Friday Book Club #9

Long time no see! The reading's been happening, but it's involved a lot of older re-reads, which I probably shouldn't have assumed no one else would care about.

Still, things have been looking up this month, and there are some great things out in the book-o-sphere I'd like to highlight!

Read & Loved:

You Are Here by Jenny Lawson

When Jenny Lawson is anxious, one of the things she does is to draw. Elaborate doodles, beautiful illustrations, often with captions that she posts online. At her signings, fans show up with printouts of these drawings for Jenny to autograph. And inevitably they ask her when will she publish a whole book of them. That moment has arrived.

You Are Here is something only Jenny could create. A combination of inspiration, therapy, coloring, humor, and advice, this book is filled with Jenny’s amazingly intricate illustrations, all on perforated pages that can be easily torn out, hung up, and shared. Drawing on the tenets of art therapy―which you can do while hiding in the pillow fort under your bed―You Are Here is ready to be made entirely your own.

Some of the material is dark, some is light; some is silly and profane and irreverent. Gathered together, this is life, happening right now, all around, in its messy glory, as only Jenny Lawson could show us.

My Thoughts: I have to admit that as my own special brand of weirdo, I haven't colored a single page in this yet. BUT. The words that Lawson uses in and around her images are incredibly powerful in their own right, and I spent a couple days going through and reading/examining all that she included here. Highly recommended, all ages, all readers.

The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston

Stieg Engstrom, Angriest Viking Ever, has got big problems. The human Viking Clans of earth are in danger of being obliterated—along with the rest of the world—and the only one who may be able to save them is a super pain-in-the-ass Crow. Most people annoy Stieg, but this is the one woman he really can’t stand…

Erin Amsel loves being a Crow! Why wouldn’t she when the other Viking Clans are so hilariously arrogant and humorless? She’s not about to let all that come to an end! She just didn’t expect to be shoulder to shoulder in battle with Stieg. Then again, he’s so easy to torment—and also kind of cute.

With the future of the world riding on them, Stieg knows he’ll have to put aside his desperate need to kiss the smirk right off Erin’s face. Wait. What? He didn’t mean that—did he? No! They have one goal: To conquer the idiots. Because nothing bugs Stieg more than when idiots win. If only he can keep himself from suddenly acting like one…

My Thoughts: You know I love this author, and while her Shifters still hold a special place in my heart, this raucous band of Viking miscreants is pretty great too. I had no idea what to think going into this one, mostly because I didn't have Stieg really formed as a whole character in my head, lol (sorry Stieg) but Laurenston made me love him, and love them together. Erin is ridiculous, like the kind of fucking ridiculous I'm not sure I could tolerate in real life, but in book form she's the perfect heroine the world needs to prevent Ragnarok. And who can put up with/love Stieg - and his goats.

Trust Me by Laura Florand

She's nobody's damsel in distress...
Top Parisian pastry chef Lina Farah is used to fighting for her success. But when a violent attack shatters her security, she needs a new tactic to battle her dragons. What better way to banish the monsters under her bed than by inviting a sexy SEAL to tangle the sheets?

He's a professional dragon slayer...
Elite operative Jake Adams has never stayed in one place long enough to form a lasting relationship. Lina's fire and beauty tempt him to give her the hot affair she craves. But her spirit and courage make him long for more. Can he convince a woman seeking forgetfulness to dream of ever after...with him?

My Thoughts: There are few romance authors who tug on my heartstrings like Florand, and this book is no exception. I was a little concerned there in the beginning, there seemed to be this large misunderstanding that was taking longer than I wanted to unravel, but as usual she pulled it out. She excels so incredibly at building characters who learn to emotionally open up to their other half, and the words shes uses to communicate that journey are my favorite.

I'm Looking Forward To:

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness...

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave...

My Thoughts: Ok so....I've had this since the day it came out. Don't hate me, but I just haven't been ready! Sometimes Bishop can emotionally annihilate you, and while the little bit of reviews I've allowed myself to read implied that this wouldn't be the case with Etched in Bone, I haven't been ready. I can thankfully say now that I've got a bit more happy built up in my personal bank, so I'm hoping to pick this one up soon, and finish it as fast as possible, lol.