LOVER AWAKENED by J. R. Ward

I'm coming out of reader mode to let you know I just finished reading this book, LOVER AWAKENED by J. R. Ward.

I had intended my next blog to be about Nalini Singh's book, SLAVE TO SENSATION, but when I finished reading LOVER AWAKENED I found I just had to comment on it. I've really enjoyed this series so far. Often times when you get to the third book in a multi-book series the umbrella story and plot line can run a bit thin. Even if you have a substantial central love story sometimes the main theme just doesn't hold up or hold the reader's interest. With this third installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I found myself even further immersed in the world Ms. Ward has created. What I liked the most was the depth and detail of the characters and the world they inhabit. The pages flew by.

I'm a fan of the tortured hero and I know not everyone is. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is full of tortured heros. Each warrior has his own cross to bear. Zsadist certainly is one of the more gruesome and cruel. Ms. Ward takes pains in the previous novels, and in the beginning of this one, to let us know that this guy is no cream puff. Here's the summary from the author's web site:

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

My enthusiasm for the book spilled over into a conversation with the guy I live with last night. We had a discussion about redemption. Certainly I know this book is a work of fiction, but it made me think about deep wounds and pain people suffer from every day. People we know. People we love. Change is hard...very hard. For one to be redeemed one must first believe they are deserving of redemption. Change, redemption, forgiveness. If one little romance novel can make me think about and talk about stuff like that...well, I think it makes it worth reading.

Update: I just read a great review with some added insights and comments about this book at Paperback Reader. Go check it out.

Book Reviews

It's hard to believe sometimes that I started this blogging business because I wanted to express my opinions about books and stuff I was reading at other sites. It has come to pass that I mention books less and less often. Part of the reason for this is that I'm not very comfortable writing the reviews. For one thing I can't be arsed to give the blurb about the book. I just want to tell you what I thought. Secondly, the book has to be pretty damn sucky or utterly fabulous to move me to write about it. And, finally, there are so many great places to check out book reviews. I do it all the time. There are some people out there who are damn good at it.

Here are some of my favorite places to check for book reviews:

1. Bam

2. Paperback Reader

3. Karen Scott

4. I Just Finished Reading

5. The Misadventures of...Super Librarian

6. Smart Bitches who Love Trashy Novels

There are many, many more reader sites and blogs I read and check out periodically but these are favs right now. Anyway, after checking these out I feel even less inclined to write a review. There are so many great places to go that I've gotten lazy about writing my own reviews. Each of these sites seems to have it's own presence and voice. I love Bam's reviews because it feels like you are sitting across the table from her in a bar, restaurant or bookstore cafe and she's telling you about a book she just read.

Having said all that, I am going to make an effort to write about some stuff I've read recently. The most I can say is that nothing really moved the earth for me...that's a review in and of itself.

I have decided to start keeping a running list of the the books I read on an Excel spreadsheet. I've never written things down before (except titles I'm searching for) and have recently purchased a couple of books I had already read and didn't realize it until I was on about chapter 3. I didn't have the books at home because I had already traded them. I was frustrated with myself for not remembering I had already purchased and read them. Besides I'm curious to see how many books I read in a week, month and year. It should be interesting.