Daily Archive

“I have made mistakes. As surely as those eight women are twisting in the wind right now, in my own way, I’ve been twisting in the wind my whole life…”

The year is 1914.

Suspected of Witchcraft, Sari is an outcast in her small Hungarian village of Falucska. Life is hard for most in the village but even harder for Sari. The daughter of a Taltos (a medicine man) and possessor of the Second Sight, Sari is lonely beyond words. Day after day she is gossiped about and made the stuff of urban legend. When her father dies, the rumors and gossip increase tenfold; Sari is sure that she will never fit in, that she will always be an outcast.

The only confidant she has is young Ferenc, a young man enchanted by Sari and destined to be her husband. Ferenc dreams of Sari at night and wants nothing but to possess her, to have her for his own. Sari knows she does not love him, does not know if she can feel love for him. When Ferenc asks her to marry him, she asks him to wait until she is eighteen. Spurned by her refusal, he grows distant.

Judit, the local midwife, takes Sari into her home and begins teaching her the medicines that help and heal. Together they teach each other; Sari teaches Judit of curses and proper use of herbs and Judit teaches Sari the art of birthing babies. The gossip about Sari still runs strong in the village, but soon Sari no longer cares. She has her work and she has Judit and that is enough.

One night, though, Sari has a disturbing sight: she sees men coming, men and battle and blood. She sees men leaving though they do not want to leave and knows that trouble is coming. When Juidit presses her on what she has seen, Sari says that what she saw is not clear. She only knows that what is coming is bad. Very bad.

Then, in 1916, war comes.

War has a way of changing lives. Even the lives in the small village of Falucska, far away from the front lines of the war, begin to change. The men go off to fight and the women who remain must band together in order to retain their sanity and their strength. All the men of the village, including Ferenc, have gone off to fight on the front lines, leaving the woman of the village alone. For once, Sari is not an outcast, not a social pariah and she forms friendships with the women. But then visitors come to the village.

When Ferenc’s family home is turned into a camp for prisoners of war, Sari knows that this will bring nothing but trouble. Several of the woman form relationships with the Italian prisoners; Sari tries to avoid this, tries to avoid letting her heart care for anyone at the camp, but does not count on meeting Marco. They share a love that brightens even the desolate plains of Falucska and Sari feels more alive than ever before.

The two talk of love and of life, knowing that all they share is only temporary, that the war will end and that they will go back to their lives from before; Marco to his wife and Sari to Ferenc. There is no other way. But despite how careful they are with their hearts, fondness grows into love, though both are loathe to admit it.

Then Sari receives a shock: Ferenc is coming home. The year is 1918 and the war is almost over. Shot in the leg, Ferenc is discharged from the army and comes home a broken and very different man. The man who returns does not want to love Sari, he wants to own her, take her, and break her. Sari is shocked when he first hits her, when he first strikes her. She tells herself that it is the war, tells herself that he doesn’t mean it, that it won’t happen again.

But it does. The Ferenc she knew is lost and gone and instead is replaced with someone else. When Sari finds that she is pregnant and almost kills her and the baby, Sari makes a decision: Ferenc must die. But, even in death, secrets have a way of getting out. And Sari is about to learn what happens when women turn murderous…

The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson is without a doubt the best book I have read in years, period. It has been a long time since I have been so entranced by a book that I wanted to do nothing else but read it; and I’ve read a lot of books. I can’t even begin to describe how good this book is, how incredible it is, but I’m going to try.

This is Gregson’s first novel but it reads like a more mature work; I would have thought it was her third or forth work; the voices are so clear the writing so crisp. This novel is just so bloody refreshing! That she has written such a finely tuned story of war, death, love and revenge in a first novel is incredible and I can only hope that her second novel is just as good.

There are a few things that make this novel so incredible. The main reason is Gregson’s writing. Though the novel covers a good expanse of time, the story never loses its pace; it flows beautifully through one year to the next and never becomes choppy. The novel never loses its stride or its focus; this is a difficult task with so many things happening. Not many authors could write a first novel covering fourteen years with such ease, but Gregson pulls it off with style and grace.

Another plus about the novel is that it never becomes needlessly depressing. Most historical fiction or novels detailed around the First World War leave you wanting to down your sorrows or wandering around in misery. The Angel Makers is different because, while it is by no means a happy novel, it manages to make the grimness of war beautiful. Gregson doesn’t focus on the war itself but those affected by the war, pulling you gently into their story at first. By the time you’re half way through the novel and the tone and story pick up pace, you’re emotionally involved with the characters; you live and breathe Sari’s plight. Not ever author can manage such a deft trick of emotion.

I can honestly say that The Angel Makers is one of those life changing novels; one where you really, truly, know the characters inside and out by the time you have finished reading it. I felt these characters, ached for them, breathed for them. I have never been so exhausted by the end of a novel as if I too had been on the characters journey. Gregson helps you live alongside these characters and I am changed because of this. I don’t know that I will look at any other book I read the same way again having read The Angel Makers.

But why take my word for it? Do you want to find out what makes an angel? Do yourself a favor and read the best book to be published in years, hands down. I can promise that you won’t regret it. I am going to be haunted by Sari for years to come and couldn’t be happier.

There is an evil that hunts during the night. An evil so terrible that it would feast upon the flesh of humans. There are stories of these beasts, these demons; they are called the Vampyre. Hungry for flesh and the blood in our veins. Lilith, the darkest vampyre of them all, is preparing for war. And she’s very hungry.

Having lost his brother Cian to Lilith’s kiss, Hoyt Mac Cionaoith is charged by the Goddess Morrigan to gather his own forces. He must gather five others: The witch, the warrior, the scholar, the one of many forms, and the one he’s lost.

Together, with Hoyt as the Sorcerer, the circle will be complete. Morrigan takes Hoyt to The Dance of the Gods, where he is to meet his fate. There, traveling through time, he is thrust from the mythical town of Eire, in the region of Chiarrai, in the year of 1128 to modern day New York, in the year 2006.

There he meets Glenna, the fiery Witch with red hair. He also meets his brother, the long dead Vampire and Larkin his sidekick and protector. They also save Moira and Larkin, royalty from Chiarrai.

Together, they form a circle that stands together against the most evil Vampire of all time. Lilith is bent on world domination and will stop at nothing until Morrigan’s Circle is all dead…

If this sounds a bit far fetched, that’s because it is. This is the first book in the Circle Trilogy and Robert’s first stab at all out fantasy. Though she’s had fantasy and paranormal elements in her novels before, this is the first time she’s strayed completely into that territory.

And boy does it show. That’s not to say that Morrigan’s Cross is a bad novel. Far from it. Once the novel finds it’s feet somewhere after the first two hundred pages, oddly enough once Roberts leaves the fantasy setting. But rest assured, once the story gets going you’re going to be hooked.

Morrigan’s Cross has all the trademarks of a Nora Roberts novel that you’ve come to expect: Great characters, snappy dialogue, wonderful sub plots and well written sex scenes hot enough to make the pages damp. And the plus is that, once the story has found it’s feet in Morrigan’s Cross, there’s no turning back. The next two books in the trilogy, Dance of the Gods and Valley of Silence, are incredible books that make you wish they went on forever.

But every trilogy has to start somewhere. And, for the Circle Trilogy, its starting point is Morrigan’s Cross. If you don’t like it at first, keep reading. It gets better, I promise.

What would you do for love?

After a marriage filled with hard times and harsh words, Harry and Elizabeth have been divorced for nearly twenty four years. One Christmas, they meet at their daughters, not knowing that they are both about to receive the best Christmas present of all: a lost love.

It has been nineteen years since they had seen each other and both Harry and Elizabeth are nervous at the prospect of meeting again. What will she think of me? Harry ponders. Does he still have feelings for me? Elizabeth muses. The two share an embrace that Christmas that starts a fire under the old feelings that are bubbling to the surface.

Another year goes by befor ethey see each other again and this time, the love they shared for each other is strong and neither can deny that it’s there. The walls they had put up to guard themselves against the feelings they were feeling were crumbling. Despite nervousness, the two agree to go to a movie on New Years Day and there, more of the old feelings come to light.

Later in the year, the two decide to go to Las Vagas together for the opening of the Debbie Reynolds museum. Little do they know that, in Las Vagas, their lives will change forever….

