Demonlover's list of books

Since I already read tons of books I might as well join in :-) I'm assuming we are going by the books we've read since the beginning of the year so I'm going to go back and see which ones I've read so far (since January 1) so I can post them. I've been keeping reviews of everything I've read for the past few months so I'll just post copies of those here too. Hope this is okay!

The first book I read entirely in 2007 is On The Edge by Pamela Britton

Review:

Rebecca Newman is the widow of a former NASCAR Champion driver and is determined to hold on to the race team they started together, despite burgeoning financial strains. Lindsey Drake is a 10 year old determined that her father will be the newest, bestest driver of the Newman Race Team. Adam Drake is mortified that his precocious daughter has struck a deal with world famous Rebecca Newman to get him into "The Variety Show" (an open audition to driver for the team). Will Adam prove to be the driver to bring back the Newman auto team from the edge of bankruptcy?

On the Edge was a very interesting read. Unlike most romance novels the romance took a back seat to the ins and outs of motor racing. Fit in here and there throughout the book are tidbits about the real world of NASCAR, including the importance of car set ups, tires and how drivers are now hired not only based on their driving ability but also on their media friendliness. All this combined with the very low key and innocent romance between the leading characters kept me glued to the story. It was kind of like listening to my husband talk about NASCAR, which he is a HUGE fan of, but a bit more interesting to me because of the emotional side of the story.

I'm not sure if someone who didn't at least have a passing curiosity about the world of auto racing would have an interest in reading these NASCAR romances and certainly they are not books for those who enjoy the steamier side of romance. However, although I cannot claim to be an avid NASCAR fan myself, I can still say that I really enjoyed this story and I'm looking foward to Pamela Britton's next NASCAR story.

Second book - Circus of the Darned by Katie Maxwell

Review:

Fran has finally decided that her mother's idea of traveling with GothFair isn't such a bad idea. That could have a lot to do with Benedikt, her vampire boyfriend, especially when he returns after having been MIA for weeks. In addition Tibolt, the Swedish star of the Circus of the Darned which is temporarily traveling with GothFair, is a hottie who makes all the girls, including Fran swoon. However, when Tibolt entrusts Fran with a ancient viking necklace things start to get a little wonky. Soon Fran finds herself acting as Goddess to a clan of warrior ghosts intent on pillaging the local McDonalds and searching for her beloved horse, Tesla, who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Will Fran be able to get everything back to normal before the most monumental event of her young life, her first date with Ben, is supposed to happen?

I really liked Circus of the Darned and thought it was quite a good follow-up to the story Got Fangs? although everyone's over eager preoccupation with Fran's first date, from her mother, to the Gods and Goddesses of viking legend, was a bit perplexing. As always with Katie's stories (whether they be under the surname of Maxwell or MacAlister) I laughed outloud at least once or twice. I'm hoping that in the next book we get to learn a little bit more about the situation that Benedikt seems to be involved in which was briefly alluded to in this story. I would definately recommend both Got Fangs? and this sequel to anyone who enjoys vampires, or just a cute story with a good laugh.

Third book - Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Review:

Oliza is the child of two warring clans, the serepentie and the avians, and the hope for the end of segregation between the species. Despite the weight of the responsibility thrust upon her at such a young age Oliza loves the Wyverns Court created by her parents and is willing to sacrifice anything to bring the worlds together. But, years of hatred and distrust, despite 20 years of peace and the end of bloodshed, is not easy to let go of. Will Oliza be able to braid these two worlds into one society or is a future of disaster all she can look forward to?

Wolfcry is the fourth book of The Kiesha'ra books which begain with Hawksong, one of my favorite books ever. As the series has moved on the politics and mythology of Oliza's society has become more complex and a little harder to understand. Despite this I found Wolfcry to be an engrossing read with surprising twists throughout the story that I would have never expected when I picked the book up. Although I believe this book would totally lose anyone who is not familiar to the series as a whole it is definately a must read for those who have come this far in the Kiesha'ra world.

Fourth Book - Goddess by Mistake by P.C. Cast

Review:

Shannon Parker is happy with her world. She has her family, friends and job where she tortures....er...teaches English to high school students. When Shannon receives an invitation to an estate auction and sees an urn (vase/friggin'pot) depicting High Priestess of Epona the Celtic Horse Goddess, who happens to look exactly like her, little does Shannon realize how much things are about to change. And change they do when the urn trades Shannon with the high priestess Rhiannon and brings her to a place which should be the stuff of imagination but isn't. Soon Shannon is faced with the question, has she been brought to this alternate reality for a reason, or is she simply a Goddess by Mistake?

Goddess by Mistake was a fun fantasy read. Centaurs are part of fantasy that rarely get their chance in the spotlight and are usually delegated to secondary characters. In Goddess the Centaur Shaman, ClanFintan, gets plenty of time in the spotlight. All in all the relationship between Rhea and ClanFintan was satisfying if not overly exciting. The book read very evenly and I was content to pick it up and put it down as the mood struck me. It wasn't story that demanded that you finish it in one sitting which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Goddess is a very likeable fantasy story which I would not heistate to recommend, especially to readers of Mary Janice Davidson stories.

Fifth book - Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith

Review:

Poppy is a normal 16 year old looking forward to the start of her summer vacation until she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now all Poppy has to look forward to is pain and shortly, death. James has been Poppy's best friend since they started school. He can't bear the thought of losing Poppy or her being in pain. But, James is in a unique position to help Poppy escape death. He is a vampire with the ability to turn her as well. The only problem is that once she is turned he and Poppy will be on the run, not just from her past life which she will need to relinquish, but also from the members of the Night World. The vampires would kill them both on sight if they found out that James had broken the rules, never tell what you are and never fall in love with a human.

As in her Vampire Diaries series L.J. Smith has created an amazingly engrossing vampire story of forbidden love and a secret world. Once I started Night World I was completely sucked in and couldn't stop reading until I was done. For anybody who enjoys stories like Twilight and The Silver Kiss or YA vampire stories in general I would highly recommend any of L.J. Smith's vampire stories.

Sixth book - Golden by Cameron Dokey

Rapunzel was born the daughter of a father who loved her and a mother whose inability to love her as she was set in motion a series of events which give a new twist on the classic tale.

I really loved this story and actually felt a little teary eyed at the end. This is a very innocent story about family, love, trust and responsibility which I would definately recommend to anyone, middle school and up.

Seventh book - Midnight Pleasures An Anthology

Review:

Four stories of wizards, werewolves, Greek demons and witches makes for very interesting reading. I would definately say I enjoyed Sherilyn Kenyon's story of the Oneroi and Skoti the most. I never even figured out the twist until it was over. My second favorite was Ronda Thompson's tale the youngest Wild Wulf of London, Sterling. I'm pretty sure there are stories out there by Thompson about the other brothers that I will definately now be keeping an eye out for. Amanda Ashley's addition about a reclusive wizard and a blind peasant girl was probably the most innocent tale and Maggie Shayne's story about a grey witch and an evil wizard's ghost was entertaining. All in all a very nice anthology to while away the hours.

Eighth book - She's No Faerie Princess by Christine Warren

Review:

Fiona is the niece of the queen of the Seelie Court but court intrigue is making her crazy and all she wants to do is get away for a vacation. Where better to take a vacation but the forbidden mortal world on the other side of the Manhattan gate? However, once she gets there Fiona finds something much deadlier than relaxation. Instead she is the victim of a demon attack. To the rescue is stressed out, overworked, underpaid (as in non-paid) werewolf Tobias Walker. He's got enough on his plate with dealing with negotiations of the coming out of the Others into the human world without a beautiful, caustic, distracting Sidhe Princess to contend with. But whenever Walker and Fiona touch spaks fly and magic is born from their kiss. Now they have to work together to save Manhatten from an infestation of killer demons which is easier than it sounds.

She's No Faerie Princess is a good story wrapping together the worlds of demons, humans, weres, vamps and faerie. The heat between Fiona and Walker was well portrayed and I enjoyed both the romantic and action parts of the story. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this story to those who enjoy paranormal romances.

Ninth book - Boys that Bite by Mari Mancusi

Review-

Sunshine and Rayne are identicle twins in everything but attitude. Sunshine wants nothing more than to pass her finals, get a tan and gaze adoringly at the star of the school play while playing understudy to the most popular girl in school. Rayne is a goth and has a secret that not even her twin knows about. When a case if mistaken identity reveals Rayne's secret and changes Sunshine's life will things ever be able to get back to normal again?

Boys that Bite was a bit of a silly story but it was entertaining. I liked how everything turned out in the end because it was nice NOT to be able to guess exactly what Sunshine would do about her problem. I can definately see fans of the Vampire Kisses books liking Boys that Bite a lot.

Tenth book - Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Review -

Elena Michaels is the only living female werewolf, right hand investigator to the pack leader and wife (sort of) to the most feared werewolf in the world. When she begins an investigation of an internet post claiming to have information regarding real werewolf killings, Elena is surprised and alarmed to discover that she is famous even among otherworldly beings that aren't werewolves. After meeting her fellow supernatural legends Elena learns someone is kidnapping and imprisoning otherworldly beings for unknown reasons. Can Elena find who is responsible for the abductions and escape from capture herself before it's too late?

Although I enjoyed reading "Bitten" it didn't leave me with a driving desire to continue reading the series. However, when I saw Stolen in the library rack, I gave in to my passing curiosity and picked the book up. I'm quite glad I did. For me "Stolen" was a much more exciting story and despite the length of the novel I've managed to read it over the course of two days. I strongly recommend this book to lovers of horror/adventure stories and lovers of werewolf lore.

Eleventh Book - Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Review -

Blood Bound starts off when coyote skinwalker, Mercy Thompson, is called upon to return a favor to Stefan, her vampire friend/customer which she owed to him from Moon Called. All she is supposed to do is bear witness to a meeting between him and a strange vampire he is checking out. Unfortunately things don't work out quite the way they were planned.

I enjoyed Blood Bound as much as I enjoyed Moon Called. Mercy is a smart heroine who doesn't let anyone push her around but is still intelligent enough to know when to be afraid. No stupid heroics for this girl. The only problem I see is that since this book has just been released, and I've already read it, now I'm sure I'll be waiting a very, very long time for the next story installment.

Twelfth book- Missing You by Meg Cabot

Review -

After a year of working for the U.S. government in their war against terror, things for Jess have finally returned to some semblance of normal. Normal if you consider that Jess returned suffering from night terrors, post-traumatic stress and the loss of her lightning girl ability to find people simply by looking at a picture of them. Jess is now working hard to put the past behind her until her former boyfriend, Rob, shows up at her front door needing her help. Seeing Rob again brings many old feelings and memories back to Jess, but will it be enough to pull her all the way back to herself?

I read the first four books of the 1-800-Where-R-You series this past summer and loved them. This last book, while being much, much different, was not a disappointment. I got the impression that the author was feeling driven to write about something on the serious side of the current events without being preachy and this was her outlet. I enjoyed the story and although I was sad to see the series end, it was a satisfying resolution.

Thirteenth book - Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

Review -

It has been mere months since Aisling first discovered that she was a Guardian, a Wyvern's mate and a demon lord. If that wasn't enough to try and deal with in a small amount of time, Drake's reappearance with a summons to attend a meeting of the green dragon sept sets in motion a whole new set of problems from Aisling. Soon she's at war with with imps, the target of a homicidal dragon (or two or three) and in demand for positions of power that Aisling has neither the time nor the desire to deal with.

Poor Aisling. In her third story her life just seems to go from bad to worse. Chaos has nothing on what happens to our heroine during the course of this entry. I'm still enjoying Aisling's tales although her bad luck seems to be rather overwhelming this time around and I'm anxious to see how she turns things around for herself (hopefully) in the next installment.

Hi Demonlover!

If you liked Secret Vampire, check out The Secret Circle, The Vampire Diaries, and the Forbidden Game. They're series that she did back in the early 90s.

Secret Circle deals with Wicca
Forbidden Game deals with Fairies
and I'll let you guess what the Vampire Diaries are about.. :P

Remain some of my favorite books. Enjoy!! ;)

Also Dark Visions... that trilogy was always one of my favourites. It's about psychics.

I love L.J. Smith :)

Punky & Zoe - Thanks for the recommendations!!
I read the Vampire Diaries about 9 years ago and really loved them. I adore the way L.J. Smith writes :-) After I'm finished with my TBR pile I'm definately planning on requesting some more of L.J. Smith's works from the library.

Fourteenth book - Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Joanne has grown up suspecting little by little that there was something different about her. Every monumentous event of her life had coincided with equally monumentous weather. As an adult Joanne is a Weather Warden, capable of controling wind and rain and had joined a network of other Weather Wardens who control the elements to keep Mother Nature from ripping the world apart. When Joanne is accused of the murder of another Weather Warden she finds herself running for her life from the organization she dedicated her life to, with no one to trust but herself.

Honestly, I picked these books up because I thought they were novels written by a wonderfully nice lady who I met in cyberspace. I read Rachel Caine's young adult vampire story, Glass Houses, and enjoyed it immensely. Thinking the Weather Warden series also to be YA books I began reading them knowing I liked Ms. Caine's writing, but without any real expectations. However, I think I might of have found a new favorite author! I loved Ill Wind, it was different, new, exciting but definately NOT a young adult novel. Ms. Caine's taken a totally fresh idea (something I've never read before) and fleshed it out into a believeable world.

Ill Wind is an urban fantasy that moves quickly, sucking the reader along with it. My only complaints were I do not typically like flashbacks, there are many of them in this story. Every time the main character would go in to a flashback I mentally groaned, but then I'd get in to the flash back and be just as caught up by that as the main story. They are necessary and they worked! I'd highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a new and different fantasy read.

Fifteenth book Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine

The upside is being a dijin gives you the potential to command huge amounts of power. The downside is that you have to be a slave to tap into it. So, what happens when the cosmic powers of a fantastic being are used and abused by the immoral? Check out the book to find out.

For me Book two of the Weather Warden series was just as wonderful a story as Ill Wind and definately left me eager for more.

Brief description because I don't want to give any spoilers from the first book. Suffice it to say I've given up the hope of stopping with my progression of this series until I've read all the ones in my tbr pile :-)

sixteenth book Chill Factor by Rachel CAine

Review-

Joanne feels a little responsible about the fact that teen insanity candidate, Kevin, is now the master of the most powerful dijin in the world. So, despite protestations by everyone from her boss to her boyfriend telling her not to Joanne is determined to go to Las Vegas to try and rectify the problem. Unfortunately things just seem to get worse as time goes on.

Once again another Weather Warden book is responsible for what is becoming a serious lack of sleep and concentration. I'm still loving the story but am feeling a little exhausted both on this level and from reading about Joanne's constant jumps from the frying pan into the fire. I'm beginning to think Joanne and David may never catch a break.

seventeenth book Windfall by Rachel Caine

Review -

How far the mighty Weather Warden has fallen. Instead of saving the world Joanne is now the weather girl on TV wearing everything from a yellow slicker to a foam rubber sun (and don't even get her started on the bikini). It doesn't help that her essence is being sucked dry by her dijin boyfriend or that her now divorced sister has moved in. However, it's just a matter of time before fate finds Joanne and saving the world is once again on the agenda.

Windfall is another exciting installment in the Weather Warden series and I've been enjoying them immensely. I think I'm going to have a bit of withdrawal once I finish book five.

eighteenth book - Firestorm by Rachel Caine

Review -

Do you remember the saying, "It isn't nice to fool with Mother Nature"? Well, I might not be remembering that exactly right, but you get the picture, and so does Joanne Baldwin, Weather Warden extrodinare and the key piece to what may be humanity's only chance at survival.

Once again, I loved this book. If Ill Wind is my favorite Weather Warden book then Firestorm is a strong second place. At least, until Thin Air comes out in July (according to the sneak peak in the back of Firestorm), and then all bets are off. I can't wait :-)

nineteenth book - Sorcery and Cecelia

Review -

Kate and Cecelia are the closest of cousins. So, when Kate goes off to London, leaving Cecy behind in the country, it is only expected that they would keep eachother abreast of the various happenings by way of correspondence. However, to their suprise they find that despite the distance between them, their adventures are tightly intertwined and together they uncover a nefarious plot between two power hungry wizards.

Sorcery & Cecelia is a story I liked very much told in a manner I found difficult to read as the book is entirely made up of correspondence between the two cousins. Each cousin had a facinating story to tell each with their own set of circumstances, trials and surprising twists. I understand that very many people adored this book, it's setting and storyline. Unfortunately I could not get past the feeling of displacement and disconnection I felt with the manner of writing to enjoy it as much as others have.

twentieth book - The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Review -

Arik is a fallen guardian now addicted to the pleasures he can find in the dreams of humans, a pale echo of the emotions stripped from Arik and his brethren by an ancient curse. Drawn to the dreams of one human in particular, Megera, Arik is consumed with a desire to experience her emotions in the human world beyond the dream plain. To be with Megera Arik strikes a deadly bargin, using Megera's soul as barter.

Sherrilyn Kenyon has woven another amazing tale in the world of her Dark Hunters with The Dream-Hunter. As her tale unfolds through the course of the story her characters become deeper and more complex, no one more so than Arik. Kenyon is the master of taking a character who might otherwise be unredeemable and makes you care about him. I will say that the last chapter of her story was jaw dropping as the ever powerful subplot prevelant throughout her DH series clicked in to place. I'm definately looking forward to reading more about Kenyon's world as her series and characters continue to evolve.

edited to get touchstones working

twentyfirst book Causing Havoc by Lori Foster

Review-

Dean "Havoc" Conor is an Extreme Fighter contender healing from his latest victory when he receives a letter from his younger sister who he barely remembers asking him to visit. Despite his reservations arising from the fact that he was forced from their home when he was 8 years old after the tragic death of their parents, Havoc decides to accept the invitation. Despite his best intentions he is immediately entranced with both his younger sisters, along with their friend, Eve. In fact, his homecoming and subsequent encounters with an aunt who despises him, a contender who follows him begging for a match and his sister's obnoxious almost fiancee is causing absolute havoc with all his carefully laid plans for his future.

Causing Havoc is an enjoyable read and kept my attention with the intrigue of what would happen next. Many characters come in to play throughout the story and each has their individual personality which impacts the story.

twenty-second book - The Nymph King by Gena Showalter

Review -

Shaye is fed up with love and everything that goes with it. So much so that she has developed her own business making "anti-cards" for all the non-romantics in the world. This explains why when her mother's wedding reception is crashed by a bunch of male nymphs who kidnap all the single women and bring them to Atlantis the most amazing thing about the entire event is her attraction to the Nymph King, Valerian.

When Valerian brought his group of warriors to the surface to find women to fortify their strength the last thing he expected to find was his One True Mate, the only woman to ever reject him. Soon he is ready to place everything he has fought for, from his sword to his position as king, on the line just to possess Shaye.

I thought that the Nymph King was a fun, enjoyable story of life under the sea. Although he should have come off as obnoxious and egotistical I actually liked Valerian and Shaye was an interesting heroine who dealt with being abducted and sucked through a whirlpool better than she did her own emotional baggage. For anyone with a taste in paranormal romances of a different sort than vampires and werewolves I would highly recommend this story.

twenty-third book - Reality Chick by Lauren Barnholdt

Review -

Everything is changing for Ally. She's going away to college and so is her steady boyfriend of two years. Except he's going to college thousands of miles away. To distract her from missing her boyfriend Ally decides to try out for a reality television show being shot on campus at her new college and is surprised when she is immediately brought on. However, knowing that your every move is going to be broadcast to the entire country and having it actually happen are two different things and Ally quickly finds out that having her rapidly changing life broadcast for everyone to see isn't really as wonderful as she thought it would be.

Personally I'm not a really big fan of reality television, chick lit or contemporary fiction. But, I'm a sucker for a nice author sending me myspace friend requests, so I picked up Reality Chick months ago during the summer. I put off reading the story because it's not my usual cup of tea and imagine my surprise when I not only really enjoyed the story but I also read the entire book in one sitting. Reality Chick was a cute story of how three and a half months completely change one girl's life, in front of an almost live audience. If you're looking for some light reading I'd definately recommend this one.

edited to get touchstones working

twenty-fourth book - Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe

Review-

Derek is on a quest to break the curse which causes all the males in his family to die at the precise age of thirty-one years, forty-six weeks, four days, six hours three minutes, and five seconds but he's not having much luck. He's only clues are in a journal written by a long deceased ancestor which states to break the curse he must steal the Goblet of Eternal Youth and kill the guardian. Finally, only days away from his own judgment day Derek finds the guardian along with the goblet/espresso machine and her apprentice-turned-dragon. The only problem is that the guardian turns out to be beautiful, deadly and spunky, an irresistable combination that he's trying very hard to resist.

Date Me, Baby, One More Time was all I had hoped it would be. Cute, fluffy and romantic the relationship between Derek and the guardian, Justine, is humorously based on their complete honesty with each other about the fact that they will, eventually, have no choice but to fight to the death. Fantastic book for lovers of paranormal romance without the traditional doom and gloom.

Twenty-Fifth Book - The Demon's Daughter by Emma Holly

Review -

Adrian Philips is a detective searching for the missing children of the middle caste that nobody else cares about. Roxanne McAllister is an artist and the illegitimate daughter of a famous singer. When Adrian is beaten almost to death he falls into the rooftop flower garden of Roxanne and while she nurses him back to health their ill fated attraction is immediate. Adrian knows that consorting with Roxanne could cost him what is left of his reputation along with his beloved job, but he cannot keep himself away. Will Adrian and Roxanne be able to overcome society's expectations along with the discovery of Roxanne's unexptected parentage to be together no matter what?

In The Demon's Daughter Emma Holly has built up a mythology of a Regency Period Romance and blended it almost seemlessly with a science fiction story. The results are oddly intriguing. However, whether you are into regency romance or science fiction tales the reader needs to be aware that Holly's tales are not for the faint of heart. Extremely graphic descriptions cover numerous love scenes and if one isn't the type that likes these kind of explicit passages should definately not pick up this book. However, if this kind of writing doesn't bother you I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this story.

