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If erotica is not for you, TANGLED should not end up on your TBR. For those who'd like to dip a toe in...TANGLED is a fun, fast read with a side of HOLY CRAP! sexcapades. What separates it from the pack? Drew Evans is absolutely the most raw, irrepressible asshat to ever enter The Redemption Tale. Yes, this is a redemption story. No, he doesn't have a "Come to Jesus" moment--more like a "come-to-Kate" moment. Allow me to explain. No, there's no time. Allow me to sum up: Drew is a gloriously proud, wealthy, womanizing investment banker. He never wants to 'ride the same coaster twice' and that tells you much about our anti-hero. What he does want? Kate Brooks. New hire at his firm. She's beautiful. She's brilliant. She's engaged... Oh, the irony. Poor Drew is attracted to a woman who is unattainable. And to make it worse? She's now competing for his clients. Still, he manages to grow a conscience. Also, he actually does some decent stuff--defending Kate from a lecherous client among those. When Kate is suddenly single, you guessed it: They get tangled, and he finds there's something quite special about being with a woman who stimulates more than his naughty bits. And yet, he can't trust the burgeoning relationship. As soon as there's a wave on the pond he chucks in a cinder block, blowing the whole thing clean out of the water. What happens next? Drew's sledgehammer approach to woo Kate back will either reunite them--or drive her to homicide. And, the ride is absolutely delicious. Thanks, Emma Chase, for Kate and Drew. I'll be sending you the bill for repairing my iPad. Who knew those things overheated?

This one was just kinda "meh" for me. It was paced well, it had great plot twists and tons of the misdirection and historical geeking out that I've come to expect from Dan Brown. What I've come to realize is that, in my humble opinion, while Brown has excellent ideas, he does not relate them very well. I find his writing somewhat juvenile, not in that he should be writing for Tweens but that it sometimes feels like a tween is doing the writing. I don't personally need to know the brand name of every hi-tech piece of gadgetry with which Langdon or any random sub character comes in contact. I also find these books a tad formulaic for my taste, almost as though, since A&D he's been using a template and just inserting new character names. Meh. It doesn't stop me from devouring the books, just from truly immersing myself in them. Just my thoughts.

An intriguing book filled with themes of a man fulfilling his boyhood dream by cracking the code of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Beautiful illustrations, gentle narration and mysterious hieroglyphs complement the inspiring story. A pleasure to read.

I'll start off by admitting that I have described Melissa Broder's twitter feed as "my favorite thing on the internet", so I might be a bit of a fanboy. That said, this is pretty fantastic stuff. I've been savoring this book for several weeks, reading only a poem or two every couple days, and I'm glad I spaced it out. I have a feeling I'll be coming back to read this again periodically, expecting that I'll tease out a bit more each time. Broder's poems inhabit this weird place somewhere between pop culture musings, kvetching about a New York Jewish upbringing, some kind of gonzo travelogues, and a trippy but broken view of romance. Sometimes all at once. I wanted to give some examples by copying the first few lines of a couple poems here, but I got stuck because (a) I had a really hard time deciding which ones to quote, and (b) each one I picked I ended up wanting to copy the whole thing, because each line made the previous one better. So I won't do any quoting here, and as such I feel like I'm letting down everyone who reads this, at least a bit. That isn't to say that this is a perfect volume, or that I loved it completely. A couple pieces left me flat, perhaps because I just couldn't relate at all, or perhaps because I could relate a bit too well. But who knows, maybe they'll seem different in a year or two. Anyway, here's a recommendation: if you already like Broder, you'll like this collection. If you don't know her, check her out on Twitter; if you like that, you'll love this. And if you've seen her work before, and didn't care for it, I doubt this will change your mind.

This book is excellent. I particularly like the way all the plot threads seem to come together (won't spoil anything for you, though).

4.5 Surprising Stars Well let me start of by saying that I won a copy of Bluffing the Devil and promised to read it as soon I'm done with my finals- so here I go, I'm done and read it in 2days. I was pleasantly surprised how good this book turned out to be; actually, I really enjoyed it. It made me giggle and kept my interest throughout. As I promised C.L Foster i won't pay attention to grammar errors and just focus on the story itself. I also won't give away any spoilers, sorry guys. Additionally I won't re-tell the plot because i'm too lazy, but what I can say is you won't be disappointed to give this author and her new book a chance!!!! The prologue alone hooked me and I SO WANT A DEVIN AS WELL IN MY DREAMS ;) Devin is yummy, extremely yummy. No wonder Alexia tried to sneak in a nap as often as she could- I would have done it too!! Sadly, Devin was stuck where he was cause the Devil took his life earlier than supposed and he didn't wanna follow Devil's rules any longer. Oh and there was Rey. Gosh Rey turned out to be a real sweetheart :) I loved their cocky dialogues and was happy they become friends- despite being a Demon. Guess his charm won ;) Now about the Devil.What didn't surprise me that the Devil turned out to be a she *cough* ....my, my, we women are evil huh LOL - BUT I liked it though. This book was a great read and everything made sense- good reading pace and no "wth" moments that confused the sh&t out of me. The things I wished to be better were towards the end. It felt rushed and I asked myself if there will be a second book cause I doubt the devil will just give up, especially knowing how special Alexia really is and her use for the Devil . Also I felt a lil sad for Alexia's Guardian (sorry can't tell too much here who he is) and wished for more infos on their time while having a conversation in the old warhouse. Overall, it's a enjoyable book and I'm glad I won it and got the chance to read it :) It's worth giving it a try. So yeah I recommand it if your up for some hot Demons and want to read something else besides a typical romance story.

A college fraternity tries hazing the Hardys, a shifty leftist professor may know something about a vanished colleague, and we are off to Rockaway and the mysterious caves! Some Frenchies in a fake antique store and restaurant, a crazy British mariner, and possibly a Russian sub! Another great adventure for boys of all ages!

So I was really looking forward to reading this book. I was almost afraid to read it because I heard so many good things about it, that I didn't want to be disappointed. It definitely was not disappointing, it was really, really good:) It took a bit for it to get going in the beginning but once you got passed it, it was great! I absolutely LOVED The Time Traveler's Wife and it was really neat to read a young adult version of time traveling. Holly and Jackson had such a sweet romance and Jackson's desire to constantly protect her was just perfect. What girl wouldn't want that? It was really sad at times. Jackson and his dad really had to deal with some sad stuff. I'm really looking forward to the next book, the ending really left us hanging. Great read!

2.5 stars

ok

Splendid writing by Mr. Dashner. However, I did not feel with this book what I felt with the last. The Maze Runner had me wondering the whole time what was going to happen. This book had me wondering when the hell it was going to end. I had to literally push myself to finish it which is a rare thing for me. The plot was extended, I think. I mean, I won't be sure until I finish the next one, but for how the book ended, it felt like it dragged forever. There's only so much that can happen in one book before the reader has had about enough. I'm hoping that the next book does a way better job at explaining what is going on and less piling up of inexplicable things. We need answers! Less visions...more answers.

