Book #109: Succubus on Top

Title: Succubus on Top (book #2 of the Georgina Kincaid Series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Aug. 30, 2012
Date finished reading:  Sept. 3, 2012

Publish date: July 2011
ISBN: 978-0821780787
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses her new boyfriend, she’ll drain his life force. Georgina is a succubus — a demon who draws her power from other men’s pleasure. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks are terrific, and yes, Georgina did choose to join the ranks of hell centuries ago. But it seems completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can’t get hot and heavy with the one mortal who knows and accepts her for who she is. It’s not just her personal life that’s in chaos. Doug, Georgina’s co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects that something far more demonic than double espressos is at work. She could use help finding out, but Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, is preoccupied in the suburbs with corrupting an ultra-conservative talk radio star — and giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one—and fast because soon, Doug’s life won’t be the only one on the line…" (http://www.richellemead.com)

How I obtained the book: Got through Listia.com (It's like eBay without the money being exchanged)

My commentary:

• I loved one scene in the book a lot... Georgina and Bastien are in a bar, listening to music. Bastien requests Fiona Apple's song "Criminal" and says it describes Georgina's relationship with Seth. For some reason I found it funny because it is a good explanation of how a succubus operates: "I've been a bad bad girl. I've been careless with a delicate man. And it's a sad sad world when a girl will break a boy just because she can. ... Heaven help me for the way I am. Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done."
• The sex scenes in this one were a little more cheesy than the first book, which disappointed me. I don't understand why authors have to resort to cheesy romance novel words for love scenes. 
• Overall, I didn't like the character of Bastien. It doesn't surprise me. Even though reading about a succubus character is sometimes interesting to me, the male counterpart -- the incubus -- is not interesting to me. I don't get why I like the female seductress, but not the male seducer. It seems sexiest or something to me, but that's the way it is. 

Memorable quotes:

• "Myths may paint us as ethereal, demonic creatures of pleasure, but honestly being a succubus just comes down to a convincing poker face and a good sales pitch." ~ Georgina
• "Your pimp routine is getting old." ~ Georgina to Jerome
•  "Being with you is a continual experiment in perspective. Among other things." ~ Seth to Georgina
• "I hate hypocrites, good or evil. Doesn't matter what they're touting." ~ Georgina
• "Honestly, half the reason I like you is because you're so ... I don't know. You like life. You're fearless. Bold. Not afraid to enjoy yourself. You just go out there and do what you want. I like the whirlwind you exist in. I envy it. It's funny, really. I used to think I wanted someone exactly like me, but now I think I'd be bored to death with another version of myself." ~ Seth to Georgina
• "One thing that never changed among humans: there were always those who wanted to get something for nothing. It was what kept hell in business." ~ Georgina
• "It's hard to rape a succubus. In the ultimate climax, the succubus is the conqueror -- especially if the girl ends up blacking out." ~ Georgina
• "Don't judge the past by the standards of today. It won't work. They're incompatible." ~ Georgina
• "You're one of the most depressed people I know. Even when you're smiling and flirting and all of that. I know you hate this life. This world." ~ Doug to Georgina
• "There's good in the bad. There's always hope." ~ Georgina
• "The clouds of failure are gathering." ~ Bastien
• "You're the ultimate look-don't-touch girl." ~ Bastien to Georgina

Buy on Amazon.com: Succubus On Top (Georgina Kincaid)

Book #108: Succubus Blues

Title: Succubus Blues (book #1 of the Georgina Kincaid Series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Aug. 25, 2012
Date finished reading:  Aug. 29, 2012

Publish date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0821780770
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants. The wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical? But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore — free books, all the white chocolate mochas she can drink, and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t. But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny..." (http://www.richellemead.com)

How I obtained the book: Got through Listia.com (It's like eBay without the money being exchanged)

My commentary:

• I decided to read this series because I love Mead's writing in the Vampire Academy series and Bloodlines series, but I wasn't sure what to expect because this was an "adult" series instead of a "young adult" series. And, obviously, I knew there'd be some sex scenes in it since Georgina is a succubus. I was really hoping that she couldn't go all cheesy romance novel writer on me, and ultimately she didn't. I was able to overlook my distaste for sex scenes because Mead made her scenes non-tacky. I'm pleasantly amazed by the book overall and looking forward to the rest of the series. Back on the "cheesy" sex scenes I was afraid of... Some writers remind me too much of the guidance counselor from the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" (as you can see in the movie clip below...

