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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Cinnamon has commented on (41) products
Storm Front: Dresden Files 1
by
Jim Butcher
Cinnamon
, August 19, 2010
Harry Dresden. If you have yet to read any of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, the name may seem like just a name. Once you've read the books however...that name turns into liquid gold. I was turned on to Jim Butcher as part of my new move toward listening to books in the car instead of mind numbing commercials on the radio. I'd never read this author before so I didn't know what to expect. I did, however, respect the advice of my bookish friend, so I gave it a try. My first opinion of this audiobook was that I was never going to be able to get through the story. The reader, James Marsters, spoke too fast and didn't articulate quite well enough for me to understand easily. He mumbled under his breath and sounded more like a person sitting in the seat next to me than a person carefully reading every word off the page for me to understand. I pushed through and decided that I would give the book a half hour. If I couldn't get into it by then, I'd just run out and buy the actual paperback. About 30 seconds later I was so engrossed in the book that I probably could have driven across the country and not realized it. There are two fantastic elements that make STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher a great read. Since I have already rambled on about the reader, Marsters, we'll start there. If you have to or want to listen to an audiobook, listen to James Marsters. This man is a complete genius (as is Renee Raudman of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews). When you listen to the books that he reads, you're not just listening to someone telling you a story. Masters' voice combined with the writing style of Jim Butcher make for a complete experience. Marsters becomes Dresden and no longer are we simply watching Dresden; we're listening to him speak to us and following him along through his various adventures. Mr. Marsters, I bow to you. You truly are an expert at making an audiobook come to life. If Marsters isn't enough to hook a reader, the story certainly will be. In Harry Dresden, Butcher has created a character that you just can't help but want to know. He's kind of like that abandoned teddy bear sitting in the corner that you feel compelled to dust off and cuddle. Of course, this teddy bear can capture demons and perform some wildly powerful magic - but that doesn't stop you from wanting to be his friend. Harry Dresden is a good guy that always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's full of virtue but isn't above noticing the plunging neckline of a woman's dress or feeling the temptation of a large pile of money tossed at him. He fights evil as best he can and saves innocents when at all possible. He has a killer personality with a wry sense of humor that often leaves me giggling. Not only is the plot of STORM FRONT full of enough twists and turns to keep the reader entertained throughout the entire book, but this writing is the kind that makes you laugh out loud or clutch your stomach when times get stressful. Butcher knows how to bring emotion out in the reader and he does it wonderfully. If you're looking for a good Urban Fantasy with a strong and hilarious male lead, I highly suggest STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher. I'm really not a fan of reading male characters and yet Dresden has quickly become one of my all time favorite characters. I can't wait to see what Butcher has in store next!
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Icing on the Cupcake
by
Jennifer Ross
Cinnamon
, July 19, 2010
I tend to read a lot of Fantasy and Urban Fantasy books. The more paranormal it has in it, the better. There are times, however, when I really just want something down to earth that brings with it a sense of hope and happiness. THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE: A NOVEL by Jennifer Ross is exactly that kind of book. Ansley is the kind of character that you just can't help but fall in love with. Her mission has been to get married and just when it looks like everything is going to fall into place, her dreams are dashed when her fiance cancels the wedding and boots her out the door. Heartbroken, Ansley does what many would do and flees town. THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE is a story about recreating yourself and making new hopes and dreams. This story wouldn't have been complete if the aspect of family wasn't thrown in there. With nowhere to go, Ansley moves in with her grandmother and does what the women in her family do best - she bakes. Surprisingly, there is actually quite a bit of anticipation as we watch Ansley try to open up her own cupcake shop. Ms. Ross doesn't just give us a good story - she fills it with suspense too. Something keeps happening to Ansley's shop and part of this adventure is figuring out what is going on. Will Ansley be able to successfully run her shop? Will her heart be able to find love again? Can baking cure all the evils in the world? Aside from a great and hilarious story, we also get quite a few delicious recipes in THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE. A while ago cakes became the new black and it seems that now, cupcakes are following that trend. Becoming more and more popular, strange and phenomenal cupcake flavors are popping up everywhere. If there's one thing I can say about the cupcake recipes in THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE it's this: yum! Now I just have to figure out if I'm going to shelve this one with my cookbooks or my fiction books. The dilemma! If you're looking for a book that is at times lighthearted and at times emotional, I would definitely take a look at THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE. This is great for the beach or curling up on a rainy day. One warning though: I highly suggest having a snack nearby when reading this. If you're anything like me, Ms. Ross will definitely make you hungry!
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Night Myst Indigo Court 01
by
Yasmine Galenorn
Cinnamon
, June 29, 2010
Yasmine Galenorn created another fabulous story and a wonderful set of characters. NIGHT MYST is the first book in the new Indigo Court series, which promises to be just as action packed and magical as her Sisters of the Moon series. Following Cicely Waters, an elemental witch as she struggles to discover herself while uncovering a dark force that has taken over her hometown, NIGHT MYST combines magic and mysticism with a fair amount of drama and adventure. The one thing that I really love about Ms. Galenorn's books is her character development. The main plot of NIGHT MYST involves Cicely discovering the vampiric fae queen, MYST of the Indigo court. More dangerous than either vampires or fae, this deadly combination is definitely a force to be reckoned with. As we journey through the story and learn more about the dangers here, Ms. Galenorn gives us some good glimpses into Cicely and the troubled romance she has with the dark Grieve. Rather than just spouting out a quick backstory for Cicely, Ms. Galenorn weaves this into the book, allowing us to learn about Cicely just as she learns about herself. I found this method of pulling the reader into the story to be quite effective; it really helped bring the characters and story to life. Speaking of characters - did I already mention that I love Cicely as a character? The fact that she can control the wind just makes her that much more awesome to me. Her "sidekick" is her air elemental and this added dimension to the story is like the icing on the cake. As with her other books, Ms. Galenorn's writing style in NIGHT MYST is very clear and easy to read. She uses fairly realistic language and it is pretty easy to imagine someone sitting on the side of the road using the same dialogue that she gives her characters. Well, okay, perhaps minus the vampiric bloodsucking bit. At least I hope so anyway. I believe that fans of the Urban Fantasy or Paranormal genres will definitely find something to love in NIGHT MYST. This is a robust story that keeps the reader guessing and anticipating from page one all the way through to the end. Also, previous fans of Ms. Galenorn's will be happy to note that this new series looks to be just as good as her others. I highly recommend it and am anxious to see where the story is going to go in future books.
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Masked by Moonlight
by
Nancy Gideon
Cinnamon
, June 17, 2010
Max is tall, dark, and handsome with a wolfish grin - literally. He also just so happens to serve as the muscle for mob boss, Jimmy Legere. Charlotte is your typical "good" cop out to discover her father's killer while ridding the streets of evil one creep at a time. Under any other circumstance, we probably wouldn't see these two having much to do with one another unless one was trying to kill the other. In Nancy Gideon's MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, however, we get to see them in an action packed story full of mystery and passion. Charlotte and Max are a fun couple to read about. Charlotte is fairly relatable to your average female reader and I found following her to be pretty entertaining. Max is super attractive and definitely a guy we wouldn't mind getting to stare at over coffee. Put the two together and it's like Ms. Gideon created an explosion of romance on the pages. The chemistry between these two is definitely one of the highpoints to me, although I will say that at times it almost felt forced. The relationship between Max and Charlotte was thrown impossible curve balls and yet still they manage to overcome them. I'll be excited to see where Ms. Gideon takes these characters in the second book in the Moonlight Trilogy, Chased by Moonlight. Aside from the romance, passion, and the never-ending question of what will happen in Max and Charlotte's relationship, the underlying mystery and drama of the book makes for a fantastic read. The story is complex, holding multiple layers of depth, without being overly so. It is very easy to follow, but not so simple that your mind gets lazy and sleepy. Max and Charlotte both have questions from their past and it seems that the answers converge. Is there more to the story than either of them know? Ms. Gideon leads us through the book, easily hooking us with dynamic characters and her development of the plot. She throws questions at us, gives us a few answers and then tosses more questions our way. There really isn't a single moment in MASKED BY MOONLIGHT that leaves the reader feeling bored and ready to jump ahead. I recommend this to any Paranormal and Romance fans out there. The passion in MASKED BY MOONLIGHT is intense and beautifully written, while the paranormal aspect of it gives it that feeling of "other" that readers find so compelling nowadays. Ms. Gideon appears to have a great series in the works here and there's no telling what she has up her sleeve for us next.
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Desire Me
by
Robyn Dehart
Cinnamon
, June 09, 2010
Robyn DeHart's latest installment in The Legend Hunters series fully lives up to the great start the first book, Seduce Me brought. Full of passion, intrigue, and a good deal of suspense, DESIRE ME, is a great pick for anyone looking for a great romance. This book begins in 1873 with our hero, Maxwell Barrett in his teenage years. Determined to prove himself and his theories, he sets out to find the fabled map of Atlantis. If he can prove the existence of this mysterious city, he will be able to prove that he's not just some crazy loon, but rather a person worthy of recognition. I have to say that the prologue, with young Max, was one of my favorite aspects of the book. This is a fairly simple section of the book, only spanning a few hours in Max's life. Still, it is so packed with action and suspense that by the end of it there was no question that I would be reading the rest of the book. Ms. DeHart is not an author that strings you along for a while, making you sit and wait for the action to pick up. No, rather, she gives it to you right from the beginning. She hooks the reader and quickly gets our adrenaline pumping as we wait to see if our hero of the book is going to live or die. Seriously - the prologue was fabulous. I'm sure we've all read a book before where the prologue or first chapter totally hook the reader. It's full of action or mystery and there is just no question that you'd read the rest of the book. Then you turn to the next chapter...and it all just falls flat. So much energy was put into perfecting that first hook that the rest of the story seems to suffer. Well, I'm thrilled to tell you that DESIRE ME is not one of these books. Ms. DeHart pulls us into the action from the start and continues the wild pace of her adventure through to the last page. As the story progresses, we learn more about Max and get to meet the heroine of our book. There is a bit of mysticism surrounding Sabine as she discovers that she is a descendant of Atlantis. Along with her aunts, she is charged with protecting its secrets, but when a prophecy and a darker evil arises that threatens to destroy all they've worked for, Sabine has to fight to discover the city first. Teaming up with Max in a sometimes uneasy alliance, the two race to find Atlantis before the force that is leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Max and Sabine's relationship was wonderfully passionate and created a good deal of food for thought. While the two have an obvious spark between them, what will happen if they find Atlantis? Will their growing romance get in the way of unraveling the mysteries of Max's map? Will they both end up dead before either their mission or romance come to fruition? DESIRE ME is perfect for any reader looking for a hint of magic combined with a beautiful romance and spine tingling suspense. My only suggestion would be to make sure that you're sitting in a comfortable spot because, as I learned, you'll most likely end up sitting on the edge of your seat throughout the book and that can have dire consequences for your tailbone.
