Book Reviews

Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister

2007-07-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451213866

Synopsis:

After Pepper Marsh is laid off from her software development job, she joins
her cousin CJ in Canada for a proper Rennisance Faire. There, she meets
Walker McPhail, the leader of a jousting team. After stepping in front of
a hourse and being rescued by Walker, she continues to try to gain his attention
and admiration, which leads to many humorous and intimate events.

All in all, Ms. MacAlister does an excellent job of a light-hearted and fun romance. It's a quick read, and a perfect beach book. I would recommend this book for all women (especially) that love romance books, especially ones with knights and wenches!

A Pagan's Nightmare by Ray Blackston

2007-06-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446579599

From Publishers Weekly

After penning several humorous novels about Christian singles (Flabbergasted), Blackston swaps publishers from Revell to Warner Faith and tries his hand at a dual–story line comic allegory with mixed results. Larry Hutch is a novelist who has a fashionable manuscript about an apparent "reverse rapture": the Christians are left behind, along with a few random pagans. Larry's protagonist, pagan Lanny Hooch, spends his allotted pages trying to find out what has happened to his girlfriend, Miranda, who has disappeared. As Lanny teams up with a pagan disc jockey, they attempt to avoid Christian zealots who are hot on their trail to capture and convert them. There are some attempted humorous looks at what the world might be like as an intentionally over-the-top, all-Christian society: Devil's Food Cake becomes David's Food Cake; the Beatles sing "I Wanna Hold Your Tithe"; and McDonald's staff all wear gold crosses on their sleeves instead of golden arches and serve fries called "McScriptures." But the humor falls flat, and the alternating chapters between the novel's plot and Larry's discussions with various people who are all eager to read his work in progress (and can't put it down once they do) feel like an attempt to persuade the reader that this is good stuff. Even Blackston's fans will be hard-pressed to find the humor here.

This book was loaned to me by Hanna, after I had mentioned that I had wanted to read it after reading Val's review. It seemed like an amusing, irreverant look at Christianity, and what people believe about it.

I do have to say that I disagree with the review by Publisher's Weekly - I did find it funny and amusing, and was able to catch the jokes. I didn't feel like everyone wanting to read it was a ploy at making me feel like I wanted to read the book (although it took me a while to realize that I was reading along with the characters, ie. they asked for chapters 16-18, and the next part of the story were those chapters. I guess I'm not as bright as others!).

I found Blackston's insertion of humour to be well placed and timely. My favourite joke was about the softball (I think) teams, the "Dunkers" and "Sprinklers". He's referring to the different baptism styles, and for some reason (probably due to past conversations about the topic) it really struck a funny chord for me. Also, the discussion questions at the back were a riot!

The only part of the book that didn't do anything for me was at the end, where Angie (Ned's wife) felt the need to go through the Salvation Thing. I totally get why it was there, and it was completely within her character... but some days I just feel like I'm getting preached at when I don't need to be. I know that's my hang up, and NOT the author's fault, so I won't hold it against him.

This is a pretty solid book to read and ponder, especially with other Christians, and any non-christians that you can convince to read it. I would be interested in hearing how a person who doesn't believe in God (necessarily) or at least follow Christianity felt about the book. I wonder if it would be as funny to them, or if it would seem kind of flat.

Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi

2007-06-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0441014747

Book Description:

She knew that growing up would mean changing. But Jennifer wasn't prepared for the blue scales or the claws, since no one had told her that she came from a bloodline of weredragons. Her greatest challenge? Protecting herself from her family's ancient enemies and preparing herself for fierce battles. And that's a lot to expect of a girl just coming into her own.

While seeing MaryJanice Davidson on the billing for this book didn't excite me (I was quite certain that this character would merely be a younger Betsy), I managed to pick it up and read it anyway... especially seeing as how it was pretty short, young adult, and frankly? I had just read at least two birthing books - I needed a change of pace.

I was actually pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure how the co-authoring between this husband-wife team went, as the book doesn't reek of Davidson's other writings (I find that most of her female characters come off the same). So, whether it was mostly written by Alongi, with Davidson merely offer advice in tone and perspective, I don't know. Regardless, this pairing certainly worked, and I definitely hope that it continues for further books.

This is a very light-hearted and surprising look at the teen life of a were-dragon. Yes, were-dragon. No, we don't see many of those in literature, so it's kind of refreshing. There are also were-spiders, which is also kind of cool (and slightly scary). It was a great change of pace from the "typical" fantasy-type young adult books, so I have to say that it's definitely unique.

This book entertained me through the whole thing. There were a few spots that I thought were really different and odd - which was great. I love a good plot twist, and have to say that these two managed a couple of plot twists that I just did not see coming - so excellent job on them!

Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace is a great book for all teens within the 14 + age bracket. There wasn't much for violence or scary scenes, although some parts might frighten younger readers. While the book doesn't really go into puberty or boy-girl relationships, there are some implied instances that may cause more protective parents to pre-read. Just a thought.

Lyon, Erica: The Big Book of Birth

2007-06-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0452287685

From the Publisher:

Consumer text offers objective advice on everything from choosing a doctor or midwife to the realities of assisted and cesarean births, to pain-coping options, and more.

This book was recommended to me by Sam from Sunday School Rebel. I was looking for an objective book full of information on birth, from a pro-birth (and not pro-specific-style-of-birth) person, and this book completely filled that void.

What you will get from this book:

Fantastic illustrations as required. The most poignant one of me? Showing how my insides have changed (squashing my organs around to accomadate the baby) now that there needs to be room for a several pound infant inside my body cavity
Unbiased information on epidurals, other pain medication, and pain management techniques
Lots and lots of "real life" stories of women that Ms. Lyon has interviewed about their births and experiences
Detailed instructions on what to do when (ie. when to go to the hospital, when to call the doctor, when to time contractions, etc.)
Helpful hints on how to get the closest to the birth you want, as everyone knows that labour isn't something that you can control, and will not go according to plan
Detailed information on technical procedures, from the epidural, to induction and augmentation (speeding the contractions along), to cesarean section and the use of forceps and vacuum to help extract the baby.
Lots of points to think about and discuss with your doctor (which I felt helpful, as I didn't know what to ask about my doctor's "birthing style")
You will also find a very slight contempt for the medical community in the way of births. While I haven't had a chance to experience it at this point, she does seem to talk down about SOME nurses, and SOME doctors, and SOME medical practices. If you are concerned about what she brings up, those would be good points to discuss with your doctor

What you won't get from this book:

The attitude that you are going to be mad at yourself if you get an epidural or use pain medication
The attitude that you are less of a woman, or a failure as a mother if you use pain medication
The attitude that unless you push the baby out of your body yourself, you are not having a "real" birth
A completely rose-coloured view of birth - she really tells it like it is
You will get the warm fuzzies from the other mom's stories. You won't get them from her information (which is definitely ok!!!)
The fear of the hospital put into you. While she does go over some of the medical practices you will want to avoid (when possible), you shouldn't walk away thinking "no one wants me to actually have this baby - they just want to cut me open and get it out", as many of the other "natural birth" books can leave you feeling.

All in all, I would DEFINATELY recommend this book to all expectant women. If you've done the birth thing before, I don't know that you'll find it helpful, but for the first time moms? It's probably the best resource I've found [caveat: There is no Canadian information in here, so it's not helpful knowing exactly what happens in Canada, plus there is no hospital specific information - not all drugs are available or widely used all places, so you'll still have to check with your doctor and your hospital for what is available to you]. It gives you a complete picture of labour, birth and a good section on postpartum, which seems to run the gambit of all the information you need to know to get started.

Rowe, Stephanie: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot

2007-06-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446619019

From the Publisher:

Her heart may be in the right place...but her soul belongs to Satan.Being Satan's most infamous minion is the only life Becca Gibbs has ever known. But now she's restless, sick and tired of stealing souls, and ready to break free on her own. Unfortunately, this gig isn't like any other job. Its first rule: Walk out on the Devil-and kiss your life good-bye. Nick Rawlings is the last of the Markku, a race of fighters that broke from Hell to pull for the good. When his sister goes missing, and her ransom is the death of Satan, Nick's more than willing to take on the fight. The first step? Getting the devil's sexy right-hand helper on his side. The second? Well, if he can take his eyes-and hands-off of her, he's sure he'll think of it...

I seriously love Stephanie Rowe. There is nothing that she touches that isn't golden. This is the third in her Paranormal Romance series, which is really quite good. I really liked this book because there was a good amount of tension built up, rather than just "you're hot, lets have sex", which can be prevelant in these types of books.

The only thing that I didn't like was that Satan went from being a very comical speaker to talking in very broken English, which really irritated me. I don't want to read broken English. He used to just say things over-dramatically and with buttloads of humour... but this time, I found myself filling in the missing words. Luckily, he doesn't talk for the majority of the book, so it's not too bad.

I have to say that it was still really funny, and that anyone who likes funny paranormal romance books will definitely love this book. It's made my "to by" list (along with Date Me Baby, One More Time and Must Love Dragons), and I can't wait for the next one!

PS. Each book changes characters, so it doesn't grow old quite so quickly. I really love what she's doing with the series.

MacAlister, Katie: Light My Fire

2007-06-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451219821

From the Publisher

Aisling Grey is juggling being a demon lord, a Guardian, and a wyvern's mate, even though she's keeping her distance from said wyvern, Drake, these days. But her presence is still required at a meeting of the green dragons. Since several attempts have been made on her life, Drake is sure to get protective of her. Which might not be a bad thing when war breaks out and all hell breaks loose - literally.

Another Aisling Grey novel from Katie MacAlister. It was good, and I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait for the next one to come out. Overall, we saw some interesting character development, some resolution between Drake and Aisling (finally), and some interesting twists of fate regarding the Otherworld. Oh - and we FINALLY find out lots more about Rene (who annoyingly kept turning up everywhere Aisling went).

I have to say that this is a pretty solid read. I definite beach book/brain candy, but still enjoyable and full of feeling.

Recommended for any woman who likes a little fire in their romance!

Rennison, Louise: Startled By His Furry Shorts

2007-06-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0060853867

From the Publisher

On the rack of romance. And also in the oven of luuurve.
Woe is Georgia: Dave the Laugh has declared his love for her (at least she thinks he was talking about her), and she has finally given Masimo an ultimatum to be her one and only and he has to think about it. And will she ever be able to stop thinking about the Sex God plucking his guitar strings of loveosity?

Bruhahahaha!!!! This book was as awesome as the others in the series. Seriously, if you haven't checked out these more than funny books, I really recommend them. I would say that any girl 15 years and older will really enjoy these books. Actually, younger girls will enjoy them too, but I'm not sure that we need to be giving them any ideas (especially if they are my children!). Anyway, this series is too funny to miss out on. I can't wait for the next book, Love is a Many Trousered Thing.

Weiner, Jennifer: In Her Shoes

2007-05-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0743418204

From the Publisher

Meet Rose Feller, a thirty-year-old high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She has an exercise regime she's going to start next week, and she dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her she's beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up, semi-employed little sister to straighten up and fly right.
Meet Rose's sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old and drop-dead gorgeous. Although her big-screen stardom hasn't progressed past her left hip's appearance in a Will Smith video, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune -- and of getting her big sister on a skin-care regimen.
These two women, who claim to have nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that they're more alike than they'd ever imagined. Along the way, they'll encounter a diverse cast of characters -- from a stepmother who's into recreational Botox to a disdainful pug with no name. They'll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and eventually make peace with their most intimate enemies -- each other.

Hmm... nothing like a publishers blurb to give away a lot of the book. ::sigh:: Anyway.

I picked this one up from the library mainly because it was written by Jennifer Weiner. I'm not sure that I would have, otherwise. Sadly, I didn't connect with this one as well as her other works. Maybe I didn't like the characters, or that she didn't give as strong of a voice to her characters, I don't know. It certainly wasn't bad to read, it just wasn't as good.

Truthfully, I liked Simon, and I liked one of Ella's friends. I couldn't get my head around Cameron Diaz playing Maggie in the movie (I haven't seen it, but it just didn't seem to jive with me), and I kept bringing up her face. I mean, I'm sure she did a great job of the part, but in my head... ::shrugs:: I don't know.

This is a great book to borrow from the library, if you're looking for a book about sisters. I'm not sure that I would buy it, though.

St. John, Kelley: Good Girls Don't

2007-05-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446617202

From Publishers Weekly

As frothy as a milkshake but not nearly as satisfying, St. John's debut romance, set in contemporary Atlanta, pairs three beautiful women with three gorgeous, sensitive and well-endowed men. The book gets off to a promising start, depicting an amusing conversation between Colette Campbell and her sister, sex-toy designer Amy, about (what else?) sex toys. But with so many relationships, there's room for little more than character sketches: the good guy who still loves his high school squeeze and vows to be a little bad to win her heart; the wild girl turned businesswoman who rediscovers her naughty side with said good guy; the woman who just needs the right man to make her rethink her sex-toys-are-a-girl's-only-friend motto. Everyone is earnest and looking for love, and none has too much emotional baggage to impede their perfect unions. It's no wonder that St. John's attempts at penning racy, gossipy exchanges à la Sex and the City so often fall flat. While her book contains steamy sex scenes aplenty, it lacks the multidimensional characters and conflicts that made the HBO series so popular.

