Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

I started the Mercy Thompson series at the tail end of 2013 and instantly fell in love. Mercy is a strong, likable female lead. She knows herself and is comfortable in her own skin, literally and figuratively. The covers sell these books short, making the series a lot... less than they really are. (Even though the artist is a favorite, Dan dos Santos! And I do like the art, they just don't properly showcase the story.) Like, for one, the romance aspect is just a thread in a layered story. It's also clean. There are no unwanted (or in some peoples case, wanted) steamy details. Without further ado, the reviews:


Moon Called: In the first of the series, we meet Mercy Thompson. A VW mechanic and Walker (She shifts into a coyote, Native American folklore.) in Washington. She was raised by a werewolf pack, but not just any pack, THE alpha of all alphas, Bran's, pack. The story starts when Mercy finds herself in the company of a young rogue werewolf at her garage, which brings us to meeting Adam Hauptman, the local pack alpha. Soon trouble breaks out when 2 men come for the young rogue and Mercy accidentally kills one of them while trying to protect the boy. The story and the mystery unfold with Adam being nearly killed by rouge werewolves and Adam's daughter being kidnapped in the process. We are introduced to a whole slew of werewolves, both good and bad, Zee, the fae who she received her garage from, and Stefan, her charming vamp friend. The characters are well written, as is the story. It's fast, exciting, and most important of all, really good.

Blood Bound: The second book focuses on Stefan and the local vampire seethe. Stefan is the enforcer/soldier of his seethe and calls on Mercy to assist him in investigating a new to the area vamp that didn't pay fealty to the seethe upon entering town. The catch, he's not comfortable with some recent goings on, and needs Mercy in coyote form to pose as nothing more than a pet. Mercy is after all immune to most vamp powers, so we learned in the first book, and needs a second set of unassuming eyes and ears. When they arrive, they learn that this vamp is not an ordinary vamp, but a sorcerer. A demon ridden vamp. And demons are enamored with blood and destruction, so what better than a vampire to attach itself too? Chaos ensues, many of our favorite characters are kidnapped and hurt, and Mercy is the only one who can save the day. These are after all, her books! The second book in the series did not disappoint. It was even better than the first!

Iron Kissed: In the third installment of the series, we get to see Briggs take chances with her leading lady, and it's hard to read, but a success in creating an emotional attachment as well as a refreshing literary shock. Not that it is necessarily as clearly written as the other two, but it is still very good and very entertaining. This book focuses on Zee and the fae. There are a string of murders and fae artifact robberies, and the fae need a non-fae with a good nose to do some investigating. It's a dangerous job, but Mercy isn't about to let Zee (or the readers) down. All of the story arcs and characters mesh together to create a very great universe. Each book has a touch of romance, but in this book it is more prevalent. And we see a very solid relationship in the making.


Bone Crossed: This story has a combination of all the creatures in the Mercy-verse. Wolves, vamps, ghosts, and even fae are in this one. Mercy is caught out by the queen vamp for a past indiscretion, and Stefan is punished for it. She also finds herself  facing an old school friend in need of help, and takes it as a means to get away from the local seethe. Before long Mercy finds herself not only at a crossroads with her local seethe, but also in trouble with a neighboring vamp other vamps refer to as The Monster! As a means to free herself from The Monster, she binds herself to Stefan, further pissing off The Monster and before long Mercy finds herself kidnapped and imprisoned by him. This one has a very happy ending, more so than the others. And is the furthest I've made it in the series so far.

If you enjoy the preternatural sect of book genres, do yourself a favor and start this series. I know it's over saturated, and hard to pick out the gems from the stinkers, so save yourself the search and just take my advice on this one. It is worth the investment of time and money!

Dropping Balls and Memory Lapses

So, life was busy in 2013. I got a job, was running my book club, taking care of my bus load of kids, as well as trying to be a good wife. And the reasons go on and on and on some more. Therefore, my blog hit back burner status. But if I'm fully honest, I just completely and entirely forgot about its existence. Busyness could be to blame, but I'm pretty sure all my brain farts are the more likely culprit.

As a consolation prize for my lapse in memory, I'll give a run down of the primary book club selections for the year(following the ones I did manage to post), and my brief opinion on them!

