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I did NOT expect to like this book. I saw it at B&N when it first came out, but I was never into sci-fi fantasy so I immediately dismissed it. But being that it has always been on my recommended list, I had to give it a shot. I wanted to call it a DNF a few pages in, but every person I ran across praised the heck out of it! So I thought to just get passed it and let me just say, I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID! Cinder is an amazing character who really gets personal with you. She has flaws and doubts herself like every other person. The love story needed a bit more development, but it wasn't too terrible. Retellings tend to be pretty stereotypical, but the cyborg twist was amazing! The author forces you to feel CONNECTED to cinder! So much that you feel every bit of pain that she goes through. Especially when the only act of kindness given to her was quickly dismissed and squandered by her stepsister. So I'm pleading with y'all to give this book the benefit of the doubt!

I will say this in all caps: THIS IS THE BEST CHEW VOLUME SO FAR. Expect a fight so great and exciting you wish it was longer than that, and Poyo's not even there! This is actually the least funny volume so far. And so many status quo might have changed thereafter. As of this time, Tony knows how to beat the Collector, but that is obviously not revealed to us. Hell, we can wait. Just please, let Tony beat the hell out of The Collector. I want to see that vile man die! The one-shot Poyo issue was nothing short of spectacular and funny. The spread pages of his exploits (plus Poyo-themed variant covers) are worth a few moments to be looked at.

Blood Will Run (170-173). I find it rather astounding how much Johns' writing has improved from the previous volume. Here we get great characters in both Wally and our new cops (Chyre and Morillo). We also get an interesting villain, some nice continuity, and some nice mystery. The result is a pleasure to read. [7+/10] Moving Right Along (174). Though we get a silly new villain in "Tar Pit", this is still a surprisingly strong issue because of its focus on characters and ... life [7/10]. It's a real marked contrast from the house style that Johns has pioneered for the New 52, which is all fighting all the time. Birth Right (175-176). Another strong story for its combination of action and character. It nicely answers the previous cliffhanger and also announces an upcoming Rogue conspiracy, which is of course the heart of Johns' run [7+/10]. There's also great art by Scott Kolins. I'm actually usually not that enthused with his art generally, but something about his early art here, with some great coloring by James Sinclair, really makes these stories standout. Iron Heights. This is a pretty great one-off story, both because it creates a new problematic setting (Iron Heights) and because it really ramps up the idea of the Rogues getting together. As much as Blood will Run, this is the story that makes it obvious that Johns' Flash run will be legendary [7+/10]. Rogues. And finally, a fairly low-key story that introduces Zolomon and reminds us of the Rogue threat. It's just a teaser [6/10]. Overall, this is a pretty great volume of stories that defines the strengths of Johns' run. And if folks find this volume slightly disjointed, it's because the last two stories were not part of the normal run [though they link well with the continuity] and so served different purposes. I'd certainly rather have them than not.

A swift read. The cover is deceptive. It looks soft and sweet and romantic. In truth, I started in the middle, backtracked, and read the whole thing in about 2 hours. Maybe less. Aerin and Dane are keeping secrets, but are inexplicably drawn to each other in the most exclusive premiere boarding school in the galaxy. Doesn't have too many futuristic gadgets to date it, and I like the competitiveness between Aerin and Dane.

I read this at the same time The DaVinci Code was making headlines and being read by everyone under the sun. I read this book first and was AMAZED that such a superior thriller didn't get nearly the attention. It's full of twisty turns and it's a quick, fun read.

This is a reworking of Dickens' 'Christmas Carol' for the Dark Knight Batman mythos. Apart from a clumsy confusion at the beginning as to who precisely is Bob Cratchit's 'boss' (either an egregious failure of continuity or a too-clever-by-half attempt to give the now somewhat cliched message of the Joker and Batman as two sides of the same coin), this works well. But the book is not best read for the script which is fairly predictable (though well drafted and, as we will see, with a message) and really an opportunity to give star appearances to Cat Woman, SuperMan and The Joker for the fans but the art work which is dark, Gothic, precise and magnificent. It opens with an atmospheric evocation of Gotham City in which you can see and hear (a remarkable achievement, here) the crunch of Batman's boots as he walks across a snowy roof. There is also a useful contemporary reworking of Dickens' moral which give nothing away to state here. Whereas Dickens was castigating lack of generosity and miserly disregard for others, Bermejo is castigating the blind hunt for justice that stereotypes those on the margin as a-social regardless of their circumstances and which uses people as mere tools to some greater 'good'. Batman is presented as on the very edge of psychopathy and drifting into the territory of Judge Dredd in a world where police and petty criminals are simply trying to make the best of a bad system. Wayne Enterprises is not pictured precisely in its standard context of beneficence. This comic book is slight but it expresses a turn of sorts in the mind-set of a nation, away from simplistic notions of good and evil and (if tentatively) towards criticism of a world that has a place for vigilante superheroes with a cold attitude to the weak and vulnerable. The vigilante trope was a creation of the Wild West and was urbanised first briefly by Dashiell Hammett (from a Leftish perspective) in the 1920s and then in Hollywood cinema during the 1970s with violent protagonists like those in 'Death Wish' or the Dirty Harry films. The justice trope is standard American 'beacon on a hill stuff' and Batman was originally a fairly innocent figure until the tormented 'Dark Knight' figure appeared, while Judge Dredd always was a satire on America (a fact Sylvester Stallone may have missed). To see both tropes now critiqued through a Victorian reformer's message by a relatively young graphic artist and writer is yet another sign that the younger generation of Americans are questioning cultural assumptions, even if at one remove.

Nothing hits the spot like a Diane Chamberlain novel when she's in the zone. I enjoyed the hell out of this. The interpersonal drama between Tess and her family and Vincent and Henry and his family was very compelling. Each character had nuanced motivations and their relationships were appropriately complicated and fascinating. There's a good amount of historical information seamlessly integrated into the story and Chamberlain does a great job establishing the local culture and mores of Little Italy, Baltimore and Hickory, North Carolina. There are some twists and turns and mysteries that are resolved in a very satisfying way. Twists can fail in two very different ways. They can be so random and poorly foreshadowed that they seem contrived or super conventional and predictable and thus not very twisty. Henry's secret mixed race love affair with a childhood friend and unacknowledged biracial children hit the sweet spot as far as family mysteries go, not too out there or too predictable. I loved this. Go read it!

My enjoyment of the first Maze Runner was down to the fact that certain pieces of the puzzle were witheld from the reader and the characters, to create a conspiracy and sense of suspense. It's odd, considering that, that it's also the reason I really disliked this sequel. In the first book, the concept of the maze was really interesting and taut, yet the 'trials' in this entry feel like one random attack or story twist after another. Nothing feels connected, and because of that, nothing within the story flows for me like it did last time. Overall, I found myself wanting this book to just be over already, which is never a good sign. This series maybe should have answered a few more questions in the first book and stayed a stand alone, because this sequel is disappointing.

I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great reference for the newbie pirate historian. I always say never have just one book as a reference but if you can only have one to begin with, make sure it has a good base. This is that book for she-captains.

