Review: Nightlife by Caitlin Kittredge

Night Life
Nocturne City, Book 1)
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 4, 2008)
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

Summary: In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and werewolves prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace–while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes…

I bought Night Life as part of the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults from Literary Escapism. I had never red Caitlin Kittredge before, but had heard good things about her books. After reading a few chapters of Night Life I thought to myself "Hey, this could be Law and Order: Special Victims Unit but with werewolves, demons and witches!" However, I think it's much better than SVU due to the snarky main character Luna and the sexy Dmitri with his tough guy charm. He snuck up on me in the book for some reason. At first I didn't appreciate his sexiness, distracted by the serial killing psycho Luna is trying to find and stop. Once I did notice him things became much more interesting for me, and for Luna.

Night Life is a quick read, mostly because the action and plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, as if putting the book down would somehow hinder Luna's investigation. The end, and especially the final showdown with the bad guy, is amazing with a plot twist I had not excepted.

As far as romance, this is not a Happily Ever After book, but it still made my heart ache for Luna. She's not a happy, "let's look at the positive" person like her sister Sunny, who is trying to influence her in that department. Luna is a good cop, a reluctant werewolf with issues, and a loyal friend. Her life is complicated, which is what makes her story a good read. Happy and simple may be awesome in real life when it's possible, but a good story it doesn't make.

I want to take a minute and address the reviews I saw on Amazon. I was really surprised to see people calling Luna "a bitch", "unlikeable" and yes, someone actually called her a "mean girl". First, I have to wonder if the reviewers truly read the book to the very end. Luna is tough, and yes, she is sarcastic and "in your face". It's a way of protecting herself from the realities of her job, her past and the horrendous murders taking place. The other thing that bothers me is that the book is clearly marketed as a gritty urban fantasy. This genre is not for everyone. I happen to love it, and do not think it would be in the least realistic to have the heroes and heroines too "nice" or too "understanding". Here is an example of Luna's "attitude". A fellow police officer has beaten up a kid when bringing him into the station, and has an attitude about Luna:

He reached around and patted me on the bottom. "Thank that sweet ass."
(skipping a few lines...)

"That's my trigger finger you got!" he yelped.

"Then you shouldn't have put it on my ass." I pinched harder. "I couldn't care less what you think of me. But for the record, I think you are a violent, incompetent psychopath who has no business being a police officer."

Personally, I think he got off light. The other characters in the book are varied; some are likable such as Sunny, Mac, and Dmitri, in my opinion. Some characters are distinctly unlikeable and I found each one had specific reasons for being that way.

If you are a fan of Lori Handeland, Vicki Petterssen, Marjorie M. Liu, Jeanne Stein or Ilona Andrews you will want to pick up the Nocturne City Novels. I will be reading the other three books in the series as soon as I can.

~Moonsanity

Review: Immortality Bites Series

Stakes & Stilettos
Tall, Dark & Fangsome
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: Forever

Summary: Newly-vamped Sarah Dearly wants her normal life back, but fate is fighting against her. She tries to get a nice, regular job and gets staked at the interview, only to be rescued by a masked vampire who calls himself the Red Devil. Then a wallflower-turned-witch curses her, making her a bloodthirsty, sun-allergic nightwalker — the worst vampire there is. As if all that weren’t bad enough, she can’t get married because her 600-year-old boyfriend, Thierry, is in a centuries-long marriage of convenience he can’t escape.

I've had Stakes & Stilettos and Tall, Dark & Fangsome on my To Be Read shelf for a little while now after winning both copies in different contests. A sign, I think, that I was suppose to read Michelle Rowen's books. Sarah Darling is a wonderful, witty, charming character that I will miss since Tall, Dark & Fangsome wraps up her story. I'm wondering if the author will surprise us with a short story in the future. (We could probably beg and/or bribe her.)

The Immortality Bites books can be read on their own because the author gives a quick wrap-up at the beginning of each book. I had no problem starting within the series, reading books three and four. Sarah Darling is a new, reluctant vampire. Thierry is a very old vampire who is tired of his existence, or at least he was, until he met Sarah. Who knew you could meet your true love after 600 years? Sarah tries to see the good in everyone, which means she often trusts those who don't deserve her trust. This trait is part of what makes her so full of life, and so charming. I love that she is a regular gal who became a vampire. She has the same wants, doubts and problems that the rest of us do. She still has to deal with earning a living, facing her parents, and building a relationship.

Thierry, on the other hand, is a Master Vampire, who has lived a long, long, lonely life. People think he is cold, aloof and unemotional, but Sarah knows differently. I love their relationship and Thierry is incredibly sexy. He may not be aggressive in a traditional sense, but he simmers.

Michelle Rowen's writing is upbeat, witty and fun, but she can also keep her readers on the edge of their seats. I felt like I was with Sarah as she tried to keep her friends and Thierry safe, and I wanted to yell out "No, don't trust him!" "Run, Sarah, run!" I couldn't put either book down once I started reading.

Fans of contemporary as well as paranormal romance will really enjoy the Immortality Bites series, especially if you love humor with your romance. I will be adding the other books in the series to my reading list, as well as Michelle's new books. In a little side not, the books take place in Toronto where I went for my honeymoon 21 years ago. It was also where my husband proposed to me, and where we've vacationed since. I love Toronto and hopefully will be going back in the next few years.

This review is also part of the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults from Literary Escapism. You can visit Michelle's blog here.



~Moonsanity

League of Reluctant Adults Challenge!

