My Romance With Kristan Higgins…

… her books, that is, Kristan Higgins‘ books. And let me just state, this isn’t a new thing, either. Nope, I’ve been in love with Higgins’ since I sat down with Millie and read her story in Fools Rush In. I think I’ve probably scared a few people in bookstores as I hand sell these books. I personally have bought at least 8 copies of FRI and multiples of Catch of the Day and Just One Of The Guys. I send them to friends. I give them to my sisters. I gave one as a teacher gift last year. This is not a joke, people. I love these books so much that if The Hubs ever leaves me, I will marry them! The last three trips to the bookstore I’ve managed to talk over 5 people into buying her books, only to have my favorite sales lady tell me they came back in and asked if I had more recommendations because they LOVED those Higgins’ books.

And it’s not just because I’m quoted (though I no longer get the credit for them) in the front of all but Fools Rush In! NO. I adore these books and let me tell you why – Higgins doesn’t write characters in a novel, Higgins writes your best friend. Your neighbor. You. She crafts stories that you live. Stories that feel like you’re with Millie, Maggie, Chastity, and Grace, laughing and crying with them as they discover themselves and love. So indulge me, if you will (and as a side note: I picture myself saying that in a very Rocky Horror Picturesque way), as I gush my love of all things Higgins.

You can see what I’m quoted from by clicking here, and then read the review I did of this book by clicking here there’s even a bit of an interview included in with that review. None of my feelings have changed. In fact, I may actually love this book even more. You all know I’ve quit smoking. Now I’m trying to get fit and stay in shape – by running. That’s right, Chari-Dee is running. It’s scary how bad I am. I mean, me and “in shape” aren’t even in the same universe right now. What’s really funny though, is that if you want a glimpse of what me running is like, pick up this book. Millie will have you laughing your head off, I know I was, until I started running that is. I just finished a re-read of Fools and my heart still broke with Millie and my heart still smiled at the end, just as if it was the first time I had ever read it. For me, Fools is a must for any true Romance reader.

You can see where I’m quoted from for this book by clicking here. What can I say, I loved Maggie’s story as well. If not as much as Millie’s, it still had the same effect. I closed the page and immediately missed my friend, Maggie. I had a smile in my heart and on my face and just plain felt good about life and love in general. I bawled my eyes out while reading this book. I mean wept people, huge wracking sobs that had my husband a bit worried, and damn I have to go re-read this one now. Who hasn’t loved the wrong person and have that love not reciprocated? Maggie’s story, like Millie’s that will have you laughing and crying and just so darn glad to be a reader. Plus, Higgins won the Rita for this one, so you really should be reading it!

Now it’s time for a small confession and one I’m not very proud of. It took me a while to get this book. I was working a lot of hours. Our local Wally World (only place to buy books that’s close) did not have it. dee had told me she’d send me a signed copy and she forgot. I was getting irritated. It had seemed like the fates did not want me to have this book. Quotes in it be damned, I was not to have this book. Then finally I had time to run out of town and go book shopping. I grabbed this book as well as many, many, many others, only to not read this one right away. I was mad that it took so long for me to get it. Mad that I have loved and cherished all her other books, bought them as close to release as possible, only to have to wait forever for this one. Mad that it was getting rave reviews everywhere I turned and I still hadn’t had it in my hands. Let’s face it, I was a big baby throwing a pity party. I had it for a couple of months before I actually read it on our trip to Texas at Christmas time. The minute I reached The End, I opened it up and read it all over again. Then I was mad for a completely different reason, because it had taken me so damn long to grow up and read the thing!

Holy Crap! I LOVE Chastity and Trevor. Lovelovelove them. I didn’t think any one could replace Millie in the top spot of favorite, but I was wrong, Chastity had me from go. And, like Millie, Chastity runs in this book. Unlike Millie, Chastity is a very verra good runner. I wanna be Chastity when I grow up. I already have my Trevor, but I’m nowhere near as cool as my new best friend Chastity. This book goes with me everywhere. It’s in my purse almost constantly and every long(ish) trip we take, I’m reading this. The spine is wearing out. It really is sad, but in a good kinda way, right? I’ve bought copies and sent them to friends. This is one of the books that I nearly scared the book store customer with my recommendation. I’m sure I looked a bit like a fanatic while expelling the virtues of Just One Of The Guys. This book has gone from me being mad at it, to me loving it for all eternity. It has surpassed just about every book I’ve read and landed itself as Numero Uno on my Keeper Shelf. I’m giddy just thinking about it!

