Karina Halle - Experiment In Terror Series

La moment, una dintre lecturile mele preferate sunt cărțile din seria Experiment in Terror de Karina Halle. De la început, nu eram sigură dacă aș fi dorit să le citesc deoarece denumirea nu-mi inspira încrederea că ar putea fi ceva interesant, și mai important, speram să nu fie horror. 
Și nu e!! 
Experiment in Terror este de fapt denumirea unei emisiuni online care ia viață chiar din prima carte și echipa de lucru este formată din cele două personaje principale: Perry Palomino & Dex Foray. Este o poveste captivantă ce ne introduce într-o lume în care există fantome, spirite rele, vrajitorii, etc. 

A (very) mature young adult novel that is scary, sexy and relat­able, filled with the super­nat­ural and things that go bump in the night. A para­nor­mal, super­nat­ural jour­ney with two unlikely ghost-hunters who must bat­tle not only spir­its but their attrac­tion to each other. Scooby Doo, this ain’t.
In a large, flaky nut­shell, the Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Series is an eight-part sci-fi/fantasy/horror series that revolves around a pair of ghost hunters. Well, aspir­ing ghost hunters, any­way. After film­ing a creepy expe­ri­ence in her uncle’s dilap­i­dated light­house, 22-year old Perry Palomino becomes a YouTube and inter­net star overnight. She attracts the atten­tion of Dex Foray, a pro­ducer and cam­era­man for a site that spe­cial­izes in var­i­ous webisodes, who con­vinces her to be a host for a low-budget ghost hunt­ing series. The only prob­lem is, nei­ther Perry or Dex are entirely “with it” — I mean, they see ghosts, after all. And when the duo isn’t wrestling with their very notion of real­ity, they’re grap­pling with a work­ing rela­tion­ship that’s deep-cut with sex­ual ten­sion. As the series moves on, lead­ing Perry and Dex to new locales and super­nat­ural sit­u­a­tions, their lives become more and more inter­twined, where they dis­cover that ghosts aren’t the only things that can haunt them.

Oficial site aici.
 

5 stars!!

Reading Order:

1. -------------------------------------------------
Titlu: Dark House
Goodreads

With all the vampire, werewolf and faerie books out there, it's easy to become numb to all things supernatural. The antidote? Darkhouse introduces two real and unforgettable characters, Perry Palomino & Dex Foray, amateur ghost hunters who are "attractive, relatable and oddly heroic," "flawed but loveable," "slightly crazy" and just the most endearing pair to ever tackle the paranormal...just don't call them normal.

Notă: Aici, găsiți cartea în format PDF chiar de pe pagina autoarei.

 2. -----------------------------------------------
Titlu: Red Fox
Goodreads

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

 3. ------------------------------------------------
Titlu: Dead Sky Morning
An: 2011
Goodreads

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, Perry  and Dex embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.

 4. ------------------------------------------------
Titlu: Lying Season
An: 2011
Goodreads

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she's ever cared about.

 5. ------------------------------------------------
Titlu: On Demon Wings
An: may, 2012
Goodreads

When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before.
But what happens when you no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then?
Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her.
If part of her doesn’t kill him first.

 6. ----------------------------------------------
Titlu: Into The Hallow
An: nov, 2012
Goodreads

Perry Palomino has fought her demons – and won – but the battle is far from over. She’s now left broken and on her own, leaving behind her life and family in Portland to focus on giving Dex Foray – and the Experiment in Terror show – a second chance. But their past mistakes continue to tease and test their relationship, as does the wild and desolate terrain of the Canadian Rockies. The snow-covered peaks and ravenous forests hide an urban legend too unbelievably frightening to be true and the only way the duo has a chance of surviving is if Perry can let in the very man who sent her to hell and back.