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Summer of Skinny Dipping
by
Amanda Howells
Cinnamon
, June 08, 2010
THE SUMMER OF SKINNY DIPPING by Amanda Howells is another great summer romance following in the footsteps of 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. If you could only take a handful of books with you to the beach, this is definitely one that I would choose to take. This is a story of self discovery and learning to love who you are. Mia, our heroine, is struggling to get over her ex and reform some old familial ties. She's excited about getting to spend time with her family, but disappointed when she finds that the moodiness of her cousins threatens to destroy her vacation. In rides the knight in shining armor. Simon brings a light into Mia's life and over the course of the book we see him help Mia accept who she is. On the same note, Mia does her own bit of public service and helps Simon with his own personal demons as well. There were many aspects of THE SUMMER OF SKINNY DIPPING that made it a wonderful read. The writing style was smooth and clear - great for reading with wild kids running around the beach. Some aspects of the story could have bogged down a bit, but the paced actually pretty good throughout. I loved how Ms. Howells was able to dig into some fairly deep topics while still keeping the general feel of the book from dipping into dark and depressing territory. Also, the fact that she included some of these darker aspects at all is testiment to the realism of this story and how well young adults should be able to relate to it. Another great aspect of the book was the character development. Not only did Ms. Howells develop Mia beautifully, but she gave us some good insight into the other side characters in the story as well. Mia's family really comes to life, although not always in a good light. Reading this story is very much like sitting in the middle of someone's living room, watching the goings on of the people around you. The best way I can describe the experience of THE SUMMER OF SKINNY DIPPING is an emotional rollercoaster; one you would ride again and again. Ms Howells has a great way of writing that really makes the reader feel like their skin is sunkissed; like they're slipping through the ocean waves. I highly recommend this to any fans of Romance or YA. Fair warning though, tissues are definitely going to be required for this read as is the occasional punching bag.
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Pretty Little Liars 01
by
Sara Shepard
Cinnamon
, June 07, 2010
Often described as a mix between I Know What You Did Last Summer and Desperate Housewives PRETTY LITTLE LIARS by Sara Shepard promised to be an exciting and suspenseful read. Sure enough, it met and exceeded all of my expectations. The first thing that I will say about this book is that I was really expecting something a little more superficial and juvenile. I had never read anything by Ms. Shepard before, so I didn't know what to expect. What I received was a book that would be great for any teen and most adults I know. Ms. Shepard's writing is far from juvenile and made for a story that had me hooked from the first few lines. Allison, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer are best friends. Okay, maybe they're really good friends. Well, wait. What definition of friends are we using here? Allison is wildly popular and completely gorgeous, so it's no surprise when Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer practically fall over themselves trying to be her friends. Although Allison can be mean at times, she's their friend, right? Sure, she may not a few dirty secrets about them, but she'd never tell. Friends are in it until the end. All bets are off, however, when Allison goes missing. First torn apart by their grief and the awkward rebuilding of their personalities that follows Allison's disappearance, the girls later discover something deeper within themselves; an almost pleasant acceptance of Allison's disappearance. At least now, each of their dirty little secrets is back to being safely hidden. Sounds good right? Girl goes missing and eventually her friends get on with their lives. Well, if this were the end of the story, the book would be about seven pages long. No, Ms. Shepard isn't going to let you off that easily. Tossed into the chaos right from the beginning of the book, the girls each separately start to receive mysterious text messages signed by "A". As they attempt to figure out who "A" is, the messages get more and more disturbing, some hinting at secrets that only the missing Allison knew. Cue the suspenseful music! So really though, if I could have had a suspense soundtrack playing while I read this book, I'm fairly certain that I would have jumped out of my seat in shock a few times. This was a beautifully crafted book with a well thought out plot line that easily hooks readers and then draws them in. The complexity of the story was what really made this a great read and I can't imagine the amount of time and planning that went into crafting the various plot twists and turns that pop up throughout the pages. Think you know something about someone? I can pretty much guarantee that by the next page you'll be proven wrong. When everyone is suspect, who can you trust? Ms. Shepard answers that one for us - nobody. One part of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS that may trip a few people up are the varying points of view throughout the story. Each chapter is really told from a different girl's point of view although they all aren't necessarily labeled by girl. Still, I found it fairly easy to figure out who's chapter we were in and didn't really notice too much of a disconnect between the four stories when reading. Ms. Shepard does an amazing job with her consistency; although each girl's chapter takes place in different places and settings, they tie together well and occasionally we even see just a little bit of overlap. The last part of the book that I briefly need to discuss is the character development. In a book like this, especially for the first in a series, character development is vital to a successful story. Ms. Shepard did this wonderfully. My proof is in the way that the characters, Spencer especially, still roam through my mind, picking at my brain when I have little else to do. I highly recommend PRETTY LITTLE LIARS to any fans of drama or YA fiction out there. Looking for a good thriller? I would definitely point to this book. Although filled with topics that young adults can relate to, I don't see much here that would turn an adult off from the book. Indeed, I think adults too will very much appreciate the adrenaline rush this book provides.
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Little Giant Of Aberdeen County
by
Tiffany Baker
Cinnamon
, June 07, 2010
Everyone knows that it's difficult to be different. Our society hasn't historically embraced differences, although in some ways we are getting better. Some places, however, still embrace the idea of sameness and for a girl growing up different, a life here can be miserable. In THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY by Tiffany Baker, Truly Plaice and her sister Serena Jane differ from each other just about as much as two people can. Serena Jane is beautiful, graceful and elegant. Truly Plaice is literally a giant, her body growing out of control. Shunned by the town since birth, Truly has to carry the weight of her strangeness with the burden of self-doubt and blame. When she and her sister are separated and sent to different homes, Serena is sent to live in the lap of luxury while Truly goes to live on a broken down farm. Trust me when I say that for a long time, she did not lead a happy life. There were both things to love and things I wish would have been slightly different in THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY. For one, I wish her medical condition would have been explained a bit more. I still feel a little fuzzy on the details. What I did love, however, was the plot twists and turns within the story. I didn't expect this story to be a complex one; rather, I thought it would be a nice, simple read. Fortunatley I was mistaken. Ms. Baker instills this book with an assortment of different plot points and pieces of character development that keep the reader interested from the first page all the way through to the last. Truly was a great heroine and one that we were really able to delve into. Ms. Baker allowed us to explore the inner workings of her mind which proved to be just as entertaining as the rest of the story. Serena Jane was, well, Serena. She didn't particularly stand out much to me as a character, which is odd since I really considered her to be one of the two main characters are the beginning. She does play her part to move the plot forward though. I think I would have liked to see a little more depth from her though. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a different book. Combining some thoughts on the more depressing side of society with just a hint of fantasy, THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY is great for those readers looking to escape into something and occupy their minds for a while. I don't know that I would necessarily recommend this to a casual reader, however. Some of the text can get a little bogged down and while Ms. Baker's writing and descriptions are beautiful, there are times when you really need to focus and visualize what is happening in order to stay within the story.
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Traction Get a Grip on Your Business
by
Gino Wickman
Cinnamon
, June 06, 2010
TRACTION: GET A GRIP ON YOUR BUSINESS by Gino Wickman was a slightly different book for me to review, as my regular readers will notice. Due to my current educational state, I figured it would be an interesting choice, however, so I embarked on a mission to learn about business ownership and management. TRACTION spends a lot of time encouraging the reader to focus on goal setting and analysis. Are your goals appropriate for what you're doing? Is what you're doing appropriate for your goals? The idea is to stop spinning your wheels so much and get down to the business of running your business in an effective and efficient manner. I see this book helping those running a business to both start and set goals from the beginning and get a wayward business back on track. Perhaps your business is bordering the line between profit and disaster. TRACTION has some good tips and advice for how to pull yourself in and focus on the important aspects of the business. Not every person runs a business the same way and TRACTION will help the reader learn the best way to run his or her business. I found Mr. Wickman's writing style to be easily understandable and conducive to a casual reader looking for good advice. This isn't a textbook with dry language where the reader has to force themselves to turn the pages. The pages turn easily here, the promise of great information too tempting to stop reading. Furthermore, his advice seems very realistic. I have not had the opportunity to put any of it into effect yet, but this book is the kind that I could see anyone running a business being able to use effectively. This is a book for your average Joe and one that he or she might benefit from.
