Review: The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

Rated: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Memorable line: "I'd been a rising star at H----- until Mimi Howlett, the new executive editor, decided I was just the lights of an airplane."

My thoughts: I know I've failed you all with that summary.  When I tried to summarize this book, I was shocked to realize that nothing truly unique happens.  Ordinary Girl struggles to Conquer Life and Find True Love.  We've all read this story a hundred times, right?  And yet I was completely captivated by this book and devoured it in a single day.

When I think about why I loved this book, it's definitely all about the heroine, Jane.  We first meet Jane when she is 14 years old, with all the confidence and confusion inherent to that age.  The story continues to check in with Jane at crucial moments in her life for the next fifteen years, as she bumbles through a series of relationships.  I think of this book as romance for the unromantic, because while the story is definitely about romance, there is a distinct absence of fluttery feelings (with one small but important exception).  This is more like an anthropologist's exploration of a foreign culture.

Which isn't to say the writing is boring, because it's anything but.  Bank has a dry sense of humor which has been liberally used through this book. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, it's more like smirking funny.  My favorite section is the last one of the book, in which Jane decides to internalize the rules of a calculating, cynical dating guide.  She visualizes the book's authors following her around and has entire conversations with them.  It's hilarious.

It probably would have been helpful for me to realize that this book is technically a collection of short stories.  Most of the stories are about Jane, presenting different vignettes of her life in chronological order.  So it reads like a novel.  EXCEPT for the two short stories that are not about Jane.  The first one refers to characters who are vaguely connected to Jane, so as I was reading it, I thought maybe it would tie in later.  But the second odd duck is about a completely random character who doesn't even get a name.  Both these stories are good, but I was totally confused by them.  Is the unnamed woman Jane?  Is Jane going to end up with one of these total loser guys?  What the heck is going on?  So, I'll do you a favor and let you know that those two stories don't tie in to Jane's story at all.

Overall, though, I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend it.

May in Hindsight + Announcements

Eleven books read this month.  There would be more, but I wasted several days on books that I just couldn't make myself finish.  Hate it when that happens.  I read some great books this month, too.  Numbers 56, 57, 58, 61, and 63 were all fantastic books I'm sure I'll be rereading.

56. The Deadly Sister - Eliot Schrefer
57. Keturah and Lord Death - Martine Leavitt
58. Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris
59. Voices of Dragons - Carrie Vaughn
60. Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews
61. Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan
62. Body Heat - Carly Phillips
63. The Girl's Guide To Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank
64. Marked - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
65. Betrayed - P.C Cast and Kristin Cast
66. Chosen - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

I have some more details on Once Upon a Week, as well.  It will definitely be taking place August 1-7.  The group read book will be Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. There's still time to sign up, just send me an email @ gypsyrover21(at)yahoo(dot)ca and I'll add you to the email list so you get all the info.

I would love to have some more people sign up for a Tuesday Top Five.  Here are a couple that other bloggers have done:
Natasha
Jo
Just send me an email if you'd like to be a featured blogger.

Review: The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey

Rated: 4/5

Acquire it: The Faculty Club

Summary: Jeremy Davis is the rising star of his first-year class. He’s got a plum job with the best professor on campus. He’s caught the eye of a dazzling Rhodes scholar named Daphne. But something dark is stirring behind the ivy. When a mysterious club promises success beyond his wildest dreams, Jeremy uncovers a macabre secret older than the university itself. In a race against time, Jeremy must stop an ancient ritual that will sacrifice the lives of those he loves most and blur the lines between good and evil.  (Goodreads)
Opening line: "I remember my mother's reaction when I got accepted to the greatest law school in the world."

My thoughts: Jeremy Davis was just hoping to survive his classes and graduate, then finally get started in his own law practice.  But when he gets tapped as a potential member of an elite group within the school, suddenly he's opened to bigger ambitions, and bigger risks.  It took me a little while to get into this story, but once I was hooked, I stayed that way.  I was right with Jeremy, desperately trying to figure out exactly what the deal was with this mysterious club, as it began to seem more and more menacing.  There were a couple of places where I wanted to cover my eyes, but it just doesn't work as well with a book as it does with a movie.

I was also intrigued with the decisions Jeremy had to make. Pursue classes or suck up to professors?  Pursue girl or suck up to professors?  Maintain basic physical health or suck up to professors?  Is law school really like this?  I have no idea, but I know that watching Jeremy come close to self-destruction was almost as harrowing as the main story.

