9-2-12 Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez - Fiction

5 - So a werewolf and a vampire walk into a diner.....that's how this fun book starts.  They meet a determined owner Loretta who, after serving them their food, proceeds to shoot up the zombies that start attacking her diner.  Again.  So begins a strange sort of partnership.  Earl, the vampire, and Duke, the werewolf, stay to help Loretta with her zombie problem and to install a gas line to the kitchen.  Who would have guessed that in such a small town in the middle of nowhere someone would be trying to raise the old gods and start the apocalypse?  And did you know the language of the old gods is pig latin?  I laughed a lot and really enjoyed this book and I know I'm going to read more of Martinez's work.  It's just the kind of quirky that I love.

8-12-12 Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

5 - This is a great addition to the series and seems to pull a little more of Sookie's & Sam's relationship to the forefront.  Sookie is having a time trying to keep her vampire boyfriend from being married off to a queen as his maker's final wish and now the fae on this side of the door are starting to get antsy.  Then there are problems with the werewolf pack too.  And this whole time, Sookie is trying to hide that she has possession of a very powerful Fairy gift.  Really picked my interest back up in this series as Sookie is faced with a few life changing decisions.

8-12-12 Farm City by Novella Carpenter - Non-Fiction

5 - This book made me laugh.  Novella and her boyfriend start an urban farm.  Before you think of a pretty terraced backyard in the suburbs, this was in Oakland, California.  Yep.  "The Ghetto"  She converted a vacant lot and began growing there and kept bees, and chickens, and ducks in her yard.  She also did turkeys.  This book is the story of how that came about and how she helped advance a movement for people to know where there food is coming from and to have the opportunity for freshness.  She still has the farm and you can follow her blog, Ghost Town Farm.  A really great and, I hate to say it, inspiring read.

8-12-12 The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham - Fiction

5 - A fantastic follow up to the first book, Acacia.  Corinne is queen and the power is going a bit to her head.  She sends her brother, Dariel, across the ocean to the Other Lands as an envoy but is double crossed by the League and does not know the fate of her brother.  She sends Mena to hunt the twisted creatures created during the war.  But her sister is certainly not her pawn.  Still a lot of political finagling in this book and some new factions enter play.  I was enthralled.

4-22-12 Acacia by David Anthony Durham - Fiction

5 - I had totally forgotten about this trilogy since I read the first one 5 years ago.  Then, when I was looking at my stats for the blog, I noticed the title again.  So I looked it up and now all three books have been released.  So I re-read this one and will read the other two shortly.  I still loved this book.  A great work of fantasy with lots of intrigue and military action.  Acacia is the story of four royal siblings who are whisked away to the four corners of the kingdom when their father, King Leodan, is assassinated and war begins.  Nine years later, the kingdom is under the conquerors rule, Leodan's eldest daughter is the conqueror's mistress, his oldest son is a desert warrior, his youngest daughter is a priestess, and the youngest son is a pirate.  The four children are united in their desire to avenge their father and take back the kingdom but none of them are aware that any of the others survived.  Truly a great story with so many factions and twists that it will hold your interest.  I can't wait to read the next book.

3-29-12 Pale Demon by Kim Harrison - Fiction

5 - One of the best adventure books in the series.  Rachel, Trent, Jenks, and Ivy are on a road trip to get to the west coast and, of course, it does not go smoothly.  Trent's on an elf quest so there are elf assassins on their trail and Rachel's still in trouble with the coven so they have a tail on them too.  Throw in a psychotic day walking demon and Rachel's uncertain status in the ever after and this is a true adventure.  Can't wait for the new book!

3-1-12 The Outlaw Demon Wails - Fiction

5 - Another one of my favorite Rachel Morgan books! Rachel learns a lot more about herself and witches in general in this one as well as a lot more about demons. Plus, a gargoyle moves into the belfry of the church and Rachel starts to find out about the link between gargoyles and witches. This one also has a lot of action here and in the ever after. Another bonus: but it in paperback and you'll get the bonus short story that explains how Ceri became a demon familiar. Awesome!

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.

2-4-12 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!

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.

1-19-12 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.

