License to Bite

Finished December 30

License to Bite by Carrie Pulkinen

This novel is the start of a series set in New Orleans. Ethan Deveraux has been a vampire for about 30 years, but he's mostly just holed up in his house occasionally venturing out to work a little for money to live on or as a sidekick to the vampire who converted him.

Jane Anderson is in town with her best friend. She works as a social influencer, a bit of a disappointment to her father, the governor of Texas, and to her brothers who all have college degrees and professional jobs. But they do all love her, and are worried about her in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

And rightly so, as the girls get pretty drunk their first night and are escorted home by Ethan and his sire. Ethan is struck by something about her and thinks she might be his lost love reincarnated and he finds himself possessive of her.

When her preoccupation with social media puts her in a deadly accident, Ethan finds himself making her a vampire to keep her from dying. As her sire, he must take responsibility for her learning the rules and the process she must follow to stay alive. That means registering her the next night and preparing her to get her license to bite. 

Jane is a rebel and a feminist. She's also a charmer, having watched her father in politics for years. She certainly doesn't like the term 'sire' and she doesn't like that the council consists only of old men. But she can work with that. 

The big threat is her fear of blood, making her pass out whenever she sees it. How in the world is she going to bite under testing? Especially with a representative of the world vampire council in town looking for infractions, eager to stake whoever slips up. 

This novel is humorous, fun, and a total enjoyment to read. Jane is smart, sexy, and ambitious. She has ideas for new revenue streams and is willing to use her clout to get things moving. And Ethan is ready to move on with his death, finding Jane both annoying and attractive. 

My Vampire Plus-One

Finished October 23

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

This romance novel with a strong element of fantasy and lots of humour was a fun read. This is the second book in a series, and there is an excerpt from the first book at the end of the novel. 

The main female character here is Amelia Collins, a CPA in Chicago who has been given her first solo case to run. It is a non-profit called the Wyatt Foundation, and she's finding it a bit of a headache as the contact keeps sending her a lot of paperwork, mostly not to do with the tax filing. It is March and tax season is naturally a really busy time for her. 

Amelia's father is a retired history professor and her mother is a retired English teacher. They don't really understand her aptitude with numbers and haven't celebrated the moments she considers important as they have for similar achievements in other fields by her siblings. As she is in her 30s, they also pressure her to settle down with someone. 

As the book begins, she is rushing to her family's monthly dinner. She looks forward to seeing everyone, but not certain aspects. One of the things she doesn't like is the pressure on her to find someone. The other is the lack of thought given to her dietary restrictions when they pick a restaurant or host an event that involves food. This lack of thought includes her extended family as well. Outside her office building an attractive man runs into her and she drops most of what she is carrying, include the case work she is taking home. She finds him striking and odd, and strangely attractive. 

At the dinner, when faced with the news that another cousin is getting married and she is given an invitation that includes a plus-one, she blurts that she has a boyfriend. 

As she confides in her best friend Sophie later that evening, she doesn't have a lot of time to find someone. When she sees the man who ran into her again, she decides to ask him as he said he owed her one after their first encounter.

He is Reginald Cleaves, a vampire who has been accused by a small group of his kind of a fire that killed family members more than a century ago. He decides that Amelia's request poses an opportunity to deviate from his normal behaviour to avoid those looking for him. 

While he is honest with her about his vampire identity, she thinks he is joking and this miscommunication sets up the basis for their developing relationship. 

The banter is fun, I loved Sophie and her risky yet practical advice, and the fast-moving plot. Light, amusing, and with some interesting bedroom scenes. 

Soulless

Finished October 28

Soulless by Gail Carriger, illustrated by Jensine Eckwall

This lighthearted crime novel takes place in the early part of the Victorian era, in an alternate paranormal version of our world. It is the first in a series. England has recognized that vampires, ghosts, and werewolves exist, and thus they no longer have to hide anymore. Most of these paranormal beings live in hives (vampires) or dens (werewolves), but the occasional loner lives as a rove. There is a government organization, the Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR) that keeps watch on them and ensures that they abide by the laws and that they have registered with the government. In this world, these beings owe their supernatural abilities to an abundance of soul., an excess that refused to die. 

