Summoned by Susan Leigh Noble

At the age of four, Lina discovered she could start fires with a mere thought - a trait which had died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she kept this Elemental power a secret to avoid being an outcast. That was easy to do growing up in the remote grasslands of Zena.
Now eighteen, she had no plans to leave her beloved homeland. So when a strange urge compels her to travel north to an unknown destination, Lina resists this unnatural feeling. But her plans to stay in Zena are taken out of her control when she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. She fears she will have no choice but to give into the compulsion. When a raging fire prevents her return home, she realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her.
On her journey, Lina befriends an odd assortment of allies. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces despite the fact that such magic had died out over 800 years ago. Lina reluctantly begins to use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine. From Goodreads

I got this book free from Smashwords, thinking it looked interesting. I quite enjoyed it. The group ending up travelling together is interesting and it is nice to have at least one shady likeable character among them as the rest are upstanding members of their different societies. The telepathic cat and dragons also drew me into the story and I am looking forward to see where the author is going with this.
The second book Quietus came out in November 2011 and I will be sure to buy that at a later day.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
Magical March 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Why Buy the Cow? Reading challenge 2012 ( this book was free on Smashword the 10th of March 2012)

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Harry Dresden’s faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. All par for the course for Chicago’s only professional wizard.
But in all of Harry’s years of supernatural sleuthing, he’s never faced anything like this: the spirit world’s gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble—and not just of the door-slamming, ‘boo’- shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly.
Someone—or something—is stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn’t figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself. ...  From Goodreads.



This is the 3rd book in The Dresden Files and I am still enjoying them. This is a bit sad though as he in a way loses something very dear to him, I can only hope he will get it back at some time in a later book. There are so many beings that want him dead or worse so it takes time to figure out who is the worst of them. I will have a short break now but will definitely continue the series soon and maybe pull the TV-series of the shelf as well.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Magical March 2012,
Where are you Reading Challenge 2012 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed for ever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard! From Goodreads

I will not say much here, it looks like in the reviews that you either love or hate Harry Potter books. I love them and this is at least the 5th time I have read this book. I bought the whole bundle from Pottermore 2 days ago and even though I am at home surrounded by several paper copies on the bookshelves I just had to read the first book in the series on my Kindle now that they were finally available. I will wait with the rest and look forward to read them either in Britain or on some lake somewhere in Canada this summer. I can hardly wait but I will restrain myself. 

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work—magical or mundane.
But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.
A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses—and the first two don't count...   From Goodreads

The second book in The Dresden Files and I enjoyed it as much as the first one. It was great that there was more than one type of werewolf to worry about and I like how "people" are not what or who everybody else thinks they are. Even the bad guys who usually know everything are fooled. I already have book 3 and will probably read that soon.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Magical March 2012,
Where are you Reading Challenge 2012 

Harry Potter books are available

Finally. I have been waiting for this for years. I have all the books both in Danish and English in a mixture of paperbacks and hardbacks but it is of course impossible to carry them all around so I have never been able to reread them on holiday. 

I can now!

I have just bought them and downloaded them and they are safe on my Kindle. Yippee!!

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

The novels of the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and non-stop fun. Storm Front is Jim Butcher's first novel and introduces his most famous and popular character-Harry Dresden, wizard for hire.
For his first case, Harry is called in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with the blackest of magic. At first, the less-than-solvent Harry's eyes light up with dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage. Now, that black mage knows Harry's name. And things are about to get very...interesting. From Goodreads

I have been wanting to try the Dresden Files books for a while. A couple of years ago I watched the Dresden Files TV-series and really liked it and was sad when it was discontinued after the first season. But knowing it was based on books, the books have been on my wish-list / to read list for a while but I just never got round to it. I finished Fair Game earlier today and was wondering what to read next when my husband decided it was time and bought me the first book in the series and yes I have been reading non stop ever since!

First I read the (very) short story Restoration of Faith from Jim Butchers webpage that is before Storm Front in time line. I enjoyed it and went straight to the book which my husband had downloaded onto my Kindle for me.