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Jekel Loves Hyde
by
Beth Fantaskey
Cinnamon
, June 06, 2010
I am beginning to learn that Beth Fantaskey writes more than just a fabulous book. Instead, she takes a great story and adds a dark feel to it that makes it completely unexpected and spectacular. She did in first in Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and then continued the approach in JEKEL LOVES HYDE. I am just loving it. The book starts out fairly simply, without a lot of worry. A funeral brings the story into focus, but even then events unfold much like we expect they would. This is how Ms. Fantaskey tricks the reader into thinking that her story is going to be just another run-of-the-mill, slightly predictable piece of fiction. A few more chapters in, however, and you begin to realize just how wrong you really were. JEKEL LOVES HYDE is the story of two science nerd, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde. Both have secrets and while Jill attempts to survive following the death of her father and breakdown of her mother, Tristen hides a secret that could prove to be much more deadly. Hmm…Jekel and Hyde. One might ask: any relation to the legendary Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde? Guess you'll just have to read to find out! There were a few fantastic elements to JEKEL LOVES HYDE that Ms. Fantaskey's fans will be pleased to see. First is the way she develops her characters throughout the story. She doesn't give us all the details on every aspect of our hero and heroines lives right at the beginning of the book. No, instead she allows us to learn about them as they discover each other. I found this to be a fantastic way of really falling into the story. Nothing says realism like experiencing the characters' world right alongside them. The other wonderful aspect of this book that made it a keeper for me are the twists and turns that Ms. Fantaskey throws out there. Just as in Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, the reader is left absolutely knowing what is going to happen next, only to have this knowledge dashed to the rocks on the very next page. This was another page turner that was difficult to put down. Both the authors clear writing style and her plot twists keep the reader poised on the edge of their seat, ready to cheer or scream right alongside the characters. Now that you're ready to run out and read this for yourselves, here's my warning. The point of view in JEKEL LOVES HYDE does tend to jump back and forth between Jill and Tristen. The sections are well labeled and it shouldn't be hard at all to figure out who is talking when. Still, sometimes I found it hard to switch gears from being in Jill's head one moment to Tristen's the next. Keep this in mind. Fans of dark fantasy and/or YA will most likely love JEKEL LOVES HYDE. I believe that Ms. Fantaskey's previous fans will also find something to love in this story. Her characters are realistic, with their own quirks, issues, and challenges and her plot is complex while still being understandable to the reader. This is the kind of story a reader can get lost in with no real plans to attempt to dig themselves back out.
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Succubus Blues Georgina Kincaid 01
by
Richelle Mead
Cinnamon
, June 04, 2010
Oh Georgina, you are one of my new favorite heroines. You are full of complexity, hidden secrets and bring with you a world that makes my brain go all happy and mushy. Hmm? Oh, hello there. Don't mind me; I was just visiting with the incredibly attractive and hilarious Georgina Kincaid, unenthusiastic succubus. First introduced in SUCCUBUS BLUES, the first in the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead, Georgina has to overcome some crazy initial hurdles. She's a succubus, although like many of us, she hates her job. Daylighting as a bookstore manager, it's this work that really gets her passionate. Working with people on her non glowing days and drinking as much coffee as she can get her hands on while being surrounded by books makes her one happy girl. Unfortunately, succubi aren't known for being great bookworms. When someone starts killing the other immortals in Georgina's life, her whole world goes chaotic. Trying to investigate the murders while navigating a precarious love life surrounding two interested men, Georgina has to make tough choices. These choices, however, could mean the difference between life and death for her and those she loves. I absolutely loved this book. I found Ms. Mead's writing to be fantastic and completely hilarious at times. In fact, I would probably have to use both hands to count the number of times I laughed out loud while reading this story. I received some pretty interesting looks, too. Georgina is a completely loveable character and not in that, cute and cuddly teddy bear sort of way. She is the kind of woman I would love to catch a late night chick flick with. She is spunky, intelligent, and kind. She preys on the dirtbags of society, unwilling to steal the life force from good guys. This is partially the reason why she doesn't date and hasn't had a good relationship in a while. When she's thrust in the middle of two guys she's has interest in, it's anybody's guess what's going to happen next. I highly recommend this to any fans of Urban Fantasy. Georgina is a fabulous character, the world is fantastic and beautifully developed and the plot is great nd had me hopping on the edge of my seat. Even the side characters increased my curiosity and got my adrenaline pumping. One of the best aspects of the book was that Georgina's background was slowly woven in through the story. At the end of the book some of our questions are answered while more are formed. Ms. Mead is a master of developing a robust story line with fantastic series potential.
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Knight of Passion
by
Margaret Mallory
Cinnamon
, June 02, 2010
Regret. Pain. Hope. Passion. Love. Those are the themes of KNIGHT OF PASSION by Margaret Mallory, although not necessarily in that order. Fans of Mallory will recognize our hero, Jamie Rayburn as the little boy from Knight of Desire. In the first book of the series, Jamie was a cute and precocious boy. Now, in KNIGHT OF PASSION, Jamie has grown up and become quite the looker. He's returned to England, searching for a wife to build a home. Although his heart is drawn to Lady Linnet, his mind steers him away. He wants a nice stable wife - can Linnet play that role? The Lady Linnet's heart is torn in two different directions. One side of her wants to reek vengeance on the people who left who her poor and homeless after the death of her grandfather. She marries and quickly becomes a widow, all in according to her plan of generating wealth in order to track her prey across England. The other side of her, the side filled with love and hope, cried at having left Jamie to fulfill her dark mission. When she befriends Queen Katherine and finds herself once more in the presence of Jamie, the spark is quickly rekindled. Will her love for him be enough to convince him that she can change or will her mistakes destine her to a life without him? This book was a bit more intense for me than Knight of Desire. The first in the series with Lady Catherine Rayburn and William FitzAlan is still by far my favorite, but KNIGHT OF PASSION turned out to be pretty good competition. The relationship between Jamie and Linnet was one that kept you on the edge of your seat throughout most of the story. The passion was there, surely, but was the trust? Ms. Mallory teased us and then pushed us away, leaving us with the knowledge that both parties truly loved one another but wondering if a Happily Ever After was possible for these two. Unfortunately, I won't be able to answer this question for you. You'll just have to read and find out. One thing that makes Ms. Mallory's books so fantastic is the attention to detail she puts into them. Her writing is just as beautiful and colorful as the covers on the books and it is easy to get lost in the story through her words. Sometimes we see good stories, good plots, but the writing bogs the book down. Ms. Mallory presents us with a work that flows easily and reads quite well despite the complexity of the story and relationships therein. By far my favorite aspect of KNIGHT OF PASSION was Lady Linnet. Her backstory was painful and really tugged on the heartstrings. It was difficult reading about her at times because we knew what she was going through and what she needed, but the world always seemed to work against her and there wasn't a thing we could do about it. There were times that I wanted to shout at Jamie and tell him all about Linnet; tell him just to love her. Fortunately, I couldn't and watching the two learn about each other and themselves made for a fantastic story. I would highly recommend this to any fans of historical romance. The book is well researched, paced quite well, full of passion, and beautifully written. Ms. Mallory is an expert and one that romance junkies just have to experience.
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The Devlin Diary
by
Christi Phillips
Cinnamon
, May 27, 2010
Imagine a time where women have finally gained some freedoms - some, not all. Many restrictions have been lifted from them except the ability to practice medicine. Now picture yourself as an intelligent woman, versed in medicine, desperate to treat the poor who pass you every day in various stages of sickness and there isn't a single thing you can do about it. This is the situation Hannah Devlin faces. Of course, she practices her medicine earlier although the discovery of which can have criminal consequences for Hannah. Drawn into a world of intrigue and conspiracy, Hannah struggles to survive and uncover the mystery behind a series of grisly murders. Fastforward to present(ish) day. Claire Donovan is a history teacher at Trinity College. When a fellow professor ends up dead, it is Hannah Devlin's diary that may hold the key to his death. Could the darkness of the past jump forward into the present? Christi Phillips writes an interesting story jam packed with intrigue. In THE DEVLIN DIARY, secrets abound and it's anybody's guess how the various investigations will turn out. The story is written using parallel story lines; the reader is first introduced to Hannah and her life before Claire enters the story. Although I'm not a huge fan of parallel shorelines, one good thing about this is that the author was able to use this to her advantage to keep us totally hooked. Just as we'd get to a point with Hannah where she made some awesome discovery, we'd switch over to Claire. The same held true the other way. Just as the lightbulb was about to go on above Claire's head, we'd be tugged back to Hannah's time. This aspect was masterfully done to the point where I continued reading the story despite the parallel nature of it. The couple points that I couldn't really get into were Claire's relationship with Andrew and Claire herself. Both seemed like they were added to the story to round it out, although the relationship just felt kind of so-so and Claire wasn't nearly as interesting as Hannah. Perhaps it's the difference in how interesting the two time periods were, I'm unsure. If the book were solely about Hannah I think I would have become much more engrossed in it. Overall THE DEVLIN DIARY was a great read. Fan of historical thrillers will find something to love here. Although this does come after The Rossetti Letter, I didn't really feel like I was missing much by not having read that book. I think THE DEVLIN DIARY does a fine job of standing on its own.
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Amazon Queen
by
Lori Devoti
Cinnamon
, May 25, 2010
AMAZON QUEEN by Lori Devoti is a story full of intrigue and suspense. Bringing the legendary Amazons to modern times, Ms. Devoti has created a world where we get just a kiss of the paranormal. The story is fueled by action and drama, the perfect characteristics to get a reader hooked. The second in the Amazon series, AMAZON QUEEN follows Zery, queen of the Amazons. A race of Artemitis worshiping women, the Amazons are incredibly gifted with height, strength, and certain magical abilities. Of course, many of these abilities becomes hard to hide in modern times so the nomadic nature of the people becomes a bit of a blessing for them. Or is it? When a discovery is made in the first book, Amazon Ink, Zery will have to question the beliefs and practices the tribe has made for centuries. Could it be possible that there is another group of individuals out there with powers similar to their own? Could their actually be competition for the Amazons? With the question of friend or foe foremost in her mind, Zery has to find a way to protect her tribe while leading them forward in these new tribes. If that weren't a feat all on its own, it doesn't help that she has a backstabber in her midst. How is one supposed to save her people when those very people are made to shun her? I find Ms. Devoti's writing style to be very conducive to getting lost within the story. There are good stories and then there are good stories that are written in the exact manner my mind thinks. That's what happened here. The words on the page flow by seamlessly with none of those stops or breaks that you sometimes find in writing. There weren't really any sections where I had to stop, look back, check for consistency or otherwise get my bearings. If the writing style wasn't enough, the character development and progression of the story line would finish me off. I love the mythology present in the book and the darker take on it. While Amazon Ink was a great introduction, AMAZON QUEEN felt a bit darker and more compelling. I wasn't a fan of Zery at first, but as the story progressed I began to fall in love with her. My heart broke when hers did and many times I found myself perched on the edge of the couch, scared to see what might happen next. If you're a fan of fantasy and paranormals, I highly recommend AMAZON QUEEN. This book is well robust with its use of suspense and the paranormal.
