Sunday, January 31, 2010

King of the Screwups (YA) (5/5)


King of the Screwups (YA) (5/5)

Liam is Mr. Popularity with everyone but his Dad, whom he can never make happy. Liam ends up screwing up so badly that his father kicks him out of the house right before his senior year of school. Liam's mom arranges it so Liam can go to his "Aunt" Pete's house; Pete is the cross dressing glam rocker brother of his father's. Not surprisingly, the two brothers don't speak. Liam decides he will not be popular at his new school in hopes of making his father happy. But that is easier said than done. Great realistic ya fiction.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Mason (YA) (5/5)

Mason (YA) (5/5)

Mason is a developmentally disabled teenager with a mean and nasty brother named Gene. Mason discovers that he can create "mind pictures" that come alive. He uses these pictures to get revenge on the people who hurt his friend Rene. Freaky at times but a good, quick read.

Unleashed (YA) (4/5)

Unleashed (YA) (4/5)

Daniel has always been the good, smart kid. He has been accepted by Cornell; he's a basketball star. Then he begins to hang with Misty and her group; they're from the other side of the tracks. But he doesn't truly realize how different they are; Misty and her friends are werewolves. Daniel gets caught up in their lifestyle and things begin to spiral out of control.

Friday, January 29, 2010

The Weight of Silence (5/5)


The Weight of Silence (5/5)

Calli doesn't speak since her mother lost the baby. One day Calli and her friend Petra go missing. Parents and police are searching for the nearby woods for them. A book told in alternating narration, this book is a powerful one. It shows a parent's worst nightmare. Great read.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Eternal (YA) (5/5)

Eternal (YA) (5/5)

Miranda has a Guardian Angel, Zachary. One night when teenage Miranda and her best friend Lucy are hanging out in a cemetery they are attacked. Zachary tries to save Miranda but can't. It turns out that Miranda has been turned into a vampire. Zachary loses his wings for losing Miranda. A year or so later, his new mission is to save Miranda before she loses all of her human soul. This is a great book about a pair of star-crossed paranormal lovers. Good action, good romance and good characters. I enjoyed it.

This World We Live In (YA) (4.5/5)

This World We Live In (YA) (4.5/5)

This is the third book of this series and it was good but I liked the first one the best so far. Miranda, from the first book, meets Alex and Julie, from the second book, as people are still trying to survive in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Miranda and Alex fall in love and there is love and loss throughout this book, fitting for the premise. I reviewed this book for netgalley.com I don't know if there will be a 4th book but if there is, I will read it.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Jack Frost

This is Jack Frost, our newest fur kid. He is a snow Savannah. Jack flew in from Oregon last week and is 4 months old.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Bad Blood (YA) (5/5)

Bad Blood (YA) (5/5)

#4 in the Blood Coven series. Sunny is upset at Magnus, her vampire boyfriend, because he is about to become blood mates with another girl. She and her slayer sister, Rayne, head to Vegas to find the goods on the other girl in time to stop the ceremony. Good humor, good action as always with this series. I enjoy these books.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Undead and Unappreciated (5/5)


Undead and Unappreciated (5/5)

Third book in the series. Betsy finds out she has a sister who just happens to be the daughter of the devil and who is destined to take over the world. So Betsy figures she should meet her and check her out. Betsy and Sinclair's romance moves forward, as does Angie and Daniel's. Love the humor in this series.

Kindle

I bought a Kindle and it was delivered Monday. I really like it so far. I have read 2 Sookie Stackhouse short stories, downloaded several free books and bought one--Wolf Hall, which is costing over $20 at Barnes and Noble.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Stolen (YA) (4/5)


Stolen (YA) (4/5)

A witch has been stealing the village children. The villagers burn down her house. Shortly after, a 12 year old girl is found in the woods; she doesn't remember anything about her life. Is she Isabele, the girl who has been missing for the past six years? No one is really sure but her "family" brings her home and tries to get her to remember things. But there is more to remember than one would expect. . . .

A good, quick read.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Dead to the World (5/5)

Dead to the World (5/5)

This is the 4th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this book, Eric is cursed by a witch and doesn't remember anything. This brings out a gentler side to him than Sookie is used to seeing and she falls for it, especially since she and Bill are no longer dating. The vampires and werewolves team up to get rid of the evil witches. Another good read.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse (5/5)


The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse (5/5)

First book in a new cozy mystery series. Jillian's cat has been stolen; she finds him and a corpse. Jillian decides to team up with Candance, a rookie cop, and try to solve the murder. Good mystery with good twists and turns; I love the three cats of Jillian's. I will definitely read more in this series.

Look at the paws!

Maggie's paws are in full glory, as she kneads her favorite blue fleece blanket.

The Devil's Kiss (YA) (4.5/5)

The Devil's Kiss (YA) (4.5/5)

Billi is from a long line of Templar Knights and she is now of the age where she will join them. Her mother was murdered when she was a little girl and her father has always been emotionally distant from her. Billi rebels at the rules of the Templars but the battle of good vs evil is happening whether she likes it or not. Billi, her father and her best friend Kay have to fight Michael, the arch angel, who is trying to send another plague out into society. Good action in this book.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World (4.5/5)

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World (4.5/5)

This book is a variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This book plays out as if Elizabeth said yes to Mr. Darcy's first proposal of marriage. Reynolds stays true to Austen's characters and nicely develops Lizzy and Darcy. The writing style works as well as when compared to Austen's.


Darcy thinks Elizabeth is in love with him; he does not realize that Elizabeth married him because she felt she had to. This misunderstanding moves the first half or so of the book along and then when Darcy figures out the truth, the star-crossed lovers must find their way back to each other. This book has romance in it worthy of Austen herself. Bingley and Jane's relationship has moved along in this book too.


I enjoyed this book a lot. I believe Reynolds did a nice job of making these characters her own, while not sacrificing Austen's intent. I would recommend this book to Jane Austen fans and also to fans of romance and historical fiction.

This ARC was provided to me free of charge from Sourcebooks.