Alasandra's Reading List ~ March

1. Hellhole by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson (an all new epic) - Great read. Diadem Michella Duchenet is a ruthless dictator willing to destroy anything and anyone who gets in her way including her own daughter. After being defeated in battle General Tiber Maximillian Adolphus  was exiled to Hallholme a barren Deep Zone planet where he and his fellow exiles were expected to die. Especially since Diadem Michella had their supplies sabotaged. Only thru aid from an anonymous benefactor were they able to survive the first year. Now the planet is thriving and Adolphus has plans to unite the Deep Zone planets so they will no longer have to pay crushing tributes to the Diadem's Empire. A mysterious alien race is discovered on Hallholme and the Xayan's pledge their support to General Adolphus after Diadem Michella ruthlessly murders the Xayan Ambassadors. 
2. Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell - you can read my review here.
3. Slow Gardening by Felder Rushing - chock full of great gardening ideas, I plan to try some of them. 
4. A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean - couldn't get into it.
5. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - Harry is asked to find a missing husband who is into magic, Murphy wants Harry to tell her how magic was used to rip the hearts out of two people. Sounds simple right, but he also has to prove to the White Council that he isn't the killer and Morgan is breathing down his neck just waiting for Harry to slip up. Not to mention the killer wants Harry dead, and has everything he needs to insure Harry dies during the next storm. 
6. Tender is the storm by Johanna Lindsey - bodice ripping romance, great vacation read. Spoilt  New York socialite Sharisse Hammond meets the man of her dreams on a ranch in the Arizona Territory. 
7. The Myths, Legends, and Lore of Ireland by Ryan Hackney and Amy Hackney Blackwell - rather boring and not at all what I expected very few myths, legends or lore in the book mostly a dry history of Ireland. 
8. An Angel With Fur by Russell Blake - Very moving story of how Russell adopts Lobo from a shelter, they battle Lobo's cancer and win only to have Lobo die later from complications due to his allergy medicine.  You can read more about Lobo @ Russell Blake's website.
9. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - When FBI Agent Denton and his team make a deal to become Hexenwolfs in order to kill the bad guys without getting caught they need fall guys. They have a foolproof plan to blame the killings on the Streetwolves (lycanthropes) to the police and on Loup-garou, Harley MacFinn to the White Council. Unfortunately for Harry Dresden he is the only one that can stop them, but battered and bruised does he have enough magic left to succeed.
10. Crashers by Dana Haynes - Great Book. When a Cascade Air Flight  crashes the NTSB rushes to find out why. Tommy (pathologist) through a stroke of luck happens to be nearby and is first on the scene. Thanks to his heroic actions key evidence is preserved. Everything seems to be pointing to pilot error. But then FBI agent Ray Calabrese shows up convinced that Irish Terrorist brought the plane down. Unbeknownst to the players the man responsible for the crash has inserted himself on the NTSB team and is tampering with the evidence to make it look like pilot error. When it is apparent that the team has figured out how the plane was crashed he arranges to bring the "swap-out"  plane down. The quick thinking of Isaiah Grey who is piloting the "swap-out" plane allows them to land on the Interstate. Realizing they have no time to waste and that another air craft is in danger Ray attempts to contact his superiors only to find that he has been declared a rogue agent by his friend and fellow agent Lucas Bell. Realizing that Lucas Bell can blow Daria's cover at any time and that there is no time to waste if the target aircraft is to be saved, Ray talks the NTSB survivors of the "swap-out" plane's emergency landing into a desperate flight to save the target air craft and the woman he loves. Meanwhile after her cover is blown Daria makes a heroic effort to survive  in order to foil the terrorist plot.
11. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher - Harry and Michael (Knight of the Cross) have been battling a lot of stirred up ghost, whatever is stirring them up and tormenting them seems to have a grudge against Harry, Michael & Murphy. When Harry and an escort get invited by the Vampire Court in his role as local representative of the White Council to a reception celebrating the elevation of Madame Bianca to margravine of the Red Court of Vampires.his girlfriend Susan Rodriguez insist on going even though Harry warns her of the danger. Unfortunately after having his Godmother Lea (Leanansidhe) try to kill him and losing Michael's sword (Amoracchius) he forgets about Susan's desire to go to the vampire reception. Realizing that Baroness Bianca has something to do with the "ghost" he and Michael attend the reception, unbeknownst to Harry Susan took his invitation and had it replicated so she could get into the party. Thomas (Vampire from the White Court) and his date Justine befriend Harry. Justine pleads with Harry to help her and Thomas escape the reception alive when Thomas is receiving his "gift" from Baroness Bianca. Against his better judgement Harry agrees. Baroness Bianca  gifts Harry with a gravestone saying he died "doing the right thing". Then Leanansidhe gifts Baroness Bianca with Amoracchius and she gives it to Mavra to kill Lydia ( a woman Harry promised to protect). If Amoracchius is used to spill innocent blood it will loose it's power. Michael insist that it must be "saved" from being unmade and will do it with or without Harry's help. To their surprise Thomas agrees to help them. They save Lydia (not her real name) but the sword is out of their reach. During their retreat Justine is captured and Baroness Bianca makes a deal with Thomas. Believing himself doomed Harry rains down FIRE and destroys many vampires before Michael is able to get him and Lydia out. Thomas shows up at Harry's apartment with Amoracchius, and begs Harry to help him free Justine and Susan. Harry comes up with a plan to use the Nevernever to get into Baroness Bianca's. Leaving Thomas and Michale in the Nevernever he goes into Baroness Bianca's alone and is promptly captured. He is eventually thrown into the basement with Justine and  Susan where he discovers that Susan has been turned into a vampire but that the change isn't complete yet because she hasn't feed. Harry, Justine and Susan escape causing a war between the White Council and the Red Court. Harry ask Susan to marry him but due to her half-vampire status she refuses and leaves town.