Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine and the July Book Blowout Wrapup

This is my sixth and final book in the July Book Blowout. My goal was 8, and I didn't quite make it. I do have one more book half-read, but the way my life has gone today I won't get to it.

Heat Stroke is the second book in the Weather Wardens series. I absolutely loved the first one. This one was also good, but for unknown reasons seemed to take forever to read. I love the uniqueness of the plot on this, there isn't really another similar series (that I've heard of.) The characters, while having unique abilities, are similar to those from other series. How many strong, determined, independent heroines have you read? Regardless of this, I did enjoy the book, and will continue to read the series.

I'm not saying any more, because I don't want to give anything away to anyone who hasn't read the first on. I find series books hard to review well for this reason. However, if you're a fan of urban fantasy, go ahead and pick the first one up, they're great books.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mrs. S at Blue Archipelago has posted a short wrap up survey to the July Book Blowout. Here are my answers:

1. Did you discover a new author? Yes- Jossilyn Jackson and Nick Hornby

2. Where was the most unusual place you found yourself reading? In the Taco Bell drive through.

3. Did you read more than usual? Not more than I used to, but more than I have lately.

4. Did you give up anything in order to read more? Blog surfing!

5. If you won the Amazon voucher what would you spend it on? Amy Butler's In Stitches, I think. Or Keurig k-cups.

6. Would you like to see a 2009 Book Blowout? YES! Or even a winter and summer one.

Thanks Mrs. S, for hosting.

Weekly Recap. (On Thursday) (the parenthetical version)

SO busy and tired at our house this week! Saturday we went to the Home Show to browse hot tubs (not that we're in the market, just that 75% of the show is hot tubs) and lawn tractors (also not in the market, unless you are a two year old.) We hit up Target and the mall with the small boy to see what he was in the mood for when it comes to toys (his party is this Saturday) and to purchase more socks (the checker at Old Navy told me that they were retiring navy and khaki little boy socks for the summer, and that they do it every year, thus the $.49 socks. While I appreciate the price, I think she's mistaken as the monkey has only ever worn the ON socks and navy and khaki are always available.) By Saturday night the muscles holding up the giant belly were very angry, and even now on Thursday, I am still paying for this excess of walking.

What else? Preparations for the Pirate party are well underway (unless you count cleaning, and I'd rather not, thanks.) The baby's room is 90% done (or 90% of what I had hoped to be done is done, not counting the other stuff we haven't done. God I love that sentence.) The quilt is done (100%!) The pillows are done (ditto.) Just need a little more shelf straightening and it will be ready to go for the party. Eventually, I'd like to make some little canvas baskets for toys, and some pillows from the leftover quilt pieces, but neither of those were on the original list.

I spent Sunday evening in bed reading (see above for bellyaching) and managed to get a decent chunk of The Battle for God read. I also read the first 1/3 of Toddler and 5 or 6 chapters of Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. I'm not so sure about Harry Dresden. He's a bit annoying in his superiority (false modesty? something annoying about him though. I'm up to chapter 15 or so now, and the annoyance has not yet abated.) I'm also still reading Heat Stroke, and the other morning added Take Me by Bella Andre. None of the others were at hand and I NEEDED something to read. One day I might actually finish a book. (Ha.) (And no, I don't get them confused.)

This weekend is the party, and then the monkey turns 3 on Monday. Seems crazy. My offical due date for the baby is 38 days away. Things are happening too fast these days!

Weekly Recap 4

He might be almost three, but he really is still my baby! Today was an extravaganza of chocolate, candy, more chocolate, and some chocolate. It's almost 6 and he's just not finishing up his nap.

For Easter we dyed eggs. This is early in the game, before he just dunked them all in every color and stained his fingers a muddy brown color. I only boiled 10 eggs, so the whole event took roughly 37 seconds. He loved doing it, but since I'm the only one in the house who eats hard boiled eggs, I wasn't willing to make more. This morning the Easter Bunny showed up and from across the room he could see that his basket contained WILL TURNER. This almost fills out his pirate collection- we are only missing the "girl pirate."

This week I finished off one book- Moneyball, reviewed here on Wednesday. Yesterday I read the first half of 1-2-3 Magic which I am planning to review in parts. I picked Heat Stroke back up and got another chapter into it. While I do enjoy it a lot while I am reading it this one is really easy for me to put down and not be interested in going back to. I felt the same way about the first in the series. My husband's birthday is today, and I finished filling out the Dresden file books for him, so I'm thinking I might go onto those instead of picking up the next Rachel Caine when I make it through this one.

In baby preparedness- we got almost everything that didn't belong in the nursery out of the nursery this weekend. The furniture is in place. The curtains are hung (AND IRONED!) Still need to buy a mattress so we can make the bed, wash the bedding on the day bed, and finish the sewing. I have the quilt top almost done, just need to decide on a border and I can start quilting. We also need to bring up the teeny baby clothes and wash them, but it can be done after the monkey's party. I just want the room itself done.

Speaking of the monkey's party- anyone know what pirates eat?

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine is the first book in the Morganville Vampires book. I had previously read Ill Wind, the first in Caine's Weather Warden series and really loved the fresh storyline. I know I love vampire storylines, so jumped at the chance when I saw the first two of these at the library. As it turns out, not all vampire stories are created equal. I did finish the book, but it took me a month to read 239 pages. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. There was one small twist to the story, but it wasn't really enough to make me interested in the sequel. If I had all the time in the world to read books, I'd probably keep going, but time is limited and books are not.

Here's the description from Amazon.com:

From the author of the popular Weather Warden series. Welcome to Morganville, Texas.

Just don't stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

I WILL be reading more of the Weather Warden books, just as soon as I find a spare moment.

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Joanne Baldwin is a weather warden, part of a secret group of people who can control the weather and change the course of storms, fires, etc. The wardens live in our world and keep the general population from being wiped out by Mother Nature. She's on the run because she (sort of) killed someone, someone more powerful than her. She's trying to get to the only person who can help her, Lewis, who is also on the run.

This was a great book. The premise was completely new to me, and so the whole world Joanne lives in was interesting. Almost from the first page I was hooked. There's a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance, and a lot of fast driving. This books isn't a heavy, serious book. It's a lot of fun, with a nice twist to the ending. I will definately be reading the rest of the series.