Audio Review: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

It's 2083. Chocolate is illegal. Caffeine is illegal. And any number of other things have been outlawed as well. Anya Balanchine is the daughter of a well known crime boss and trader in chocolate. Anya knows all too well the dangers of being a Balanchine: her mother and father are both dead and her brother has been irreparably damaged thanks to a botched hit attempt years ago. Now it's up to Anya to make sure her family stays safe. She does this by distancing herself from the Balanchine family's activities as much as possible. But when her ex boyfriend is hospitalized after eating a poisoned Balanchine Special Dark bar, Anya finds herself directly in the middle of the whole ordeal. Making matters worse is her budding relationship with the Assistant District Attorney's teenage son.

Gabrielle Zevin's All These Things I've Done is a truly unique twist on so many classic elements! Mob families, Romeo & Juliet, the challenges everyday teens face... all in a futuristic and slightly dystopian setting. I say slightly because although the government definitely has a big brother feel here, it's more an element of the setting rather than a major plot point thus far. Given the progression of the ADA's role in the story, I'd expect more government issues to come.

The narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, is a good choice here in my opinion. She sounds young and since Anya is the narrator, often breaking in to talk directly to the reader, Kadushin sounds right for the part. She also makes an effort to differentiate between characters "speaking" in the narrative, as well as male and female voices, and does this successfully for the most part.

All These Things I've Done is the first book in the Birthright series. It'll be interesting to see Anya's character progress. She's dealing with a lot in All These Things I've Done, including her anger and other issues that would be spoilers. All These Things is available now in hardcover and on audio. The paperback edition is due out May 8 and book two, Because It Is My Blood, is due out in September.

The Return Man by VM Zito

Henry Marco makes his living tracking down the dead and returning them for their loved ones. For... not to. It's 2018, four years after the outbreak of The Resurrection, a zombie plague that left everything west of the Mississippi a virtual wasteland. US citizens were evacuated to the Safe States and have remained there ever since. Jobs are scarce, resources are drying up, and laws are meant to keep everyone in their place. And while the evacuation was going on, Henry Marco hid out in his house waiting. Waiting for his wife to come back one way or another. If you're missing someone in the Evacuated States, chances are they're dead. But the dead do not rest since The Resurrection. Now the government wants Marco to find and return someone. Someone Marco once had dealings with. Someone who may have made an important discovery about The Resurrection. 

This is the basic makeup of V.M. Zito's debut, The Return Man (out now from Orbit), a dark, action-packed, post apocalyptic(outbreak) zombie thriller. 

Course there's more going on. The government doesn't entirely trust Marco to get the job done and they haven't provided all of the information he'll need. But the man who shows up to help Marco isn't quite what he seems. 

And that's my one down side to the book. See, I really liked Marco. He's an ex-neurologist, so his insight into The Resurrection and his knowledge of the zombies, plus what he's made of himself, are super cool elements that drive the story. When Wu's narration cut in, it always felt like an abrupt break from the story I really wanted to continue with. And because I didn't like Wu, I never did get used to - or settle into - his parts of the story, just anxiously waited to get back to Marco. 

As an aside, switching narrators isn't usually a problem for me. I really just didn't care for Wu.

Anywho, The Return Man is perfect for zombie horror fans. It does offer up a little bit different perspective and a bit of a different spin. The Return Man is especially perfect for folks anxiously awaiting Mira Grant's latest (out from Orbit in June). 

And check out this cool trailer for The Return Man from Orbit:

Where's My Bookmark: Moonshine by Alaya Johnson

My reading list has been all over the place of late, just about every flavor of paranormal (demon hunters, mermaids, zombies) and some chick litty stuff as well, so it only made sense to follow up with some vampires. 1920s vampires to be exact.

Alaya Johnson's Wicked City hits shelves this Tuesday, so I've back tracked and am reading the prequel (the first book in her Zephyr Hollis series), Moonshine. 

Here's a bit about the book from the publisher:

In ALAYA JOHNSON’s amazing debut novel MOONSHINE, readers were captivated by Zephyr Hollis, who on the surface seems to be a typical inhabitant of Prohibition-era Manhattan. She’s a transplant from the ranches of Montana, who teaches night school to the underprivileged of the Lower East Side. She’s extremely socially conscious—you can find her volunteering in soup kitchens or delivering blood for the blood bank. However, you can also find her fighting for the rights of the Others that inhabit New York. These Others are otherworldly creatures, most notably vampires, that live among the human inhabitants. However, like everyone in the crowds of New York City then and now, Zephyr carries many secrets—secrets that protect her but could also very well cost her life.

And Zephyr won out over George R. R. Martin! I'm still planning to dive into Song of Ice and Fire book two, but considering how many great things I've heard about Johnson's series, I figured it wouldn't hurt for the Starks to wait just a tiny bit longer. 

For more on Alaya Johnson, Zephyr Hollis, visit Johnson's website (link above). And for Moonshine excerpt to get you started, go here. 

