Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can't help but hope that Stephenie Meyer will eventually complete this book. Basically, it is the first several chapters of Twilight, only told from Edward's point of view instead of Bella's. It is interesting to read of all the different ways he thought of killing her in the first moments after catching her scent, and even more interesting to read of how his love for Bella develops. I am just afraid that by the time Mrs. Meyer feels ready to complete this novel, the interest in the series will have faded.

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Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mariketa is a twenty-three year old witch competing in the Hie, a contest that immortals hold every two-hundred and fifty years. Bowen is a Lykae (werewolf) competing in the same contest. This book runs somewhat parallel to the previous book in this series No Rest for the Wicked. In that book, Kaderin, a Valkyrie, is competing in the same Hie with Sebastian Wroth, a vampire, as her main competition. Mariketa is a fierce competitor, but she has little control over her magic, plus she is disadvantaged by still being mortal going up against competitors who are all immortal and will heal from most mishaps. Bowen finds himself drawn to her, but he knows that she cannot possibly be his mate, since he lost his only mate nearly two hundred years ago. He strongly suspects that she has cast a spell on him to make him want her. He shuts her in a tomb with other immortals during the contest, fully expecting that she will be able to free herself. He is defeated in the final contest of the competition by Sebastian Wroth, and spends weeks trapped in fire caverns, growing ever weaker due to a spell that Mariketa cast on him as he closed her in the tomb, making him unable to heal from his wounds. If Mariketa is trapped in a tomb and Bowen is trapped in fire caverns, how will they ever work out their differences? Read this episode to find out. I did not feel as close to these characters as I have to others in the series.

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No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kaderin is on a mission to destroy yet another vampire, when she suddenly finds herself unable to make the killing stroke with her sword. Sebastian Wroth has been wishing for death for three hundred years until this moment - it seems that Kaderin is his Bride. He feels his heart beat for the first time since he was turned against his will. But Kaderin lives to kill vampires since the vampire horde killed her two sisters. How can she possibly be feeling an attraction to one of the race that murdered her family? How can she be feeling anything? After her sisters' deaths, Kaderin prayed for relief from the pain of their loss and received the blessing of having no feelings of any kind. Now suddenly, she is feeling again! How can these two possibly work out their differences? Read this romantic thriller to find out.

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Covet by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story takes place in the same location as the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Caldwell, New York. Marie_Terese Boudreau is working in The Iron Mask, the club that replaced the Reverend's club, that is owned and operated by Trez Latimer. She is deeply shamed by the job she must do to repay the debts she owes, but her young son makes it all worthwhile. Jim Heron is a construction worker, who isn't interested in becoming involved with anything or anyone, but who finds that life has other plans for him. Vin DiPietro is a wealthy contractor who has everything anyone could want and is about to become engaged to his gorgeous girlfriend, Devina. Adrian and Eddie are Jim's co-workers and drinking buddies - at least that is what Jim thinks. This story has many twists and turns, and you certainly won't expect what happens in the end.

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A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lachlain has been imprisoned in the catacombs beneath Paris for one hundred and fifty years, having the flesh burned from his body each time his immortality regenerates it. He is pulled from this torture by the scent of his one true mate on the streets of Paris and he is able to free himself to go in search of her. Lachlain is king of the Lykae (werewolves) and is appalled to find that the scent he followed led him to Emmaline, a vampire. As he convinces her to help him return to his home in Scotland, he realizes there is something different about Emmaline. He begins to doubt that she is truly his life mate. Emmaline just wants to get away from him and return to her aunts in New Orleans, but she is becoming weaker from not having fed in several days. Read this story to find out if these two can get past their differences.

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Playing Easy to Get by Kresley Cole


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I bought this book because it has the beginning of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series as one of the three stories. The first story in the book, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, is a good basic romance, with no immortals involved. The second story, by Jaid Black, is a story of a race of Vikings who live beneath the earth, with bride-hunters who go above ground to steal eligible women to bring below and marry the Vikings and provide them with children. This one was interesting, with the Vikings seeming to have some immortality to them. I may read more of Jaid Black's work later on. The third story involves vampires and Valkyrie and how one of each came together after nearly destroying one another. This one left me wanting more and I continue on to A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole.

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A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is 4 short stories about Sookie Stackhouse. Each gives just a taste of a Sookie Stackhouse adventure. If you enjoyed reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels, you will enjoy these stories as well. They left me wanting more, but I will have to wait until next Spring for the next full length Sookie story.

