Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Brilliance audio
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: audio
Challenges: Off the shelf, Young Adult
Author's Website
My rating: 5/5

Simple Description:
Wintergirls is the story of Lia.  Lia is a high school student who suffers from anorexia.  Her parents have already had her go through a treatment process twice.  If her weight drops down more she’ll have to go back.  She is weighed weekly and while it has dropped a bit, it’s not in the danger zone yet.  What they don’t know is that she’s sewed weights into her robe so she can still lose weight but keep the numbers up.
Lia’s best friend, Cassie, recently died.  Well, they weren’t friends when it happened but Cassie did reach out to her.  Cassie also suffered from an eating disorder.  Lia struggles with Cassie’s death while she’s also struggling with her own demons.

My Thoughts:
This book is one of the best of the year. I hate saying I loved it, when it’s about such a tough subject.  Yet, I loved it.  The author does such a fantastic job allowing us to get inside Lia’s head and understand what she is going through.  What drives her to lose weight and starve herself.  She does a great job portraying what is probably very normal reactions from parents who have a child suffering from an eating disorder.
Anorexia, eating disorders in general, is a very tough subject to read about, much less write about.  Yet it’s one that I feel we all need to be educated on so we can recognize the signs, recognize why people suffer from them, and how to best help.  While this book is not a non-fictional study, I feel Anderson does such a great job with it that I would recommend it to others.
I have to admit, after reading Speak and Wintergirls, both very tough subjects, I’m moved Laurie Halse Anderson to the favorite author’s list and I know I’ll be reading more by her.

Audio Review:
I felt the audio version of this book was pretty good.  It was easy to follow and kept my interest.  Jeannie Stith is the narrator and I feel she does a very good job with this one.  My only complaint is that throughout the recording there were long beeps, I have yet to figure out if they are supposed to be there or not. I found them rather annoying.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

#2 Night Huntress World
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: Strong Heroine, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal/fantasy reading challenge, audio book challenge


This particular installment allows us to get closer to Mencheres.  Mencheres is a master vampire who is pretty close to being done with life.  Then he meets Kira Graceling.  She's a human and a private investigator.  She happens to come across Mencheres being tortured by some ghouls and tries to save him, endangering her own life.  Mencheres rescues her and saves her, only to fall in love with her.  He tries to let her go back to her life, knowing that things are coming to an end for him.    However things quickly make a turn for the worse and Mencheres is forced to make Kira into a vampire.   Together they set out to save Mencheres from the one vampire who wants him dead.

Ok, yeah, so it's another vampire book.  By now you know I love my vampire books.  Jeaniene Frost has created a wonderful world.    I'm really enjoying this spin-off series.  I love that we learn more about some of the secondary characters in the Night Huntress series.  I think it's going to make the Night Huntress books that much more interesting since we'll have background on more of the characters.    Of course, I love that Bones and Cat also make an appearance in this book.

I suppose I should touch on the story itself huh?   I enjoyed the story and found that it kept my interest.  I think Kira is a very strong character and I hope she shows up in more books.  I did listen to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a wonderful job.   And that's all I've got.  Another short review, but I'll be caught up soon and hopefully things settle down and I'll have time for things to go back to normal soon.

Black Rose by Nora Roberts

#2 In the garden Trilogy
Copyright: 2010 (audio)
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: audio
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description:
The second book in the series features Roz Harper as the character to watch.   She's strong and independent and has sworn off men after she found out what a sleaze her ex-husband was and divorced him.  She's in for a surprise though, when Mitch, the man she hired to research her family and figure out who the ghost is, goes after her.  As they spend more time together she realizes that she might be falling in love with him.

Unfortunately her ex-husband is back in town and causing a lot of trouble for her.   She has to deal with those and the ghost who isn't happy she might love Mitch.


My Thoughts: 
I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the first in the series, Blue Dahlia.  I really like Roz's character and it was enjoyable to see her strengths and weaknesses.  It was fun to see how she got back at her ex-husband.  Of course, I'm a girl, so I enjoy that she ended up falling head over heels for Mitch too.    I have one left in the trilogy and I can't wait to get to it.


Audio Review:
Susie Breck is the narrator for this book and she does a fantastic job.  While she changes her voice, it's not always as big a change as other narrators do, but it's still good.  She puts in a bit of southern charm when she reads the book and makes it an enjoyable way to "read" the book.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Random House audio
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: New Author, What's in a Name (life stage), audio book
Author's Website
My rating: 5/5

Simple Description: 
The author, Christopher McDougall is a runner who kept getting injured.  He set out to learn why and figure out a way to get back into running.  He ended up in Mexico in a quest to find the Tarahumara Indians and Caballa Blanco.   The Tarahumara Indians are ultra runners, only they don't normally compete in any races.  They run for fun.  The run a lot.  They run long mileage.  How is it they can continue to run this mileage and never hurt themselves?  Whereas thousands of runners in the US run less mileage and hurt themselves every year.

