Angie made me do it

2-24-12 For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:16:00 +0000

3 - This is one of my least favorite Rachel Morgan books. It's not that it's bad, but it just doesn't have quite the oomph that most of the other books do. The focus isn't quite in hiding anymore and Rachel is caught in the middle of the beginning power struggle in Cincinnati. Not to mention she's having demon problems again and Ivy is starting to act a little weird. But I still do love this series! One bonus though...if you buy the paperback edition of this book you get an additional short story featuring Kisten & Rachel, the events of which are mentioned in the next book.

2-20-12 Charlie Chan by Yunte Huang - Non-Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:07:00 +0000

4 - This was a very interesting look at the history not only of the Charlie Chan character, but also the history of Hawaii. Huang introduces the reader to the real life Charlie Chan, Chang Apana, a police officer in the soon to be state of Hawaii. He also looks at the people who portrayed Charlie Chan in the incredibly popular movies and at the author himself and his life. This book is full of history and information that has almost been lost on a period and area in American history that is often overshadowed by the gold rush. A fascinating read for history buffs.

2-15-12 A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

5 - This is one of my favorite books in the Rachel Morgan series and it's all because Jenks gets big. If you haven't read the books yet, Jenks is a pixy. Picture a swearing bloodthirsty Peter Pan with 54 kids who's only 4" tall and you might be able to understand why having him be 6'4" is amusing. Rachel's pity for the underdog has gotten her into trouble again because this time Nick has gotten himself kidnapped in Michigan and she feels it's her duty to help him out. In doing so, she is now involved in the beginnings of what could be a world tearing war between the Weres and the vamps. Her life just doesn't get any easier.

2-12-12 Wilderness Run by Maria Hummel - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:15:00 +0000

3 - This was an interesting story about the Civil War from the perspective of Vermonters who saw things a little differently. I learned quite a few things from this book. The underground railroad traveled through Vermont up into Canada and that a lot of people in Vermont were against slavery for themselves but also felt apart from the immediate issues of the country for a while. This story focuses on two cousins, Bel and Lawrence, who are growing up during the start of the abolitionist movement. Lawrence enlists into the army to fight for the Union and Bel convinces her Canadian French tutor to enlist for the Union as well. The story is told with alternating chapters between Lawrence in the army and the hardships endured and Bel, still in Vermont, worrying about both her cousin and her tutor. It's actually pretty well written and a different look at the Civil War from a new perspective for me.

2-7-12 Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:11:00 +0000

4 - Rachel's deal with Big Al is now coming back to bite her in the ass. She has to figure out a way that she can fulfill the technical terms of the deal without being dragged into the everafter to be Al's familiar for eternity or until he finds something better, whichever comes first. Not only is she trying to keep herself on this side of the lines, but she also has to deal with Trent again, or more correctly, his security head Quen. And she has pissed off Jenks so much that he has left the firm and moved his family out. Just another day in the life of Rachel Morgan.

2-4-12 The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R. Green - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:06:00 +0000

5 - You didn't really think John Taylor's stag party could go off without a hitch did you? As the new Walker, John has to give up his PI business but he wants one last case to go out with a bang. And he gets it. So on the night before his wedding he's chased all over the Nightside by everyone, including his fiancee, for the murder of one of the most beloved members of society. But, as you know, nothing is quite what it seems in the Nightside and there are always many sides to a story here. LOVE this series!

2-2-12 An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:01:00 +0000

4 - Harper gets pulled into a serial killer case this time when she is hired by a woman to find her grandson and she finds him plus seven other boys. The killings in this case are so disturbing that Harper wants to leave immediately and if you are faint of heart you might want to skip this one. But things never quite go Harper's way so she is stuck in the town for a while and is now a target of the killer too. Great crime thrillers even if you didn't have the paranormal twists.

