Reading With Mo

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

From the Publisher:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts:

The idea for this novel is pure genius. Cinder is a unique adaptation of the classic Cinderella story in which the main character is a cyborg. You may be thinking this is something like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, where the story is the same with just a few things changed. I assure you it is not. While some of the key components to the Cinderella canon are present, the story is far from an exact telling.

There is, as you might imagine, a pretty heavy science fiction theme throughout the book. The world is very different from our own. The large territory of New Bejing is the setting for this first book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Science has improved, giving the world hover cars and fantastic body implants. However, a horrific disease wreaks havoc with earth's population. It makes the world more believable having problems that have not been solved.

Cinder is a very likable main character. She is smart and daring. Her love for he sister endears her to the reader. But her insecurity and self deprecating outlook give her that illusion of reality that truly strong characters must possess.

Like most young adult fiction today, the cover for the book is wonderful. It caught my eye as soon as I saw it and had me wondering what the book was about. It seems the old saying about not judging a book by its cover just does not apply with this genre. The covers of the books I have read over the past two years are getting more and more eye-catching.

This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Marissa Meyer successfully mixes the young adult, science fiction, dystopia and mystery genres into a fast paced novel you will find quite hard to put down.

The Author:

Marissa Meyer was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, home of Almond Roca and Stadium High School, which was made famous when Heath Ledger danced down the stadium steps in 10 Things I Hate About You. Marissa didn’t actually go to Stadium High School, but she did attend Pacific Lutheran University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. She still lives in Tacoma, now with her husband.Cinder is her YA debut.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher.

Interesting New Releases: Week of Januray 9, 2012

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

A top nuclear scientist goes mad and takes an innocent family hostage at gunpoint, killing one and causing a massive standoff.

A plume of radiation above New York City leads to a warehouse where, it seems, a powerful nuclear bomb was assembled just hours before.

Sifting through the evidence, authorities determine that the unthinkable is about to happen: in ten days, a major American city will be vaporized by a terrorist attack.

Ten days. And Gideon Crew, tracking the mysterious terrorist cell from the suburbs of New York to the mountains of New Mexico, learns the end may be something worse--far worse--than mere Armageddon.

The Secret Crown by Chris Kuzneski

From the mountains of Bavaria to the secret tunnels under King Ludwig II's castles, no one is safe when they search for the Secret Crown.

Hidden among the crates in a recently discovered World War II bunker are documents stamped with an elaborate black swan, the insignia of the murdered King Ludwig II. According to legend, Ludwig stockpiled a massive treasure in the years before his death, a cache of gold and jewels that would finance the construction of the largest castle of all time. But in the years since his death, no one has found any evidence that Ludwig had hidden anything. Until now.

Jonathon Payne and David Jones are pulled into the mystery by a colleague of theirs, a former supply sergeant in the U.S. military who asks them to investigate. They agree to help and quickly find themselves in a life-or-death struggle to uncover the truth about Ludwig's murder and his mythical treasure.

The Jaguar by T. Jefferson Parker

Erin McKenna, a beautiful songwriter married to a crooked Los Angeles County sheriff 's deputy, is kidnapped by Benjamin Armenta, the ruthless leader of the powerful Gulf Cartel. But his demands turn out to be as unusual as the crumbling castle in which Erin is kept. She is ordered to compose a unique narcocoriddo, a modern-day folk ballad of the kind that have recorded the exploits of the drug dealers, gunrunners, and outlaws who have highlighted Mexican history for generations. Under threat of death, Armenta orders Erin to tell his life story-in music-and write "the greatest narcocorrido of all time." Allowed to wander the dark hallways of the castle retreat with only a guitar and a mysterious old priest to keep her company, Erin must produce the most beautiful song that these men have ever heard.

As the mesmerizing music and lyrics of Erin's song cascade from the jungle hideout, they serve as a siren song to the two men who love Erin: her outlaw husband, Bradley Smith, and the lawman Charlie Hood- two men who together have the power to rescue her. Here, amid the ancient beauty and haunted landscape of the Yucatecan lowlands, the long-simmering rivalry between these men will be brought closer to its explosive finale.

T. Jefferson Parker, who is widely hailed as his generation's most accomplished and talented crime novelist, delivers a crime thriller that dramatically redefines the landscape of the cartel wars as an epic clash of good and evil.

Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.

Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-01-03T23:20:00.000-05:00

From the Publisher:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

My Thoughts:

Everneath is author Brodi Ashton's debut novel. As such, I had no expectations when I started reading. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is loosely based on tales from Greek mythology. A girl is tricked into spending time in the Everneath, only to be given a brief period to set things right before having to return and spend eternity below.

At first, you might think this is the second novel in a series. The story starts with Nikki already in the Everneath. But this is the author's first novel. You get the back story spread throughout. I was a little concerned for a bit that all the flashbacks would hinder the flow of the novel, but it actually fits together quite nicely.

What would a young adult novel be without a little romance? Certainly not this story. Nikki and Jack have that deep, connected romance. Cole wants Nikki to be his queen, while Julianna, Nikki's best friend, has her eye on Jack. Only one word comes to mind, angst.

This was a good book and I recommend it to lovers of Dark Fantasy and Young Adult novels. One last tidbit. I love that the rock band is named The Dead Elvises. Awesome!

The Author:

Brodi Ashton received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. Brodi has an active following on her blog, which can be found at www.brodiashton.blogspot.com. She lives in Utah with her family. Everneath is her debut novel.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: January 24, 2012

Disclaimer:

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review.

My Year in Reading

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

Now that 2011 is behind us, it is time to take a look back at my year in books. I set my reading goal once again at 100 books. Unfortunately, I fell a little short again. I completed 78 books in 2011. That is down slightly over 2010 where I read 84.

Here are my top 12 favorite reads and top 5 un-favorite reads. (How's that for PC?)

Favorite Reads

1. Iron House by John Hart
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
3. Betrayed by P.C. Cast
4. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
5. Deadline by Mira Grant
6. Last Breath by Rachel Caine
7. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
8. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
9. Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
10. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
11. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
12. Sanctus by Simon Toyne

Un-Favorite Reads

1. The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon
2. Carte Blanche by Jeffrey Deaver
3. Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn
4. The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
5. Harbor by John Lindqvist

Now, onto another year of great reading...

Happy New Year!!!!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

New Releases: Week of December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

Locked On by Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy's All-Star lineup is back. Jack Ryan, his son, Jack Jr., John Clark Ding Chavez and the rest of the Campus team are facing their greatest challenge ever.

Jack Ryan, Sr. has made a momentous choice. He's running for President of the United States again and thus giving up a peaceful retirement to help his country in its darkest hour. But he doesn't anticipate the treachery of his opponent, who uses trumped up charges to attack one of Ryan's closest comrades, John Clark.

Now, Clark is in a race against time and must travel the world, staying one step ahead of his adversaries, including a shadowy organization tasked to bring him in, all while trying to find who is behind this.

Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., Ding Chavez, Dominick Caruso and other members of the Campus-the top secret off-the-books intelligence agency founded by Jack Ryan during his first term in the White House-deal with a question of their own: Why is a Pakistani military officer meeting with Dagestani terrorists? The answer will ultimately lead to a desperate struggle, with nothing short of the fate of the world at stake.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch has been given three years before he must retire from the LAPD, and he wants cases more fiercely than ever. In one morning, he gets two.

DNA from a 1989 rape and murder matches a 29-year-old convicted rapist. Was he an eight-year-old killer or has something gone terribly wrong in the new Regional Crime Lab? The latter possibility could compromise all of the lab's DNA cases currently in court.

Then Bosch and his partner are called to a death scene fraught with internal politics. Councilman Irvin Irving's son jumped or was pushed from a window at the Chateau Marmont. Irving, Bosch's longtime nemesis, has demanded that Harry handle the investigation.

Relentlessly pursuing both cases, Bosch makes two chilling discoveries: a killer operating unknown in the city for as many as three decades, and a political conspiracy that goes back into the dark history of the police department.

Audiobook Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

From the Publisher:

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

My Thoughts:

Silence is the third installment in Becca Fitzpatrick's teen series, following Hush Hush and Crescendo. The series tells the story of Nora and Patch. Patch is a fallen angel and Nora is a normal teenage girls, or is she? The problematic romance between the two keeps readers turning pages.

Silence begins with Nora having amnesia. As a reader, I had no idea what was going on for a bit either. Slowly we are filled in on the pieces of the story that are missing as Nora searches to learn what happened to her and who she is. It was a little frustrating to read the very beginning, but once I figured out how things were unfolded, I did not mind. If you get stuck, hang in there, it does get better.

Quite a few questions are answered this time around. Some I already knew, Nora was learning them against her amnesia. Others bring the story around to where I had thought it might be leading. I would not say things were predictable, but it was no surprise the way things panned out. As if with any good series, there are many new questions at the end that have me not-so-patiently waiting for the fourth book which is to be published in Fall 2012.

The narrator, Caitlin Greer, does a great job capturing the personalities of the characters. Since most of the book is from Nora's perspective, it is easy to associate her voice with that of the main character's. This was an Audible purchase for me and everything went smoothly.

The Author:

Becca Fitzpatrick's first book, Hush, Hush debuted as a New York Times bestseller. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely running, prowling sales racks for shoes or watching crime drams on TV. She lives in Colorado.

Rating: 4/5

Audiobook Details:

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Narrated by Caitlin Greer

Simon Pulse

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

New Releases: Week of November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the new releases that I noticed this week:

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes--one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she's been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she's never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom….

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.

V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.

Devil's Gate by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

A Japanese cargo ship cruises the eastern Atlantic near the Azores- when it bursts into flames. A gang of pirates speeds to take advantage of the disaster-when their boat explodes. What is happening in this part of the world?

As Kurt Austin, Joe Zavala, and the rest of the NUMA Special Assignments Team rush to investigate, they find themselves drawn into the extraordinary ambitions of an African dictator, the creation of a weapon of almost mythical power, and an unimaginably audacious plan to extort the world's major nations. The penalty for refusal? The destruction of their greatest cities. Filled with the high-stakes suspense and boundless invention unique to Cussler, Devil's Gateis one of the most thrilling novels yet from the grand master of adventure.

New Releases: Week of November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here are the new releases I found interesting this week:

11/22/63 by Stephen King

It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away—a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning's father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life—like Harry's, like America's in 1963—turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake's new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there's Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

Kill You Last by Todd Strasser

"They always agreed to meet me. Of course, I told them I was bringing them money. I said it was cash and I didn't want to send it through the mail. They might have hesitated at first about meeting me, but I never had to work very hard to convince them. Why?. . . It was the only way they could prolong their pathetic dreams of someday becoming rich, famous models."

Shelby's life in Soundview has always been comfortable. Her dad provides a luxurious lifestyle for his family through his photography business. He makes a ton of money taking headshots of pretty young teens who are desperate to become models. Shelby
has always enjoyed driving around town in a red sports car, shopping with her best friend at her side. And her Mom is laidback,so it's all good.

However, as reports of girls disappearing from nearby towns start to appear on the news, Shelby's seemingly perfect life begins to fall apart. The three missing girls have one thing in common--they were all clients of her dad's photography business. Secrets
begin to surface as the investigation continues. Shelby receives threatening e-mails, battles the nosy media, and tries to keep her family together. Now that her dad is implicated in the disappearances, can Shelby figure out a way to clear his name? Or is dad not as innocent as he seems?

Happy Birthday Karen Marie Moning

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author Karen Marie Moning a happy birthday today. Karen began her career writing paranormal romance set in Scotland but as she became increasingly fascinated with Celtic mythology, she switched genres to Urban Fantasy and location to Dublin, Ireland, so she could focus on the Tuatha de Danann, or Fae--an ancient race of immortal beings who have lived secretly among humans for millennia. Her latest novel, Shadowfever, was published in January of 2011.

Happy Birthday Neal Stephenson

2011-10-31T19:20:00.002-04:00

I would like to wish author Neal Stephenson a happy birthday today. Stephenson was born in Fort Meade, Maryland and earned a B.A. in geography and a minor in physics from Boston University. He is the author of many fiction novels as well as several works of non-fiction. His work is often categorized as science fiction, cyberpunk, and historical fiction. His latest novel, Reamde, was published on September 20, 2011.

New Releases: Week of October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases I found interesting this week:

Zero Day by David Baldacci

From David Baldacci-the modern master of the thriller and #1 worldwide bestselling novelist-comes a new hero: a lone Army Special Agent taking on the toughest crimes facing the nation.

And Zero Day is where it all begins....

John Puller is a combat veteran and the best military investigator in the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division. His father was an Army fighting legend, and his brother is serving a life sentence for treason in a federal military prison. Puller has an indomitable spirit and an unstoppable drive to find the truth.

Now, Puller is called out on a case in a remote, rural area in West Virginia coal country far from any military outpost. Someone has stumbled onto a brutal crime scene, a family slaughtered. The local homicide detective, a headstrong woman with personal demons of her own, joins forces with Puller in the investigation. As Puller digs through deception after deception, he realizes that absolutely nothing he's seen in this small town, and no one in it, are what they seem. Facing a potential conspiracy that reaches far beyond the hills of West Virginia, he is one man on the hunt for justice against an overwhelming force.

Last Breath by Rachel Caine

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

Bestselling author Gregory Maguire’s remarkable series, The Wicked Years, comes full circle with this, his fourth and final excursion across a darker, richer, more complex landscape of “the magical land of Oz.” Out of Oz brilliantly reimagines L. Frank Baum’s world over the rainbow as wracked with social unrest—placing Glinda the good witch under house arrest and having the cowardly Lion on the lam from the law as the Emerald City prepares to make war on Munchkinland. Even Dorothy makes a triumphant return in Maguire’s magnificent Oz finale—tying up every loose green end of the series he began with his classic Wicked, the basis for the smash hit Broadway musical.

Crossed by Ally Condie

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Audiobook Review: The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

2011-10-30T19:01:00.004-04:00

From the Publisher:

What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?

That’s what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton’s new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin’s own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin’s teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet “A” student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he’s distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

My Thoughts:

I found the premise for The Leftovers quite interesting. What would happen if a large number of people simply disappeared? I think Tom Perrotta did a good job representing several different types of reaction people would have to such an event. Some refuse to deal with the situation, while others join a dangerous cult in hopes of making sense of things.

While the journey the characters took was interesting, I had a hard time not being somewhat angry at the end of the book. I was disappointed. Early on, I kind of figured that there would be no explanation as to the disappearance. I made peace with that. But, I did hope for a purpose in the novel. This seems to be just a group of character sketches with no real plot line to tie them together. When the story ended, I could only ask, Why?

The narrator, Dennis Boutsikaris, had a pleasant enough voice for an audiobook. I am not sure if it was the author's style or the narrator's that made the production feel a bit like listening to NPR. The whole production had a flat, overly-Prozaced tone.

I am giving this book a three out of five rating. I did enjoy some of the characters and their strange situations. However, I feel the book lacked a coherent plot. The ending seemed as if the author just got bored with his own story and decided to stop where he was at that moment.

The Author:

Tom Perrotta is the author of five previous work of fiction: Bad Haircut, The Wishbones, Election, and the New York Times bestselling Joe College and Little Children. Election was made into the acclaimed 1999 movie directed by Alexander Payne and starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. Little Children was released as a movie directed by Todd Field and starring Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly in 2006, and for which Perrotta received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for best screenplay. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

Rating: 3/5

Audiobook Details:

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris

Macmillan Audio

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Audiobook Review: Abuse of Power by Michael Savage

2011-10-25T22:18:00.003-04:00

From the Publisher:

Jack Hatfield is a hardened former war correspondent who rose to national prominence for his insightful, provocative commentary. But after being smeared as a bigot and extremist by a radical leftist media-watchdog group, he ultimately loses his job and finds himself working in obscurity as a freelance news producer in San Francisco.

One afternoon Hatfield is on a ride-along with the SFPD bomb squad when a seemingly routine carjacking turns deadly, after police find several pounds of military-grade explosives in the jacked car. And when the FBI urges Hatfield to stay out of it, he knows he’s onto something big.

This event will open up a shadowy trail that leads Hatfield from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and back again, as he works with a stunning Yemeni intelligence agent and a veteran Green Beret to expose a terrorist group known as the Hand of Allah---and a plot within the highest corridors of power that will dwarf 9/11.

In this lightning-paced first thriller, spanning the globe from Europe and Israel to the back alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown, a reporter must make the choice between protecting his own life and investigating a terrorist cell whose goal is nothing less than total political control---no matter what the cost.

My Thoughts:

I was not quite sure what to expect from a thriller written by Michael Savage. Anyone who has ever listened to his radio show knows that he is a very confident man and not afraid to voice his opinions. A good deal of this attitude comprises the main character, Jack Hatfield. In spite of all of those who oppose him, Jack remains true to his beliefs and ideology.

Like any good thriller, I found the pace to be fast and exciting. The plot comes at you quick and you have to keep up. That is what makes a thriller so, well, thrilling. There are no long, drawn-out character studies or other fluff to get in the way. This book is about action and intrigue. I always enjoy a book where the hero truly gets to be the hero.