Upon the release of Higgins’ latest book, too good to be true, I wasn’t foolish enough to wait this time. I rushed out to the book store and nabbed it up. I read it the minute I got home. I enjoyed it, but hate to say that Chastity kind of stole the show from Grace. I really did enjoy just about every aspect of Grace and her story, but her irrational worship of her younger sister kind of bothered me. While still a definite keeper and a book I’m sure to re-read multiple times, tgtbt and Grace just didn’t grab me has hard as Millie and Chastity. But I definitely recommend this one!

Now tell me, am I the only one who goes nuts about certain authors and their books? Are there any books you absolutely adore and can read over and over and over again?

Take Care

Novel Chats Paranormal Style

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland
From The Author’s Website:

Darkness will summon her…

Elizabeth Phoenix once used her unique skills as a psychic to help in the Milwaukee Police Department’s fight against injustice. But when Liz’s foster mother is found viciously murdered—and Liz is discovered unconscious at the scene—her only memory of the crime comes in the form of terrifying dreams…of creatures more horrific than anything Liz has seen in real life. What do these visions mean? And what in the world do they have to do with her former lover, Jimmy Sanducci?

To places she’s never been before…

While the police question Jimmy in the murder, Jimmy opens Liz’s eyes to a supernatural war that has raged since the dawn of time in which innocent people are hunted by malevolent beings disguised as humans. Only a chosen few have the ability to fight their evil, and Jimmy believes Liz is among them. Now, with her senses heightened, new feelings are rising within Liz—ones that re-ignite her dangerous attraction to Jimmy. But Jimmy has a secret that will rock Liz to her core…and put the survival of the human race in peril.…

I received this book quite some time ago, and truth be told, I almost didn’t read it. I had seen that Handeland was a NYT Bestseller and that it was part of a series from the cover, and just assumed (I have to learn to quit that!) that it was a mid-series novel. Plus, I had never read Handeland before and the touting of bestseller always makes me nervous when I haven’t read the author before. Anyway, with a tip from a Yahoo! Group I belong to from a fellow reviewer, I went ahead and read it. They had enjoyed the book, plus I was seeing a lot of reviews – all good – all over the net. That, coupled with the fact that this was the FIRST book in a series had me cracking the spine.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. The concept is exceptional, but the writing I found to merely mediocre. While enjoyed the actual plot, the characters left me somewhat cold. I did, eventually warm up somewhat to the people of this fantastic world, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long. I’ll definitely give the second book a try, but it’s not one I will be rushing to the stores to own. I give this one a C.

Blood Bargain by Maria Lima

(BCC)

Keira Kelly has settled in at Wild Moon Ranch with handsome Adam Walker, her vampire lover, but her life is not so hot. Not only is Keira still struggling with the Change that will bring her an as of yet unknown paranormal power, but Adam’s avoiding intimacy and mysteriously growing weak. At least she has Tucker, her 1200-year-old shapeshiting ex-Viking brother, around to help. When a ranch hand is reported missing and some teens disappear, Keira and Tucker have a heap of unexpected trouble piled on ‘em. There’s a lot of weird doing down around Rio Seco, Texas, and after Keira and Tucker stumbled across some dangerous clues in an abandoned cemetery, things get even stranger…

Bargain is the second book in the Blood Lines series, and I had talked about he first book, Matters of the Blood here. I can’t link to a purchase button right now, as Bargain and Matters were both Juno releases and as you know, they’ve partnered with Pocket Books, According to Lima’s blog though, it looks like they should get re-printed from Pocket later in the year.

When I read Matters it was a dark tale. Terrifying yet witty. Scary yet Romancy. I had expected Bargain to be the same and was eager to delve into this richly written world with its complex characters yet again. I quickly noticed one thing – this wasn’t the world and the character I had left when Matters closed. Keira seemed more fluff in this book. She had apparently gotten used to the good life with Adam, and lost all of her edge. Even when the mystery starts, the lack of characteristics that made Keira so complex and fantastic in the first book left a huge gaping hole in this fictional world. The tone was far lighter even when the plot would have left much room for some dark, kick ass Keira moments. All in all, the tone was entirely too different from the first book and left this reader feeling betrayed. The third book will be released in November and I’ll eagerly crack the spine in anticipation that the dark and twisted world, balanced perfectly with wit and humor has been restored, and the light, trying too hard to be comical Keira is gone. If this were the first book in a series, I would grade it much higher, but since the feel of the book and overall character assassination was too much for me to handle, I have to give this one a D. Lima can do better, she’s already proved that.

