dark magick

dark magick
sweep series #4
cate tiernan
ya/supernatural/romance
speak
published 2007

Morgan inherited a talent for witchcraft from her parents, and now she is the holder of her mother's Wiccan tools: a green silk robe, an ivory-handled knife, silver bowls, a cauldron, and a long carved wand. The tools are awesome in their power, and Morgan's boyfriend Cal wants to see them, perhaps to seize power for himself. "We are muirn beatha dans, and we will always be together," he reminds Morgan, and she wonders if this is really true. Loyalty to Cal has led her to use her powers in ways that feel wrong. Is Cal the one she is destined to be with? Does she have a choice? Hunter, a member of the Wiccan High Council, says she does. But what is Hunter after? Who should Morgan believe?

This girls idiocy knows no bounds it seems.

When she goes to Practical Magick and David asks her who she can trust and she replies that she can trust herself.  Her own instincts told her to run when Cal mentioned people who wanted to meet her.  Her own instincts told her to get out of his secret room because the vibrations were bad, yet she thinks Hunter is 'misguided'.  Any information anyone gives her she takes as they just don't know even though they've been witches their whole lives and she's been one for a couple of months.  She's an idiot.  During the chapter where she meets with David and Hunter I thought, finally, she's going to get her shit together....but no.

But truly, the line that made me laugh out loud was when she said, 'I'd always thought of Jenna as being kind of needy and dependent on Matt.'  That is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Awful things happen and the entire time I couldn't help but think that if she'd just listened to her instincts she would have avoided this whole mess and still have found out all about her birth mother & father.  I just can't feel sorry for her, or think she's brave or smart because she's none of those things.

But now, because of all of this revelation business I'll have to keep reading so I know what happens.....*sigh*

divine by choice

divine by choice
partholon series #2
p.c. cast
supernatural/fantasy/romance/horror
luna
published 2006

Shannon Parker has finally come to terms with life in the mythical world of Partholon.  She loves her centaur husband, her connection to the goddess Epona and the pampering that comes with both!  She's almost forgotten her old life on Earth - especially when she discovers she's pregnant...

Then a sudden burst of power sends her back to Oklahoma.  Without magic, Shannon can't return to Partholon - and so she needs to find help.  Trouble is, it might take the form of a man as tempting as her husband.  And along the way she'll discover that being divine by mistake is a lot easier than being divine by choice....

I have a love/hate relationship with this book series.  I hated PC Cast & Kristin Cast's House of Night series, but I thought since this was only PC Cast's series it would be better and it is, but it's still kind of annoying and hokey.  At some point the story will get interesting and I'm pleasantly surprised by it, but then just as quickly she writes something so awful that I can hardly keep reading.

I don't really like Shannon/Rhea all that much.  And I really can't get behind the idea that there's a mirror image that she should fall in love with in both worlds.  I also spent much of the time in disbelief that anyone actually likes to eat Arby's.

*****spoilers*****


We do get to learn the reasoning behind why Rhiannon is not a great person and get treated to a brutal rape scene under the guise of a religious ceremony.  What makes it even more sickening is that Rhiannon is blamed in her own rape because she didn't drink the date rape potion.  You know, being a teenager and all rebellious.  I had a hard time rooting for Shannon & co. after that.

It irritates me that she can just fall into bed with Clint just because he's her husband's mirror image.  She's already remarked on how mirror images are different personalities depending on different factors so it wasn't like she was sleeping with her husband.  But the powerful Epona said she should so.....

I don't know.  It was just a very sad and disappointing series of scenes, especially coming from a female writer.  Nothing like rape and infidelity to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

deadlocked

deadlocked
sookie stackhouse series #12
charlaine harris
supernatural/romance
ace
published 2012

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard — especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Every time I read a Sookie Stackhouse book I'm entertained a bit, but then I start thinking that I should stop reading these books.  They're really not all that great.

But then Harris just knocks me out of the water.  Took my breath away for a few seconds there.  Even after I knew what was happening I still couldn't breathe, afraid that if I did something would go terribly wrong.  In a story I had no control over.  I know, it doesn't make sense, but I wasn't thinking sense at the time!  So good.