What can I say about IT HAD TO BE US except that it makes my heart sing? I have been a lover of romance novels for a long time but there is something in the realness of this true story that outshines all of those. IT HAD TO BE US is better than any novel by Nora Roberts because the love is real, it isn’t fiction. Harry and Elizabeth let their love for each other bloom again despite the years and hard feelings between them.

IT HAD TO BE US is the ultimate story of forgiveness, of letting yourself love again. I especially loved the way it was written with Elizabeth in first person and Harry writing in third person. The contrasting styles helped give the characters their own voices and their honest let you see right into them, let you love and breathe along with them. Thoug though this novellete is short (clocking in at a mere 56 pages) it packs quite the punch. I found myself thinking of past love and new love.

IT HAD TO BE US actually touched me, actually got under my skin and made me feel. It’s a rare accomplishment for an author to make their reader feel; Harry and Elizabeth accomplished this with aplomb. It also is one of the best love stories ever written. It’s clever, funny, charming and very heartfelt. I was sorry to see it end after only an hour or so. I wanted it to go on forever.

Do yourself and your heart a favour and read IT HAD TO BE US. For isn’t love one of the greatest things to read about?

Click here to read more about the book and to purchase a copy:
http://www.theromanceclub.com/authors/lawrence/

There is a myth that is as old as time. The world was created by Raven, the dark bird of mystery, as he stirred magic in an old black pot. The pot created more than the world: it created the Animal People, spirits as old as time itself. They are the First People and they roamed the land, able to change forms.

Out of the pot came the Blue Jay, the Wolf, and The Crow. There also came the Coyote, the Trickster. Always up to no good, he is the outcast of the First People. Most of his mischief is harmless, little tricks to amuse. But sometimes, he causes more trouble; enough trouble to slip through to our world.

Trouble starts when Lily, a photojournalist, goes looking for the famed “animal people” that are supposed to roam around Newford. One night while investigating the stories in a dark part of town known as the Tombs, a strange gray man attacks Lilly. Coming to her aid is Hank, no stranger to the Tombs and the rougher side of life.

He goes to her aid and the man attacks him as well. Lilly and Hank fight there attacker until something distracts him: two small girls who came from nowhere. They finish off the man with small switchblades that fell from their sleeves and Hank and Lilly are left stunned.

Tending to their wounds, pain disappearing at their touch, the two Crow girls sing a soft song with a haunting melody: The cuckoo is a pretty bird, he sings as he flies. He sucks little birds’ eggs, and then he just dies.

Dazed from the attack and the subsequent healing of two little girls, Hank and Lilly wander way, changed forever. They can now see the world of Fey, the world of the in between. Unbeknownst to them, they are now entangled in what will become a web of mysteries, a tryst. They have stumbled upon war.

There is murder in the darker underbelly to Newford than either could have imagined. They have stumbled upon the war of the Caenid against the Corboe: Bird against Dog. This is a war where no one is safe and the fate of both worlds will be affected. Hank and Lilly must learn to fight in order to save their lives and the life of others.

And so the story goes…

Charles De Lint has created a novel for the ages. “Someplace to Be Flying” is an incredible voyage through myth, through story, through dreams. This has remained among my favorite of De Lint’s novels and perhaps one of his most eloquent. There is layer upon layer of story here and the only way to work your way through them is to become involved in the story.

More involving are all the types of myth within the story: Celtic, Native American to name just a couple. De Lint has managed to weave the story of many people and many different faiths into one whole work that just sings with magic. He has managed to create characters that you can really care about and a story that is part mystery, part myth and part comment on our time.

If you haven’t read “Someplace to be Flying,” you don’t know what you’re missing. From the moment the Crow Girls come into the story, you are drawn into a labyrinth of words and dreams. The only way out of the maze is to finish the book; but you may never be the same again.

I am a new fan of the Hard Case Crime series. I stumbled upon the book “Branded Woman” by Wade Miller one day and was astonished. Hard Case Crime is bringing back all the old pulp novels of yesteryear and publishing new pulp novels by some of today’s most amazing writers. I thought, what a great idea! I had never had a chance to read an old pulp novel but now I was being given my chance!

So I was equally amazed when I head that one of my favorite authors was going to be writing a novel for the series: Stephen King! Yes, that’s right, the master of horror would be writing a hard-boiled pulp crime novel. I was excited to see what King would write for the series; in fact I was excited to read what he would write at all.

King had hinted that, with the end of the Dark Tower series now published, he might be retiring from writing. King wasn’t sure that there were any more stories in him with the series finished. What with the Dark Tower flowing in and out of his different works through out his career, with the ending finished he wasn’t sure there would be anymore stories.

Thankfully, he was wrong. I waited with bated breath for close to a year to get my hands on “The Colorado Kid” and, needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Though I had never read a mystery by King, I was taken on a roller coaster ride through the world of mystery.

Our story starts with Stephanie McCann. Working for The Weekly Islander before she starts out into the big world of newspaper reporting, Stephanie is astounded to learn that Vince Teague and Dave Bowie, the two old cronies who run The Weekly Islander, are hiding a real unsolved mystery inside their gray haired heads. The two old men decide to let Stephanie in on the unsolved mystery, hoping that it will make her one of them, an Islander.

The mystery revolves around The Colorado Kid, a man who was found on the beach one morning by two teenagers. He had been found with grease on his hand, a piece of steak lodged in his throat and a pack of cigarettes with one cigarette missing. No one knew who he was or how he had come to be on the island. He was wearing clothes unsuitable for cold island weather: A white shirt with no jacket, slacks and loafers with no socks.

Who was the Colorado Kid? How did he come to be on the island? Did he meet with fowl play? As Dave Bowie and Vince Teague take Stephanie through all the mysteries surrounding the Colorado Kid, Stephanie will learn that not everything is what it seems at first and that answers can be a long time in coming. Will she find the answers she is seeking or will she remain shrouded in the shadows of mystery? Only the Colorado Kid knows for sure…

Having never read a pulp novel by Stephen King, I wasn’t sure what to expect from “The Colorado Kid.” Reviews of the novel were split right down the middle; King even says in his afterward to the novel that you will either love “The Colorado Kid” or hate it. There will be no ground in between. Thankfully, I am one of the people who love it.

Not simply because the story is written by King, however. There have been many times that King has let me down and one of his books has either fallen short of my expectations or the story just didn’t grab me. Nope, “The Colorado Kid” wowed me because of what King was trying to say with the pulpy little novel.

While some would complain that “The Colorado Kid” isn’t a hard crime pulp novel, like it should be, I would have to agree. This is what makes “The Colorado Kid” such a treat. Instead of another potboiler like it’s predecessors, King presents a novel about the mystery of mystery. You will understand what I mean when you read the novel and it will be well worth the read.

King has done something beyond average here. It left me breathless. The novel reads like the hardest of crime novels but is something more: a commentary on the mystery that runs in our lives. “The Colorado Kid” was one hell of a read and I, for one, am glad that I went along for the ride.

Pick up “The Colorado Kid.” It’ll take you an afternoon to read it and your life will be much the richer for it.

When we last left the Baudelaire Orphans, they were fleeing from Count Olaf and entering a car with a woman in the back seat who they had never seen before. That woman was Kit Snicket. Kit Snicket, one of the many on the right side of the schism, takes them to The Hotel Dénouement. There, they hope to learn the answers to some of the questions that plague them.

There, treachery is a foot. No one is who they seem to be and lies are a plenty. Kit informs the Orphans that they must rescue the sugar bowl and it’s precious contents before Count Olaf finds it. If he finds the sugar bowl, they are all doomed. How are they to infiltrate the Hotel Denouement, however? Surely they will be recognized? Their picture is in the Daily Punctilio every day, with details of false crimes they have committed.

Kit solves this problem by providing the Orphans with clever disguises. They will dress as concierges so that they can infiltrate the hotel unnoticed. There is a catch, though. They will also be Flaneurs. “Flaneurs,” explains Kit, “are people who quietly observe their surroundings, intruding only when absolutely necessary. Children make excellent flaneurs, as so few people notice them.” In doing this, the Beaudelaire Orphans hope to lend a hand to the V. F. D (The Volunteer Fire Department) and find what treachery may be under their feet.

It will not be easy however; they will have to split up to find out as much information as they can. Every volunteer, good and evil, are meeting at the Hotel Dénouement for that all-important Thursday meeting. And things in the hotel are more than what they seem. Klaus knows not to judge a book by its cover; as well, he knows that every book holds secrets. And The Hotel Dénouement is quite the book.