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi: 

Avoid this book! It was dull. I thought I would like it, I really did. Smart and gritty, but boring. So, very boring! I ended up skipping around in this book, just to get through it quicker. I don't know who I  would suggest this title to. I don't think I would want it for anyone. Although I'm sure that someone somewhere has enjoyed it.

Close Liaisons (The Krinar Chronicles: Volume 1) by Anna Zaires:

Avoid this book as well! The only thing going for it is that it's free. I've heard it compared(after the fact) to 50 Shades, but with aliens. I don't mind a little freaky deaky in my books, but this was the definition of gratuitous! And the main man was just awful! I enjoy a good male lead who's brusque, not  so refined, even a bit assholeish! But abusive? Controlling? Domineering? Degrading? NEVER! Women, please respect yourself enough to know when a man is assertive and strong, and when he is just a disrespectful sexist! I can not stomach these writers trying to put a pretty package on an abuser. It's not funny or cute and least of all, sexy. It's disgusting. A real man can balance being in control, while not being controlling. There IS a difference. This book just really got under my skin. It was disgusting. The writer should have more self respect! 

 

Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder:

This was not a bad book. I quite enjoyed it, although it wasn't an award winning piece of literature at all. If one could even call it literature. It was more a fluff piece, but with emotion that most fluff doesn't contain. If you enjoy romance containing heart broken characters, give it a-go. It's cheap, it's short, and it's easy to read. 

 

The After Girls by Leah Konen:
OH GAWD! THIS BOOK! UGH! Dreadful. Just ugh! Seriously, I don't know that I've liked characters less than these. But there wasn't much to like in the first place, seeing as how they were so flat and ridiculously developed. The 2 main girls in this book are just silly. I know they had a friend who killed herself and they were both grieving in their own way, but the stories inconsistencies made the terrible characters even worse. Not much is worse than a person with inconsistent character, but in a novel, where that kind of thing is controllable, it just should not happen. It's intolerable. It makes the story drivel.  I rolled my eyes almost non-stop throughout the entirety of this tale. Avoid this title, as if your life depended on it! You can never get the time invested into it back!

 

 

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly:

This was the first winner of the year for me! An amazing story that lead you on an adventure that may have felt familiar, but was quite different. I loved the whimsy, and the dark fairytale feel this book had. It was definitely reminiscent of the Grimm Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson. If you pick on book to read from our trek in 2013, let it be this one!

 

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith(aka. JK Rowling):

I really liked this book! I love a good gumshoe detective novel, and Rowling didn't disappoint! As usual, her characters were well fleshed and had an endearing edge to their less than appealing qualities. The mystery, while I figured it out rather quickly, I didn't see how it was going to play out. Which is not a bad thing, seeing the who before the how. This was my first foray into her literature outside of the Potter-verse, and while not much can hold a candle to Harry and the gang, this was also a good story. I would love to see her turn this into a series of Comoran Strike mysteries! I would definitely read them all!

 

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley:

A classic that most have read in high school, was new to me this year. I really liked it. It was hard at parts to read, the mom in me cringed at a lot, but I liked the dark, twisted take on a possible future. The parallels to our current time, to when he wrote of this future world in the 1930's, is startling in it's similarities. It's definitely one of those classics that you shouldn't miss out on if it wasn't part of your school curriculum. 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson:

 This was my first experience with Shirley Jackson, and I really enjoyed it. It whetted my appetite for her, and I intend to read more. It's very short, but the characters were well done, especially Merricat. It was an interesting and well written tale of a sociopath. While it is classified horror, I don't quite see how. So don't expect to be scared, or even remotely spooked, but do prepare to be entertained and pulled in. 

 

There were more books throughout the year, we read 2 per month in our group. Plus all the others I read on my own. I didn't keep track of my leisurely reading, but this year my blog is going to be a priority. Keep your eyes peeled for monthly reviews and suggestions! 

Happy New Year! May it be full of good books and good friends!

 

 

 

The List by J.A. Konrath

This was one of March's book selections for my book club. I am happy to say, the ladies chose well. It was entertaining and something I wouldn't probably have read, or possibly even heard of, were it not for my book club.

