Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Konrad Gaertner's LiveJournal:

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Friday, May 17th, 2013
11:23 am	BL: Dead Ever After (Harris, Charlaine) Ace (2013) ISBN: 978-1-937007-88-1 Score: 3 Thirteenth and final Sookie Stackhouse novel, in which all the usual things happen and the dangling plot threads are tied off and buried. Next Book: Brandon Sanderson, The Rithmatist (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 28th, 2013
4:05 pm	BL: Blood of Dragons (Hobb, Robin) Harper (2013) ISBN: 978-0-06-211685-7 Score: 3 Conclusion of the Rain Wilds Chronicles quartet, in which something is finally done in response to villains' attacks. (Comment on this)
Friday, April 26th, 2013
3:17 pm	BL: Emilie and the Hollow World (Wells, Martha) Strange Chemistry (2013) ISBN: 978-1-908844-49-1 Score: 2 Start of a YA steampunk series in which a teenage girl runs away from home and tries to stowaway on a ship headed for the city where her cousin lives, but ends up on a research ship trying headed below the surface of the world. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
10:20 am	BL: Elfland (Warrington, Freda) Tor (2009) ISBN: 978-0-7653-1869-5 Score: 1 Start of the urban fantasy series Aetherial Tales, about a bunch of elves who are forced to do things they know are wrong by their secrets and desires. I almost quit reading about halfway through during the heroine's wedding reception, and felt the ending was unearned. (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
10:20 pm	BL: Shades of Milk and Honey (Kowal, Mary Robinette) Tor (2010) ISBN: 978-0-7653-2556-3 Score: 2 Start of a historical fantasy where magical illusions are a common pastime of noble women but England is still fighting Napoleon. The heroine was likeable and the magic interesting, but I'm not a fan of Regency culture and the ending was awfully convenient. Next Book: Freda Warrington, Elfland (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 6th, 2013
5:37 pm	BL: Sartor (Smith, Sherwood) Book View Cafe (2012) ISBN: 978-1-61138-192-4 Score: 2 Second Lilah novel, in which she helps the rightful heir of the titular nation return and break the enchantment that kept the population in a magical sleep for a hundred years. This is a "kids having amazing adventures" book, with references to other great adventures by kids, which may or may not have been written about elsewhere (several characters mention events that happened in Mearsies Heili, for example). (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 31st, 2013
6:40 pm	BL: Kitty Rocks the House (Vaughn, Carrie) Tor (2013) ISBN: 978-0-7653-6867-6 Score: 3 Eleventh Kitty Norville novel, which begins with a funeral and ends with her moving into a new house. In between is a lot of soul searching (by multiple characters) as unexpected challenges and accusations keep Kitty off balance. I'm not sure I like the direction the series seems to be heading. Next Book: Sherwood Smith, Sartor (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
7:22 pm	BL: Frost Burned (Briggs, Patricia) Ace (2013) ISBN: 978-0-441-02001-0 Score: 5 Seventh Mercy Thompson novel, though it may better better to call it the eleventh story of the Mercy, Anna, and Charles series now that national politics is playing a larger role in both series (I'm counting the novella equal to the novels). Mercy is shopping at midnight (Black Friday), gets in a car wreck, and then things get really bad. One thing about these books is that there's never any doubt who the bad guys are; in this case it's a bunch of people trying to start a literal war between supernaturals and mundanes. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
8:42 pm	BL: Three Parts Dead (Gladstone, Max) Max Gladstone, Three Parts Dead Tor (2012) ISBN: 978-0-7653-3310-0 Score: 3 Secondary world urban fantasy about gods (living and dead), immortal wizards, gargoyles, vampires, contract law, and a hive mind called Justice. This reminded me a lot of N.K. Jemisin's books. Next Book: Patricia Briggs, Frost Burned (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
9:30 pm	BL: A Natural History of Dragons (Brennan, Marie) Tor (2013) ISBN: 978-0-7653-3196-0 Score: 3 First memoir of Lady Trent, covering her childhood, marriage, and first zoological expedition. I would have preferred it more if either the geography was more similar to Europe or the cultures were less so. On the plus side, it's the first (adult) fantasy book I've read this year that didn't have prophecy or mind control. (Comment on this)
Saturday, February 23rd, 2013
8:20 pm	Problematic link Prompted by kate_nepveu's Problematic panel, I've been thinking about excessive torturing of protagonists, and just posted my thoughts over on bittercon. (Comment on this)
4:16 pm	BL: Hexed (Hearne, Kevin) Del Rey (2011) ISBN: 978-0-345-52249-8 Score: 2 Second book of the Iron Druid, in which he gets a lot of attention due to what how the first book ended, and we learn just how unpleasant witches can be, even the good ones. Next Book: Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
8:35 pm	BL: The Night of the Swarm (Redick, Robert V.S.) Robert V.S. Redick, The Night of the Swarm Del Rey (2012) ISBN: 978-0-345-50887-4 Score: 3 Conclusion of the Chathrand Voyage quartet, in which they try to put everything (and everyone) back where they belong. Next Book: Kevin Hearne, Hexed (Comment on this)
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013
7:23 pm	BL: Nightmare of the Iguana (Vernon, Ursula) Ursula Vernon, Nightmare of the Iguana Dial (2013) ISBN: 978-0803738461 Score: 2 Eight Dragonbreath book, in which he explores his best friend's subconscious. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
7:48 pm	BL: Hounded (Hearne, Kevin) Kevin Hearne, Hounded Del Rey (2011) ISBN: 978-0-345-52247-4 Score: 3 Start of the Iron Druid urban fantasy series, about the world's last druid and the enemies he's made during his 21 centuries of life. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013
6:07 pm	BL: Midnight Riot (Aaronovitch, Ben) Ben Aaronovitch, Midnight Riot Del Rey (2011) ISBN: 978-0-345-52425-6 Score: 2 Start of an urban fantasy police procedural set in London. I liked the fact they occasionally followed the mundane procedures and used modern technology, but didn't like all the mind control. Next book: Kevin Hearne, Hounded (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
5:53 pm	Read in 2012 Everything I've read in 2012: (score is -5 to 5) ( Read more...Collapse ) Fewer books than in 2011, but a significantly higher fraction were by women. (Comment on this)
2:38 pm	BL: Death Bringer (Landy, Derek) Derek Landy, Death Bringer Harper (2011) ISBN: 978-0-00-732605-1 Score:3 Sixth novel of Skulduggery Pleasant series, in which all the good guys' dark secrets get loose, and the heroine has problems with her boyfriends. Now to see if there are any copies of book seven within a thousand miles of me... (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 22nd, 2012
7:23 am	BL: The Silvered (Huff, Tanya) Tanya Huff, The Silvered Daw (2012) ISBN: 978-0-7564-0743-8 Score: 2.5 Stand alone fantasy novel about an empire using science and technology (gunpowder and airships) to kill and enslave mages and werewolves. There are also prophecies that come true due to the efforts of those who hear them, and a heroine who smells "amazing" (something that is commented on about a dozen times). Next Book: Derek Landy, Death Bringer (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 15th, 2012
7:33 pm	BL: When Fairies Go Bad (Vernon, Ursula) Ursula Vernon, When Fairies Go Bad Dial (2012) ISBN: 978-0-8037-3678-8 Score: 2 Seventh of the Dragonbreath books, in which his mom is kidnapped by fairies. Curiously, this is the second book in a row I've read that featured the Cat Sidhe (aka Cat Sith), whom I'd never heard of before. Next Book: Tanya Huff, The Silvered (3 Comments |Comment on this)