For instance, why is Esme Squalor on the roof looking into the skies with reverse binoculars? What does she hope to see? Why are Sir and his partner Charles there from the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill? Who is the mysterious person with the initials J. S. that they are hoping to meet? Why is Principal Nero from Prufrock Prepatory School there to meet this same J. S? And what is her fascination with measuring things? Why does she hate Indian food?

All these questions and more are raised as the orphans try to infiltrate the hotel and find out what they can. But whether or not they succeed depends on one man, Frank or Earnest, who may be a friend or foe. Not knowing which side he is working for, the Baudelaire’s put into action plans that may spell their doom, or their freedom….

As with any book in the Series of Unfortunate Events, “The Penultimate Peril” is rollicking great fun. I’ve loved the series since the first book, “The Bad Beginning”, and it’s just gotten better with each installment. New questions are raised at every turn, in every book, and one wonders if the Baudelaire’s will ever find an answer to the questions that plague them.

If you are hoping that the second to last book (Penultimate means “Next to last”) has any answers be warned: Few questions are answered here. We see several, if not all, the supporting characters from all the past books and the plans are treacherous indeed, but few questions are answered. The rest, I’m afraid, are left for the last, and final book, of A Series of Unfortunate Events that came out in October 2006.

That’s not to say that “The Penultimate Peril” is not worth reading. Far from it, in fact. The book adds much to the series’ mystery and gives us enough answers to keep reading and keep guessing. The strength of the series lies in Lemony Snicket’s way of spinning a tale and keep us guessing. The orphans are growing up and are learning some grim things in this installment. To fully appreciate how far they have come, how much they have grown, “The Penultimate Peril” is a must. It may, in fact, hold more answers than we know.

In the eleventh book in “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, we find the three young Baudelaire siblings in a grim bit of trouble, escaping from the nefarious Count Olaf by riding a toboggan down the Stricken Stream, hoping to find a sugar bowl before he does.

The Baudelaire siblings don’t know what is so important about the sugar bowl, only that it may mean the end of their troubles.Unsure how to get out of the Stricken Stream without drowning, the three siblings contemplate their fate. Violet, the oldest of the Baudelaires, is the best inventor the world has ever seen; even she can’t figure a way out of the mess they are in. Klaus, the second oldest, is as befuddled as his sister.

He hasn’t read anything in any book that would help them escape a river. Sunny, the youngest Baudelaire, can just barely hang on for dear life.Their luck looks like it may be turning, however, when a submarine floats up from underneath them. Climbing aboard the sea vessel, they are introduced to Captain Widdershins and his stepdaughter Fiona.

They are part of the mysterious organization of V. F. D., and have been on the look out for the trio of Baudelaires. The papers have been blaming the trio for all of Count Olaf’s devious deeds and Widdershins and Fiona were able to guess the Baudelaires’ location.They are heading towards the last safe place, which they must reach before the V. F. D. meeting commences on Thursday. Count Olaf plans to commit another act of arson. They must also find the sugar bowl before Count Olaf, otherwise, the trouble has only begun….

From start to finish, I loved this book. I have been a huge fan of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” from its beginning and this is the best book yet. I’m not just saying that either. This book has everything: a little romance, a lot of adventure, evil villains who have perfected their evil laugh (Tee hee torture!), Tap Dancing Fairy Princess Ballerina Veterinarians, mechanical octopus and enough Ayes to shake a stick at.

I couldn’t read this book fast enough. I sucked it back in just about a day and I’m going to read it again; it’s that good. There are so many surprises in this book; there are moments where you will laugh out loud, feel sorry for the Baudelaires as we learn more about their past and learn a fair bit about the three stages of the water cycle. This book has something for everyone.

I can’t stress how much I loved this book. Part Harry Potter, part Charles Dickens, these books rock!

Susan Anderson has been having nightmares.

Her husband, dead by Doorman’s Creek and a strange man dressed in black watching her through the trees. She doesn’t know why the dreams frighten her so much, or who the man in black is, but there is something about Doorman’s Creek that frightens her. They say that old Mr. Doorman still roams the forest, though Susan is sure this is just an urban legend.

Her son, Kyle, is drawn to the Cave by mysterious forces. His friends Shawn and Bradley feel the same way; something is drawing them to the Cave but they don’t know what it is. They only know that they must go to it, that they must follow their impulses even if they have no explanation.

They all know the story of Doorman’s Creek. Years ago, two girls were found dead with bite marks on their necks. They were placed side by side, as if they were a sacrifice. The town suspected Old Man Doorman as he had a passion for vampires and information about the unusual. Claiming he was innocent, Doorman disappeared and a killer was never found.

The boys know the stories, the rumors, but still they are drawn to the cave. It is as if something is calling them. Shawn, Bradley and Kyle head for the cave, not knowing that finding it will change their lives forever; for when the arrive, they find a skeleton that was buried in the cave floor.

Soon there are reports of missing girls about town. The boys suspect that a killer is on the lose, the same serial killer that killed the two girls years before. They return to the cave to explore further, digging around the skeleton to see if they can find another. The feeling that they are being watched is stronger and more powerful, but only Kyle really feels it. He knows this is what he was led to the cave at Doorman’s Creek to do, knows that they were meant to find the skeleton.

When the bones of the skeleton start glowing, however, and Kyle has a vision of a woman running away, frightened for her life, from someone that Kyle can’t see, and Kyle knows they have done more than find a long dead woman.

They have released evil…

Doorman’s Creek by Lea Schizas has to be one of the best books I have ever read, period. Part mystery, part paranormal thriller, Doorman’s Creek is an incredible read that starts with a bang and just keeps going. From the moment the novel starts, you’re taken on a whirlwind of secrets, murder, sacrifice and death that just gets better with every page.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. Doorman’s Creek had me gripped from the first word right up until its incredibly unexpected ending. This novel is just simply fantastic. I’ve read a lot of thrillers, especially ones with a paranormal bent, so to read one that was so fresh, one that took chances, was very refreshing.

The characters were real, alive and I felt like I knew them. There are no cardboard cut out people here. What I love most about Schizas’ characters is that their human, their real people. She even has the dialogue of teenage boys down pat which is no easy feat, believe me. Susan and Richard are incredible characters with flaws and depth that make them all the more enjoyable.

What I love most about this book is the story, the writing. Schizas manages to never let the story lag for a minute, not an easy task for any author. This book was one hell of a thrill ride and I look forward to any new releases by Schizas with anticipation. Doorman’s Creek was un-put-downable and one hell of a book.

If you have yet to visit Doorman’s Creek, what are you waiting for?

BUY DOORMAN’S CREEK from ETreasures Publisishing

http://www.etreasurespublishing.com/Lea_Schizas/doormans-creek.htm

 For those of you who have yet to read a book by Christopher Moore, what are you waiting for? Moore writes hilarious tales that are laugh out loud funny and so very enjoyable. The characters are fresh, funny and delightfully flawed. When you read a Christopher Moore book, you’ll feel better and your health will improve. I’m not sure this is medically proven, but I’m sure it’s true.

I always await a new Moore novel with anticipation matched only by Harry Potter. Yes, his books are just THAT good. If you like great reads that will make you laugh so hard you’ll spit out your morning coffee, his books are for you.

YOU SUCK is actually the first time that Moore has written a sequel, but don’t worry, you don’t need to read the first boo (Bloodsucking Fiends) to be able to read this delightful caper. YOU SUCK finds young C. Thomas Flood turned into a vampire by his hot redhead girlfriend Jody. Being nineteen when he was turned, he’s stuck with a teenager’s libido for the rest of eternity, but they have bigger problems on their hands.

Tommy’s friends, The Animals, have been clued in to the fact that he’s now a vampire. Led by an ex stripper with dyed blue skin named, duh, Blue, they will be coming after Tommy and Jody whether they want to or not. Tommy and Jody must flee, find a new apartment, find a minion (who shows up in the form of Abby Normal, a Goth Girl who wants the dark gift) and figure out what to do with Elijah, the vampire who turned Jody and who is sitting in their living room encased in bronze.

As if this all weren’t bad enough, Tommy must learn how to be a vampire, how to blend in and how to have copious amounts of hot sweaty monkey sex. A vampire’s work is never done…

This book is laugh out loud hilarious. I’ve laughed out loud several times while reading this delightful tale and had several people look at me funny, which happens when you laugh out loud in public. The only problem with this book is that it’s too short!

