It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Halloween Edition!

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Completed:
World War Z by Max Brooks (review)
Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead (re-read)
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (review)
Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille (review)

Currently reading:

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Happy Halloween everyone!

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

Flame of Surrender
Rhannon Paille
The Ferryman and the Flame #1

Krishani doesn't understand why he's so different from the other elven. But when he meets Kaliel, he finally feels whole. She's all he can think about. Kaliel, too, feels out of place in her home. Neither of them know that they have far more ahead of them than they could ever imagine, that they could save or destroy the world...


I want to first thank the author for sending me Flame of Surrender to review. It was an unusual read to say the least, but I was surprised at how invested I was by the time it ended.

Whatever preconceptions you have about this story, discard them now.  Flame of Surrender is at various times romantic, tragic, terrifying, and sweet. Although I found Kaliel and Krishani's pining during the first half of the book a bit slow, eventually I was caught up in their love, wanting desperately for them to be together, impossible though it seemed.

*The rest of the review contains some spoilers*

The world of The Ferryman and the Flame was fascinating and a little bit confusing. Composed of various races and worlds, there was quite a bit going on behind the scenes with history, interracial interactions, and the different worlds. I would have liked to learn a lot more about this world, but hopefully there will be something in future books. I thought the villains of the story, the Valtanyana, were surprisingly scary, and the sense of doom and fear that grew throughout the story was quite well done. One aspect that I was surprised sort of disappeared was the witches, who seemed like a threat that never really materialized.

As I said, the first half of the book was composed mainly of Kaliel and Krishani pining for each other and failing at doing the things they were supposed to be doing. However, events picked up speed in the third quarter, and the final quarter of the book was absolutely thrilling. Mostly because of the not-so-happy ending, I think, this book actually felt kind of like a prequel, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though it was a little odd. At the end I was so shocked I had to go back and read it again to make sure I'd gotten it right the first time. I can't wait for the sequel, especiallly after reading the beginning of it at the back of this book. I just hope it's a little happier! (Please?)

Plot: 3 cupcakes
Characters: 4 cupcakes
Style: 4 cupcakes
Overall: 4 cupcakes

Epic Chocolate Brownies

Now that I'm finally caught up on reviews, it's time for more baking! I realized that, contrary to my blog's title, I currently have no recipes up for anything chocolate, so here's a key sweet for any time: brownies. Brownies are approximately the most delicious snack ever, and the only one where I don't feel bad using a mix. For some reason, I have never been able to make fudgy brownies from scratch. But using a mix doesn't mean you can't spice it up a little! So here is my recipe for the greatest brownies ever with Oreos and vanilla buttercream frosting.

You will need:
1 pkg brownie mix (I like Betty Crocker, but whatever you want is fine)
Whatever ingredients the box tells you
About half a dozen crushed or broken up Oreos

For the frosting:
1 stick of butter, softened
1 1/2 - 2 c confectioner's sugar
Dash of vanilla extract
Some flour
A little bit of milk
Pinch of salt

Optional:
Milk
Flour

First preheat your oven to whatever the brownie box says and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. Theoretically, you can use a 13x9 inch pan too, but thinner brownies just aren't as good. Now just follow the instructions on the box until you have your brownie mix finished in the bowl. Stir in the Oreos and proceed according to the box. When you put the brownies in the oven, take out the butter so it's soft when you make the frosting. For extra gooey brownies, bake a few minutes less than the box says.

Okay, now let's skip forward 45 minutes or so and pretend your brownies are done. While they're cooling, you can whip up some frosting to make those babies even better! Buttercream frosting is really easy to make, and it's the kind of recipe you can easily adjust to your taste.

Put the butter you left out earlier in a medium sized bowl and whip on high for 3-5 minutes. You want it to look pale and creamy. You'll probably have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.

Once the butter is thoroughly whipped, add some confectioner's sugar. I usually do this by sight, but you probably want to start with about a cup. Unless you want a fine coating of powdered sugar all over your kitchen, start with your mixer on low and work your way up to higher speeds as everything gets blended. Gradually add more sugar until you think your butter-sugar ratio tastes okay.

Don't worry if your frosting looks a little crumbly at first. Just keep beating, and add some milk if necessary.

Beat in a dash (maybe a teaspoon or so?) of vanilla. You can be done now if you want, but if you think your frosting is a little too sweet, try adding a litte flour and milk to balance it out. Then add a bit of salt to bring out the flavor.

