Knitting and reading

I've been knitting a lot all winter.

There's only a little left on both sleeves of this cardigan.

Here are some of the books I've read:

“Hexed” is a collection of stories about women, who know how to handle a hex or two. Ilona Andrews’ story is set in the Kate Daniels universe (shapeshifting tigress Dali must best a magical monster slowly devouring the man she loves). Yasmine Galenorn’s story is a part of her Otherworld series (house sprite Iris Kuusi must face the demons from her past and break a curse to be able to marry the man she loves). Both series are favorites of mine. I really liked the Stormwalker story by Allyson James and I ordered the three Stormwalker novels. The last story is an Anna Strong story by Jeanne C. Stein. I have several of her novels in my TBR pile too. Romance, fantasy, magic and mayhem – a great read!

“Magic Slays” by Ilona Andrews is a Kate Daniels novel. Kate is struggling to get her business up and running. She gets hired to investigate the disappearance of an inventor and a very dangerous weapon and of course the case turns out to be more complicated than anyone had thought. As if that wasn’t enough, Kate’s ward has gone missing from her school. That Kate’s mate is the Beast Lord doesn’t necessarily help either. Fast paced and lots of action, a fun read.

In “Hunt the Moon” by Karen Chance, the new Pythia Cassie Palmer is trying to learn to use her new powers and avoid getting killed as well as figure out her complicated relationship with Mircea, a very old and powerful vampire. Patricia Briggs said: “A grab-you-by-the-throat-and-suck-you-in sort of book” and I have to agree with that!

“Waking the Witch” by Kelley Armstrong is another book in her wonderful Otherworld series. Savannah, a young witch, is running the detective agency while her adoptive parents are out of town. She has a lot to prove to everyone when she starts investigating a case of murdered young women, a case with a supernatural twist. The case turns out to be far more dangerous than anyone initially thought and soon she has to ask for help to ensure her first case isn’t also her last.

“Blood Work” is an original Hollows graphic novel written by Kim Harrison. It tells the story of how Ivy and Rachel met and is set before the Hollows books.

“Acheron”, “Bad Moon Rising” and “No Mercy” by Sherrilyn Kenyon are all part of her Dark-Hunter series. They are standalone novels, but they are more fun if you read them in the correct order.

“Naked City” includes stories by urban fantasy writers like Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Naomi Novik and Holly Black. You may never look at Chinese food the same again after reading her story!

“The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris is a must read for all Sookie fans. It includes a new Sookie novella and a who’s who of all the characters in the books as well as a lot of other info.

“Wicked Appetite” by Janet Evanovich is a fun story about Lizzy, who works in a bakery. Her world is turned up-side down when Diesel turns up and he needs her help to find some missing objects. Some of you have already met Diesel in the Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers novels.

“One Grave at a Time” by Jeaniene Frost is a Cat & Bones novel. This time they have to best the revengeful spirit of a witch hunter. Every All Hallows Eve he somehow takes physical form to torture innocent women and burn them alive. He needs to be stopped once and for all.

“The Ingenue” is the second part of the graphic novels in Laurell K. Hamilton’s “Circus of the Damned”. I love her series about vampire hunter Anita Blake and I really enjoy seeing Anita in pictures too.

“The Vampire Files Volume Four” includes two books by P. N. Elrod about Jack Fleming, vampire PI. In “Lady Crymsyn” Jack is getting ready to open his own nightclub. During the renovations workers find a dead woman walled up in the basement. Jack can’t rest before he knows what happened to her and soon his investigations get very dangerous. In “Cold Streets” Jack and his friend Escott are dealing with a kidnapping of a child. Their troubles increase as they realize that somehow the kidnappers have figured out what Jack is.

“Home Improvement: Undead Edition” is a collection of stories about home repairs with a paranormal twist (like finding skeletons in the walls or portals in the attic). It includes stories by some of my favorite authors: Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs and Simon R. Green among others.

“The Bite Before Christmas” includes a Cat & Bones story by Jeaniene Frost. Cat wants to celebrate a normal holiday with Bones and their friends and family. Someone unexpected shows up and nothing goes according to plans. Cat has got to figure out a way to save all her loved ones.