Monday Suggestions 1/06

This is me about this week's Monday Suggestions!

Confession: I read a lot and I'm kind of a snob about it.

But, man, I just love books. I used to throw down with two books a week but lately I've been writing so I've reduced that to finishing one book a week. (I'm actually working on a post about how to find your future favorite books!)

Why am I telling you this?

Because only my favorites make the Monday Suggestion posts! I pick books that (in my opinon) are baller and that stand a good chance of you thinking so too!

So, without anymore babbling, here's this week's Monday Suggestions!

 

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (who just happen to be an awesome writing duo/married couple) has me all pumped! After falling through Amazon trying to find the next book to hook me, I saw Clean Sweep and said "meh." I'm not the biggest fan of book covers with women obviously being supernatural in some way on them. I don't know why. However, I try to embrace the old adage of not judging a book by its cover so I read the sample.
Bought.
Hooked.
Loved.

Now, what makes Clean Sweep so darn amazing? Let me briefly break it down for you.

1. The world, the supernatural "rules," the explanation of things in this book are so different from anything I've ever read (a HUGE feat, I'll tell you) and it's all in a good way. I will NOT ruin anything for you, but just take it from me that this will take your vision of modern day werewolves, vampires, and OTHER THINGS to a whole different, wonderful direction.

2. Dina. This book is first person so you get to listen to her thoughts and they are just entertaining. She's also strong but, really, what does that mean? It means she's not a damsel in distress. Sure, she ends up teaming up with a few other people, but she's by no means weak. What I paralytically love is that, unlike a lot of books I read, Dina knows it too.

3. The book is written beautifully. The plot, the meat (what I mentioned in #1), and everything in between is explained in such a fantastic way that I didn't for once reject any of it. The pacing of explanations just work.

4. THE IMAGERY IS AMAZING! There are two scenes in particular that were painted so damn brilliantly that I felt like I was watching a movie! My goodness, I can't even.

There are actually a few more reasons that I love Clean Sweep and you should too, but then I'd border on spoilers so I'll save it for a book review post! Just trust me and get this book!

Synopsis from Amazon:

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything. 

Links you need to check out: Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Goodreads // Ilona Andrews website

 

Occasionally, I like to browse Charlaine Harris' website. Why? Well because I'm a huge Harris fan, and not just a True Blood groupie. I'm talking every book she's written groupie. After watching season one of True Blood, I read the first book and realized it was so different and SO MUCH BETTER than the show (book snob, remember?). Then, within the span of 11 days I read the 11 Sookie Stackhouse books that were out. I loved them (and her writing style) so much that I went to the bookstore and bought Shakespeare's Landlord, A Lily Bard book. Loved it. Read the entire series. THEN I picked up Real Murders and, well, you get the picture. That book and its series became an all time favorite and Aurora Teagarden (the main character) even made my Top 5 favorite protagonists' list! I also picked up the Harper Connelly books because, man, I was on a roll!

SO, when I saw that Ms. Harris was coming out with a NEW SERIES, I about died in excitement. 

Midnight Crossroad (A Novel of Midnight, Texas) will be released on May 6, 2014 and it set to be the first in a trilogy. I mean, I can't even control myself with this one! Just the synopsis has me beyond pumped! YOU BET I PRE-ORDERED IT!

Here it is: 

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...

Links you should check out: Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Goodreads // Charlaine Harris Website

What are YOU reading?

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)
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