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Dark Lover BDB 01
by
J R Ward
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
DARK LOVER is the first in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series and spends the majority of the time introducing us to Beth, Wrath and the world they live in. Beth is a small time reporter trying to make it big while under the thumb of her chauvinistic editor. Her life is, well, boring to say the least. All that changes, however, when a mysterious man enters her life, claiming to be the only person who can save her life. Wrath, the unwilling King of the vampires wants to do his job - kill the Lessers and nothing more. He doesn't care about humans or really anyone outside of his brotherhood. Will these two, headed down a lonely road, find life within each other? The book flowed easily and quickly drew me in as a reader. There were a few times when the pace got choppy or the store confused me, but these were spaced out through the book so it wasn't too distracting. I did have to go back and reread a couple sections just to see what was going on, but overall I was able follow along fairly well. I have to say that I absolutely loved the story of DARK LOVER. There are many vampire stories out there nowadays - it's the new "in" thing - but this took a different take on it. A massive and centuries long war between the Vampires and the Lessers creates a need for the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a cursed group of hunky men that any female reader should love getting to spend some time with. In addition, Ward creates her own set of rules for her Vampires, making them unique and creating a breath of fresh air in this series. You knew it was coming - fair warning time: Okay, so with the title of DARK LOVER, I hope nobody will be surprised to find out that this is more of an Adult book than a Young Adult book. Yes, there are intimate scenes and yes some of them are graphic; however, the graphic nature really did not detract from the storyline, which I was surprised about. Now, this isn't the sort of graphic where you're hiding your face behind your hair because you are afraid to read it. This kind of graphic shows you what is going on but in a "tasteful" way that adds to the story. I put tasteful in quotation marks because I don't want to offend anyone. When I say tasteful, I mean that the scenes of intimacy add to the story rather than just appearing to be there. I'm a shy person and I wasn't embarrassed to be reading this one out in public.
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Wicked Lovely 01
by
Melissa Marr
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
I had heard a lot of hype surrounding WICKED LOVELY, mainly because of the recent release of Fragile Eternity. Even if I hadn't heard a single thing about it, the cover would have been enough to get this book on my bookshelf. My favorite winter colors surrounded by darkness makes this cover just absolutely gorgeous. I have said before, and I'll say again, I want some posters of Marr's covers. Yum! WICKED LOVELY is the story of Aislinn, Seth, Keenan, Donia and Beira mainly. There are some side characters thrown in there, girlfriends of Aislinn, Aislinn's Grams and various guards that play a part in the book, but they are too many to discuss here. Aislinn is a strong girl, almost a woman really. She faces the usual teenage drama but on top of it has to deal with the fact that she has the Sight. She can see Faeries. Every girl's dream, right? Well, not when the Faeries might gouge your eyes out just for being able to see them. Her relationship with Seth is one part that I loved about the book. It's very realistic, seems very normal; at least to me. Seth isn't your perfect guy, he's got his issues and that makes him just that much more lovable. Every book needs to have a bad boy and Seth provides that for us. He's our mental eye candy. Marr created finely detailed characters with just the right amount of development, especially for the first book in her Faery world. She leaves us with questions surrounding pretty much all of the characters, but not enough so that it makes the book difficult to read. The relationships that Marr builds are realistic and easily pull the reader in. Who will Aislinn end up with? Will she destroy both relationships in order to preserve them? Tension is what makes the world go round and what makes a fantastic book. Really, it's difficult to push a storyline ahead without tension. In WICKED LOVELY we get tension in multiple forms. The tension between Aislinn and Seth is obvious. In any circumstance there comes a point where it's difficult for a girl and guy to stay "just friends." When one party is unwilling risk their friendship to experiment with becoming more, will it do just that? Next we get Aislinn and Keenan. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers, but you get the idea. One girl, two guys. That's always going to end up with a juicy little romantic triangle. There are other story-driving points of tension here, but I won't detail them all. That's the great part about being a reader; getting to discover the unknown, experience the moments for yourself. I won't take that from you. What I will do is applaud Marr for using tension to create a masterpiece. There are dozens, possibly hundreds of Faery stories out there. Most of them about cute, winged beings flitting about starting up the seasons. The Tinkerbell movie comes to mind. What there are not a whole lot of (or maybe I haven't come across them) are Faery stories like the one Marr presents to us. If you want a Tinkerbellesque story, this isn't it. I won't say that you should read another book, because I think you should definitely read this one, but I should warn you; this is not your grandmother's Faery tale. Marr creates a world that, as the title suggests, is WICKED LOVELY. Beauty is everywhere, but just as there is light, there must be darkness. Along with the magic we get danger. Marr's Faeries are darker, more destructive than the happy, twinkling little beings we are accustomed to. I found this a pleasant change as we get to explore the other side of what magic can offer. Fair warning time: There is one intimate scene. Marr is vague enough that I would still recommend this book for young adults, but use your own judgment.
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by
Jamie Ford
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET is truly an amazing book. I have different categories of books, some I love because of the entertainment value, others I love because they touch me in an emotional way that not many things do. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and Saved from Silence by Amanda Richardson are two other books (and the only others that I can pick off the top of my head) that elicited the same response in me. The story within the covers of this book is so moving, so sweet and tender that it's practically impossible not to love. It's the story of war, lies, heartbreak and above all triumph. The story of a young boy trying to survive in an adverse world where even his family might turn against him and yet, in all that there is a bright shining star; a girl. Henry is a strong willed man with Chinese heritage and American birthrights. Keiko is a second generation Japanese American, one who should claim the same birthrights as Henry if the world was a fairer place. The book travels through time between the mid 80's where Henry is an older man and the mid 40's where he is barely 12-years-old. He lives in the time of Pearl Harbor; the United States and their Chinese allies are at war with Japan and everyone they think may be affiliated. This includes the American born citizens of Japanese descent. Life isn't easy for Henry - he's constantly mistaken as Japanese and eventually forced by his overbearing and traditional father to wear a pin reading "I am Chinese." In truth, this pin probably saves quite a bit of grief. Despite the constant torment Henry faces, his family decides to send him to an all-white school, hoping that the education will curb the amount of prejudice Henry will have to face. As we can all imagine, having had our own experiences in grade school, the teasing isn't pleasant at school. Life is bleak and grey, day after day, until one day when a sweet face and chestnut eyes brightens Henry's life. With a blossoming friendship with Japanese Keiko, Henry will face more than he ever bargained for at the hands of his own family and those around him. With the country posing huge restrictions on the Japanese, will his new friend Keiko be safe? Will Henry be able to find the strength to protect her? Ford does a wonderful mix of travelling through time as we get to see Henry as a child and as an adult. In the year 1986, the Hotel Panama is finally opened for the first time in decades and a huge room full of steamer trunks and suitcases is found, each containing the personal belongings of some Japanese families that were "evacuated" from the cities. When Henry sees an old parasol with Koi painted on it, memories of his dear Keiko return to him. I absolutely loved this book. It was breathtaking and got me quite emotional on more than one occasion. I loved following the story of Henry and Keiko, learning how they dealt with adversity in the past and how Henry deals with painful memories and learning to live on in the present. Ford did an amazing job with his research and really seems to have captured the essence of the times in this piece. Although his foreword will tell you that this is a work of fiction, many of the events that take place in the book are real, including the Panama Hotel and the discovery of the belongings of 37 Japanese families within its basement. For a debut novel, I'd have to say that Ford's writing style was phenomenal. I found the book extremely easy to read with sentences and concepts flowing easily. The pace, although different at times, also worked quite well. You won't find any cookie cutter chapters here, all of the exact length of 20 pages. Instead, some chapters only range two and a half pages, while others may range upwards of 10. The high number of chapters and occasional low number of pages per chapter really adds to the book. It increases the pace during the tense moments and slows it down when we need more time to think; more time to ponder the fate of our star crossed lovers.
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Pride
by
Rachel Vincent
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
In PRIDE, we find Faythe in new and unfamiliar territory; literally. I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to give anything away, but there is so much new in this book that it will just blow your mind if you let it. Part of the reason I love series is that we, as the readers, get to explore more of the world with each book. Well, at least in a decent series, that is. Vincent does a fantastic job of this in her Shifters series, especially so in PRIDE. So many questions that we've had get answers in this third installment. Of course, with each answer comes an additional question so Vincent keeps us captivated and waiting for more, begging for the July 1 release date to come sooner. Some things you can expect to learn more about in PRIDE include werecat physiology, werecat pride politics and more about the life of a stray. In addition, Faythe's character development is just phenomenal. We really get a nice look into her head and a good glimpse of the cat she is becoming. In addition we'll learn a bit about the other werecat prides as well as more about each of Faythe's family members. The sexual and romantic tension between Faythe, Jace and Marc is still there, as strong and heated as ever. Fans of this little trio will be quite pleased to know that this aspect of the story is preserved in PRIDE and made about a hundred times better. The tension is so thick one could literally cut it with a knife (or claw). Truly, that's what makes a romantic element great; the additive of tension. Will Faythe end up with good guy Jace or will her hot and cold relationship with Marc blaze out of control? Find the answer for yourself by taking the journey through PRIDE. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Warning: I do suggest this book for adults or older teens. There are adult elements in it as well as blood and violence. If you're squeamish then perhaps this isn't the book for you although I can say that the gruesome parts are few and far between. They're easy to spot coming up and you could probably just skip a paragraph or two if you wanted to miss them.
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Rogue
by
Rachel Vincent
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
I absolutely loved ROGUE. I first picked up Stray, book one in Rachel Vincent's Werecat series, on a whim because the story sounded interesting. I quickly connected with Faythe and found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, desperately wishing that the pages would turn quicker. I definitely was not disappointed with ROGUE. Faythe is a Werecat, as you may have guessed, with the occasional bad attitude and an ability to attract accident and disaster. When women start going missing and tom cats end up mysteriously dead, she is called into action with her fellow enforcers to discover the culprit. What they discover, however, is far more sinister than Faythe is ready for and she begins to understand that it may all be her fault. To me, the best part about ROGUE was the depth that we got to see in Faythe. Vincent does a fantastic job developing Faythe's character and her relationships. Speaking of relationships, don't worry readers, Marc and Jace are still there. With a mouthwatering love triangle going on, who can resist not picking up ROGUE. When you've got two tall dark and handsome men both vying for a girl's attention, things are bound to get steamy! The only question is, what will happen? Surely Faythe can't have both men. Will she settle into the relationship she has or will she ruin it in her own quest to find independence? Another fantastic aspect of the book was that we finally got to learn a little bit more about Faythe's relationship with her mother and who Karen Sanders truly is. Is she really the 1950s housewife she pretends to be or is there more lurking under the surface. Any woman that could give birth to and then raise Faythe Sanders has go to have some interesting personality points. Overall, I can easily say I loved the book. The scenery is gorgeous, the characters were well developed and the pace was fantastic. Every calm scene, every agonizing scene and every fight scene brought out the appropriate emotions in me. I was actually surprised to catch my heart racing at times and my eyes beginning to water at other. I'm not usually an emotional person, but Vincent does such a fantastic job or laying out the story for us that it is impossible not to feel the emotions she writes with.