That’s alright, I’ll just have to read it all over again when I’m finished. If you haven’t read any Christopher Moore books yet, pick up YOU SUCK. It’s delightful and, thankfully, doesn’t suck at all.

Right off, I have to say that I love this book.

I have been waiting, along with many others, for years to find out how Hannibal Lecter became what he became. I wanted to know what caused his transformation into one of the most frightening killers in literature (and the movies) known to man.

I was thrilled beyond words to hear that Harris was writing a new book and that a new movie based on the book was in production. I knew that Harris was writing the screenplay. Aside from that, I knew nothing. I wanted, needed to know more.

Now that I do, what can I say except that knowledge is power.

Despite bad reviews (of the movie and the book), I loved HANNIBAL RISING. It’s a beautiful haunting work that stays with you long after you have read it. It’s not just a simple tale of revenge, but one of lust and wanting, of judgement and secrets that is beautifully written. Harris uses quick short sentences to instill images into your mind, to show you the change Hannibal goes through to become what he is.

Personally, I think others are none to pleased with Hannibal Rising mostly because they were expecting another Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal Rising is really historical fiction, seeing as how most of it is set right after the second world war. I knew that there couuld be no book like Silence of the Lambs, that Hannibal would probably be a quieter, subtler book.

I was half right.

There is beauty in the blood here; the harrowing images of death are subdued and gorgesouly written but most shocking is that you feel empathy towards Hannibal Lecter. Knowing what I know now of his character, is it any wonder why he became a monster?

Judgement and revenge come in many forms.

I think that’s what puts most people off about the novel. You feel sorry for him, sorry for Hannibal Lecter. You come away wondering if you would have done the same, had someone eaten your little sister. You come away wondering if you have a monster waiting to rise up.

Even mosnters have feelings, no matter how inhuman they may seem.

HANNIBAL RISING is probably one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Hannibal Lecter will stay with me for a long time and I can’t wait to read the tale of his beginning all over again.

I have a confession.

I love to read romance novels. I know, I know, most consider them to be wastes of time with fluffy plots, predictable villains, damsels in distress and bad subplots. But I can’t get enough of them. After reading a good, hard book (Currently I’m taking a break from The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters…man what an unnecessarily wordy book!) there’s nothing more I enjoy than delving into a romance novel.

I’ve had a good run with hard books lately: The Measure of a Man, I Am Not Myself These Days, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. So it was about time I delved back into a romance novel. It’s been a while. The last real romance novel I’ve read (I’m not counting books that have romance elements in them, but books billed as romance novels) was Angel’s Fall by Nora Roberts. I needed to dip my toes into the romance pool again.

This time around, I’m reading Golden Threads by Kay Hooper. I’m 50 pages in and what a wonderful read! The set up of the story is a parallel of Rapunzel: What would happen if a woman was isolated, through no fault of her own? What would happen if there was a threat she could not see but knew was out there?

Lara Callahan has come to the small town of Pine Valley to start over and to hide from a past that won’t let her go. Devon Shane has come looking for answers. When the two land the lead roles in the community production of Rapunzel, sparks fly and secrets are unraveled. Who is after Lara? What secrets does Devon hide behind his steely gaze?

Thus far, I have to tell you, I’m having a blast. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters will take centre stage after this book, so I’m having a grand old time being entertained with a great story, wonderful characters and lots of mystery.

Pick it up and read it. I’m going to hunt down anything by Kay Hooper after Golden Threads. She’s certainly got my attention.

Usually, I’m not one to read memoirs or autobiographies.

I like fiction because I can delve into the story, take a mind break and live someone else’s life. I love fiction because it’s fun, often frivolous and I’m a sucker for a good story. Fiction has a way of easing stress for me, taking away the days’ worries and it’s just entertaining.

I wish I could say the same for biographies or memoirs. I find them preachy and boring and the author is usually full of themselves. Yet, lately, I’ve been drawn towards non-fiction, something I rarely read. I read Night by Elie Wisel last year and it was an eye opening book, a gut wrenching book. I figured, Okay, that’s a fluke. But then I read The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier. Okay, another non-fiction read. Maybe I’m on to something here…

Perhaps I found a niche that I enjoy? I also loved (despite the controversy) A Million Little Pieces. So maybe my tastes are chaging. Talking to a book seller last night she told me that as we grow and mature, so do our tastes. I also promise myself that I would broaden my reading horizons this year, that I would read some good, hard books.

This brings me to I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell.

I think it was the title that intrigued me, or it could be the circles on the cover putting me into a trance. Either way, it’s FANTASTIC! But what is it about? It might not be for everyone, but it’s one hell of a read.

Josh is living a double life: Ad exec by day, Drag Queen by night. Going out to drag shows as Aquadisiac, a drag queen with fish floating around in plastic breasts. Hers is a life of vodka, bumps and ABBA.

One night, at a bar, he meets Jack. Jack is a man on the edge and he has a coke problem. Can a cokes out man and a drag queen find love? Well, I don’t know yet. I’m only twenty pages in to it so far and, thus far, it’s perhaps one of the freshest memoirs I have read in a long time.

I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going. One thing is for sure, I’m in for one heck of a ride!

So Oprah announced her new book for her book club.

I think a lot of us were surprised that she chose another biography/memoir. The first pick for 2007 is The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier and I, for one, can’t wait to read it. I’ve already picked up my copy and am ready to go.

I say that a lot of us were surprised at the choice because of the scandal with James Frey’s book A Million Little Pieces; which, it turned out, was mostly (if not all) fiction. Many wonder if the scandal surrounding his book is the reason it took Oprah so long to choose another selection.

Indeed, Elie Wisel’s breathtaking, heart wrenching memoir Night was the only selection for 2006. We can only hope she’ll choose more than one book for 2007.

Having admired Poitier’s work, I have never had the chance to read anything written by him. In actuality, I had no idea he had even written a book, let alone two. I know for a fact that the grace and poise he shows on screen will come forth in this book.

I’m not usually one for biographies; I find them boring and tideous. But I know I’m in for a treat with this one.

Growing up, my father tried to raise me as a racist. I knew that this was wrong, but in my family it was normal to look down on others who weren’t white, who weren’t like everyone else.

Thankfully, when I was around twelve or thirteen years old, I saw a movie that changed my life and how I viewed it: Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?

The idea that a white woman could date a black man was so amazing to me, sheltered as I was in white suburbia. There was only one black family in my entire neighbourhood and I had little to no exposure to anything that was considered different.

Sidney Poitier’s role in Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? (as well as that of the woman and man who played his parents) showed me that though different, we were all the same.

I ran out to get The Measure of a Man on Saturday and I’m already more than half way through it. It’s been a long time since I have read a book that is life changing and I’m thankful, beyond words, to be reading Poitier’s words.

So in the end, all I can say is thank you: Thank you, Sidney, for opening my eyes, thank you for showing me that, despite our differences, we are all human; thank you for being an example for many and thank you for your words.

Thanks you Sidney and thank you Oprah. You have both changed my life for the better and I can never thank you enough.

As I read Lisey’s Story by Stephen King, I am reminded why I love King’s work so much. It is constantly changing, constantly evolving. Each book is a different experiment. Each book is a different tale; yet no two are the same.

King has gone beyond the horror genre with Lisey’s Story and written a, dare I say it, literary masterpiece. Its part horror, part love story, part tribute to a woman’s husband. It’s part creepshow, part romance and absolutely unclassifiable. King has written a novel that, while hard to classify, has a heart that beats at its centre.I keep wanting to speed forward while reading Lisey’s Story.

Normally, when I read a Stephen King book, I can zip through it in two to three days; regardless of size. I just can’t do that with this one, the words won’t let me. King’s prose is so beautiful, so melodic, it’s impossible to speed through, it’s impossible to read as fast as I normally do.It feels like I’m drinking in the words, drinking in the story.

It feels like I’m dancing with Lisey, floating through her flashbacks, her dealings with Zack McCool. But the dance has a dark edge to it, as if my partner will drop me on the floor and trod on me with sharp heeled shoes at any moment. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, or the bottom to fall out.Because I know it’s coming.

In the end, no matter how beautiful the novel is, I know it’s a Stephen King novel and that something grim is going on, something darker is waiting at the edges of my vision for it’s turn to float onto the page like a dark shadow.

It’s just a matter of waiting for it, wading my way through Kings most literary effort yet, and waiting for the monster to show its face.

