Are you tired of reading 2008 wrap-up lists yet?? Too bad! Read on, suckers gentle readers.

My top 10 books I read in 2008 (in no particular order): 

	Heart Fate (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 7) by Robin D. Owens Fantasy romance released by Berkley Trade Sep 2008 A series that just keeps getting better and better!
	Flat-out Sexy by Erin McCarthy Contemporary romance released by Berkley Sensation Nov 2008 Sweet, sexy, fun read! The internet buzz sucked me in and I’m glad. )
	Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb Futuristic romantic suspense released by Berkley Aug 2007I purposely keep myself behind in this series but I’m catching up – oh noes! I must pace myself better.
	Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione Paranormal romance released by Forever Jun 2008 An excellent start to a new series! With a looonnngggg wait between books one and two. However, books two and three will be out back-to-back. Yay!
	Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair Sci-Fi romance released by Bantam Oct 2005  Sully! Does anything else need to be said? I didn’t think so.
	Grimspace by Ann Aguirre Sci-fi romance released by Ace Feb 2008
	A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley Historical romance released by Signet Apr 2008 I love the Mallorens and this was one secret I was glad to see revealed.
	At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker Historical romance released by Avon May 2008An excellent Avon debut! Ms. Parker’s website says she is working on the sequel.
	Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James Contemporary romance released by Berkley Oct 2008 More online buzz I couldn’t ignore and another excellent debut.
	With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland Fantasy time-travel romance released by Jove May 2008One of my very favorite authors! She doesn’t get the attention she deserves, says me.

A side note – I have got to change my rating system, dang it all. I suppose I’ll go back to numbers. I always have too many books with the same rating and then I can’t sort them properly.

Honorable Mention:

	Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English Mysteries – yup, I read them all in 08…I can haz moar, plzkthx?
	J.L. Langley’s Englor Series – just so fab!

This just in…

Ann Aguirre has a great contest going on.   Lots of books up for grabs, so check it out!

~  Prizes include 20 copies of Carrie Lofty’s new book, What a Scoundrel Wants.

~ And a $50 Amazon gift certificate will be added if there’s at least 100 entries.

~ So be sure to enter to help raise the stakes!  Go here to do just that.

~ All you need to do is post the widget you see here on your blog or MySpace page or Face Book, wherever you can to get the word out on Carrie’s book.

~ Then just leave word by way of a comment at the blog along with a link where your post is.  Simple!

~ If you don’t have a blog or MySpace page or any of that stuff, just spread the word on any loops or groups you’re involved with or tell someone via email, IM, any way you can.  One time is enough, so don’t get in trouble for spamming!  And send along the nifty widget above, ‘cuz you never know where a friend might be able to post it.  Then post on the blog where you sent the info and you’re entered!

~ Another way to win is to post at Ann’s blog what you think a Scoundrel wants.  Your best guess is all that’s needed!

Consider yourself flashed.

LauraD’s review of Wanderlust (The Jax Series, Book 2) by Ann Aguirre
Science fiction released by Ace 26 Aug 08

Ann Aguirre debuted with Grimspace; the sci-fi page turner about a rag-tag group of space adventurers being chased by both sides of the law. Wanderlust continues the story of Sirantha Jax and her friends, immediately after the events of Grimspace have concluded. Once again, it’s a story that grabs you right off the bat.

Jax has been a “jumper” her whole career-she has a special genetic makeup that allows her, in close concert with a pilot, to navigate ships through space at faster than the speed of light. It’s all she’s ever known, and it’s provided her with a good life-but due to events in the previous book, that life is over. Jax has no job, no money, no prospects, no where to live. When she is asked to become an ambassador to another planet, she has little choice but to say yes. However, she smartly stipulates that her travel companions must be the crew from her ship, including her lover, the captain March. She will also be accompanied by Vel, who once hunted her as a bounty and then saved her life; their destination is Vel’s home planet. Along her way, she will face many enemies, both close and distant.

Jax is a very complex character. She is lonely down to her soul, and can’t quite believe that it’s worth risking the pain of loss when you let people in. She and March have formed a relationship, but it’s written with a lot of angst and second guessing on Jax’s part. In addition to her financial issues and the loss of her career, the author has also thrown another problem Jax’s way-she is sick and getting sicker all the time, and has no idea of what is making her ill.

One of the many things I loved about this book is how tightly written the main characters are, and there is some great dialogue. Ship’s mechanic Dina serves as Jax’s verbal sparring partner, Vel is there for discussions of philosophy and politics, March is emotion and work. Then there is Jael, a new shipmate who is something of an enigma to all of them.

