Head to Desk!

This was supposed to be an easy week! ACK! *Head to Desk*

Everyone supposed to be on vacation between Christmas and New Years. But apparently no one told that to this company. They want EVERYTHING this week!!!!

So while all the rest of my team is on vacation (probably drinking Mai Tais on a beach somewhere, or sleeping late in their own beds *grumble*) I am here buried under tons of paper and completing test work that NO ONE told me had to get done! They told me all I had to do was hold down the fort. And NOT that everyone and their mother were going to attack me with requests! *Head to DESK*

I just want to left alone for a while so that I can complete what I can. Hopefully they will be satisfied with that. But as I am only one person trying to do four people's work, they'll have deal with it until Monday when all return (and hopefully my sanity too). But in the meantime, hiding seems to be a great idea (rather than continuing to do *head to desk* as it is giving me a headache)!

My Top 5 books for 2008

It's the time for year for reflection. Its been a tough year: work has been slim and hard to find and money has been in short supply, but overall things are better than when the year started. I'm ending this year employed and in good health (the migraine seem to be in control at last! *knock on wood*).

As far as books and reading goes, it has been a great year. Thanks to my many new friends in the blogosphere, I've been introduced to some great new authors: Anne Bishop, Meljean Brook, Jean Johnson, and Linnea Sinclair just to name a few. In addition some of the old favorites have come out with some great new read this year, Marjorie M. Liu, Nalini Singh and CL Wilson really standing out. So with no further ado, my top five book for 2008 are...

5. The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
This could be the start of another lovely relationship with Marjorie. I have loved her Dirk & Steele series (minus the unfortunate The Last Twilight, which just didn't live up to the rest of the series). Maxine Hunt is definitely on my list of great heroine and I have great hope for the series. The story is both inventive and lively. I just love anything that ties in reality (as most think of it) with the mysterious and unseen, the whole fairies really do exist. And let's face it, we all could use a bit of magic in our lives.

4. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
If I could be a sword-wielding, magical bounty hunter I would definitely be Kate. This is the second book in the Kate Daniels series and it's as fantastic as the first. I can't wait to see where Kate goes from here and all about her mysterious history (and really who IS Roland... I wonder if he has a tattoo of a skull and crossbones encircled with a heart on his ass *g* Probably not but hey wouldn't it be fun). Ilona does a wonderful job of blending the supernatural forces with the mundane. I love how technology and magic seem to be at opposing ends of the spectrum, that only one really works well at any given time. And let's not forget Curren... grr...

3. Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Nalini just can't go wrong. This is a wonderful 5th chapter (well full length book) in her Psy-Changling series. Dorian is absolutely scrumptious, Ashya is delightfully icy and sassy, and Amara is so wickedly evil you can't help but love her. Nalini just takes us deeper and deeper into this wonderfully crafted world and story that she does indeed take us all hostage to pleasure. I can't wait to read all about Mercy and Riley and to see where Nalini will take us next (after Dev and NY). And besides, who wouldn't love this cover.

2. Demon Bound by Meljean Brook
I can blame my addiction to Meljean on the DIK draft that occurred in May of this year. It's all their fault (not that I am complaining, missing the Guardian series would have been disastrous). Jake has a delightfully boy-ish charm, Alice is beautifully creepy and Michael is a bit less mysterious (I can't wait for his story, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how one looks at it, Meljean has indicated that he will be last). Next comes Irena and I can't wait! And I'm hoping for Hellhound pups!

1. King of Sword and Sky by CL Wilson
I so LOVE this series and can hardly wait for the last book to come out! I think I continuously read this series for well over two weeks! Cheryl just has to write faster! Every character is delightful (even the evil ones) and there is no aspect of the book to glance through. Each scene is wonderfully crafted and the descriptions so richly described that you feel like you've really seen it or experienced it (okay, maybe not the torture parts). This is a true fairytale. An abandoned princess, the handsome prince, the perilous quest, the imprisoned king and queen, a great and powerful evil and a destiny bound to change the world. *sigh* I really NEED the last book and I NEED to know what happens to everyone. There is so much still to discover. And it doesn't come out until JUNE! *pout*

Review: Iron Hunt

Title: The Iron Hunt

Author: Marjorie M. Liu

Published: June 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fiction

Stand Alone/Series: Hunter Kiss #1, Prequel: Hunter Kiss in Wild Thing Anthology

From the Author Site: Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities…tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.

I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.