I wish the pacing had been a little quicker.  When I'm reading a book that's based on adventure and mystery, I expect the story to pick up almost immediately, and this one did take a little while to get going.  Also, the ending felt abrupt and arbitrary, rather than flowing naturally from the rest of the story.  But overall, a solid debut novel that makes excellent summer reading.

Read this if: 1)You like suspenseful adventure and Indiana Jones-style puzzle solving.  2)You liked the Da Vinci Code or The Rule of Four.

To be or not to be (happy)

"The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means."

- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Act 2

I was just thinking about endings.  Normally, I am completely devoted to a happy ending. But lately there have been a few books with bittersweet or even downright sad endings that I absolutely loved.

 

So I was wondering- what kind of endings do you like?

Review: Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Rated: 4.5/5

Tags: Fairy tale retelling, YA

Summary: At the age of 15, Liga is isolated, uneducated, and has suffered unspeakable abuse for years.  Finally, she can't take it any more and decides to end her life.  At the last moment, a magical force intervenes and sweeps Liga away to her own personal heaven.  There she raises her two daughters, Branza and Urdda.  Everything seems perfect, but it can't last forever, and soon enough the outside world starts to intrude on Liga's paradise.

Opening lines: There are plenty would call her a slut for it. Me, I was just glad she had shown me.

My thoughts: Wow. I had no idea what to expect when I started reading Tender Morsels, and it completely blew me away. 

Lanagan's writing is incredibly evocative.  She manages to convey so much with so little.  Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes I wished she wasn't quite so skilled.  Even though all of the abuse against Liga takes place "off-screen," it felt very real in my mind, and I found myself cringing throughout the first 50 pages or so.  I almost couldn't keep reading.  I'm glad I kept going, though, because Lanagan's story is really a joy to read, despite the tough material.

Tender Morsels is a story guarenteed to leave you with a lot to think about.  First, there's the whole concept of Liga being swept away to the land of her Heart's Desire. It seems good, but is it really?  Then, there's the power imbalance between men and women in the story (and in the world?).  I thought it was interesting that Liga's story was always portrayed in the third person, but the men tell their own stories.  There's plenty more going on, but those were the two biggest ones in my mind. 

My favorite moment in the story was when Liga finally left her heaven and entered the real world again. She finally realizes everything she's been giving up her entire life, and the emotion was completely breathtaking. 

The only real problem I had with this book is the changing viewpoints.  This is never a favorite gimmick of mine, but in this book it is particularly hard to follow.  There are four (maybe five?) different perspectives in the book, and only one is in the third person.  The others were confusing and hard to follow when I couldn't tell who was talking.

This book is classified as YA, but I probably wouldn't give it to anyone younger than 16 or so due to the material (there's one scene in particular, other than Liga's abuse, that was very disturbing).    However, I felt that overall, the book was positive and life-affirming.  It's the kind of story that made me want to go hug my kids, watch sunsets, and enjoy every moment of every day.  It sounds cheesy, right?  The story is not cheesy.  I am cheesy.  Don't blame the book.  If you're up for a bittersweet and emotionally difficult read, you should give this one a try, it's worth it.

Read this if you like: Fairy tale retellings (especially darker ones), heartwrenching stories, food for thought.

Second opinions:
Things Mean a Lot
Fyrefly's Book Blog
My Fluttering Heart

Cover controversy: I think that the paperback cover I used at the top of the review captures the dark feel of the story better than the hardback cover.  Which do you like better?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Wide-Awake Princess

Today I'm waiting for: The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie, blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic, can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

This one actually just released this month.  I love a good fairy tale retelling!

Waiting on Wednesday is a production of Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday: Linger

This week's teaser comes from Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.

"Long after the new wolf had gone, the image of him haunted me: the punture wounds at the bends of his elbows, the arrogance of his eyes, the familiarity of his face."

Stiefvater's beautiful way with words is one of the big reasons I loved Shiver.  I can't wait to get lost in Linger.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

The Shelf of Doom - Tamed

Let me show you the current state of my TBR pile:

Not bad, right? I am down to one very full shelf.  Six months ago the TBR books took up the whole three-shelf bookcase and an entire laudry basket (don't ask- it's a special filing system, very technical).  I know for some of you that isn't a lot, but for me it's obscene.  I have a small house with almost no storage.  I need to keep the book pile lean for my sanity.  So I gave away the books I was really never going to read, and read my way through the rest, and I got the pile down to the slim, fantastic shelf it always wanted to be. Now I need a plan to keep it this way.  To that end, I have the following resolutions:

1. I will not enter contests unless it's a book I'm REALLY interested in reading, one I will read right away.

2. I will not accept books for review unless I am almost positive I will like it and I am free to review it in a timely manner.