From Booklist

Colette Campbell is a professional liar. Her company, My Alibi, is used by everyone from cheating spouses to AWOL employees. Now Colette has reached a low point: Jeff, her perfectly physiqued--albeit lousy lover--boyfriend, has gotten engaged to another woman. Then Amy, Colette's sex-toy-creator sister, offers Colette's alibi services to Erika, who is going away for the weekend with a biker. Unfortunately, Erika's uncle and guardian is Bill Brannon, Colette's best and virtually only friend in high school. Colette feels terrible about lying to Bill, especially since they've begun to explore a more romantic relationship. If she tells him about Erika's deception, Colette will damage her relationship with her sister. If Bill finds out that Colette has been hiding this secret from him, their chance at finding true love is gone. St. John does a good job of getting inside Colette's head and sharing her dilemma, and the novel's fast-paced, sexy, and witty conversations will please fans of Sex and the City.

I have to say, I really enjoy Kelley St. John's writing, even in this cookie-cutter book. She may have a formula (girl meets guy, they fall in love, they are separated by some misunderstanding, they end up together in the end), but it is readable - great and fantastic mind-fluff that one just needs every now and then.

There isn't much that I can say about the book other than what I've said, or what the others above have said. I did like it, and it's an excellent borrow-from-the-library-and-read-on-the-beach type book. Definitely worth the time investment, although probably not worth the monetary value.

Weiner, Jennifer: Good in Bed

2007-05-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0743418174

From the Publisher:

For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She''s even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body.
But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.

I have to say that while I love Ms. Weiner's writing, this book impressed me a lot. It is well written, well formulated, well plotted, and well rounded book. There was nothing that this book lacked.

I seem to recall that Good In Bed was recommended to me by a good friend, and after I had time to look at the book and digest it, I found there were some interestingly striking personality similarities between Cannie and my friend. It was interesting to read it and think that the words coming out of Cannie's mouth could totally be coming out of my friend's mouth instead.

I won't go into the premise of the book - you can get that by looking at the first section of this review. I will say that it was fantastic. That it is a great read, and that you won't be disappointed.

Davidson, MaryJanice: Sleeping with the Fishes

2007-05-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0515142220

From the Publisher:

Fred is not your ordinary mermaid. She's not blonde. She's not buxom. And she's definitely not perky. In fact, Fred can be downright cranky. And it doesn't help matters that her hair is blue. While volunteering at the New England Aquarium, Fred learns that there are weird levels of toxins in the local seawater. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her merperson ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. You'd think it would be easy for a mermaid to get to the bottom of things. Think again.

As far as MJD goes, this is probably one of my favorite books by her to date. It's witty, fast paced, and not quite as annoying as Betsy. I found the characters to be generally amusing and interesting (Jonas being my favorite character).

The ending seemed to indicate a second book (at least), so I'll definitely pick that one up when it comes out.

I'd recommend this book to most women who want a romance with a little bit of humour and a little bit of "different". It was a pretty good read!

Carey, Jacqueline: Kushiel's Scion

2007-05-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 044661002X

From the Publisher:

Imriel de la Courcel's birth parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phedre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood; third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies---and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his mother, Melisande, who nearly destroyed the entire realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother's irresistible allure---and her dangerous gifts. As he comes of age, plagued by unwanted desires, Imriel shares their fears. When a simple act of friendship traps Imriel in a besieged city where the infamous Melisande is worshiped as a goddess and where a dead man leads an army, the Prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self.

Kushiel's Scion is the fourth book in Jacqueline Carey's Terre d'Ange. The preceeding titles are: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar. All there of these are told from Phedre's (Imriel's adopted mother) point of view, so this book is a bit different, as it's told from Imriel's view.

I have to say, I appreciated the change of pace, between Avatar and Scion. The three previous books were getting darker and darker, coming to a very dramatic head in Avatar. I felt quite emotionally wretched for a few days after reading that one, so it was nice to leave Scion feeling quite good about it.

I won't go into the details, as I don't want to ruin it. I really enjoyed seeing the old cast of characters, even from a slightly different view point. While you can't start with this book, you'll definitely not need to re-read Avatar to understand it. Carey does an excellent job of filling in the back-story without re-telling the story.

I loved Imriel's voice, his internal wars, and his desire to be good. It's not often that you have a character with this much baggage, and this much emotion to be written so well.

There is far less sex, and it is far less graphic than the other three books. There is definitely sex in it, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who hasn't reached their majority, but it just seems... less... than the other three books - which is fine. I had no desire to read about Imriel's conquests, per se.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to read the next one (Kushiel's Justice), which is due out in June. Yay!

[NOTE: I have to say that I quite enjoy the art on this series. Seriously, though? I felt a little choked that they used Phedre again for the cover of Scion. She's really not in the book, not hardly at all, as Imriel spends the majority of the book overseas. While her tattoo is kind of the "logo" of the series, it would have been nice to work it into the cover in an alternate way, rather than displaying her back, with a shadowed man in the background (I assume that's Imriel). I'm pleased to see that Justice has moved away from the tattoo, and while it's still an absolutely beautiful cover, it seems to indicate that the story is moving away from Phedre, as it should.]

Cach, Lisa: A Babe in Ghostland

2007-04-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0743470907

From the Publisher:

Megan Barrows has retired from a brief career as a ghostbusting psychic and now uses her sixth sense to fill her Seattle antiques store with objects with happy pasts. After once nearly having the soul sucked out of her by a malevolent spirit, she prefers a quiet life.
Case Lambert is a real estate prospector who restores old houses, then sells them for profit. He has just bought a dilapidated mansion so amazing that he wants to keep it for himself, but the house appears to be haunted. Seriously haunted. A few inquiries lead him to Megan Barrows.
Megan at first refuses to help, but Case is a master of persuasion. Moving into the mansion, they discover that one of the ghosts has a thing for Case -- and there may be even more amorous spirits inside this veritable paranormal vortex. But it soon becomes clear that no one -- dead or alive -- can stop Megan and Case from ending up in each other's arms. . .

I finished this one a few days ago, but didn't get around to reviewing it... so it's not quite as fresh in my mind.

The things that I loved about it were as follows: I felt that it had a creep factor without being frightening, the characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, and the author had a good voice for the book.

The things I didn't like about it: I felt like some of the technical information was a bit much (as though the author wanted to show off that she did some research), I didn't like Eric (one of the characters, but that's to be expected), and there wasn't a great hook in the beginning.

I'm glad I picked this book up. It was an amusing way to pass a couple of hours, and I would recommend it to those who like ghost stories (and romances, as it is after all, a romance novel!). I'm not sure that I would recommend buying it, but it's definitely read-able, and a great book to borrow from a friend or the library.

Blair, Annette: The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2007-04-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0425213463

From the Publisher:

Sexy new romance from the national bestselling author of "My Favorite Witch." To restore his clan to glory, Rory MacKenzie must reclaim a beautifully carved unicorn. His search leads him to Victoria Cartwright, whose untapped magical power reveals a long-hidden treasure in her.

This book picks up where My Favourite Witch leaves off, but instead of following Kira and Jason, it switches over to Kira's friend, Vickie. Her Nana has passed on, and has left her several things - including major debts. More importantly, she left her a spelled wardrobe, containing a beautiful and rare unicorn off an antique carosel that once belonged to one of her ancestors. Along comes Rory MacKenzie (straight from Scotland), who needs the unicorn to pay the debt his family owes to the town where he lives. What he didn't count on was falling for this beautiful, shy witch. They have many adventures, including shared dreams, a trip to Newport and a romp inside the wardrobe (because who can think of a better place ::rolls eyes:: ).

I found the characters endearing, funny, and multi-faceted. Blair has an easy way about her writing - she creates wonderful, lovable characters that are hard to resist. Her plots are always perfectly paced - the two don't have that "romance novel" conflict, where it takes until the last chapter for them to get together.

I am seriously in love with Annette's books, and I plan on picking up a lot more of them. She's such a delightful author that I would recommend these books to any woman who appreciates a good romance novel.

Rowe, Stephanie: Must Love Dragons

2007-04-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446617679

From the Publisher:

Featuring characters from "Date Me, Baby, One More Time," this new, fun, and witty paranormal romance is set in a world where Satan is the world's greatest lover and dragons can find love through online dating. Original.

Theresa Nichols (the dragon from DMBOMT) is back and badder than ever. Well, maybe hungrier. Her lusty online lover has now thrown down an ultimatum - meet him or he drops off the face of the earth forever. Theresa can't let this happen, he's the only thing keeping her sane while her best friend Justine and new husband Derek are off on their honeymoon. She also knows that she can't meet him in her current form - dragon! So she decides to make a deal with Satan to fix her form. Meanwhile, Zeke (the cyber-boy), is trying to crush his dragon-slaying tendancies, and needs to meet Theresa so he can report back to his boss. Meanwhile - more hits on Theresa just keep on rolling in. For some reason, several people seem to want her dead.

This is another terrific book by Stephanie Rowe, who has been rapidly rising in my eyes as a more than competant author. I really enjoy her characters, her settings and her plots. She has a great imagination, and a wonderful voice in her books.

I would recommend this book to all those who love a little bit of hilarity in their romance. While I may not have ended up laughing out loud with this one (like I did with DMBOMT), it was still just as good. Definitely an adult book!

Rowen, Michelle: Bitten & Smitten

2007-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446617008

From the Publisher:

In Rowen's death-defyingly funny debut--a cross between "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Sex in the City"--Sarah Dearly goes on a blind date . . . with a vampire. Original.

Eh. This book was mediocre at best. It had some amusing and funny parts, some pretty good action sequences (fight scenes, that is), and some decent characters, but it didn't leave me with a "wow that was great" feeling.

The basic premise is this: Sarah goes on a blind date that her friend Amy sets her up with. Her date ends up being a vampire and sires her without her permission, then manages to get killed by vampire hunters, leaving her to defend herself. She does so, with the assistance of an old vamp named Thierry (how ever you say that!). He adopts her, and tries to help her adjust to her new life. She has lots of bumps and hiccups during the next week, but manages to get through it, culminating in one large fight scene at the end of the book.

I thought that there were a lot of things that the author could have made more amusing. Sarah's cousin's wedding could have been funnier (and longer), she could have written more about the vamp club that Thierry ran, and possibly, less about her silly clothing. I understand that lots of women who read these books enjoy that, but... pick one. I mean, she went on about designer shoes, and designer dresses, and other things. I guess I prefer my protagonists to have one thing that they love - be it makeup, shoes, jeans, etc. rather then them running the whole gambit. The only person that I can think of who spends more time in her books talking about clothes is Laurell K. Hamilton, and that comparison is in no way a compliment.

I guess I just wasn't all that impressed. If I find her other books at the library I may or may not take them out. I'm also not sure that I would really recommend this book to anyone - just not that interesting.

Blair, Annette: My Favorite Witch

2007-04-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0425207234

From the Publisher:

The Kitchen Witch is selling like hot-cakes. Now author Annette Blair serves up a charming tale of a beautiful witch--cursed by her ex-boyfriend--who is appointed to work with a former hockey star, the one man who can melt the ice around her heart.

I picked this book up on a whim from the library. I had chosen a couple of chick-lit type books, and this one's cover had really captured my interest. It was cutely drawn, with a kitten and had glitter on it. What's not to love? So, I picked up My Favorite Witch and The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe (I've yet to read it).

It was an incredibly light, very amusing romance novel. Blair does an excellent job of capturing your interest with complex characters, and holds your interest with character growth and fun romantic interludes throughout. You don't have to wait until the end of the book to get to the good stuff!

Basically, Jason the hockey player suffers an injury that knocks him out of the NHL for 6 months. During that time, his grandmother ropes him into running the Special Events for her foundation, including helping at St. Andrews, which is an orphanage for young boys. The grandmother also hires Jason a coordinator, so he's not running the show alone. Imagine his surprise when he meets the red-headed witch with a penchant for getting things done, and a vendetta against her two-timing ex. They end up living in one of his grandmother's mansions, and have to share a kitchen. They end up in many sweet and hilarious situations.

I really liked the whole book, as her characters were full of depth and realism (well, except for the witch part), and the plot/pace of the book was perfect. I would definitely recommend this book, and Annette Blair as an author in general. Not for those looking for any serious reading, though!

Rowe, Stephanie: Date Me, Baby, One More Time

2007-04-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0446617660

From the Publisher:

This delightful and witty paranormal romance debut features pretzel-eating dragons, cursed mathematicians, and a guardian of the Fountain of Youth in desperate need of a date.

I seriously loved this book, in all it's cheesy titled, pink covered glory. Seriously hilarious. I took it to the doctors office today, and I couldn't help but read some of it out loud to Rob as we waited. It was just that good. I mean, how can you resist a line like "You are the only woman that my tower of passion throbs for"? And? It gets even better when it's Satan saying it!

