The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I love Rick Riordan. His books are terrific. If you haven't read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series you need to. This series, The Lost Hero, is a continuation of the Percy Jackson series. You have some of the same characters such as Annabeth and later on I'm sure Percy will play a big role as well. Our new main characters are Jason, Piper, and Leo. Our main character is Jason who can not remember who he is, but he has an uncanny knowledge of Roman gods and fighting. Piper is an Aphrodite daughter, but does not dress or act like it at all. Leo is a fire user whose mother died in a fire when he was younger.

Spoiler: I really liked this book because, yes, it does continue the Percy Jackson story, but Percy is no longer the one big hero. All the Gods have silenced themselves from the demigods and Jason is given a Quest to save Hera who has been taken prisoner. Jason and Leo each have had multiple personal visits from Hera throughout their life. I mentioned before that Jason is very knowledgable in Roman Gods and that's because he was born from Zeus when he was in the form of a Roman God. Thalia is his sister, but she was born from the Greek form of Zeus and since Zeus had two children from the same woman, Hera was given Jason as her champion since she never has demigods to complete her requests. So why didn't we hear about Jason before, well, there is a second demi-god camp that houses all the Roman kids, however, this camp is never known to camp Half-blood or vice-a-versa because when the two camps get together there is a terrible war between the two. Percy has been switched with Jason to try to get the two groups to work together to save the word from an even greater evil than the Titans. I'm sure we will hear Percy's side of the story in the second book of his adventure in the Roman camp and we're assuming without his memory as well. So exciting.

Last Sacrafice by Richelle Mead

It's always sad when another good series comes to an end. The final chapter of the Vampire Academy Series was worth the wait. Rose was left in the last book being accussed of murduring the queen and is now stuck in a white cell and going crazy not being able to do anything. Her friends and father are working tirelessly to find the truth, however, things change when her trial date is set in two weeks. This time, her friends stage a wonderful break out and Rose and Dimitri find themselves on the run with one crazy lead to find Lissa's secret relative and the person who really murdured the queen.

SPOILER: So I did not find Rose so infuriating like in past books since she has suddenly grown up and realized how precious life is and that you can't just run into situations without some sore of plan. Of course, her and Dimitri really don't have set plans, but things work out. Dimitri is still struggling with forgiving himself for being a Strigoi and he and Rose are at an understanding that there is no love between them and so Rose is still hooked up with Adrian. I love how Dimitri and Rose finally get back together, but you feel so sad for Adrian. I wish that Richelle Mead had tied up some loose ends at the end. Yes, Dimitri and Rose still are guardians guarding Lissa and Christian, but still able to continue their relationship, however, Adrian's heart is broken and you terribly wish for a happy ending for him. I also wanted to see how Christian feels towards Rose and what really happens to Eddie, Mikhail, Sydney, etc... Their future is left unknown with how Rose's escapade has affected their life adn whether they are happy with it. All in all a terrific series definately worth reading.

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy

So I just realized that this is actually the second book in the Montana Marriages series. The first book is Montana Rose and the last is Wildflower Bride. I don't think you really need to read them in order since I read this book and figured there had to be a second book since there is a side story that has nothing really to do with the rest of the book. So Wildflower Bride will be about an white girl brought up by an indian tribe and a white man falls in love with her, but she is promised to another indian. You are left in the book with the white indian girl being kidnapped by white trapper and saved by the man that falls in love with her who returns her to her tribe.

Anyway, so back to the original book, The Husband Tree. I wasn't so sure about this book, however, my mother/father-in-law book read this book and loved it. So I figured why not, it's short. It has some subtle humor and matter-of-fact phrasing instead of the flowery, lovey type writing a lot of romance novels have. I would consider this a slight romance novel, but not the heavy kind in any way. Belle Tanner has an issue keeping her good-for-nothing husbands alive and after burying her third husband she is through. She has 4 capable daughters who must help her cattle drive 100o cattle through a treacherous trail before winter sets in. Her youngest is only a baby and is strapped to her back through her trip. She hires Silas, a wandering wrangler who swears he's done with women after almost being forced into a marriage by gun-point. He has no idea he's going on this cattle drive with only girls, but finds himself in love with the family. A pleasant, short read for an afternoon.

The Pirate Ruse by Marcia Lynn McClure

Yes, it has been a while since I have read one of Marcia Lynn McClure's romance novels and had forgotten how simple, but enjoyable some of her books can be. This is one that I have entertained the thought of eventually buying. One of the few of her many short books that she has.

Cristabel Albay has found herself abducted and prisoner on a ship which is being overthrown by pirates; and of course, another pirate ship has arrived and the captain of this ship insists that if she wants to live she's to jump overboard with him and swim to his ship. Trevon Navarrone is one pirate that is known for being a little more kind than other pirates and Cristabel will take her chances with him. Not so much a humorous book, but a tale of piracy, traitors, and kidnapping, The Pirate Ruse is set differently than most of McClure's old western books. Trevon and Cristabel of course find themselves in love, but must overcome ghosts from their past.

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

This is the third book of the Study series and was a good ending to this series. I have to admit that Yelena had some very irritating attributes this book that you just want to shake her and tell her to stop being so selfish and untrusting. She just would not listen to Moon Man or anyone else and insisted on taking everything into her own hands. How annoying. She could have prevented so many distressing and horrible times if she just took the time to find out her strengths and how to handle her role as a Soulsaver. It was surprising to find out who the real traitor/bad guy was at the end since you are led to believe the last couple of books that it is purely Ferde, but you'll be surprised who the leader behind everything really is. Valek plays a role as always, but more of an outside role and you see a little more hurt and worry from him this book than the cold, hard person in the previous books. Past characters are also brought back and play some major roles in the plot as well. Definately a series that I would suggest to others.

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

The second installment of the Study series, this book was better than Poison Study. Poison study kept you on your toes as you anticipated the day Yelena will get poisoned or killed by her enemies. This book Yelena is being reunited with her family and her brother who beleives she is a spy from Ixia. She is also learning to master her magic and learn what her specific skill is. Someone is kidnapping young girls and doing horrible things to them before killing them. Yelena saves one young victim and must save the last victim before all is lost while once again watching her back from people who believe she really is a spy and try to kill her and Valek. Yes, how could we go through this story without Valek showing up to rescure Yelena and help her save the day once again.

