Tell Me Lies By Jennifer Cruise

Rating: 4/5

Review: Well, it started out pretty lame, and I almost gave up on it. I'm so glad that I didn't, though, because it actually turned out to be a pretty good book. I think she started out trying too hard to be funny, but ended up just relaxing and being real. I loved the romance between Maddie and C.L. The small town gossip and closeness seemed pretty dead on. I liked that there was even a crime to be solved.

Book Description: Maddie Faraday's life would be perfect--if it weren't for her cheating husband, her suspicious daughter, her gossipy mother, her secretive best friend, her nosy neighbors, and that guy she lost her virginity to twenty years ago...

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Rating: 5/5

Review: This was such a wonderfully imaginative and thrilling story. It moves swiftly, yet you can't help but savor each part. It's a story that stays with you long after you've closed the book. The really great thing is, that it continues. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. I am completely hooked, and I am dying to know what happens next in the life of Kvothe. He is a fine character, one that must go down as one of my all time favorites. This book is full of life, hardships, magic, wonder, mythical creatures, and an endless array of interesting people and places.

Book Description: Travelers to the village where Kote runs an inn are rare, but those who've shown up lately have brought bad news. A sort of demonic spider attacks a local, and then Kote rescues a wandering scholar, bringing him to the inn to recover. The man recognizes Kote as the legendary hero Kvothe and begs him to reveal the reality behind all the legends. Most of the novel is Kvothe's autobiography, that of a young genius growing up in a troupe of elite traveling players, tutored by an old arcanist, until marauders (mere marauders?) destroyed it, after which he made his way to the great university and petitioned for admission. Rothfuss skillfully handles the change of Kvothe's voice from child to youth to student, and the voice of the mature Kvothe in retrospective interjections.

A Good book and a Storm

I am in the middle of reading Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It was a stormy night last night, but not the kind where you want to huddle under your blanket and wish it would settle down so you could sleep. It was the soothing, I love having this moment to myself, kind. I was curled up on the loveseat, a soft breeze blowing through the open window, with the glorious sound of rain falling steadily. Thunder rumbled in a nonthreatening way, and I was completely at ease with an enthralling story. I even paused to write a little bit, which was excellent, as I haven't been doing much of my own writing lately. I have been reading other author's excellent works. Alas, I am in a rut and will stay there until I drag myself out. Anyway, here is a wonderful excerpt from my current read (one of many moments that have moved me in this story so far):

The strings felt strange against my fingers, like reunited friends who have forgotten what they have in common. I played soft and slow, sending notes no farther than the circle of our firelight. Fingers and strings made a careful conversation, as if their dance described the lines of an infatuation.
Then I felt something inside me break and music began to pour out into the quiet. My fingers danced; intricate and quick they spun something gosamer and tremulous into the circle of light our fire had made. The music moved like a leaf twisting as it falls to the ground....

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence By Amy Sedaris

Rating: 5/5

Review: I know this is actually considered a cookbook, but it was such a fun read that I had to share it. It is chalk full of great looking recipes, and even some interesting ideas. It's also one of the most hilarious books I have ever read.

Book Description: The charismatic and multi-talented Amy Sedaris is many things: actress, author, and yes, David Sedariss sister. Now, she takes on the world of entertaining in this blisteringly funny collection of bizarre tips, recipes and craft ideas (like mini pantyhose plant-hangers!) perfect for hosting an unforgettable fete. Your guests will rave.

Fire Study By Maria V. Snyder

Rating: 5/5

Review: I loved this book! It was much better then Magic Study, which I thought could have been a little more exciting then it was. The author has also left it open, should she decide to make this into a series instead of just a trilogy. I hope she does. Yelena is one of my favorite characters, and I would love to read more of her adventures. I do believe Snyder is working on another novle now, so I can't wait to find out what that one is about. She definitely had a magic touch with words and descriptions.

Book Description: When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.…
Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

Boy's Life By Robert McCammon

Rating: 5/5

Review: The boy in question, is Cory Mackenson. He's an average eleven-year-old in the early 60's, that goes through some not so average events. The descriptions by this author were amazing. I could see every detail in my mind. The characters were lively, and very interesting. I loved the coming of age story with a murder mystery thrown in. This is a book that stays with you long after it's been returned to the shelf. Loved it!

Book Description: Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson -- a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake -- and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible vision of death that will haunt him forever.
As Cory struggles to understand his father's pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that are manifested in Zephyr. From an ancient, mystical woman who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown -- for his father's sanity and his own life hang in the