Take Care

At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost

At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost
(BCC)
Some Things Won’t Stay Buried…
At Grave’s End

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield’s life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she’s successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat’s worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover’s finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn’t enough, a woman from Bones’s past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat’s about to lean the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she’s learned as a special agent won’t help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself-and Bones-from a fate worse than the grave.

I posted a dish on the first book in this series while at d&D, you can see it by clicking here. I’m not sure why I never posted on the second book, but suspect it was during my quiet time. But trust me, I totally dug it. And now that the third book has been released, I’m not really gonna bother with a “review.”

I will say that I LOVE this series. I was hooked with book one. This world that Frost has created is one I look forward to visiting and one I hate to say good-bye to at the end of the books. Cat is a hell of a kick ass heroine. Bones is my favorite vampire and I have a serious case of literary lust. Every book thus far has taken me on a roller coaster ride that has me turning the pages faster and faster. In a time when vampire fiction is around every corner and growing old to some, Frost has staked a claim in my MUST buy category.

Take Care

Novel Chats – Debut Authors

Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle
(BCC)

REAL PLEASURE CAN’T BE TAKEN… Granddaughter of a renowned courtesan, Maybelle de Maitenon has no interest in her grandmother’s school in London where gentlemen receive instruction – in the art of seduction. Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when Maybelle lays eyes on Edmund Worthington, the Duke of Rutherford, at a soiree, and hears of his scandalous reputation, she decides he’s the perfect person for her to have a tryst with no strings attached… IT MUST BE GIVEN… Unbridled passion has again muddied Edmund Worthington’s family name. After his very public dalliance with the strikingly beautiful and sensual Maybelle, his mother insists he marry her. But much to the Duke’s surprise, Maybelle scoffs at his proposal. Never has he encountered such a brazen – and maddeningly irresistible – woman. But when Maybelle’s grandmother falls ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of her school, Edmund devises a plan to make her his. He enrolls in the school, where no one other than Maybelle must give him expert lessons in carnal pleasure…

Cold in your neck of the woods? Well, save on heating bills by picking up this book, trust me, Marvelle’s debut is sizzling hot. Maybelle de Maitenon has no intentions of marrying, nor does she have any intention of going into the family business of teaching gentleman the fine art of seduction. However, it’s up to Maybelle to instruct the first group of students when her grandmother falls ill. Much to her irritation, one of the students just so happens to be the man she had a scandalous fling with, Oh, yes, I’ll bed that one please. Worthington has enrolled in the school strictly to gain Maybelle’s hand in marriage, since his father has already disgraced their family name, he doesn’t want his very public encounter with Maybelle finish what little honor they have left.

I’ve always enjoyed the few Historical’s I’ve picked up, but never enough to really follow a particular series or author, Marvelle has changed that. I don’t plan on missing a single semester of The School of Gallantry and neither will you once you’ve read this one. I have to give this one an A+.

Wages of Sin by Jenna Maclaine
(BCC)

She is a warrior of extraordinary power – the ultimate creature of the night. Her story is one that spans the ages, from historical England to modern-day America and beyond. Welcome to eternity…welcome to the night.

Dulcinea Craven descends from a long line of witches, and she has just inherited wild, untrained magical powers that she has no idea how to control. now a ruthless vampire and an age-old demon are determined to enslave Cin and steal her power for their own. Her only hope is the Righteous, a band of warrior vampires who slay the rogue undead. Among them is Michael, a fierce swordsman who inflames Cin’s most primal hungers. Showing her a sensual pleasure beyond anything in the mortal realm, she must choose between the human existence she has always known, and immortality as a vampire – a new life filled with forbidden urges, dark yearnings, and unearthly passions…

I cannot express how much I love to hit a series with book 1. Sure it’s fun to find a good series like The Southern Vampire series or The Plum Series, in the middle and have tons of books to read to catch up, but there is just something amazing at catching a series from hello. I bought this book shortly after it was released and read it during my silent time and I feel bad that it has taken me this long to stand up and say – GO GET THIS BOOK!