Fluffy, adorable cuteness. Good for both toddler and preschool storytimes.

hilarious story about a pedophile vampire, stalking a bland teen in a small town. A love triangle is introduced, where it is later revealed the werewolf (the other love interest of Bella, the teen girl) has only been in love with one of Bella's unfertilized eggs. Things heat up when that egg gets doused in glittery vampire sperm and a baby, with a very unfortunate name, is born. The pedophilia theme is expanded when the teen werewolf declares his unending love and devotion to the new born infant. The baby's parents are inexplicably okay with this

3.25 STARS. I would give more, but the editing was rough. However, I truly found myself enamored with Lash and Naomi. They were really well developed characters and I connected with their humor and stubbornness.

That I have read this book is serendipity at its best. I bought this because it is the book being discussed at a retreat that one of my friends plans. She told me about the retreat several months ago and I bought the book in case I could make the retreat. I knew nothing about the author or what she had to say. When these meditations arrived at my house, I glanced at the cover and filed it away for later. At that point I still didn't know if I was going on the retreat. So, when at the last minute I signed up for the retreat, I had to find the book. I like to be prepared. I have been blown away by Elkins' poems, essays and meditations about human things. Many of the religious writings I have read about stuff has been geared to getting rid of it. Man cannot worship G-d and mammon. Stuff can get between you and G-d. You know the drill. Elkins looks at stuff and sees stories. And her stories are often about how G-d uses everyday things for holy purposes. It took me about 24 hours to work my way through this amazing book. I plan to read it one more time before the retreat. I need to hear Elkins' messages about grace and peace and holy stuff again. I may have more to say about this book then. Right now I am awestruck and cannot find the words I need to do justice.

Pretty dumb. About a man from early roman times, a visigoth, fighting against the Roman oppressors. I'm pretty sure he more or less has a walnut sized brain. He rushes into battle despite any chance of winning. Just a complete bottle of rage. He gets kidnapped by aliens, but has no qualms about seeing a space ship, just rushes into battle again. That is pretty much the extent of the stories. See something new, MUST FIGHT. Then he gets the ultimate armor/weapon. All his friends are killed, eh, who cares, FIGHT. Gets back to earth 2000 years later somehow, sees a F-16 flying, oh, must be some sort of roman air chariot, FIGHT. Not that he needs to worry, he immediately knows he's invincible with this armor. What's the next volume of issues about? FIGHTING! what else? This time he'll face off against a CIA super ninja. Doubt I'll pick that one up. The artwork was pretty good.

I love Stephen White. Last week, listening to an interview with Jonathan Kellerman, the uniqueness of a series with a protagonist who was a shrink, written by a shrink, was emphasized. I was in the car yelling at the radio "what about Stephen White?" and I realize that despite some success, his works are overlooked WAY too much. I love his books for lines like these: (In musing on the nature of a dream and what he tells his patients about the nature of dreams): "Dreams are poetry about your life, I would tell them. You are the author, but the poems your unconscious writes at night are in a language you don't speak and in a dimension you can;t visit when you're awake. Interpret slumber poetry any way you like -- you will discover marvelous things about how your waking mind assesses he primitive concoctions your sleeping mind constructs." (referring to his friend Sam, the cop): "But braggadocio wasn't one of Sam's vanities. I waited a judicious amount of time for him to continue the line of thought on his own, suspecting that his query to me was rhetorical and that any answer I floated would end up being the equivalent of using my fingernails to clean a viper's fangs." A client in Colorado turned me on to this series about 12 years ago and I eagerly await each new installment. Complex plotting, incredibly developed characters whose lives we KNOW. I can't wait to see the next exploit of Dr. Alan Gregory, who will get involved in another mystery -- and I really CARE what happens to him and his family and friends.

This single sitting overview of Puritan, John Owen is another excellent installment in Carr's series, "Christian Biographies for Young Readers." Don't let the title of the series fool you, these books are worthy to be enjoyed by all ages. What I like about the series, beyond the straight-forward writing, well thought out plot lines and exceptional illustrations, is that Carr roots each of her subjects firmly in their time. While my adjectives for describing her work are becoming repetitious, the stories are as unique as the individuals and the time periods in which they live. Owen's life contains themes of religious persecution and uncertain times, cast against the necessity of doctrinal clarity and faithful service. Owens was a scholar and his story highlights the important contributions of intellectuals to the church. In today's culture, I find it notable that Owens didn't neglect pastoral responsibilities, but continued to faithfully shepherded his flock. This man sought out neither the exclusivity of personal recognition, nor the ease of exemption from the messiness of ministry. He wrote and continued to minister - at great personal risk. Well done, John Owen for living a life that is an inspiration to us all. And well done, Simonetta Carr for another remarkable addition to her exceptional series "Christian Biographies for Young Readers."

I received this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars. This is SciFi M/M romance set in our world with a new technology, mnemography. Mneming is the process of having a virtual reality experience, only a bit better. Daniel Schneider, and his dad, Big Dan, own Adventureworks, a small mnemography studio in Madison WI. Daniel runs the show now, after Big Dan suffered a persistent mnem (replaced memory) testing out a program that Daniel had authored. Now, Big Dan can't remember that he's been divorced for five years and Daniel lives in shame over what happened to his dad. His confidence in mnem-coding is shattered and his business is failing. He works a second job for a competitor mnem studio to make ends meet, where he is friends with Larry. Daniel is gay, and while guiding a client's mnem, he meets another man in the mnem. This has never happened before--the guides (called sherpas) aren't really a part of the program, they exist outside of it, but there is no doubt that the tall, pale man who recurs in another client's mnem is real. Okay, there's some doubt. Daniel is constantly convinced he's hallucinating, or worse--mneming--his stranger into existence. Larry is able to convince Daniel that the mysterious Elijah is real however. And they track down Elijah--to find he's straight and autistic, but brilliant at mnem. His invention allows him to slip into running mnem programs as far as 100 miles away. While this is stunning to Daniel, he's even more fascinated by Elijah. Daniel has never been one to fall for a straight guy, but there's something curious about Elijah--and it seems likely that Elijah hasn't had much experience with sex, at all, not just with male partners. They struggle to connect, on account of Elijah's autism, but the manage to work it out...a bit. I must say, I was thrilled by the world-building and character-development here. The world is much like ours, so it was easy to visualize, but the tech aspect was well-done. I really had the sense of the mnem a--to me they seem like VR. Big Dan was such a touching, tragic figure, perpetually defending his (estranged and ex-) wife's absence, and urging Daniel to mend fences--only to be continually confronted with copies of his divorce papers. Tired, defeated Daniel struggling to keep his business running while scared he'll mess up even more, facing his delusional father everyday and knowing his program upset the balance, he makes such a compelling character. Elijah and Larry are two scene stealers. Loved them. My only complaint is: more. I wanted MORE pages. I loved where this was going and didn't want it to end. As for the heat, there really isn't much, but what there is is deeply emotionally satisfying, IMHO. I want them to get together, for real. For keeps. They seem like a match intellectually, as well as physically. Will definitely be looking into the sequel.

PreK&up This charming sequel to Where's Walrus continues the wordless antics of everyone's favorite escape artist as the Walrus again sneaks out of the zoo and goes on an adventurous romp around the city- this time accompanied by his sidekick Penguin. Savage's stylish retro illustrations are very appealing, as are the antics of the two friends as they attempt to hide from the persistent zoo-keeper. All ends well with a new addition to the team, a surprise wedding, and a return to familiar grounds as (presumably) Walrus and Penguin happily settle down now that their wanderlust has been appeased- at least until the next book comes out! This book was obtained at BEA15 in exchange for an honest review.