So this is the basic premise of the book: Justine is a Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth, whom they call Mona. She lives with her best friend and successor, Theresa the Dragon (she used to be in human form, but drank from the goblet and got stuck in Dragon form) who is addicted to cybersex with online Zeke (who's actually quite helpful when they need to find stuff out). Justine's mom, Iris, used to be the Guardian before her, but she died in the line of duty, and is waiting in Purgatory to find out how the Council decides her fate. Here, she is being pursued by Satan to be his mistress/consort/queen. Into Justine's life walks Derek, pretzel king and cursed man. His ancestor had tried to steal the goblet, and was somehow cursed. The curse affects all men in his line - they die when they turn 31. The only way to break the curse is to kill Justine and steal the goblet. Justine, however, must kill Derek, as he knows far too much about the goblet and is a major security breach. You can imagine the tension when they are immediately (and lustily!) drawn together.

This whole book was hilarious. I would seriously recommend it to anyone who likes light fluffy paranormal romance. Be aware that there is sex in it (no cut scenes, this time), but it was low on the nitty gritty graphic scale.

Overall, I thought this was hilarious, and not what I was expecting from Rowe (after reading If The Shoe Fits). I can't wait to pick up the next one Must Love Dragons (focuses on Theresa).

Hamilton, Laurel K: Danse Macabre

2007-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0515142816

From the Publisher:

Fans have been waiting to sink their fangs into an all-new Anita Blake hardcover in the "New York Times" bestselling series. These days, Anita Blake is less interested in vampire politics than in an ancient, ordinary dread she shares with women down the ages: she may be pregnant. And, if she is, whether the father is a vampire, a werewolf, or someone else entirely, she knows perfectly well that being a Federal Marshal known for raising the dead and being a vampire executioner, is no way to bring up a baby.

Ugh. Where do I start? Ok, how about this - Not once did she mention that a room "smelled like so much meat". Maybe because there was no crime scene, but that's ok - there just wasn't as much repetition as usual. Yay for that. I also don't really care about how much sex was in the book - I've read her last books, I understand that sex = major factor. I don't think that she does her sex scene's well (if she was a man, I would say that she has a very small penis and makes up for it through her writing. I guess I could say that she has a very hard time finding her "good spot", so Anita will climax a billion times a day instead), but they're written descently.

Here are the things that I hated about this book, and frankly, this series.
1. Every time there is a crisis, Anita gets a new power. I'm not going to say what it is in this book, but nothing crappy ever happens, she just gets more power, or figures a way to use her existing ones better (which isn't so much a complaint, but it's not normal character development in my mind).

2. Everyone else seems to always be growing in power all the bloody time. It's like they can't grow as people, they just grow to be more powerful beings. Frustrating, to me.

3. I seriously hate her quadruple orgasms and I really really believe that LKH thinks that she's Anita. I mean, if a girl can do that and all, that's fine... but I guess I feel like it's forced in the books. Like she's saying "look, I've so accepted my sexuality that I can do this, and if you accepted yours too, maybe you could be as awesome as me".

4. She used the "F-word" far too often in regards to having sex and feeding the ardeur. It was just annoying. There are so many descriptive words and euphamisms that it wasn't necessary just to use that one. Maybe it's what she really meant to say, but I found it annoying.

5. Maybe I am very tired of Richard, but I just wanted to beat him up in this book, in a really serious way.

6. Also? The whole pregnancy thing, and the opening scene with Ronnie annoyed me as well. I mean, we all know that her pregnancy can't last, that it would destroy the series and thus LKH's main income. Why even bother? I mean, I didn't think even for a second "what if there really IS a baby?" I feel like LKH is becoming lazy, just expecting her readers to buy her books no matter what, so she gives her fans the lamest plots and twists possible.

I can't say as to whether I'll be reading The Harlequin. I'm don't regret picking this one up, as I know that I like to finish a series, if for no other reason than to say that I've read the entire series... but yeah. I just don't know if I will get it. I didn't read the bit that was included in this one (after 517 pages of Pants Macabre, I just wasn't up to another 50 pages of LKH), but I did skim a couple of pages.

She brings back Edward, the bounty hunter. Now, I enjoyed Edward's character. He was edgy, well written and type-cast, but not too far. I liked her stories with him, and have to say that Obsidian Butterfly was probably my most favourite book in the series due to his role. That said, I am absolutely petrified to read the next book. This, I think, will either save the series or put it in the ground. I mean, if Edward falls into her bed, I will seriously give away all of her books. I'd like to think that I would just throw them out, but I would probably take them to the used bookstore and at least get a couple of good books in trade. According to Edward's character, he must regect Anita, and if that happens, I think that more interesting things could happen. Maybe she'll shape up and actually start to do her job again, instead of just moping around the house playing with her boys. I don't know.

I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I can say that I very much doubt that I will ever read it again. If you're a die-hard LKH fan, I still would recommend not buying the hardcover, total waste of money. If you are at all curious about the book, I would recommend that you take it out of the library, unless you figure that you'll need kindling soon after.

No tags on this one because I don't even know where to start.

Rowe, Stephanie: If the Shoe Fits

2007-04-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0505527006

From the Publisher:

When a car accident cuts short a runner's dreams, she turns to her new business and goes from running sneakers to designer heels in this finalist for the National Readers' Choice Award.

This is a book that I picked up from the library, just because I thought it would be cute. I mean, who doesn't like shoes and books about shoes? I am glad that I did - it turned out to be really good.

Basically, Paris (I know, right?) got into a car accident that ruined her running career, and her shot at the Olympics. She then got married, and divorced within a couple of months within her accident. This really messed her up and made her a total commitment-phobe, so when her kind-of boyfriend starts to change the intensity of the relationship after her ex shows up in town... well, it freaks her the heck out. Meanwhile, Paris and her 3 friends are trying to use a new technology to design the ultimate running shoe. After it flops, they face all sorts of trials and tribulations.

I think that If the Shoe Fits was actually a pretty fun book. I enjoyed it a lot, and will definitely pick up other books by Stephanie Rowe. She did an excellent job keeping me guessing as to which guy she ends up with, and in the end, I think she picked the right one (always helps you enjoy a book more!).

There's cut scenes in this book - no graphic sex, but definitely deals with adult themes (including sex and death), so I would still recommend that it's an "adults only" book - but one that most women would enjoy.

Bardsley, Michele: I'm the Vampire, That's Why

2007-04-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451219376

From the Publisher:

There's a new breed of soccer mom in town-with fangs. Does drinking blood make me a bad mother? That's the question single mom Jessica Matthews faces when she wakes from a savage attack sucking on the thigh of Patrick O'Halloran, a super-hot Irish vampire who'd generously offered his femoral artery to save her from death... only to make her one of the undead. Jessica can't rest until the beast that did this to her is caught. Meanwhile, she's having trouble committing to Patrick (in the vampire handbook, physical intimacy costs you several hundred years of being bound together) and keeping her kids in line.

This was a pretty fantastic read, and very quick. There's good humour, good fight sequences and good "action" all around.

I really enjoy paranormal romance, so this was just up my alley. If you're a fan of MaryJanice Davidson, Charlaine Harris, or any of the other "chick lit" vampire authors, I think you'll definitely love Michele Bardsley. While the next book doesn't continue on with Jessica and Patrick, I think it will still be pretty fantastic. Check your bookstore in July for Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire.

Harris, Charlaine: Definitely Dead

2007-04-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0441014917

From the Publisher:

Sixth in the Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampire series. Spiked with a frothy fusion of romance, mystery, and fantasy, this bestselling series sends the supernaturally gifted cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse to New Orleans, where she has to deal with the legacy of one of her own family and a host of potentially dangerous characters.

Best character in this book? Definitely Quinn. Possibly, my most favourite character in this series! You know how we meet him in the last book? Yeah, totally glad he was brought back for this one! Egads - he sounds absolutely fantastic.

Anyway, if you've been reading and enjoying the Sookie Stackhouse series so far, this book will not disappoint you, and will deliver all the things you love from Ms. Harris - strong plot, strong characters and character development, excellent sense of suspense and timing. This book has it all.

I found that I often wanted to yell "oh just sleep with him already" part ways through the book, but you'll see how that ended. I can't wait for the next book. Looks like I'll have to put it on hold at the library - it's too good to wait until it comes out in mass market paperback!

This is a great book for everyone of their majority who loves paranormal romance with humour and a plot!

Evanovich, Janet: Back to the Bedroom

2007-04-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0060887885

From the Publisher:

She was the mysterious woman in the long black cloak. He was the sexy guy next door. They shared a common wall between their Capitol Hill townhouses and not much else -- until disaster scored a direct hit on the mystery woman’s bedroom and the sexy guy’s heart. He baked her a cake, she learned to throw a football, there were some misunderstandings in the living room, some mishaps in the yard, and some romantic moments everywhere....

The above description makes the book sound much lamer that it actually is. I picked the book up because I recognized Evanovich's name, after reading the first book in the Stephanie Plum series, which I quite like. I thought that the book would be amusing, and at only 241 pages long, it would be worth taking a look at.

I was very pleasantly surprised. It's just a straight up romance, with lots of cut scenes (for those of you who aren't into played out sex). The couple meet when poor Kate has part of helicopter crash through her roof. At that point, it's David to the rescue, and he keeps rescuing her as things continue to go wrong.

Evanovich throws in a variety of characters - from uptight oboe players to burger-flipping-gun-carrying seniors, and even some special agent types. I found this book quite funny, and very easy to read. I understand that it was written long before Evanovich had brought Plum into the book world, and so it might not be as polished as her recent stuff... but I found it charming and delightful. I can't wait to read more from Janet Evanovich.

Raye, Kimberly: Dead End Dating

2007-03-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0345492161

From the Publisher

BITING IS SO LAST SEASON.

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (soo not her color), plus she’s a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates–and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he’s the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis–after a little revamping, of course–she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead gorgeous bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can’t procreate–and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between “vampifying” Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements . . . even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

About the Author

Kimberly Raye is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels. She’s been nominated for several Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice awards, as well as a RITA award. Her books have been featured in several major magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens and Glamour, and her novel Sometimes Naughty, Sometimes Nice was a Cosmopolitan magazine book club pick. She lives deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country with her husband and their young children. Please visit her website
at www.kimberlyraye.com.

This is the very first library book that I have read in... Oh... since I was in high school. So a long time. I picked it up because it looked cute - the cover is pink and features a girl in a black cape kissing a black-haired dude. I thought "this must be a funny and non-serious vampire book about dating. They never put serious books in a pink cover, right?" I also thought that because it's a library book, if I hated it, I could just stop reading, return it, and try another one.

Well, I completely devoured the book. Within 24 hours (not reading, but you know, within a day). It was fantastic. Ok, the writing isn't the most poetic and best writing that I've ever read. It's certainly better than the last book I read, but still within the same funny and light vein (ha ha, vampire book... vein... ha ha ha!).

In this book, we meet Lil, a born vampire who's on the look out for a man. A long term, eternity type man. He must be born vampire and have a decent fertility rating (somehow, they measure these things). So, instead of getting a job with the family business (your local printing and copying center), Lil becomes the black sheep of her family and starts up a dating service, for both born and made vampires, and humans. While she's trying to start up her business and balance her checkbook (and credit card bills - the girl has expensive designer taste), she meets a bounty hunter named Ty Bonner (for some reason, my head keeps saying "BONER" instead of "Bonner". Apparently, I am dirty), who she has a very hard time keeping her hands off of, and her fangs out of. He's looking for a serial killer that's been targeting women in Chicago, and he had a lead that the guy just took up resident in NYC.

Ty and Lil end up spending a decent amount of time together, and their friendship progresses. He's off limits, but her body just can't figure that out, and she lusts after him terribly. It's actually quite amusing, even though you keep thinking "oh, just jump him and get it over with!"

I thought that Ms. Raye (whom I've never read before, and will certainly be reading again!) did quite a lot with her plot and her characters for this book. I think that she successfully took her story and weaved it into something funny, readable, and something that went somewhere. I hate to compare books and authors, but considering the last book I read ALSO had a serial killer in it... well... if you want a book where the heroine has a little more to do with the plot, pick this one up instead.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes a good paranormal romance. The characters are funny, the writing is decent, and the plot is well developed. Definitely over 18 for this one, but certainly worth the read. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!

Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unreturnable

2007-03-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0425210812

From the Publisher:

Queen of the Vampires Betsy Taylor is planning the perfect wedding to drop-dead gorgeous vamp Eric Sinclair. But in this fourth novel of Davidson's series, Betsy is plagued by ghosts, who demand her help in rectifying their past mistakes, and a serial killer on the loose.

Unfortunately, this book was very sadly disappointing. It was quippy. It was amusing. It was really kind of boring.

I think that Ms. Davidson actually had a lot going on for her. She set up this scenario where she could have done so much – a serial killer with a penchant for tall blonds, much like Betsy. But what do we read about? Her and Eric fighting and making up and fighting the whole time. Then, in the last scene, it’s like Ms. Davidson suddenly remembered that she had to close up this serial killer thread. Ugh.