The author set out to find out what the difference was.  The answer wasn't exactly what he was expecting.  The Tarahumara Indians didn't wear running shoes, they ran in sandals.

The books goes back and for between the author's search of Caballa Blanco and the resulting race with some of the top ultra marathoners and the science behind barefoot runners and why humans run.

Here's a blurb from the author's website:

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

My Thoughts: 
While I was enjoying this story, the constant switching between the authors quest to find Caballa Blanco and the Tarahumara Indians (and resulting race) and the science behind why humans run and barefoot running was rather confusing at times.  It really took me awhile to get used to it.  In fact, I even told some people last week that I wasn't too sure about the book.

With that being said, I ended up loving the book.  I loved both parts of the story.  I loved learning about the race and the background of the runners. I was fascinated by the science/research behind running and running barefoot.  There were several times while listening to the narration of the race where I found myself smiling.  Smiling at the sheer joy the runners were experiencing (along with the pain of course).  Smiling because while I don't run that kind of mileage, I know what it feels like to push myself and how great it feels to accomplish something in running you didn't think you could do.

The science side of it was just fascinating for me.  The author explains what some have found to be why humans run a marathon, what drives some to run that distance and more.    I also agreed with his findings regarding current running shoes and the move many are taking towards barefoot running.

I didn't think I would like this book.  Yes, I'm a runner, but that doesn't mean I actually read books about running.   However, after dealing with a stress fracture in my heal in 2009 I started doing research on the minimalist shoe movement.  I did a lot of research and decided it made sense and switched to a minimalist shoe this past April (moving to it 100% in May).  Every time Dr's or other runners learned of my plan to do this this they would comment "Oh, you've read Born to Run?"  Nope.  I then read several reviews that said the audio version of this book was great, so I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did.

I honest think most runners would enjoy this book. If they can get used to the constant switching in the story, that is.   I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but as a runner I just found the story fascinating.

For those who aren't runners, if you live with a runner this might be a good book for you. It might help you understand why they run.  You might enjoy the race parts.    If you don't live with a runner, heck, you might still find it interesting.  You might think runners are crazy, especially those who run 100 mile races.  Maybe this book would help explain why they do what they do.

After reading this book do I still think I made the right choice switching to a minimalist shoe?  You betcha! Every point that was made regarding the benefits are the reasons I switched.  Even though I've had some pain and issues switching, it's the right choice in my opinion and one that I recommend to others when they ask me about it.

Since I'm speaking of running, just want to mention that my next half marathon is Oct. 2nd.  It's in 12 weeks.  Yikes!

Audio Review: 
The narrator of this book is Fred Sanders.  He did an awesome job.  I loved listening to this book.  He did a great job with this book and I definitely recommend this one on audio.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

#3 Darkest Power trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA
Pages: audio
Challenges: urban fantasy challenge,  Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, Young Adult, Audio Book
Author's Website 
My rating: 2/5

Simple Description:
This is the third and final book in the trilogy.  There are a group of kids who have special powers and they are on the run.  They are running from the company who gave them these powers and, as it turns out, now want to kill them.    They meet up with a man who they think is on their side and they get to the safe house.  Except as the kids stay longer they learn that maybe they aren't as safe as they think they are.

My Thoughts:
I didn't think this was the best book.  Here's the thing, I think that all three books could have been made into one.  I feel like this is one of those cases where the books were split into three in order to make more revenue. It felt like, even though a lot happened, enough didn't happen to make this a satisfying book.   I found myself listening to this and not really carrying about what happened.


Audio Review:  
The audio version is read by Cassandra Norris.  While I think she did well, for the most part, there are some issues I had with it. I believe I voiced these opinions with the last review too.  I realize these are teenagers but Norris put in too much sarcasm in her voice.  To the point that I found it annoying.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Copyright: 2007

Publisher: Listening Library

Genre: young adult
Pages: audio (5 disks)
Challenges: New author challenge, Young Adult, audio
Author's Website 
My rating: 5/5


Simple Description: 
Mixing it up a bit, instead of giving my own description I'm just going to paste the synopsis from the book's website:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.