A lot of the reviews I have read for this book are negative, based primarily on the political views of Michael Savage. He is conservative and proud of it. I can see where those that are more liberal minded may have issue with some of the views presented in the book. But if you go into this with a mind to read a good thriller, and not to defend or contest political theory, I think you will enjoy the read.

Peter Larkin's voice is a great match for this book. Most of the story is presented from Jack's point of view and I found it very easy to associate Larkin's voice for that of Jack Hatfield's. He sounds just gruff enough to be the tough journalist, yet can portray the other characters as well.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. While this is a work of fiction, I found myself thinking several times that a lot of the scenarios were not all that far fetched. The bad guys are believable and the heroes are the people we all yearn to be inside. I hope to see these characters again in future novels by Michael Savage.

The Author:

Dr. Michael Savage is a multimedia icon in the conservative movement. The Telegraph in the U.K. ranked him as one of the most influential conservatives in the United States, and with 10 million weekly listeners, the Berkeley Ph.D. is the third most listened-to conservative talk-show host. Recently featured in The New Yorker and Playboy, Dr. Savage is the author of twenty-five books, including four New York Times bestsellers. His media presence and profile earned him the coveted Freedom of Speech Award from Talkers magazine in 2007.

Dr. Savage holds a master’s degree in medical botany and a second in medical anthropology. Additionally, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in epidemiology and nutrition sciences. He is an ardent conservationist, is dedicated to his family, and is a proud patriot of his country. Visit his Web site at www.michaelsavage.wnd.com.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Abuse of Power by Michael Savage
Narrated by Peter Larkin
Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

New Releases: Week of October 24, 2011

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

New releases that caught my eye this week:

Destined by P.C. Cast

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him…

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

The Litigators by John Grisham

The partners at Finley & Figg—all two of them—often refer to themselves as “a boutique law firm.” Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. They are, of course, none of these things. What they are is a two-bit operation always in search of their big break, ambulance chasers who’ve been in the trenches much too long making way too little. Their specialties, so to speak, are quickie divorces and DUIs, with the occasional jackpot of an actual car wreck thrown in. After twenty plus years together, Oscar Finley and Wally Figg bicker like an old married couple but somehow continue to scratch out a half-decent living from their seedy bungalow offices in southwest Chicago.

And then change comes their way. More accurately, it stumbles in. David Zinc, a young but already burned-out attorney, walks away from his fast-track career at a fancy downtown firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of our boutique firm. Once David sobers up and comes to grips with the fact that he’s suddenly unemployed, any job—even one with Finley & Figg—looks okay to him.

With their new associate on board, F&F is ready to tackle a really big case, a case that could make the partners rich without requiring them to actually practice much law. An extremely popular drug, Krayoxx, the number one cholesterol reducer for the dangerously overweight, produced by Varrick Labs, a giant pharmaceutical company with annual sales of $25 billion, has recently come under fire after several patients taking it have suffered heart attacks. Wally smells money.

A little online research confirms Wally’s suspicions—a huge plaintiffs’ firm in Florida is putting together a class action suit against Varrick. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of people who have had heart attacks while taking Krayoxx, convince them to become clients, join the class action, and ride along to fame and fortune. With any luck, they won’t even have to enter a courtroom!

It almost seems too good to be true.

And it is.

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

From the authors of the New York Times bestsellers The Strain and The Fallcomes the final volume in one of the most electrifying thriller series in years.

It’s been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation.

Humankind’s only hope for salvation is Dr. Ephraim Goodweather—head of the Centers for Disease Control’s team—and his ragtag band of freedom fighters. But who will pay the ultimate sacrifice—so that others may be saved?

Phantom by L.J. Smith

The past is never far. . . .

Elena Gilbert and her friends saved Fell’s Church from evil spirits bent on destroying it, but the town’s freedom came at a price: Damon Salvatore’s life.

Damon’s death changes everything. He and his vampire brother, Stefan, had been locked in a vicious battle for Elena’s heart. Now that he’s gone, Elena and Stefan can finally be together. So why can’t Elena stop dreaming of Damon? As Elena’s feelings for Damon grow, a new darkness is brewing in Fell’s Church. Elena has been to hell and back, but this demon is like nothing she’s ever seen. Its only goal is to kill Elena and everyone she loves.

New Releases: Week of October 17, 2011

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases I am watching this week:

Bonnie by Iris Johansen

The truth has eluded her for years. . . . Now is she ready to face it?

When Eve Duncan gave birth to her daughter, she experienced a love she never knew existed. Nothing would stand in the way of giving Bonnie a wonderful life---until the unthinkable happened and the seven-year-old vanished into thin air. Eve found herself in the throes of a nightmare from which there was no escape. But a new Eve emerged: a woman who would use her remarkable talent as a forensic sculptor to help others find closure in the face of tragedy. Now with the help of her beloved Joe Quinn and CIA agent Catherine Ling, Eve has come closer than ever to the truth. But the deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Bonnie’s father is a key player in solving this monstrous puzzle. And that Bonnie’s disappearance was not as random as everyone had always believed . .

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Morgan is not your average serial killer. He enjoys his day job as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department . . . but he lives for his nighttime hobby of hunting other killers. Dexter is therefore not pleased to discover that someone is shadowing him, observing him, and copying his methods. Dexter is not one to tolerate displeasure . . . in fact, he has a knack for extricating himself from trouble in his own pleasurable way.

Like the previous five best-selling novels in the Dexter series, Double Dexter showcases the witty, macabre originality that has propelled Jeff Lindsay to international success. Double Dexter is raucously entertaining . . . full of smart suspense and dark laughs

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Review: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

2011-10-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

Hi, y'all!

This book is my proudest achievement so far, and I just have to tell y'all why I am so excited about it. It's a book of classic dishes, dedicated to a whole new generation of cooks—for every bride, graduate, and anyone who has a love of a great Southern meal. My family is growing and expanding all the time. We're blessed with marriages and grandbabies, and so sharing these recipes for honest, down-home dishes feels like passing a generation's worth of stovetop secrets on to my family, and yours.

I've been cooking and eating Southern food my whole life, and I can tell you that every meal you make from this book will be a mouthful of our one-of-akind spirit and traditions. These recipes showcase the diversity and ingenuity of Southern cuisine, from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond, highlighting the deep cultural richness of our gumbos and collards, our barbecues and pies. You may remember a few beloved classics from The Lady & Sons, but nearly all of these recipes are brand-new—and I think you'll find that they are all mouthwateringly delicious. It is, without a doubt, a true Southern cooking bible.

I sincerely hope that this book will take its place in your kitchen for many years to come, as I know it will in mine. Here's to happy cooking—and the best part, happy eating, y'all!

Best dishes,
Paula Deen

My Thoughts:

If you have never had the pleasure of eating food prepared from one of Paula Deen's recipes, you are missing out on something truly spectacular. My wife has made me several meals and deserts from her recipes, and let me tell you, they are delicious.

The book is arranged similar to an actual meal. The appetizers are first, then salads and soups, followed by the main dishes and finishing up with the deserts. These recipes are for what I call "real food". These are the kind of recipes your mother made for you when you were little. Nothing snobbish here, just really good food. Food that is great for any kind of gathering you may have.

The instructions are put together in an easy to follow manner. Most of the recipes have a special tip from Paula on a certain aspect of the process that can be tricky or is important to the overall success of the dish. Several mention substitutions too account for differing tastes. The only thing lacking would be a picture of each completed recipe. There are a few pictures in the book, but even a small picture of each dish would be helpful. I am sure this was a cost saving measure in the publishing process.

Reading this book will make you hungry, you have been warned. I will leave you with just a few of my favorite recipes from the book:

The Real Deal Gumbo

Paula's Chicken and Dumplin's

Savannah Crab Cakes

Mustard-Glazed Rib-Eyes

Banana Cream Pie

Yum!

The Author:

Paula Deen's Food Network show, Paula's Home Cooking, won a Daytime Emmy award in 2007. She has authored many bestselling cook books. Paula's restaurant, The Lady and Sons, is located in historic Savannah and is a huge success. Along with her books, Paula Deen has a line of food products and cooking ware.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible by Paula Deen

Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 11, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Audiobook Review: Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

2011-10-12T22:12:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

The epic tale of Harry Clifton's life begins in 1920, with the words "I was told that my father was killed in the wat." A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he's left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys' school, and his life will never be the same again.

As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, Was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?

This introductory novel in Archer's ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler's Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes listeners on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the listener nor Harry Clifton himself could every have imagined.

My Thoughts:

I love historical fiction novels, but this is the first audiobook I have listened to in this genre. I was a little afraid that some of the detailed description that characterizes most historical fiction novels would come across as a bit dull. I can honestly say this audiobook was not boring. In fact, it was one of the best audiobooks I have listened to, and I have listened to quite a few.

The first part of the book is told from young Harry Clifton's point of view. This portion sets the tone for the entire novel, endearing Harry to the reader. Harry struggles to overcome his position in the social hierarchy of pre-World War II Bristol. Most of his classmates are from wealthy families, even his best friend, Giles Barrington. But Harry takes the punches he is dealt and continues on, bettering himself along the way.

After the first part, the story is told from the point of view of other characters. Each backing up a bit to fill in missing information and then continuing the story. I found this very enjoyable. I already knew some of the story that was coming, but would then think, Oh yea, that's what was going on there. Now it all makes sense.

There is plenty of drama in Only Time Will Tell. Harry's father disappears when he is a baby. We later learn the story behind his disappearance. Harry's mother does whatever is necessary to put him through school, often going against what is in her best interest. There is love and betrayal, friendship and hatred. Harry finds himself in love with a girl that just may be his sister. Like I said, lots of drama.

The main narrator, Roger Allam, has a deep, proper English voice. He is the perfect choice for this story, From the very beginning, I felt a strong connection. Emelia Fox narrates the female viewpoints. Her voice is a stark contrast, being light and pleasant. The entire audiobook seemed more like a theater production than just a reading of a book.

I have noticed a lot of people complaining about the ending of the book. It ends with a pretty major cliff hanger. This was not an issue for me. There is enough closure to the main plot in this novel to satisfy me. I viewed the very last section of the book as more of a preview of what would be coming in book two of the Harry Clifton Chronicles.

I do not usually give out 1/2 point ratings, but I felt it was necessary here. I loved this book and am dying to find out what the next one brings. However, in doing some research for this review, I found out some interesting things about color blindness. It is a condition that affects mostly males and is almost always passed down from the mother's DNA, not the father's. This means that it would be very rare for so many male Barringer's to have been color blind. That seems to be a major hole in the plot. Maybe that will be explained in future novels. I hope so.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Author:

Jeffrey Archer was educated at Oxford University. He has served five years in Britain’s House of Commons and fourteen years in the House of Lords. All of his novels and short story collections---including And Thereby Hangs a Tale, Kane and Abel, Paths of Glory and False Impression ---have been international bestselling books. Archer is married with two sons and lives in London and Cambridge.

Audiobook Details:

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
Narrated by Roger Allam and Emelia Fox
Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: August 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Review: Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

From the author of the international and New York Times bestseller Let the Right One In (Let Me In) comes this stunning and terrifying book which begins when a man's six-year-old daughter vanishes.One ordinary winter afternoon on a snowy island, Anders and Cecilia take their six-year-old daughter Maja across the ice to visit the lighthouse in the middle of the frozen channel. While the couple explore the lighthouse, Maja disappears -- either into thin air or under thin ice -- leaving not even a footprint in the snow. Two years later, alone and more or less permanently drunk, Anders returns to the island to regroup. He slowly realises that people are not telling him all they know; even his own mother, it seems, is keeping secrets. What is happening in Domaro, and what power does the sea have over the town's inhabitants?

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved Let the Right One In, Lindqvist's genre busting novel on vampires. It was creepy and scary and fantastic. When I received my advance copy of Harbor, it was all I could do to not dig into it right away. But I waited and finished some other books that were ahead of it in the queue. When I finally made it to this book, there was a surprise for me. It was awful.

That may sound harsh, but I have to be honest in my reviews. The book started out a little slow, at least that is the way I viewed it at the time. There were all kinds of seeds being planted that could possibly grow into the scary stuff I was expecting. But it was just not to be. The book rambled on and on until I reached the end and found myself asking Why did I read this?

It seemed that the author was trying to reach some kind of contractual word count with the way the plot jumped, skipped and burped along. The actual plot would not take more than a hundred pages to tell, so the rest of the book is filled with whatever story fragments came to the author's mind at that point. As a whole, the book does not feel finished to me.

I was ready to give this one a one out of five rating, but held off. Being honest, I did enjoy a bit of the back story concerning one of the characters. That was enough to pull it up to the two rating. Like I said earlier, I loved Let the Right One In, so it is not time to write this author off. I will just hope for a more compelling read next time around.

The Author:

John Ajvide Lindqvist is a Swedish horror author. His novel Let the Right One In was a success in both Sweden and abroad. Before becoming an author, Lindqvist worked as a magician and a stand-up comedian.

Rating: 2/5

Book Details:

Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Thomas Dunne Books
Publication Date: October 11, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Happy Birthday Nora Roberts

2011-10-10T20:52:00.001-04:00

I would like to wish one of my favorite authors, Nora Roberts, a happy birthday today. Nora is the author of more than 200 romance books. She has published works under many pseudonyms including J.D. Robb, Jill March and Sarah Hardesty. In fact, Nora Roberts is a shortening of her birth name, Eleanor Marie Robertson. Her many books have brought countless hours of reading enjoyment to millions of people. I hope you have at least another 200 stories to tell.

New Releases: Week of October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases I noticed this week:

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

In the fall of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for a funeral. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers soon realize that everything they thought they knew-about themselves and the dreams they held dear-was not as it seemed. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead:Can love truly rewrite the past?

Devoted by Hilary Duff

Sage may be gone, but he's far from forgotten. Clea Raymond believes her soulmate is lost forever, and it rips her apart. Then strange signs and dreams point to a way she can possibly win him back. To succeed, she'll have to put her faith in her once-best-friend Ben, the one person who betrayed her the worst. As Clea, Ben, and Clea's other best friend Rayna follow a dangerous and mysterious trail across the globe to reach Sage, all their loyalties will be tested. Clea herself will face the worst choice – she'll have a chance to save Sage, but only by betraying the very people she always loved most. With Sage's immortal soul in the balance, whatever Clea decides will change her life forever.

Hilary Duff delivers another sexy thriller in her Elixir series.

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga

In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople’s amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted “Villain of the Year” byWizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.

Eddie Van Halen by Neil Zlozower

Eddie Van Halen is one of the most revolutionary and influential players ever to pick up a guitar. His music, his technique, his passion, and amazing invention continue to energize fans and guitarists around the world. This book focuses on the innovative early years of the band Van Halen, when Eddie burst onto the scene and changed the face of electric guitar playing and melodic hard rock. More than 200 images of Eddie in action—both classic and never before seen—are complemented by text and testimony from some of the world’s great guitarists, music writers, and many others.

Neil Zlozower’s legendary rock photography spans more than 40 years and includes work with The Rolling Stones, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Motörhead, Tom Waits, Slipknot, and many others. He lives in Los Angeles. Eddie Van Halen is lead guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen; the band was inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. He lives in Los Angeles.
Slash is a guitar legend, songwriter, and founding member of Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses. He lives in Los Angeles.

Review: Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

All towns have secrets. Some have demons.

Welcome to East Salem. A deceptively sleepy town where ancient supernatural forces are being awakened.

A local high-school girl is found murdered in a park amid horse farms and wealthy homes of northern Westchester County, New York. The shocking manner of her death confounds the town and intrigues forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris, who is determined to unravel the mystery. All the suspects are teenagers who were at a party with the girl—yet none remembers what happened. Could one of them be a vicious killer? Or is something more sinister afoot—something tied to an ancient evil?

But it’s not just her waking hours that challenge Dani. Each night, her eyes open at 2:13 due to troubling dreams. Dreams filled with blood, water, and destruction. Is it a clue—or a supernatural sign?

Across town, former NFL linebacker Tommy Gunderson finds his state-of-the-art security system has been breached by an elderly woman. Mumbling threats in Latin, she attacks him with an uncanny, preternatural strength. Before he has time to process the attack, someone close to him is implicated in the girl’s murder at the park. He agrees to help—and finds himself working with Dani, the only girl who could resist his charms years ago when they were in high school.

A heavy darkness is spreading. Yet a heavenly force is also at work.

It will take astute analysis and forensic skills to solve the crime. But Dani and Tommy suspect there’s more the the mystery than murder, more to their growing friendship than chance . . . and more to the evil they’re facing than a mere human killer.

My Thoughts:

I thought I was going to be reading a typical mystery novel with this one, but it turned out to be just a bit more. Lis Wiehl has blended a wonderful combination of mystery, thriller, religion, and just a bit of the paranormal. Parts of the book felt very familiar, while other parts were fresh and new. I love a book that can surprise me.

The book focuses on several teenagers, some of which are believed to be involved with a terrible, ritualistic murder. I like that the teen characters are not watered down, they seemed real to me. They strive to do their own thing, but have to deal with peer pressure and other influences. Like real people, these characters had their strengths and flaws.

