What to Read? … What to Read?

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“She made a stunning cat burglar, dressed entirely in black spandex that molded to her waist and sweetly curved hips. Her golden hair hung in a ponytail down her back. The ends swished gently across her shoulder blades as she moved her head from side to side, scanning the bookshelf.

She stepped to the side, silent in her black socks. She must have left her shoes outside the window, thinking she’d move more quietly without them. He noted her slim ankles, then let his gaze wander back up to golden hair. He would have to be careful capturing her. Like any Vamp, he had super strength, and she looked a bit fragile.

He moved silently past the wingback chairs to the window. It made a swooshing sound as he shut it.

With a gasp, she turned toward him. Her eyes widened. Eyes green as the hills surrounding his home in Scotland.”

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth…or maybe a vampire, yes that’s it a vampire. I wonder if Santa can fit one in my stocking? Well maybe if he is unable to the jolly red man can leave me All I Want For Christmas Is a Vampire written by Kerrelyn Sparks.

Toni Davis’s Christmas wish list

1. Springing my best friend from the psych ward.

2. Living somewhere that doesn’t have coffins in the basement. Occupied coffins.

3. Finding Mr. Right. Please make him tall, dark, handsome, and alive.

This Christmas isn’t so merry for Toni. Her best friend’s been locked up in a mental hospital ever since she told the police she was attacked by vampires, and the only way for Toni to get her out is to prove that bloodsuckers really do exist. So she’s taken a job as a bodyguard for the Undead, but she gets more than she bargained for, especially when she meets Ian MacPhie, a Scottish rascal looking for Ms. Right.

Although Ian’s nearly five centuries old, he looks and acts like a twenty-seven-year-old hunk.

How can a dead man be so damn sexy? Could Mr. Wrong be Mr. Right? One forbidden kiss could lead to an eternity of passion—and all it takes is one moment under the mistletoe . . .

This is book 5 in the Love at Stake series; Sparks has managed to keep her series consistent; consistently funny that is, from the personal add that Ian’s friends place for him to the dialogue between Ian and Toni. Chalk this up as a fun light read and maybe if you are really good you will find that Vampire in your stocking.

Happy Reading

Sarah

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“You would think being a real live faerie princess would make your life fairy-tale-like, but fairy tales only end well. While the story is going on, horrible things happen. Remember Rapunzel? Her prince got his eyes scratched out by the witch, which blinded him. At the end of the story, Rapunzel’s tears magically restored his sight, but that was at the end of the story. Cinderella was little better than a slave. Snow White was actually nearly killed four different times by the evil queen. All anyone remembers is the poisoned apple, but don’t forget the huntsman, or the enchanted girdle and the poisoned comb. Pick any fairy tale that’s based on older stories, and the heroine of the piece has a miserable, dangerous, nightmarish time of it.”

Book 7 of the Merry Gentry series recently came out, Swallowing Darkness is written by the popular Laurell K. Hamilton. Now this is the way to spend a cold wet afternoon.

I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child–twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle; Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.

Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court–and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.

But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.

I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price–for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything–even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.

Hamilton has a way of creating a vivid world that she immerses her characters in. She however couldn’t seem to pull this one off, although she has kept to her vivid writing it wasn’t quite up to her caliber. I was excited when I saw book 7 on the shelf, I eagerly picked it up seeing as how book 6 left us with a cliff hanger. If you haven’t read this series I will say this; the first part of this fantasy adventure is good, the second half not so much. It’s almost like there was no effort put into this. However, you may find you enjoyed it. If you did that is super if you didn’t on to the next adventure.

Happy Reading

Sarah

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“Jenks made a darting path over my basket, and a package of fern seed for Matalina’s wing aches thumped in.  Catching sight of the bust enhancer, his expression turned positively devilish.  “Speaking of slutty,” he started.

“Well-endowed doesn’t equal slutty, Jenks,” I said.  “Grow up.  It’s for the costume.”

“Like that’ll do anything?”  His grin was infuriating, and his hands were on his hips in his best Peter Pan poise.  “You need two or three to even make an impression.  Fried eggs.”

“Shut up!””

I was recently given a box of hand me down books. These were books that had been read and put aside to collect dust. I rummaged around and found The Outlaw Demon Wails written by Kim Harrison.