The premise, while a bit convoluted, was completely engaging and fun. There are 10 people who have mysterious numbers tattooed on the heel of one of their feet, that's been there since they were adopted as infants. As these 10 have approached their 30th birthday, paths start crossing, and numbers start being murdered. It's up to a police detective, with a mystery number on his foot, to figure out the murder and connect the dots to solve the mystery. And while it seems like any other mystery, it took a turn that was definitely nothing like I've read before!

If you're a fan of murder mystery/thrillers, with a bit of history and science sprinkled in, then give this book a go. It's not the most convenient book to get a hold of, as it's only available on Kindle e-readers and print on demand books, but it's worth it for a fun, fast paced adventure in the comfort of your own home!

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

 The Witch's Daughter was a book I purchased on my Nook with a gift card I received for Christmas. I was looking forward to it, as I love a good historical fiction, especially from the time period this book started out in. However, I was disappointed by the delivery.

The premise of this book focuses on a girl, Bess, and her family. Bess was the daughter of a family with little standing in a small town. They owned a farm and her mother practiced as a nurse, helping deliver babies and treat various ailments. The black plague hit their town, and shortly after, witch trials did too. Her mother, being a healer, was accused of practicing witchcraft and was hanged. All the while a man, Gideon, has had his finger in the jelly pot, so to say, of the story. Before long, Bess finds herself possessing magic and is accused too. The story takes off from there and we find Bess, going by various monikers (might I add, that are all variations of the same) and possessing immortality, living through the century's. She lives her life running from Gideon and practicing medicine, while trying to avoid the dark magic within her. She's supposedly lived a solitary life, until a young girl in her recent location weasels her way into Bess's heart. She begins to train this young girl up as a practicing hedge witch, but it doesn't take long for Gideon to catch up, as he always does, and endanger Bess and her new protege. Bess find herself once again wondering, should she run, or stand up to him?

This book had a lot of potential. I think it's a very daunting task to write a story that spans mortality and time, and Brackston proved that she was lacking mettle. Too many weak spots in the story line just can not handle much scrutiny and I'm not even a reader that picks apart story weakness. I like to just read and suspend my belief. Sometimes, I even throw reason and logic out the window completely. I'll notice,  but I can overlook them. But this wasn't even close to a good enough story for me to disregard the glaring illogicality of it all. On top of that, none of the characters were particularly endearing.

Perhaps, if you haven't had much exposure to this genre and method, you may be able to enjoy it. If you've never experienced an author who can attempt this type of historical time spanning and knock it out of the park, then you would probably be able to get into it. However, I find myself just feeling rather ho-hum about it. If I need a historical fiction book with magic and immortality, I'll go back and re-read Forever by Pete Hamill.

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

This is the first book in The Strain trilogy by the movie master Guillermo Del Toro, and fellow author Chuck Hogan. It does exactly what a first book should, whets the appetite for more!

This book has a few main characters, players that all converge together for one intense, exciting ride. While reminiscent of Stephen King's The Stand, it is very capable of standing on it's own two creepy legs.

The story begins with a plane, an international flight, landing at a New York City airport, and then going black. All electrical equipment dies, and so do the passengers. The government is in a panic, is this a terrorist attack? Did a passenger bring a modern plague with them? The first step is containment. But soon, they realize, that containment will be a problem. The dead don't want to be contained. Before long, NYC is being overrun by something sinister. Only one man knows the truth of what's happening and has the wherewithal to help stop it, but first he has to convince the powers that be that he's not a raving lunatic.

Not once have I read something that made an inanimate object so frightening, nor a fantasy story so plausible. An amazing story, told with finesse and completely thought out, crafted to make you question the unbelievable and keep you awake, wondering. Read it, y'all! 

Stephanie Plum is My New Best Friend!

I am currently reading the fifth installment in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but since it's easier to just write one big post filled with all of my Stephanie adoration, instead of 4 separate ones, this is what ya get! (And some of it is ripped straight from my good reads review!)

Janet Evanovich has created a series that is chock full of likable protagonists and unlikable antagonists. Stephanie Plum is a self-deprecating, humorous character who is concerned about money, men, and her hamster, Rex. Janet writes the whole time from inside Stephanie's head, which is quiet an enjoyable place to be.