An excellent read. Riley is an apprentice demon trapper and she's damn cool - a well rounded and likeable lead character. She's kick ass, sweet, funny and not in anyway bolshy. She's vulnerable too, which a key event early on in the book shows. I liked the story line and can see a number of areas where the series could go to. I wasn't so keen on some of the linguistics - the Scottish master and Riley's father's 'partner' Beck's conversation was written in their accents (I know there's a techincal word for this - I learnt it in A-Level English Language but I've forgotten) which is something I really detest in books. The only person I think to have gotten away with it with me is Irvine Welsh because his books are a work of art. The use of 'ya' for you and 'ta' for to just annoy me - it suggests people are too stupid to remember that these characters have regional accents. However, it is easy enough to gloss over this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there isn't going to be another love triangle/rectangle/octagon a la every single young adult paranormal book on the market these days because I really like the innocent relationship that Riley seems to have with Simon but I doubt I'm going to get my wish with all these mystery men showing up in her life. Unusually for me I'm not on the side of the bad boy in this - I'm not sure I really like Beck's character - sure, he really does care for Riley but there's something a little bit off about him for me that doesn't make him as likeable as I susoect he is meant to be. I liked the details in the book - for example, the little Magpie demon who stole Riley's 'N' key from her laptop and then returned it - so sweet. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

A more detailed review can be found on my blog. As a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, I grabbed this book on first glance simply because penguins and then because BABY PENGUINS!!! A thoroughly entertaining story about how overwhelming family can be, Baby Penguins Everywhere is a fun, lighthearted tale about a lonely lady penguin who discovers more family than she ever dreamed when she finds a hat... from which emerge an untold number of baby penguins. At first she is simply happy to no longer be alone, but soon Ms. Penguin discovers how overwhelming family can be and how important taking a moment for herself is. Parents will probably enjoy the intricacies of this lesson more than children, but this book is a great way to let kids know that its okay to need alone time.

I enjoyed the book. It is what I would call a lighthearted read...one that is fun, a bit campy at times and easy to fall into. There are others who criticized the repetition of certain mannerisms of the characters (hands on the hips, etc.) but don't characters reflect real people and don't real people tend to have mannerisms that they repeat? At any rate, the book held my attention and was charming enough that I would like to read the next book. Perfect read for a snowy afternoon.

Fun easy fast read

Beautiful photography and fun text. It provides children with the opportunity to see animals in their natural state and a chance to build their own animal-friendly snowman.

Reads like a long senior English thesis. Early on there is much good description of the type of war it was, its idiocy and futility, and, frankly, one wishes the author had stopped while he was ahead, because at that point, one feels a very strong thesis developing about a general public skepticism, of government and of institutions, growing out of The Great War. One reads on expecting this thesis to be developed and further supported in some way, but instead the author changes direction and starts talking about colors, times of day, poetic references, and, oddly, homosexuals (which, the author speculates at one point, the English have some sort of predisposition toward--say what?), so that the promising argument that Anglo-American culture changed fundamentally because of the experience of The Great War fades into the mist like a doomed frontal attack on the Somme. He spends an inordinate amount of time discussing Sassoon, Wilfred and Graves, and with Graves spends nearly ten pages raising vague criticisms of "Goodbye to All That" as "too farcical" and questioning its veracity, an accusation he never manages to support, and in fact at one point actually contradicts. One wishes he were still alive today so that we could ask him if he is familiar with Aristotle's "On Poetics" where the philosopher points out that "The laughable is a species of what is disgraceful". In other words, there can be (at least) two reactions to the idiocy of the Great War. First, one can deeply regret, with due reverence, the mistakes, the misconceptions, and the lack of questioning of authority; one may even rage against these things. This way serves to honor the dead, in that it does not hurt their feelings that they died for no good reason. The second way is to call into question all of it with humor, since, per Aristotle, humor arises from the despicable. That does not make the humor dishonorable or intended in some way to dishonor. It is merely a different way to get to the same result. Fussell seems to have missed this second possibility entirely with his criticism of Graves.

Expected a modern style popular history. Instead found a recasting of 19th century news reports with their lurid sensationalism taken at face value. But also left with an appreciation for what America once was during times of rampant corruption - we take rule of law largely for granted now, and see bribery graft and protection rackets as exceptions which CAN be stamped out. Tammany is a reminder of what can happen even in America - and that should give us humility and compassion when we see such troubles abroad.

Was okay. A bit corny but I've come to expect that from light hearted romance novels.

Profound!

An entertaining addition to the Argeneau series. I enjoyed reading about the main couple, but I think the best part was Stephanie- the teen no-fanger. She is a great addition to the series, adding another dimension full of humor and spice.

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, returns in this story about the kid he tried to scare who then became his friend--Sam. Sam is definitely not afraid of Leonardo, but when he sees the second most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world, he screeches! Kerry (the second most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world) also has a monster friend who she is not scared of. She is just as frightened by Sam as Sam is by her! To no avail, the two monsters try to get their friends to calm down and talk. They just keep screaming. The two monsters decide to let the humans figure things out on their own and go get coffee. Eventually, Sam and Kerry stop screeching and start to get to know each other. They find things they both dislike, things just one of them likes, and things they both like. By the time the monsters return, both of their friends have disappeared. Aah! The humans jump out at them as they really like trying to scare their monsters best of all. Good for preschool or older kid storytimes.

This book has some potential but the plot and characters felt very under developed. You never really get into the mind of the killer to understand his motives aside from wanting to "play the game" with Grant. I couldn't relate or find myself connecting to the H/h much either. Maybe if the book was longer it could explore the depths of these characters.

This is the weaker side of Brubaker's run, but there are still some interesting stories here. Sympathy for the Devil (106). Things are not going well for Matt following the events of "Without Fear". There's not a lot of meat to this story, but it's interesting seeing it viewed through the eyes of three of his friends [6/10]. Cruel & Unusual (107-110). For his third year Brubaker (coauthoring this arc with Greg Rucka) goes smaller scope, telling a self-contained story of intrigue. It puts a very delightful spotlight on Dakota North, who has been a relatively minor part of the comic to date, and it's a good-enough story, but not the sort of big-picture, important and canon-y story that we've come to expect from Brubaker [7/10]. Devil May Care (Annual 1). Using Matt's prison stay as a way to give him a link to another villain is great, and Black Tarantula comes off as a very interesting character. This storyline definitely feels somewhat removed from Brubaker's other work, but it's nonetheless an intriguing character study, and a reflection of what even Matt won't do. [7+/10]. Blood of the Tarantula (Special). It's great to have this never-reprinted Special back in print, and with its companion, "Devil May Care". It's of course the continuing story of the Black Tarantula, and it continues to be a great study of his evolving character -- and also a nice contrast to Matt's state, post-Milla [7+/10]. Lady Bullseye (111-115). The first half of Brubaker's third (and final) major arc is surely his weakest volume. There's great subplot involving Milla and Dakota that nicely carries along this arc of Matt's life. But the main plot, involving Lady Bullseye, is overly mysterious and totally inconclusive. Certainly this has been the model for all three of Brubaker's arcs, but story by story he's felt less need for the first half of each arc to be self-contained. The subplots and characters carry the story, but barely [6+/10]. Return of the King (116-119, 500). The biggest problem with Brubaker's third and final major arc is that it's so muddy. Still, this is better than the first half and Brubaker does the best to clear up everyone's motives in the final issue with a funs set of flashbacks that's particularly insightful for Master Izo ... but before that we spent almost a year stumbling around, and even in the end everything's not crystal clear, especially not the motives of Lady Bullseye. (I think it doesn't help that these characters were totally dropped from Matt's mythology pretty soon after Brubaker's run.) With that all said, this is still a solid ending for Brubaker's run that closes off his major Kingpin story and also concludes his smaller arcs involving Milla and Dakota. It also puts Daredevil in an interesting starting place for the next author (though sadly Diggle's short run would never manage to tell that story is a particularly enthralling or believable way).