The main character of this series, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, is otherwise gifted. She has no soul at all, thus the title of this first book. When she comes into contact with a person with supernatural abilities, those abilities disappear, and the are entirely normal human beings. Some feel threatened by creatures such as her, some enjoy the occasional touch. Persons without a soul, called preternatural, are rare, and females even more so. 

Alexia is a member of the upper classes, and lives with her mother, her stepfather, and two stepsisters. Alexia's father was Italian, which is not that welcomed in society, and neither are the olive skin and dark hair she also inherited from him. Her family and most of society are not aware of her soullessness, but those with supernatural abilities are. So when, at a party at someone's home, Alexia is alone and is attacked by a vampire, she is surprised, but so is he. This is definitely not acceptable behaviour, as any such interaction must be consensual by law. He doesn't know what to make of her, when his supernatural features disappear when they come into contact. In the course of the struggle, Alexia inadvertently kills him, and finds herself under scrutiny by the head of BUR, Lord Conall Maccon, previously of Scotland, and a werewolf. 

As BUR begins to investigate the sudden appearance of new vampires and werewolves, and the sudden disappearance of roving ones, Alexia finds a suitor from America who shows some interest in her and is delighted with her intelligence and ability to speak comfortably on scientific topics. He has come to speak at a new scientific institute which has gone up in the heart of London. 

Alexia also finds herself in an uncertain courting dance with Lord Maccon, which is confusing to both of them. She confides in both her closest female friend, Miss Ivy Hisselpenny, and her closest male friend, the flamboyant rove vampire, Lord Akeldama. Both of them are helpful in their own ways. 

The drawings interspersed throughout the book are delightful and detailed. The story has humour, a deeper layer of social commentary, as well as good characters and dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. 

Led Astray

Finished September 24
Led Astray: The Best of Kelley Armstrong by Kelley Armstrong

This collection of stories covers a lot of the worlds that Armstrong has created in her novels, with characters of a wide variety of paranormal types.
Stories include those set around Cainsville, Darkest Powers, Age of Legends, and Otherworld. Two of the stories are original to this collection, but others have appeared in a variety of other collections, and that information is given near the beginning of the book.
Some stories have a touch of humour to them, which I enjoyed as well. Others were very dark, almost horror.
Kelley Armstrong is an author I've been meaning to read for quite a while, so it was nice to start with a collection like this to give me a taste of her writing that is wider that one novel and one world. I can certainly see why she is so popular.
Another thing I like about her writing are the strong female characters. They aren't adjuncts to men, but lead characters who often set the direction for the story themselves.

One Foot in the Grave

Finished May 4
One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost, read by Tavia Gilbert

This is the second novel in the Night Huntress series, but the first I've read. Cat Crawfield is a young woman who is half-vampire, half-human. Her mother hates and fears vampires and Cat found out her nature when she was sixteen. She is now in her early twenties and is a special agent for the FBI, leading a team who goes after rogue members of the undead. As the book starts, Cat learns that she has been targeted for assassination, and is facing great danger. When someone from her past reappears in her life, she must decide whether he offers a real future and protection or more danger than she can live with.
The voice of Cat here comes across as young, loyal to her men, yet a tad on the over-confident side. She doesn't just do her job, she engages in trash talk while doing so. She lets her emotions rule her actions sometimes, leading her into more difficult situations.
This is a book of fantasy and eroticism, with graphic sex scenes, and crude language. It is an action novel with a strong dose of paranormal.

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer

Finished March 9
Pinocchio Vampire Slayer written by Van Jensen, created and drawn by Dusty Higgins

This graphic novel imagines a new ending for the classic Pinocchio. People keep disappearing in their village, and Gepetto is worried. Pinocchio is dismissive, but when Gepetto himself is attacked and disappears, Pinocchio and his friends Master Cherry and the Blue Fairy spring into action. The cricket also plays a role, but a less central one than the original.
As Pinocchio discovers that the wood from his nose, which he quickly snaps off when it grows after telling a lie, is a powerful weapon against the forces that are besieging their village. Together the small group goes up against the enemy despite being outnumbered.
Another example in the growing oeuvre of classics with a vampire twist, this is one in a series featuring Pinocchio in a new role.