The two main characters are Tommy Gunerson, an ex pro football player, and Danielle Harris, a forensic psychologist. They fit well together. Tommy has some of the flare and arrogance typical of a football star, but also has a soft and intelligent side. Danielle is a strong, intelligent woman that is a bit damaged from an event in her past. Feelings from their high school days are rekindled as they both work to solve this case.

I really liked this one and am eager to see where the series will go with the next book. It appears this is to be the first book in a trilogy. I could not find any information on dates for the second book.

The Author:

Lis Wiehl earned her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. From 1990 - 1995 she served as a Federal Prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office. She has worked as a legal analyst for NBC news and NPR's All Things Considered. Lis is currently a legal analyst and commentator for Fox News. She is the author of The 51% Minority and Winning Every Time.

Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl
Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

New Releases: Week of October 3, 2011

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that I find interesting this week:

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Shock Wave by John Sandford

The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: local merchants, fearing for their businesses, and environmentalists, predicting ecological disaster. The protests don't seem to be slowing the project, though, until someone decides to take matters into his own hands.

The first bomb goes off on the top floor of PyeMart's headquarters. The second one explodes at the construction site itself. The blasts are meant to inflict maximum damage-and they do. Who's behind the bombs, and how far will they go? It's Virgil Flowers's job to find out . . . before more people get killed.

Down These Strange Streets

All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

In this all-new collection of urban fantasy stories, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois explore the places where mystery waits at the end of every alley and where the things that go bump in the night have something to fear...

Includes stories by New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Simon R. Green, S. M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn, as well as tales by Glen Cook, Bradley Denton, M.L.N. Hanover, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Joe R. Lansdale, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Melinda Snodgrass, and Lisa Tuttle.

Eve by Anna Carey

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.

Repost Review: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

2011-09-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

Book Details:

ISBN: 978-0-345-50962-8
Published: October, 2009
Publisher: Random House
Format: Hardcover, 288 pgs.

From the Publisher:

When the Imperial prison barge Purge–temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy’s most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels, and thieves–breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back–bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine.

And death is only the beginning.

The Purge’s half-dozen survivors–two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board–will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn’t really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakably hungry.

My Thoughts and Opinions:

Back in January I read Joe Schreiber's Chasing the Dead. It was a good book but I remember being more excited about discovering this book in my research for the review. I was finally able to work it into my reading schedule.

The story takes place within the Star Wars universe. Most of the characters are original, but Han Solo and Chewbacca play major roles in the second half of the book. There are other brief mention of characters and scenarios that die-hard Star Wars fans will love. I got quite a few but I am sure there are ones that I missed.

Compared to Chasing the Dead, this story is much darker, more of a true horror story. There is not anything truly original to the main story, but it works because it is taboo. One does not think about infections and zombie-like activity when thinking of Star Wars. This story is a refreshing slap to the side of the face.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit and am happy to pass on that Schreiber's next installment, Star Wars: Red Harvest, is due out in January 2011.

About the Author:

Joe Schreiber is the author of Chasing the Dead, Eat the Dark and No Doors, No Windows. He was born in Michigan but spent his formative years in Alaska, Wyoming and Northern California. Joe passes the extra time by working the midnight shift as an MRI tech in Hershey, Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife and two children.

Review: New York to Dallas by JD Robb

2011-09-28T20:49:00.001-04:00

From the Publisher:

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name—and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen—taken down by Eve back in her uniform days—escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

My Thoughts:

First off, I am a huge fan of this series. I have read every story featuring these characters. They are more familiar and comfortable than some members of my own family. It takes a truly gifted author to create characters people continue to care about after more than fifteen years of stories.

This one focuses almost entirely on Eve and Roarke. Chasing an escaped prisoner, they travel to Dallas, Texas that is. As the veterans will know, this is very emotional for Eve. Her past is thrown full force at her as she works furiously to capture this pedophile. We learn more about Eve's past throughout the book and Eve finds closure on a major element of her past.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. As always, there is plenty of action, raw emotion and romance. My only complaint would be that I missed some of the side characters that I love so much, especially Mavis. I hope they make more of an appearance in the next novel. By the way, it appears the next novel will be titled Celebrity in Death with a release date of February 21, 2012.

Rating: 4/5

The Author:
JD Robb is the penname of best selling author Nora Roberts. Robb was born when Nora decided she wanted a new writing challenge. Her publisher told her she could reach a new and different group of readers by using a pseudonym. The first JD Robb novel, Naked in Death, was published in 1995 and featured a tough cop with a dark past and her mysterious and rich lover. The Eve Dallas series is now well over 30 novels.

Book Details:
New York to Dallas by JD Robb
Penguin
Publication Date: 9/13/2011

Review: Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

It was a typical all-American backwater – until the night the monsters came.

When four employees of KMRT Radio investigate an unearthly light that cuts off communication with the outside world, they discover that something has taken the place of their friends and fellow townfolk, and imbued them with malign intentions. Little do they know, the phenomenon is not unique to the town of Jesman’s Bend…

My Thoughts:

Darkness Falling is the first book in the Forever Twilight series by Peter Crowther. Do not be misled by the title of the series, this is not romantic vampire fiction. I would classify this as horror light. When I read the blurb from the publisher, I was expecting something a little more horrific than what I read.

The book starts out interesting. A bright flash of light and then most everyone disappears. All but three people on a packed flight out of Denver are just gone. An exciting effort to land the plane held my interest through the first part of the novel. But once that concluded, the book started to drag a bit for me. A lot of characters are introduced, but the plot almost stops.

The plot shows up again towards the end of the book. There are some exciting moments and even some of the "monsters" that were promised in the blurb. But the action at the end is mostly a prelude to what is coming in the next book. It appears this series of books will revolve around just one overall plot. I much prefer a series where each book has its own conclusion that adds to the overall series plot.

I am rating this one a 3 out of 5. There are some good moments and I think the next books in the series will be better than the first. Yet I could not help but feel the book was a somewhat watered down version of a common Stephen King plot. A lot of people have disappeared and the few remaining must band together to overcome. We will see what the remaining books deliver.

Rating: 3/5

The Author:

Peter Crowther wrote short stories in the 70s before embarking on a sixteen year career in music and arts journalism and as the head of corporate communications for one of the UK’s biggest financial institutions, before releasing his first fiction work for more than a decade in 1990.

Since then he has sold more than one hundred stories, novelettes and novellas to a variety of anthologies and magazines and has had work reprinted in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror (three times), 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories (twice) and Year’s Best Crime and Mystery Stories.

Book Details:

Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther

Angry Robot Books

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

New Releases: Week of September 26, 2011

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that have caught my eye this week:

Ariveting historical narrative of the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the first work of history from mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly

The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

Everything starts somewhere. . . .

For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.

A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.

Reacher is ordered undercover—to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control.

Local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux has a thirst for justice—and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust one another, Reacher and Deveraux reluctantly join forces. Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his mission, and turn him into a man to be feared.

A novel of unrelenting suspense that could only come from the pen of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, The Affair is the start of the Reacher saga, a thriller that takes Reacher—and his readers—right to the edge . . . and beyond.

“I know that many of you here have waited years for this Hour,” Mater Motley said, using that voice that, though it was barely conversational in volume, was somehow heard everywhere. “The waiting is over. Tomorrow there will be no dawn. Only midnight, absolute and eternal.”

And so begins a new chapter in the epic story of sixteen-year-old Candy Quackenbush and her journeys through the world of the Abarat, where every hour is an island in one eternal day, and nothing is as it seems.

Candy travels through the Abarat from island to island and across the sea with an unlikely band of friends: the escaped prisoner Malingo the Geshrat, the quarrelsome John Brothers, who all share the same body but never the same opinion, and the many other colorful characters they meet along the way.

The problem is that trouble finds Candy wherever she goes. And soon she discovers a secret plot, masterminded by the diabolical Mater Motley, who is obsessed with becoming Empress of the Islands. Her method is simple. She will darken the skies, putting out the suns, moons, and stars. She will bring absolute midnight.

The wait is over—Ben Coes, whose debut Power Down was called “the must read thriller of the year” (Vince Flynn) is back and at the top of his game with a mesmerizing new novel

Wanting only a peaceful, obscure life, Dewey Andreas has gone to rural Australia, far from turbulent forces that he once fought against. But powerful men, seeking revenge, have been scouring the earth looking for Dewey. And now, they've finally found him - forcing Dewey to abandon his home and to fight for his life against a very well armed, well trained group of assassins.

Meanwhile, a radical cleric has been elected president of Pakistan and, upon taking power, sets off a rapidly escalating conflict with India. As the situation spins quickly out of control, it becomes clear that India is only days from resorting to a nuclear response, one that will have unimaginably disasterous results for the world at large. With only days to head this off, the President sends in his best people, including Jessica Tanzer, to do whatever it takes to restore the fragile peace to the region. Tanzer has only one viable option - to set up and execute a coup d'etat in Pakistan - and only one man in mind to lead the team that will try to pull off this almost unimaginable task in the nerve-wrackingly short time frame, Dewey Andreas. If, that is, Jessica can even get to Dewey and if Dewey can get out of Australia alive...

Review: The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

2011-09-24T12:17:00.001-04:00

From the Publisher:

James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back.

But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil. The unhinged assassin’s half-delivered strike shattered the fragile national mood of a country so recently fractured by civil war, and left the wounded president as the object of a bitter behind-the-scenes struggle for power—over his administration, over the nation’s future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. A team of physicians administered shockingly archaic treatments, to disastrous effect. As his condition worsened, Garfield received help: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, worked around the clock to invent a new device capable of finding the bullet.

Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, The Destiny of the Republic will stand alongside The Devil in the White City and The Professor and the Madman as a classic of narrative history.

My Thoughts:

I found this very fascinating. I was expecting a long history of President Garfield's life, but got something a little more thrilling. The book does briefly spell out Garfield's early life, but only briefly. The events following the shooting are the major focus of this book. It was not the search for his assassin that became the focal point, for he was apprehended right away, but the confusion that eventually led to the President's demise. As morbid as it might seem, this was well worth the read.

In school, I had learned that Garfield had been assassinated, but I always assumed it was the gun shot itself that killed the man. Actually, it was the poor decisions of one doctor and a lack of medical knowledge that resulted in his death. It is hard to comprehend, with all of the advancements that we take for granted today, the way injuries and disease were treated just a little over 120 years ago.

This was a great read, one that I learned a lot from. If you like reading about American history, this would be a great addition to your library.

Rating: 4/5

The Author:

Candice Millard is the New York Times bestselling author of The River of Doubt. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and children.

Book Details:

The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Publication Date: September 20, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Happy Birthday Stephen King

2011-09-21T20:40:00.005-04:00

I would like to wish one of my favorite authors, Stephen King, a happy birthday today. I usually write a bio of the author here, but honestly, if you do not know who this man is, you are probably not reading this blog anyway.

Happy Birthday George R.R. Martin

2011-09-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish fantasy author George R.R. Martin a happy birthday today. Martin began writing at a very young age, selling his first piece, The Hero, to Galaxy in 1970. He earned a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University and later an M.S. from the same school. Martin worked as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS and later an executive story consultant and producer for Beauty and the Beast. George R.R. Martin has won many awards for his writing over the years. He is probably best known for his Song of Fire and Ice series of novels. His latest novel, A Dance With Dragons, was published in July of 2011.

Review: Death in the City of Light by David King

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

Death in the City of Light is the gripping, true story of a brutal serial killer who unleashed his own reign of terror in Nazi-Occupied Paris. As decapitated heads and dismembered body parts surfaced in the Seine, Commissaire Georges-Victor Massu, head of the Brigade Criminelle, was tasked with tracking down the elusive murderer in a twilight world of Gestapo, gangsters, resistance fighters, pimps, prostitutes, spies, and other shadowy figures of the Parisian underworld.

The main suspect was Dr. Marcel Petiot, a handsome, charming physician with remarkable charisma. He was the “People’s Doctor,” known for his many acts of kindness and generosity, not least in providing free medical care for the poor. Petiot, however, would soon be charged with twenty-seven murders, though authorities suspected the total was considerably higher, perhaps even as many as 150.

Who was being slaughtered, and why? Was Petiot a sexual sadist, as the press suggested, killing for thrills? Was he allied with the Gestapo, or, on the contrary, the French Resistance? Or did he work for no one other than himself? Trying to solve the many mysteries of the case, Massu would unravel a plot of unspeakable deviousness.
When Petiot was finally arrested, the French police hoped for answers.

But the trial soon became a circus. Attempting to try all twenty-seven cases at once, the prosecution stumbled in its marathon cross-examinations, and Petiot, enjoying the spotlight, responded with astonishing ease. His attorney, René Floriot, a rising star in the world of criminal defense, also effectively, if aggressively, countered the charges. Soon, despite a team of prosecuting attorneys, dozens of witnesses, and over one ton of evidence, Petiot’s brilliance and wit threatened to win the day.

Drawing extensively on many new sources, including the massive, classified French police file on Dr. Petiot, Death in the City of Light is a brilliant evocation of Nazi-Occupied Paris and a harrowing exploration of murder, betrayal, and evil of staggering proportions.

My Thoughts:

I admit I had not heard of Dr. Petiot before reading this book. I have read quite a bit about World War II and the Nazis, so I was surprised, especially with my interest in crime thrillers, that I had never run across this story before. With everyone concentrating on the horrors the Nazis committed during this time, it is easy to forget that they were not the only deviants running around.

Death in the City of Light starts out with a bang, reading much like a thriller, only with real people as the main characters. If the rest of the book had stayed like the beginning, it would have held my interest much more. The author has done an amazing amount of research on this subject and I applaud him for that. But now that I am no longer in school, I do not necessarily want to be weighed down with the details of that research. I want to read about what happened, not get bogged down with facts and dates.

This was an interesting read for me. I found the subject of the book, Dr. Petiot, very interesting, but I found myself skimming through several pages because the material was just dry. I am sure the media will be playing how this book is similar to the works of Erik Larsson. In a way that is just, both authors have done huge amounts of research to bring their stories to life. But this one falls a little short in my opinion. I am glad I read the book and I learned quite a bit, so that is a good thing.

Rating: 3/5

The Author:

A Fulbright scholar with a master’s degree from Cambridge University, David King is the author of the acclaimed Finding Atlantis. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and children.

Book Details:

Death in the City of Light by David King

Crown Publishing Group

Publications Date: September 20, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

2011 Anthony Award Winners

2011-09-19T21:14:00.002-04:00

The 2011 Anthony Awards were presented on Sunday September 18, 2011 at Bouchercon in St. Louis. Here are this year's winners:

Best Novel
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

Best First Novel
The Damage Done by Hilary Davidson

Best Paperback Original
Expiration Date by Duane Swierczynski

Best Short Story
Swing Shift by Dana Cameron

Best Graphic Novel
The Chill by Jason Starr

Best Critical / Non-Fiction
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran

Best Website / Blog
Stop, You're Killing Me edited by Stan Ulrich and Lucinda Surber

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

Happy Birthday Christopher Moore

2011-09-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author Christopher Moore a happy birthday today. Chris was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in Mansfield, Ohio. Before publishing his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping in 1992, he worked as a roofer, a grocery clerk, a hotel night auditor, and insurance broker, a waiter, a photographer, and a rock and roll DJ. Chris is the author of 11 novels including Lamb, A Dirty Job, You Suck and his latest novel, Fool.

New Releases: Week of September 19, 2011

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat’s most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York’s most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads to a dark conspiracy reaching all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.

But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge, and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who’s not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.

In the midst of New York’s coldest winter in a hundred years, there’s one thing Nikki is determined to prove: Heat Rises.

Will Tyler can fly on a football field. He may not be the biggest running back around, but no one can touch him when it comes to hitting the hole and finding the end zone. And no one can match his love of the game. When Will has a football in hand, he may as well be flying for real because life can't touch him - his dad isn't so defeated, his town isn't so poor, and everyone has something to cheer for. All of which does him no good if the football season is canceled. With no funding for things like uniforms and a cared-for playing field, with seemingly every other family moving to find jobs, there simply isn't enough money or players for a season. Unless one kid can rally an entire town and give everyone a reason to believe . . .

For fans of his bestselling novels Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw, Mike Lupica delivers a feel-good sports story that will have readers cheering where they sit.

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Gabriel and Shay are convinced that they can make their relationship work. Knowing that Shay is half-vampire, Gabriel thinks that his coven will embrace her as one of their own, but instead they view her as an abomination, a thing that doesn't belong in either world. And they want her dead. Now Gabriel must make the ultimate decision - watch his love be killed by his coven or defy the people closest to him, the people he has spent centuries with to save her.

Repost Review: Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

2011-09-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

This review was originally posted on September 16, 2010

Book Details:

ISBN: 978-0-06-194489-5
Published: February, 2007
Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Trade Paperback, 384 pgs.

From the Cover:

Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals...a used hangman's noose...a snuff film. But nothing he possesses is as unique or as dreadful as his latest purchase off the Internet: a one-of-a-kind curiosity that arrives at his door in a black heart-shaped box...a musty dead man's suit still inhabited by the spirit of its late owner. And now everywhere Judas Coyne goes, the old man is there-watching, waiting, dangling a razor blade on a chain from his bony hand.

My Thoughts and Opinions:

Every so often you come across a character that just amazes you. Judas Coyne is one such character. He is both the superstar that we all yearn to become someday, and the damaged soul that hides within us. The complexity of his character makes this story thrilling, yet haunting.