I don’t understand the many negative reviews for Lisey’s Story. I just don’t get it. This novel is beautiful, heartbreaking and mesmerizing; what’s not to like? I think those who don’t like it are just expecting King to shovel out one more horror book after another; they don’t want to give him a chance to try anything different, anything beautiful.

To the naysayer’s, I say: read it again. Take off the blinders and slip into Boo’ya Moon. Your stay will be far more enjoyable with an open mind and a heart that bleeds.

Recently, I had the immense delight of reading Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich! I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for what seems like ages, but it really hasn’t been that long. But still, when you desire a book it seems like forever.
I had such fun reading the book, but there is one HUGE problem with it. It’s TOO SHORT!

Plum Lovin’ is a Valentine’s Day novella that takes place between the numbers of the other Stephanie Plum novels. This one takes place between Twelve Sharp and the forthcoming Lean Mean Thirteen.

There are some negative reviews of this little novella, but I don’t think the negative Nancy’s and I were reading the same book; Plum Lovin’ was an absolute riot!

Diesel, who last appeared in Visions of Sugar Plums (the Christmas novella that goes between Hard Eight and To the Nines) and he needs her help again: Annie Hart, a bond jumper, is being tracked by an Unmentionable. She’s also a big ticket bond for Stephanie.

Diesel gives Stephanie an ultimatum: help him track down the man after her and he’ll give her Annie Hart. Except there’s a catch: Annie Hart is a relationship expert; Stephanie must make sure that everyone in Annie’s files has a happy Valentine’s Day.

The people Stephanie has to help are lovelorn and desperate: an overworked single mother, a shy butcher, an older woman who’s afraid of sex and her sister’s boyfriend Albert who’s afraid of marriage. The results when Stephanie decides to play Cupid are hilarious and this is one Valentine’s Day caper that I’m going to have to read a few more times.

I don’t understand the negative reviews myself. Sure, it’s short, but it’s a novella. And it’s freaking hilarious! I finished it in two days and laughed myself silly through most of it.

One memorable scene includes Stephanie’s grandmother and lip injections. Great stuff, hilarious!My only major complaint is that I WANT MORE. Sigh.
I guess I’m just going to have to read Plum Lovin’ again a few more times and take another spin with Twelve Sharp until Lean Mean Thirteen comes out in June.

This visit with Stephanie Plum may have been short this time around, but man was it worth it!

“I sell my time and kill my body…”

Margaret is a woman who lives for the downward spiral. Fleeing from Canada to escape her past, Margaret settles in Tokyo to work for Air-Pro Stewardess Training Institute. There, she immerses herself in drugs and sex to forget her family and repress memories of her brother Frank: The brother who tried to kill her.

Sharing an apartment with her friend Ines, another fellow Canadian, Margaret ingests illegal substances, drinks herself into stupors and tries to ignore her past and where she came from. Drugs and booze will only blind for a moment; sex gives her another outlet, another way to forget, while hands are caressing her body.

Margaret? Margaret I need you to call me. There’s been an accident-

Margaret trains doll-like Japanese women to be stewardesses, to fly high in the skies. “Air Pro: Putting young women in the air. Where they belong.” But her past still gnaws at her, still tries to push forth into her consciousness. More drugs and booze don’t help; the cocaine and beer concoction no longer purify her thoughts, no longer help her to forget. She is no longer able to stay lost. That all changes when Margaret meets Kazu.

Kazu is a mysterious gangster; tattoos mark his muscled body and his eyes are dark and full of shadows. They engage in sex, in lust. Kazu takes Margaret to a Love Hotel. There are hundreds of Love Hotels in Tokyo, lurid places with themed rooms and no human attendants. You choose a room from a lit up display and have a rest (three hours) or a stay (all night). Which room will you choose?

Immortality is not an option

Margaret becomes obsessed with the pictures, the face, of a girl reported to be dead. Abducted and killed, if rumor is to be believed. But Margaret sees her face everywhere: in alleyways, on posters, in the subway. Margaret begins to search for the lost girl, realizing that she is one herself.

Despite her best intentions, Margaret finds herself falling for the tattooed Kazu, but their love comes with complications. Margaret can no longer pretend she does not love Kazu, but he has not been honest with her. He is married, and in Tokyo, it is best not to battle with the wife. Mistresses have been known to perish at the hands of knife handling wives.

Don’t fight a Japanese wife…so sharp, you don’t even feel it…

Kazu tells Margaret to leave, to go back to Canada. But how can Margaret leave the man she loves? She continues to pine for Kazu, who tries to keep his distance. She sees the missing girl everywhere now. She fills Margaret’s dreams, her waking hours.

Before her stay in Tokyo is over, Margaret must confront her past if she is to survive. She also must confront herself, to free herself before the downward spiral claims her, or be lost forever.

“Lost Girls and Love Hotels” is Christine Hanrahan’s first novel and that’s a crying shame. After I had finished the book, I scoured the Internet to find out if she had written anything else I could get my hands on, to no avail. As soon as I finished reading “Lost Girls and Love Hotels”, I started reading it again. I’m now reading it for a third time. The book is just that good. It’s the best book I’ve read in years.

From the first page, the story is just so consuming, so engrossing, that you can do nothing but turn the pages and continue on it’s wild, lustful ride. She uses writing devices (like flash backs and talking in third person whenever Margaret is on a drug binge) like a pro. Hanrahan is a natural at creating mood, using words to her advantage and letting us see inside her protagonist’s head. “Lost Girls and Love Hotels” is proof of her skill and it’s one damn great book.

What makes the novel so interesting is that it doesn’t hold back any secrets. We know everything (or almost everything) from the beginning; Hanrahan has set up a line of dominoes, long and curvy, and is about to flick the first one. All we have to do is watch the rest of the line fall; and be amazed.

All I can say is: Read this book. It’s amazing, the ending is a shocker and it will be the best book you have read in years. I, for one, can’t wait for Hanrahans next offering.

wid·der·shins (w d r-sh nz ) or with·er·shins (w th -)adv.

In a contrary or counterclockwise direction: “The coracle whirled round, clockwise, then widdershins” (Anthony Bailey).

What would you do for love? Would you write a sonnet? Would you climb mountains for it? Would you battle for it? What about traveling to an alternate universe inside of the woman that you love, to battle beings from her past? This is just what Geordie Riddell has to do to save the love of his life, Jilly Coppercorn.

Fans of Charles De Lint’s Newford books have been waiting with bated breath for Jilly and Geordie to get together and realize the one thing that everyone else knows: They love each other. But they’ll have a lot to get through before they even realize their love exists. There is trouble brewing on the streets of Newford and, as usual, the Fey are involved.

Animosity is building between the Fey clans: The Native American Spirits that have lived since before time began and the New Spirits: those that have come later or immigrated on ships and barges. There is a thunder that is starting in the ground, a rhythm of drums; and the drums mean war.

Geordie and Jilly become involved in the battle through no fault of their own, though the danger has already been predicted for Geordie. If he hopes to survive, he must depend on those around him; especially Jilly. Regrettably, through Goblin involvement, she has withdrawn inside herself, to a world that exists only within her. There, Jilly the Broken Girl, has to relive all of her old hates, her old hurts.

If Geordie plans on saving her, he will need all the help he can get. But in the world of the Fey, there is one cardinal rule: Nothing is ever easy….

For as long as I can remember, Jilly Coppercorn has been my favorite character in De Lint’s Newford books. I identify with her for various reasons, she’s fun, has a good sense of humour; we’re both artists. It’s like she breathes in flesh and blood instead of just on the printed page.

De Lint’s many fans, myself included, have been waiting and waiting to know what would happen to Jilly after 2002’s “The Onion Girl”. And many more wanted to know when Geordie and Jilly would get together. The time has finally come to find out.

“Widdershins” is easily De Lint’s best novel to date. It’s almost like literary fantasy; its themes include discrimination, prejudices, racism, feuds, battles, all told in this glorious prose. The story flows off the page, rather than being just a bunch of printed words. “Widdershins” is also surprisingly somber.

Compared to some of his earlier works where the otherworld in Newford was a little brighter, here we see a darker side of Newford that we have not seen before. There is also some very grim subject matter that, for me, made parts of the novel difficult to read. This is mostly because I care about the characters so much that I hate to read or see anything bad happen to them.

In the end, “Widdershins” is a masterwork. A deft weaving of faiths, lore, legend, characters and plot. The result? A wonderful tapestry of story that just cries out for your attention. Read it and be enchanted.