I am very fond of reading books about children's bitter experiences. Perhaps I believe in American psychologist, Erik Fromm's belief that " to understand children, we, adults, try to think like a child again."Unfortunately, not all adults are aware of this fact. That's why the main purpose of literature is to educate people about life, basically about children life. I have read some books about children. I can hardly ever forget Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt ( 5 stars ), The Butcher's Boy by Patrick McCabe ( 3 stars ), Torey Hayden's books such as The Innocent Child and its sequel The Tiger's Child ( I was so generous to fault to give both 5 stars at that time when I was not yet critical on Good Reads. ) I also cried over the classical books such as Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Even Beloved by Toni Morrison, one of my favorite fictional writers , punched my chest although the character is a young teen-ager gives eerie feelings. For local books, one is the Connecting the Dots by Gojo Cruz ( 5 stars ) which author swept me off my feet. ( laughs ) Such books are awash in the same theme: human cruelty in children, perhaps, out of ignorance. This book of Road Dahl is one of the books above. This may be intended to make readers laugh. Of course, I did. However, the real highlight of this , even Dahl admitted it at the end of the story, is his miserable experiences as a student in the hands of his school head masters, teachers, and matrons. ( or you'd rather I put it bluntly , under the rotten educational system in Britain at that time ) Dahl narrated how he was such a poor innocent child . He was an archetype of educational upbringing. He had been beaten many times. So had his classmates. He had been humiliated and treated unfairly. So had his classmates. Admittedly, I abandoned myself to his said stories. If I had been his classmate at that time, I would have been so defiant that I could have been booted out. ( laughs ) So , the title of this book fits all the stories- Boys: Tales of Childhood. I always want to be an active advocate for children's rights, particularly for their education. Like Dahl, I was also a victim of wrong education from teachers who may have been ignorant of child psychology. As a teacher now , I believe in teaching students based on their individualism. The good thing about this is that Road Dahl was still able to make us laugh despite those harboring ill-feelings. He was like a friend I have just made, sharing his ala Thomas-Sawyer stories. The atmosphere he built was so amiable that I felt sympathy for him. In addition, reading it was so easy unlike the other autobiographies or novels about children which require higher level of thinking. He narrated his stories age by age and every sentence is well-written. Since it is a children book, I hope young readers take precious lessons from it. And I do not think that it should be banned from the hands of young readers just like of what happened to his Charllie and the Chocolate Factory which received negative criticism. Duty on their distorted realities! ^^ Road Dahl said in his preface that an autobiography for him is full of all sorts of boring details. If I take him for his words, what he meant to say I believe is like what the famous American writer, William Arthur Ward, said: "The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give." Yippee! ^^

I like Mma Ramotswe, the main character. She is intelligent, brave and funny in her own way. She enjoys her life and especially in Botswana. The mysteries are ordinary but not uninteresting. It is good to get to know the country as described by Precious Ramotswe with its cattle, crocodiles and dangerous snakes and especially the people and customs.

Another great book in this series! We all enjoyed it and have already started on book 3!

This allegorical tale was my first true, in-your-face exposure to Sufism. While it didn't exactly make me want to rush out and join a tariqa, it was quite well-written and certainly very inspiring in many ways. Some familiar tales are found here, but they never seem shoehorned in. Such was the obvious ability of the poet, and it is well-appreciated. It just didn't scream out "Classic!" at me, but I did really enjoy reading.

So I first met the Caldwells with the Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch (Montana Mystique#1). With that story you got to meet the family and all of their quirks and bad traits. In the first book Jordan was a big jerk but in Justice he became a changed man. B.J. Daniels has a good way of keeping you in touch with all of the characters while keeping you in the suspense of the who dunnit. There were a lot of twists and turns that I did not see coming. Jordan and Liza 's chemistry was good and it was great to see Dana and Hud and the rest of the gang. It was a good escape read.

I loved it! I hope Adriana continues to write for a long, long time. ;)

Well, that settles it. I'm going to have to read the rest of this series...which is a good thing.

What a delightful children's book. The book is about the Children of Ares who are a mixture of war like and peaceful beings. Princess Harmonie and her brother Eros represent love and peace. When these two children have to split up to keep Princess Harmonie safe she meets Princess Coral and her friends. This little group have some splendid adventures together. There are great characters like Daring Dolphin, Scary Shark and Sandi Swordfish. All the time Harmonie lives with her friends she holds a secret about the Children of Ares. Eventually Princess Harmonie decides to share the secret which helps everyone. A lovely book for children with colourful pictures and any child who reads it will be looking for a sequel.

4.5 Stars!! "Was sixteen too young to fall in love? I might've thought so before Manning. Could he love me back, a man seven years older? I was sure if he did, he'd never admit it. But I would wait for him. Even I understood that for a while, our ages mattered." As a longtime fan of Jessica Hawkins, I just knew I would love this book. And from the very first page, I was totally hooked. What a delight! A slow-burn, forbidden romance. My favorite! This is the kind of book where the author takes her time describing a first meeting, a small moment, a conversation. Nothing is simply told, it is shown. I flew through this book, absolutely breathless with anticipation at what would happen next! Lake and Tiffany are two sisters who both meet Manning at the same time. There's just one problem: Lake is only 16 years old. And Manning is a handsome construction worker with a past. He half-smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting. That was the first I saw of his straight, white teeth. My heart skipped. Under the dirt, the sweat, the calluses, he was handsome. I'd known it already, peripherally, as I knew the direction of the beach or the artwork hanging in my dad's office. But now it was right in front of me. I couldn't miss it." Lake is a good girl: smart, studious and obedient. Tiffany is the wild child. But the interactions with their parents are nuanced and there is more to them than their labels. Although Tiffany seems flighty, she is much more appropriate for Manning than Lake. But who will get his heart? "Manning leaned his elbows onto his knees and watched her approach. My sister had that effect on men. They were always looking over or around me to see her. What'd he think when he looked at her? What'd he notice first?" I rarely have time to read a series back to back. But this book was so gripping and intense that I am immediately picking up the next book! I am obsessed with these characters and their story! "Some invisible tether existed between us. Nobody could see it, not even us, but I felt it. I was sure Manning did, too. As long as we both knew it, that was enough for me. For now, at least." Highly recommend this one. It has great pacing, a real setting and a gripping story. Don't miss it!! "It was a promise. No matter what, the story would only ever be about us.

Batman The Killing Joke tells the origin of Joker, establishing the fact that the only person who perfectly understands the Dark Knight is none other than the Clown Prince of Crime, and vice-versa. They coexist in Gotham City because they are in fact a single entity who split up, two sides of a coin, after becoming victims of one bad day. In this Alan Moore Batman, the Joker proves his point that a single tragic day is all anyone really needs to become mad. Batman The Killing Joke is thin because it strikes you with a remarkably sharp story. The panel transitions, colors, speech bubbles are just plain perfect with the action, emotions and character examinations. Both Batman crazy lovers and comic enthusiasts will love this book.