 My Thoughts: 
I absolutely loved this book.  From the very beginning you are sucked into the story of Hannah and why she committed suicide.  You are sucked in wanting to know how Clay fits in, because you can tell that he seems to be a decent guy.  This is a very different take on suicide and I think it's a very interesting one.


While at times it was hard to listen to this one because, hey, it might have been awhile ago but I was once a teenager in highschool and I did suffer from depression. I would be lying if I said I never thought about suicide.  I also had a friend commit suicide the year after I graduated highschool.  So listening to a story like this sometimes hits a little close to home. Sure, the reasons were different, but the topic itself is just a bit hard.


I think it was interesting to see how all the actions combined led up to Hannah taking the route she did.  One incident by itself wasn't enough and most would just pass off, but all of them, yeah, it gets to a person.  So the story being told like it is and showing all that makes it more powerful.

I personally would love to see this book read in English classes because I think teenagers could benefit from it. I think it would be an eye-opener for them and show them that actions have consequences  It might seem like what you do/did/plan to do is harmless but chances are it's not.  In my opinion, this is a very powerful book.


Audio Review: 
The audio version of this book was narrated by Debra Wiseman and Joel Johnstone.  They did a fantastic job.  This is, by far, one of the best audio books I've listened to.  Since the book deals with tapes, Debra narrates the tapes since she's speaking Hannah's part.  Joel does the rest of the book since it's told from Clay's point of view.  Everything flows smoothly and I think having the two readers was a very smart move.  I don't think it would have worked as well had there been just one narrator.   This was one audio book that I didn't want to stop listening to. 

Gone by Lisa McMann

#3 Wake trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Brilliance audio
Genre: young adult
Pages: audio
Challenges: young adult, audio book
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
This is the final book in the Wake Trilogy.  In this one we are really getting a wrap-up for Janie.  Her and Cabe have graduated from High School and she needs to decide what to do about her gift.  Does she still help out the police and user her gift even though she knows the physical risks.  Or does she decide not to do this anymore and save her sight and her hands, etc.

Things get even more confusing for Janie when she finds out who her father is.  He ends up in the hospital in a coma. Even though Janie can't talk to him she finds his home and learns that her ability is hereditary.  She also learns what the complications are if she decides to isolate herself and never use her gift.

What will she decide?  What will happen to her father?  What will happen between her and Cabe?


My Thoughts:
I thought this one was good but didn't like it as much as the others.  I think I wanted Janie and Cabe to be involved in another investigation and have more of a mystery aspect to it.  So I was a bit disappointed in that.  However, I think it was a great ending to the trilogy because it does tie up some loose ends and comes to a conclusion in a way.  If there had been a mystery in it I'm not sure the trilogy would have wrapped up as nicely.

All-in-all I think it's a good trilogy and think others will enjoy it.  A word of warning:  There is some cursing in the story (all three actually) and there is a physical relationship between Cabe and Janie.  While I don't have kids yet I feel this is not something that would keep me from letting my kids read this. I know these can be a concern for some though, so you've been notified.

Audio Review: 
Ellen Grafton was the narrator for this audio version.  She has actually narrated all three of the books in this trilogy and I think she did an excellent job.  She included just enough emotion and changed her voice for the different characters to make it a great experience.

The Sixth man by David Baldacci

#5 King and Maxwell
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Grand Central
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: Strong heroine, Mystery and Suspense, audio book, Pub Challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description: 
Edgar Roy works for the government in the intelligence field. His life is turned upside down when he is found in his barn with 6 bodies.  King and Maxwell are called in by his lawyer to help out with the case.  Before they can talk to the lawyer though, the lawyer is found dead.

As you might be able to guess, King and Maxwell don't let the case dropped just because of that.  Unfortunately by doing this they are putting their lives in danger.   They meet with Roy but are unable to get any information from him.  Then they have trouble figuring out who is even paying for his legal services.  Then when they do, they get some info but not a lot. It seems everyone is holding something back.  They don't believe Roy was the murderer, but if not him, then who. And why?

My Thoughts: 
I thought this was a great follow-up to the last book in the series.  I just adore King and Maxwell, they are both really strong characters.   This book had a lot of twists and turns and just when you think you figured it out, you are thrown for a loop.   I'm now caught up on the series and while I'm happy with that, I don't want to have to wait for another book to be published. I want another one..now. lol

Audio Review: 
I did listen to the audio version of this book.  Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy are the narrators. I think they both do a great job.  Even though I think they did good and I enjoyed the audio, I don't think I'll listen to more of this series on audio. I find that I miss things because I don't always pay 100% attention to the story since I listen while I'm driving.  I think this is fine with most fiction books because you can follow along, but with this one I felt like I missed things sometimes.   So the audio was good..I just don't think it's right for me.

