Sharon the Librarian

Early Book Review: Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners!

2012-01-31T09:33:00.000-05:00

Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners! by Beth Bracken, illustrated by Richard Watson, is a picture book set for release on February 1 2012. Peter the monkey is typically rude and gross. He does not say please or thank you, never mind saying excuse me. He does not seem to think being polite is very important. In fact, he greatly enjoys the extra attention that his lack of manners bring his way. However, one night at dinner his family begins to act strangely and Peter gets a look at how the people around him feel when he behaves badly.

Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners! is a fun story with colorful, bright illustrations. Peter is one rude monkey, and loves that behaving badly gets him some extra attention. His parents and little sister team up at dinner one night to give him a little taste of his own medicine. While this might not be the more mature parenting style, it certainly seems to get the point across to Peter. I think that this will definitely speak to the four to six year old set that the book is aimed at.

Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners! will be a hit in some homes, a complete miss in others. While bathroom and grooming humor is always a hit with the target age range, and some parents, it might be deemed inappropriate by some adults. If you want to avoid books with that type of giggle, then you might want to skip it, because it is definitely in this book. Would would suggest it for reading at home, rather than for use in a preschool or kindergarten environment. My children, ages three and five, got a real kick out of the story and illustrations. Hopefully it also made them more aware of how their actions affect those around them. Thankfully they are already good with saying please and thank you. However, like with most children, an occasional reminder is needed and this book can be a fun way to do the job.

Early Book Review: Dotter of Her Father's Eyes

2012-01-30T20:40:00.000-05:00

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes by Mary Talbot and Brian Talbot is a graphic novel that is part personal memoir of Mary Talbot, the daughter of a renowned Joycean scholar, and part biography of Lucia, James Joyce's daughter. The two personal histories are interwoven and well told. The two coming of age takes share some heart wrenching similarities as well as sharp contrasts fueled by time period and social expectations. The book is slated for release on Feb. 8, 2012.

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes details the pressures and young lives of Mary Talbot and Lucia Joyce. While the particulars their situations, particularly in regards to social status and personal ambitions, are different they each suffer from relationships with their parents that were far from perfect.

My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Book Review: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

2012-01-30T15:37:00.000-05:00

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain is scheduled for release on Jan. 24, 2012. This book chronicles the history of society's changing focus on character and personality. It takes a close look at the differences between introverts and extroverts, and America's current cultural push to be an extrovert. Scientific studies, in-depth personal research and detailed case studies of individuals come together in this intriguing book. Cain argues that those of us that can be considered introverts are as important and valuable as our more gregarious counterparts and are often undervalued. Readers will be enthralled by the life stories, the psychological details, and personal insights that Quiet offers. I had greater insight about myself, relationships and all manner of interpersonal communications after finishing this book.

My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Picturebook Review: Pirates & Princesses

2012-01-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Pirates and Princesses is a picture book written by Jill and Sadie Kargman and illustrated by Christine Davenier. The colorful and playful illustrations paired with smart text tell the story of a pair of friends. Ivy and Fletch have been friends since they were babies. Even in preschool they remained the bet of friends. However, when they get to kindergarten they discover new friends, which seem to never cross the gender line. The girls play princess, while the boys play pirate. Can the two friends reconnect at school, or will they stay divided along the gender lines?

Some might peg Pirates and Princesses as unrealistic, but I think this is a fantastic tale. As a young girl I was much like Ivy, and enjoyed the games typically considered 'boy's' games. I still am more likely to be seen swinging a hammer or digging in the garden than painting my finger nails. I am trying to instill in my own two kids the understanding that it is more than okay for my daughter to play pirates and my son to don a tutu if that is what they like, if that is what they want to do. So far they have no gender fear, but I know that once they enter elementary school scenarios like the one in this story might take place. There is nothing wrong with the girls plating ballerina or princess. There is nothing wrong with the boys playing pirate, or cowboy, or astronaut. But when the walls between the genders fall and anyone can join in any game, there is so much more fun to be had! I hope that this type of thing can happen in schools, playgrounds, and groups everywhere. Teaching our kids that any kids can be a pirate or a princess, to be good friends, and to stand up for what you believe we can all have kids as cool as Fletch and Ivy.