Deadlocked was a little depressing.  My favorite people were a little absent.  We were much more involved in the fae & were-world than vamps despite all the stuff that was going on.  However, my favorite bit came from the vampires:  '"We came to wish you a happy day," Eric said.  "And I suppose, as usual, Bill will want to express his undying love that surpasses my love, as he'll tell you - and Pam will want to say something sarcastic and nearly painful, while reminding you that she loves you, too."'

Pam is the only one who is my favorite on both the tv show and in the books.  I really think she needs her own series.  And with events the way they were left here I worry about what will happen in the future.  I have until May to wait it out.

seizure

seizure
virals series #2
kathy reichs
ya/scifi/supernatural
razorbill
published 2011

Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack! But now the very place that brought them together - the Loggerhead Island Research Institute - is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it!

So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can't believe her luck - buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren't the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals' special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble . . .

First of all, I've just got to say it, this was a huge Goonies rip off.  Now, I'm not saying this is a bad book, and I think she even makes a reference to the movie at one point, but really, it was Goonies.  The kids are all going to have to move away from each other and they have a chance to save their homes by finding a pirate treasure.

And while we're on the subject, Tory is just a bitch.  She believes that because she thinks it should be done it doesn't matter how it gets done and everyone should follow suit and do it with her.  Legal or not.  She believes everyone should just bow down to her whims, she lies to her friends, acts like a spoiled brat to her father and uses anyone she sees fit.  She has absolutely no respect for anyone but herself.  She's constantly rewarded for her crappy behavior and attitude.  When it comes to female heroines she's the absolute worst.

It's obvious that Kathy Reichs doesn't normally write for teens.  She's toned down the science talk.  Enough that you're not lost in technical information, but not so much that she's saying 'readers are dumb' which is nice.  But she doesn't quite have a grasp on how 14 year-olds operate.  They're all sort of caricatures of teenagers.

With all that being said, Seizure is a good book.  It's exciting and suspenseful with that bit of adventure thrown in for those who want a little more bite with their YA reads.

carnival of souls

carnival of souls
melissa marr
ya/supernatural/romance
harper
published 2012

In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.

While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls.

Melissa Marr has crafted a fascinatingly intricate world in Carnival of Souls.  There is so much here!  Trying to keep track, at first, of everything is a bit overwhelming.  There's so many characters who all have a stake in the story and so many different events to keep track of.

Eventually, everything starts to come together so it's a bit easier to get a handle on until finally you feel like you can get into the meat of the story and then....it ends!

But fear not, Melissa Marr has indicated that although this was meant to be a stand alone novel, it outgrew the book so there will be at least one more installment to finish out the story.

Now, this is only the second book by Marr that I've read.  I read the first Wicked Lovely book (and loved it - still waiting on the next one from the library) and I've noticed that she keeps the focus on a group of characters instead of just two.  At first, I found this too be confusing and even diluting to the story, but now it's like getting bonuses in your book.  Aya and Belias, Zevi, Mallory and Kaleb are all well thought out and genuinely likeable characters.  Had the story been only about Mallory & Kaleb with the others merely as background people I would have been itching to get into more of Aya's story.

This might be one of those books I have to buy so that when the next one eventually comes out I'll be able to do a quick reread.  It's a quick read, but really chock full of story!

bunny drop, vol. 4

bunny drop, vol. 4
yumi unita
graphic novel/manga/drama
yen press
published 2011

Having lived with his adopted daughter, Rin, for over a year now, Daikichi still considers the female mind to be far beyond his grasp! So when his cousin Haruko shows up on his doorstep with her daughter, Reina, in tow and claims to have "run away," Daikichi is faced with navigating the twists and turns of the female psyche to get to the bottom of Haruko's situation. And ultimately, through the perspectives of both Haruko and the other parents he meets through Rin's school, Daikichi gradually begins to comprehend the many meanings of parenthood...

I catch myself smiling every time I read one of these books!

Rin is the best and I am on pins and needles wondering if something will ever happen with Nitani.  I just adore her and I think she and Daikichi would make the best couple ever!

