5-24-10 One Shot by Lee Child - Fiction

4 - I'm really liking the Jack Reacher novels and it seems that they don't have to be read in any particular order yet. Because Reacher is a drifter, he floats from story to story without having to follow a timeline with a job or family. In this story, he sees a TV report naming someone from his military past in a murder investigation so he travels to Indiana to make sure the man gets what he deserves. After reviewing the evidence and seeing it is solid he doesn't see what else he needs to be there for. Except that the accused asked for him before he was beaten into a coma in jail. Add to that someone trying to take Reacher out of the equation completely and Jack is now on a mission to figure out exactly what's going on. In a total in your face and beat your ass kind of way. Yep, going to be reading a couple more of these too.

5-23-10 The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine - Fiction

4 - This series still holds my interest and I will be reading the third book soon. Caine gives great cliffhangers. Claire, Eve, Michael, and Shane have an uneasy truce with the vampires but Shane's obsessed dad is about to kill them all with his actions. Claire is drawn even deeper into Morganville's workings and it appears she will never be able to leave the town. Michael makes a choice that will change his relationship with Eve and the others forever. Shane must choose between his friends and the last of his family. When everything seems settled, Claire is faced with a decision that could doom or save herself and her friends but that will seal her fate either way. Remember this is a teen book with teen characters so teen issues do come up but they are blended very well with the supernatural story.

5-22-10 From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

4 - Louisiana is still reeling from Katrina and the devastation is touching even Bon Temps as refugees flood in. The turmoil of the state also extends to the vampire and were communities when the Queen is killed and a New Orleans pack moves into the Shreveport pack's territory which is already splitting because of the new packmaster. Sookie end up in the middle of both struggles even as she its trying to recover from the fiasco at the vampire summit. She also learns she has more family: a great grandfather, Niall, who is a fairy prince (That's right: Sookie has fairy blood) and Hadley's son, Hunter, that she never knew about. Hunter is just a child but, as it turns out, a very special child. How Harris keeps coming up with great plot ideas to keep this series going I'll never know but I hope she keeps it up for a long time.

5-21-10 All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

5 - This is probably the most exciting book in the series so far. Sookie travels again, this time to a vampire summit up north in the service of the Queen of Louisiana. She happily gets to spend some time with Barry, the only other telepath she's ever met, and she gets to see Quinn again since he's in charge of the event planning. There's political maneuvering, judicial proceedings, and a vampire wedding. And the whole event ends with a big bang that I won't describe here. Sookie (and the reader by proxy) learns so much more about vampire politics, policies, and social events. Great fun all the way through.

5-21-10 Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - Fiction

3 - Another teen book with a great premise and mediocre character development that just doesn't quite have that "oomph" that makes it truly re-readable. Nora finds herself attracted to and frightened of Patch, her new biology partner. Once they are introduced strange things start happening. Nora doesn't know what or who to believe anymore and her best friend Vee isn't helping because she keeps pushing Nora toward another guy who seems perfect on the surface but who starts to creep Nora out. Little does Nora know that she has been targeted by a fallen angel who longs to be human and as a descendant of the Nephilim her death is the only thing that can make that happen. Fitzpatrick lays it on way too thick with the carnal attraction between Nora and Patch and forgets about creating a memorable and unpredictable plot. A so-so book in the middle of my good run.

5-17-10 Cruel Intent by J.A. Jance - Fiction

5 - Another score for Dad. Plus this book is set in Sedona, Arizona and I do enjoy reading stories set locally. It just adds another layer of enjoyment. Anyway, Jance writes a great mystery and her main character, Ali Reynolds, is an enjoyable woman. Ali just wants to remodel her new home but ends up being pulled into a murder investigation when her contractor is accused of killing his wife. The supporting characters are also entertaining, especially her mom, and add to the story. This is a very fast paced mystery and it keeps you on your toes all the way to the end. I will definitely be reading the other Ali Reynolds mysteries in the near future.

5-15-10 Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda - Fiction

3 - An interesting idea but not a totally gripping story. Billi SanGreal is a Templar. Not a knight yet, but in training. She's unusual because she's a girl and she's the youngest member of the order. She hates it. When other girls are going to the movies or the mall, she's training with weapons or learning Latin. She has to worry about school counselors and child services because of all the injuries she receives in training. Plus everyone thinks her father murdered her mother but she can't tell anyone that her mother's death was caused by the supernatural. Now Kay, her childhood friend, is back in town and instead of just continuing as her friend he's the new Oracle for the order. One of the most powerful Oracles of all time. But it comes down to Billi, who turns her back on the order when her father is injured, to face her fears and her anger and to save the world from a biblical fate. Not awful, but not fantastic either. There wasn't quite enough character development to make you care.

5-13-10 Glass Houses by Rachel Caine - Fiction

5 - OK, I'm on a little bit of a vampire kick right now. This is a story about a little Texas town called Morganville. Claire, a 16 year old college freshman, moves there for school and discovers what a strange town Morganville really is. Normal college towns have a very lively center around the school and then a quieter residential area for the locals. But Morganville's locals are strange. They never seem to go outside at night. They barely go out during the day and move quickly not stopping and chatting, not making eye contact. When Claire starts living off campus she learns what's different. Vampires. The town is run by vampires. And if you don't have a protector you're a free lunch. It didn't seem so strange before about the number of college kids who don't come back to school because it is mostly a transfer school, but now Claire sees it in a new light. And she's gotten on the wrong side of the daughter of the mayor, one of the most powerful human families. As if college wasn't tough enough already.

