11-29-07 Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell - Fiction

4 - If you liked 'The DaVinci Code,' you need to try this book. Carrell focuses on Shakespeare and the search for one of his lost plays. Kate, one the world's Shakespeare authorities, is drawn into the search when the Globe Theater, where she is directing Hamlet, burns again on the anniversary of its original destruction. Following clues and hints left by her mentor, who was killed in the fire, Kate travels through England, Spain, and the United States in search of Cardenio, a rumored Shakespeare play lost since the 1600's. Sometimes the facts get a little confusing, but this book is a wild ride.

Freya's Holiday Suggestions

This time of year sucks for so many. 'What do I get _______? I know, a book! But what would they like?' (Yes, I see the desperate every year in the bookstore) So, I'm going to give a little bit of general help to the wide world instead of just the store I work in. If you would like a more personal recommendation, feel free to e-mail me. I'm very good at this, just ask my Dad. (OK, he might be a little biased, but I really am good at this!) Most of these recommendations have a review somewhere on my blog. Even if they don't, I only recommend stuff I've read. I'll note HC (hardcover) or PB (paperback) for each, not all may be available in both. And if there's anything weird or special about a title, I'll let you know that too.

For the foodie: 'Heat' (PB), 'The Year of Eating Dangerously' (HC)
For the Harry Potter or Eragon fan: The Pit Dragon trilogy by Jane Yolen 'Dragon's Blood', 'Heart's Blood', 'A Sending of Dragons'. (PB or box set)
For the teen girl: The Stephanie Meyer set 'Twilight' (HC/PB), 'New Moon' (HC), 'Eclipse' (HC)
For the teen boy: The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan 'The Ruins of Gorlan' (HC/PB), 'The Burning Bridge' (HC/PB), 'The Icebound Land' (HC)
For the horror buff: 'Heart-Shaped Box' (HC/PB), 'I Am Legend' (PB)
For the world traveler: 'American Shaolin' (HC/PB in Dec), 'The Year of Eating Dangerously' (HC)
For the action buff: 'Empire' (HC/PB tomorrow!), 'Creepers' (PB), 'The Black Sun' (HC/PB tomorrow!)
For the romantic: 'Mystic & Rider' (PB), 'Twilight' (HC/PB), 'Archangel' (PB)
For the sci-fi junkie: 'Santiago' (PB), 'Starship Troopers' (PB), 'Idlewild' (PB)
For the fantasy junkie: 'Acacia' (HC), The First Demon Wars Saga by R.A. Salvatore 'The Demon Awakens', 'The Demon Spirit', 'The Demon Apostle' (PB)
For the zombie lover: 'World War Z' (PB), 'The Zombie Survival Guide' (PB)
For the freaky friend (you know we all have one): 'The Stupidest Angel' (HC), 'A Dirty Job' (PB), 'Apathy and Other Small Victories' (PB)

Most of these should be pretty commonly found in any bookstore or on-line.

11-24-07 General Winston's Daughter by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - Averie is an 18 year old heiress who is engaged to a captain in the Aebrian army. She travels to Chiarrin to be near her father, General Winston, and her fiancee while they are on campaign. During her stay, she discovers the beauty of another culture, the reality of war, and the secrets of her heart. Wonderfully written, as are all of Shinn's books, this is a story for teens and adults with themes that are timeless and yet very current.

11-24-07 The Year of Eating Dangerously by Tom Parker Bowles - Non-Fiction

4 - Parker Bowles writes a wonderful book that is part foodie dream and part sociologist's research. Each country and town he visits is written up in a combination of cuisine and the economy and society that birthed that cuisine. He covers the familiar, chilies in New Mexico and BBQ in Tennessee, and the exotic, ant eggs in Laos and fugu in Japan, with a candidness that is endearing. Parker Bowles is also very self-abasing, noting humorously his penchant for fierce hangovers on days he is to tour the markets of the various countries. He knowingly displays many of the stereotypes and preconceptions most of the Western world carries for certain countries and their food, but attempts to work through them to give a truer picture. If you're a foodie or an amateur sociologist, this book will be an enjoyable read.

