Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (Harry Potter #6)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince  (Harry Potter, #6)Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
*jaw-cracking yawn*

I was seriously disappointed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Nothing happened. Well, until the very end, but even then, it wasn’t enough to save my overall impression of the book from being primarily that it was boring. They get a new professor, Dumbledore is all cagey with Harry, Snape is an asshole, Harry is an idiot, blah, blah, blah. Yes, I know there actually was a lot that took place in the book, but it still felt largely like it wasn’t there for anything other than setting up the last book.

Did I mention that it was boring?

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Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (Harry Potter #5)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix  (Harry Potter, #5)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Good lord, I’ve not reviewed a single book I’ve read this year & it’s already February. *deep breath* Here goes…
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Review: Pear-Pecan Muffins

Pear-Walnut Muffins

Pear-Walnut Muffins

As you can see from the discre pancy in the post and recipe titles, I substituted pecans for the walnuts and was lazy so they weren’t toasted. I don’t know how much difference that made, but I can assure you these muffins were absolutely wonderful. They stayed moist and light, even the one that was left the next day. My only regret is that I didn’t make a double recipe. I’ll definitely be doing that next time.


Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #5)

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5)Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Magic Slays has a poignancy and genuine darkness that was a change from the preceding books in the series. Unfortunately,it also has some problems, for instance the complete ignoring of everything that happened in Magic Dreams. That being said, Kate shows vulnerabilities and weaknesses that made her a far more believable character. The villain was of a sort I had been waiting to see since the main construct of the series was introduced. The tension between Kate & Curran was more believable than in the past. Overall, perhaps less enjoyable because of the afore-mentioned darkness, but a better book. 4 stars just for that.

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Review: Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #4.5)

Hexed (Includes: Kate Daniels, #4.5)Hexed by Ilona Andrews

This is a review of Magic Dreams, #4.5 of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Unfortunately, there is not a standalone version, hence the review of this anthology.

Magic Dreams was sad. I like Dali’s character and it turns out her life is more sad than I thought. The villain was the saddest I have seen in this series to date. Even Jim was sad, although that could have had something to do with, well, spoilers. Anyway, sad. I enjoyed it overall and was quite angry that it was in no way acknowledged in the fifth book. Also sad. It’s all sad.

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Review: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #4)

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4)Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
I remember really enjoying Magic Bleeds when I first read it. A month later, I had to work hard to remember what happened during the first 2/3 of the book and why I liked it so much. I suppose that might sum up my feelings on the book best. It started out very exciting, became repetitive, then had a badass ending. One thing that I did appreciate very much was the change in Kate’s relationship with the Order. Her relationship with the chief villain was also well done. Unfortunately, this book has proven too forgettable for the 3.5 I would like to have given it. Still glad I read it.

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Review: Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #3.5)

Magic Mourns (Kate Daniels, #3.5)Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magic Mourns is probably my favorite of the Kate Daniels novellas. Andrea Nash is not a character to whom I paid much attention prior to this read. In addition to watching her try to come to grips with some stuff in her life, we also see her chasing down Cerberus. With the assistance of Raphael the sexy werehyena and Thanatos, Angel of Death, who happens to be a guy living in a trailer park named Teddy. How could that not be awesome?

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Review: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #3)

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3)Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Magic Strikes is my favorite of the Kate Daniels novels to date. I chalk this up to really liking Derek’s and Dali’s characters. Derek in particular gained more dimension in this installment. Dali was really funny, while also plucky. At risk of spoilers, all I am going to say is that there are gladiator games and Kate & Curran end up on opposing sides of an issue in a much more concrete way than they have before. Simon also receives an interesting treatment. Overall, I enjoyed this read quite a bit.

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Friday Favorites: Stroganoff

If you are a traditionalist and like your recipes done the old fashioned way, you might want to stop reading here. This is definitely not your great-great ancestor’s stroganoff. In fact, as you notice, the subject does not mention beef. That’s because this recipe does not require meat. *gasp*

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Review: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #2)

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2)Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

If anything, I enjoyed Magic Burns more than Magic Bites. As I was told it would be, it was clarified that Curran is a lion, so I was glad of that, but obviously that was not all. Kate developed a little bit more dimension than in the first book, and overall I found the plot more compelling. Some of my favorite supporting characters of the series appeared. There was an epic battle. There was also an annoying child, but you can’t have everything. Overall, a solid book that led to me reading the remainder of the series in less than a week.

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