3. I will not buy books I do not have time to read.  Joe will be happy to see that.

How big is your TBR pile?  Do you have any strategies for keeping it under control?

Review: Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Rated: 3.5 out of 5.  I really liked it!

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy

Summary: On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity’s deepest fears: dragons.  Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she’s breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, a secret friendship grows between them—even though the fragile truce that has maintained peace between their two species is unraveling around them. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war? (book jacket summary)

Opening line: "Her parents were going to kill her for this."

My thoughts:  I was drawn to this book initially because deep down inside, I wish there were dragons living just over yonder in the real world.  It was great living my fantasy for a few hundred pages.  I love a story that can have me looking out my window at my mundane backyard and imagining a dragon in flight in the background.  For that, I love Voices of Dragons.

The story wasn't perfect, though.  It felt like a lot of build-up for very little in the way of action and plot.  Just when the pacing picks up and you get the feeling something really exciting is going to happen- BAM- the book is over.  Not cool, Carrie Vaughn.  However, I will definitely be on the lookout for the sequel (there just HAS to be one, right?), because I want to know what happens next.

I could also have done without the constant chatter about whether or not Kay was going to have sex with Jon.  Who cares?  Jon didn't have enough of a personality for me to be remotely interested in what was happening with him and Kay.  Get back to the dragon, already! I felt like, overall, the characters needed to be more developed.

I know I've spent the majority of this review talking about what I didn't like about this book, but I really did enjoy reading it. The world Vaughn created, while similar to our own, was just different enough to be captivating.  I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for some escapist reading.

About Carrie Vaughn: "Favorite Authors (you can tell so much from a person by this list): Ray Bradbury, Robin McKinley, Charles Dickens, Joseph Conrad, John Steinbeck, Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Patricia McKillip, Connie Willis, Ursula LeGuin, Steven Brust, Phillip Pullman, Guy Gavriel Kay, Lois McMaster Bujold, Neal Stephenson, Jonathan Lethem, Arthur C. Clarke, Peter Beagle, Iain Banks, Steven Erikson, etc. etc." - borrowed from her website

Second opinions:
Steph Su Reads says it's "unlike anything I've read before." (4/5)
Charlotte's Library calls it "a fast, entertaining read."
Book Crazy  "really wanted MORE from the relationships between the characters." (3/5)

Cream of the Crop (11)

Cream of the Crop is a weekly feature in which I highlight some of my favorite posts on other blogs.  Here's what got my attention this week:

The latest blog you need to be following?  The League of Extrodinary Writers is a group of debut YA dystopia authors blogging about dystopian works. And the blog name is awesome.  You know you want to join, but if you need a little more encouragment, they have a great contest on right now.  Don't enter, though.  I want to win.

Emidy @ Une Parole has a best bookmark countdown.  I'm totally hitting the Home Depot to steal some paint chips.

Adele @ Persnickety Snark talks about gender bias in love triangles.  Why is it always two guys fighting over one girl and never the other way around?

Erin @ Forever Young Adult wants to hear about your guilty pleasures and well-worn treasures.  What are the books that you read over and over as a teen?  Mine were the Belgariad and Mallorean by David Eddings... I destroyed my first set with re-reading.

Not going to BEA next week?  I feel your pain. Maybe next year, right?  Well, those of us who are stuck home this time around can visit the sign up for the Armchair BEA over at There's A Book.  All the fun, without the pesky travelling hassles.  You can also visit Armchair BEA Central or tweet about it using #armchairBEA.  See you there!

Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood, did a guest post over at The Book Cellar talking about how books influence authors.  Knowing that Mistwood was influenced by The Last Unicorn (even if it was unintentional) means I need to read it now!

And finally, I need more sign-ups for TOP FIVE TUESDAY.  If you'd like to be featured on my blog, email me at gypsyrover21(at)yahoo(dot)ca

Interview: Patricia Briggs

Today I'm interviewing Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series, as well as many other fantasy and urban fantasy books.  I've reviewed two of the Mercy Thompson books, Silver Borne and Bone Crossed, and I absolutely loved them, so I asked Patricia to stop in and talk to us a bit.

NotNessie: What does a typical day in your life look like?

