Magic and Martial Arts

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This book was both fascinating and magical. I was immediately drawn in by the very intriguing story about a healer who was also a protector, a thief who was also a murderer, and the world of martial arts and tattoos.

Book Description:
Mia Lockheart has a secret. Her mother was a Keeper, as was her grandmother—women who were warriors, healers, and protectors. As Mia practices her craft among the boxers and martial artists of South London, and begins a romance with her childhood friend, the fighter Nick Duffy, she has no idea that a man who calls himself “Dragonfly” is watching from the shadows.

Adrian Ashton is a brilliant scientist, an expert in the breaking field of biophoton emissions from cells within the human body. He is also a skilled martial artist—and a modern-day vampire. With the aid of the enigmatic Book of Life and Death, written in the thirteenth century by the legendary Chinese physician Zhang Sanfeng, he preys on other martial artists and drains them of their chi—the vital energy that flows through the body.

Mia finds herself drawn to his dark genius, but when he targets Nick as his next victim, she is forced to choose between the two men. It becomes a fight to the death in which love is both the greatest weakness and the biggest prize.

Vampire for Hire

I received this as an ARC though the Goodreads giveaway.

Rating: 3.5/5

My Review:
I was all set to hate this book a few chapters in, but before I knew it, I was eagerly turning pages and on the edge of my seat towards the end. As far as Vampire stories go, it's not exactly unique, but it did have a premise that was new to me. A vampire blinded by military experimentation hiring another vampire to help him out is quite intriguing after all. Raylene, also known as Chesire Red in the crime world, came across as an obnoxious teenager at first. Her attempts at being funny were just plain annoying, and she wasn't likable to me at all. Towards the end of the book, however, I began to like her more and more. She has spunk, she's brave, and well, she can actually be funny some of the time. I will most likely read the sequel, since I am curious by nature, and there is still a mystery to be solved.

Book Description: Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

Subtle Suspense

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Mary Stewart has such a magical way of creating suspense without much violence and very little evidence of a threat aside from the initial greeting by Conner Winslow to the woman he thought was his long lost cousin. But Mary Grey states quite convincingly that she is not Annabel Winslow, and Conner soon hatches a scheme to get the inheritance he's always felt he deserves. There are secrets buried at the Winslow farm, however, secrets that threaten Conner's plan. Will he turn to murder after all, or will things get turned on him in the end. The build up at the end was quite intense, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Book Description: As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself.

Assassins, Stollen Arrows, and a Mysterious Relic

My Rating: 5/5

Review: I loved this second novel in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Series! Jeri Westerson has certainly made her mark in the mystery genre, and given it it such a wonderfully new spin. I love the idea of Medieval Noir. It has such a nice ring to it, and there are so many places to go with it. Of course, I am looking forward to Crispin's next adventure. He's such an intriguing and noble character. He comes across a crown of thorn in this book. Could it truly be "the" crown of thorns? Who murdered the courier in charge of it? Who is trying to assassinate the king? Will Crispin find the answers in time? Will he save the day and finally regain his title? You'll have to read the book to find out, naturally, and what a romp it will be!

Book Description: Convicted of treason, Crispin Guest was stripped of his title, his land, his money and his friends. Now with only his considerable wits to sustain him, Guest works the mean streets of 14th century London, building a small reputation for his skill. In 1383, a simple-minded tavern girl comes to his door—a body was found where she works and she’s the only person who could have killed him. Except for the fact that the man was killed in place by a precisely aimed crossbow bolt. Making matters worse, the murdered man was one of three couriers from the French king, transporting a relic intended to smooth the troubled relations between France and England. Events quickly spin out of control and Guest now finds himself the prime suspect in the murder, one with terrible diplomatic implications. As the drumbeat of war between the two countries grow, Guest must unravel the con spiracy behind the murder to save not only his country, but himself as well.

The Hunger Games End

My Rating: 5/5

Review: This was a powerful ending to a very intense trilogy. Of course, upon first reading The Hunger Games, you had to know that there wasn't going to be a tidy little happy ending. There's excitment, heartbreak, triumph, failure, and shocking moments that will leave you reeling. Katniss is definitely a character that should be remembered for all time.

Book Description: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Medieval Noir

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This was an interesting and fun take on the mystery genre. I loved the setting, and Crispin Guest is a wonderful and exciting character. He's known as "The Tracker", and he does his job very well. He was once a knight, but treason has brought him down to the slums, and he'd give anything to have his old life back. In the mean time, there are murders to be solved and important items to be found.

Book Description: In the late 14th Century, disgraced former knight Crispin Guest finds himself in the midst of a situation involving a murdered tradesman, a missing religious artifact, a family dispute and a perplexing mystery.

A Town of Super Heroes

My Rating: 4/5

Review: I enjoyed reading this with my six-year-old son. He couldn't wait to get to the next couple of chapters every night at bed time. I guess you can't go wrong with a story about a town full of super heroes. My son doesn't agree with me, but I think O Boy has really does have a super power, his intelligence.

Book Description: hilarious new series that proves superpowers are no match for brainpower.

In the town of Superopolis, everyone has a superpower. Everyone, that is, except Ordinary Boy. He's–well, he's pretty much ordinary. But that won't stop him from taking on supervillains like the sinister Professor Brain–Drain....