As my 5 Polar Bears suggest I really enjoyed the book. I found it fun, fast paced and interesting. I like Bob the Skull and how he/it can turn things to his advantage (it is a spirit but definitely a HE). Harry is a wizard, one of the good guys but with some black spots in his past that he still has to fight the consequences of. He is a poor private eye with too few jobs to make a decent living but he uses both spells and potions to help himself when he is in trouble.
I am ready for the next book in the series, which has been bought and downloaded while I have been writing this.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Magical March 2012,
Where are you Reading Challenge 2012 

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.
Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.
Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights... From Goodreads.




I have been waiting for this book to be published and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed it very much and it was nice to be back in Patricia Briggs world of werewolves, fae, witches and other beings. In this book Charles has closed the natural strong bond between them because of fear of ghosts and that becomes a problem when they are looking for a serial killer who has been killing fae for over 20 years and has now started targeting werewolves.
This is book 3 of the Alpha & Omega series. If you haven't read the previous books, I would recommend starting with the first to get to know the characters. 


This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Magical March 2012,
Where are you Reading Challenge 2012

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face. From Goodreads

It was an okay book. It was interesting enough to keep me reading and I liked to hear about the Goodnight family - which I would have liked to hear more about. At times it felt too much like ghost-busters than witchcraft. The romance part of the book was also okay but I am not desperate to read more books from this author just now.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Magical March 2012,
Where are you Reading Challenge 2012

Fire by Kristin Cashore

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don’t need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven’t, you’ll be dying to read it next. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book. I have read Graceling but to be honest it is so long ago (several years I think) that I don't actually remember it. What I like about this book is Fire's struggle with her powers. How and for what to use them as she has seen her father do terrible things with the same power. I like what she becomes and the way she cares for the people around her.
I will definitely read Graceling again to spark my memory before getting hold of Bitterblue that is released in May

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge
Magical March 2012,

Convergence 2012 by Robert R. Ricks

It's 2011 and as the world inches closer to the 2012 Convergence, Tim Christenson, an addicted street thug attempts to rob the wrong man... Forced into a journey of epic consequences by the enigmatic Kuthanaga, Tim learns of the devastating fate in store for all of humanity and must come to terms with the sins of his past. Kuthanaga claims he will save one billion humans. The only problem: There's nearly seven billion on the planet. From Goodreads

I really enjoyed this book, the storyline and the thought that the 3 different kinds of aliens had been on earth since the beginning and been part of making us who we are. Also that these aliens that seem so powerful and invincible actually are the few that are left after being slaves of an even more powerful race is quite intriguing.
Why then only give 3 Polar Bears? Well the story itself should have 4 Polar Bears but the grammatical errors in the book unfortunately pulls it down to 3. I do not usually notice grammatical errors, I just read and if somebody points out some errors my thoughts are that yes I see what they mean but I didn't notice while I was reading. I did notice in this book and when I started to complain aloud about the errors it had to influence my rating.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge, 
Magical March 2012,
Why Buy the Cow? Reading challenge 2012 ( this book was free on Smashword the 10th of March 2012)

Witchblood by Emma Mills

When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.
Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood? From Goodreads






I really enjoyed this book A teenage witch who doesn't know she is a witch becomes a vampire and then her powers starts to show themselves. I also like that in this book there are a lot of people who are not what they seem to be but they play their parts well. Jess is a strong main character and I like the other vampires as well. I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in June and will definitely try and get hold of it for my summer holiday.

Daughter of the Flames by Zoë Marriott

What if your deadliest enemy were the only one who could save you?

Inside an ancient temple in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Zira trains in the martial arts to become a warrior priestess who can defend the faith of the Ruan people. Bearing a scar on her face from the fire that killed her parents, the orphaned Zira is taught to distrust the occupying Sedornes. Terror strikes when the forces of the tyrannical Sedorne king destroy the only home she knows. To survive, Zira must unravel the secrets of her identity, decide her people’s fate — and accept her growing feelings for a man who should be her enemy. From Goodreads

It is an okay book and I enjoyed it. But the relationship between Zira and  Sorin went from non existing to marriage within a few days and yes I know the reasons for it but it just felt like it went too fast. There was lots of action but the book just didn't pull me in to the story as much as I would have liked.