Eon by Alison Goodman

#1
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Firebird
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: audio
Challenges: young adult, 1st in a series, audio
Author's Website
My rating: 2/5


Simple Description:
This is an Asian fantasy novel. It doesn't ever say when it takes place but it seems like it was awhile ago, such as the 17th century or something along those lines.   It starts off with some boys trying to learn the proper moves in order to compete to become the next Rat Dragon dragoneye.  The dragoneye is able to communicate with the dragon and help their country.  

Eon is the least likely candidate.  Eon is really a girl posing as a boy and she's lame.  However she has a lot of stress because she is the last hope for her master.

When the time comes Eon is not chosen by the Rat Dragon however she is chosen by the Mirror Dragon. The Mirror Dragon is believe to have been lost centuries ago.  Soon Eon is made a Lord and also asked by the Emperor to support him. There is trouble brewing and the Emperor needs the support of a powerful dragon eye.


My Thoughts:
Honestly, I didn't really like this book.  The main reason I listened to it and continued with it is because I was sent the 2nd in the series and I was determined to finish this one so I could attempt that one and know what was going on.   I should say that the copy of the 2nd one that was sent to me was a surprise, I wasn't expecting it.  Not sure I would have picked this one because it's exactly my cup of tea.

However, that's not really why I didn't like it.  One of the main issues I had with it is that I did not like Eon. I felt she was whiny immature.  I could not connect with her.   Another thing that bothered me was that the book reads like it took place centuries ago, yet there were common phrases in it. Phrases that I felt were really out of place for the time frame of the novel.  To me, they stuck out like a sore thumb.

Even though I didn't really like this one I do plan to give the 2nd one in the series a try.  If I don't like it any better I will DNF it, even though I don't like doing that.

Audio Review: 
I did listen to the audio version of this novel.  Nancy Wu is the narrator and over-all I think she did a pretty good idea.  She changed her voice to show emotion and to separate the characters.

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

#4 Outlander
Genre: Fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: Audio Book
Review
Author's Website

Once again I'm not going to do my typical review for this blog.  The reason behind this is because this is the 4th in a series that needs to be read in order.  I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read it yet.  I also don't think anybody would willingly pick this one up without reading the others first.

This book takes place mostly in the US.  What made this one interesting for me was the addition of Bri and Roger.  While they were in the last book, they each played a big role in this one and I liked that.

I can't say that anything crazy happened in this one..nothing major like we have had in previous novels.  Yet, it moved along well for me and it kept my interest.  I was a bit worried since some reviews on amazon said this was the slowest in the series for them so far.  I thought the 2nd in the series was really slow.  Therefore, I was happy with how much I did like it.  Unfortunately, I read reviews for the next in the series and that one gets some really bad reviews.  So..we'll see what I think of the next one when I get to it.



 Audio Review:
Davina Porter is the narrator for this book, as she has been for previous books in the series. I think she does an excellent job!  I look forward to listening to the rest of this series on audio..as long as she's the narrator.

Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts

#1 In The Garden trilogy
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: Fiction
Pages: audio
Challenges: 1st in a Series, Audio Book
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description:
The story opens with Stella being a happily married woman with two kids.  That is, until her husband is killed in a plane crash.   With no family where she's at she decides to move back to the south where her father and step mom live.  This way they can be closer to the boys.  She is able to land a job as a nursery manager for Roz Harper.  One of the stipulations is that she lives at the Harper Mansion for 6 months.

While living there she comes into close contact with the resident ghost, the Harper Bride.  She butts heads with the landscape designer, Logan, but not for long.  She loves her job, enjoys working with Roz.  In fact, she enjoys her work with the nursery itself.  But things start to get more complicated with Logan and she's not sure that's a good thing.

Haley, a distant relative of Roz's, shows up at the door with no job and pregnant. She's hoping Roz can give her a job so she can support herself and the baby until things get better.


My Thoughts:
I haven't read many Nora Roberts books yet, but this is my favorite so far!  I just loved the characters and the southern setting.  Stella is so organized that sometimes it can cause problems for her, yet as somebody who likes to be organized (although I'm lacking when compared to her) I liked this about her.  Logan is so easy going and just let's things happen as they happen and I liked that about him.

I thought the three main women in the story were great. Roz, Stella, and Haley were all different yet they were all very strong female roles.  I loved how they all got along and worked together too.

There are two more books in the trilogy, I haven't bothered reading what they are about but I can't wait to get to them.   A friend suggested that another mutual friend and I would like this trilogy and boy was she right.

