4-25-10 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith - Fiction

4 - I must admit that I have never read the original Pride and Prejudice but once I heard about this new version "now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem" I just had to pick it up. I confess, I think I would find the original duller than dirt. The zombie attacks and Miss Elizabeth Bennet's use of her Shaolin training made this book a joy. Picture the five Bennet girls forming the Pentagram of Death when a ball they are attending is overrun by unmentionables and imagine them cutting down all the zombies in the room. See, it seems much more fun and interesting that way doesn't it? For those Austin purists out there who have decided this is an intolerable abomination of her work I have only one request: please go out as soon as the stores are open and purchase a sense of humor. It will make getting along day-to-day much easier and more fun. For everyone else, there are reading group questions in the back. Make sure to read those for an additional giggle. For myself, I may have to see if there are more zombie classics for me to read.

4-21-10 Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child - Fiction

5 - OK Dad, this is one from the box you sent. See, I am reading them! I've enjoyed Child's books before and Jack Reacher is one of the great characters in thriller fiction right now. Ex-military, Reacher is a wanderer who floats from place to place as the whim strikes and he never makes plans. That's until he's contacted by a member of his old military unit. The story moves from L.A. to Vegas and back again with points in between and brings the atmosphere of both places to life. I love a good military thriller and Bad Luck and Trouble does not disappoint.

4-19-10 Brooklyn Knight by C.J. Henderson - Fiction

5 - Do you love Indiana Jones? Then try this book out because Professor Piers Knight is the new generation's answer to Indy. Professor Knight is curator of the Brooklyn museum and he knows a lot. More than most people, as his new assistant comes to learn. His grasp of history and archeology is astounding and includes not just facts, figures, and dates, but also some practical knowledge of what we would call magic. When what could be the archaeological find of the century threatens him and his museum, Professor Knight and his assistant must race to discover who is behind the threat and what their ultimate goals are. Hint: it's not the Nazis.

4-16-10 The Accident Man by Tom Cain - Fiction

4 - You have to give Cain credit for choosing an event so dynamic and shrouded in conspiracy theories to plan this great thriller around. Nope, I'm not going to tell you the event but you'll remember it unless you're under 20 or have lived under a rock for two decades. An international thriller with a British mercenary and a Russian spy at the center of the fiasco, The Accident Man has enough military info and action to balance the espionage and keep me interested. Especially when you consider this is Tom Cain's first novel. Thriller lovers, give this one a shot.

4-13-10 The House of Night series 1-6 by P.C. and Kristin Cast - Fiction

This is a re-read so see the individual books for ratings.

4-7-10 Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

5 - I love that Harris doesn't keep Sookie in Bon Temps all the time. It's so interesting when she has to wander and meets new and interesting "people." I also like that these books aren't all about her being lovey dovey with Bill all the time. They have their relationship problems on top of all the vampire/were/other thing problems. There isn't much more I can say about the series except that if you love Kim Harrison's Hollows series, you should definitely try these.

4-6-10 Death by Chick Lit by Lynn Harris - Fiction

4 - A funny mystery, Death by Chick Lit, is a great satire of the genre. Lola, a one book author, gets pulled into a mystery when the NYT bestselling authors of chick lit begin dropping dead. She tries to keep a balance with her new husband, her struggling book career, her friends, and her new case and she endearingly stumbles along. This was a very enjoyable palate cleanser.