Red-headed witch Rachel Morgan has a demon after her, but that’s just one of her many troubles in this action-packed sixth installment of Harrison’s Hollows series (after 2007’s For a Few Demons More). A nice guy might be moving into Rachel’s town and life, but she’s still getting over her last boyfriend, whose murder she has yet to solve. Elf politician Trent Kalamack wants her to go to the ever-after on a dangerous mission. Rynn Cormel, Cincinnati’s new master vampire and ex-leader of the free world, is interfering in her life. Her friend, former demon familiar Ceri, is unexpectedly pregnant, by an unexpected partner. On top of all this, Rachel worries she may have had a too close encounter with a vampire and soon becomes concerned about her own abilities with demon magic. With the help of her feisty mother, Alice, and her pixy partner, Jenks, Rachel boldly tackles every challenge amid a cascade of plot twists that will delight Harrison’s fans.

For anyone who has been following this series you will be extremely pleased with the sixth book. The plot was excellent, we get a feeling of where Harrison might be taking her story and we get a good laugh through dialogue between fabulous characters. If you haven’t read this series may I suggest you go and do so now.

Happy Reading

Sarah

I want to bring this to everyone’s attention. I received this little tidbit of information and I thought you would enjoy knowing about it.

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the great review. Your readers might also be interested in this contest where if you take a photo of your copy of THE GATE HOUSE with your favorite gate, you can win a Nelson DeMille library: http://www.flickr.com/groups/gatehousephotos/

This is very exciting and if you follow the link you will find the rules and end date of this contest. I wish all of you who enter good luck!

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Now where were we before this exciting news…Ah yes, a new book for you to sink your teeth into Little (Grrl) Lost written by Charles De lint. O.K. so it isn’t new, but it will be seen in paperback as of January 8, 2009.

Imagine Mary Norton’s quirky Borrowers as twenty-first-century Goth teens bent on discovering their true genealogy. De Lint has crafted a delightfully edgy fantasy that will lead teens to his popular adult series of Newford books, where magic and fantasy thrive in a seemingly ordinary community. Fourteen-year-old T. J.’s family has been forced to move to a suburb, leaving behind their family farm and T. J.’s beloved horse. Shy and awkward, T. J. has trouble finding a niche in her new school, and she misses her old friends desperately. Enter Elizabeth Wood, a 16-year-old “Little” who is six inches tall and all punky attitude (four-letter words abound). T. J. and Elizabeth are both fascinated and sometimes disgusted by each other, and they form a tight, complicated friendship that sees them through a slew of adventures in both the quotidian and magical worlds. As in The Blue Girl (2001), de Lint mixes marvelous fantastical creatures and realities as he taps into young women’s need to feel unique, understood, and valued.

Charles De lint is an excellent way for a person to ease into fantasy, he is highly talented and his stories are easy to follow, you can get right into the story and it is easy to read. I have been a long time fan of De lint and I have not been disappointed yet. Now off you go; you have a contest to enter and a book to read.

Happy Reading

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“Try to get some sleep,” he said.

But Meggie didn’t want to sleep. “Dustfinger! What sort of a name is that?” she asked. “And why does he call you Silvertongue?”

What’s more fun than discovering a new series; finding out that it will soon to be turned into a movie. What series am I blabbering about? That would be Inkheart written by the talented Cornelia Funke.

Meggie’s father Mo has an interesting talent: when he reads aloud, things, and sometimes people, come out of their stories and into the real world! But now the evil Capricorn wants to use Mo’s talents to bring himself great wealth and power. Then Meggie discovers that maybe Mo isn’t the only one who can read things to life. This is an enchanting story full of adventure, suspense, and magic. The characters are vivid and delightful. Unlike many books for younger readers there is a distinct emphasis on the importance of family as seen in the close relationship between Meggie and her father. Unfortunately the author does include several instances of mild profanity which seems totally unnecessary in a children’s book and is perhaps the biggest detractor from the story. Lightly magical, humorous, and fun, Inkheart will appeal to those who like adventure and fantasy, and to anyone who ever wished a story could come to life.

This is a book that will delight readers of all ages. Its plot is interesting, its characters charming and you will definitely have your favorites. I know I sure do and I am marking down the days until the movie hits the theaters. Now the question is will the movie do the book justice? I certainly hope so. There have been a few movies that have come out that should not have been attempted. Now let’s all go and read Inkheart while we wait for January 23, 2009.