I like fluffy books without a lot of substance. I’m totally ok with that. Sadly, I’m even ok with gratuitous sex (which? Were all cut scenes. How boring!)… but I’m not ok with these books that are more about the characters than the plot. Maybe I’m being a little hard on her here, but I really felt like the author could have done so much more with this plot. I mean, if she had taken out the serial killer, I don’t think much in the book would have changed.

I wouldn’t tell you not to read this book, unless you had three weeks to live. Then I’d tell you that you’re better off doing something else. If you do read it, make sure to pick it up either heavily discounted, at the library, or second hand. In my opinion, it’s certainly not worth the $10 you’ll pay at the bookstore. Of course – it’s a paranormal romance, so those under 18 need not bother.

MacAlister, Katie: Fire Me Up

2007-03-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451214943

From the Publisher:

Aisling Grey is back-and in more trouble than ever. She thought being a courier would be easy. It's not. She thought being a Guardian would come naturally. It doesn't. She thought she could get out of being a wyvern's mate. She can't. And she never thought she'd be irresistible to men. But she is.

Have I ever told you how much I love Katie MacAlister? Well, then let me tell you. A lot, I love her a lot. There's just something beautifully simple about her books, but at the same time there is a ton of thought and detail that goes into each chapter and each book.

Fire Me Up is a second book in one of her many, many series. It follows You Slay Me, where Aisling (pronounced Ash-ling) meets Drake, her future wyrven mate. Sparks fly, but she leaves him back in Europe while she returns home to the US. The second book picks up shortly after the first, starting with Aisling heading back to Europe (Budapest, this time) to attend an Otherworld conference and deliver an important amulet to a hermit.

As before, she finds herself tangled in a web of murders, and... well... Drake's bed sheets. This time, though - it's official, they're an item. There's lots of perks with the position of mate, but unfortunately being able to solve crimes that are framed on you are not.

MacAlister brings us a delightful cast of characters - oracles, mages, more guardians, incubi, and even a professional virgin (who spreads sunshine! To everyone! With her smiles!). I didn't necessarily laugh out loud with this book, but perhaps if I were a more expressive person, I would have. I found it very entertaining, and the plot was sound without being dense or heavy.

This book is definitely a for-adults book, and will probably appeal more to the female readership than male (read: Paranormal Romance at its best!).

Miéville, China: Perdido Street Station

2007-03-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0345459407

From the Publisher:

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies New Crobuzon, a squalid city where humans, Re-mades, and arcane races live in perpetual fear of Parliament and its brutal militia. The air and rivers are thick with factory pollutants and the strange effluents of alchemy, and the ghettos contain a vast mix of workers, artists, spies, junkies, and whores. In New Crobuzon, the unsavory deal is stranger to none—not even to Isaac, a brilliant scientist with a penchant for Crisis Theory.

Isaac has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before fathomed. Though the Garuda's request is scientifically daunting, Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger.

While Isaac's experiments for the Garuda turn into an obsession, one of his lab specimens demands attention: a brilliantly colored caterpillar that feeds on nothing but a hallucinatory drug and grows larger—and more consuming—by the day. What finally emerges from the silken cocoon will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon—and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it invokes . . .

A magnificent fantasy rife with scientific splendor, magical intrigue, and wonderfully realized characters, told in a storytelling style in which Charles Dickens meets Neal Stephenson, Perdido Street Station offers an eerie, voluptuously crafted world that will plumb the depths of every reader's imagination.

I picked up Perdido Street Station due to all the reviews it got on a forum board that I used to frequent. I had no idea what the story was about, except that it was by a relatively new UK author (who I assumed was female, but is decidedly not). The cover is beautiful, but I thought that it might be more of a dark, urban fantasy then what it truly was.

When you hear that Mr. Miéville writes "Weird Fantasy", take that as face value. I thought this book and the thoughts behind them are exceptionally weird. However, they are actually quite brilliant as well. It is quite obvious that Miéville has a penchant for science, and can make something that doesn't exist scientifically become quite believable and logic, to the point where you're kind of nodding along thinking "I see how that works".

I did appreciate Miéville's imagination, as there seemed to be no limit to it. In his cast of characters, we have humans, half human half insect (I thought of an ant) people, half human half cactus people, we have a society that seems to be of very very large parrots that are somewhat human, plus giant moths, a spider that takes on the essence of fate, and even demons... from hell. Oh! And a frog-type amphibian kind of creature. There's also a government sanctioned form of punishment that's called Remaking, where other species "parts" can be grafted on to a person (no matter what kind). Some of those parts could even be part "construct" or robotic. Very, very good imagination!

Miéville's characters are well formed, and not entirely likable... which seems to me to be more like real people. I was really weirded out by the "races" when I first started reading, but I think by the end I was thankful that I wasn't reading another book about elves and dwarves. I think that due to the "alien-ness" of his societies, I would almost push this book into the Science Fiction genre, but that can be determined by each reader. Or bookstore owner, or whatever. I know that in my local bookshop it was definitely labeled under "Fantasy".

This book is not for the faint of heart. It's interesting, it's gritty and has a lot of information. Weighing in at over 600 pages, it is by no means a quick read, either. It takes concentration to read it, as you have to pay attention to what is going on - there are no superfluous words in this story. It's definitely for adults, as well.

Pick up Perdido Street Station if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, and something with more substance than what some of the other Fantasy authors are churning out these days (this isn't a complaint from me - I prefer books that are a little lighter, but this was definitely a great change of pace).

Wilkins, Kim: The Autumn Castle

2007-03-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 044661663X

From Publishers Weekly

Wilkins, a star in her native Australia, strikes a tantalizing balance between pastoral and grotesque in her American fantasy debut. Christine Starlight lives in an artist's collective in Berlin with her lover, Jude, and their companions. She is haunted by two memories from childhood: the gruesome death of her parents and the abduction of her best friend, May. May, it turns out, was not abducted, but was lost by her mother in a bargain with a faery; in the enchanted world May now calls home--and which now calls her Mayfridh--she is the queen. Circumstances bring the two worlds together, and when Mayfridh crosses over and reunites with Christine, she also falls in love with Jude. Jude, though, carries with him a whopper of a secret, which Wilkins manages to conceal nicely. Meanwhile, Mandy Z., a madman who has hated faeries since childhood and who happens to own the building in which Christine and Jude live, is hard at work on a "Bone Wife," made from the bones of the faeries he has murdered. The brutal scenes involving Mandy Z. provide a sharp contrast to the gentle, often touching story of Christine and her inner battles. The well-executed conclusion ends this fascinating adventure on a high note.

I'm a huge fan of Ms. Wilkins, and this story did not disappoint me at all. I found it well developed, excellently pace, and full of adventure and romance. Plus, it ended exactly how I wanted it too (I thought she could have taken more time with the ending, but maybe that's just me).

I couldn't decide if I hated Mayfridh or loved her throughout the book, and I think that this is exactly the desire that Ms. Wilkins is trying to draw out from us. She did such an excellent job with the characters. I also found that the book didn't read too "Australian" like some of her other books have done. The language was very... middle English, with no slang that's specific to any continent/culture. It worked, as the main character is supposed to be American.

Anyway, definitely for adults due to a couple of sex scenes, use of language, violence, and general adult themes (not your childhood fairytale!), but I would recommend it to anyone who loves a great book with an edge.

Various: Dates From Hell

2007-03-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 006085409X

From Publishers Weekly

Failing to capitalize on what should be a sure-fire concept, this quartet of paranormal romance novellas falls prey to the usual suspects: lack of cohesion, formulaic characters and flimsy plots. Harrison kicks off the book with a prelude to her Hollows series, an exposition-heavy tale of confusing office/vampire politics, in which a vampiric homicide detective looks for a way to get ahead at the office apart from letting the boss into her jugular. Harrison's over-the-top atmospherics make for a jarring transition to the light touch of the second novella, Sands's farcical story of young researcher-cum-shapeshifter Claire, who attends her high school reunion as two different people: herself, accompanying schoolyard dreamboat Kyle, and hunky Hollywood actor Brad Cruise, a favor to her dateless best friend Jill. Nestled in between Sands's slapstick and Handeland's passable closer—about a tough-as-nails demon hunter out to save a virginal literary agent—is the collection's one gem: Armstrong's tale of a bold and sassy half-demon peacekeeper who finds herself falling for a werewolf thief. Unlike her compatriots, Armstrong works well with the space constraint, giving her story an open-ended, promising conclusion.

I have to disagree with the above generalization of this book. It's an anthology of four short stories. It's not meant to all work together into one large story, or anything like that. Also, the stories approximately only 100 pages each - not too much space or time to develop a super-fantastic plot line.

Anyway, I'll address each story individually, as that's how I think they should be dealt with.

Kim Harrison - Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil

This is a story for anyone who's read Ms. Harrison's Hollow's series. If you haven't read the series, it will be an amusing short, but won't really mean anything to you. It's meant to give backstory on Ivy and Kisten from that series. I thought it was pretty well done and very intense. I really liked it.

Lynsay Sands - The Claire Switch Project

This is an excellent stand alone short story. Basically, Claire gets zapped by this laser that's supposed to cause animals to develop chameleon type tendencies, to be able to change colour, or what have you. Unfortunately, the laser doesn't do what it's supposed to, and enables her to change shape... into whomever (or whatever, I presume) she likes. Hilarity ensues as her best friend convinces her to go as her date to their high school reunion as a hot celebrity, while her high school crush asks her out for the same night! She ends up pulling double duty as both dates, and well... it just gets even more funny from there.

Kelley Armstrong - Chaotic

This is a story that introduces a new half-demon character, and brings us back to Karl Marsten, Jewel Thief and werewolf. I think that you could read this without knowing the other characters, but it makes a lot more sense if you're familiar with the rest of Ms. Armstrong's Otherworld series. Basically, Hope is a half-demon who feeds off of chaos, which enables her to get a job working with the Interracial Council tracking down rogue supernaturals, and handing them over for justice. On an otherwise boring date to a museum gala, her spidey senses start to tingle and she's led to where Karl is stealing some jewellery. They end up get a bit plot-twisted, and she ends up spending her evening with Karl, which turns out to be much, much better than her evening with her boring date. I definitely liked this story, but it wasn't my favourite... maybe I just wanted to laugh a little more and this story wasn't bringing on the chuckles.

Lori Handeland - Dead Man Dating

This was a solid story about demons possessing a human body and killing a woman... through sex, of course! While on her date with the demon, Kit and her partner are disturbed mid-makeout session in a back alley by a rough looking demon hunter. Chavez, the demon hunter, in the end is able to save Kit (of course!), and they ultimately fall in love. I thought this was the best story out of all of them, as the characters seemed pretty real (Kit has really low self-esteem), and I liked the story. I thought that something of this sort could possibly have held it's own novel, but this novella version seemed to work just fine too. I think I'll be checking out some of Ms. Handeland's other work.

Anthony, Piers: With a Tangled Skein

2007-03-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0345318854

Book Description from Amazon.com

When the man Niobe loved was shot, she learned that she had been the target, in a devious plot of the Devil's. Hoping for revenge, she discovered, too late, how intricate his scheming was, and that he had managed to trap her son and her granddaughter, Luna. Niobe's only chance to save them was to accept a challenge by the Prince of Deceit--a challenge to be decided in Hell and in a maze of Satan's devising!

This is pretty much on par with the rest of the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony. It's funny, quick witted, well plotted and thoughtful, all at the same time.

I really appreciate Mr. Anthony for making me think about the whole good vs. evil thing. I realize that this is fiction, and I don't believe that there are incarnations of things like Fate, Death, Mother Earth, etc. but it's an amusing way to look at the struggle of good and evil, and to look at the "why" of things.

I'd recommend this book for anyone in their late teens and up. While there are sexual references and some discussion of it, there's really only one sex scene, and I didn't find it overly graphic.

Butcher, Jim: Storm Front

2007-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451457811

From the Back of the Book:

Harry Dresden - Wizard. Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a - well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

I liked, not loved, this book. It was reasonably well done, but with far less of a love interest than I prefer. Harry is a well developed character (although Harry? A wizard? How irritating!), and he can do some pretty cool stuff, it was the best ever book!!!

I have to admit, now that I've seen The Dresden Files on TV, the series is a bit more exciting to me, and chances are that I'll pick up the rest of the series. I'm nothing, if not a complete-ist!

I would recommend this book to all people who love a fast paced, current day magic book. Probably an adult only book (due to some scariness and violence), but I would imagine that a well-read (aka MATURE) late teen would enjoy this book too.

Sands, Lynsay: Tall, Dark & Hungry

2007-03-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0505525836

From the back cover:

The third installment in the series whose first book Publishers Weekly praised as "a cheeky, madcap tale" for "readers weary of the tortured, brooding, all-too-serious vampire," Booklist called "uproariously hilarious," and Everything Romantic said "may break new ground."

If you liked Single White Vampire and Love Bites, you'll devour: Tall, Dark & Hungry.

It bit: New York hotels cost an arm and a leg, and Terri had flown from England to help plan her cousin's wedding. The new in-laws offered lodging. But they were a weird bunch. There was the sometimes-chipper-sometimes-brooding Lucern, and the wacky stage-actor, Vincent (She couldn't imagine Broadway casting a hungrier singing-and-dancing Dracula). And then there was Bastien. Just looking into his eyes, Terri had to admit she was falling for him - someone even taller, darker, and hungrier than the other two. She was feeling a mite peckish herself. And if she stayed with him, those blood-sucking hotel owners wouldn't get her!