This spring, welcome to Superopolis and The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, a clever, funny new series for kids who've outgrown Captain Underpants or anyone who loves The Incredibles and The Tick. Packed with dynamic illustrations and starring a smart young hero who could hold his own with Charlie Bone, Klaus Baudelaire, and Stanley Yelnats, this is a series that kids will find undeniably super!

Picture Worth a Thousand...Questions

My Rating: 4/5

Review: What happens when someone slips a mysterious photo in with your collection at the photo shop? Well, according to Grace Lawson, plenty. First, her husband disappears. Second, she starts finding out some strange truths. Third, someone starts threatening her life. Fourth, and most concerning, they start to threaten her children. There a lot more thrills in this story, along with some interesting twists and turns. I got caught up in the mystery right away, and was thrilled with the suspenseful climax. A lot of truths were revealed at the end, but it seemed to take forever to get to them all. Still, quite a good read.

Book Description: When Grace Lawson picks up a newly developed set of family photographs, there is a picture that doesn't belong-a photo from at least 20 years ago with a man in it who looks strikingly like her husband, Jack. And though Jack denies it, he disappears that night, taking the photo with him. Now, to save her family from a fierce, silent killer who will stop at nothing to get the photo, Grace must confront the dark corners of her own tragic past.

Going Places

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This was an interesting story about a young woman who can't make herself stay in one place for very long. It all begins on a bitter cold night with her footprints in the snow and broken glass scattered about. She was escaping from something, but what? Why is her father, whom she hasn't seen in over a year, suddenly taking her away into the night? She doesn't remember anything before that moment, and later, she can't explain why she leaves her lovers without warning over and over again. It's tragic, and intruiging, and strange. The story jumped around so much that it made my head spin. I was bored one minute and on the edge of my seat the next. After all of that, the ending left me feeling a little hollow and dissatisfied. The thing is, though, that seems to be the right sort of feelings to have upon closing this book.

Book Description: Last Night in Montreal is a story of love, amnesia, compulsive travel, the depths and the limits of family bonds, and the nature of obsession. In this extraordinary debut, Emily St. John Mandel casts a powerful spell that captures the reader in a gritty, youthful world — charged with an atmosphere of mystery, promise and foreboding — where small revelations continuously change our understanding of the truth and lead to desperate consequences. Mandel's characters will resonate with you long after the final page is turned.

Lilia Albert has been leaving people behind her entire life. She spends her childhood and adolescence traveling constantly and changing identities. In adulthood, she finds it impossible to stop. Haunted by an inability to remember her early childhood, she moves restlessly from city to city, abandoning lovers along the way, possibly still followed by a private detective who has pursued her for years. Then her latest lover follows her from New York to Montreal, determined to learn her secrets and make sure she's safe.

Please Stay

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Maggie Stiefvater is a sorceress with words, and I am completely and utterly enchanted. I am also so very anxious for the next book in this series. My heart is aching right now! Linger is much darker than Shiver, but still very very good. Sam just breaks my heart with his sweetness, Grace is such a treasure, Cole is an intriguing new character, and Isabel is so much more than the cold bitch she likes to make everyone think she is. These characters are the heart of the story. They make me want to read more. Of course, there are the wolves and the mystery of whether or not there is a cure. There's those beautiful woods that Grace likes to escape to as well. Oh how I wish I could take a walk through their misty depths. I'm so caught up in Grace and Sam's story that I know I will have to buy the next book as soon as it comes out because I couldn't possibly wait for it to come into the library.

Book Description: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love - the light and the dark, the warm and the cold - in a way you will never forget.

Treasure Hunt!

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This book is definitely not a fast read, but it's well worth the effort. It has a little bit of everything: mystery, intrigue, adventure, suspense, romance, history, and even a little fantasy/sci-fi thrown in for good measure. I liked the adventure side of things the most, although Caleb's constant ups and downs got so frustrating. I like Caleb, though, and I am looking forward to reading more of his and the Morpheus Initiative's adventures.

Book Description: A legendary treasure chamber hidden beneath the ancient Pharos Lighthouse has defied discovery for over two thousand years...Until Caleb Crowe and his team of psychic archaeologists dare the impossible.

Beware the Cyclops!

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This was quite an adventure for Percy Jackson, and I loved the shocking twist at the end.

Book Description: Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy's friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed. Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their beloved camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family one that makes him wonder whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor, or simply...

Showdown in Appaloosa

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Yet another great western featuring Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. These guys are handy to have around when your town is getting out of hand. Amos Callico is power hungry, and wants the growing town of Appaloosa to be his starting point for the road to eventual presidency. Problem is, he has a nasty way of going about it. Enter Cole and Everett. I love their conversations, their way with guns, and their fearless pursuit of doing what they think is right. This was bittersweet for me, since Parker died not too long ago (we'll miss you Robert B.), but it's a fine ending to a great little series.

Book Description: Law enforcement in Appaloosa had once been Virgil Cole and me. Now there was a chief of police and twelve policemen. Our third day back in town, the chief invited us to the office for a talk.

The new chief is Amos Callico: a tall, fat man in a derby hat, wearing a star on his vest and a big pearl-handled Colt inside his coat. An ambitious man with his eye on the governorship-and perhaps the presidency-he wants Cole and Hitch on his side. But they can't be bought, which upsets him mightily.