11-18-07 Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko - Fiction

4 - I decided to read this because I loved the movie and I know how different the book can be. Surprisingly, only the first third of the book made up the movie, and I was impressed by how closely the movie followed that story. The book 'Nightwatch' is split into three stories centered around Anton, a member of the Night Watch who police the Dark Others and make sure they stay within the terms of the treaty agreed upon by the Light Others and Dark Others centuries before. All Others live among us and are divided into Light and Dark. They hold the terms of the treaty, but look to gain an advantage and tip the balance through humans and our choices of good or evil. These are great and immediately engrossing stories. I look forward to reading 'Daywatch,' the second in Lukyanenko's trilogy.

11-11-07 Immoral by Brian Freeman - Fiction

5 - A fantastic thriller/mystery! Freeman really lives up to the "just when you think you know" hope of all mystery readers. "Immoral" tells the story of two missing girls, the first a year-old unsolved case and the second which has just happened as you start the book. The reader follows Lt. Jonathan Stride as he investigates the crime. Freeman writes great banter between Stride and his partner Maggie and continues fantastic dialogue throughout the book. This is Freeman's first novel and I'm going to be looking for more.

11-8-07 Deadfall by Robert Liparulo - Fiction

3 - I thought this was his first novel by how rough it is, but I was mistaken. A good enough story, but it doesn't have the flow of a good technothriller. "Deadfall" comes off as slightly shallow, a shadow of the book it could have been. Dysfunctional and emotionally bereft teenagers take a secret military weapon for a test drive in a remote Canadian town. The are opposed by the sheriff's wife and son and a group of American hunters. "Deadfall" is worth a read, but I would find it in your local library.

11-2-07 Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - The final book in the Twelve Houses series focuses on Cammon and his role as protector of Princess Amalie. War has arrived in Gillengaria and secrets once well kept are revealed. As the Twelve Houses are divided in loyalty to the crown, the Lumanen convent also marches forth bringing war down on all mystics. The original group of six, now expanded, is mired within the fight for their king. An engrossing book, "Reader and Raelynx" finishes the set quite satisfactorily.

10-30-07 Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - The politics and intrigue pick back up in this, the third book in the Twelve Houses series. Justin is the focus of this story in his work as a King's Rider in a kingdom on the brink of war. He is sent to spy on the Lumanen convent, run by the fanatical Lestra, sister of the leader of the uprising against the king. The Lestra preaches ridding the kingdom of all mystics, proclaiming them evil and surreptitiously promoting their deaths. Again, Shinn provides yet another viewpoint on her characters as the war moves ever closer.

10-28-07 The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

4 - The second book in the Twelve Houses series focuses on Kirra, one of the original six from the first book. As the story of the kingdom continues, the reader gets a fresh perspective on the characters by seeing them through Kirra's eyes. The king is convinced by his advisers that his daughter, Princess Amalie, must be introduced into society to show the Twelve Houses she is fit to succeed him as Queen. A regent is appointed in the event the king dies before she is prepared. The regent, the princess, and the queen, Amalie's stepmother Valri, tour the kingdom during the summer ball season accompanied by Senneth, Kirra, and the others. This is my least favorite of the set simply because I feel the politics fall slightly by the wayside, but it is still a great book.

10-25-07 Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - Well written, "Mystic and Rider," the first in the Twelve Houses series, draws you in to a land on the brink of war and introduces you to very likable characters. The story of a group's travel through Gillangaria, the reader is sent to a world where mystics live and are, in turns, feared and accepted. Senneth, the main character and a mystic, leads the group which is made up of four mystics and two King's Riders, members of the King's elite guard. They are traveling at the behest of the King to the Twelve Houses of Gillangaria to discover if war is on the horizon. A quick and entertaining read.

10-23-07 Darkness Falls by Kyle Mills - Fiction

4 - Kyle Mills consistently writes great techno thrillers that always pull topics from current day news. "Darkness Falls" focuses on the potential oil crunch and the environmental movement. A quick moving, pick up and go story begins with an eco-terroristic action to stop oil drilling in Alaska. From there, an oil crisis of global proportion forces a self-retired bacterial genius out of seclusion to aid the US government in stopping the catastrophic domino effect of the loss of 30% or more of the world's oil production. Great characters and an easily read, fast paced story make this book another winner from Mills.