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Blood Bound Mercy Thompson 02
by
Patricia Briggs
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
If you haven't yet read the Mercy Thompson series, you really need to. This is a fantastic story with equally fantastic characters. Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It continues the story of Mercy, a fierce, butt kicking mechanic. Oh yeah, she's also a Walker, able to become a coyote at will. Book one of the series, Moon Called, introduced us to Mercy and the werewolves. Book two continues the storyline by introducing us to the darker side of Mercy's world, the part where vampires are not only real and bloodthirsty but also require her help. When Mercy's friend Stefan asks her to accompany him to deliver a message to a stray vampire intruding in their territory, Mercy agrees, having no idea what kind of danger she's about to put herself in. Friendship will be questioned and loyalties tested while Mercy and Stefan attempt to discover the sinister truth behind this seemingly simple intruder. Briggs does a fantastic job in Blood Bound of continuing Stefan's story line. We get to learn a lot more about him as well as the rest of the vampires. I love the way she uses the books and the stories to help bring us into the world gradually instead of just saying, here are the Werewolves, here are the Fae and here are the Vampires. It's a nice way to bring us into the story instead of just telling the story to us. I love Mercy because she is a strong, butt-kicking woman. She knows how to stand on her own two feet and takes control of her life. I would probably love the books just for that fact; the spicy little love triangle between her, Samuel and Adam is just icing on the cake. Seriously, who wouldn't want two attractive powerful men vying for her attention? Now the only question is, who will she choose? As always, I feel compelled to give a fair warning. Seems strange that even with books I absolutely love, there's always some sort of warning. Now, I'll begin by saying that I am easily spooked. Yes, I am still afraid of the dark. Everyone has their quirks; that's one of mine. That being said, there is a quite creepy part in Blood Bound. So much so that I had to run around the room flipping lights on before I could continue with the chapter. If you like creepy, spooky parts then I think you will love Blood Bound. If you're not quite into the creepy side of things, then just remember that it only lasts for a few pages. Flip some lights on, grab your nearest pet (or stuffed animal) and hug it close for comfort and then continue on. Trust me, you'll definitely want to get to the end of the book!
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Iron Kissed Mercy Thompson 03
by
Patricia Briggs
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Patricia Briggs' books just keep getting better and better! This third installment of the Mercedes Thompson series, IRON KISSED, introduces us to the Fae and brings a compelling sense of tension. A fantastic story, this is one that you definitely can't miss. Iron Kissed, the third in the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs takes us to a whole new world that is rich in detail and drama. Mercy is a Walker possessing the ability to change into a coyote at will. Unlike her adoptive family and occasional guardians her change happens quite quickly as opposed to the longer and more painful process of changing into a wolf. Mercy definitely has the quickness of a coyote, both in physical function and in wit. She's smart, funny, and has quite the ability to kick some serious butt! Iron Kissed brings us through the world of Mercy Thompson to visit the Fae, a very visible set of characters, yet one that we haven't got to visit in much detail yet in the series. When Mercy's former boss and current friend is indicted for murder, life turns topsy-turvy for Mercy. She finds herself in the position where she wants to help but is being kept from doing just that. What's worse is that the force keeping her from investigating the crime and freeing her friend are the Fae themselves. They don't like outsiders meddling in their affairs and despite Mercy's ability to change into the mischievous coyote, that includes her. When Mercy ignores the warnings surrounding her and delves farther into the mystery, she'll be confronted with much more than she is able to handle. Will she be able to conquer the Fae magic in order to protect those she cares for or will their own stubborn nature keep her from doing that? How far will she go and what exactly is she willing to lose to find the truth? As always, Adam and Samuel are very present in this book. Really, there's nothing better than a spicy love triangle to sweeten things up. Who will Mercy choose? The man she loves but is afraid to lose herself to or the man she loves but can never forgive? It's a difficult choice, but one that has to be made soon to protect the sanity of the entire pack. I will give warning: there are adult themes in this book. There are a few scenes that may be difficult for younger readers to handle. Although I LOVE the Mercedes Thompson series, I would suggest parents scan through the book first before giving it to their younger readers. I don't want to post spoilers here so I won't go into specifics, but if you would like more information, you're welcome to leave a comment and I will email you privately. Warnings aside, I will say that I thought this was a truly fantastic book! I loved the story and I loved the development of Mercy, Adam and Samuel especially. We really get another look into these characters and come even closer to understanding what's truly going on in those minds! By far my favorite character is Mercy. In fact, I'd have to say that she's right up in my top five favorite female characters. She's beautiful without being overly so, strong without being invincible and she has her own set of flaws. Mostly I love Mercy because she is a survivor. She shows us that life can go on after tragedy and although it's not easy, although life may never be the same, she can go on. Okay, enough spoilerness from me! The last thing I have to say is that it was great getting to see a little bit more of the Fae part of the world. I'm super excited to see where Briggs is going to go with the tidbits she left us with.
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Stray
by
Rachel Vincent
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Oooo! I have to say, I'm already sold on the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent. I actually hadn't even heard of it until I did a search for shapeshifting books after finishing Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs; STRAY, Rogue and Pride came up as similar books. I decided to go ahead and give them a try, even though I hadn't heard of them, since my paycheck was burning a hole in my pocket. I was seriously NOT disappointed! STRAY is the story of Faythe, a woman in her mid twenties, hell bent on breaking out of the confining hands of her family and finding her own path in life. This would be a lot easier if her family wasn't a pride of large, black cats resembling, although larger than panthers. Pride mentality is to keep its family together and protected at all costs. Especially the females. Even more especially unmated females of child bearing age. Wouldn't you know - that just happens to fit Faythe perfectly! At the beginning of the book we find Faythe at college, struggling to create a fairly normal life for herself when she is suddenly confronted with a STRAY, a wild cat invading her family's territory. Right off the bat we get an awesome action sequence and this adrenaline filled pace carries us through the rest of the book. When you happen to be one of the eight unmated females capable of carrying on the legacies of the nations prides, any threat to you isn't likely to go unnoticed. When first one, then another female goes missing, Faythe's family drags her back to the ranch, throwing her under constant surveillance. How will Faythe cope with having her freedom ripped from her and then tossed in the garbage disposal? What happened to the missing females? Will Faythe's angry attitude spell her doom? Throw the action and suspense in with a sexy love triangle and we get one heck of a story! I do have to warn you, there are parts in this book that may be ever so slightly disturbing to readers. This is an adultish book with some adult themes. I wouldn't label it Erotic by any means, but there is some violence that might not be entirely appropriate for young readers. The thing I loved about STRAY was Vincent's ability to describe things in such detail that you could practically taste the suspense, feel the action. It was more like watching a movie than reading a book; the whole story laid out in front of the reader like a fantastic collage of vivid images. The dark parts are midnight black while the light parts are fantastically sunny and bright. Really, you can't ask for better detail and description than Vincent puts forth here. My other favorite part, and really, this is what makes a book for me, was the character development. I love a good strong heroine and that's exactly what Vincent delivers. Faythe is strong, beautiful, quirky and yet still has some of her own flaws. I have a hard time reading about a hero or heroine that has perfect looks and is perfect at everything because really, that's hard to live up to and it's difficult to connect with the character. Not Faythe though. Her attitude and love of skimpy clothing just make her seem that much more like a real person. It was very easy to connect and all that much easier to go through the book, crying with her when she was down and cheering her on while she kicked butt. I finished STRAY and immediately dug through my pile of books until I found Rogue and flipped it open to read it. The break between the two books is fantastic. STRAY leaves us with a satisfied ending, but one that's still capable of leaving us wondering where the story will go next.
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The Iron Hunt
by
Marjorie M. Liu
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie Liu was a different book, but a good book. Maxine Kiss, known by her enemies as Hunter Kiss, is the newest in countless generations of women, born to protect and destined to die young. By day her body is covered with dark tattoos, but by night her skin becomes bare; bare and vulnerable. The tattoos rip from her skin, coming to life as demons, sworn to protect her and her family. While they sleep on her skin, nothing can touch her. Steel scrapes off leaving no scratch behind. But by night, although they will guard Maxine with their lives, her skin no longer holds the protection of their tough hide. She knows it and so do her enemies. For now she is protected, but someday, in order to protect themselves and assure their continued existence, the demons will leave Maxine for her daughter; leaving her defenseless against all those she has been fighting throughout her life. It happened to Maxine's mother, her mother's mother and countless generations before. The world seems just like the one we live in, but in Maxine's world, zombies walk freely among the living. Zombies are demons who have posessed living humans. Occasionally Maxine can exorcise the demon from the body, but more often than not she ends up killing the demon, the innocent human host dying along with it. Seems like a simple life, slaying demons, trying to survive. There's always a kink in any situation and this one comes in the form of her lover who can use music to change the very essence of a person's (or demon's) soul. He considers what he does rehabilitation for the demons so you can imagine that he gives Maxine a hard time about going around, killing those he can rehabilitate. This story is jam packed with action, adventure, mystery, suspense and even a little bit of romance. The main plot surrounds Maxine as she learns more about herself and the dead women of her family. She learns that is a creature, different than the women before her and built to protect the world. The veil between this world and the next is torn and Maxine is the only thing standing between life and death for all humanity. I loved, loved, loved this story! It was so unique to me. Perhaps there are other books out there about butt kicking women with tattoos that peel away to form demonic allies. If there are, I haven't read them! I thought that this book was very well written and had terrific descriptions. It was very easy to imagine yourself in the story, feeling what the characters feel and seeing what they see. Liu has a fantastic way with her descriptions and her action sequences.
