Tag: Touched by an Alien series

THROW BACK: Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

THROW BACK: Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on December 14, 2011. I recently posted a quick review of the first three books in this series based on my reading journals when I first read them. This is my 2011 review of book four, which is still one of my favorite books in the series.

Summary

Kitty and Martini are back, and baby makes three. You would think the happy little family could enjoy a little quiet together, but “quiet” is probably not going to be in the cards for them any time soon. After a traumatic delivery, Kitty discovers a plot to take out Chuckie and Kitty’s mom. At least, that seems to be the plot. But there are more layers to this situation than meets the eye. There’s a mole – or is there? Kitty’s high school friends are in danger – or are they part of the plotting? At the root of everything is Kitty’s baby. The bad guys want the baby and, like any good momma, Kitty will fight tooth and nail to protect her.

Review

This is a hard book to summarize because sooooo many things are going on, and I don’t want to give any of the good stuff away. I have been a big fan of this series since I read the first book. I re-read them just for fun even though I have tons of new and yet-unread books laying around. Alien Proliferation is a perfect addition to the series. I didn’t want to put the book down. I laughed out loud often as I zoomed through this 400+ page non-stop thrill. It was a delight to dig into such a meaty book that wasn’t filled with a lot of unnecessary fluff. Plenty of great twists and turns. New dynamics between characters as Kitty gets a new partner to work with and other new characters are introduced (or familiar characters are developed more fully). While motherhood changes Kitty in some ways, it doesn’t change any of the things I love about her – her sarcasm, her intuition, her kick-butt-and-take-names attitude. She continues to be a great, strong character.

This is not a story for the faint of heart. Kitty is in a life-and-death battle and there are casualties. Everything that happens is appropriate to the story, though. I enjoyed this so much, I am looking for time when I can carve out a few days to read through the whole series to date from start to finish. The next book, Alien Diplomacy, releases in April, 2012.

5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: fans of the series, science fiction/fantasy fans who like an element of romance in their stories

Cautions: My personal feeling is that new readers will be lost if they jump in here. Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning and enjoy the whole series. Otherwise, there’s some violence, and some romantic moments are described in detail. Those sections can be skipped over by sensitive readers. There might also be some language (honestly, I was reading so fast to find out what was going on, I didn’t really pay that close of attention).

REVIEW: Kitty Katt-Martini Series by Gini Koch

REVIEW: Kitty Katt-Martini Series by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

This is another vacation/catch up sort of post. I am in this weird reading space this summer where I have a ton of ARCs I should be reading, but I am enjoying books from my TBR and also trying to slow the general pace of life. Part of enjoying that slower pace is returning to my comfort reads. The Kitty Katt-Martini/Touched by an Alien series by Gini Koch is hands down my favorite series of books ever. It’s a perfect blend of science fiction and romance and mystery and action – with lots of snark. I re-read these regularly. I get to a place of craving them. I can rarely go a day where something doesn’t make me think of a character or a moment in this 16-book series. I’ve recently re-read these three books once again, so they are fresh in my mind.

So today, I am going to give a teaser of the first three books in the series. This is how I was introduced to the series back in the spring of 2011. I discovered these three books on a shelf in Barnes and Noble. I bought the first one, read it and loved it, and then went back for the next two and read all three of them back to back to back. From there it was a matter of waiting until the fourth book released in December when I devoured it. From there these have been must-buys, pre-orders, and signed books every year, twice a year, until 2018 when the author hit a snag. We’ve been waiting for book 17 ever since. Thankfully, regular re-reads have kept me happy during the wait. So, here are the summaries along with my first impressions from back in 2011.

Touched by an Alien

Kitty Katt is surprised to discover aliens are on earth when she stops an alien monster that forms right in front of her and starts attacking. Thankfully, the aliens she meets from the Alpha Centauri system are here to help. Smart, strong, and gorgeous, the ACs have been on Earth for decades as both exiles from their home world and as the only force able to stop the parasitic aliens that form monsters like Kitty fought. As Kitty joins the group, she sees and understands things the ACs have been too close (or too naïve) to see before. Working together, Kitty is able to help her new friends, especially the sexy Jeffrey Martini, fight the main fugly who wants to use the ACs to take over the world and remake it in his horrible image.