1-31-12 The Between by Tananarive Due - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:44:00 +0000

3 - I just never was completely hooked on this book. The premise is really good, just how many times can a person escape death, but I couldn't warm up to the characters. The main character, Hilton, just seemed so indecisive and wishy-washy even as the tension of the story ratcheted up. But, like I said, the basic story was good. Hilton's grandmother died saving him from drowning when he was a young boy. Now he's haunted by dreams and believes he's having waking dreams as well. He remembers things others say never happened. He becomes more frantic as the stalker who has been threatening his wife and family seems to be circling ever closer. If you aren't sure what to read & you happen across this, pick it up as a nice space filler.

1-29-12 Blind Spot by Terri Persons - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0000

4 - You know, I really liked this book. Firstly it is written like any police/FBI thriller with a manhunt for a serial killer. So that in itself makes it good. But the characters are what make this truly interesting. Bernadette Saint Clare is an FBI agent with a little extra talent: she can see through a killer's eyes if she touches a piece of evidence in the crime. It makes her a bit of a pariah in the Bureau's eyes, but she does get things done. Usually. she has made mistakes before. And that is what we know about her when she is transferred yet again to her new office in St. Paul. The other characters in the story, her new boss, her persistent upstairs neighbor, are also interesting and the play among them is well written. I'm going to be reading the second book with Bernadette soon.

1-27-12 Destined by PC & Kristin Cast - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:27:00 +0000

4 - I still like this series and I still get really swept up in the stories. This is the 9th book in the House of Night series and Zoey and her crew are still all tied up in the thick of things in the battle between light and dark that has them facing off against their former High Priestess, Neferet. This story includes not only the main characters we have loved and followed but Kalona, the white bull, and Thanatos all are involved and a new character, Aurox is introduced. Of course, you never know if anyone is what or who they seem to be. Still love these!

1-26-12 In the Land of White Death by Valerian Albanov - Non-Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:17:00 +0000

5 - This is just an amazing book written as a diary by one of the two survivors of the Saint Anna, a Russian ship that was exploring the arctic for new hunting routes. The Saint Anna was icebound for one year before Albanov began to have doubts that the ship would ever be freed from the ice. Two years after the ship set sail, Albanov made it back to civilization having walked, skied, and kayaked across the frozen ocean. When he left the Saint Anna, his was a group of 13 that slowly began to dwindle as the journey became even more difficult than he could have imagined. Polar bears, walrus, and slowly melting ice floes were only part of the problems he and his men endured. If you are interested in stories of arctic exploration or the tale of the Endurance, you should read this, and account of arctic survival written by a survivors own hand.

1-23-12 Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper by Robert Bloch - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:09:00 +0000

4 - This is a collection of short stories, screenplays, and novellas that Robert Bloch wrote featuring Jack the Ripper. And, wow, some are just a bit twisted. Jack does not always come out on top and Bloch played off the various theories about who Jack really was and why he disappeared. The only story I didn't read was was the Star Trek screenplay because it was published as a screenplay and I find those a little tough to actually read. He also has a spectacular short essay at the end discussing why someone who killed very few people is so well known when the student who was responsible for World War II is virtually unknown. (See, I read this and I've forgotten his name already!) And if you are trying to figure out where you've heard the name Robert Bloch before, he wrote a little story called Psycho.

1-19-12 The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:08:00 +0000

5 - Yup, another Rachel Morgan book. After she has the death threat lifted you would think she could stay out of trouble. Nope. Of course, if she did it would make for very boring reading!

1-15-12 Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:02:00 +0000

5 - Because the new Rachel Morgan book comes out in February, I'm re-reading the whole series. Again. I know all my re-reads can get boring for you guys but I'm fitting in a couple new things too here and there. You can check out my previous review for this book but, take my word for it, these are great stories that should appeal to lovers of fantasy, mystery, and action.

1-11-12 Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:29:00 +0000

4 - THIS is the second book. I was finally able to get to the library when it was open. I really enjoyed this volume in the series because Sookie gets to travel to Dallas and stays in a vampire hotel where she finds some interesting humans. She also gets to meet the king of Texas and, as per her agreement with Eric, offers her assistance with her special skills. A wild ride.