5-12-10 Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

5 - Yay, keep Sookie traveling! Now she'd off to New Orleans (before Katrina) because she has to settle the estate of her vampire cousin who she hasn't seen or spoken to in years. Hadley had been a vampire for only a short time before her final death but in that time became the lover of the Queen of Louisiana and, with her death, has pulled Sookie into a new round of politics and intrigue. Sookie meets and befriends Amelia, her cousin's witch landlady, and renews her acquaintance with Quinn the weretiger. In the short time she's in New Orleans she investigates the reasons behind the newly changed vampire Jake, finds new things out about her cousin, and is asked to assist the Queen of Louisiana with a very sticky problem. As I've said before, Sookie's life is never dull and thank goodness because it makes for great reading.

5-11-10 Back Spin by Harlan Coben - Fiction

4 - I laughed my ass off during a lot of this book because Myron Bolitar, the sports agent main character, doesn't get golf, doesn't like golf doesn't want to understand golf but is at the US Open. and his opinions on golf are absolutely unapologetic and hilarious. Nope, not a big golf fan here either. Interspersed with the humor is a tense mystery involving the kidnapped son of the LPGA champion and her husband who has become the front runner in the Open. Myron gets pulled in to help find the boy and is soon in over his head. With millions of advertising dollars riding on the outcome of the Open, the competition is fierce no only on the course, but also off the course for agents and merchandisers alike. Myron, with the help of his employee Esperanza (who used to be a professional wrestler. Love the quirky!) is racing against time to wade through all the family secrets and find the boy. If you haven't read any Harlan Coben yet, shame on you. You don't know what you're missing.

5-9-10 Wired Kingdom by Rick Chesler - Fiction

3 - Here's a treat: I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book which is releasing today (5/25). For a first novel, Wired Kingdom isn't bad. The premise alone was enough to catch my interest and Chesler's research and factual knowledge made it even better. There's a new reality show, "Wired Kingdom," that follows a blue whale through the ocean by means of a waterproof web cam attached to its dorsal fin. People can subscribe to have access to 24/7 real time web feed and the weekly TV show has high prize contests for those viewers each week. Since it is reality TV, the real world does intrude when the whale cam broadcasts a murder at sea in real time. FBI agent Tara Shores is called in to work with Dr. Anastasia Reed, the host and science behind the show, to retrieve the whale cam for examination and evidence. But there are other parties after the whale cam and it becomes a race to see who will retrieve it first. The factual information is great in this book. Overall, I recommend this book to you because this author has great potential and I'm looking forward to his next book.

5-9-10 Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

4 - Well, Sookie's life is never boring. Jason goes through his first change after being bitten by a werepanther and suddenly someone is shooting shifters in the area. Sookie has to find our who's behind the shootings before the next full moon because, in addition to her worrying Jason may get shot, the Hotshot shifters suspect that Jason may be the shooter himself. On the plus side, she gets to work with Fangtasia's new bartender when Eric loans him out to Sam. She also goes to see the competition for packmaster in Shreveport which puts her in an awkward position with Alcide. She travels a bit more in shifter territory with the story which does keep the series interesting.

5-9-10 Snakes in Suits by Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare - Non-Fiction

3 - The subtitle of this book is "When Psychopaths go to the Office." I had to let you know that so my next sentence won't seem so batty. After reading this book, even though the authors warn against this repeatedly, I think everyone I know: my boyfriend, my mother-in-law, most of my bosses, our friends, me, everyone except my parents (because they're perfect. Hi Mom & Dad!) is a psychopath! This book is a very interesting look at how psychopaths (not serial killers necessarily) can not only blend into corporate America, but can thrive in the upper eschelons of business. The authors geared this book mainly toward employers so that can possibly avert disaster by watching for warning signs and behaviors. Still, this was interesting reading for the general public because they do try to explain the condition and behaviors so that a layperson can understand. My biggest problem with the book is the repetitiveness, sometimes complete sentences and paragraphs. That was a little frustrating. And I would have enjoyed a few more case studies/files from the real world too. All in all, if you are interested in personality disorders, the is a book you should add to your reading list.

5-6-10 The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Fiction

5 - This is a re-read so check out the previous review.

5-4-10 An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke - Fiction

2 - I thought from the jacket description that this would be an amusing mystery-type book. Nope. It was a real downer of a book that focuses on the cause and effect of truth and lies in our relationships. So it was not the kind of book I was looking to read which may have colored this review slightly. Add to that the fact that I found the main character, Sam, to be a bit .... desperate and pathetic are the best words I can come up with, and this became a slog through the marsh for me. Sam burned down the Emily Dickinson house with two people inside by accident as a teen but was tried and convicted as an arsonist and a murderer and served 10 years in prison. When released, he goes back to his parents' house who then ask him to please go to college because it's too hard for them to have him live there. So he goes to college, gets a degree, gets a wife, has two kids, and is living the average everyday life. Except he never told his wife about the fire but did tell her that his parents were dead. His world starts to crumble when the son of the people who died in the fire hunts him down. Basically, you can't get along in the world when your entire life is built from lies. I don't think I'll pick up anything else by Brock Clarke no matter how quirky it sounds.

4-30-10 Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster - Non-Fiction

4 - Wow. Jen Lancaster is a bitch! That's not news to her because she admits as much at the beginning of the book. This book is her story about her layoff from a VP position in a huge Chicago company and her years of searching for a new job. See why I thought this book would be fun to read tight now? (2 months and counting for me) Now, I know that I can be a bit snobbish and bitchy but Lancaster really had it down to an art form. She wore only designer clothes, had her hair and nails done on a really regular basis, and lived in a very chichi apartment with her boyfriend. then, after a merger, she lost her job. No matter, anyone would jump at the chance to hire her. Ummm...not really. She's very funny, very bitchy, and very whiny in turns through this book but reading it made me feel better (other talented people really struggling to get hired) and worse (years?!). For anyone in the same boat as myself or this author, pick this book up and see that life doesn't suck only for you.