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Friday, January 30, 2009

The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne

The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne
The Ragland Rattlers

$1 Night
$1 baseball cap with home team logo
$1 program
$1 hot dogs
$1 drinks
$1 popcorn

But how much to get the hot pitcher to notice you exist?

This was a very light and fluffy YA read!!! I love reading Hawthorne's books, they are always quick and are pick me up type reads!!! If you dislike baseball and sports though, this may not be the title for you. Not that you need an understanding of the game to get the book, but the book DOES revolve around a collegiate baseball team, so parts may not keep you entertained if you are not a liker of sports. For me, it was a truly enjoyable read, I'm glad to have a few more of her titles on my TBR!!! :) 3.5/5

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

I really enjoyed this book!!! It's always interesting to see how a writer in the paranormal is going to depict vampire life, and I enjoyed this one a lot. Especially seeing the main character is only half-vampire. The characters were entertaining and made me want to learn more about them, and the ending had me hanging on the edge of my seat and wanting more. This is definitely a first in a series book that will have me coming back for the rest!!!! Great book, great series start!! :) 4.5/5

Monday, January 26, 2009

In the Dark (The Watcher) by Brian Freeman

One murder has haunted Lieutenant Jonathan Stride for thirty years. In 1977 his girlfriend’s sister was savagely beaten to death. Stride came face to face with the suspect – and let the man escape.

When writer Tish Verdure begins a book about the decades-old murder, Stride is reluctant to re-open the case. But Tish has new evidence that raises shocking questions about the actions of the police... and even Stride's own wife.

The new investigation scares someone who is desperate to keep their secrets hidden. Tish receives threats. A teenage girl is hounded to her death. And Stride finds himself chasing the twisted trail of a voyeur who may hold the key to two brutal crimes.

With new deaths on his conscience, Stride races toward a devastating confrontation high above the deadly waters of Lake Superior. There, he and Tish will both face their worst fears – and the truth about the past.

Wow, gotta love Jonathan Stride!!! Once again we are thrown into his world with twists and turns lurking behind every corner. Never a dull moment in a Brian Freeman - Stride book!!! This time the crime investigated hits close to home and brings some raw feelings to the surface for our Detective. Loved the book, the emotion, the suspense all rolled into this wonderful story!!! Another hit by Freeman!! :) 5/5

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Bring Your Own Poison by Jimmie Ruth Evans

Waitress Wanda Nell Culpepper is burning the candle at both ends, but she can't afford to pass up hefty tips from a bachelor party at the Kountry Kitchen. She's prepared to dodge a few roaming hands-but not to witness a murder.

This is such a fun series, I just love Wanda Nell and Mayrene, and never know what they'll be up to. This book did not dissapoint one bit. The secondary characters are also so much fun to read about and the characters develop so nicely from book to book. There's never a dull moment in the Trailer Park Mysteries, they are always a treat to read!! :) 4.5/5

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer

NANNY FOR 10-YR-OLD TWINS. MAINE COAST. OWN ROOM & GENEROUS SALARY. MUST LOVE BLACK. *Must love black* Sounds like a coffee-loving, seclusion-seeking goth girl's dream job. Philippa isn't fazed by the fog-enshrouded mansion on a cliff, the weirdest twins on the planet, or even the rumors about ghosts, cause when she meets the estate's hot gardener, Philippa's pretty sure she's found her dream boy, too. Too bad Geoff's already taken by a girl whose wardrobe is head-to-toe pink. Still, Philippa can't get Geoff out of her head. What will it take to lure him to the dark side?

This was a really cute, really quick read. I think it leans more to the young side of young adult, but regardless it was a cute read. Would the 10 year old twins find the perfect nanny in Phillipa. It was nice to see the relationship between Phillipa and the girls evolve. Again, a really quick read and totally cute!!! 3.5/5

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Twilight tempted the imagination. New Moon made readers thirsty for more. Eclipse turned the saga into a worldwide phenomenon. And now, the book that everyone has been waiting for...

Breaking Dawn, the final book in the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga, will take your breath away.

Again, so hard for me to review this book without spoilers, so here's my best shot. I loved it.......not quite as much as New Moon and Eclipse, but close. Although there were a couple things in this story that left me feeling this book was over the top, the majority of the book gave me the same sense of excitement and thrill as the others. I enjoyed every page, and found myself reading a bit slower so I could make sure to take it all in. Although up to a certain point, I may have been rushing a bit because a major plot was revealed to me and I spent part of the book in anticipation of when it would happen. BUT, the last half I took my time with and enjoyed every moment. I am a little sad and a little happy at the same time now that the saga is complete for me. I can definitely see myself re-reading this saga in the future!!!! :) 4.75/5

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Edward’s soft voice came from behind me.