The Book of Life

Finished September 26
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

This is the third book in the trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches and continued with Shadow of Night and it does not disappoint. As it begins, Diana and Matthew are just arriving at Sept Tours to join the rest of the family and friends who have taken refuge there from the Congregation under the protection of the Knights of Lazarus. The reunion brings both job and sadness and Matthew and Diana begin to share their learning and discover what has happened in their absence. Further demands from the Congregation mean that all creatures other than vampires must disperse from the premises, Matthew and Diana choose to go back to Diana's home in the United States. There, they find ways to further Matthew's research into the DNA of creatures and specifically the genetic origin of the illness that plagues him and his vampire children. It is one of these children that has gone rogue and created havoc across Europe and North America, causing tragedy for the family and many others. Diana is also learning more about her powers and how to use them, gradually learning to rely on instinct as she figures out how to develop her own spells. Both Diana and Matthew are surprised to find a loved one from the past has also followed them to the future and struggle with what this means for them, and how to move forward to protect their family as it grows.
Taking us from France to North America, back to England and France, and to the Congregation's meetings in Venice, this novel reveals the true nature of creatures and their relationships to each other, as the Book of Life or Ashmole 782 is finally released from hiding and brought to life itself.
This series has shown a great deal of research and the story is a complex one that has the characters grow as they learn more about themselves and each other. I really enjoyed it, and found that the ending here leaves a door open for further adventures.

Shadow of Night

Finished November 19
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

This is the second book in the series that began with A Discovery of Witches.
It takes up where that one left off. Diana and Matthew are now in 16th century England, landing in Matthew's home in Woodstock. They have travelled to have the time for Diana to develop her abilities and learn more about herself, away from the immediate threats to the couple in the 21st century. But there are threats to them in this time as well. Another purpose of their trip is to find Ashmole 782, the book Diana was able to call up once in the Bodleian but that has eluded them since. Their travels here take them back to Sept-Tours, to London, and to Prague. Diana is in danger from other creatures, and from powerful humans, and Matthew and his relations must work diligently to keep her safe.
Diana encounters more members of Matthew's family, and begins to make friends of her own. Some of these friends are those Matthew introduces her to, and some are ones she meets herself. Part of the purpose here is to learn more about her skills, and that means meeting witches who can help her and teach her. This is accomplished, and Diana learns the true nature of her witch abilities, the reason she has trouble learning spells, and the way to direct her skills to best effect. Most of the witches she meets are of the time, but she does encounter another time-walking witch that she spends time with.
The couple also find the trail to Ashmole 782, and learn more about this mysterious work, the cause of the missing pages, and some of its nature.
But their presence creates changes in history and Matthew's relatives in the present try to contain these effects as much as they can.
Using many real historical figures, Harkness brings history to life while also furthering the personal adventures of the couple. Meeting kings and queens, writers and thinkers, the two move in interesting circles.
This book will leave you eager for the next installment.

A Discovery of Witches

Finished June 23
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, read by Jennifer Ikeda
Ikeda's voice is a good match for this book.
Set in a world where witches, demons, and vampires exist alongside humans, the main character Diana Bishop, sets events in motion. Diana has denied her magic since her parents died when she was a child. But when her academic research gives her access to a book sought after by all 3 types of creatures, she finds herself the center of much unwanted attention.
It is a vampire, Matthew Clairmont, who comes to her aid, protecting her from invasive witches and other vampires.
Can a witch and a vampire become friends, or even more. Diana has been warned against other creatures all her life.
The story takes us from Oxford, England to a chateau in the Auvergne in France, to small town Madison, New York. It takes us into rich history involving knights, historical documents, and intrigue. Diana discovers her own history and what her parents foresaw for her, and must finally accept her gift of magic.
Engaging and interesting, this novel offers a lot, and is book one of a planned trilogy.

An Uncertain Place

Finished June 19
An Uncertain Place by Fred Vargas
This is the latest in the series featuring Commissaire Adamsberg.
The story begins as Adamsberg leaves for a conference in London. His neighbour Lucio insists he helps a cat in distress before he goes. In London, Commandant Danglard is in his element as an anglophile. During a walk with a local DCI, they find themselves witness to a unique crime scene. Several pairs of shoes outside a cemetary, with feet still in them. This is disquieting, but not their case.
On return to Paris, Adamsberg's team is called in to investigate a gruesome murder. Tales of vampires, connections between the London shoes and the Paris murder, and a traitor within Adamsberg's team bring this book together. Adamsberg is not your usual detective, and while his team is mostly loyal to his methods, there are those who would like to get rid of him. As Adamsberg finds links to other similar cases, and a small mountain town in Serbia, he must also face someone from his own past who threatens him.
A great story as usual!