Maclaine had me engrossed in her world of witchcraft and vampires from the first page. Wages had me turning pages so fast I didn’t realize I had stayed up half the night reading until I hit The End. The Righteous are the boogeymans boogeyman, and when Dulcinea is hunted by an unspeakably evil and powerful vampire, she summons The Righteous to her, but they can only do so much, and soon Dulcinea has choices to make and finds herself in a fight for more than just her life. Maclaine successfully weaves together the best elements of the Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, and Historical genres and gives readers a suspenseful thrill ride that will have them craving more, more, MORE Craven! Another A+.

Take Care

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
(JCC)

Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey.

According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.

Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He’s chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he’s chosen the Barrens as his new playground

Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He’s now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn’t made it out of the boys’ department at Macy’s. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn’t met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.

Diesel pops in and out of Plum’s life like birthday cake – delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He’s an uber bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He’s after Grimoire, and now he’s also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn’t mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs.

Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.

I really didn’t have very high expectations for this one as I have been increasingly disappointed with the Plum-verse. I think 12 was the last book that I really enjoyed and the Between the Numbers have never been my favorites. That plus that JCC and I just knew I was in for yet another disappointment. I mean, what the heck was it with the monkeys?!

I am happy to announce, though, that I WAS WRONG!! I remember now why I fell in love with Plum. Here’s just a few examples…

“It’s not our juju,” I told Lula. “It’s our skill level. We’re incompetent.”

“I got a high skill level,” Lula said. “I just shot a rat off a rafter.”

“You weren’t aiming for it.”

“Yeah. My skill level is so high I do things I don’t even try to do.”

*******

…I got out of the car and examined the dirt like I was Tonto running point for the Lone Ranger.”

***

“Ranger this and Ranger that,” Lula said. “Don’t none of you people think for yourself? I bet you can’t wipe yourself without Ranger telling you.”

Tank looked at her in the rearview mirror. “I’m telling him you said that.”

“I might have misspoke,” Lula said.

**** And since I’m a Babe, this one is my favorite quote of the book:

I allowed myself a moment to relax into Ranger. He was warm and strong, and all the bad, frightening things in life went away when he held me like this.

Those are just a few examples of things that made me smile or laugh. The monkey story line that they seem so proud of on the JCC, wasn’t nearly as horribly slap-sticky as I had figured it would be. Carl the monkey (from book 14) was back, and I actually liked him. Joe was in the book but not really, Evanovich kept him out of the way and mostly I just had to deal with him over the phone. And really, with characters like the fire farter, who could ask for anything more?Even Diesel didn’t bother me much. In fact, I know of liked the way he teased Stephanie, and the dynamic between the two of them.

There were a few things that gave me pause, but all in all, I am SO glad I read this one. For the first time since closing the pages of 14, I’m excited about 15!

Take Care

Welcome To Serenity by Sherryl Woods

I first discovered Sherryl Woods with her first Sweet Magnolias book, Stealing Home. I adored it. I fell in love with the Sweet Magnolias and made sure I had the next book in my hand as soon as it was released. I mean, I wanted to be a Sweet Magnolia. You can read what I had to say about the three books if you click here and here (these were from my days at d&D). Heck, I even went on Wood’s message boards a couple of times, so enamored of the books was I. I thought that there was only going to be three books in the series and that we had seen the last of the Sweet Magnolia, until I spied this beautiful book in an e-mail I receive from somewhere about books being released (and contest information that I never win!). I nearly hooted with glee. I ran out, bought the book, read it and wanted to weep. Be warned, this is a post by the cynical reader me…

Welcome to Serenity by Sherryl Woods
(BCC)

The Sweet Magnolias are branching out…

When Jeanette Brioche helped launch The Corner Spa in Serenity, South Carolina, she found a hole lot more than professional satisfaction. She discovered the deep and loyal friendships that had been missing from her life. Nut even the Sweet Magnolias can’t mend the terrible rift between Jeanette and her family or persuade her that the holidays are anything more than a season of misery.

Pushed into working on the town’s much-loved annual Christmas festival, Jeanette teams up with the sexy new town manager. Tom McDonald may be the only person in Serenity who’s less enthused about family and the the holidays than she is.