When Callico begins shaking down local merchants for protection money, those who don't want to play along seek the help of Cole and Hitch. But the guns for hire are thorns in the side of the power-hungry chief. When they are forced to fire on the trigger-happy son of a politically connected landowner, Callico sees his dream begin to crumble. There will be a showdown-but who'll be left standing?

Unforgettable

My Rating: 5/5

Review: This was such a beautifully written story about war and love and terrible loss. Mary Sutter is a strong, independent woman, who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She is the best midwife in Albany like her mother before her, but she desperately wants to be a surgeon. This desperation will take her to Washington where the horrors of the Civil War is just beginning to be felt. She will face horrible struggles, tragic loss, exhausting work, grueling days and nights, and heart breaking sites. Robin Oliveira completely transfixed me with her words, and I had a hard time putting her book down. It will certainly stay with me for some time to come.

Book Description: In this stunning first novel, Mary Sutter is a brilliant, head­strong midwife from Albany, New York, who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Determined to overcome the prejudices against women in medicine-and eager to run away from her recent heartbreak- Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D.C. to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of William Stipp and James Blevens-two surgeons who fall unwittingly in love with Mary's courage, will, and stubbornness in the face of suffering-and resisting her mother's pleas to return home to help with the birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career in the desperately overwhelmed hospitals of the capital.

Heat, Nikki Heat

My Rating: 4/5

Review: I am a huge fan of the show, Castle, so this book was a fun treat for me. It was basically like watching an episode of the show, but I enjoyed it immensely. One of my favorite things about Castle, is the constant sparing between the two main characters, and that certainly transcends onto the pages of this book. Not only do you get to enjoy a little humor along with some great characters, but an exciting mystery to solve as well. If you like the show, you'll love the book.

Book Description: A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Not So Nice Angels Among Us

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Well, this was certainly a different take on angels. I don't think I've ever actually read a book featuring angels other than the bible, so this was an interesting first for me. The angels featured here, though, are not the glowing peaceful creatures we see in paintings and poetry. These are fierce, power hungry beings full of vanity and greed. I'm talking about the Nephilim-a cross between humans and angels. This was a wonderfully mysterious tale about the evil crossbreeds and the secret society sworn to protect us normal humans from them. There is adventure, mystery, intrigue, suspense, and even a hint of romance. There are twists and turns, and an ending that will leave you anxiously wondering "what happens next?". Good stuff.

Book Description: A thrilling epic about an ancient clash reignited in our time- between a hidden society and heaven's darkest creatures There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Genesis 6:5 Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim. For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria. Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived, Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions of Paradise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.

That Girl Has Real Brain Power

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This is the second book my son and I have read together, and it wasn't quite as enjoyable as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by the same author. Surprisingly, I liked the movie version much better. That may have been my problem, since I was expecting the book to be a little more magical like the movie. There is very little magic, and what does happen comes late in the story. Still, Matilda is a very interesting little character, and her abilities are extraordinary without all the magic. She is a five-year-old girl who has read the entire children's section of the library and has moved on to books like Anna Karenina and Moby Dick. She reads anything and everything. She is a whiz at math, too. She's also a spunky little thing who will stand up to anyone, even the very mean and scary Miss Trunchbull. My son's favorite part was when the boy is forced to eat the chocolate cake. I have to admit, that was a good bit, but I liked the library visits the best. Just imagine a little girl consuming every book she can get her hands on. Wonderful!

Book Description: Matilda Wormwood is brilliant, sensitive and brilliant. But her parents treat her as a scab, not a daughter—a scab to be endured until the time comes to flick her away to the next county, or preferably farther. But her father (car salesman) and mother (with platinum hair) are no match for her sharp genius. And when she is attacked by Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress, Matilda discovers she has an extraordinary psychic power that can save her school and her lovely teacher, Miss Honey.

Don't Mess With a Demon

My Rating: 4/5

Review: I like Rachel Morgan, and I love the paranormal world Kim Harrison has created with all its corniness and spooky happenings. Rachel comes close to becoming a vampire's plaything in this one. She also gets even more tangled up with the demon from the first book.Her boyfriend, Nick, gets a very nasty surprise when Rachel does her homework for a Ley Line class she's taking in order to find out if her mean old teacher is a serial killer. So, there's more sticky situations, magical goofs, and kick-ass fun, just perfect for a late night summer read.

Book Description: In this follow-up to Dead Witch Walking, Harrison continues her bestselling supernatural series. To save herself and her vampire roommate, former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan must confront an ancient evil and dark secrets she's hidden even from herself.

You Can't Run From the Truth

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This is one of those stories that's mainly just about people. Particularly one Taylor Greer, her illegally adopted Cherokee girl named Turtle, her mother who's tired of a husband that does nothing but watch tv all day, her boyfriend who's desperately in love with her, Annawake Stillwater who wants to do right for her people, and several more characters scattered hither and tither. Kingsolver seems to have a magical gift for describing ordinary things. She has such a way with analogies that I have found myself re-reading a sentence just to relive it's beauty. She's awfully good with people, too. I know every single one of her characters as if I have met them in real life. There's no big action scenes here, no wild car chases or serial killers on the prowl. It's just a woman desperate to hold on to the little girl who came into her life by chance and a nation of people who have suffered so much that each child they lose to the world outside their own is a devastating blow. Simple, raw, and oh so good.