2011 – ♥♥♥♥♥ – “I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It’s sassy, funny, and sarcastic. Kitty’s love interest is flirty (bordering on too much) and protective. The storyline deals with prejudice, exile, and persecution themes. The author does a fantastic job of world-building without doing a data dump in the beginning of the book. Great example of good ‘voice’ – relatable, believable, comfortable, and engaging. The banter during one of the big battle scenes had me laughing out loud….” (language, sex)

 

Alien Tango

2011 – ♥♥♥♥½ – “Kitty, Martini, and the rest of Alpha team are on their way to Kennedy Space Center to investigate a strange incident with three astronauts who had been on a mission. By the time Kitty figures out what’s going on and gets her team out of Kennedy, she will face an obsessive ex-boyfriend, an anti-alien plot to kill them, bombs (plural), a psycho stalker, and an alien intelligence far more powerful than anything they’ve ever encountered. And those challenges are nothing compared to meeting Martini’s family.

“Another winner from Gini Koch. There were whole chapters I read twice because they were so perfect. Kitty continues to be one of my favorite characters. She’s strong, intuitive, sarcastic, and loyal. Great secondary storyline about alien and human relationships. ” (language, sex)

 

Alien in the Family

Kitty has successfully opened the door to  AC and human marriages. Her own engagement to Jeff, though, gains the attention of the ACs back on the home world. It seems some of the older Earth ACs forgot to share how their families are connected to the Alpha Four monarchy – and that is going to cause galactic-level trouble.

2011 – ♥♥♥♥½ – “Fascinating chess analogy, great new characters, plenty of interesting family dynamics for both Kitty AND Martini, and even some religious references. Terrifically intricate plot pulls the reader from page to page.” (language, sex)

 

SABBATICAL - Must Read Series, Part II

SABBATICAL – Must Read Series, Part II

Posted on by Jaymie

I am on a “sabbatical” from my blog this month, so I am sharing some posts that compile information my readers might find useful.

Last week I posted what I consider my “Must Read” series that are still growing. These might be books I buy or books I get at the library, but either way, I am NOT missing a book in these series.

This week I am focusing on some completed series that were must-reads when they released. Some of these I will re-read because I know I am going to love them.

 

Completed Series

Crown of Shards series – Kill the Queen, Protect the Prince, Crush the King. I discovered the first book in this trilogy in my quest to find something I love like the Kitty Katt-Martini/Touched by an Alien series, and these are right up there. This series is fantasy rather than science fiction, but the main character is exactly what I am always looking for, and the stories are ones I happily re-read when I need a little comfort reading of something I know is amazing.
Consortium Rebellion series – This science fiction series kicks off with Polaris Rising, my favorite book in the series. This trilogy is the closest I have come to finding a series like the Touched By an Alien/Kitty Katt-Martini series which is my all-time favorite.
Sons of Destiny series – This 8-book fantasy/romance series kicks off with The Sword. I remember when I first discovered this series. I would stalk my local bookstore looking for the rest of the books. I *needed* to have them all. This is another series I will re-read, although not as often as I do with Kitty. I loved the hook of 8 brothers looking to overcome a family curse and find love (The even numbered books are my favorites). The magic of the world is outstanding.
Reluctant Royals series – This romance series (three full-length books with some e-book novellas) completely captivated me. I haven’t re-read them, but I would in a heartbeat. The first book in the series is A Princess in Theory.
Bookish Boyfriends series – This YA series kicks off with Bookish Boyfriends/A Date with Darcy and is 4 books long, and each one is a delight.  Lovely romance with a touch of magic and ties to literature. I wish there were going to be more of these!

SABBATICAL - Must Read Series, Part I

SABBATICAL – Must Read Series, Part I

Posted on by Jaymie

I am on a “sabbatical” from my blog this month, so I am sharing some posts that compile information my readers might find useful. Today it’s a look at what I consider my “Must Read” series. These might be books I buy or books I get at the library, but either way, I am NOT missing a book in these series. (It’s highly likely that I have forgotten some series, but this is a great starting list.)