A season of desperate housewives in novel format. It was fine but nothing outstanding.

It's been about a week since I finished reading this and all I can remember is the fantastic beginning. I don't believe there was a plot, but it was such a fun start with the heavy-drinking James Bond paying a visit to a health spa (of all places) as recommended by M. There, He endures fasting and endless 'treatments' with cups of sugary tea and a droll sense of humour. Then he's sent overseas to investigate the possibility that stolen atomic bombs have been hidden in the islands. There's an evocative scuba-diving scene involving sharks and black blood but it's all downhill from there. Perhaps I wasn't paying the later chapters my full attention but it seemed rather sedate for a supposed thriller.

I picked up this book because it had a girl with a sword on the cover, and I have long been a fan of Tamora Pierce and her ilk. I was a bit disappointed by the story, though. If you're just looking for a classic Arthurian-style knight-adventurer story with a female protagonist, this may answer very well. If you want a story about a young girl kicking butt with more modern sensibilities, you may want to look elsewhere. The author also used a lot of archaic language and made some questionable grammatical choices in places, which I, as a fairly well-read adult, had occasional difficulty deciphering. Some of the vocabulary is well beyond the average 9 to 12-year-old reader, who would seem to be the book's intended audience. That said, I would probably have liked the story more if I had first read it at 12 than I do having first read it as an adult.

Incident in an Old Haunt (Showcase '95 #12). A super-short Shade piece, but it's nice both to remind us of his core nature and to contrast it with a super-demon [8/10]. Encounters (17). There's a lot to like in this Day in the Life issue, but I think it's the final couple of pages and Shade's attitude therein that really make it shine [8/10]. Times past: First Joust (18). This is interesting mostly for showing how Ted interacted with Opal City in his time. We didn't *really* need a full issue to see why these five people met their doom in Sins of the Child, nor was it that interesting to see Ted and the original Mist "joust". But it was an enjoyable story [6.5/10]. Talking with David '96 (19). Like the previous Talking, this one has moments of touching characterization and long dull bits (here, the pirate fight) [6/10]. Day & Night, Dark & Bright (Showcase '96 4-5). Nice to get some backstory on Shade's changing character and some more insight into Culp, but beyond that, there's not a lot of depth in this short two-part story [6/10]. (Though I'm very pleased to have the Showcase stories, all said the overall arc really grinds to a halt in the first 100 pages of this volume, because of all the diversions.) Sand and Stars (20-24). This is a spectacularly good arc, which is nice after some disappointments. Robinson captures the essence of Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre beautifully, and also does a great job of capturing the characters of the protagonists decades later. Wesley's arc of courage refound is the best part of the story; Jack is almost an afterthought. The epilogue with Jack and the Mist in #24 is every bit as good because it humanizes the Mist and says a lot about Jack's character, not necessarily all good [10/10]. Legends of the Dead Earth (Annual 1). Robinson totally subverts the Dead Earth's concept by telling stories of *our* past, and as a result this annual is great, rather than worthless like most of the Dead Annuals Annuals from this year. Gavin's story is terrific, especially with its twist at the end, and it's a nice setup for the future. The story of the first Starman and O'Dare is quite enjoyable too. And Robinson even manages to get great mileage out of the frame itself [8+/10]. To Hell and Back (24-26). This is a fine adventure, though not up to the level of some of the more amazing arcs. The last issue is the best, with Matt, Shade, and Jack meeting their temptations in Hell, even if the end is a bit obvious. A nice ending too [7.5/10] Christmas Knight (27). A sappy story, but an enjoyable one [8/10]. Times Past: 1976 (28). A nice look at Mikaal's origins, and a really cool integration of him into the '70s scene. However, the main plotline doesn't hold up to the trappings [6.5/10]. The Return of Bobo (29). There's not a lot to this story, but it introducing an interesting new character, has some nice continuity, and has a few great moments [8/10]. Overall, this volume is a bit more scattered than its predecessor, but it's still pretty great and holds up quite well.

good book the series is very good so fare

This book pits the series off to a great start! So many things to love about this world and these characters. Be warned--once you wander into Blighted Basin, you won't want to leave.

Phylis Johnson wrote fabulous books about places that I knew very well as a child set in the pioneering back blocks of the Waikato and Taranaki. I really want to go back and read them as an adult.

This book is written as a series of tell-all vignettes confessing the TRUE nature of the partnership between renown occultist Simon Feximal and his journalist-cum-paranormalist Robert Caldwell. The setting is 1890s London and men are not allowed, legally, to have sexual relations with each other. (But boy-howdy, do they!) They meet because Robert has a ghost inhabiting his ancestral home. He calls out Simon, who has the ability to communicate with spirits, by means of writings that etch across his skin, when he is in the presence of a ghost. It is horrifying and fascinating to Robert, and the manner of expulsion of his ancestral ghost is sexy-sexy. This was actually so fascinating to read. It could have gone campy, but it never did. Each chapter is a case; all of them have some heat between Simon and Robert, mostly as a way for Simon to disgorge the coldness that saps him while communing with spirits. I honestly could not get enough of this couple. There could have been a hundred chapters and I'd have continued turning the pages. There are little threads woven in the stories which connect one to the next, but each is unique and interesting while building on the developing love story between these two men. I won't say this is tender, because it isn't. There is tenderness at times, but often it's harsh and necessary couplings. The desperation they both experience, amid life-and-death encounters kept me captivated. THere is incredible tenderness in their small gestures--the ones which need to be hidden to protect them both. Political machinations, revenge plots, destruction, self-sacrifice--it's all in here. The journal-style of the writing allows an intimate look into Robert's side of the story and he's just a dream of an MC. He so adores Simon that it's impossible not to love Simon through Robert's POV. I adored the historical setting, and the old-style British grammar and spellings. I felt like I was there, as gorgeously and clearly as the settings were described. Nothing like a good ghost story--and this book is chock full of good ones. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

This is set in Boston and England in the years just before the revolution broke out. It is a really interesting read. I enjoyed it a lot.

4 Sexy Stars!! So, I was totally expecting this book to be about Audrey and Cade. I was quite shocked to find out that it wasn't Cade that Audrey ends up with but the infamous player Reese. Once again Audrey is trying fix her twin's messes. Audrey first thinks it's going to be her Daphne at the cabin but then is pleasantly surprised when she finds out that Cade will also be there. Finally she gets the chance to reconnect with her friend only to be side swiped by Reese and one of his flings. Immediatley Reese and Audry are like oil and water but her goal is Cade so she tries to ignore Reese. But Reese is intrigued with this uptight cold fish so he goads her until he gets a response which just makes him want to learn more. As Reese and Audrey fall into each other for a quick fling, Audrey starts to realize a few things like, Reese lights up a part of her that no one ever sees, Cade again likes Daphne more than her and also that Daphne is a manipulative bitch. Once Reese sees the other side of Audrey he wants to learn more and not let go. Reese and Daphne have huge chemistry and funny enough it's Reese who makes the jump to commitment before all the others which only makes him more dear to my heart. Who can't love a player who changes his way for the right girl. I'm such a sucker for the tamed player stories. Great book and I adore this series. For more reviews, visit Live Read and Breathe Like us on Facebook Live Read and Breathe Facebook Follow along with Twitter Live Read and Breathe Twitter

Fascinating, horrifying, unputdownable. Very educational and insightful. Surprisingly beautifully written given the grim subject matter. What a story and what an accomplished telling of it.