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The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Isabel Dalhousie is living with her lover, Jamie, along with their young son, Charlie. Once again, Isabel is drawn into the affairs of someone else, this time at the request of her acquaintance Minty Auchterlonie who draws her into an intrigue involving two other men. At the same time, Isabel's relationship with Jamie takes a giant step forward and Isabel finds that her niece, Cat, has once again become engaged to a totally unsuitable man. The relationship between Isabel and Jamie is very touching, and I continue to hope that eventually Isabel will turn away from interfering in the affairs of others and devote herself completely to her own little "family".

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An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jamie and Claire begin this story by attempting to return to Scotland, where Jamie plans to retrieve his printing press and return with it to America, where he plans to make an attempt at proving that "the pen is mightier than the sword". They plan to take young Ian with them to fulfill the promise that Jamie made to his sister and her husband that he would return their son to them. As usual, matters interfere with the best-laid plans and Jamie, Claire, and Ian find themselves embroiled in the Revolutionary War as it begins. Other strands of the story keep us abreast of Brianna, Roger, Jem, and young Mandy in the twentieth century, Lord John Grey and his attempts to keep his stepson, Willie, safe, and the way the stories intertwine with one another. I don't know if I can stand the likely 5 year wait before I find out what happens next. As usual, Diana Gabaldon leaves me wanting more!

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A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jamie and Claire continue their love story in this epic book about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War. Brianna, Roger, and their son Jem are living with Jamie and Claire on Fraser's Ridge. Claire succeeds in creating ether, enabling her to operate on a young boy with appendicitis successfully. Brianna uses phosphorus to make matches. Jamie becomes a colonel of the militia for the governor of North Carolina, while contemplating when he must make it clear that he is rebel, rather than loyalist. The "Frenchman's gold" makes a reappearance in an unexpected way and the house fire that Brianna came into the past to warn them about happens, but not in the way that anyone expects.

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The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In The Fiery Cross, Jamie and Claire continue to establish their home on Fraser's Ridge. Brianna and Roger, with their son Jemmy are part of their extended family, which continues to grow as Jamie adds more settlers to his mountain land. In this book, we see the beginnings of the strife that will eventually lead to the Revolutionary War.

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Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As Jamie and Claire begin to make a life in the mountains of North Carolina on Fraser's Ridge, circumstances conspire to bring not only Brianna, but also Roger Wakefield through the stones into the past in the hopes of saving the lives of Brianna's parents. How will Brianna find her mother and Jamie and will Roger find Brianna and make her his wife? This story was full of twists and turns over a road paved with love.

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Voyager by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Claire finds out that Jamie did survive Culloden and returns to the past to find him, leaving their daughter, Brianna, in the 20th century. Jamie is working as a printer in Edinburgh, while also smuggling on the side. Jamie and Claire return to Lallybroch to take Jamie's nephew Ian back to his parents, and encounter Laoghaire, who, it seems, is Jamie's wife as well. Claire leaves Lallybroch, planning to return to the future, when young Ian, the nephew, finds her and tells her that Laoghaire has shot Jamie and he is dying. Claire returns to save Jamie's life yet again, this time using skills that she gained training as a surgeon in the 20th century. This is just the beginning of the adventures that take Jamie and Claire from Lallybroch to France again, back to Scotland to take ship to Jamaica in search of young Ian who has been kidnapped. Where will this adventure take Jamie and Claire and will they still be together when it is over? Read this installment to find out.

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Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since elementary school and Darcy has planned a night out in celebration of Rachel's thirtieth birthday. Rachel has not achieved what she had hoped to achieve by the time she was thirty - no handsome loving husband, no children, no fabulous career. She is an attorney with a major New York City law firm, but she is miserable. Darcy is engaged to an incredible guy that Rachel introduced her to, has an exciting job in PR, and the kind of personality that makes her the center of attention everywhere she goes. Darcy has a little too much to drink at Rachel's party and goes home, leaving her fiance, Dex, to finish out the night with Rachel and take her home. After many more drinks, Rachel and Dex end up sleeping together. Will Rachel and Darcy's friendship survive this betrayal? Will Darcy and Dex's engagement end in heartache or marriage? Read this to find out.