Book Description: When 6-year-old Turtle Greer witnesses a freak accident at the Hoover Dam, her insistence on what she has seen leads to a man's dramatic rescue. But Turtle's moment of celebrity soon draws her and everyone in her life into a conflict of historic proportions.

Witch on the Run

My Rating: 4/5

Review: I enjoyed Rachel Morgan's banter, and the crazy situations she gets herself into. I actually started this series with the third book, Every Which Way But Dead, for some reason. I'm glad I have now gotten the background information of Rachel, and how she got started in her own "running" business. She is a tough witch with an even tougher female vampire for a room mate, and a feisty pixy for a partner. Well, really, they are all partners, and have all left the I.S. (a magical form of the F.B.I. that takes down magical creatures who have broken the law) at the same time. Rachel's leaving has caused her to have a bounty on her head, and she has to track down a very bad guy to get her name cleared and her contract paid off. It's a magical wild ride full of interesting creatures, including a very nasty demon she will have to owe favor to. I'll definitely have to collect this series.

Book Description: All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party ... and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining -- and it’s Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead ... or undead.

I've Got a Golden Ticket!

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This is the first chapter book that I read to my son, so it will automatically hold a special place in my heart. I've seen the movies, too, of course. I have to say that Tim Burton's version was definitely more faithful to the book. I still like Gene Wilder's Wonka, though. Back to the book. It was wonderfully fun to read, and it held my son's attention to the very end. In fact, he wanted more. Good thing I have the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

Book Description: The gates of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory are opening at last . . . and only five children will be allowed inside.

A Determined Teacher

My Rating: 5/5

Review: So beautiful and dramatic! I was completely drawn into this wonderful play based on the real life struggle between teacher and child. What must have been like for Helen Keller to be born deaf and blind. There is no pity needed, though, because we all know that she turned into a magnificent, strong, and independent woman. Of course, her teacher, Anne Sullivan, is a big part of that. I admire her determination and patience. My goodness, what a little hellion the young Miss Keller was at first. The moment when all that struggle becomes worth it, when that little girl finally got what it all meant, was such a powerful moment. I remember seeing the play as a young adult, and it moved me like no other. I'm so glad that I saw it back than, and I am so glad that I read it now.

Book Description: Immortalized onstage and screen by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, this classic tells the story of Annie Sullivan and her student, blind and mute Helen Keller. The Miracle Worker dramatizes the volatile relationship between the lonely teacher and her charge. Trapped in a secret, silent world, unable to communicate, Helen is violent, spoiled, almost sub-human and treated by her family as such. Only Annie realizes that there is a mind and spirit waiting to be rescued from the dark, tortured silence. With scenes of intense physical and emotional dynamism, Annie's success with Helen finally comes with the utterance of a single, glorious word: "water".

Cold Makes the Wolf

My Rating: 5/5

Review: This is yet another fabulous book that grabbed me right away and didn't let go for a second. I could actually feel the coldness of the dark woods behind Grace's house. I could imagine it's bitterness seeping into my bones. The wolves were creepy, yet beautiful. Sam is perfection. His sensitivity, his sweetness, and his love of books made him very appealing to me. I loved the longing portrayed here. The wolf as a protector, Grace falling in love with the wolf without even realizing it, and the final realization that Sam and the wolf are one and the same. Everything was beautifully played out, even the inevitable end of their romance, however brief it may turn out to be. What can possibly be done with the sequel? I am so very anxious to find out.

Book Description: Grace and Sam met six years ago when she was attacked by werewolves. Sam changed from a yellow-eyed wolf to a yellow-eyed boy and carried her home. Although bitten, Grace survived and did not change, the only werewolf victim ever to do so. She has a more developed sense of smell, improved hearing, is stronger physically, but she is still a girl, only now a girl connected to a wolf, her guardian who watches her every winter. When Grace finally meets Sam again in human form, it is in the fall of her seventeenth year. Sam, attacked and forcibly changed when he was seven, has grown up spending his winters with Beck, his werewolf mentor, running through the woods with the pack, and his summers in human form, learning how to read, write, and become a man. The chapters have temperatures for headings because these werewolves are turned, not by a full moon, but by the cold, and there is plenty of cold in Mercy Falls, Minnesota. Also the number of times they can change is limited, and this change may be Sam's last in human form. After the wolves attack a local teenager, Sam is shot and winds up in Grace's arms, literally. She saves him, but the days are getting colder and the nights longer. Neither can bear the thought of being separated, but one cannot argue with Mother Nature.

The Gods Must Be Crazy

My Rating: 5/5

Review: This was a wonderfully magical romp, complete with famous gods from Greek mythology. Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old boy, and he has a big secret even he doesn't know about. When his teacher suddenly turns into a hideous beast and tries to kill him, however, it becomes pretty obvious that he's meant for more then just repeatedly getting kicked out of boarding schools. The dyslexia and ADD he was diagnosed with may not be the case. It could just be that he's the son of a god. A very powerful god, at that. What a wild ride! What a blast! I am so looking forward to more.

Book Description: Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he’s not even sure he believes himself.

Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.

Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he’s coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he’s angered a few of them: Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring...

It's a Prison, Not a Paradise!