The first book in the series is One For The Money. In the first installment, Stephanie looses her job and finds herself desperate for cash. Through a little blackmail, she convinces her cousin Vinnie, a bail bondsmen who owns his own business, to let her work for him as a retrieval agent. She ends up with an FTA (failure to appear) that's a lot more than she bargained for, Joe Morelli. He's a stallion of a man well known around the Burg and very intimately known by Stephanie. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and if having all of your belongings repoed and being very behind on your rent isn't a desperate time, well I don't know what is! Hookers, shoot outs, explosions, sadistic boxers, and commandeered vehicles abound in this funny book. So as Stephanie stumbles her way though her new bounty hunting gig, we get the pleasure of laughing all the way to the bank.

The second book in the series is Two For The Dough. This time around Stephanie's a little less wet behind the ears in this bounty hunting gig, but still has a lot to learn. She ends up having to find a local boy, Kenny Mancuso. Not only is he an FTA, but his sudden suspicious wealth adds to the list of things going against him. One dead guy, a weasel mortuary owner with missing caskets, and black market weapons, lead to another hilarious, exciting romp through New Jersey with Stephanie and the gang you came to know in the first book.

The third book in the series is Three To Get Deadly. Stephanie's FTA, a well loved candy shop owner whom no one thinks could do wrong, has vanished. The community as whole is impeding Stephanie's search for him, even when dead bodies are found in his cellar! Dead drug dealers, pervs, and a criminal chicken, make for another rip rollicking read! (This may be my favorite book so far!)

And the fourth book is Four To Score. Stephanie finds herself on the hunt for a woman scorned. This book introduces a few new characters. One in particular, Sally Sweet, is a lovable transvestite that helped make this book! Stephanie finds herself ass deep in alligators in this story while searching for the missing FTA, whom is leading her on a scavenger hunt for clues. Along the way she finds missing fingers, coded messages, and at one point, herself in hooker heels and a Marilyn wig! She also finds herself a victim of multiple fire bombings, which leads her to find herself at the mercy of Joe Morelli. The heat is turned up in this one in more ways than one! 

If you're a fan of humor, mystery, and romance; do yourself a favor and get to know Janet and Stephanie!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

It's late, I'm tired, so bare with me. I'm already way behind on this thing though, and with four kids, if I don't do it when the chance arises then I don't do it all. So anyway, down to business.

This is the fourth book club installment, and we will actually get to meet and discuss this one. It's also the first book in The Lunar Chronicles series.

This is yet another take on the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. It's set in a very futuristic dystopian society in China. Cinder is a cyborg mechanic, abhorred for being a cyborg, but revered for her mad mechanic skills. The world is being ravaged by a fast killing virus, and New Beijing's emperor is one of the infected. As if that isn't enough to keep society on edge, there's also unsuccessful peace treaty talks with the cruel Lunar queen going on. In a world where hope is hard to find, they find an unlikely heroine who is their only hope.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales, and I absolutely adored this take. Meyer's story was so well written and thought out. I love her characters and how even though the book could have easily had no Cinderella association, managed to incorporate it, and do it well. If you like dystopian sci-fi and fairy tales, please do yourself a favor, and read this one.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

This was the third book for the book club I'm participating in. We ended up never meeting to discuss it, due to all of our busy summer schedules. Which is disappointing, because this was a really good read!

This book is about a Louisianan gal by the name of Rory Deveaux, and her journey to a London boarding school. Upon her arrival in England,  a Jack the Ripper copycat killer start piling up the bodies. Of course, Rippermania spreads throughout England, both terrifying and exciting everyone. Rory ends up finding herself in the middle of it when she becomes a witness after talking to a mysterious man on school grounds the night of one of the copycat murders. He just so happens to be a man no one else has seen, and since there are no other leads, he ends up becoming the prime suspect of the crimes. As the story unfolds, Rory finds herself with a special ability and in deep doo-doo thanks to it!

I enjoyed this book a lot. I've only read one other book by Johnson, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, which was also a good book. I liked this one more, but that's just because it's a little more my niche. I highly suggest you give this a whirl, especially if you enjoy a good murder mystery like I do. 

