Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep
29 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Books
ISBN: 978-1439147979
Rating: B
Elemental Assassin Book One
Gin Blanco is a cold hearted stone blooded killer. She’s an assassin who kills the dregs of society for money. When one of her clients double crosses her and murdered her handler, Gin takes on the job of finding out who is responsible for taking the only family she has left.
Estep took an interesting concept and made it come to life for me. Gin is a character similar to Dexter where you shouldn’t care about her or what she is going through, but you do. She’s the killer with a heart of gold who will do anything to protect those she loves. She holds within her a deep responsibility to those whom she considers family.
Urban Fantasy is a new genre for me as a reader, when this sub-genre first emerged I had a difficult time finding a quality in the story that I appreciated. However I have learned to appreciate the world building required in this genre. Estep created an unique world, and characters to populate it.
I look forward to seeing where Estep takes me in WEB OF LIES, and how the story will continue to grow.
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
17 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Books Tags: Janet Evanovich, Sizzling Sixteen, Stephanie Plum
ISBN: 978-0891061878
Rating: A
The combination of Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum remind me why I fell in love with reading as an adult.
Reviewing this series is difficult due to how much of a sentimental favorite it is; all I can say is that the relationships in this series are what make it matter.
When I picked up SIZZLING SIXTEEN it was because of my love of the characters, not because I expected an amazing mystery but because it is like visiting with old friends.
The plot was actually more developed than a few of the more recent forays into this series, and renewed my faith in this series.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
12 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Books, reviews Tags: Boundary Woods, Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver
ISBN: 978-0545123273
Rating: A
#1 Mercy Falls
SHIVER had me questioning how it would turn out and whether I would like how it ended. I wasn’t sure what the reality of the story was going to be. I’m glad with how it ended enough that I am eager to read the second book LINGER.
Stiefvater created Sam and Grace, two characters who immediately draw you into their worlds.
One winter day 6 years ago, Grace is swinging in her back yard when she is grabbed by a pack of wolves who begin to fight over her, until she finds the bright yellow eyes of one of the wolves who can’t seem to shake the heart behind her eyes. Grace is so straight and honest that when she finally finds that one person who makes her waiver from that line it makes her even more heart warming and honest. She’s the grown up in her world, and her falling in love was innocent and sweet.
Sam is a werewolf who was bitten when he was young and forced to become the animal that haunts him every winter. Sam wants to stay Sam and he fights the change every winter, but he knows that this is his last summer of being Sam forever. It takes one moment to change Sam and Grace’s life forever. When a boy is ravaged by the wolves in Boundary Woods, a hunting party goes looking for these animals and shoots Sam causing him to change back from wolf to boy. Grace finds him wounded on her deck and takes him in. He has the same eyes as the wolf who saved her 6 years before.
It’s a tender story told with maturity. This is one of the most tender love stories I’ve read in the young adult genre and I feel that this held a delicate balance between young love and true love.
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
04 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Books Tags: Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song
ISBN: 978-0-446-57096-1
Rating: A
Typically when reading a Nicholas Sparks book, one must definitely be in the mood to cry and although THE LAST SONG took me a bit longer before I started, but once I started I couldn’t stop.
When Ronnie and her little brother Jonah are forced to visit their dad for an entire summer in Wilmington, 17 year old Ronnie wishes that she could have turned 18 sooner so that she could skip out on this summer of forced parental imprisonment. Ronnie has spent the last 3 years ignoring her dad and worrying about how everything impacts her, as with every 17 year old the center of the universe is herself. She is in for a journey of self discovery during her summer in Wilmington, and one that will forever change how she see’s the world.
I knew before picking up THE LAST SONG that I was in for an emotional roller coaster. However the subject matter hit home in a lot of ways. When parents get divorced it’s hard for the kids to understand why or even to begin to know how to feel about it and speaking from experience I knew exactly where Ronnie came from. So when confronted with the visit to her dad and being forced to acknowledge those feelings Ronnie takes the only action that can protect her, she pushes people away. She dresses and acts unapproachable however if you look close enough there is a soft underside that very few people in her life have ever seen.
THE LAST SONG took a delicate subject and portrayed it honestly and compassionately and brought back those emotions for me, and put me in Ronnie’s shoes. The reality of this story was told with the right voice, and I am still amazed at the emotions that Sparks can create for me as a reader.
Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth
02 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Books, reviews Tags: Blood Oath, Cade, Christopher Farnsworth
ISBN: 978-0399156359
Rating: B+
1st Nathaniel Cade series
What happens when you cross DC politics and the supernatural? You get the only Vampire employed by the President of the United States and BLOOD OATH by Christopher Farnsworth.
BLOOD OATH started off a little rocky for me. A lot of lead up and not a lot of follow through happened in the first 100 pages, typical of the first book in a series. However, after that initial drought of action the story took a turn and I was hooked.
Nathaniel Cade is a vampire who serves the United States, and has sworn a blood oath to protect the President of the United States going as far back as Andrew Jackson and all those who follow him. Cade protects the citizens and the President from those things that go bump in the night, and has done so successfully for a very long while.
Cade’s handler former FBI Agent Griffin is sick and retiring so we are introduced to a new fledgling handler in Zach Barrows who swears the reason he was assigned to this duty is for having a relationship with Candace, the first daughter.
BLOOD OATH is a book of bonds, and relationships. Those you are made to honor and those you choose to. I look forward to seeing where else Farnsworth can take me with Cade and Barrows.