I like a good horror story and this book delivers. I loved Joe Hill's second novel, Horns, but I have to say that I enjoyed this novel more. Ghost stories have been done a million times, I know, but the characters in this story make it feel fresh.

The story culminates in a bloody thrill ride and final confrontation with ghosts from Judas's past. If you are looking for something to get your blood racing and keep you awake for a few nights, this one is for you.

About the Author:

Joe Hill is the author of the novel Horns and the acclaimed story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He calls New England home.

Review: Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger

2011-09-15T11:41:00.001-04:00

From the Publisher:

After giving up his post at the Hollows Police Department, Jones Cooper is at loose ends. He is having trouble facing a horrible event from his past and finding a second act. He’s in therapy. Then, on a brisk October morning, he has a visitor. Eloise Montgomery, the psychic who plays a key role in Fragile, comes to him with predictions about his future, some of them dire.

Michael Holt, a young man who grew up in The Hollows, has returned looking for answers about his mother, who went missing many years earlier. He has hired local PI Ray Muldune and psychic Eloise Montgomery to help him solve the mystery that has haunted him. What he finds might be his undoing.

Fifteen-year-old Willow Graves is exiled to The Hollows from Manhattan when six months earlier she moved to the quiet town with her novelist mother after a bitter divorce. Willow is acting out, spending time with kids that bring out the worst in her. And when things get hard, she has a tendency to run away—a predilection that might lead her to dark places.

Set in The Hollows, the backdrop for Fragile, this is the riveting story of lives set on a collision course with devastating consequences. The result is Lisa Unger’s most compelling fiction to date.

My Thoughts:

Lisa Unger takes us back to the town she crafted in Fragile. Some of the same characters return, such as Jones and Maggie Cooper, but we are also introduced to several new characters. In fact, maybe too many characters. Throughout the book, viewpoint switches among many characters, making it a bit hard to figure out just who the main character is supposed to be. The second half of the book seemed to have more of a purpose than the first half.

The overall plot of the novel I found interesting. The many side plots weave together towards the end, making it a fun read. I especially liked the changes some of the characters struggled with. Jones is a damaged man, but it would be hard not to like him. The mystery is not all that hard to figure out, but it was nice to see how all of the characters are brought together in the end.

I enjoyed Darkness, My Old Friend. I was expecting a fast paced, psychological thriller. That is not what this book is. This is more of a thriller that develops as a result of deep character development. That is not a bad thing. This was my first book by Lisa Unger. I will go back and read some of her previous work.

Rating: 3/5

The Author:

Lisa Unger was born in New Haven, Connecticut but grew up in the Netherlands, England, New York, and New Jersey. She graduated from the New School for Social Research. Her novels have been published in more than 25 countries. She lives in Florida with her husband and daughter.

Book Details:

Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger
Crown Publishing
Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Review: The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

From The Cover:

A serial killer is tormenting Atlanta, writing letters to the media, promising to slay again. Under pressure before another victim dies, the Atlanta Police Department turns to Keye Street, a disgraced FBI profiler who is now chasing down bail jumpers, doing some (very) odd detective work, and trying to stay off the bottle. While Keye tries to make the elusive connection between the victims and one of the South's grisliest, most skillful serial killers, the stranger she seeks may be far closer than she realizes.

My Thoughts:

Early on I found myself thinking that the main character was just another tired cliche. How many stories are out there about a damaged, has been detective that is the only one capable of figuring out the crime? At least this time it is a woman, instead of a man, with the alcohol problem. I had a hard time getting past the stereotype to enjoy the character. The author tries to sell Keye as the voice of the south. I still had a hard time liking her.

Having said that, I did not hate the book. The plot was interesting, even if the main character was not. I thought the villain in this one was very interesting and saved the story for me. There are many plot twists and false solutions to hold your interest. I was also surprised at the end of the book. That is always a good thing for me.

It looks like this is going to be the first in a series of books featuring Keye Street. Maybe the next book can add some interest to the main character so that I can enjoy her. Amanda Kyle Williams is a very talented author with a gift for writing thrilling fiction. I want to read the next book.

Rating: 3/5

The Author:

The Stranger You Seek marks Amanda Kyle Williams’s suspense debut. She is currently at work on the next Keye Street thriller, Stranger in the Room.

Book Details:

The Strange You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams
Random House
Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Review: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2011-09-13T07:30:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire . . . fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil . . . until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast—as the entrÉes.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

My Thoughts:

I love reading vampire stories, but it is getting harder and harder for authors to create something unique in such an overpopulated genre. Sarah Beth Durst pulls this off quite effectively with Drink, Slay, Love. Pearl, the main character, begins the book as a rather dark vampire that uses her looks and charm to sneak a quick human snack when she feels the urge. One night, however, she is stabbed in the chest by a unicorn. That's right, a unicorn. After this, she starts to develop a conscience and that change is what this novel is all about.

The writing throughout the book is witty and very personable. There are quite a few characters and Durst does a good job making each unique. I loved some of the wacky vampires in Pearl's family, especially Antoinette, who was fascinated with human television and culture. The main characters are all strong and that makes for some interesting interaction as the story ramps up. I loved the strong, funny, yet somewhat geeky Bethany. She makes all of us that did well in school seem cool.

This book does share a few things with most of the other books in the genre: prom, social cliques, forbidden romance. I am not sure why most YA authors insist on having prom be a part of their story. I guess it is a big part of most teenagers' lives, but even this book had a strong Buffy feel to it with the prom story line. Even with some common themes, this book stands out as something different.

Drink, Slay, Love is a stand alone novel, but there is room for a sequel if the author so chooses. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I recommend it to those that love vampire or young adult fiction.

Rating: 4/5

The Author:

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of the young adult novels Enchanted Ivy and Ice, as well as the middle grade novels Into the Wild and Out of the Wild. She has twice been a finalist for SWFA's Andre Norton Award, for both Ice and Into the Wild. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband and children.
Book Details:

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: September 13, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Review: Mystery at Blackbeard's Cove by Audrey Penn

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

From the Publisher:

Set on Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, approaching Halloween festivities find Billy, Daniel, Stephanie, and Mark exhausted from their trip to sea to give their eccentric friend Mrs. Nemmish the pirate burial she insisted on. But now they are trapped in a tunnel, locked in by Zeek, local scoundrel and direct descendent of Israel Hands, who is racing against them to find the hidden treasure. Is the treasure's location on the map that Zeek took from them, or could it be in the very tunnel where they are tripping over skeletons and struggling to find another way out? Luckily, they have allies - ghostly allies of Blackbeard and Mrs. Nemmish herself, who has been taken on board the ghost ship Queen's Anne's Revenge. This rollicking tale magically combines this unruly group of youngsters, Blackbeard's ghost, secret tunnels, skeletons, hidden treasure, a very mysterious inheritance, the Bermuda Triangle, the Underground Railroad, and a hurricane hitting the Outer Banks in a page-turning delight, full of mystery, laughs, suspense, and adventure.

My Thoughts:

Author Audrey Penn gives us a wonderful pirate story with Mystery at Blackbeard's Cove. Four teens suffer the loss of an elderly friend, Mrs. McNemmish. They work hard to carry out her last wishes and find themselves trapped in an extensive tunnel by a descendant of one of Blackbeard's crew. Can the group of friends really find Blackbeard's treasure?

I particularly liked that the story takes place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I vacation there quite often, as do millions of people, and that added some intimate familiarity for me. It is also a great setting for pirate adventures. Blackbeard's last battle took place just off the coast of Ocracoke Island.

This one has that magical quality that I remember from all the great adventures I read about in my youth. Hidden passageways, treasure, false bottoms, all the makings of a fantastic tale. I devoured the book in just a few hours. It was like being along with the group of friends as they went on their journey.

Mystery at Blackbeard's Cove is intended for young adults, but if you can remember a time when you were fascinated by daring adventures, this one is for you too.

Rating: 3/5

The Author:

Audrey Penn is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Kissing Hand, in addition toSassafras, Feathers and Fur, A.D.D. not B.A.D., and The Whistling Tree. This first foray into a chapter book format demonstrates that Ms. Penn's talent at storytelling is apparent in any form. She currently resides in Olney, Maryland, near Washington, DC.

Book Details:

Mystery at Blackbeard's Cove by Audrey Penn

Tanglewood Press

Publication Date: April, 2007

New Releases: Week of September 10, 2011

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name—and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen—taken down by Eve back in her uniform days—escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

From theNew York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host comes a high-intensity debut thriller, the story of a smeared network journalist who uncovers a chilling terrorist plot

Jack Hatfield is a hardened former war correspondent who rose to national prominence for his insightful, provocative commentary. But after being smeared as a bigot and extremist by a radical leftist media-watchdog group, he ultimately loses his job and finds himself working in obscurity as a freelance news producer in San Francisco.

One afternoon Hatfield is on a ride-along with the SFPD bomb squad when a seemingly routine carjacking turns deadly, after police find several pounds of military-grade explosives in the jacked car. And when the FBI urges Hatfield to stay out of it, he knows he’s onto something big.

This event will open up a shadowy trail that leads Hatfield from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and back again, as he works with a stunning Yemeni intelligence agent and a veteran Green Beret to expose a terrorist group known as the Hand of Allah---and a plot within the highest corridors of power that will dwarf 9/11.

In this lightning-paced first thriller, spanning the globe from Europe and Israel to the back alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown, a reporter must make the choice between protecting his own life and investigating a terrorist cell whose goal is nothing less than total political control---no matter what the cost.

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.

A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one-- fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawkening of humanity. But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

After happening upon a journal through strange circumstance, Rom's world is shattered. He learns that humanity long ago ceased to "live," that it exists today in a living death of emotions. In a terrible risk, Rom exposes himself to the vial of blood folded into the old leather of the journal. His change is fearful and fraught with mind-bending emotion. A once-pious observer of the Order's passionless statues, he is filled with uncontrollable impulses. He is filled with love.

He is undone, terrified, and alone in the desolate world.

All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate.

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

2011-09-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

From The Publisher:

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My Thoughts:

I remember being terribly disappointed when I learned that Last Sacrifice, book six in the Vampire Academy series, was to be the last featuring Rose Hathaway. Rose is one of my favorite characters from fiction. Then I found out there was going to be a spin off series of books featuring the same universe, but the focus being on some of the side characters from the original series. I dug around the Internet and learned that the main character was going to be Sydney Sage. I love that character as well, although a good friend of mine that had read the series did not remember who that was when I mentioned it to her.

The book begins with a look at the lives of the Alchemists. I found myself wondering how I could know so little about them after reading the first series. Mead delivers a new class, complete with political and social drama, to counterpoint the Moroi, Dhampir, and Strigoi we are so familiar with. After her assistance to Rose in Last Sacrifice, Sydney must prove herself to the Alchemists. She is sent on a mission to babysit the sister of the Moroi queen, Jill Dragomir.

There are quite a few familiar faces in this book. Rose makes a brief appearance, but is nowhere near the focus of the story. Eddie, Jill, Adrian and Sydney are the main characters this time around. While familiar from the previous books, we see new depth and insight to these characters in Bloodlines. Oh, and Abe Mazur shows up from time to time in this one. He is still the same ornery character he has always been.

If you liked the Vampire Academy books, you will love this one too. The characters get themselves into interesting predicaments and have to find unique ways to get out of trouble. There are many side plots among the characters that are both scary and wonderful. There is not a lot of romance in this one, but I can see the groundwork for things to come in the upcoming novels. There is also some action. While not a badass like Rose, Sydney can take care of herself.

It would be wrong not to mention the cover of the book. I purchased the Nookbook version, but still fell in love with the cover art. The ruggedly handsome guy and the beautiful girl are enough to catch the eye by themselves. But the mystical looking tatto on the girl's cheek, combined with the somewhat dangerous look in her eyes, adds to the personality of the book.

Bloodlines received a 5/5 rating from me. I do not hand these out lightly. Richelle Mead took a big risk creating this spinoff series when the original series has such a loyal fan base. She rose to the challenge and created a wonderful new series that I am sure will be greatly successful. The next book in the series, The Golden Lily, is tentatively due out on May 1, 2012.

Rating: 5/5

The Author:

Richelle Mead is a best selling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. She earned a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan, an MA in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master in Teaching from the University of Washington. Her adult series are published by Kensington Books while her young adult series are published by Razorbill Books. Richelle Mead is most known for her Vampire Academy series of books.

Book Details:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Penguin

Publication Date: August 23, 2011

Repost Review: Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

2011-09-09T12:04:00.002-04:00

This review was originally posted on September 17, 2009.

You know your day is going to be bad when you fall victim to an attempted mugging on your way to work. Dr. Peter Brown's day started off bad, but got worse when he learns that one of his patients is a member of the very mafia that forced him into the witness protection program in the first place. Dr. Brown is then faced with the daunting choice of keeping Eddy Squillante alive or face the mafia that he betrayed.

Beat the Reaper is a fun novel, full of medical intrigue and mafia hit men. It explores the means of entry into the mafia, namely "getting made". Apparently, you have to kill someone to gain entry. Then moves on to corruption among pharmaceutical representatives. Throw in a dash of sex and a fair amount of violence and there it is.

The story is told from the point of view of Dr. Peter Brown. His cynical, somewhat offensive manner is strangely refreshing. He is a strong character and not afraid to think and do things his own way. It mat seem hard to believe that you can relate to a former mafia hit man, but you do and even feel a little sorry for him by the end of the novel.

Alternating with the current medical dilemma is the back story of Peter Brown growing up and meeting his childhood friend, Adam Locano. The story also involves Peter's grandparents being at Auschwitz. I will not give anything away, but I will say that this part of the story was very well told.

One of my favorite parts of the book are the footnotes throughout. Most of them explain various medical terminology and procedures. I actually learned quite a few things from the footnotes of the book, not all of which can be used in every day conversation. There are also footnotes giving some background and history during the Auschwitz scenes.

This was a very well written book. Josh Bazell has a great voice and I look forward to reading more from him.

About the Author:

Josh Bazell holds a BA in English literature and writing from Brown University and an MD from Columbia. He wrote Beat the Reaper while completing his internship at a hospital, not like the one in the book. He is currently a medical resident at the University of California, San Francisco and working on his second book.

Review: Sanctus by Simon Toyne

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

From The Cover:

The certainties of modern life are about to be shattered by an ancient conspiracy that has been nurtured by blood and lies.

A man climbs a cliff face in the oldest inhabited place on earth, a mountain known as the Citadel, a Vatican-like city-state that towers above the city of Ruin in contemporary Turkey. But this is no ordinary ascent. It is a dangerous, symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world.

And few people understand its consequence. For foundation worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others, it's evidence that a hopeful, new beginning is at hand. For the cowled and secretive monks who live inside the Citadel, it could mean the end of everything they have built - and they will break every law in every country and even kill to stop it. For reporter Liv Adamsen, it spurs the memory of the beloved brother she has lost and begins the next stage of a journey into the heart of her own identity.

At that journey's end lies a discovery that will change everything....

My Thoughts:

I received this book back at the end of May, but I try to publish my reviews once the book is available for purchase. It was hard to not read this one. I really wanted to. There were several occasions when I had the book in my hand, only to succumb to my schedule and read something else. The time finally came to read Sanctus and it was every bit as good as I thought it would be.

Sanctus is a thriller with a strong religious theme. Not to worry, it is neither a recruitment novel nor a religious slam piece. It is simply an exciting, mysterious thriller. From the very beginning, as Samuel climbs from the Citadel only to plunge to his death once nearing the top, the action and mystery suck you in.

The chapters throughout Sanctus are very short, some being only a couple of pages. This worked for me, helping to add to the excitement of what was coming next. There were many times that I was ready to stop reading, but found myself justifying a little more because it was only a couple of pages. As you may have guessed, this was a pretty fast read for me.

I found the characters to be just exceptional enough to justify my reading the book, yet real enough to satisfy that oh so strong skeptic in me. I also enjoyed that the heroine of the story is not introduced right away. The story progresses just a bit before you start to realize who the main character of the book actually is.

I enjoyed Sanctus quite a bit. It really kept me guessing. Towards the end I was sure I had everything figured out. I am happy to say that I was right, and completely wrong. That may sound weird, but once you reach the end yourself, I am sure you will understand what I am saying.

Rating: 4/5

The Author:

In December 2007, Simon Toyne quit his job and moved to France for six months, hoping to fulfill a long-held desire to write a thriller. After a sleepless night crossing the channel on a storm-battered midnight ferry, he and his family abandoned the eight-hour drive to their new home and instead started looking for a hotel.

It was the eerie sight of the sharp spire of Rouen Cathedral piercing the predawn sky that immediately struck Toyne's imagination and gave birth to the fictional Citadel of Sanctus.

Toyne has worked in British television for twenty years. As a writer, director, and producer, he has worked on several award-winning shows, one of which won a BAFTA. He lives in England with his wife and family.

Book Details:

Sanctus by Simon Toyne
William Morrow
Publication Date: September 6, 2011

Disclaimer:

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

New Releases: Week of September 5, 2011

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

"There are some truths so terrible that they should not be spoken aloud, so appalling that even to acknowledge them is to risk sacrificing a crucial part of one's humanity, to exist in a colder, crueler world than before."