I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again. This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine–like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob–knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

I can't decide which book I liked better, this one or New Moon, needless to say I absolutely LOVED Eclipse!!!! How dorky that a teen vampire novel has made this mom cry......hahaha Once again I am perplexed to start Breaking Dawn next, I MUST know what happens next!!!! I simply love the chemistry between the characters in this series. Hard for me to review without talking about things that will give the story away, so suffice it to say that I am a lover of Eclipse!!! :) 5/5

Friday, January 9, 2009

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES…
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning. . . .
Legions of readers entranced by the New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bella and Edward. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

OMG, I loved this book!!!!!!!! Even more than Twilight!!!! The build up and suspense throughout this book kept me turning pages late into the night, I could not put this book down!!!! I am usually not one to read series books close together, but I plan on moving onto the next book in the series in the next couple days (it's on loan at a friends house, so I have to get it back first...haha) or I would be jumping into it right away!!!! ;) OK.......scratch that, I just drove to her house to pick it up so I can make it my next read....haha I think I am in the minority when I say I liked this one more than Twilight, but that's just how it was for me.....hahaha Cannot WAIT for Eclipse!!! :) 5/5

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

Big mouth. Big heart.

Big wedding. Big problems.

It's the wedding of the century!

Things are looking up at last for Lizzie Nichols. She has a career she loves in the field of her choice (wedding gown restoration), and the love of her life, Jean-Luc, has finally proposed. Life's become a dizzying whirl of wedding gown fittings—not necessarily her own—as Lizzie prepares for her dream wedding at her fiancé's château in the south of France.

But the dream soon becomes a nightmare as the best man—whom Lizzie might once have accidentally slept with . . . no, really, just slept—announces his total lack of support for the couple, a sentiment the maid of honor happens to second; Lizzie's Midwestern family can't understand why she doesn't want to have her wedding in the family backyard; her future, oh-so-proper French in-laws seem to be slowly trying to lure the groom away from medical school and back into investment banking; and Lizzie finds herself wondering if her Prince Charming really is as charming as she once believed.

Is Lizzie really ready to embrace her new role as wife and mistress of Château Mirac? Or is she destined to fall into another man's arms . . . and into the trap of becoming a Bad Girl instead?

OMG, I just LOVE Lizzie Nichols!!!!!!! This book was fantastic, I loved every single page!!! I have simply adored watching Lizzie evolve into the woman she has become by the end of this book and I think she had such great character progression throughout the series. Sure she has her good times and her bad times, but she's one tough cookie and plows right through the bad and see's through to the other side of the good. Can't say enough about this terrific addition to the series!!!!!!! 5/5

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Last Seen Leaving by Kelly Braffet

Last Seen Leaving delivers delicious suspense, meticulous plotting, and keen eye for character in a story about a mother in search of her daughter, and a daughter in search of herself.

Miranda Cassidy's glamorous father, a pilot, vanished in Central America when she was a child. Her mother, Anne, sought comfort in the Arizona desert and the trappings of New Age spiritualism, but the fiercely independent Miranda, deeply unsettled by her father's death, never forgave her mother for uprooting her. Now she is working a go-nowhere job outside Pittsburgh, her empty days drifting meaninglessly into each other -- until one night when she crashes her car on a lonely highway and is picked up by George, a passing stranger with mysterious motives.

When Anne finally reaches out to her daughter, nobody has seen or heard from Miranda for months, and Anne begins a frantic search. As she uncovers the details of the life her daughter left behind, she also begins to excavate their shared past and reexamine her own choices. Meanwhile, Miranda is living under an assumed name in a Virginia beach town, where a number of young women have recently turned up dead. Maybe George's unexpected reappearances mean nothing and he is unconnected to the bodies washing up on the shore. Maybe her mother will find her in time. Maybe not.

An edgy and engrossing page-turner, Last Seen Leaving explores the often ambiguous nature of danger and the dark secrets we keep to protect those we love.

Hmmmmm, I wasn't overly impressed with this book. It was good......but not great, and in my opinion did not stand up to Ms. Braffet's first novel: Josie and Jack. I felt it was lacking in many areas and drawn out in others. All in all this was not a great read for me. I was kind of disappointed since I loved her first book. I also felt the ending fell short and I would have liked to have heard more about where the story went from there. For me it was an ok read, and one I'm glad I finished, but not one I would recommend others rush out and buy!! 3/5

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Witch is Dead by Shirley Damsgaard

Life is busier than ever for witch Ophelia Jensen. In addition to her day job at the library, she—with the help of her grandmother Abby—is preparing to officially adopt Tink, the young medium she's taken under her wing. So when Ophelia's elderly Aunt Dot, eager for adventure, wants to investigate the murder of a funeral director in the neighboring town, Ophelia tries to say no. But then Tink's dog pulls a skull out of the woods—a skull that may belong to a murder victim.

Finding mysterious bones in the woods isn't the only strange thing that's happened to Tink lately. She's been having visions of ghastly ghosts imploring her for help. But before Ophelia can connect the apparitions with the murder, Tink is kidnapped! Ophelia and Abby will have to battle a creepy crematorium owner and an invasion from some modern-day body snatchers to find their protégé . . . or else they'll have to hold a séance just to speak to her again.

Once again, I just love this series. It was nice to see Cobra...errr...Ethan back again for another installment. I'm hoping to see something more happen between him and Ophelia in the next book!!! :) Which of course I can't wait to read!!! Although I had an inkling about part of the mystery, I didn't know it to the extent, and it's fun reading. Love the characters, especially meeting Aunt Dot in this book, she was a trip and a nice addition to the storyline!!!! Another fantastic book by Ms. Damsgaard!! :) 4.5/5

December Reads....