But with tree decorations going up on the town square and a bit fo romance in the air, Jeanette and Tom take a fresh look at the past and a hopeful look into the future. Together they discover that this just may be a season of miracles after all.

Like I said, I hadn’t expected any more Magnolia books so when this one was released I was pleased but perplexed. Woods explains with a short letter at the beginning that so many readers were asking for more from the Sweet Magnolia’s, and she enjoyed them so much as well, she’s returning to Serenity to give us readers what we wanted.

Unfortunately, the story is Jeanette’s, the woman the Magnolia’s hired to run Spa Services in The Corner Spa, their new business. IIRC, Jeanette had been a third POV in at least one of the books. This, however, was not enough for the reader to really bond with her in any way, at least, not this reader. So when I say that Jeanette’s graduation into Sweet Magnolia-dom was a bit of a shock, you can understand why.

Jeanette and her family suffered a horrible loss over the Christmas holiday when she was just a teenager, and ever since then, Jeanette’s parent’s barely know she’s alive, let alone function well enough to want to celebrate in the merry fashion they once did. It’s no wonder she hates the holidays. So when Maddie asks her to take the responsibility of The Corner Spa’s contribution to the towns annual Christmas Festival it’s the very last thing she wasn’t to do.

Tom McDonald is also a non-lover of the holidays, as his family over-celebrates with the motive of impressing the other upper crust families. Growing up his house may have had multiple Christmas trees but they were all put up by decorators, not with love by his family. But even though he has a serious hate on for the holiday, as the new town manager the mayor insists that he be on the planning committee as well. In his quest to work off some of the stress of the new job, Tom tries to get into The Corner Spa to work out, only to be denied entrance (and quite rudely, I might add) by a beautiful woman. Tom is instantly smitten and takes her obvious distaste for him as a challenge.

The book also has a nice subplot about Mary Vaughn, the woman who had tried to get Ronnie away from Dana Sue (second book in the series). In the letter at the beginning Woods explains, “I think you’ll gain some new insights into what makes her tick and maybe even feel some sympathy for all she’s gone through in her life.”

This book, no matter the fact that it was a Sweet Magnolia book, fell so far short of its mark for me. First there’s Jeanette, who yes, has had a rough time of things, but was so absolutely insane I was praying that Tom would wise up and steer a wide path around her. And by insane I mean absolute raving bitch one minute, snapping the heads off of everyone, including the people there to help her only to do a complete 180 where Christmas was concerned and then upset when Tom doesn’t have the same change of heart.

Then there’s Tom, who falls in love with a woman who is all kinds nasty to him but he seems to have real chemistry with. I tell ya folks, you’ve heard of the Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) heroine, well, meet Tom, the TSTL hero.

Then their is Mary Vaughn and her ex-husband Sonny. Okay, I actually kind of enjoyed their story, and the Jeanette/Tom storyline notwithstanding, if Woods would have been writing to her normal high standards, I think Mary Vaughn’s story would of have been far better suited to a full length novel rather than the measly sub-plot she got. Mary Vaughn’s struggles and poor choices, her hard work to be respectable and her desire to be liked, coupled with the fierce animosity between her and Dana Sue, could have made an amazing book. I suppose though that it would take too long to write such a tale and make it believable that the Magnolias and Mary Vaughn could ever come to terms. I have no doubt though, that if Woods would have put her mind and pen to it, she could have pulled it off and we would have had a book that actually fit with the other Sweet Magnolia books.

As it stands, Jeanette doesn’t really ever seem to treat any of the Magnolias or Tom very well, yet the Sweet Magnolias consider her one of their own and Tom falls in love with her. Jeanette was a selfish woman who talked sharply to too many people and yet got her happy ending. And while I know it’s a Romance and the HEA was required, it was a stilted love story, with an ending that leaves much to be desired. In short, I’m willing to suspend reality for a while but even my fiction must be believable and this one just didn’t add up.

Truthfully? I’m sort of hoping that in the next book which would seem to be about two of the Magnolia’s children, Ty (Maddie’s son) and Annie (Dana Sue’s daughter who had anorexia), will show that Tom has wised up and left Jeanette for some one that deserves him. And yes, I still plan on reading the next book, it is this readers opinion that Woods rushed herself to get this one done and the next book (hopefully) will be much more up to the level of feel goodness I’m used to from Woods and The Magnolias.