So now you have brownies and frosting. Yum! But be careful. DO NOT FROST THE BROWNIES WHILE THEY ARE STILL WARM. Buttercream frosting does not like warm. If you frost the brownies while they are at all warm, the frosting will separate and then it will be weird and you will have to put everything in the fridge and hope it works out okay. Clearly this has never happened to me. But eventually, when the brownies are cool, you can frost them and then you will have delicious, delicious brownies and everyone will be happy. The end.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan
Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan #1

From Goodreads: Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. 

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Since I haven't really been a fan of any of the other steampunk novels I've read, I was surprised at how much I liked this one. Leviathan is a fun, alternative-history exploration of the beginning of World War I, with an interesting mixture of fact and fiction. In the world according to Westerfeld, the Central Powers, known in Leviathan as Clankers, use machines to support their rule, while the Allies, called the Darwinists, have mastered the art of genetic manipulation to create living weapons and means of transportation. Basically it makes for a fascinating if slightly creepy backdrop to Deryn and Alek's tales.

The idea of lost or hidden royalty is pretty much always a good story, and Alek is no exception. He actually shows some good development, changing from a spoiled princeling to an intelligent and compassionate leader during the course of the book. Westerfeld chose another classic device for Deryn, who pretends to be a boy so she can join the British air force. Both of these stories, while not new in any sense, are generally fun to read, and Leviathan is no exception.

Leviathan left enough questions unanswered that, while it didn't end in a cliffhanger, I went straight to the library website to request the next two anyway. I really enjoyed this book, although because of the style and other elements I'd classify it more as children's literature than YA. However, I definitely wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book if you're looking for a fun read.

Plot: 3 cupcakes

Characters: 4 cupcakes

Style: 4 cupcakes

Overall: 4 cupcakes

If you liked Leviathan, try:

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials #1)

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire #1)

Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey (Elemental Masters #4)

World War Z by Max Brooks

World War Z
Max Brooks

From Goodreads: The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.


I had some trouble getting through this book, but it's not because I was bored. Think complete opposite end of the spectrum. Something about this story was so grimly compelling that I had to take a break because it was a little too real. Testimony from a melange of sources painted a stark picture of the course of "World War Z" (in which humanity overcomes a zombie outbreak). There were times when I actually felt physically ill from reading what the survivors had to do to get through the zombie apocalypse. (Cannibalism. I hate cannibalism.)


If you read this book, don't go into it expecting a regular novel, because it doesn't even pretend to be that. The premise of the book is that a UN investigator is writing a report about how humanity was able to defeat the zombies, and part of it involves interviewing various people from around the world about their experiences during World War Z. This makes for less of a cohesive storyline and more of the kind of book you might read in a college class (except way more exciting).


"But Kate," you say, "didn't you complain just yesterday about a book that had too many different perspectives?" The short answer is yes, but that's irrelevant. The long answer is that different rules apply to different genres. The way World War Z is written is so unique (at least as far as I know) that it's hard to find any sort of rules that might apply to it. The setup works really well here, I think, because it actually make it seem more realistic and factual, and therefore more rather than less intense. But it's not for everyone. The's no protagonist, and while the zombies are technically the enemy, really the book is about the terrible price of victory, and yes, it's full of vivid atrocities. This book wasn't scary because of the monsters; it was terrifying because of what people had to do to stop them.


Brooks does an outstanding job imagining every detail of what a zombie war and its aftermath would look like, from political maneuvering to scientific inquiry, psychology to filmmaking. The amount of ground this book covers is simply amazing, and what's even more impressive (and horrifying) is that it seems so possible - that if there really were a zombie outbreak, this could actually happen. World War Z is definitely not a light read, but it is very much worth it.


