Juliet by Anne Fortier

This book splits its attention between present day Julie Jacobs (aka Guilietta Tolomei) and 1340s Guilietta Tolomei. The historical story of Romeo and Juliet is at the center of this book and plays out in present day Siena as well as in 1340.  Julie Jacobs is descended from the original Juliet (Guilietta. Upon the death of her mother and father, she and her twin sister Janice were sent to live with her aunt. Her aunt suddenly passes away and Janice is left with everything. This is a huge shock to Julie since her aunt always said they would share her fortune.  Umberto, her aunt's butler/housekeeper/jack of all trades, presents Julie with a letter and safe deposit key to a safety deposit box belonging to her mother.  The box is located in Siena, Italy which is the twins' birthplace.  Upon taking the key and starting off on her journey, Julie begins an adventure that will make sure her life will never be the same. The premise of the story is that Romeo and Juliet did not take place in Verona but actually in Siena.  The historical aspects of the story are wonderful. I listened to the audio version and it was absolutely heaven. Hearing the Italian names correctly pronounced and the accents-wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the ending was so suspenseful. I think this was a great book and highly recommend it.

New York to Dallas by JD Robb

This is a recent book in the In Death series. It begins with LT. Eve Dallas bemoaning the necessity of paperwork. Unfortunately, she gets a reprieve in the form of an prison escapee from her past. Isaac McQueen has escaped from prison and begins his new reign of terror. Through flashbacks, we see how a lucky break lead Eve to his door and ultimately sent him away. During his prison time, he has been cooking up a plot to get back at her that will take her away from her known territory of NYC back to Dallas where she was able to break free of the years of abuse at the hands of her father. The storyline is fast paced and brings a new cast of characters. Peabody is still involved but only superficially. I like the story for the most part but felt like it ended too perfectly. It was almost too easy to be true. But I did like it.

****

13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau

This book was an advance copy received from the publisher, Abrams, through netgalley.com. It is written for juveniles age 8 and older. I enjoyed the story. I felt like it really drew me in and the characters were really fleshed out. The story is based on a boy who receives an inheritance from an older great-uncle. He is gifted a house with the understanding that he will complete a few minor tasks in order to keep it. Unfortunately, a creepy neighbor wants the house also and Tony wonders if he would kill to do so. Throughout the story more boys are introduced who also have a connection to the house and each other. I recommend this book for boys and girls in the pre-teen age group. I think that it's a highly enjoyable read with some history thrown in without being too overly dramatic about it. The story does have some inconsistencies with real history but the author does specify which parts are not necessarily truth.

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

While not quite like anything I’ve ever read before, this book was very good.  Set in an alternate 1800s, the characters were engaging and the backstory was completed so skillfully that I never felt lost.  I enjoyed watching Lena grow into her ‘peculiarities’ such as they were.  After deciding to look for her long lost father in the strange land of Scree, Lena meets a cast of very different characters on her travels.  Jimson is an unlikely librarian in a house with a very mysterious master.  I really enjoyed this book and the ending was most delightful.  It always gives me a warm feeling inside when bad guys get their just desserts. This book is set for release to the public in May of 2012 in hardcover.  I received this book as an advanced copy thanks to the publisher, Abrams and Amulet Books, and netgalley.com. 

White Dusk by Susan Edwards

I received this book as an e-book from netgalley.com and the publisher, Carina Press.  I enjoyed reading this book.  It is the second in the series by this author that is being re-released. I don't normally read romance novels but the first story (White Dawn) really drew my attention.  In this novel, Swift Foot has returned to his tribe to do what is expected of him-marry a woman from a neighboring tribe selected for him by the tribal council. This act is essential to his ascension to the role of chief. At first, he doesn't believe he can find love with this strange girl/woman named Small Bird.  She, on the other hand, believes that they are destined to be together.  There is drama, romance, sex and violence in this book.  The ending of the book leads into the third book in the series and I can't wait to read it also. The story follows the couple as they join in marriage and deal with the doubt of their fellow tribe members on the leadership of Swift Foot and the safety of Small Bird and the rest of the tribe in the face of a threat from another Indian tribe. The culmination of the book watches as the fight between tribes comes to a head and it is discovered that the fight has been aggravated by a member of their own tribe.  I think that this book is definitely worth picking up.

Wordless Wednesday

Rough Country by John Sandford

I really enjoyed listening to this book. Virgil Flowers is definitely one of a kind in this book by Sandford. I loved the story and even though I thought I knew who may have been behind the murders, I was still very surprised at the way everything played out in the end. I guess you never know what love will drive you to do. I had my suspicions about what may have happened in the past but Sandford has a way of showing you what happened in the best, most delicious way possible. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys cop dramas.

Life's a Witch by Brittany Geragotelis

I have really enjoyed following this book's progress on Wattpad.  I stumbled upon this book one day while browsing and anxiously awaited each chapter as it was posted. I feel like Hadley is part of my family now.  I watched her grow from the beginning of the story to the wonderful ending and loved every minute.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves witchcraft and a strong feminine lead character.

This book can be found on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/881984-life%27s-a-witch  or if you want to hold an actual book in your hand, it is also on sale at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Witch-Brittany-Geragotelis/dp/1467941298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323352650&sr=8-1

I feel like it's important to support authors who are doing it on their own as well as those who have the backing of huge publishing houses.  Read this wonderful book and tell me what you think in the comments.