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

This is a follow up to Atwood's AMAZING novel Oryx and Crake. I absolutely adore Atwood, all the novels of hers that I have read have made me one happy reader. This one too lived up to what I have come to expect from her.

 This novel is a dystopian story, where scientific and technological advances have created so much "good" that it began to be bad. Animal hybrids, chemically enhanced everything, police state, and just plain societal ruin. The main characters are Ren and Toby, both former members of a religious group called God's Gardner's. Adam One, the leader of God's Gardner's, has been preening and preparing his fellow Gardner's for an apocalyptic plague he refers to as "the waterless flood". It jumps between characters and timelines, from Toby to Ren, pre-flood to post-flood timelines, without any confusion. Ren and Toby both find themselves survivors of the waterless flood. Ren confined to a quarantine room in a high class sex club, and Toby hidden in a ritzy day spa. Neither are aware of each other, or if there are any other survivors besides themselves. Before long they find themselves leaving the safety of their pre-flood confines as a matter of survival and from there the story just gets better!

 If you haven't read Oryx and Crake, although it's unnecessary, it would be better if you did. While this isn't a sequel, it is a parallel story, and there is more enjoyment to be had from reading Oryx and Crake first. At least in my opinion. Both are fantastic books and you definitely won't be sorry for invvesting some time in this.

The Memory of Blood: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery (Peculiar Crimes Unit Mysteries) by Christopher Fowler

This book cover caught my eye at the library a few weeks ago, and I'm glad it did. I'm a big fan of murder mysteries and British literature/humor, and this book has all of that. Fowler is a great writer with witty dialogue, likeable characters, and amazing vocabulary. His sentences were a study in beauty that never failed to make me smile. Not everyone may be a such a "word nerd" like myself, but if you are, Fowler will make you happy.

 This mystery evolves around a fishy murder involving the players of a new London theater troupe. The owner of the theater, Robert Kramer, a middle aged, self-centered rich man with many enemies, finds himself a victim of said murder. Committed during a cast party at his own home, his infant son is tossed out a high level window. The only culprit is none other then the infamous Mr. Punch, whom is a puppet. The Peculiar Crime Unit, headed by the obstinate and grizzled duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, is put on the job because of the odd nature of the crime. The murders continue to hit close to home for Kramer, and each one is accompanied by a clue pointing to the famous Punch and Judy puppet shows and the PCU. With no concrete leads and the British government breathing down their necks for a captured killer or the PCU doors will be closed permanently,  Bryant and May find themselves racing the clock and the killer before the final curtain!

This was a fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. There are more Bryant and May books that I definitely want to get my hands on. If you like a good mystery, then try this one out!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

This was the second book club choice, and it wasn't a bad one. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, as it seems like all YA books have kind of fallen into the same pattern and it's just become... well yawn worthy. But this one was actually pretty good and broke out of the YA supernatural mold a little bit.

This book tells the story of three girls; Grace, Gretchen, and Greer. Triplet separated at birth to keep them safe until the time came for them to fulfill their prophecy. Each girl has her own very different life, but the increase in mythological monsters tromping around San Francisco has brought them together. Together they learn about their legacy as descendants of the Gorgons; Medusa, Sthenno, and Euryale and thus begins a pretty interesting beginning of this new YA series.

 I think the thing that I liked the most about this book, what set it apart, was there was no romance. Now, there were love interests for all of the girls, two had crushes and one had a boyfriend, but that was such a small detail of the story(at least in this first book) that you could say there was no romance at all. It was more believable as far as it being a tale of 16 year old girls. All in all it was a solid start. Interesting, easy to read, and well rounded likable characters. I look forward to more.

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

This was a really good book. I am a huge fan of vampire literature... and yes, I know, it's overdone, and mostly trashy romance stuff now. (Even though I like some of those trashy vamp novels) But still, it's a solid genre if you find the right books. And this is the right kinda book.

This is the story of Ben Mears, a writer, who goes back to Jerusalem's Lot, Maine to face a fear that has plagued him since he was a kid. The Marsten House. A legend of sleepy 'Salem's Lot, believed to be haunted due to the original owners who met an untimely demise via murder-suicide and the questionable lifestyle they led. Shortly after Ben's arrival, he discovers he isn't the only new face in the Lot, and they too are interested in the Marsten House. Soon creepy things start happening, like the dead dog found on the cemetery's spiked fence and the increase in deaths and disappearances.

