What a ride....

Shadowglass...Erica Hayes

More often than not, I have a tendency, when choosing a new read, to do one of two things. Being a total sucker for a good cover, I usually (just as I'm sure many other people do), touch a book for the first time because...it speaks to me (something along the lines of..."my cover...I know, but just wait until you see what I have in store for you...go on, read me..."). Which is what I did when first spied this little nugget (ironic, given that the squidgy did the same exact thing to Ice)...
The second, well, that is my extremely odd tendency to pick up a second, third, sixth book in a series or set in a "world."
You guessed it...this is in fact not the first book of the Shadowfae Chronicles. Which, I did not find out until exactly four and a half minutes before I began typing. No joke.

Good news...it really didn't effect my reading activity at all...

Little synopsis...
Ice is a waterfairy, and her two best friends (Azure, a beautiful yet insecure airfairy, and Blaze, the firefairy who seems very friendly) live in a world filled with gangsters, vampires, spriggans, and demons. She is thief, who loves pretty sparklies that the trio lifts in order to pay off the local gangsters...The town is "ruled" by Kane, a demon...who, honestly creeped me out. Fairies are not exactly on the top of the food chain. They try to loose themselves at the Court, a night club where vampires, fae...even humans dance, grind, and seek a high amongst other nefarious activities. Indigo, the darkly sexy metalfairy Ice has been crushing on and inviting out for pizza, only seems placate her, and one night, after getting the brush off, Icey finds herself in the lap of Kane...literally. As well as other various...positions. But, Ice can't resist shiny things, and steals a mysterious little mirror (squidgy...I love that word now) from him. And the trouble begins....because that little squidgy isn't as cute and nice as it seems...

To start off, Erica Hayes switches to a few different POV's, from first person Ice, to third person with other varying characters. In all honesty, this made the beginning a little confusing for me at first. It took me a few lines in to figure out where I was, and who I was with. But, it added another dimension to the storytelling once I wrapped my head around it that worked quite well.
The other factor that I loved, at first, was her use of language. It was so rich and descriptive, from the way she used her words to describe each and every sense each character felt to an extreme, yet juxtaposed in feeling. Complete opposite adjectives used, overwhelming in the drug-like frenzy that permeated the beginning of the tale. There were instances I had reread something just to be certain I knew what I had read. A few times, I literally had to put the book down because it felt like the most fabulously scrumptious piece of cake...with every sweet sugary flavor I had ever wanted...in one piece. And my tummy was hurting. I pushed on, knowing I had already invested time in the characters (from Ice being utterly unaware of how appealing and courageous she really was, Blaze's heartbreaking devotion to those he loved...which meant he would do and did just about anything for them, Azure's beauty hiding how she thought people saw her, and Indigo's strong-literally-exterior that hid the tortured soul within). I almost gave up.
Almost...
Then, click, everything fell into place...I don't want to give any spoilers away, so I'll try to be as un-spoily as I can.
And I loved it, and really enjoyed the journey.
What I can say is that I adored how Erica Hayes used language as a second character and plot device...Literally, I felt as if the language had character development. I had to have that overwhelming sensation at first in order to feel how they felt, in their sugar and vodka and who knows what else bliss, burning so bright. It grew as Ice grew, as each fairy and layer unfolded. What at first seemed to be a bunch of party going little fairies in search of the next high to somehow validate their existence, turned into a world (which, about halfway through I finally understood was set in Australia...silly me. That's what I get for not reading the first one, right?) that I definitely want to visit again.
And...talk about steamy, sweaty hotness. Really. I rarely blush, and let's just say I had to put the book down at lunch and take a few deep breaths. Who knows, I may seek out a fairy of my own one day...

It may be short, but....