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Oh what a thrill-ride this little lovely turned out to be! I was completely hooked from beginning to end. In a futuristic world, a paradise was created. It has now become the worst hell you can possibly imagine. Finn is a prisoner trapped within, and Claudia is the future queen of the outside world who is determined to free him. Finn is not alone, of course, and there are many struggles within Incarceron. He has a oath brother named Kiero, a faithful follower named Attia, and an old wise man who believes that he will get them to freedom. It's a story that grips you, and won't let go even after you've reached it's end. Even better, there's a sequel.

Book Description:Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

Art Theft and a Determined Assasin

My Rating: 3/5

Review: I struggled to stay interested in this book, and I might have given up on it had it not been the book-of-the-month for my reading group on yahoo. The premise was ineteresting enough, but the writing seemed to drag a little bit. There were descriptions that droned on, dull conversations, and very little action. I did like the mystery, however, and the author's take on a real-life art theft. I would have to say, however, that this book is more for crime theorists, then the average mystery fan.

Book Description:In 1990, $300 million worth of paintings were stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in what remains one of the greatest unsolved art thefts of the twentieth century. Now, nearly twenty years later, the case threatens to break wide open. Members of Boston's criminal underground are turning up dead, and the M.O. suggests IRA training. When Scott Finn learns that one of his clients, Devon Malley, was part of the heist, he's quickly drawn into the crossfire.

Fire Mysteries and Water Magic

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Shannon Hale has such a magical way with analogies. I think that's what makes her books so special. Well, that, and her wonderful imagination. I wasn't quite taken with Razo's story at first, but I was soon drawn in just like with the other books in this series. I do hope that it is a series, by the way, and not just a trilogy. I enjoyed these books so much, that I definitely want more. Enna and Finn join Razo in the distant land of their enemy from the last book, Enna Burning. It's not too long after they arrive that bodies start turning up. They are bodies that have been burnt to a crisp, and suspicion immediately falls on Enna. Razo is determined to find out the truth and protect his friend at all cost. Meanwhile, Enna and Finn are having romantic issues, and there's a certain young woman that's caught Razo's eye. This was a wonderfully fun romp, and I even laughed out loud a few times. There's the mystery of the burnt bodies too, of course, and plenty of close calls with the enemy they are trying to make peace with.

Book Description: Razo has no idea why he was chosen to be a soldier. He can barely swing a sword, and his brothers are forever wrestling him to the ground. Razo is sure it's out of pity that his captain asks him to join an elite mission--escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern's great enemy.

But when the Bayern arrive in the strange southern country, Razo discovers the first dead body. He befriends both the high and low born, people who can perhaps provide them with vital information. And Razo is the one who must embrace his own talents in order to get the Bayern soldiers home again, alive.

Wind and Fire

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This was a wonderful sequel to The Goose Girl, and I loved that Enna was featured. I like her spunk and loyalty. Of course, the latter is tested a little bit when she learns the magic of fire. Her brother is the first to find the secret, but it takes him down a dark path. When Enna starts to follow in his footsteps, it's up to her best friend, Isi, to bring her back. Magic, adventure, and even a little suspense keeps the pages turning steadily.

Book Description: Enna and Princess Isi became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but after Isi married Prince Geric, Enna returned to the forest. Enna's simple life changes forever when she learns to wield fire and burn anything at will. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability for good-to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders-and goes on secret raids to set fire to the Tiran camps and villages. But as the power of the fire grows stronger, she is less able to control her need to burn. In her recklessness she is captured by the Tiran army and held captive by a handsome, manipulative young captain who drugs her to keep her under his influence. Can Isi and her old friends Finn and Razo rescue her without sacrificing themselves? And with the fire still consuming her, will Enna find a way to manage the gift that threatens to destroy her?

Life

Rating: 5/5

Review: Have you ever driven around at night, seen the lit up windows of houses you drive by, and wondered about the lives going on inside? Well, this book is like taking a glimpse into those lives. One constant in each story, is the formidable Olive Kitteridge. She is a no-nonsense kind of gal, with a nasty temper, big mouth, and very little patience. She has a big heart, though, and genuinely cares when a neighbour is in trouble or dealing with a terrible loss. Each chapter is a story, a glimpse, as I said, of everyday life. Only, the majority of them deal with the hard part of life. The heartache, loss, sickness, forbidden love, and infidelity. There are uplifting moments, too, though. It's not all dreary. It's interesting, engaging, and touching. I'm so glad that I read it.

Book Description: At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but seen through this brilliant writer’s eyes, it’s in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama - desire, despair, jealousy, hope, and love.

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life – sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition - its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

Tragedy on the Cape

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: It started out a bit slow, and I wasn't too fond of the flash backs at first, but it soon caught my interest enough to keep me reading. The story is told by Henry Griswald, who was a boy at the time of the "affair". He was a student at Chatham school, as well as, the headmaster's son. He didn't have friends, he didn't have much respect for his father, and he is destined to do something he would never be able to forgive himself for. One fateful evening, tragedy will strike, people's lives will change forever, and young Henry would be there to see it all. He's the only one who knows the whole truth, and he's kept it to himself for a long long time. He takes a long long time to get to it, too, of course. The story drags a bit here and there, and there wasn't much suspense to it at all. There's always a feeling of doom, but I was never on the edge of my seat. The ending is a little shocking, especially the final truth that's revealed. So, even though it wasn't exciting. Even though it didn't have me biting my nails and frantically turning pages. I have to say, that reaching the shocking ending is worth the effort it takes to get there.