By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own. Demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. The only way to live—and the very way she’ll die. For one day, her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival—leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies.

But such is the way of Earth’s last protector—the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veils. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment—and one man—changes everything...

Heroine: Hunter Maxine Kiss is the latest and last of the Hunters. She is descended from the first Hunter in an unbroken female line that started ten thousand years ago when the veil was erected and the demons imprisoned. Over the centuries the other Hunter lines have died out leaving only the Kiss line and finally Maxine as the only Hunter-Warden left to protect the earth from demons. The story starts with Maxine "knowing" who and what she is but as the story unfolds that understanding starts to falter.

She is a totally kick-ass heroine but soft-hearted, unless you are a demon. Definitely ranking up there with Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels and Meljean Brook's Lilith as one of my favorite no-nonsense heroines. The kick ass first and ask questions second type of ladies. Gotta love that.

Plot: Loved the storyline. The veil that keeps the demons imprisoned and the earth safe is falling and only Maxine is left to protect the earth from the coming demon apocalypse. Already scouts are coming through and Maxine must find the strength and knowledge to protect not only herself but the whole world.

There are mysteries about Maxine that even she does not know and something "the boys" won't/can't tell her. Something spoken of in hints and riddles but never fully explained. The discovery of the hidden world around her, things her mother never told her about and surprises for everyone involved.

Review: A page-turner that hooked little claws into me and didn't let go until the very end. Action packed with lots of mystery around every corner. Just enough mystery to be tantalizing and kept me flipping to pages to find out more and now leaving me begging for more. This storyline is definitely going on my A-list. Marjorie has added bits of lore/myth/fairytales into the storyline and I can't wait to see how she uses these bits in the future.

Love "the boys"! Even though only Zee can communicate with Maxine, they all seem to just leap off the pages with their love and protectiveness toward Maxine (they are also going on my list of immortal companions to have right up there with Meljean's Sir Pup... so I seem to like the ones that can "dispose of the evidence" go figure). I am still a bit mixed about Grant, I like his character and he does make a nice foil for Maxine's toughness but he seems a bit wimpy to me.

All told in the first person. Seems to the trend in urban fiction. I like it. It so much easier to keep up with all the twist and turns and keeps the suspense building since the reader only knows as much as the heroine/main character.

Keeper?: Yes

Recommendation: Excellent story with lots of tension and action. To fully enjoy the storyline, read the short story Hunter Kiss first. It set the scene of the story and provides some very important world building facts.

Rating: 5

Review: Turbulent Sea

Title: Turbulent Sea

Author: Christine Feehan

Published: July 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Drake Sisters #6 (See Author Site for complete list)

From the Author Site: The star: Joley Drake was born with a legacy of unexpected magical gifts, but it was the gift of singing that made her an overnight sensation—a rock and roll goddess trapped by fame, fortune, and ambition. Heated by the flush of success, Joley could have any man she wanted. But there’s only man who can give her what she really needs.

The bodyguard: Ilya Prakenskii, cool, inscrutable, dangerously sexy, and working in the shadow of his infamous reputation—that of a secret Russian hit man on the payroll of a notorious mobster. He’s the last man Joley should get close to, yet when her life is threatened on tour she has nowhere left to turn. But in the seductive safe keep of Ilya’s embrace, is Joley really as secure as she imagines?

Hero: Ilya Prakenskii: When he first appeared in the storyline, Oceans of Fire, Christine had already cast him as the hero for spellsinger sister Joley Drake. The mysterious stranger with gifts like the sisters but is not totally good. He appears to work for the Russian mafia but rumored to be something else altogether. Loved the whole mystery of him.

As a hero, he's pretty hot but a bit too domineering for my tastes. Talk about total control freak. Christine should work a bit more on the give part for the hero in the give-and-take of relationships. Why do all her heroine just cave into great sex and animal magnetism?

Heroine: Joley Drake. Her gift is spell singing and she has made a career of it. In the series, she starts out as a totally kick-ass, smart-mouthed rebel but ends up as an okay heroine. She doesn't quite fit in the too-stupid-to-live category but she is definitely not one of my favorite heroines. But she does have her moments.

Plot: The storyline in fairly basic with a few twist. A young girl has disappeared and was last seen in the company of one of Joley's crew. Thus Joley starts looking for the girl much to the dismay of Ilya and her crew. And since their meeting, Ilya has been seducing Joley and she has been running, denying their connection.