I plucked some lines that I found very interesting. I wish that I've been understood all. And all must love the Human form In healthen , Turk , or jew where mercy ,Love ,and pity dwell there God is dwelling too And I must seek for mine smiled among the winter's snow I dreamt a dream ! what can it mean ? we'd sing and we'd pray all the livelong day mutual fear brings peace But mercy changed Death into sleep

Um, wow, what just happened? I feel like summarising my feelings into dot points now. Book 1: Leaves you confused but excited for what is coming ahead Book 2: Things get slightly hopeless but it's alright because there's still some light at the end of the tunnel. Book 3: Give up hope, all ye who enter Mara Dyer's mind. There was just this overwhelming feeling of utter hopelessness. I honestly didn't know if there was a happy ending. But would I read them again? Hell Yes. P.S So- ahem- I was reading to the very end, right? Until I was stopped by my own dirty mind with one of the phrases. Don't get me wrong, TROMD is was one of the most thrilling page-turners that I've come across but when 76% completed, I came across a phrase that didn't make such sense...to me. "One night Ruth couldn't find you. It was after your bedtime, which you rarely obeyed. We searched everywhere and found nothing, until we reached the stable. The mare's stall door was open. You'd mounted her bareback, at nine years." After going through a line of M/M erotica romance books- one after another, I can't help where my mind goes. I think it's been conditioned to do that at this point ;) But honestly, that stumped me so much until I read further. I'm thinking I might need to stop reading so many smutty, smutty books? Because I'm finding innuendos in everything.

I found this to be a great book. I could never really pin point who did it, or if someone really did. I felt like I was on the hunt to find out what happened to Celine, right along side Maggie. I am a huge fan of K.A. Tucker, and this was such a different story from her. I loved it! I hope she writes more of these thrillers, because this one had me in suspense until the very last page!

One of my all-time favorite stories to read to my kids!

Ihan viihdyttava kirja, joka tuli lukaistua jouluyona. Ihan taattua Lehtista jalleen kerran. Tassa paahenkilo on onneksi ihan normaali ihminen, eika yliolento kuten joissain Lehtisen kirjoissa on ollut.

This book seems to suffer from a sharp drop in quality compared to the first two -- very odd, considering that it appears to be the same creative team! The first two collections of The Batman Strikes, Crime Time and In Darkest Knight, are both manga-sized and slender; they collect five issues each. This collection, Duty Calls, is a trade paperback collecting seven issues, and it seems like the "usual" size for a comic book trade paperback. I don't know what size the individual issues were printed -- if they were originally manga-sized, perhaps that would explain why the art is so bad! And the art is unfortunately bad, here. For example, in the first story, "Man of Service", I found Alfred unrecognizable on the first page, and had to go back and re-read it once Bruce entered and it was clear that yes, this was Alfred Pennyworth. Then, a few pages later, Bruce's two eyes point in two distinct directions in the middle of a conversation. A few pages after that, Bruce Wayne and Ellen Yin appear to have faces drawn at two different scales, or possibly by two different artists, despite facing each other in the same panel. I'm picking out the worst examples; some of the art was decent. None of it struck me as particularly nice, though. Despite having the same penciller, inker, and colorist, the first two volumes look much prettier. I'm looking at these side by side, and I'm reasonably certain that they were originally printed at the same size, and either Crime Time and In Darkest Knight were shrunk or Duty Calls was blown up. It's a shame! As for the stories themselves, they were still quite good. There are seven issues collected here but really only six storylines, as "Prowler" and "Sands of Time" are a two-parter featuring Catwoman, Clayface, and Detective Yin. Detective Yin is actually a big deal in most of these stories -- she appears in every story except "Hit and Run" and "The Greenhouse Effect" and is a smart, capable player. (I especially loved her concern when the Riddler threatened to expose Batman in "A Question of Identity". Except for the two-parter, the stories don't flow together much plot-wise; the common elements are always the people: Bruce, Alfred, Yin, mob boss Mr. Thorne, Clayface, and the familiar faces of the Arkham crowd. The last story, "The Greenhouse Effect", was something of a departure from the others. While the first five stories were set during the first two seasons of the television show, this last one jumps ahead to the third season and a radical change of cast -- this is the only story featuring Jim and Barbara Gordon, despite the cover of the collection placing Batgirl so prominently. It's a wonderful follow-on from the episode "Batgirl Begins" and the relationship between Barbara and Pamela Isley which was built there, but might be jarring and confusing for readers not also watching the show. Okay, I also have to ask -- who decided that the right way to refer to Batgirl was The Girl Wonder? Seriously? Especially when Batgirl is a teenaged gymnast with a purple costume who fights crime even when Batman insists that she should give it up and go home? (For those of you who don't get the reference: in regular comics continuity "The Girl Wonder" was the fourth Robin, the first girl to be Robin, who got her start in crime-fighting as a gymnast who donned a purple costume against Batman's wishes.) All of that said, I did enjoy this collection and I'm disappointed that the rest of the The Batman Strikes run apparently won't be collected in book format.

This book is the fourth in the series of Elvis Cole, L.A. private detective. In this case a young woman seeks the help of Cole in determining what is wrong with her fiancee, a L.A. policeman. With his partner, Joe Pike, he begins the investigation. This action takes him into both middle class and lower class neighborhoods as well as gang houses. While digging, he uncovers both corruption and murder which is just the usual fare for Elvis Cole. As usual a fast moving story packed with action and a sprinkling of Elvis Cole humor.

Gilbert's Palomar > Jamie's Locas

This was the first in Block's Matthew Scudder series that I've read, although I don't believe it's the first in the series. I think perhaps I would have appreciated Scudder more if I'd read the previous books and had known what all he's been through in reaching this point in his life. Starting the series with this book, I didn't have his history and this book did not bring Scudder or other major characters alive for me until near the end of the book. I ended up liking both Scudder and his wife, Elaine. But the book overall dragged for me.

A magical love story with a circus setting;GREAT read! I loved all the charecters, & this has one very very awesome villian :)

So I think Manny and Beth-Ann have it spot on. Peter Rabbit dies in this book, and his escape is a moment-of-death fantasy. Peter is the Peyton Farquhar of kids books. Farquhar, for those who don't remember, is the Alabama Confederate (gentleman farmer / non-combatant) from Ambrose Bierce's An Occurence on Owl Creek Bridge. He's strung up to a railroad bridge to be hanged by the Union soldiers, but his rope breaks and he pulls of a miraculous escape, only to have his escape end with him still on the rope as he chokes to death. Well, little Peter doesn't have Union soldiers to string him up, but he has old Mr. McGregor to chase him around the garden, and in Peter's attempt to escape he dives into a watering can -- and I say he drowns. How's that for a cautionary tale? I figure that Peter's death in the watering can is also a euphemism for rabbit stew, and Peter becomes a yummy dinner for Mr. and Mrs. McGregor. Lucky farmers that they are. But Peter, at least, is able to enjoy a moment-of-death fantasy where he goes home and declares to Mother Rabbit that he's learned his lesson. But even at home, even in his fantasy, death begins to close in, and while his siblings play and the smells of cooking rise up to greet him (Mrs. McGregor's kitchen as she skins his corpse, perhaps?), Peter ends his day (and his life) wrapped in the blankets of his little bed. Shivering from the cold he caught in the Mr. McGregor's water bottle. Death comes to us all, little bunny, especially when we ignore our parents! Remember that. Culinarily, I think I need to get my own little rabbit for a stew. It's been a while, and rabbit is de-lish.

One word: Beautiful.

Not as strong a collection as In the Room We Share or Searching for the Ox. The characteristics of Simpson's mature verse are here, but in many of the poems the parts simply don't add up to much, as though Simpson were struggling to create these poems. And maybe he was--this book follows At the End of the Open Road (Pulitzer winner) by eight years, and Selected Poems (which has some new poems in it) by six.