Patricia Briggs: Right now a lot of things are in flux -- books coming out, books delivered, moving my office closer, a handful of green-broke horses who need riding time. It sometimes feels as though there is no such thing because this is my break before the storm. When I'm writing (starting again next week) I get up and head into my office. Turn on some music, play a few Solitaire games to remind myself that I am playing. Working is editing, but I can't write the rough draft in that mode - I have to give myself permission to play. I start with yesterday's writing, cleaning it up a bit as I go, but mostly just getting into the feel of where the story was when I left off so I can take it where I need to go. Usually I'll write anywhere from two to ten hours a day, depending on how the words are coming, how close the deadline is (or was). Afterwards I'll eat with the family and catch up on their day. I might go for a horseback ride, and then read for a couple of hours before bed.

NN: Describe yourself in three words.

PB: Fat, dumb and happy -- springs to mind. Though I suppose that's a little disingenuous since I don't really think I'm dumb. Not usually anyway . But chubby is true (hopefully spring & summer will help as I'm a lot more active). Happy is also true -- I tend to be happy most of the time. My relentless cheer, I am told, can be annoying to people of more gloomy temperaments. I figure that's their problem .

NN: What was the last book you read that you absolutely loved?

PB: Changes by Jim Butcher. Poor Harry Dresden, he never catches any breaks.

NN: I noticed that the biography page on your website was written by your husband. Has he been a big supporter of your career as an author?

PB: He has supported me in one way or the other throughout our marriage. He's an adventurer and that has given me (who is much less adventurous) the courage to pursue my dreams. Yes. He's my rock -- and occasionally my rocket fuel, too, giving me the boost I need to get where I'm going.

NN: How did you first come up with the idea for the Mercy Thompson books?

PB: My editor called and asked if I could write an urban fantasy, one with a female protagonist with a complicated love life involving werewolves and vampires. It sounded like a whole lot of fun to me and I ran with it -- finding myself sometimes in unexpected places.

NN: Is there one of your characters that is especially fun to write? Or maybe one that's a little more challenging than the rest?

PB: Ben has been unexpectedly fun to write -- as is Marsilia. The most challenging is Ann a -- not that I don't adore her, but her kind of understated strength and the softness that yields only so far is sometimes hard to capture the first two (or ten!) times around.

NN: You do a lot of public appearances! Have you had any funny or bizarre author-fan moments that you can tell us about?

PB: I was at Powell's in Portland and they had a podium for me to use while I read from the book (Iron Kissed). Kindly they brought up a tall chair so I could sit and read. Distracted by the number of people there, I wasn't paying attention to the chair and didn't notice the WHEELS. I sat down on the edge -- and the chair rolled away. I had a moment of wondering why I was staring at the ceiling before realizing I was flat on my back in front of a hundred people. Thank goodness it was a year before the era of camera phones and YouTube. I wasn't hurt at all and people were kind and worried -- but I thought it was hilarious.

NN: What is your single best piece of advice for aspiring authors?

PB: Read. Write. And then read some more.

NN: What's the next project you'll be working on?

PB: I've just finished the revisions to Masques and Wolfsbane. Those will be released October and November of this year. I'm working with my comics team on both the Mercy series and the Alpha and Omega series comics/graphic novels -- and you should see the artwork! These are going to be awesome. I've got a couple weeks of short story writing in front of me and then it's on to the next Mercy book which will be titled River Marked.

NN: Thanks for the interview! 

Be sure to check out Patricia's website, www.patriciabriggs.com

Top Five Tuesday: Natasha

Hi! My name is Natasha and I am a newbyish blogger. I’ve blogged off and on, but this is the first time I have remained dedicated. I’m having fun learning how to do *some* html do-hickey things (like really really basic stuff I can figure out by Googling). I blog about the crafts that I attempt to do, the cooking I try to kill my husband with, and most importantly? The books that I devour!!! Oh, and I occasionally do a montage of my fur babies (my two kitties – Dot my girl and Dash my boy).

When NotNessie did a shout out for some people to do a Tuesday Top Five, I thought “YEAH! This is a great way to get my blog out there!”

THEN I had to come up with an idea.

Crap.

So I was sitting at my desk, contemplating (in other words banging my head against my keyboard), when I suddenly smelled something. What WAS that stench? Then it hit me! OMG that stench was coming from my FEET!

My Tuesday Top Five? My Favourite Smells!

#1 Vanilla – this reminds me of my mom baking. It calms and soothes me.

#2 Fresh Rain – That smell? When the clouds let go, and the moisture hits the air? It calms my soul. But that smell of worms? Eww!