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

 It’s a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows—one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero. And Claire really doesn’t have the right connections—to the undead who run the town.
When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Hew 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.. From Goodreads

I have been hearing about the books of The Morganville Vampires for a while now so I thought I better try out the first book in the series. Yes I do like it and I was close to giving it 4 polar bears but it just didn't quite make it up there. It was okay but no more than that. The likelihood of someone being beaten as severely as Claire and then staying in town, I just don't  find believable. But since she now stayed and is through this I do want to read more of this  series in the future.

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea by Ursula Le Guin

This new collection of short fiction by the only science fiction author to win the National Book Award celebrates her understanding that narrative is the shining thread with which we create our common humanity. Astonishing in their diversity & power, her stories exhibit both the artistry of a major writer at the height of her powers & the humanity of a mature artist confronting the world with her gift of wonder still intact. From Goodreads                    

1. "The First Contact with the Gorgonids" 
2. "Newton's Sleep" 
3. "The Ascent of the North Face" 
4. "The Rock That Changed Things"   
5. "The Kerastion" 
6. "The Shobies' Story" 
7. "Dancing to Ganam" 
8. "Another Story OR A Fisherman of the Inland Sea"  


First of, I really like Ursula Le Guin's books that are set in Earthsea. So I was recommended this from my husband for the 2012 Sci-Fi Challenge where the object is to read outside ones comfort zone. This was definitely outside my comfort zone! 

Of the 8 stories I only actually liked 3, 2 were okay and the last 3 just weren't for me. 
I liked :
4. "The Rock That Changed Things" 
7. "Dancing to Ganam" 
8. "Another Story OR A Fisherman of the Inland Sea"   
My favourite was 8. "Another Story OR A Fisherman of the Inland Sea" 
Were okay:
1. "The First Contact with the Gorgonids" 
5. "The Kerastion" 
Not for me:
2. "Newton's Sleep"
3. "The Ascent of the North Face" 
6. "The Shobies' Story"

Ursula Le Guin is brilliant at describing the different societies. And even in 2 of the ones that wasn't for me I do like the setting and description of the place and society
I am pleased I have read some of her fantasy books because this book might have put me off picking up another of her books. As I like her way of writing I think I might try another of her sci-fi  books at a later date. I might put one in my holiday reading pile. Maybe.

The Magical March Reading Challenge!

The Magical March Reading Challenge!

Purpose: 
To read and review works of Fantasy, Science-Fiction, or Magical Realism.
The Levels:
Magician’s Class:              1-2 Books Read & Reviewed       1 Book $10 or Less
Sorcerer’s Class:               3-5 Books Read & Reviewed       1 Book $12 or Less
Wizard’s Class:                 6-7 Books Read & Reviewed       1 Book $15 or Less
Grand Merlin Class:         8+ Books Read & Reviewed         1+  Book(s) $20 or Less

I found out about this reading challenge from Michelle at The True Book Addict.

Yes I am going to take part in one more reading challenge. It is a short one as it only runs for the month of March.

I have decided to join for the Wizards Class: 6-7 Books Read & Reviewed       1 Book $15 or Less
as I need an incentive to read more this month.

This is just my sign up post. You can see the list of what I have been reading for this challenge on my Magical March Reading Challenge Page

February 2012 Update

This is the list of the 8 books I read in February. Definitely not as many as I would have liked.

1. For Love of Mother - Not by Alan Dean Foster
2. Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates
3. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
4. Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
5. Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
6. Rose by Martin Cruz Smith
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
8. Sojourner by Maria Rachel Hooley

To reach the goal of the 110 books I have set for the year, I have to read  at least 9+ books a month so I fell short this month. Luckily I read a lot last month and I hope to read more than 9 books again in March.
My February books can be found HERE

January 2012 Update

Here is a list of the 17 books I read in January. I ended up reading quite a bit among other things thanks to Michelle, The True Book Addict who hosted A winter's respite Read-a-Thon. I read 7 books in the week that this Read-a-Thon took place.

1. Spellbound by Kelley Armstrong
2. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
3. Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
4. The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
5. Enders's Game by Orson Scott Card
6. Sabriel by Garth Nix
7. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
8. Hidden by Kelley Armstrong
9. Trader by Charles de Lint
10. LightMasters: Number 13 by M.G. Wells
11. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
12. Sojourn by Jana Oliver
13. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
14. The Penal Colony by Richard Herley
15. Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
16. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
17. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey

These books were a great start to all my challenges for this year. And my opinion of these books can be found HERE