This week I am focusing on series that are ongoing. Next week I will post some completed series that were must-reads when they released.

Series Still Releasing New Books

Meg Langslow mysteries – This series kicks of with Murder with Peacocks. The most recent addition to the series, book 31, is Round Up the Usual Peacocks; a new Christmas book will release in October, Dashing through the Snowbirds. I love these because Meg feels so much like me in a lot of ways, and I have grown to love the chaotic, fascinating group of family and friends who populate each book.
Andy Carpenter mysteries – This series kicks off with Open and Shut (my least favorite book in the series – but it sets things up). The most recent addition to the series, book 25, is Holy Chow; a new Christmas book will release in October, Santa’s Little Yelpers. I love these because the mysteries are so good, and Andy is sarcastically delightful.
Gargoyle Queen series – This series kicks off with Capture the Crown and then Tear Down the Throne. The next book, Conquer the Kingdom, will release in the spring of 2023. I am thoroughly enjoying this series spun off from the Crown of Shards series (which will be in next week’s post). The world is fantastic, and I love the characters here. These books can’t release fast enough for me.
Scarred Earth Saga – This series kicks off with The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. The next book, The Heretic Royal, releases at the end of the year. The first book was an unexpected delight – violent but SO fun, with clever world-building and a fascinating family at the center of the story.
Kitty Katt-Martini/Touched by an Alien series – This series kicks off with Touched By an Alien. The last book released was Aliens Abroad in 2018 – book 16 in the series. The next book will be Aliens Like Us, but there’s no release date set for that yet. This series, which I picked up after the release of book 3, changed my reading life. I discovered a fun, sexy sci-fi series with a strong, bright, hilarious, sarcastic heroine I wanted to have as my best friend. These are my comfort reads, and I read at least a few of them, if not the whole series, every year.
Galactic Cold War series – Now considered book 0 or a prequel, this series kicks off with The Caledonian Gambit, while The Bayern Agenda is considered book 1, and The Aleph Extraction is considered book 2. Book “3”, The Nova Incident, just released this summer. It’s my favorite book in this scifi-spies series.
Bromance Book Club series – This series kicks off with The Bromance Book Club. The fifth book in the series, A Very Merry Bromance, will release later this fall. I love this series about a group of guys who help each other with their romantic relationships by reading romance novels together.
Countess of Harleigh mysteries – This series kicks off with A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. Book 5, A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, released this summer. You’ll notice there’s not a lot of historical fiction on my list, but there are a couple series where the characters and the mysteries are so good, they have worked past my mental block against historicals.
Rosalind Thorne mysteries – This series kicks off with A Useful Woman. Book 6, The Secret of the Lost Pearls, complete with a new cover design, will release later this year. This is the other historical fiction series that I love for the fantastic mysteries.
By the Book mysteries – This series kicked off this year with Buried in a Good Book. I fell in love with the characters in this, and the mystery was fantastic. Book 2, On Spine of Death, releases in November, and book 3, Murder Off the Books, will be out next spring.
Pies Before Guys series – I picked up the first book, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, at the library this summer, zoomed through it, but never had space to post a full review, although I have talked about it in other posts. The first book really connected with the small, angry part of me that sees how women have been harassed and dismissed for centuries and feels powerless to effect real change. Book 2, A Good Day to Pie, will release in 2023.
Inheritance Games series – This YA mystery series kicks off with The Inheritance Games followed by The Hawthorne Legacy. The third and final book. The Final Gambit, released a couple weeks ago.
Castles in Their Bones series – This fantasy/royalty series kicked off earlier this year with Castles in Their Bones. It was stunning. Exactly the right kind of book for me. Next year’s release will be Stardust in Their Veins. I cannot wait!!
Teen Titans Graphic Novel series – This DC graphic novel series kicked off with stand alone books for both Raven and Beast Boy. Then there was a book where they teamed up, Beast Boy Loves Raven. Book 4 will be Robin, and it releases in the spring of 2023.
HiLo series – There is no middle grade series I am as excited about as this one! This series started with a six-book arc, kicked off with HILO. They are now in a second arc starring Gina, which has released two books – Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World and Gina and the Big Secret– so far. Book 9, Gina and the Last City on Earth, will release in February. (I’ve already recommended it to my library!)

