean and Sam Winchester. By reliving his memories, Bobby tells the reader about how he started hunting, a story he never felt comfortable with elaborating on in the show since it all started with heartbreak. The reader is also privy to some of the hardest memories in Bobby's catalogue including what exactly happened in Omaha between him and Rufus Turner, and the details of the last time he saw John Winchester and his boys, something that is only hinted at in the series when Dean seeks the old hunter out after years of silence. Underlying all of this is a memory Bobby refuses to let surface, the only thing we are left mostly in the dark about, but maybe for good reason.

As a fan of the show, and admittedly a reader of fan fiction (hush, some of it is really good!) I loved getting the chance to read this addition to the show. It gave the fan in me a little more info about one of my favorite characters that is actually fact based. I mean come on, a show writer wouldn't lead us astray, right? Let's hope, even if it means that now I feel even more heartbreak for the character that meant so much to the Winchester brothers.

So why does it fulfill this particular goal? Well because every week our closest friend gather for dinner, every other time being here at my house. At some time during the night the conversation usually dissolves into talk about the latest episode of one of the shows we all have in common: Supernatural. A couple of weeks ago one of the woman in attendance hands me this book and says "oh my gosh, I couldn't put it down, you have to read it." She said it only took her two days to read it. This is a woman with a full time job and two toddlers. If she flew through it with what little time she has, of course I am going to be interested! So I read it! Loved it! And this week I will be passing it on to another woman in the group so she can love it as we did. That's the great thing about gathering with people I. Your fandom and who like to read, you get to pick up new books! Because while I love the show, I may never have gotten around to picking up this book, or at least no time soon. And I am so glad I got the chance.

So find a friend, ask what they would recommend. You never know when you will find something new to love. And always think of someone else who will like any book you really enjoy, pass on the joy!

Onto the next item on the list!