7. -----------------------------------------------
Titlu: Come Alive 
An: spring/summer 2013
Goodreads

Pe lângă acestea, mai sunt și câteva nuvele care se includ printre aceste cărți:
2.5 - The Benson - 2011 (Goodreads) (format PDF de pe pagina autoarei - aici)

5.5. - Old Blood - july,2012 (Goodreads)
5.7. - The Dex-Files - aug, 2012 (Goodreads)
Urmează să fie publicată:
6.5. - And With Madness Comes the Light - feb, 2013 (Goodreads)

Recunosc că nuvelele nu le-am citit ÎNCĂ, dar cărțile? LOVE THEM!

Molly Harper - Author

Altă carte pe care am citit-o în ultimele zile a fost una scrisă de Molly Harper, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, un roman din seria Half moon Hollow.
Cărţile ei sunt uşor de citit şi conţin mult umor. Deci, o combinaţie bună dacă doreşti să te relaxezi cu o carte.

Serii (reading order):

• Half Moon Hollow Series

Acţiunea se desfăşoară într-o lume în care oamenii trăiesc de rând cu vampirii. Aceştia din urmă sunt cetăţeni, pot intra în case neinvitaţi, dorm ziua, sunt răniţi de argint curat şi pot fi omorâţi dacă sunt supuşi luminei solare, decapitaţi sau înjunchiaţi în inimă. Deci, your usual vampire :)
Cărţile din serie sunt stand-alone, adică personajele principale sunt diferite pentru fiecare carte.

1. Driving Mr. Dead (2011) - my rating: 3,5 - 4 stars
2. The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires (2012) - my rating: 3,5 - 4 stars
3. Witch Hunt (expected 2013)

• Naked Werewolf Series

Acţiunea se desfăşoară într-o lume în care există vârcolaci, însă aceştia sunt ascunşi de societate. Totuşi există întregi comunităţi, care par să fie destul de normale, dar ascund ritualuri şi secrete proprii.
Cărţile din serie sunt stand-alone. 

1. How To Flirt With a Naked Werewolf (2011) - my rating: 4 stars
2. The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (2011) - my rating: 3 stars

Molly Harper mai are o serie, pe care eu nu am citit-o:
Jane Jameson Series

1. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (2009)
2. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (2009)
3. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (2009)
4. Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors (2012)

Site-ul autoarei:  http://www.mollyharper.com/

Genres I read

Presupun că fiecare dintre voi are un gen după care îşi alege următoarea carte pe care o va citi. Eu am mai multe şi mi-e destul de greu să-mi aleg o carte nouă. Am decis să descriu fiecare gen. De la început am vrut să pun şi nişte exemple, însă, cred că asta voi face în următoarele postări.

Young Adult, sau simplu YA -  este ficţiune scrisă, publicată, sau comercializată pentru adolescenţi şi tineri (young adults), vârsta este cuprinsă, de obicei, între aproximativ 12 şi 18 ani. Subiectul cărţilor descrie, de cele mai multe ori, experienţa şi vârsta caracterului principal, care este întotdeauna un adolescent, dar include şi anumite componente ficţionale. Problema principală în aceste cărţi sunt provocările tinereţii.
Temele abordate de acest gen: propria identitate, propria sexualitate, SF, depresie, sinucidere, abuz de droguri, abuz de alcool, conflicte în familie, agresiune şi altele.
Sunt discutate şi abordate problemele: prietenia, dragostea, concurenţa, banii, divorţ, relaţiile între membrii unei familii, etc.
(referinţă wiki)

^"The culture that surrounds and absorbs young adults plays a huge role in their lives. Young Adult Literature explores themes important and crucial to adolescence such as relationships to authority figures, peer pressure and ensuing experimentations, issues of diversity as it relates to gender, sociocultural, and/or socioeconomic status. Primarily, the focus is centered around a young lead character and the reader experiences emotions, situations, and the like through this character and is able to see how these problems/situations are resolved. It also needs to play a significant role in how we approach this group and the books we offer them to read.
Common traits of young adult novels: “friendship, getting into trouble, interest in the opposite sex, money, divorce, single parents, remarriage, problems with parents, grandparents, younger siblings, concern over grades/school, popularity, puberty, race, death, neighborhood, and job/working”.
Note: sunt foarte multe cărţi interesante de aşa gen, eu le citesc mai rar, dar totuşi le mai citesc şi îmi şi plac ;)"