Review: I have to say that this is my favorite in the series so far, and as far as I can tell there should be only one more book in the series, at least that is my hope since I continue to read Christine Feehan because, let face it, I am a series junkie. Once started it almost impossible for me to stop, thus my always on-going hunts for the nearest used book stores.

The constant tension between Ilya and Joley worked for me. He pursues and she runs until he finally wears her out resistance and convinces her that he is truly the man of her dreams, minus the part about the future children. He continues to mention them and she continues to deny that there will be any in the near future.

I think I would have enjoyed it more if she had gotten to the chance to bash him in the head for being such a control freak, I like my heroines with a bit of muscle. But alas, after a second round of steamy sex she caves and does so even before his fall from lust to love.

Keeper?: Maybe... still trying to decide if I should keep the series or just give it up.

Recommendation: If you have enjoyed the other Drake Sisters novel, then you are bound to love this one.

Rating: 3.5

Review: Mecury's War

Title: Mercury's War

Author: Lora Leigh

Published: October 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Breed Book 16. For the complete list see Lora Leigh's site.

From the Author Site: Someone has been slipping the Sanctuary’s secure information to a pharmaceutical company. Now it’s up to Ria Rodriguez to pose as a clerk and uncover the leak. Yet she has no idea of the danger she’s about to encounter—or the passion she’s about to ignite in one of the greatest Breeds ever created.

Hero: Mercury Warrant: Although he is physically most like his animal, lion in this case, he would have been voted "the breed most likely not to kill". Seemingly mild mannered and controlled, he is the best Enforcer the Breeds have. But under all he mildness, there is an animal fighting to be free, and oh boy oh boy do we want him to be free. Once he is free he becomes a Breed of unequaled power, a true Breed, where man and beast are equal.

Ever since he was introduced, in Man Within, I've been eager for his story. To say the least, Lora did not disappoint. Mercury has suffered for years with the knowledge that his mate, or at least the Breed who was to be his mate, was dead, killed while on a mission. But then in walks Gloria "Please call me Ria" Rodriquez and he is mesmerized and his whole world turns upside down and the beast awakens.

Review: Gloria 'Ria' Rodriquez: All her life she has been looking for a place to fit in, a place that she can be herself. She has trained herself to blend, hiding her true self with a boring and bland exterior, to do what she believes she has to in order to make her way in the world. An orphan, whom the Vanderale's took in, raised, trained and employeed.

At first glance she's a boring bland, straight-forward character, spy in sheep's clothing. But as the story unravels, we find that she is more that she appears. She's not the boring, mild mannered little paper pusher sent to audit Sanctuary's finances to determine whether Vanderale's money is being well spent, but a brilliant mind sent (in secret even from the almighty Leo) to find a spy. Once out of her safe "paper pusher" clothes and skin, she is a power to be reckoned with.

Review: There is a leak at Sanctuary and Dane Vanderale is determined to find it and deal with it before the Leo starts making it one is favorite vacation spots. Now that Breeds are common knowledge, the Leo and his mate want to spend time with their other children and Dane, as heir apparent, is determined to protect his parents. Enter Ria, Dane's spy, for the right price.

Lora Leigh once again delivers an erotic tale, a story that just steams right off the pages. As soon as Ria steps foot out of her plane, the tension starts. Mercury has been assigned to Ria, as her protector/bodyguard for the duration of her stay and all he can think of is how to get under her "ugly" skirts. As threats to Sanctuary increases, Mercury's protective detail moves from the porch into the cabin and the temperatures rise.

Not only does Mercury's beast awaken, but so do his feral instincts causing problems within the Breed community itself. While some want to protect the Breed by hiding the more animalistic natures of the Breed, others feel the need to let the animal free.

Keeper?: Yes.

Recommendation: Yes. I have to say this is one of my favorites in the series. Mercury is quite irresistible and Ria is very funny and likable.

Rating: 4.5

Meme and Update

While I wasn't looking, that Alice-Mind tagged me with a book meme!

As I am hotel-bumming again, the nearest book is the phone book (LOL): Page 56, 5th entry is:
Executive Systems Group (address and phone number not included).
The nearest real book is the Wild Thing Anthology:
Then he held her there while the sensations went on and on, and finally began to ebb.
I think Wild Thing is way more interesting don't you? And to think the last time the dictionary was closest. Oh what excitement. Anyway... since I've done this meme before, I am not going to tag anyone.

As for the working bit, lets just say that it is a positive flow of income. Not terribly exciting or interesting, have spend the last week reviewing lots and lots of paperwork. For a place that has not yet produced any marketable product there does seem to be reams and reams of the stuff.