Randall Haight has a secret: He is a convicted murderer, a man with the blood of a young girl on his hands. He has built a new life for himself in the small Maine town of Pastor's Bay, but someone has discovered the truth about him. He is being tormented by anonymously sent reminders of his crime. He wants private detective Charlie Parker to make them go away.

But another girl has gone missing, this time from Pastor's Bay itself, and her family has its own secrets to protect. Now, in a town built on blood and shadowed by old ghosts, Parker must unravel a twisted history of violence and deceit involving the police and the FBI, a doomed mobster and his enemies, and Randall Haight himself.

Because Randall is telling lies. . . .

Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's latest adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.

An Impossible Romance.
Bitter Rivalries.
Deadly Choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention. Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike.

Repost Review: The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski

2011-09-02T04:00:00.000-04:00

This review was originally posted on June 5, 2009

The Lost Throne brings us the third adventure of D.J. Jones and Jonathan Payne. This time they receive a call from a distressed woman in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her employer was just gunned down in front of her and she needs help. They set out immediately to rescue her. Once in Russia, they investigate the death of her employer only to find themselves on a treasure hunt.

The trail leads them to Mt. Athos, Greece. They run into an old acquaintance, Nick Dial, who has been investigating the murders of a group of monks for Interpol. Their quests are intertwined and they are forced to work together. Can Jones and Payne discover one of the original seven wonders of the world?

This book is a very fast thriller. The story is told via the action and words of the characters. Don't expect detailed descriptions or unnecessary prose. This story moves fast, but I had no problem visualizing everything that was going on. Chris Kuzneski is able to tell a vivid story without getting bogged down.

I really enjoyed the story. Critics may be put off by the lack of explanation or detailed research included with the story. But, this isn't that kind of book. This book is about action and adventure in foreign lands. If you like fast paced thrillers, you will love this book.

Review: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

2011-08-31T21:42:00.001-04:00

Bethany Church had hoped for things to settle down since she and her boyfriend, Xavier, had battled Jake Thorn. But thanks to a Halloween seance gone wrong, Jake is able to briefly come back and wreak havoc. He tricks Bethany into taking a ride on his motorcycle. Shortly after, Bethany finds herself trapped in Hell with Jake.

This was my first book from young author Alexandra Adornetto. I am a huge fan of the Dark Fantasy genre and was looking forward to reading this one, as I had quite a few already queued when I received it.When I finally started it I found the author's style to be very comfortable, which made for fast reading. Always a plus.

The story, however, progressed a bit slow for my liking. I understand the construct of setting up comfortable characters and situations so that you can turn them upside down. I just think that may have went on a bit too long. I was so relieved when Jake finally showed up to shake things up a bit. The idea of an angel being forced to go to Hell was interesting and a nice change from the early part of the book.

While I did like Hades overall, I could not help but have issues with the characters. Bethany is supposed to be an angel, the embodiment of good, and Jake is supposed to be a lord of Hell, the embodiment of evil. Yet neither stuck to their own values all that strongly. Plus, one minute they are powerful and can do anything, and the next, they are just normal. Then there was Molly's (crush?) on Gabriel. It just sort of appeared for no reason and then drama ensued. I found that whole side plot just a bit awkward.

It was not quite the book I was hoping for, but not a total loss either. I am curious to see what the next book will bring. I would like to see a little more character growth and a bit more action and excitement.

Hades is the second book in the Halo series. Halo was published in the fall of 2010 and Heaven will be the third book.

Alexandra Adornetto was only fourteen when she published her first book, The Shadow Thief, in Australia. The daughter of two English teachers, she admits to being a compulsive book buyer who has run out of shelf space, and now stacks her reading “in wobbly piles on my bedroom floor.” Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Ally is now a college student in the U.S.

I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Rating: 3/5
Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Emily has a crush on Zach, a popular football player at her school. She thinks he has a thing for her too. The only problem is that Zach is dating Emily's best friend, Gabby. But even that does not stop an impromptu hook up while Gabby is away on vacation. Things spiral out of control from there as Emily is forced to face the ramifications of her decisions.

First things first. The cover of this book is amazing. I have no doubt that this book will sell a ton of copies based on the cover alone. The girl with the fiery red hair is both gorgeous and mysterious. It grabbed my attention when I first saw it and made me look into what the book was about.

Fury is the first in a new trilogy by author Elizabeth Miles. I would classify it as teenage horror, with a touch of paranormal. The story focuses on bad behavior and its consequences. Emily goes behind her best friend's back to be with Zach. Chase does whatever he can to escape his trailer trash image and become the star athlete. Both characters are self absorbed and prove prime targets for the Furies.

I liked the idea of pulling the Furies from Greek mythology and throwing them into a story like this. Ty, Megan and Ali show up as three beautiful, yet dark teens. At first they appear to be the bad guys of the story. But as you learn more about the characters, you will have to decide if each person's actions are deserving of their consequences.

The first two thirds of the book were great for me. I enjoyed watching the characters get into trouble and try to squirm their way out. I felt the tension building to a dark climax. But once I got there, I was a bit disappointed. The ending felt rushed. I think revealing what the Furies were all about a bit earlier in the story would have been better. Too much was thrown in at the end, without a lot of time to digest it properly.

Fury is aimed at a teenage audience. I would be careful of letting too young a reader get hold of this one. There are some naughty moments (nothing graphic), some bad language, and violence, including suicide. I like that the characters are not all straight laced and proper, but it may not be appropriate for all.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The ending brought my rating down just a bit, but I would still recommend this book. I look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

Elizabeth Miles is the author of the Fury Trilogy, a book lover, a horror-movie scaredy cat, a food lover, and a sometimes actress. She lives in Portland, Maine, she's a Boston University alum, and she hails originally from Chappaqua, NY.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Rating: 3/5
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: August 30, 2011

New Releases: Week of August 29, 2011

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he’s left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys’ school, and his life will never be the same again.

As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?

This introductory novel in Archer’s ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It's also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny's best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny's small band of travelers will make it out alive.

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

The long-awaited crime caper so outlandish, so maniacal, so wickedly funny, it could have only come from the mind that brought you Artemis Fowl.

Lincoln McEvoy has a problem. Well, really, he has several, but for this Irish ex-pat bouncer at a seedy, small-time casino the fact that his girlfriend was just murdered in the parking lot is uppermost in his mind.

That is until lots of people around him start dying, and not of natural causes. Suddenly Linc’s got half the New Jersey mob, dirty cops and his man-crazy upstairs neighbor after him and he still doesn’t know what’s going on. Bullets are flying, everybody’s on the take and it all may be more than Linc’s new hair plugs can handle.

And Linc’s got to find the guy who put in those hair plugs--or at least his body--and fast, or else he’ll never get that voice out of his head. Head-spinning plot twists, breakneck pacing and some of the best banter this side of Elmore Leonard’s Detroit, will keep you on the edge of your seat and itching for more.

Repost Review: Role of a Lifetime by James Brown

2011-08-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

This review was originally posted on September 24, 2009.

James Brown grew up in Washington, D.C. He attended DeMatha Catholic High School and later Harvard University where he earned a degree in American Government. Brown was also a three time All Ivy League basketball player. James Brown has won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Host. He is currently the host of CBS Sports' The NFL Today and Showtime's Inside the NFL.

Role of a Lifetime is much more than just an autobiography of James Brown. The book relates Brown's plan for living a successful life. He had many mentors along the way to help form his foundation including his mother, father, Coach Wooten, his wife Dorothy, and most important to him, God. James learned from many people along the way and now serves as a role model for anyone wishing to be successful in life.

Life was not always easy for James Brown. He loved to play basketball. He was very successful in high school and then later at Harvard. He dreamed of playing in the NBA and attended NBA training camps twice. Unfortunately, he was the last player to be released both times. But he accepted this both times and made the right decisions at the time to remain successful in life.

While working for Xerox, James worked under Addison Barry Rand, a member of the senior management team who outlined certain principles for success. Brown took this list and refined it over the years to become what he calls his "Ingredients for Successful Living". The seven ingredients are: Good Communications Skills, Appearance, Personal Relations, Punctuality, Thirst for Knowledge, Being a Team Player, and Overcoming Adversity.

It is very entertaining to read how James Brown learned the ropes of sports broadcasting and moved his way up the chain until finally reaching a hosting spot with Fox Sports. The overall theme here is learning from your mistakes and continuing to strive in an honest and moral fashion. Brown does address the thought process behind leaving Fox for CBS, something that he is constantly asked.

I found this book very interesting and not what I expected when I first learned of the book. There is plenty of information about James Brown's life and background, but the best part of the book, in my opinion, is the overall blueprint for being successful and remaining a good person.

Iron House Audiobook Winner

2011-08-23T07:30:00.003-04:00

I would like to congratulate Julie (jwitt33) as the winner of John Hart's Iron House Audiobook. I will be contacting you soon to arrange shipment.

Thank you to all that entered. This was the first of many giveaways here at Reading With Mo. Please stop by as often as possible.

Happy Birthday Nelson DeMille

2011-08-23T07:30:00.001-04:00

I would like to wish author Nelson DeMille a happy birthday today. Nelson DeMille was born in New York City and raised in Long Island. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army and was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Since then he has published more than twenty novels including The General's Daughter, By the Rivers of Babylon, and Plum Island. DeMille is a member of Mensa, The Author's Guild and the Mystery Writer's of America.

Review: Iron House Audiobook by John Hart

2011-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Michael grew up in a horrific orphanage in North Carolina called Iron House. While there, he was forced to defend his brother Julian. After leaving Iron House, Michael worked as an enforcer for an organized crime family. When he learns that his girlfriend, Elena, is pregnant, he tries to get out. But getting out proves to be a monumental undertaking.

I first became acquainted with John Hart when I read The Last Child back in March of 2010. I remember being truly surprised at how great that book was. John Hart combined thriller, romance, and mystery into an emotionally charged reading experience. I was hoping for something equally as great with Iron House. I got what I wanted.

John Hart knows how to craft interesting characters. I think his success with this is based on ratios. Each character is comprised of greatness, mediocrity, and evil. The magic is in how these are proportioned within each character. There are no cookie cutter characters in Hart's works. They are deep and complicated.

The settings in Iron House were described in a vivid way that was unobtrusive to the plot. The mountains in North Carolina seemed so removed from the rest of the world, adding to the sense of desperation some of the characters felt while forced to be there. The compound of Senator Vane equally added to the nefariousness of his character.

My commute is about an hour each way, so audiobooks are my preferred method to pass the time without going crazy. With some books, I have found it hard to keep focused on the story. But not with this one. It held my interest from the very beginning. I found myself sitting in the parking lot at work trying to justify listening to just a little bit more.

The narration is top shelf. Scott's voice has a deep, raspy timbre that just feels comfortable right away. His pacing and emotion make it easy to identify with the characters, especially the main character, Michael. If you have not listened to many audio books, this would be a great one to start with. There is plenty of action and suspense, and hearing it, somehow makes it just pop.

It is rare that I give a book a five out of five rating. I feel this one deserves it. Iron House is a hard charging thriller with lots of action and suspense. But it is also an intense psychological thriller, with deep characters that are both flawed and exceptional. The narration by Scott Sowers makes this experience a memorable one.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Rating: 5/5
Iron House by John Hart
Read by Scott Sowers
Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: July 12, 2011

John Hart is the New York Times bestselling author of Down River,The Last Child and The King of Lies. He is a two-time winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award. Hart was born and raised in North Carolina. For a time he practiced criminal defense law, but left to focus on his writing. He used to do foolish things, like fly helicopters and sail small boats across large oceans. Now, with a loving young family, he writes books, which is harder but safer.

Scott Sowers is an accomplished actor of both stage and screen. His theater credits include roles in Inherit the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Bus Stop, and A Few Good Men. His screen credits include guest roles on Law and Order, The Black Donnellys, Six Degrees, and All My Children. He has also appeared in Trust the Man, The Village, and The Ten. He has narrated audiobooks for many authors including Douglas Preston, Robert Ludlum, John Hart, and Nicholas Sparks.

New Releases: Week of August 22, 2011

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for Race Week, a body is found in a barrel of asphalt next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The next day, a NASCAR crew member comes to Temperance Brennan's office at the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner to share a devastating story. Twelve years earlier, Wayne Gamble's sister, Cindi, then a high school senior and aspiring racer, disappeared along with her boyfriend, Cale Lovette. Lovette kept company with a group of right-wing extremists known as the Patriot Posse. Could the body be Cindi's? Or Cale's?

At the time of their disappearance, the FBI joined the investigation, only to terminate it weeks later. Was there a cover-up? As Tempe juggles multiple theories, the discovery of a strange, deadly substance in the barrel alongside the body throws everything into question. Then an employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goes missing during Race Week. Tempe can't overlook the coincidence. Was this man using his lab chemicals for murder? Or is the explanation even more sinister? What other secrets lurk behind the festive veneer of Race Week?

A turbocharged story of secrets and murder unfolds in this, the fourteenth thrilling novel in Reichs's "cleverly plotted and expertly maintained series" (The New York Times Book Review). With the smash hit Bones about to enter its seventh season and in full syndication—and her most recent novel, Spider Bones, an instant New York Timesbestseller—Kathy Reichs is at the top of her game.

Some secrets can’t be kept. . . .

The Most Dangerous Thing

Years ago, they were all the best of friends. But as time passed and circumstances changed, they grew apart, became adults with families of their own, and began to forget about the past—and the terrible lie they all shared. But now Gordon, the youngest and wildest of the five, has died and the others are thrown together for the first time in years.

And then the revelations start.

Could their long-ago lie be the reason for their troubles today? Is it more dangerous to admit to what they’ve done or is it the strain of keeping the secret that is beginning to wear on them and everyone close to them? Each one of these old friends has to wonder if their secret has been discovered—and if someone within the circle is out to destroy them.

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

Happy Birthday Brad Thor

2011-08-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author Brad Thor a happy birthday today. Brad graduated from the University of Southern California (cum laude) where he studied creative writing, film and television production. He has published over ten best selling thriller novels. NPR recognized Blowback as one of the Top Ten Killer Thrillers of all time.

2011 Hugo Award Winners Announced

2011-08-21T01:32:00.000-04:00

The Hugo Awards Ceremony was held Saturday night during the 69th World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada. The awards are presented each year by the World Science Fiction Society to highlight the very best in science fiction and fantasy works. The award is named after Hugo Gemsback, the founder of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories.

Here are this year's winners:

Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)

Best Novella
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Subterranean)

Best Novelette
The Emperor of Mars by Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)

Best Short Story
For Want of a Nail by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s, September 2010)

Best Related Work
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea (Mad Norwegian)

Best Graphic Story
Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Inception written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Warner)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Doctor Who: “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)

Best Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders

Best Editor, Short Form
Sheila Williams

Best Professional Artist
Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine
Clarkesworld edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, Sean Wallace; podcast directed by Kate Baker

Best Fanzine
The Drink Tank edited by Christopher J. Garcia and James Bacon

Best Fan Writer
Claire Brialey

Best Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Lev Grossman

Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners!

Happy Birthday Greg Bear

2011-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish science fiction author Greg Bear a happy birthday today. Bear is the author of more than thirty books of science fiction and fantasy. His titles include The Forge of God, Blood Music and most recently the Forerunner Trilogy, set in the Halo universe. He has won two Hugo Awards and five Nebula Awards for his fiction.

Repost Review: Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith

2011-08-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

This review was originally posted on June 11, 2009.

Big Red and Old Red are brothers trying to survive in late nineteenth century American wild west. They take jobs as hands for the Sussex Land and Cattle Company. Everything seems to be going just fine, until the bodies start piling up. Old Red, being a fan of the great Sherlock Holmes, sets out to solve the mysteries of the deaths and the Cantlemere Ranch.

Steve Hockensmith has created two fascinating characters in Big and Old Red. Their adventures are interesting and down right fun to read. The story is told primarily through the use of dialogue. Hockensmith has taken great efforts to make the dialogue of the characters representative of the era. This adds to the charm of this book.

This promises to be a wonderful series of books. I have read the next in this series, On the Wrong Track. It is even more amazing than this book. I look forward to reading The Black Dove, the third installment for Big and Old Red. You can also check them out in several short stories featured in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Happy Birthday Steve Hockensmith

2011-08-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish one of my favorite authors, Steve Hockensmith, a happy birthday today. Hockensmith was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He began his writing career as an entertainment journalist. He first published a mystery short story in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2000. But it was his second published short story, Dear Mr. Holmes, that sparked his career as a mystery novelist. The story featured the crime solving cowboys Big Red and Old Red. He published several short stories featuring the crime solving brothers before publishing a novel titled Holmes on the Range. He has published four other novels in the series with newest, World's Greatest Sleuth!, published in 2011. In addition to that series, Hockensmith authored the third book in the Quirk Classics series, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls as well as the sequel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.

Review: Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn

2011-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

MI6 agent William Cochrane is Britain's most deadly operative. Now he is tasked with taking down Megiddo, believed to be a general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Will thinks he has the perfect plan, but soon learns that his prey is more dangerous than any he has hunted before.