I've never wanted to punch Batman more. Holy wow.

Edit 1/18/2017 Knocked my rating down a star bc the more I think about it a lot of the poems were great but some I just couldn't relate to and were just okay.

I listened to the author read these wonderful stories and I believe I probably enjoyed them more because of that. Very poignant and humorous stories.

I hated this book. Timothy was a terrible child that no one could like. His attitude was beyond bad, it was out of character. The fact that the author threw in characters from a previous book just to make a sequel didn't help. Oh and don't forget that the adults acted like they were braindead uncaring people. Sometimes it felt like the author tried to make her writing whitty or smart alicky to get the kids to like it but it turned readers off because it felt like a back talking teenager.

It's like if all my nerd friends vomited everything they new about comics, and wrote a dissertation. Anyone who says they "don't get" sequential art, should read McCloud's book.

The story is repetitive but the art is amazing and pushes the envelope of the medium.

Wow! That was a really great book! Emotionally it had me all over the place. It was definitely not what I was expecting but I enjoyed the story and the ending made me happy. Looking forward to reading Clash.

Concept & story line: 4 stars Illustrations: 4 stars The format is the most interesting part of this full-color wordless children's graphic novel. The three rows of panels on each page can be read through separately and each represent a different POV. But the pages can also be read sequentially in the ordinary fashion, providing the full story. Each of the three stories have a full arc, but they are very similar to one another, and all are repetitive. However, the blending of reality with fantasy is handled well, and will likely stir children's imaginations. Still, the most interesting aspect of this book is the bending of gender expectations. At the end readers discover that she is he and he is she.

5 STARS. I am gasping after just finishing this book. What an intense adventure! We pick up where Shadows left off and run straight into action, conflict, truths, and more deceptions. I am simply in awe of Paula Weston's writing and her ability to create such a complete and detailed world of chaos. I found myself completely in adoration of Rafa. He feels so strongly and carries the torch that allows Hope, Faith, and Love to never fade out. Gaby and Rafa make sense. They compliment and play off one another and it sounds like only they could wound each other just as intensely as they can love. And I can say no more because I cannot spoil this read for another. This is an EPIC story and I only hope that the third installment will bring us closer to answers and healing.

Simone's writing here is the strongest that it's been in this new Batgirl series. She does a great job of telling the story of a dark time in Babs' life, while also nicely tying together many plot strings from her entire run. It's a beautifully cohesive whole that leaves you wanting to know what comes next. Unfortunately, the volume is marred by the two editor-driven events in the book. The first is villain's month which involves a standalone issue on the Ventriloquist. It's an OK (if shallow) story, but it feels out of place and manages to stall the action of the main book; it's also confusing, as there's all kinds of discussion of having no power and food, but no explanation for why. And finally, it undercuts the story that precedes it by immediately putting the villain back on the street. The second problematic event is the Zero Year story that ends the volume. It's similarly shallow but OK, but it highlights one of the major problems at nuDC, as Simone wasn't willing to stay around to write it. Ironically, I think this book might have been a 5-star if it'd just dropped the two so-so (and mostly irrelevant) issues.

It was a very cute book, and I went into it really wanting to like it. The idea was very cool and the plot was fun but the writing was not as good as I was expecting. I feel like this book would be fantastic for children (which is the age group it was aimed at) but it definitely is not a book that breaches the age gap into older readers. I think I am going to give my copy to my younger siblings and I am sure they will enjoy it much more than I did.

Wow! If you're looking for the next Hunger Games, you've found it. This book is amazing. If you haven't picked it up yet, you should. Now. Don't wait.

Slightly better. At least Ollie admitted he's an idiot at the end.

Dark, very atmospheric noir story. The drawings fit and so does the story.

Picture eat,pray,love with really good food. Great read if you've ever worked in a restaurant.

Another wonderful read I really enjoyed Kenny and Bailey s story. It ways cute. I always enjoy visiting fools gold. Merry Christmas Susan

Irene Hannon does it again with her latest romantic suspense novel, the first in her new Men of Valor series. Hannon has become one of my go-to authors, and Buried Secrets certainly lived up to my expectations. When local police Chief Lisa Grant meets detective Mac McGregor, the two prove to be an unbeatable team as they investigate a cold case that has abruptly heated up, while matching wits with a killer who will do anything to ensure that the past stays buried. If you like romantic suspense, do yourself a favor and check out Irene Hannon. Her faith based novels are a perfect example of what's right in that genre- kind, honorable and protective heroes; strong, smart and admirable heroines; and intriguing mysteries balanced with gentle, sigh-worthy romance. Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 STARS. This isn't a love triangle...it twists into something else. An acceptance of truth. Open minds. Three people trying to heal one another? This one was very much out of my comfort zone to read. I found Adele way too malleable for what she was going through. More time between them all would have allowed me, as a reader, to acclimate and see how they worked into this heavy, physical relationship. I guess I just needed it to be more believable.

Very much a middle volume. As a result, it does have some of the tense coherence of the others (and I'm not sure about introducing yet *another* group of six kids). However, there's some great characters bits in this volume and some interesting revelations.

This was a huge disappointment for me. I really like this over the top series, but this specific storyline feels unmotivated and inconsequential in what is otherwise a great series.

I liked this one a lot more than the first one (The Baker Street Letters). There was more of both brothers in this one, whereas, the first one was mostly from Reggie's point of view. I thought the mystery was pretty good. I liked the twists and turns that it took. There were also a couple of red herrings, which I liked. The author delves more into the brothers' background this time around as well. I really liked both of them and think that they make a great detective team. The one thing that was frustrating was that Reggie never tells Laura how he feels about her. Like the first one, this one wraps up the mystery, yet ends in a sort of cliffhanger. I hope there is another one coming soon. If you haven't read The Baker Street Letters, I would pick that one up before this one. If I had read this one first, I think I would have been a bit lost. The author makes references to the first book that I think could get lost on the reader. I listened to the audiobook. Simon Vance was the narrator and I love his voice. I definitely recommend both books, especially this one. This is a great series!

beautifully written

If there's one device I've come to hate in literature and on television, it's when a story starts in media res with what will turn out to be the climactic action scene and then rewinds all the way back to the beginning. It's only in the past few years that this device has become almost omnipresent on television, so I was somewhat surprised that Peters uses it at the start of this book. Perhaps it was a new and exciting thing when she did it in 1991. At any rate, I can't blame her too much for this lapse in judgment when the rest of the book is so genuinely exciting. Amelia and Emerson go to an archaeological dig in Sudan instead of their usual Egypt, but they don't get very far with their excavations this time, as they are lured out into the desert on a quest and end up discovering a lost civilization. I'll confess that the usual Egyptian settings of the Peabody stories had seemed a little humdrum to me during the last few books, so it's nice that we had a change of scenery and got to explore a living civilization instead of a dead one this time. All in all, it was a fun read, and as usual, I'm looking forward to the next one!

great book!

