The synopsis: Abigail Von Normal, nonperky, mysterious teen queen of the San Francisco night scene and backup mistress of Tommy, the unintentional Vampire is back to lead you through the 3rd book in the San Francisco Vampire trilogy. Learn what happens to Tommy, Jody, the Vampire Flood, Chet the Enormous Cat, The Smurfette, the Animals, and all your other favorites!
The city of San Francisco is being stalked by a huge shaved vampyre cat named Chet, and only I, Abby Normal, emergency backup mistress of the Greater Bay Area night, and my manga-haired love monkey, Foo Dog, stand between the ravenous monster and a bloody massacre of the general public.
Whoa. And this is a love story? Yup. 'Cept there's no whining. See, while some lovers were born to run, Jody and Tommy were born to bite. Well, reborn, that is, now that they're vampires. Good thing theirs is an undying love, since their Goth Girl Friday, Abby Normal, imprisoned them in a bronze statue.
Abby wants to be a bloodsucking fiend, too, but right now she's really busy with other stuff, like breaking in a pair of red vinyl thigh-high Skankenstein® platform boots and wrangling her Ph.D.-candidate boyfriend, Steve (the love monkey). And then there's that vampire cat Chet, who's getting bigger and smarter—and thirstier—by the minute. Abby thought she and Steve could handle the kitty cat on their own, mais non . . .
Before you can say "OMG! WTF?" Tommy and Jody are sprung from captivity, and join forces with Abby, Steve, the frozen-turkey-bowling Safeway crew, the Emperor of San Francisco and his trusty dogs Lazarus and Bummer, Abby's gay Goth friend Jared, and SF's finest Cavuto and Rivera to hunt big cat and save the city. And that's when the fun really begins.
My thoughts: The book starts in Abby's voice, which - holy crap did I regret this purchase three pages in. But I pushed through and soon the annoyance turned to ribald amusement. And turned back into annoyance any time the book reverted to Abby's voice. All in all though, a hilarious read. My personal favorite voices were those of the cops (who also alternately loathed and were scared of Abby), and her vampire masters. Abby's rat tail also amused me to no end.
The synopsis: Camilla’s Cucinotta: Italian Cooking Classes. Fresh take-home pastas & sauces dailyBenvenuti! (Welcome!)
Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.
But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.
My thoughts: Melissa Senate can be counted on to create a feel good chick lit story with heart and a message. The Love Goddess' Cooking School was no exception to that. From the start, Holly is a girl who worms her way into your heart, and who you're rooting for. The side characters are no less endearing. Mia, Lia and Nonna and the rest of Holly's cooking students are interesting side plots and the developments between them are entertaining also. Everything was neatly tied up and there were no cliffhangers, which, though I love them at times, sometimes it's nice for everything to be finished with a bow so you're not left to wonder and pray for a sequel. The mouthwatering descriptions of the food? Well, Senate did a modified version of the popular inclusion of recipes in the story, and added the collection at the back. I even had my first taste of tiramisu thanks to this book. Equally as fulfilling, and perhaps slightly more mouthwatering, but only just slightly. The book comes out today. Run out to the store, pick up some tiramisu and curl up with this book.
Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.
Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants -- and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?
My thoughts: Quick, witty, and with a good dose of cliff hanging/leading chapter finales, I loved it. The love between Jared and Bronwen is palpable and enticing, and the angst she feels in later decisions is evocative as well. It was an enjoyable read as a whole and the only slight bone of contention for me was just because I miss home so much : Erin McCahan is very devoted to East Grand Rapids, and southwest Michigan as a whole, which was nice, gave me a good dash of homesickness, having left Kalamazoo ten years ago, but sometimes it seemed a bit too ode to East Grand Rapids for me.
The synopsis (from Harper Collins):
In his new novel, The Hour I First Believed, Lamb travels well beyond his earlier work and embodies in his fiction myth, psychology, family history stretching back many generations, and the questions of faith that lie at the heart of everyday life. The result is an extraordinary tour de force, at once a meditation on the human condition and an unflinching yet compassionate evocation of character.
When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously she survives, but at a cost: she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues.
While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers a cache of old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in an upstairs bedroom of his family's house. The colorful and intriguing story they recount spans five generations of Quirk family ancestors, from the Civil War era to Caelum's own troubled childhood. Piece by piece, Caelum reconstructs the lives of the women and men whose legacy he bears. Unimaginable secrets emerge; long-buried fear, anger, guilt, and grief rise to the surface.
As Caelum grapples with unexpected and confounding revelations from the past, he also struggles to fashion a future out of the ashes of tragedy. His personal quest for meaning and faith becomes a mythic journey that is at the same time quintessentially contemporary—and American.
