Extremely Silly Photos of Serious writers!

The two I want to show here are of Ernest Hemingway kicking a beer can & Neil Gaiman with Chuthulu on his head. Click through for Colette, Proust, Mark Twain and others *grins* 

Here are pics via Flavorwire

Review: The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin

Why I picked it up:
I picked up the first Jaz Parks Urban Fantasy/Vampire book a while ago, and read a couple of books before I got a little bored.
Having noticed that the final book in the series (Book 8) was out, and on NetGalley, I decided to complete the series and then review it in toto.

Series Summary:
Jaz and Vayl are secret agents in the US Govt, assassinating who they are told to. Jaz is a spunky female assistant assassin (tongue twister!), while Vayl is the vampire, eternally hunting for his long-lost sons.
Over the first couple of books, they make friends with a Seer, a genius inventor, and an angel, amongst others. Jaz grows more powerful over the books, and new elements about the world they are in come to light - a battle between good and evil, the zone where Ghosts reside, and fake "Sensitives". We see some military action, as both Jaz and Vayl work for the CIA, while fighting their growing attraction for each other.

What I liked about The Deadliest Bite:
This is a definite "last book". Lots of ends are tied up and I saw a huge improvement in the writing flavor from the first. I thought this might be a trite vampire love story, but the characters are really strong and fiercely written and saves the book from falling into a stereotype.

Minus:
So many incidents/scenes in a book make it a little hard to remember what happened in the previous books, and so I'm left with a vague recollection of the earlier novels. Some of the technology (like Jaz's mechanical, smart, transforming cat) is too far-fetched for me to swallow, even in if it is military funded.

Aside: Very sad to note that the author passed away so early in her life.
This series is a SOLID B+, and Great when read separately with breaks between the novels.

I would recommend it to:
Ilona Andrews fans, Katie MacAllister readers, vampire novel readers :) *like, duh*

Review: Dirty Martini by K.A. Konrath

The Grade: A-
Summary from the Book:
Homicide Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is in some serious trouble. Her boyfriend wants to get married. Her partner wants to transfer to another department. Her dead father may not be dead after all. And a brilliant sociopath known as the Chemist is poisoning Chicago’s food supply, killing hundreds of people.

Plus: Jack Daniels is one of the hardest, most admirable heroines in crime fiction today, and I find myself attached to her fast-paced, manic action-filled life. J.A. Konrath really makes his stories amazingly rich and complete.

Minus: My only minor crib has been that I wonder why all of Jack's cases seem to attack her family too. This time, however, Jack's fiance is ill though not because of being personally targeted by the psycho poisoner. I'd like to see a little more of some normal FBI-led investigation too, it doesn't always have to be one psycho working on his own, right?

Overall: After I finished the first three books, I literally had trouble sleeping -  I had read them one after the other, with no breaks in between. The chilling tales of crime gave me a shock! It is so easy for anyone to commit large-scale acts of torture/poison/murder, so scary...
Where to Start: You don't need to have read any or all of the previous books to be able to read Dirty Martini, so if you do find Mr. Konrath's books in a store/library, you pick them up without looking at the series number. He also has several short stories and novellas on his website for free: http://www.jakonrath.com/

I would recommend this to: Any crime fiction / detective fiction fans, readers of Patricia Cornwell.

Review - Storm Glass By Maria V. Snyder

Grade: B

Excerpt:

"All distractions disappeared as I focused on rolling the pipe and shaping the glass. My mind open to the slight nuances in the glass, I used my tweezers and tugged until a shape formed. Then I blew magic into the piece. The core glowed as if on fire."

Video: Watch on youtube

Summary:

 Maria Snyder wrote the fairly well-known "Study Series", with her books on Yelena and her magic abilities. You can read good reviews about it at Lit Addicted Brit's site  - Poison Study (Book #1),  Magic Study (Book #2) and Book #3 Review: 'Fire Study' by Maria V. Snyder.

The Glass series is an offshoot, still featuring the same world with some character overlap.

Opal Cowen, who features in the Study series, now has her own story to tell.

Unlike Yelena, Opal is a magician with only one useful skill, and is perenially not speaking up for herself. Her lack of confidence and friends constantly haunts her actions in this book.

What is similar about both series is the journey of inner discovery that the heroine has to undergo in order to fully understand her capabilities. Opal is unsure about her place in the academy, her magic skills fail her at every turn, and her classmates despise her for being a below-average student with one big invention to her name. This invention is the creation of magic-infused glass objects which can also allow communication across distances.

Plus: A very nice little story with excellent descriptions of the glass-making process and craft. I enjoyed these sections the most. 

Minus: Opal's failure to bolster her confidence even halfway through the book was a little wearying. Maybe I've been reading too much Malazan Books of the Fallen, or George R R Martin, I wanted more world-building and suspense, and less internal worrying!

Overall:  A pleasant read, and interesting enough to finish once. I wouln't be reading this again, with nothing new to discover on the second readthrough.

Read Chapter 1: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books/storm01.php
Buy Online: Storm Glass (Glass, Book 1)
Next in Series: Sea Glass (Glass, Book 2); Spy Glass (out in Sept)