Book Description: Attorney Henry Griswald has a secret: the truth behind the tragic events the world knew as the Chatham School Affair, the controversial tragedy that destroyed five lives, shattered a quiet community, and forever scarred the young boy. Layer by layer, in The Chatham School Affair, Cook paints a stunning portrait of a woman, a school, and a town in which passionate violence seems impossible...and inevitable.

Forever Can Be Anything

Rating: 4/5

My Review: I didn't think that I was going to like this one at all when I first starting reading it. In fact, I had myself all set up to hate it, when I suddenly wanted to know more. I became curious about this girl, Macy, and the new friends she was making at Wish Catering. There's the scatter-brained, and very pregnant, Delia. The quiet and slow Monica with a very limited vocabulary, but ever faithful to those she cares about. There's Kristy, the flashy one that doesn't take anyone's crap for nothing. There's Bert, the goofball doomsday specialist with a bad sense of humor. And then, of course, there's Wes, the laid back artist with an aura of mystery about him that draws Macy in like a moth to a burning lamp. They are all intriguing in their own ways, and it was fun getting to know them through Macy's eyes. There is also the fact that Macy has lost her father, and has been hiding away from her grief instead of facing it. Her mother has been doing the same. So, there is the issue of how to deal with the lost of a loved one. I think Dessen handled it quite accurately, though I can't relate fully to the circumstances. Thankfully. I have to admit that at times I felt like I was reading some teenager's diary, which was long and a little tedious at times. Overall, however, I liked Macy's story, and I am perfectly willing to read another book by Dessen.

Book Description: Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or . . . Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all&150so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So . . . happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

Princess in Disguise

Rating: 5/5

Review: This was such a beautiful retelling of the Grimm Brothers fairytale about a princess that becomes a goose girl. I was enchanted from the beginning and, though I did take a break to read another novel, I was completely consumed once I got back to it. I loved the way Ani was able to communicate with the animals, especially her loyal horse, Falada. The princess is sent off to marry a prince after her sixteenth birthday, and things don't go quite as planned. All of a sudden, Ani is fleeing for her life and ends up becoming someone else to stay safe. It is an adventure, as well as, a learning experience for her. She finds herself, and what she can truly achieve with her powers. There is some unexpected sadness I must warn, but there is love and excitement as well. I can't wait to delve into Hale's other books featuring the same characters.

Book Description: On her way to marry a prince she has never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.

Young Ladies and Zombies

Rating: 2.5/5

My Review: I was so thrilled to receive this through the Goodreads Giveaway section. I didn't even know I'd won, and when I got the package, I had to read it immediately. I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, since it was shockingly funny and wonderfully unexpected. This one didn't quite come up to par, though, I'm sorry to say. I wanted to like it, but I never had a real connection to the story. I didn't think that the author was quite true to the characters, and there was a lot less action. I wonder if it would have been better if the story took place back when the wars first started, and Lady Catherine De Bourgh and Mr. Bennet were young warriors. In any case, the book did make me want to read the original again. By the way, the ending was very disturbing, which I'm sure the author intended. I will be thinking about the box and it's contents for some time, and having an occasional shiver all the while.

Book Description: With more than one million copies in print, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the surprise publishing phenomenon of 2009. A best seller on three continents, PPZ has been translated into 21 languages and optioned to become a major motion picture.

In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early-nineteenth-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naïve young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, Dawn of the Dreadfuls invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!

Epic Fantasy

Rating: 5/5



Review: Apparently, this was Marchetta's first Fantasy novel, and let me just tell you, it was spot on. I was completely enthtralled from beginning to end. In fact, I hated for it to end at all. I wanted to keep on reading about Finnikin and Evangelin. Oh how they moved me with their sweet romance. Oh how I worried when one of them came so close to death. There's adventure, magic, intrigue, humor, romance, and yes, even a little darkness to keep the reader on edge. There may have been predictable outcomes here and there, but it didn't matter. I was enjoying this oh so juicy morsel, and would definitely devour it again and again.

Book Description:
Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

First and Last Love

Rating: 4/5

Review: I thought I was in for a good cry by the end of this book, but I somehow held it together. It's a bittersweet love story, and it came to an end far too abruptly I must say. It was an interesting story, too. A little tragic at times. I could see the house where most of it takes place quite clearly in my mind. Mrs. Barrens hardships, her struggles to keep life going at a steady pace. She is a strong woman, left by her husband when he couldn't handle their autistic son, though there was no such word for the boy's condition back then. When Mr. Rainwater comes into their lives, things start to change. It's a slow transformation at first, but eventually erupts into a beautiful affair. Of course there's trials surrounding the peaceful existence at the boarding house. Racial tensions and the tragic results of what was referred to as The Dust Bowl. There are a few horrifying moments involving the mass slaughter of cows, but it shows the hard times many people suffered in those days. There's a story beyond all that, as I've mentioned before, which was quite wonderful to read.

Book Description: The year is 1934. With the country in the stranglehold of drought and economic depression, Ella Barron runs her Texas boardinghouse with an efficiency that ensures her life will be kept in balance. She also cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose misunderstood behavior finds Ella on the receiving end of pity, derision, and suspicion. David Rainwater arrives at the house looking for lodging but Ella senses that admitting him will bring about unsettling changes. However, times are hard, so Mr. Rainwater moves in - and impacts her life in ways Ella could never have foreseen.