Take Care

Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

I must admit that I had my doubts about this book when it arrived in my mailbox early last week. It’s not that it’s YA as I lurve me some YA. It’s not that it’s Paranormal, anyone who has ever read this blog or my posts from d&D knows that. What gave me pause was the whole Book Five thing. Now again, don’t get me wrong, I love series, but I was leery about starting this one on the fifth book, especially in a series that so many friends of mine have already raved about. Crazy I know, I started Evanovich with TO THE NINES and I didn’t come to Charlaine Harris until CLUB DEAD, of course I immediately ran out and bought the earlier books in those series and haven’t missed one since, but I wasn’t sure that could happen again, I mean, hello, did you read yesterdays posts, remember me? The newly cynical reader? But alas, it would seem that my bank account is going to be missing the exact dollar amount it would take to buy four books. Sigh. I think the publisher may be on to something – wanna sell lots of books? Give away one in the middle of a series, trust me if it’s as good as this one, the rest of the books in the series will be bought up at lightening pace.

Lord of Misrule The Morganville Vampires-Book Five by Rachel Caine
(BCC)

MORGANVILLE TEXAS. JUST SOUTH OF NORMAL.
In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans have coexisted in (relatively) bloodless harmony…until the arrival of Bishop, a master vampire who threatens to put the evil back in evil undead and smash the fragile peace. But Bishop isn’t the only threat…

Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements- both natural and unnatural – the unexpected happens: Morganville’s vampires begin to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Claire to one last choice: Swear allegiance to Bishop …or die.

Sounds good, right? Well, that would be because it is. Now, since the author is obviously a doll, there is a THE STORY SO FAR… chapter, which does a fairly good job of giving a quick rundown so that the “new to the series” reader (me) can follow along. Of course this pre-book rundown is only a couple of pages, so I was still lost on a bunch of points.

Basically, from what I could gather, there was a vampire that founded the town of Morganville, Amelie. Now, in Morganville vampires and humans co-exist. It’s a safe haven sort of town for vampires, and some or most of the humans there pledge their allegiance to certain vampires and are then under their protection (? – if you’ve read the series and I’m botching this up but good let me know). Bishop, Amelie’s dad has come to Morganville and now wants to take it over and make sure that vampires really do rule and only humans who are a walking vending machine (they actually use this term in the book) will be allowed.

Of course, Amelie is not going to go down easily, and Claire along with her best friends Eve and Michael, as well as her boyfriend Shane are all willing (if not so calmly) to help stop Bishop from taking over.

Also from what I can ascertain is that Claire, though in college, is actually only 16 or 17. It was also clear that Claire was vital to the vampires, but I was never really sure why they needed her alive and protected so badly. There is some sort of disease floating through the vampire community, and Claire seems to be helping to find the cure, and by her age and the fact that she’s in college it’s obvious she’s extremely gifted. However, I also got the impression it was more than just her mind that had the vampires so keen to keep her around. It also seemed hinted at that her boyfriend Shane may have more to him than even Claire knows. Hence me gonna go buy the other books in the series.

Anyway, we follow Claire as she and her friends race against time to save Morganville from total destruction. But all Hell’s breaking loose, some of the humans have decided they think it would be a good thing if the fighting vampires killed each other off, and they’re more than happy to help speed that along any way they can, and a monster of a storm is heading right towards Morganville with more than enough power to destroy the town on its own. Before long it’s clear that Claire can’t really trust anyone, because friends could turn out to be enemies and enemies may very well turn into, if not friends, allies.

When storm meets war the end result is so terrifyingly fantastic, that I was sitting on the edge of my seat unable to tear myself away until the very end where I was left panting for more. Caine has crafted a universe that is so well built that while reading there is no doubt in your mind that this place and these people really do exists. Caine has found a new fan and cheerleader in this reader, and I look forward to catching up with this series and continuing to follow it until the end. I expect I’ll also be buying Caine’s other series, but I think I’ll start that on Book 1 (unless of course, some one *hint, hint* wanted to send me, oh I don’t know, and autographed complete set *BG*).

Go get the book if you’re a fan of the series, I really think this is one book you’ll not want to miss. For those of you who have yet to start the series, I really do suggest starting with Book 1 (Glass Houses) just so you don’t have as many questions as I did/do. Plus, we can go on that particular reading journey together!