• As far as narrators go, I found Georgina to be a very strong one. I like her much more than Syndney in the Bloodlines series and almost as much as Rose in Vampire Academy. 
• I seem to keep stumbling into books that include fallen angels and nephilim. I obviously knew what I was getting into when I read the Fallen saga by Lauren Kate, Unearthly/Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, and the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, but I didn't expect to see them in The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare, the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz or in this series by Richelle Mead. It's weird how they keep popping up everywhere in my reading.

Memorable quotes:

• "Statistics show that most mortals sell their souls for five reasons: sex, money, power, revenge, and love. In that order. I suppose I should have been reassured, then, that I was out here assisting with numero uno, but the whole situation just made me feel ... well, sleazy. And coming from me, that was something." ~ Georgina 
• "Demons weren't big on small talk." ~ Georgina
• "I worship the ground this guy walks on. I'm excited to meet him tonight. I'm dying to meet him tonight. If he wanted to carry me off and make me his love slave, I'd do it, so long as I got advance copies of his books." ~ Georgina about Seth
• "Hell hath no fury like a pissed-off demon." ~ Georgina
• "I guess some people write the stories, and others live them." ~ Seth
• "I only read five pages a day. ... Because it's so good, and because there's only one chance to read a book for the first time, and I want it to last. That experience. I'd finish it in a day otherwise, and that'd be like eating a carton of ice cream in one sitting. Too much richness over too quickly. This way, I can draw it out. Make the book last longer. Savor it. I have to since they don't come out that often." ~ Georgina
• "In the last twenty-four hours, I"d had to endure virgins, scary vampires, murder, accusation, and humiliation in front of my favorite author. I really didn't think coming home to a quiet apartment was too much to ask for." ~ Georgina
• "You are the most uncharming succubus I've ever met." ~ Peter to Georgina
• "I loved used bookstores but always felt a little guilty walking into them. Like I was cheating. After all, I worked around bright, crisp books all the time. I could obtain a reprint of almost anything I wanted, brand new. It seemed wrong to take such visceral pleasure from being around old books, from the smell of aged paper, mildew, and dust. Such collections of knowledge, some quite old, always reminded me of times long past and places I'd seen, triggering a tidal wave of nostalgia. These emotions made me feel both old and young. The books aged while I did not." ~ Georgina
• "Being with a woman like you is generally the sort of thing that only happens in a man's dreams." ~ Erik to Georgina
• "Books were a lot less messy than orgasms." ~ Georgina
• "The worlds and people in my head are so alive to me that I lose track of the real world." ~ Georgina
• "I don't suppose there's a Georgina Kincaid Instruction Manual around here somewhere to help me avoid these embarrassing blunders in the future." ~ Roman
• "Even new vampire hunters wise up eventually." ~ Carter
• "Vampires. Honestly, they're like children sometimes." ~ Georgina
• "Georgina, sometimes I think you might be worth following around, just to hear what you'll say next." ~ Carter
• "Relationships suck. This is why I don't date. You just hurt people." ~ Georgina
  "Most good things come with the risk of something bad." ~ Seth
• "Sometimes you wake up from a dream. And sometimes, every once in a while, you wake up in a dream." ~ Georgina
• "I forget, Georgina rushes in where angels fear to tread." ~ Carter
• "Love doesn't make angels fall, Georgina. If anything, love can have quite the opposite effect." ~ Carter
• "Eternity doesn't seem so bad with you in my arms." ~ Roman to Georgina
• "No one is beyond being loved." ~ Carter
• "Love is rarely flawless. Humans delude themselves by thinking it has to be. It is the imperfections that makes love perfect." ~ Carter