Although I enjoyed this story, I don't plan to read the others in this series - it was a bit too much "Sex in the City" for me and I didn't find myself caring too much about the characters.

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To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning



I enjoyed Moning's The Dark Highlander, so I checked out the others in the series from the library, but I found that I just wasn't interested in what would happen and I was forcing myself to read just to say I finished. It is similar to the way I felt when I read Darkfever, which I did finish but didn't continue the series. I can't put my finger on what it is that loses my interest after I start these, but it seems to be the repetition of problem-solution-problem-solution without much exposition. I love a good romance and I have enjoyed reading about Highland warriors in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, but this one just didn't do it for me.

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Claire Randall and her husband Frank are spending some time in the Scottish highlands at a bed and breakfast, becoming reacquainted after a long separation necessitated by World War II. While exploring, Claire comes upon a stone circle which seems to be the meeting ground for a group of women. Returning later to the stone circle to find a plant she wanted a sample of, Claire finds herself drawn to the cleft in one stone. Suddenly, she finds herself thrown into chaos and when she recovers her senses, she believes that she is still in the same place. She finds herself in the midst of a squirmish between redcoats and Scotts in kilts and becomes aware that maybe she is not in the same place after all. She meets Jamie Fraser and begins a relationship that is unlike any she has ever known.

This book has everything - drama, romance, war, science fiction, fantasy, time travel - all twisted together in a masterful story that kept me turning the pages despite its length.

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The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dageus MacKeltar has been cursed with thirteen evil souls in addition to his own since he violated the Compact and went through the stones to save the life of his twin brother Drustan. He has been living in New York City, searching ancient Celtic texts for a clue that will help him rid himself of the curse. Chloe Zander is sent by her boss at the Cloisters to take him a copy of text that Dageus hopes will hold the answer he needs. She is appalled that stranger will be allowed to touch and use one of the books that she holds precious, but when these two meet, sparks fly and nothing in Chloe's life will ever be the same. Can Chloe help Dageus defeat the darkness of his demons and win his love? Read this dramatic tale to find out.

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Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
MacKayla Lane is enjoying summer in Georgia, sunning herself by the pool, listening to music on her Ipod, waiting for her sister Alina to come from Ireland and her parents to come home from a cruise. She is as happy as she can be without her parents and her sister. Then comes the call that will change her life - her sister has been murdered in Dublin. MacKayla goes quickly from shock to anger when she sees that noone seems concerned that the murderer has not been caught. She decides to fly to Dublin and do everything she can to find out who killed her sister and see to it that the murderer is brought to justice. As soon as she arrives, strange things begin happening that will forever change not only MacKayla's view of the world, but her life itself. She finds herself plunged into the Fae world of Seelie and Unseelie, vampires, and nightmares brought to life. Will she find her sister's murderer or will she become just another victim?

After reading the sample of this book on my Kindle, I probably would not have purchased it, but it was free, so I downloaded it. It held my interest, but I really did not enjoy the story as much as others of the same genre. There seemed to be too much left unsaid about the characters that I would like to know about them. MacKayla's character was fairly well developed, but I don't feel like any of the other characters were. Of course, many of the characters didn't last long enough to get familiar with.

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Dark Prince by Christine Feehan


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Mikhail Dubrinsky has lived for centuries and has finally decided that he no longer wants to live an existence that is without meaning or love. He is so despondent that he plans to end his life by "meeting the sun". Raven Whitney hears his despair in her mind and calls out to him, startling him with her telepathic skills. Mikhail decides to put off his end until he discovers the women who is able to speak to him with her thoughts. When he meets Raven, he realizes that he has found his true lifemate. Raven is equally drawn to Mikhail, but she doesn't understand or trust the powerful attraction he has for her.

Although I was drawn into this story at the beginning, by the time I got halfway through the book and the characters had already made love multiple times and had each barely survived mortal wounds, I found myself less interested in their story. It seemed to go from disaster to disaster without developing the characters and relationships the way I would like. I finished the story and read the bonus selection at the end, but I likely will not read others in this series.

