2-15-12 A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison - Fiction

5 - This is one of my favorite books in the Rachel Morgan series and it's all because Jenks gets big. If you haven't read the books yet, Jenks is a pixy. Picture a swearing bloodthirsty Peter Pan with 54 kids who's only 4" tall and you might be able to understand why having him be 6'4" is amusing. Rachel's pity for the underdog has gotten her into trouble again because this time Nick has gotten himself kidnapped in Michigan and she feels it's her duty to help him out. In doing so, she is now involved in the beginnings of what could be a world tearing war between the Weres and the vamps. Her life just doesn't get any easier.

2-12-12 Wilderness Run by Maria Hummel - Fiction

3 - This was an interesting story about the Civil War from the perspective of Vermonters who saw things a little differently. I learned quite a few things from this book. The underground railroad traveled through Vermont up into Canada and that a lot of people in Vermont were against slavery for themselves but also felt apart from the immediate issues of the country for a while. This story focuses on two cousins, Bel and Lawrence, who are growing up during the start of the abolitionist movement. Lawrence enlists into the army to fight for the Union and Bel convinces her Canadian French tutor to enlist for the Union as well. The story is told with alternating chapters between Lawrence in the army and the hardships endured and Bel, still in Vermont, worrying about both her cousin and her tutor. It's actually pretty well written and a different look at the Civil War from a new perspective for me.

2-7-12 Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison - Fiction

4 - Rachel's deal with Big Al is now coming back to bite her in the ass. She has to figure out a way that she can fulfill the technical terms of the deal without being dragged into the everafter to be Al's familiar for eternity or until he finds something better, whichever comes first. Not only is she trying to keep herself on this side of the lines, but she also has to deal with Trent again, or more correctly, his security head Quen. And she has pissed off Jenks so much that he has left the firm and moved his family out. Just another day in the life of Rachel Morgan.

2-4-12 The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R. Green - Fiction

5 - You didn't really think John Taylor's stag party could go off without a hitch did you? As the new Walker, John has to give up his PI business but he wants one last case to go out with a bang. And he gets it. So on the night before his wedding he's chased all over the Nightside by everyone, including his fiancee, for the murder of one of the most beloved members of society. But, as you know, nothing is quite what it seems in the Nightside and there are always many sides to a story here. LOVE this series!

2-2-12 An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

4 - Harper gets pulled into a serial killer case this time when she is hired by a woman to find her grandson and she finds him plus seven other boys. The killings in this case are so disturbing that Harper wants to leave immediately and if you are faint of heart you might want to skip this one. But things never quite go Harper's way so she is stuck in the town for a while and is now a target of the killer too. Great crime thrillers even if you didn't have the paranormal twists.

1-31-12 The Between by Tananarive Due - Fiction

3 - I just never was completely hooked on this book. The premise is really good, just how many times can a person escape death, but I couldn't warm up to the characters. The main character, Hilton, just seemed so indecisive and wishy-washy even as the tension of the story ratcheted up. But, like I said, the basic story was good. Hilton's grandmother died saving him from drowning when he was a young boy. Now he's haunted by dreams and believes he's having waking dreams as well. He remembers things others say never happened. He becomes more frantic as the stalker who has been threatening his wife and family seems to be circling ever closer. If you aren't sure what to read & you happen across this, pick it up as a nice space filler.

1-29-12 Blind Spot by Terri Persons - Fiction

4 - You know, I really liked this book. Firstly it is written like any police/FBI thriller with a manhunt for a serial killer. So that in itself makes it good. But the characters are what make this truly interesting. Bernadette Saint Clare is an FBI agent with a little extra talent: she can see through a killer's eyes if she touches a piece of evidence in the crime. It makes her a bit of a pariah in the Bureau's eyes, but she does get things done. Usually. she has made mistakes before. And that is what we know about her when she is transferred yet again to her new office in St. Paul. The other characters in the story, her new boss, her persistent upstairs neighbor, are also interesting and the play among them is well written. I'm going to be reading the second book with Bernadette soon.

1-27-12 Destined by PC & Kristin Cast - Fiction

4 - I still like this series and I still get really swept up in the stories. This is the 9th book in the House of Night series and Zoey and her crew are still all tied up in the thick of things in the battle between light and dark that has them facing off against their former High Priestess, Neferet. This story includes not only the main characters we have loved and followed but Kalona, the white bull, and Thanatos all are involved and a new character, Aurox is introduced. Of course, you never know if anyone is what or who they seem to be. Still love these!

1-26-12 In the Land of White Death by Valerian Albanov - Non-Fiction

5 - This is just an amazing book written as a diary by one of the two survivors of the Saint Anna, a Russian ship that was exploring the arctic for new hunting routes. The Saint Anna was icebound for one year before Albanov began to have doubts that the ship would ever be freed from the ice. Two years after the ship set sail, Albanov made it back to civilization having walked, skied, and kayaked across the frozen ocean. When he left the Saint Anna, his was a group of 13 that slowly began to dwindle as the journey became even more difficult than he could have imagined. Polar bears, walrus, and slowly melting ice floes were only part of the problems he and his men endured. If you are interested in stories of arctic exploration or the tale of the Endurance, you should read this, and account of arctic survival written by a survivors own hand.

1-23-12 Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper by Robert Bloch - Fiction

4 - This is a collection of short stories, screenplays, and novellas that Robert Bloch wrote featuring Jack the Ripper. And, wow, some are just a bit twisted. Jack does not always come out on top and Bloch played off the various theories about who Jack really was and why he disappeared. The only story I didn't read was was the Star Trek screenplay because it was published as a screenplay and I find those a little tough to actually read. He also has a spectacular short essay at the end discussing why someone who killed very few people is so well known when the student who was responsible for World War II is virtually unknown. (See, I read this and I've forgotten his name already!) And if you are trying to figure out where you've heard the name Robert Bloch before, he wrote a little story called Psycho.

1-19-12 The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison - Fiction

5 - Yup, another Rachel Morgan book. After she has the death threat lifted you would think she could stay out of trouble. Nope. Of course, if she did it would make for very boring reading!

1-15-12 Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison - Fiction

5 - Because the new Rachel Morgan book comes out in February, I'm re-reading the whole series. Again. I know all my re-reads can get boring for you guys but I'm fitting in a couple new things too here and there. You can check out my previous review for this book but, take my word for it, these are great stories that should appeal to lovers of fantasy, mystery, and action.