The changes are echoed by the turbulence beyond the house walls. Friends and neighbors now face financial ruin and in an effort to save their families from homelessness and hunger, are forced to make heart rending choices. The climate of desperation creates a fertile atmosphere for racial tensions and social unrest. Conrad Ellis — privileged and spoiled and Ella's nemesis since childhood — steps into this arena of teeming hostility to exact his vengeance and demonstrate the extent of his blind hatred and unlimited cruelty. He and his gang of hoodlums come to embody the rule of law, and no one in Gilead, Texas, is safe. Particularly Ella and Solly.

In this hotbed of uncertainty, Ella finds Mr. Rainwater a calming presence. Slowly, she begins to rely on his soft-spokenness, his restraint, and the steely resolve of his convictions. And on the hottest, most violent night of the summer, those principles will be put to the ultimate test.

Word Scars

Rating: 4/5

Review: Disturbing is the first word that comes to mind. Dark is another. Add intriguing to the list, and you find that you just can't turn away. Two girls have been murdered within a year, their teeth removed, leaving a small Missouri town reeling. Who could have done such a thing? Camille, a newspaper reporter, and once a resident of Wind Gap where the murders have taken place, is sent back there to get the story. She receives a luke warm welcome from her mother and step-father. Surprise and interest from others. Soon, the friction begins, and the creepiness that surrounds Camille's life starts to be revealed. She started cutting herself when she was thirteen, just after her younger sister died. I don't mean slicing her skin. I mean carving words into her body. All over her body in fact. The last word she carved, before going to the hospital to recover, was vanish. There are descriptions in the book that completely freaked me out, but it had to do with animal processing for food, rather than the murders Camille was sent to write about. I seriously wonder if the author is a vegetarian. The rest of the story unfolds in twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing as to who the actual killer is. Camille gets involved with a detective on loan from Kansas City who's working on the case. There's no romance there, however, and pretty much everything in Camille's life is raw and gritty. Still, the book is well written, compelling the reader to keep going, til the shocking end.

Book Description:

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart. Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg. Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

What's a Wife to Do?

Rating: 4/5

Review: I loved the movie starring Meryl Streep, so I was looking forward to reading the book it was based on. It's quite different, of course, but good. I felt sorry for Rachel, a mom of a two-year-old, another one on the way, and having to deal with a cheating husband. The author seems to want her readers to believe that this happens in all marriages. The cheating part I mean. It does make me wonder. Are all marriages doomed in one way or another? Is infidelity only a matter of time? I don't really think so. I've seen plenty of happy marriages where neither spouse cheated, and they are still quite content with one another. This book wasn't all gloom and doom, though. There are some great comedic moments, and even several recipes thrown in for good measure. I may even try making a few. In fact, this may have inspired a new blog. something along the lines of Reading and Cooking. Not sure yet. I'll have to dwell on it for a while. In any case, this book was a brisk and fun read, with a slightly dramatic undertone.

Book Description:

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.

That's Life

Rating: 3/5

Review: The first thing I thought upon finishing this novel was, wow, I'm glad that's over. What a gritty and dismal story! Poor Harry Morgan and his bad choices. He gets gypped by a rich wannabe fisherman, and is suddenly in need of some cash. What does he do? He gets himself an illegal job, takes advantage of the situation, shocks the heck out of me, and it's all down hill from there. The N word was used quite a bit here, too, which was another shocking point. I suppose that has something to do with the era this book was written in, but shocked me nonetheless. I'm thinking maybe Mr. Hemingway was a crude and unsavory man. Could just be his writing, I don't know. I don't remember watching the movie based on this book, but I believe that it is quite different. So, if you like gritty, hardcore, manly books, you may like this one. It is interesting enough until the last few chapters, which is why I gave it a 3 instead of a 2. The description mentions something about a love affair. Not sure where that was supposed to have taken place. I just remember lots of violence and trash talking.

Book Description:
To Have and Have Not is the dramatic story of Harry Morgan, an honest man who is forced into running contraband between Cuba and Key West as a means of keeping his crumbling family financially afloat. His adventures lead him into the world of the wealthy and dissipated yachtsmen who throng the region, and involve him in a strange and unlikely love affair.

Dream Catcher

Rating: 4/5

Review: A good ending to the Wake trilogy, but I was left with a slight feeling of unfinished business. It's a very fast read, though, as usual. This time we see more of Janie's alcoholic mother, and just how hard it is to deal with something like that. We also meet Janie's father, who turns out to be a dream catcher. He's dying, though, and Janie must help him cross over. Then there's the choice that Janie has to make. One way turns out to be just as bad, if not worse, then the other. So, what's worse? Staying with the guy she loves and going blind in her twenties, or isolating herself and being alone for the rest of her life? Of course, there's more to that, but I don't want to give everything away.

Book Description:
Things should be great for Janie—she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she’s totally in love with. But deep down she’s panicking about how she’s going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people’s dreams is really starting to take its toll.Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time—and he’s in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined.

My Favorite Classic

Rating: 5/5

Review: Yes, this one is most defnitely my favorite. There couldn't possibly be another classic that I would love more. Jane is so compelling, such a beloved character. And oh the romance! From the moment Jane and Mr. Rochester meet, there is chemistry that cannot be denied. They barely touch during their courtship, but the passion they feel for one another practically sizzles on the page. The longing looks, the forbidden thoughts, and the declaration of love that moved me to tears...that's what a good romance is all about. Of course that's not all this book has. There's a mystery, and even a little suspense, too. Now, I need to go get myself a copy so that I can read it again and again.