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Saved from Silence
by
Amanda Richardson
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
I just recently finished Saved From Silence, a memoir based on Amanda Richardson's childhood and her journey to cope with and survive the abuse that she suffered. Although I finished the book days ago, her story is still with me. Amanda grew up in a Texas town under a domineering father, a mother stuck in denial and a supportive and loving brother. Both her and her brother were abused by their father. In addition, Amanda was sexually abused. Saved From Silence, details her miraculous story as a survivor. While at times difficult to read, the story was beautifully written and easily captures the reader's attention. Even the most graphic instances are done with good taste and allow us to see what the life of an abused child is like. I consider this book a definite must-read for many reasons. First, as I've mentioned, the writing is beautiful. Second, I believe that this book is going to become a great resource for victims struggling to find their own inner survivor. Even years after the direct abuse ended, Richardson continued to suffer emotional abuse at the hands of both parents who were in denial that the atrocities ever happened. Only through caring hands and open hearts did Richardson finally find the ability to break through the bubble that silenced her to find her own true healing. This truly is an intense and powerful story. Saved From Silence is something that everyone should read, especially parents so that if ever the day comes that our children come to us with a secret this devastating we can learn from the mistakes of others and protect them the way a parent should.
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The Host
by
Stephenie Meyer
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
At first I had my doubts about The Host. I'll admit that I enjoyed Meyer's Twilight Saga so I was expecting something similar here. The writing style was different as were the characters and scenery; however, what wasn't different was how much detail we learn about the characters, how moved we become by them. In addition, true to form, Meyer creates vivid images of the scenery in The Host. It is very easy for one to imagine themselves in the desert, hot rays of sun beating off the brow. The love story in this book is one unlike any other. I won't go in to great detail as that might ruin the story for some, but let's just say that you've never experienced a love triangle like this one! The Host is the story of Wanderer and Melanie and their journey home. It brings to mind the question of what exactly "home" is. Is it the place where you grew up, the places where you spent your previous 8 lifetimes or is it the place that your heart, body, mind and soul are drawn to? While we journey with Wanderer and Melanie to discover the answers to these questions, we also get a fairly decent look into the psyche of the human and alien mind. The book brings to question the definition of right and wrong. How can we can say whether something is write or wrong when two different beings may have two different definitions? Who then, is right and who is wrong?
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Fantasy Lover Dark Hunter 01
by
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Wow! Talk about SPICY! I figured there be some sort of spice factor to a book titled FANTASY LOVER, but man was I surprised! This book is definitely not for those that can't stand a graphic read. That being said, the love story between the covers of Kenyon's first in the Dark Hunter series is touchingly sweet. Julian is the son of a goddess and destined to live a life never quite fitting in anywhere. After a great tragedy takes place, Julian is forever bound in a book. His only freedom comes when a woman finds him and calls him forth at midnight on a full moon. He gets to step foot on Earth once again, but only until the next moon. Luckily for the woman, he is blessed with a touch no female can ignore and no male can compete with. But is being an immortal love slave all that its hyped up to be? Grace is a sex therapist who hasn't "practiced" her craft in years. She was hurt by the last man to touch her and is unwilling to lose herself to anyone again. At the whim of her eccentric friend she calls Julian forth from his book and discovers that she's stuck with him for the next month. What's an unwilling partner and a sex slave to do? Kenyon wrote a winner here, in my opinion. Yes the graphic parts were graphic, but if you don't mind that too much then you have one heck of an adventure. Kenyon does a fantastic job of pulling us as the readers along through a complex web of tangled emotions. The tension surrounding Grace and Julian is quite palpable. There were many moments when I literally clutched my throat, begging for things to be made better, wishing that I could stick my head into the story and tell Julian and Grace to get over their issues and realize their love already! The tension would slowly build, right the breaking point and then ebb ever so slightly, pulling us forward into the story. If you like Paranormal Romance, you will love FANTASY LOVER. The romantic element in this story is at times sweet and at times mind blowingly passionate.
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Cry Wolf Alpha & Omega 01
by
Patricia Briggs
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Cry Wolf is the first in the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs. The characters are based on the world of Mercedes Thompson, another stellar series by Briggs. Anna is an Omega - a rare and powerful wolf. Charles is an alpha, less rare but no less powerful. When Charles is sent on business to Anna's pack, he discovers that horrific conditions that she is forced to endure. As her knight in shining armor he saves her and takes her far away from the terrors that have been her life the past few years. How could life get any better for Anna? Taken away from her nightmare, bound to a brilliant and handsome man - life should be perfect, right? Only problem is that Anna has been taught to be submissive for so long that she doesn't know how to be anything but. Will her own fear keep her from finding the love that she so desperately desires? Briggs has created another set of fantastic characters here set amid a compelling storyline. I love Anna because she is a fighter - a woman, thrown headfirst into the unimaginable and yet despite everything she manages to keep her soul together.
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Bone Crossed Mercy Thompson 04
by
Patricia Briggs, Daniel Dos Santos
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
After reading the first four and waiting literally FOREVER (okay, a week) for this one to come in the mail, I was more than ready to delve back into the world of Mercy Thompson. Let me tell you, Bone Crossed, book 4 in the Mercedes Thompson series definitely does not disappoint. I love Mercy because she is such a strong female character. She's not overly attractive or overly powerful. She's strong in her femininity and the way she exists as a survivor. She doesn't let the little things keep her down and is always ready to hand out a little butt kicking when it is needed. In Bone Crossed, Briggs continues the story line started in Iron Kissed. I won't go too far into that as I wouldn't want to divulge any spoilers, but let me say that Briggs does it in a fantastically tactful way. Through her stories she shows us the true power of the female spirit and how even under horrific circumstances, everyone can find that little spark within themselves that signifies a survivor. Mercy, a Walker, can shift into a coyote at will. Raised and now courted by werewolves, she lives a hazardous life trompsing through a supernatural world, all the while maintaining herself as an awesome mechanic. In Bone Crossed we learn a little bit more about the Mercy Thompson world and more specifically about the vampires that threaten Mercy's existence. Will she perish? Will she be able to protect those she cares about or will she be doomed to suffer their deaths?
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House Of Night 05 Hunted
by
P C Cast, Kristin Cast
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Hunted is the fifth book out in the House of Night series by P.C. & Kristin Cast. I like the House of Night series. It's a great new take on a vampire story with young characters that should really appeal to young adult readers. Books 1-4 of the series deal with Zoey being Marked by the goddess Nyx and finding herself at the house of night. Self discovery, adventure, betrayal and murder all take place before Zoey finds herself in a dire predicament at the beginning of the fifth book. With friends turned enemy and enemy turned friend, who can Zoey really trust? Does she have the power within herself to banish the evil that has been tormenting the school? Can she protect her friends and those whom are innocent from the temptation that surrounds them? Hunted is a tale of of further self discovery, action, adventure and with three boys vying for her attention, romance. Those are the great parts about the book. While I don't like to hover on the not as fantastic parts, I do feel a small obligation to state the parts that I personally didn't like. Remember, this is a personal opinion. I don't always like the books that others like and the same is true in reverse. Hunted seemed in some ways to slow down the series and in some ways to speed it up. It did seem that we were able to see a more grown up side of Zoey, which I really liked. Our antagonist in the book (I won't name names so as not to create a spoiler) is a fantastic antagonist and very, very well written. The parts where it slowed down, however, were the tiny parts. The movement parts. The entire story of the fifth book takes place in a very short amount of time and while I like description of movement and transition between places, it seemed that this actually slowed down the book in some places. Now there's slowing down for pacing sake and then there's just plain slowing down. In general, this book felt slow. Right up until the end; and a fantastic end it was!! Another part that I had a hard time getting through was the reoccurance of typos. Occasional Darius's and Damian's names were reversed. Keep this in mind while reading the story and hopefully you'll be able to realize it in time and reverse it. Let me tell you, there are some parts when switching the names creates for some very awkward moments! I don't think I would mind so much if it happened occasionally, but the name switching and other typos happened a few more times that occasionally.
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Breaking Dawn: Twilight 4
by
Stephenie Meyer
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Book four and the finale to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga is Breaking Dawn. We've learned a little bit about the Volturi, the leading Vampire coven, in each of the first three books. In Breaking Dawn, things finally come to a head with Jacob, Edward and Bella. Again, I might be a little vague to avoid giving too much away. As Bella and Edward take a new turn in their relationship, Jacob is left to his own self discovery until his heart is finally snatched away from him. As the three of them struggle to make the best out of the deranged circumstances they are put under, in the background the Volturi are planning a brutal take over. When your body and vengeance can live forever, a takeover can only mean one thing: death. Will Bella lose her true love? Her new family? What will Jacob risk to do what he feels is right? Breaking Dawn answers all of the questions that the tortured readers, waiting for the next book, asked about. Because of that, the book can at times seem rushed and out of sync with the rest of the series. I'm going to again give my personal opinion and say that I don't feel that the book was rushed at all. I think that in order to wrap up a fantastic saga, Meyer had to fit a lot of information in an infinitesimally small space between two covers. The way that she handles this in the book is absolutely fabulous! Fair warning - this book is different (but not out of sync) from the rest of the saga. I would have to say that Breaking Dawn pushes the Young Adult boundaries just a smidge. I
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Twilight 03 Eclipse
by
Stephenie Meyer
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Book three of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga brings us back to the world of Bella, Edward, Jacob Black and the rest of the Cullens. One of my favorite parts about this book is that we finally get to learn a little more about the history of each of the Cullens. With such varied personalities, I was very interested to see how these beings came to find each other. An eclipse is when two celestial bodies cross each other's path. One always ends up in front, blocking out the other. Eclipse is the story of Edward and Jacob. Any time there is one girl and two guys, there is bound to be some awesome tension! Who will come ahead? Will Jacob's light block out Edward, or will the dusk of our pale hero blot out Jacob? As if our little love triangle weren't enough, in Eclipse we get to learn more about the politics between the Cullens and the Quileutes. What will Bella do when the two men she cares about are tearing each other apart vying for her attention while their families stare each other down, waiting for the other to make one wrong move? It's not like she can go anywhere to escape either! She's on strict lockdown in Forks. Some mysterious killer is ripping its way through Seattle and when it looks like the beast is headed toward Forks and more importantly, Bella, her battling lovers must come to terms with each other or risk losing the one thing they would both die for. This is by far my favorite of the Twilight Saga. I would read books one and two over and over again because they are good, but getting to the third book each time is just icing on the cake. The fantastic action in this book and the character development in this really make Eclipse a must-read.