Buy on Amazon.com: Succubus Blues

Book #107: Devoted

Title: Devoted (book #2 in the Elixir series)

Author: Hilary Duff

Date started reading: Aug. 22, 2012
Date finished reading: Aug. 24, 2012

Publish date: October 2011
ISBN: 978-1442408555
Number of pages: 368

Official summary: "Since Sage was kidnapped, Clea has no way of knowing if he is alive or dead. And even though she has only just discovered they were soulmates, she feels like a part of her is lost forever. What’s worse, she can’t even turn to her best friend Ben — because every time she looks at him, all she sees is his betrayal. But waiting for something to happen is not an option, so Clea is ready for action. Suffering through dreams of seeing Sage with another woman, she makes an uneasy alliance with Sage’s enemies and sets out to be reunited with Sage ... in this life or the next." (http://books.simonandschuster.com)

How I obtained the book: Bought for $4.86 at used book store (It's actually a publisher's remainder book, not a used book)

My commentary:

• I'm honestly shocked at how amazing this book was, and the final pages totally took me by surprise. I loved how in this book, the narration went back and forth between Clea and Amelia. I'd definitely recommend this book (and obviously the first one in the series) to anyone who likes this genre of books.

Memorable quotes:

• "I'm not someone who falls apart. ... I wasn't raised to be a weak person. Weak people fail, and I couldn't afford to fail right now, not when so much was at stake." ~ Clea
• "A life without Sage would be easier, maybe, and it would surely be safer, but it would be life under novocaine, numb and empty." ~ Clea
• "My brain rot is your brain rot." ~ Rayna to Clea
• "Poor, trusting Clea. You'll follow your heart, even if it leads you off a cliff." ~ Petra
• "I'd been right from the start -- soulmates were for fairy tales. In real life, people were just people, and they couldn't be trusted." ~ Clea
• "If love bonds are real, then nothing can break them apart." ~ Clea

Buy on Amazon.com: Devoted: An Elixir Novel

Book #106: Elixir

Title: Elixir

Author: Hilary Duff

Date started reading: Aug. 19, 2012
Date finished reading: Aug. 21, 2012

Publish date: June 2011
ISBN: 978-1442408548
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Clea Raymond is a talented photojournalist and the daughter of high-profile parents. Usually she’s in total control of her camera, but after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and handsome young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos — a man she has never seen in her life. When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned — and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future — and their lives." (http://books.simonandschuster.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Bought for $2.70 at used book store. (It's actually a publisher's remainder book, not a used book)

My commentary:

• I wasn't sure how good this book would be considering that it was written by an actress/singer. Normally when celebrities decide to write books, they aren't great. But this book was awesome. I loved the entire storyline, even if I normally don't go in for reincarnation stories.
• One thing that cracked me up was when Rayna calls Sage "Hottie McDreamMan."

Memorable quotes:

• "The right guy for me is someone who lives his passions, not someone on a scavenger hunt to find them." ~ Clea
• "Fire is magnetic -- an almost illicit combination of destructive force and awe-inspiring beauty." ~ Clea
• "I started feeling like my regular life was the fantasy, and the gut-wrenching dreams were real life." ~ Clea
•  "Eternal life is useless without eternal youth." ~ Magda
• "I stared at my face in the mirror. It didn't look like me. I wondered when it had happened. When had I changed so completely inside that I couldn't even recognize myself?" ~ Clea

Buy on Amazon.com: Elixir

Book #105: Hereafter

Title: Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson

Date started reading: Aug. 15, 2012
Date finished reading:  Aug. 18, 2012

Publish date: June 2011
ISBN: 9780062026774
Number of pages: 404

Official summary: "Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life — or her actual death — she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive. Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world ... forever." (http://www.tarahudson.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Bought for $4.87 at used book store.