Take your young readers on a yoga flow journey in this story that walks you step by step through poses that go along with the illustrations. Good for storytimes for all ages.

** spoiler alert ** Ohhoh... Alkuosa kirjasta oli suorastaan scifia ja loppuosa niin ennalta-arvattavaa homppaa, ettei tosikaan. Tottakai Bella saa lapsen ja tulee taydelliseksi vampyyriksi ja tottakai kaikki ongelmat, kuten lapsi, Jacob ja Charlie, ratkeavat kuin itsestaan. Ja tietysti kaikki elavat onnellisina ikuisesti. Pahempaa homppaa kuin Judith Krantz ja Nora Roberts yhteensa!

Chloe was a book I didn't even know I needed until I sat down and read the entire thing in one sitting. I think that the dedication sums this book up pretty well. Kristina Haynes writes "for Chloe, naturally, yours & mine". That's it. That's the book. She's writing to herself and to me and to you and to everybody with a little Chloe in them. A little passion. A little lost. A little youth wrapped up in forgiveness. And if you're not familiar with any of her other work, Kristina Haynes writes with a voice effortlessly clawing out a place for itself. She writes clear and honest in a way that demands to be heard. If you haven't already made some shelf space for her, you're going to.

This book was excellent, and I wouldn't mind reading it through again. Tom Hiney documents the London Missionary Society deputation's travels around the world in the early 19th century. The historical account and experiences are fascinating. But Hiney adds his own brilliance by tying the events into what was known - and wasn't- at the time, giving the reader a realistic feel for the amazing endeavor undertaken. He does this by relating facts that help the reader to put the action into perspective ("the year before Jane Austen was born", "meanwhile, William Wilburforce..", "the interests of the West Indies Company were markedly different as recorded..", "at the same time they were doing X, so and so was doing Y on the other side of the planet..", and "Captain Cook had explored this area, just X years before.."), as well as by relating the motivations of Europeans and how they were impacting the rest of the globe (be it views toward the missionary movement, wars (their antecedents and precedents), and local societal evolutions underway. I wish I had read this book when I was serving in full-time ministry with a parachurch organization. The challenges remain so similar! * How do you get the Gospel into a culture without tainting it with your culture? * In that day, it was separating the message from the English messenger, we were struggling with separating the Gospel from the American messenger. * What is the difference between missions where the work really sticks and missions where it fizzles? * What is the appropriate relationship between missionary and the leadership of the culture? * Is a conversion of leaders approach more successful than a conversion of the every man? * What role does translation play in mission success, and at what point should the monetary investment in translation take place? * How do missions become sustainable? * What is the proper balance between meeting physical needs (food, shelter, hospital, schools, etc.) and spiritual needs (church, Bible teaching, translation of the Bible, etc.)? Hiney also clears up long standing fallacies. He documents English colonial resistance to missionary endeavors (in this period). Far from imposing Christendom on the far cultures of the world, most Englishmen (particularly those in native lands) were opposed to the colonial movement, and some missionaries lost their lives to colonial resistance. In addition, he documents the attempts by missionaries (far beyond those of most merchants and military settlers) to integrate into the culture by learning the language, wearing the dress and adopting the culture. Further, many missionaries taught local leaders how to better interact with Europeans to preserve their best interests and either maintain or prepare for independence (very far reaching ideas for the time). I am unsure from reading the text of Hiney's religious beliefs and there are certainly sections where he expresses theological perspectives with which I disagree, but I found his accounting to be helpful and fair. He doesn't minimize or neglect failures on the field. In fact, while reading this book, I was assigned to memorize the following passage: 1 Pet 5:2-4 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being an example to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." I was struck by how this account relates the stories of missionaries in each of the categories mentioned, good and bad. Reading the notes as I went was enlightening. While the narrative leaves missionaries visited behind, Hiney documents in the notes outcomes of individuals and expeditions that were not known until years later. Highly recommended.

The Principals of Uncertainty is like no other graphic novel I have read. It is literary, political, philosophical, and artistic. Plus, it's very much stream of consciousness, which I love, and very rarely find. I cannot remember how I stumbled upon this book; but I ended up checking it out of the library a couple of weeks ago. Whereas most graphic novels I breeze through (for good reasons, not because of any lesser than _______ reason) this one I wanted to savor. Kalman does a phenomenal job posing questions and thoughts about life in a mixed media, well, I only wanted to read a couple of pages a night. (You'll see spotlights of Shakespeare, Goethe, her family, friends, and strangers). Can I just say that the book is about nothing and everything all at once? Also, unbeknownst to me when I checked this book out, Kalman is a NYT's writer. You can check out her opinion column here (Really. Click. You'll be able to see some of her work!) I think that it is best to just share some of the pages from The Principals of Uncertainty to convince you to check it out!

Viscount Devlin and his doctor friend discover that a member of the foreign office has been murdered. Why? And what is the connection to the United States and the threat of war (War of 1812)? Dead bodies are cropping up everywhere and Miss Hero Jarvis turns out to be stunningly capable of defending herself. It's no surprise that this mystery ends with a wedding.

I like the story but did not like the way the story was laid out.

It's an illustrated book that utilizes rhyming to teach little ones how to be thankful to Allah, the creator, for the senses He has given us.

Jake and his girlfriend are traveling to a remote farm so that she can meet his parents for the first time. Unfortunately for Jake, during the drive his (unnamed) girlfriend has basically come to the internal conclusion that she needs to end things with him. Unfortunately for her, she would have been much better off if she had come to that realization before the family dinner, before the detour, before things went very, very wrong. This is a wonderfully eerie and surprising little book that will keep you thinking long after the final conclusion. This book was obtained at BEA16 in exchange for an honest review.

This book in verse is excellent dealing with so many topics: playing a sport (basketball), starting to date, being a twin, African American family, family dynamics, diet and health...

Long Live the King (47-50). The last X-O arc offers another nice SF menace and a decent conclusion to the fight against the Vine, though the last issue drags a bit with its recap of the whole series. But overall, a nice bookend to VH-E X-O's first series [7/10]. 50 Specials (50). The 50th issue also offers some shorts of the sort that VH-E likes, but which are never tremendously great. This one has a nice look at Aric's past, a dull story with Ninjak, and an intriguing look toward the future. But as with all these shorts, they're not particularly important [5/10]. Overall, a good enough end to the first VH-E X-O, but not as strong as some of the previous volumes.

I love love love my lazy bull. This was my favorite book growing up!!!

very good

I was questioning how Kuklo learned all those stealth and combat-ish skills - but I think they will dig more in that merit as the manga goes on - so besides that, this manga series is a new delight look into the past before the main series. The end of this issue specially!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and it wasn't like other books I've read like this. I'm happy to say that I found this book to be very tasteful, original,and all around a great read.

Omg best book in the series! Holy cliffhanger! Chapter 23 is my fav:)

A good continuation of the series, though the plot is (again) a little muddled at times. Its biggest problem is that it just stops, rather than having an actual ending that resolves its weird questions.

Ms. Moning creates fantastic characters that you come to care about. I found myself pulling for Grimm. She sure knows how to tug on your heart strings and create an entertaining, romantic tale. Her settings are vivid and descriptive, allowing the reader to easily get caught up in the story.