Twenty-Sixth book The Giver by Lois Lowry

Review-

Jonas is born into a world of genial community. They have been carefully regulated, politeness ingrained, no choices are made everything is done for them. Until his twelfth year Jonas was content with his world and his place in it. Then he is selected to become a receiver of the memories of generations past and everything changes.

I would say that many of the books people consider to be deep and meaningful I simply find depressing. This one pretty much fits in to that catagory. This is my own personal preference. I cannot answer the questions of whether the utopian society depicted in this book is worth the cost any more than the author did. This book was well written, descriptive, thought provoking and has left me with a lump in my throat, but is not a story I will ever want to read again.

You're the second I've seen today who has read The Giver. It is actually part of a trilogy, and the next book is Gathering Blue, if you're interested.

The Giver was the book of the month on the Read YA Lit group so probably a few people will be reading or have read it. The book bothered me so much I had trouble sleeping that night so I'll probably skip any other books in that vein. It might be shallow, but I read for entertainment and am not very interested in thinking about the stories afterward, unless it's because I really liked them.

Twenty-seventh book The Named by Marianne Curley (re-read)

Review-

When Ethan was only 4 he witnessed the brutal murder of his sister at the hands of a monster. Shortly after this he was shown his destiny as one of the Named, a guardian of time, charged with the task of controlling chaos and ensuring the correct continuation of the time line. Now, at 16, Ethan has already lived countless adventures, tutored and mentored by the 600 year old Arkarian. Now things are about to change, Ethan has been charged with an apprentice of his own, Isabel the younger sister of his former best friend. Soon it is apparent that the time is drawing near for a final showdown between the Guardians of Time and the Order of Chaos. Will Ethan, Isabel and the rest of The Named be strong enough to overcome the ultimate evil?

I first read this story about one year ago. It was such an exciting adventure I poured through the book as fast as I could just to get to the end and find out what would happen next. Now that I've had a chance to re-read the story I found it even more interesting the second time around. Thankfully this time I was able to read at a more patient pace and was able to soak up more of the details. This is a wonderful, orginal tale of time travel, fantasy, friendship and family. I would highly recommend this story, but make sure you have access to the second book, The Dark, because as good as it is, it will leave you wanting more.

Twenty-Eighth book The Dark by Marianne Curley

Review -

In The Dark the Order of Chaos has stepped up it's efforts to change history's timeline. They have also specifically targeted Ethan and Arkarian for their actions in their most recent conflict.

The Dark picks up almost immediately after the events of The Named but this time our featured narrators are Isabel and Arkarian. It is very interesting to see things from Arkarian's perspective. Once again I've found this re-reading of the book even more enjoyable than I did the first.

Twenty-Nineth book Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Review -

Owl is a 14 year old high school girl with a crush on her science teacher, Mr. Lindstrom. This is not unusual in itself, but the fact that Owl is a wereowl is. Owl's main pastime is that she hangs out in the tree outside her teacher's bedroom window and watches him sleep at night. That is until two very unusual creatures move into the area, one is an obviously crazy boy who also appears to be stalking Mr. Lindstrom and the other is another barn owl, like her. Will Owl be able to uncover the secret behind the young boy's obsession with her obsession before it's too late?

Owl in Love was a very low key story. There wasn't really any great adventure but it was interesting. The single scene with the hamster is definately worth reading the entire story. Although the story line was rather predictable I still found it to be an enjoyable read. I would have no hesitation recommending this story to middle school students and up.

edited to get touchstone to work

Thirtieth book - Man of My Dreams - An Anthology

Review -

Kind of a mixed bag of shorts in this anthology. The first two stories by Kenyon and Shayne both involved psychics with one in a fantasy setting and the other in a contemporary setting. The third story by Suzanne Forster was a contemporary romance without any paranormal features and the last by Virginia Kantra was a fantasy involving the Sidhe. I guess my favorite short from this selection would have to be the last story about the Sidhe.

If you enjoy romance anthologies and aren't particular about genre, or are just looking for a sampler type book, this would be a good one to go with.

Thirty-First book - Prince of Ice by Emma Holly

Review -

Prince Corum's mother knew of his genetic flaw, uncontrolable emotions, even before his birth. Xishi is the orphaned daughter of a murdered maid. Growing up together gave Corum and Xishi the stability and solace they were both missing in all other parts of their life. At the age of 8 Xishi is sent away from the only home she has ever known only to be reunited with Prince Corum years later, when he buys her as a pillow girl.

Set against a background of sex, lies and murder this book was an intriguing installment in Holly's Demon World tales. As always with her books the underlying storyline somehow manages to be compelling, despite the enormous amount of very graphically described intimacies which makes up the majority of the book.

Note-I edited this review for a typo I found (amazing how those foolish things always pop up after the fact!) Anyway, after that I couldn't get the correct book to link *sigh* I apologize to anyone trying to link to it.

Thirty-Second book- Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

Evie is in obviously in desperate straits when she approaches the very viscount who had recently kidnapped her friend and threatened to spoil her, with a proposal of marriage. Viscount Sebastian St. Vincent is in no position to deny the shy, stammering Evie. Although titled, Sebastian's fortune has been dawdled away by his father and he is in desperate need of some fresh funds. To avoid Evie's abusive family, she and Sebastian hurridly elope. They know that their marriage is not a love match but when Evie's life is threatened, it soon becomes clear that there is more than just cold promises between them.

Although I read a lot of romance novels, I don't read very many historical romances. However, after reading all the comments about Devil In Winter I became curious about the story. I will say that I found this book to be very exciting. I loved both the main characters of Evie and Sebastian and believe that they made a good match. The added danger of Evie's relatives made this a very intriguing read. I would highly recommend this book to any lover of romances, whether they customarily read historicals or not.

Thirty-Third book - Senses Working Overtime by Naomi Nash

Review -

When Kaylee received an urgent call from her friend saying she needed money to get away from her abusive father, Kaylee immediately rushed to her aide only to find Carl, her friend's boyfriend, waiting to bully her in to giving him her money. Just when Kaylee thinks things can't get worse the electricity goes out while they are on the elevator on the way to the ATM. A Hispanic boy with a wise mouth and words that smell like Honeysuckle to Kaylee saves her and from that moment on the two of them are stuck together on an adventure through an energy deficient NYC with only Kaylee's untrusted Synesthesia to help them along.

For those that don't know (I didn't) Synesthesia is an unorthodox reaction to stimuli, for example sounds make colors and noises make flavors. This combined with Kaylee and Ramon's continuing attempts to traverse the city and get to Brooklyn make for a pretty interesting read. I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual story and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

May I make a small interuption?

Senses Working Overtime sounds fascinating, and it is not the sort of book I usually find even slightly interesting. Thank you very much for mentioning it.

The Giver is a fabulous book! I read it in the sixth grade and many times again over the years. I also used it to write an ungrad political science paper and then a grad philosophy paper!
However, then I found out that it was a trilogy. The sequels were alright but I was disappointed that it reveiled what has happened to Jonas at the end of the Giver. I liked the way my opinioned had changed as I grew up. As a child I was sure he was alive, and as I grew up I thought he had died. You find out in the sequels.

>40 nymith: No problem and you're welcome :-)

>41 Ilithyia: The Giver was certainly a make you think story. I originally wrote my review immediately after reading the book. At first it totally creeped me out. Books rarely make me cry but this one did. In retrospect I can see the appeal of this story.

Thirty-Fourth book - The Dark One by Ronda Thompson

Armond Wulf is a man who has lived with the knowledge of his family curse. Because the curse is activated should he lose his heart to love Armond, along with his brothers, have sworn to never marry.

Rosalind Rutherford is desperate to get away from her abusive step-brother. In desperation she turns to her next door neighbor, the enigmatic but handsome Armond Wulf and begs him to ruin her reputation.

What starts as an exercise in convenience and mutual attraction becomes deadly as circumstances drive Armond and Rosalind ever closer together.

I enjoyed this historical/paranormal romance. Unlike most werewolf tales I've read recently Armond fights tooth and nail against his curse which adds additional depth to the conflicts already involved in this intriguing plot. Certainly I will be on the look out for the other tales of the Wild Wulfs of London in the future.

Thirty-Fifth book Say No To Joe by Lori Foster

Review -

Joe Winston is a a body guard, former cop and former bounty hunter. Wrap all this in a womanizing, too sexy and stuck on himself character and he's the last person independent and sassy Luna Clark should ever be attacted to. But, as they say, opposites attract. When Luna becomes guardian for her cousin's two children who seem to not only be in trouble, but attract trouble as well, Joe is the only one Luna feels comfortable turning to. Joe is on the mend from a vicious beating and more than happy to spend some time with Luna. Will this instant family find the support they all desperately need from each other?

This was a cute contemporary romance with a bit of action and a bit of mystery. Many characters were introduced that I imagine go on to star in their own books. This is only the second Lori Foster book I've read and so far I've found her characters a bit over the top. Despite this I do like the books. Her stories are quick and enjoyable and I've already requested another one from the library.

Thirty-Sixth book - Playing with Fire by Gena Showalter

Belle is a hairsbreadth away from being fired from her coffee shop job when a desperate scientist spikes her mocha latte with something more than cream. Suddenly Belle is sick and the strange, but hunky man in her bedroom is telling her she can now control the elements. The worst part is that in confirming that Belle has these powers, he now has an obligation to neutralize her. Thus begins the story of Belle Jamison and her trials in playing with fire.

This story was pretty entertaining and easy to get through. However, I unfortunately couldn't ever really bring myself to like Belle all that much. I guess it must have been the attitude. The supporting cast of characters were interesting. Should the author chose to write a follow-up I would definately be willing to read another story with some of these characters. Overall if you're into parapsychology with your romance, you might want to check this book out.

Hi -- i'm really enjoying your book list and reviews!

>45 NativeRoses: Thanks! I loooove getting feedback :-)

Unfortunately my next review is quite vauge and brief out of necessity. If I were to get into it, I'm afraid I would spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it. A bit sad really since it's my 100th LT review. I'll have to try twice as hard on the next book I read!

Thirty-Seventh book - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles is looking for the "Great Perhaps" and some friends when he heads off to the Culver Creek Boarding School. What he finds will change his life.

I thought that this was a good story. Unfortunately it would be very hard to get into the ramifications of the story and my feelings on it without giving a ton of spoilers so I'll just have to leave it at that.

Thirty-eighth book - Devil's Bargain by Rachel Caine

Review -

Jazz Callender is an ex-cop, but not by choice. When her partner was framed for the murders of three people Jazz went down by association. Now Jazz has no money, no resources and no way to prove her parnter innocent and get him out of jail. Enter sexy lawyer James Borden, with a red envelope and a deal Jazz is having a hard time refusing. The deal is a mysterious agency fronts her the money to open a PI agency with a new partner on the condition that all cases, earmarked by the arrival of a red envelope, take top priority over anything else they may be working on. Jazz's new partner, Lucia, is a definate perk to the deal but as things begin to get stranger both women start to get the feeling that maybe taking the deal for the agency was more an act of making a bargin with the Devil.

This was a romance that should have been marketed as a mystery. That certainly doesn't make it a bad story but people going in to the story thinking they will be reading a steamy courtship tale are going to be surprised. Devil's Bargin was much more a story of mystery, suspense and the build-up of the business partnership and friendship between Jazz and Lucia, than a romance between Jazz and James. Once I got past the idea that the romance was secondary I really started to enjoy the story, although mysteries aren't usually my choice.

Now that I've finished Jazz's story in Devil's Bargin, I'm interested in also reading Lucia's story in Devil's Due so expect a review on the second book of this duo in the not too distant future.

Thirty-Nineth book - Under the Baseball Moon by John H. Ritter

Review -

When Andy Ramos was in grade school his parents were friends with a woman whose daughter was a little loco. Unfortunately, whenever crazy little Glory had a meltdown Andy was the one they got to calm her down, earning both of them embarassing reputations. When the mother and daughter left, Andy re-invented himself. Taking the trumpet lessons he took from his grandfather and melding music and talent Andy became the skateboarding trumpter "painting" the scenes around him with his own blend of musical instrumentation.

The summer that Andy and his band are ready to "break out" who comes back but Glory. However, the Glory that has returned is not the crazy little girl Andy knew, she's now a driven softball player obsessed with becoming a leading pitcher on a national team. As fate would have it Andy and Glory learn to play off each other, inspiring and driving their respective abilities to new heights. But, is this effect a mystical connection or are they being manipulated by another force?

Under the Baseball Moon has got to be one of the most unusual stories I've read in a while. The content involving a trumpet player and softball player, the music, the language and storytelling are all unusual and inspired. Although the Crossroads references are something I'm familiar with, not much else was. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and think it would be a great recommendation for kids pre-teen and up.

fortieth Book - Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

Review-

Daisy has been given an ultimatum by her father, find a noble to wed within two months, or he will marry her to his Bostonian protégé, Matthew Swift. Daisy has known Mr. Swift for years, he is just like her father, ruthless, domineering and aloof, no one a free spirit such as Daisy has any interest in. However, when Mr. Swift arrives at the Westcliff he is much different than Daisy remembers.

Matthew Swift has loved Daisy since meeting her years before and has never met a woman who can live up to the ideal that is she. However, as much as a marriage to Daisy is his dream come true, his truth is a nightmare which will never allow them to be together.

Lisa Kleypas has a reputation as being one of the best historical romance writers and after reading this story, I can see why. I truly enjoyed the story immensely, more so than Devil in Winter. Daisy and Matthew make a wonderful pair and the heat between them fairly leaps off the page. I loved their courtship, such as it was and found the ending to be quite satisfying. I would have no problem recommending this story, even to someone who has not read any other historical romances, Kleypas' works or even the first three books of the series. The story worked very well as a stand alone and does not disappoint.

forty-first book - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Clary just thought that her and her best friend Simon were heading out to a club for the evening to do a bit of dancing and have a bit of fun. Little did she know that she would witness a killing and be discover a world of fantasy and violence that she would never have believed existed. The worst part is that her past, present and future are intricately intwined with this world and now nothing for Clary will ever be the same.

This story is a debut novel for Cassandra Clare and she has done an admirable job of creating an urban fantasy of demon killers, demons, werewolves, vampires and warlocks that is action pack and does a great job of holding your attention. I enjoyed her characters and look forward to reading the next book in this series. I suspect they will only get better.

forty-second book - Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster

Review-

Noah Harper has just caught his fiancee in bed with another man. The funny thing is he doesn't really care and it's almost a relief to call the wedding off. However, his grandmother does care about calling the wedding off. Alot.

When Grace learned that her boss has disowned her grandson because he's called his wedding off for undisclosed reasons she is furious and absolutely determined to let Noah know that she's still believes in him. The last thing she expects is to have Noah extract a promise from her to become his bedroom slave. Not that she really minds all that much....

To Much Temptation was a pretty basic contemporary romance, except for the fact that the Grace was overweight. A fact of which we were reminded about constantly. I enjoyed the story, even the fact that the heroine was overweight, but it was very much in your face and maybe a bit overplayed. Other than that it was a pretty standard romance about a gorgeous man who doesn't notice that the woman he works with is madly in love with him until something happens to shake his world up. Lots of bedroom antics and a sweet simple plot make this story an enjoyable and quick read.

forty-third book - Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe

Review -

Theresa is acting as the interim guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth while the Guardian is away on her honeymoon, but does that get her any thanks? No. Instead she is stuck in her dragon form and starving at the home of the forgetful Quincy LaValle. She can't even order take out because of her guardian duties which she DOES take seriously, even if no one believes she can be responsible.

Zeke is a dragon slayer who has taken an oath to slay dragons no more. However, that oath is seriously strained when he meets with Theresa. The sparks literally fly between the two when they meet, but can they overcome their inherited urges to kill each other to team up and save the world?

Must Love Dragons was a cute continuation of the story introduced in Rowe's Date Me Baby, One More Time. Theresa is a bit stuck on herself but for some reason you just have to forgive her for her narcissism because she's so vulnerable (for a dragon) and self-conscious. I enjoyed reading the story and will definately be more than happy to read Rowe's other stories in this series.

forty-fourth book - Touched by Darkness by Catherine Spangler

Review -

Dr. Kara Cantrell has been running for years since her husband was murdered. Kara and her husband had had a special relationship. He was a Sentinal, a guardian from Atlantis, and she acted as his conductor to help him locate the evil Belian. Now Kara has moved to Zorro, Texas with her 6 year old son in the hopes that she has left behind the dark world her husband had inhabited. What she hadn't expected to find was another Sentinel. Damian Morgan had come to Zorro to track a Belian and was surprised to find not only a powerful Conductor but also a young, untrained Sentinel, Kara's son. Despite her resistence Kara and Damian are drawn together to find the Belian who could be hidden in their midst and disguised as anyone.

The mythology in this story was really interesting. Although I enjoyed the book there was something that kind of bugged me a little about the writing. I'm not exactly sure what it was. Other than that it was an engaging premise and I would be perfectly happy to read another book in this series.

forty-fifth book - The Secret Hour Midnighters book #1 by Scott Westerfeld

Review -

The first day of school is always a trial in agony for Rex. That is, until he sees the new girl Jessica Day and realizes that there is something special about her.

For Jessica being the new girl is tough. Even though she has been accepted by the in crowd she still feels out of place, not to mention the fact that the water in Bixby tastes funny. But, the water isn't the only weird thing about town and at midnight Jessica finds out just how strange her new home town can be.

Scott Westerfeld has fantastic imagination, what can I say, I am in awe. This Midnighters book is the first of what promises to be a very interesting series. I love the premise and the writing was pretty simple, entertaining and easy to follow. I liked this book more than Uglies and a little less than Peeps. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books.

forty-sixth book - Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlister

Review -

Amy's daughter thinks she works too hard. In fact, work is all that Amy ever does. So, when her daughter challenges her to try the newest VR game designed by PC Monroe, Buckling Swashes, Amy feels that she should at least give it a try. Amy is astounded by the reality of the game. She is equally astounded at her attraction to the the dread pirate, Black Corbin, who is none other than game creator, PC Monroe in full swashbuckling regalia. What they don't expect is the be stuck in the game, trapped by Corbin's ex-employee who is determined to destroy him both in and out of the virtual game. Will Amy and her rapier wit (or just her rapier) be able to save the very realistic citizens of Turtle's back from Black Corbin, save Black Corbin from an irate ex-employee pirate and get herself out of the game before her real world body has an accident of embarrassing proportions?

When I picked up Blow Me Down I thought I was getting a pirate novel. However, once I got past the realization that this was a contemporary romance set in a pirate world, I was able to go with the flow. I thought that the romance between Amy and Corbin was good, not overdone, and enjoyable. As Katie MacAlister notes in the back of the book many liberties were taken both with pirate history and VR gaming but that was okay, it was so "out there" looking for any sort of accuracies would have been pointless. Although Amy wasn't my favorite heroine ever (I thought she was a bit self-centered, especially when dealing with her daughter) I was easily able to get past that as well and enjoy the story. All in all a pretty good tale with a strong heroine, interesting storyline and a couple of laughs.

forty-seventh book Dragon Lovers an anthology with stories by Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh and Barbara Samuel

Review-

With four different stories Dragon Lovers would be a great book for anyone interested in fantasy and non-steamy romance stories. I enjoyed each of these shorts.

The first was the story of a SVP (Sacrificial Virgin Princess) whose expectations of her duty are irrevocably changed when a dragon rider insists on taking her back to his homeland. The second story was the tale of a knight errant hoping to slay a dragon to secure the lands he yearns for and inadvertantly becoms the champion of the very thing he first sought to destroy. The third story involves a young Danish woman in Japan who is saved by a book loving dragon and a stoic samauri warrior. In the last story a young widow moves to Santa Fe to study with an enigmatic weaver and finds herself drawn to a destiny that she never imagined.

If you enjoy stories of dragons either with or without romance (the romances were all so underplayed that they didn't overrule the stories at all) this would be a great book to get.

forty-eighth book - The Secret Life of Bryan by Lori Foster

Review-

Bryan Kelly is a bounty hunter determined to find out who hurt his twin brother, Bruce. So, he goes undercover in his brother's place as a preacher and saviour to a group of prostitutes. He has no doubts of his abilities to find the perpatrator until he meets Shay. One look at the woman in the see-through dress and Bryan's professionalism flies out the window.

Shay Sommers is a widowed millionaire who has been taken to task by the press because of an accident at one of her safe houses that she had no control over. When Bryan mistakes Shay for a prostitute and offers her shelter at a safe house it is an opportunity she can't resist for two reasons. One, it will allow her to get to the kind of women she works so hard to help and two, it will give her time to get to know Preacher Bryan much better.

Can two people of such different backgrounds meeting by way of lies, but for the best of reasons, find love and happiness together?

I think of all the Lori Foster's books I've read so far I like The Secret Life of Bryan the best. Mostly because I, like the author obviously does, greatly admire the people who are able to give of themselves to others and try to make the world a better place. I enjoyed the relationship between Shay and Bryan and the relationship between Bryan and Bruce. I've always had a soft spot for stories about twins!

Demon, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your thread. It's one of the 50 book challenge threads I always read. :)

Morphidae - Thanks so much!! I'm glad you like!

Forty-nineth book - The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

Review -

Ever since Claire moved to Morganville things have been out of the ordinary...and downright freaky. Now her boyfriend, Shane's, father is back in town which is really not a good thing considering the man is not only a lunatic but he is also responsible for murdering Claire's friend Michael Glass. What's worse is just knowing that Shane's father on the loose and determined to kill as many vampires as he can, means a death sentence for Claire, Eve and Shane if the vampires find out.