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I asked for Shiver for Christmas a few years ago because it was raved about quite a bit. I thought it was a pretty good read. I read Linger months later, and liked it quite a bit more than Shiver (the world of Sam and Grace had already been built so there was more room for action). I read Forever and liked it five times more than Linger because it was AMAZING. I guess now would be the time for me to admit that for the first 25 pages of Forever I was utterly, totally confused. Forever is from four points of view, and so much happened at the end of Linger that I couldn't keep it all straight in my head. I ended up having to read a spoilery review of Linger to get the gist of it all flowing the right way in my head again (so I strongly suggest you reread or do a little research before starting this one). Maggie Stiefvater's writing is simply beautiful. Even those that didn't care much for Shiver commented on how wonderful her writing is, and she does not disappoint in the final installment of The Wolves of Mercy Falls. It jumps us right to where Linger left off, and from there we are right back with Grace, Isabel, Sam, and Cole. The middle of Forever got a little long for me, but that's my only complaint. The last third of the book flew by and had my heart pounding. Steifvater doesn't use predictable outcomes to satisfy the reader, which was my favorite part - she wrote this book in a real, true way, and it resonated with me as a reader. It's not often that I love the last book in a series much much more than the others, but there is no denying that Forever surpasses both Shiver and Linger in my mind.

I would not recommend this book, it was too much like the move gas lights 1944, by Hitchcock also she did not seem to complete her characters parts in which they take a roll in book, and the phone episode seed to be just dumped there,she could have worked it in better or even an new scenario

What is it about Batman that fascinates us so much? Why do we root for the tormented soul? What does he allow us to do that other superheroes (or the majority of other heroes) don't? Why won't he die? Reading Miller's take on the Dark Knight is a fascinating study in your own expectations and how, as a reader, the myth of the subject can overwhelm what is really there. It is also fascinating because, despite Miller's best efforts, I rooted for the caped crusader again. I want him to live forever. But Frank Miller doesn't. At least, not as Batman was. Because this book is a deconstruction of Batman. Whereas Watchmen is a celebration of the Golden Age of Comics, with a brief touch on the idea that superheroes can make the choices that regular heroes cannot, The Dark Knight Returns is a pointed barb that demands we - as readers - take responsibility for the power we've given these vigilantes. Miller, along with the illustrative and coloring powers of Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley, has created a Batman who is no better than the villains. Unlike the film adaptations (almost all of which have been influenced by this book in many obvious ways), Batman is not just there as the gel to talk about cool villains; instead, Batman is the focus of this story and suffers from his own psychosis. After all, we are looking at a man who wanted more than revenge. Here was someone who used his parent's murder to cover up his own inner demons; his own sense of justice. This inner drive is what forces the old Batman to get up and take the mantle again. That is, Batman is insane. The difference between his insanity and that of the Joker is that Joker is dedicated to chaos (as is Two-Face, whereas the Mutants are about claiming things for their own, more on them later), and Batman is dedicated to structure. Batman sees the world as a horrible patchwork piece that needs restitching. Bruce Wayne (who, appropriately, only appears in the first of the four parts) needs to destroy the darkness around him to destroy the darkness within him ... but the darkness within him IS him. And that's Miller's thesis: there is no Bruce Wayne, only Batman. Whether there ever was a Bruce Wayne can be debated, but that what exists now is solely Batman cannot be debated. The series opens up with Wayne/Batman locked in his mansion the way Joker, Two-Face and others are locked in Arkham Asylum. Victims of their own madness and forced to play out their game one more time. So an insane 55 year old man has had enough of watching Gotham deteriorate into a giant crime-ridden mess (like that seen at the start of Batman Begins) that is run by a gang known as The Mutants. He ventures out, unable to fight the Batman inside of him (because that Batman IS him, to defeat Batman is to die), and starts to dole out his brand of justice to the city around him. But ten years has passed and society no longer wants a dark vigilante who leaves the "bad guys" with broken bones and laid up in hospitals. Not dead - Batman refuses to kill - but close enough that they won't do whatever bad thing they were doing before. The Mutants play an interesting role in this book, not just as the instigator, but also as the constant malleable enemy that Batman would fight when the other major villains were on vacation. The mutants split up when their boss is destroyed. Those who watched Batman defeat their boss take on the mantle of the caped crusader and call themselves Sons of Batman (S.O.B.'s ... yes), while others dress up as Nixon or Nazis (with the swastika tattooed on various parts of their body) or whoever will hire them. They become, in essence, the goons for hire that work for our big villains in the movies waiting for their moment. As if there is a criminal element there that lies waiting for Gotham and always is there waiting. In the end, the people themselves take on the role of Mutants - both SOB's and evil - in the riots but claim they didn't know what they were doing. So is Batman wrong to desire this level of justice all the time? The myth of Dark Knight Returns is that it's dark and violent. Well, this myth is much like the myth of the Batman; the criminal element (the readers) must always expect it to be worse than it really is for the man (book) to work. Was it a slap to the face back when first released ... I can only imagine. This was a time when most knew Batman through Adam West, and here Frank Miller ran that image through the ringer to emphasize the psychological pain Batman had and instilled in those around him. But this was not to glorify Batman - or to make it dark/gritty/whatever - but simply to state that such a man could not actually exist in the real world without there being an effect spread to all people around him. The Batman of the 1960's is closer to Superman. The Batman of Dark Knight Returns is a washed up ex-superhero with a vendetta against crime that won't let him stop. Is there violence then? You bet! But is it to the degree that I expected ... no. I heard that there was rape in this book and lots of blood ... well, yes and no. The most offensive things occur off-panel; and the absolute worst is only mentioned after the fact. Batman is the one who bleeds the most in the whole book, and that blood makes an impact because it is used so sparingly. This is violence used to keep us from rooting for violence, and to look at blood and fighting and guns in that way is significantly darker than the fairy tale that most James Bond movies show. So the darkness was due to a paradigm shift, not a tonal shift. The violence was also a part of the story and the paradigm. And this is not entirely clear in the movies that have used Miller's work as inspiration. Batman (1989): Maybe the most successful unison between Adam West and Frank Miller ... this is a Gotham that is crime-ridden and someone must change it. This is a Gotham where the crime is urban and small scale, crime that occurs at night to make the people fear crime. Batman plays on this fear, but there is still a lightness. Why? Because the focus is on Joker, not Batman. Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin: From one of the greatest Batman films spawned this list of movies (that are unevenly successful). What happened? Well, they kept dark sets but put in Adam West as the crusader. Again, the focus is not on Bruce Wayne/Batman. In fact, all three of these have at least 2 villains to examine ... which missed the point of Miller's vision. The villains are a reflection of Batman (as Batman says while staring at Two-Face's whole face in part 1 of the comic), but this is only clear if we focus on Batman and keep the villains as side stories. Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises: Christopher Nolan tried, he really did. He pulled out many plot points, had a tight story (for the first two anyway) that made the villains an effect of Batman (a theme discussed in Miller's book), rather than the focus of the Batman movies. The aim for realism was also meant in good faith ... but we have a hero to look up to and root still. And here's where darkness for darkness sake doesn't work - Miller was destroying a myth and investigating the worst elements of that hero ... Nolan praises Batman for the work he can do and then gives Wayne a clean slate (ha! like the program!) to live the rest of his life healthy, wealthy and wise. Demons defeated, life is good. Which doesn't deconstruct the mythos of Batman ... it only rebuilds it in a darker town. TL;DR - This is a great book that destroys Batman by examining his flaws. This is not about creating a dark world where tortured souls can come out on top ... this is about creating tortured souls who turn their world dark and wondering why we idolized them in the first place. A classic for good reasons ... though a little too pessimistic for a reread.

muita fantasia, mas para onde nos transportamos de uma forma tao intensa que parece que vivemos a historia.

I loved it! "Every word an author writes causes ripples, like tossing a stone into a pond. And you don't know where they'll go, or who they'll touch, or when they might come back to you. I think everything you do is kind of like that, too."