In Aguirre’s world, humans have to deal with multiple species that see us as just a snack on the food chain. The Morgut and the Teras are two vile and terrifying examples, and both are featured prominently in Wanderlust. The Teras in particular affect the team; while visiting the planet Lachion, Jax and company get involved in a war that takes them deep underground to escape the flying Teras. They become separated by both space and ideals, and it’s this war that may split up the crew for good. Questions of love, debt, and honor come into play; but no character’s courage is ever in doubt.

It is not necessary to have read Grimspace before reading Wanderlust, but doing so will give you a much better understanding of not just the characters, but their experiences. March, in particular, is a much richer character for having read both books; I think each title on it’s own only shows one side of him. It also helps to know the back story on Lachion, but again isn’t necessary.

I am enjoying the way that Ann Aguirre is building her world slowly, layer by layer. The introduction of new characters like Jael, who feels like he will be a big player in the series, and Hit who provides such necessary comic relief, are done seamlessly. Then there is Constance-I have a feeling Constance is going to be my favorite character, she is genius.

Wanderlust is a great book, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing where Jax, March, and the rest of the crew end up next.

Grade: A

Summary:

Sirantha Jax doesn’t take chances…she jumps at them…

Sirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. Jax has worked for the Farwan Corporation her entire career. But now the word’s out that the Corp deliberately crashed a passenger ship, and their stranglehold on intergalactic commerce has crumbled-which means that Jax is out of a job.

She’s also broke, due to being declared dead a little prematurely. So when the government asks her to head up a vital diplomatic mission, Jax takes it. Her mandate: journey to the planet Ithiss-Tor and convince them to join the Conglomerate.

But Jax’s payday is light years away. First, she’ll have to contend with Syndicate criminals, a stormy relationship with her pilot, man-eating aliens, and her own grimspace-weakened body. She’ll be lucky just to make it to Ithiss-Tor alive…

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Shannon C.’s review of Wanderlust (The Jax Series, Book 2) by Ann Aguirre
Science fiction released 26 Aug 08 by Ace

In Grimspace, Ann Aguirre introduced the reader to Sirantha Jax, messed-up space jumper extraordinaire, and March, her pilot-turned-lover. Readers seemed to be of two minds about that book — some of them loved it, as I did — and some found Jax to be too abrasive. I have a feeling that polarizing effect will continue for readers in Wanderlust, particularly since it veers more into straight SF territory than Grimspace did. The romance is still present, but it takes a back seat to Jax’s continued emotional development. I think this is a good thing, and I can’t wait to see what else Ms. Aguirre has in store for Jax in this series.

Jax has to deal with a lot in the book, as she is given an offer she can’t refuse to serve as an ambassador for the Conglomeration, which is trying to strengthen its position in the galaxy after the collapse of the corporation Jax worked for in the previous book. Unfortunately, there are people who don’t want Jax to succeed, believing that her tendency to fuck things up royally will weaken the Conglomeration’s already tenuous position. Plus, Jax seems to be suffering from some sort of illness, and thus, things are a little strained between herself and March.

This series reminds me of nothing so much as the TV show “Firefly”. We have the crew of disparate misfits who seem to attract trouble wherever they go who spend a lot of time wittily bantering back and forth. In this book we get a few new editions to the crew, from Jael, a mercenary with secrets of his own who will probably polarize readers as well, to Hit, about whom we know very little. March, Vel, Dina and Doc still play crucial parts in the story, and we learn more about Jax’s family.

Where the book doesn’t quite work for me is that Jax really does have the worst timing in the history of ever. And when other characters take pains to point this out, it ceases to be funny and starts to feel a bit like authorial intrusion.

I did like the SF aspects of the story, which were detailed enough to keep even me satisfied but didn’t overwhelm the story with too much technical jargon. And I finished the book with a keen anticipation for the next book, because Jax can only get more awesome from here.

Grade: B+

Read other reviews and information behind the Jax Series tag.

Summary:

Sirantha Jax doesn’t take chances…she jumps at them…
Sirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. Jax has worked for the Farwan Corporation her entire career. But now the word’s out that the Corp deliberately crashed a passenger ship, and their stranglehold on intergalactic commerce has crumbled—which means that Jax is out of a job.

She’s also broke, due to being declared dead a little prematurely. So when the government asks her to head up a vital diplomatic mission, Jax takes it. Her mandate: journey to the planet Ithiss-Tor and convince them to join the Conglomerate.

But Jax’s payday is light years away. First, she’ll have to contend with Syndicate criminals, a stormy relationship with her pilot, man-eating aliens, and her own grimspace-weakened body. She’ll be lucky just to make it to Ithiss-Tor alive…

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

One of our faithful readers and a fellow blogger, Shannon C, has also reviewed Grimspace by Ann Aguirre, released by Ace 26 Feb 08.  Shannon also has an author interview, with PRIZES.