But just in case you have any doubts, let me share with you a small bit of one of my favorite scenes from the book:

Shane said, “Some of those same people killed your son.”

Theo looked at him with calm, unflinching eyes. “And without forgiveness, there is never any peace. I tell you this from the distance of many centuries. My son gave his life. I won’t reply to his gift with anger, not even for those who took him from me. Those same poor, sad people will wake up tomorrow grieving their own losses, I think, if they survive at all. How can hating them heal me?

Take Care

Novel Chats

Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

If ever there was a BCC that did the worst possible job in describing the book within, the BCC on this book would be it. I almost didn’t buy this book and I would have been missing out. Thank goodness for other online review sites though, because I went ahead and bought it and fell in love. There are several reasons I’m not doing a full post on this one, 1) the books been out a while and everyone seems to have already read and reviewed it because 2) the book has hit the lists and doesn’t actually need my little bitty help in getting word out. I did want to chat it though, because I really enjoyed Drake’s style. Her writing had a very poetic quality to it, that under most circumstances would bore me to death or have me rolling my eyes, but in this instance captured my imagination. Drake used beautiful prose to build a very convincing world with real characters I can’t wait to read more about. This one gets a very solid A.

fringe benefits by Valerie Frankel

I was a bit slow in picking this book up, as it is Book 4 in a series I had never heard of. However, once I did pick it up, I really enjoyed it. I found it easy to follow the story line and grasp relationships. Since fringe is YA, I tend to look at these a bit different, and as far as my would I pass this on to the young women I know to read test, the answer is, probably, once they hit a certain age. While Adora Benet was a nice change from some of the superficial teen queen of some YA novels out there, she still spoke way too freely about sex with her boyfriend, and hey, I’m not dumb, I know this happens, but as a mother of young children I shudder to think about it. Other than that, I adored this strong willed young character and enjoyed watching the world through her eyes as she spent a summer separate from her friends and faced some very life altering situations. I give this one a very solid B.

Cutting Loose by Susan Andersen

I’ve been a fan of Andersen for some time. I love the way she can take a storyline that’s been done over and over again, and make it seem new again. I love how her characters seem so real and how she’s always been able to draw me into their lives and seriously care about them. But Cutting Loose just really fell short for me. It’s only been a few weeks since I read the book, and I can’t really remember much about it except for my great disappointment in the heroine. In fact, I remember thinking that the wrong name was put on the cover of the book, so disappointed in CL was I. All of the reasons I have come to enjoy Andersen were absent in the writing of this tale, and I found myself disliking just about every character in it. I know that I will not like every book a favorite author pens, but more times than not I can find something redeeming in the pages, but this was a not time. I can only hope that the next book of the Sisterhood Diaries is back to the Andersen I’ve grown to love. This one gets a D.

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The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
(BCC)

“Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug. “want to fight?”
“If you insist,” said the yellow jacket, showing its stinger.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said the grouchy ladybug and flew off.

The grouchy lady bug is looking for someone-anyone to fight, no matter how big. From sunrise to sunset the ladybug badgers and bullies, until finally it meets its match.

We’re big Eric Carle fans in our house. Ever since Bear and Miss Beautiful were introduced to The Very Hungry Caterpillar they look for books by their favorite (maybe second, since we also lurve Dr. Suess) author.

The latest book by Carle to line our shelves is this one, and we absolutely adore it. From the author’s website, ” A grouchy ladybug who is looking for a fight challenges everyone it meets regardless of their size or strength. How this bumptious bug gets its comeuppance and learns the pleasures to be gained by cheerfulness and good manners is an amusing lesson in social behavior. Die-cut pages add drama and dimension.”

First of all, Carle’s illustrations are amazing. True works of art. Painted tissue paper? My God, the man is a genius. Second of all, the pages are designed to grow from big to small as the animals that the grouchy ladybug challenges become bigger. There is also a clock at the top of each page, so that the children can see the time of day it is on the clock, which also helps us illustrate to our children, that one bully wasted her entire day by being mean, when she could have gotten what she wanted and enjoyed a wonderful day, had she just started out by using common decency and manners.

As this book was first published in 1977, I think it just proves how timeless the lesson it involves is. In his dedication, Carle gives a small lesson on ladybugs and their nature, which is both entertaining to read and educational.