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Twilight 02 New Moon
by
Stephenie Meyer
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
Emotions. If I had to pick one word to describe NEW MOON, that would be it. I read this in a single night and stayed up until the morning to do so. I couldn't put it down. Literally, I could not make my hands put the book down because I was just so invested in the characters. My heart ached, my chest burned. I needed to know what would happen and get some resolution. Never has a book had that effect on me. Meyer is truly a master of the written word. NEW MOON is the second of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. I didn't know what to expect going in to the book as I hadn't heard much about any of the books by the time I read it. To be honest, I started this book less than 36 hours after starting Twilight. Yeah, they really are that good! I might be a little vague here to avoid giving away spoilers, so please forgive me. If you want to know more information than what I post here, feel free to contact me via comment and I'll email you privately. NEW MOON is all about change. It's full of emotions; pain, bitterness, sadness, joy...you name it and I'm pretty sure there's an entire chapter dedicated to it in this book. At times I found NEW MOON very difficult to read. Not because of the writing or due to any fault of the author, simply because of the onslaught of emotions the book brings on. This book details more of the relationship between Bella and Jacob Black, whom we were introduced to in Twilight. We learn a little bit more about Bella, about the strength of character she has and we learn more about the person Jacob is and who he is becoming. We get to see a lot more of the Quileute reservation with its spectacular scenery. In my opinion, that's a real strength of Meyer; that and her ability to develop a relationship in such a way that we feel quite connected to the characters. Twilight is about the perfect love, but when you're at the top, the only way to go is down. What will happen to Bella and Edward if that sad fate falls on them? NEW MOON answers that for us. I give NEW MOON a solid A with extra kudos for Passion. This book is FULL of passion! I had to rush through to read it because I couldn't stand not knowing what would happen on the next page. Fair warning - this book is heavier than Twilight. It will answer some questions and leave you with dozens more.
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A Sigh of Love
by
Bess McBride
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
What a wonderful story! The imagery of Alaska is just excellent and the pain and joy of the love story really draws the reader in. Abbie is the lovable heroine of the story. Unlike a lot of romance stories, Abbie is normal. She's not ridiculously stunning, overly outgoing or being chased by hundreds of men. She's pretty, funny and like most of us has her own romantic issues. She's so easy to relate to that she could be any one of us shy girls out here. I'm off to go reread my copy. Alaska here I come!
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Twilight: Twilight 1
by
Stephenie Meyer
Cinnamon
, May 23, 2010
I'd heard about the books after I saw a preview for the upcoming movie. The movie looked interesting but I was unsure if I wanted to read the books. Sometimes I feel silly carrying around the latest "it" book simply because it is the latest "it" book. I happened to be wandering the mall one day when I saw Walden's Books offering a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal. The sign was stuck right on top of the Twilight display. To be honest, I definitely judge books by their covers. Unless I already know about the author, usually I will pick up a book new to me because of the cover. Man, I have to say, I LOVE the Twilight Saga covers. Those are some of the prettiest covers I've seen. As you've probably noticed from my blog, I'm big into black with sharp, punctuated points of color. In the blog's instance I allow the book covers to serve as the majority of the color because they are well deserving of the eye's attention. The Twilight Saga is gorgeous, in my opinion because of the simple, symbolic covers. As many have come to realize, the cover of Twilight is symbolic of the forbidden fruit. Twilight is the story of Isabella (Bella) Swan and a young man with ancient eyes, Edward Cullen. Bella is an awkward teenager, coming to live with her father in Western Washington in order to allow her eccentric mother the freedom to follow her new husband and his struggling baseball career. Bella isn't a huge fan of Forks, Washington until she meets a mysterious boy, one whose actions can't be explained through any normal logic. Twilight is the story of Bella, Edward and their blossoming romance. I find the romance in it to be spectacular! It is a young adult book, so when I say "romance," I mean in the tamest form. Full of action, suspense and that inescapable sticky sweet love story, Twilight is sure to please any teenage girl's imagination. I'm not an expert on the male mind, but I've been reading this book to my husband in the car and he even likes the story - so perhaps this one is good for all genders and all ages! Unlike some stories designed to continue past the first book, Twilight is perfect in that the end leaves the reader content. Yes, there is the note that more is to come, but the end is an end, giving us some much needed closure. I love books that do that! I definitely give Twilight a solid A. As silly as it sounds coming from a grown woman, I do believe that Twilight has become one of my new favorite books. It's definitely one that I would like to have with me on one of those rainy afternoons, curled up in a chair with my favorite blanket.
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In The Shadow Of The Cypress
by
Thomas Steinbeck
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS by Thomas Steinbeck was certainly an interesting read. First following an ancient discovery and then finding out how that impacts the lives of the researchers who come in contact with it, readers are taken through a whirlwind of events that leave the mind excited and energized. If there is one thing I can say about Mr. Steinbeck’s writing, it’s that he really does seem to have a way of instilling life into this book. It’s easy to get bogged down in a complicated story, especially when the passage of time is involved. IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS, however, didn’t leave me feeling exhausted as so many long and complex stories do. Instead, it’s like this story woke me up and made me want to learn more. Perhaps that was Mr. Steinbeck’s purpose; perhaps he just wanted to write a really good piece of fiction. Either way, I think he accomplished his goals. One of the aspects of the book that made it shine for me, was the development of the major players and their personalities. Dr. Charles Gilbert comes to us through his journal, his entries detailing the original discovery of ancient Chinese artifacts found on Californian soil possibly before the introduction of Spanish explorers. What could this mean for our history? The implications of this are immense and Mr. Steinbeck fully utilizes this to add tension and suspense to the story. Mr. Steinbeck develops the story in a two-part fashion. The first part focuses on the discovery of the artifacts while the second part follows Luke and Robert through the discovery of Dr. Gilbert’s journal and their research to discover the truth. Could it be true? Did the artifacts arrive before the Spanish explorers? You’ll just have to read and find out. The most addicting part of this book is the intrigue. As soon as you really get into Dr. Gilbert’s journal entries, it’s hard to remember that this is in fact fiction. Mr. Steinbeck has a great way of making the reader feel like a part of the story and this is what drew me in. I would recommend this book for rainy days, outings at the beach, or any other time you really want to get away. Fully capturing the mind, I think I can guarantee that this story will provide a great escape.
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Jane Slayre
by
Sherri Erwin, Charlotte Bronte
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
First thing’s first. If you are a Charlotte Brontë purist, you may not like or appreciate JANE SLAYRE by Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin. This story is similar to the original in the way 10 Things I Hate About You was similar to Taming of the Shrew; close enough to recognize the story, but that's about it. If you've ever read and liked these kind of adaptations before, I'm fairly certain you'll love this book. If you would rather keep Ms. Brontë's the story the way it is in your mind and don't want to experiment, don't read it. That being said, I highly recommend this book. Full of the paranormal, this is like crack for those of us who love the classics but just can't seem to get enough dark and creepy in our books. From the first page you'll get hooked as we meet Jane Slayre and learn a little bit about the family she is living with. While her cousins weren't my favorite children in the original, they are hilarious in this adaptation. Hilarious, but certainly not nice. You see, Jane has the unfortunate circumstance of living with a bunch of vampires. Not really something that to stick on a resume or use to boost one's social status. Like any good heroine in a paranormal story, Jane quickly learns that there is more to her history than she knew. She is a slayer, destined to hunt down creepy blood-suckers and end their miserable existence. All while wearing a dress and bonnet mind you. Can't have a girl's hair go frizzy, now can we. Probably the best aspect of this story was the hilarity of the situation. I haven't read a whole lot of these adaptations, so the whole idea is still pretty fresh and new to me. I just loved that I could revisit a favorite story of mine with a brand new twist thrown in. Combine that with the fact that one of my favorite romances now has an edge of suspense to it and you've got one heck of a book. Did I mention there are werewolves in JANE SLAYRE? Oh yes, there are! Zombies, vampires, werewolves...a paranormal girl's dream come true! Will Jane end up with Mr. Rochester? Will Mr. Rochester eat Jane? You'll have to read to find out! Even if this didn't have the original classic to cling on to and use for publicity, this would still be a great book. It can easily stand on its own against any paranormal out there right now. Well, that's my opinion anyway. What do you think Charlotte Brontë would say? I would hope she'd have a sense of humor and get a good giggle out of this story. I know I did.
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Bleeding Violet
by
Dia Reeves
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
Hanna is a strong-willed, intelligent character; perfect for a book where your oddest dreams come to life. She probably doesn’t have the healthiest mind on the block and this is made evident by the number of prescription pills she has to take and the way she shows up on her mother’s doorstep. BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves is definitely one of those books where once the story is over, you go back to the title and finally realize what it means. Wearing only purple dresses and nice heels, Hanna stands out in a town where everyone else wears black. It isn’t safe to stand out. Transies – transients – are people who have not grown up in the Portero, Texas area and are recent installations to this strange town. They are the only ones who wear bright colors; they don’t know any better. Why would you want to stand out when the attention you might receive could come in the form of something biting your head off…literally. Immediately catching the attention of our neurotic Hanna is the green-clad Wyatt. His clothes signify his role in a dangerous organization within the town, one that can help or hurt depending on its desires. Wyatt and Hanna find themselves drawn to each other in a relationship that is surely as strange as the town they live in. Ms. Reeves has created quite an interesting world in BLEEDING VIOLET. Portero is definitely on the top of my list of places I never wish to visit. Full of possessions, blood sucking creatures, monsters, and death, Portero is an interesting area where anything can happen. The possibilities the author created when she developed this town are many and I’m fairly certain that she utilized them all. As we race through the story, Ms. Reeves throws a few different subplots at us. Hanna’s mother Rosalee wants nothing to do with her and we need to figure out why, the town is intensely strange with many secrets, someone close to Hanna starts to act oddly, and finally Hanna’s diseased mind itself plays a role in our exploration. Each of these impact the storyline and give the reader something to latch on to. Although the story may be vastly different from many out there right now, many readers will still find a good deal of enjoyment out of it. It’s oddity is such that there is never a moment when the reader feels bored. Hanna’s hallucinations (or are they real?) allow for some moments which can be at times hilarious or fairly disturbing. Ms. Reeves detail and imagery while creating these scenes is such that the full extent of the emotion in the book becomes available to the reader. I believe that the reader is meant to be confused, angered, and scared at times. These emotions fly freely off the page. The style of writing and Ms. Reeves ability to give us a complex story in an interesting way was fantastic. At times, the story was a little difficult to follow as it stayed in fast-paced forward motion. Readers will need to make sure that they take the time to really read the book and not just flip through the pages as quickly as can be. This may be tempting as the story is quite addictive, but in order to get the full effect of the feelings surrounding Hanna, take your time with the story. It will pay off in the end.