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Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rehvenge has been approached by a high-ranking member of the glymera who wants him to kill the king, Wrath, in order to accommodate a change in leadership among the vampires. In return, he is offered the role of leader, but his symphath side detects another agenda on the part of the aristocrat making the offer. Lash, son of the Omega, continues to plot and plan the end of the race of vampires. Ehlena, a nurse in Haver's clinic, takes on the task of caring for Rehvenge when he comes into the clinic for a refill of the dopamine that he uses to control his darker impulses, and finds him strangely compelling. All of the nurses in the clinic have always been afraid of Rehvenge, but she is the type that doesn't back down and when she sees the infection in his left arm, she insists that he have it seen to. Will she be able to get past his defenses to get him the help he needs? Will Rehvenge find a way to help Ehlena with her schizophrenic father? Read this episode of the Black Dagger Brotherhood to find out.



This is currently the last of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but there is obviously more to the story, so hopefully more books will be forthcoming.


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Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Phury has agreed to become Primale in place of Vishous and be father to a new generation of Brothers with the Chosen, but he is having problems with living up to his side of the bargain. He has brought Cormia, his First Mate, from the other side to the Brotherhood's mansion, but he has not mated with her because he feels that it would be against her will. Cormia has been staying to herself in her room except for meals, so Phury arranges for John Matthew to spend some time with her, hoping that they could be friends. John Matthew, for his part, is having problems of his own following his transition. His friends Qhuinn and Blay are as close as ever, but his former enemy Lash is back to cause problems. Will Phury consumate his union with Cormia and lay with the others of the Chosen as required by his station of Primale? Will Cormia return to the Other Side to be with the Chosen? Read this interesting chapter in the adventures of the Black Dagger Brotherhood to find those answers and many more.


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Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Vishous is happy that his best friend Butch has finally hooked up with Marissa and that the two are happily mated, but he can't help but feel a sense of loss that he can no longer be as close to Butch as he once was. He is still necessary to Butch, though, since he is the one to draw the evil out after Butch inhales the lives of lessers. Vishous has never known love or kindness in his three hundred years of life, but in this story he finally discovers the identity of his birth mother, when she appears to him to tell him of his destiny. Unfortunately, he is so distraught by this revelation that he ends up with a gunshot wound to the chest while wandering on his own and he is taken to a human hospital where his surgeon, Jane Whitcomb, operates to save his life. What happens between Vishous and Jane, and Vishous and his mother makes for an exciting and interesting story.


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Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Butch O'Neal, former cop and current friend of the Brotherhood, has tried to get over his infatuation with Marissa, a vampire from an aristocratic family, with little success. The Brothers refuse to let him get involved with the fight against the Lessening Society as anything other than a sidekick. Unfortunately, the lessers are perfectly willing to use Butch when they capture him, hoping he will lead them to the Brotherhood. When the critically injured Butch is retrieved by the Brotherhood, he is taken to Haver's clinic to be healed. But there seems to be more to his injuries than the torture he has undergone - he has a black scar on his stomach. Marissa finds out that Butch is in the clinic and despite warnings to protect herself with a hazmat suit, she enters his room. Will Marissa be able to save Butch, or has she doomed herself by her contact with the evil that seems to surround him? Read this engrossing thriller to find out.


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Father Mine: Zsadist and Bella's Story by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a novella telling the story of Zsadist and Bella as they struggle to find peace after the birth of their daughter. Zsadist is struggling with dreams of his captivity and sees his baby daughter in the cell with him. Bella is wondering if Zsadist still loves and wants her and if Zsadist will ever hold his daughter. This story fills in the gaps nicely between the end of Lover Awakened and its epilogue.


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Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Lover Eternal, Bella has been kidnapped by lesser Mr. O, who is holding her captive in a torture building operated by the Society of Lessers. Zsadist, his twin Phurry and the rest of the Black Dagger Brotherhood have been searching for her for weeks, but they are beginning to lose hope of finding her alive. Zsadist is the scarred and tortured member of the Brotherhood that Bella had been drawn to when she visited the training center with her friend Mary and the young man that she had recognized as a pre-transition vampire. Zsadist refused to have anything to do with Bella when she was there, but now refuses to stop until he finds her. Will Zsadist find Bella and if she is still alive will they be able to find a common ground? Read this fast-paced, thrilling romance to find out.


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Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rhage, a warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, lives in fear that the beast lurking inside him will break free and hurt or destroy one of his brothers. Mary, a human, works her job in a law office each day, and volunteers on a suicide prevention hotline at night. One day, when Mary returns home from work, there is a message on her phone, asking her to call and schedule an appointment to talk with her doctor about her blood work as soon as possible. She immediately fears the worst - that her leukemia has returned after a remission of two years. As fate would have it, Mary's path crosses Rhage's and there is an immediate attraction. But what will happen when a fiercely strong vampire warrior hiding a beastly secret tries to care about a delicate human woman who may be dying? Read Lover Eternal and find out about Mary's hidden strength and Rhage's hidden weakness.