I had a hard time warming up to this book. I wanted to love it because MacDonald's "The Princess and Curdie" was one of my childhood favorites. The fantasy elements of the story are very original, whimsical yet deep, for the most part beautifully written, though there's too much tedious poetry interspersed. (I love poems, but not the kind that are in here.) It's the book's philosophy that I struggle with. Your reaction will depend on whether you find it comforting, or morally offensive, to imagine that a divine being intentionally sends suffering to innocent people in order to bring about some greater good. This neat micromanagement is not part of my current concept of God. I also have reservations about sharing this book with children because Diamond, the main character, is not a healthy role model for a real child. He caretakes all the adults around him, never asking anything for himself, and doesn't express disappointment or anger or impatience at what is a rather miserable lot. In the beginning, when he is more normal, North Wind reprimands him for feelings that would be perfectly appropriate in a child his age, such as fear of heights and not immediately trusting a strange woman who forces her way into his bedroom. After his mystical experiences, he becomes an adult's perfect fantasy of a child who will inspire them without having needs of his own. (And while I'm on the subject, if his parents are so poor that he has to drive a cab while he's still in short pants, why do they keep having children? Rhythm method, anyone?)

I'm not a fan of Pierce's "Circle" books, for all that I rabidly adore all things Alanna/Keladry/Numair. I did love Will of the Empress, so I thought I'd try Melting Stones. Not Tammy's strongest book, not by a long shot, but I wonder if I'd feel differently hearing the audio version, which was its original form. Read this if you're a Pierce fan, but don't let it be the first (or second, or third) Pierce book you read.

This was super adorable.

** spoiler alert ** Well, I was completely swept up by it and I laughed and cried exactly where I was supposed to I suspect! However, there is something I am finding it hard to put my finger on about it that just didn't quite settle with me. It was sensitively written, I loved the different view points of the narrators and the messages ring loud and clear. BUT I think it was just a bit too obvious and "neat", and I imagine this comes from the fact that, essentially, it is a children's book. Great though, highly highly recommend. 4.5 - not far off perfect, but not quite there for me.

Without reading the synopsis of this book and just reading the title I assumed this would be a paranormal book about witches or something similar. I guess I learned don't judge a book by its cover the hard way. There is a supernatural element in the very beginning which sets the catalyst for the plot which in finally explained in the end. However, most of the book does not deal with paranormal concepts or entities. This left me a little disappointed, but as I already mentioned, that's my own fault. Once I realized I would not be reading about a coven or anyone with a magic wand I started to get into the story. It was simple, easy to read and moderately enjoyable. Some of the characters made stupid decisions, but without those stupid decisions the book would not have ended the way it did and I got the happy ending I wanted so I guess I could forgive the characters. As for the ending, I really enjoyed the twist. I won't say what it is, but I will say that I didn't see it coming. Maybe I should have? It's possible that I was focused too much on where all witches were to play attention.

This delightful children's book follows a little girl on an adventure into her imagination. Beautifully written with sweet, child-like illustrations. The story reminds us all to believe in our dreams. This book was gifted to me by the author for an honest review.

It's funny to come across something that was fanfiction. This didn't surprise me at all. The character's were sweet and Aspen wasn't weak or wimpy. I kept reading to see if they grew together or apart. Now I know.

Sarjan edetessa huumori kirjoissa muuttuu entista hullummaksi, mutta hauskaa luettavaa kuitenkin.

This is not an easy read, and the first time I started this book, I only got about a third of the way in before I set it aside. But when I picked it up again months later and read the whole thing, I loved it! It's narrated by the wife and daughters of a missionary to Africa in the 1960's. The women's voices are all unique and compelling, as they tell the story of their time in Africa with the missionary, who is also an interesting (read: flawed) character. I'll read this one again.

Sandburg rocks! Not all the language or everything in here is relevant today, but some of it is pretty indispensable. In a time when print is losing ground, people are getting dumber and more self-centered and the only writers that hold ground are self-obsessed, privileged, yet, oh-so-funny, NPR celebrity/whore's, I find myself appreciating the anger and fire of the old poets more and more.

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Kinda bummed there was no Elise in this one. I did like the back story about James.

I'm surprised to find that I enjoyed the movie more. Yes, it's true. The book was not better.

What a perfect combination!

Ensimmainen vahan mielenkiintoisempi Narnia-kirja, vaikkakin varsinkin Eustacen ja Riipitsiipin hahmot olivat suorastaan arsyttavia. Eri saarten ominaispiirteet olivat hauskoja ja maailman aaren etsiminen mielenkiintoista. Aslanin sekaantuminen asioihin tosin arsyttaa ja Aslanin jumalmaisuus uutenkin. Narniat ovat myos joko enemman tai vahemman suoria allegorioita Raamatusta, mutta jos sen seikan pystyy unohtamaan, on lukuelamys astetta parempi.

4 stars Hello, my name is Quynh, and I'm a BDB addict. I was so wrapped up in this book and the development not only in the main storyline characters (Rhage and Mary) but also on the secondary characters and relationships that are intertwined. It's a busy time of year but any time I have free, this book was in my hands. Rhage has been living with a curse for hundred of years now and no one dare to go near him when his curse is released. On the night of his recovery from this curse, he met Mary, who has a voice that soothes his soul. It was rather amusing to read their first encounter. Mary is also burdened with an illness that she's been fighting for a while, which has now returned. After their first meeting, Rhage is unable to forget about her so he's determined to have her. Mary knows she isn't what Rhage usually goes after so she questions his pursuit to get to know her. There's a quite a dance of two steps forward, one step back between them. At times, I wanted to shake Mary, but it's understandable to see where she's coming from. Rhage though, was utterly smitten and I just love him. He fought so hard for Mary even when she was fighting her own emotions. The battle between the Brotherhood and the lesser continues and other stories are developing that make you want more. Which means I now have to jump into book 3 (Zsadist and Bella, yay!) right away to find out what happens next! Steam: 4

This book is beautiful, inside and out. <3

I read this book for a Young Adult Book challenge. The task was to read two books that won award each from a different country's list. Stranger at Green Knowe won the Carnegie Medal. I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would after reading the first twenty pages or so. I wasn't fond of the section told from the point of view of the Gorilla. Perhaps I'm too literal, but I'm not a huge fan of the anthropomorphizing of animal thought as narration. Once Ping became the primary narrator I enjoyed the story much more. It's a fairly general boy and his animal story with the addition that the animal is not really the boys. On top of that primary story, there is the orphan looking for - and finding - a place to belong. Neither story is terribly ground breaking but the characters are fun enough to keep at least my interest. I would not be adverse to reading the other Green Knowe Chronicles which I understand are more fantasy based (or possibly magic realism is a better term) than this one.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Tessa's character. She had quite a bit of spunk and the relationship that exists between her and Will is heartbreaking. I am definitely a Tessa/Will shipper. I also liked how everything in this world was introduced in a fashion that didn't just feel like it was canned and then handed out. It felt real and grimey and as though you were right there with the characters, walking the roads of London or exploring the institute. I also think that the villain, The Magister, is fantastic. Cassandra Clare weaves a story that is so easy to be drawn into and love that I will read this trilogy over and over and love it every time.

Wow, seriously? I cannot wait for the next volume.. I may actually start reading the individual comics because I cannot wait.. and Marko just keeps getting better and better. *dies*

It's hard to imagine that anyone would have the guts to think he could write a decent talking pig book on the heels of Charlotte's Web. But Dick King-Smith manages quite nicely.