I for one will be haunted by “Widdershins” for some time.

Janet Evanovich is best known for her Stephanie Plum series (“One for the Money”, “Two For the Doe”, “Three To Get Deadly”, etc) featuring Stephanie Plum: A so-so bounty hunter with big hair, a big mouth and a gun. Each of the novels has rocketed to the New York Times Best Seller List and has made her a publishing phenomenon. The books are laugh out loud funny and Evanovich has amassed herself quite the loyal fan base. Myself included.

I for one love her Stephanie Plum novels, so I was extremely excited at hearing she would be starting a new series. I wondered if the new series would be as funny, if the main character would be as wonderful as Stephanie and if the mystery would draw me in from the get go. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. In fact, I was overjoyed. “Metro Girl” is an incredible read!

In it, we meet Alexandra Barnaby, or Barney to her friends and family. Though she hails from Baltimore instead of New Jersey, she is just as funny and endearing. Working in her father’s garage over the summers has instilled her and her brother “Wild” Bill with a love of cars. But, as she says: “Just because I know how to change a guy’s oil doesn’t mean I want to spend the rest of my life on my back, staring up at his undercarriage.” Barney wants the quiet life, which is quickly shattered when her brother goes missing.

Things heat up when Barney flies to Miami to try and find her brother. She has no idea where to start, but quickly finds out that he disappeared on a boat named the Happy Hooker belonging to Sam Hooker, famed NASCAR race driver. Things are complicated, however, when Sam Hooker tags along with Barney to help her find her brother; he wants his boat back. Barney at first doesn’t want anything to do with the handsome racecar driver. He’s arrogant, suave and sexy and that is a dangerous mix.

But “Wild” Bill isn’t just missing. He’s mixed up in something that goes beyond fixing engines or a busted carburetor. When Sam and Barney finally do find Bill, what he’s involved in will blow their minds and get them all in some really hot water. Barney and Sam become involved with a plot so incredible that their very lives may be at stake. Perhaps this is one race that Sam Hooker won’t win?

I enjoyed every single word of “Metro Girl”. It was fast, furious and funny and had a lot of heart. While Stephanie Plum is kind of klutzy and dumb and the humour in the books is more slapstick funny, the humour in “Metro Girl” is subtler. There is also more of a focus on the budding relationship between Barney and Sam Hooker. With a plot that covers gay men, exfoliating, weapons of destruction, women in distress and fast cars, this is one summer read that keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.

While my love for the Stephanie Plum books runs deep, it looks like I have a new heroine to look forward to! I can’t wait for “Motor Mouth” out in October 2006 to read her next adventure. Pick this one up, it’s well worth the read and you’ll laugh yourself silly.

The end is near. Followers of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” know that the thirteenth, and last, book of the series, titled “The End”, is out on the thirteenth day of the tenth month on the fifth day of the week. A confusing phrase which here means: Friday, October 13th, 2006.

Lovers of the series have devoured each book and Lemony Snicket, the series’ elusive author, has earned himself quite a following. A phrase which here means a LOT of happy readers who like to devour every word the author writes in hopes of solving a complicated mystery.

Why they would amuse themselves with the trivialities and misfortune that befalls the Baudelaire Orphans is beyond me. Horrible things happen to these lucky children: Their house burns down, they lose their parents, they get taken in by a nefarious criminal, Count Olaf, who tries to take their massive fortune.

And that’s just the beginning of their woes. But Lemony Snicket, chronicler of the lives of the Baudelaire Orphans, has also earned himself an air of mystery. Here which means a confusing situation that may or may not be solved with the help of bloodhounds on a cloudy day.

Little is known about the elusive author and littler still of his great love: Beatrice. Each of the twelve books has been dedicated to her in some way. “The Penultimate Peril,” Book the Twelfth in “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” is dedicated to her thusly:

For Beatrice-
No one could extinguish my love,
or your house.

Thus we come to: “The Beatrice Letters.” Here we have a File Box of information. A phrase, which here means a book that opens to two file folders, holding a double-sided poster with clues and the letters themselves, carefully bound in tape. There are letters to Beatrice from Lemony and to Lemony from Beatrice. All through out them, codes abound.

Cryptograms appear galore; sprinkled through out a collection of business cards, file photographs, telegrams, poems and letters written on scraps of paper, we learn of a love affair between Snicket and Beatrice, who claims to be a fourth Baudelaire sibling. A love blooms between them in their search for Violet, Klaus and Sunny. And mayhap we learn a few secrets along the way.

But these are not just your normal letters. In fact there are Letters encased in amongst the letters, which is to say there are punch out Letters with which you can make many names.
Snicket says of these punch out Letters at the end of the letters:

“For many years I thought if I collected all these letters and their accompanying ephemera—a phrase which here means “documents and items which I feared had vanished, and may soon vanish again”—I could put all of them in the proper order, as if solving an anagram by putting all of the letters in the right order. But letters are not letters, so the arrangement of letters is not as simple as the arrangement of letters, and even if it were, the arrangement of these letters could spell out more than one thing…”

The only problem with the Letters is that I do not want to punch them out of the page, thereby ruining the book. I can only write them down in my commonplace book, in hopes of solving their anagram secret. There are many secrets encased “The Beatrice Letters”, which is suspiciously linked to Book the Thirteenth; but this author can’t figure them out.

I’ve read through “The Beatrice Letters” twice now and am unable to decipher anything but a few obvious clues. As to how “The Beatrice Letters” is linked to Book the Thirteenth, perhaps we finally find out the identity of the elusive Lemony Snicket? I’m going to have to rifle through “The Beatrice Letters” many more times before its secrets become clear.

Though I am loath to admit it—a phrase here, which means with great reluctance, unwilling or disinclined—I was disappointed when I first picked up “The Beatrice Letters.” I was expecting a book, similar to “The Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket” whose pages I could scour for clues. What I wasn’t expecting was a file of letters and a large poster.

After going over “The Beatrice Letters,” though, it’s become clear to me what Lemony Snicket has given us. With only just over a month until the last and final book in the series, Lemony Snicket has given us a challenge, a game. Our challenge is to try and find the shocking secrets about Book the Thirteenth. Indeed, “The Beatrice Letters” are quite brilliant. Instead of another book to add to the series, Snicket has given us something all together different; something we can sink our teeth—and brains—into until the last book finally hits stores.

I for one will be waiting with anticipatory glee—a phrase here which means great eagerness—until then. I’ll have to read “The Beatrice Letters” again, commonplace book beside me open to a fresh page, to see if I can find the secrets out, before it’s too late.

Homeless and squatting in a house in England, Patricia is shocked when a girl enters her house and takes the only possessions that she has: a suitcase containing a wig and various other bits of nick knacks and mementoes that one collects through out life.

To Patricia, they are her possessions, her belongings and items with which she has marked her life. Being forced to get her belongings back also forces Patricia to look back on her life up until her suitcase was stolen.

How, for instance, did she end up as a street walker when she had her whole life ahead of her? We are taken along on Patricia’s trip as she moves back and forth between the past and present, so that we see both sides of her. What she was and what she is now. Born in the 1930’s, Patricia’s mother is taken by “ghosts.”

Mentally unwell, her father sells all the family heirlooms to help pay for her mother’s medication. When her mother dies, Patricia is sent to live with her grandfather. Soon after, her father stops visiting. Life with her grandfather goes well enough until Patricia is sent to her aunts, where things are supposedly better and the depression has not reached as far. When Patricia becomes pregnant, she is sent back to her grandfathers in disgrace, only to find the house he use to live in empty.

Alone in the world and not a soul to call her own, she flees into the forest and lives there until she is found by a fortune teller who tells her that she is his salvation, that she has the gift. Soon, Patricia is caught in a downward spiral, both in the past and in the present. Patricia knows that if she is to solve the mystery of the present, missing suitcase and all, she must also solve the mysteries of her past.

For it is in the past that the answers for the future are to be found. This is an incredible novel. From start to finish it is told with beautiful language and even more beautiful imagery that makes Patricia’s wartime world come to life. Azzopardi is a magician with words, evoking pictures, visions, emotions and feelings from the depths of compassion.

“Remember Me” is so beautifully written, I was in awe while I was reading. Patricia is also a likeable character. As you get to know her, Patricia becomes more than a homeless woman, more than a squatter in an abandoned England home.

The characters are alive in this book and they will haunt you afterwards. Patricia may be the unluckiest person in fiction that I have ever read about; but even though this book may be a little bit depressing, it’s more than worth the read.