More good Simone stories that make me want to pick up her run to set beside my Greg Rucka issues. The Black Canary story is a nice one of sisterhood, while the Paradise Island story does a great job of building up the mythological threads that Simone has woven.

Not my favorite entry in the series, but it is still entertaining.

The writing isn't great, but it's good enough to move into the next books (where the writing gets better).

Aubrey is an attorney on a cross-country drive from Chicago to Temecula, California to take a new position far from her cheating ex, Harrison, a partner in the firm she just left. She's pretty much hating on men when she comes across CB, Chance Bateman, a sexy biker boy who teases her at a rest stop. They meet up later when Chance's bike fails and Aubrey needs a tire change. He agrees to fix her problem, if she'll fix his: take him to LA. He sweet-talks her into it, and then proceeds to blow up Harrison's attempt at reconciliation by answering one of his ten-zillion phone calls that Aubrey keeps sending to voice mail. Over the course of eight days-because Chance also talks Aubrey into checking out the Grand Canyon and Vegas, they develop a strong friendly bond, and bizarrely adopt a blind goat kid, but don't get anywhere romantically despite their combustible chemistry. Well, excepting their final night together. Which is everything Aubrey hoped for. Morning after? Not so much. Fast forward two years. Chance had a debt to settle and it's now over. Can he win Aubrey back? Will she even let him back in the door now that she's finally gotten past her heartbreak? The book is split into halves, first told by Aubrey second told by Chance. This allows us to access both character's heartbreak and determination to find love again-even with each other. I loved how Aubrey let herself go with Chance, who is as outlandish a man as she's ever met. He's not afraid to work hard, and has overcome many a disappointment in his personal and professional life, so going after Aubrey a second time gets his undivided and creative attention. He's endearingly arrogant, always focused on how to please Aubrey even when she wants nothing to do with him. Aubrey isn't a heartless harpy. She's had two years of suffering, wishing, and waiting for Chance to simply contact her. To explain what happened in Vegas. He never did in all that time. So why should she let him now? After some good relationships and therapy, she's finally feeling secure enough to get serious, and has been dating a man for seven months. She isn't the type to simply walk out, even if Chance is literally knocking on her door and reclaiming the love of their blind goat-child. Unwilling to trust him with her heart, Aubrey allows him to work back into friendship, and that leads to more, to some degree. Chance is both determined and despondent, by turns, especially as he learns Aubrey has a time limit in her Temecula life-a new job prospect might take her cross-country yet again. It's a very sweet book, with lots of fun, flirtatious bits. There's just a little bit of steam, and part of that includes a hot shower. I liked how resilient these two people are. They have had such difficulty finding a love that lasts, and it's not realistic to trust a person who has abandoned you, for sure, so I didn't begrudge Aubrey some time to really examine Chance and his intentions. The end is sweet an HEA as a reader could hope for.

Sandra Dallas is a little bit hit and miss for me. Either I love it, or I don't. This particular book had all the good elements. Women, a small community, a mystery and some conflict. But it was boring. I never really bought in to the mystery or the drama. For some reason, it just fell flat for me. Too bad.

Enjoyable us a tad pedestrian and predictable. The lead character's near-obsession with Peyton Place's author borders on psychotic, and the central "mystery" is no mystery at all. There is, however, a certain charm to the book, especially where the relationship between our heroine and the people of her hometown is concerned.

I had to re-read this for a university class and I think I actually enjoyed it even more the second time around! I hadn't realised quite how much Katniss "plays the game" in terms of her scheming and constant awareness of how her actions are perceived by those watching the games. Naturally I'm going to try to squeeze in the rest of the series before continuing on with other books needed for uni.

Fast read but a great story about a character I'd always wanted to know more about. Admittedly I've never read the source material but have seen the movies and the musical. I'd always had a soft spot for Eponine though. I'd wanted to see her get a happy ending and while you know how this one ends, it's her journey that I enjoyed.

Mercy Conde has all the confidence she needs in the corporate world of running her parents restaurants. What she lacks in confidence is her abilities and strength to take care of herself in dangerous situations. To prove to her parents she can do just that and take over their international business, she enroll in Brothers In Arms self defense course. Vann Highrider is one third of the owners of Brothers In Arms. With Cherokee blood, he's known for his tracking skills. And certain activities around their company are raising his suspicions that may be related to their last case. His job however is distracted by Mercy, who can't seem to get any closer to her goals of getting physically stronger. So he takes her under his wing one on one to improve her skills. This is a short quick read, the relationship between Vann and Mercy develops quite fast, and their connections are instantaneous. Although the threat to the company is related to the last book, you get enough background that you don't feel lost in the story. The suspense could be built upon a bit more but I still enjoyed the overall story. ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh City of Lost Souls, oh you poor thing. True, I lost some sleep over this book and technically I still am because I'm crazy enough to attempt to write this review at 5 in the morning but: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Seriously, Clare? Seriously? As if COFA wasn't bad enough but you just had to make it worse, didn't you? You could have had a perfect ending with City of Glass and now I think you're just writing for the sake of having some more money come in, as if that isn't already happening with the City of Bones movie. Clary. I honestly used to like you. I really did. Probably not as much as I liked (or loved) Tessa but something. Now you're just annoying me. Sure, you run off and get your little ass potentially killed! No one's going to care! Why would they? You be that whiny girl who can't be away from her boyfriend without causing World War III and see how much love you get. Yeah, not so much, huh? Overall, I found this book lacking plot and just seemed of Clary dwelling on if Jace would ever would be well...the Jace we all know and love. Since Clary is being the silly girl she is, there's usually Jace to be the funny one we wished would just pop out of the page and be ours. But nope. Clare killed her only strong point in this book until the last few pages (cause of course everyone's gonna get their happy ending!) And the fire thing? Really? What's the point of that happening? And I'm sure by now everyone's noticed how Clary and Jace are these one of a kind characters that are so awesome and seem to have little to no flaws. And now it just seems that every book is focusing around that and after a while it gets lame... But, with the mention of Tessa earlier, it's obvious that I probably loved the Infernal Devices so I was ecstatic to see all the little references in it! Like seeing the angel and Will's copy of Tale of Two Cities and poor Alec getting jealous over Will. (though that really NEEDS to stop). And naturally, despite my little personal rant, where calling it unprofessional and mature is an understatement, of course I'm going to read City of Heavenly Souls or whatever it's called. (I really missed finding out what the cities were and now I don't even think there's anything useful about the title, other than trying to maintain the theme of the first 3 books). I'm BEYOND curious at how Clare going's to wrap this series up. Again.

I liked the book very much. It was quite short, though and we only get brief intro to characters. We don't find out why charming, gorgeous Jacob liked insecure Victor. The world created has a special police unit where psychic cops are paired up with normals. There is lots of potential for future stories with the wide range of abilities in the psychics. Victor's ability to talk to dead people gives him a unique means to solve murder cases. A well written, fun, sexy story. Looking forward to the next book.