(I'm forgoing my normal sub-ratings because this book wasn't really constructed in a normal way.)
Overall: 4 cupcakes

Follow Friday (4)

Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. This week's features are In Which Ems Reviews Books and Reading in the Corner.
This week's question is...
If you could have dinner with your favorite book character, who would you eat with and what would you serve?
Okay, first of all, I am really bad at picking favorites. When people ask me to pick my favorite book, I usually give them a helpless look and shrug because actually listing my favorite books would take far too long and probably bore them. 
However, given that I'm eating dinner with the character, let's arbitrarily limit the pool to characters from a relatively modern version of the world. Otherwise they would totally be freaked out by kitchen appliances and Magic Phone. (This is how I refer to my Android. Don't judge me.) So that leaves us with about half of a gazillion books. (Does anyone know what half a gazillion is?) And because this is a blog hop, let's make it something a little obscure so that I can induce other people to read books I love - hooray brainwashing! 
*flips through mental library*
Aha! I have it. I will have dinner with Mercury from Robert Kroese's Mercury Falls, a brilliant and hilariously irreverent angel. He can do impressive card tricks and make clever dinner conversation. He'll also come in handy if the dinner party somehow gets hit by a Class Five Pillar of Fire. I don't cook all that much, so I think we'll have pasta, but I am all about the baking, so there will be heavenly chocolate cake for dessert (pun absolutely intended).

Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Blood Price
Tanya Huff
Victoria Nelson #1

Vicki Nelson used to be a homicide detective, but after a disease started to eat away at her eyesight, she decided to leave the force and get her PI license. Only the police aren't completely done with her - when she discovers a body that's part of a string of mysterious serial murders, she's drawn into an investigation in which she learns far more about what's hidden in the shadows than she ever dreamed possible.

Considering this book was published in 1991, it was pretty interesting to see the differences between it and today's urban fantasy. I'd say the biggest difference is the perspective; Blood Price is written from multiple third-person points of view rather than sticking with a single first-person narrator. For the most part that's perfectly fine, though I thought after the first murder victim we didn't really need to see inside any more soon-to-be-dead heads, and I'm still opposed to writing from the villain's perspective in this sort of story, since it kills a lot of the suspense.

Vicki was an unusual protagonist in that she herself is not supernatural in any way (unless she develops some abilities in the rest of the series). An interesting part of the story was watching her come to grips with the existence of this world, and I actually thought she accepted it a little too easily, though Huff made it seem reasonably within her character to do so. Vicki's vision problems gave her a surprising mix of vulnerability and bravery - she was a bit of an idiot sometimes, but it was obvious that she took risks because she wanted to prove she could still be as good as she once was.

The vampire who introduces Vicki to the underworld was none other than Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII (who somehow seems to be a popular candidate for supernaturalization). That added some interesting backstory to the book, but once again, I thought some of that might have been better saved for later. I like mystery in my books more than exhaustive explanations.

The story itself was very investigation-oriented, so if you enjoy that sort of novel, this would be one for you. It was pretty intriguing to see how Vicki worked with and around the police to utilize her new knowledge of the supernatural. The premise behind the murders was one I hadn't exactly heard before, though similar stories have come across my shelf. The ending was certainly suspenseful enough to make up for revealing too much information beforehand, so overall I was satisfied with this story. I won't be in a hurry to read the rest of the series, but I'll be happy to know it's there for a slow day.

Plot: 3 cupcakes
Characters: 3 cupcakes
Style: 2 cupcakes
Overall: 3 cupcakes

GARS Score: 1.5 (3/3/2/2)
What's a GARS Score?

If you liked Blood Ties, try:
Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland (Kara Gillian #1)
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #1)
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake #1)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling
Kristin Cashore
The Seven Kingdoms #1

Most people have trouble meeting Katsa's eyes, which like all Gracelings', have mismatched irises. Katsa's Grace, fighting, has made her into a tool for her king. After she meets Po at an independent rescue mission, she begins to question her king's orders, and she and Po eventually embark on a quest that will reveal unsuspected deception in their world.


This is one of those books that I've heard a few people rave about on Goodreads, so I was excited to pick it up cheap at a library sale. Then at some point in the midst of the read-a-thon on Saturday I realized I needed something YA and easy to read, so Graceling seemed like the perfect choice.

It was actually a little too simple. The plot was extraordinarily straightforward - the characters knew everything halfway through the book, and after that the only issue was how to achieve their goals. The characters experienced little to no development, and I couldn't really sympathize with Katsa's antagonism toward even the people who were trying to help her. Po, on the other hand, was far too nice, willing to bend over backwards and tie himself in knots to make Katsa happy. I wasn't a fan of their relationship at all, and having heard that there is a sequel, I'm wondering what the author plans to do in it.