My thoughts: Holy crap. Incredibly deep from the start, this was not a book I could put down. There are three days in my life that I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when things happened that seemed to (and did) rock the world we lived in : September 11, 2001 (in the library my senior year, during my free period. On the computers looking at the New York Times- the first time I looked, both planes had hit. The second- the first tower had collapsed.), the morning we heard Princess Di didn't survive the accident, and of course Columbine (I was home sick from school that morning, and for some reason had decided to watch the news. I didn't turn off CNN for the next four days, and it's always held a power of engrossment for me. I don't know any other way to put that. Columbine touched me more than any other school shooting, and I have no idea why. As soon as I saw that this book touched on it, I grabbed it. I've been wary of Wally Lamb since She's Come Undone. Reactions to it were so visceral, people either loved it or hated it no in betweens, that I avoided his books. And now? I'll still avoid She's Come Undone, but I've already gone out and bought I Know This is True. We start the weekend before Columbine. Though Caelum doesn't say names, we instantly know he's having a conversation with Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. But it doesn't immediately go to Columbine. Weaving in and out of time periods, what could have become overload, was instantly compelling to the point that for three days, I stayed up until 4 am reading. Caelum's story was nothing short of heart wrenching, and Maureen's tragedy and the aftermath created many crying jags for me. One of the most raw, evocative books I've read in a very long time - I've recommended it to several people, 4 of whom have already read, processed, and raved - I will say again that this book is a must read, but be aware that an emotional train ride is in store. And if you're like me (which, thank heavens, most people more than likely are not), be prepared to do another columbine search, looking for any new evidence come to light, or released to the public of what exactly created the monsters in the minds of Harris and Klebold that forever changed and added worries to the minds of high schoolers at the time.
I am 3 days from my due date and have been spending the majority of my time in bed convinced this baby is never going to arrive, while eating myself silly and watching Dawsons Creek seasons from the start.
Ashley is up all night every night with a 700 page book that she cannot put down, so I am sure you will be seeing a review on this novel really soon.
In any case, we are still here, and we will be posting! Please excuse our mini hiatus.
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
My Take
I am really torn on this one! I just cant seem to decide if its a winner or not so I am going to break it down and give you the things I liked and the things I loathed about this book.
I liked the mythology of the book. There is a complex world that blends with the human world that is full of supernatural beings. I did not like that the folklore wasn't well fleshed out. There is one point where all of a sudden there are a whole bunch of new creatures literally coming out of the woodwork, with no explanation as to why or how they exist. We learn what is supposed to happen at this sacred wolf union of two packs, but we never really know much more than that. The author leaves a lot up to the imagination, yet I found myself not caring enough to imagine anything at all.
I disliked Shay, the main male character in the book. Calla is supposed to be joined with Ren, another alpha wolf from a rival pack. Ren is charming, sexy, and exciting to get to know, I really enjoyed his character. Shay on the other hand is something totally different, I can't say much more without giving a lot away. Shay falls for Calla also and visa versa, but I never find myself rooting for Shay. I believe I would have enjoyed this book a whole lot more if his character was more like Ren. Shay always strikes me as the "other guy" so it is strange to have him as the lead male in the book.
I hear the next book out will be a prequel. I find this really strange! The book starts out in a reasonable place and I don't really care what happened before Nightshade starts. I would much rather find out what happens after it ends. Overall I wouldn't bump this one too high to the TBR list.
I just got this "flyer" in my email inbox and I thought I would share!
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and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers
or, as it was sold as in the U.S., On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
.The movie is about a 14 year old girl that keeps a journal of her life, including learning to kiss and parental humiliations. The movie was very well done and I found it to be quite entertaining, considering its for a target audience much younger than I am. My husband even laughed out loud a few times. After seeing the movie I would imagine that the books would be a lot of fun to read! I love dipping into books that aren't "current" anymore, and finding some real gems. Think Bridget Jones at 14 years old, and thats pretty much what we have here.
My thoughts: I've always been fascinated with old movies, music, and the like. Tell me it's from generations past, and I'll probably adore it. Like Annette Funnicello and Frankie Avalon beach movies. I spent many a summer dancing in the basement to the music offered up on those adorable movies. I didn't love Lori Loughlin because she was Uncle Jesse's wife, I adored her because she was the daughter of Annette and Frankie's 80s reunion Back to the Beach. This offers an inside look into Annette as an original Mickey Mouse Club member, the only one handpicked by Walt Disney himself, and the only one to blossom from MMC to a star of her magnitude at the time. Although a few grew into heartthrobs on popular shows of the 60s, Annette is arguably the only one remembered for both her name and as a member of MMC. This was an interesting retrospective that I thoroughly enjoyed, though I have to admit, in the author's interviews with Lonnie, he comes across as every bit as full of himself, eager to disprove everyone and restore his fame. Do not care for him.
The synopsis (taken from Tucker Max's website):
What do you do when you've become rich and famous for writing a #1 best-selling book about your drunken, sexual misadventures? I'll tell you what I do: I write another fucking book.