Book Review: Dark Sins and Desert Sands by Stephanie Draven

2012-01-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

Dark Sins and Desert Sands by Stephanie Draven is romance novel that combines suspense and the paranormal in a contemporary setting. It is part of Draven's Mythica series, but the only one that I have read. I enjoyed that the characters were flawed individuals and I appreciated the new twist on mythology and the gods. It was a quick read, with action and romance that moved at a fast pace.

In Dark Sins and Desert Sands, Ray Stavrakis is an American soldier that has endured the stresses of war and then torture. The result of the trials he has survived is that Ray is on the run, but now gifted with mind control powers. However, he also has to contend with the tolls of using those powers and violent rages. He is now a minotaur, and he is on the hunt for the woman that took part in his interrogation, the only person he believes can clear his name. The woman he is searching for, Layla Bahset, has problems of her own to contend with.

My complete review can be found here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: Popular Clone by M.E. Castle

2012-01-20T08:20:00.000-05:00

Popular Clone by M.E. Castle is a book that is perfect for middle school students and younger high school students. It is scheduled for release Jan. 24, 2012. Fisher Bas is a 12-year-old with some serious bully issues. He is the son of two scientists and is not lacking in the science department himself. Fisher is smart, a bit of a dreamer and small. This has gained the attention of one teacher who seems to be a kindred spirit and three bullies who have named themselves the Vikings. In his eagerness to escape the trials of school, Fisher spawns an idea using his mother's top secret experiment, that scientist Dr. Xander would do anything to get his hands on. He creates a clone to go to school and endure those terrors while Fisher gets to stay home and enjoy video games and snack food. His plan could have results ranging from perfect to disastrous. Unsurprisingly, Fisher's experiment and the resulting adventure hold a little from both extremes.

Read my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.

Picturebook Review: Maddie's Monster Dad by Scott Gibala-Broxholm

2012-01-19T15:32:00.000-05:00

Maddie's Monster Dad is a picture book written and illustrated by Scott Gibala-Broxholm. Maddie is a girl who loved monsters; she loved everything related to monsters. The only thing she loved more than monsters is her father. She loves baking Glob cookies with him, drawing monster pictures with him, and watching monster movies with him. But lately, Maddie's father has been to busy working to ply with her. So, Maddie uses the Build-a-Beast kit her father had given her for her birthday to build herself a new father. Her results are fantastic, but still leave her bored by the end of the day, so she goes with her new dad to scare her real father. The results of her attempted scare offer the perfect reconciliation for the story.

I really loved Maddie's Monster Dad, and highly recommend it as a book to read aloud and share with the children in your life. I think the story can bring home to parents the need to recognize when our work or other responsibilities live others feeling neglected. However, it also offers children the understanding that sometimes adults do need to do less exciting things than play, and that using their imagination can make those times a little easier to bear. Maddie and her father came alive in the illustrations, which were done in gouache and pencil. The colors and images did a great job of capturing the moods of Maddie and the images from her life and imagination. As someone that does some significant computer time at home, it really struck a chord with me personally.

Early Book Review: Hades: Lord of the Dead by George O'Connor

2012-01-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

Hades: Lord of the Dead by George O'Connor is a young adult graphic novel scheduled for release on January 31, 2012. It is volume four in the Olympian series. This is another look at the legend of Hades and Persephone. Those already very familiar with the tale will not have many surprises, but there are some new perspectives to the story in this interpretation. Nothing mind blowing, but a reasonable and well-done look at the story behind why we have seasons and the personality of Persephone. This volume would serve well as an introduction to the story and the way it can change with the perspectives of the teller and reader.