What I admired most about this novel as the story of Patricia and Azzopardi’s ability to convey human suffering and make it so horrible yet so beautiful at the same time. She reaches into the consciousness of her heroine and makes her more than a two dimensional character. After reading “Remember Me” I thought of all the homeless people I pass every day and wondered if their lives hold the same tragedy.

This is a heartbreaking novel, but an amazing one. It really serves to drive home the idea that all is not what it seems. That, unless we are willing to go beneath the surface, we will never really know the whole story behind someone’s life. Written with ease and beauty, “Remember Me” is an incredible achievement. I will be haunted by it for some time.

In the fifth installment of the best selling “Women of the Otherworld” series, we are treated to a new narrator. Armstrong, who never does the same thing twice, gave us a Werewolf as the narrator for the first two books in the series: “Bitten” and ”Stolen.“ Then she switched focus to a Witch in “Dime Store Magic” and “Industrial Magic.“ Now, the focus changes once more and in ”Haunted,“ we are introduced to Eve Levine: former witch and supernatural super power, now a ghost.

Eve Levine first appeared in “Industrial Magic,“ but now we get to know Eve better, up close and personalAs a dead witch, Eve still holds a lot of power. Part demon, part human, there isn’t a lot that can phase Eve; except of course the inability to speak with her daughter, Savannah. Not being able to be with her daughter on the mortal plane, to hold her and comfort her, is a constant reminder of the life she leads.

Still, she is able to look in on her from time to time. Eve’s world is turned upside down when she is summoned by the Fates. They want to call in a favour she owes them; previously, the Fates helped save Paige and Lucas, Savannah’s guardians, from death. Now they want Eve to repay the favour.

The Fates need Eve’s help with catching the Nix, a demi-demon who inhabits the bodies of people on the verge of killing. The Nix gives those people that added push in order to help them carry out murder. Where there is murder, there is chaos, the stuff that the Nix thrives on. The Nix escaped her afterlife hell after centuries of confinement. She is out in the world again and will kill soon.

Eve agrees, never one to let a promise slide. But things are going to be more difficult than she could have imagined. She is given some help on her quest to find the Nix, however, in the form of an angel. Together, they must find the Nix before she kills again. Eve’s world will never be the same.

For the Nix knows that someone is on her trail and will strike at all and everyone that Eve holds dear!Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone novel, but the connections are there in each novel to connect the series.

While you may think that the change of narrator from book to book may be difficult to keep up with, it’s far from jarring. In fact, that’s what keeps the series so fresh and new. We’re introduced to different characters in each of the books, only to have them pop up with their own story.

Paige Winterbourne, for example, first made an appearance in “Stolen” only to later appear in “Dime Store Magic.“ The change in narrator gives us a chance to delve into other characters’ minds and gives us a better impression of how far and wide the Otherworld stretches. Each novel gives us a different perspective on the Otherworld, seeing it through different eyes.

“Haunted” is, by far, the best of the series so far. My plot summary barely scratched the surface on the fantastic and amazing things that go on within the pages. It is a supernatural thrill ride, a ghost love story and a white knuckled thriller that keeps you in suspense until the last page.

An amazing addition to the “Women of the Otherworld” series, “Haunted” shows us a world that we cannot begin to imagine and which we will never want to leave.

When secrets have been buried beneath the veneer of the skin, they fester. Sometimes, those secrets can be held at bay for years, decades even. Sometimes the secrets you hold can eat away at who you are, and what you have become. Usually, they have to come out sooner or later.

The consequences of that release, letting the secrets breathe and have life once more, can be good or bad - but keeping those secrets inside can tear a family apart.

In the incredible book “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” by Rebecca Wells, we meet Siddalee Walker, a middle aged playwright directing her first Broadway play. She is the daughter of Southern Belle Vivi Abbot Walker. Their relationship is rocky at best.

Along for the ride are Vivi’s life long friends: Necie, Caro and Teensy. Decades ago, Vivi, Necie, Caro and Teensie formed a secret sisterhood, the sisterhood of the Ya-Ya’s. They will let no man put them under, and will always listen to the call of the women and Gods that came before them.

Their friendship, forged in the heat of the South and the blood they shared, has stood the test of time. Unfortunately, Vivi’s relationships with her children, especially Sidda, haven’t.When the New York Times interviews Sidda and proclaims her mother to be a tap dancing child abuser, all hell breaks loose. Vivi cuts Siddalee out of her will and proclaims her dead to her, in true Southern fashion.

At a loss as to how to articulate her pain, Sidda decides not to marry her seven-year sweetheart Connor McGill. The Ya-Ya’s step in to Sidda’s aid. They implore Vivi to send Sidda the Divine Secrets, a scrapbook of sorts that chronicles their lives together. Flipping through the large book, Sidda is thrust back in time, to the South in the 1930’s and beyond, and learns what really happened to her mother and her life.

We learn, along with Sidda, about the alcohol, the lost love that died in the war, what really preceded the beating outside of their family home when Vivi finally broke down. Once secrets are released, they have a difficult time staying hidden. And, as is often the case with secrets, once one has found it’s way out to the light, the other secrets are not too far behind.

In “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” Wells has created a tapestry of words, showing us snapshots of one family’s life and a relationship between mother and daughter that is, in the end, strong enough to survive child beatings, abuse, booze, girl scouts, lovers, enemies and the perfect perm.

We are offered a glimpse into the lives of these people, Sidda, Vivi, her husband Shep, and it is often times a harrowing picture, a dark one. It is, however, a story that probably everyone can relate to. For how often have we bemoaned our parents, thought them ill equipped to deal with us, or that they really didn’t love us or want us when it is the other way around? That they don’t know how to show love and affection, that they are unable to, perhaps due to what happened to them as children. Secrets that no child really ever finds out.

“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” is a wonderful novel filled with humor, honesty and the strength of the human spirit. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?

I have read everything that Laura Esquivel has written.

Her novels are always filled with images and with passion, imagination and with love. While Malinche is not the best book she has written (that spot is held by Like Water for Chocolate and The Law of Love) it is still one amazing read.

Malinche, given away at an early age, finds herself the interpretor of Cortez, who does not speak the native Aztec tongue. Malinche sees Cortez as the re-embodiment of their Aztec lord and stands by his side, even when it looks as if he is intent on slaughtering the Aztec people.

After being taken over by the Mexicans, this is the last thing that Malinche wants. She believes him when he says that he has no intention to engage in the mindless slaughter of her people and a love begins to grow between the two.

A love so passionate that it threatens to blind Malinche to the truth about who Cortez really is and what he intends to do.

This novel didn’t have the flow of her other books; it felt a liiiitle stilted, as if it were trying to find its pace well into the short book. But nevertheless, it is a beautiful read.

Part novel, part commentary on life, part philosophy text book, Malinche is sure to delight with words and with a pure love that may survive all that threatens to distroy it. Most striking of all is the Codex’s included with the novel.

The Aztecs used Codexs (pictures drawn in sequence) to tell stories and one is here for us to see. Some of the pictures are scattered through out the novel to divide the chapters; but it is the books dust jacket that is the true masterpiece. If you unfold it, you will be able to follow the love story of Cortez and Malinche without words.

The art is beautiful (drawn by Esquivel’s own nephew) and is a testament to the Aztec people and a grand love affair.

Read and be enlightened.

They called what happened at Pleasant Valley a massacre. Dozens of students and teachers gunned down in the school’s gymnasium before anyone knew what was going on. The most terrible thing is that no one saw it coming.

A group of teens, loners, marched into the school wearing trench coats, tracked down the jocks and opened fire. Fifty miles away, the students at Central High reel from the news that something so bizarre could happen at so close to home. However, the students at Central High are about to realize just how bizarre things can be. Overnight, new security measures pop up all over Central High. Students must now enter the school through metal detectors, bags are searched, and inspections are done, all in an effort to prevent what happened at Pleasant Valley from happening at Central High.

After all, you can never be too safe, can you? And then a new Grief and Crisis councillor is hired to aid students in dealing with the tragedy. Dr. Willner seems to change the school overnight, adding new rules and regulations.

No cell phones are allowed, a new dress code is introduced. Central High begins to take on an air of desperation. Tom and his friends Brian, Avery and Silas watch as the school turns from a place of learning to a prison. Their parents begin to receive nightly emails from the school telling them of the possibilities of violence and how to protect their children. They watch the goings on with curiosity. Surely this was all for their safety, wasn’t it? Students are afraid to step out of line. Silas starts talking of a cover up, a conspiracy. Something is wrong in their school and Silas knows it.