I really enjoyed all the twists and turns during this story. The parts with Shane and Claire were sexy without going overboard and you can tell that he has a great deal of respect for the young genius that goes beyond her body, which is nice. Eve's diary entries at the end of both Glass Houses and The Dead Girl's Dance really add another dimension to the stories. Also, I was much happier at the end of this sequel than with the non-ending of Glass Houses. It's nice not to be left hanging!

This is one of my favorite books!

great review. It was short, but a powerful recommendation because it influenced you.

Well, this concludes my 50 book challenge LOL I guess I'm going to go ahead and set my updated goal at 150 books. Not entirely sure I'll get there but it will be fun trying :-)

BTW-Thanks for commenting, I love hearing from other people!

Fiftieth book - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review -

In this Memoir Jeannette Walls talks about growing up in a most unusual drifter family. Her mother and father snubbed society and everything it stood for and instead raised their children without a true home and in the philosophy that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Although her father was a brilliant, loving father, he was also a violent, vengeful drunk. All her mother ever wanted to do was write, read and paint as opposed to taking care of her children. The Glass Castle represented any number of broken promises and false hopes.

I very rarely ever read non-fiction and wasn't sure if this story would keep my attention. However, Jeannette Walls presented her childhood in a compelling manner. Instead of a black and white account of a childhood of abuse and neglect, which she would have had a right to do, Ms. Walls wrote with grey tones giving the reader an idea of the complexity of their family life. The love/hate relationship of the children with their mother and the author's obvious desire to want to believe in her father, who literally gave his children the stars when the family could afford nothing else.

I believe that Ms. Walls wrote this story as a way of appeasing her guilt at refusing to acknowledge her parents and her past through her late teens into adulthood. It is clear she felt ashamed of being ashamed of who her family was. This story is clearly not over for the author. I hope that she and her siblings continue to thrive in spite of, or maybe because of, a childhood filled with uncertainty, trauma, neglect but also with the memory of a family who loved each other despite it all.

Fifty-first book - Carved in Stone by Vickie Taylor I couldn't touchstone book because the only one coming up with this title this morning is the wrong one. I know the right one was here before, so maybe I'll come back and edit it at some point when it will hopefully work correctly.

Review-

When Rachel was 6 years old she witnessed the murder of her parents by a monster while hidden in a chest with her infant brother. As an adult Rachel has moved up the ranks of law enforcement with the sole intention of finding the monster.

Nathan is a centuries old gargoyle arisin from a curse of a traitor and reincarnated over and over again. At last he has decided that he simply wants peace. Fighting the nature of the curse has been difficult but when Nathan meets Rachel it becomes almost impossible. Rachel has the ability to see into his mind like no other human before and Nathan is unable to stop himself from getting closer to her, even if it means risking her discovery of the monster he holds within him.

This was an interesting story. Ever since reading Marjorie Liu's short gargoyle story I had been looking for another one and was pleased to find Vickie Taylor's debut gargoyle tale. She did build up an intriguing mythology. The only thing I didn't really understand was that the man who cursed the gargoyles also charged them with the task of protecting mankind. Why would someone evil enough to curse a village be altruistic enough to then turn around and do this? Other than that one question I really did enjoy this story and its mythology. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in her series. Perhaps my question will be answered there.

My spousal unit likes gargoyles. What is the name of Liu's gargoyle story?

It is a short in a 2 story anthology along with one from Christine Feehan called Dark Dreamers: Dark Dream/a Dream of Stone and Shadow.

Fifty-Second book Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Review-

Tally's back and she's gotten what she's always wanted. As a Pretty her life is all parties, luxury and living without a care in the world. But when she is tracked down at a party, parts of her ugly life come crashing back to her. After that all it takes is a kiss to make her bubbly enough to remember that something is wrong and realize that everything is not as it should be.

Pretties was a book that started off with a bang and then kept sucking you along on the adventure. I found it to be quite a bit more exciting than Uglies. I thought the ending a little heartbreaking, although a bit predictible, and it left me a bit anxious to read the third book to find out what happens. I might have to plan on reading it sooner than I originally anticipated.

Interlude - Since this book didn't take me much more than an hour to read, I don't feel right about including it as part of the challenge. Thought I'd post my review here anyway.

Teenage Mermaid by Ellen Schreiber

Review-

Spencer is a surfer dude with changable hair colors. Lilly is an unhappy mergirl who is fascinated by the Earthies who live above the sea. When Lilly saves Spencer from drowning with a kiss of true love will things ever be the same?

I picked up this book because it was written by the same author as Vampire Kisses and because I liked the idea of reading about a mermaid. It was kind of hard to take this book seriously, but I'm thinking it really wasn't meant to be. An updated take off of The Little Mermaid and Splash, Teenage Mermaid reminded me of cotton candy. Pretty to look at, a little too sweet and not much substance. An interesting way to spend an hour's worth of reading time.

Fifty-third book - Over the Moon an anthology

Review-

I really enjoyed this quartet of different supernatural stories and had a couple pleasant surprises as well.

Angela Knight's tale set alongside her mageverse series was the story of one of the Chosen (werewolf royalty) and her decision to run from the marriage arranged by her father to an abusive suitor. Will the newly bitten police detective she picks as her champion be strong enough to stand against an insane suitor, her father and his minions?

The second story by Virginia Kantra was a pleasant surprise. It was a continuation of her previous story which was my favorite short in the anthology Man of My Dreams. In this short story the daughter of a librarian and escaped Fairy sacrifice is unwittingly drawn to a man who represents a heritage she has no knowledge of.

MaryJanice Davidson's short story of love between a moody vampire and rouge werewolf was very cute.

The last short story by Sunny was a continuation of her "Mona Lisa Awakening" book which I have not yet read, but are on my wishlist. Although this short story probably has ruined some of the suspense of what happens in the former book(s), it has also made me much more anxious to read her Mona Lisa stories. Where I was merely curious before, now I'm definitely interested in finding out more about Mona Lisa and how her story started.

Overall this was a very worthwhile anthology and I would certainly recommend it to any fan of paranormal romances.

Fifty-Fourth Book - Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy

Review-

Joanne Walker is a normal, logical minded lady and honorary mechanic at the Seattle Police Department. Until the day she is flying back from her mother's funeral and witnesses a woman being chased by a pack of dogs towards a nefarious looking man with a butterfly knife. Joanne immediately feels an instinctive need to find out what happened to the woman glimpsed through the airplane window and help her if possible. This starts her on a journey during which she will discover truths about herself and the world around her she never would have believed before.

This urban fantasy was an enjoyable read mixing Native American and Celtic mythology together in a blend which was exciting and appealing. I enjoyed all the collection of unusual characters and was surprised by all the different twists and turns in the plot. I would certainly not hesitate to suggest this story to lovers of urban fantasy or Celtic mythology.

An important question though, dl, is there arse-kicking? :) This one is on the list of books I am intrigued by.

Urban Shaman is on my list of intriguing books as well! I read the first chapter on C.E. Murphy's website, and was utterly enthralled. I don't think it falls under the YA tag so I don't know whether or not to pluck up the courage to buy it.

I also read the first chapter of Shadowland on Meg Cabot's site and was enthralled by that too. Again, I just don't know if I should buy it or not.

In Urban Shaman there are some murders, not really graphically described and there is not really any romance to speak of. The only scene I can think of that was disturbing is the one where there are some high school children who were murdered. That was a touchy scene. The heroine doesn't do a lot of arse kicking but there is a little bit in there. She does get stabbed and chased a lot so it's pretty exciting.

Nymith-I very highly recommend Meg Cabot's Mediator series. I love those books, they were totally addicting!

There are a few problems with my getting the Mediator series. First, I swore years ago that I would never buy a Meg Cabot book, second I am very cautious about buying series (always afraid that I won't be able to finish them), and third it is what I term a 'holiday read', I.E. fast, cheap entertainment that you forget the instant you finish the series.

But I do want to know what happens next, so I will swallow my doubts and bite the bullet.

As for Urban Shaman I'll get around to that eventually too.

Nymith - I really do hope you enjoy the Mediator books!

Fifty-Fifth book - My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, an anthology

Review -

An interesting anthology with a lot, lot, lot of short paranormal short stories all based on or around (obviously) weddings. Most of the stories were okay, some were pretty good and one I couldn't bring myself to continue reading after the first couple pages. My favorites were Rachel Caine's Pirates of the Carribeanish tale of illfated nuptuals, Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden short, Sherrilyn Kenyon's tale of forbidden love between a Dark Hunter and a Squire and Susan Krinard's supernatural tale which left me wondering if there is a full length novel about her characters Kit and Olivia (I plan to check on this).

I do have to say I was very surprised to enjoy the Harry Dresden short as much as I did since I haven't read any of the Dresden novels. One line was funny enough to surprise me in to laughing out loud and I think I'll have to check out maybe a few of the series to see if they are as witty as this short story was.

Fifty-Sixth book - Forced Mate by Rowena Cherry

Review-

Tarrant-Arragon is known as a tyrant, ruling his people with a bad temper and propensity for violence. This suits him fine for fear of his reputation is handy for averting many potentially bloody, deadly situations. Unfortunately that same reputation gets him into trouble when he kidnaps and falls in love with the willful, Saurian Knight and half-djinn, Dijinni. Dijinni is all he can think of and at first his lies about his true identity don't bother him. But, the closer they get the more he realizes what he wants is a willing queen, not a Forced Mate.

Aliens, in-breeding, chess refrences and more sexual innuendo than I think I've ever read in one book before make this a very unique story. At first the large host of characters and variety of names confused me but as the story went along I was better able to figure out who everyone was and what their part in the complex plot of secrets, lies and betrayal included. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before. If you enjoy science fiction and don't mind a healthy dose of varied euphemisms for body parts and sex I'd suggest checking this book out.

edited to get touchstones to work

Fifty-Seventh book - Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines

Review -

Jig the Goblin is small and meek compaired to other goblins. He is even still charged with doing the tasks assigned to goblin children. Then one day the Captain decides to use Jig to scare up some game and Jig happens upon a group of adventurers on a quest. After being taken prisoner it is apparent to Jig that this group consisting of an obnoxious prince, a map-making dwarf, a reluctant elf and a demented wizard are "heros" in the worst meaning of the word. One at a time they all take their turns at making Jig's life even more miserable than he had been when he was just being tormented by his fellow goblins. Will Jig be able to use his smarter than the average goblin wits survive to the end of the adventurers' self-serving quest?

Goblin Quest was an easy read with enough action to keep the story moving along. My favorite character of the story was probably Smudge, Jig's fire spider pet, who had more redeeming virtues than the rest of the adventurers put together. This would be a good book for those who enjoy fantasy quest stories along the lines of The Hobbit, so long as they don't mind the lack of any sympathetic heros.

Fifty-Eighth book - Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

Annabelle is desperate to find a way out of financial straights for her family and marry properly to a gentleman of peerage. But, after four years of being a wallflower Annabelle's prospects are dim. No suitable man would propose marriage to a woman with no dowry. Then suddenly Annabelle strikes up a fortuitous friendship with three of her fellow wallflowers and together they plan a way to help Annabelle hunt down and snare an appropriate suitor. This plan firmly excludes the improper entrepreneur Simon Hunt whose interest in Annabelle disconcerts her almost as much as his stolen kiss and smoldering looks. Will Annabelle be able to bag herself a man of station and money before she gives in to the heat blossoming between her and the insufferable Mr. Hunt?

I greatly enjoyed reading Secrets of a Summer Night. With each of Lisa Kleypas' stories that I read I understand more and more why she is such an esteemed writer of historical romance. This is the first of her Wallflower Quartet and definitely kicked off the series well. The romance between Simon and Annabelle was built up very well and didn't become stale as the story went on as romances sometimes do. I am very much looking forward to the last book of this series that I haven't read (although it is actually the second book of the set) and plan to continue to seek out other historicals by this gifted writer.

Fifty-Ninth book - Touching Darkness, The Second Midnighters book by Scott Westerfeld

Review -

Jessica is finally coming to terms with being a Midnighter and with the protection her power brings to the Blue Hour. That is, until she learns she is being stalked during the normal daylit hours. Soon Jessica, Jonathan, Rex, Melissa and Dess learn that there is more to fear in the world than just the darklings and the ancient evil is more than able to stalk them at any time it chooses.

Once again I really loved Westerfeld's story. Although Touching Darkness didn't have the frantic pace the first story did I really enjoyed the more laid back pace and the interesting history uncovered by the Midnighters. But that's not to say the story wasn't exciting. The climax of the book had me reading as fast as I could (and yelling at those who just had to keep interrupting me!) to find out what would happen next. All in all I'm really enjoying the Midnighters world and am looking forward to reading the last book in the trilogy.

Sixtieth Book - Demon Angel by Meljean Brook

Review -

Sir Hugh is a knight with ideals of gold. Lilith is a centuries old demon driven by a bargin with Lucifer to deliver tainted souls to his keeping. However, when Lilith and Hugh discover each other a connection is forged, surviving even through Hugh's murder due to Lilith's lie. Hugh's transformation to Guardian by the Archangel, Michael, pits Hugh and Lilith against each other for centuries. Will two bound in opposite service by the realms of good and evil eventually be able to find a common ground to be together despite the odds against them?

After reading Meljean Brook's short story in the "Hot Spell" anthology in which Hugh and Lilith are supporting characters I was anxious to read about their story together. Although I found the book to be confusing in parts I was not disappointed by Hugh and Lilith's tale. Told in an epic arch between the years of 1217 and modern day, this tale of the battle between good and evil and the Guardian and Demon stuck in the middle was compelling throughout. This was more of a thinking person's paranormal romance with many twists and turns, characters of depth, deceit and truth I wouldn't recommend this one to those looking for a quick easy read. However, if you're looking for a story to sink your teeth in to, you might want to give it a try.

The Dresden books are entertaining. Yes, he often has laugh out loud funny parts. There are a few books that the scifi tv series took their plots from, though they don't always follow them exactly and I think Paul Blackthorne is cuter than the way they describe Harry in the books. But they are entertaining and well done in a magical sense (I think).

Plus if you like them, check out the show (though it has ended for the season, maybe they'll rerun it this summer)!

Sixty-First Book The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Review -

In a world either past, present or parallel to our own a lone Gunslinger searches for the Man in Black in an effort to learn what he "Knows". During his journey he will encounter people destined to either assist or hinder him in his quest. The Gunslinger must be strong in his convictions and what he knows he needs to do if he will make it to The Dark Tower of his destiny.

It has been a REALLY long time since I've read any Stephen King stories (since high school). I never could remember quite why I finally gave up reading them, but I think I remember now. Although The Gunslinger is a fantasy, it is a very, very Dark Fantasy. The sense of futility which pesides over the story was prevelant enough to be a character by itself. Graphic descriptions of persons, places and violence were familiar to me from reading King's very popular early readings and bring a definite twist of horror into the fantasy. Although in the end this story isn't really anything I have any desire to pursue through the rest of this seven book series, I know that there are many people who have completed and enjoyed these Dark Tower books. Unfortunately I just wasn't one of them.

Sixty-Second book - Never Too Much by Lori Foster

Review -

Ben Badwin is a self-made successful business man who liked to work hard and play hard. He also loves women, he flirts with them, cherishes them and loves them. And they love him in return. Then Ben meets his new next door neighbor, Sierra Murphy. Sierra is unlike most women Ben has ever met. Like Ben she is an independent, self-sufficient business owner and she has just moved into the neighborhood. Ben is determined to get to know Sierra better but Sierra is even more determined to keep her distance and her secrets from the irresistible rouge.

If I had been asked at the beginning of reading this story I would have had to say I was disappointed. Based on the little bit we saw of Ben in Foster's previous story, Too Much Temptation, I expected better of Ben's character. Starting off, the romance between Ben and Sierra and the sub-story romance between Ben's mother and Sierra's co-worker seemed to consist of, "all she needs is a good ---- and she'll be a better woman for it", which to me was just an appalling attitude. However, toward the middle to the end of the book when Sierra's past became more of a prominent plot point, the story did gain a little more interest for me. I was able to get past the attitudes and enjoy the middle and ending of the book. I'd have to say that although this isn't my favorite Foster book, it turned out okay.

OMG, Jen ~ you put me to shame! Not only have you read twice as many books as me so far this year but you've written detailed reviews of them! Plus you write & publish YA fiction.

I'd be jealous but don't have enough energy to even consider trying to match your accomplishments! :)

Good job!

Awww, Stor, you make me blush!! BTW- Happy to see you're posting again, I know you've been busy!

Sixty-Third book Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Review -

For the sake of a political treaty and peace between countries Princess Sarene of Teod and Prince Raoden of Arelon are betrothed. But, when Raoden falls to a dreaded disease and is thrown behind the walls of the once great city of Elantris he is declared dead causing Sarene to be thrust from fiancee to widow in one fell swoop.

As Raoden learns to accept his new place in the soiled city, Sarene finds herself defending her new home against a threat of religious dictatorship which could not only destroy Arelon, but her birthplace as well. Will Raoden and Sarene be able to overcome the tests that stand against them and save the people they are sworn to defend?

The story of Elantris is a complex fantasy involving not only a fallen city, mysticle glowing balls of light and a society of the undead, it is also an intriguing story of politics and religion. I found it interesting to read the story from the three pinnacle points of view of Raoden, Sarene and Hrathen, the high priest who is determined to convert the entire city to his own religion (with a couple more POVs thrown in toward the end). I especially enjoyed the parts with Raoden and found him to be a particularly facinating character. I'm really glad to have heard about this book and certainly agree that it deserves the attention and accolades it has received.

Sixty-Fourth book - Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

Amanda Briars has achieved something very few other woman of the 1830s could boast of. She is a writer. A writer who is acknowledged by her peers for her provocative, progressive stories. But, unfortunately the realization of her vocational dream has also engineered the dilemma of being a virgin spinster at the age of 30. In an uncharacteristic move Amanda decides to request a "birthday present" for herself from the local madam.

Jack Devlin has a reputation for being controlling and ruthless in his rise from nobody to one of the most powerful publishers in London, and he doesn't intend to stop there. Jack has dreams of becoming not only the largest publisher but the largest book seller as well. When he arrives at the home of Amanda Briars to woo her into turning her first, unpublished piece of work into a serial novel, the last thing he expects is to be mistaken for a male prostitute.

I really enjoyed Suddenly You for many reasons. Although the story was certainly character driven I found the display of the prejudices and customs described of the 1830s London to be very interesting. Only recently have I learned that book lovers can be just as prejudicial about what they consider "great literature" as any religious or political sect can be. I found the different views of what kinds of books considered proper in the society depicted to be very comparable to current day attitudes. I really enjoyed the relationship between Amanda and Devlin and was surprised at just how steamy the scenes were. Before reading Lisa Kleypas' stories I had thought that steaminess was a more prevelent feature in paranormals and had never connected this kind of writing with historicals. I had always assumed would be more staid in content. Obviously I was wrong.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing to read more of Kleypas' work. She hasn't disappointed me yet!

Sixty-Fifth Book - The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

Review -

Christoff is the Alpha heir of the Drakon, a mysterious race of people with the ability to shift to into smoke and dragons. Clarissa is the half-breed child who only wishes for acceptance and idolizes Christoff from afar. As Christoff grows to accept the strict responsiblities of his race, Clarissa disappears, presumed dead by drowning at the age of 17.

Years later on the streets of London Rue has found a purpose in life. No longer known as Clarissa, the frightened half Drakon, she is now the infamous Smoke Thief, known for stealing the precious jewels of the rich and disappearing without a trace. News of the Smoke Thief has traveled far and Christoff, now Marquess of Langford, knows that the Smoke Thief can only be a Drakon and a threat to the secrecy of the pack. Using the pack's most prized diamond Christoff lays a irresistable trap for the thief. But, will he be able to carry out the pack's most severe punishment when he discovers who the Smoke Thief really is?

The Smoke Thief was an interesting blending of historical and supernatural romances. Since I enjoy both genres it was quite appealing to me. The story was well told and the foundation of the mythology the author lies down here is clearly setting up a promising series. I liked the build up and development of the characters. Christoff threatened to be the typical overbearing male which seems to predominate paranormal romances, but thankfully Shanna Abe did allow him to evolve as the story went along. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading her next book, The Dream Thief, in the near future.

Sixty-sixth book Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Review -

Sapphire and Connor have grown up on the coast of Cornwall with the ocean as a constant companion. Although their family wasn't always in harmony, they were always together. Connor like their mother and Sapphire like their father. Then one day their father went to the ocean and never returned.

Now they were a family of three and Sapphire felt the emptiness in her life every day. Then something new came, a calling that Sapphire and Connor can feel in their bones. The call of another world that meets but is always separate from our own. An ocean world where mythology is real and secrets are discovered.

I really enjoyed this story of another world which lives beside our own. I also liked the two main characters of Sapphire and her brother Connor. Although they did have the customary sibling squables I really thought the trust and support they showed to one another gave the story its emotional depth. The author has created an interesting and unique mythology of earth magic and sea magic which seems as though it might warrant re-visiting in the form of a sequel. Although the ending did seem that it could be finite many of the answers I thought we would discover at the end of the story were left to speculation, but this did not ruin my enjoyment of the story. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to Harry Potter fans that might wish to venture into fantastic realms other than the wizarding one.

Sixty-Seveth book When Bruce Met Cyn by Lori Foster

Review -

At the age of 17 Cyn knew it was time to fight back and when her mother's boyfriend came into her room with nefarious intention she was determined not to be his victim ever again. But, fighting back led to its own consequence and Cyn was forced to run. With no other recourse Cyn sold her body to survive, eventually earning enough money to make a new start. A poke of her finger on a map set her course. She would make her home in Visitation, North Carolina.

The minute Bruce Kelly saw the young woman tumble from the tractor trailer truck and turn to fight the burley driver he knew she needed his help, or so he thought. As a preacher Bruce felt it his duty to aide those around him. However, he had never met anyone like Cyn before. Cyn is the person Bruce never expected to meet, the person who would turn his world around and remind him that he is a man in addition to being a man of God. Now all he has to do is convince her how special she is to him.