In the Olympians series, O’Connor draws thoroughly researches and then retells Greek myths with his own touch. Hades: Lord of the Dead is no exception. O'Connor gives Persephone, or Kore, some strength and say in her future that is often missing in the more traditional re-tellings. The art is vibrant and gives the characters some personality and small details from the story that might otherwise be lost in this condensed myth re-telling. I also liked that O'Connor added notes at the end of the graphic novel explaining why he made certain changes to the original story, and how he felt about certain aspects of the book. He also includes factual tidbits that will be useful to those not already well-versed in the Greek gods and the related myths.

As someone that loves mythology and the many ways the classic stories can be re-imagined, I felt that Hades: Lord of the Dead was lacking some depth. Hades could have used more background story, particularly in how Persephone caught his eye. However; readers that are looking for a fun read, an introduction to the story, or a basic re-telling of the story will be well pleased with what they find here.

Book Review: Highland Knight by Hannah Howell

2012-01-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

Highland Knight by Hannah Howell is my first review in the TBR Challenge 2012. Hannah Howell has written more Highland novels then I have read, sometime I feel like she has more than I can count. That does not keep me from adding all of them to me to be read list or adding ones I find to my pile. Every single time I pick one up I am happy I did. Highland Knight was among those I need to read to complete the list of the Highland books, which center around the Murray family. Eventually I will catch up and have read all the published Highland books, but I have no idea when I will see the end of the list.

In Highland Knight, Cameron MacAlpin is given a woman and a girl as payment for a debt payment, after discovering who they are. The woman is Avery Murray, sister to Payton Murray, the same man who is said to have dishonored Cameron's own sister. Cameron plans to use Avery and then to trade her to Payton in order to ensure he marries his sister and to get some revenge on his treatment of her. However, nothing goes as smoothly as he would like. Avery and her twelve year old cousin Gillyanne are smart and courageous women that slowly win the hearts of Cameron's people as they travel across France towards Scotland. Escape attempts, teasing, general mischief, and outside threats keep the men on their toes. The women defend Payton's honor and yet still start to feel like family to those they travel with. While Avery is angered at the accusations aimed at her brother, and her own attraction to Cameron, who openly admits that he plans on seducing her for revenge against her brother. Can she change Cameron's made and convince him that all women are not as deceitful as those in his past, or is she fated to desire him long after he casts her aside?

Highland Knight offered exactly what I would expect from any of Howell's Highland romance novels. There is the stubborn hero with baggage to spare, strong women with powers of intuition, a great cast of supporting characters, and some steamy scenes to entertain. There are threads of adventure and humor woven through out the book, so even if you find something bothersome, like the twelve year old cousin dishing out sex advise, you are still compelled to keep reading to see what happens next.

I did not think that Highland Knight was the best of Howell's work, but it was a nice change of pace from the children's book that I had been reading heavily as of late. It also shook my case of reading blahs, where you know that a book you are reading is good or not but just cannot get emotionally involved in any story. Even if I had not liked the story, I would have appreciated the book for that alone. I would recommend Highland Knight to fans of Howell, and those looking for a fun historical romance with a Scottish flavor.

Book Review: First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don

2012-01-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don is a children's book for readers around 9 and older. Helen wants to be a musician, not a veterinarian like her mother, although she has retained some of the knowledge and skills her mother has tried to teach her. That knowledge comes in handy when she finds an injured horse, which is not just a horse. Soon Helen is caught in a quest with mythical beast to help them right a wrong that their own curiosity set into motion. Helen and her new friends need to solve riddles to find a very special book before the evil Master of the Maze can. While on these adventures Helen must also stay in the good graces of her parents, protect her younger sister and master a fiddle solo to attend a summer camp with some of the best musicians in the world. A collection of Scottish landscape, folklore and fables are intertwined with the adventure to keep readers enthralled.

My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Picturebook Review: My Name is Elizabeth!