#3 Books – Holding a paperback in your hand, and flipping the pages? That scent wafting towards you?

#4 Clean Sheets – You shake out the sheets, making the bed, and the scent of the fabric softener drifting towards you? Makes me close my eyes and *sigh*

#5 Kitty fur – I love burrowing my nose into my kitty’s side, and just inhaling. I love smelling her belly!

Anyways, you can find me at My Disorganized Ramblings. Care to tell me what your favourite smell is?

Teaser Tuesday: Voices of Dragons

This week's teaser is from Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn.

Tam and Carson gave each other one of those sly looks that suggested they were way ahead of Jon and thinking hard about that room.  Or maybe they'd already been there.  Kay had heard stories about the janitor's closet.

Eww! The janitor's closet? Really? Have some standards, people.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Review: Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Rated: 5 out of 5.  I loved it!

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale-esque

Summary:  Keturah follows a mysterious hart into the forest and gets lost.  As she weakens from hunger and cold, Death comes to take her.  Keturah tells Death a mesmerizing story and bargains for her life: if she can find her one true love before the day is over, she can live.  Keturah returns to her village and begins a desperate search, while also trying to prevent Death from taking everyone she loves.

Opening line: "I was sixteen years old the day I was lost in the forest, sixteen the day I met my death."

My thoughts:  Keturah and Lord Death is not exactly a fairy tale retelling, but it has a similar feel.  It brings to mind the classic fables found in so many cultures where someone meets Death and attempts to bargain for their life, with varying degrees of success.  You'll have to find out for yourself whether or not Keturah is successful.

I LOVE Leavitt's writing style.  She creates characters and setting that feel homey and charming - you understand why Keturah loves her life so much.  Leavitt also has a knack for creating quotes that really stayed with me, like this one:

"If untimely death came only those who deserved that fate... where would choice be? No one would do good for its own sake, but only to avoid an early demise. No one would speak out against evil because of his own courageous soul, but only to live another day. The right to choose is man's great gift, but one thing is not his to choose- the time and means of death."

While the book obviously deals with heavy subject matter, there is enough lightness and humor to keep it from being a downer.  Keturah and her friends are hilarious in their search for Keturah's true love, and the village characters kept me smiling throughout.

The ending was definitely bittersweet. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I can't think of another ending that would have left me liking the book as much as I do. I recommend this book for those who like fairy tale retellings, as well as anyone who enjoys a little deep thinking in their light reads.

About Martine Leavitt: "Martine has a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College, where she now teaches Creative Writing, and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary." -borrowed from her Goodreads page.

Second opinions:
Becky's Book Reviews gave it 3.5 stars.
Angieville calls it "Scheherazade meets Beauty and the Beast meets the Persephone myth."
Melissa @ One Librarian's Book Reviews loved the writing style.

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave me your URL and I'll link to your review.

Once Upon a Week 2! Who's in?

Last year I hosted an event called Once Upon a Week.  A week dedicated to fairy tales and fairy tale retellings.  A week of awesome.  It was so much fun, I'd like to do it again.   I'm hoping to feature author interviews this time around, as well as giveaways, reviews, and other fun things we did last time.

At this point I'm in the very early stages of planning.  I'd just like to put some feelers out there and find out who might be interested in participating.  Right now I'm planning for the last week of July or the first week of August.

So, comment below and tell me:
Would you be interested in participating? (leave an email address)
What books/authors would you like to see featured?

Review: The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer

Rated: 4 out of 5.  I liked it a lot.

Genre: YA, Mystery

Today I'm borrowing the summary from Goodreads because I just can't seem to write my own without giving too much away.  But when I went to Goodreads, I noticed that the summary there calls Abby's sister Tabitha, but in the ARC I have, her name is Maya.  Also, the murder victim in the Goodreads summary is named Clyde, but in the book, he's called Jefferson.  Weird.  Anyway, I changed the names in the summary to match my ARC, but if any of you have a finished copy of this book, can you let me know if that's right?

Summary: Abby Goodwin is sure her sister Maya isn't a murderer. But her parents don't agree. Her friends don't agree. And the cops definitely don't agree. Maya is a drop-out, a stoner, a girl who's obsessed with her tutor, Jefferson Andrews...until he ends up dead. Maya runs away, and leaves Abby following the trail of clues. Each piece of evidence points to Maya , but it also appears that Jefferson had secrets of his own. And enemies. Like his brother, who Abby becomes involved with...until he falls under suspicion. Is Abby getting closer to finding the true murderer? Or is someone leading her down a twisted false path?