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Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Darius, a warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, is planning to ask a favor from the leader of the Brotherhood, Wrath. He has learned that his half-human daughter, Beth, is about to undergo the transition from human to vampire and he wants Wrath to guide her through the change and feed her his blood to help ensure that she survives the transition. The only problem is that Wrath is not known as a caring, nurturing creature and he refuses to do as Darius asks. Then, as Darius is leaving the bar where they met, Darius' BMW explodes with him inside, killing him instantly. Will Wrath decide to help Beth through the transition to honor Darius? Beth knows nothing of the vampire world, though she has never felt at home in her own world. Will she survive the transition? Read Dark Lover to find out.


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Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Andreas Reichen is working his way through the agents who he holds responsible for the attack on his Darkhaven resulting in the deaths of everyone within, including women and children. His final goal is Wilhelm Roth who ordered the attack. When he goes to find Roth, he finds instead Roth's mate, Claire, the one woman that Andreas Reichen once loved. Will he kill Claire or use her to bring Wilhelm Roth to him? Will he succeed with his mission of vengeance before the fire burning within him consumes him? Read this exciting episode of the Midnight Breed series to find out!


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Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nikolai is in Montreal looking for Sergei Yakut, a Gen One vampire who he fears may in danger from a recent rash of Gen One assassinations. When he asks a young male vampire about Sergei, he notices a woman at the bar reacting to the name. He follows her out of the club into an alley, where he tries to ask her about Sergei. She tries to elude him and after her unexpectedly effective roundhouse kick, she is able to dash through a door into a nearby warehouse. Nikolai follows, but when he tries to speak to the woman, he is floored by a high-frequency sound that completely disables him. He sees the woman's accomplices coming to join her and hears them call her Renata. Who is Renata and how is she connected to Sergei Yakut? How was a human female able to disable a warrior of the Order? Read this riveting adventure to find out.


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Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dylan Alexander is on a trip to the Czech Republic when she sees a vision of woman on a rock formation. She knows the woman is dead, even though it has been years since she last saw a dead woman. She is drawn to investigate and finds a narrow entrance to a cave, in which she finds human bones and a large empty crypt. She hears a noise, and is frightened into leaving in a hurry. She comes back later and finds a man lying on the cave floor, but then she looks again and he is gone. Breed warrior, Rio, was left behind to seal the cave some months ago. He planned to seal himself in as well, but has not found the strength to do it, and now there is a woman in the cave who has seen not only the crypt, but also the glyphs drawn on the cave wall. She then proceeds to use a digital camera to take pictures of the cave, the crypt, and Rio before fleeing down the mountain. Rio realizes that it is his duty to find her and wipe her memory and destroy the pictures she has taken before they can be seen by others. What he does not know is that Dylan is a reporter for a tabloid who sees the pictures as her chance to make some real money. Will Rio be able to stop her? Will Dylan survive an encounter with the dangerously damaged Rio? Read this great adventure story to find out.


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Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Elise Chase is on a mission - to do everything in her power to make someone pay for the death of her only son, Camden. She has moved out of the Darkhaven reserve to live in an apartment in Boston while she searches for those who serve the leader of the Rogues. She uses her unique talent of hearing the evil thoughts of those around her to find the former humans known as Minions and kill them. She is usually careful to complete her work before dusk each day, but one day she cuts things too close and is attacked by three Rogues who are attracted to the smell of blood - blood from her most recent kill. Fortunately for Elise, Breed warrior Tegan is also pulled to the scent of fresh blood in time to save her from the Rogues. But will he send her back to the Darkhaven residence and end her quest for vengeance? Read this exciting adventure to find out.


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Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tess Culver spends most of her time in her small animal clinic caring for cats, dogs, and other small animals. One night, she hears a noise in the back of her clinic and when she investigates finds a badly injured man. Little does she know that this man is unlike any other man she has ever met. When she gets close enough to investigate the intruder, he asks her not to call an ambulance, but tells her that he needs blood. Then he grabs her and sinks his fangs into her throat. Will Tess live to tell the tale? Read this second exciting adventure in the Midnight Breed to find out.


