Reading Update and a Duck Update

Our duck friend laid at least six eggs. If she laid a seventh, she covered up the nest before we could check it out. Guess we wait about 30 days to see how many of her eggs actually hatch. Kind of exciting. Never had anything like this happen this close to home before.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #19

Dates read: March 22-25, 2021
Title: Later
Year of publication: 2021
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Series: Hard Case Crime
# of Pages: 248
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine—as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike form beyond the grave.
My thoughts: I enjoyed the book. Then again, I enjoy almost everything Stephen King writes. Did I find similarities to other stories? Yep. Did I care? Nope.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Reading Update and a Duck’s Nest

So on Tuesday I decided to go walking in the morning instead of doing step aerobics since it was 50 degrees outside (and not raining). It was a great walk. 3.71 miles! But upon my return, I scared a duck from my front porch (literally scared the poop out of her). Heck, she scared me, too (but without the messy pants)! As I mentioned this to Hubby, he wondered if she was looking for a place to nest. Turns out she wasn’t looking. She already started one!

There was one egg under the bush I scared her from. And another one appeared later in the day. Looks like we won’t be using the front door for about a month now. Hubby hopes there will be lots of eggs (female ducks can lay 3-12 of them, one a day). He LOVES baby ducks!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #17

Dates read: March 16-19, 2021
Title: Fall of Night
Year of publication: 2013
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #14
# of Pages: 443
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback (British version)
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate course at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying goodbye to her friends, especially her boyfriend Shane, is bittersweet, and her new life at MIT is both scary and exciting. Enrolled in a special advanced study programme with Professor Irene Anderson, former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on VLAD, her machine designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires.
    But Morganville and its inhabitants are never really far from Claire’s mind. When she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire begins to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make…
My thoughts: Cliffhanger. Grrr… Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Book #18

Dates read: March 20-22, 2021
Title: Daylighters
Year of publication: 2013
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #15
# of Pages: 446
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback (British version)
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire Danvers and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.
    It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation as offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.
    Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end…
My thoughts: My only issue was with the timeline from book 14 to book 15. Too much happened in Morganville while Eve and Michael were gone for just a couple of weeks. But besides that, it was a fitting end to this series. And worth the read. As long as you just read all fifteen books back-to-back-to-back, if you know what I mean.

So… Do birds nest around your house? I’m used to seeing nests up on the tree or roof. We’ve even had one on top of our wind chimes (at the old house). But not ground level, on my front porch. This will be really interesting.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Reading Update and Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My last name is definitely Irish, but turns out I’m more Irish than Hubby. My paternal grandmother and maternal great-grandfather were born there, whereas Hubby’s Irish ancestors are way more farther out than that. I just didn’t grow up with an Irish name (I believe Thurber is a Welsh name, but I could be wrong).

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #15

Dates read: March 8-11, 2021
Title: Black Dawn
Year of publication: 2012
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #12
# of Pages: 507
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback (British version)
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: Chaos has taken over the quiet college town of Morganville as the threat of the draug rapidly spreads with the help of the city’s water system. Whilst most of the locals have already fled, student Claire Danvers and her friends Shane, Eve, and Michael choose to stay and fight.
    Things take a turn for the worse when vampire Amelie, the town’s founder, is infected by the master draug’s bite. Unless Claire and her friends can find an antidote to save Amelie and overcome the draug, Morganville’s future looks bleak…

My thoughts: Another gripping story. Breezing right through them now. I find it funny that even the blurb has that British…tang.

Book #16

Dates read: March 11-16, 2021
Title: Bitter Blood
Year of publication: 2012
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #13
# of Pages: 538
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback (British version)
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville have managed to coexist in peace. But thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have now been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. College student Claire Danvers, with ties to both humans and vampires, isn’t about to take sides.
    To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville searching for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news…or worse.

My thoughts: As you can see… the books are getting longer. Which is better than having stupid cliffhangers. I could almost see this as being the last book in the series. Almost. Two more to go, though.