My commentary:

• There were basically two reasons I wanted to read this book: 1) The cover is amazingly beautiful, and 2) The author is from Oklahoma, and since I'm from Oklahoma myself, I'm always curious to see how writers from my state stack up against other authors. After reading the book, I must say that this is one book you can definitely judge by its cover. The cover art fits the story perfectly: A young beautiful girl dies and becomes a ghost "haunting" the river where she had died.... which is exactly what the cover represents. The author did not disappoint either. I have often come across authors from my state who ... well honestly ... suck, and Tara Hudson is not one of those people. She wrote the story based around a town that actually exists in Oklahoma, which, for someone who lives here, adds something personal to the story, which I loved. 
• The book really stands out from the typical "young adult paranormal romance" novels. For one thing, there are no vampires, no werewolves, no fairies, nothing of that manner. This is essentially a ghost story, a really beautiful ghost story. It has ghosts and ghost hunters, and that's all it needed to totally capture my attention and keep it through the entire book. Plus, the way it's written, the book definitely appeals to adults as well as teenagers. It's definitely not going to be a book that I'm embarrassed to say I read as a 30 year old and loved. I can't think of a single thing I would've changed in the book, and that's saying a lot coming from me.

Memorable quotes:

• "Instinct is a slippery thing." ~ Amelia
• "I was trapped in a prison of one. It was as if I existed in my own little dimension, unseen and unheard by others but maddeningly aware of my surroundings." ~ Amelia
• "Hours can pass like years when you wait impatiently for something, especially something you crave and dread in equal measure." ~ Amelia
• "Death had obviously not improved my vocabulary." ~ Amelia
• "Any sane person would think I'm either crazy or dead." ~ Amelia to Joshua
• "You know, Amelia, being dead must really suck." ~ Joshua 
• "I'm not going to spend my Friday nights with you and Casper the Friendly Girlfriend." ~ Jillian to Joshua

Buy on Amazon.com: Hereafter

Book #104: Endure

Title: Endure (Book #4 in the Need series)

Author: Carrie Jones

Date started reading: Aug. 11, 2012
Date finished reading:  Aug. 14, 2012

Publish date: May 2012
ISBN: 978-1599905549
Number of pages: 272

Official summary: "Zara is at the center of an all-out war, and an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Bedford is being ravaged by evil pixies and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends, she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king." (http://www.carriejonesbooks.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: This book left me saying "What the hell?" so many times that I can't even begin to figure out how I feel about it. The series is just so odd. It's not that I don't like it, but I definitely don't love it. I never formed any real emotional connection to any of the characters, and I don't feel compelled to buy the third and fourth books or to keep the first and second books that I do own.

Memorable quotes:

• "He's in love with you. ... And it isn't some weird I-am-a-pixie-king-and-you're-my-queen love. It's like Willow and Tara kind of love, like Spock and Kirk, like Jack and Kate on Lost, like Princess Leia and Han Solo or Olivia and Peter on Fringe." ~ Issie to Zara about Astley
• "Seriously, this town is a freak zone of weird." ~ Callie
• "I wish they were vampires. In TV shows vampires always explode or disintegrate. It seems so much easier for cleanup." ~ Issie about dead pixie bodies
• "Love is his weakness." ~ Isla about Astley
• "Never underestimate the people you think are crazy. They are the ones who see things you fail to see." ~ Isla
• "You base your defense against the apocalypse on information you've gathered from the Internet and a tiny local newspaper? Oh, that's so precious!" ~ Isla to Zara
• "The world as a human is much thinner than as a pixie. It's like watching a movie on your phone versus seeing real-life events." ~ Zara
• "Life isn't a television show, Nick. There aren't neat little bows to tie things up in the end. There isn't a soundtrack to cue the laughs and the murmurs of agreement. There's no way of always knowing what the right thing is. No clear endings." ~ Zara
• "I have learned recently to doubt everything." ~ Astley
• "Sometimes the monsters are not monsters." ~ Hel
• "Issie had said there was a hell mouth in Buffy shows. I should have paid more attention. Why do I never pay attention to pop-culture references? Probably because that one involved Issie going on and on about cute British vampires." ~ Zara
• "There is nothing worse than gods chuckling." ~ Zara
• "The world may end, but at least Issie got to teleport." ~ Nick
• "I hate freaking pixies, and I hate the freaking apocalypse, and I hate freaking Iceland." ~ Nick

Buy on Amazon.com: Endure (Need)