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The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Elena Gilbert is about to start her senior year of high school. She has always been one of the most popular girls at school, and she sees no reason for this to change, but she has a strange feeling that this year will be different. When she gets to school the first day, there is a new student, Stefan, who seems very aloof and mysterious. Elena cannot imagine that she cannot capture the attention of this new boy as she has captured the attention of others through the years. But there is something different about Stefan. What is it about him that makes Elena want him so badly? To find out, read these two stories.



I found the characters in these stories to be totally unlikeable, even the main character, Elena. The only character in the book who had some redeeming qualities was Matt. The girls in these stories were the kind of girls that I tried to stay from in high school - the "popular" crowd. If you like those kind of people, you might enjoy these stories, but I found that I couldn't wait to finish them and I don't plan to read the others in the series.


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Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gabrielle Maxwell is a photographer who is going out to celebrate a successful showing of her work with her friends. Instead of just going out to dinner, her friends decide to take her to a new club, La Notte, to dance and drink. Gabrielle is reluctant, but goes along for a while. She decides to leave the club and head home, but on her way out, she sees what appears to be a gang beating up and killing another person. She tries to call 911 on her cell phone, but cannot get through, so she uses her cell phone camera to snap pictures of what is happening, then flees the scene to go to the police station to report the crime. Unfortunately, when police go to the scene there is no sign of the crime at all. This is the beginning of Gabrielle's entry into the world of vampires and she will soon meet the darkly handsome Lucan Thorne who she thinks is a police detective, but who actually is a warrior fighting against evil. This was another interesting take on vampires, with a whole new set of rules that are both the same and different than other vampire myths. I enjoyed this one enough that I may read the next in the series.


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City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Clary is planning to travel to Alicante to find a way to wake her mother from the coma that she has been in for months. She discovers that Jace, Alec, and Isabelle have gone ahead to Idris without her and she uses her unique talent in rune drawing to create a Portal to transport her to Idris, inadvertently bringing Luke along with her. While searching for a way to save her mother, Clary is drawn into the world of Shadowhunters, and continues to struggle with what appear to be inappropriate feelings for Jace, who she believes to be her brother. Once again, Valentine, Clary's father, appears to create what looks like the end of the world for any Shadowhunter who refuses to follow him, along with all of the Downworlders, including Clary's best friend Simon. Will Clary and Jace find a way to defeat Valentine and revive Clary's mother? Read this last of the Mortal Instruments stories to find out.


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Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this story, the "were-animals" decide to come out to the world as the vampires had done several years earlier. The whole world comes to know about other supernatural creatures who have been living among them for years. Sookie becomes a target in a war between fairies, and must call on the werewolves and vampires for protection. Quinn, the weretiger who was briefly Sookie's boyfriend, makes a brief appearance, but is sent away by Sookie with help from Bill and Eric. Eric attempts to tie Sookie to him in order to protect her from the King of Nevada who wants to use her for his own purposes. Once again, Sookie narrowly escapes death and is left to decide whether she loves Eric or Bill. This story was practically non-stop action, with never a dull moment.


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From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sookie Stackhouse has still more adventures in this episode. She finds herself smack in the middle of a werewolf pack war, a vampire coup, marital infidelity, and previously unknown family members. Sookie sends Quinn packing once he finally reappears in her life, and begins to find a way to deal with her feelings for Eric. Bill is quietly in the background, trying to win back her trust, and Sam, as always, stands as a tried and true friend. Sookie has many supernatural beings who are willing to protect her, but she shows them all that she can and will stand up for herself.


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All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this seventh of the Sookie Stackhouse stories, Sookie is once again up to her neck in supernatural beings. This time she has been contracted by the queen of Louisiana to accompany the Louisiana delegation to a vampire summit being held in Rhodes, Illinois. Her purpose is to listen in to the humans and let her party know if there is any lying or other collusion going on. Sookie's latest "boyfriend", Quinn, is in charge of orchestrating several events at the summit, and her former "boyfriends" Bill and Eric will also be in attendance. Sookie's "fairy godmother", Claudine, warns Sookie that something terrible is about happen and that she, Claudine, cannot go to the summit, since vampires find fairy blood practically irresistible. Sookie elects to go anyway, since she can really use the money she will be paid. Will Sookie return from this venture? Read this exciting mystery to find out! I find these stories nearly impossible to put down once I start one, and I am sad that there are only two more to read.