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Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: A Reading Journal for Book Lovers
by
Rachelle Rogers Knight
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
Have you ever found yourself sitting around, trying to think of something to do? I'm always one to recommend a good book, but what if you don't know what to read? Want to try something new, but don't know where to look? READ, REMEMBER, RECOMMEND FOR TEENS by Rachelle Rogers Knight is a great resource for really anyone looking for a new YA novel to try. The resource list is split into categories by awards, state awards, and then interesting genres. There are a few sections of "alike" books (Eragon alike-reads, Twilight alike-reads, etc.) as well for those who just finished a book and perhaps want to read something similar. I know I've had that happen to me more than once and can full appreciate this addition to the book. One of the aspects of READ, REMEMBER, RECOMMEND FOR TEENS that I found invaluable, was the way Ms. Knight developed the genres in her reference list and the amount of time and energy that went into the organization of these lists. The table of contents lists each section in a way that should make it very easy to find the perfect book. Of course I shot straight to the Paranormal Romance section, but there are other great sections including Action and Adventure, Westerns, and even a GLBTQ section. College bound and looking for books? There's a section for that! Interested in poetry? Flip to the poetry section. Anything you could be looking for can be found quickly and easily. Aside from the resource lists of books, there are other tabs in this book that allow teens (anyone using it) to record their favorite books, their thoughts on books, who they may have loaned books out to, what books they have recommended, and what books they are looking for. For those who like to keep track of their reading, this would be a great resource. I've heard from a few people that they like the idea of book blogs or sites like Library Thing and Goodreads, but they don't have the time to get online and record their thoughts. I see READ, REMEMBER RECOMMEND FOR TEENS being immensely helpful in these situations. It provides an organized environment for recording thoughts about the great books you've been reading. I loved READ, REMEMBER, RECOMMEND FOR TEENS and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good tool for their reading addiction. Also, I think this would make a great gift for those who love to read, or perhaps even those who need a little nudging to corrupt...err, convince them into joining the literary addiction we all seem to suffer from.
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Firefly Rain
by
Richard Dansky
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
Right off the bat I will tell you that I read FIREFLY RAIN by Richard Dansky in one sitting. I never meant to, but once I turned the first page, the rest followed rather quickly. Not only was the writing style easy to follow and pleasant, the story was compelling; always developing new twists and turns to keep the reader hooked. Jacob Logan is a failed businessman, having lost heart in the business that kept him away from home. Having first left for college, Jacob felt drawn away from home and stayed on in Boston moving up in the business world. As we learn in the beginning of the story, his decision to separate himself from his family was not one that his parents agreed with. Try as they might to convince him to come home, Jacob rarely did. Returning for his father’s funeral and then a few select times before his mother’s funeral, Jacob neglected his promise to spend more time with his parents. Now, returning to his empty family home and the town he left, Jacob will discover that promises are meant to be kept. We all know I get creeped out by scary stories. For me, however, a creepy story is rarely one that involves vampires, werewolves, zombies or other monsters. Scary stories are ghost stories, stories where things go bump in the night where the reader can fully expect something terrifying to be lurking in every dark corner and hover right behind them. That’s a scary story to me. FIREFLY RAIN somehow managed to hover between the line of scary story and not so scary story. I would call this an intriguing horror that I would definitely read again. The real part of this story that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up is the suspense. Mr. Dansky develops the story in such a way that the reader never knows what’s going to happen next, and right when you start to form a guess as to what is going on, he throws a wrench into the mix that keeps you guessing. It was really easy to become involved with this story, losing myself within the pages. The character development and progression of the plot never slowed down or got stuck in the mud. It’s easy to see that the author put a lot of energy into moving the story forward, hooking us and keeping us hooked. Would I normally read a bump in the night story that’s pretty much guaranteed to give me nightmares? Probably not (although now I am seriously reevaluating that). Would I read FIREFLY RAIN again? Oh yes! Not only did I get a decent adrenaline rush from the suspense and action in the book, but different parts, especially the end, left me with fodder for my brain to munch on for a while. From the time I woke up this morning to now as I write this review, I have probably thought back to the ending of the story six or seven times, revisiting different aspects and pondering what it means for the future. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read and doesn’t mind a bit of fright. More than a simple scary story, there is a deeper plot in FIREFLY RAIN as Jacob has to come to terms with his life, his views of the town he group up with, and his treatment of his family. Creating a well rounded story that gave enough terror to keep the lights on in my house while providing enough drama to keep me in a chair reading for 4.5 hours, this is a book that is sure to grab the attention of readers everywhere.
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Mistwood
by
Leah Cypess
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess is a robust tale of royalty, deception, self-discovery, romance and a decent amount of the paranormal. As we follow Isabel throughout the story, we learn more about her and the memories that slowly come back to her. Snatches of memory and good reasoning skills allows Isabel to discover that Rokhan may not be who he truly seems although the compulsion of the Shifter magic forces her to protect him anyway. Uncovering more about Isabel and Rokhan, we find ourselves in the midst of deception. Full of sorcerers, princes, princesses, kings and the Shifter, MISTWOOD is a wonderful tale of magic and the strength of the human spirit. Originally drawn to MISTWOOD by the beautiful cover, I was amazed at just how good the story was. Isabel is unlike many of the shape-shifters that we see nowadays. Ms. Cypess has done an amazing job of creating her own world and her own set of rules. What really made this book fantastic was how well she stuck to those rules. I have experienced many paranormal books where suddenly the characters could do things that had been impossible for them to do previously in the story. Here, Ms. Cypess gives Isabel her quirks and limitations while actually sticking to them. That made the story much more believable and realistic, which is great for something so full of magic. Relationships played a major role in MISTWOOD. As Isabel learns more about herself and uncovers the truths about others, we see relationships grow and falter. This is more than a single week of time in the life of some girl. While not covering a huge expanse of time, this book does seem to cover quite a large expanse of events. Ms. Cypess does a fantastic job of allowing the story to ebb and flow throughout the book, giving us little mini adventures and allowing each event to come Isabel’s way to really shine. When I said that the story was robust, that really is the best way to describe it. MISTWOOD is a very full story with plenty of twists and turns. Every time it felt like the story was coming to a close, something else would happen that would keep our heroine constantly moving forward. For me, the true test of a story is how long it stays in one’s mind after the final page has turned. With the plot twists throughout the book and especially at the end of the story, I believe MISTWOOD will stay with me for a while. This story is dark and mysterious, the lies surrounding Rokhan and the loss of Isabel’s memory aiding the mystical feel of the book. The way in which this book has fully wrapped around my mind is evidence of Ms. Cypess’s clear writing style and beautiful story development.
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Swoon at Your Own Risk
by
Sydney Salter
Cinnamon
, May 18, 2010
Ahhh...summer romance. What joy. Wait, what am I saying? Summer romance rarely ends well, especially when you can't decide who to be romantic about! SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK by Sydney Salter was a very cute and quite funny read. Following Polly (aka Pollywog) through her summer adventures in romance, this book gives us a cute tale that is both funny and at times a bit moving as well. Part of what makes this book such a good read is the format it's written in. From the first person point-of-view, it's very easy to follow Polly and see the sorts of shenanigans she gets herself into. From the first page, the reader gets hooked in her descriptions and inner turmoil. Whether she's staring at Sawyer, thinking about any of her other ex-boyfriends, or pondering the mysterious Xander, Polly's mind give us some vivid and colorful detail. Have you ever had that experience where you read a story and think, "You know, it would be awesome to have these characters as friends." That was how I felt about SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK. Polly was quirky and at times could probably be a cruddy friend, but you could tell she always cared. She's a character that you want to follow; one that makes your heart pull for her. The plot of SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK was robust and easy to follow. Polly has sworn off all boys after her latest disastrous relationship. With the unfortunate issue of having already accepted a summer job at the water park with the newest Ex as her boss, Polly's summer is looking to be pretty lame. Fortunately, being at a water park in the middle of a hot summer has its advantages. When Polly catches sight of Xander Cooper, shirtless and looking pretty stinking hot, her confusion flashes into overdrive. Wasn't this the same nerdy kid she went to elementary school with? Well, people change, and Polly is about to find out just how much. If I were headed to the beach right now and had to pick one book that I could take with me, I would take SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK. I dub this the perfect summer read, right up there with Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. It was funny, lighthearted, at times pretty emotional, and Salter really did an amazing job developing the main characters. Over time we get to peel back the layers of Polly and figure out who she really is. It's pretty amusing that Polly learns right along with us and this makes for some cute moments. This is the first book by Sydney Salter I have read, but I can tell you that she has gained a new fan. As soon as I can sneak away with the plastic, I'll be grabbing her other books. Her writing style is clear, her characters are engaging, and overall she creates a story that sticks in the mind and has you turning back to read the book again as soon as you've finished it. What can I say? I loved it. There are very few books that I give a perfect 5 to; I don't take it lightly. I stared at these little hearts for about five minutes, going back and subtracting a heart here and there to see if that matched my opinion. In the end, all of the hearts remained up because SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK captured mine.
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