12-27-11 Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - Fiction

5 - Still love this book. Yes, over the holidays I didn't have time to get to the library on the days it was open so I had to go through my meager bookshelf and start reading from it. But I still enjoy this book and with all the press about the movie I was itching to re-read it anyway. If you don't know the story of this series by now you must live under a rock so I'm not going to rehash it for you. But I am among the ones who loved this final book in the Twilight series.

12-23-11 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - Fiction

5 - Holy Crap! These books involve business, government conspiracy, international intelligence, defecting spies, lunatic asylums, and newspapers. And they are tied all together so neatly that at the end you go, "Wow. I have no more questions except what is Lisbeth going to do now?" It's such a shame that Larsson died without continuing the series because that is a true loss for book lovers everywhere. Seriously, I know I've said it before, read these books!

12-1-11 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson - Fiction

5 - This trilogy really is incredible! The first book was enthralling and the second book is just amazing as it takes you on a whole new adventure that opens up the characters even more. Lisbeth Salander is the antiheroine in these books and, as weird and unusual as she is, she makes you root for her every step of the way. This book goes deeper into who she is and how she ended up being the way she is and the story continues to surprise and shock. Seriously, read these books!

10-31-11 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - Fiction

5 - Holy Crap! This really is as good as everyone says it is! Within two chapters I was hooked and I flew through this just mesmerized by Lisbeth Salander and her completely unorthodox yet entirely reliable methods. She is hired as a researcher by Mikael Blomkvist to assist him in solving a decades old missing person/murder case. The search for the truth about Harriet Vanger is funded by her grandfather, the head of the Vanger clan. What comes out of the investigation is shocking, not only to the characters, but to the reader as well. All the layers and detail in this book will suck you in and leave you begging for more.

9-2-11 Replay by Ken Grimwood - Fiction

5 - Thanks to Inez for recommending this one! What if you could live your life over again? And again. And again. Jeff Winston has a heart attack in his office at age 43 and wakes up 25 again in his college dorm room. He uses some of his future knowledge to make a lot of money and lives out this new life until he has a heart attack at 43. And wakes up a little bit older but still in college. And he does it again each time having a heart attack at 43 and each time waking up a little bit older but still replaying his life. Each time he makes different decisions and discovers along the way that he is not the only one living his life over again. He tries to make sense of the science of what is happening to him and fears where he will end up as he keeps coming back closer and closer to the time of his heart attack. This book picks up and goes and is enthralling.

8-15-11 Full Circle by Michael Palin - Non-Fiction

5 - Michael Palin gives the reader a spectacular and humorous look at the countries on the Pacific Rim starting in Alaska and working all the way around until he ends back at his starting point. He and his team travel by boat, canoe, train, car, and sometimes feet to see some of the most beautiful and wondrous spots surrounding the Pacific ocean. The book is his diary and is marked by the number of days into the journey they are. There are fabulous photographs, interesting facts, and intriguing people along the whole journey. If you enjoy travel reading or have any interest in any of the countries on the Pacific Rim I highly recommend this book.

7/31/11 Twice A Spy by Keith Thomson - Fiction

5 - Thank you to the anonymous poster who told me this was out! This is just as good as the first book and continues that story seamlessly. Charlie, Alice, and Charlie's dad Drummond are in Switzerland where Drummond can get an experimental treatment for his Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, someone knows they are there and wants to buy a washer from Drummond. With Alice kidnapped, Charlie and Drummond only have days to find the merchandise and get it to the kidnappers. While hunting for the washer, they also try to figure out a way to prevent the kidnappers from using it. If this sounds silly to you, you have to read the first book Once A Spy and then you'll under stand that a washer isn't just a washer.

7-17-11 Con Ed by Matthew Klein - Fiction

5 - A superb con man story with twists that will end up surprising you in the end. With detailed explanations of various cons, Klein draws you in so you feel like a part of the crew. Kip Largo, an ex confidence man who is trying to live legit, is approached by the wife of one of the richest men in America. She wants to leave him and needs to take some of his money with her. But she signed a prenup. Can Kip help her? He turns down the job but then his son shows up on his doorstep asking for money because he owes a gambling debt to the Russian mob. So begins a story full of interesting characters and information that will keep you guessing until the last page.