Audio Review:
Susie Breck is the narrator for Blue Dahlia and she does a really good job.  She changes her voice, even for the kids, and adds what I think is the prefect amount of emotion into it. I hope she narrator all three of the books in this trilogy since I'll be listening to the other two on audio as well.

Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham

#1 Bone Island trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 368
Challenges: Off the Shelf, Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, 1st in a series, Audio Book
Author's Website 
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
This book takes place in Key West.  Katie is in her 20's and her family has lived in Key West for as long as anybody can remember.   She is about to finalize the purchase of a museum that closed 10 years ago when a murder victim was found there, when one of the owners comes back in town and puts a stop to it. David was the ex-fiancée of the girl who was found murdered and he wants the museum to stay closed.   While he is in town he begins to dig into his ex-finance's murder, it's been 10 years and he hopes to finally find the guy who did it.

Then another girl goes missing.  Then a suspect goes missing.  Katie and David form a relationship but there is one thing she is keeping from him, she can see ghosts. In fact, she can see the ghost of the three murder victims.  Unfortunately they aren't able to tell her who killed them but she's hoping to get some clues from them so they can find the killer.

My Thoughts:
I'm a huge Heather Graham fan. I don't always read her books when they are first published but I always get excited.  I love how she weaves mystery and paranormal and romance.  I really liked Katie and David, individual and as a couple. They each have their faults but they are both likable characters.

The mystery aspect of the story kept me guessing.I had figured out who it was, but not by clues. Rather I tried to guess who wouldn't be an obvious choice and my guess worked.

Overall, an enjoyable read and another good story by the author.  I have the other two books in the series already so I hope to get to them within the next couple of months.


Audio Review:
The audio version of this book is read by Angela Dawe.  Overall I think she does a good job, I just have one complaint.  When the characters are talking to each other or thinking, she lowers her voice.  Which means I have trouble hearing it. I'm either stuck constantly messing with the volume or struggling to hear some parts.  Suppose this might not be an issue if listening to it at home when other noise is at a minimum but driving in the car on the highway it was an issue.     So..while I think Dawe did a great job, I'm not sure I'll listen to the rest of the trilogy.

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

#2 Rizzoli and Isles
Copyright: 2003
Publisher: Ballantine
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: Off the Shelf, Strong Heroine, Mystery and Suspense, Audio Book
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

Simple Description: 
Jane Rizzoli is a homicide detective with the Boston PD.  The past summer she caught The Surgeon and barely escaped with her life.   Now it appears there is another serial killer on the loose.  There seem to be too many similarities between these crime scene's and the ones the Surgeon left.  However Rizzoli is the only one who see's it.  That is, until the Surgeon escapes from jail.

Rizzoli knows the Surgeon will be coming after her. She is, after all, the only who escaped him and they are finding more and more clues that show he's infatuated with her.

My Thoughts: 
I had read the first in the series awhile ago and even though I liked it I kept putting this series off. You all know how that is.  Then the tv show came out last year and I watched it, and I liked it. I wondered if that would ruin it for me.  I decided to finally read the next in the series and I'm really glad I did.  While I knew the story because it was covered in the tv show, I still enjoyed it.  Some things were different and since it's been awhile since the tv show it wasn't fresh in my mind.

I like Rizzoli, I think she's a great character.  She has to be strong, or at least appear strong, in front of her co-workers.  So you see the side of her where she doesn't want to take anybody's crap and she has something to prove.  Yet, you also see the other side of her, her weak side. The side where you know she is scared.

I'll definitely be continuing with this series.   I'm not sure how fast I'll get to them..but I'll get to them.

Audio Review:
I did listen to the audio version of this book.  Dennis Boutsikaris is the narrator for the audio version of The Apprentice and I thought she did a really good job.  I think there's a very good chance I'll listen to more of this series via audio book.

First Family by David Baldacci

#4 King and Maxwell series
Copyright: 2009
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: Mystery and Suspense, Audio book
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description: 
Sean and Michelle are on their way to meet with a new client. It's the sister-in-law to the wife of the President and Michelle is interested in how Sean knows the two families.  When they get there, they find that things aren't as expected.  Sean goes around back and Michelle stays in front where she is soon in a gun fight with two men who are wearing what appear to be military grade body armor.   They go inside to find the wife dead, the Husband hurt, two of the kids ok, and the oldest daughter missing.

Since this is a kidnapping and the family has a strong tie to the first family, the FBI and secrete service are involved.  However, the first wife hires Sean and Michelle to figure out what's going on.