Besides lacking dynamism, Cashore's characters were also depressingly one-dimensional. (Should that be two-dimensional? I can never remember which one is the official literary term.) The bad guys were the novel equivalent of Disney villains, their motives chalked up to inherent character flaws and nothing more, while the good guys were either pining after Katsa, sensitive and artistic, or basically just willing to go along with whatever Katsa wanted. Or some combination thereof.

The book wasn't a total loss. The world of Graces was fairly interesting, and I didn't find myself so disgusted with the story that I didn't finish it. However, that's about all it had in its favor, and I highly doubt I'll be continuing this series. There's much better fantasy out there.

Plot: 2 cupcakes
Characters: 1 cupcake
Style: 3 cupcakes
Overall: 2 cupcakes

What to read instead:
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater

On the island of Thisby, you avoid the beaches for your own safety. Except, of course, when it's time for the Scorpio Races, where inhabitants race the deadly water horses in a frequently fatal competition. Puck has never even seen the Scorpio Races, but when her brother informs his siblings that he's going to the mainland for good, she makes a sudden decision to race this year. Sean, the rider to beat in the races, has always been better with the water horses than anyone else on the island, but he's tired of working for Malvern and wants to own his horse for himself.


At the launch party for The Scorpio Races, Maggie described, in ten steps, how to write a Maggie Stiefvater novel. I don't remember all of them, but some of the key steps included "kill someone in the first chapter," "make it so your characters really need to do what they sort of generally wanted to before," and "make it impossible for everyone to get what they want." The Scorpio Races followed this formula to a tee, which is only natural considering it is in fact a Maggie Stiefvater novel.

It's a good model, too. I've loved every Maggie Stiefvater novel I've read so far (which is all of them except Ballad, and I should get that one from the library soon). The Scorpio Races was a brilliant story about a rather obscure (and therefore not overdone) myth. I loved the unique atmosphere of Thisby and the way the capaill uisce (water horses) were feared and yet integral to the life of the island.

Puck and Sean were great protagonists. I was pleased that Puck, rather than being brash and confident all the time, actually had a lot of doubts about her course while still maintaining a facade of bravado. Sean was quietly fascinating, especially his rapport with the capaill uisce. I really enjoyed the supporting cast as well, particularly the sisters in the shop and Puck's younger brother Finn, whom I would have liked to see even more of.

The only problem I had with this book wasn't really fair at all, but I spent much of the read comparing it with Guy Gavriel Kay's The Sarantine Mosaic, which also involves racing. They're really rather different genres entirely, but are written the same lyrical style and laced with similar themes. But considered on its own merits, The Scorpio Races was a marvelous read that I'm sure I will come back to many times.

Plot: 4 cupcakes
Characters: 4 cupcakes
Style: 5 cupcakes
Overall: 4 cupcakes

If you liked The Scorpio Races, try:
Other books by Maggie Stiefvater
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4)

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

With all the excitement of the 24-hour read-a-thon this weekend, I almost forgot that there were other things going on in the blogoverse. Thanks to said read-a-thon, I read a lot of books this week, and for the same reason, I haven't yet reviewed most of them. So hopefully I will put a lot of reviews up later this week in between finishing various October challenges.

Completed:

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater (review)

Elemental: The First by Alexandra May (review)

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (re-read)

Storm Born by Richelle Mead (re-read)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (re-read)

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead (re-read)

Currently reading: 


Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

What are you reading?

Read-A-Thon Wrap-Up!

Success! I have stayed up for 24 hours! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and to the wonderful hosts and organizers of the read-a-thon! Now I'm going to sleep, at least for a little while before I have to do Actual Real Life Things...

Reading accomplished: 136 pages of World War Z by Max Brooks

Finished Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Finished Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Finished Graceling by Kristin Cashore

151 pages of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Finished Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

Total page count: 1606

Won: Mid-event survey drawing prize, hour 17 

Minichallenges: 8 or 9 I think? I can't remember anymore!

Blogs visited: The minichallenge hosts (thanks to you all too!), various friends and other random links I clicked

Read-a-thon wrap-up questions

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

I got really tired from 21-23ish.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that would keep a reader engaged for next year?

Where do I even start? YA and UF books worked well because they tend to be lighter reads, which is easier to manage if you're reading a lot. There are just too many to go into specifics!

3. Do you have any suggestions to improve the read-a-thon next year?

Just. like I said earlier, maybe have some info or tips up a few days before the event.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year's read-a-thon?