This is that book. Assholes Finish First is hilarious in ways you will recognize from I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, and in other, newer ways you won't. Of course it has all the sex and debauchery you expect from my writing, but with a twist. You already know how I deal with women when I am poor and anonymous. You have no idea how I do it when I have money and fame.
It also answers the hard questions you've never thought of asking. What's it like to have sex with a midget? How about two of 'em? What happens when you eat too much beef jerky and then drink a gallon of vegetable juice? Or get head in an X-ray machine? The answers are inside, they are absurd, and they are the product of one man's experiences:
My name is still Tucker Max, and I am still an asshole.
My thoughts: Maybe, it's just me- but with a book description like that and the awareness to acknowledge himself for what he is, at least in his books, I really looked forward to this book so much. And I wasn't disappointed in the least. Same Tucker Max, similar tales of mayhem and debauchery. I loved it all. This book definitely is not for everyone, but fans of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell will enjoy Assholes Finish First, and get annoyed that you have to wait another year for more.
My friends and I went to Tucker's book signing at Borders and DC and had so much fun. For someone so vocal about his embracing asshole behaviors, Tucker Max was an extremely amiable guy who was funny, engaging, and articulate.
The synopsis: “Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?”
“Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?”
According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.
TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.
My thoughts: In the interest of full disclosure, I judged this book based on cover and title alone last year after seeing it mentioned on many blogs. I didn't take the time to read about the book until after the Missouri debacle. Now I could kick myself for it, having read the book. Emotionally raw and open, this book is so much more than even the back of the book promises. This is one of those books, for me, that I see rather than read. The description and plot play perfectly together to create a movie that I was immediately drawn to and on the edge of my seat until the very end.
I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.
My Take
This book is exactly what you would expect it to be, a tale of Beauty and the Beast. There were some sections of the book that had me seeing scenes from the disney movie even! Modernized to spark interest, Beastly could have used a bit more grit to bring it even more up to date. As it stands this adaptation of the story was funny and charming at times. I particularly liked the chatroom support group that the beast joins. It is full of other former people, under dark spells cast by various witches. I am also looking forward to the film, and plan to head to the theaters to see it.
The Trailer
The book has been adapted for the large screen. Check out the trailer!
Doug Lee is undead quite by accident—attacked by a desperate vampire, he finds himself cursed with being fat and fifteen forever. When he has no luck finding some goth chick with a vampire fetish, he resorts to sucking the blood of cows under cover of the night. But it's just not the same.
Then he meets the new Indian exchange student and falls for her—hard. Yeah, he wants to bite her, but he also wants to prove himself to her. But like the laws of life, love, and high school, the laws of vampire existence are complicated—it's not as easy as studying Dracula. Especially when the star of Vampire Hunters is hot on your trail in an attempt to boost ratings. . . .
Searing, hilarious, and always unexpected, Fat Vampire is a satirical tour de force from one of the most original writers of fiction today.
My Take
What an absolutely excellent book! Fat Vampire is chocked full of metaphors on teenage life in general, making it a step deeper than the average supernatural teen read. A refreshing change of pace, I can imagine both male and female teens to really enjoy this book. It is relatable in a way that doesn't sock you in the face. A sense of humor is valuable while reading this book as a lot of the jokes can be quite dry at times. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I particularly love when the fat vampire takes his very first date ever to a Rocky Horror Picture Show showing. Read this book, and then urge your friends to read it as well!
The Trailer
When things get scary, it’s nice to know that Odd is on our side.
The one and only Odd Thomas is back—in his second edgy and enthralling graphic-novel adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling suspense master Dean Koontz.
It’s Halloween in Pico Mundo, California, and there’s a whiff of something wicked in the autumn air. While the town prepares for its annual festivities, young fry cook Odd Thomas can’t shake the feeling that make-believe goblins and ghouls aren’t the only things on the prowl. And he should know, since he can see what others cannot: the spirits of the restless dead. But even his frequent visitor, the specter of Elvis Presley, can’t seem to point Odd in the right direction.
With the help of his gun-toting girlfriend, Stormy, Odd is out to uncover the terrible truth. Is something sinister afoot in the remote barn guarded by devilish masked men? Has All Hallows Eve mischief taken a malevolent turn? Or is the pleading ghost of a trick-or-treater a frightening omen of doom?
My Take
A definite departure from typical Koontz fiction, the Odd series of graphic novels have confused a lot of fans of the author. To Koontz fans I urge you to remember that this is a book for teens, and thus is totally different from his typical novels. As a stand alone graphic novel I think it is actually quite good!
Its a graphic novel, and a really quick and exciting read. The story is interesting and ends with a bit of a twist that I wasn't expecting. From what I know, the Odd series has quite a fan following among teens, and it is easy to see why. The story is about young adults and the books are a breeze to read. I think that this series would be a great way to get teens excited about reading. The graphic side of the book is interesting and well drawn. There doesn't seem to be a lot of hidden imagery or symbolism going on here, its just your basic graphic representation of what is going on. Overall a really fun read, if you know what you should be expecting!
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