Daikichi still questions everything he does, wondering if he's doing the right thing for Rin.  Always putting himself second to her and doing his best to take care of her, he doesn't realize that he's already the best father for Rin.  But his insecurities concerning his parenting abilities is endearing.  It makes you understand just how important Rin is to him.

Nitani's comment about why children get snuggly when they're not feeling well was probably my favorite part because it made me think of my own kids.  And making parent friends, well that's a milestone everyone should be proud to reach.

blood witch

blood witch
sweep series #3
cate tiernan
ya/supernatural/romance
speak
published 2007

Morgan has found her mother's Wiccan tools, and her relationship with Cal is strong. Everything seems perfect. Except that Cal's half brother, Hunter, is stalking them. Hunter claims to be a Seeker who is investigating Cal for the misuse of magick. Whom can she trust?

This is going to be a really short review because all I have to say is this:  I kept thinking 'she can't be this stupid,' over and over again, but in the end she was that stupid.

It's ridiculous that she's this intuitive, powerful witch who can't see that the people around her are lying to her.  It's insane that these thing happen and she knows that they're probably not good and she tells no one until it's too late.

She's just stupid.

nodame canabile, vol. 1

nodame cantabile
tomoko ninomiya
graphic novels/manga/drama/romance
del ray manga
published 2005

The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether.

Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is. 

Sometimes for me, reading the first book in a series (especially noticeable with graphics) barely gives me a good idea of the story or the characters.  This one falls into that category.

Shinichi just seems like a jerk.  Even though he's taking care of Nodame it seems mostly because it annoys him that she's a mess.  Nodame is harder to get a read on.  She's definitely a little quirky and very childlike.  Mine is sweet, though maybe a little grumpy.  He looks up to Shinichi despite his better judgement!

I'll probably read through the rest of these that I got from the library just to see what happens next!

the color of heaven

the color of heaven
the color trilogy #3
kim dong hwa
graphic novel/romance/ya
first second
published 2009

A celebration of the triumph of true love.

As Ehwa grew from a girl to a young woman in The Color of Earth and The Color of Water, she began to understand and experience love and relationships, with her mother as a model and confidante.  Now, in the heartwarming conclusion to this lyrically written and delicately drawn trilogy, Ehwa's true love comes at last, and as her mother looks on, she takes the final steps towards becoming an adult.  

I'm was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this trilogy.  Ehwa was so sweet, but she could be a little brat sometimes.  She grew up and learned more, but retained that innocence and sweetness.  I think near the end of this one I started to relate more when Ehwa's mother realized how soon Ehwa would be leaving her behind to get married.  The whole sadness of having an empty nest, of 'losing' your daughter to someone else was so very sad.

reached

reached
matched trilogy #3
ally condie
ya/romance/dystopian
dutton juvienille
published 2012

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy. 

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising--and each other--Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

Perfection.

Complete and utter perfection.  Ally Condie made up for Crossed's lackluster performance tenfold.  I cried when it was over just because it was over.

There are so many books, especially YA books, that have the love triangle thing going on and usually it's a love/hate kind of thing for me.  I love one suitor, hate the other.  But in this trilogy that's impossible to do.  Ky and Xander are both amazing, wonderful characters that I couldn't choose.  And Cassia, she's not annoying, she's not stringing them along (a la Bella to Jacob in New Moon) she loves them both, but knows that Ky is the one she's to be with.  Her love for Xander means that she will go to the ends of the Earth to save him if she needs to as well as protect Ky.

There are usually characters you hate, but everyone here just found a place in my heart.  It sounds so cheesy and it's actually making me tear up here to think about it.  Indie....oh Indie was one I didn't trust at first, in The Carving, but she was worthy of her own book.  Eli, Hunter, Anna, Oaker, Lei, Molly, Bram, they weren't just background characters that you forget about.  They were an intergeral part of the story that wouldn't be complete, wouldn't be memorable without them.