I really enjoyed this story just as I have enjoyed all of Foster's Visitation series so far. This story involves Bruce, the preacher and twin brother to Bryan from The Secret Life of Bryan. Although it was fun to see the recurring characters from the previous books of this series Bruce and Cyn definitely carried this story on their own. I loved this tale of how a former prostitute and a practicing preacher come togther despite the differences between them. This was a quick, enjoyable read which I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary romance with heart, instead of just fluffy chick lit. I'm really looking forward to continuing on with this series.

Sixty-Eighth book Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale by Holly Black

Review -

Once upon a time a pixie who thought she was human helped a knight of the Seelie Court become the King of the Unseelie Court. But that was only the beginning. Kaye has only recently discovered herself to be a changling, a pixie switched at birth for a human child. This discovery has left her feeling as though she has no true place that she belongs, except with Rath Roiben Rye. Unfortunately when Kaye is tricked into declaring herself at Roiben's coronation she is sent on an impossible quest, to find a fairy that can lie.

I really, really liked this book. It brought together the characters from both Tithe and Valiant in a surprising way. As in Tithe Roiben is a hero who tugs at my heartstrings. Tormented by memories of what he has been forced to do in the service of the Unseelie queen, he is determined to somehow overcome his hatred of the Unseelie fairies and lead them in an effort to defeat the Seelie Queen who is also his former lover. I loved that this story was told in part from Roiben's point of view and I enjoyed learning more of his past and his motivations for his actions. I could also empathize with Kaye and found the subplot involving her best friend, Corny and Luis intriguing. Another aspect of the story, is that many of the quotes and references the author makes throughout the book are, in fact, ones that I am not only familiar with but am very fond of personally. The quote, "living is like licking honey off of a thorn" is one of my favorites from the poster on the back of my bathroom door (long story). All in all it seems that Holly Black has wrapped up her trilogy of modern faeiry tales in a very satisfying way, although I wouldn't protest further stories in this series should she choose to write them.

Jen-
Tithe is the next book on my TBR list (it's even in my purse already in case I finish my other one today). So I'm looking forward to that, and it's great to hear that you liked them. We have a pretty similar taste in books, so I trust your judgement.

Also, you've read the Laurell K. Hamilton Merry Gentry books, right? All this Seelie and Unseelie stuff reminds me of them, along with lots of great sex scenes for us romance readers. ;-p

ttfn

Actually I haven't read any of Laurell K. Hamilton's books. I've been kind of put off by the reviews of her more recent books although I do see that her earlier books are very well loved. I have thought about trying out the first couple of her Merry Gentry books, but haven't yet. Do you know the name of the first book of the series? Once I catch up on my TBR pile a bit I would like to request it from the library.

Tithe was a bit of a shock to me when I first read it because it is much more gritty and dark than most of the YA lit you read, but I still really loved the book. I'd love to hear what you think of the story when you're done :-)

I'll let you know what I think. Gritty and dark is okay. Plus I think we shelter kids just a little too much. I'm all about preserving their innocence, etc. but you can't protect them from the outside world forever and isn't better to introduce them to it with something fun that won't hurt them then have them slapped in the face with the complete unknown? Sorry to rant, I did a lot of research into book censorship in high school and college and it's always been a sore spot for me!!

A Kiss of Shadows is the first Merry Gentry book. Also the first Anita Blake books were fantastic - start with Guilty Pleasures, and I do still really like them, they've just become a little more about sex than about plot. However, I will give it to Hamilton that she can advance a plot with sex better than anyone else I've ever read! Most of the time, it does have a purpose.....

Anywho.... I'll let you know what I think of Tithe, and you let me know what you think of Hamilton, when you get around to it ;-p

No problem with the ranting, I don't mind!

On to my Sixty-Nineth book Flesh and Stone by Vickie Taylor

Review -

Connor Rihyad is a gargoyle who believes in the old ways. The ways that disallowed women except for procreation and the birthing of sons so the gargoyles' souls could continue to live on. This belief is tested when he goes undercover in the Minnesota congregation of gargoyles and meets Mara, a human woman who is just as determined to fight for and protect the slaves they have taken as Connor is. Soon Connor finds himself not only playing double agent between two sects of gargoyles but he is torn by the knowledge he may need to choose between his brethren and the woman he is falling in love with.

Flesh and Stone is the second book in Vickie Taylor's growing gargoyle series. I continued to enjoy her mythology which was set up in the first book even though it was not really advanced in this one. Although I will admit I really didn't like Connor in the first book, Carved in Stone, I definitely found him more tolerable here. We also got to see quite a bit of Nathan and Rachel from Carved in Stone, which was nice. I did find some of the typos distracting, in particular there is one place where Connor is actually called Nathan by mistake. I'm not a perfectionist by any stretch of the imagination but that bugged me.

All in all I am enjoying this series and will make a point of reading the third book in the series once it comes out.

Seventieth book Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld - Third of the Midnighters Trilogy

Review-

Rex, Melissa, Jessica, Jonathan and Dess are Midnighters. Only those born at midnight can see the secret Blue Time, a 25th hour of the day where all the world except the most terrifying horrors are frozen. But when the Blue Time comes in the middle of a pep rally the Midnighters realize that something is wrong. The world of the Darklings and the world of the humans are on a collision course and unless the Midnighters discover the secret of how to stop it human kind's place of emminence on the food chain is doomed to topple as they become prey to a ancient hunger.

It has been a lot of fun to read through to the end of the Midnighters adventures. With a combination of horror, adventure and mystery this story kept me glued and trying to read faster just to find out what would happen next. I really felt for each of the characters. They were all individuals with their own thoughts, fears and gifts which made it equally intriguing to read about each one. The ending was a little open ended. Although I know the trilogy is done there is plenty or room to wonder about the future of the Midnighters. I think this trilogy would be great for people who like horror, sci-fi, fantasy or just like reading an action pack adventure series.

71st book - The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore

Review -

Pine Cove is like many small coastal towns. Too busy for words during the hot summer months and barebones during the winter. What sets Pine Cove apart is local wildlife, the townspeople. With a pothead constable, terminatorisque barkeep, money hungry psychiatrist, a pharmacist with fetishes you can't discuss in public and more of the population on anti-depressants than a rehab for the rich and famous, it's no wonder things get a little strange once in a while. But, when a sex starved, voracious sea beast follows a paranoid Bluesman into town things are bound to get even weirder than ever in Pine Cove.

When I started reading this book I wasn't really sure if I would like it. In fact, it was a little slow going at first. However, once I began to get more into the eccentricities of the townspeople and the sea beast it became more interesting. And once Steve got that odd notion into his head about the fuel tanker, well, that was it for me. Luckily people don't usually die of aphyxiation from laughing too much! I really did like this book. Although the story may have dragged just a little in some places it was filled with enough hilarious one liners and punchlines to make up the difference. I loved all the different characters and took a particular shine to Theo, the pothead constable with a heart of gold.

If you aren't afraid of a little raunchy humor and love to laugh I would definitely recommend this book.

72nd book Dark Protector by Alexis Morgan

Review -

Devlin Bane is the leader of the Paladins charged with the protection of our world from the Other. When pressure is released from the earth by volcanos or earthquakes that is when the others come, trying to escape their world deep beneath into our own, bringing violence and earth harming plagues with them. The Paladins are the world's last line of defense able to die again and again, then come back to fight some more. But this ability comes with a price, for every time a Paladin dies a little of his soul dies with him until there is nothing left but a killing machine eager for violence against anyone and everything.

Laurel Young is a doctor, a handler who has dedicated herself to the care and resurrection of the Paladins. Laurel sees each of the Paladins as a hero, worthy of special care and treatment. However, those in charge of the Paladins' deployment and keeping have other ideas. They treat the Paladins as animals to be let loose only when the need is great. It is Laurel's constant struggle to keep the Paladins healthy and sane enough to continue fighting.

Laurel is always the consumate professional doctor and handler, except with Devlin. Every time he dies and she brings him back it becomes harder to distance herself. What is difficult becomes impossible when Devlin makes it clear that his interest in her has become more than just a Paladins interest in his handler. When Devlin becomes the target of a human conspiracy of betrayal from within their own organization will he be able to keep Laurel safe?

Dark Protector is the first book of a new of a paranormal romance series. Although the story didn't really present any surprizes and it seemed to travel the familiar characterizations found throughout this genre, the story was interesting and enjoyable. I did find myself sympathizing with The Others, especially near the end, for their struggle to come into our world is obviously driven by a desperate motivation. I would recommend this book to those searching for more novels along the lines of Feehan, Ward and Kenyon.

Jen,

I finally posted my little review of Tithe, if you're still interested. Sorry it's been such a busy week I haven't had time to do more than list!

73rd book - Masquerade: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa de la Cruz

Review -

Schuyler and Oliver have gone to Venice to fulfill Schuyler's grandmother's dying direction. Schuyler is supposed to find her grandfather who may know how to not only reveal the silver blood threat, but to effectively deal with it as well. Unfortunately things don't always work out the way you think they will. Just ask Bliss, Schuyler's friend who keeps blacking out and finding herself in strange places, Mimi Force who has discovered her twin brother in this life, is her pre-destined bonded mate or Jack Force who is now aware of his destiny with Mimi but can't seem to control or end his attraction for Schuyler. Life is so complicated, even for (or especially for) the rich and famous blue blood vampires inhabiting New York City.

To start off I have to say, "Thank goodness for recaps!" I knew that I had forgotten some of Blue Bloods but I had apparently forgotten a lot of the really important stuff. This novel seemed very low key to me, not a lot of excitement and not a lot of delving into the characters. I was especially disheartened to see Oliver's part regulated to only a part time see you some time role in Schuyler's life since, from what I remember, I really liked his character in Blue Bloods. I really did like this story although I do not think it was quite as good as the first Blue Bloods book and I am looking forward to reading the next Blue Bloods novel when it arrives.

74th book - Prom Nights from Hell - an anthology

Review -

In this anthology each story dishes up a different tale of prom night terror. In Meg Cabot's short story a vampire huntress bent on vengeance against Dracula himself is surprised to find help from someone she didn't expect. Lauren Myracle's truly frightening tale reinforces the saying, "Watch out what you wish for" when a teen wishes for that special someone to ask her out. Kim Harrison's snotty heroine discovers death isn't at all what she thought it would be and Michelle Jaffee's super heroine discovers her true destiny when she teams up with a precocious mad about the boys prophet. In the last short, a demon on a quest meets her match in Stephenie Meyer's tale of prom night chaos.

I really did enjoy all five of these stories, although all but one ended in rather a cliffhangerish way leaving me to wonder if we will ever get to read an ending to these beginnings, perhaps in a Prom Nights from Hell Part Deux? I will say that Lauren Myracle's story (the only non-cliffhanger) probably scared me more than anything I've read in years. All in all for their length I think these stories were all well written and would suggest them to any fans of young adult horror or urban fantasy.

75th book - Lover Revealed: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

Review -

Butch O'Neal is a man with a past he is not proud of and a present he feels guilty for. Growing up in the Southend of Boston and becoming a police officer in Caldwell, New York was all he had until he discovered the vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. With the Brotherhood he found acceptance but what he longs for is purpose and to be worthy of the aristocratic female vampire, Marissa.

Marissa feels her life is out of control. Unwanted by the vampire aristocracy she had been born in to Marissa is sure she is damaged. Marissa is sure she is unworthy of love. Even Butch, the human she cares for more than any other, has turned his back on her.

When Butch is abducted and tortured the Brotherhood bring him back. But even Vishous, Butch's best friend in the Brotherhood, is unsure of what Butch is now. Unsure of what Butch has been infected with and turned into.

After reading the first three books of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series I have to say I was a bit hesitant about reading Lover Revealed. Butch and Marissa's relationship up to this point had never really held interest for me. I have to say that I am thrilled that I was wrong in thinking that this story might not be up to par with the others. J.R. Ward has woven an utterly fascinating tale in this book. I really felt for the main characters of Butch, Marissa and Vishous. The triangle formed between the three, combined with an excellent storyline about Butch's past and destiny, made this one of the best books I've read so far this year. This is not a book all about sex, although I will say that the love scenes in this book are definitely of the upper echelon of eroticism.

I really enjoyed reading this story and would not hesitate to recommend it to adults who enjoy and are not afraid of steamier stories with a well written, strong and engrossing storyline.

76th Book - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Review -

George is small and smart. Lennie is big and childlike. Together George and Lenny travel from job to job hoping to earn enough money to buy a small stake and to be able to live off of the land in a simple, but beautiful, world all their own.

Of Mice and Men is one of those classics they never got around to teaching me in school. However, it brought back feelings of familiarity from the other books I've read which were written during that time period. Not much of what happened during the course of the story was a surprise. This really isn't the kind of story that I usually read, although I thought the writing was quite good. It was interesting to me that the author was able to convey so much about the nature of his characters without really going overboard. His description of the settings were vivid without getting into the realm of monotony, which for me is important because I'm not a big fan of oodles of descriptive content.

If you haven't read the book and think you may in the future I'll warn you now I'm going to throw out a few **********spoilers**********. Right off from the start I knew big Lennie was destined for tragedy, it was inevitable. I also have mixed feelings about what George did in the end although it may be my attempting to apply modern theories of justice to a time period where things were very, very different. It seems to me that many classics seem to have a similar theme of helplessness against destiny and enjoy delving into the more unsavory parts of human nature. This could just be my perception based on what I remember of them from high school and from discussing what my son has been reading over his last few years of school (he is currently at the end of his sophomore year). All in all it was an interesting book but I am hugely glad that it was also a short one. I'm not sure if I would have been able to get through it if it had been any longer than it was.

77th book Just A Hint, Clint by Lori Foster

Review -

Clint is a down on his luck repo man with a heart of gold. When he is approached by businessman Robert Burns to find his kidnapped fiancee Clint knows he has to try. He knows that he is this woman's only hope.

Julie Rose is stunned by the heroics of the man who comes walking in to save her from the kidnappers who threatened to rape and kill her, even if the violence that ensues compels him to go throw up in the bushes afterward. Instinctively Julie knows that Clint is there to save her, in more ways than one.

Just a Hint Clint is Lori Foster's fourth book in her Visitation series. Although I liked the book a couple things bugged me. In the past books Julie Rose seemed like a very together teacher. Although we didn't know much about her what we did know would cause you to draw the conclusion that she was pretty intelligent. In this book Julie Rose struck me as more of a bloodthirsty ditz than anything else. I didn't really like her that much. I'm all for strong heroines in romance novels but she was totally over the top. Also, her descriptions of the men and women of Visitation (characters from past stories) while talking to Clint just seemed too heroworshippy for a rational adult. However, the adventure and suspense was well portrayed and exciting. The book moved along quickly and wasn't hard at all to read. I am really looking forward to reading Jamie which I believe is the next, and last, in this series.

78th book Tantalize by Cynthia Leitch Smith

Review -

Quince Morris isn't like most teenagers. Instead of hanging out with friends during her free time she instead spends all her time in her family's restaurant trying to live up to the legacy her mother left to her. Instead of dating she has been crushing for years on her best friend, Kieren, who happens to be half werewolf. Quince kind of suspects Kieren likes her back but thanks to an incident that almost cost her hand when they were in middle school, Kieren is determined to keep a romantic distance between them. However, the summer is almost over and Quince is determined she's going to get Kieren to admit his true feelings, one way or another, before the end of summer.

However, just before school starts tragedy strikes. The restaurant’s head chef is murdered and it looks like a were is the culprit. Refusing to jump to conclusions about Kerien's guilt becomes harder for Quince as more strange things start to happen. Suddenly Quince finds herself only able to turn to her new head chef and faux vampire, Brad. Will Brad be the one to not only unearth the murder suspect, but to also be the one to save Quince's restaurant and sanity?

I will say I went into this book a bit apprehensively. I really wanted to like it because I won it in a contest, it has a personalized bookplate in it and the author just seems like a totally sweet person. Happily I can say that I did enjoy the story. Even though vampires and werewolves seem to be getting a lot of print time I'm always open to a new story and this did not disappoint in providing an imaginative twist on the old legends. The beginning of the book was a little confusing in parts to me, especially the flashbacks. But about halfway through everything smoothed out and I was quite happy to sit and read the entire book in one evening.

Those teens and adults who enjoy a good paranormal, vampire or werewolf book may want to check this one out!

79th Book - Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair

Review -

Chasida Bergren was a military girl born and bred, until she was framed for a crime she did not commit and sentenced to Moebar a prison known to be Hell in planetary form. After she is almost raped and murdered by a prison guard a chance for escape comes from an unexpected quarter. Her former nemeses, the mercenary Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan.

Rumored to have been killed but very much alive, Sully has come in search of Chasidah with a desperate deal, use her military knowledge and skills to help him expose an illegal breeding lab and he will help her escape. But, is that all Sully wants, or does he have an even deeper hidden reason for risking Hell to save her?

Gabriel's Ghost was an intriguing story with lots of twists and turns. Definitely steeped in traditional science fiction complete with space ships, space stations, military agendas and a host of otherworldly creatures it is also a compelling love story. I really liked the main characters of Sully and Chaz who were both portrayed with very human flaws and feelings. I also really liked Ren's character. My only complaint is that towards the end of the book we kind of lost track of Ren when he had been such a major character in the first part. Overall I really thought this was a great sci-fi action adventure with a generous enough helping of romance to keep my girlie girl side very happy.

Wow. Thank you for taking the time to post your reading list. I now have a tbr list of over 100 books and I can't wait to get started!

Jen, have you ever read The Black Tattoo? I zipped through it over the weekend and really liked it. I think you probably would too. Check it out ;-p

>105 MellieT: You're welcome, I love reading and really enjoy writing the reviews. I'm so glad you're enjoying the list.

>106 Ilithyia: I haven't read The Black Tattoo, I'll have to go check out the description. Thanks for the recommendation!!

80th book An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Review -

Colin is a child prodigy on the cusp of adulthood. The knowledge that he has not become the genius he wanted to be along with his recent breakup with Katherine XIX has left Colin despondent. So, when his best (and only) friend Hassan suggests a road trip Colin is willing to let himself get talked into going. What Colin doesn't expect is that this road trip will end rather abruptly and may lead to exactly what he was waiting for all along. Could it be that Colin has found his Eureka Moment and his missing piece all in one unusual place?

As he did in Looking for Alaska John Green has created an unusual central character with a one of a kind fixation, in the case of Colin, An Abundance of ex-girlfriends all named Katherine. However, I really enjoyed all the characters in this story much more than I did the ones in Alaska. Hassan made a perfect sidekick and foil for the overly studious, serious Colin. I also really enjoyed Lindsey's character and the relationship that she had with her mother. Parts of the story made me smile, especially the scene with the hog and the wasps. I also found all the trivia, footnotes and math (which I didn't really understand at all) to be fascinating. The only thing I didn't really like is during some of the conversations it was too easy to lose track of who was saying what which meant a lot of retracing what I had already read. Although contemporary stories will probably never rate as favorites for me, I enjoyed this book and would be happy to read more of Mr. Green's clever tales in the future.

81st book - Mona Lisa Awakening by Sunny

Review -

Mona Lisa was found at the door to an orphanage with only an engraved silver cross with her birth name. Growing up she knew she was different from other people. Drivin to use her special abilities to ease the pain of others Mona Lisa has grown up to be a nurse in a busy Manhatten hospital. It is there her destiny is revealed to her by a dying man whom she is instantly drawn to. Determined to save him Mona Lisa enters the life of the Monere, a life both more brutal and sensual than that of mere human. As Mona Lisa's true self awakens the danger to her and those she has grown to care about rises and she finds herself with enemies more terrible than she had ever imagined. Will she be able to fight the demons without and within to accept the destiny of her heritage?

I really liked this tale of the Monere, enough so that I read almost the entire book in one sitting. Going into the story I knew a bit about the plot from having read the Monere short in the Over the Moon Anthology, but the foreknowledge of a lot of major plot points didn't stop me from really enjoying this book. Mona Lisa was definitely a strong, likeable character and it was interesting to learn about her new world along with her. Although the book was a bit graphic in places, both violently and sexually, it never felt as though it was too much and didn't detract from the story. I thought the plot was also fascinating and I'm truly looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

82nd book - The Losers by David Eddings

Review -

Raphael Taylor was the perfect son of a shy woman and an unremarkable man. Gifted at football, beautiful to behold and intelligent Raphael was everybody's angel until he met Damon Flood. Manipulative and sly Damon contrived a plan to force Raphael's fall from grace until an ill-fated accident changed everything.

I have never read anything by David Eddings before so I can't compare this story to any of his fantasy for which he is famous for. I will say his writing and ability to tell a tale is pretty good. The story was engrossing and easy to read. Unfortunately I didn't really agree with the underlying philosophy behind the story and was especially annoyed by the trial scene depicted in the last chapter. Another interesting thing is that this book was published by Del Rey and states "fantasy" on the cover, which it most assuredly is not. Since I am just reviewing the book and do not really want to have a moral argument (so to speak) with it I guess I will just say this: The book was well written but even so, since I didn't really like the ethics in the story I can't really recommend it. I also feel bad for anyone who picked up the story expecting a fantasy and wound up with a work of contemporary fiction.

edited because when I went back and re-read my review I decided it was a bit too harsh. I've revised it slightly so as to not be quite so critical.

83rd book - Dark Defender by Alexis Morgan

Review -

When Brianna Nichols was a young girl when her father took in a tough street living teen, Blake Trahern, who had been brought into his Courtroom for one of many offenses. Brianna knew that her father had seen something in Blake that had inspired him to take a chance on him but she never knew that someday it would cost her father his life.