Like the back cover said, this is the third book in the Argeneau series, but I read it without reading the second book, so I'm sure you can too. However, you have to read it after the first one for it to make any sense. Just FYI.

I really like this series, it's very light-hearted and fun. It's definitely a paranormal romance, so don't expect anything gritty or life-like from it. That said, it's an extremely entertaining read, and I love what Ms. Sands has done with her vampires.

Due to it being a romance novel, and thus the sex, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than 18+.

Evanovich, Janet: One for the Money

2007-03-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

ISBN-10: 0312990456

From Publishers Weekly

First novels this funny and self-assured come along rarely; dialogue this astute and raunchy is equally unusual. The gutsy heroine introduced here is Stephanie Plum of Trenton, N.J., a recently laid-off lingerie buyer who has no job, no car and no furniture. She does have a hamster, a deranged grandmother, two caring parents and several pairs of biking shorts and sports bras. Finding work with her cousin Vinnie, she becomes a bond hunter and scrounges money enough to buy a gun, a Chevy Nova and some Mace.

Her first assignment is to locate a cop accused of murder. Joe Morelli grew up in Stephanie's neighborhood. Possessed of legendary charm, he relieved Stephanie of her virginity when she was 16 (she later ran over him with a car). In her search, Stephanie catches her prey, loses him and grills a psychotic prizefighter, the employer of the man Morelli shot. She steals Morelli's car and then installs an alarm so he can't steal it back. Resourceful and tough, Stephanie has less difficulty finding her man than deciding what she wants to do with him once she's got him.

While the link between the fighter and the cop isn't clear until too late in the plot, Evanovich's debut is a delightful romp and Stephanie flaunts a rough-edged appeal.

I really liked this book, even though it wasn't really within the "fantasy/sci-fi" genre that I usually stick to (or stick pretty close too, like paranormal romance). This is a straight up chick-lit mystery. It's hilarious, the characters are likeable, and it's incredibly well paced.

I would recommend this book for any adult who likes funny heroines and snappy books. Definitely a winner!

Keene, Brian: City of the Dead

2007-03-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0843954159

From Publisher's Weekly:

In this sequel to the Stoker-winning The Rising (2003), Keene ingeniously asks, if human corpses can be reanimated, why not dead dogs, rats, sparrows, goldfish, etc.? His other innovation is the news that the zombie swarm is inhabited by demons who are angry at God for trying to exile them in the Void. They want to get revenge by killing everything on Earth, and they are numerous, clever and indestructible enough to accomplish the task.

Opposing the demon-zombies are a few living survivors, chiefly an ex-hooker, a young father and his little boy. Finding no shelter elsewhere, they wind up in a fortified Manhattan skyscraper, commanded by an old millionaire who's certain he can outlast any attack.

Keene does a fine job keeping the mechanics of the siege clear, while switching viewpoints among his large cast of characters. He's also inventive in imagining ways the human body can be disassembled, with vivid descriptions of torn flesh and spraying fluids. After a while, though, the relentless dread becomes tiresome. Reading this book is like being trapped in a long, gory, unwinnable video game.

I totally agree with the above run-down. Brian Keene is very good at what he does - he's very descriptive, very imaginitive, and very good at bringing the horror of this book forward. For this, I applaud him.

However, I find that I am tiring of the horror genre. I know, how can that be? But I am. I was so glad to be done the end of this book when I was. Maybe it has something to do with my own personal situation, but I really have no desire to read about reanimated dead babies, or about zombies at all... unless it's funny. But this book? Wasn't funny.

I was impressed with the ending - I felt like it's not really an ending at all, and leaves it too wide open. I guess, though, that there really isn't an ending, unless you want all the characters to die, you know?

Anyway, if you're a fan of the horror-rip-em-apart type books, then you'll like this one. This book is not for anyone who frightens easy, has a weak stomach, or likes their characters alive. Definitely not recommended for anyone under 18.

Harris, Charlaine: Dead as a Doornail

2007-02-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0441013333

From Publisher's Weekly:

Harris's rousing fifth Sookie Stackhouse fantasy-mystery (after 2004's Dead to the World) pits vampires, were-creatures, shifters and one fairy godmother against a sniper with an apparent aversion to nonhumans. If trying to discover who's behind the shootings isn't enough, the telepathic cocktail waitress from Bon Temps, La., has to cope with a few other distractions: her sexy "Were" friend, Alcide Herveaux, needs her help in his father's bid to become the next leader of the local werewolf pack; her boss, Sam Merlotte (a collie in his spare time), gets shot; her house partly burns down; and what's she to do about the handsome vampire bartender who dresses as a pirate at Sam's place? Between one mishap and another, Sookie is one busy gal. Harris does an admirable job of creating a heroine who's not only interesting but completely believable in a world of the strange and the different. Natural and humorous dialogue and a nicely paced plot that doesn't dwell so much on Sookie's old boyfriends help make this entry the best yet in the series.

This review pretty much says it all. Plus, the fact that I read it in less than a day. Because it was just that good. If you're into vampire romance chicklit, this series is definitely for you. I also have to agree with the above review - Ms. Harris could have spent a lot of time dwelling on Bill, but he only plays a minor role, which is quite excellent. However - no major sex scene in this one. I guess she was too busy being shot at and having her house set on fire and all that.

On the plus side, we get to see a lot more about the fairies and meet a very, very interesting were-tiger. Mmmm... can't wait for the next one!

Batson, Wayne Thomas: The Door Within

2007-02-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 1400306590

From the Publisher:

There is an unseen world of good and evil where nightmares are fought and hope is reborn. Enter The Door Within.
Aidan Thomas is miserable. And it's much more than the strange nightmares he's been having. Just when life seemed to be coming together for Aidan, his parents suddenly move the family across the country to take care of his wheelchair-bound grandfather. When strange events begin to occur, Aidan is drawn into his grandfather''s basement where he discovers three ancient scrolls and an invitation to another world.
No longer confined to the realm of his own imagination, Aidan embarks on an adventure where he meets knights, warriors, kings and mysterious Glimpses who can travel between worlds. Aidan joins them in the struggle between good and evil. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Aidan faces Paragory, the eternal enemy. Will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the unseen hand of the one true King? The answer comes from "The Door Within."

This is a book that came up in the CSFF Blog Tour a month or two ago. I didn't have a chance to read it at that time, but I ordered it from Amazon on the recommendation of many of the other readers. If nothing else, it was a hardcover book that I could get for only $15, and the packaging was extremely pretty.

The background of The Door Within goes something like this: Wayne Thomas Batson is a middle school (junior high) teacher in the States. His class challenged him to write one of their assignments along with them and he rose to the challenge. Out of that was born The Door Within. As his classes went on, he continued to write - 13 years later, we see the book in print, along with book 2 (Rise of the Wyrm Lord) and book 3 (The Final Battle).

For those that don't know, the trilogy is an allegory for the fight between God and Satan, and the Christian life. In non-allegory terms, basically Aiden becomes a Christian and this portrays his fight against himself and against evil, without becoming actually talking about any of those things.

I've only read the first book, so I can't really comment on any of the others at this point. I really enjoyed the book, even though it was definitely aimed at a younger audience then I am used to reading. I would say that readers as young as 10 could read this book with very little problem. The only concerns I would have is that it might seem scary in parts to some younger readers, plus there are words that they may not know (you know, technical knight-y type words). With parental guidance, I am sure that this book would be acceptable even to children as young as 6 or 7 (provided the parents read it to them). However, I would caution that parents of easily frightened or impressionable children wait a little while to crack this one open. I would imagine that the next two books will only get more frightening due to the nature of the story.

All in all, I thought that the book was very good. Mr. Batson did an excellent job creating and "growing" his characters. He had the right amount of suspense and humour and even a little bit of hinted romance (nothing blatant, as it is a kids book).

The only thing that I didn't like was how the technical knight-y words (yes, that's the technical term for it, by the way) were all in italics, at least the first time they appeared. This kind of irritated me as a Fantasy reader, they usually only italicize words that are in another language or something like that. While I guess it makes it easier for younger readers to identify that word to get help with it, I thought that it was unnecessary.

The book, if you haven't heard, is absolutely beautiful. The pages are watermarked with blue, and the ink is absolutely stunning. I have never read a book that was printed in colour before. It adds a completely different element. I have to say that Tommy Nelson Publishing did a more than excellent job printing these books.

If you are interested in finding out more about Wayne Thomas Batson, what he's doing now and more about the Door Within world, I recommend visiting his blog and taking a look around. He's a very personable guy, and will definitely talk to you! In fact, if you were viewing my blog during the tour, you'll notice that he left a lot of comments, and also replied to every email I sent him. It was quite impressive. So, anyway, check it out!

Harris, Charlaine: Dead to the World

2007-02-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0441012183

From Publishers Weekly:

Fans of Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake looking for a lighter version of the vampire huntress should cotton to Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic Louisiana gal who really wants to be normal, but suffers from a huge self-confidence problem, a case of permanent bad luck, difficult relatives and a penchant for attracting unsavory characters of the not-quite-human kind.

In this fourth quirky installment in this hitherto mass-market series (after 2003's Club Dead), Sookie finds that her bad luck has taken a new turn for the worse. Sookie's love interest, Bill the vampire, runs off to Peru to do research. In his place, Sookie is stuck with Eric, Bill's boss (and head vamp for the district), who appears out of thin air buck naked with no memory of who he is or what he does. Coincidentally, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing. Less coincidentally, but more ominously, a coven of witches (who also happen to be shape-shifters and vampire blood addicts) comes rolling into the nearest big city, looking for trouble. Consistent, well-built characters and a strong, action-packed plot that will keep readers guessing to the end distinguish this frothy fusion of romance, mystery and fantasy.

I loved this book, and it was a fantastic way to break the heaviness of the Tad Williams book that I had just read. I don't have a lot more to say on it - it's a brain candy book with a good plot line, good characters and just the right amounts of tension, romance and supernatural elements.

I really enjoy this series, and will continue to read it. I was a little sad for Sookie at the end of the book, but I am pretty sure that she'll bounce back. She usually does!

This book is for people aged 18+ due to the sex scene and suggested sex. Also, there's a fair amount of violence, although not a scary graphic gory kind of violence (if that makes any sense at all!). I can't wait to read the next book, and the book after that, and... well, you get it.

Williams, Tad: The Dragonbone Chair

2007-02-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0886773849

From the Publisher:

The Dragonbone Chair is the story of Simon, a young kitchen boy and magician's apprentice whose dreams of great deeds and heroic wars come all too shockingly true when his world is torn apart by a terrifying civil war fueled by ancient hatreds, immortal enemies, and the dark powers of sorcery.

This was a pretty heavy book to come into after reading a Rachel Caine book! I was sad because it totally blew my 100 pages a day record for the beginning of the year out of the water. It was a good book, and interesting, but very dense, and the printing is pretty small.

Measuring in at over 700 pages, The Dragonbone Chair is no weekend reading. It definitely took a bit of time, and a lot of desire to read it. Maybe the story just didn't grab me like other books too. It's possible that I didn't relate to the main character, so while it was interesting, I wasn't dying to know more. I think I felt that the first quarter of the book where Simon runs around chasing cats and working in the kitchen were kind of boring. Or maybe I just thought that Mr. Williams' very complex character building was a waste of my time - I don't know.

All in all, it's not a bad book. Don't pick it up thinking that you'll blow through it really quickly... unless you really love it, and then you might. It definitely has some great things about it - warring brothers, elves (Sithi), trolls, giants, a young boy who becomes a man on a journey of much trying and problems.

It's very likely that I will eventually feel similar to how I did with George RR Martin's A Song of Ice And Fire series. The first book was kind of boring, but the person who recommended it to me loved it with such passion that I felt that I had to read it. The second book was better, and by the third book, I was so hooked that I bought the fourth the day it came out in hardcover, and stood in line for a few hours to have them all signed! So, I have hope for the rest of this series (well, trilogy in four parts, really). While I won't be picking up The Stone of Farewell right away, it's definitely still be in my To Be Read pile, and I will get to it (along with Green Angel Tower, Parts 1 &2) eventually.

I would recommend this book to all people who love high fantasty in all it's glory. There isn't an excessive amount of graphic violence in this book, and no sex or swearing at all. I would imagine that anyone who can plow through it should read it - meaning that there's no age that I would deem this book inappropriate for, save young children who might be frightened by some of the dream sequences.

Caine, Rachel: Firestorm

2007-01-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451461045

From the Publisher:

Putting aside the personal chaos that has plagued her, rogue Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin must rally the remnants of the Weather Warden corps against a double threat-the Djinn who have broken free from Warden control, and a cranky Mother Earth who's about to unleash her full fury against the entire world.

Have you ever read a book where at the end you just think "CRAAAAAAAP... I wish I wouldn't have finished this one"? Yeah, I'm there right now. The book was so good. The characters were brilliant. The plot was seemless and easy to follow. But then ending? WAS SUCH A CLIFFHANGER!!! And? It's not fair because Thin Air doesn't come out until August or so. Poo.