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Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sookie Stackhouse is back in her grandmother's house after having the kitchen and back porch rebuilt following a fire in the previous story. She begins to become better acquainted with Quinn, whom she met during a packleader succession rite. Quinn is a were-tiger and appears to command great respect among other weres. Sookie is planning a trip to New Orleans to deal with the inheritance left to her by her cousin Hadley. Bill asks if he can go with her when she goes to help her deal with the queen of Louisiana, who was Hadley's love interest. Little does Sookie know that she will end up in the middle of another supernatural battle for power.


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Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am discovering that in each of these Sookie Stackhouse stories there is a mystery to be solved. Once again, Sookie becomes even more involved with supernatural beings, especially since her brother was bitten by a were-panther and now becomes one every full moon. This time, Sookie is drawn deeper into the world of the "Weres" or shape-shifters, especially the werewolves. There is a new vampire in town, Charles, who is something of a wildcard. Sam, the owner of Merlotte's, is shot and Sookie must ask Eric, the vampire Sheriff of Area 5, to loan Merlotte's a bartender while Sam recovers. Charles is sent by Eric to bartend at Merlotte's and then the mystery deepens. There is never a dull moment in these novels! I can't wait to start the next one.


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Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sookie Stackhouse can't seem to stay out of trouble with supernatural beings. She is still recovering from rescuing Bill from hostile vampires who were torturing him in Jackson, Mississippi. She is still angry at Bill for betraying her with a female vampire, even though he says that he had no choice because she was his "maker". Bill tells Sookie that he is going to Peru to investigate the vampire population there for his vampire database. Sookie is trying to go about her life, when, while on her way home from working New Year's Eve at Merlotte's, she comes across a half-naked man running through the woods. She stops to help him, only to realize that he is Eric, vampire Sheriff of Area 5, and he appears to have lost his memory. Thus begins another adventure which leads Sookie even deeper into the supernatural world, this time including a fairy and evil witches. These stories seem to get better and better with each one I read.


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If I Stay by Gayle Forman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mia is a seventeen-year-old girl in her senior year in high school. She plays the cello and has auditioned for Juilliard. Her boyfriend, Adam, is attending college part-time while playing in a band. Mia is happy with her family and her life in general, except for the possibility that attending Juilliard may cause problems in her relationship with Adam. Then, one February day, a rare snow day in Oregon sees Mia and her family going for a drive and becoming involved in a horrific car accident. The story is told by Mia as she tries to make a true life-and-death decision - to fight and live or to let go and die. It is a very emotional and compelling story.


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Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sookie is puzzled about why Bill is suddenly spending all of his spare time on the computer, especially since he seems to have lost interest in her. Then he surprises her with the news that he will being going on a trip in conjunction with a project he is working on. Soon afterward, Eric comes to Sookie with the news that Bill has been kidnapped in Mississippi and Sookie's special skills are needed to help find him. This story really lives up to the mystery and horror genre, but you still find yourself hoping that Bill and Sookie will be together at the end. If you want to find out, read this third of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.


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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
In the second of the Mortal Instruments books, Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec and Isabelle are once again fighting demons and forces of evil. Clary's mother is still in a coma in the hospital and Clary is living with Luke, her mother's friend who is also a werewolf. Jace and Clary's father, Valentine, is trying to get the Soul Sword, another of the Mortal Instruments, so that he can control demons and make them do his will. Together, the friends try to find a way to thwart Valentine. Clary, Jace, and Simon are still trying to sort out their relationships. There is a fierce battle at the end involving Valentine and his demon army against Clary, Jace, Alec, Isabelle, Simon and as many other Shadowhunters as they can gather at short notice. I quite enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading the last book of the trilogy, City of Glass, and discovering what happens to these characters.


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Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sookie Stackhouse is still working as a waitress at Merlotte's and dating Bill Compton in this second book in the series. In accordance with an agreement that she and Bill made with Eric, the vampire "sheriff" in their area, Sookie is sent to Dallas to assist the vampires there in their quest to find their missing "brother", Godfrey (Godric). Bill travels with Sookie to protect her, but since he cannot be out during the day, he must fly in a coffin and Sookie meets the plane at the airport to ensure that he is unloaded safely. A man who appears to be a priest comes up to her in the airport, acting as though he thinks she is a bereaved family member, but really trying to take Sookie against her will. Thus begins another perilous adventure in the world of the supernatural. We meet even more supernatural beings in this story. These stories are quite addictive, and short enough to read in a day or two. I will read the others in this series.