Yes, I'm jumping on the wagon late, but it IS before Midnight and it's still February 1st! I've been following The League of Reluctant Adults blog for quite awhile now and have been reading their books as fast as I possibly can since they are full of paranormal goodness. Today they added one of my favorite authors, Rob Thurman, to The League. I could no longer resist joining the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults from Literary Escapism. The challenge called out to me, and dared me to join in a snarky, yet somehow mesmerizing voice(within my mind, of course). "Join you freaking idiot, join! Or I shall rant and rave at you for an eternity or until you lose what little sanity you have left."
Here is the shortened scoop on the challenge, but you can get the details by clicking the above link at the challenge site:

The Challenge will run from February 1st through the 28th. All reviews must have a February 2010 date. The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the list. (View Here) The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you’ve already read all 20 of them, you can still participant, but don’t re-read a novel. Try something new.

I will update the challenge on this post as I read the books.
I wonder if that voice will stop nagging me now?

BOOKS READ
(Reviews linked from the titles)
1. Madhouse by Rob Thurman
2. Immortality Bites Books by Michelle Rowen
3. Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1) by Caitlin Kittredge
4. Dead to Me by Anton Strout

5. The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo
6. Greywalker by Kat Richardson

~Moonsanity

100+ Reading Challenge

I joined the 100+ Book Challenge as my primary challenge. The basic rules are :

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts. What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.

For the rest of the details visit J.Kaye's Book Blog. I will update on this post as I read books, and link to my review of them if I have it written. I need to do better at adding books as soon as I finish them! I'm also reading two books on Kindle right now, but I haven't finished. The books below were all books, not ebooks, except for The Devil in Merrivale, which was a PDF file due to the publisher sending them out late for a book tour.

Books Read For 2010:

January Reads
1. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin
2. Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles
3. The Iron Hunt, Hunter Kiss, Book 1 by Marjorie M. Liu
4. Bitten by Cupid (anthology)
5. Inked (anthology)
6. Veracity by Laura Bynum
7. The Devil in Merrivale by Jackie Griffey
8. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
9. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (reread)
10. Firespell by Chloe Neill
11. Pleasure Unbound, A Demonica Novel, by Larissa Ione
12. Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin
13. Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin

February Reads
14. The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter
15. Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
16.Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
17. City of Souls by Vicki Pettersson
18. Madhouse by Rob Thurman
19. Stakes & Stilettos by Michelle Rowen
20. Tall, Dark & Fangsome by Michelle Rowen
21. Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1) by Caitlin Kittredge
22. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
23. Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep
24. Pride by Rachel Vincent
25. Dead to Me by Anton Strout

March Reads

26.The Devil Inside by Jenna Black
27.Steamed by Katie MacAlister
28.Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane
29.Succubi Like It Hot by Jill Myles
30.My Love Eternal by Liz Strange
31. Crimson City by Liz Maverick
32. Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
33. Bite Me by Melissa Francis
34. Evernight by Claudia Gray

The books with the links have been reviewed, ones without will be future reviews. Sometimes if it's a series I wait until I read them all before reviewing.

~Moonsanity

My Book Challenges for 2010

First, let me say that I have never participated in a book challenge. I still can't believe I didn't find the book blogging community until September of 2009. I have missed SO many cool things, and I'm just amazed at all the cool book bloggers out there. You all are awesome. So, it's time to pick a few book challenges for 2010. I have no idea how you all choose them. I'm guessing the idea is to challenge myself:) First, I choose The HMS Challenger over at Word for Teens. Nicole explains the challenge:

Way back when, the ocean had yet to be explored. We knew nothing about it. Then, the HMS Challenger was sent out - its challenge? To scope the ocean and learn it's secrets.

With that in mind, readers, I challenge you to read (or reread) ten books between now and September 19th of 2010. But not just any ten books. These books must involve water - be it about pirates, mermaids, or the coast of California, fiction or nonfiction.

Isn't this a cool idea? Wow, and some good books come to my mind!

Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme by Sara Douglass
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Ilse Witch by Terry Brooks

Those are off the top of my head. I'm also excited because I can also reread Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler AND include the second book Tracking the Tempest due out in the spring or summer of 2010. Awesome.


My next challenge is the 100+ Reading Challenge from J. Kaye's Book Blog. The rules are as follows:

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

This will be my "big" challenge. I constantly have a book that I'm reading, and now and then I read two at a time, so 100 books shouldn't be a problem at all. Reviewing each of them will take motivation on my part, but I really want to do this. So, I'm in!

Lastly, unless another challenge grabs me and hauls me into it's clutches is the 451 Challenge, which is based on 451 Fridays, a weekly feature hosted at As Usual, We Need More Bookshelves.
The Rules:

Between January 1, 2010 and November 30, 2010, participants are challenged to read books on the 451 master list. There will be several levels of participation:

Spark - read 1-2 books from the master list
Ember - read 3-4 books from the master list
Flame - read 5-6 books from the master list
Blaze - read 7 or more books from the master list

Re-reading is acceptable, as are crossovers with other challenges. Audio, print, and e-books are all acceptable. Each month, participants will be encouraged to post their reviews on the challenge blog, and each review posted will be an entry into a grand prize drawing for a $25 gift card to the online bookseller of the winner's choice.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was one of the first science fiction books that I read when I was a teen, and last year my teen read it for the first time, loving it as much as I did. He, like me, loves books and reading with a passion. So, I am going for the Blaze level and reading 7 or more from the list, which has some awesome selections!

I will post an individual post for each challenge in January. Have you chosen a book challenge for 2010?

~Moonsanity