Happy Reading

Sarah

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“Arabeth dared to run her hand under the open fold of his shirt, her fingers

dancing across his smooth skin to the rougher place where skin and tar had

melded together, and it occurred to Maimun that he typically kept his shirt

open just a bit more for exactly the reason of revealing a hint of that scar, that

badge of honor, that reminder to all around that he had spent most of his life

with a blade in his hand.”

When one goes to the bookstore or the library you never know what you might find. I happened upon The Pirate King written by R.A. Salvatore, this is the second book in the forgotten Realms series.

Drizzt returns to Luskan, and the Realms will never be the same!

The Arcane Brotherhood has long held the city of Luskan in their power, but when corruption eats away at their ranks, Captain Deudermont comes to the rescue of a city that has become a safe haven for the Sword Coast’s most dangerous pirates. But rescuing a city from itself may not be as easy as Deudermont thinks, and when Drizzt can’t talk him out of it, he’ll be forced to help.

This was an entertaining book, it was a little awkward in the middle, and the way it reads seemed to be forced just a bit. But that to me didn’t matter, it was entertaining all the same and it was a great way to waste away an afternoon. Will you enjoy this book, I would say yes especially if you enjoyed the Hunter’s Blades trilogy. You know what to do.

Happy Reading

Sarah

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“In the dim light Richard could plainly see the tattooed scales covering the right side of the man’s face. Without the leather shoulder plates and breastplates that the commander usually wore, or even a shirt, Richard could see that the pattern of scales ran down over his shoulder and covered part of his chest as well. The tattoo made him look reptilian. Among themselves, Richard and Johnrock referred to the commander as “Snake-face.” The name fit in more ways than one.”

Those of us who love books have one problem; do I get it now or wait for it to come out in paperback? Well I can’t solve that problem for you I have a hard enough time with that one on my own. So for those of you who love paperback mark September 30, 2008 on your calendar. That is the day the Confessor written by Terry Goodkind comes out in paperback. This is the last book in his Sword of Truth series. But do not fret he has written a prequel to this series.

Descending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil, those people still free are powerless to stop the coming dawn of a savage new world, while Richard faces the guilt of knowing that he must let it happen. Alone, he must bear the weight of a sin he dare not confess to the one person he loves…and has lost.
Join Richard and Kahlan in the concluding novel of one of the most remarkable and memorable journeys ever written. It started with one rule, and will end with the rule of all rules, the rule unwritten, the rule unspoken since the dawn of history.
When next the sun rises, the world will be forever changed.

I have not read a Terry Goodkind book that has not been entertaining, well written, with a plot and characters that just draw you in. This is worth getting a copy either in hard cover or paperback. If you haven’t read this series then I would suggest you start with Wizard’s First Rule. If you are already a fan check out his website for a sneak peek at his 1 hour T.V. series based on Legend of the Seeker.

Happy Reading

Sarah

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“Wills walked the empty corridors of Hell, looking for the code. He walked these same corridors every day, all day, searching, thinking that there had to be someplace he had overlooked and that on this day he would find it. But he never did. And knew in his heart that he never would.”

I am in the mood for some fantasy but you and I will have to wait until August 26, 2008 for The Gypsy Morph written by Terry Brooks, this is the next installment of his Shannara series.

Eighty years into the future, the United States is a no-man’s-land: its landscape blighted by chemical warfare, pollution, and plague; its government collapsed; its citizens adrift, desperate, fighting to stay alive. In fortified compounds, survivors hold the line against wandering predators, rogue militias, and hideous mutations spawned from the toxic environment, while against them all stands an enemy neither mortal nor merciful: demons and their minions bent on slaughtering and subjugating the last of humankind.

But from around the country, allies of good unite to challenge the rampaging evil. Logan Tom, wielding the magic staff of a Knight of the Word, has a promise to keep–protecting the world’s only hope of salvation–and a score to settle with the demon that massacred his family. Angel Perez, Logan’s fellow Knight, has risked her life to aid the elvish race, whose peaceful, hidden realm is marked for extermination by the forces of the Void. Kirisin Belloruus, a young elf entrusted with an ancient magic, must deliver his entire civilization from a monstrous army. And Hawk, the rootless boy who is nothing less than destiny’s instrument, must lead the last of humanity to a latter-day promised land before the final darkness falls.

How do you think this will end? I hope well, I do so love a good book written by Brooks.

Happy Reading

Sarah