The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

My husband picked this book up a couple weeks ago since it was pretty cheap and he thought it looked like something I might enjoy reading. Pretty much it is about a couple 12-13 year-olds that start recieving mysterious letters that have clues that they have to figure out. They tell them the day and time they have to do some strange movements and say a magic word in order to save lives from something terrible. This first book of the 13th Reality series is all about the clues and how Tick (our main character) and the others try to figure out all the clues while also escaping from some strang occurances. The very end we actually find out what their mission is and a glimpse at what the series will be trying to accomplish. Not my first pick of books to read, but not one I would dismiss either. I'll eventually read the whole series when I've got nothing else to read.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

This is the prequel to Graceling which as you can read below I was a little disappointed in, but decided to read the prequel and see if it was any better since a friend refered this to me and really enjoyed it. Well... I was pleasantly pleased that this book was much better than Graceling and Kristen Cashore spent the time and effort needed to keep the book good through out the entire novel instead of just the first half. This is obviously set before the time of Graceling since it is a prequel, but it isn't set that far back. It starts out giving the story of Leck and his birth and life until he is 10. So about when he ends up being 'adopted' by the kingdom he takes over. He finds himself in a land set on the other side of a nearly unpassable mountain range and in a country that has colorful monsters of every species including human. We are then transported to the last human monster that can manipulate peoples thoughts and if extremely beautiful which causes people to do things they do not mean to do since they lose their mind at the sight of her. So we follow her as she becomes involved with the kingdom and their involvement in a war and eventually with Leck himself.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

This book was refered to me by A Novel Addication and I was excited to read it. I had originally began reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but could not get into it. It just did not appeal to me so I read Graceling. It started off immediately catching my attention and I wanted to keep reading it. Great book with potential. It seems the author got halfway through the book and had so many ideas that she wanted to cram into the book, but was done writing so she just threw it together and ended it. It lacked a real climax and could have been made into multiple books with a great story and detail added. It's too bad Cashore seemed to lose focus.

So just a quick overview, Katsa is Graced with the ability to fight. When you are born Graced you have two different colored eyes and you are not exactly looked highly at and accepted in most societies, especially when you are a female noble Graced with killing. She encounters another Graced noble who fights extremely well and is suprised to find a friend in him. Po and herself end up searching for who is in charge of kidnapping his grandfather and what secrets are really hidden in a secluded territory. I wouldn't dismiss reading this book since it is still an enjoyable read. There is a second book called Fire so we'll have to see if this continues to add to the book and is given the attention it needs or if I find it slightly lacking like Graceling.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

A Signet Classics, Dracula seemed fitting for Halloween. I must admit, I was quite hesitant to start his novel since I am easily scared and my mind tends to wander and play tricks especially at night. Even now I am afraid to take my dog out once more before retiring for bed. Wow, can you see how I am writing like the people in the book. It is still fresh in my mind and a little scary. This novel starts off keeping your attention as Jonathan is held prisoner in Dracula's castle, but it quickly loses pace when we are transfered to England and introduced to all the other characters in the book. I found it very difficult to continue reading since I prefer quick reads and this definately takes time to read. It is more difficult as well because of the old, proper writing. It is told through diaries and wired posts of everyone involved in this story so you constantly change from one person to another, but it does well staying in a chronological order. There were times that I did not understand how a certain entry really added to the story, but it all fits together. By the time you finally get to the end you get hooked as Dracula escapes and is being hunted. It is not so much a terrifying story as everyone is very familiar with it, but how it is written messes with your mind and makes you start to second guess what is real and what can not possibly happen such as Dracula showing up when I take the dog out or standing by my bed when I wake up in the middle of the night. It is a classic book that all should read, but be ready to have to push through since you will find yourself wanting to drop the book and give up for something easier to read.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

The Commander has a very strict government. If you kill someone no matter what you are tried for murder and executed. That's how Yelena found herself in a jail, killing a man in self defense since he was raping and torturing her. On the day of her execution, the Commander's food taster has died and since Yelena is next in line to be executed, the job is offered to her. She takes it without realizing that she has been given Butterfly Dust and in order to not die from it she must get the annecdote every morning. Yelena also has a price on her head and is constantly in danger of being killed since she murdered a General's son and he wants revenge. Escape is death no matter what. As Yelena strives to make it to the end of each day she finds out she also has magical powers which unfortunately is also an offense that leads to death so she must hide this information. She gets tangled up in a plot to overthrow the Commander and must decide if her loyalty is to Valek (her food taster mentor and second in command) or her desire to go the Setia, the land of the magicians, but there's that little problem of the Butterfly Dust.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and not too involved in magic or love like most books I've been reading lately. This book was referred to me by A Novel Addiction.

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

The Clockwork Angel is a prequel to The Mortal Instruments. It definately did not disappoint you and was nice that it's not completely the same story retold again. Yes, we have our talented, handsome troubled young man who has feelings for our young girl that finds herself mixed up with the world of the Shadowhunters, but can't completely release himself to her. The twist is that Tessa is a warlock of some sort, but no one knows exactly she is since she does not really fall completely in the Downworlder category of warlock. She is able to change forms into any human being she has a personal belonging from. She can read their thoughts and mimic their personality and persona. Her brother gets involved with a downworlder human club and Tessa is held captive and forced to learn these hidden talents she did not realize she had. She is of course freed by our troubled hero Will. Will attitude is much like Jace's in the Mortal Instruments, but we don't know yet what drives him to be who he is. Someone is trying to get Tessa for her talents since they 'created' her and there is an automative army that pursues her. I didn't realize this was going to be another series, but it will be fun to have more books to read since these are fun and entertaining. Only drawback is having to wait for the books to come out.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

This historical fiction book is about Helmuth, a mormon german boy during World War II. It starts during the election of Hitler as chancelor and follows Helmuth as he is forced to join the Hitler youth. he struggles with his feelings on patriotism and his moral beliefs of right and wrong. As more and more of his rights are taken away, Helmuth finds himself secretly listening to the BBC and realizing how much his country is hiding information from them. He sees the transformation of his friends and church members that are 'interogated' by the SS. He starts writing pamphlets about what is really going on and what he hears on the BBC. With the help of two of his school mates, they distribute these pamphlets around the city in telephone booths and other public areas that they don't have to personally hand them to people. Later he recruits the help of a fellow collegue to get the pamphlets mass produced and even tries to get them translated and sent to France. Unfortunately they are all caught and tried for their crimes. Most get sentenced to jail time, however, Helmuth is tried as an adult for treason and sentenced to death.

Helmuth and the characters in this book are real people and this is based off a real story. It doesn't have any chapters, but goes back and forth between real time at the jail waiting for his execution date and reminising about the events that lead up to his death. It is a good book and meant for kids grades 6-9. The author does tie in quite a bit Helmuth's beliefs and the church to emphasize why Helmuth feels this pull for moral freedom and supporting his country. At the end of the book you are able to see pictures of the characters and get a breif overview of what happened to all of them after Helmuth died.

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

Once again, another Deeanne Gist book. Once I start reading an author's book I tend to try to read all the books they have out. This was one of the better ones that was a little entertaining and didn't really have anyone super annoying like some of her other books. Tillie is a young woman working as a maid for a rich couple. She has the opportunity to become one of the top helpers and is competing against another young woman. Mack is a mountain man (I say man instead of boy since all romantic novels have tall, muscular, broad men with dark eyes). His twin brother works along with Tillie and so is employed as a handyman and to serve alongside his handsome twin as a perfect match. Of course the two of them fall in love, but Tillie can not leave her dream of being top maid and the opportunity to travel the world and Mack must earn enough money to get his sister out of a horrible orphanage and get his three younger brothers back together.