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My Summer Reading Plan 2019

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My Summer Reading Plan 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

Last summer was something of a summer reading “FAIL” for me even though I read 69 books. I only read 2 of the six family challenge books I was assigned (I finally read a third later in the year). So this year, we are simplifying yet again for the Family Challenge. Here are some of the things I plan to read this summer.

Family Reading Challenge

We decided that this summer each of us will read the entire Harry Potter series again. It has been ages since we have read the whole thing, although my teen and I have re-read single books here and there. I might even read a couple of them from the illustrated versions we bought but haven’t enjoyed yet.

In addition to Harry, we are only picking one challenge book for each of the other people in the family. I gave both my husband and my teen a stack of books to choose from. If we were doing 2 or 3 books, I would have picked myself but I didn’t have “that one” book I wanted either to read. I have challenged my teen to read Powerless and my husband to read Polaris Rising. My husband and I both were thinking of Scalzi’s Lock In for the teen so he assigned that one. My teen chose #MurderTrending for both parents. And my husband chose Long Road to Mercy for me.  He’s always trying to get me to read more Baldacci!

We are also putting in “prizes” for this year, too, to see if that helps us actually finish the goal by July 31.

#Bookaday

Teachers, librarians and other book fanatics all over social media (Instagram, Twitter) choose to read a book each day of summer vacation. My #bookaday will run from June 1 to July 31, so 61 books in 61 days. And to help with that I have a Kindle full of Advance Reader Copies and my personal TBR pile for the summer.

TBR Books

My top priority for the summer is to get ahead on my review copies. These are some of the ones I am most excited to read.

 

These are some of the new books coming out in June and July that I hope to read.

 

And finally, these are some of the books I want to RE-READ this summer. I am craving a re-reading binge like no one’s business. I am hoping to get ahead on as much as I can in June so I can spend July on reading old favorites – some to get ready for sequels (Ash Princess, Kill the Queen, Lady’s Guide…) and the rest just because I love them.

Aliens Abroad
Ash Princess
It’s Not Me It’s You
Kill the Queen
A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder
A List of Cages
The Names They Gave Us
The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You
Polaris Rising
Prince in Disguise
The Way to the Stars

What are you planning to read this summer?

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2018 Favorites

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2018 Favorites

Posted on by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year.  I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2018.

2018 Stats

Through the course of 2018 I read 418 books.  There were 66 more that I started but did not finish. My stated goal for the year was 250, but I was hoping to get to 365. My highest number since I started keeping track was around 340. I’m pretty proud of all the reading I did this year, and even more proud of walking away from books that aren’t working for me.

Of those 418, the break down for target audience is

  •     36% adult (151 books)
  •     21% middle grade (87 books)
  •     20% teen/young adult (83 books)
  •     18% picture books/early readers
  •      5% transitional chapter books
    And of those, 27 were graphic novels for various ages.

The main genre breakdown is

  • 39% Fantasy
  • 19% Realistic/Contemporary
  • 14% Mystery
  •   9% Science Fiction
  •   6% General Nonfiction (26 books – my goal was at least one per month)

This year most of the books I read were from the library (30%). I read 93 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), including brand new books, as well as 110  advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 60 favorites this year. Next year I want to split out my new books and my truly “TBR” books that have been on my shelves for awhile. I’d like to make more progress getting through the books that I’ve had for awhile in 2019.

When someone asks me my favorite genre, I automatically answer “mystery,” but my actual reading did not reflect that in 2018. Last year my genre reading was more balanced between Fantasy, Mystery and Realistic/Contemporary. This year I really went all in on Fantasy, although my top three genres were the same. I’d like to read more mysteries this year. I really focused on adult books again this year, but  my reading for kids – middle grade and teens – was more balanced. I’d like to keep this balance in 2019.

This year I discovered that I do better reading nonfiction if I have a physical book. To stay focused, I need to be able to underline and dog-ear and make notes. In 2019, I want to keep reading 1-2 nonfiction books each month. I am also going to add a spreadsheet to my tracking process to see if I can better track authors and characters of color and other factors.