Part of me wishes that the story would go on.  That I could follow all of them forever.  The other part of me is glad that there was this ending.  That I could rest in the knowledge that everything was as it should be.  Perhaps.

the color of water

the color of water
the color trilogy #2
kim dong hwa
graphic novels/romance/ya
first second
published 2009

When Ehwa goes to the town festival, she meets a handsome young wrestler named Duksam who’s eager to catch her eye. After he wins the festival wrestling championship, he and Ehwa begin to meet, sneaking spare moments to be together. But a shadow falls on their romance when Master Cho sends Duksam away and asks for Ehwa’s hand in marriage himself It is then that Ehwa discovers the pain of heartbreak – and that love is always complicated.

Ehwa meets a new boy who's not afraid to speak his mind and show his affections.  Still being so innocent she doesn't know what to make of him, but quickly falls in love.  But then enter the evil Master Cho!

This is such a beautiful story about first loves and a mother's love for her daughter, especially poignant in this time period in Korea.  Since girls went to live with their husband's family and left their own families behind there is much more bittersweetness in Ehwa's mother's longings for a good husband for her daughter.

The art is just so beautiful.  So simple and clean and stunning.  So much beauty it's hard to concentrate on the words sometimes.

Kim Dong Hwa ends The Color of Water on a bit of a cliffhanger and I had to force myself to go to sleep instead of stay up all night to finish The Color of Heaven!

antique bakery, vol. 3

antique bakery, vol. 3
fumi yoshinaga
graphic novel/manga/romance/ya
digital manga publishing
published 2006

The Antique Bakery is busier than ever, and the sweet smell of success means even more curious customers are rushing though the doors to sample the treats....including yet another mysterious stranger!  This time around, it's a dashing blonde businessman from Paris claiming to be Ono's long-lost lover.  Is he serving up the truth, or is something else on the back burner?  Leave it to the staff (and two bodacious lady reporters) to get to the bottom of this deep dish.

This time we get to learn more about how Yusuke became a pastry chef and how he has very little self esteem!  We also find out something very surprising about Chikage.

While there is still the humor and romance this installment in the series had quite a dark underlying theme. 

There's still so much to find out about, which I'm hoping some, if not all answers lie in Volume 4!

antique bakery, vol. 2

antique bakery, vol. 2
fumi yoshinaga
graphic novel/manga/romance/ya
digital manga publishing
published 2005

Winter rain showers bring much more than frosting flowers when a mysterious man in sunglasses shows up at the bakery and addresses snooty Tachibana as "My Lord" in front of the entire staff!  Suddenly, Tachibana's secret history is revealed, and his dashing protector starts turning a few heads....when he isn't accidentally running into walls.  The Christmas season promises new love, new recipes and plenty of sweet surprises.  As the kitchen steams up, it gets harder and harder to tell who's been naughty and who's been nice.

I'm actually really starting to get into these!  They really are like a television series and each book is an episode with all kinds of drama, comedy and romance.  Each volume we're learning a bit more about each character although this book was more about Tachibana.

Fun, light and will definitely get you craving some cake of some sort!

bunny drop, vol. 3

bunny drop, vol. 3
yumi unita
graphic novel/manga/drama
yen press
published 2011 (english version)

As an impromptu dad to Rin, his late grandfather's illegitimate child, Daikichi Kawachi has experienced his share of firsts while caring for his little aunt (?). Now it's Daikichi's turn to battle the initial wave of separation anxiety as Rin leaves the nest...for her first day of elementary school! Rin's elementary school isn't the only place with new faces, either. Daikichi's office is also inundated with first-timers, some of whom have their eyes on their gangly new coworker! And while father and daughter are experiencing (coping with?) all these firsts left and right, the first anniversary of Gramps's death also sneaks up on the pair... as does the first anniversary of their paths crossing...

It was endearing to see how worried Daikichi was to let Rin walk to school without him.  Of course she was with Kouki who proved himself to be quite the protector!  I really hope something happens with Nitani, Kouki's mom because I just think she's the sweetest and perfect for Daikichi.  Masako's still quite the mystery.  Part of me wants her just to go away because I don't want her to threaten what Daikichi and Rin have, but the other part of me wants Rin to know and love her mother.