I typically enjoy fast action, suspense thrillers. I am usually able to set realism aside, and enjoy a good shootem' up story. But the action in Spycatcher is so far removed from reality that it was just not an enjoyable read. The main character, Will Cochrane, was able to endure so many injuries and still function that there was no suspense. It was a given that he would walk away from whatever the bad guy could dish out.

The characters were mostly one dimensional stereotypes. Few had any development at all. It seemed like they were pulled from various spy movies and just thrown into the plot with little planning. The dialogue did not flow well and I admit I found myself skimming quite a bit just to get through this one.

This one just did not work for me. It seems people either loved this one or hated it. You will just have to decide for yourself.

Matthew Dunn spent five years in the British Secret Intelligence Service as an operative. He worked on several missions across the world, some under deep cover. His skills included agent running and debriefing, weapons training, surveillance, unarmed combat and many more.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Rating: 2/5
Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn
Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Review: Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw

2011-08-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

What would you do if someone you loved was horribly murdered right in front of you? Liza is forced to go into hiding with her father after her mother is shot outside of their home. How can she possibly deal with her loss while becoming someone new in a witness protection program? Father and daughter search for a way to exist while living in mortal danger each day.

The first section of this novel deals with Liza's loss of her mother. It is very emotional. I found myself with tears in my eyes at several points. The situation she finds herself in is so horrible, yet so plausible, that it easy to walk in her shoes and feel her pain.

The middle of the book focuses on Liza and her father moving around to avoid the bad guys. It was, honestly, a bit boring. After such an emotional start to the book, I expected things to move along at a quick pace, but they did not. I stuck with it, though, thinking that the plot was building to a big finale, or at least some more action. But I was wrong.

The climax never happens in the novel. I really dislike novels that end with no resolution. It can be negative or positive, but I need resolution. Otherwise, what is the point? That is exactly how I felt at the end of this book. I was asking myself, why would someone write a book that goes nowhere?

I give this one a three out of five. The beginning was really good, but after that, there just was not much there.

I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Rating: 3/5
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw
Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: August 16, 2011

New Releases: Week of August 15, 2011

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.

Freddie Steinmark was an under-sized but scrappy young man when he arrived in Austin as a freshman at the University of Texas in 1967. Despite the pronouncement by many coaches that he was too small to play football at the college level, Freddie was a tenacious competitor who vowed to start every game as a varsity Longhorn.

By the start of the 1969 season, Freddie was making his mark on the college gridiron and national stage as UT’s star safety, but he’d also developed a crippling pain in his thigh that worried his high school sweetheart, Linda. Despite the increasingly debilitating pain, Freddie continued to play throughout the season, helping the Longhorns to rip through opponents like pulpwood. His final game was for the national championship at the end of 1969, when the Longhorns rallied to beat Arkansas in a legendary game that has become known as “the Game of the Century.”

Tragically, bone cancer took Freddie off the field when nothing else could. But nothing could extinguish his irrepressible spirit or keep him away from the game. Although his struggle with cancer would be short-lived, Freddie’s fight would inspire the nation as well as thousands of cancer victims, earning him a special citation from President Richard Nixon. Today, a photo of Freddie hangs in the tunnel at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where players touch it before games en route to the field. With this moving story, a Brian’s Song for college football, Jim Dent once again brings readers to cheers and tears with a truly American tale of resolution and bravery in the face of the worst odds.

The United States is ready to make a triumphant return to the moon, striking out boldly into the solar system in an attempt to regain the confidence of the heady days of the Apollo program. The first of what are to be many missions to the lunar surface was designed to find the frozen water needed to prepare to build a base to launch an assault on Mars.

But a shocking discovery at Shackleton Crater brings the first Prometheus mission to an abrupt halt. Remote robots uncover human skeletal remains and a base that had been destroyed countless millennia ago. The information is sent back to earth where forensic analysis at NASA reveals the corpse to be over seven hundred million years old.

A secret this devastating cannot be kept forever, and the news is leaked to the world. Soon nations are thrown into a head-long collision, pitting governments against their own citizens as the flames of fundamentalism start a conflagration that threatens to engulf the world as a race to return the moon is on.

The Event Group is tasked to unravel the mystery and to offer something that can either explain our ancient visitor or, at least, keep the world from descending into chaos. Colonel Jack Collins once again leads a team of the world's greatest scientists and philosophers on a journey that will take the Event Group to the airless world of space. But while a battle rages over the truth of our heritage, the Event Group realizes that this may not be humanity’s war alone. Could something else—someone else—be coming to finish a war that they started almost a billion years ago?

For excitement-hungry orphan Ivo, a mission to save Princess Mirella from the dreaded Ogre of Oglefort is a dream come true. Together with a hag, a wizard, and a troll, Ivo sets out, ready for adventure. But when they get to the ogre's castle, the rescuers are in for a surprise: the princess doesn't need saving, but the depressed ogre does! It's a warmhearted, hilarious romp in the tradition of Roald Dahl, with enough creepy magic, ghosts, and laughs to make even the saddest ogre smile.

Repost Review:

2011-08-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

This review was originally posted on May 30, 2011.

John Stone has built a hugely successful ship building company. His customers include several governments throughout Europe. He is married to the exquisite Elizabeth, a socialite in demand for every social event. The world is shocked when Stone plummets to his death from a window at his mansion.

Stone's will leaves money to an unknown child. Elizabeth hires Matthew Braddock, a newspaper man, to find information about this child. Elizabeth has decided to honor her husband's wishes and find the child if possible. In searching for the child, Braddock finds that there is much more to Elizabeth than she allows people to see.

Iain Pears has crafted a wonderfully complex and captivating novel. The story is divided into three sections, each moving back a ways in time and told from the view of a different character. Each of the three sections are left somewhat unresolved, but that adds to the mystery of Stone's death.

The characters are intricate and deep. The story takes you on a journey fraught with political espionage and financial intrigue. There is a fantastic mix of action, historical settings, and love story. Just when you are sure that you will not have the answers you have been searching for, Pears ties all of the loose ends into a surprising finality.

This is a thought provoking work of historical fiction. Do not let the size of 800 pages scare you away. The settings and characters will grip your attention from the beginning and not let go. This could be my favorite book of the year.

Iron House by John Hart Audiobook Giveaway

2011-08-09T21:17:00.001-04:00

Thanks to a wonderful person at Macmillan Audio, Reading With Mo is hosting a giveaway of John Hart's newest audiobook, Iron House.

The rules are simple. Leave a comment on this post with an email address and you will be entered for a chance to win. Become a follower of my blog and earn an extra chance. Pretty Simple.

All comments and following must be completed by 11:59PM EDST on August 22, 2011. The winner will be announced on August 23, 2011 as part of my review of this audiobook. This giveaway is limited to entries from the United States only. The prize is being shipped by the publisher.

If you have any problems, just drop me an email.

Good Luck!

Here is a sample of the audiobook:

Happy Birthday Jonathan Kellerman

2011-08-09T19:03:00.001-04:00

I would like to wish author Jonathan Kellerman a happy birthday today. Jonathan was born in New York, but grew up in Los Angeles. At age 24, he earned his Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialty in the treatment of children. Kellerman's first novel, When the Bough Breaks, was published with great success in 1985. The book won both the Edgar Allen Poe and Anthony Boucher awards for best first novel. Since then, he has published at least one best selling novel per year. Jonathan is married to best selling author Faye Kellerman and they have four children.

Review: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

At the end of Changes, book twelve in the Dresden Files series, our favorite wizard found himself suddenly dead. Having just saved his daughter from the hands of the Red Court, Dresden was looking forward to a chance at romance with Murphy. Now he has to figure out how things work in the land of the dead.

This one was originally supposed to be released in April, but was pushed back to July. That disappointed fans, myself included, but I understand that creativity does not always conform to deadlines. According to Jim-Butcher.com, Jim's reasoning went something like this: "It came down to, readers could either get a half-assed story in April, or a full-assed one in July!”

I am happy to say that it was worth the wait. The story goes in a different direction than I was expecting. Even though this is book thirteen in the series and the characters are well established, everything felt fresh. Harry's death is a major catalyst for change in the supporting characters.

There is quite a bit of action in this one. Just because he is dead, does not mean Harry stays out of trouble. You should know better by now. He has to fend off quite a few strange characters using some unusual techniques. I did, however, find some of the middle of the book just a bit tedious to get through. I won't go as far as saying I was bored, but it was a bit slow.

The ending makes up for that. There are some pretty emotional parts once you learn the mystery behind Harry's death. I will not give it away, but just say that I loved that part of the story. It was completely unexpected and that made it even more awesome.

If you have not read this yet, go out and buy it right now. It is well worth it. You will get to see the inside of Bob's skull and Molly on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. What more could you ask for?

Jim Butcher is a martial arts enthusiast with fifteen years of experience in various styles including Ryukyu Kempo, Tae Kwan Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a sprinkling of Kung Fu. He is a skilled rider and has worked as a summer camp horse wrangler and performed in front of large audiences in both drill riding and stunt riding exhibitions.

Jim enjoys fencing, singing, bad science fiction movies and live-action gaming. He lives in Missouri with his wife, son, and a vicious guard dog.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990's when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

Rating: 4/5
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Penguin Group
Publication Date: July 26, 2011

New Releases: Week of August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my eye this week:

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I'm about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It's my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette's syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael's friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he's to survive.

Haven Moore and Iain Morrow have been living a blissful life in Rome, an ocean way from the Ouroboros Society and its diabolical leader. But paradise is not to last. The mysterious disappearance of Haven's best friend, Beau, sends the pair running back to New York, where they encounter the Horae, an underground group of women who have spent centuries scheming to destroy Adam Rosier. Only they can help Haven uncover the secret to Beau's whereabouts in one of her past lives. But their help comes at a price: Haven must infiltrate the Ouroboros Society, charm Adam Rosier, and lure him into a trap. It's a plan the Horae believe will save the world-but Haven and Iain fear that it may destroy the happiness they've been chasing for two thousand years.

The Magicians was praised as a triumph by readers and critics of both mainstream and fantasy literature. Now Grossman takes us back to Fillory, where the Brakebills graduates have fled the sorrows of the mundane world, only to face terrifying new challenges.

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent's house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the modern heir to C.S. Lewis, and the cutting edge of literary fantasy.

Picking up a year after the events of Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, Jack and his fellow students are now well into their School of Thought training and are "sidekicking" for official, card-carrying super heroes. But, even though Jack feels more at home in the Imagine Nation, he's still hiding secrets from his friends Skerren and Allegra, both about his shocking connection to their enemy Revile and about his "Top Secret" school assignment, which involves investigating the RÜstov computer virus that affects the Mechas. Jack is busy trying to find out how far the RÜstov sleeper virus has spread, working to find a cure, and striving to avoid the dire future that Revile warned him about. Meanwhile, Jonas Smart is working just as hard to discover what Jack is hiding from everyone. When a rogue Secreteer--the protectors of secrets of inhabitants of the Imagine Nation--starts selling secrets to the highest bidder, Smart is ready and waiting. Jack knows that if Smart finds out the truth about him and Revile, he's as good as dead. When Jack discovers that the Secreteer causing all this trouble also has information about his father, the distractions really start piling up. If Jack is going to help prevent a second RÜstov invasion, keep Smart from discovering his secrets, and find out what a shadowy, half-mad Secreteer knows about his long-lost father, he'll need to learn to trust his friends, and to find the true path toward becoming a hero himself.

Happy Birthday John Birmingham

2011-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish Australian author John Birmingham a happy birthday today. Birmingham was born in Liverpool, England. He later moved to Australia with his parents. He is most known for his Axis of Time trilogy, featuring a military group from the early twenty first century that is transported back in time to 1942 and alters the course of World War Two. His most recent novel, After America, is the second book in a trilogy exploring a world where a mysterious wave erases the majority of the U.S population. Birmingham is currently working on the conclusion, Angels of Vengeance.

2011-08-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

This review was originally posted on May 6, 2009.

The government has known about the existence of aliens since the 1950s. In fact, they created an alliance with them, allowing them to conduct experiments on human subjects in exchange for technology. What could come of an alliance with such an alien race? The end of life as we know it of course. The aliens are arranging for an asteroid to collide with earth and destroy all but a select few. Former Collaboration assassin Michael Kendon has only three days to find a way to stop the asteroid and save mankind.

James Murdoch has successfully combined a wonderful science fiction story with a fast paced, page turning thriller. Then, just to add flavor, he sprinkles on little bits of military thriller. This is a book that you will read very fast because you just can't wait to see what happens next.

Aliens trying to destroy the earth is certainly nothing new to science fiction novels. I applaud James Murdoch for not letting the story get bogged down trying to explain how each piece of alien technology might work. In fact, most of the book has a distinct non-science fiction feel to it. The action is fast and you can sense the tension the characters are feeling as they rush along to save the world.

This was a great novel and I look forward to reading more from James Murdoch in the future.

Happy Birthday Dennis Lehane

2011-08-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author Dennis Lehane a happy birthday today. Lehane was born and raised in Dorchester, a neighborhood of Boston which serves as the locale for most of his novels. He is probably most known for his series of novels following investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. A Drink Before the War, the first novel in the series, won the 1995 Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel. The fourth book in the series, Gone Baby Gone, was made into a motion picture starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan. Mystic River was also made into a motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood. The novel won the Barry Award and the Anthony Award for Best Novel. His latest novel, Moonlight Mile, was published in November, 2010.

Review: Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

2011-08-02T07:00:00.002-04:00

Three years has done nothing to ease the pain Shelly Gallus feels at the loss of her husband Max. She does not know what to think when Paolo shows up at her door claiming to be the grandson of her Max even though he is the same age as Max when he died. Stranger yet, Paolo claims that her Max is alive and living in the Philippines.

Before Ever After is a heart-warming romance with just a hint of mystery and adventure woven in. Unlike standard mystery novels, solving the mystery is not the main focus here. It is the journey and all of the magical characters that you meet along the way.

Shelly and Max come together on a tour around Europe. The story bounces back and forth among different time periods, giving us several mini stories that all tie back in to Max. Each story is brought about by the tour visiting a different area. The historical ties make these stories all the more fascinating.

I found the book to be quite charming. If you have a romantic bone anywhere in your body, then you should have no problem enjoying this one. I am not usually a fan of romantic stories, but this one held my interest and made me smile quite a few times.

Samantha Sotto fell in love with Europe's cobbled streets and damp castles when she moved to the Netherlands as a teenager. Since then, she has spent nights huddled next to her backpack on a beach in Greece, honeymooned in Paris, and attended business meetings in Dusseldorf in the pleasant company of a corporate credit card. Before Ever After was inspired by her experiences living, studying, and traveling in Europe. This is her first novel.

I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Rating: 3/5
Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto
Crown Publishers
Publication Data: August 2, 2011

New Releases: Week of August 1, 2011

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that have caught my attention this week:

Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers-a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana-he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned to learn that Helen may have been a collaborator in her own murder.

Peeling back the layers of deception, Pendergast realizes that the conspiracy is deeper, goes back generations, and is more monstrous than he could have ever imagined-and everything he's believed, everything he's trusted, everything he's understood . . . may be a horrific lie.

Phoebe Hall’s Manhattan life has suddenly begun to unravel. Right after her long-term boyfriend breaks off their relationship, she’s falsely accused of plagiarizing her latest bestselling celebrity biography. Looking for a quiet place to put her life back together, Phoebe jumps at the offer to teach in a sleepy Pennsylvania town at a small private college run by her former boarding school roommate and close friend, Glenda Johns.

But behind the campus’s quiet cafés and leafy maple trees lie evil happenings. The body of a female student washes up on the banks of a nearby river, and disturbing revelations begin to surface: accusations from coeds about abuses wrought by a secret society of girls on campus known as The Sixes.. To help Glenda, Phoebe embarks on a search for clues—a quest that soon raises painful memories of her own boarding school days years ago.

As the investigation heats up, Phoebe unexpectedly finds herself falling for the school’s handsome psychology professor, Duncan Shaw. But when nasty pranks turn into deadly threats, Phoebe realizes she’s in the middle of a real-life nightmare, not knowing whom she can trust and if she will even survive.

Plunging deeper into danger with every step, Phoebe knows she’s close to unmasking a killer. But with truth comes a terrifying revelation: your darkest secrets can still be uncovered . . . and starting over may be a crime punishable by death.

The child was born on September 14, 1874, at the only hospital in Buffalo, New York, that offered maternity services for unwed mothers. It was a boy, and though he entered the world in a state of illegitimacy, a distinguished name was given to this newborn: Oscar Folsom Cleveland. He was the son of the future president of the United States—Grover Cleveland. The story of how the man who held the nation’s highest office eventually came to take responsibility for his son is a thrilling one that reads like a sordid romance novel—including allegations of rape, physical violence, and prostitution. The stunning lengths that Cleveland undertook to conceal what really happened the evening of his son’s conception are truly astonishing—including forcing the unwed mother, Maria Halpin, into an insane asylum.

A Secret Life also finally reveals what happened to Grover Cleveland’s son. Some historians have suggested that he became an alcoholic and died a young man—;but Lachman definitively establishes his fate here for the first time. In this gripping historical narrative, Charles Lachman sets the scandal–plagued record straight with a tightly–coiled plot that provides for narrative history at its best.