2012-01-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

My Name is Elizabeth! is a picturebook written by Annika Dunklee and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. Elizabeth loves her name, her pet duck, and her family. However, she is greatly bothered when people insist on calling her names like Beth or Lizzy. Elizabeth is a name she shares with a queen, and she does not want to be called anything else. Her name is great, and she loves everything about it, and freely lists all the wonderful things about the name Elizabeth. She puts up with the nicknames for as long as she can before making it known, loud and clear, that she wants to be called Elizabeth. In the end, she just might let some people get away with calling her something other than Elizabeth.

My Name is Elizabeth! is a fun, simple story that I easily relate to since I have always had to struggle with a serious dislike to any name derived nicknames people tried to use for me. Miss Elizabeth is a normal, feisty child with a mind of her own. I really loved the artwork for the book as well. The illustrations are two-toned, and do a great job of illustrating Elizabeth's nature and moods. The drawings are a little retro, and the format is simple and easy to follow. The speech bubbles combined with the two-toned illustrations give the format a comic book feel, which could appeal to many readers. While not every kid is lucky enough to have a pet duck, all will be able to relate to not like nicknames family and other people in their lives might use for them, and the need to speak up and communicate that to the people around them.

Early Book Review: How to Make a Golem and Terrify People

2012-01-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

How to Make a Golem and Terrify People by Allete J. Willis is a children's book set for publication on Jan. 23 2012, that is appropriate for children around 10 and older. Younger children with the reading skills for the book will enjoy it as well, but since the main character turns 12, it might be most relatable for those around the same age. The story opens with Edda, nicknamed "Mouse" for her small size and gentle nature. She wants to be braver, but keeps letting herself be frightened by a bully at school and other things in day-to-day life. When her home is robbed while her family is out celebrating her birthday Edda feels even more afraid and thinks that she will never escape her fear. The next day a new boy appears at school, Michael Scot, who is more than a little odd. He offers to help Edda be braver, to defeat her fear. Michael says that he is an alchemist and will help her to build a golem. Edda is reluctant to believe that anyone could bring a giant mud monster to life, but is willing to try. Can they really bring a golem to life and if they do will it really solve Edda's fear problem? My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: Under His Influence by Justine Elyot

2012-01-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Under His Influence by Justine Elyot is a novel schedule for release in e-book format on January 30 2012. Anna Rice is an innocent, vulnerable, romantic. After making an embarrassing mistake about which co-worker was asking her out for drinks Anna meets John Stone. The mysterious and enigmatic man sweeps her off her feet. He is rich, charming, and addictive. Mimi Leblanc is Anna's protective best friend, who is more than a little concerned about the whirl wind romance, and the heart of her friend. She does some investigating into John, and gets in over her head. Just who is John Stone, and what are his plans?

I am having trouble categorizing Under His Influence. Some might call it erotic suspense, or perhaps it is science fiction, or straight romance. I am just not sure. I feel like this book could have been divided into two full length novels, and each would have been better that the whole. Anna is not my favorite character; she feels more like a victim than someone that will find love from the very beginning of the book. She falls head over heels in love in mere moments. Mimi is much more pragmatic, and though might come off as hard-hearted, might just be the best character in the book. John is mysterious, and readers will have their suspicions as to just who, or what, he might be within the first chapter or so. Liam is a side character that seems to change dramatically throughout the book, for no plausible or discernible reason. The sex scenes are steamy, and a little over the top on occasion. The irritable attraction to John is important, but sometimes overstated.

I did not hate the book, and I am sorry that it might sound that way. I think I am just disappointed because the premise and characters could have just gone so much farther or deeper. The book could have been a toe curling erotic novel, or a thrilling science fiction story, but I felt like Under His Influence never really made its way to be either. It was interesting, and sometimes overwhelming. If you like science fiction and erotic, then you might enjoy Under His Influence. I picked it up, and briefly put it down before picking it back up to finish it. The story was interesting but I felt that in the desire to pack so much into one novel, there was something wonderful lost along the way.