So… Do you have any Irish relatives? Do you wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? I had to search my closet for a green shirt since I’m actually going out today. Couldn’t believe I didn’t have more than the one. I must remedy this. One day.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Reading Update and Get My Book for FREE

Smashwords is having a sale this week (Mar 7-13, 2021). They’re calling it “Read an Ebook Week.” So in honor of that, you can get My Sunny Vampire for FREE! Just click HERE! But hurry, this deal ends March 13, 2021.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #14

Dates read: March 3-8, 2021
Title: Last Breath
Year of publication: 2011
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #11
# of Pages: 447
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback (British version)
How obtained: Purchased new
Blurb from book: Claire Danvers is concerned when three vampires vanish from Morganville without a trace. The last person seen with them is someone new to town—a mysterious individual named Magnus. Claire is convinced creepy Magnus isn’t human…but is he a vampire, or something else entirely?
    Claire’s hunt for answers leads her to solving another mystery that’s long been puzzling her: why do vampires live so far out in a sunny desert when they’re sensitive to sunlight? The answer has nothing to do with sunlight, but with water—and an ancient enemy who has finally found a way to invade the vampires’ landlocked community. Vampires aren’t the top predator on earth. There’s something worse that preys on them…something much worse. Which means if Claire, and Morganville, want to live, they will have to fight on to the last breath…

My thoughts: Knocked a star off on Goodreads because...cliffhanger. Ugh. Otherwise, the story was gripping. Good thing I don't have to WAIT for the next one. I already own it!

So… Have you ever read a book and come across the word “kerb” for “curb” and wonder what the editor was thinking? Turns out the book was printed in England and that’s the British spelling. They also use the single quotation marks for dialogue instead of double. Good thing these variations don’t bother me any, but I do find it funny that the last 5 books I have of the Morganville Vampire series were printed in England, yet they were CHEAPER than the American version! Go figure.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Reading Update

Looks like I’m slacking again. I’ll blame the Penguins game. Watched it last night and was super happy they won. And then forgot all about it being Tuesday and that I should have posted this. And I wouldn’t have even remembered if I hadn’t just finished the next book I’m reading. So guess I’m posting two books today.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #12

Dates read: February 23-28
Title: Ghost Town
Year of publication: 2010
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #9
# of Pages: 335
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased used
Blurb from book: Despite their obvious differences, the human and vampire residents of Morganville have learned to coexist, but that doesn’t stop genius student Claire Danvers from keeping up her guard. While developing a new system to maintain the town’s defenses, Claire discovers a way to use the vampires’ powers to help keep outsiders from spreading news of Morganville’s “unique” situation once they’ve crossed the city limits.
    But the new system has an unexpected and possibly deadly consequence: People inside the town start forgetting who and what they are—even the vampires. And when Claire’s boyfriend, Shane, and her best friend, Eve, start treating her like a perfect stranger, Claire realizes she has to figure out a way to pull the plug on her experiment—before she forgets how to save herself…and Morganville.

My thoughts: So glad those nasty cliffhangers are gone. Oh, it has unresolved story lines (this is a series), but nothing making me scream “What!!!” I’m glad I have all the books so I can finish reading this series to see how it will all end.

Book #13

Dates read: February 28-March 3
Title: Bite Club
Year of publication: 2011
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #10
# of Pages: 337
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased used
Blurb from book: After discovering that vampires populate Morganville—and surviving a number of adventures with her new night-dwelling friends—college student Claire Danvers has come to realize that for the most part, the undead just want to live their lives.
    But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.
    There’s a new extreme sport being broadcast over the Internet: bare-knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against one another—or, worse, against humans. Tracking the out-of-town signal leads Claire—accompanied by a loyal group of friends and frenemies—to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville. And if they want to survive, they’ll have to do a lot more than fight…

My thoughts: Quite the page turner. And no pesky cliffhanger! Yay!

So… I finally got around and bought a pair of shoes for my step aerobics. Boy, what a difference they make. I also bought a second pair for my everyday wear, since both sets of old sneakers were pretty worn down. I really hate buying shoes, but I found a local, independent store that actually measured my foot last time and kept a record. It was so easy to buy these shoes this time around. Sometimes buying local/independent is soooo much nicer. Don’t you agree?

Happy Reading!

Stacy