Paranormal Romance - este un subgen al romanului care include şi elemente fantastice. Adică, sunt îmbinate realitatea cu fantasticul sau SF-ul. Accentul cărţilor de acest gen este pus pe ficţiune care cuprinde un subiect romantic în centrul său. Cele mai întâlnite subiecte abordate de scriitorii acestui gen sunt relaţiile romantice între oameni şi vampiri, demoni, vîrcolaci sau alţi shapeshifteri, fantome, călătorii în timp, şi alte entităţi ale fantasticului sau de altă natură (otherworldly). De altfel, unele cărţi pot include şi oameni cu anumite abilităţi psihice, ca de exemplu telekineza sau telepatia, sau chiar vrăjitoare.
Acest gen este unul dintre cele mai actuale.
(referinţă wiki)

"Paranormal romance blends the real with the fantastic or science fictional. The fantastic elements may be woven into an alternate version of our own world in an urban fantasy involving vampires, demons, and/or werewolves, or they may be more "normal" manifestations of the paranormal—humans with psychic abilities, witches, or ghosts. Time-travel, futuristic, and extraterrestrial romances also fall beneath the paranormal umbrella.
These novels often blend elements of other subgenres, including suspense and mystery, with their fantastic themes. A few paranormals are set solely in the past and are structured much like any historical romance novel. Others are set in the future, sometimes on different worlds. Still others have a time-travel element with either the hero or the heroine traveling into the past or the future."

Urban Fantasy - este un subgen al fantasticului definit însă de locul în care se dezvoltă subiectul cărţilor, şi anume cadru urban.  

(referinţă wiki) 

"Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city. 
Urban fantasy describes a work that is set primarily in a city and contains aspects of fantasy. These matters may involve the arrivals of alien races, the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence between humans and paranormal beings, conflicts between humans and malicious paranormals, and subsequent changes in city management.

Distinction from paranormal romance

Like paranormal romance, urban fantasy is a genre in which the overwhelming majority of both authors and readers are women. Because urban fantasy so frequently has prominent romantic elements, those unfamiliar with two genres can easily confuse them. In an online commentary, author Jeannie Holmes described differences between urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

“

The two share 90% of their genre DNA. However, the main differences are this: Urban fantasy focuses on an issue outside of a romantic relationship between two characters. Paranormal romance focuses on a romantic relationship between two characters and how outside forces affect that relationship. The best litmus test to determine if a story is urban fantasy or paranormal romance is to ask the following question: 'If the romance between Character A and Character B were removed, would the plot still stand as a viable storyline?' If the answer is 'yes,' chances are good it's urban fantasy. If the answer is 'no,' it's most likely paranormal romance."

”

Contemporary Romance - este un subgen al romanului în care subiectul are loc în timpul contemporan.
(referinţă wiki)

"Contemporary romance, which is set after World War II, is often what people mean when they refer to a romance novel. Contemporary romance novels—the largest sub-genre—are set in the time when they are written, and usually reflect the mores of that time. Heroines in contemporary romances prior to 1970 usually quit working when they marry or have children—while heroines after 1970 usually have, and keep, a career."

Şi mai nou, azi am dat de un articol care descrie un nou gen (îl puteţi citit şi voi aici) :

New Adult, sau simplu NA - este un subgen mai nou al ficţiunii pentru tineri între, aproximativ, 14 - 30 de ani, propusă pentru prima dată în 2009, de către St. Martin's Press. Ei doreau să se adreseze şi tinerilor care au probleme de identitate venite odată cu vârsta. 
(referinţă wiki)

"St. Martin’s Press editors wanted to address the coming-of-age that also happens in a young person’s twenties. They wanted to consider stories about young adults who were legally adults, but who were still finding their way in building a life and figuring out what it means to be an adult . This category is intended to be marketed to post-adolescents and young-adults ages 14 to 35. This age group is considered to be the lucrative 'cross-over' category of young-adult titles that appeal to both the young-adult market and to an adult audience."