2018 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I love to pull the titles of all of my 5 star favorites and then compare them to come up with my favorites for the year. I might not remember every detail about them, but I remember how I felt about them. These are the books I recommend time and time again, the ones I re-read and long to re-read.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here and 2017 here. Last year I had one middle grade book, five YA books, and four books for adults (including two nonfiction). When I went back through my list of the 400+ books I read in 2018, I came up with about 35 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten – 7 books for adults and three middle grade books. And here they are:

10. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl – I adored this middle grade novel about a girl who was struck by lightning, which made her a genius. You can read more about it here.

 

 

 

9. Aliens Abroad – Book 16 in the Gini Koch series that I adore. I read the whole series once or twice a year. I read this book twice in 2018, and it was excellent both times! You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

8. The Reckless Club – I felt like this was a mash up of The Breakfast Club and Golden Girls. The elderly folks in this novel are just as engaging as the kids. This was a book I wanted to hug. You can read more here.

 

 

 

7. Six Cats a Slayin’ – Book 10 in the awesome Cat in the Stacks series by Miranda James/Dean James. Right now this is my favorite book in the whole series. Read a full write up on this one here.

 

 

 

6. Captain Superlative – I have been talking about this book to everyone I know – kids, teachers, booksellers. I even wrote about it for another blog about books for kids.  I fell in love with the characters in this one. Read about them here.

 

 

 

5. ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas – This Christmas series is a staple for me every November/December. Both books so far have had fantastic mysteries, and I adore the setting and characters. Read more here.

 

 

 

4. A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder – I just got around to reviewing this one this week, but I have loved this since I first read it last summer. The mystery is fantastic. I already have book two on my wish list for summer 2019. You can see my review here.

 

 

 

3. Lark the Herald Angels Sing – Book 24 in one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series. I didn’t get to do a full review of this one in 2018, but it was an excellent combination of Christmas cheer, a great mystery, and the quirky characters I adore. You can read a little more in this post of Christmas books from 2018.

 

 

2. Ella: An Amish Retelling of Cinderella – I have adored this entire series, but Ella is my favorite of the three books. I’d love to see more books in this series, but I don’t know if that is the publisher’s plan. You can read these in any order, and I highly recommend all of them, including Belle and Sadie. You can read more about Belle and Ella here.

 

 

1. Kill the Queen – The cover is what first caught my attention on this one, but the book was even more fantastic than the cover promised. This is my favorite book from 2018. I already have book 2 on my wish list for 2019. I can’t believe I never had a chance to post a full review on this one in 2018!! I’ll be posting a full review as soon as I have an open spot, but you can read the Book News summary here.

 

 

Honorable Mentions

None of the Young Adult Books I read this year made my top ten, but here are my three most favorite YA books from 2018:

Grace and Fury

More Than We Can Tell

Fire and Heist

 

None of the Nonfiction I read made the top 10 either. Here are my top three Nonfiction reads from 2018:

The Path Between Us

Braving the Wilderness

I’d Rather Be Reading

 

My top three picture books from 2018:

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

Can I Be Your Dog?

Santa Bruce

 

What were your favorite reads in 2018?

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My Summer Reading Plan 2018

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My Summer Reading Plan 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Last summer I posted a pretty extensive Summer Reading Plan. This year I’m keeping it simple (for me). I’m continuing our Family Reading Challenge, I’m doing #Bookaday, and I have a Summer TBR collection.

Family Reading Challenge

This will be the third year of the Reading Challenge for my teen and I. Last summer we drew my husband in for the festivities.  This started as a way to convince my teen to read some books I thought he would enjoy but couldn’t get him to try. This year we have only assigned three books to each person, instead of the five we did last year.

These are the six I will be reading; the first three were assigned by my teen. Renegades is the third book in the Randoms series. My son has assigned me each of the books in this series, and I have liked them more than I expected. Both my husband and son have read Ready Player One, and they have been talking about assigning this to me for months. I might also try listening to the audio book since it is read by Wil Wheaton. Neither of us have read the Marissa Meyer Renegades, but it’s been on my list. My husband is a huge Baldacci fan, but I have only read the ones he assigned me last summer so he’s assigned me two new ones. And while I love Jen Hatmaker, I haven’t read anything by her husband, so I am looking forward to reading one of his books.