Flash Burnout: A Novel by L.K. Madigan

I found this book through greenbeenteenqueen, a fellow book review blogger. Blake is a 15 year old high schooler with a jock older brother and a beautiful girlfriend, Shannon, that he is in love with. He has all the typical emotions, desires, and language of a hormonal teenager trying to figure out girls and make it through high school and family life. He is into photography and has his friend Marissa from photography class that he pairs with. Blake takes a photo of a lady passed out on the street which ends up being Marissa's meth using mother. We follow Blake as he struggles to be a good boyfriend while also helping a friend cope with her mother's meth recovery. Of course Shannon is jealous of the time Blake spends with Marissa even though it is completely innocent until one day that Marissa's mother runs away and they are afraid she is dead. In a moment of comforting Marissa, Blake and Marissa sleep together and weeks later Shannon finds out. We watch Blake struggle to figure out what to do and how to cope with everything especially when Marissa disappears.

This was a good book. If you are sensitive to language and some intimate content or even dead bodies you probably won't want to read this. Otherwise, I think this is a great book about teen relationships and what different kids go through as well as learning about the repercussions of using any drugs or even drinking.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks newest novel, Safe Haven was not as good as I imagined considering Sparks is a more popular writer, but it was still a very good book. Katie ends up starting a new life in a small town to escape her abusive husband. While there, she finds out who she really is and finds true love with widower Alex and his two children. This is a good way to see firsthand how abusive relationships affect everyone, not just the woman getting beat up, but the husband and others that become part of their life. Katie's husband is a cop so it is near impossible for Katie to escape from Kevin. Even filing a complaint is dismissed because it's Kevin, the best detective in the area and they have a great life. Katie is made to be the 'perfect' wife, perfect hair, perfect body, cooks candlelit expensive restaurant style meals and pleasures her husband in any way that he wants. If she is hit it is because she was selfish and only thinking of herself such as having food stains in the fridge or getting her hair done and buying groceries on his day off even though he does not allow her to have a drivers license and must be accompanied by him wherever she goes. It's a sad tale of all women who get stuck in similar situations that cannot escape, but someone Katie does and is then hunted down by Kevin endangering Alex and his children. If you are like me and haven't read any of Nicholas Sparks books, then grab one and expand your reading.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

It has been a while since I have read a more serious book so I was a little relunctant to start this novel thinking it would be boring compared to all the other books I have been reading. This book was referred to me through BzzAgent, an online word-of-mouth website. I did enjoy this book and was able to understand the life of two women living in Afghanistan leading up to 9/11. It was a tragic story about Mariam's life. She was born a harami, an illigitimate child, living in pretty much isolation on a hill with her mentally disturbed mother. Her father visits every week giving Mariam hope of a loving father. When she is 15 she goes to visit her father who refuses to let her in his home. That night her mother hangs herself and Mariam finds herself being married off to a much older man in a faraway city. She is unable to have children and is hated by her husband and beaten regularly.

The other woman we follow is Laila, she is much younger than Mariam and lives in teh same neighborhood. She ends up sleeping with her love at age 14 before he leaves with his family to flee Afghanistan. Weeks later her family is killed and she finds herself in Mariams home as the second wife to cover her pregnancy. The rest of the novel follows the two of them as they struggle to survive and get along. I don't want to elaborate more on the story in fear of ruining it, but it leaves you sad, but happy at the same time.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Wow, I have really grown to like this series. I finished books 1-5 and am trying patiently to wait for book six to be released on Dec 7, 2010, Last Sacrafice. So yes, I finished books 4 and 5 in 3 days. That's saying a lot since I have two young boys, one that I'm potty training and a dog that I'm also potty training. Let's just say the kids are a little grumpy today and needing attention so of course I'm writing this quick review while the books are fresh in my mind. Anyway. Our beloved Dimitri has finally been rescued by love of his life Rose who broke into a high security prison to release Victor and then lost him, but was able to get the information she and Lissa needed to be able to learn how to change Dimitri back from strigoi to a dhampir. Unfortunately, the reunion isn't what we hoped for. Dimitri feels extremely guilty for all he did and tells Rose his love for her has 'faded.' Ouch. Of course we know that has to be wrong. At the same time Rose is finally hooked up with Adrian whom I have grown to enjoy and feel sympathy for. It makes you even more frustrated with Dimitri and his whole pride, I don't deserve anything attitude. Well, of course we're left wondering what is going to happen with Rose since she has been framed for the murder of the queen. It doesn't seem like there is much chance for her to get out of this, but I'm sure she will. I do however feel that there is a good chance that Adrian will either die or go crazy from spirit use because there is no way both he and Dimitri can stay in Rose's life and I hate to see Adrian lose the one girl that he is infatuated with unless he can find another girl to take Rose's place. I guess we'll have to wait and see. If you like Twilight, don't campare this to it. I like this so much better than Twilight and admittedly, the more I read, the less likely I will ever find myself rereading the Twilight series since there are other books in the world outside of Twilight.

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

So I finally got around to finishing The Books of Bayern. I have mixed feelings on whether I liked them or not. The first book, The Goose Girl I did a review on earlier. The next three books are Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born. I really did not like Enna Burning. Enna was Isi's friend in The Goose Girl. In this book she learns fire-speaking and struggles to learn how to harness this power without killing herself or others. I personally just don't like Enna and her personality. She's very selfish and a little too pushy and arrogant. In River Secrets you follow Razo, another boy from The Goose Girl. He and Enna travel to Tiran, the country that attacked Bayern, in order to try to make peace and start trading with them. Razo meets Dasha who can control water. I actually enjoyed reading this book since it had more suspense and danger to it. Someone is burning bodies and leaving them by the Bayern representatives trying to blame them for the burnings and start war again. It actually took me a while to figure out who the fire-burner was. Forest Born was a very slow moving story that follows Razo's sister Rin. She is struggling to find herself and handle her ability to tree-speak and people-speak. She, along with Isi, Enna, and Dasha set out to find a fire burner who is attacking settlements. It was definately a surprise to see who was behind everything throughout all the books. I must admit that you need to read all these books because if you space them out too much like I did you don't remember half the people that show up in the books. Anyway, you'll have to decide how much you like these. I'm not going to say this is a definant read that everyone would enjoy because it's not, but there are some like my in-laws that really enjoyed them and wanted me to read them.

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

I participate with a website called BzzAgent that allows me to get free samples of products, coupons, and sneak peaks. One campaign I am currently in is the release of the new novel Dust. I only got the 25 pages, but it has been an interesting read that I will probably have to rent from the library to finish since I started it. I have never read any gruesome, zombie type books before so this was definately a change and I found myself grossed out but unable to stop reading. Unfortunately, with only having the first 25 pages I pretty much was just introduced to the characters and how they got to where they are as zombies. I didn't even get into the ploto the book, hence the reason I will have to rent it. Anyway, if you are interested below is the official review on it and a link to Joan Frances Turners website for more info.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one — something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods —things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness — and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life.

Visit dustthenovel.com

Visit dustthenovel.com to learn more about the book and check out author Joan Frances Turner’s blog and other cool Dustcontent.

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

So I have not actually read this book, but I saw a review for it in the paper and am incredibly intrigued by it. Room just came out on Sept 13, 2009 and unfortunately the library has denied my request for them to buy it at this time so it looks like I may actually have to buy this book before actually reading it. I hate buying books before reading them since I may not ever want to reread them, but seeing as how I want to read it and the library will not invest in a book that seems very good I will have to get around to making it to the store or ordering it online.

So pretty much this book is written from the point of view of a 5-year-old. Seems like it may not be well written or annoying with the simple vocabulary and thoughts of a young child, but the article in the paper said that this was not the case and you don't really notice that it is written by a very young child. This kid has grown up in a small room, never having seen anything else, with his mother. She tries to raise him best she can considering the circumstances. She gives him an education, teaches him manners and games, and even teaches him a game where they spend time yelling for help. At night she is taken away and the boy is left alone.

It gives caution that mothers will feel like horrible mothers when reading about all that this mother does and goes through. I'm mostly curious about the overall story line and how this 5-year-old sees the situation since he does not know anything else. It reminds me of other real life people who are kidnapped and end up having children with their captors. What is it like for them as children not knowing that what they are going through is not normal?

Deeanne Gist

I've been reading a few more romance novels by Deeanne Gist. The nice thing about these books is that Gist bases all her novels off of real historical events and experiences. I read A Bride in the Bargain, Deep in the Heart of Trouble and The Measure of a Lady. I definately liked A Bride in the Bargain better.

The young lady in The Measure of a Lady drove me crazy as she worked out he hypocritical issues and prejudice against those that do not follow lady-like, christain lifestyles. She gets stranded in San Francisco with her younger brother and sister during the gold rush and find themselves the only 'respectable' people around. Her sister ends up being a paid girl for a guy and her brother becomes a dealer. Rachel ends up havig to pretty much ignore her siblings acquantances and kick them out of her cafe since they do not follow what a good christain example should be doing. Kinda annoying.

A Bride in the Bargain is set right after the civil war when Asa Mercer came up with his scheme to bring war widows/orphans from the east to Washington under the pretense that they are being hired as cooks, nannies, and schoolteachers. Instead, they were purchased as brides by the men in Washington. Joe finds himself losing his land that was granted by the state because he no longers has a wife and so only qualifies for the bachelor portion of land and so desperate to keep his land he purchases a wife. Of course Anna thinks she is being hired as a cook. Of course they fall in love, but the book does have quite a few twists so that you arent' anticipating the entire story.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble has been my least favorite of Deeanne Gists books. You have a young man whose father dies and is disinherited and forced to leave pennyless. He gets hired as an oil worker for another wealthy oil company run by Essie Sprecklemeyer and her father. Essie is very feminist which drives me crazy. I don't mind people wanting female power, but they go to extremes and try to hard to force all their ideas/morals on others and take offense so easy. Yeah, I'm not too much for such opinionated people. I'm a little curious about another one of her books called Courting Trouble that I just read an excert from since it seems she has the same name again, Essie Sprecklemeyer for her character. She must really like this extreme name.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The final book of The Hunger Games. I'm not sure how I feel about how this book turned out. Katniss is crazy as ever and dealing with some serious mental issues the entire time, but I guess all the tributes pretty much are dealing with trauma and it is nice to see that Suzanne Collins portrays them in a way that is pretty realistic for what they all have gone through. It still bugs me how selfish Katniss is most of the time. I guess not selfish, but self-centered may be the better word to use. Gale even summed it up when he and Peeta where talking. "she'll choose who she can't live without." Everything is centered around what she needs or wants and is rarely about the overall need of everyone. It takes her a long time to realize this about herself. How she gets away with everything she does is amazing and lucky on her part and unfortunately she doens't seem to really appreciate or understand this. Even at the end she has to be convinced to have kids by her husband. You'll have to read the book to see if she chooses Gale or Peeta. In the end it makes sense who she chooses and is a good choice for her. This series was a good series to read and probably one of the more educational series I have read in the sense that it makes you think about government and people. It's not just about reading for enjoyment, but also about thinking about how things are run and how people react and handle stressful situations. When I read these books I think of how these would be good books to discuss in a classroom.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Holy cow!! I just looked online to see how many books were in this series thinking it was only three, yeah, we're talking about a good 6 books if not more and I've only read the first. Now I just have to mention that most books I've been reading are in a series and it's fun, but I am getting a little tired of series that last more than 3 books, especially if it's close to 7 or more like Artemis Fowl, Rangers Apprentice, Leven Thumps, etc... The only exception was Harry Potter since that was my first real series to read when I was in high school. Anyway. I've been trying to steer clear of Vampire books since it is almost embarrassing to read Vampire related books after the huge success and publicity of the Twilight series. I really liked that series until everyone got obsessed with it after I had read them already. Yeah, kinda ruined it along with the movies and my english major husband telling me that the writing is very plain and there are no details so of course I now notice whether a book is simple or complex. Sort of ruined the whole reading experience a bit for me, but I still like it.

I picked this book up since all my other books are on a long hold at the library and this one was ready to pick up. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this book and it had been a while since I've read a book I had a hard time putting down. If you noticed I'm posting this the same day as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. That's how quickly I read these two books. This isn't like Twilight in any way. You have the good Moroi who are one with the environment, vampire people who feed every day off of feeders who are humans that willingly let them drink their blood since they get a high when they get bit. Most feeders are people who were into other drugs and stuff and are recruited to be cared for in return for their blood. They get addicted to this high. Then you have Rose who is a guardian to the Moroi since the Moroi are hunted by the Stigoi (Moroi turned evil vampires). A little crazy, but it works. Rose and her Moroi friend Lissa attend the Academy where they learn to harness their unique gifts or powers for their role in life. Rose and Lissa share a unique bond that allows Rose to enter Lissa's mind and see and feel what she is feeling at the moment. Someone is threatening Lissa and Rose protects her and saves her during this book. I'm curious to see how they can get so many books from this first book, but hopefully the rest are good as well.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice by James Ponti

I hesitated to read this book, but the previews for the movie actually looked pretty cool so of course I had to read the book. It is an incredibly short read and I finished it in two days (that's with kids and a husband interupting me). It was fun to read, but not really in depth or incredibly entertaining. It's the classic story of a nerdy kid who finds out he's a sorcerer but tries to not believe it. You have the good sorcerer that has locked the bad sorcerer's in a doll that the kid accidentally lets out and now is forced to save the world and gets the pretty girl he has been crushing on since 5th grade. It's not a book to buy and read again, but if you just want something short and quick to read for fun it's a good pick. Unfortunatly, once you start getting into more in depth books, these short, basic books are hard to really enjoy.

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deanne Gist

While on a trip with my sister-in-laws this past weekend I finished the one book I had and had to borrow this book from my sister-in-law so I had something to read. I'm always a little hesitant to read romance looking books since some are decent and some are just annoying. I enjoy a romance novel now and then and am glad I got to read this book. Hopefully other Deanne Gist books are just as good as this book.

Constance is a noblemans daughter from England who finds herself kidnapped and sold as a bride-to-be in the Americas. Of course no one believes who she is since most bride-to-be's are prisoners from England sent to America to carry out their sentence. Drew is a hard w0rking farmer planning to make his place into a plantation and is in town to buy servants to help him and retreive the bride-to-be that his brother has brought for him. Drew wins Constance in a poker game and finds himself with two brides. Of course the counselman are not happy about this and forces Drew to marry on of them. Mary, the other bride, is actually married and so Constance and Drew find themselves married. Of course they find themselves falling in love as the story goes but each struggles with their own doubts about the others true happiness since Constance knows nothing about working and Drew doesn't believe a noblewoman would want to stay. It doesn't have just sappy romance the entire time, but has the settlers fighting Indians, overcoming sickness, and trying to not get too embarrassed at a Christmas dinner.

Rebel Island by Rick Riordan

I loved the Percy Jackson books and had to try some other of Rick Riordan's books. He started out writing books like Rebel Island before moving to some teen literature such as the Percy Jackson books.

Tres Navarre is a retired detective who has just gotten married to his pregnant wife. His brother convinces them to spend their honeymoon on Rebel Island for old times sake. His family used to take vacations to this island when he was younger. He agrees and runs into an another detective who is known for having his suspects conveniently die because they tried to run away. They arrive with a Hurricane coming in and that night the detective dies. Riordan writes from different perspectives instead of just Tres's point of view. This really helps keep you confused until the end who the real murderer is since each person has some sort of score to settle. All strangers on the island are somehow drawn together and trying to hurt someone or trying not to be hurt. It's a fun read especially if you like mystery books.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

We love Brandon Mull, author of Fablehaven. If you haven't read Fablehaven or any of Mr. Mull's book, you need to. His writing is entertaining and always fun to read. The Candy Shop War was not a disappointment like some authors who tend to have one good series, but fail to continue with other good books. You follow 4 young kids who become friends with a Candy maker who makes secret candy that makes you float in the air, become unbreakable, and breath fire to name a few. In order to have access to these mysterious candies, Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon have to do unusual requests such as break into museums and dig up graves. Each successful endevour is rewarded by Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth. Soon they realize they are in over their head when they are given the order to kill Mr. Stott, an ice cream truck driver that happens to also be a magician. Who can they trust since both are trying to find the treasure and then there's also a mysterious man that keeps showing up and coming after them. How can these 1o year olds stop this war and reclaim their friends and family who have eaten the white fudge that makes them oblivous to everything around them?

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Looks and titles can be deceiving. Seriously, look at the cover of this book and read the title. Who would really want to even consider reading this book. Obviously I did and I'm glad I took the chance. I kept seeing this book on reading lists and on 'customer's who read/bought this book also liked..." You have Miri, a young 14 year old who lives in a poor mountain village that mines linder (stone). No one in the kingdom thinks highly of this territory because they are not a province in the kingdom and therefore do not have any nobles or educated people. When it is time for the prince to marry, by tradition, the priests read the stars and determine which area of the kingdom the new princess will come from. Of course, Miri's area is chosen and since there are no ladies, the Princess Academy is formed and all girls 12-18 must attend. There are 20 in all and they are taken from their homes and forced to live in this academy with a very strict and mean teacher. You follow the girls throughout the year as they learn about all aspects of being a queen and competding against eachother to be the star academy princess and be the first to dance with the prince. There's love, fights, and kidnapping that keep the book interesting.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

This is the first book in the Books of Bayern series. This was recommended to me by my sister-in-law a couple of months ago but I just wasn't that interested in it. I kept reading other books that I thought were more interesting and fun to read. I finally decided to try it out since I had heard of a couple other people reading it and was pleasantly surprised. I am curious if the other books will be better, the same, or worse so I'll let ya know when I get around to reading the rest. Ani, the queen princess has never lived up to her mothers expectations of becoming a true sophisticated queen. Instead, she prefers to be outside talking to birds. Obviously this isn't acceptable and Ani tries as she gets older to be the perfect princess. Unfortunately it just doesn't completely click with her and she finds herself comparing herself to her lady in waiting. After Ani's 16th birthday, the queen informs Ani that she has been promised to a prince in another area. On her travel to Bayern, the lady in waiting and most of the guards rebel with the intention of killing Ani and putting the lady in waiting in Ani's position as the future queen of Bayern. Ani barely escapes and finds herself as a goosegirl herding geese outside of the castle walls trying to find a way to let the king know she is the true princess while also concealing her true identity since the guards are still out trying to kill her. The story has a surprising amount of action, adventure, and a little bit of love.

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Final book of the Heir Chronicles and it was good. Madison and Jason become major players in this series while Seph and Jack take a backseat. We see Seph struggle to keep up with the demands of being a leader and almost single-handedly protecting everyone from the Roses. Jack is finally able to tell his mother who he really is and come to terms with his role as a warrior and having to kill people. Jason has to decide if he is a team player or all about himself and getting revenge by killing D'Orsey. He and Madison find themselves with this strong desire to have the Dragon Stone, but are unable to get it. Madison returns home to take care of her family and you learn about her past and what brought her to Trinity in the first place. A nice ending to the series, however, I do wish there was a little more to the story of how they end the fight. It isn't very glorious or anything and slightly non-climatic, but otherwise a series that I would definately read again.

39 Clues books 7-9

After a 6 month break from keeping up with this series, I finally checked out the latest 39 clues books to catch up. There is still one more book coming out soon. I'm glad a took a break since I was starting to get a little bored with keeping up with these books every other month and the same story over and over again, but starting up again made me remember why I started to read this series. They are short, fun books that teach you a little about history in a fun, discreet way. We find out that Dan and Amy are Madrigals, the dreaded, evil group going after the Cahill family and the 39 clues. In the 9th book you find out that they are not bad, but the good guys in this whole crazy contest and Dan and Amy are officially made members. Their first assignment, finish the hunt and unite the 5 Cahill branches, yep 5 branches. Who knew that the Madrigals were the 5th Cahill branch, but kept a secret from the other branches. We also find out what exactly the 'grand prize' is. A serum that enhances human abilities which is why each branch of the family has a soecific area that they excel. I'm pretty sure Dan and Amy will succeed since Alistar Oh is pretty sympathetic towards them and Hamilton Holt already works with Dan and Amy. Ian has been disagreeing with his mother and Natalie is starting to question her mother's actions as well. The rap star cousin has decided he no longer wants part of the search and saved Dan's life. There's only 3 people he will have to work on that are almost too determined and focused on finding the clues. Interestingly enough it is the parents of Hamilton, Ian and Natalie, and the rap start that do not hesitate to use force and even kill to get ahead in the search for the 39 clues.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

(Some Possible Spoiler Info)

The final book in the Fablehaven series definately is not a disappointment. It was a great way to end this terrific story. I'm sad it has to end and am disappointed that Brandon Mull is not even considering adding on to this story since he could definately add more to it following Seth's quest to complete his bargain with the Singing Sisters. I don't know how much a story he could come up with Kendra and her future with the fairies and possibly becoming an Eternal, but I'm sure he could come up with something good. It was great how he was able to include so many characters and make them have a bigger part in the story such as Newel and Doreen. They definately add some humor to the story. It was also nice to see Kendra and Seth both separated and working on their own. Seth takes a much bigger role than Kendra does. She almost seems a bit in the way most of the time, but it is good to see her take a major part at the end. I'm excited to read his new series coming out in 2011 and to read the Candy Shop War. Hopfully they are not a disappointment after reading Fablehaven. Also waiting for someone to make this into a movie. If done by the right people it could be a great movie.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This book is a young reader level book that I really enjoyed reading. I don't believe it is a series or anything which is nice to be able to read a book and not have to read a series of books. Reynie is a young orphan that follows a newspaper article to take a test for gifted children. He progresses through a series of tests to be one of four children to pass forming the Mysterious Benedict Society. Mr. Benedict gets these four children with exceptional abilities to form a team to save the world by taking over everyone's mind. Sticky has the ability to read, look, or hear anything and be able to recall it again word for word. Kate is incredibly resourceful in her ability to get through any situation using her bucket of odds-n-ends. Constance doesn't seem to really have any special talent except for being very grumpy and always disagreeing with everyone. They become 'undercover agents' and enroll in a gifted school that is a cover for Mr. Curtain's evil plan to take over the world. This isn't the usual school where you learn normal lessons. They are taught to learn phrases that don't seem to make sense and take tests on this material. Those who do the best can become Messengers who get special priveleges of sitting in the Whisperer. The Whisperer is the machine that transmits messages into everyones minds through the tv and eventually has the ability to erase everyone's memory. The Benedict Society has to save the day and find a way to destroy the Whisperer and Mr. Curtain.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

I finally got the third book of the Mortal Instruments series from the library after a long wait. I really liked this series. Clary is like any normal girl hanging out with her best friend Simon at a club when she sees a group of kids kill another kid who just kinda disappears. These kids are Shadowhunters, people who hunt and kill demons who enter the world. Most normal people do not see Shadowhunters, however, Clary can. She gets pulled into their world when her mother is kidnapped by her father, Valentine. Valentine is an evil Shadowhunter who supposedly died when she was young and everyone thinks he is dead. She falls in love with one of the Shadowhunters, Jace. How unfortunate for them to find out that they are actually brother and sister. They constantly struggle with their feelings towards each other. Alec and Isabelle, brother and sister shadowhunters are also involved in the hunt to save Clary's mother and convince the council that Valentine is really alive and they are not spies for him. Alec is gay and goes through all the difficulties of being in love with Jace and a wizard named Magnus Bane, however, being gay is not acceptable in the Shadowhunter world and having relationships with downworlders (wizards, werewolves, vampires, and fairies) is not acceptable. Simon later on gets bit and becomes a vampire. The third book was a great book and of course had a good ending with everyone hooking up together and defeating Valentine.

SPOILER: Now for those who have not read it yet, you may not want to read on. I love how Sebastian is Valentine's real son and every bit a monster and even worse than Valentine. It was nice to see that Valentine actually had a bit of a heart and some feelings towards his family. Jace sort of drove me crazy with his martyr-wo-is-me attitude the whole time, but I am glad he and Clary were able to finally hook up even though they wanted to when they though they were brother and sister. Simon and Alec really grew up in this book and started doing what they felt/knew was right. Alec was finally able to cope with his gay feelings and hook up with Bane and Simon started to realize he is a vampire and capable of doing so much. I have heard that there is a fourth book coming out about Simon, so it will be interesting to see if it is how he copes with the mark of cain on his head now. Not the smartest move I think, but it worked to keep him alive. It was a great book and as always the third book always seems to be the best.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

I didn't mind this book. Keturah finds herself following an animal into the forest and gets lost. After a few days she finds herself almost dead and Lord Death comes to her to take her. He tells her that her village is going to be taken by the plague because they do not care about their lands. Keturah tells Lord Death a story about true love and bargains with him to let her live one more day and the following night she would tell him the end of the story. He agrees to let her live if she is able to find her true love, otherwise she is to marry him. She ends up helping all the towns people and continues her story for three days before finally realizing her true love is Lord Death. This tale reminded me of the Storyteller's Daughter tale, but a much better rendition of it.

The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance by Glen Dakin

So this was an incredibly strange book written for a younger age group. It was ok to read, but not one that I would consider buying. I will probably continue reading the rest of the series since I have a hard time starting one and not completing it. This is the first book of the Candle Man series.

Theo has spent his entire life seeing only 3 rooms and three people. His hands are always in gloves to protect himself and others from a rare skin disease he is told he has. One night burglars break into his house and Theo touches the one guy who ends up melting into a pool of goo. Yeah, a little strange. He escapes with the help of the maid and is carried away by a garghoul to the Society of Unrelenting Vigilance who opposes his captures the Society of Good Works. The Society of Good Works all have strange names like Dr. Saint, Nr. Nicely, Lady Patience, etc... They help people by releasing them from their earthly woes by being overly nice to them by their good works such as opening a pastry shop next to the police station and setting up eating contests to help the chief end his earthly life by having a heart attack. The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance was set up to oppose the other society. Theo is the next Candle Man who has a special power to melt and destroy evil people. At the end of the book Theo stops the Good Works society from raising up an evil garghoul and then ends up becoming the head of the Society of Goods works since he kills his guardian and is the next in line to inherit the property. So yeah, a very interesting book.

Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson

I saw this book at my grandmother's house. She got it at an airport to read but never got around to reading it. It looked interesting since it is about horses and seemed to remind me a bit of my mother-in-law in the sense that she loves horses just like Samantha, got divorced and fell in love with a cowboy. Samantha is divorced and owns a ranch that raises and breeds equines (some term for horses that I still haven't looked up yet to know the exact definition of). Her ex-husband was a drunk and pretty much just married Samantha for her money however, in the divorce he did not get any part of her ranch and therefor was slightly ticked off for only settling with one million dollars. Tucker is an excellent vet who saves Samantha from getting beat up by a guy who was beating his horse and Samantha stepped in to stop him. It's a classic fall-in-love story where someone starts to harm her horses by giving them morphine and Tucker is there to save the day and take care of her horses. She is being framed by someone (can't guess who that might be) and taking the blame for mistreating her horses and insurance fraud. Samantha learns to allow herself to love again and Tucker finally finds the one woman meant for him.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

So I'm not really going to say much about this book since most are familiar with the story. After somewhat reading this book, I have decided not to read Jane Eyre. I skipped many chapters while reading Pride and Prejudice since I had a very hard time with the style of writing and things not moving along. I actually didn't even read the last part of the book since I was done trying. I like the movie and it actually follows the book pretty well. I really wanted to try to read some more 'famous,' 'literary' books other than my usual children/teen fantasy books. I will still try to get a few in here and there, but I just prefer fantasy and the occasional romance novel over the well-balanced, good-for-you read.

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

I finished the second book in this series and enjoyed it more than the Warrior Heir. This book introduces and follows a new character, Seph. He is a wizard that is brought up by an Enchanter since he is told that his parents died when he was young. He knows this is a lie, and so has no idea who his parents really are. Being a lesser guild, (enchanters, seers, warriors, sorcerers), Seph's guardian does not teach Seph much about the wizarding world and so he cannot control his magical abilities when they occur causing him to kill one of his friends by a fire that he starts. Eventually Seph is sent to an all boys boarding school in the US and soon finds out that it is run by a very powerful and evil Wizard who links other wizard kids to him and controls them. Seph somehow manages to make it through a year there being tortured and barely surviving as the headmaster tries to force Seph to link with him. Seph is saved by his true guardian and ends up in Trinity (the guild sanctuary that was enacted in the previous book by Jack and Ellen. The headmaster and Alumni (the linked students) continue to try to get Seph throughout the book and eventually get a hold of him.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

In this series everyone is born with one of five stones. With these stones they become wizards, enchanters, sorcerers, warriors, and one other I can't remember. Wizards are the ruling class and are divided into two main groups, the White Rose and Red Rose. The ruling group is determined by playing Warriors in tournaments and winner of the tournament gains power for the hosting group until the next tournament. Warriors have become very rare and are sought out by the wizards and stolen at a young age and trained to fight. Jack was born without a stone, but was suppose to have one. In order to save his life, a wizard inserts a Warrior stone into him so that her group can have a Warrior later. Jack's aunt who is an enchanter isn't too happy since he was suppose to be a Wizard, however, she bargains with the Wizard to allow Jack to stay with his family who were not born with stones and therefore are inconsequential to the wizarding world. Jack is forced to take 'medicine' every day for his 'heart' condition. One day Jack forgets to take his medicine and finds out that he has tons of energy and some interesting powers. Jack then starts training without the knowledge of the wizards and he is even able to use some wizarding powers that he was born with. By the end of the book, Jack is forced to fight in the tournament against another Warrior that has been training since birth whereas Jack has only been training for a couple of months.

This sort of reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games in the sense that young teens are raised to fight to the death for political power. It has the same feel/writing as books such as The City of Glass. I've enjoyed reading the first book and am in the process of starting the second book, The Wizard Heir.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

This Trilogy got a lot of criticism, especially when the movie "The Golden Compass"(the first book) came out. The movoe actually follows the first book pretty well. Of course a lot of details are left out, but they did not change the story line too much. Now you can't base the trilogy off of the movie because the other two books take a complete turn in direction. I can see where a lot of people complained about the God, angels, Adam and Eve content since I was even a little iffy about it in the third book, however, part of that was knowing that others gave this book a hard time. Once again though, people are destroying a good book due by reading into it too much and taking it personal. Much like people still give Harry Potter a hard time because of magic. Anyway, this was a very original and creative work that I really enjoyed reading. I didn't really like how it ended since it's one of those books that just quickly ends and leaves you wondering what happened. Lyra hears about this entity called Dust that works to unite all these parallel worlds. It is only manifested in adulthood so Lyra finds out that a group of people that includes her mother is forcing children to be ripped apart from their animal companions to prevent this dust from showing up. Lyra saves her friend from this only to have her father do this to Roger in order to open a portal to another world where there are no adults and children are afraid to grow up since shadows consume the dust and pretty much kill the adults. Will from our world gets mixed up in this since he becomes a knife bearer of the Subtle Knife that cuts openings between the worlds, however each cut makes a shadow. In the end Lrya and Will fall in love but must live in their own separate worlds while they fulfill their individual destiny.

Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

Blake really liked this trilogy so I had to try it out for myself. It's not my favorite, but it is still a pretty decent trilogy. Bartimaeus is a Djinni that is summoned by Nathaniel, an in-training-wizard that was sold by his parents when he was five. Nathaniel is a very smart young boy that has a horrible tutor and so he studies and summons this powerful, yet somewhat cowardly djinni to help him in his various plots and schemes to get revenge on a fellow wizard that humiliated him during a party and his master did not intervene. At the start, Nathaniel is naive, selfish, and bitter towards life and all wizards that think they are better than him and of course, the non-wizard resistance trying to free themselves from the control and power of the wizards. All wizards are to forget their real name since knowing your real name can be used against you and destroy you. Bartimaeus learns Nathaniel's name and therefore has some power over what Nathaniel can and can't do. Nathaniel keeps summoning Bartimaeus partly because he is afraid another wizard will and Bartimaeus will give out his real name and Bartimaeus actually uses his brain and think logically instead of just following Nathaniel's orders. This trilogy is nice in the sense that there is no love story, just a story of three different people who are suppose to hate each other and by the end of the trilogy are willingly working together.

Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan

I found this series to be pretty refreshing. It's not centered around kids with magical powers or focused on romance. It is set in the past when you had nobles and their estates and knights that abided by a honorable code. It follows a few young children with no parents that a noble takes into his estate to raise. There comes a time when all these parentless children are apprenticed out. Will always had his sight on being a knight along with his friend Horace, however, he does not have the size or muscle to make it as one. A very rare chance occurs for him to apprentice out as a Ranger, a very mysterious trade that few understand or have the chance to participate in. These books follow Will as he trains and then helps defeat an enemy. He later is captured and escapes with a Princess from another area and finally gets his first post to watch on his own. Rangers are assigned to areas to watch for danger and any possible uprisings from neighboring countries. When I started this series I thought it would be like most series with just a few books, however, I have learned that there are suppose to be about 11 books total. These books must have started out in Europe since 10/11 books have been released there but only 6 have been released in the US. We're a little behind and need to catch up.

Septimus Heap by Angie Sage

Another wizard type series that is compared to Harry Potter, however, it is not similar to Harry Potter in any way other than having wizards. Septimus was taken as a child and thrown in the Young Army without any knowledge of who his parents are. At the same time the Princess is taken from the castle and given to Septimus's family to be raised at their own. Septimus and his friends/family at one point are sent to the past, find a Dragon boat, and are sent on a Queste (which every wizard sent on has always died in). Of course Septimus breaks this trend and actually completes his Queste. There's still a few books left so we'll have to see what else Septimus and his friends/family find themselves doing.

Saphyre Snow by Marcia Lynn McClure

The precursor to this book is A Crimson Frost, but you can still read this book without being lost. This is a sort of retelling of Snow White, but a more believable story. This was the first retelling of a fairy tale story that I read and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Crimson Frost is about Saphyre Snow's great-great-great...grandparents and is only mentioned as a story in this book, but still a good book to read as well.

The Visions of Ransom Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure

This author has a lot of fun short romance stories. Many are only found as e-books, but she is slowly getting all her books printed. This was one of my favorites. You soon realize that most of her books pretty much follow this story line. You have a handsome, rugged, confident man and a young, shy girl who is struggling to find her confidence and who she is. Of course she is drawn to the man no other girl can get and usually someone she should not be attracted to, but of course she falls in love with him. They have some encounters, the man struggles to not fall for the girl, saves her and they get married. And they always have the most unique names for the characters. Anyway, they are all quick, easy reads, and make you feel good about life. I can see young girls really falling for these stories.

This is one of my favorites just because it made me laugh a lot with the awkward circumstances Vaden finds herself in the presence of handsome Ransom Lake (told ya the names are unique). The only weird part of the story is that Ransom has 'visions' of the troubles Vaden often encounters, but otherwise a fun read.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan

These books are great! So good they made a movie out of them, although I have yet to see it. It's a great way to learn about greek mythology. Percy is a son of a God and human, obviously a half god like Hercules. He does not learn until later that he is a half god and even longer to find out who his father is. The top three gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are not suppose to have any children, but of course they don't keep to this pact. Their kids end up being incredibly powerful children and attract horrible greek mythology monsters that they spend all their life fighting. Of course, the Titan's are rising again and Percy is the foretold savior of the world that has the choice to save the world or destroy it by joining the Titan's. It may sound like a dumb series by my explanation here, but these are one of my favorite series that I have read so far. I love seeing the lesser gods and their alliances and century old grudges. The gods don't want to believe there is a problem and do not want to get involved with their children. Many do not recognize that any of the kids at Camp Half-Blood are their own children, so there is the struggle of these kids not having parents or feeling they belong. Many of course end up having negative feelings towards the gods and side with the rise of the titans.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

My husband, Blake, and I really like these books. Once again it follows a brother and sister (Kendra and Seth) as they search for artifacts that, if in the wrong hands, will release all the magical creatures that at the moment are left in these magical creature sanctuaries through out the world. One such is called Fablehaven that is taken care of by their grandparents. Through different encounters with magical things, Kendra and Seth have taken on special powers that they slowly realize they have through out the books. I still have not read the last book to see how everything ends, but I am sure it all ends well as most books do. Otherwise, it would not be a terribly good book if it ended horribly. Seth tends to cause a lot of unnecessary trouble for everyone since for some reason he can not listen to others and just stay out of trouble. Instead he insists on trading batteries for gold with the magical creatures and breaking rules that void rules that govern all the magical creatures to keep everyone safe.

39 Clues

This series is geared more for the younger age, but I still enjoy reading them. A new book or card series comes out every two months and is written by a different author. It follows a brother and sister that are competing in a search for 39 clues that when put together will make the person very powerful. There are four family groups that all who participate in this 'game' belong to. Each family group is determined to be the first to find all 39 clues and will do anything to prevent others from winning. Each book leads to a different country and you learn about a famous person associated with each area. It's a fun way to learn about these people. Although I will admit at this point each book does get a little old and I am getting to the point that I want some mysteries solved and the story to come to a finish. Each book comes with a set of cards that you can enter in the website along with the card packs to find more clues. I'm a little confused how the books are going to end since there are only 10 books or so and 39 clues that need to be found. I'm not sure how many clues each card pack has, but each book only covers one clue if that. I hope the last book can wrap up and give everyone an ending instead of leaving you hanging and being forced to buy these card packs and participate online. I guess we'll find out how it ends.

Wicked by Nancy Holder

I have mixed feelings about this series. It was very hard to get through the first book, but once I read it I had to finish the last two books. By the third book I was really into the book and had to find out how it could possibly end well for everyone. Witches, Warlocks, cats, people being raised from the dead, and death. Witches and Warlocks were never meant to mix together and have a centuries long feud that many do not even remember how or why is started. Holly, Amanda, and Nicole lived a normal life until Holly's parents were killed on a rafting trip and Amanda and Nicole's mother is killed by Michael Deveraux (the warlock). The girls soon learn that Michael is interested in them because they are witches and he wants them dead. Only problem is that Michael's son and Holly have an unexplained attraction to each other affected by a love and curse of their dead relatives from centuries before. The girl possesses Holly while the guy of course possesses Michael's son. They love each other desperately, but where not meant to love one another and therefore were cursed to kill each other. However, the curse was never fulfilled so they have spent countless times possessing others and failing to fulfill the curse. People are sent to the past, others are brought back to life and you find betrayal and multiple love stories that get entwined.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

These are simply a fun collection of books about a very intelligent 12 year old criminal boy who terrorizes a hidden fairy community. Artemis and his body guard, Butler, have one challenge after another being a thorn in Holly's career as a Fairy Police Officer. In the first book, Artemis is definitely a criminal and steals the Fairy people's gold. As the books progress Artemis at one time must ask the Fairy people for help and vice a versa. A very entertaining read.

The first book Artemis somehow has figured out that the fairy people exist and there is a book that tells everything about them. He traces down a drunk fairy and gets this book from him and learns to read the fairy language so that he can swindle money from the fairy folk. He does not make friends with them and out smarts them at every turn. It's not just fairies, but dwarves, centaurs, all magical creatures. Future books has the fairy people helping Artemis locate and save his father who was kidnapped by the mafia. Without the help of Holly, Artemis's father would be dead. Of course, after this incident, his father decides to retire from the criminal business and spend time as a loving family. Unfortunately, Artemis hasn't quite decided whether he is ready for a 'normal' life. He needs the challenge since he is one of the smartest kids on the planet and enjoys the brain work. Later Holly's people find themselves in trouble and must break down and ask Artemis for help on two occasions. Holly, Butler, and Artemis, through their adventures, end up becoming good friends and defeating fairy folk gone bad and another very smart young girl who also knows about the underground community. I still have the last book to read and am curious what is in store for Artemis and his friends.