October Reading Wrap Up – 2012

Hey guys,

Here’s a little wrap up of all the books I got through in October. Excuse me? Why yes I did have a pretty darn good month in reading!

So this month I read:

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: 2011-04-12
I discuss this at 00:27 in the video above

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear–to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Shades of Souls Passed by Teresa Andrews

Release Date: 2010-12-27

I discuss this at 02:29 in the video above

A collection of true accounts of ghostly encounters in Madison County, New York. Whether it’s a malevolent poltergeist, a mischievous little girl playing hide and seek, or a gardener simply going about his business, the souls that wander the empty spaces of Madison County remain unseen until one day, or night as the case may be, they decide to make themselves known. Whatever the case, you can be sure that when you roll over and turn out the lights tonight, you won’t be the only one in your room

My full review for this one is here: http://wearewordnerds.com/shades-of-souls-passed-by-teresa-andrews/

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Release Date: 2011-09-27

I discuss this at 00:49 in the video above

Tabby Aykroyd thought she was coming to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be a maid, but she’s not being asked to clean or cook. Then one day a man, presumably the owner of the house, shows up with a small boy. The boy insists he’s the master of the house, and curiously no one disputes him. Tabby is to be his playmate. The young master is a savage little creature, but the house itself contains far worse: Scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House. Tabby is terrified for her life and the life of her young charge. But why isn’t the young master afraid?

The Calypso Directive: A Novel by Brian Andrews

Release Date: 2012-04-01

I discuss this at 06:21 in the video above

An unprecedented genetic mutation, an underground think tank, and an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company collide in this dazzling debut thriller. For one hundred and fifty-five days, Will Foster has been locked in medical quarantine without his consent. The doctors claim he is infected with a deadly virus, but this is a lie. Encoded in his DNA is a mutation that provides immunity from disease for all who possess it, source code that Vyrogen Pharmaceuticals aims to commercialize as a multi-billion dollar gene therapy. Against all odds, Foster escapes his laboratory prison and steals a virulent strain of bubonic plague as insurance. To help him unravel the mystery inside him, Foster contacts the only person he can trust–a former lover and microbiologist living in Vienna– and the two become fugitives, hunted across the heart of Europe. Under the guise of averting a plague pandemic, Vryogen hires an elite, underground Think Tank to track down Foster. But when the team sets a trap for Foster, they discover they’re not the only ones in the hunt. In a race against two deadly assassins, can the brilliant minds of the Think Tank unravel the truth before time runs out for their quarry? In a novel where conscience clashes with greed, loyalty with suspicion, and paranoia with reality, THE CALYPSO DIRECTIVE deftly explores the issues of genetic exploitation and piracy. Captivating, controversial, and courageous, Andrews debut is sure to thrill and leave you wondering what secrets are locked in your DNA.

My full review for this one is here: http://wearewordnerds.com/the-calypso-directive-by-brian-andrews/

Amarok by Angela Townsend

Release Date: 2012-11-20

I discuss this at 03:56 in the video above

Emma’s life has been hell since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Abandoned by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother’s death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her planned escape leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining.Dragged across the tundra by an evil mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she learns that love can be found in the most unexpected places. Amarok, as she’s nicknamed the wolf, is a young man from the gold-rush era enslaved by an ancient shaman. Emma’s gentle touch and kind heart win his love and devotion. When a vicious madman–trapped in bear form by the same Shaman–attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to face her fears and free the wolf she’s come to love. But that means she must face down the evil shaman, a Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.

The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff

Release Date: 2006-08-22

I discuss this at 05:30 in the video above

Baird College’s Mendenhall echoes with the footsteps of the last home-bound students heading off for Thanksgiving break, and Robin Stone swears she can feel the creepy, hundred-year-old residence hall breathe a sigh of relief for its long-awaited solitude. Or perhaps it’s only gathering itself for the coming weekend. As a massive storm dumps rain on the isolated campus, four other lonely students reveal themselves: Patrick, a handsome jock; Lisa, a manipulative tease; Cain, a brooding musician; and finally Martin, a scholarly eccentric. Each has forsaken a long weekend at home for their own secret reasons. The five unlikely companions establish a tentative rapport, but they soon become aware of a sixth presence disturbing the ominous silence that pervades the building. Are they the victims of a simple college prank taken way too far, or is the unusual energy evidence of something genuine—and intent on using the five students for its own terrifying ends? It’s only Thursday afternoon, and they have three long days and dark nights before the rest of the world returns to find out what’s become of them. But for now it’s just the darkness keeping company with five students nobody wants and no one will miss.