Book Review: Tina's Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap

2012-01-04T20:43:00.002-05:00

Tina's Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap is a young adult graphic novel released on January 3 2012. This story follows one high school student's take on life and love through the lense of an existential diary she is keeping for a school project. Tina M. is a sophomore at a private school, Yarborough Academy. She is the youngest in her Southern California intellectual Indian family and does not really feel that she has a place in any single group. Through the journal, complete with black and white illustrations, readers follow Tina through some high school adventures. Tina's semester includes the loss of her most important friendship, the drama club, betrayal, cultural quests, and an important kiss. The humor of Tina's personality paired with the illustrations, are perfect purveyors of the issues that one teenager might come across on her quest to find herself, if she can only bring herself to care about the answer.

The complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

2012-01-04T08:40:00.006-05:00

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridge is the first book in The Katerina Trilogy, a series set in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1888. This novel blends historical fiction with the legends of the area seamlessly. Katerina is a Duchess, hiding a mystical secret amid the aristocracy of balls and finishing school. One attempt to prevent someone else from casting a spell she releases herself to a few members of the court. While she wants to forget and deny her gift, those that have discovered her secret either fear her or want to harness her power for their own evil intentions. Some of their plans do not include anything like a happy life for Katerina, and no one is ready to share the whole truth. It is scheduled for release on January 10 2012.

My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: Daughter of the Centaurs by K. K. Ross

2012-01-03T20:31:00.001-05:00

Daughter of the Centaurs by K.K. Ross is the first book in the Centauriad series for young adults. It is scheduled for release on January 24, 2012. Malora is a headstrong and independent teen that wants to follow in the footsteps of her father, a horse wrangler and hunter. Despite her mother's wishes that she follow her path and become a healer, Malora does everything she can to follow hr dream. Unfortunately, huge bat like creatures called leatherwings attack and soon Malora is on her own and dependent on the very skills she longed to master for her very survival. Possibly the last living human, Malora becomes the leader of her own herd of horses, until the day centaurs capture her and some of her herd. Now Malora must adjust to a completely new society, and discover if the comforts she finds there are worth giving up the freedom and life she had come to love.

My complete review is avaliable here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: Don't Bite the Messenger by Regan Summers

2012-01-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

Don't Bite the Messenger by Regan Summers is an urban fantasy novel scheduled for release on January 16 2012. This quick read is not short on action. Sydney Kildare, or is that Mary Pike, is a courier in Alaska. She spends her nights making deliveries for vampires. It is not exactly the safest profession and she has planned and saved enough to get out of the business. However, there is no way to retire instead you need to run. Before she can put her escape plan into action Sydney lands in the middle of a vampire power struggle, and needs to survive long enough to achieve her happily ever after.

My entire review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

Challenges for 2012

2012-01-02T10:34:00.000-05:00

I am not going to bore everyone with the number of books I read in 2011, or the challenges that I have participated in. Lets just say that it was a busy year laden with renewed and new friendships and more than a few hardships for those I care about most. So I am jumping, or hobbling, into 2012 determined that it will be a better year all around.

So, despite the fact that my posting will still be hap hazard for the next few weeks (still short a netbook) I have joined two challenges and will be using these to get me going in the right direction. The first challenge is NetGalley Month, hosted at Red House Books. The challenge encourages those of us using NetGalley to read as many of the galleys we have stored up as possible, catching up on the inevitable backlog of books created when you just cannot stop looking for more. This will be my third time participating, and hopefully my most successful.

My other challenge is the TBR Challenge 2012 hosted by Wendy at the Misadventures of Super Librarian. This challenge will help me stop ignoring the books I actually own, and still have yet to read. I need to hurry up and pick my January book so I can stay on track, I already feel like I am behind.