These six are for my teen; the first three were assigned by me. I am two books into the Darkest Minds series and I have loved them. I think my son will love the first book. You can read my review of Moxie here. Both my teen and my husband will be reading this one so we can talk about the themes. And while my son has been raised to know that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42, he is not yet familiar with the source material. This summer, he will be. My son has enjoyed some adult books in the mystery and adventure genres, so this summer he is going to try some Baldacci, Clancy and a science fiction book about Artificial Intelligence.

These are my husband’s challenge books, the first three chosen by me. If it takes me 20 years, one book at a time, I am determined to show my husband the gloriousness that is the Kitty Katt-Martini series. So this year he gets to read book 3. I adored Scalzi’s Lock In, and I think the premise is just the sort of book my husband will enjoy. I am currently waiting for a library hold to come through for the sequel. And he will also be reading Moxie. My son assigned him book two of the Randoms series and both book one and two of the Scythe series. We both have loved this unusual series, and I’m eager to hear what my husband thinks of it.

#Bookaday

Teachers, Librarians and other book fanatics all over social media (Instagram, Twitter) choose to read a book each day of summer vacation. My #bookaday will run from June 1 to July 31, so 61 books in 61 days. And to help with that I have a Kindle full of Advance Reader Copies and my personal TBR pile for the summer

TBR Shelf

These are the books that I have prioritized for the summer in addition to my ARCs I need to read. There’s a mix of non-fiction and fiction, books for kids, teens and adults, as well as new books and books I have been meaning to get to for ages. Two were gifts – one from a former student – and one is a new edition of a book I read years ago.  It’s going to be a great summer of reading!

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Memorable Protagonists

Posted on by Jaymie

I’ve noticed that a make-or-break part of a book for me is the main character. While I enjoy tons of books, the truly special ones have characters that I adore. I read so much, I often don’t remember a lot of details about the books unless I re-read them a few times. But there are some characters that I remember immediately. I see the cover of the book, and instantly I think of these characters, and I want to dive into the book again. And when I think about these characters, there are often characteristics they have in common.

Here are a few of my favorite, most memorable protagonists:

The Protectors – I am a HUGE fan of smart, protective, and fierce characters who defend others. Kitty Katt-Martini in the Alien series by Gini Koch is the epitome of this sort of character. It’s why I am fanatic of the series that is already 16 books long – most of those book over 500 pages – and I re-read it at least once a year. In every book, Kitty puts herself between the evil megalomaniacs and the people she loves and the characters who need to be protected. Tess Kendrick from the Fixer series (book one was my favorite book of 2015 and book two was top of the list in 2016) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is about half Kitty’s age, but she is just as fierce. She has a delightfully strong personality and doesn’t care what other people think about her, but she follows her moral code, “fixing” the wrongs around her. Another teen protector is Adam Blake from Robin Roe’s A List of Cages. This was my favorite book from 2017. Adam is a more happy-go-lucky character than Kitty or Tess – he’s breezy and unconcerned for the most part, but when it comes to Julian, he is fiercely protective exactly when Julian needs him. Finally, Turtle the Seawing dragon is the star of Talons of Power in the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland. He is fairly meek for a “protector,” but he pushes past his insecurity and fear to do what no one else can to protect his friends.

Graphic Novels for Kids - Phoebe and her Unicorn

The Funny Folks – Wedgie the Corgi is my favorite part of the Wedgie and Gizmo series by Suzanne Selfors. In my head he sounds like Doug from the Pixar movie Up. He’s a goofy, hilarious, earnest character who loves everyone and everything. He makes up fantastic names for other characters – he calls Gizmo the guinea pig “Furry Potato.” I love characters that make me laugh. The other protagonist who always makes me laugh is Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, the unicorn in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series by Dana Simpson. Early in the series it was her declaration of “UNICORN!” in fancy fonts to show why  she was awesome and should always win every argument that would crack me up. As the series has gone on, that stellar attitude is only part of what makes her funny. I love her character.