All right. I did it. I ventured into the land of the short story.
And I found, that, given certain elements, this land could, possibly, be a nice to place to stop at. But not all the time...Here's the deal.
As previously noted, not the biggest fan of the short story. Mainly because I feel such a connection when an author opens their world so completely...that I don't want to leave. I don't necessarily have to stay with the same characters, but if I like that world...well, I like it. And who wants to leave a place they like? (Yes, sometimes I feel like reading is my mini vacay...so I take many.)
So, who better for a real mini vacay (and, boy do I mean mini...only considering how long I've spent in other parts of her world!) than that of Melissa Marr.
Okay, so really, not gushing here. Promise. But, I did google...and youtube. And there I found a snip it of an interview. And, learned why her worlds so appealed to me. (Please forgive the summarizing...)
Melissa Marr doesn't believe in dumbing down...for any reader. And since her target audience is the YA set, at least for her Wicked Lovely series, and the short story I'm attempting to review (getting there, promise!), she keeps to that principle. (Side note...the "closed door" element also intrigued me...)
So, there I was...at my library (please, I love the library. It allows me to sustain my shoe habit.) picking a collection of short stories I had requested....hoping there was a little nugget of yummy gooey-ness in my hands. So I began.
Basically, in a nutshell, Love Struck is a love story (from Love is Hell...there's a dose of wisdom, right?) between a human girl and a...selkie. From on the onset, I have to say, I felt like I was in familiar territory. From her cadence and rythm, to how I felt sitting on the beach with Alana...to the intermingling of the mystical meets real world. I liked it here. So I stayed.
It was a love story..and, like all stories, has issues of trust, belief, and faith. Alana doesn't want to end up like her mom, falling for pretty boy after pretty boy, so she isolates herself, giving herself the rules her mother won't. She meets two "boys", who turn out to be the creatures of legend we from her grandmother's stories...selkies. Who, in her rendition of the story, trap their would be mate and trick them into falling in love...which, to Alana, isn't a real love. What really drew me in was the how Alana didn't seem to trust herself, but when she would let go...she started to trust herself as well as Murrin, the selkie whose skin she picks up on the beach (bad brother!). And, like any urban myth (or just plain ol' fairy tale, what you know isn't always the whole truth). But, like anyone, when things are going well, she lets her doubts and maybe her fears work there way in...
I don't want to give out any spoilers, but I will say that for a short story, I loved it and I wished I could visit again. Thanks, Melissa Marr for that...

Discovery...

In all honesty, I blame my love for book series on SVH when I was younger. I always loved getting involved in the stories (silly as they were...really Bruce? We know you're an arrogant jerk who somewhere had a heart of gold...gag) and never wanted to let go of the characters. (Though, really, General Hospital could have been a contributor, too...Luke is still on, right?)
Which, coming to my point, is one of the reasons I've never been able to love short stories. That moment of disappointment, of, really, no, I NEED MORE!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Until now...
I've discovered a new way to look at the short story aspect...as a way to enjoy an author's writing style, their storytelling weaving abilities. (I actually like to write short stories as character development exercise or just to keep myself feeling like the inner muse/creator is still in existence despite all I do in the real world. I know, silly me....)
And so...I embark...and the first in this experiment will be a favorite of mine, Melissa Marr from Love is Hell.
And who knows...I may "discover" a few new friends, as well.

Judging a book by its cover...

Never judge a book by its cover.
Really? Because, I will say, the slippery slope that began my descent into what I can, at times, equate to borderline obsession (see hiding book under table during breakfast, or getting to work GASP early to get in a few more chapters uninterrupted)began with completely ignoring this time honored idea.
And, for not the first time, I thank whomever up there sent my soul mate to me...he loves my shoes as much as I do. Read on...
Walking through my local bookstore (the BIG B) is not only one of my favorite window shopping opportunities, but it also gives me a few moments of peace. No one asks me questions, I can browse for hours, and I can pick up any book that tickles me deep down inside and not worry about how well my booty will look in it, or if it will crush my credit card. Though, said credit card has had its own workout here.
One an ordinary day, not too long ago, during one of these vicarious visitations, the above mentioned soul mate (or husband as I sometimes call him...if I remember to) came by and said he had to show me something. We usually wander in two directions(he likes non-fiction...sigh) so beyond mags, we split. Low and behold, he had stumbled upon a new book that had the most yummilicious spiked metal heeled stilettos on it cover, and had to show me. (Like most women, I am always in the search for the perfect pair black stilettos.)
And so I was introduced to Laurell K. Hamilton. Not at this time...I was worried I would get lost in the middle of the series. But weeks later, the tome became a present.
And thus began my return to slippery slope I had so loved but had told myself I hadn't the time for (silly, girl, I know). Plus the tendency to discover new series in the midst of their run...
Which brings me to now...
I love giving my opinion to co-workers and friends, and even complete strangers on the newest reads, or even favorite existing books. As not to offend my co-worker when I recommended a not so trashy trashy-ish novel to her daughter, I listened to what she usually read, and gave a few suggestions (from romantic to well...you get the idea I hope). Which they both liked. And, once I finally read Twilight...well, that's another story...or blog?
So that's why I'm here...because one of my friends not so quietly suggested I just blog my favorites...and I love to read other blogs as well.
After all, isn't it fun to judge a book by its cover sometimes?