If you are looking for a great book to read with your children, pick up any book by Carle, you won’t be able to go wrong. And for some great ideas on ways to use Carle’s books to further your child’s experience, head over to his website and find ideas listed that have been sent to him over the years from teachers and parents.

For those of you lucky enough to live in or near Amherst, MA, be sure to visit The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Miss Beautiful and I spent quite a bit of time on their website last night making a wish list of things we’d like to see when we get a chance to go.

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The Elite by Jennifer Banash

The Elite by Jennifer Banash
(BCC)

It’s the most exclusive luxury apartment building on New York’s Upper East Side. If you don’t live there, you don’t know how to live…

When Casey McCloy steps into The Bramford, she’s overwhelmed by the sophistication and elegance of it all. Fresh from the Midwest, she’s moved to New York City to live with her grandmother and attend the prestigious Meadowlark Academy. Here, all that matters is who you know. The designer to know is Zac Posen. The girl to know is Madison Macallister: popular, pretty and platinum blond. She’s not just Casey’s new classmate and neighbor; she’s an icon. So Casey aims to get in with Madison and her gorgeous gal pals from the start. As the reigning queen of coolness, Madison is capable of destroying reputations with one well-times whisper. Better to be on her good side.

After a haute makeover from her new frenemy Madison, Casey is wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people. Including Drew, the boy-about-town Madison thinks belongs to her and her alone…

Casey McCloy finds herself moving from Normal, Illinois to New York City, which is anything but normal, to live with grandmother while her mother heads to London. Casey’s grandmother lives in The Bram. Only the most exclusive apartment building in town. She’s nervous. She’s sweating bullets (what an embarrassing habit!) and her hair won’t behave. On her way to her grandmother’s apartment, Casey runs into Madison Macallister and her friends Phoebe and Sophie. It’s obvious by the looks of the girls that they are only the most popular IT girls. So when they invite Casey to join them across the street to sunbathe, Casey jumps at the chance to hang out.

When Drew shows up and starts flirting with Casey she’s immediately smitten. But Madison is less than thrilled. Drew is hers, and hers alone. When the heat starts to really ratchet up between Casey and Drew so does Madison’s anger. Casey knows these girls have the power to make or break her in her new life, the problem is, Casey’s not so sure she wants to be made but she is sure she doesn’t want to be broken.

I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. It’s been a long while since I’ve picked up a YA novel and felt that it was less than fabulous. Unfortunately, I just didn’t really connect with this one. For one, when I read books in this genre, I always think about the young ladies I know and would I feel comfortable giving this book to them to read. The answer with this one was No.

The kids in this book are starting their Junior Year of high school, and let me tell ya, the way they drink alcohol (and apparently have been for some time) and the way they casually talk about lust was just a bit scary to me as an adult. All of the characters save Drew have horrible relationships with their parents.

The Elite is written in Third Person, and there are five, yes five, POV’s. While this isn’t unheard of, the book is but 237 pages long and I didn’t really have enough time with any one story line to really connect to the characters. I realize that this is a first book in a new series, but there was just too much set up for what I think must be future story lines, for me to really feel the major plot (the Casey-Drew-Madison plot).

I’m not a big fashion kinda gal. My wardrobe is fairly basic and consists mostly of jeans and tee shirts. There were so many name brand and high fashion names being thrown at me in the pages of this book my head was spinning. I realize that the book is set in Upper East Side New York, where fashion is a big deal and money is no issue, but I’m from the real world, and well, I didn’t like all the name dropping.

The Elite is getting rave reviews all over the ‘net these days, and you should really read up on them and decide for yourself on this one. It just didn’t fit in with my idea of what good YA fiction is all about. I don’t like reading about over-privileged poor little rich girls, that have a mean streak wider than their parents bank accounts. I think that Casey could have been a superior character, but her growth was really more told than shown, and with so many POV’s the characters all fell flat.

Will I read the next book in the series? I just don’t know. I’d like to see Madison grow up a bit, and I’d like to see a bit more of her friends, Phoebe and Sophie and how they deal with some of the things going on in their lives. But I just don’t think I’ll be able to bring myself to do it. With so many wonderful YA titles out there yet for me to read, I’ll probably pass on this next one.

Take Care