Filled with biting wit and sharp observation, 'Evelyn, After' tells the story of one woman's struggle to come to terms with her once picture-perfect life. Alternating before and after a tragic accident, this book poses complex questions which are not always easily answered. As I read this compelling story, I found myself asking, "What would I do if this happened to me?" At first, I thought the answer was clear. But as Evelyn's journey reveals, we don't always do what's right. People can be selfish and self-centered. The world can sometimes be a gray place. Evelyn is the perfect wife and mother, devoted to her distant husband and her busy teenage son. But she has hidden her real self away for years, trying to be everything to everyone. She tries to please everyone but doesn't even realize it. The author has a very keen eye for suburban life: "Her real purse was shoved under the passenger seat, stuffed full of receipts and Kleenex and hand sanitizer and Band-Aids and cough drops and an emergency flashlight and anything else that any person in the world might need from her while she was near. An eternal diaper bag for the eternal mother." Of course this is a thriller and not everything is at it seems on the surface. Evelyn flip-flops between acting on what she has witnessed and letting everything go back to way it was "before." Evelyn had been so sure just a few minutes ago. Gary had to turn this woman in. He had to tell the truth. It was the only way to put this behind them and start over. Now she didn't know anything. Even though Evelyn does not behave in the most admirable way in the beginning of this story, I felt strongly sympathetic towards her and I found myself saying "Yes! YES!" to her during the course of this very readable book. Yes, there is cheating in this story, so if that is a hard limit for you, look away! But that theme was an integral part of this book and vital to Evelyn's growth. She'd spent her whole life doing the right thing. That could be someone else's job now. She was moving on. I could not put this book down! The synopsis intrigued me. And I loved the complete metamorphosis that Evelyn experienced. This book was at times tragic, funny, sexy and sarcastic. The author's musings on marriage were sharp and unwavering Jesus, how had she become this? Her life had been deep and rich and complex once. She'd lived with her single mother and her older sister, and they'd been strong, resilient, quick. She'd taken city buses and negotiated dangerous neighborhoods even as a child, and she'd imagined herself growing into an artist with wild, creative friends who had little money but so much heart. This was real page-turner, a mature story with mature themes and situations. I loved it!! The conclusion surprised me and was perfectly satisfying. Highly recommend! From now on, if something was important to her, she would demand it. Because the truth was that she belonged anywhere she wanted to be, and she was beautiful just for being brave.

This book is rather ridiculously fun, in that certain nerdy way. It's distinguished from the typical guy-from-our-universe-is-a-fantasy-wizard run of things by having the fantasy wizardry depend on both actual poetry and actual religion. re-read 8/2008

A total joy. Loved the Chicago highlights and now I'm wishing more graphic novel cookbooks existed - her recipes make the book all the more fun and endearing.

"Ekeino pou pairnei o Thanatos,kanenas de mporei na xanabrei. Ekeino pou eulogei o Ouranos,kanenas de mporei na timoresei. Ekeino pou enonei e Agape,kanenas de mporei na khorisei. Ekeino pou thelese e Aionioteta,kanenas de mporei n' allaxei." "Mono ekeinoi gurizoun sten Aionioteta,pou ste ge gureuoun ten Aionioteta."

One part mystery, one part ghost story. If you are looking for a quick read with a twist at the end--this is the one for you!

Reyes and Danika - what a ride! Nonstop action, sizzling love scenes, and a fascinating premise. I will be reading more of Ms. Showalter.

I really struggled with this book. I found it very hard to understand and to follow. It really was not my cup of tea. I got to page 367 and just couldn't take any more.....

I give this book a 4.5. I liked it even better than the first! The characters were great even though i did get frustrated with Lucy a bit but it was a great, rollercoaster of emotions read!

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss is a fun possibly paranormal cozy mystery, and the first installment in a series under the same name. The novel opens with Maddie Kosloski and her friend Adele, who owns the Paranormal Museum and the second half of a building, which the latter is remodeling into a tea shop. The two women are confronted with the dead body of a not-so-likable acquaintance, Christy, in chapter one. Christy, it seems, had a knack for making enemies. While reading, you can't feel sympathy for the dead woman. It also appears as though everyone had a motive to kill her. "Mother always told me to stay positive. But I can't help feeling like another show is about to drop." Maddie has significant faith that the police will handle the case with care and find the killer. However, she soon discovers that the school bully, Laurel Hammer, is one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, and it seems she has a grudge against Maddie. The first introduction we get of Laurel, apart from reminder of Maddie's friend Harper, is this: "Laurel Hammer banged open the door to the interview room. "So which one of you two idiots killer her?" Maddie constantly tries to get people to tell the police what they know, and tries to do the same herself, but the police look at her as a likely suspect, especially when a second body appears; another fairly dislikable acquaintance. Even after they arrest her friend Adele, Maddie tries to be the good citizen and help the detectives. The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is narrated from the first person perspective of Maddie, who gets many funny and entertaining thoughts. She is also down to earth and realistic, so it is easy to imagine her and imagine being in her place. Also, we go deeper into her character as she hesitates about managing the Paranormal Museum, while job hunting after being fired from her previous job. "Dion Fortune's scrying mirror." [said Herb]... "Of course, I'm asking ten thousand." I coughed. "Dollars?" "But for you, five." "Thousand?" I wouldn't pay five thousand for Ali Baba's mirror. There was no way anything in the museum cost that much. The overall pace is fairly quick. There is constant moving and events, but in terms of solving Christy's murder, things are a bit slow. There was also the GD cat, a recurring theme in paranormal novels, although I couldn't understand that cat or its intentions. The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is home to second mystery, one which Maddie stumbles upon, immerses herself in and takes it upon herself to solve. The mystery revolves around the picture of a woman named Cora, who is accused of murdering her husband. I truly enjoyed the mystery within a mystery, and how Maddie goes about in order to search for two killers, one dead and one alive. Another thing I enjoyed is how Weiss constantly made the reader think and doubt if the Paranormal Museum can live up to its name by being haunted - or not. Up until the end of the novel, the reader has doubts. "The atmosphere thickened, choking. The quiet stretched, the only sound my own harsh breath, breath I could see in the air. It was a nails on a chalkboard silence, a deep silence that tightened my throat, made me tremble." I particularly liked the development in Maddie's character, a trait not often seen in mystery novels. When we first see Maddie, she has low self-esteem, and who can blame her after nine months of job hunting with no development in getting a job. But as the novel ends, we see a significant change in her character, both in her attempt to catch the killer and in her negotiation skills. The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is a quick, well-written and light read, with a mystery within a mystery and possible ghost. Note: I received a free copy via Lori Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour for the book.