For the Younger Crowd

Finished November 15
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Ted and his older sister Kat live with their parents in London. Their dad is a demolition expert. Their aunt Gloria, sister to their mother, is stopping off in London with her son Salim, as they move from England to New York City.
Salim wants to ride the London Eye while in town, and while the kids are waiting in line they get offered a free single ticket. Salim takes it and gets on the ride, but when it comes back down he is not there. After the initial panic, the police are called in and try to figure out what happened.
Ted and Kat work together to try to solve the puzzle as well, and Ted's special way of thinking gives them insight into the mystery.
This is a great story, with an interesting puzzle to solve that also highlights autism. The family relationships are well written and Ted's personality really comes through.

Finished November 16
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
This is the first in a series of books centred around a group of vampires. As the young vampires go through puberty they transform from humans into their true selves. The novel centres around a group of students at Duchesne School in New York City, a private school with a student body consisting of a large number of "blue bloods" as the vampires define themselves. The main character is Schuyler Van Alen, who is being raised by her maternal grandmother. Schuyler's mother is in a coma and Schuyler visits her at the hospital regularly. As Schuyler copes with the discovery of her true vampire nature and deals with the usual teenage social issues at school, she must also figure out who is murdering young Blue Bloods. Schuyler works with her friend Oliver against the denial of the leaders of the clan over the threat to their future.
Schuyler comes across as a relatively normal teen dealing with an abnormal situation. The explanations for historic events and cultural trends are interesting, and the plot keeps things moving. Teens with an interest in the vampire genre will find another interesting author to read.

Vampires

Finished June 15
13 Bullets: a vampire tale by David Wellington
This is my third novel with vampires and boy are they ever different from each other.
One of the big differences is how vampires are made. Here the vampires are rarer, but there are lots of half-dead and even more bodies of victims. This novel is very violent and the vampires are very much controlled by their bloodlust.
When Caxton, a state trooper gets involved in a chase of a half-dead with bodies in his trunk, she gets drafted into being the partner of vampire hunter Arkeley. Some other magic is involved: ghosts and hexes and charms, but the main focus is vampires. Each section of the book is dedicated to a particular vampire as the two chase down the vampires who are wreaking havoc in their neck of the woods.
Lots of action, lots of violence and a bit of interesting insight into cause and effect.

What I Read on Vacation

I was off on vacation last week (a big family get-together at a resort in Mexico) and got some reading done, both in transit and there.

Finished January 12
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, translated by Anne Born
This gem of a book was recommended by another librarian that I am on a committee with, and he was right about it being a good one. I had actually bought it before he recommended it, being drawn to it by both good reviews and an interest in Norwegian writing (I'm one-quarter Norwegian heritage).
The main character, Trond, has retired to the country a couple of years after the death of his wife in an automobile accident. He bought a run-down cottage on a nice piece of land near a lake and is gradually making the house habitable. One night he hears his neighbour calling his dog and goes out to talk to him. Afterwards he realizes that he knows the man from a summer when he was a youth. That summer a tragedy occured in the other man's family that impacted on both families and eventually caused both families to break up. As Trond recalls this summer from his past and the feelings that it engenders, he also looks at the more recent tragedy in his life and how he has reacted to that.

Finished January 12
Twilight by Stephanie Meyers
I bought this book on my stopover in the Houston airport as my niece had been raving about it and hinting that she'd like her own copy. I decided to read it and then give it to her. It is the first in a vampire romance series for teens, and therefore when I got a nosebleed on the plane and bled all over it, it somehow seemed appropriate! She thinks the bloodstains add interest and she can tell exactly what part I was it when it happened.
The main character, Bella, is seventeen and has chosen to go live with her police-chief father in a small town on Washington's Olympic peninsula (a very rainy part of country). Her parents have been separated for years and her mother and her have lived in Phoenix ever since, but she wants to give her recently-remarried mother some space. Her father has tried hard to make her as comfortable as possible including buying her a used vehicle. She makes friends fairly easily as school, but finds herself drawn to Edward, part of a family that seems to have ostracized themselves from the rest of the school. Edward is equally drawn to her, and as the two become closer she learns that he is a vampire. Edward's clan hunts wildlife rather than people, but still doesn't want others to know of their special nature. When other vampires come to the area to visit, Bella becomes involved in a lethal game where her life is at stake.
I found this a good read, and can see the appeal for my niece. I'll be reading the others in the series too (and maybe buying them for her).