My perfect life was a lie.

Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth.

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.

And my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead.

Happy Birthday JK Rowling

2011-07-31T20:16:00.002-04:00

I would like to wish author JK Rowling a happy birthday today. J.K. Rowling is the pen name of author Joanne Murray. Rowling being her maiden name, her publishers asked her to use two initials instead of Joanne amidst fears that young boys may not be willing to read a book by a female author. Rowling's Harry Potter novels have captivated readers of all ages throughout the world. According to the Sunday Times, Rowling is the twelfth richest woman in Britain. Rowling plans to keep writing primarily for children but has no plans to return to the Harry Potter universe, although she is not ready to rule it out completely.

Repost Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

2011-07-29T19:22:00.000-04:00

This review was originally posted on April 18, 2009

Chicago's favorite wizard for hire, Harry Dresden, is back in Turn Coat, the eleventh novel of the very popular Dresden Files series. The action begins immediately when Warden Donald Morgan shows up on Harry's doorstep, gravely injured and apparently on the run from the White Council, the very organization that tasked Morgan to keep a watchful eye on Harry. Not able to help himself, Harry agrees to help Morgan find the real killer of councilman LaFortier and clear his name.

To make matters worse, Harry finds himself up against an ancient and powerful Skinwalker. The Skinwalker kidnaps Thomas Raith, Harry's vampire half brother, and offers a trade for Warden Morgan. Harry enlists the aid of Molly Carpenter, his "padawan", Toot Toot, the White Court of vampires, a pack of werewolves, another private investigator, and the White Council in an attempt to overcome the Skinwalker, prove Morgan's innocence, uncover the real murderer, and prove the existence of a Black Council. All in a day's work for Harry Dresden.

I believe this is the best book in the series. The story is thrown at you on page one, and it flows flawlessly to the last page of the book. There is plenty of action throughout and the pages flew by for me. I enjoyed getting a closer look at the White Court of vampires and how they operate. I also enjoyed the back story of Harry's involvement with Anastasia Luccio, the Captain of the Wardens.

Being told from Harry's point of view really gives the novels that personal connection with the reader. Harry Dresden is the hero, but he has flaws. Harry has to work hard to save the day. His self-deprecating and sarcastic personality endear him to us even more. Such lines as "Sometimes irony is a lot like a big old kick in the balls" will stick with us long after reading the book.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy/dark fantasy/urban fantasy novels. It's hard to lump the Dresden Files series into just one genre. Since this is the eleventh book in the series, you might be able to follow the story without having read the previous ten books, but you will get so much more out of it if you have. Now that I'm finished, I can't wait for the next installment tentatively set for April of 2010.

Review: The Map of Time by Felix J Palma

2011-07-27T20:25:00.002-04:00

What would you do if you suddenly found out time travel was possible? For Andrew Harrington this question was easy. He would go back in time and stop Jack the Ripper from killing Marie Kelly, the prostitute he had fallen in love with. What sort of events might have to line up for such a thing to be possible. The Map of Time may provide you with the answers.

I was not quite sure what this one was going to be about when I started reading it. I make it a habit to read the blurbs and teasers when I am deciding to purchase or review a book, but not again until after I have finished reading. I want the book to be fresh and not go into it with any preconceptions. Being that this one starts out with an attempted suicide, a hidden affair with a prostitute and then time travel, I found myself wondering just where could this possibly be going?

The Map of Time is laid out in three sections, each of which is a story of it's own, but still with a connecting theme throughout. H.G. Wells, as a character, is the connecting thread in these stories. The overall mystery in the book, is whether time travel is possible, and if so, how? Time travel has fascinated readers of science fiction since the release of Wells' The Time Machine. I think that is what really hooked my with this one.

The book is quite wordy, however. I am usually not a skimmer, but I found myself breaking that rule on more than one occasion. Perhaps my reading preference has been skewed by the short paragraphs and extensive dialogue found in today's thrillers, but I could not help but feel a little overwhelmed when a paragraph would span more than a page. Still, the story was compelling enough to hold my interest.

The book was translated from the original Spanish by Nick Caistor. I have to say he did a great job. If I had not known it was a translation, I would have accepted that it was a work by an English author without question.

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be a nice mixture of science fiction, mystery, romance and a little history. This was a pleasant surprise for my summer reading.

Felix J Palma was born Sanlucar de Barrameda, a city in Cadiz province in southern Spain. He published his first novel, The Ant that Wanted to be an Astronaut, in 2001. His most recent novel is The Map of Time. The novel has been awarded the Prize XL Ateneo de Sevilla and is being published in 30 countries.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Rating: 4/5
The Map of Time by Felix J Palma
Atria Books
Publication Date: June 28, 2011

Review: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

2011-07-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

"When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, then their's either something wrong with your skills or something wrong with your world. And there's nothing wrong with my skills." The opening of Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero sets the tone for the entire novel. Zombies have become a huge problem and it is up to Joe Ledger to take care of said problem.

This is an action packed, adrenalized horror novel. As a hero, Joe Ledger is very much the alpha male. He does not take crap from anyone, dead or alive. Sebastian Gault recruits Ledger for his new team at the Department of Military Science (DMS). Gault places the group of alpha males in a room and tells them to sort out who the leader will be. Ledger starts kicking their asses and is, of course, announced as the team leader.

The encounters with the zombies are graphic and furious. The battles are hard. People die, but more zombies die. Maberry lays out the action in such a manner that it is impossible to not just tear through it. I devoured this one in a day. The chapters are short and right to the point. Each one leaves you thinking, just one more until there are no more.

There is the somewhat typical romance with the beautiful and dangerous woman. What would an action novel be without that? It does not over power the novel and, in fact, shows there is something a little deeper to the main character.

If you like horror or military novels, then this one is a must read for you. Patient Zero is the first novel in the series. The Dragon Factory and The King of Plagues follow. Book four, Assassin's Code, is due out in 2012.

Rating: 4/5
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
St. Marting's Griffin
Publication Date: March, 2009

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher Coming Tomorrow

2011-07-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, fans will finally learn what is in store for Harry Dresden now that he is dead. Ghost Story is the thirteenth novel in the Dresden Files series. I have been a huge fan for quite some time now and I am excited about this release. I will probably devour it in a day. For those that are interested, my review is scheduled for publication on August 3, 2011. Come back and check it out.

New Releases: Week of July 25, 2011

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that caught my attention this week:

Born in the shadows and kept from heads of state, there are some missions so deadly, so sensitive, that they simply don't exist.

When one such mission goes horribly wrong, a wave of dramatic terrorist attacks is set in motion. Their goal: the complete and total collapse of the United States.

With the CIA's intelligence abilities hobbled, former Navy SEAL Team 6 member turned covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath launches an audacious plan to infiltrate the terrorists' network and prevent one of the biggest threats the United States has ever faced.

Simultaneously, a foreign wet work team has been sent to California. Their target: one of Hollywood's most famous filmmakers.

While working on a secret documentary project, movie producer Larry Salomon has unknowingly exposed one of the world's wealthiest and most politically connected powerbrokers—a man with a radical anti-American agenda poised to plunge the nation into deadly, irreversible chaos.

As the plots rocket to their pulse-pounding conclusion and the identities of the perpetrators are laid stunningly bare, Harvath will be left with only one means to save America. Unable to trust anyone, he will be forced to go Full Black.

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Prize-winning Washington journalist Juan Williams was unceremoniously dismissed by NPR for speaking his mind and saying what many Americans feel—that he gets nervous when boarding airplanes with passengers dressed in Muslim garb. NPR banished the veteran journalist in an act of political correctness that ultimately sparked nationwide outrage and led to calls for Congress to end its public funding of the media organization.

In Muzzled, Williams uses his very public firing as a launching pad to discuss the countless ways in which honest debate in America—from the halls of Congress and the health care town halls to the talk shows and print media—is stifled. In today’s partisan world, where media provocateurs rule the airwaves and political correctness dictates what can and cannot be said with impunity, Williams shows how the honest exchange of ideas and the search for solutions and reasonable compromise is deliberately muzzled. Only those toeing the party’s line—the screaming voices of the extremist—get airtime and dominate the discussion in politics and the media. Each side, liberal and conservative, preaches to a choir that revels in expressions of anger, ideology, conspiracies, and demonized opponents. The result is an absence of truth-telling and honest debate about the facts. Among the issues denied a full-throated discussion are racial profiling; the increased reliance on religious beliefs in debating American values and legislation; the nuances of an immigration policym gone awry; why abortion is promoted as a hot button wedge issue to incite the pary faithful and drive donations; the uneasy balance between individual freedom and our desire for security of against terrorism; and much more.

A fierce, fresh look at the critical importance of an open airing of controversial issues, Muzzled is a hard hitting critique of the topics and concerns we can’t talk about without suffering retaliation at the hands of the politically correct police. Only by bringing such hot button issues into the light of day can we hope to grapple with them, and exercise our cherished, hard-won right of free speech.

Slightly Off Topic Saturday: DVD Movie Woes

2011-07-23T22:59:00.000-04:00

I will warn you up front, this post is going to be a mini rant.

I had been waiting to watch the movie Red Riding Hood so I was excited when I received the DVD in the mail from Netflix. Unfortunately, life got in the way and tonight is the first chance I have had to watch the movie. I put in the DVD and that is when my frustration began. I could not skip any of the previews and commercial messages before the movie. That is AWFUL!

Listen up Hollywood. I am going to clue you in on something that should be obvious to you. This is one of the reasons people pirate your movies. I paid to watch this movie and I am forced to endure this type of treatment. Meanwhile, if I had pirated the movie, I would have been able to start watching it immediately. There is something wrong when the people that pay for your products have a worse experience than those that steal them.

I did a little research, remember Google is your friend, and found an interesting article over at LifeHacker about this very thing. It seems there is a combination of buttons you can press on most DVD player remotes that will allow you to bypass these previews. I have not checked it out myself, I do not think I can handle fast forwarding through all those previews again if it does not work. You can find the article here.

Repost Review: Straight on 'Til Morning by Christopher Golden

2011-07-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

This review was originally posted on July 15, 2009.

Kevin Murphy is like most teenagers, he is trying to grow up and hold onto his childhood at the same time. He has a girlfriend but finds himself consumed by the thought of his friend, Nicole Smith. Nikki, however, has eyes for an older boy, Pete Starling. Kevin works up the nerve to tell her how he feels, but is too late, Pete has made his move.

Pete Starling is not what he appears to be to Nikki. Kevin senses that something is off and attempts to warn Nikki. She dismisses it as nothing more than jealousy. Pete and his friends make life tough for Kevin. Once he decides to fight back, Nikki and Pete are gone.

This novel is a great coming of age story. The pain and love that Kevin experiences are real and touched me. The struggle to stay young and innocent when all you want to do is grow up is cleverly written. The first two thirds of the novel can almost stand alone with this storyline. But then the last third shakes up the storyline.

Kevin and his friends find themselves going into a strange land to rescue Nikki. This portion of the book is a creative and horrific play on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. There are monsters in this version of Neverland and they want Nikki for some critical reasons of their own.

I enjoyed this fresh take on a classic story. I found the characters to be rich and believable, I cared what happened to them. This is one of my favorite novels I have read. It is often compared to Stephen King's The Body. I agree with that comparison. This is a great horror novel, not because of any blood and guts, but because it is scary to grow up.

Review: Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini

2011-07-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

The story picks up only a few hours after the events in the last Madriani novel, The Rule of Nine, left off. Paul is being questioned by the authorities and investigator Herman Diggs is fighting for his life. Liquida learns the location of Paul's daughter and everyone rushes to save her. But is that all that Liquida is up to?

I have read many fast action thrillers, but I have to say, this may be one of the fastest I have come across. Being new to the series, I was a little lost for a few chapters, but that was ok. I was able to pick up enough to figure out who the good guys were and who the bad guy was. I found myself drawn into the characters without even realizing quite how they related to each other.

The narrative switches between third person past tense and first person present tense, the latter being used solely for the main character, Paul Madriani. I believe Martini is using the present tense to make the action pop a bit more, however, I found it distracting. I was able to move on and read and enjoy the book. But each transition to the present tense gave me enough pause to be distracting.

I enjoyed the plot and the considerable globe-hopping that took place throughout the book. I had no idea where I would end up next. The ending of the novel was my favorite part. I am not going to give you any spoilers, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how things worked out for Liquida. Martini gives us a strong resolution with just a bit of comedy. Perfect.

Steve Martini was born in San Francisco and was an honors graduate from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles before earning his law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. He entered private law practice in 1974 and eventually served as an administrative law judge and supervising hearing officer. The first Paul Madriani novel was published in 1992. Trader of Secrets is the twelfth book in the series.

Rating: 3/5

Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini

Harper Collins Publishers

Publication Date: May, 2011

Review: 99 Coffins by David Wellington

2011-07-19T07:00:00.076-04:00

Laura Caxton just wanted to get back to being a state trooper after her intense vampire battle alongside US Marshal Jameson Arkeley. But when a tomb filled with 100 vampire coffins is discovered under the Gettysburg Battlefied, Laura is drawn into what is sure to become an all out vampire war.

99 Coffins is the second book in the Laura Caxton series. Just like with the first novel, 13 Bullets, you will not find any hunky vampires involved in teenage drama. The vampires in Wellington's novels are pure evil. They are very much monster-like, shedding their resemblance to humans once they are converted.

The story is told both from the point of view of Caxton as well as a series of letters and journals dating back to Civil War times. These documents tell the story of a troop of vampires that were used to turn the war for the North at the battle of Gettysburg. These troops were promised to be converted back to human once a cure was found. They were secreted away in a tomb under the battlefield and then promptly forgotten by their commanders.

Wellington uses both horrific scenes of violence and psychological suspense to terrify the reader. This is not a book for the timid. Expect a gory, violent novel with a pretty high body count. Most books of this type feature an alpha male as the lead. This one has an alpha female. Do not be fooled, though, Laura Caxton is a badass. The adrenalin ran high as I read this one.

I can strongly recommend this one to horror fans. 13 Bullets is not necessarily a requirement before reading this one, but you should read it, it is a great book as well.

David Wellington was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received an MFA in creative writing from Penn State and a masters in Library Science from the Pratt Institute. Wellington's novels deal with vampires, werewolves, and monsters. His newest book, 32 Fangs, is scheduled to be published in 2011.

Rating: 4/5
99 Coffins by David Wellington
Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: December, 2007

New Releases: Week of July 18, 2011

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the books released this week that have caught my attention:

Jason Bourne is searching for an elusive cadre of terrorists planning to destroy America's most strategic natural resources-and needs the help of his longtime friend, General Boris Karpov. Karpov, the newly appointed head of Russia's most feared spy agency, FSB-2, is one of the most determined, honorable, and justice-hungry men that Bourne knows. But Karpov has made a deal with the devil. In order to remain the head of FSB-2, he must hunt down and kill Bourne.

Now, these two trusted friends are on a deadly collision course. From the Colombian highlands to Munich, Cadiz, and Damascus, the clock is counting down to a disaster that will cripple America's economic and military future. Only Bourne and Karpov have a chance to avert the catastrophe-but if they destroy each other first, that chance will be gone forever.

Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion is in desperate need of a new base. So when Governor Ferrouz of Candoras Sector proposes an alliance, offering the Rebels sanctuary in return for protection against the alien warlord Nuso Esva, Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are sent to evaluate the deal.

Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand, is also heading for Candoras, along with the five renegade stormtroopers known as the Hand of Judgment. Their mission: to punish Ferrouz’s treason and smash the Rebels for good.

But in this treacherous game of betrayals within betrayals, a wild card is waiting to be played.

Autumn Reiniger expects something special for her twenty-first birthday. Daddy's already bought her the sports car, the apartment, and admission to the private college where she parties away her weekends. Now she wants excitement, and she's going to get it.

Her father signs up Autumn and five friends for an "ultimate urban reality" game: a simulated drug deal, manhunt, and jailbreak. It's a high-priced version of cops and robbers, played with fake guns and fast cars on the streets of San Francisco. Edge Adventures alerts the SFPD ahead of time that a "crime situation" is underway, so the authorities can ignore the squealing tires and desperate cries for help.

Which is convenient for the gang of real kidnappers zeroing in on their target and a mammoth payday. Because what Daddy doesn't know is that someone has spotted his hedge fund's bulging profits, and the path to those riches runs right through Daddy's Little Girl.

Working on a case nearby is forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett and her partner Gabe Quintana. When the pair encounters a suspicious group of men carting six sullen college kids to the woods for a supposed wilderness adventure, alarm bells ring. Jo takes a closer look, and winds up with an invite to Autumn Reiniger's twenty-first birthday party-a party they may never leave.

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

Free Fiction Friday

2011-07-15T10:00:00.024-04:00

This friday I would like to feature the Baen Free Library. Baen is a publisher of mostly science fiction and fantasy fiction. Here you will find free fiction from over 40 authors including John Ringo and Mercedes Lackey.

The free library came about as a result of discussions about online piracy. The question being: How much does online piracy hurt an author? Does the interest gained from the stolen material help the author in a similar manner to advance reading copies of their books? I am not condoning piracy, just stating the argument. The purpose of the free library is to provide "word of mouth" exposure for the authors and hopefully allow them to grow their fan base.