Two boys with very different lives, Perry and Steve are connected by the path of a train although they never really get to know each other. Perry rides the B&O railroad line twice a week since he alternates living with his grandmother and his mother. He feels disconnected from all that is familiar since his father is missing in Vietnam, his sister has disappeared into the war protest movement, and his mother is in nursing school. He writes letters to his sister, Annie, in an attempt to reconnect. He notices a boy, Steve, racing against the train, and imagines that Steve has the life he wishes he had. Steve, in turn, imagines taking the train and leaving his strict family and farm work behind. He has a vivid imagination and pretends that he is the train conductor, and the cows are dining cars. When the cows decide to cross the track one day, the train is forces to halt while Steve and his dog Nipper corral them once again. The poet explains his writing process in making sure the two boys' voices are unique in an afterword. I liked the idea behind this book with both boys yearning for other lives and other pastures, in a sense. The premise reminds me of the old adage that the grass is always greener on the other side. But I didn't feel as strong a connection with Steve as I did with Perry, and in some respects I didn't feel as though I knew either boy very well. Their encounter is so brief that I have to wonder if they wouldn't have come to the same conclusions about their own lots without it occurring.

I thought this book was cool because the adventure and journey throughout this book was entertaining. Rick Riordan never had a boring moment throughout the entire book and kept the reader on the edge of his or her seat. There was always something happening, every flip of the page and danger was eminent throughout. You can see the character develop throughout the book and brought the reader through a vivid maze of an adventure. Great book for anyone who is looking for an adventure and to follow a character who is trying to prove himself.

I enjoyed this book and would like to see this series continue. This is a fast read and since I had read the first two, I finished this one in a day.

This is a really good story that is set in a whole new futuristic world. It's one of those books that you're not sure where it's going from the beginning, you think it's just a book about normal teenage girls going through normal teenage stuff like boy crushes. Soon though you realize that things are a whole lot more complicated. You get to meet Rena and her best friend Blaze, who know each other really well, which is a good thing because they are often breaking the rules. And there are a lot of rules to follow. Well Rena is often breaking them and Blaze just gets pulled into her antics. I loved Rena and her desire to discover what is past the sterile, walled, oppressive community she lives in. She knows there is more beyond the boundaries than the people are being told but if she gets caught snooping there she knows the consequences could be devastating. And in fact they are but not in a way she could have imagined. When her friend gets taken because of something she, Rena has done, Rena again steps beyond the rules and finds herself teaming up with the guy she has a crush on. They find themselves on quest/journey/adventure to save Blaze. Rena was such a real character to me, every time she got a fine for breaking a rule, I could feel her exasperation at the ridiculousness of it. Every time she spied on this teenager she had a crush on, I could feel her giddy excitement. Every time she took a chance to try something new, something almost always went wrong, I loved that she never let any of that stop her. The setting is very well done from the oppressed nature of Hollowcrest to the badlands to the ugly forest. As you read you feel like you're fenced in. This is a story about a futuristic dystopian society, friendship and young love. I truly enjoyed this novel. 4.5/5 I was given a copy as part of a book tour.

I confess I skimmed this one but I enjoyed hearing Tony Bennett's view of many famous and not so famous people in his life. He's such a positive guy - make no mistake this is a love fest [and that is okay]. I think what impressed me most was all of his artwork, fantastic!

I hadn't read a Xanth novel since probably the 90's. It was a fun read/listen. A little too much focus on sex and nudity for my tastes, but the story was good as long as you don't mind lots of puns.

From the author of "Hands Are Not For Hitting" is a new book that talks to kids about what they experience because they are on the autism spectrum. Shocking! Revolutionary! Wait....why aren't we talking to our kids about autism? That's something I've thought during most IEP meetings, at which my son is not present. Granted, he's 7. Then again, he's 7. Not stupid. And this is his life. Elizabeth Verdick ("Hands Are Not For Hitting") and Elizabeth Reeve, MD are both mothers of sons on the autism spectrum. They've written a guide, meant to be read with a parent, to help children with autism to understand why they experience the world differently than their classmates, and to make choices to guide their future. There's a chapter about learning body language, complete with photos of a boy and girl giving knucks. The book talks about bedwetting, how to start a conversation, and exactly how hard you're supposed to hit someone in the game "tag." I haven't yet read this book cover to cover, but I have read it sufficiently enough and with enough suspicion that it not be precious or condescending to recommend it to parents and family members of children with autism, but primarily for the children themselves. This is a step to help us all imagine a future as full as the futures of their neurotypical peers. I laud Verdick and Reeve for providing this book so that we can take it.

This book takes you to a little British town outside of London. Through the investigatation, you meet the small town's interesting residents and learn all their secrets. Did the victim reserve what he got? Was he as nasty as the towns people made him out to be? You don't know for sure until the final pages. Another good book in this series. And I finally figured out who the killer was before the end of one of Crombie's books!

I'm not even sure why I read this. I think it was for the pug.

Time to lend the book to Lisa. :)

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This was better than I thought it would be. I wasn't sure I'd like it because I hate the Bane character. I think he's boring. Thankfully, even though this story arc is about his villany, he's not in it as much as I thought he would be. In fact, this is more of a Robin/Jean-Paul story than either a Bruce Wayne or Bane one. So I liked the interesting new direction the Batman comics made in this early 1990s story. I'm looking forward to reading part 2, which has gotten low reviews on here and on Amazon for the same reasons I really liked this volume, oddly enough. Recommended. Love the fact that they reprinted this in full color, which sometimes these comic book companies don't do for these 600+ page reprints.

For diehard Jim Thompson fans.

A mix of a historical mystery and a legal thriller. The pleasure boat was blown up by the dynamite. 200 people died as a result of it, killed during the explosion, drowned in the river, and perished from pneumonia or sustained injuries. William Monk, the commander of the River Police and a direct witness of the tragedy, first helped in the rescue efforts, then started investigating the incident. But the very next day the investigation would be taken over by the Metropolitan Police, despite the fact that the explosion happened on the Thames and should have remained in the jurisdiction of the River Police. What will happen next are judicial procedures and efforts in uncovering the mystery behind the tragedy. Although all the favourite characters have their cameos or bigger parts, this novel is less absorbing than previous books in the Monk series. The judicial procedures take quite a big part, but are less personal when there is no Rathborne to defend, prosecute or judge, just assist in the second trial. Because of the various circumstances both Monk and Hester are less involved in the investigation than in previous books of the series. When the mystery is finally resolved, it is a bit anticlimactic and rushed. Nevertheless, it still makes a good reading, especially when combined with a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits.:)

Intriguing premise and characters, including Lilith, the cat. Esmeralda--Ralda--has come to Atonement because she bought a house--cheap--there. She meets and makes friends with some women; she also meets two mysterious men that make her uneasy--or something. Strange things happen, some of them involving a bed and a mirror; then there's a murder under puzzling circumstances. And what is happening in the cemetery--and on her roof. Oh, and those flowers sure are lush... The descriptions are well done, and I enjoyed the story, but the ending was disappointing. Possibly there's going to be a sequel?