Opening line: "I have always been the one to protect my sister." (ARC)

My thoughts: I'm actually finding it hard to collect my thoughts into any kind of coherent form.  I love a good mystery, so let me start out my saying that this is a great mystery.  All the clues were there in hindsight, but I was almost finished the book before I managed to put them together.  Isn't that just the best?  Anyone can write a surprising conclusion if they didn't give you any clues, but it's tricky to hand out all the pieces and still keep the reader from putting the puzzle together.

At first the story is fairly straightforward.  Good sister trying to clear the name of bad sister.  But as the plot develops, I got creepy chills up my spine as possibilities unfolded before me.  Each character becomes a suspect, and no one is telling the whole truth. It's perfect. 

The only thing that kept this book from a 5-star rating is that it did get a little draggy from time to time.  Most of the book was fast-paced, but there were a few sections where I had a terrible time paying attention.  Keep in mind that I have a new baby, I'm sleep-deprived, and I would probably have a hard time paying attention if my arm was on fire.  So you might want to take that with a grain of salt. 

So, mystery fans take note: this is one title you'll want to check out.

Content warning: Death and violence (non-graphic), reference to sex, foul language, and teen alcohol and drug abuse.

Eliot Schrefer in his own words: "It's hardly underdocumented that those who are smaller than their peers in early stages of their lives feel deep needs to exert their personalities later in life. In such desperate need of a caregiver as an infant, you learned to please others in order to survive. This drive develops to such an extent that producing work for the outside world becomes the most authentic way, paradoxically, of being yourself." - borrowed from his website.

Second opinions:
Eleni @ La Femme Readers rated it 4.5 stars.
Reading is Bliss calls it "a novel of twists and turns and secrets."
Yan @ Books by Their Cover is still picking her jaw up off the floor.

I use the book blogs search engine to find second opinion reviews.  Have you registered your blog yet?

Fun Finds: Papercuts

Are these not totally gorgeous?  I want them!

Autumn Kiss

Back Where You Belong Necklace

These are papercut images created by Tina Tarnoff that I found at her Etsy store.  Each image is created by handcutting a single sheet of paper, then mounting it on a contrasting piece of paper.  I think they have a beautiful, romantic feel to them.  Are you taking notes, Joe?

You can also visit Tina at her blog, Thought Patterns.

Review: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Rated: 5 out of 5  Excellent!

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Please note that Dead in the Family is Book 10 of the Sookie Stackhouse series.  This review will contain spoilers for those who haven't read the rest of the books.

Summary: Sookie's laying low, recovering from the wounds she received in the Faery War.  Most days she'd like to forget that any magical creatures exist.  The only bright point in her life is her relationship with the Viking vampire, Eric.  But Eric is still trying to establish his position in the new government of Louisiana, and when some of his "family" comes to visit, it might all come crashing down on him... and Sookie.

Opening lines: "I feel bad that I'm leaving you like this," Amelia said.  Her eyes were puffy and red.

My thoughts: I have been waiting for this book for years!  OK, maybe it's only been months, but it feels like years.  I was so excited when it appeared on my doorstep that I immediately parked myself and started reading.  Children, shmildren... they can forage. 

I loved every minute of this book.  Sookie was a much darker character, but it gave her character a new depth that was good to see.  And I love Eric.  If Sookie ever gives him up, I call dibs.  This series has definitely reached a point where the characters are so well developed that they start to feel like people you actually know.  Or maybe I'm the only one who blurs reality like that.  Anyway, I enjoyed getting more insight to Eric's background this time around.

I was very happy that Harris explained the answer to a problem that bothered me in Dead and Gone.  The answer itself is a little worrisome, though, and I'm concerned about how Sookie and Eric are going to fix it.  One of the things I really love about this series is the way the plot and problems for each novel arise naturally from the one before, without having extreme cliffhangers.  Well, most of the time there's no cliffhanger.  The series feels very cohesive to me, more like one story than a series of episodes.  Awesome.

Overall, a highly satisfying book that fans of the series are sure to enjoy.  I can't wait for the next one!

Thirsty for more?  Read the first chapter of Dead in the Family right here.

Waiting on Wednesday: Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White (Fall 2010)

Description: Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.

Why I want it: The beautiful cover caught my eye first, and since then I've been following Kiersten White's blog and I've decided anything she writes is going to be worth reading.  Can't wait!