Firestorm is number five in Rachel Caine's amazing Weather Warden series. I will say that I think it's her best to date. Jo, the main character, is trying to save the world from a very cranky Mother Earth, who's waking up to find her peaceful and orderly world changed to our present day mayhem. Jo has to jump through a million hoops, facing bad guys from the books before and new not-so-good guys.

It's a great book. I would really recommend this series to any adult who likes an edgy heroine who likes fast cars and good shoes. There is some language and at least one sex scene, so it might not be for everyone, but I'd definitely recommend it to those who aren't phased by that stuff. Seriously - great writing all around.

Nix, Garth: Abhorsen

2007-01-23T22:58:00.001-07:00

ISBN: 0739432176

From the back of the book:

Orannis the Destroyer has been freed and only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-waiting, has any chance of stopping it. She and her companions - Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget - have to take that chance. If Orannis' unspeakable powers are unleashed, it will mean the end of all Life. With the help of her companions and a vision from the Clayr to guide her, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer - before it is too late...

Well, all I have to say is Wow. This book, the final in the trilogy, is the best of the three. It is breathtaking, brilliant, heartrending and beautiful. Mr. Nix mixes the right amount of personal feelings, great characterization, strife and love into this book. I honestly can't think of a single way to make it any better.

This book does not stand alone, it is the final "chapter" of the ongoing story of the Old Kingdom. I found it hard to put down, and I'm having some issues with the non-finality of the ending, but that's just me. I feel like there could be more told, but perhaps there is something in the works that I do not know about. Regardless, it was a fantastic book and it was totally worth the time spent reading it.

Anyway, everyone will like this book, although some of the scenes may be frightening (again with the dead people, etc.). I would recommend that this be saved for teens over the age of 13 or so, depending on maturity. There is some violence, but no cursing or romance.

Lisle, Holly: I See You

2007-01-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451412214

From the Publisher:

For paramedic Dia Courvant, each day brings the possibility of facing blood and death. But nothing matched the horror of the day she was dispatched to the scene of a terrible car accident and rescued the sole survivor--only to find her own husband dead in the wreckage. Now, four years later, a series of deadly car crashes has brought handsome detective Brig Hafferty into Dia's life. She's drawn to Brig, but can she trust him enough to tell him of the terror that stalks her? For Dia has received a message warning her of danger and death--a message that seems to have been sent to her from beyond the grave.

This is another book by Holly Lisle, and I have to tell you, that it was just as good as the other. It's a paranormal/suspense/romance, with just the right amount of each. You keep guessing right until the last minute, and even then, you're surprised!

Ms. Lisle did an excellent job of mixing the tention between the characters to create that spark that some couples lack. It was the kind of relationship that makes you want to cheer when they finally get together. I did feel like their relationship happened a little bit fast, but you know? If they took weeks and weeks to get together? That would make for kind of boring reading!

I would recommend this book for anyone over 18 who likes a little creepy in with their love story.

Nix, Garth: Lirael

2007-01-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0060005424

From the Publisher

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father’s identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr’s Glacier. She doesn’t even have the Sight -- the ability to See into the present and possible futures -- that is the very birthright of the Clayr.
Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil -- one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clay; and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.
In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Sabriel, Garth Nix draws readers deeper into the magical landscape of the Old Kingdom and weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

I picked this one up directly after Sabriel, because I wanted to read more about Touchstone and Sabriel. This one picks up with another character form the same area, and dealing with the same problems, but not necessarily with Sabriel and Touchstone. We do, however, meet their children, Sameth (their son) and their daughter (I can't remember her name, other than it was also a name of Sabriel's childhood friend). I didn't mind the switch, as we get to see their families and their struggles, as well as adding additional characters to the mix.

Lirael is a strong book in two parts, finishing with Abhorsen. It's a fantastic journey of growth, discovery, and has a lot to do with finding one's place in the world. I can't go into any detail, as even the slightest information will give away important parts of the plot - parts better left read. So do pick up Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen, and be prepared for an excellent journey through a land that combines modern technology and magic in such a unique way that you will remember this story forever.

Nix, Garth: Sabriel

2007-01-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0064471837

From the Publisher:

Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorson, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face to face with her own hidden destiny.

Sabriel is a book that I was attracted to for its cover, but not one that I actually picked up and bought. It wasn't until it was leant to me that I actually sat down and read it. I'm quite glad that I did. While it's a book aimed at younger readers (12 - 15, I would think), it carries quite well over to an adult audience.

The book isn't nearly as crunchy or as mature as I am used to reading, but this is mostly due to it being intended for younger readers. That said, I really enjoyed it. I like Mr. Nix's blend of modern or turn of the century technology with typical fantasy motifs. I especially liked his creativity with the plane she flies, with her bells that banish the dead, and with the use of running water.

I think my favourite character was the talking cat. While that might be because I'm partial to cats and I just really wish that mine would talk, I do think that he's an excellent character, and an asset, not a distraction, to the story.

I thought that the tale was cleverly put together, carried and ended. It was well writen from start to finish, and ended well. In fact, I'm going to pick up Lireal next, instead of taking a break between the books! This book is good for all audiences, and while might scare younger children, is still appropriate for advanced readers in the 1o - 12 year range.

Lisle, Holly: Midnight Rain

2007-01-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451411757

From the Publisher:

Phoebe Rain's sadistic ex-husband lies in a coma a thousand miles away - a coma she put him the last time he tried to kill her. Yet Phoebe knows the voice on the other end of the line belongs to the twisted man who vowed he'd never let her get away. Panicked, she turns to her neighbor, Dr. Alan MacKerrie. Alan finds the story hard to believe himself, but now he, too, is receiving chilling, ghostly warnings of danger. Caught between icy terror and mounting passion for Alan, Phoebe knows there's no escape.

It sounds kind of cliche, doesn't it? But you know what? Cliche totally works for this author, and specifically, for this book. It's a pretty typical suspense romance with a small bit of the supernatural thrown it.

All of Ms. Lisle's characters are extremely well written and believable, right down to the creep factor of the ex-husband. The more you read, the more creeped out you get, even though you are totally rooting for the "survivor sex" as well. It's an odd feeling - you are thinking "Run! Run! But wait! Make out first!"

I thought that the plot held up exceptionally well, that the pace was never boring or dry (I read this book in less than a day's time span, so that has to say something), and the plot twists were quite believable. Ms. Lisle does an excellent job to keep you guessing right up until the very end, when she lays it all out for you.

I found the white dress scene very reminiscent of Kill Bill (the movie), but that might have just been me. After all, the two are not really related, but it was very very Kill Bill feeling.

I would recommend this book to any adult who wants something exciting and breath-taking to read. Don't think you'll be investing weeks in this book - you won't be able to put it down and it will be done before you know it.

I feel obliged to mention that Holly Lisle is an accomplished author with many, many books on the market. Unfortunately, her latest series, the Novels of Korre are being threatened to have their contract ended. I haven't had a chance to read Talyn yet, but I understand that it is an excellent book. If you read the snippet below and are interested in reading more, please follow this link. If you like what you read, please buy the book. This will ensure that Ms. Lisle will be able to finish this series and leave us with a whole story, rather than just half.

In a world where technology is magic, and war is the only way of life, Talyn is a soldier, one of thousands trained from childhood to protect her Country from the monarchist Eastil, who would take away the personal freedoms of the Tonk.

Talyn long ago embraced her fate: to die in battle. This is a war of magic, not of swords, and the battles are fought deep inside the View, a place where the magic inherent in everything and everyone is actualized. The soldiers--on both sides--can bring this magic to the physical plane and use it to destroy houses, fields, and people.
But the Feegash came from across the world, and demanded to be allowed to negotiate peace between the Eastil and the Tonk for the sake of the rest of the world. Their success meant Talyn was out of a job, and at a loss for what to do with her life.

Rather than follow most of her fellow soldiers to jobs in other parts of the world, Talyn stayed with her family in her town--and there she is seduced by a Feegash diplomat. With him she experiences a dark side of herself that she hadn't even imagined, and learns a new kind of magery.And she discovers the mistreatment of Eastil prisoners of war, still in Tonk hands, and weighs her life against saving theirs.

It's a matter of honor--and her honor will be challenged again and again as she slowly discovers that what the Feegash have brought with them was not peace but an overwhelming oppression, and an evil so insidious no one noticed it until it was too late.

But if Talyn can hone her use of the Feegash flesh-magery, she can turn their own magic back against them. With the help of one of the Eastil prisoners, she might be able to use it to save the Tonk andthe Eastil, and defeat the Feegash once and for all... if it doesn't destroy her from the inside out first.

Viehl, S. L.: Blade Dancer

2007-01-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451459466

From Publisher's Weekly:

Viehl's (StarDoc) latest far-future space opera boasts un-put-downable action, more potentially lethal twists than an electric eel, a spunky yet vulnerable seven-foot heroine with retractable claws and a blue-skinned supernally endowed warrior hunk who's determined to remain a virgin. Young Jory Rask, veteran of the Terran big league shockball circuit, assembles her six ClanChildren of Honor siblings, half-breed offspring of Jorenian mothers raped by an assortment of alien hooligans and spurned by the warrior culture of paradisical planet Joren. Bent on avenging their mothers' honor, Jory and her spooky sibs join a mysterious assassins' training school of "blade dancers" on the planet Reytalon, where they inevitably distinguish themselves gruesomely in a Ninja-like kill-or-be-dismembered sequence of training levels. Viehl briskly incorporates Jory's adolescent anger and grief for her dead mother into the young woman's hunt for her father, Kieran, who just happens to have become a blade dancer himself. Despite the predictable, breathlessly paced plot, Jory's flip manner and wry one-liners cover a convincingly breaking heart. Viehl's strengths lie less in depth of characterization and motivation than in cinematic fast cuts, splices and tech effects. She also can yank herself back from the brink of the black hole of political polemic with another slashingly good sword fight or a juicily feline love tryst: plenty of fun, plenty of gore, probably plenty of sequels in the offing.

Wow, that? Right there? The above paragraph? Pretty much just said everything that I wanted to. Ok, fine, I'll give you what I thought too.

I really liked this book, even though I'm not a huge sci-fi/space opera fan. I read them and I can appreciate them, but I'm not the type that thinks "ZOMG!!! Sci-Fi! Best Ever!!!!one!!!eleventyhundred!!!!!!111!!!!!!" But you know, I'll read it and keep an open mind and all.

Maybe it's because S. L. Viehl is a very talented romance writer that this book worked so well for me. There was enough plot, enough character development and enough romance that I kept reading. It's pretty good. While it doesn't rank in my All Time Top 10 Best Books EVER, it's pretty good, and possibly one that I will keep in my collection.

This book is for people 16 and up (due to violence, mature themes and stuff like that), and for everyone who wants a littel romance in their sci-fi or a little sci-fi in their romance. Enjoy.

Oh yeah, if you want to check out Viehl's blog, you can do so here, at Paperback Writer.

Ps. I tried to find out the difference between space opera and sci-fi, and couldn't find any conclusive evidence. Sorry!

Meyer, Stephenie: Twilight

2007-01-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0316015849

From the School Library Journal:

Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, human falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. Bella and Edward's struggle to make their relationship work becomes a struggle for survival, especially when vampires from an outside clan infiltrate the Cullen territory and head straight for her. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it.

This is one of the most fantastic young adult books that I have read in a very, very long time. It read smoothly without being juvenile, and it handled teen issues (mainly, first love and parental divorce) in a realistic and genuine way. While most would label it as a Romance, I didn't find it too romantic, and thus too unrealistic.

Ms. Meyer managed to create real, beautiful and multi-faceted characters. Her dialog is excellent, and not choppy and her world-building is next to none. To be honest, the cover of this book is what first attracted me, and I am glad that I picked it up.

New Moon, a sequel to Twilight has been released early, and is now available. Chapters lists it as hardcover, but for $15, so I have a feeling it might actually be in Trade format (which is what Twilight is). I'll definitely be swinging around my bookstore this month to pick it up!

I would recommend this book to people (especially girls, although boys will enjoy it too) aged 15 and up, due to violence and possible frightening scenes.

The cover:

Caine, Rachel: Windfall

2007-01-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 045146057X

From the Publisher:

When the truce between the Wardens and the mystical Djinn starts to self-destruct, Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is forced to choose between saving her Djinn lover, saving her abilities, and saving humanity.

There isn't a whole lot to say about this book, as I generally find in most series. I can't go into detail, as it will spoil the first three in the series, and if you are familiar with the Weather Warden series, you need no explanation.

This is a solid book that most audiences will enjoy. There are sexual situations (although no graphic sex), and some violence, so definitely an adult read, but I give it two big tumbs up. I really enjoyed this installment, and look forward to the next book.

For more information on the series, click the post title to be directed to Rachel Caine's website. The order of the books in the series is as follows:

1. Ill Winds
2. Heat Stroke
3. Chill Factor
4. Windfall
5. Firestorm
6. Thin Air (to be released in August 2007)

It's a series I would definitely recommend checking out.