My Review: Quinn suffers depression. When she was young she dated a manic-depressive, Bash, who was the star quarterback of their high school. He was extremely dependent upon Quinn, and suffered more and more depressive events when he went to college-away from her. She did the best she could to visit, but Bash became worse, and worse. Then, one night when she collected him for a home trip they fought, and the car went over a bridge. Quinn survived, and Bash did not. Quinn carries this guilt, and she's leaving her home town to stay with her cousin Ginger in LA to avoid the hateful people who believe she should have died instead of Bash-including Quinn's own parents. Her first night in town, Ginger takes Quinn to a party of fellow actors where she meets Chase. Chase is a rising star in Hollywood, and loves Quinn's off-attitude, and the challenge of meeting a woman who isn't actually interested in his fame or contacts. They hit it, hard, each looking for a night of comfort. This turns out to be a problem three weeks later. A problem of the "two pink line" sort. Chase doesn't know what to make of this situation. He'd called Quinn many times, with no replies, only to learn she's prego? Sounds like a set-up. The more he investigates, the more he learns and likes Quinn, however. And, the more he wants to make a go of it. On the flip-side, Quinn wants no part of fame. She wants no part of the constantly catty starlets who hound Chase, and are willing to sell any story to push their agendas. It's a solid New Adult romance, with added drama from the Hollywood set. Quinn learns to trust Chase, and to face the memories of her time with Bash-to reassess her role in Bash's disease and see this new relationship as more healthy. Chase learns that chasing women isn't the most fulfilling enterprise, and having one woman to love, who also loves you, is a valuable commodity in Tinsel Town. One worth cherishing.

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3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book with the Don't Buy My Love program at Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Matty Marcus is a World Champion figure skater recovering from a back in jury and a disappointing showing at the Olympics. He is on the verge of bankrupt and needs money to begin training for the next Olympics two years away. One of his fans offers him a lot of money to house-sit for her Montana ranch and horses while on a six-month trip to Australia/Asia. Having no better prospects, Matty agrees. Problem is, Matty's flamboyantly gay. He, perhaps, never says this explicitly in his interviews, but he wears women's clothes and shoes and makeup, so...it's pretty obvious. He can't really un-gay himself, even if the judges don't favor it. Matty's a bit afraid that he'll run up against some gay bashing in his new remote locale, but, what he finds is his new neighbor--the man who owns the next ranch over, is himself gay. Rob is much more the burly, athletic male specimen, but he's drawn to Matty and they engage in a passionate affair. This passion is tinged with frustration, however, knowing that Matty's time is fixed. Still, Matty bonds with Rob's son, Ben--a pre-teen boy interested in figure skating. Matty relates well with Ben, recognizing the boy has size and power that Matty lacks. Masculinity is now being highly regarded in the figure skating world, and though Matty has talent, he can't change his stature. Rob gets Matty. He sees how he struggles--to maintain his weight, his focus, with his fear of failure and his self-loathing for previous failures--and through some Dom/sub interactions Matty experiences an emotional purging. They are deeply connected with one another, more so than either had been with another man before. Still their time comes to an end and Matty asks for a clean break--knowing he will devote himself 24/7 for the next two years to his dream of Olympic gold. Because of this, Matty is, in part, better able to focus on skating as a means to bury his grief over letting Rob go. Matty trains relentlessly and achieves his Olympic dream...sort of. Even years later, he struggles with the loss of Rob, and contemplates giving up his competitive career. While recuperating from yet another sidelining injury, Matty discovers Ben in training for junior figure skating competitions. Matty connects with Rob again, but Rob is unwilling to pick up Matty's pieces. Again. Rob can't bear any more diet management and ten hour training days, seeing the love of his life sacrifice everything for figure skating, when the rewards are so slim. About 3/4 of the way through this book I just started crying. See, I've been around elite athletes--people training for the Olympics/World Championships. Not figure skaters, but intense, driven individuals who will sacrifice everything to attain their goals of competing/winning at this level. Moving across country to train with an esteemed coach. Families investing their entire financial resources behind the training of a promising athlete. The sacrifices Matty makes seem very much in line with those people. The constant training, the constant diet management, forgoing relationships in order to "stay focused"; this is the hallmark of many an elite athlete. It was so hard to read Matty's struggle for that reason--because I know this is happening right now with talented athletes who are great, and perhaps--like Matty--amazing, and yet, who will not see the top of the podium nonetheless. This book, by the way, is not an indictment of elite sports. It is a realistic portrayal of the sacrifices some athletes will make to achieve. I was satisfied that Matty really learns what is most important in his world; what he is willing to settle for, and that which will bring him the most happiness. It is solid contemporary story, a come-back story, a romance with scorching love scenes and some BDSM. Rob and Matty are blistering together, and their short Montana love affair changes each of them in unexpected ways.

Still reading....interesting, but can I read ALL THESE BOOKS?!!!!

Starting with the Walt Whitman epigram reminding us that children have the gift of imagination, being able to become the objects they see, these ten simple poems written in Spanish and then English follow two friends as they explore the natural wonders outside their homes and count their blessings. The street is described as being "like the trunk of an almond tree" (unpaginated) as someone ponders whether "this house is a nest built between trunk and branch" (unpaginated). Some of the language is exquisite: For instance, "The sun in a bucket is washing its face" (unpaginated). The vivid illustrations consist of mixed media, formed with marker, stamp, linocutss, and computer creations. Every page is filled with a sense of wonder as the characters relish the simple joys of life and ponder life's mysteries as well.

This book was fascinating. It tells two different stories at the same time. The story of Ana Eliza Dee Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young and a modern day mystery regarding the death of a husband by his 19th wife. The story is interesting and told in two different perspectives. Some have complained that it was confusing, I thought it was EASY to follow along and figure out who's voice was speaking---either from chapter title or topic of concern. Others complained because one of the characters is a homosexual...If you can't handle homosexuals, don't read books where they play a role.

Beautiful, evocative, deeply moving story. The writing is stellar and keep you turning pages.

** spoiler alert ** This story starts out strong but I felt that ultimately Knoll told a story that was a bit too complicated for the length of this book. If you're going to tell the story of a school shooting that is as complicated as the Columbine massacre (and Knoll thanks Dave Cullen in her acknowledgements), then it deserves a bigger piece of your story. But Knoll includes it among other plot points and it doesn't get the time and space that a conflict of that magnitude really deserves. And there were too many smaller pieces of Ani's story that were left untouched. I wanted this to be more focused to get a stronger sense of her change from beginning to end. It just wasn't strong enough for me. Knoll is a strong writer, though, and this is definitely a page turner. I compared her to Megan Abbott and Liane Moriarty as I read, and those are authors I really like, so that's a good thing.

This book consists of several short vignettes written from the standpoints of various people. Stitched together they form a very rough picture of the history of Muhammad. But the point, I think, is not so much to recount history but to give a picture of the sheer power and inspiration the man wielded. When I first read this book, I knew little about Islam, so I don't suppose that I recognized that most of these people stand firmly in established tradion. Reading it now armed with the knowledge that I have now, I found it to be a much better book.

The wrighting chg. a lot in this book. They have a ghost writer now,because they want to go along better with the TV program. anyway, all of the kids are getting ready to go off to Dalcrest College.Elena is hopeing things will normal in her life get back to sort of normal,because nothing is ever normal in her life.With a vampire for a boyfriend,& his brother,Damon,another vampire. And then there is always, Bonnie,the witch,& Meredith,the vampire slayer. Matt is a normal boy,who is Elena's best friend. Matt got a football scolarship to go to school. He lives alone,as all of his family is dead.Of course nothing can ever be normal for Elena& her friends.Student's start to go missing& only the blood left for police.Matt is invited to become a memeber of a saroity,Stephan,as well.Oops.,not a good thing to do.Really bad things start to happen.Everything comes down to 1 big fight. The good guys win the battle.Or did they? I'll find out in the next book,when it comes out,in November. Till then? the

Suspenseful, gripping, and absolutely stunning read.

Interesting. I did watch the series fro Starz and it helped visualize the book better.