What’s on Saluki’s Nightstand

Posted by Saluki in Book Reviews, Bookshelf, Featured | 1 comment

I decided to take a cue from Lisa and change the title of my post this week since I don’t have a bookshelf. One day I hope to have a house with room for a few, but until then, I have to stack my books on my nightstand and then box them up for storage when I am done with them. Currently, my nightstand looks like this:

My trusty Sony eReader is on the very top of the stack and currently holds seven books, ranging from chick lit to paranormal romance to fanfiction.  I love my eReader, but nothing can compare to the feel of a book in my hands. I love the smell of paper and the feel of the pages as I turn them. So today, I thought I would tell you about the books currently taking up space on my over crowded night stand.

Not even death can save her now.

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she’s even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she’s seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she’s raising a “shade” involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn’t want her to know what the dead have to say, and she’ll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why…

My mom got me hooked on this author’s other series, The Haven Novels, so I am very excited to give this series a try. Mom is usually spot on in her book recommendations to me – she should really blog for us, but that is a topic for another day. The only other series that I read featuring a witch is The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. I’m eager to see how this stacks up.

Bryn Davis was killed on the job after discovering her bosses were selling a drug designed to resurrect the dead. Now, revived by that same drug, she becomes an undead soldier in a corporate war to take down the very pharmaceutical company responsible for her new condition…

You would be correct if you assumed this was another book given to me by my mother. If books are my drug, she is my enabler and dealer. Seriously, every time I see her she has another bag full of books to give me. But, she finally caved and bought a Nook, so I think her days of dealing are over *sob*

Anyhoo, I love Rachel Caine. She is a great writer and a fantastic person. I am super excited to start this series. I don’t know much about it, but you can be sure I will let you all know what I think about the book in a future review.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I know I sound like a broken record, but this is also a series my mom has recommended to me. It’s told from a boy’s POV, which is definitely a departure from 99% of I’ve read lately. If nothing else, I want to give the series a try for that reason alone.

The last several books on the stack are a mismash of books from different series by Bernard Cornwell. If you haven’t heard of this author, he is an amazing writer of historical fiction. He is a master story teller who brings history alive on the page. I have read many of his books, but two of his series are far and away some of my favorite of all time.

The Saxon Stories take place in the 9th century and are set in the kingdom of Wessex during the reign of Alfred the Great. The main character is a an English boy, Uhtred, who is adopted by a Dane and goes on to become a great warrior. Eventually, he becomes an ally of King Alfred in his quest to win back his boyhood home. I love historical fiction, especially by writers who immerse themselves in the time period, taking care to research the events of the time to make their books as historically accurate as possible.

I also love his Warlord Chronicles, which is a historical recreation of Arthurian Britain. I love the tale of Arthur, and Bernard Cornwell retells the story in a way that puts all the fairy tales to shame. He introduces the reader to the real Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, warts and all.  The narrator, Saxon born Derfel Cadarn, recounts his life spent serving Arthur. Again, if you like historical fiction, you are missing out if you haven’t read any of this author’s books.

Until next time, happy reading!