Rennison, Louise: Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

2006-11-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0060589396

From the Publisher:

Let the overseas snogfest begin!

Georgia and Jas are off to Hamburger-a-gogo land! Georgia plans to track down Masimo, the Italian-American dreamboat, but after a long week in America, she only succeeds in learning importantish things -- like how to ride a bucking bronco. Will Georgia reel in the Italian dreamboat? Or is she destined to live forever all aloney on her owney?

This is another hilarious adventure for Georgia and the Ace Gang. It's filled with snogging, lippy, and a trip to hamburger-agogo land! This time, she's after Mosimo the Italian Stallion. But after she gets a letter from Robbie the Sex God, and Dave the Laugh declares his (maybe?) undying love for her (we think!), she full of confusionwise. Does she want to follow the Cosmic Horn and follow her red-bottomosity? You'll have to read this fabbity fab book to find out!

Book 6 in the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series, the other titles include: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, On the Bright Side, I am Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, Knocked out by my Nunga-Nungas, Dancing in my Nuddy Pants, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel, and available only in hardcover until April 2007 is Startled by His Furry Shorts. So go! Get the series, and be prepared to laugh!

Ps. Appropriate for girls in the 13+ category, and even funny to adults!

Harris, Charlaine: Club Dead

2006-11-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0441010512

Sookie's boyfriend has been very distant-in another state, distant. Now she's off to Mississippi to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead-a little haunt where the vampire elite go to chill out. But when she finally finds Bill-caught in an act of betrayal-she's not sure whether to save him...or sharpen some stakes.

Book three in the Southern Vampire Series, it had a few other books to live up to. Let me tell you, it did not dissapoint. Club Dead is a faced paced, romantic-action-mystery-supernatural thriller that will keep you on your toes, and will have you fall in love with every character.

First, we see Bill, the calm dependable vamp in Sookies life. We also see Eric, Bill's boss, and his two friends, Pam and Chow. Chow is a new oriental vampire that also works (with Pam) for Eric. The guy on the scene is Alcide, who is awesome. He's a werewolf who's sworn to help Sookie as she does some out of town investigative work.

Alcide had to have been my most favourite part of the book, and I really hope that he shows up in the future - and hopefully not just as a buddy. He's an excellent character that treat's Sookie like the princess she is.

Read this book, you will like it... if you're over 18, of course. It is "one of those" romance's!

Anthony, Piers: Bearing an Hourglass

2006-11-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0345313151

From the Publisher:

When life seemed pointless to Norton, he accepted the position as the Incarnation of Time, even though it meant living backward from present to past. The other seemingly all-powerful incantations of Immortality--Death, Fate, War, and Nature--made him welcome. Even Satan greeted him with gifts. But he soon discovered that the gifts were cunning traps and he had become enmeshed in a complex scheme of the Evil One to destroy all that was good....

This is the second book in Mr. Anthony's Incarnation of Immortality series, following after On a Pale Horse, and does not disappoint.

The basic premise is that Norton accepts the Office of Chronos (time) and ends up having to fight against Satan to keep the world running properly, and out of Satan's control. He goes on many adventures, including an escapade in space, fighting off aliens; a trip to a fantasy-type place where he fights dragons and evil sorceress', and all sorts of other mini-adventures which lead up to the end fight against Satan and his minions.

One of the most interesting things about this story is that Chronos lives backwards in time, and this is kind of funny. For one, all the conversations that he has while in backwards time are written backwards. I was actually quite happy when this part was finished. Egads - I got so frustrated reading backwards!

Mr. Anthony brings up excellent points about the struggle of good and evil, and what evil really is. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantastical books - something that surely isn't real, but will make you ponder things at the same time. I'd rate it as 14 yrs +, as it does have sexual innuendo (but no graphic sex) and mild cursing.

Viehl, Lynn: Dark Need

2006-10-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

ISBN: 0451218663

From the Publisher:

Homicide detective Samantha Brown is a tough, highly decorated cop. But twelve lonely years after she nearly died of a gunshot wound, she aches with a deep inner longing. In pursuit of a deranged killer, her only clue is a medieval cross inscribed "Lucan"-the name of the owner of a new nightclub near the murder scene. Drawn into a seamy underworld, Samantha falls for Lucan-who believes he's a vampire and Samantha is his reincarnated first love. Now, she must save this mysterious, seductive man who seems beyond redemption if he is to fulfill her deepest, darkest desires.

This is the third book in the Darkyn series by Ms. Viehl, and in my opinion, the best.

I found the characters the most interesting and real in this book, with real problems (minus the whole vampire thing), even though some of the settings were a bit cliched (ie. vampire owned/run nightclub). The plot was well thought out and constant, and I also like how it kept up with Alex, Michael and John from the other two books. I prefer it when a series mentions all of the characters that came before.

I find these types (supernatural/paranormal/slightly horror-ish romances) very hard to review. Honestly, there is no grit to them, except the trials and the violence involved in them. They're good books to read, beach books, if you will, but they're not going to change anyone's lives.

Anyway, this is a pretty dark and violent book, not to mention has graphic sex scenes. So if that's what you're interested in reading, I think you'll really like it.

Viehl, Lynn: Dark Need

2006-10-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451218663

From the Publisher:

Homicide detective Samantha Brown is a tough, highly decorated cop. But twelve lonely years after she nearly died of a gunshot wound, she aches with a deep inner longing. In pursuit of a deranged killer, her only clue is a medieval cross inscribed "Lucan"-the name of the owner of a new nightclub near the murder scene. Drawn into a seamy underworld, Samantha falls for Lucan-who believes he's a vampire and Samantha is his reincarnated first love. Now, she must save this mysterious, seductive man who seems beyond redemption if he is to fulfill her deepest, darkest desires.

Black, Holly: Valiant

2006-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0689868235

From the Publisher:

When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. And then there's Luis's brother, timid and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along as he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet.

When a bewildered Val allows Lolli to talk her into tracking down the hidden lair of the creature for whom Luis and Dave have been dealing, Val finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honorable. And as Val grows to know him, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

Bestselling author Holly Black follows her breakout debut, Tithe, with a rich, harrowing, and compulsively readable parable of betrayal, abuse, friendship, and love.

Firstly, I love love love Holly Black, and nothing she has written has been anything but golden. I fell in love with Tithe a couple of years ago, and Valiant didn't dissapoint. Her characters are always multi-facetted young women struggling to find their place between the human world (Ironside) and the Faerie Courts. This book has poor Val taking up with some Faerie drug using street kids, where she is introduced to the world of Faerie and to Ravus, the Troll she ends up serving.

Holly Black is a brilliant writer that I can't get enough of. I am waiting with baited breath for Ironside to come out. Although, after it hits shelves I'll have to wait a whole extra year for it to become available in paperback. ::sigh::

I will and do recommend this book for all readers. It is rated (on the back) as a 14+ Young Adult, but I think that when I have kids they won't be reading it until they're sixteen (unless they are mature enough to discuss the troubling topics in it).

Gilman, Laura Anne: Staying Dead

2006-10-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0373802536

From the Publisher:

Wren Valere is a retriever--a mage with limited power who specializes in finding things. When things go horribly wrong on her latest case, Wren must use her skills to track down a powerful and somewhat deadly ghost--the one she accidentally released.

Staying Dead is a fast paced, light book to read. It has everything from magic to cell phones, from thugs to faerie-type characters, from angels to demons, and everything in between. I found this story to be creative and completely void of type-casting.

Wren, or Genevive to her partern, Sergei, is a "lonejack" mage, who answers to no one. She is hired to retreive things that have been stolen, and in this case, an enchanted cornerstone to a building. Her employer, a grey character who seems neither good or evil, pushes her to bring it back, but it unfortunately comes back broken. Her secretive partner and her must figure out a way to correct it so they can get paid. There are a few other bumps along the way, but nothing that the duo can't figure out.

Ms. Gilman created some excellent new terms in her story, including "wizzarts" (mages who "whizz" out, or go crazy from using magic) "Talent" (instead of magic) and "Fatae" (Faerie type creatures). She was very creative in her wording and usage of her new terms. They merely added to the book rather than distract.

I found that the unrequited love between Wren and Sergei to be somewhat irritating, mostly because I enjoy romance books AFTER the two have fallen in love. This book builds up to a fairly unfulfilling romantic plot, but I have to say that there are more books in the series, and more time for their relationship to blossom.

Staying Dead is an excellent read that won't take you too long (and one that you won't finish in mere hours). It is well written with interesting and dynamic characters that you will identify with. The plot moves quickly without too many holes, creating a reason to keep reading without too much suspension of belief.

I would recommend this book to anyone, adult and teen alike.

Fforde, Jasper: The Eyre Affair

2006-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0142001805

From the Publisher:

In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontk's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.

I'm not going to go on and on about this book, other than I love it! It's witty, plot driven, with great characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a little crazy fiction mixed in to their normal reading life. It's kind of fantasy, but not too fantasy, and it's pretty easy to swallow. Seriously. Go out and buy this book, you will love it.

How can you not love a book with characters named things like Braxton Hicks?

Great for everyone over the age of 14 (mild violence, sexual overtures).

Viehl, Lynn: Private Demon

2006-08-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451217055

From the Publisher:

Jema Shaw is an antiquities expert. But she moonlights as a police
forensic consultant - to escape an existence trapped between her domineering
mother and the mysterious illness that's plagued Jema for years.

Thierry Durand was tormented body and sould by his people's greatest
enemies - and by his wife's betrayal. His only hope for healing lies in
Jema's heart.

Night after night, Thierry slips into Jema's dreams, fulfilling her
deepest, darkest desires. In the arms of her private demon lover, Jema
find that her fantasy is becoming more important to her than anything in
reality. But Thierry's sensual visits have placer her in the cross fire
between two ancient enemies: a religious order known as the Brethren and a cadre
of immortals known as the Darkyn...

Private Demon is a quick, no nonsence paranormal romance, encapturing the typical vampire-falls-for-human trappings. It wasn't overly fantastic, it wasn't horrible.

I will say this: Ms. Viehl could have done a few things better. I felt that Jema's condition could have been handled more subtley, with more forshadowing and less outright discussion, left for a plot twist at the end (it was really only a plot turn, and one with signs, even). I felt that there were too many supurfluous characters - she could have cut the cast down to about 3/4's of the original charaters and still had it work wonderfully.

I did like the general plot, and I liked a lot of the things that were brought about - I liked how Jema and Alex met, and their instant dislike of one another. I liked the plot turn and the love triangle. I liked hearing more about the Darkyn's different powers, it was all interesting.

If you borrow this book, get it from the library, or from a used bookstore, you will definitely enjoy it. If you spend the full $10 on it, you may end up feeling cheated. Don't pick this up expecting the next literary genius.

Oh - definitely rated R.

Harris, Charlaine: Living Dead in Dallas

2006-08-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0-441-00923-9

From SFsite.com (Publisher had nothing to say!):

Our favorite cocktail waitress is back again for another adventure. Living Dead in Dallas introduces us to the various political goings on in the vampire world. Sookie and the Vampire Bill have been invited to Dallas. The Dallas vampires need Sookie's telepathic skills and she is drafted by Eric, the Viking
vampire sheriff of Area 5 to help them. Sookie feels obligated to Eric as he has recently saved her from a very nasty creature with a venomous bite. Off to Dallas she and Bill will go.

Of course things are not as they seem. With a very scary group of
religious nuts and a suicidal vampire, Sookie is soon overwhelmed with all that is happening. To complicate life even more, back in Bon Temps one of Sookie's co-workers meets a grisly end. Life will never be simple for Sookie and Bill, but Sookie never expected this much action.

This is definitely a Paranormal Romance book - not a paranormal book with romance, but a romance book about vampires (just to be completely clear). As a general rule, I don't read romance books, but this series seems to be an exception.

As a general rule, these books are light and fluffy, with some danger, but you always know that Sookie will be ok. I like the characters in this book as they are all pretty relatable in a back country american town kind of way, and the vampires, are, well, vampires.

This plot seemed to work for this book, so no complaints there, either.

This is the perfect beach book. It's not heavy, it's easy to read and will travel nicely with you. Take a couple, because you'll finish this one in a day or two!

Definitely an 18 year old + type of book, due to the frank discussion of sex.

Harrison, Kim: A Fistful of Charms

2006-08-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0-06-0788194

From the Publisher:

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned,
haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary. Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the
first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel’s soul is at stake.

This is the fourth installment in the Rachel Morgan series, a fairly successful paranormal action/romance/fantasy type book. I've enjoyed the series to date, and this book did not dissapoint.

I found the plot well thought out and forward moving, the characters like old familiar friends, and the tension in the book was palatable.

The basic plot is that Rachel ends up helping out a friend to rescue his son, who is involved with Rachel's ex-boyfriend. While on task she learns about herself, her ex-boyfriends, and her situation at home. I think that the story was well crafted, and had a great (and appropriate) ending. It wasn't a great cliffhanger, nor was it a closed ending, but left a terrific segue to the next book.

This book had the regular cast of characters, Rachel, Ivy, Kisten, Nick, Jenks, Ceri, etc. No Trent or Big Al, so that was interesting. I can't wait to see what happens with those two next!