Such a soap opera!

bunny drop, vol. 2

bunny drop, vol. 2
yumi unita
graphic novel/manga/drama
yen press
published 2007

Like a plot out of a soap opera, bachelor Daikichi Kawachi's boringly normal life got a touch of the abnormal when he learned that his late granddad left behind a love child. And further rattling the unexpected skeleton in the closet? The ungainly, unglamorous Daikichi's impulsive decision to take in little Rin! But as the impromptu dad and his charge learn to adapt to both one another and their very new living situation, Daikichi is plagued by thoughts of Rin's mother. Who is she? Why has she been quiet all this time? Hot on the trail after discovering a modem at the old man's computer-less abode, Daikichi plays detective in search for answers. But elementary school enrollment, extracurricular activities, and other parental obligations wait for no man, so when the day of confrontation with the mysterious Masato arrives, will Daikichi be prepared?!

I love Daikichi and Rin more and more with every page turn.  Rin is just so cute and even though she can be painfully shy, with Daikichi is isn't afraid to speak up and let him know what she thinks.  It's obvious that she loved Daikichi and he in turn loves her.

Daikichi is working so hard to do his best and leaving behind all the 'fun adult stuff' he used to do, making him feel like an old man.  But slowly (albeit, painfully slowly) he seems to be cultivating something with Kouki's mom!

We do get to meet Rin's mom, but even still there's something else there, a bit of a mystery left I think!

It's a great little story about being a parent and falling in love with that child whether they came from your body or not.  I love them!

the coven

the coven
sweep series #2
cate tiernan
ya/romance/supernatural
penguin group
published 2007

Morgan's powers are stronger than she ever imagined. She has visions, she lights fires with her mind, and her spells work miracles. When her boyfriend Cal, a member of the same coven, insists that witchcraft is in her blood, Morgan is confused. Her parents definitely aren't witches. They do seem to be keeping something secret, though-something about Morgan's past.

Ugh.  I can't believe this is the same Cate Tiernan who wrote Immoral Beloved, but it is what it is.

The series is starting to take a hokey kind of cheesiness that Wicca fiction books tend to lean towards.

And also, Morgan is kind of an idiot.

I still have, like, 100 books left in this series.  I've got 4 more in my hand now so I'll continue to read 'em.  At 200 pages per book they're super fast reads so it's not that bad.  And who knows, maybe they'll get better?

book of shadows

book of shadows
sweep series #1
cate tiernan
ya/romance/supernatural
penguin group
published 2007

Morgan never thought she'd be a witch. But during a cermony led by Cal, the popular new student at her school, Morgan feels a shock. Suddenly everything looks brighter, clearer. Morgan doesn't want to get involved with witchcraft-but she feels like witchcraft is choosing her.

There were things I could do without in this book.  Cal, of course he was the most beautiful boy ever to grace the Earth.  Isn't that how it always is?  And the beautiful best friend who will, I'm sure at some point, become the mortal enemy after previously mentioned most beautiful boy chooses the plain main character over her (a la Haven in the {I greatly hated} Immortal series).  Then of course there's the goth/porn/emo chick who will undoubtedly become best friends with recent made ex-best friend of Morgan.

Yeah, I suppose that's what makes it a story, right?  And it wasn't bad it was just formulatic.  We've all seen that story play out before.

But the Wicca.  It brought me back to my late teenage/early twenties years when I studied.  I still have, tucked away in my closet, my 'tool chest' of Wicca things and books line my bookshelf.  Cate Tiernan does the religion well with her own little tweaks here and there.  For me it was nostalgic and comfortable.

I did like Morgan, though she was a little too goody-goody for me.  She's no Nasty, but she's growing on me.

the color of earth

the color of earth
the color trilogy #1
kim dong hwa
graphic novel/romance/ya
first second
published 2009

First love is never easy.    Ehwa grows up helping her widowed mother run the local tavern, watching as their customers – both neighbors and strangers – look down on her mother for her single lifestyle.  Their social status isolates Ehwa and her mother from the rest of the people in their quiet country village.  But as she gets older and sees her mother fall in love again, Ehwa slowly begins to open up to the possibility of love in her life.   In the tradition of My Antonia and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , from the pen of the renowned Korean manwha creator Kim Dong Hwa, comes a trilogy about a girl coming of age, set in the vibrant, beautiful landscape of pastoral Korea.