Blake Trahern had been living the life of a Paladin since the time he graduated high school, thanks to the intervention of a caring judge who had recognized in him a potential to be more than a criminal youth. When he left his home at the age of 18 it was as much to get away from the Judge's too young, too enticing daughter, Breanna as it was to take up his place among the Paladins, warriors fighting against the monstrous Others. However, when Blake discovers that Breanna was almost killed in a car bombing that took her father's life, nothing in the world would stop him from protecting her. But, can Blake resist Breanna long enough to discover her father's murder and make sure she is safe?

Dark Defender is the second installment in Alexis Morgan's paranormal romance series about Paladins fighting against creatures threatening to come into and take over our world. I think I enjoyed this volume perhaps a little more than the first book. I surely enjoyed reading about the characters of Blake and Breanna and found them to be interesting. It is easy to see what characters will probably get novels of their own in the future. I found the romance to be satisfying and the plot was interesting and exciting, if a little formulaic. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next Paladin story, In Darkness Reborn, when it comes out at the end of the month.

84th book - Wide Awake by David Levithan

Review -

16 year old Duncan is feeling hopeful. The Great Depression is over, the Reign of Fear is just a memory, the first gay/Jewish president, Abraham Stein, has been elected thanks to his ideal of a global Great Community and Duncan is in love with a boy who loves him back. However, when the vote in Kansas is thrown into question out of politics instead of fairness Duncan realizes that to have hope for himself, his community and his world he finds himself asking, “What are you willing to do for something you believe in?” His response to this question will challenge everything he once believed about himself, his friends and the world around him.

Wide Awake takes place in a future “decades after 9/11” and illustrates the potential repercussions of what is happening in our world today. David Levithan has created a believable future which I suppose is either hopeful or horrible depending on your current point of view (personally I’m on the side of hopeful). I liked the depiction of the relationship between Duncan and Jimmy. There was a great deal of love but also some of the typical angst you see with many couples, both teen and adult. While Duncan is always of the opinion that Jimmy is the strong one, it is clear that Duncan has some very strong ethics of his own that he’s not afraid to take a chance on. A lot of the events in the story also rang true for me. slight spoiler One part in particular is where Duncan is having a flashback to when he is working on the political campaign for Stein and has to make a series of calls to people to drum up support for his candidate. Some of the people are extremely horrible to him and is illustrated by this part, …the anger, the yelling, the names I was called just for being a Stein supporter by people I’d never met – that wasn’t stupidity as much as loathing and fear. This was my weakness: I couldn’t stand meanness. It unnerved me. As a teen I once did telemarketing for a charity where I was faced with the same reception. After the job was done it was years, lasting until months after I became a secretary at a law firm, before I could answer the phone without having a panic attack. Even without the phone thing I can identify with where the author is coming from with that comment. I feel the same way when faced with hurtful, judgmental people who like to berate and hurt you for no reason than their own pleasure and feelings of superiority.

I guess you could say I liked Wide Awake for all the reasons I disliked The Losers. The community, humanitarianism and particularly the act of getting involved for a greater good were all themes I can appreciate. Although I’m not in any way an activist myself I greatly admire those that are.

85th book - Daughters of Darkness by L.J. Smith

Review -

Mary-Lynnette lives to look at the night sky. More than anything she wants someone that can be with her and understand what she sees in the constellations and planets. But, she has accepted that for now, things will be as they are. Instead of concentrating on her own lack of companionship Mary-Lynnette is more concerned with bringing her brother, Mark, out of his shell and into the social world. When a neighbor tells Mary-Lynnette that her three nieces are coming to live with her she is hopeful that perhaps Mark will perhaps meet someone he can like. However, when Mary-Lynette meets the three sisters and the brother that has followed them there, she feels there is something more to who and what they are than the surface. Something dark and deadly. Soon things are getting out of control and with each strange occurrence Mary-Lynnette and Mark find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the Night World.

This book is the second installment of L.J. Smith’s Night World series. If my faulty memory serves I do believe the character of Ash first made an appearance in Secret Vampire and it was nice to see some follow through here. Although I didn’t find the book quite as intriguing as Secret Vampire it still held my interest and moved along fairly quickly. Mary-Lynnette’s first reaction to Ash was odd to say the least, I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or if I should cringe on Ash’s behalf. The sisters were also a bit unusual but all things considered I think this was to be expected. This book did kind of have a non-ending with things a bit up in the air. I will be curious to see if this story thread has a resolution further along in the series. If not, I suppose I can just ponder what happened in my own little mind.

I think any of L.J. Smith’s stories would make great fill-ins for those waiting for Stephenie Meyer’s next installment and highly recommend her Vampire Diaries and these Night World books to lovers of young adult vampire and urban fantasies.

86th book - Jamie by Lori Foster

Review -

Visitation is a land of beauty. Where lakes and trees abound and the resident mountain man and psychic, Jamie Creed, can be counted on to forewarn its new residents of impending danger and strife. That is until Faith shows up on Jamie's mountain. When Jamie finds out that Faith is a blast from his unwanted, hated past it is all he can do to keep himself together. Will the distraction Faith presents keep him from finding out about the new danger in Visitation until it is too late?

Jamie is the last installment in Foster's Visitation series and a fitting one as well. Jamie has been an enigmatic recurring character throughout the books and it was interesting to see where he came from and who he really is. I did like Faith even though she certainly wasn't as strong a heroine as Foster's other female leads. Jamie was an enjoyable romance and I think that the psychic bits were well done. All in all I found this to be a satisfying resolution to an interesting series of contemporary romance novels.

Another short interlude book - The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry

Review -

The year is 1960 and young Doug shares with us his reminisces of red ants, rubber cigar smoking kings, musical shepherds, very large dogs and, of course, his first crush, Judy Flanders.

At 116 pages The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog is not much more than a novelette. However, it is a lighthearted, sweet tale with many interesting photographs from the 1960s. The story was definitely family oriented and had me smiling at different parts. Also, basically as a note to myself, the book has a picture of a movie poster from North to Alaska which actually looks pretty interesting. I don't watch many old movies but I don't think I'd mind watching that one.

87th book Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Review -

Bryce was the new kid on the block and Juli was the over-exuberant next door neighbor who fell head over heels in love with him at the first sight of his big blue 7 year old eyes. Unfortunately instead of becoming friends, Juli's unflagging devotion over the ensuing years made Bryce wary of the tempest in girl form that seemed to follow him everywhere. However, now that Bryce and Juli are in 8th grade something has changed. Suddenly Juli has discovered that there is more to the world around her than Bryce and Bryce has discovered the tree climbing, chicken raising plague has a new appeal for him that he cannot control. What will Bryce and Juli do now that everything that they felt about each other before has flipped?

Told from the dual points of view of both Bryce and Juli, Flipped is more than just a coming of age story, it is a tale of self-discovery for both Bryce and Juli. Also interesting was the strong family presence in the book and how Bryce and Juli dealt with their own changing perceptions of everything they once took for granted. With an innocence you usually do not see in teen novels today Flipped would be a great novel for those in middle school and up. Also, the cover is absolutely adorable!!

88th book - Mona Lisa Blossoming by Sunny

Review -

Mona Lisa has come to New Orleans to claim the territory formerly in the care of the icy Mona Louisa. However, she is not prepared to learn that instead of just her entourage she now has hundreds of Monere under her care and protection. With the help of her trusted mates Gryphon and Amber she learns to adapt to her new found responsibilities and the inherent dangers of living in the bayou. But far more dangerous is the hatred of another Queen, a thirst for revenge that threatens everything that that Mona Lisa has come to care for.

This second story of Sunny's tale of a mixed-blood Monere is definitely another engrossing story. However, instead of one distinct plot line through the book Mona Lisa seems to undergo a series of unconnected mini-adventures ranging from the discovery of a wild half-breed prisoner to her assistance of a Monere Queen in need of some psychological (i.e. sexual) healing. As with Mona Lisa Awakening this book was rife with love scenes to the point I must admit I simply started skimming over them. Luckily the story (or series of small stories) was intriguing enough to keep me hooked and reading into the wee hours in the morning. The ending of the book was surprisingly bitter-sweet and I look forward to reading the next Mona Lisa book when it comes out.

So not far!! I want to read the Mona Lisa books but my local library doesn't carry them.....And I've spent way too much money lately on books to go out and buy them. Oh, well, I'll have to live vicariously through you guys who are all reading them until I can scrounge up a copy of my own.

Cheers!

They certainly aren't the easiest ones to find! Out of our whole WMass library system, which I think is over 20 libraries, there is only one copy of each book.

89th book - Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Review -

Harry Dresden is the only wizard you will see listed in the phone book. Unfortunately this seems to lead to more crank calls and curiosity seekers than actual business. So, when Harry gets a legitimate call from a woman looking for her husband it is a relief to know he'll at least be able to pay his overdue rent. And when Harry gets a consultation call from Lt. Karrin Murphy of the Chicago P.D. he feels that his cup has runneth over. That is, until he arrives at the crime scene and realizes that whatever is going on is very, very bad. Suddenly Harry has two cases to investigate and it's not long before he realizes he may have gotten himself in over his head. As the cover says, "Magic. It can get a guy killed."

It is unusual for me to enjoy mysteries but I do have to say that Storm Front was an enjoyable ride. Harry Dresden is an intriguing character with a dry wit and ironic point of view that certainly appeals to me. I kind of like to think that if Harry Potter makes it through Hogwarts that he would grow up to be Harry Dresden. I'm also not the type of reader of visualizes as I read. Descriptions typically kind of just roll over me. However, some of the scenes described in this book definitely inspired visualization. I particularly enjoyed Harry's entrance into Marcone's bar, I could actually see it in my head and it looked pretty damn neat! Storm Front was a very enjoyable introduction to the Harry Dresden series and I will certainly be looking for more.

90th book - Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

Lady Holly had been brought up to be the perfect debutant. She had a perfect childhood, married the perfect man and had a perfect daughter. But when typhoid fever stole away her young, loving husband Holly knew nothing would be perfect again. Three years later Holly still mourned her losses, with only her daughter to live for. So, when Holly attends her first ball after mourning and is stunned and titillated by a stranger's passionate embrace she finds herself re-thinking the person she had always thought to be. When the same man, the nefarious Zachary Bronson, offers her a position in his household employ for the purpose of teaching polite society manners to him, his mother and sister Holly amazes even herself in agreeing to lower herself before the members of the ton to do so. However, as her attraction to her employer grows will she be able to throw a perfectly proper upbringing aside to embrace not only he and his family, but her own hidden desires?

When I first started reading the book I rather expected it to follow in much the same manner as the last Kleypas novel I read, Suddenly You, with the upper-class lady and the rule breaking social climbing scoundrel. However, I found that this story was indeed a tale all of its own and only bore a passing similarity to Suddenly You and was indeed a delightful novel all of its own. I really enjoyed Zachary, Holly, Lizzie and Rose with each character having their own personality and influence on the story. There were also a couple great moments, such as when Holly walked into Zachary's library and commented to the housekeeper how much he must love reading due its size, only to have the housekeeper reply, "Oh, no, my lady, the master hardly ever reads. But he is quite fond of books."

I continue to find Lisa Kleypas' historical novels to be fun, quick reads (with a bit of steamy romance which doesn't hurt) and very much looking forward to reading more by her in the future.

91st book - Spellbinder by L.J. Smith

Review -

Thea and Blaise are sisters light and dark. Thea is all that is calm and peaceful and Blaise is beautiful and deadly. Together they are the last witches in their line. After being expelled from their fourth (or fifth?) school after Blaise bewitched a boy into burning down the music room Thea dreads starting again in a new place. However, when an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake serves to introduce her to Eric, a human boy, things for Thea start getting more out of control than usual. Will Thea be able to keep Blaise from wreaking deadly havoc on their new school and with Eric?

Spellbinder is the third book of the Night World series. As a whole so far this has been an enjoyable series about vampires and with this volume we enter the world of witches as well. I did find that this story seemed to drag a little in places more so than the first two, but it was only briefly and it quickly got back on track and very exciting towards the end. I liked Eric's steadiness in everything that happened and really enjoyed Thea as well. I look forward to continuing on with the Night World books in the future.

92nd book - One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey

Review -

One Good Knight starts of with the daughter of the Widow Queen Cassiopeia of Acadia, Andromeda (a.k.a. Andie) and her quest to win her mother's favor. What follows is a tale of intrigue, surprise, high fantasy, allusions to fairy tales and a healthy dose of creatures magical, mythical and otherwise extraordinary.

Although the story started off rather slowly it certainly built up steam as it went on to a very exciting resolution. I really thought it very imaginative how the author has mixed up and re-arranged a plethora of myths, legends and tales to come up with her second story of "The Five Hundred Kingdoms". My only complaint would be that there really is nothing in, on or around the book to let you know this is the second book of a series, except some obvious allusions to another tale in the context of the book itself, and the fact that LT has the Title with the addendum "Book 2" in parenthesis. Had I realized this I would have certainly picked up and read the first book, "The Fairy Godmother" before reading this. Not that you can't understand this book out of order because you can. I just like to read series in order if at all possible.

Over all I thought this was a delightful book with fun characters. I really enjoyed Princess Andie, George, Peri, Adam and the fox. I really hope the fox makes an appearance in later tales in this series (as I suspect he will) just so that we can see what has happened to him.

This is a definite recommendation for lovers of light fantasy and fun tales.

93rd book - The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven

Review -

In the West End of London there are things you cannot imagine. Secret societies, hidden demons and the gateway to Hell. Certainly Jack never imagined any of things. Nor did he imagine meeting a magical warrior girl or to be part of a mystical initiation along with his best friend Charlie. However, when Jack discovers who and what they will be fighting one thing becomes clear. Just when things look bad, don't worry. They will always get worse.

The Black Tattoo was originally written to be three books, but published as one. Each book has a definitive beginning middle and end although they are clearly one intertwined story. While I was reading it I did think that it might have been better off as three separate shorter books than this thick of a book which some readers might find off putting. I do think that the characters, violence and, well, unsavory (i.e. rather disgustingly gross) parts of the story might lend itself more to the taste of teenage boys, but I am sure that there are girls out there that this story would appeal to as well. I did enjoy the story overall. I really love the British slang used (I'm American) and always find reading it enjoyable. Another thing that struck me, and this probably wasn't even intentional, was that the character of Jack really rather reminded me of Arthur Dent (of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and much of his inner dialog made me smile just from the familiar feeling I got from it.

All in all I did enjoy this book and would certainly recommend it to any lover of YA urban fantasy, boys or girls.

Jen,

Glad you liked it!

94th book - Goddess of the Sea by P.C. Cast

Review -

CC is an U.S. Air Force Sergeant whose birthday wish for a little magic in her life. When her wish is granted in a trip back in time and and becoming a mermaid. Now she has an even more decision to make. Does she choose to remain in the ocean she is beginning to love or live on the land with the prince who has rescued her?

This was a pretty good story with lots of twists and turns. Truly I was surprised by what happened both in the climax of the story and at the end of the book. I'd highly recommend this one to anyone who is looking for something a little more fishy in their paranormal romances.

95th book - The Captain of all Pleasures by Kresley Cole

Review -

Derek Sutherland is an Earl who wants no ties to his title. Instead he sails the seas competing in ship races and working trade routes. Nicole Lassiter is the daughter of his biggest rival, but when her father is jailed for a crime he didn't commit it becomes Nicole herself who becomes his biggest competitor.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters of Nicole and Derek. Derek was definitely a tortured hero which is always a big weakness for me :-) There were also some humorous parts, such as when Nicole paints Derek's cabin, which made the book even more enjoyable.

96th book - Sex, Lies and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson

Review -

Sex, Lies and Online Dating was much more enjoyable than I expected. I've really had about a 50/50 like/dislike for the contemporary romances I've read so far and despite the silly title, this one definitely comes in on the like side. Lucy is a writer, which always works for me. In working on research for her next novel's "victims" she starts going on dates with men she meets online. Quinn is a detective investigating a series of murders where the serial killer appears to be meeting her victims online. When Quinn and Lucy meet it is under totally false pretenses on both their parts. However, the attraction between them sparks and soon what starts out as an investigation for both of them quickly evolves into something more.

I thought the story was an interesting murder mystery and the romance was steamy without going overboard. Both the characters were well represented and believable. The only complaint I did have is that instead of finishing off the story for Lucy and Quinn, the last part of the book seemed to be more centered on setting up the next story instead of ending this one. But really that was okay by me because I'm already interested in reading the next story and am ready to jump right into it.

97th book - I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson

Review -

When Clare stumbles on her fiancée and the Maytag repairman in the closet together needless to say it is quite a shock. Almost as much of a shock as waking up the next morning in a hotel room with her childhood nemeses, Sebastian Vaughan, without any clear recollection of what happened, but one heck of a hangover. For Sebastian stumbling upon the cause of his exile at the age of 12 from his father's home in a bar was the surprise of a lifetime. Neither Sebastian nor Clare had any intention of being more than passing acquaintances, but sometimes there is nothing you can do to escape attraction. Even if you're no mood for love.

Once again I have enjoyed Ms. Gibson's contemporary tale. Although the story did seem to drag a bit in places, overall I found it to be well written and it kept my attention. I will definitely be reading more by Ms. Gibson in the future and would not hesitate to recommend her to fans of contemporary romances.

98th book - The Fire Thief by Terry Deary

Review -

This story was unusual as it takes a well known Greek Myth and re-works it as told from the view point of a young boy living in the 1800s. The book takes place after Prometheus is freed from his chains by Hercules and he escapes from the Fury sent to rip out his liver. When Zeus sees that Prometheus has been freed he tells Prometheus (Theus to his freinds) to find a Hero among men and he will be free. Enter young Jim the thief along with mastermind Uncle Edward visiting a smog ridden city in the 1800s. What happens when Theus joins the theiving pair in the hopes of finding a hero is an interesting tale.

Generally the story is told in the first person POV except those times when the first person becomes the narrator and speaks directly to the reader in footnotes (which became a little distracting after a while) and chapter starts. Although I generally enjoyed the humor employed in the narrator's direction to the reader, I did not like the amount of foreshadowing the author did during the telling of the story. I think I would have enjoyed it better if a less had been revealed of the climax of the story before it actually occurred.

All in all this is a clever tale which I think boys and girls perhaps fourth or fifth grade and up would enjoy.

99th book - Sebastian by Anne Bishop

Review -

Sebastian is the story of the land of Ephermera torn apart due to a war with the Eater of the World. Each piece of the world is now in the control of a landscaper with bridges built between them. But more than that Ephermera is alive and reflects the hearts desire of the people within its landscapes, which isn't always a good thing. Sebastian is a part incubus living in a landscape known as the Den of Iniquity where demons can go and fulfill their desires without fear of prejudice. But, when the Eater of the Worlds is released it not only threatens everything that Sebastian holds dear, but the entirety of Ephermera as a whole.

When I started reading Sebastian I had thought it would be a paranormal romance. However, it is actually a complex fantasy with a myriad of characters and an intriguing storyline. Not a disappointment at all. Although Sebastian is the central character the story involves a number of others. Personally my favorite character was Teaser and the lightest and most humorous parts of the story pretty much involved him. I really enjoyed reading this story and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I absolutely loved Sebastian! It felt like it had so much depth. Lynea annoyed me for quite a while...but won me over at the end. Read the sequel Belladonna! It was just as good, in my opinion.

I truly loved them both! Hope you enjoy!

Ilithyia - I certainly plan to read Belladonna and perhaps her Black Jewels trilogy which I've heard a lot about. I just feel as though I have to catch up a bit with my library books and tbr pile *sigh*

100th book - Predestined by R. Garland Gray

Review -

Tynan is the part fairy born to fulfill a prophesy which includes a geas to wed a territorial goddess. Brynna is a Roman slave who is drawn to help Tynan when he is captured and ensnared by an evil sorcerer. Together they embark on a quest to free the fairies and to see if their destiny is to be with one another, or not be together at all.

Although Predestined seems to tred along a familiar romance novel format the author's interesting take on fairy mythology and strong characterizations make this story a riviting and fun read.

Well done on so many reads!
We only share one touchstone work for this thread. Which in a way is great - there is such a variety on LT!

Good to know that Predestined was a pretty good read. I've got both that one and the other. I'm sure I'll get around to reading them eventually ;-p

>134 ForrestFamily: Thanks! My family says I read too much but it is so satisfying LOL Which touchstone do we share? I can't tell.

>135 Ilithyia: I'm not sure where the recommendation for Predestined came from, but I'm glad it was recommended. I plan on reading the next one in that series too.

Book 101 Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski

Review -

Rachel dreams of being A-List popular. After all her best friend Jewel has become popular and seems very happy about it, even if she almost never speaks to Rachel anymore. However, Rachel figures the odds are not good. That is until her younger sister, Miri, discovers she's a witch. Now Rachel is scheming all sorts of things from love spells to potions to get rid of the horrible STB. If only she can get her straight laced, by the book sister to cooperate...

At the start of the book I can't say that I really liked Rachel very much because she was so self-involved. Then, I began to look back at my own teenagehood and realized, I was that self-involved at that age! By the time the middle of the book came I was hoping against hope that Rachel and Miri would get away with their schemes, that Rachel would get the boy of her dreams and that everything would turn out okay. I was almost afraid to keep reading on and find out what happened! But, I'm glad I did as this was a very cute, funny tale. I'm really looking forward to reading the next of the series, Frogs and French Kisses. I'd totally recommend the book for girls middle school and up.

Book 102 Out of the Night by Robin T. Popp

Review -

El Chupacabra (a.k.a. the Goatsucker) has always struck me as one of the funnier sounding of the paranormal legends. However, unlike that episode of the X-Files, this story really made the whole thing work. I really enjoyed the characters of Lanie (librarian, volunteer firfighter and EMT) and Mac (ex Navy SEAL, pilot). The push and pull of their relationship along with the allure of a vampire base theme held my attention without any effort. This story is certainly the start of another great paranormal romance series and I look forward to reading the next book.