If you're looking for sexy vampires who sparkle or who are companionable, then forget this book. These vamps are blood thirsty fiends inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula. While this is not the scariest book, especially not for King, it has lots of great creepy atmosphere and tense action. It's also not nearly as wordy and overly descriptive as King usually is, so if that turns you off from his books typically, don't let it with this one. I highly recommend this book.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book is phenomenal!! I loved it and can not wait for Insurgent, the second book in the series, to come out on May 1st. It's exciting, fast paced, and while the dystopian genre is being done and done again right now, this one is as good as Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games, yet nothing like it.  And if you've read The Hunger Games, then you know why I use that as the measuring stick for this genre.

Society has been divided into 5 factions; Candor, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, and Dauntless. Once you turn 16 you're given a test, and from the results, are placed into one of the 5 factions. The main character, Beatrice, is up to take the test and her results are less then normal, placing her in a very dangerous, secret category. Upon going to her new faction, she discovers what bravery truly is and that the peace established by the factions is not as sound as they would have you believe.

This is a fantastic coming of age story, full of action, discovery, and a little romance too. It's all the more impressive when you find out that the author wrote this book her senior year of college and is only in her early 20's. If you are into dystopian/action literature, then do yourself a favor and read this.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

This is my first entry from my book club reading list. It is not a book I would have chosen at all since I am not a fan of Nicholas Sparks. As a matter of fact, I am grossly opposed to anything by him. BUT I am not opposed to being a team player, nor am I opposed to trying books that I would normally shrug off without thought. So while I wasn't really looking forward to it, and I was definitely not blown away, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting either.

Safe Haven is a about a woman, Katie, who has a lot of baggage she'd rather keep hidden. She moves to a small North Carolina town hoping to stay off the radar until she can move on again. Little does she know, she will make attachments she had never intended and was certain she never wanted, with the likes of local widow Alex and his kids. Now she battles with the reality that getting comfortable may put her at greater risk then she ever wanted to be in again. Does she stay and start over despite her legitimate fears or does she cut her ties and skip town risking her heart as well as his?

This book was rather dull in my opinion. Sparks is a lack luster writer, his characters are two dimensional, and I particularly find his dialogue to be unengaging and forgettable. I did however feel for the main character. Her fear was very real to me, and I suppose Spark's does deserve credit for that. If you like books that are steeped in reality (including all the mundane things that entails), mixed with romance, drama, and sadness, then you will probably enjoy this book.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This book is so amazing. Gut wrenchingly beautiful and tragic, it's rawness and poignancy will haunt you. The characters are believable and likable. Green's ability to write dialogue and tell a story is phenomenal, especially considering it is told in the voice of a dying teenage girl, which he is neither.

The main character of this book is Hazel. A teenage girl who has had terminal cancer since she was 13. Thanks to a miraculous (and fictional) cancer drug, her tumors have stopped growing thus extending her "life". Hazel had resigned herself to a life of cancer treatments and minimal "real world" interactions, when low and behold, a new guy, Augustus Waters, attends her cancer kid support group. Augustus not only brings a new body to the group, but also a new season to Hazel's life. Augustus helps Hazel experience a life she never thought she would get the chance to experience, and we get the pleasure of going on the ride with them.

I strongly suggest this book make an appearance in your life. While the sadness I experienced through this book was immense, I am glad to have experienced it. Because as it says in the book, "That's the thing about pain...it demands to be felt."

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I picked this little gem up from my local library and I loved it. It's beautiful, sad, hopeful, and interesting.

The Language of Flowers tells the story of main character, Victoria Jones. Victoria is a young women who is emancipating out the state of California's foster system. Having been in it since infancy, Victoria has become a cold distant person who refuses to allow attachment to anyone or thing. The only thing Victoria loves in this world are flowers and the old Victorian language flowers were once used for. Once emancipated, being homeless and unemployed, Victoria looks for work and finds it with a local florist who sees Victoria's natural talent with arrangement making. Soon Victoria is carving out her own niche with her unique arrangements based on the antiquated language of flowers. But Victoria finds herself facing ghosts from her past and fighting attachments she thought she never wanted.