This is the beginning of a serial M/M romantic comedy, but this episode is, uh, not romantic. At all. Will Patterson is a diabetic and a recovering alcoholic with a lousy (new) ex. He's also the eldest son of Tony Molinari, incarcerated head of a mobster family. Will's been raised outside of that syndicate realm in tiny Healing, South Dakota, with his mother, step-siblings and paternal Nonna but he's in possession of the Molinari trust as the eldest grandchild. He's using the millions of blood money to fund Good Works, a charitable foundation that provides free and discounted medical care all over the world. He's just financed the expansion of the Healing Hospital, and is at a medical conference in Las Vegas to recruit neurologists and Neurosurgeons to the hospital when he gets a call from Ryan, his on-again/off-again boyfriend of the past 6 years. Ryan lets Will know, via telephone, that they are through. For good. We learn all of this when Will wakes up from a killer bender, naked, in a strange hotel room, and married to a man he doesn't remember. As it all comes back into focus, Will is horrified by his actions. He'd been sober a number of years, and he adores Ryan, and he stands to lose all the monies in the Molinari trust if he divorces the now-surly and soon to be unemployed Dr. Patrick McCloud. Patrick is a sexy, demanding Neurosurgeon. He's the epitome of a prima donna surgeon and his ego and big mouth make him zero friends. While freaking out over his newly-married state he supremely pisses off his chief of staff, and is summarily dismissed. Will convinces Patrick to visit Healing, and help him sort out the possibility of getting the trust amended to allow for a divorce without all the money being given back to the mob. This predicament is rife with issues, and Will and Patrick are angry with themselves and each other for a good deal of the book. I liked Will, as he's easily likable. Patrick's a prickly one. I'm reserving my thoughts on him for the moment, on account of they aren't especially flattering, and I suspect he's going to have an epiphany in the very near future. He does show elements of compassion, especially when helping manage Will's diabetes. Throughout I was holding out hope for some actual tenderness to pop up between Will and Patrick, but it's too soon, I think. This episode was truly on the first 36 hours in the aftermath of waking in their debacle> They are both hungover and freaked the heck out. There are some clear elements of Molinari menace in the background, and it's likely that this will become more prominent in the next episode. Also, I think Patrick's cockiness is going to get soundly trimmed soon--likely due to having fewer career options than he suspects. I'm intrigued to read on, and hoping there will be some romantic elements in the near future.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I myself am not religious, in any sense of the word. Of considerable interest to me however, is the cultural significance of modern religion and the power it has. Am I a Jew? tells the tale of the author's quest to find his own meaning in his life. The chronicles of his travels are depicted as he experiences what spirituality means to others along with his own reflections. I found Theodore Ross's odyssey to be quite entertaining yet and the same time rather empathic. Someone who knows nothing of Judaism will have no problem in understanding and stands to gain substantial knowledge. I personally found the reading to be laden with interesting facts such as the requirement for one to belong to a Synagogue for 4 years before you can have your Bar Mitzvah there. Some points I found particularity intriguing; the book presents the historical aspects of modern day Crypto-Judiasm in New Mexico. It describes how the people searched for these hidden clusters by asking people "if their grandparents ever light candles in the basement" and other similar questions. The story of the author's own, late and rather impulsive, Bar Mitzvah in the home of an Orthodox rabbi who hosted sabbatical youth retreats is a particularly humorous tale of camaraderie and bonding. Through reading you can even catch sight of new age Judaism from groups Ross describes as "Jewish hipsters". "If Judaism disappears it will be because it has stopped being meaningful for it's target audience," was a strong point that I found to resonate along side my own beliefs, was the aspect that religion can only remain useful when it is still relevant and means something in the lives of those who practice it. As long as people still find importance, and as long as there is a place in people's lives to be filled, religion will never die. I had only a small idea of what to expect when I received the book, but I'm certainly glad I was able to absorb a small glimpse into Theodore Ross's journey and the culture he searched through.

As a long-time fan of Umberto Eco's novels, I was excited to learn a while ago that he was releasing a new one, after reports that he had no intention of writing more fiction. The title especially intrigued me, since I once visited the eponymous cemetery. Eco's fans will recognise many of the novel's themes from his earlier works: conspiracy, theology, identity, historical perspectives on science and philosophy, and lies so detailed and so often repeated that they come to be believed even by their inventors. The main character, Simonini, an Italian forger living in late 19th century Paris, suffers from an apparent split personality disorder following some traumatic event which he cannot recall. The bulk of the novel takes the form of a correspondence or series of diary entries between two of his personas. The dominant persona, Simonini himself, is a consummate bigot. He believes utterly in every cultural, ethnic, and misogynistic stereotype under the sun. "I hate therefore I am," as he puts it. There seems to be no group of people he does not dislike, but he reserves a special level of hatred for Jews. He also comes across as something of a sociopath, more than willing to befriend a man one week and sell him to his enemies or even orchestrate his demise the next. The only thing in the world he loves is food. His every meal is described in loving detail, sometimes including a recipe for some complex dish. The second persona believes himself to be a priest called Dalla Piccola. He acts in part as Simonini's conscience, reminding him of events the dominant persona seems to have willfully forgotten, and chastising him for some of his worst actions. Dalla Piccola is not quite so fervently bigoted as Simonini, but shares his horror at the thought of intimate contact with women. Together, the two personas attempt to untangle their identity and figure out what caused the split by examining their own history, each of them possessing knowledge of events that the other does not recall. Simonini is a thoroughly unsympathetic protagonist, and Dalla Piccola is not really given enough of a personality to make him an interesting character. In some places, an impartial narrative voice steps in to summarise, explain, or speculate when the personas' recollections become confused. The story concerns the roots of modern anti-semitism, and the creation of the document which came to be called "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion", which was later used by the Nazis to justify their treatment of the Jews. The most shocking thing about the novel, and the genius of it, is how much of it is fact, not fiction. Every named character, apart from Simonini, is a real historical figure who said and did all the things attributed to them by the novel. Most readers will recognise such names as Alexandre Dumas and Sigmund Freud, but those with greater knowledge of the period will find many other familiar names and references. For those like me who know less about 19th century European politics and history, it can be difficult in some places to disentangle fact from speculation from outright invention. The novel is also illustrated with relevant images from contemporary publications. Some modern readers may find the blatant bigotry espoused by some of the characters shocking, and may even find it difficult to understand how anyone could ever have believed some of the ideas that in the past were matters of commonly-accepted fact. Eco does a good job of shining a light on the hate, and exposing the inherent ridiculousness of these ideas, to the point where it often seems ironic that the characters cannot see the cognitive dissonance and circular reasoning for themselves. When he is presented with evidence against any of his prejudices, Simonini never questions whether his preconceived notions might be wrong, but instead performs some rather extraordinary mental contortions to explain away the "anomaly". He accepts at face value everything he learns, reads, or is told, and is enraged on the occasions when he discovers he has been deceived, in spite of the fact that he himself is a consummate liar, master forger, and occasional spy. As in Eco's past works, there are few female characters, and those who we do meet are not very well fleshed out. The only female character of any consequence is Diana Vaughn, and the reader spends far more of the narrative hearing about her than hearing from her. I've long held the theory that Eco knows he writes women badly, so avoids writing them as far as is possible. Caveat for readers: there is a brief instance of pedophilia described at one point in the narrative, and a character who confesses to being sexually attracted to children. Overall, I found the book to be an interesting literary exercise and well worth reading, though not as compelling as some of Eco's other novels.

See full review for The Night We Said Yes at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.... Now, normally, I hate books that flip between the past and the present, so when I saw that this book was written in the same format, I was a little skeptical. And while the flipping back and forth did get kind of distracting, it didn't really take away from the story at all. I liked the character of Ella. She's very no nonsense, but gets really embarrassed easily. She doesn't really like confrontations, so when she sees Matt for the first time since he disappeared on her, she starts getting clammy. The guy literally took off on her for a year, and now all of a sudden he's back with no word? Other than he's back now for good and oh, yeah, that Ella and him need to talk about things? At first, Ella doesn't want to go, but eventually she gives in and he tries to make it a little easier on her by making it like the first night they met - a night where they have to say yes, within reason.

One of Mr. Stokesbury's lucid & insightful, one-volume histories of various conflicts or battlefield weapons systems.

lovely and cute.