Medium Dead by Chris Dolley

I received this book through www.librarything.com and it's early reviewer's program.  I really didn't know what to expect when I received this ebook.  I started the book yesterday and finished it in one day.  It was very engaging.  The characters were interesting and the story was fast-paced.  There were parts that were thrilling, especially the beginning. The off the wall antics of Brian help lighten the story.  I enjoyed traveling along with Brenda and Brian, especially the dinner with the parents scene.  I wish that it had been a little longer because I'm dying to know what happens next. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger.  Yes, they solved the immediate issue with the criminal at hand but who were those other people and what do they want?  I really do think that this book is a great one.  The author really knows how to make people laugh at the sheer craziness of the book. 

Wordless Wednesday-Self explanatory

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I actually listened to this book a while ago and I fell in love with it. It was so entrancing that some days I sat in my car just listening long after I shut the car off. I loved the story line and the characters. I liked the depth of the book and how everything fit together so perfectly. I couldn't believe it was over when it ended. I was so sad because I felt like I'd grown so close to Diana and Matthew. I highly recommend reading this book because it is definitely one of my favorites. 

Dead over Heels by Mary Janice Davidson

I really liked these short stories. There are three in this books that all fall between the main books in their respective series. There is one featuring the Vampire Queen Betsy and the oh so delectable Sinclair, one with mermaids from the Fred series and one with werewolves from the Wyndham werewolves. I really enjoyed this book as light reading. The stories kept me interested from start to finish and I think anyone who reads the main stories would enjoy this book as well.

White Dawn by Susan Edwards

I'd forgotten just how much I like romance novels. This book brought all that back.  This is the first of Susan Edwards' White  series and it is wonderful. These books are being re-released and I can't wait to read them all.  The story begins with a young being abandoned in the New Frontier and rescued by a wonderful man.  After a heavenly time, he must leave her and she is saved again by a trapper named John.  They both come from pasts that a less than perfect and together they find the love they are both so desperately, albeit unknowingly, seeking.  This is a beautiful love story and I enjoyed it so very much.

Three Shorts by Matthew Iden

I received these stories through early reviewers.  I have to say that even those these a relatively short stories, they really pack a punch. I must say that I normally read this type of genre. I like mysteries and drama and those types of things.  These stories may be short but you get the full impact from reading them.  There are 3, of course and each is very different.  There are very different subjects also, from the mob to poltergeists to mailmen and thieves. It was a very interesting book.  I look forward to more from this author.

Angel Evolution: Book One by David Estes

I received this book via early reviewer from LibraryThing. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book.  I thought it was rather short and the characters could have been fleshed out a little more but the story line itself was great. I liked the back and forth between angels and demons. It is a nice change from the vampires and werewolves genre that seems to have taken over fiction. I do feel like that book ended abruptly though.  I am definitely looking forward to the second and third books in this series.

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

I loved this book. If you've read any of the between the numbers books in the Stephanie Plum series, you will already know and love Diesel. Janet Evanovich has a way of making you fall in love with her characters from the very beginning of the book. Written in the same sense of humor as the Plum series, this book will keep you intrigued the entire way through. I feel like I need a little Diesel in my life.

Switched by Amanda Hocking

I received this book through as an advance reader's copy. I really enjoyed it. It was a nice change from the vampires and werewolves that seem to saturate today's media. I liked that it was part of the supernatural world but also a part that I was not familiar with currently. The story begins with a seemingly normal girl trying to find her way into a normal life after moving yet again. As the back story appears, we learn there were serious parental issues and she is now living with her older brother and aunt. After meeting a mysterious guy at her new school, she learns that she may be what is called a changeling. Without giving too much of the story away, I will say that the book was engaging and kept me very interested. I read this book in a matter of hours and it was very hard for me to walk away. The ending was one that I won't forget. It left me wanting more, as all good books should. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars only because I feel like there could have been a little more depth and it moved so quickly. Wendy was lost in the new life she found and I was equally lost because of the lack of backstory at times and the quickness of the chapters. I do think that this story is definitely worth reading though. I highly recommend it.

Life, interrupted.

 

So I keep saying that I’m actually going to keep blogging but somehow, life happens and gets in the way of all my plans.  But hey, I’m one semester closer to graduating from college, have a new job, two small children and a house full of chaos.  I do the best I can.    I’ve been reading a lot of fiction written by people just like me.  Not exactly fan fiction but not top notch, best seller material either.  It’s actually pretty decent.  I think I may try my hand at that one of these days.  Right now I’m dealing with a two year old who’s learning to potty and gets upset when you take her diaper off even though she’s told you four hundred times she has to go pee and a four year old who really should think about a career in law. 

One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau

I was able to read this book through ECW Press.  I honestly don't know what to think.  The book was convoluted and almost impossible to follow.  I don't know what the author was aiming for, nor whether or not he attained it.  The snippets of story left out big gaping holes and I felt lost the whole time.  The story is set up in minuscule glimpses into the lives of three different characters who cross paths during the story. This story would appeal to readers who like horror, or gory stories told in a very unique way.  Personally, this is not something I would read again.  I don't absolutely hate it but I just felt like something was missing.  It's probably from what I came in to the story expecting-a fully told story that has a beginning, middle and end.  That's not at all what this story contains. 

The Hypnotist by MJ Rose

This book was a bit of a surprise.  I did not honestly think that I would like it as much as I did.  The main character has many levels.  He is consumed with the death of his childhood girlfriend.  The book involves past lives and how they relate to the present.  The statue that is a main part of the story is called Hypnos.  It was created in Persia long ago.  The Iranian government has claimed ownership even though it is currently in the possession of the Met.  It was left to the Met by a donor who claimed that he received the statue through legal means.  The Iranian government concocts a plan to get the statue back, legally or no. Another group learns that the statue is connected to some things called Memory Tools.  One of the interesting things in the story is that we learn so little about the tools.  They are something on the edge and somehow in the middle of the book.  The story is slow in places but it is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries or any story out of the ordinary.