This is a story of redemption and learning to forgive one's self. It is a story of new beginnings and relationships that heal old wounds. It's a revelation that sometimes the biggest skeleton in one's closet is the one you've refused to let out, the one only you care about.

Time for an update.

So I read a LOT of books in 2011. I'm not entirely sure of the actual total, but I do know it was over a 100 books. This year, however, is not going so well. With having 4 kiddos, finding time to get absorbed into a book is scarce. Especially when my 8 month old is really opposed to me having any personal time at all. She reminds me of a cat. Even as I type this, she stops playing in order to come crawl over and begin harassing me.

Anyway, I do intend to update this more frequently then last year, as I joined a book club where we meet monthly and I do plan to include you in on my first book club experience. Check back at least once a month to see what I've been reading. Hope we all find a few books to enjoy this year!

3rd Quarter Check In

So I haven't kept track of all of my reading over the past 3 months very well. So I can't really list them. I can however tell you about a few books that I do remember and I suggest you read too.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Amazing book! Hill's first published novel is creepy, fast paced, and addicting.
Judas Coyn is a man obsessed with collecting creepy paraphernalia. Like a snuff film given by a police officer, letters from imprisoned serial killers, and his latest and most dangerous acquisition, a dead mans suit. The suit is supposedly haunted and Judas has to own it. Soon enough the suits secrets begin to be revealed, leaving Judas and his girlfriend with a big problem on their hands and a big journey ahead of them.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. An awesome mystery story involving a few different cold cases that end up overlapping in the present. The main character is so likable, you cheer him on through the whole book. I think I might even have a little crush on the rugged PI!
Atkinson's main character, Jackson Brodie, is an ex-cop turned PI. He finds himself in the employ of several different people who want to finally put to rest their pasts that have haunted them relentlessly for years. All 3 cases seem unlinked, but Atkinson weaves them together in a clever and exciting way.


City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. If you've been following the series, then you shouldn't be disappointed. You get to know more about the characters you've come to know, and meet a couple of new ones added to the mix as well.
The 4th book in Clare's Mortal Instruments series, finds Simon coping with his new found status of vampire and the Shadowhunters busy investigating murders of their own kind. Also, it delves deeper into Clary and Jace's relationship.


These are the only ones that I can think of that are worthy reads. If I remember anymore, I'll get back on and add them.

2nd Quarter Check In

Ok, so here's the official list of all I've read(that I can recall)since I last posted 3 months ago or so. This time instead of alphabetical by book title alone, it will be by author, then their book titles. Once again, Bold font books are ones I strongly suggest, Italicized books are ones I don't suggest, and plain font books we're just ok or didn't blow me away but were still good.

Ashlyn Chase -
1.Strange Neighbors
2.Werewolf Upstairs

Autumn Dawn -
3.The Charmer

Alicia Dean -
4.Heart of the Witch

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl -
5.Beautiful Creatures

Laurell K. Hamilton -
6.Hit List (Anita Blake, bk. 20)

Charlaine Harris -
7.Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, bk. 11)

Alan Jacobson -
8.7th Victim
9.Crush

Maureen Johnson -
10.13 Blue Envelopes

Heather Killough-Walden -
11.The Heat
12.The Spell
13.The Strip

HP Mallory -
14.A Tale of Two Goblins
15.Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
16.To Kill a Warlock
17.Toil and Trouble

Jill Mansell -
18.An Offer You Can't Refuse
19.Millie's Fling
20.Miranda's Big Mistake
21.Perfect Timing
22.Rumor Has It
23.Staying At Daisy's
24.Take a Chance on Me

Will McIntosh -
25.Soft Apocalypse

Aprilynn Pike -
26.Wings

Carrie Ryan -
27.The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, bk. 3)

Kind of an update, but not.

I'm needing to charge my Nook so I can get my "list of books read over the last 3 months" gathered and ready to post. It is coming, and it will be soon. Currently I'm reading the new Anita Blake novel, and of course I'm liking it thus far. Be watching for a list of books and suggestions on which of them are worth checking out!