Here’s an excerpt of Shannon’s review:

My Thoughts: I’m not terribly easy to please. (Shut up! allow me this moment, OK?). And I’ll read just about anything, although when I got into grown up books, my first love was science fiction and fantasy. I loved the idea of exploring interstellar space, of people with unusual abilities dealing with new lifeforms, and imagining what cultures we’d develop in the far future. In fact, as I’ve mentioned before, if anything, I’m still a romance newbie. So I really like it when my two loves are brought together–a good science fiction romance will make my day.

Ann Aguirre’s Grimspace is a good science fiction romance. I admit to not having read too widely in this particular subgenre yet, but I would have to say that the balance between the romance and the sci-fi elements is pretty much flawless. There are a few science fiction cliches–the resemblance to Firefly is hard to miss, but hey, I like Firefly. (Mmm… Jayne and his guns… Oops, I digress.) I have a few other guesses about Aguirre’s influences, but hey, we’ll be having an interview with her posted up next week, so we’ll see if I’m right then.

So what specifically did I like about the SF elements, since that’s what I was talking about? Well, I liked that Aguirre created several believable alien races that struck me as sufficiently other than human. I liked that she’s obviously thought a lot about how stuff works in her world, and she manages to articulate it without going into clunky technobabble. In fact, I really would love to explore this universe further, and I’m excited to find out that apparently there is a sequel planned, because there are so many possibilities that she could take the story.

As for the romance, it’s wonderful! Both Jax and March, our hero, are very broken individuals. They’re not all clean and perfect by the time the book is finished either, and there was no healing magical sexx0ring for either of them. They’ve still got some working through of stuff to do, but I get the sense that they will manage it.

I loved Jax. She’s my favorite type of…

Go here to read the rest of Shannon’s thoughts.

You can also read Loonigrrl’s TGTBTU review here.

Loonigrrl’s guest review of Grimspace (The Jax Series, Book 1) by Ann Aguirre
Sci-Fi romance released by Ace 26 Feb 08

This book was a very pleasant surprise. Ok, it was more than that. It was awesome. Sure, I enjoy sci-fi just as much as the next Star Trek-Star Wars-Firefly/Serenity-Battlestar Galactica fan.  But when it comes to books, I usually choose to read fantasy or romance. In fact, Grimspace is one of the very few science fiction books that I have absolutely loved.

Sirantha Jax is an extremely compelling heroine. A J-gene carrier and the only survivor of a shipwreck that killed 82 people, Jax is a nearly broken woman when the story begins. Facing charges that may have her thrown in prison, a psych ward, or killed, she barely hesitates when an unlikely hero comes to her rescue.

March, a powerful Psi, is equally damaged, although that’s not immediately apparent. He’s strong, dominant, a little mean, and a little uncivilized. Despite having done some mysteriously monstrous things in his past, he’s completely loyal to those in his care, and would risk his life to save one of his own. Breaking Jax out of jail is just the beginning. March’s and the crew’s ultimate goal is to break the Farwan Corporation’s monopoly on Jumpers and Faster than Light Travel.

Some of the sci-fi details in Aguirre’s world were somewhat challenging concepts about travel, and I just let it go. I accepted that I wasn’t going to totally understand “jumping” and “Grimspace.” And I was ok with that because as integral as jumping is to the story, it’s supposed to be a little complicated. Jumpers can’t even describe the mysteries and the wonder of Grimspace despite devoting their lives, and often losing them, to jumping.

I’m not really sure how to describe Sirantha and March’s relationship, and I can’t do it justice. It’s complicated and it’s not easy. March was all too willing to hate Jax upon first meeting her. Jax, upon realizing March could read her thoughts, was all too quick to bait him. It doesn’t take long for each to realize the other was more than they seemed. Their relationship is simply… fascinating, and actually, quite sweet.

As much as I liked both Sirantha and March, and their complicated love story, I was equally as intrigued by the secondary characters.  All were varied and unique, and entirely real. In fact, one character - an insect-like bounty hunter named Velith, who doesn’t even make an appearance until the very end of the story –  quickly became one of my favorites after just a few pages.

The only aspect of Grimspace that I wasn’t absolutely thrilled about is the ending. It is intense.  Seriously intense, which isn’t a bad thing. However, I just felt like too much was rushed in the last few pages. I also felt like the resolution was a little too tidy. I liked the ending, but after everything that had happened, it felt a little easy.

Regardless, I can definitely recommend Grimspace. Just a warning – it’s told in first-person, which may be jarring for some readers. Please don’t let that dissuade you from checking this out. It’s not just a great sci fi/romance book, it’s a great book. Period.

Grade: A-

From the back cover:

     By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom-for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel-and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing-grimspace-and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

Read an excerpt.