For those of us with Nooks, today's free offering from Barnes and Noble is County Line by Bill Cameron.

Happy Birthday Christopher Golden

2011-07-15T07:40:00.001-04:00

I would like to wish author Christopher Golden a happy birthday. Golden was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Tufts University. Christopher has authored comic books, video games, novels, short stories and co-written an online animated series. He is probably best known for his novels based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. One of my favorite novels is Golden's Straight on 'Til Morning.

Happy Birthday Clive Cussler

2011-07-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author Clive Cussler a happy birthday today. Clive Cussler is the author of over thirty novels primarily in the nautical thriller genre. Clive's best known character, Dirk Pitt, is the perfect example of an alpha male hero. In 1979 Clive Cussler founded the National Underwater and Marine Agency, an organization "dedicated to preserving our maritime heritage through the discovery, archaeological survey and conservation of shipwreck artifacts." Two new books are set for release later this year: The Race and Devil's Gate.

Repost Review: The Ruins by Scott Smith

2011-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

This review was originally posted on July 13, 2009

The Ruins tells the story of two couples vacationing in Mexico. They meet up with a German named Mathias and three guys from Greece. They hit it off well and enjoy each others company. One day Mathias suggests that they take a day trip to an archaeological site that his brother has run off to visit with a girl he has met. The two couples, Mathias, and one Greek head off to find the site.

The trip ends up being harder than they bargained for. A rough trip on a bus and then a grueling hike through the jungle takes them to a village inhabited by natives. There is a mound near the village that the natives seem to be preventing them from stepping foot on. However, once one of the party steps on a piece of vine from the mound, the locals force them all to go onto the mound and then stand guard to make sure no one leaves.

The group soon realizes that they are not alone on this mound. The vines seem to be moving closer and closer. They seem to have a collective mind. It appears they are coming for them.

This is a great horror novel. It's not the plot that grabs you, face it, people attacked by vines is certainly nothing new. But it's how the characters react in the situation. Some take charge and try to solve their problem. Others are completely self absorbed and take care of themselves. They truly are representative of humanity and that is scary.

Since I read this book it has been adapted for the big screen. The movie is good. But as is often the case, the book is so much better.

Deathly Hallows Quiz

2011-07-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

So most of my fellow Harry Potter fans are getting ready to go watch the midnight showing of The Deathly Hallows Part 2. Do you think you are ready and know everything there is to know about the book / movie? If so, take a look at this quiz. I am a Harry Potter nerd and even I did not get all of these correct. Good Luck!

Happy Birthday Scott Smith

2011-07-13T13:59:00.001-04:00

I would like to wish a happy birthday to author Scott Smith. Scott was born in Summit, New Jersey and graduated from Columbia University. He has published two novels, A Simple Plan and The Ruins. Both novels have been made into motion pictures. Scott's screenplay for A Simple Plan won a National Board of Review Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award.

Review: Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver

2011-07-13T07:00:00.094-04:00

Probably the most popular fictional spy, James Bond, was created by British author Ian Fleming. He authored twelve novels and two collections of short stories featuring agent 007. After his death, James Bond lived on in new novels from authors Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastion Faulks, and now Jeffery Deaver.

I was pretty excited when I found out Deaver was writing the next Bond novel. I have been a huge fan of his work for many years now. I look forward to his new offerings each year. So I grabbed this one up and figured I would tear through it in just a couple of day. But I was wrong. I found this one hard to finish.

I hate writing negative reviews, but I feel I must with Carte Blanche. I have read many other reviews of this book and most people tend to disagree with me. Most talk about the fast action and the famous Deaver twists. There is some action and, for sure, the plot twists that have made Deaver so popular. But I felt that the book did not flow well.

Throughout the book I felt almost as if I were reading mini commercials for various products. There was too much detail about the foods being eaten or the alcohol being consumed. I know James Bond is supposed to be suave, but it came across as a little condescending.

The book was not a total loss. The villain was interesting. His obsession with death made him a bit dark for a Bond novel, but I think that actually worked well. The ending of the book was better than the beginning. Things seemed to pick up a little at least.

Overall, I was not a fan of this one. I do love Jeffery Deaver as an author and look forward to what he releases next.

Jeffery Deaver was born outside Chicago and earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Fordham University. Deaver has authored many novels including nine novels featuring quadriplegic forensic specialist Lincoln Rhyme. He was also the creative mastermind behind the collaborative works The Chopin Manuscript and The Copper Bracelet.

Carte Blanche
Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 14, 2011

Review: Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon

2011-07-12T07:00:00.122-04:00

When Dave Gurney put his retirement on hold to assist in solving the Mellery case, he thought it would be the last time. But when his old friend, Jack Hardwick, asks him to meet with the mother of a recent murder victim, Dave finds his curiosity hard to deny. He soon finds himself investigating not one murder, but the murders of several young girls who had been treated for sexual deviances.

I will warn you now, this one is a page turner. I found it very hard to put down, I just had to keep reading one more page. We have all come across authors whose work just seems to flow right out of their mind and into ours. Verdon is one of these authors. I can honestly say, this was my favorite read of the year so far.

This novel falls somewhere between cozy mystery and high action thriller. There are, certainly, many scenes where the action is riveting, but they do not overwhelm the story. The pacing is somewhat relaxed, like a cozy mystery, but the plot and investigation is much more intellectual. The overall feel of this novel is refreshingly unique.

The characters in Shut Your Eyes Tight are interesting, yet believable. The main character, Dave Gurney, is an incredible investigator, but he has problems with his marriage. His wife wants a simple quiet life, yet she understands her husband's need to exercise his mind. All of the characters have many sides and are sometimes unpredictable, making all that more human.

The mystery genre has a new name to add to the list of its elite. John Verdon's Dave Gurney novels are fast becoming required reading. We can only hope there are many more Gurney novels in our future.

John Verdon retired from the advertising business and moved with his wife to rural upstate New York, much like Dave Gurney. Looking for a change, he tried his hand at making furniture. In 2007 he started writing his first novel, Think of a Number. The book became a major success upon publication. Shut Your Eyes Tight is his second novel.

I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher.

Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon
Crown Publishers
Publication Date: July 12, 2011

First Google eBooks Integrated Reader Coming Soon

2011-07-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

I saw this story over at Engadget and thought it was interesting. The Story HD ebook reader from iRiver will become the first reader to have Google eBooks integration. This new model is set to go on sale at Target on July 17th for an estimated $139.99

2011 Thriller Awards

2011-07-11T16:20:00.000-04:00

On Saturday July 9, 2011 the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2011 Thriller Awards. Here are the winners:

Best Hard Cover Novel

Bad Blood by John Sandford

Best Paperback Original Novel

The Cold Room by J.T. Ellison

Best First Novel

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Best Short Story

The Gods for Vengeance Cry by Richard Helms

Thillermaster

R.L. Stine

True Thriller Award

Joe McGinniss

Silver Bullet Award

Karin Slaughter

Congratulation to all of the winners and nominees!

New Releases: Week of July 11, 2011

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that have caught my attention this week:

An old man is dying.
When the old man is dead they will come for him.
And they will come for her, to make him hurt.

At the Iron Mountain Home for Boys, there was nothing but time. Time to burn and time to kill, time for two young orphans to learn that life isn’t won without a fight. Julian survives only because his older brother, Michael, is fearless and fiercely protective. When tensions boil over and a boy is brutally killed, there is only one sacrifice left for Michael to make: He flees the orphanage and takes the blame with him.

For two decades, Michael has been an enforcer in New York’s world of organized crime, a prince of the streets so widely feared he rarely has to kill anymore. But the life he’s fought to build unravels when he meets Elena, a beautiful innocent who teaches him the meaning and power of love. He wants a fresh start with her, the chance to start a family like the one he and Julian never had. But someone else is holding the strings. And escape is not that easy. . . .

The mob boss who gave Michael his blessing to begin anew is dying, and his son is intent on making Michael pay for his betrayal. Determined to protect the ones he loves, Michael spirits Elena—who knows nothing of his past crimes, or the peril he’s laid at her door— back to North Carolina, to the place he was born and the brother he lost so long ago. There, he will encounter a whole new level of danger, a thicket of deceit and violence that leads inexorably to the one place he’s been running from his whole life: Iron House.

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

As a former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn has seen the face of evil and knows just how deadly it can be. When he first met Eve Duncan, he never expected to fall in love with a woman whose life would be defined by her dual desires to bring home her missing daughter and discover the truth behind her disappearance---no matter how devastating. With the help of CIA agent Catherine Ling, they make a shocking discovery that sheds new light on young Bonnie’s abduction and puts Quinn squarely in the crosshairs of danger. Eve’s first love, John Gallo, a soldier supposedly killed in the line of duty, is very much alive---and very much a threat.

Emotionally charged, with one shock after another, Quinn reveals the electricity of Joe and Eve’s first connection, and how they fell in love in the midst of haunting tragedy. As their search takes them deeper and deeper into a web of murder and madness, Joe and Eve must confront their most primal fears . . . and test their resolve to uncover the ultimate bone-chilling truth.

In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything… until his father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America, he chooses the Dragon – and a brand new fate.

Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it opens a door to a dangerous world.... In 1830’s St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are both frightening challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling…

But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off evil, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her—or destroy them all?

Free Fiction Friday

2011-07-08T17:08:00.000-04:00

It is time for another Free Fiction Friday. Why? Because everyone should enjoy something free.

Today I would like to introduce you to Cosmos Magazine. If you like science fiction, you should like this site. There are quite a few short stories under the fiction section. But there are also quite a few interesting science articles and blogs. This is a subscription based magazine, both print and online additions, but there is plenty of free content for you to check out.

For those of you with Nooks, today's free book is Jan Neuharth's mystery, The Hunt. The story takes place in Virginia, my home state, but I have to say I have never participated in a fox hunt. Check it out, it is free.

Repost Review: Foreign Influence by Brad Thor

2011-07-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

This review was originally posted on August 11, 2010

Book Details:

ISBN: 978-1-4165-8659-3
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: June 2010
Format: Hardcover, 376 pgs.

From the Cover:

Navy SEAL turned covert operative Scot Harvath is called to action once again in Brad Thor's hottest political thriller yet.

Buried within the black ops budget of the Department of Defense, a new spy agency has been created. Unfettered by the oversight of self-serving politicians, it reports only to a secret panel of insiders. Its job is target America's enemies--both foreign and domestic--under a charter of three simple words: Find, Fix, and Finish.

Recruited as a field operative, Scot Harvath has just returned from his first assignment abroad when a bombing in Rome kills a group of American college students. The evidence points to a dangerous colleague from Harvath's past and a plan for further attacks on an unimaginable scale.

Harvath is tasked with leveraging his relationship to lure the man out of hiding and kill him on the spot. But what if he has the wrong man?

Simultaneously, a young woman is struck by a taxi in a hit-and-run in Chicago. With only two intoxicated witnesses and more than five thousand cabs in the city, the Chicago Police have given up on their investigation. But when the family's attorney digs deeper, he will uncover a shocking connection to the bombing in Rome and the perpetrator's plans for America.

As the story rockets to its conclusion, the plots intersect in a race to prevent one of the most audacious and unthinkable acts of terror in the history of mankind.

My Thoughts and Opinions:

I love high-action, spy based thrillers. It is hard to believe that this was my first Brad Thor novel. Reading this one, it seemed as if I had been reading his books for a long time. He writes in a manner that makes the words disappear and the action materialize right in front of you.

Brad Thor writes from a very conservative point of view. This lines up with my own political views. I did not find this one to be overly political, although I have heard that some of his books can be a bit preachy. It is refreshing to read fiction that is based on conservative principles.

There is quite a bit of torture in this book. The macho, male ego side of me says "Hell Yea! Give it to em'." But once you sit back and think about it, it really is a bit much. I am all for dealing with terrorists and doing what it takes to prevent attacks. I think this went a little far.

A very good read for me. I will going back and reading the Scot Harvath series from the beginning in the near future.

About the Author:

Brad Thor, a graduate of the University of Southern California, has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Program and is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Lucerne, Path of the Assassin, State of the Union, Blowback,Takedown, The First Commandment, The Last Patriot, and The Apostle.

Happy Birthday David McCullough

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to wish author David McCullough a happy birthday today. He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At Yale he earned his degree in English literature. McCullough writes amazing historical novels. He has twice earned the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His latest book, The Greater Journey, was released in May, 2011.

Review: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson

2011-07-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

The assassination of President Lincoln is one of the most important events in America's past. History buffs, like myself, have sought every scrap of information available about the events leading up to and following this horrible act. James Swanson brings the events following the assassination, the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, back to life for us all to see.

I learned a lot from reading this book. Sure, I knew who was responsible for shooting Abraham Lincoln. But knew hardly anything about the man. John Wilkes Booth was a celebrity, a ladies' man, and a political radical. It was considered an honor for him to perform at your theater. At least until that Friday night, April 14, 1865.

Some history books can make your eyes bleed they are so full of boring facts and dates. I know, I have read quite a few of those. But this one reads more like a thriller than a history book. The author puts you in the mindset of those involved and tells the story in a way that is both enlightening and factual. Trust me, you will have no problem reading this one.

The biggest difference between this book and the thrillers you find on the best seller shelves is that you already know how it is going to end. At least you should know. But the journey to reach that ending is full of information and intrigue that you may not have any idea about. Now if someone would just start writing history textbooks in the same manner, we might all have a better understanding of our past.

James Swanson has degrees in history from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has held a number of government and think-tank positions in Washington, D.C. He won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime for this novel in 2007.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson
Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: February, 2007

Review: A Time For Patriots by Dale Brown

2011-07-05T07:00:00.005-04:00

Air Force Lieutant-General Patrick McLanahan is back for another adventure. The United Stated is trying to recover from economic ruin. McLanahan is forced into action when terrorists launch an attack with a dirty bomb on Reno, Nevada.

This was my first novel from author Dale Brown. In researching for this review, I learned that A Time for Patriots is book number seventeen in the Patrick McLanahan series. The book started out with some intense drama and I just knew I was going to love it. Secret weapons and high tech devices, what's not to like?

But I found myself losing interest after the first third of the book. There were parts that were good and held my interest, but overall I lost interest. It seemed like every paragraph I read mentioned the Civil Air Patrol. I am sure it is a fantastic organization, but the author played that record to death. By the time I was finished with the book, I had decided that I would never read another book that even mentioned the Civil Air Patrol.

If I had read some of the previous books in the series, I might have had a different opinion. I am sure the side story lines have deeper meaning to those that have plugged their way through the series. Without having the emotional investment in the characters, a lot of the book was dry at best. I highly recommend reading your way through the series before taking this one on.

Overall, I give this one a three out of five. The beginning of the book was gripping and held my interest. I enjoyed the author's view on the economic health of the United States. The rest of the book did not work for me, but I will just chalk that up to beginning a series at book number seventeen.

Former United States Air Force captain Dale Brown was born in Buffalo, New York and graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History. He received many military decorations including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship Ribbon. He is also a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit charitable medical transport organization that flies needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. Dale Brown's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries.

A Time for Patriots
Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: May, 2011

New Release Preview: Week of July 4th, 2011

2011-07-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases that have caught my eye for this week:

Alexander McCall Smith. Sandra Brown. Faye Kellerman. J.A. Jance. Jeffery Deaver. Kathy Reichs. Lisa Scottoline. Jeff Lindsay. These are only a handful of the names that make up the all-star lineup of authors behind No Rest for the Dead, a tale of vengeance, greed, and love that flows seamlessly, in the words of David Baldacci, "as it passes from one creator's mind to the next."

When Christopher Thomas, a ruthless curator at San Francisco's McFall Art Museum, is murdered and his decaying body is found in an iron maiden in a Berlin museum, his wife, Rosemary, is the primary suspect, and she is tried, convicted and executed. Ten years later, Jon Nunn, the detective who cracked the case, is convinced that the wrong person was put to death. In the years since the case was closed, he's discovered a web of deceit and betrayal surrounding the Thomases that could implicate any number of people in the crime. With the help of the dead woman's friend, he plans to gather everyone who was there the night Christopher died and finally uncover the truth, suspect by suspect. Solving this case may be Nunn's last chance for redemption … but the shadowy forces behind Christopher's death will stop at nothing to silence the past forever.

In this innovative storytelling approach, each of these twenty-five bestselling writers brings their distinctive voice to a chapter of the narrative, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale. No Rest for the Dead is a thrilling, page-turning accomplishment that only America's very best authors could achieve.

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.

In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.

Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.

Filled with remarkable twists and turns of plot, and told with seductive prose, The Rembrandt Affair is more than just summer entertainment of the highest order. It is a timely reminder that there are men in the world who will do anything for money.

In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.

Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.

Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade.

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever—twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a littletoo cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.

Happy Birthday America

2011-07-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July. I am very proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. I would like to encourage my fellow citizens to take a minute and remember all of the fine people who have worked so hard to make this country great. There are far too many to list here. You should be able to come up with quite a few on your own.

I would also like to express my gratitude for the wonderful freedoms guaranteed in our country. Without the freedom of speech, we would not have such a wide variety of stories and authors available to us. We are only inhibited by the strength of our imaginations.