Finished January 16
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
This historical novel is engrossing. The main character, Aminata Diallo tells her story as she looks back on her life from her final years in London, England.
Aminata was kidnapped from her village in West Africa when she was eleven after watching her captors kill her mother and possibly her father. She is forced to walk to the coast with other captives, a journey that takes months and that not all survive. Once arrived at the coast, she is put on a ship to South Carolina with other captives and endures many horrors during the trip to America. Once there she is sold to a slaveowner to work on an indigo plantation and is taken under the wing of the slavewoman healer there. Eventually, after being sold again, she ends up in New York during the American Revolutionary war and becomes one of the Black Loyalists who emigrate to Nova Scotia. Time and again, Deena, as she becomes known, is separated from the family she has created, and alone agrees to join the new colony of Freetown in Sierra Leone.
The book uses a combination of real historical events and good characterization to grab the reader and make the story come alive. This is definitely one of my favourite books of recent reads.
Hill has included an excellent epilogue where he talks about the history that he drew this story from and he also includes a list for further reading.

Finished January 16
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This is another book I had been meaning to read for awhile and once I started I had to agree with one of the blurbs that said once started it was nearly impossible to put down. I found myself a spot in the shade and read all afternoon, taking a break for a swim and dinner, and then continuing reading in the evening until I finished the novel.
The postapocalyptic novel follows a father and his young son as they struggle to survive in a world that has been ravaged. They are making for the coast, although they don't know that things will be any better there. As they travel they must find provisions and avoid other travellers, particularly those that might do them harm. The relationship between the father and the son is a big part of this book, and really makes it what it is. The son is really the only thing that keeps the father going, with the hope that he can find a better life for him.
I have been recommending this book to others ever since I finished it, and it is one I will definitely be rereading.

Finished January 19
Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali
I read this one on the plane coming home.
This story is set in Portugal and looks at life from the point of view of a number of residents and visitors to a small village there. Some are native Portuguese, others are long-term residents from England, and still others are tourists. There is a range of ages as well from ten up through eighty-four. Some are reminiscing about the past, some living in the present, and others looking to the future. As they deal with the world as its changes come to them, they also look at it in the context of their own familiar lives.
Ali writes beautifully and with great humour and her characters are what make this book. They come to life and illuminate the landscape they reside in.

A Mixed Bag of Reading and Listening

Finished June 27
You Suck: a love story by Christopher Moore
My first vampire romance. This book had a lot of humour and the characters had some depth to them. I particularly liked Abby Normal. She rang true. The police tracking the vampires, the elder vampire seeking revenge, and the blue hooker brought to town by the Animals all added their own twist to the story. The character William with his huge shaved cat were great and the sweater was a nice touch. I liked some of the subtle humour here. I think my favourite was this exchange:
"You're the one with almost an MBA," Barry, the short balding one, said to Lash.
"You should know what to do."
"They don't cover what to do with a dead hooker," Lash countered. "That's a whole
different program. Political science, I think."
So, amusing and very different.

After Dark by Haruki Murakami, Read by Janet Song
Like all Murakami's novels, this one uses language with finesse. His choice of words is always well thought out. There are some definite themes here, such as screens (like TVs) and mirrors. These blur the lines between real and dream worlds. The characters are solid and well-thought out and they relate well to each other. I love this type of novel, where you have to pay close attention to the phrasing and the mannerisms and not just the plot. The contrast between what Mari thinks of herself and how she appears to others came across strongly. She is stronger than she thinks she is, and the ties she forms with her sister and her trombonist friend show that.

Finished June 25
Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe
This is a great guide for email, guiding the reader through when, and when not, to use email for communication. Advice is given for avoiding miscommunication, often a problem with email due to the lack of tone of voice and body language. The authors even help with those situations where you've sent something you shouldn't have.
I consider myself pretty good when it comes to email etiquette, but I still learned a few things from this book. Definitely a good choice.