While trying to wade through the lies and red tape on the kidnapping and murder, Michelle has some a family emergency.  Her Mom has been murdered.   Michelle goes home to be with her family and look into the murder, as well as face her past.   She calls in the one guy she trusts to help her out, Sean.


My Thoughts: 
I thought this was an excellent follow-up to Simple Genius.  One of the things I loved about Simple Genius was that we had the one, main, murder mystery as well as a secondary story revolving around Michelle.  What I love is that the secondary story didn't end with the end of that novel.  Instead, the author carried it on to this book and it worked really well.  I liked having the two different stories and seeing how Michelle and Sean dealt with both of them.     I also loved that there was more exploration into Sean and Michelle's relationship too.  Loved the ending! (and that's all I'm saying about that).

With this book we know what is going on in regards to Sean and Michelle looking for the kidnapper but we also know who the kidnapper is and we get his side of the story.  The story goes between the two so we get updates as needed. Sometimes this doesn't work very well and sometimes it does.  Luckily, this is a case where it works out really well for the story.

This quickly became one of my favorite series and even though I started it last year, I'm happy to say I'm already caught up in it.  Well, that is until next month with the next book in the series is published.  That's ok though, I already have plans to buddy read it with some friends.

 Audio Review: 
It's kinda funny.  I started out by downloading this book from the library onto my ipod.  Then my requested audio CD copy was ready for me to pick up, so I picked it up and started listening to it in the car using the cd's and on runs and at work with the ipod.  Then my paper copy from paperback swap arrived and by then I was towards the end of the book and had to know what was happening so I read the paper copy at home.

As far as the audio version, I thought it was done pretty well.  I found it fun that there were gunshots during the fight scenes where guns were involved.  It was unexpected and made me smile.  Ron McLarty is the narrator and I think he does an excellent job.

Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

#4 House of Night
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: audio
Challenges:  Strong Heroine, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Audio Book
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description: 
In the fourth installment of the House of Night series, we have Zoey being all by herself. No boyfriend..heck..no friends.  Due to her actions, right or wrong, she has become alienated.  The only person still speaking to her is Aphrodite.  When Aphrodite has a vision where she see's two different ways that Zoey dies, she knows it's time to tell friends some of the secrets she's kept from them.  She needs her friends by her side.

Something evil is in the night.  Some weird Raven's.  When Aphrodite has another vision and writes down what she thinks is a poem, they learn that it's really a Cherokee legend and Zoey calls on her Grandma for help.   Soon they learn that it's not legend, it's true.  Neferate is up to something evil and more than just vampyres are in danger.


My Thoughts:
While I thought this was a good installment to the series, I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I have the other three.  I don't know if it's because I've listened to all of them and with this one the narrator is different and threw me off, or if it was something else.   I found the bickering between Aphrodite and Zoey's other friends getting on my nerves. I get it, they are different, but Aphrodite is changing and I just think the bickering needs to stop.  

The story itself is good, even though it doesn't end with everything wrapped up and tied nicely with a ribbon.  I know it's just leading us in to book 5 though.    I do think this is a good YA urban fantasy series and even though I didn't like this one as much as the others, I still liked it and plan to continue with the series.

Audio Review:
As mentioned, I did listen to this book.  The narrator for book four is Jenna Lamia.  I think she does a good job, I just wish they hadn't changed narrators in the middle of the series.  Sometimes I felt her tone was too sarcastic or too, well, something. But at the same time, it is a YA book and it is how teenagers talk. Whether it was my age showing or not, I don't know.   I did see that Jenna is the narrator for book 5 and I'll continue with audio for this series.

I thought the narrator's name was familiar so I did a search on my blog and found that she's also the narrator of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.  I remember loving that audio version.

Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

#14 Hannah Swanson/Cookie Jar Mystery
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: crusin through the cozies, audio, 2011 Pub Challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description: 
This one starts out with a bang, there is something fishy going on almost right away.  Rev. Bob and his new wife are finally able to take a honeymoon when they run into visiting minister who knows the family.  Matthew lived with Bob's Grandma Knudson when he was in high school and she was the minister's wife.  However shortly after being reunited with Matthew, Grandma Knudson things something isn't right.  She asks Hannah to look into her suspicions.  With Andrea's help, Hannah is able to explain away Grandma Knudson's suspicions.  Then Matthew turns up dead.  And the real Matthew comes in to town.  Or is he?

With one body and another suspicious person, Hannah has her hands full.  However she's also dealing with things on a personal level.  There's still the issue with her not making up her mind between Mike and Norman.  Then Norman brings Dr. Bev, his ex-fiancée, into his practice as a partner, and he starts acting weird.  Hannah wants to know what's going on.


