March books up!

• Night Embrace (3-6)
  

  Just another re-read of a Dark Hunter book, there’s a new one coming out this year so I’m trying to re-read the entire series before that happens. This is my favorite book of the series, it has nothing to do with the main character being a Celt and his girlfriend being an artist… really! I swear! ^.^

• Pretties (3-8)
  

  This is the sequel to Uglies and has far less social commentary than the first book, but I’m hooked. Pretties focuses more on individual relationships and status rather than looking at a new society as a whole.

• Lover Enshrined (3-10)
  

  I got halfway through this book and found myself hoping that Wards next book would be better, because this one just kept falling flat. I had no emotional attachment to the main characters and they frustrated me more than any other couple in the series so far. Its obvious Ward is prepping the series for more books by introducing and developing new characters. Its these side-liners that kept me reading this book, I really want to see where they go!

• Dream Warrior (3-11)
  

  I was hoping this new book from Sherrilyn Kenyon would stick to more Dark Hunter stuff, but it seems like she’s turning it into its own series. I’m not crazy about them so I don’t think I’ll keep reading the series as it comes out, but she did a good job of setting up the next large story arc of her Dark Hunter series.

• Absolute Boyfriend 1 (3-19)
  

  Even manga can have romance! This is an adorable series about a girl, Riiku, who accidentally orders herself a boyfriend ‘doll’ who is as close to the real thing as it gets.  Riiku has some drama going on aside from that debacle and her new boy doll, Night, gets involved (of course.) The twist near the end is that Night costs one million dollars! And Riiku has to pay… Its manga, it doesn’t need to make sense in the real world. ^.^

• Absolute Boyfriend 2 (3-23)
  

  This book takes the characters through some more drama and  Night is adorable as ever. I’ve found myself rooting for him over the real life boy Riiku’s got in her life. But I’m not stupid, I know she’ll probably end up with RL boy and not Night. u.u

• Absolute Boyfriend 3 (3-23)
  

  Ahh the drama thickens. Or is it sickens? Whatever, I have a soft sport for adorable manga. In this one Riiku let’s it slip that she wants to have sex with Night. And Night is all for it. But they just can’t seem to get together… ugh! Will they ever?!

• Maximum Ride (3-24)
  

  I read the new graphic novel of this book so I think its a glossed over version of the actual book. I’ll be doing a comparison of the two soon and another series that’s going graphic. The overall story is pretty cool, but I wonder how it would appear having read the book first. They strive to make the graphic novel super cute, but I have a feeling its a little more grotesque in the actual book. Overall pretty engaging though.

• Dark Lover (3-25)
  

  This is book one of JR Wards series… yeah I read it last. This is where that topic of reading a series backwards is coming from. It worked with these books because each book is about a different guy, while the other books characters play periphery roles. Seeing them in those small bits pre- and post-relationship is the interesting part. Ward does a good job of lacing their “destiny” into each and every encounter throughout the series. Ok, but we’ll save that for a whole post. This book really does throw you into a totally new and bizarre universe, so reading it first is probably jarring especially if you have read lots of vampire novels before. But Ward’s mythology is really cool and well thought out. Even without the smut I’d still probably enjoy the series.

• Evernight (3-28)
  

  This is the book I wish Twilight had been. I wasn’t 100% sure it was about vampires when I started in on it. I figured they had to show up eventually but when they did I was totally and utterly shocked! Claudia Gray did a phenomenal job of keeping me in the dark all throughout her book. And she did have foreshadowing, but she hid it really well. I love when its not obvious and when I can’t call the rest of the book within the first chapters. Even if vampires aren’t your thing, this book is amazing.

• Stargazer (3-30)
  

  The sequel to Evernight, I can’t say much without ruining it for everyone I’ve convinced to read it, but its just as good as the first one, if not better. Gray kept me guessing throughout the entire book and in the best ways. So many plot twists, but they’re never over done. Its like she really knows how to write or something… shocker, since so many YA vampire books suck on the prose front. Great story, great writing and great characters. I loved it and I can’t wait for another one!