Benedict, Lyn: Gods & Monsters

Gods & Monsters (2011)
Written by: Lyn Benedict
Genre: Urban/Dark Fantasy
Pages: 311 (Mass Market Paperback)
Series: Book Three of Shadows Inquiries
Rating: 7 – Good Read

Disclaimer: this book was received for review from Dreams & Speculation

Why I Read It: I’ve been craving urban fantasies that break from the norm, urban fantasies that aren’t straying too close to the paranormal romance line and instead focus more heavily on the supernatural plots. I’m finding the darker, the better, and Lyn Benedict’s Gods & Monsters certainly fits that bill. I was going to pick it up on my own sweet time, but when I saw Dreams & Speculation had it available for guest reviewers, I asked if I could take that slot, and she was happy to oblige. And since it’s a relatively new release, I wanted to read it sooner rather than later.

Dolamore, Jaclyn: Magic Under Glass

Magic Under Glass (2010)
Written by: Jaclyn Dolamore
Genre: YA/Romantic Clockwork Fantasy
Pages: 225 (Hardcover)
Rating: 6 – Worth Reading, with Reservations

Why I Read It: It’s time to play Book Uno! This was my second invitation to participate at Jawas Read, Too!‘s monthly game, and this time, my challenge was “Young Adult.” After my last challenge of “clones,” this was easy! I have a nice little stack of YA books in my TBR pile, so the real trick was finding something that would give me a great challenge to pass to the next player. No, I’m not telling you what that challenge will be (you’ll have to watch Jawas Read, Too! to find that out), but I will tell you that it was an easy choice to settle on Jaclyn Dolamore’s Magic Under Glass, a title I’d been eyeing ever since seeing the original cover (I’ll talk more about the cover changes at the end of the review). So without further adieu, here’s my second Book Uno review!

Aguirre, Ann: Enclave

Enclave (2011)
Written by: Ann Aguirre
Genre: YA/Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia
Pages: 262 (Hardcover)
Rating: 7 – Good Read

Why I Read It: It’s Ann Aguirre, people! Of course I’m gonna read this. The only real question was whether or not I’d read the Kindle version or the hardcover, but when I finally found a copy of the hardcover in stores, I decided to go ahead and pick it up. And since it didn’t get selected for the July 2011 Book Club, I decided now was as a good a time as any to read it, especially since I’ve been reading books lately that’ve been really slow. I needed something a little more exciting.

Adams, John Joseph: Wastelands

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (2008)
Edited by: John Joseph Adams
Genre: Short Stories/Science Fiction
Pages: 331 (Trade Paperback)
Rating: 5 – It’s a Gamble

Why I Read It: I wanted to read this anthology ever since it was announced, because come on: how can you resist a whole anthology of post-apocalyptic (no, not dystopic) fiction? At the time, the subgenre wasn’t as saturated as it is today, and I was totally stoked to pick it up. Of course, it sat on my self for years, unread, until all of you book clubbers rescued it from the dreaded stacks! It wasn’t picked as a book club challenge, so I felt now was a good time to read it.

Heinlein, Robert A.: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966)
Edited by: Robert A. Heinlein
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 382 (Trade Paperback)
Rating: 3 – Not My Cup of Tea

Why I Read It: I picked up this title years ago, along with Stranger in a Strange Land, with every intention of sitting down and reading these two books to see what I had, if anything, in common with Heinlein in terms of writing (themes, particularly). This never happened, so both titles have languished in the TBR pile, with Heinlein being one of those greats of the genre that I knew I should read but just couldn’t seem to get around to reading. To be honest, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress would still be languishing if not for its selection for the April Book Club, so now, I can finally say I’ve read Heinlein! But the verdict? Now that’s interesting . . .