This was quite the coming of age story that pretty much every female can relate to.  Ehwa is sweet, curious and intelligent and that is mostly, I think, because her mother treats her as a confidante.

The story is lovely, the art is beautiful and clean.  I wasn't sure if I would like it, thinking it might be too much steeped in 'olden times', but it was a subject matter that is timeless.  The writing is at times poetic, but funny and real.  I found myself steeped deeply into the words, pouring over the pages and so glad I have all three books in my hand to read!

antique bakery, vol. 1

antique bakery, vol. 1
fumi yoshinaga
graphic novels/manga/romance/ya
digital manga publishing
published 2005

When an old antique shop re-opens as the hottest new bakery in an unsuspecting neighborhood, there's no doubt that a few surprises are cooking.  Love, rejection, old high school flames and the most delicious boy-to-boy affections all blend together to make a treat unlike any other.  The Antique Bakery is now open...care for a dessert?

I don't even know what to say about this book!  It was so....weird.  Not in a bad way, I just couldn't figure out what the point was.  It seemed like a bunch of short stories that are all slightly connected.  It was hard to get the hang of it at first because everyone kind of looks the same, but after awhile it was just a fun and silly story.  We got the backstories of the three employees at the bakery and how the bakery came to be in addition to a couple of other seemingly unrelated stories so now I'm curious if the next volume follows any of these other stories. 

bunny drop, vol. 1

bunny drop, vol. 1
yumi unita
graphic novel/manga/drama
yen press
published 2010

Returning to his family's estate for his grandfather's funeral, thirty-something bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a much younger lover! Needless to say, the rest of the family is shocked and embarrassed by this turn of events, and not one of them wants anything to do with the little girl, who refuses to say a word. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to adopt her! But is living with an overgrown teenager who can barely take care of himself the key to making Rin come out of her shell?

There's a bit of mystery to this story right off the bat.  Rin doesn't know her mother, yet there is no sign of a child living at his grandfather's house.  Daikichi is looking for clues as to where and who Rin's mother is, but instead of finding answers he just uncovers more questions.

He doesn't seem like the 'overgrown teenager' that the description would have you believe.  He's like a brand new parent.  Not quite ready, determined to make it work and trying the best he can.  It's fun to watch his thought process and see how quickly Rin comes to trust and love Daikichi.

It took a bit for me to get used to the manga style, but once I did it felt quite natural!

born in fire

born in fire
concannon sisters trilogy #1
nora roberts
fiction/romance
jove
published 1994

The New York Times bestselling trilogy of three modern sisters bound by the timeless beauty of Ireland begins.

Artist Maggie Concannon creates beautiful glass images through a blowpipe and with a fiery furnace, much as she herself was born and survived her mother's angry frustrations and resentment. Then Maggie falls in love with Rogan, her new agent, who brings her passion, fame, and riches.

More than 15 years I ago I read this book for the first time.  It was the first trilogy and only the second book by Nora Roberts that I read and it instilled in me a great love for her writing and an immense desire to visit Ireland.  I can easily say that Nora Roberts is one of my all time favorite authors and I own practically ever single one of her books.  Strangely, I have never re-read any of her books.  Thanks to the Book Bingo challenge I'm tasked with re-reading 15 books so after re-reading Cate Tiernan's Immortal Beloved I decided I wanted to go back and re-read Nora Roberts trilogies starting with the Concannan sisters.

The first time I read this trilogy I actually read the last book first.  This was before the days of Shefari or Goodreads so knowing the order of books wasn't as easy as it is now.  I didn't even know it was part of a trilogy at first!  But I loved it and found the other two and read them as quickly as I could turn the pages.

I still love this book.  The process of glass blowing is still beyond me, but the idea fascinates me.  However, the thing that still delights me is the setting.  Ireland.  How anyone can read this book and not want to immediately hop on a plane to visit is beyond me.  Someday....

crossed

crossed
matched trilogy #2
ally condie
dutton juvenille
published 2011

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky— taken by the Society to his certain death—only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander— who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart— change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

The upside to this book was that we got to see things from Ky's point of view.  We learned more about who he was and what he's seen.