Book Description:

Orphaned at an early age, Jane Eyre leads a lonely life until she finds work as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets the mysterious Mr. Rochester and sees a ghostly woman who roams the halls by night. This is a story of passionate love, travail and final triumph. The relationship between the heroine and Mr. Rochester is only one episode, albeit the most important, in a detailed fictional autobiography in which the author transmuted her own experience into high art. In this work the plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, but possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage. She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order which circumscribes her life and position.

Such Things Happen

Rating: 4/5

Review: "It was bitter cold, the air electric with all that had not happened yet." Read that sentence, and tell me you're not intrigued. I certainly was. This book was intense, disturbing, erotic, tragic, and even a little romantic in some ways. Catherine Land has a plan, but she has no idea how much her life will change once she's married to Ralph Truitt. He has his own agenda in regards to his new wife, who has lied to him from the very beginning. Of course, he doesn't realize how much this woman will come to mean to him by the end. In the midst of all of that turmoil, there is a dark and depressing look at the tragic life in a cold Wisconsin countryside in the early 1900's. I couldn't turn away no matter how disturbing the words got, certain descriptions that made me cringe. They were hypnotic, engrossing, beautiful, ugly. I had goosebumps by the end, and not the fearful kind. More like the kind you'd get when something tremendous has touched you, and has made you feel so lucky to be where you are, instead of where you could've ended up.

Book Description:
He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love.

The Werewolf Needs Grace

Rating: 5/5

Review: I could not put this book down! Such an intriguing story about a werewolf in need of saving. Daniel has returned to his hometown after a long absence, and after something bad happened between him and his best friend. Grace has loved Daniel since they were kids, and that love flares up again when he suddenly shows back up in school. He's changed, though, and there are so many secrets surrounding him. She can't help being drawn to him, even though her brother, Jude, makes her promise to stay away from him. Promises are made to be broken, however, and Grace's love won't just go away because commen sense tells it to. Such a wonderful, edge-of-your-seat story, and I hope there will be more to come.

Book Description:
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood—but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

Madness Indeed!

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: There were seven of Poe's stories featured in this book, and I genuinely liked three of them. The others simply did not hold my interest at all. The ones that I did like, were, The Raven (one of my absolute favorites), The Tell-Tale Heart (wonderfully spooky), and Ligeia (I've never read a woman's beauty described in such a wondrous way). All of the tales had madness in common, of course. I also noticed that Opium seemed to be Poe's drug of choice. Revenge was featured more than once, as well. I wonder if the stories I couldn't get into would have been better read allowed. I will have to try out an audio version of Poe's stories. I have a feeling that it would be quite enjoyable, and of course, spooky.

Book Description: For over one hundred years, Edgar Allen Poe has awed and thrilled his readers with horrific stories of tragedy, death, and fear. This collection of some of his most famous tales will excite and remind us that, although the author lived many years ago, his grasp of human emotion is as poignant as ever.

Protective Gargoyle

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: I expected to like this one a lot more than I did. The main character, Margrit, was very unlikeable. Her recklessness and the huge chip she seemed to carry around on her shoulder did not appeal to me at all. She was brave, but that bravery border lined on stupidity on more than one occasion. My favorite part of the whole book, was the scene where she first goes to the book shop. I wished very much that I could go to that place in real life. There was such a wonderful feeling of magic and mystery there. Unfortunately, it was a tiny section and was only visited briefly again later in the story. There were some interesting characters through out the book, though, that kept it from being completely disappointing. Alban, the lonely Gargoyle who has tried to protect reckless women for centuries, is an intriguing love interest for one. Chelsea, the owner the of the book shop, is another. She was very mysterious, and knew far too much to not be a part of that "other" world some how. There were others, however, like Margrit's roommates, that were just plain annoying. There is a good mystery to solve, though, and there were some great moments that make me think that the series has the potential to get better with each book. I am just interested enough to find out. I think Margrit may just grow on me, as well. She does have a sense of humor, and her strength can a little inspiring. So, not a great book, but good enough to check out it's sequel anyway.

Book Description:
WHAT SECRETS LIE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS?
Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings—not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn't all be real— but she could hardly deny what she'd seen?and touched.
The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit's help to take the heat off him and find the real killer. And as the dead pile up, it's a race against the sunrise to clear Alban's name and keep them both alive.?

Past. Future. Family.

Rating: 4/5





Review: It's a hefty book (552 p.), but the long journey is worth it. The author has a beautiful way with description, and the mystery is so completely enthralling that the reader just has to find out the truth. There are many twists and turns, as well as, trips into the past. There is tragedy, intrigue, love, family bonds, new experiences, interesting people, and a garden that induces a sense of magic. There are strange and creepy things too, much like a fairytale.



Book Description:
A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, a mystery The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton. Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century - Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.

Another Challenge

This is another challenge I will be participating in this year. I love YA books, so this will be a no brainer for me. This challenge is hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog and anyone is welcome to join.

Here's the details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels. (This is the one I plan on doing)
--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.
--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, re-reads all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Young Adult novels will be listed. Include the URL so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.