My Thoughts:
While this is still one of my favorite cozy series and while I did enjoy this book, I really wish Hannah would make up her mind between Norman and Mike. I think we all know Norman is the best guy for her, she just needs to get over how hunky Mike is.    If I have one complaint with this series..that would be it..the fact that Hannah cannot pick one guy to date.

Other than that..I thought this was a good addition to the series.  We get to meet with our favorite characters. We get more cookie recipes that I always want to try baking right away (but rarely do).

I do recommend this cozy series to those who enjoy a light mystery, but definitely recommend starting with book one.

 Audio Review: 
I did listen to the audio version of this book. I plan to buy a copy still, I want to add it to my collection and I want the recipes.  I thought the audio version was good.  Suzanne Toren was the narrator again and I felt she did a very good job.

Peony in Love by Lisa See

Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Books on Tape
Genre: fiction
Pages: audio 9 disks (13 hours 13 min)
Challenges: Off the shelf, Audio, I want more Challenge
Author's Website
My rating: 1/5 DNF

Simple Description:
This story is set in 17th century China and is told from the point of view of Peony..starting from when she is a young girl soon to be married and continuing once she is a ghost.   Peony is struck with love sickness after she secretly meets a boy she believes she loves but knows she can't marry him since she has an arranged marriage.   She spends her days refusing food and writing.  Soon, she wasts away and becomes a ghost. Once in the after life she meets her Grandma and learns the real story about what happened to her ancestors.  She also meets other women who have died from love sickness.  However she still wants the boy she fell in love with.

My Thoughts:
Ok. so my description isn't that great.  I'm sure it doesn't do the book justice.  The thing is, I really didn't like this story.   I listened to most of the audio version before giving up on it. I listed to 6 out of 9 disks.  I was forcing myself to finish it, expecting it to get better, but it wasn't.   I really didn't like the main character.  I realize the traditions of the time and culture are incredibly different from what they are in present day America, but that didn't help. I thought the main character was selfish and I couldn't connect with her at all.  This kept me from liking the book.

I really wanted to like this book, I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by the same author.  I had high hopes I would enjoy this one too, but it was a big disappointment for me.

 Audio Review:
Janet Song is the narrator for the audio version of this book. I think she did ok.  I thought her voice or tone was annoying at times and didn't really flow for me, but I don't think that had anything to do with me not liking the book.  I'm sure if I had liked the story more, it wouldn't have bothered me at all.

Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts

Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: fiction
Pages: audio (13 hrs 16 min)
Challenges: audio
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5



Simple Description:
Tory Bodeen is about to go home.  She grew up in the small town of Progress, SC but her family moved soon after her best friend, Hope, was found murdered and raped.  Tory's family was poor and her father abusive.   Hope's family was rich and owned the land and shack that Tory lived in.

The thing is, Tory was supposed to be with Hope when she was murdered but couldn't because of a recent beating she received from her father.  Tory is psychic though and she "saw" what happened to Hope but unfortunately she didn't see the killer.

Now Tory is heading back to Progress.  She plans to open up a shop in the main part of town and get on with her life. She knows she can't do that until she faces what happened all those years ago.

Tory soon finds herself becoming friends with Faith, Hope's twin sister, and possibly more than friend's with Hope's older brother.   She also realizes that the man who killed Hope is still out there raping and killing women and she wants it to stop.

Tory is forced to face her gift, or curse, face her growing attraction to Cade, and her father showing up in her life again.   She also has to come face to face with the killer.

My Thoughts: 
I thought this was an excellent book.  It's only the fourth one I've read by this author, I have previously listened to the Sign of Seven trilogy and liked them but didn't love them.  A friend read this book earlier this month and really enjoyed it so I felt I wanted to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!

I was immediately drawn into Tory's life and while I felt sorry for her, for having the childhood she did, I applauded her for being the woman she currently was.  I was intrigued by the mystery behind the killer and wanted to know who it was...felt I knew who it was then felt that was to obvious and it had to be somebody else so I just waited for a surprise ended and I wasn't disappointed.

This book was as much a story about revealing the murderer as it was about Tory finally feeling she was at home and she belonged somewhere.

My friend didn't like this book as much as she has enjoyed others by Nora Roberts, so I have high hopes the author has a few treasures just waiting for me to find.