1-9-12 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:25:00 +0000

4 - OK, so I'm re-reading them out of order. This is actually the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, but I don't have the second one on my bookshelf. You can read them out of order a little, but you will feel lost. If I hadn't already read this series a couple times, I would not have read this book next. But it is a fun addition to the series taking Sookie to Jackson, Mississippi where she works with a werewolf to find the missing Bill. Fun reads!

1-6-12 Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:20:00 +0000

4 - I do love the Sookie Stackhouse series. Thank goodness it's one of the items on my bookshelf so when I ran out of books I could pick this up again. Harris gives the reader such a great introduction to the alternate reality she has created where vampires have "come out of the coffin" so to speak and live openly among humans. Sookie's telepathy adds a different dimension to the stories too and makes her her own unique character. If you love the True Blood TV series, you should definitely try the books.

1-2-12 Jack & Jill by James Patterson - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:53:00 +0000

3 - The Alex Cross books I've read are all good but some are better than others. This was good, but not quite riveting enough for me. Cross is after two serial killers that are focusing on the rich, famous, and powerful in D.C. and another killer who is murdering small children at his son's school in one of the not so wealthy areas of D.C. A good story overall and a few twists and turns, but not one of my favorite thrillers.

12-27-11 Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:49:00 +0000

5 - Still love this book. Yes, over the holidays I didn't have time to get to the library on the days it was open so I had to go through my meager bookshelf and start reading from it. But I still enjoy this book and with all the press about the movie I was itching to re-read it anyway. If you don't know the story of this series by now you must live under a rock so I'm not going to rehash it for you. But I am among the ones who loved this final book in the Twilight series.

12-26-11 Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman - Non-Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:46:00 +0000

2 - You know, I have to give this a 2 because even though I only read this about three weeks ago, I can't remember a thing about it except it had some funny parts and I didn't hate it. Even looking it up on www.bn.com and reading the reviews does not jar anything. So I would say read this if you've run out of stuff or just need to take up time. You won't remember anything about it anyway.

12-25-11 Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:38:00 +0000

4 - Harper Connelly unwittingly inserts herself into another missing person/murder mystery in Harris' second book of the series. As she is being "tested" by an unbelieving professor for his class, she discovers a second body in a grave. That second body is of a little girl she failed to find the year before. And so begins the new mystery of how the child ended up in a different state from where she was missing and who is trying to disrupt the investigation and get Harper accused of murder herself. These are well written murder mysteries. If you don't normally read paranormal themed stories, I suggest you try these anyway. The paranormal is almost second to the great mystery plot.

12-23-11 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:33:00 +0000

5 - Holy Crap! These books involve business, government conspiracy, international intelligence, defecting spies, lunatic asylums, and newspapers. And they are tied all together so neatly that at the end you go, "Wow. I have no more questions except what is Lisbeth going to do now?" It's such a shame that Larsson died without continuing the series because that is a true loss for book lovers everywhere. Seriously, I know I've said it before, read these books!

12-14-11 The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

2 - Sappy, but what do you expect from Sparks? I saw the twist, bittersweet ending coming and, yeah, I was right. This is a standard boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with girl from a good family and they are kept apart but then come back together years later. Honestly, read The Notebook instead. Much better.

12-9-11 Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:26:00 +0000

4 - I love the quirky world of the Nightside. This is the first in the Nightside series and Green does a wonderful job of introducing the weirdness and debauchery that is the Nightside as well as giving a great sampling of the characters to be found in such a place while writing in a noir style. The Nightside is a part of London that isn't, a place where it's always 3 am, a place where your every dream, fantasy, and nightmare can and will come true. Fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

12-1-11 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson - Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Freya) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:21:00 +0000

5 - This trilogy really is incredible! The first book was enthralling and the second book is just amazing as it takes you on a whole new adventure that opens up the characters even more. Lisbeth Salander is the antiheroine in these books and, as weird and unusual as she is, she makes you root for her every step of the way. This book goes deeper into who she is and how she ended up being the way she is and the story continues to surprise and shock. Seriously, read these books!