The downside is that is was just kind of boring.

Think about this: we've come to a place where children are being taken out to the desert and killed.  They have no hope, but three try to escape into a huge canyon (reminiscent of the Grand Canyon).  Constantly on the look out for the Society who will either capture them to return them to the 'villages' or kill them outright.

That sounds exciting, does it not?  Yet somehow, Condie was able to make it incredibly slow and boring.  She made it less about the action and what they were all trying to do and more about too awkwardly in love kids trying to figure out how to be awkwardly in love.  Maybe this is the truth in her book.  Most YA books center around two teenagers who desperately love each other and nothing else matters.  Their love is cement.  Here Cassia and Ky don't truly understand how to love each other except to make sure they find themselves together.  They are probably more realistic teens than any others I've read.

Cassia is still a worthy protagonist.  She's still so naive, but not in a weak way.  She wants to trust in the Rising so much, that this is what she was born for, that it will change everything.  She trusts that she loves Ky, but that she also loves Xander.  She questions the path she has chosen, but doesn't whine about the hardships she's facing.  Instead, she tackles them head on and still remains optimistic and radiant.  That in itself, a strong & capable female lead, is worth reading this series.

But that doesn't save the book from being ultimately quite snooze worthy.  I'm hoping with Reached we will get something worth ending.

gregor & the prophecy of bane

gregor & the prophecy of bane
gregor the overlander series #2
suzanne collins
fiction/ya/fantasy
scholastic
published 2004

Months have passed since Gregor first fell into the strange Underland beneath New York City, and he swears he will never go back. But he is destined to be a key player in another prophecy, this one about and ominous white rat called the Bane. The Underlanders know there is only one way to lure Gregor back to their world: by kidnapping his little sister, Boots. Now Gregor's quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, and the rebellious queen-to-be, Luxa. They descend into the dangerous Waterway in search of the Bane, and Gregor knows what is at stake. If he does not fulfill the prophecy, his life, and the Underland will never be the same.

Oooh, how I love Boots.  Again, tears were shed reading about Gregor and his adventures Underland.  There's not much I want to say because to say something would be to spoil this book for future readers.  But I can say this:  Suzanne Collin's Gregor books are a testament to true literature.  It doesn't matter if it was written for 5-year-olds or 50-year-olds because both can enjoy it thoroughly.  The themes are timeless.  The story exciting, thrilling and yet also grounding and sad.  Here we have a story written for children, but a gift to us all.

self-defense

self-defense
alex delaware series #9
jonathan kellerman
fiction/mystery/suspense
bantam books
published 1995

Dr Alex Delaware doesn't see many private patients any more, but for a young woman called Lucy Lowell he's prepared to make an exception. Referred to him by the police detective Milo Sturgis, Lucy had been a juror at the harrowing trial of a serial killer, and having survived that trauma is now being subjected to further emotional stress: a recurrent nightmare of a young child in a forest at night, watching something as furtive as it is disturbing.

Now Lucy's dream is starting to disrupt her waking life, and Alex believes the power of the dream and its grip on her emotions may be a repressed childhood memory of something very real.

Something like murder...

Boy, Dr. Delaware is always finding trouble!

For some reason Dr. Delaware's forays into crime solving never bug me the way Kay Scarpetta's do.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because you get a good sense that Delaware is going that extra mile for his patients.  He really wants to help them, really wants to make their lives better, their problems go away.  Plus, I think he's a sucker for a good mystery.

I liked the story quite well, but I have to admit that when one of the 'killers' was revealed I had to do a search on the kindle to see where they'd mentioned this guy before because I could not remember.  There were way too many character to sort through this time around.  Actually, this is probably not the first time I've noticed this.  But in this story alone there was Alex, Robyn, Milo, Del, Lucy, Puck, Ken, Jo, Buck, the Sheas, Doris, App, Mellon, Trafficant, the Bogettes, Nova, Sherrell, Karen, Dr. Embry, MacIlhenny, Bleichart, Leah, Chris Graydon-Jones, Barnard.....that's what I can think of and out of all of those only 4 are returning characters.  It was a lot to take in.  So the great reveal near the end was a kind of 'whaaat??' moment for me and probably not the 'whaaat?' moment Kellerman was aiming for.