My personal challenge is to better balance my reading and writing time. I tend o go a couple weeks focusing on one, then feel guilty that I am slacking in the other, and then switching. Since the sad demise of my notebook, the reading has taken over and now I have hit a bit of a blah slum. Two galleys I started, and put away, because I just could not get into them. I am back at one of them now and limping my way through. Another galley is a book that I read months ago and apparently has been renamed. *sigh*

For today, I will use my husband's laptop and do what I can while playing referee for the kids, and hope that this year holds up to its promise for everyone.

Early Book Review Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

2011-12-30T18:08:00.003-05:00

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin is a fun children's book slated for release on January 24 2012. The book follows the adventures of one mute, albino girl (Delia) as she joins the family at Oddfellow's Orphanage. The other children at the orphanage, and even the teachers, are all a little odd. The orphanage is a place for all living creatures to find a home. Its residents include an onion headed boy, a girl covered in tattoos, and a family of dancing bears. The book is told in episodic chapters, including illustrations and character summaries, detailing Delia's discoveries about her new home and family.

Oddfellow's Orphanage is not your ordinary orphanage, and its residents are not exactly normal either. The children are all different, for example one is a hedgehog and another has an onion for a head. The teachers and headmaster are all a little different too. Classes include crypto zoology, astronomy, and fairy tales. However, despite all the differences there are some universal truths to be found at Oddfellows as well: including the need for friendship, family, and a place to belong. I loved that the group forms friendships and bonds like family despite the rather large differences among them. What these children are lucky enough to learn is that the world may be large, but the people important to you are even greater.

Oddfellow's Orphanage is a good choice for those making the transition to chapter books. The story is fun, an easy read, and heartwarming. I think many children will relate to the need to feel they belong somewhere, regardless of their situation. The electronic galley I read, provided by NetGalley, included rough sketches of the artwork rather than the finished product. The pencil sketches did a wonderful job of illustrating the story, though I can only imagine that the finished product will be even better.

Book Review: Floors by Patrick Carman

2011-12-23T17:52:00.001-05:00

Floors by Patrick Carman is a novel for children about the adventures of a boy living and working in the most unusual hotel you could ever hope to visit. I would love a chance to explore the wondrous hotel that Carman has created, and look forward to any sequels so that I can return to young Leo's world. Leo and his father like in the basement of the Whippet Hotel, and know most of its secrets. Hidden rooms, special elevators, strange staff, stranger guests, very unusual rooms and ducks living on the roof are all normal at the Whippet Hotel. When the creator of the hotel, Merganzer Whippet, goes missing strange things begin to happen. Leo and the new door boy, the excitable Remi, follow the clues that seem to have been left behind by Merganzer. They journey through hidden floors and solve mysteries with the help of a duck and robot. Leo needs to solve the mysteries Merganzer Left behind to save the hotel, his friendships, and his future.

I highly recommend Floors to readers age eight and up. Fans of books by Roald Dahl and Louis Sacher will find extra joy in reading this book, and the series that promises to follow. There is no violence or terrifying moments to bother readers that are younger than eight but that have the reading ability to enjoy the story, while the adventure and mystery in Carman's writing can keep even adult readers enthralled. I look forward to discovering more hidden areas of the Whippet Hotel along with Leo and Remi in the future, and would not be surprised to see this book become classic must read along side works by Dahl and C.S. Lewis.

Early Book Review: Ditched by Robin Mellom

2011-12-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Ditched by Robin Mellom is a young adult novel scheduled for release on January 10 2012. The story opens with high school senior Justina Griffith waking up in a ditch and struggling to remember just how she came to be there in a iridescent blue gown and matching footwear. When she notices the stains on her gown, and remembers how her prom night began, she is not quite sure she wants to remember the events that led to her situation. She stumbles to the closest store, a 7-Eleven, and begins to put the night together. Was her best friend and dream date really the great guy she thought he was or was he scum? Ian had left her at the prom, and she has not been able to catch up with him since. She has encountered some unexpected friendships, strange situations, and unmitigated disaster in her misguided attempts to have a perfect night. Did she deserve to land in the ditch because of her choices and actions or could everything be salvaged in the end when all the pieces of the night come together?