The Brooding and Mysterious Men – It’s always interesting to me to read a series about a set of brothers where each brother gets a book to explore their unique perspective and personality. One series I have read multiple times is the Sons of Destiny series. Yes, I know it’s hard to take that cover seriously. And the content of the book is just what you would expect based on that cover. But what I love most about the series is the fantasy world and the magic as well as the story arc that covers all eight books. Rydan Corvis, “The Storm,” is brother number six, and his story is my favorite. He is the dark and brooding brother that shuns the light and the company of the others. No one seems to understand him, so getting to read a story from his perspective is really enjoyable. (One note about the series – there are four sets of twin brothers and the books go in order from the oldest brother to the youngest. But books five and six, which includes Rydan’s story, take place concurrently. So you get 60% or so of the same story, but from different perspectives, which I found really clever). The other brooding character that captivated me is Gabriel Merrick from Brigid Kemmerer‘s Elementals series. This is another fantasy romance series geared more toward young adults. While I enjoyed reading the whole series, Gabriel’s story was my favorite. He has a fierce, fiery personality, and he is reluctant to let others in, so the only way to really get a read on him is to dig into his own story. (Note, one of the books in the series includes a character’s struggle with his sexuality.) Both of these characters have a dark and mysterious air about them, so breaking through that by learning their stories is really satisfying for me as a reader.

The Character Most Like Me – Meg Langslow is the smart, organized, diplomatic, and creative protagonist at the center of Donna Andrews mystery series. And she is a woman after my own heart. She is the only one of my favorite protagonists who seems most like me. I’d love to be protective like the first group, but that’s not really who I am. But I am Meg. She has her “notebook that tells me when to breathe” and I have my to do lists and planners and forms and calendars and organizational systems. I “get” Meg which makes reading her stories enjoyable!

So these are my most memorable protagonists. What sorts of characters do you enjoy?

REVIEW: Aliens Abroad by Gini Koch

REVIEW: Aliens Abroad by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The Distant Voyager is the first manned long-range spacecraft for Earth. And it’s about to leave on its first mission. Kitty and the gang are there for a tour and Jeff’s big speech before the launch.

Unexpectedly (although, par for the course in Kitty’s life), the ship takes off early with Jeff, half of the Presidential Cabinet, Kitty, their kids, and a good portion of their extended family on board. The ship’s AI is uncooperative at best, there are signs of sabotage, and no one on board seems to be able to control their course – or change it.

Whoever is controlling things knows Kitty – the “Warrior Queen” – is a protector. If she can help a person – or a planet – in need, she will. And there are several races in dire need of rescuing. So while she might have been a reluctant participant at first, Kitty is on board for saving the day. Because if Kitty can’t help, the whole galaxy might not survive.

Review

Wow! This was so fun! First of all, this is my favorite book series for adults. So any addition to the series, any book with these characters, is going to be one I am eagerly anticipating. Second, most of the book takes place in previously unknown parts of the galaxy. There are tons of new alien species and planets and galactic politics to explore. Third, there are at least four major events in the book. Reading this felt like binge watching a favorite show or binge reading a favorite book series all in one sitting. I got through the first event and still had hundreds of pages to go! I waited for this book for a long time. The wait was completely worthwhile.

Most of my favorite characters were along for the ride on this trip, so I enjoyed the little tidbits added to their stories. Continuing one of my favorite things from Alien Education, the kids play an important role in this book. In fact, the chapters where their role is really expanded I read twice. There’s a nice balance between the expected interplay and relationships from the series and all the new characters. In fact, to me the book felt weighted toward the new characters and events which gave this a fresh feel. I feel like this book and the next (Aliens Like Us) are going to have the same “interlude” feel that Universal Alien and Alien Separation did earlier in the series. It will advance the characters and the big picture, but it will keep the series from feeling like it is following a pattern.