New Releases 4/10/12

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Cloudland by Joseph Olsham

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger #4)

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith

Sacrilege by SJ Parris

The Inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith

Wicked City by Alaya Johnson

Blue Magic by AM Dellamonica

The Stolen Bride by Tony Hays

Last Will by Liza Marklund

Lost Everything by Brian Francis Slattery

A Woman of Consequence by Anna Dean (Dido Kent)

Immobility by Brian Evenson

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Song Remains the Same by Allison Winn Scotch

A Teeny Bit of Trouble by Michael Lee West

Prague Fatale by Phillip Kerr

The Fallen by Jassy Mackenzie

The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

Come Home by Lisa Scottoline

Calico Joe by John Grisham

The Cove by Ron Rash

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Taken at Dusk by CC Hunter

Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley

New on DVD:
The Darkest Hour

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
Nightfall by Stephen Leather
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Forgiven by Jana Oliver

Win a Copy of The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

I think I've expressed my love of witchy books here before, but I'll continue to do so as long as folks continue to write them. Like all books and all kinds of characters, there are so many different angles. Witches can be evil or altruistic, they can be manipulative and sneaky, or they can be mild tricksters. There's an array of possibilities. 

So what do you get when you combine Desperate Housewife-esque suburbanites with devil worshipping witchcraft? The Thirteen by Susie Moloney of course!

Paula's mother sent her away from Haven Woods over a decade ago. Now, broke and jobless, she and her twelve-year-old daughter have received word that Paula's mother is very sick. And so Paula drags her daughter back to her hometown for a visit. While there, Paula runs into some old acquaintances, including a possible new love interest. But Paula should beware Have Woods. Something dark has been waiting for Paula to return. Something that will put both her and her daughter in grave danger. 

Moloney has an interesting style, throwing in character's inner thoughts in between the regular narrative. It's an interesting layer added to the story itself even if it is used sparingly. It's an element that makes Moloney unique, at least in my reading experience. 

The Thirteen is dark and twisted indeed, but also has a sharp and sarcastic tone that makes it an utterly delicious read. And though this is not Moloney's debut, nor is it her first release stateside, it is my introduction to Moloney's work and I do hope that it will be the first of many new releases from her. In the meantime, I've got a backlist copy of The Dwelling currently waiting in my TBR stack. 

The Thirteen is out now in paperback.  

Ooh, ooh! I almost forgot. I have a copy of The Thirteen to give away! If you want to throw your name in the hat, leave me a comment below with a way to get in touch with you. I'll draw a name on April 30. (US only please)

Where's My Bookmark: Nightfall by Stephen Leather

It was so nice out this past weekend and I got in some quality time with more than a couple reads. As of last night, I had just under 100 pages to go on Stephen Leather's Nightfall and realized that I've had quite a few demon related reads of late... hm.

The folks over at Wunderkind were nice enough to send me over a copy of Leather's latest (or newest US release). Leather is quite prolific in the UK but only a few of his titles are available here thus far. Nightfall is the first in his Jack Nightingale series. 

Nightingale was a successful police negotiator until his last case ended in two dead bodies. He was unable to save the little girl who died first and was never charged with the death of her father, though truth be told, no one would have blamed him if he were responsible. Now working as a PI, Nightingale receives a strange call from a solicitor who claims that Jack has now inherited a large mansion from his recently deceased father. But Jack's parents have been dead for years. Turns out, Jack was adopted and the truth about his biological father is shocking indeed -- the man was either a total nutter or he sold his son's soul to a devil. If he's telling the truth, Jack has just three weeks before his soul is claimed. 

To be honest, Nightfall has been a super easy read so far. I jetted through over 300 pages Sunday afternoon. The story is interesting and Nightingale is a cool character. Plus all the stuff about the devils and whether or not he'll be losing his soul is intriguing. The best part though is that this is the first in a series: Nightfall is followed by Midnight (due out in June) and Nightmare. Come lunchtime today, I'll be finished with Jack's first adventure and see if he gets to keep his soul or not!

Nightfall is available in paperback and audio and is part of Amazon's 47North imprint, their sci-fi, fantasy, and horror imprint. 

New Releases 4/03/12

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance ed by Lee Child

Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore

Vengeance by Ian Irvine

The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin

Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry (Thomas & Charlotte Pitt #27)

Beastly Things by Donna Leon (Brunetti #21)

More Than You Know by Penny Vincenzi

Keeper of the King's Secret by Michelle Diener

The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe

The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan

The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Strange Flesh by Michael Olson

The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark

Gypped by Carol Higgins Clark (Regan Reilly #15)

The Shoemaker's Wife Adriana Trigiani

Nocturnal by Scott Sigler

The House of the Hunted by Mark Mills

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Black Heart by Holly Black (Curse Workers #3)

Fear by Michael Grant (Gone #5)

New on DVD:

We Bought a Zoo

War Horse

Torchwood: Miracle Day


New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
Starters by Lissa Price
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison