Destiny Kills

Destiny Kills by Keri Arthur

What was this book about?

Destiny McKree wakes up with wounds next to a dead man at a beach. She doesn’t know who she is – but she knows who he is. She knows that she cares for him and is sad to see that he is dead.

She does the only thing she knows how to do – she goes on. When the police almost catch her she runs into Trae Wilson. She doesn’t know if she can trust Trae. He says he is her friend Egan’s brother – but he seems to want something from her – something she can’t give. Add to that the knowledge that she has been burned before.

When her memory comes back Destiny realizes that she isn’t just human (and neither is Trae). She is a water dragon. With that comes certain powers. She has also been in captivity for the last ten years. She needs to get to her father before he dies, then return to the laboratory and rescue her mother and the children.

Trae has his own needs. He needs a ring that Destiny has gotten from Egan. Can he trust her with the real reasons he needs the ring? Can she trust him? Can they get all they need accomplished?

What did you think about the book?

How fun and refreshing – a paranormal topic I have never seen before in a book. Dragons. Water dragons and air dragons, with powers that you know nothing about. It really is a fun and unusual subject.

This really is one of those books that the inspiring and different topic is what carries the book. You want to know what is going to happen next. What powers they have. How that really works?!?

The story is good – the only thing is I would like to have spent more time with the children – getting to know them and their stories. But I also realize that it wouldn’t have fit with the rest of the plot. Based on the ending it seems as if this may be a single book (as opposed to a series) – either way I enjoyed it.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
Could you get involved with someone who had been involved with a sibling?

The Lucky One

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks


What was this book about?

Logan Thibault finds a photo of a woman abandoned on the ground in Iraq. He has been a soldier there several times before. He tries to find the owner but when that doesn’t happen – he keeps it. It becomes his lucky charm. He wins when others lose, he lives when others die. He realizes that his fate is tied to whoever is in that photo.

He travels from his home in Colorado to North Carolina to try to find the woman in the picture. And surprisingly he finds her. Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a son who wants his father to love and support him but seems to be unable to. The ex, Keith wants to keep Elizabeth single and doesn’t like this interloper in their lives.

Elizabeth doesn’t know about the photo – or what really brought Thibault to her. Can she forgive him for the lie of omission? Is the photo really lucky?

What did you think about the book?

I liked this book – Nicholas Sparks is very good at writing books that touch at the heart. The characters are flawed and a little out there (I mean who walks the whole way to North Carolina from Colorado) but they don’t cross the line to a point where you think they are just weird.

They have histories and pasts that make them the people they are. They aren’t totally unlikable – but instead have their own agendas and want to fulfill them. It focuses more on the relationships between a man and a woman, a woman and her son, and so many more then anything else.

What genre would you consider this?
Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
Do you have something that brings you luck?

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Playing

Playing by Melanie Abrams

What was this book about?

Josie is a graduate student with the perfect job. She is the nanny for a single doctor who has two children. One only a year old and the other in first grade. She has a special connection with the first grader and he loves her for it.

When Josie’s boss, Mary, invites over some other doctors she meets Devesh. It is awkward as Mary has a crush on him and yet he is interested in Josie. The relationship between Josie and Devesh progresses without Mary’s knowledge. Devesh and Josie enjoy playing games of sexual domination and submission – with Josie being punished over and over.

When that starts to cross the line into her everyday life Josie needs to make some decisions.

What did you think about the book?

Ok I really didn’t like this book. It is well written and the plot moves at a reasonable pace – and the character is very introspective and learns things about herself and her family and her past. Normally these things all combine to make a book that I think – wow – interesting. But in this case there was something in it that made me go – I don’t like this and I can’t encourage people to read it.

I have covered the plot above. I have no problems with the main character’s fetishes. I think the thing that bugs me a lot is her projection of them onto the children that she is nannying. She should not be in that position. If I was a mother and even guessed that the person who was watching my children (who was not me) was into that – I think even if they were great people I couldn’t allow them near my children (then again I am overly protective). If it is your thing that is fine – but I only know what is going in my head – not anyone elses – some people may be able to handle I and have distinct separate lives – while others cannot.

Josie’s character crosses the line and realizes it. Yet she remains in the situation. So it isn’t that the book is that bad – but more that it crosses a line for me. As soon as the book started I was thinking – I wish there were no children in this.

What genre would you consider this?
Can’t figure it out

Overall:

Question for You!
What is crossing the line for you? That no matter what the story line would just be too much for you?

Sundays at Tiffany's

Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

What was this book about?

Imagine the story you would tell if your invisible friend was real – and just someone only you could see. How that would affect your growing up years until he left. Then to grow older missing the companionship that only he could provide. That is this story.

Jane was a child of a woman who was complicated and a man who was busy with other things in his life. She then met Michael the invisible friend she would never forget. As years pass, he has to leave her, but she never forgets him. When a chance meeting allows him to re-enter her life, neither of them know what is going to happen. It seems to be true love – but how does a producer and a invisible friend form a relationship.

What did you like/dislike about the book?

This story makes me feel like it is all possible. Enough true life elements – an overbearing mother, an idiot boyfriend, join with a touch of the supernatural in an invisible friend. While enough is explained to make you interested in that existence, it never is truly explained. Which may be a touch of why it is so interesting.

With every love story there is heartbreak and pain, joy and love, revelations in relationships. This story is the perfect example of that.

What genre would you consider this?
Fiction

Overall:

All I want for Christmas is a Vampire

All I want for Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn
Sparks

What was this book about?

We revisit Ian – who has finally “grown up”. He was killed as a young young man and even though he was hundreds of years old – he has always looked like he was 16. That can be difficult when trying to find someone to love – they all see you as a child. But he was able to take the “stay-awake” drug and by doing so aged a few more years. It was painful but worth it.

Ian is ready to find the love of his life. He looks the age he wants to and he wants a life where he doesn’t have to lie to anyone. Which means that he must find a vampire. No one else knows that his kind even exists.

Toni was attacked by vampires and so was her best friend. Her friend is now in a mental hospital because no one will believe her. Toni will do anything to help her friend. And right now that means being a body guard for the good vampires.

She can’t help but be attracted to Ian – and everything he does rubs her the wrong way. Can she trust him? Can he give up on the type of woman he thought he wanted to be with?

What did you think about the book?

I like this vampire series. It isn’t all that different then many books in the genre in that they are vampires, they drink blood – though usually not from people but some other way. But I think I just enjoy the stories and that is part of the attraction.

They are easy reads – where men want to find the person that they belong with. (It isn’t just the woman looking for a man and him getting “forced” into falling in love). The characters are likeable and you are able to see them in book after book. There is an overarching plot in that the bad guys are trying to get them and will stop at nothing to do so – so life isn’t that easy.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
What was what you wanted for Christmas? Did you get it?

Cross Country

Cross Country by James Patterson

What was this book about?

Dr. Alex Cross is a detective for the Washington D. C. Police. Families start to turn up dead. It is brutal and senseless and he will do anything to figure out who is at fault. These family seem to have no connection to each other but it seems strange how a killer can wipe them all out – even when they are in different places at the exact same time.

Cross is led to a Nigerian group led by a man called the Tiger. He will cross countries and risk his life (and the life of his family) to give justice to those who have died.

What did you think about the book?

This was one of those books that I listened to on CD. I chose the abridged version because I had never read a James Patterson book before. So I had never met Dr. Cross.

I really enjoyed the book on CD. The story was great and the reader was really, really good. I have to tell you that at several times my body jumped when the gunshots were fired or the scary music started. It was realistic in a way I have never heard on a book on CD before.

In regards to the story itself – it was very interesting. Even though you know who the bad guy is – it takes time to find him. And it is more then just a thriller as Dr. Cross goes across the world to find the bad guy. Through the story the reader/listener is exposed to Nigeria, Darfur, and the tragedies that are affecting the lives of everyone in those countries. It makes you appreciate having the life that you have here.

What genre would you consider this?
Thriller

Overall:

Question for You!
What book shows the world and its causes in a way that makes you think about it in a way that you never have before?

Dan's Journal: Interview with author Diana Spechler and Book Giveaway

Dan from Dan's Journal has an Interview with author Diana Spechler and Book Giveaway.

Stop by if interested!

Time of My Life

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

What was this book about?

Jill cannot consider herself happy in her current life. She is married to Henry, who is always traveling for work. She gave up her job to stay with her daughter Katie – who she loves more then anything – but isn’t really everything that Jill wanted in life. Add to that her ex-boyfriend Jackson is getting married. She just isn’t sure how her life started down this path.

Wouldn’t it all have been different if she had stayed with her ex? Could her life be exciting and everything she wanted? She is given that opportunity. Returning to her past with all the knowledge of her previous future. Are the changes that she is making good for her? How about good for everyone else? What will happen to the daughter that she loved if things don’t go the same way?

What did you think about the book?

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and entertaining and definitely handles the fact that Jill has essentially gone back in time to relive her life with the knowledge of the old life she had lived – in a way that is easy to follow.

It is a very interesting premise in that most people if given the chance would change something in their past. It made me think about that very thing with my own life. I don’t know that there is something specific I would change. Each thing you do spawns so many side affects that you have to be willing to walk away with a life totally unlike the one you currently have.

The thing I liked about this story is that when things were relived (even if it was just a recall moment and not actually her reliving it) Jill realizes that she has sometimes remembered things in a way that is incorrect. She wanted her husband to be the bad guy – so he was – when that isn’t how things played out at all. I think we can all take that experience and realize that we may do it in our lives as well. Maybe it means we will take a couple deep breaths before deciding that what we recall really did happen.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Question for You!
If you could go back and relive your life – would you? What would you change?

Love and Other Natural Disasters

Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas

What was this book about?

Eve and Jonathon have seen their lives travel in a direction they never expected. They have a five year old son, live in the burbs, and are expecting their second. It all seems to be going fine. There is no great joy in their relationship but the comfort and trust of it makes Eve happy.

Then everything is shattered when she finds out that Jon has been keeping secrets. He has formed a deep friendship with another woman. While it hasn’t really turned physical they definitely are having an emotional affair.

How can Eve deal with Jon breaking her trust? Did Jon even do anything that was really wrong? Where can they go from here? What caused them to get to that point? It is all covered.

What did you think about the book?

Wow! What a topic. This is one of those topics that I have yet to find (before now) a book that delved into the human problem of an emotional affair. While reading this book was very enjoyable – it makes me almost wish I had a book club to discuss what other people felt about it.

I mean could you rebound from that in your own life? What about the fact that Eve has children – should that affect her decision/feelings? Does Eve carry any fault in Jon’s actions? What about the fact that her friends and family don’t seem to understand the significance of the affair? Do you think that getting through this (whether separately or together) has made them better people? Better able to be in a relationship?

The fact that it made me think that much about it to me shows that it is a great book. It isn’t a tough read – and it makes you think about what you would do if you were in that situation.

What genre would you consider this?

Family Dynamics

Overall:

Question for You!
Which do you think is worse – an emotional affair or a physical one?

Any Given Doomsday

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland (Phoenix Chronicles)

What was this book about?

Elizabeth Phoenix was a forgotten orphan who went from home to home until she found Ruthie. Ruthie was spectacular with her and the other kids. And Ruthie didn’t even seem to care that Elizabeth was different. She has always had visions and hunches about what was going to happen, what had happened and the last one doomed her police partner. She is now trying to live with the guilt when Ruthie is murdered.

Back into Elizabeth’s life walks Jimmy – a childhood friend and love – and another orphan under Ruthie’s care. Jimmy has to break it to Elizabeth that there is more out there then she ever knew. She is now going to be a part of the battle between good and evil. She is a seer and the leader for the next generation of demon killers.

Elizabeth isn’t sure she wants to embrace this new power that she has. But she also can’t continue to see the damage that the evil has wrought. Can she face up to it all and not get burned?

What did you think about the book?

I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I wasn’t sure if it was more of a detective mystery with a paranormal twist or a romance or what. And while I had guesses during much of the book the best I could think of to categorize it with is the Laurell K. Hamilton vampire books. There are many more sorts of supernatural creatures in this book – and there is a different theme in terms of the end of the world – but the idea that a woman achieves power through sex seems to relate to that.

I found the intricacies of the story refreshing. It takes an old tale – God throwing out the angels – and makes a new twist on the epic battle between good and evil. Throw in a few supernatural’s that I have never heard of (that seem to have an Indian heritage) and you can’t help but be entertained.

I definitely will pick up the next book in this series.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal

Overall:

Question for You!
If you could be any sort of supernatural creature – what would you pick and why?

Lucky Charm

Lucky Charm by Carly Phillips (Book 1 in the Lucky Series)

What was this book about?

There is a curse on all Corwin men. A witch proclaimed that if they ever found love they would lose their love and their wealth. And all Corwin’s over the years have definitely lived up to that curse.

For Derek that mean leaving his high school love Gabrielle – so that she (and he) could live a long life. He has seen the curse work its evil magic and won’t risk their friendship and love for anything. Now years have passed and Derek has still been cursed. He is now divorced (from a woman he never loved) and has an 11 year old daughter. He has lost much of his money. He is back in his home town and he never would have believed that Gabrielle would back there as well.

Gabrielle is a famous author who writes books debunking the paranormal. So it seems perfect that she has decided to go home and debunk the curse that affected her life so much – the Corwin curse.

But there is a lot more going on then just a curse. Can she and Derek find each other? Can they face the possibility of pain?

What did you think about the book?

I wanted more. And while that is a good thing the other problem is that I felt that it all ended too soon. Maybe more of their story (and the curse’s) will be covered in the future books – but as of right now there was no promise of happily ever after (then again who has that assurance). But for this story it is important in order to feel closure.

Other then feeling the ending was a little rushed – I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The idea that the “power-hungry” of a small town can make everyone believe something that maybe isn’t rational is real. The relationship between Gabby and Derek is deep and easy to see how they could jump back into old habits despite so many years apart.

What genre would you consider this?
Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
Do you believe in curses? Do you think it is more how you think about things that make you believe in them – more then their own actual power?

Dark Light

Dark Light by Jayne Castle
What was this book about?

Sierra McIntyre is a rich girl turned journalist. She is out to save the world. When she finds something fishy going on with the Guilds she is going to confront the source. The source is John Fontana, Ghost Hunter Guild boss. When he sees Sierra his plans to just protect her have turned into more.

Fontana knows that the articles Sienna has been publishing in her tabloid are ruffling some feathers. She is definitely in danger. So he decides the best way to save her (especially when he can’t help but be attracted) is to propose a Marriage of Convenience. Sierra wants the truth and agrees.

Can they find out who the bad guys are soon enough? When it is all over will they dissolve their Marriage of Convience?

What did you think about the book?

I want a dust-bunny. I always say that when I finish one of these Harmony books. They sound cute and snugly but are a dangerous beast at heart. They are highly protective and have an interesting fashion sense. So it makes me want to have one – what can I say.

Beyond that – I enjoy these Harmony books. Alien catacombs, ghost hunting powers, a separate world from Earth that was opened up hundreds of years before – what else could you want?

This one definitely jumps right into the action. You don’t have to read the other books to feel like you are in the know which is good. You can enjoy this one singly.


What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
Do you believe in psychic senses? The ability to do something psychic? Know something? See the future?

Coming Soon: Lovestruck Summer

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

LOVESTRUCK SUMMER (HarperTeen; May 5, 2009; $5.99) is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she’s stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name “Party Penny.” Their personalities clash, big time.

But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can’t Quinn keep her mind off Penny’s friend cute, All-American Russ and his Texas twang?

Sebastian is the kind of guy Quinn wants, but is Russ the guy Quinn needs? One thing’s certain: Quinn’s in for a summer she’ll never forget!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows her indie rock. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She loves talking about books, fashion, magazines and all kinds of pop culture. Visit her at melissacwalker.com or on iheartdaily.com.

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Secret Vampire (Night World No. 1)

Secret Vampire (Night World No. 1) by L.J. Smith

What was this book about?

Poppy has been diagnosed with a fatal disease. She is only 15 years old and acts like every other teenager. She spends time annoying her twin brother Phil and wishing for a romance with the boy that doesn’t seem to have any interest in her (at least in “that-way”. The only thing is this boy is her best friend – James.

James has his own secrets as he is a member of the “Night World” and a vampire. But it is against the rules to love a human let alone help them in any way. Will James risk everything to keep Poppy? What about Poppy can she leave behind all she knows just for the possibility of continued existence?

What did you think about the book?

To be completely honest I have to admit that many times I don’t like anthologies. Especially short story anthologies. I feel like even when I “love” the author something is lost in the story. It is hard to tell a story, get people into the characters in a very short story. But more and more in the publishing world they have put out these reprint anthologies.- where you get full-length books in a large book of similar tales. So for me I figured this would be fine I wouldn’t mind it.

I don’t know what it was – I wanted to like the story. I just felt like there wasn’t enough description in the novel for me. Even with the full-length featureness of it all. The people in the story were just not likeable. I understand Phil wanting to protect his sister, I understand Popp dealing with future death is scary, I understood James’s need to go against all the rules. I know all that – but I didn’t feel it for them. I just didn’t get a good enough sense that they belonged together, what Ash’s intentions were etc.

The story definitely was interesting in terms of – what would you do if you were going to die? Would you leave behind all that you know, everyone and everything – for an opportunity at life?

What genre would you consider this?
Teen/Paranormal

Overall:

Question for You!
Do you like anthologies? What about short story anthologies? Do you think that it affects how the story is told?