A Murder Solving Book Collector

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: This one started out a little slow, but soon got interesting enough to encourage further reading. I like Cliff Janeway, with his wonderful book addiction, and tough guy appeal. It's an unusual combination that really drew me into his story. There was a great mystery to be solved, and I liked that I had no idea who the killer was until the end. There was a weird section in the book, where Janeway opens a book store, which didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. It was fun reading about it, but I was thrown off a little bit from the murder mystery. Once the investigation picked back up again, though, I was hooked. The ending was a bit abrupt, however. While there didn't seem to be any lose ends aside from his relationship with Rita, I felt a little let down for some reason. I do plan on reading more in the series, though.

Book Description: Denver homicide detective Cliff Janeway may not always play by the book, but he is an avid collector of rare and first editions. After a local bookscout is killed on his turf, Janeway would like nothing better than to rearrange the suspect's spine. But the suspect, local lowlife Jackie Newton, is a master at eluding the law, and Janeway's wrathful brand of off-duty justice costs him his badge.
Turning to his lifelong passion, Janeway opens a small bookshop — all the while searching for evidence to put Newton away. But when prized volumes in a highly sought-after collection begin to appear, so do dead bodies. Now, Janeway's life is about to start a precarious new chapter as he attempts to find out who's dealing death along with vintage Chandlers and Twains.

Blood and Gore and Sophistication

Rating: 4/5

Review: I was surprised to find myself quite enjoying this book. It was certainly unusual, and at times a little gross. Of course, that's hard to avoid when dealing with zombies. I laughed out loud, however, on more than one occasion. It was such a hoot reading about these classic characters dealing with nasty "unmentionables" in as sophisticated a manner as possible.

Book Description: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton-and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers-and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

What's a Pharm party???

Rating: 5/5

Review: This was an excellent book that delves deep into the issues that parents face every day. Is it ok to spy on your teenager? Would you be able to see signs that your child was about to commit suicide? What the heck is a Pharm party? I had never heard of Pharm parties, but I can see how they'd be real. A bunch of kids steal prescription drugs from their parents and get together and take them to get high. Creepy, when you consider there are some pretty heavy duty drugs out there that are perfectly legal when prescribed. There's also a murder mystery going on, and a determined female detective who knows that the first victim is not what she seems to be. There are intense moments and heartbreaking moments. There are triumphant moments too, of course. This was just a great, fast-paced read, that really makes you sit on the edge of your seat.

Book Description:
Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they'd become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate Spencer Hill—the latest in a string of issues at school—they can't help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam's computer, and within days are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: "Just stay quiet and all safe."Meanwhile, browsing through an online memorial for Spencer put together by his classmates, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son's death . . . and he wasn't alone. She thinks it is Adam Baye standing just outside the camera's range; but when Adam goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community. For Tia and Mike Baye, the question they must answer is this: When it comes to your kids, is it possible to know too much?

Reluctant Necromancer

Rating: 5/5

Review: I love paranormal suspense, and this book certainly delivers. There are ghosts, werewolves, sorcerers, witches, half-demons, and a necromancer. This is the second in a great new trilogy by Kelley Armstrong (one of my favorite authors). Chloe is the necromancer who narrates the story, and she has some major issues in dealing with her unwanted powers of raising the dead. She has a few accidents, that are wonderfully creepy. Luckily, this book didn't leave me hanging quite as bad as the first, but I am still waiting anxiously for the third book to come out. Unfortunately, that's not going to be until May 2010. Ah well, There will be plenty of good stuff to read in the mean time.

Book Description: If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.
Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

Paranormal Puberty

Rating: 5/5

Review: This book was so good, that I ended up buying the second in the trilogy just because I didn't want to wait for it to come in at the library. You've got interesting characters, an exciting plot line, great dialogue, and a wonderful new paranormal trilogy by a fabulous author. What more could you possibly want? In the midst of all that, you also have normal teenage hormones and issues. Love it!

Book Description: After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

Tragic, But Good

Rating: 4/5

Review: This was such a sad tale, but well worth the read. It didn't bring tears to my eyes, but I did feel a little melancholy over certain events. By the end, I was desperately wanting something really good to happen for these poor girls. It did indeed have a happy ending, so do hang in there if you decide to read the book.

Book Description:Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, The Third Angel, was hailed as "an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love" (USA Today), "stunning" (Jodi Picoult), and "spellbinding" (Miami Herald). Her new novel, The Story Sisters, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, The Story Sisters sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them.

Catching up

Well, I've fallen behind again. It happens every once in a while, and I do apologize for my delay. I have been reading, though. I just haven't been posting. Busy summer and all that. Let's see, what I have I read since the last post? I read:

It was an interesting book, and quite depressing at times, but very good. I was completely drawn into this tale of a woman falling into madness.

and:

This was a heartwarming book about a young woman who is forced to do something she never thought she wanted to do...be a mom.

I also had a couple of rereads, such as, The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks and Posion Study by Maria V. Snyder. I read the sequel to the former novel, which was called The Dark River. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the first in the trilogy, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. I am hoping that the next book by Mr. Twelve Hawks will be better. Ok, so that should have me all caught up now. I am currently reading a sorrowful book by Alice Hoffman. I may need something uplifting after that. Haha!