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WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mr. Lockwood has leased Thrushcross Grange for a year in order to escape from society for a time. He goes to meet his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, at Wuthering Heights and finds him to be a sullen and angry man. After catching a fever from being out in the weather, Mr. Lockwood persuades Ellen Dean, the housekeeper at the Grange, to sit with him and she begins to tell him the story of Heathcliff and Cathy. This is a story of two people who shared an immortal love that was confounded by circumstances. Cathy marries Edgar Linton, in some part to spite Heathcliff, then spends the rest of her life pining for him until she dies quite young after giving birth to a daughter. Heathcliff spends the rest of his life waiting for the time that he can join Cathy in the grave, while making everyone about him as miserable as he is. This story is a classic, but not a cheerful story by any means.


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Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
My very first book I downloaded on my new Kindle DX! I usually would not have said that I would like books with vampires, but after reading and loving the Twilight saga (8 times), I decided to try the Sookie Stackhouse stories. I have watched the first season of True Blood on HBO and enjoyed those, so I was hopeful that the books would be similar. As usual, the book was even better than the TV series. I downloaded the book as soon as I received my new Kindle DX this morning and finished it by the end of the day. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress living in Bon Temps, a small town in northern Louisiana. She has what she thinks of as a disability - she can hear the thoughts of everyone around her. In the world that Sookie lives in, vampires have come "out of the coffin" and live among humans, partially thanks to a Japanese manufactured artificial blood product called Tru Blood. When Bill Compton, a vampire, comes into Merlotte's, the bar where Sookie works, Sookie is secretly thrilled. Her relationship with Bill begims with her saving him from being "drained" by Mack and Denise Rattray who want to sell his blood on the black market. To Sookie's surprise, she can't hear Bill's thoughts, and finds it delightful to be around someone without being constantly assaulted with their thoughts. Unfortunately, the small town of Bon Temps is suddenly seeing young women murdered in a grisly way. The story is romance, mystery, and adventure all in one. These stories are more graphic than the Twilight saga and would probably not be suitable for school libraries, but I really enjoyed this story and plan to read the others in the series.


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Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives by John Palfrey

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was hoping to get some insight and information about working with students who are part of the Digital Native generation from this book. It was a real struggle to get through this book, which seemed repetitive and rather dry. I almost stopped reading when I was about two-thirds of the way through the book and read about "John Dewey and his famous decimal system". It seems that somewhere in the editing process of this book, someone would have pointed out that John Dewey was an educational reformist and the Dewey Decimal System was created by Melvil Dewey, a librarian. I kept hoping to find answers to the problems of how to teach with technology, but most of what I got was more questions. What I did get from this book is that the Internet and related technologies will continue to change and grow and we must help our students with tools to recognize the good and discard the bad.


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16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
In this book, we meet the residents of Cedar Cove, including Olivia Lockhart, her mother Charlotte, and her daughter Justine. Olivia is a family court judge and when Ian and Cecilia Randall come before her to have their pre-nuptial agreement overturned to clear the way for a divorce. Olivia makes the decision to uphold the pre-nuptial agreement in an attempt to get Ian and Cecilia to give their marriage another chance. We follow several characters as they struggle to find their way to love and acceptance. Their stories were quite moving in places, but I didn't feel closely connected to any of the characters. This is a nice, light romantic story if that is what you enjoy.


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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is the first in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Clary Fray is a fifteen-year-old girl who is going to the Pandemonium Club in New York City with her friend Simon. She sees what looks like an attack on another teenage boy about to happen and she is suddenly sucked into a world inhabited by demons, vampires, warlocks, werewolves, and shadowhunters and meets another golden-haired boy named Jace. Within 24 hours, her mother disappears and Clary is attacked by a demon. From there, this book is a roller-coaster ride as Clary tries to find and free her mother while fighting an attraction for Jace and a deepening of her friendship with Simon. I really enjoyed this story and found that the characters were very engaging, making me care what happened to them. I plan to read the other two books in the series. I would not recommend this book for an elementary school, but it seems like it would work well for middle or high school libraries.


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