#103 Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Review -

I picked Keturah and Lord Death up at the library yesterday thinking it might be reminicent of Twilight. Actually, it wound up being much more comparable to Beauty by Robin McKinley, but I still enjoyed the novel.

The story starts when Keturah follows a hart into the woods and becomes lost. After days of exposure Lord Death comes for Keturah. In an attempt to save herself and her village Keturah tells a tale to death but refuses to reveal the ending. Intrigued, Death makes a deal with Keturah, she can have one last day of life in order to discover her true love.

This was an intriguing tale which kept me guessing right up until the end. If you have enjoyed Robin McKinley's work I think this one would be to your liking as well.

Oh, and if anyone is paying attention, yes, I read two whole books yesterday. I'm a little headachy today and think I'll go lay down until I have to leave to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'm so excited to see the movie!! I'm hoping it will be worth the migraine I'm sure to have when I get out of the theater.

104th book - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Thoughts/comments on book -

Not much sense in doing my typical review summary since I'm sure pretty much everyone who cares has probably already read this book. However, I would like to just make a few comments for myself and anyone else that might care. WARNING SPOILERS AND WILD THEORIES AHEAD!

Fave parts of this book:

Dobby vs. Kreacher in a full body, no holds barred wrestling match! LOL

Harry and Ginny, they go great together!

Those are the parts that stick out to me.

As for what's coming? I have just a couple thoughts. I believe R.A.B. to be Regulus Black who will undoubtedly look much like Sirius so that Harry may mistake him for his lost godfather. Dumbledore, unfortunately still dead, but having left Harry many helpful theories on finding the remaining Horcruxes. Perhaps Fawkes may be of some help to Harry. I believe this book will be totally unlike any of the others since Harry, Hermione and Ron will not be returning to Hogwarts.

All in all I enjoyed the Half Blood Prince waay more this second time around then when I first read the book. I suspect it might have a lot to do with the fact that I rushed through my first reading. Also, I didn't think much of the new character additions. They didn't seem at all developed or interesting in any fashion. I'm very happy that I decided to re-read this and am anxiously looking forward to The Deathly Hallows on Saturday :-)

105th book - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe

Review -

Becca is the right hand rivka of Satan desperate to get free of him. Nick is a half Markku, a race that once managed to free itself from Satan. When's Nick's sister is kidnapped and held hostage until he murders Satan, Becca is the one he knows he must turn to. Becca and Nick possess information that each wishes to get from the other. However, what starts off as a simple exchange of assistance and knowledge quickly becomes much more complicated as plots come to light and they are forced to rely more on each other than they ever anticipated.

Another sweet, funny romance with many familiar figures from Rowe's earlier books, including Theresa the dragon and, of course, Satan himself. It is a perfect warm and gooey mind candy for getting away from it all.

106th book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (odd that I can't seem to find the correct book!)

Review -

WARNING Spoilers for Half-Blood Prince -

When we last heard from The Boy Who Lived and his two compatriots they were making plans to skip returning to Hogwarts for their last term in order to track down Voldemort's Horcruxes. Although the majority of the book deals with this quest there are plenty of other dramas along the way including wedding plans, Harry's feelings about Ginny, Hermione and Ron's constant love/hate squabbling, the winning over of former enemies and keeping off of the ministry and death eater's radars. I very much enjoyed this last installment. I found the adventure interesting and engrossing (enough to read the entire book between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. the next day) despite the more emotional scenes. Although I'm very sad to say goodbye to Harry I feel satisfied in Rowling's resolution of her tale.

107th book - The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

Review -

Elena (a.k.a. Ella Cinders) has always felt the weight of something pressing down on her, something else that she should be doing other than waiting hand and foot on her horrible step-mother and step-sisters. What she didn't realize is that "something" was The Tradition. A force of destiny that can make a maid a princess, level a kingdom or turn a selfish prince into an ass (literally) depending on the tale it has decided to follow. With this realization Elena finds herself with a choice, to follow the course The Tradition has laid before her, or to forage into her future on her own.

As with the other Mercedes Lackey novel I read, I found the beginning to be rather slow going as the story all falls into place. However, also as before once the story got underway it was certainly an adventure of enticing interest. I enjoyed Elena and her supporting cast of characters, even the unicorns (who weren't at all like what I have read in other stories LOL). I also liked Elena's reform of Alexander and thought that it was a great part of the story. I certainly sympathized with Elena's frustration over "The Tradition" as I have personally always found the idea of a pre-set destiny a rather disconcerting concept. Overall an enjoyable fantasy with some unique ideas.

108th book Vanquished by Hope Tarr

Review-

Callie Rivers is the figurehead of the woman's suffrage movement and is happy with her dedication to the cause. Until she bumps into portrait photographer Hadrian St. Claire. Hadrian St. Claire, formerly Harry Stone, is trying desperately to leave his past behind. Unfortunately some bad debts have put him in fear for his life and when he is commissioned to produce a damaging portrait of Callie Rivers he can't turn the job down. But as Callie and Hadrian get closer to each other will they discover something worth more to them than causes and money?

When I started off reading Vanquished I wasn't so sure it would be a story I enjoyed. Although the writing was good I feared the storyline would turn out to be something I really wouldn't like. However, I was surprised to find that as the book progressed I began to enjoy the characters more and more. That fact that the history of the story was based on actual events was an added allure. There was particularly gaping hole in the story near the beginning which I think could have been better addressed (I'm sure you could probably guess should you read the book) and left me rather hesitant to read on, but I am quite happy I did. This certainly isn't a novel driven by bedroom scenes, but the ones that are in the book are quite steamy. This book turned out better than I expected although the ending certainly wasn't what I thought it would be and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other readers of historical romance.

Interlude story #3 - Her Majesty's Dog by Mick Takeuchi

Didn't take to long to read the story, but it was so good I just had to add it to the list :-)

Review -

About six months ago I came across a display of manga books. Although I've never been a big comic book fan, I fell in love with the beautiful cover illustrations and began to browse through them. One manga in particular caught my attention, not just for the cover art but also for the book description. The story of a teen psychic and her guardian demon is a tale that sounds right up my alley. However, I just wasn't sure. For months every time I've gone into a book store I go to the manga section, pick it up and put it down again. Today I finally decided to buy the first of the series. I'm so glad I did! Despite my confusion over the format (read back to front and, I think, in the opposite direction of American books) and the very short actual reading time spent on the book, I found it facinating. I loved the storylines about malevolent spirits, the innocent girl and her overprotective guardian. I really enjoyed reading this manga and totally plan to pick up the rest of this series

109th Book - Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Review -

D.J. Schwenk is on her summer vacation from school, but it is not much of a vacation. Ever since her father hurt his hip D.J. has almost single handedly worked the family's dairy farm. With her oldest brothers in college on football scholarships, her youngest brother in little league playoffs and her mother working two jobs, who else is there? When her father's friend decides to send one of her school's rival quarterbacks to her for training D.J. can't figure out why, despite her experience training with her older brothers. However, it is nice having help working on the farm and she really loves football so D.J. goes along with the idea. Dairy Queen is the story of how one girl's decision to not be "just another cow" shakes up her entire world, for better or worse.

I'm so happy to say that I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. D.J. is an amazing character and it was very easy to fall into her life. I loved how both D.J. and Brian's personalities developed during the course of the book. This is probably one of my favorite books that I've read recently and I was very happy to find out that there is a sequel planned. I'd highly recommend this one to anyone middle school and up.

110th book Seduced by the Night by Robin T. Popp

Review -

Former Navy SEAL Dirk is a changling, half human and half vampire, dedicated to the destruction of the true vampires. Beth is a biochemist the Prime Vampires wish to use for their own ends. When Dirk promises to protect Beth with his life he finds himself in danger, of losing his heart (I know, kind of corny, but you get the picture. I'm a bit tired this morning!)

This is the second book in Robin Popp's Night Slayer series. There are a great deal of paranormal romance series out there to choose from and this is one that I intend to keep up with. The idea of a big happy family of slayers living under one roof is kind of well, sweet. I've liked most of the characters introduced so far and am looking forward to reading the next installment.

111th book Wild Thing - An Anthology of Four Paranormal Romances

Review -

Four different tales of paranormal romances ranging from vampires to Atlantians. The first by Maggie Shayne was about a woman who can view the world through animal's eyes and falls for a detective working a rape case where the victim's dog is the only witness, Meljean Brook's tale apparently takes place between her novels Demon Angel and Demon Moon was probably my favorite, Marjorie M. Liu's tale was about a demon hunter and a former priest turned pied piper (seriously!) and Alyssa Day creats a short story based on her character of Bastien from Atlantis Rising which makes me even more anxious to read the book which is currently languishing in my TBR pile.

I liked all the stories. I always find anthologies interesting even though the stories are really too short to have much depth. It is nice to get ideas on what authors you want to be reading.

112th book - In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan

Review -

After crossing the barrier between his world and ours Barak has spent his time being known as the "Pet Other" of Dr. Laurel Young. To avoid any further slander against Dr. Young, Barak and her Paladin lover Devlin Bane arrive at a plan to have Barak re-assigned to work with geologist, Lacey Sebastian. Lacey hates the fact that she has been saddled with the sworn enemy of the Paladins but has no choice but to accept his assignment. However, once Lacey meets Barak she can't help but notice the humanity in him. Will Lacey and Barak be able to overcome the prejudices from within and without to discover the source of an illegal trade responsible for killing both of their peoples?

I definitely think that Alexis Morgan's stories are getting better and better as they go along. Despite the fact that I didn't really like Barak's cavalier attitude about killing for vengence, I still liked his character. I also enjoyed Lacey's character and thought the two made a good match. I'm really looking forward to reading Cullen's story (an excerpt of which was at the end of this book) and certainly intend to continue on with this series.

113th book - The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole

Review-

Grant Sutherland has been on a quest to find the granddaughter of a British Earl lost at sea eight years before. However, the finding of her was only half the battle and now Grant must not only bring the incredibly frustrating Tori home to England, he must fight against his own growing feelings toward the woman he is only supposed to protect.

I very much enjoyed this second story of the Sutherland brothers. Tori was a wonderful no holds barred heroine and it was impossible not to feel a little sorry for Grant as he struggled against feelings he had no previous experience with. My only complaint is that a third story about cousin Ian was obviously set up but after three years and the popularity of Ms. Cole's paranormal romances, I'm doubtful if we will ever get the final story. Even with that the story of Grant and Tori was well wrapped up and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Price of Pleasure to lovers of historical and nautical romances.

114th book - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Review -

I'm not sure how much I can say about the book without putting in spoilers, so I've determined not to say anything about the plot. I think it is safe to say that although there really weren't any unexpected surprises in the book, I still enjoyed the story and wasn't at all disappointed. A few parts were a little slow for me, especially the story telling scenes. Overall I really thought this next installment of Ms. Meyer's Twilight series was well done and I look forward to reading more in the future (and I'm counting the YEARS until I can finally read Midnight Sun, which I'm more excited about than anything else!).

Note - It would be very satisfying if I could just find the right touchstone for this book!!!!

115th book - Thin Air by Rachel Caine

Review -

After what seems like forever we finally get to learn what has happened to Joanne as a result of her last, tragic battle. I've been on a roll of sequels lately (this being the fifth "series" book I've read in the last week or two) which is always a risky proposition, but in this case things worked out okay. Without going into spoilers I will generally say that I would highly recommed the entire Weather Warden series to anyone with an interest in urban fantasies along the line of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books.

116th book - Stranger in my Arms by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

Lara was a widow, or so she thought. Up until the day she received the unwelcome news that her husband Hunter, Earl of Hawksworth, had survived the shipwreck that had freed Lara from her loveless marriage. But, the Hunter who has returned to her does not act at all as he had and instead woos Lara with an affection she had never dared dream of. Is he in fact, a changed man or could he be a doppelganger with a nefarious secret? And a bigger question, does Lara really want to know the truth?

Once again Lisa Kleypas has taken a storyline which may sound familiar and cliché and fleshed it out into an entrancing fast moving tale to keep you guessing. Although I won't say Lara is my favorite Kleypas heroine, being a bit too pious for my taste, I couldn't totally dislike her. Hunter as the hero and the secondary character of Johnny more than took up any slack in the interest level of this story for me. Stranger in my Arms is another wonderful Kleypas novel and I do believe any of her stories are must reads for lovers of historical romance.

117th book To The Limit (Nascar Library Collection) by Pamela Britton

Review -

Self-made multimillionaire Matthew Knight is under doctor's orders to learn to relax. So, he goes and buys a NASCAR race team. To go along with his race team he also hires on brilliant aeronautical engineer, Kristen McKenna. Kristen is smart, funny and beautiful which is apparent to everyone but her. It is especially apparent to Matthew's star driver, Todd Peters. When Todd starts making the moves on Kristen, Matthew quickly learns that in life, like in motor sports, you have to move fast to win.

This contemporary romance was interesting in that it was told from three points of view. In fact, I would say Todd's POV as the prospective suitor probably outweighed the POV of the actual primary love interest. Outside of this there wasn't too much surprising about the story. As with Ms. Britton's other NASCAR romances she has a way of actually making the mechanics of NASCAR itself interesting to read about which is good because it almost outweighs the romance part of the story. It is always nice to see characters from the past NASCAR novels although I did rather miss the little announcer blurbs which didn't make it into this edition. All and all another nice entry into the NASCAR romance series.

118th book The Off Season by Catherine Murdock

Review-

Things for D.J. Schwenk are finally working out. She's helping the football team win games, her best friend has returned and is speaking to her again and she has a boyfriend she can't stop thinking about. However, life can never be that easy and when tragedy strikes it strikes hard. Very soon D.J. is learning that there are more important things in life than football.

I was really apprehensive going into this book having liked "Dairy Queen" so very much. Although it is a much more serious and sad story I thought it was much better. Considering I thought "Dairy Queen" was a pretty amazing book, that's saying something. D.J. is an amazing character that you keep rooting for. This book is a discovery of exactly how strong a person D.J. is and of what she wants to be in the future. I would very highly recommend both of Ms. Murdock's stories.

119th book Fang and Fur Blood and Bone A Primal Guide to Animal Magic by Lupa (non-fiction)

Review -

Here at the outset of this review I have to make the disclaimer that I am not a practitioner of magic although I have always found the subject fascinating. I originally found Fang and Fur Blood and Bone while looking on Amazon for research materials relative to familiars while writing my own novel. My local library system was sorely lacking in any texts regarding practical magic. Regretfully, at that time I only reviewed the portions I felt would be important to my writing and in hindsight, a full reading of this book would have served my purposes much better.

I found this guide to be extremely interesting, and it is just that, "a guide", not a "how to" instructional manual. Lupa takes each aspect of animal assisted magic including totems, familiars, shape shifting, working with animal parts and even animal sacrifice and gives a detailed overview of each. She also gives examples how she has used and benefited from each type of working and spices the prose up with humorous comments and observations. She is not afraid to share any mistakes she may have made and is adamant throughout the book that each practitioner take the time to discover their own methods and results, stressing that every person different and as such, their results may be as well. I also enjoyed her obvious care in outlining that whenever you are using animals in your practice that they deserve to be respected and that proper care must be taken, both spiritually and physically, with these living feeling beings.

Near the end of the guide Lupa tackles some more disturbing processes including a cleansing ritual she performed when she felt she was losing her focus on the animals. I would not suggest the last couple chapters to anyone with a more sensitive disposition.

Although I am a layman and non-practitioner I still felt this guide was educational. I certainly think that it would be beneficial to any person interested in a practical lesson in learning the different aspects of animal magic.

120th book Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Review -

Funny thing about these Harry Dresden stories. I've only read the two of them and for some reason when I started both of them I've gone into them thinking, "I might not like this very much." However, each time I've been very pleasantly surprised. Harry is a very unusual character. Typically we always seem to see stories about the underdog type. People who are awkward but turn out to be more than they appear. Our hero here isn't quite like this. He is good, he knows it and he's not afraid to share that knowledge. He's got a startlingly sarcastic sense of humor and a hero complex. The main thing about Harry though, is he is a genuinely decent and caring person, a character you want to like. In this story Harry risks life and limb in an increasingly confusing case involving werewolves. To make things difficult he is feeling guilty about a number of things from book one and has to live with the burden of one of his best friends, and best customers, no longer having faith in him. This was a great story with lots of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until you read the last sentence.

121st book - The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter

Review -

Katie knows that no normal person would fall for a statue but somehow that is what has happened to her. What she doesn't realize is that the object of her infatuation is really a cursed Stone Prince named Jorlan awaiting a fair maiden's kiss for his release.

This book was entertaining although I found it a bit over the top in places. Katie's father and brothers and the hero all really push the limits of chauvinism. Although I know that this was done deliberately, I still found it annoying. Overall I feel the book was okay and would suggest it to people who also enjoy the sci-fi romances of Rowena Cherry.

122nd book - Tempted In The Night by Robin T. Popp

Review -

This third installment of the Night Slayer Series is headed up by Detective John Brohler who has been working a series of murders he refers to as "The Exsanguinator Cases". Despite the unreality of it John can only come to one conclusion about who, or what, the culprit can be. Jessica Winslow comes for a long line of vampire hunters and has come to the United States to prove herself and her slaying abilities to her family. What she finds isn't at all what she expected.

Unfortunately of the Night Slayer books I've read so far this probably is my least favorite. The hero was a little too pushy for my taste while the heroine seemed a bit to scatterbrained to live. I won't say that I hated this book, because I liked it. Just not as much as the others in the series so far. I would still recommend it to readers of this series and lovers of paranormal romances. It kept my attention and I really enjoyed learning more about the chupacabras. The author has really worked out a fascinating dynamic between the creatures, the vampires and the slayers and I will continue to read future installments of the series.

123rd book - Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

Review-

Aline is the daughter of an earl, McKenna is a lowely servant of no decent breeding. Despite their differences Aline and McKenna grew up as the best of friends and when they got older, their bond transformed into something even deeper. When the Earl learned or his daughter's dalliances, McKenna was sent away and Aline suffered a tragic accident that changed her life. Over a decade later McKenna has returned to his former home determined to take his revenge on the woman who had destroyed his life, but what he finds is that neither time or distance could destroy the bond between them. But will they be able to overcome the secrets and lies to find their love again?

What is a bit different about this novel is that it is actually two romances in one. This is not just the story of Ailne and McKenna, but it is also the story of Livia (Aline's sister) and Gideon, which makes it doubly as good as I found both romances intriguing. This book has the additional allure of being a pre-quil of sorts to Kleypas' popular Wallflower series. I really liked all of the characters, including, surprisingly to me, Lord Westcliff who is the hero of the only Wallflower book I've yet to read. Now I can honestly say I am looking forward to that book much more than I had been before. Kleypas' writing is always very sensual and the love scenes are pretty explicit however I would not say that these scenes detract from the plot. This is another great historical romance by this author that I wouldn't hesitate at all to recommend to people who enjoy this genre.

124th book So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

Review -

Hunter knew the minute he saw Jen's shoelaces that there was something special about her, that she is an Innovator. When Hunter takes Jen to a spur of the moment commercial screening it sets in motion an odd series of events which begin when his boss is kidnapped. As Hunter and Jen search for his missing employer they begin to unearth a much more sinister plot, but is it a plot they want to stop, or one that they want to become part of?

So Yesterday reminded me a lot of Peeps which is still my favorite Westerfield novel. I love the way he works in quirky facts and historical tidbits that make the reader stop and say to themselves, "is this true, or something made up?" For example, was there really a mini ice age that inspired the birth of neck ties? I don't know, but the way it is presented it certainly sounds plausible. Although I origninally thought that the book might qualify as urban fantasy or futuristic, it really isn't either. It is a presentation of corporate society and the effects of advertising on the consuming public that, scarily, may not be that far off the mark. Definitely a fast moving, thought provoking read that I certainly recommend. It is now a strong second favorite for me of the Westerfeld works I've read up to now.

125th book Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Review -

MacKayla "Mac" Lane loved her life. Easy going and happy to just sit by the pool and get a tan Mac was supremely unprepared for the phone call advising her that her beloved sister had been murdered in Dublin. Determined to bring her sister's murderer to justice Mac flies across the ocean and into a nightmare.

This story is a very engrossing murder mystery told from the first person point of view. Unlike a lot of people I don't mind reading stories written in this manner, except when the narrator talks to the reader and foreshadows events to come. Unfortunately this is a recurring theme in this book. In my opinion this story would have been an exceptional one if it weren't for that flaw. For those who are used to Ms. Moning's highlander romances, be warned this is nothing like that. Darkfever is not a paranormal romance, but is instead, a paranormal murder mystery. That's not to say there aren't some explicit scenes, there are, but they are not romantic in the least. Despite my dislike of the foreshadowing element I truly enjoyed this story. You couldn't help but feel bad for Mac being trapped into a life she never wanted or believed in. On the other hand the enigmatic Jericho Barrons is impossible to peg, which provides him with an allure despite his violent tendencies. I think that this book may appeal not only to fans of Karen Marie Moning, but also to fans of the Harry Dresden and Kelley Armstrong stories as well.

Hey Jen,

I loved Darkfever too, though I read it awhile ago when it came out in hardcover.

I read on Karen's website that the story will eventually turn out to be a romance, but she wants it to be a drawn out and well fleshed out story.

Read about it here in an old newsletter....I can't wait for Bloodfever to come out in October!

http://www.karenmoning.com/news/index_sept06.html

Hugs!

Thanks Ilithyia, I'll check that out :-)

126th book Sorcerer's Legacy by Janny Wurts (touchstones don't appear to be working at this time)

Review -

Elienne believes her fate is sealed when her husband is murdered before her eyes and she is cast into a dungeon. However, unknown to her the sorcerer Ielond has a different destiny in mind for her and her unborn child. To save a prince, Ielond bends time to bring Elienne to the kingdom of Pendaire. Once there everything depends upon Elienne's strength and wit to set thing right.