See my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.

Early Book Review: The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee

2011-12-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Last Slayerby Nadia Lee is an urban fantasy novel released on December 26 2011. The main character is Ashera del Cid, a talented hunter of demons that struggles to destroy as many incubi and succubae as she can. She works for with her foster family, and accepts her less than stunning good looks and life without blood relations in stride, especially since her foster family has treated her so well. When she is placed on dangerous duty, she kills a dragon in self defense and thinks that she has angered the dragonlords and set them to hunt her. Little does she know that they have been looking to kill her since the day she was born. Ashera's has one potential champion is Ramiel, a supernatural that defies category until he reveals it to her. However, intentions and motivations are in question and Ashera doubts just about everything she is told, including the identity of her mother and her bloodline. Ramiel always seems to be hiding something, which make trust and moving forward towards her future even harder of Ashera.

The Last Slayer is a good urban fantasy novel, which begins a new series. I did feel a little tossed into the world, like I should have known more about hunters, slayers, dragonlords, and the general landscape of the world already. Perhaps I missed a related book or series along the way. However, I was not completely lost and found my way into the world fairly easily. Ashera starts out as a champion hunter, a loner that wants to do her job in such a way that eliminates the risk of others getting hurt. I liked this, and her take charge attitude. However, she becomes a lot softer and more passive as the conflicts arose and Ramiel took charge. It worked with in the story, but I wanted to see more of Ashera kicking butt and less about the time she took bathing and picking out clothes.

The story was good, and if I see the next book in the series I might pick it up however I will not be hunting it down or anxiously awaiting its arrival. I finished the book less invested in the characters than I was in the first few chapters, which is a shame since I liked Ashera and the set up for her foster sister Valerie and foster father Jack, both of whom I would like to see more about.

Book Review: Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

2011-12-13T07:41:00.001-05:00

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis is the third book in the Lucky Harbor series. In this story, we see Chloe and her two soon-to-be-married sisters doing well with their inn. However, Chloe is still living close to the edge, and that does not go unnoticed by the town's sexy sheriff, Sawyer. As a reformed bad boy, Sawyer understands some of Chloe's actions, but his desire to make good for the town that help him straighten out his life give him more to contend with than his desire for Chloe. While Chloe's fear of rejection, need to be loved, and severe asthma each offer up their own obstacles as the two circle each other in alternating frustration and desire.

Read my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.

Book Review; Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Fool Moon Volume One

2011-12-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Fool Moon Volume One by Mark Powers and Chase Conley is the graphic novel that expands upon Fool Moon, the second novel in the Dresden Files series. This volume collects the first four issues of the eight issue series. The visual platform here clears away any of the negatives readers might have found in the original novel format of Fool Moon, which was full of categorizing, details, and history of different kinds of werewolves. The graphic novel Fool Moon Volume One gives readers everything they want, a fantastic story coupled with images that are dark enough to convey the feel of Harry Dresden's world without creating an image of a completely dark and ugly version of Chicago.

Read my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.

Book Review: The Devil and Ms. Moody by Suzanne Forster

2011-12-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

The Devil and Ms. Moody by Suzanne Forster is a contemporary romance just released as an e-book by Open Road Integrated Media, but was originally published in 1990. This is a story that seems to be the simply good girl falling for a bad boy, but there is more involved in this tale. Edwina Moody is the quintessential good girl. She has given up her dreams, her future, her education in order to save her family from financial difficulties when her father runs off leaving nothing but debt and hurt behind. To earn the much needed money Edwina works to find heirs to let them know of the death and the inheritance that will affect them. In desperation for a larger amount of money Edwina gets a tough assignment, finding an heir that seems to have become a biker. Her search puts Edwin in danger, and directly in the path of the dangerously attractive Diablo. His honor drives Diablo to protect Edwina, but he cannot risk his place in the Warlord biker gang. The pair strikes a precarious partnership, and set off on a journey neither will forget.

Read my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.