But I really liked Lucy.  I rooted for her and didn't want her to be some nutcase that was playing everyone or making stuff up.  I would've gone to bat for her just like Milo & Alex did.

I still crack up that no one has a cell phone.

waiter rant

waiter rant
steve dublanica
autobiography
ecco
published 2008

According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived.

Similar to the synopsis describes, Waiter Rant is 20% funny stories about working in the restaurant industry and 80% psychobabble and reflections by Waiter on why he's still a waiter.

Not to say that this was a bad book, far from it.  Steve Dublanica writes very well, but this wasn't really what I was expecting.  I was expecting a book full of funny, horrifying or sad stories about being a waiter in a high end restaurant.  Instead, I got a book about a man going through an early mid-life crisis bemoaning the fact that he was still, at 38, a lowly waiter.  The Waiter will quickly admit his faults, but one I think he's even slow to understand is that he does have a serious disdain for waiters.  He does believe that they are unworthy and have something to be ashamed of.  It comes across in his voice throughout the book.

He spends most of the book talking about his life.  What he did before becoming a waiter, what he'd rather be doing instead of being a waiter, what he hopes to be doing instead of being a waiter, etc.  He strives to show the reader how well read he is, how smart he is and how he knows everything.  It gets kind of boring after awhile and I found myself skimming over paragraphs about how he contemplates.  He says that word a lot (or at least it felt like it though when I did a search for 'contemplate' it came up with 5 different instances).

And revealing the 'secrets to getting good service' and all that jazz?  That's part of the '40 Tips on How to Be a Good Customer' thrown in at the end of the book as an Appendix.  He's also given us '50 Ways to Tell You're Working in a Bad Restaurant' (in which I'm pretty sure I could check off at least 70% of those).  And then finally there's 'Items a Waiter Should Carry at All Times (or Have Close By)'.  Both funny and slightly depressing.  I think I was expecting the book to be more like his blog, but it was more of the journey from his blog to this book and that's okay. 

The book brought back memories, both good and bad, of my waitress/cocktailing/bartending/managing experiences.  I wouldn't trade those days for anything, but sometimes his broad generalizations of how shitty things can get were spot on.  There were certain truths that made me miss working in a restaurant, having that group of co-workers unlike any other place I've worked.  Sure, you have the catty bitches you can't stand just like anywhere else, but there has never been a job where the people I worked with felt more like my family than my own family at times.

immortal beloved

immortal beloved
immortal beloved series #1
cate tiernan
ya/romance/supernatural
little, brown books for young readers
published 2010

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe—until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

I read this book almost exactly 2 years ago, finishing it on February 27, 2011 and I loved it.  Reading it the second time I love it still though I can't put my finger on exactly why I love it.

There's no sweeping love story, no action packed fight scene.  No government conspiracies, no Hogwarts or Forks.  No vampires, no werewolves, no fairies, no CIA spooks, no mustered out soldiers or ghosts.  Yet somehow, there is a great story here.

Nasty is just another teenage girl, except that she's about 450 years over being a teenager.  She's an immortal and knows no rhyme of reason why her kind exists.  She only knows that the years have gone on and on and on and she's tired of being a drunken party girl.

The story is simply reminiscent of a substance abuser getting clean.  She's trying to find a way to a life that is worth living.  That hurts no one, especially not herself.  She's looking for a way back to caring and it's not easy.  She can tell that there are those who don't want her at River's Crossing, but she's not there for them.  She still acts like a spoiled teenager sometimes, but she's also figuring out how she can be better person.

Then there's the underlying threat of her 'friends' from her other life.  She feels like she needs to hide from them though she's not sure why.  We only know that they're now actively looking for her but Tiernan is saving that juicy part of the story for the next installment.

There's not many books that I can read more than once and not get bored with.  Surprisingly, this is one of them.  I don't even really know why!  I just really love it.  I feel bad that it's taken me this long to get to the next book!  When I saw I still had some B&N credit I bought all three in eBook form so now I have no excuses!