Kudos to Gini Koch for this fast, fun, and fresh addition to the series. It’s everything I have come to expect from her in the last 6 years since I discovered the series. Many thanks to Netgalley and the folks at DAW (Penguin/Random House) for the opportunity to review an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My personal copy will be arriving any time now so I can start a re-read right away. Goodreads shows at least 4 more books coming in the series; I have all of them on my wish list and have pre-ordered Aliens Like Us so I don’t miss a moment of the action. If you love science fiction (with a little steamy romance thrown in ), I think you should follow my lead. If this is a new series to you, start with book one, Touched by an Alien, and carve out some serious reading time. This is a series you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2017 Favorites

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2017 Favorites

Posted on by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year.  I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2017.

2017 Stats

Through the course of 2017 I read 308 books.  There were 26 more that I started but did not finish.

Of those 308, the break down for target audience is

  • 127 adult
  • 98 middle grade
  • 63 teen/young adult
  • 10 picture books/early readers
  • 9 transitional chapter books
  • as well as 19 graphic novels for various ages

The genre breakdown (some books are counted in two categories) is

  • 77 mystery
  • 73 realistic
  • 72 fantasy
  • 35 science fiction
  • 18 romance
  • 17 non-fiction
  • 6 Christian fiction
  • 5 Christmas
  • 4 historic fiction
  • 3 memoirs/autobiographies
  • 2 dystopian
  • 3 suspense

This year most of the books I read were from the library (104). I read 59 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), as well as 58 advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 47 favorites this year.

I read more fantasy and nonfiction last year and more realistic fiction and science fiction this year. And I can see what difference not teaching has made in my reading. Last year I read a lot more picture books and early readers. This year there were more books for teens and adults.

 

2017 Favorites!!

I read a lot of books every year. I often don’t remember all the details, but I remember how they made me feel. I remember which books follow me throughout the year – how I feel when I see them in the bookstore or library or online. These are the ones I want to go back and read again. These are the ones I recommend over and over and over.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here. Last year I had five middle grade books, two YA books, and three books for adults (all fiction). When I went back through my list of the 300+ books I read in 2017, I came up with 50 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten – only one middle grade this time, five YA books, two adult fiction books and two nonfiction. And here they are:

10. Nothing to Prove – A fantastic non-fiction book. I hope to read it again this year and complete the Bible study that goes with it. You can read a little about this here and my full review here.

 

 

 

9. Barking Up the Wrong Tree – I loved this romance book, second in a series. I reviewed the third and final book in the series earlier this week. You can read my review of book one here. Book 2 is even better than the first! I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters.

 

 

 

8. Draw the Circle – This is a forty day prayer journey. This is one I will go back to again and again. You can read a little about this book here. I’ll be doing a full review later in 2018.

 

 

 

7. Alien Education – This is book 15 in the Alien series by Gini Koch. This is my favorite fiction series. I included book 14 in my list last year. Book 16 releases in February. I just finished a re-read of the whole series, and I was struck again by how fun this particular book is. I know it is because so much of the story centers on the kids. I can’t wait to see what happens next!  You can read my thoughts about this book here.

 

 

 

6. The Names They Gave Us – This book stuck with me all year because there were so many times in it where I felt known and understood in the description of the main character. You can read my review here.

 

 

 

5. It’s Not Me, It’s You – This book was not at all what I expected – in all the best ways! I loved the unusual format and the terrific characters. I actually have two books by this author on my list for 2017! You can read my review here.

 

 

 

4. Greetings from Witness Protection – This has a fantastic premise and the main character is a delight. I hope there will be more books with these characters. You can read my review of this one here.

 

 

 

3. Letters to the Lost – Another fantastic book for teens and young adults. I am chomping at the bit for her new book that comes out this spring since this one was so great! You can read my review here.

 

 

 

2. Prince in Disguise – This was a late addition to my list as it came out in December. Reading it was like eating a favorite dessert. I savored each page, giggling. The writing is so smart and the characters are delightful. This is the second book I have on my list from Stephanie Kate Strohm. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

#1 – A List of Cages – Oh, this book. Whenever I see it I think about how the characters impacted me. They have followed me all year long. It’s a difficult read, but worth every tear and every tissue. You can read my review here.

 

 

 

As always, if you are looking for even more fantastic books, you can always check out my Five Star Reviews to see all of my favorites! I had a hard time choosing only 10 from all the terrific books in 2017. I have high hopes for great reading in 2018!