This story was certainly a rollercoaster of twists, turns and action. Once I started I hated to put the book down. Although at parts I wanted to dive in and shake Elienne for her attitude and stubborness I think that this is part of what makes the story so intriguing. I really felt connected to the characters. This is certainly a very good fantasy involving dark magic, court intrigue and personal sacrifice that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

127th book Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Review -

Vicki Nelson was one of Toronto's top homicide detectives until a degenerative eye desease prompted her to resign. Eight months later she is building up her own private investigative agency and ignoring everything and everyone that has to do with her police past until she stumbles upon a gruesome murder scene, the first of more to come. When she is officially hired to investigate the death by a college student intent on revenge against the creature who murdered her boyfriend, Vicki realizes that this case is more than she bargined for. Soon she is neck deep into the world of vampires, demons and college geeks that is as unbelievable as it is deadly.

I was inspired to pick up Blood Price after watching the television show Blood Ties, based on this series of books. Although this story seems to follow the same route as other private investigator/mystery/urban fantasies I've read, after checking out he publication date I don't think this is so much a copy as it may have been a predecessor. The story was interesting although a little slow in places and was much more murder-mysteryish than what I usually read. It seems as though it is a good beginning for a series of books and I can see a potential for an interesting conflict between Vicki, Henry and Mike that I'm kind of curious about. I'll be reading at least a couple more installments in this series to see if it picks up as it goes along.

128th book - Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Review -

Once the sumarian god of fertility before betrayal led to the loss of his powers, Sin is all too familiar with the harm that can be caused by trusting the wrong woman. Katra is the daughter of Artemis sent to complete the destruction of the former god she began long ago. However, when these two forces collide they discover a common enemy, but will they be able to overcome their past to join together and stop an ancient evil that threatens mankind?

Although I have always loved Sherrilyn Kenyon's novels I have to say her most recent ones haven't been my favorites. Oddly, much of the time the small bits of backstory that can be gleened seem to be the most compelling parts. The good thing about Devil May Cry is that this backstory gets a lot of front stage evolution. The bad thing is I felt it kind of overwhelmed the main portion of the book. There were also some events in the book which I don't feel were explored as completely as they could have (unfortunately I can't say what without spoiling the story) But, all in all I was very happy with the book as a whole. I really liked Katra, she was a very unique type of heroine and Sin made a very sympathetic hero. I particularly felt bad for Sin's brother and truly hope that he gets his own story of redemption.

129th book Dragon Heat by Allyson James

Review -

Dragon Heat (Dragon Series, Book 1) by Allyson James
In a novel of double crossing and hidden agendas Caleb the golden dragon is ordered to protect Lisa Singleton, a cook's assistant with an unusual destiny passed on to her by her grandmother.

Dragon Heat was an interesting paranormal romance involving other dimensions, transformed dragons, witches and incubi. I liked the characters of Caleb and Lisa they were each interesting and easy to enjoy. I also really found the subplot involving Saba and Malcolm intriguing and hope that this author will continue to explore their relationship in the future.

130th book - Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Review -

Book three of the Dresden files finds Harry with a new/old partner, new to us but one that has apparently been with him for a while. Michael in a very interesting character in that although he is on a mission from God, he still tolerates Harry's un-church sanctioned wizardry to pursue the better good. We also got to meet Harry's Godmother, who was rather surprising. Murphy didn't have as much page time in this one, which I kind of missed. In this story Harry goes up against a nasty demon and a number of really nasty vampires (and even meets one not so nasty one) The only down side to this fast moving mystery/adventure is that I do get a little tired of reading about Harry getting the stuffing beat out of him every couple pages. However, this isn't enough for me to miss out on reading the next story. I'm looking forward to it.

131st book - Ransom by Lee Rowan

132nd book - Blood Trail by Tanya Huff

133rd book - Jacob by Jacqueline Frank

134th book Love is a Many Trousered Thing by Louise Rennison

Review -

Georgia Nicholson is back again with more tales of torturous love! This time instead of bemoaning her lack of potential snoggies, she is bemoaning the fact that she now has multiple prospects to choose from. As always with this series there were quite a few LOL moments, mostly due to the frisky felines, Angus and Gordy. However, not surprisingly, the main part of the storyline is devoted to the decision between Robbie, the original Sex God who has returned from Kiwi-a-gogo Land and Masimo the Luuurve God from Pizza-a-gogo Land. But, who she ultimately ends up snogging might just lead to more problems than she already had!

Despite Georgia's narcissistic attitude and some rather rude decisions I don't think I could ever get sick of reading her diaries and am really looking forward to the next installment. Also, if I ever get over to Britain I will certainly be trying one of Georgia and Jas' coveted Jammy Dodgers!

135th book - Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson

Review -

Maddie has always been the tough one of her book writing friends and she is now prepared to take on the story of her lifetime. Her Past. When Maddie was five, her mother was shot along with her lover by a jealous wife who in turn, killed herself. Maddie has traveled to Truly, Idaho to uncover the truth of what happened. She knew it would be hard but what she didn't expect was to fall for the last person she should. The son of her dead mother's lover.

When "Tangled Up In You" was suggested as the September monthly read, I didn't realize that it was a continuation of the story of four writers Rachel Gibson first introduced in her books, "Sex, Lies and Online Dating" and "I'm in No Mood For Love". I was quite happy to discover this and it did add to my enjoyment of the book. Although I really didn't like Maddie at first I did grow to like her. Especially after she adopted little Snowball. Mick Hennessy made a decent enough hero and was very easy to like as well. I didn't find the story terribly exciting, but with contemporary romances exciting adventure lines don't seem to be the norm. It thought this story was well written, easy to read and definitely a worthy third installment to Gibson's quadruplet of writer romances.

136th book - Sunrise Alley by Catherine Asaro

Review -

Sam Bryton left her position as a top AI/EI scientist due to the government and corporate disregard of the ethics and compassion she felt was necessary when dealing with the new, man-made intelligent computers they were creating. So, when Turner, a cybernetic construct created from a dead bellboy, washes up on the shore of her beach home she can't help but respond to his plea for help. Turner is an amazement beyond anything Sam has ever seen before. Although he retains his memories, thoughts, feelings and appearance of being human only a few organs are truly human. Even his brain has been scanned and replaced by a matrix. On the run from the forces that would make Turner a slave Sam soon finds herself testing the strength of her beliefs, as she begins falls in love with a being who may be more machine than man.

I haven't read much science fiction lately but the little I have, and certainly in the case of “Sunrise Alley”, the stories have been exceptional. This book kind of reminded me of the Terminator premise except that the computers have a much more complex agenda. I shared Sam's apprehension about Turner's continuing metamorphosis into something other than human and unlike when I read romances, the outcome was never certain. I did enjoy this story and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys futuristic and science fiction tales.

>#168 - I read that book in the Baen Free library online, and I really enjoyed it! I was surprised, because I haven't like a great number of Catherine Asaro's books before.

I thought that one was just super, though.

>169 dressagegrrrl: Thanks for the comment! I think I will probably read the sequel, Alpha, as well. It sounds pretty interesting.

137th book - Unbound (Silhouette Nocturne) by Lori Devoti

Review -

Risk is a hellhound bought and held by a witch who uses him to hunt and bring to her other witches so she can drain their powers. Kara's desperation to find her identicle twin, Kelly, leads her to the bar Guardian's Keep where she is hunted by terrifying dogs and saved by a mysterious man who knows more about her than she knows about herself. That she is a witch with unimaginable powers that can either save her and her sister, or corrupt her very soul.

This is the first of Silhouette's Nocturne novels that I have read. Although I haven't heard wonderful things about the series so far, I thought that Unbound was certainly a well written and interesting paranormal romance. The main characters of Risk and Kara were likable and I really enjoyed the subplot involving Risk's son. I also liked that characters other than vampires and weres were involved and the author has created an interesting universe that I would certainly not mind reading more stories in. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Unbound to my fellow lovers of paranormal romances.

138th book - The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Review - The widow Anna Wren is desperate to find a job to support her meager household. The Earl of Swartingham is in need of a secretary that won't run away when he loses his temper (which happens quite frequently). When the Earl and Anna agree to the business arrangement both are surprised to find themselves quickly enamored of each other. But each is afraid to reveal their feelings to the other because such a union is considered impossible because of social status. When Anna discovers the Earl is going to a exclusive bordello in London she concocts a plan to meet with him without revealing her identity knowing if she were to be discovered it may ruin her forever.

In expanding my author base for historical romances I'm never sure if I will like a book or not. "The Raven Prince" was certainly one I don't regret reading. I enjoyed both Anna and the Earl. It was interesting how the author took pains to make the hero somewhat obnoxious, temperamental and not overly attractive and yet still managed to make him very likable at the same time. Even the secondary character of the Earl's dog was utterly charming in similar uncouth way. Another thing I found rather cute, although it will probably depend on what edition of this book you read, is that the author gave a little interview with the Earl at the end of the book which made me giggle. I thought that this romance was very enjoyable and plan to read more by this author.

139th book The Seduction by Marilyn Wallace

Review -

Lee Montara is a New York photo editor whose boyfriend was murdered four months before. When her plans to vacation in Cozumel are ruined by an over zealous photographer she decides to visit her sister's family in the dreamy Taconic Hills. However, soon after Lee arrives the peace of her sister's life is disturbed by black ribbon tied, rotting gifts and strange phone calls. As the incidents escalate and the danger to her sister's family becomes more pronounced Lee decides it is time to do anything she can to find out who is terrorizing them and do anything in her power to stop him.

I have never been a big fan of mystery/crime/suspense novels so I do not have much basis for comparison against others of this genre. This particular book came into my possession in an unusual way and I've held on to it for years for purely sentimental reasons. However, it had always been my intension to read it eventually and it is rather nice to have finally accomplished this. The story itself is told in an unusual method of the climax of the tale being interwoven in spurts along with the telling of the tale. The writing is smooth and descriptive. It rather reminded me of the feeling of a hot summer day, that drowsy, laid back feeling of not wanting to go anywhere fast. A number of characters come up throughout the story who could be potential suspects and I certainly didn't guess who-done-it before the end. My only true complaint would have to be about the really very abrupt ending. A little more of an afterward to wrap up the story would have been nice. I thought this book was okay, not really my cup of tea, but not terrible.

140th book (I think I might have missed one!) Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

Review -

In Harry Dresden's newest adventure we find our hero in the state of depression from months of desperately seeking a cure for his love with no luck. However, along comes your friendly neighborhood werewolf to give Mr. Dresden a kick start in the right direction. Soon things are back in the familiar arena of deadly peril, scary creatures and thick-headed wizards (not just talking about Harry either!)

This book took me much longer to read than the first three Dresden books. I guess I just didn't get caught up quite as much in this story. However, that doesn't mean it bored me. We learn a lot more about fairy and wizard politics which is interesting. I also found that although Harry continues to get kicked around a lot, it wasn't as overwhelming as the last book. I also really enjoy the relationships between Harry/Murphy and Harry/Billy. As usual this book is sprinkled with LOL one liners ("Behold the angry wizard puttputt-putting away.") A good installment in this intriguing series.

141st book - Dark Prince by Christine Feehan (re-read)

Review -

Mikhail is the leader of a dying race and ready to give in to the darkness that haunts his soul. But somehow at his darkest hour he is touched the the spirit of another, the one who makes him want to live again. Raven is an American exhausted from using her psychic abilities to hunt serial killers. She thought a trip to the Carpathian Mountains would allow her the time to be alone and heal. However, when she is touched by a soul more tormented and alone than anything she has ever felt before, she cannot help but reach out to him. Together will Mikhail and Raven be able to heal each other and an entire race?

I totally didn't intend to re-read this book right now, but it kind of snuck up on me when I had it in my hand and started skimming through the pages. When I first read this story of paranormal romance I really enjoyed it and it has certainly lost none of its appeal on a second reading. I've recently read a number of reviews of Feehan's series which outline a dislike of her overly dominant male characters and weaker female characters. Honestly I don't agree with it, especially in this case. I never saw Raven as a weak character and really enjoyed the teasing exchanges between her and Mikhail. Of course, my favorite character of this series has always been Jacques who has a decent size part in this story. The only thing I found a bit off-putting, although much less now since I'm familiar with all the characters from already having read their stories in later books, is that the way the book is written characters appear in a fully established way and leave you feeling you've missed something when you really haven't. However, this is a very small irritation and really didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel. Certainly I consider this book as a staple of paranormal romance and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone who enjoys the vampire genre.

142nd book - Everlost by Neal Shusterman

Review -

Fourteen year olds Allie and Nick aren't exactly sure what happened when their cars crashed in to each other. All they know is that nothing is the same. The real world they were once a part of is like quicksand, the dead forest is real and monsters exist.

Everlost is an imaginative tale about death and the hereafter up to age 16. I thought that the child based society of kids bumped out of the tunnel which was taking them to where they were going after they died was quite unique. I really liked the characters. Allie's snarkiness and Nick's steadfastness made good counterparts to each other. I even enjoyed the ending and that it wasn't tied up neatly in a bow. All in all a very enjoyable tale of fantasy I would not hesitate to recommend to teens and adults.

Jen,

It's almost eerie how we read so much of the same stuff! Of course, maybe that's because we getting the same recommendations!

I have Everlost out of the library at the moment, so I'm glad to hear that you liked it.

Also I'm reading Dark Possession right now and just thinking how long it's been since I read some of the earlier books, starting with Dark Prince, and how before long I should start rereading some of them again too! Jacques wasn't my favorite though....actually I'm not sure who my favorite is....though I remember really liking Dark Challenge, with Julian and Desari because she was a powerful Carpathian in her own right. I guess I'll have to reread them just so I can pick a favorite!!

P.S. I know how you said you liked those Kresley Cole pirate books...I was so close to buying them this morning. But I'm going away this weekend and decided to restrain myself (what a feat)! Maybe I'll check and see if the library has them ;-p

ttfn

Ilithyia - I'm anxious to read Dark Possession and had planned on picking it up at Borders over the weekend. Oddly, the book was nowhere to be found so I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer. I did really like the Kresley Cole nautical romances, almost as much as her paranormals. She has a great sense of humor!

143rd book - Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank

Review - Gideon is a centuries old demon dedicated to the care and healing of his people. As ancient as he is with the weight of past deeds and ages old guilt he has forsworn emotion so he could dedicate himself to his calling. Magedlina is the beloved sister of the Prince of the demon people and an empath of remarkable power. Spurrned by Gideon years before she had made a point to avoid the mystic healer at all costs. However, destiny has other ideas in store and in a moment of passion Gideon and Madelina are bound together, imprinted so that no one can ever come between them.

I thought this book was very good, in spurts. Although I like the Nightwalker universe Ms. Frank has built up and enjoyed the first novel, Jacob, very much this one, unfortunately, seemed to drag quite a bit. There seemed to be a great deal of re-hashing of ideas, feelings and language throughout the story which simply became a little tiresome for me. Usually I really enjoy concentration on the thoughts and feelings of the hero and heroine, in this romance I really enjoyed the action sequences a bit better. Although I had a bit of a hard time getting through the story I still intend to give the next volume of this series a shot.

144th book - The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Review - Vladimir Tod is your average, goth-like teen who is crushing on a girl and worrying about his grades. He also happens to be a vampire who has to wear sunblock to school and hide blood in his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Vlad had always thought he was the only one of his kind until he discovers he is being stalked by whoever murdered his parents. Will he be able to unravel the puzzles left behind by his father in time to save himself?

Eight Grade Bites was a little campy, but not so much that I disliked it. In fact, I really rather enjoyed the story. I thought that Vladimir was a very likeable guy. This certainly wasn't a dark and romantic story and really was a book about Vlad trying to fit in despite his differences. In this case the difference is that he is a vampire. I did find one part eerily deja vuish (a la "My Familiar") but that is an entirely personal thing. Basically this was a pretty cute story with vampires. I'd recommend it to grades middle school and up, especially those teens with a fondness for books such as "Vampire Kisses" and "Boys that Bite".

145th book Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin

Review-

When Raine decided to keep an eye on her sometime contact Quentin she didn't expect her attempts to keep him safe would land her in a heap of trouble that started with being attacked by a conclave of goblin sorcerers and ended with her being possessed by a powerful amulet. Another unfortunate side effect of her unwanted new piece of jewlery is the amount of people after it, including a powerful goblin Shaman and a elven guardian who is too attractive for Raine's peace of mind. Soon everything and everyone Raine holds dear is being threatened and she is determined to do anything it takes to save them all. But what she fears the most is that the cost might be her soul.

I found this story to be a pretty enjoyable fantasy tale once I figured out who everyone was. There were a number of characters thrown at the reader in a very short time period which made it a little confusing. However, I did find the characters we got to know the best very compelling. Everyone, from Raine's pirate cousin to her spellsinging adopted little brother were facinating. Of course, Raine, Tam and Mychael (I love the unusual spelling!) were great characters as well. Although the story left off with a few loose ends which make a sequel rather obvious, it wasn't an unbearable cliffhanger. Another enjoyable facet of the book was Raine's dry wit which, at least at the beginning, reminded me a lot of Harry Dresden. This kind of faded away during the course of the story, but it was nice while it lasted. Certainly a fast moving fantasy foray that I wouldn't hesitate to anyone looking for an interesting diversion.

146th book Your Planet or Mine? by Susan Grant

Review -

When Jana was 9 she was mute, but that didn't stop her from making fast friends with the little boy she found stuck in the tree outside her bedroom window. Convinced the boy was her own personal Peter Pan it was no surprise that when he left her he granted her the wish of "The Gift of Gab".

Many years after leaving Earth and the girl he always loved Cavin of Far Star has returned to save her life and, consequently, all humanity on the planet. All he has to do is convince Senator Janna of California (who he knows as "Squee") to take her to her leader and convince the world that they are about to be invaded.

Sound silly? It is, but it is also a wonderfully cute book which unapologetically steals scenes and lines from pop culture and The Terminator. I really enjoyed it. Even the idea of a walk on water political family who does no wrong, as far fetched as it is, couldn't bring the story down. Janna and Cavin are a wonderful combination and their romance is very sweet. If you're looking for a story based completely in romantically silly escapism I'd certainly recommend this one.

147th book It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

It had been animosity at first site between willful American Lillian Bowman and English Lord Marcus Westcliff. Now with the prospect of returning to Westcliff's estate so that she can comply with her mother's wishes to find a husband of suitable peerage Lillian, along with her younger sister Daisy, are determined to do their best to comply. However, capitulation has never been in their blood and the sisters find themselves sneaking about only to be caught by Lord Westcliff himself. To Lillian's surprise he not only helps them in their transgression she suddenly finds herself in the arms of the one person she had hated more than any other.

I can't say enough about how much I have enjoyed this book. Unfortunately I read the Wallflower series, of which this one is the second volume, completely out of order which spoiled some of the surprising twists and turns for me. I would certainly never have guessed the nature of the climax unless I had already read the other books. It was surprising to me just how much I enjoyed Lillian and Marcus as characters because they have always been my least favorite of the series. I guess you just have to see things from their perspective. And what a wonderful perspective it is. This story is certainly adventurous and romantic and I cannot recommend it, and the rest of the series, enough to lovers of historical romances.

148th book - Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Review -

Determined to avenge her sister's death Mac has decided to remain in Dublin, despite the troubling and horrifying truths she has uncovered about a world previously known and her own connection to it. However, when Mac starts seeing the specter of death haunting her steps will she be able to avoid a pending doom? More importantly, can she trust those who say they want to keep her alive to follow through on their promises?

This story seemed to be a much tighter story than Darkfever. I especially appreciated that the foreshadowing that had been so annoying was mostly absent from this tale. Bloodfever is certainly an engrossing adventure into the dark world of fairie. Once again, those looking for a romance novel will probably be disappointed but those who are fans of Harry Dresden, Aisling Gray and Kenyon's Dark Hunters will certainly appreciate the dark ambiance and paranormal thrills this story offers.

149th book - The Black Dragon by Allyson James

Review -

Malcom, the uber logical black dragon, had all the reason in the world to dislike witches. But when it came to Saba, the witch he had once enslaved, logic and reason seemed to escape him.

When Malcom had left Saba months earlier she had sworn never to fall prey any dragon ever again. However, when Saba is attacked by a viscious white dragon she has no choice but to call Malcom to her.

Driven together again by a threat to all of dragon kind Malcom and Saba have to work to discover how to stop the white dragon. Although they are helpless against their attraction to each other, will it be enough for them to have a future if they succeed in their task?

Even in the first book of this series, Dragon Heat, I had been drawn to the relationship between Malcom and Saba. I really enjoyed both characters very much. In this book there are also some very interesting side characters introduced which added a nice sub-plot to the story. Although I thought the language was a little awkward in places, it is not unusual for me to feel this way about romances in general, and I easily got past that so I could enjoy the book as a whole. I found this to be a very entertaining read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others who enjoy paranormal romances.

150th book - Raging Hearts - The Guardian Heart Crystal Series by Amy Blankenship

Review -

Kyoko is an ordinary college student who has realized an extraordinary destiny. Reincarnated from the Maiden of the Guardian Heart Crystal Kyoko has been charged with the quest of finding the shards to make the Crystal whole once more. Unfortunately, evil sects of demons are also determined to own the crystal and will stop at nothing to do this. For their nefarious purpose the demons have chosen to possess Hyakuhei, former guardian of the crystal and love of Kyoko's maiden ancestor. Luckily Kyoko is not alone on her journey. Five immortal brothers have carried on the heritage of protection of the crystal and of Kyoko. As her journey has gone on Kyoko has grown to love all of the brothers, but her the passion of her heart belongs to only one, Toya. Cursed with a dark side of his own, held back only by the ceremonial daggers he carries, Toya returns her affection hundred-fold, but both are afraid to admit their feeling to the other. However, when Toya's oldest brother, Kyou, decides that he also wishes Kyoko for himself Toya is determined not to give Kyoko up without a fight. Trapped in a love triangle, Kyoko has no desire to be further cause of conflict between the two strong willed brothers. With time running out and demons closing in Kyoko makes her choice of mates. Unfortunately fate is not always kind, turning love to obsession and thrusting Kyoko from past to present believing she has betrayed the very reason for her existence.

