What I'm going to read next.....

I only have a few more pages left of the current Kelley Armstrong book left to read of her Men of the Otherworld series. I'm going to finish up her 3rd book in her YA series. I'm going to flip to a page in the book and share a few lines from it...............

"So you have no idea who hired him?"
"Some supernatural. A healer guy."
"Sorcerer?" I said. "Shaman?"
"No clue. I'm not into that stuff. Anyway, someone put Liam in touch with this guy who wanted a werewolf to track you down"-- he nodded at Derek--"and hand you over to the Pack. Just so happened we were already in trouble with the Pack-- on account of Liam, as usual."(pg 187, Armstrong)


I can't wait to get started with the 3rd installment. I really enjoyed her first two YA books. I LOVE her Women of the Otherworld and Men of the Otherworld series, and I have came to really love this series as well. Anyways, as soon as I've got this one read, I'm letting my friends' daughter borrow this trilogy to read.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Now, I have done more reading since my last post, I've just been very busy in updating my blog with book reviews. I picked this one up at my local library, Grand Rapids Area Library, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

I really enjoyed this book. Grahame-Smith adds a spin to Abe... a certain amount of humor. Abe would make a good vampire hunter. This is my first book that I have read, and I know there is a term for this type of fiction, I enjoyed it. An excellent melding of history into a horror/fantasy world- with non-sparkling vampires but, brutal, blood thirsty killers. I liked that Abe befriended one of his sworn enemies and seeing that even Henry wasn't fond of the life he was left with. With Henry coming to Abe's rescue from the hands of a blood thirsty vampire. Henry teaches Abe how to out smart, toughen him up, and the killing points on a vamp. You go Abe!! 

Long over due.......

Well, it has been a long time. My bachelors from the University of Maine at Augusta is finally completed... YEA!!!!!! However, I have decided to pursue a K-8 teaching licenses, beginning Fall 2010 @ Bemidji State University.

I went back and forth in the route I wanted to take. Back in February, I applied to graduate school (San Jose State University) to get my masters in library science. Then I wanted to get me MN media specialist license. Given the current situation that is going on the in state, some districts eliminating school librarians, others hiring only part-time, and others spreading the school librarian thin over more than one building. I'm very much passionate about creating, collaborating, and teaching others that school libraries are more than just books. The way I see it, the school library is the brain of any school. Research has proven the correlation between an active school library and students' test scores. There's just people, maybe some teachers, administration and school board members that do not understand or get the BIG picture of it all. So, I gotta increase my chances of getting a job, and 2 licenses is better than 1.

Anyways, I've got some books that I'm finishing up reading and will write a few reviews for. I might even through in a few reviews of some Contemporary Latin American literature that I read for class last semester.

Until then... keep reading!!

Book Review: A Circle of Souls

Title: A Circle of Souls
Author: Preetham Grandhi
ISBN: 978-1-59955-235-4

If you are searching for a turn paging, thriller of a story, then pick up this first time novel by Preethan Gandhi. The short chapters and shifting viewpoints and characters made this such a quick read for me; I could have finished this in a couple of evenings, maybe even a day if I didn't have an almost 8-month old.

His working knowledge is reflected in the story surrounding a child psychiatrist and even to the minor details of dealing with insurance companies to the details of children psych wards. But that's not what this whole novel is about. A child is murdered and begins contacting this young doctor's patient, Naya, and visiting her in her dreams. For an 8 year old, Naya is quite the artist, and draws her dreams out with such great detail, that her pictures are the needed clues to help guide the police in this horror of a crime.

You can't help but be sympathetic to the murderer and his past. What he witnessed his father doing, the threats his father placed on him, to losing important people in his life. However, that doesn't make his actions right or even ok. We at least know the ghosts that haunted him.

The story just touched on the surface of Indian astrology and I would loved to have read a little more about that, maybe even played a little more in this book. I'm not real sure, all I know is I had a taste of it and I wanted more.

I want to thank the author again for contacting me to read and review his book. I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling. I also want to mention that this review is based on the advanced readers copy.

Book Review: I Can See You

Title: I Can See You
Author: Karen Rose
ISBN: 978-0-446-53834-3
Publication: August 5, 2009

WOW!! This book had me hooked. Know the saying.. "hooked, line and sinker". That was the case with me. Page turner from beginning to end. Rose did a wonderful job in keeping the reader guessing as to who the killer is for a good portion of the story.

Eve is a brave character to have gone through the horrific dieing experience from several years pass. Her thesis project which surrounds an online second life of her test subjects. Someone is picking off women, setting up the "second life" scenes to look like the "real life" scenes.

Webster, a decorated detective has his own ghosts in his closet. A past that dealt with alcoholism, but yet makes regular visits to a particular bar and orders the same tonic water. Why does he visit there so much? Well.. Eve of course.

With so many twists and turns and many characters and keeping one guessing as to the murderer, reading this book is a little confusing, but just back up a paragraph or two. Also, I think this is only the 2nd Karen Rose book that I have ever read and even though I never read the book that covered Eve, I didn't feel like I missed out on that. This is a 5 star book.

Book Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside

I finished this last week and I'm a little behind on getting my review written up on this one. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside by Beth Fantaskey is written with the young adults in mind. I just love her last name. If you are a fan of the Twilight series, I think you'll enjoy this read, you might even find it better than Twilight like I did.

Jessica Packwood is an adopted Romanian vampire princess, but she doesn't know that about herself. She was raised in the U.S. and all that she knows about her past is that her parents were killed sometime after she was born. I really liked Jessica's character in this book- she comes across as the average, girl next door who is a math nerd and a size 10 wearing teen. I think this sends a good message to young girls. She lives with her adoptive parents that are your vegan-type. She sneaks bits of meat from time to time. She is independent and does not fall head over heels for Lucius.

Move over Edward, there is a new vamp in town and his name is Lucius! Lucius is dark, mysterious, strong, everything that your mom tells you to avoid in boys, the bad boy that your mom tells you to stay away from. He is a Romain Prince with his main purpose: to bring back his bride-to-be in order to seal the pact of their clan made by their birth parents.

The story is a fast read, you'll find yourself craving to know what happens next.

Book Review: Alibi

TITLE: Alibi
AUTHOR: Terri Woods
ISBN: 978-0-446-58169-1


I recently finished reading,Alibi, by Terri Woods. I've never read anything by her before; this was a treat to try an author that I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

The book is primarily set in Philly and our main character, Daisy, has herself in a bit of trouble. A stripper by night, she shows us a human side to her, she recently lost her mother, fell in love with a man that turns around breaking her heart, she makes an attempt to turn her life around, and just when she makes progress, all hell breaks lose.

I wasn't surprised that Daisy did choose to do the right thing. What I was surprised about was who the individual(s) were that was captured on bank surveillance. Some characters just seemed awkard to me, like the two investigators. They just had an akward relationship, for me it didn't seem real, kinda fake.

For me, this book started off a little slow, despite a murder so early, but the action picked up and I did find this to be a book that was a little hard to put down at times. Was it a great book? No, but it is a good read.