Anyway, this was a pretty good book, with no major sex (a sexual type scene happened, but it wasn't "sex" per se), a fair amount of cussing and violent and gory scenes. I would say that this book is definitely for 16 year olds and up.

Yolen, Jane: Briar Rose

2006-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0765342308

From the Publisher:

Rebecca has always loved listening to her grandmother's stories about Briar Rose. However, the old woman's astonishing and hard-to-believe admission that she "is" Briar Rose sets Rebecca on an unforgettable path of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

Briar Rose is not the story that you think it is. It is not so much about the story of Sleeping Beauty, but rather the story of a young woman's journey to find herself, her heritage, and to keep a promise to her dying grandmother.

Rebecca's grandmother kept insisting that she was Briar Rose from the story, and through a trip to Poland, a view of different Holocaust camps and a fateful interview with an old man, she finds out her history, from where her grandmother came, and how her family came to be.

Briar Rose is a short, quick book. It is written in simple language, with tangible characters (right down to the bickering sisters) and a realistic series of events. It is meant for young adults, and will entertain those between the ages of 15-20 the most. It was a beautiful story, but very short (I read it during a two hour plane ride). I would recommend it for anyone - there isn't anything too offensive in the story, and is certainly no more graphic then learning about the persecution of the Jews in school.

Gabaldon, Diana: Outlander

2006-08-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0770428797

From the Publisher:

Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon—when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire''s destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

I am not going to say much more about the plot, as it is detailed as finely as it can be above without giving anything away.

All I will say is WOW! I loved this book and I can't wait to pick up the rest of the series. I know that it isn't done yet, so I won't be devouring them too quickly!

Outlander is a beautiful story of romance, need, and family that you won't be able to put down. Pick it up. It's one of my (new) favourite books.

Brite, Poppy Z.: Drawing Blood

2006-08-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0440214920

From the Publisher:

From the hottest voice in contemporary horror comes a hip, sensual, and totally original reimagining of the haunted house story. Trevor McGee is a survivor. Twenty years ago, his father took the lives of his mother, his brother and himself in an inexplicable explosion of murder and suicide. Now Trevor has returned home to face the demons. . .

Drawing Blood was an interesting read. I must say that if anyone can't stand boy-on-boy action or is offeded by homosexuality DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. There is graphic sex scenes, and parts that I didn't read because I had enough.

That being said, the basic premise of the book was original and well thought out. It is a basic haunted house-type story, with music, art and drugs tossed in for good measure. It was equal parts horror and erotica, with excellent prose, strong characters and persistant plot line. There is not a line or a paragraph that is wasted in this book.

I am not going to write out what happens. I think that the best part of the book was not knowing what would happen, so I am going to leave it all enshrouded in mystery.

If you're looking for an R-rated book that will keep your toes tingling for a while after you've read it, this is the book for you.

Higgs, Liz Curtis: Grace in Thine Eyes

2006-07-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 1578562597

From the Publisher:

Davina McKie is a bonny lass of seventeen, mute since childhood and fiercely guarded by her belligerent twin brothers, Will and Sandy. When the lads are forced to depart the glen, Jamie McKie escorts Davina to the Isle of Arran, where her lively cousins, Catherine and Abigail, make her welcome at the manse.

One moonless eve Davina blithely entertains the gentry of Arran with her grandfather’s fiddle, unaware of the dramatic turn her life is about to take.

A story of passion and revenge, of lost innocence and shattered dreams, Grace in Thine Eyes explores the sorrow of unspeakable shame and the gift of immeasurable grace.

From the Author's Website:

Critics are impressed by the emotional intensity and depth of research found in her historical novels, based on biblical stories and reset in 18th- and 19th-century Scotland. Readers of her three recent bestsellers eagerly await Grace in Thine Eyes (March 21, 2006), a stand-alone novel introducing the next generation of the McKie family, even as it parallels the tragic, yet compelling account of Dinah from Genesis 34.

Pitied by some commentators as a victim, chastised by others as a disobedient daughter, the biblical Dinah is a woman whose story is cloaked in mystery. Was it defiant curiosity that made her stray from home, seeking out the “daughters of the land,” or was it simply youthful innocence? When her brothers exacted their revenge, was Dinah greatly relieved or deeply grieved? Did she live in shameful seclusion or was she restored to society? Does her story end in disgrace…or grace?

Not one of those questions is answered in the biblical account, in part because neither Dinah’s voice nor her viewpoint appears in the narrative. Grace In Thine Eyes explores those unanswered questions from Dinah’s story, yet without tampering with Scripture, moving this dramatic tale to the Scottish Lowlands of 1808.

To be completely honest I hated this book. It ended in a way that I found most displeasing. It was extremely well written, with beautiful prose, wonderful and real characters, a fantastic rendition of Scotland, and a beautiful and haunting tale. The reason that I hated it was because it didn't go the way I want. I know, very selfish. I was so disapointed that the protagonist didn't get her hearts desire, and that it didn't end with a beautiful wedding (I guess that's not really a spoiler, if you know the story of Dinah). I didn't know that it was based on the Genesis account, and was expecting something very different. *sigh*

Like I said, it is a beautiful book, and as far as Christian Literature, it was well done. There's no preaching involved, the story was tight, and didn't depend on the "religion" of the book. The writing was not sub-par to any romance novel I have read. The characters were real and tangible, you hurt with their hurts, you laughed with their joy. I quite enjoyed the story, even if I didn't like what happened.

Anyway, I can't really tell you any more, without giving any away. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Due to the rape, I would recommend it for people 12 and up (the scene is there, but it is not graphic or scarey, IMO), but regardless of your religious persuasion, this is a well strung tale of a family and how they handled crisis.

NOTE: I kind of forgot that not everyone will know who Dinah was. She was a woman in the Bible who ended up getting raped, and then her attacker fell in love with her. We don't know how she felt about him, but he went with his father to Jacob (Dinah's father) to ask for her hand in marriage. If you are interested in reading the original story, please follow this link to read the account online.

Anthony, Piers: On a Pale Horse

2006-07-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

On and Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
ISBN: 0345305183

From the publisher:

The Man Who Murdered Death.

Shooting Death was a mistake, as Zane soon
discovered. For the man who killed the Incarnation of Death was immediately forced to assume the vacant position! Thereafter, he must speed over the world, riding his pale horse, and ending the lives of others.

Zane was forced to accept his unwelcome task, despite the rules that seemed woefully unfair. But then he found himself
being drawn into an evil plot of Satan. Already the Prince of Evil was forging a trap in which Zane must act to destroy Luna, the woman he loved.

He could see only one possible way to defeat the Father of Lies. It was unthinkable --- but he had no other solution!

On a Pale Horse is the first book that I have ever picked up by Piers Anthony, and frankly, a little hard to find! Even though Mr. Anthony is such a prolific author, the themes, characters and world of his Incarnations of Immortality do not lose texture and depth.

The book starts out with the the protagonist, Zane, rummaging around a gem shop, eventually trading his "love" for a wealthstone, meant to help him make his rent. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Zane finds himself face to face with Death, and decided to shoot Death instead of himself. This is where the book picks up, as Zane meets Fate, and assumes the office of Death, going around collecting the souls that hang in the balance of good and evil.

I loved the characters in this book. They were fantastic - fully alive and complicated. Their interactions were genuine and true to life. The world of OaPH is basically our world (from my opinion), but with magic included, as well as physical manifestations of Time, War, Fate, Death, Nature, as well as God and Satan. It all makes for very interesting interactions.

I looked into Mr. Anthony a slight bit, and can't believe how many books he has creditted to his name. I'll be the first to admit that he is no spring chicken, but he has got to have been churning them out about as quickly as, well, Terry Pratchett. His Xanth series is the only other series to even approach the Discworld series (Xanth has 31 books and counting, Pratchett must be up there somewhere, as well)! I like how simply his books are written. No big complicated sentences and paragraphs. No overly symbolic gestures. It's nice and simple, and easy to pick up. I don't feel overly daunted when I read it, but it's not complete fluff either.

This book would be appropriate for people from the age of about 13. There is mention of sex, and some sexual inuuendo, and the most graphic thing was that a lithe young woman walked into a room naked. Then she left. Not a lot of violence, but (obviously) a strong theme of death and dying. This book is NOT for people who have strong views on God and Satan and their relationship. If you are not willing to suspend belief to include religion, this book is not for you.

I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of this series. I fully enjoyed the first book and I am looking forward to finishing the tale, for surely it is not done here.

Caine, Rachel: Chill Factor

2006-07-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 0451460103

From the publisher:

Living, dead, or Djinn, Joanne Baldwin just can't stay out of trouble. Now she's on a time-sensitive mission to Vegas to retrieve the world's most important Djinn from the world's most dangerous teenager ... all alone. That's bad enough, but having to deal with a past that's determined to bury her, and suffering from serious wardrobe shortages ... well, that's over the line.

One thing's for certain: she's gambling everything this time.

Chill Factor is the third book in Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series. I was first introduced to Ill Wind (the first book) in the Kelley Armstrong Book Club. I read it and was amused and picked up the second, Heat Stroke fairly recently. As I am a completist, and felt that I need to finish the series, I picked up both Chill Factor and Windfall a week ago.

As a whole, the series is amusing, but not gritty. It is a series quick couple of hours kind of reads. This series is an excellent beach book series. Ill Wind is where it all begins, with Joanne running from the Wardens. Ms. Caine uses a lot of flash backs to tell the story. I don't mind this device, so it doesn't bother me, but those who hate flashbacks: be warned! Heatstroke carries the story forward, introducing new characters and plots, as does Chill Factor. Even though they are a series about the same person doing a lot of the same stuff (ie. saving the world), I don't find any of the books repatative thus far. She does go on about her shoes and car a bit much, but hey, I probably go on about the things that I love a bit much as well.

As I said, Joanne is obsessed with designer shoes and fast cars. You will see a lot of names dropped in this series, and this book especially. It amuses me, as a fellow shoe-lover, and makes me want to look some of the lesser known designers up. I have seen a few more styles of shoe then I'm used to, but I did like this pair:

Anyway, I would say that this series is mediochre. Amusing, but not full of substance. Ms. Caine can really write and drive a plot, and her character development definitely happens without a ton of angst. I guess that it just didn't grab and hold on to me like other books have.

I would rate this book as Mature, as it has some cursing, plus sex scenes and implied sex.

Williams, Tad: War of the Flowers

2006-07-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

ISBN: 075640181X

From the Publisher:

Returning to the fantasy genre that made him a coast-to-coast best-selling phenomenon, Tad Williams has written a new stand-alone contemporary novel set in Northern California—and also in the strange parallel world that coexists in the farthest reaches of the imagination.

Theo Vilmos is a thirty-year-old lead singer in a not terribly successful rock band. Once, he had enormous, almost magical, charisma both onstage and off—but now, life has taken its toll on Theo. Hitting an all-time low, he seeks refuge in a isolated cabin in the woods—and reads an odd memoir written by a dead relative who believed he had visited the magical world of Faerie. And before Theo can disregard the account as the writings of a madman, he, too, is drawn to a place beyond his wildest dreams...a place filled with be, and has always been, his destiny.

The War of the Flowers came as a recommendation from Hanna. We were out shopping for used books, and I came across a pristine copy of this book for $5 and bought it.

Due to the fact that I never really read the back of the book or anything, I had the idea that it was a modern faerie tale, but I didn't expect what I got. War of the Flowers is a fantastic modern tale of Faerie. The difference being that it isn't a modern fairy tale... it's not about Snow White, or anything like that. It actually takes the protagonist into Faerie and shows what happens to him there.

I must congradulate Mr. Williams for his excellent imagination and story-telling. I found this book to be creative, and out-of-the-box. I have never read a book like this before. Most tales of Faerie include medieval times with some modern conveniences, if any. I loved that Mr. Williams made everything modern, even though some of it had different names, or even the old fashioned named (ie. Coach instead of car).

I found his character development to be strong, and well planned out. I appreciated the different races, and found that quite interesting and imaginative as well. I like the fact that different races in Faerie had different job (Ferishers were cleaners/grunts, Doonies drove cars, Ogres were body guards etc.). All of the characters, main and secondary, had something interesting to say, and a story to tell, no matter their position. I enjoyed the different stories and backgrounds and cultural differences.

The most interesting/thought provoking parts of the book were the different themes. One can see a parallel to the 9/11 attacks (the author addresses this in the forward), and a general parallel to our world (in Faerie). The interesting thing to me was their desire for plastic surgery. The upper class Faeries all had their wings removed, to look more... humanoid, I guess. Most of the lower class Faeries didn't have them chopped off, whether it was a money or a social thing, I do not know. I just found it interesting that even in a fictional culture, there is a general desire to be someone/something that you are not. I also loved the interracial relationships, and problems they posed (you will have to read it to understand this part! Tee hee hee!).

All in all, War of the Flowers is a fantastic book full of growth, humour, strife, and war. There is a strong romance theme that runs throughout as well. I would recommend this book with a rating of Mature, for readers who like to escape every day life without departing too far.