The Telling by Mike Duran

Release Date: 2012-05-15

I discuss this at 10:59 in the video above

FAVORITE READ OF OCTOBER!

A prophet never loses his calling, only his way. Disfigured with a hideous scar from his stepmother, Zeph Walker lives his life in seclusion, cloistering himself in a ramshackle bookstore on the outskirts of town. But Zeph is also blessed with a gift—an uncanny ability to foresee the future,to know peoples’ deepest sins and secrets. He calls it the Telling, but he has abandoned this gift to a life of solitude, unbelief, and despair—until two detectives escort him to the county morgue where he finds his own body lying on the gurney. On the northern fringes of Death Valley, the city of Endurance is home to llama ranches, abandoned mines, roadside attractions…and the mythical ninth gate of hell. Now, forced to investigate his own murder, Zeph discovers something even more insidious behind the urban legends and small-town eccentricities. Early miners unearthed a megalith—asacred site where spiritual and physical forces converge and where an ancient subterranean presence broods. And only Zeph can stop it. But the scar on Zeph’s face is nothing compared to the wound on his soul. For not only has he abandoned his gift and renounced heaven, but it was his own silence that spawned the evil. Can he overcome his own despair in time to seal the ninth gate of hell? His words unlocked something deadly, And now the silence is killing them.

In the Tall Grass by Stephen King

Release Date: 2012-10-09

I discuss this at 08:52 in the video above

Mile 81 meets “N” in this collaboration between Stephen King and Joe Hill, now available from Simon & Schuster Audio.As USA TODAY said of Stephen King’s Mile 81: “Park and scream. Could there be any better place to set a horror story than an abandoned rest stop?” In the Tall Grass begins with a sister and brother who pull off to the side of the road after hearing a young boy crying for help from beyond the tall grass. Within minutes they are disoriented, in deeper than seems possible, and they’ve lost one another. The boy’s cries are more and more desperate. What follows is a terrifying, entertaining, and masterfully told tale, as only Stephen King can deliver.

My full review for this one is listed here: http://wearewordnerds.com/in-the-tall-grass-by-stephen-king-and-joe-hill/

and unfortunately, I did have one DNF (due to typos) *sadface*

Shadows of the Past by EA Jensen

Release Date: 2012-03-26

I discuss this at 12:29 in the video above

Even in the shadow, her past haunts her. In a small town in northern New Jersey someone (or something) has murdered a twenty year old ware- tiger by injecting liquid silver into her heart. It is one of a string of ghastly murders that are occurring around Grabenberg, NJ. OPIA, the Occult and Paranormal Investigation Agency, decides it’s time to call in their best agent. The only problem is Kirsa Heinrich has been living in a secluded town in Germany where her ancestors are from. There she is trying to rebuild her life after her parent’s murder and a grisly case brought her world tumbling down. Kirsa puts the clues left at the crime scene together and realizes her worst fear; a cult that has been targeting her family for years is now killing in her home town. The Church of Light, a radical cult that is against ware-animals, vampires, witches, the fae and anyone that associates with them. Kirsa decides they must be stopped and she is the one to do it. When the Vampire Council hears she is working on the case they assign her a Shadow, a highly trained vampire bodyguard and assassin. For reasons lost to the council, Kirsa’s family has been under the protection of the vampires since the council’s beginnings. Ayden O’Brian is one of the best Shadows and has been working on a case that is eerily similar to the events in New Jersey, investigating a group of young vampire delegates from the council that has gone missing. He has sworn to the Vampire Council that he will keep Kirsa safe and find out the truth, because the Church is after Kirsa. Kirsa and Ayden know that she will not be able to rest until the Church is taken down for good. As the investigation continues, Kirsa begins to realize that the person behind the deaths is the spy the Vampire Council is hunting. Not only is the traitor a vampire but he was also her parents’ former body guard, Lars. Lars was also assigned to protect her until Ayden arrived on the scene.

See, I told ya I had a great month! How about you? What all did you get through in October? Let me know down below, or hollar at me on meh twitter