First things first, up in the top menu, you will now find a link to the search page under I’m looking for…
Hopefully that will make sure that you can find things you are looking for.
Second, I am reading a new book. ::waves a little yay flag:: We receive a lot of books from publisher and individual authors. The publisher requests take precedence and books people hand us get put into the pile. Eventually we get through the reading to the bottom of the pile and fish them out.
I think I remember a woman walking up to us during the tour, although don’t ask me when or where, and asking if we would accept a gift of her book. I recall taking it and it had a lovely message inside. It said, “Thank you for your incredible stories.”
The book went into the reading pile. I fished it out this morning. It’s THE UNLIKEABLE DEMON HUNTER by Deborah Wilde.
At first I wasn’t that excited about it, because it seemed a bit like every other UF out there. Female protagonist, demons, meh, meh, meh, flip flip flip… Nava explains awesome Yiddish and Hebrew words used in this series….
Wait, what?
Then I did a lovely impression of a car screeching to a stop.
It’s about Jewish Demon Hunters. When we did research for Magic Bleeds, we did a lot of reading into Jewish Mysticism. Half of our vampire mythos comes from Jewish mythology. I wanted to write a book about Jewish demon hunters at some point, except that I just don’t know enough about the subject and it wouldn’t read as authentic.
Now I don’t have to. Someone has done it for me.
So I started reading the book. And it’s good. When I went to get the cover for you off the Amazon, I saw this negative review of it.
The main character was vulgar, profane…yes, unlikeable and not respectable.
An Amazon reviewer
Yes. All of that. Except for the unlikeable part. She is actually quite hilarious in a sad knucklehead way.
It’s like Bridesmaids but with Jewish Demon Hunters. In the beginning of a book, a severely emotionally compromised heroine is trying to get laid to feel better and as she gives the guy a hand job, he turns out to be a demon and explodes. Into golden sparklies. I can’t wait to tell Jeaniene Frost about it. She will laugh and laugh.
So this is not a full recommendation yet, which is why there are no buy links. I only got to read the first 30 pages and then Gordon came into the bedroom to ask why I took so long to get dressed and if I needed rescuing from something. Also I am unreasonably excited about the use of Jewish mythology.
I will report back when I finished it. So the jury is still out.
And now I have to go shopping for Kid 1, who requires my opinions about a skirt. 🙂
You are lucky. Last lunch invite — to a place where I can only eat a salad due to my food allergy– ended up with ME spending 3 hours in a dang dressing room trying on multiple pants as I am between sizes and am particular about my pants. Well I am short waisted and hip huggers just fall right off. Plus I never wear what Mother buys as either a wild color or too little. Too big my trusty sewing machine and I can fix and have. Or the alteration seamstress. Nothing I can do about the pastel colors or the shocking electric orange or the purple thing.
So celebrate and enjoy time with kid 1 and 2 and all the others.. Blessings to Gordon for being Gordon.
Thanks for suggesting a new author. Last Xmas my vampire loving sibling gave me two Alex Kava books. I read and sent back [because did not interest me] to sibling with a thank you note. I got hooked on Ryder Creed series later when I researched Alex Kava. So long story short, you never know what series an author writes will suck you into that world or not.
Have a good new year.
started and put down. Not for me
Not sure if this was mentioned upthread, but this book is free on Kindle Unlimited… I downloaded to give it a try.
me too, I’m about 1/2 way through and I like it so far 🙂
Not related to this blog post, but just wanted to wish Ilona, Gordon, family and the BDH a Happy New Year!
Goodbye and good riddance to 2018, bring us some love 2019!!
Sydney NYE fireworks courtesy of ABC Australia:
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/new-years-eve-2018
Settle in, it’s 12 mins long. There’s an ABBA section at around the 7 min mark (of course, it IS Sydney), and a Aretha tribute at around the 8 min mark.
The Unlikable Demon Hunter was an entertaining read. It was funny all the way through. By the end, I decided not to get the next one in the series. If Nava had revealed any indication of personal growth, or an endearing quality at all, I would want to see what happened next. She remained completely unlikable, as advertised.
By the end of book three she is growing and making some changes. Took a lot to break her out of her fear and insecurity induced shielding. She’s not for everyone.
I read that one and enjoyed it. I got hung up on the 2nd one though and never finished it.
Same here. At the time, work was very stressful and I needed more escapism when I was reading this. I picked up the second to read and realized I was power-reading though and not really getting caught up. Well written, well researched, and I bet the Rabbi that appears has a real-life counterpart who will never know they have been immortalized, I do like that.
Thank you for the recommendation! This sounds like a fun series to try. I’m looking forward to it.
My daughter used to go shopping herself (heavens forfend she should ask her mother for help…) and then call and I would hear her voice saying, “Mom…” Me: “Yes?” Her: “Um, hypothetically, if I found a skirt, would you buy it for me?” Me: “Hypothetically, what might it look like?” …and at the end I would usually agree to either a) hypothetically buy such a skirt, or b)hypothetically pay for half of it.
So Ilona the jury is out on the Unlikeable Demon hunter,so far no good Jewish mysticism….just blowing apart dust like Buffy offing a Vampire…..
You may still get to write the definitivework!
As a Jew I really enjoyed picking out the parts of Kate’s books that came from my religion. I thought it was quite interesting to see what made it in and u had some funny ones! Im excited to check this book out lol. My father teaches these kinds of topics so I always get a kick out of other people’s interpretations. Thanks!
Read the series and LMAO! If you like this you will like Three Mages and A Margarita A little less profanity and a lot less drinking.
I found this series a little while ago and could not put them down till I had read all 4, Nava has me laughing out loud…I’d recommend this series x
Cold Bath Street by A J Hartley is an unputdownable ghost story with a young protagonist. Set in Preston in England. Won many awards. Christopher Eccleston narrates the audiobook.
Just read it and definitely wasn’t impressed. I also found the Jewish aspect rather perfunctory. “Free” on Kindle Unlimited made me less disappointed though.
So I started the demon hunter book. It’s funny and exciting so far. Not too angsty.
I picked this series up a few months back, not bad and gets quite complex further into the series but just not Kate quality. I fear I have been spoilt for many future authors ?
i love the book
the characters are 3D, the world ist consistent and Nava is funny as hell
and then i look at the followup books the storyline is interesting and well written but the relationships between the characters no, just no 5 books of on/of relationships and no growth??
no i can take it. granted the characters are just 20 but even myself at that stage had more sense.
i am looking at my kindle crying because the story is interesting and i just can not read it because relationships arghghhh, sniffffffff
and i so like t-shirts that speak for themselves
of to get umbrella for kindle in case of waterdamage
Not for everyone, I guess, but I am loving The Unlikable Demon Hunter series. Thank you for recommending it, even faintly.
She has been given a bad hand since birth with her brother being the golden child and her interest in dance being a disappointment to her parents simply because it wasn’t brag worthy a faculty parties. When an injury ruins her professional dance career just as it is taking off, no one is there for her and she really digs in with shields due to the betrayal and insecurity she has experienced. Then SHE turns out to be the demon hunter and all she can think of is getting her brother back into the Brotherhood because she would do anything for him, even put up with the misogyny rampant in the old boys club. Hell, they hoped she die before there was a paper trail proving they ever had a female demon hunter, so they delayed her hiring paperwork a week and throw her into demon hunting without training! I love her snark and strength, her determination to save innocent humans because the magic to do so comes with the obligation to use it for good. She is slowly learning to trust and open up. Hate the misogyny, though. It depresses me. As old as I am, with where I grew up (rural), and a career in a male dominated science world, I have had to deal with it far too much in real life.