It was a lot of fun! Having prizes was really cool, and taking a break to check out the minichallenges was nice. The hosts did a great job too!

5. How many books did you read?

Four and a half and a third

6. What were the names of the books you read? 

See "reading accomplished" section above

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Richelle Mead is one of my favorite authors, so I'd say I enjoyed Thorn Queen the most even though I'd read it before.

8. Which book did you enjoy least?

Surprisingly, I wasn't a big fan of Graceling.

9. If you were a cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year's cheerleaders?

Wasn't a cheerleader! But thanks to everyone who was! 

10. How likely are you to participate in the read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I'd love to be a reader again if I'm free!

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 20

is read much words. late brain not think good. aezrgklnbzdls;/erwo;giagu3o20klnv ?

Current progress: 136 pages of World War Z by Max Brooks

Finished Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Finished Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Finished Graceling by Kristin Cashore

126 pages of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Total page count: 1101

Now reading: Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

I put Good Omens down because I had to read everything three times to actually understand it. I will read it when I am not too tired to concentrate.

Listening to: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 17

I like Tangled.

Thanks for the support, everyone! I'm STAYING ALIVE, STAYING ALIVE, OH, OH, OH, OH, STAYING ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! 

(I may also be growing slightly delirious. But you probably shouldn't take my word for it.)

Current progress: 136 pages of World War Z by Max Brooks

Finished Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Finished Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Finished Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Total page count: 1075

Now reading: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Hour 16 Minichallenge (from the bluestocking society): Re-reading

I re-read nearly all of my books. Otherwise I would have to sell all my possessions and never eat anything in order to keep up with my reading addiction. However, ones I've re-read many many times include: 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I'm sure there are lots of others but I'm tired and I can't think of them right now. Later I may re-read one of my books, especially as I get sleepier and less able to concentrate, but I'm bad at planning, so I don't know which book yet.

Hour 17 Minichallenge (from Taiwandering): Can you sing?

I grew up in Orlando, so I choose Disney! (I've been listening to a lot of Disney today too!) It's so hard to pick a favorite, but I do love The Lion King, so I'm going with Circle of Life. Hopefully it'll wake you up too!

Listening to: Tangled soundtrack

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 13!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2. How many books have you read so far?
Two and a half, and a little bit of a fourth

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I have no idea...I'm just winging it!

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Nope, it's a Saturday, so no work for me!

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
It's been pretty quiet around here...

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
That I actually woke up in time to start (semi-)promptly!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
So far so good I think. The only thing I would say is maybe have some more info posted a few days before the start. I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to do beforehand.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Get more YA books from the library! They're easier to read when you're tired.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Sadly, yes...

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I went to a coffee shop for a couple hours and it was a nice change of pace.


Hour 12 Minichallenge (from Erin Reads): Hodge-Podge Proposal


Katsa Mustang is a musician, and a damn good one, too. When she sings, everyone around her stops what they’re doing to listen. She plays a lament and they cry, hums a reel and they dance. At her first public concert, two strangers fail to react the same way as everyone else–and they don’t look happy with her…


Hour 11 Minichallenge (from Quirky Girls Read): Book Trailer

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 10

Hour 10! Almost halfway done!

Current progress: 136 pages of World War Z by Max Brooks

Finished Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Finished Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Total page count: 604

Now reading: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Listening to: Celtic Woman Radio on Pandora

Hour 10 Minichallenge (from Reading Romances): My Perfect Anthology

While I'm not a huge fan of short stories in general, I do like seeing my favorite characters crop up for a few dozen pages. I know there are already urban fantasy anthologies, but I'd really love to see Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Karen Marie Moning, Kim Harrison, Karen Chance, and Richelle Mead put together an epically long anthology (so they could be novellas rather than short stories).

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 7

Apparently we are one-quarter done? Where did the time go?

Current progress: 136 pages of World War Z by Max Brooks

Finished Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Page count: 332

Now reading: Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Listening to: Disney Radio on Pandora

Hour 6 Minichallenge (from Lisa's World of Books): What books are you looking forward to?

A lot! But a quick selection:

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews (The Edge #3)

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires #5)

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #4)

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #4)

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (The Hollows #10)

I'm off to the coffeeshop below my local bookstore for a change of scenery. See you in a bit! Happy reading!