Tom, Brian and Avery laugh it off - until the students start to disappear. Willner is taking over their school; they are being watched, observed. If anyone steps out of line, the consequences are severe. Tom learns that this is happening all over the country, students are disappearing without a trace or an explanation, Silas and Avery among them. They are sent to rehab camps, never to return.

Tom thinks this is bad enough until the first student dies. Knowing he is in a race against time, he rallies together with his friend and the class pet, Becca, to try and stand up to the school and to Dr. Willner …

Prose gives us a novel that is at times chilling, at times shocking. It is a slow book that takes its time to hook the reader and draw them in to the story. Once you’re hooked, it won’t let you go. It’s also a stark novel, one that relies more on internal and external dialogue rather than the powers of description. It is also very reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984. Big Brother is watching.

However, there are a few interesting quirks about the novel. There are several things that aren’t clarified or explained. We’re never told whether or not this book is set in the future, for instance, or if it is a fantasy or a satire of real life.

We never find out what happened to the students who have disappeared. Their disappearance remains a mystery even after the book is finished. It isn’t even explained why the school is killing students and treating it’s halls like a prison.

Now, the theme of the book is supposed to be safety gone too far. That’s fine and dandy, but we still could have benefited from some explication. I enjoy fiction where I walk away thinking about what I’ve just read.

However, “After” just leaves too many questions unanswered. There is vagueness to “After” that I found unsettling, that got under my skin; this may have been its desired effect.

In the end, “After” is a pretty good novel. It shows us what can happen when supposed safety measures are taken too far and that Big Brother may not be as unrealistic a portrayal of our society as we once thought.

What would you get if you combined the wit of Lemony Snikett’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” with Harry Potter and tons of literary references? Well, hopefully something as astounding and enjoyable as N. E. Bode’s novel “The Anybodies.”

Switched at birth, Fern Drudger knows she has always been different than her two boring parents. Far from being boring, Fern is quite certainly more than different. She is extraordinary. One would even say magical.

As a young girl, odd things always happened to Fern. Once, as a child, she shook crickets out of a book and filled her room with them. Not magical enough for you? Well, when she was older still, drops of snow fell into her palm and formed into little pieces of paper with words on them. When she rearranged them to make sense, the sentence read: Things aren’t always what they seem are they?

Far from being amazed, the Drudgers discouraged such talk of nonsense. They were so boring their beige skin blended in perfectly with their beige walls. Ms. Drudger had a wonderful collection of flyers and they were both accountants. They would not put up with such ridiculous tomfoolery.

Fern always knew that this was not her home and wished that things would change. When Fern turns eleven, her wish is granted. She meets the Bone one evening and is informed that she was switched by accident at birth with another baby, a boy named Howard. The two families decide to swap children for the summer so that the two children can try out their new lives. This is the beginning of a marvelous adventure for Fern, although she does not know it at the time.

The Bone informs Fern that he is an Anybody, someone capable of changing their form into anybody and anything at whim. Only he is not a very good one. Fern’s mother on the other hand was a spectacular Anybody and the Bone hopes that Fern has some of her dead mother’s talents. The Bone needs Fern’s help in finding a special book called “The Art of Being Anybody.” With it, one could rule the world, if they chose to.

They have to find the book before The Miser, The Bone’s archenemy, can find it first. In the wrong hands, “The Art of Anybody” could be quite dangerous. As Fern embarks on her remarkable journey, she will learn a lot of who she is, where she came from and what she is destined to do.

In short, this book is absolutely incredible. Stupendous even. In fact, it is probably the best book I have read so far this year - and I read a lot. It’s got everything in it: magic, family secrets, revenge, odd characters. From the first page, I was enchanted and didn’t want to put it down. As soon as I finished it, I went right back to the first page and read it again.

What makes the book so wonderful is first and foremost, it’s writing style. Written in a style that is reminiscent of Lemony Snickett, it is witty, full of funny author interruptions and hilarity. The book takes the normal children’s fantasy novel and turns it upside down. Nothing is as it seems and it is fresh and crisp, wonderful reading.

The author even apologizes for having talking animals in the story. Another bonus, for those of us who have been given the pleasure of reading in our younger years, is the references to other classic children’s works.

There are references to over thirty different classic children’s books including “The Wizard of Oz,” “Charlotte’s Web” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends” to name a few. While reading along, see if you can count them all.

“The Anybodies” is a book about books and any book lover, child or adult, will enjoy flipping through its pages. I can’t wait for the sequel “The Nobodies” to come out next year. In the meantime, I will have to read “The Anybodies” again a few more times; and enjoy every blessed moment.

Everyone knows of The Greatest Story Ever Told. How Jesus was tempted by the devil and was betrayed by Judas for three pieces of silver; how he was crucified on a cross and rose from the dead three days later. It’s quite a story. It has all the elements of a good potboiler: heroes, villains, damsels in distress, betrayal, miracles, true love. Almost sounds like “The Princess Bride” doesn’t it? But has anyone ever asked themselves what happened before The Greatest Story Ever Told?

Apparently, Anne Rice has. The result is the breathtaking “Christ the Lord Out of Egypt.” I can hear you going: What? Anne Rice? The Vampire Lady? It’s true. After the death of her husband, Anne Rice stated that her focus of writing would change drastically. There were to be no more vampires, no more Lestat. They were to be gone from us forever.

Many speculated what focus or direction Anne Rice’s writing would take now that she was not going to write about vampires, mummies or witches. Having grown up in a strict Catholic childhood, Rice had left the church, only to return to its walls years later. Before the death of her husband, Rice had gone back to the Catholic Church and had wanted to write the story of Jesus Christ. For wasn’t Christ the most supernatural of creatures ever made?

Meticulously researched, it tells the story of a young, seven year old Jesus who realizes that he is not like other boys. Able to give life to clay birds, bring death and life to someone else in a heartbeat, Jesus is feared by many. After causing a boy to die and then bringing him back to life to ease the grief of his parents, Jesus and his family leave Alexandria and return to Jerusalem.

Jesus is aware that they are leaving because of him. Wherever they go, there is whispered conversation about what happened in Bethlehem seven years ago. Jesus learns that Joseph is not his father; this is something he has always known, though he is not sure how he knew. Though he questions Joseph about his birth, he is told not to ask questions, told not to question that which he can’t understand at such a young age.

Finally, one night, Jesus is forced to ask his mother about his birth. He tells her he needs to know about the mystery surrounding him. She tells him that he is not the child of an angel, that he is the child of the Lord, the child of God.

That an angel came to her and told her that she had been chosen the most blessed of women, that she would bear a child for the Lord. She worries that Jesus doesn’t understand the enormity of what she is telling him.

But Jesus does understand. For he is wise beyond his years. As well, when they return to Jerusalem, it is to a grueling sight: Instead of the Passover ceremony they were expecting, they walk into the temple into a slaughter. Herod’s men are killing the Jew’s left and right. Jesus knows that people are dying around him but he understands that he must see this; that he is meant to see this. He begins to get a measure of human suffering.

Jesus will have to learn a lot more before “Christ the Lord Out of Egypt” is over. And I, for one, hung on to the book with white knuckles as I read on to find out what would happen to him. The book starts with a bang and just gets better. “Christ the Lord” is really a historical novel of the finest weaving. Rice’s research is evident and the story of Jesus is brought to such life that you feel you are there, living, with him.

There are lessons in this book too: On human suffering, on love, on parenthood, on life and death. Jesus knows he must look at everything with a different eye than most. And he is very philosophical for a seven year old. But you feel for Jesus, for his family; for the trials they must go through.

Normally, this is not the kind of book that would interest me at all. I normally stay far away from anything that has to do with the Catholic Church. But the fact that Anne Rice had written it (and that is had gotten several glowing reviews) made me wonder. I knew it would be (hopefully) well written and I knew it would be well researched. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I was enchanted.

I honestly think this is her best book since her earlier work on the Vampire Chronicles. The sensuality of her writing is still there, still crisp. And the love of her subject matter shines through at one hundred watts. Put simply, this book glows.

I can only hope that Rice will continue with the life of Jesus so that I can find out what happens to him next. Even if you’re not a Christian, you will love this book. Pick it up and be enchanted.