Fantastic!

Rating: 5/5

Review: This is one of the best trilogies I have ever come across! There's plenty of action, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense. Collins definitely knows how to keep a reader hooked well into the night, and this is absolutely a book you will be happy to lose sleep over. Of course, there is the cliffhanger ending, so be prepared for that.

Book Description: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Not a Laughing Matter

Rating: 4/5

Review: I didn't like this one quite as much as the first in the series. I like Anita Blake, as well as her sarcasm, but I am tired of the word "naw". It was not used quite as much in this book, but still used once too many. I like the underlying tension between Anita and Jean Claude, but I'm not sure if I actually want them to get together or not. There were a couple of gruesome scenes in this book that were very tough to read. Anytime the death of children is involved, it makes me quite squeamish. I'll definitely continue with the series, but I'm hoping that there won't be any more little corpses. Eeesh.

Book Description: The novels of New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton take readers into the dangerous life of Anita Blake, animator and vampire hunter—a woman as good at raising the dead as she is at slaying the undead. Now, a creature from beyond the grave is tearing a swath of murder through St. Louis. And Anita will learn that there are some secrets better left buried—and some people better off dead...

Forgot One!

Ok, I just realized that I never posted this book, which was the first book in the series. It was very good, and made me want to read more. It was a little rough as far as the subject matter was concerned, though. Children were being murdered in horrible ways. It did not go into an over amount of detail, but enough that makes a person cringe. Again, the main character is so interesting, and such a joy to read about, that it overshadows the bad things.

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Description:

In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle fortress. King Henry I is no friend of the Jews-or anyone, really-but he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily-whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe-and asks for his finest "master of the art of death," an early version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is Adelia-the king has been sent a mistress of the art of death.

Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor-travel to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, one of the king's tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia's investigation takes her into Cambridge's shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again...

The Best Historic Murder Mystery Series

Rating: 5/5

Review: I absolutely love this series! The historic details are intriguing, the characters are wonderfully varied, and the mystery is completely consuming. I adore the main character, Adelia, who is strong, intelligent, interesting, and still quite feminine. I like the hint of romance between her and Picot Rolwing, who is now a Bishop and has sworn not to touch her, even though he desperately wants to. I have to say, though, that Ms. Franklin certainly does not shy away from disturbing circumstances in her novels. I am referring to cruelty to animals, and harsh death scenes. Despite that, however, her books so far have been way to good to let that keep me from reading on. I am definitely looking forward to consuming the next book in the series.

Book Description:
Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father. Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor.

Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion. Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up.Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .

Better Than Buffy

Rating: 5/5

Review: Anita Blake is a vampire slayer who has been compared to Buffy, and most agree that she's way cooler. She also happens to be a necromancer. This book grabs from the beginning, and is a wonderful thrill ride into the dark world of the paranormal. Vampires are legal, have rights, and can be taken to trial. People who raise the dead can be hired to fix family squabbles over a lost will. It's wild and creepy, action-packed and gritty, and just plain fun to read. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Book Description: Anita Blake may be small and young, but vampires call her the Executioner. Anita is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by law--as long as they don't get too nasty. Now someone's killing innocent vampires and Anita agrees--with a bit of vampiric arm-twisting--to help figure out who and why.
Trust is a luxury Anita can't afford when her allies aren't human. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. The second most powerful vampire, Jean-Claude, is interested in more than just Anita's professional talents, but the feisty necromancer isn't playing along--yet. This popular series has a wild energy and humor, and some very appealing characters--both dead and alive.

The Strength and Bravery of Women with Cause

Rating: 4/5

Review: This was an interesting look at the women who have stood out the most in history. The infamous and those who have lead the way for human rights. There are some great tales in here, and some nitty gritty backgrounds on some pretty cool females.

Book Description: Barbara Holland's account of history's outstanding, and largely forgotten, females. The women revealed within these pages were driven by passion--for religion, humanity, adventure, politics, and knowledge--that couldn't be curtailed by convention. They were witty, defiant, and, more often than not, beautiful. Shamefully, most of us are unfamiliar with their accomplishments. Holland brings such faces as Joan of Arc, Daisy Bates, Stagecoach Mary, and Mary "Mother" Jones into the same light as Napoleon, Lawrence of Arabia, Billy the Kid, and Frederick Engels.