Audio Review:
The audio book was read by Dean Robertson and I think she did a great job.  She changed her voice a bit for some of the characters but not to the extent that you get with a lot of audio books. However, that doesn't cause a problem. I was able to follow who was telling the story without problems. The narrator also reads with a touch of a southern accent and that really made the story. I feel if that wasn't there, I wouldn't have felt the Southern charm that I know was there.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Copyright: 2010(audio)
Publisher: Hatchet Audio
Genre: fiction
Pages: audio  9 disks/10 hours
Challenges: New Author, Urban Fantasy, Audio
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
This is the true story of Abraham Lincoln.  Little did you know that Abraham Lincoln not only knew of the existence of vampires, but was also the best vampire hunter of his time.  Little did you know that the American Civil War was really a war not to free the slaves, but to keep the vampires from taking over and running the United States and making all humans slaves.  Although, I should mention that through this book we do realize that Abe did want to end slavery because he thought it was wrong.

This book gives us the story of Lincoln's life.  Starting from when he was a child and going all the way to his assassination.   We learn what caused Lincoln to go after vampires and also how he was able to persevere and end up with a life in politics and as a US president.  Along the way he had some help from Henry Sturgess, a vampire.  It was with Henry's help that he picked his vampire victims and killed them.


My Thoughts:
I thought this book was fun. It wasn't great or spectacular, but it was good and I found it entertaining.  The book very much reads like a history book, with names and dates. Without researching any of the info in the book, it would seem that the author did follow true accounts of Lincoln's life and added the vampire parts into it.  I thought it was rather interesting how the author did so and felt he did an excellent job of it.

I don't think this book is for everyone.  I'm personally not a huge fan of the recent trend to take known books and add zombies, etc, but I just couldn't pass this one up.  I realize it's not about a book, but instead about a historical figure, so I was interested to see just how it would work.

If you are a fan of books like this or are interested in trying one, I say give it a try.  If it's something that just doesn't appeal to you, then you could probably skip it.  

 Audio Review:
Scott Holst is the narrator for this book and I felt he did a good job.  It wasn't hard to follow the story although I found my mind wondering at times. I think that's just because it does read like a history book and I'm not always good with that.


Fun note:  I went in search of the author's website but couldn't find it. I tried doing a search by the title of the book because sometimes websites are made for the books and not the author and I found a listing on IMDB for this one. It appears the book has already been cast and is set to be released in movie version in 2012.  I like the fact that the author also did the screen play.  I'm actually interested in seeing this one in movie form, I feel it could be very entertaining or it could totally suck.  lol!

Fade by Lisa McMann

#2 Wake trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Brilliance Audio
Genre: young adult
Pages: audio 4 disks
Challenges: young adult, audio book,
Author's Website
My rating: 3/5


Simple Description:
This is the follow-up story to Wake, where we first meat Janie and Cabe.  In this story Janie is now working for the police department along with Cabe. The newest case is one involving teachers sexually assaulting students at their high school.  Janie wants to help with this one but Cabe has some issues because he doesn't want her to be hurt.  This causes some strain in their relationship, at times they are closer, other times they seem further apart.

Along with trying to figure out which teachers are praying on students, and catching them, Janie is also dealing with knowing what to expect with her gift and how to control it.

 My Thoughts: 
I thought this was a great book.  I don't normally read series books so close together so I was a bit worried how well I would like this one since I just finished Wake last week. (side note..the reason I listened to them so close together is that I finally decided to play around with the option the library has of being able to download books and put them directly onto an mp3 player, burn cd's, or just listen to on your own pc.  I decided to test it with this one because all the other titles I looked up either weren't available for this option or I would have had to wait..and who likes waiting. lol).

Anyway...back to me being worried that it would be an issues listening to the two books so close together. It wasn't an issue at all.  In fact, the books are so small that it could have easily just been one big book.   This one picks up almost right where the other one ends.  It was great to see Janie and Cabe become closer and work through some issues in their relationship.  I also liked seeing them work together to solve the mystery.

After reading book 2 in the trilogy I definitely think it's a fun series and recommend it to others.  I imagine you'll see a review for book 3 in the near future.

(another side note - I tested listening to the audio book while running. In the past I haven't wanted to do this because when I run I tend to tune out music a lot as I'm mentally checking how I feel, my form, etc.  I'm happy to report that I've listened to audio books on 3 recent runs and all went well. I payed attention to the book and was never lost. So happy I've found a new way to "read", it will surely come in handy when I start training for my 1/2 marathon.)

Audio Review:
Ellen Grafton is the narrator for Fad, she also did Wake.  She did another fantastic job with this book and I have my fingers crossed she'll be the narrator for the 3rd book in the trilogy too.