When I first ordered this book I really wasn't sure if it was a young adult story, romance or fantasy. Now, if I were to choose a genre I would say it lands firmly in the fantasy category. I found the story to be very unique involving time/dimensional travel, demons, romance and horror in an easily read and engrossing manner. It only took me a day and a half to read this 400+ page book. There is some word and tense confusion which could have been corrected with a little extra editing, but I didn't find these mistakes to be hugely distracting from the story. It is also obvious from the language that the author enjoys both manga and romance, which I certainly appreciate since I read both of these genres avidly.

One thing I did notice is that the story kind of lands you in the middle of an already ongoing adventure. This leaves you guessing a bit at what happened in the past. I'm not sure if this is because this is a middle book in a series, or if the book was written this way purposely. I do know this is part of a series, but unfortunately I can't figure out its placement in that series.

Overall I really enjoyed this story very much. It is certainly a fantasy with an emphasis on romance which is a preference to me in the fantasy genre. I think this book works well as a stand alone story if one wanted to try this author and series.

Since none of the touchstones I've tried for this book work, if you're interested in this book please feel free to check it out in my catalog or go to the AuthorHouse website to find out more.

Now that I've reached my second goal of 150 books, I think I'll bump it up to 175. With a little under 2 months to go, I'm not sure I can do it, but it will be fun to try :-)

unfortunately I can't figure out its placement in that series.

I have noticed an annoying trend of that information not being listed on the cover (or anywhere else, for that matter). Usually I can figure it out by looking at the 'other books by this author' list near the front - it generally seems to have them listed in order. But it is so aggravating to have to do that every time I pick up a book.

I just bought a trilogy that is the same way, there is definitely a specific order but the only way to find out is to look inside, because it doesn't even give a hint anywhere else. And a while ago, I accidentally picked up the third book instead of the second in a different trilogy and was spoiled for a major plot point (the death of a main character, and who killed him) because I didn't realize until then that it was the wrong book.

Sometimes you can tell the order from the publication date, look on the copyright page. Or if you think all the books might not be on the shelf...ask a bookseller.

**Tangent
I know lots of you have mentioned that you don't like to ask questions of booksellers, to find books, to order books, are embarrassed by the book you're looking for etc. But honestly (I say this from having worked in a B&N for the last 8 years)...that's what we're there for! You'd be surprised how knowledgeable some booksellers are (plus we have a decent database to look things up in). I've had customers walk up to me not knowing author or title and we've still managed to track down the book.
Also I often find great books that I want to read from questions by customers, recommendations, or just going to that section to find something for them and something else catches my eye.

Okay, this became a rant on why it's okay to bug the booksellers (I do that a lot)....but sometimes they can be helpful in figuring out series order, finding backlists, or knowing when a new book will be released.

~Your friendly neighborhood bookseller

This one was an AuthorHouse book so isn't one you'd find in your average bookstore. I did do a little looking on amazon to see if I could post a review on there as well, and lo and behold you can get the book through there as well. I wasn't sure if it would be on there. Turns out it is the second book of the series.

151st book Mad About Max by Lisa Plumley

Review -

Max has always been about working hard and playing hard. Unfortunately the working hard part has just lost him his fun loving girlfriend along with all of his suits she has decided to relieve him of. Lucy is a heart of gold, best intensions type of gal determined to make a go of the vintage clothing store she is managing. Finding a truck load of men's designer suits in the donation box really made her day and the underwear clad owner asking her to return them was the cherry on top of her find. When Lucy insists that Max volunteer at her shop to get his suits back neither one of them count on the fact that opposites attract.

Mad About Max is a cute lighthearted romance which does justice to the familiar tale of the poor but generous woman and the rich, driven man she changes just enough for them to fall madly in love. There are some definite giggle worthy parts in this story, especially in the beginning, which make it a very enjoyable read. I even liked the sub-story about Max and Lucy's respective best friends and their own foray into the world of romance. If you have a weakness for sweet contemporary romances I would highly recommend this one.

152nd book - Dark Possession by Christine Feehan

Review -

Counselor MaryAnne agreed to travel to the jungles of South America for the conscious purpose of aiding young woman who had been brutalized and raped. But subconsciously she has to question her motivations. Accompanying them to South America is the body of Manolito de la Cruz, a man she had never met who was murdered in the heroic act of saving another’s life. For reasons she cannot fathom MaryAnne is driven by the need to stay by the body of the fallen warrior while she unaccountably mourns his violent death.

Manolito de la Cruz has always been an honorable warrior, but waking up confused and disoriented he finds himself in a world which is at once both his home and not his home. The only thing he knows is his desire to be with his lifemate, who is no where to be found.

With this 15th novel in her Carpathian series it would be expected that the author might re-hash a bit of storyline. However, I found this tale to be novel, fresh and totally enchanting. Up to this point I haven't been impressed by the de la Cruz brothers as they seem to be even more aggressive and dominating than their Carpathian counterparts. Surprisingly to me I really enjoyed Manolito and his relationship with MaryAnne, they seem to be on much more equal footing than many of the past Carpathian pairings. I really enjoyed this story involving totally new ideas and characters outside of the usual vampire/Carpathian storyline and would certainly recommend it to other vampire romance fanatics.

153rd book - Falling for Romeo by Jennifer Laurens

Review -

John and Jen had been neighbors forever and were once best friends. But somehow after middle school they grew apart with John becoming the ultra popular, ultra cute track star and Jen remaining in the student body of mediocrity. However, when John and Jen find themselves playing Romeo and Juliet in their senior year their relationship changes again and they are caught between being friends, strangers and something else entirely.

This story centered around a production of Romeo and Juliet which, surprisingly, I have never read and/or seen. So, I really enjoyed the way the author worked in the quotes from the play. I also liked how the different aspects of putting together a production was made a part of the story. John and Jen were great characters and were both easy to relate to. John in particular was a very sympathetic character, especially once when we got a look into the why of his being so driven to achieve which ultimately is what made him popular. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in a cute, semi-sweet story of romance and friends becoming something more.

154th book Red Handed by Gena Showalter

Review -

Ever since Phoenix's father left her and her mother her life has been in a downward spiral. Discovery of the highly addictive alien drug, Onadyn, made her hit rock bottom. Unable to stand watching her daughter ruin her life her mother sent her to rehab and once out, Phoenix was determined to stay clean. When Phoenix is attacked by an alien at an illegal party her mother, understandably believing she has returned to her drug-addictive ways, decides she has had enough and sends Phoenix to reform school. What her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has actually been recruited by a highly elite government branch of alien hunters. The school is strict, the punishments are harsh, but Phoenix is determined to make it through and become an agent. She will not let anything stand in her way, not the drug addiction she constantly fights, the prejudice against her from some of the older students, or her attraction to her class instructor. More than anything Phoenix wants to become an alien hunter to make her mother proud and save her friends.

I have read a few of Gena Showalter's adult romance and liked them. However, "Red Handed" is certainly the best book I've read by her so far. With a fantastic blend of action and drama this is one of the best teen sci-fi books I've read. Phoenix was a great character in her determination to overcome her addictions and prove herself to be not just a worthy person, but a worthy friend, agent and daughter. I also enjoyed the scenes between her and Ryan, her fellow agent, instructor and crush, a lot. Although more sci-fi than fantasy and totally lacking in vampires, I really think this book would be great for those fans of "Twilight" that are looking for interesting stories to fill the gap between Stephenie Meyer's releases.

155th book Blacklisted by Gena Showalter

Review -

Camille Robins was never an adventurer. She did well in school, listened to her parents and played the straight and narrow. Of course, when her best friend concocted a plan for her to meet the boy of her dreams at a shady club Camille was unable to resist telling one small lie to have the chance of a lifetime. Unfortunately she didn't realize that this particular boy and this particular chance of a lifetime might simply end her life instead.

Erik was used to living a double life. On the run from an elite government agency for being a drug dealer and acting the part of a normal high school student had become habit for him. Betrayed by those he trusted, he now had a cause and it was the only thing he allowed to matter to him. However, when a high school crush ruins his plans and exposes him to the agents who he had once called friends, Erik finds that he is more than capable of careing and trusting than he thought was possible and certainly more than what is healthy for him.

This second story of Gena Showalter's Teen Alien Huntress books completely turns a 360 on what we learned about her world in Red Handed. Amazingly, she took a very compelling plot and made it even better by looking at it from the other side. In this book we see the "good guys" turned to the people to be feared and she does a fantastic job of it. Innocent Camille is pretty much the opposite of tough, kick ass Phoenix who was our first introductory heroine to this world, but she was certainly as much, if not even more so, of a likeable character. Erik was certainly a much more complex character than the brief glimpses of him in the preceeding book would ever have lead you to believe. I do feel I should put in that there is one scene in Blacklisted which leads me say that this book would be for older teens (Ms. Showalter's romance roots taking part). I found both of these books to be very compelling and would have no hesitation in recommending them to lovers of Holly Black, Stephenie Meyer and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes works.

156th book The Oldest Kind of Magic by Ann Macela

Review -

Daria came from a family of witches and wizards using her powers to augment her chosen profession as a management consultant. Bent is temporary CEO of a company taken over by Grinnell Corporation that is having unprecedented financial difficulties. Daria's burnt out but Bent is desperate for answers and feels Daria would be best for the job. Daria is determined to stay away but when she begins receiving threats she becomes determined to ferret out the source. But the more Daria and Bent work together they find something more powerful than any corporate takeover driving them into each others arms. It is an imperative, a soul mating and the oldest kind of magic.

I found this story to be a very contemporary paranormal romance. There wasn't any of the light horror aspect you usually find with paranormals and more got into the mundane world of corporate building. Another unusual thing is that with many romances there is some type of friction between the hero and heroine, but in this one just about all the conflict is from an outside source. I liked the book, especially the cat characters of Zorro and Lolita, although I generally found it to be a little bland. However, I sometimes feel I am a bit of an action/romance junkie so it could just be me. It was a very nice, readable romance with just enough magic and mystery to get me through.

157th book Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas

Review -

When Bowstreet Runner, Grant Morgan, is called in to the scene of a drowned woman he is startled to discover that the corpse in question is not only alive, but is also the beautiful courtesan, Vivien Duvall. Despite his distaste for the gossip Ms. Duvall had spread about him after his rejection of his of her charms Grant takes the beauty into home, determined at exact his own revenge against her while seeking the person who tried to murder her. Grant soon finds his vengeful plans in jeopardy as when Vivian awakes she not only has no recollection of who she is, she appears to be a changed person. This Vivian is both innocent and frightened, stirring feelings of protectiveness that Grant cannot deny. Will he be able to figure out the murder mystery before he loses his heart to the woman he is supposed to hate?

This was certainly another lovely historical romance from Ms. Kleypas. I liked both Grant and Vivian although I suspected the twists and turns of the story pretty much from the start. I like how she always seems to add in elements of believable danger and excitement into her stories to keep the reader glued to the pages.

158th book Even Vampires Get the Blues by Katie MacAlister

Review -

Paen Scott was, if not happy, at least content with his life as a dark one. Determined to find a way to live without the necessity of finding a "Beloved" his research completed him, or so he thought.

When Finn and Paen Scott seek out half-elf Samantha Cross to help locate an ancient monkey statue it is a boon to her new investigative agency. The thing is, whenever she gets close to the enigmatic Paen Scott her libido goes into overdrive and business is the last thing on her mind.

Will a Master of the Night Dark One and his sun loving unwanted half-elf Beloved be able to get past the bad guys to find the statue and rescue Paen's mother's soul? You have to read to find out :-)

Like all of Katie MacAlister's stories Even Vampires Get the Blues was equal parts humor, adventure and romance. Although I still prefer her Aisling Grey novels to her vampire ones I certainly do find them entertaining and lively, quite likely to leave you with a smile on your face at the end. If you're looking for campy romances like Mary Janice Davidson's without the attitude I would certainly suggest these Beloved books.

159th book - Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Review -

I have to say starting out that I had reservations about how seriously you can take about a book which reincarnates King Arthur and Company as teenagers. But, I have to admit, Meg Cabot certainly pulled it off! This story starts off with Elaine (named for the little known, ill fated first love of Sir Lancelot) moving to Como Park when her professor parents go on sabbatical to write novels. Devoted to spending her time lounging on a water raft in their new swimming pool Elaine is ambivalent about attending her new school until she meets Avalon High's star quarterback and most popular nice guy, Will Wagner. Oddly, Will seems equally drawn to her despite the fact he has Jennifer, his beautiful cheerleader girlfriend. As one could guess the lives of these ordinary teens start to get a little strange as the parallels between them and the historical figures grow. But, could the powers of darkness really be using Will's step-brother Marco against him, as their teacher Mr. Morton (a.k.a. Merlin?) thinks, or is it all just a coincidence of legendary proportions?

Part of the reason I enjoyed this so much is because of the twists and turns made with this story within a plot line that just about everyone is familiar with. Although it follows the legend there is enough play here to keep it fresh. I really enjoyed the characters of Will and Elaine which is especially surprising because I don't usually go for characters that are just so "good". I think it is because they are depicted as totally believable teens with feelings and circumstances that really make you sympathetic to them.

The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was that I kind of hated to see the story end. Checking it out to see if this was part of a series, it turns out there is a sequel. However, it is a manga as opposed to a novel. Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy manga, but I'm not so sure about writing a sequel to a story in such a different format from the original. Something about that just doesn't seem right.

I certainly thought this was a wonderfully entertaining book which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of both contemporary and fantasy teen lit, it could go either way depending on how you look at it.

160th book - On the Prowl an Anthology

Review-

This anthology contains four fantasy/paranormal romances. The first by Patricia Briggs takes place in her Mercy Thompson universe without Mercy. Instead this one concentrates on Samuel's brother, Charles, and a illegally made female were (illegal because it was done without her consent), Anna. Anna lived in fear of male weres because after being changed she had been brutalized by the males in the pack. However, Charles immediately knows she is something more special about her than she has been told and the local pack leader has a decided interest in making sure Anna stays with him.

The second story is by new-to-me author Eileen Wilks. This story takes place in a world where magic users and magical beings have recently been revealed to the world due to a flux which has made them all stronger. In a town full of suspicion telepath, Kai and her neighbor, Nathan have developed an unusual friendship. However, their friendship could prove to be deadly to them both when Nathan's true self is revealed and Kai is put in jeopardy by an outside murderous force.

"Buying Trouble" by Karen Chance seems to be the only truly stand alone story of the anthology. In this a null named Claire is unknowingly put up for auction. When she discovers this Claire is desperate to escape, even if it means joining forces with a mysterious fairie who may be helping her only for his own purposes. I want to mention that in this story Heidar is a stand out character being the first fairie I've read who has a very developed sense of humor :-)

The last short is a continuation of Sunny's Mona Lisa series. Although when I first started this series I really enjoyed it, for some reason it seems to be losing its appeal. This story centered on Mona Lisa discovering a horrible new truth about herself and taking a new lover. It was okay but it just wasn't my favorite.

Overall I thought this was a very good anthology. The stories become increasingly erotic as they go starting off with the relatively innocent Briggs short and leading up to the much more graphic Sunny one. Another good thing is that I now have two more authors I'd like to read more of, Eileen Wilks and Karen Chance.

161st book - Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine

Review -

Now that Michael has changed even more radically from what he was before, the tensions between the Glass House residents are at an all time high. Shane wants to get out of town and take Claire with him, but she is bound by her promise to the vampire queen, Amelie. However, when Amelie tells Claire exactly what her contract is to entail Claire realizes that things are about to get even more dangerous for her in Morganville than they were before.

This was another really good installment in the Morganville Vampire series, EXCEPT FOR THE ENDING AGAIN! Uggh! Cliffhangers drive me crazy. Part of me wants to wait to read the rest of this series until it is all written, but I know I'll be too curious to do that. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I guess it's good for the writer to get pre-orders on her next book, bad for the reader who has to wait around. Anyway, I really did enjoy the book with Michael still being my favorite character.

162nd book A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer

Review -

This was certainly one of the more unusual books I've read. Although it is categorized as a sci-fi it really doesn't fit into my idea of that genre (technological advances, space ships, robots, etc.). Nor would I really consider it a fantasy, although that might be a closer categorization. Basically the story is of an alternative society (not necessary one on Earth) where men are an extreme rarity that are coveted by women to the point of near obsession. The society is more archaic, more resembling the American West in the 1800s than anything else I can picture. Families consist of large groups of sisters and their daughters with the occasional son. Male children take on many of the responsibilities we would associate with woman during that time period. They are used as chattel, sold for money or traded for other men to be husband to the Eldest daughters. In this book we are not really asked to take on the morality issues of this society, but to go along with the characters acceptance of how things are.

In this story Jarrin is the oldest son of the Whistler Clan, former thieves, turned Knights, turned farmer over generations. The Whistlers have been blessed with not one but four sons who they plan to receive fair compensation for. That is not to say that the sisters do not care for their brothers, but that it is just the way it is. On a day while the Eldest sisters and their mothers are away one of Jerrin's middle sisters witnesses a brutal attack. Knowing that they are obligated to help Jerrin insists they go help the injured party. The young woman they save is none other than Princess Odelia and soon her royal sibling arrives at the Whistler home to claim her younger sister. Despite his sisters' best attempts to protect him, when Jerrin sneaks down for a snack he winds up meeting Princess Renssalier, who is immediately smitten with the intelligent, beautiful boy. Despite her feelings for Jerrin, Ren is aware that any husband for her and her sisters must be of royal blood. Luckily, Jerrin has just such a claim of being the grandson of a missing Prince. As Ren works toward garnering the approval of her mother and sisters for a marriage to Jerrin it becomes clear that there is more at stake than just a marriage. Somebody is trying to sabotage Ren's family and Jerrin could wind up being their pawn to destroy the royal family.

This story was interesting in more ways than just an adventure or a romance. I'm not usually a big fan of world building, but in this case it was not at all boring. I really enjoyed all of the characters, even the minor ones such as Eldest Whistler and Cullen. The idea of more than one sister sharing a husband was a tad strange, but it wasn't at all tawdry or unpleasantly presented. I would certainly suggest this book to anyone with interest in alternate Earth scenarios or those who would like to read a fantasy involving gender role reversal instead of witches and wizards.

163rd book - San Francisco Earthquake 1906 by Kathleen Duey

Review -

Sierra is a chambermaid at the illustrious Palace Hotel and daydreams of the handsome guest, Cameron, declaring his love to her. Joseph is a ranch hand who has been forced into coming to San Francisco by his father on a quest to see that both his high spirited sister and he are properly married. What no one takes into account is how all dreams and plans can be put at risk when unanticipated disasters strike.

This story is a fictional account of several different people taking place around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the resulting fires that nearly destroyed the entire city. Although Joseph and Sierra are the primary characters, their stories are joined by many others in the telling. Rather like a disaster movie you get many points of view on the incident itself and the aftermath. The author does a pretty good job of describing the earthquake, but really it is the after effects of the fire and loss of water that ultimately caused the most damage (or so it seemed from the book). Although I found the story interesting I didn't feel there was a lot of depth to the characters and I felt more removed from the story than part of it. However, overall I think it was a pretty good read that I think would be appropriate for ages 10 and up.

164th book Married to the Viscount by Sabrina Jeffries

Review -

Viscount Spencer Ravenswood was smitten with the American lass Abigale Mercer while visiting the colonies with his brother. However, he would have never admitted such a thing either to himself, or to anyone else, unless he were thoroughly foxed and he left without ever giving hint of his interest. So, when Abby showed up at his English manor claiming to be his wife married by proxy it was a bit of a shock. After discovering his brother Nat's plan to trick the young American out of her dowry and knowing the scandal it would cause his family, Spencer felt he had not alternative than to offer Abby a deal. Pretend temporarily to go along with the fake marriage until he could find his conniving brother and he would bring her back to America with her dowry returned to dissolve the union. What Spence didn't count on was becoming so attached that soon he was unwilling to part with his faux wife, even though he was determined never to marry.

Although I've heard much about Sabrina Jeffries's stories, this is the first I've read. I thought this book was well written, fast paced and very engrossing. I enjoyed it very much. Abby was quite a charming character and I couldn't help but have a soft spot for Spence. It did remind me quite a bit of Lisa Kleypas' writing and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to those who enjoy Ms. Kleypas' books as well.

165th book The China Garden by Liz Berry

Review -

Clare had thought she had known everything about her past. Unfortunately, she is about to find out that nothing she had ever known before was the truth. When her mother returns to Ravensmere, her childhood home, destiny and prophesy weave a web around Clare that may make it impossible for her to ever leave again.

When I asked for this book for Christmas last year I was going on only the information that it was a fantasy and a romance. I do agree that it has those aspects in it, but to me it seems almost more a mystery than anything else. The writing style and subject matter seemed very reminiscent of Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising" series although I would say this particular book would be more for teens than children. Personally, I've always had a bit of an issue with matters of destiny, and the inalterability of it. Thankfully in this case I didn't feel overwhelmed by it and thought the author worked it into the story in an acceptable manner. I didn't really care for what I felt was an overwhelmingly fast development of the relationship between Clare and Mark, but once past that part I felt comfortable with it. Truly a pretty unique fantasy that you can't really categorize in terms of vampires, ghosts or fairies. I have read a few reviews stating the book as a “spiritual” novel, but I'm not really sure I would be comfortable saying that myself. Certainly an interesting tale with an exciting ending that I would recommend to teens looking for worthwhile fantasy.