4-24-09 Hunted by P.C. & Kristin Cast - Fiction

5 - Damn it, these books are too short and not put out soon enough! I hold the House of Night series right up with the Twilight series as some of the best vampire fiction available. The Casts take the traditional stories and turn them on their heads with modern day twists and fascinating ties to other religions and belief systems. All the characters are so well drawn that you can picture their behaviors and feel their emotions as much and as easily as the central character and narrator, Zoey Redbird. The story draws you in from the first book and moves steadily and smoothly through each consecutive book, building tension and solving each dilemma but obviously being a continuation of a bigger story. Read these. Seriously.

4-23-09 Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler - Fiction

2 - Ummmm, I didn't get it. I'll admit it...I. Did. Not. Get. This. Book. It was intriguing. The story of a girl who ends up being drawn to/tied to a mysterious boy who may or may not be from this world and who opens her eyes to a new vision of the world and her place in it. I think. I don't know. It won the Carnegie Medal.

4-21-09 Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost - Non-Fiction

4 - Troost does not mince works. This is not some pretty travelogue. He does tell it how it is, the good and the bad. For instance, the air in most of China is disgusting. From his description picture LA on a bad smog day times 5. Foul. And some of the Chinese personal habits - spitting, snot rockets, pissing in public. But he does tell the flip side as well: the generosity of strangers, the joy of some of the tribes, the beauty of the art and architecture. He hits the reality of their politics, past and present, their wonder at and manipulation of unsuspecting laowai, and their nationalistic pride. If you are considering a trip to China read this book for tips on haggling a lower price (but not the Chinese price), reading a menu, and choosing a hotel. A fun and eye opening read that really gives you a feeling for the country that is China.

4-18-09 The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith - Fiction

3 - This is the first two books of the series: The Awakening and The Struggle. If you are really desperate for something to replace the Twilight series you can read these, but the eternal love/soulmate storyline will seem shallow. If you need to replace the House of Night series you can also try this but the struggle between factions also seems shallow. there is not enough character development to make the reader care about the characters or story beyond a curiosity about where it's going. I won't be reading the next two books unless I run out of other titles to read. I recommend reading the Twilight or House of Night series instead.

4-16-09 Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - Fiction

4 - These are such enjoyable books to read. The writing of Barry and Pearson just sucks you right back into the story as if you'd never stopped reading. Peter is in trouble and the Starcatchers have to help him before the Others find him and use him for their own purposes. Mollusk Island has been invaded by the Scorpions and no one is safe; not the Mollusks themselves or the pirates. Another rollicking adventure in London, Neverland, and Rundoon.

4-11-07 Wake by Lisa McMann - Fiction

4 - Wow, this one is really good. Janie gets sucked into people's dreams. She can't stop it and she can't control it. It can happen anywhere someone falls asleep; in school, at work, while driving. the reason I gave this a 4 instead of a 5 is a personal issue. The book is set up in the style of a journal, with a date and then times during that day that things happen, and it works very well for the flow of the story. My problem is I get very involved in the story and when I hit the next date I keep needing to go back to see what the previous date was to keep the timeline. Personal quirk so don't doubt that this was a fantastic book.

4-9-09 The Wood Wife by Terri Windling - Fiction

2 - Boring. I like my fantasies to have a little more oomph; a bit more action. This is a quiet story which does suit the eventual end but just waaaay to slow for me. Windling based this on the art of Brian Froud and it's interesting in that way. The story is very contemplative. A cosmopolitan woman moves out to the Tucson desert to write a biography about a poet friend and ends up being introduced to a completely new world.

4-5-09 Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - Fiction

5 - I was loaned this book from a friend and I have to say, "Thank you, Patrick!" and "I'll be needing the next book now." Odd Thomas is just that, odd. He sees dead people (insert favorite joke here) including Elvis. But the dead don't talk. So he sometimes has to figure out what they want. He also sees bodochs, creatures of shadow who precede disastrous events. Only a few people in his town know about his secret; luckily one is the chief of police. That comes in handy when he determines that the massacre he has been dreaming about for months is about to occur. This book was a fun and easy read.

4-1-09 Graceling by Kristen Cashore - Fiction

5 - Cashore writes a tense and enjoyable fantasy. In her world some people are born Graced; they excel in one discipline. There are cooks, singers, swimmers, and soldiers. Some have more unusual graces. All graced children are sent to the king of their country to be evaluated. If their grace is useful to the king they join the king's court. If not, they are sent home. Katsa's grace is killing. She is the heavy for her king. But she wants her life to mean more than being a thug. She begins to see a way out when she meets Po, a visiting prince from a nearby country who is also graced with fighting. Wonderfully written, Graceling is an engaging fantasy. I look forward to more from this author.