And as for the reading, didn't get much done as I was sidetracked by Band of Brothers thanks to Carrie Lofty and DIK and You Tube. *sigh* I heart Matthew Settle... aka Lt. Ronald Speirs.

Update

One holiday down and one more to go. Again over did it. Thanksgiving has no calories, right? And I really need to buy and get my holiday cards out. Must plan time for this... must get stamps as well.

Whee! Finally back to work. The wallet was looking very, very frighteningly skinny. I start Monday on a new contract in Santa Clara, CA, hopefully it will last as long as they say it will (which is mid January). So for the next month or so I will be a hotel bum during the week and get to sleep in my own bed only on weekends *pooh*. Hopefully that big furry rug I call a cat will actually still remember that I am her human.

And this traveling bit might actually make me read from the TBR and not the old favorites since I am limited on what books I can take with me (since I have not yet broken down and bought a Kindle). I have already located two used bookstores in the area and that could be dangerous. Must read the TBR since room on the TBR bookshelf is running out of space. Resist, resist.

Hopefully later this week I will have time to put together posts for a movie review (Quantum of Solace - the new Bond film) and a book review (Mercury's War by Lora Leigh).

Update

Okay so I have been silent for about a week. Am totally depressed about the whole not working thing (especially when having to pay bills or balance check book)

The job hunting continues. Have I said how much I hate it recently? Not working totally sucks because bills add up and there is no influx of cash. Why can't I win the lottery or something so that money wasn't such a problem? Mind you I don't mind working, but not having to worry about money would be nice. Anyone want to donate to the poor Aymless fund?

On a bright note (well maybe not so bright), I cashed in my change and added it to my Amazon account so I can at least get books without added expense, but this also means that the fatcat bank is now empty *pout*

Got my BDB handbook. Haven't browsed it yet but it will at least take time away from the moping about not working.

And there is always the very large TBR pile which doesn't seem to shrink. Maybe if I actually picked things off it to read it would, but lately I've been interested in reading some old favorites. Lately been going through Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steel series getting ready to read the latest (Wild Road)

And then there are the much wanted books... Nalini Singh's Branded by Fire, Anne Bishop's Shadow Queen and CL Wilson's Queen of Song and Souls (and the excerpt for this one not even available to drool over), to name a few.

Where is my time machine? I really need to get into making one, anyone want to help? I'll even let you use it *g*

New Excerpt

The first three chapters of Anne Bishop's latest book, Shadow Queen, is now available.

Drool... I so need this book. Where is my time machine when I need it!?

Review: Demon Bound by Meljean Brook

Title: Demon Bound

Author: Meljean Brook

Published: November 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Guardians Book 7
Book 1: "Falling for Anthony" in Hot Spell Anthology
Book 2: Demon Angel
Book 3: "Paradise" in Wild Thing Anthology
Book 4: Demon Moon
Book 5: Demon Night
Book 6: "Thicker Than Blood" in First Blood Anthology

From the Author Site: Among the Guardians, Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow—a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. To save her soul, she agreed to deliver to Teqon the heart of the oldest and most powerful Guardian of all, or else be damned for eternity. After more than a hundred years, Teqon is calling in his debt.

Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But in aligning himself with her he never expected to fall in love. Now, their passionate flight to escape Alice’s damnable bargain is threatening both their souls. For they’re about to discover a hellish secret about the Guardians—something that will change their universe forever.

Plot: While still a human Alice Grey got tricked by a demon into deliver Micheal's heart to him otherwise she is looking at an eternity of unbearable pain and suffer in hell. A secret she has been hiding for over a century. Jake discovers her secret and decides to help her find something to help her out of this bargain, to find something the demon would want more than Micheal's heart.

As a part of their quest, Alice and Jake excavate mysterious temples, temples that Micheal cannot enter and is not willing to discuss, that seem to appear and disappear at random hoping to find a clue to the demon prophecy and hopefully something to give the demon other than Micheal's heart. They also discover a secret about the Guardians and Micheal. A secret Micheal has been hiding. Something that will alter the Guardian Corp forever.

Hero: Jacob "Jake" Hawkins. He starts out as that guy friend that is always putting his feet (both of them) in his mouth. You know, the one that you are always telling to shut up before he gets himself into trouble. And the one that you think can't dig any deeper in his verbal-pits-of-doom and he surprises you by managing to find the black-hole-of-death and sinks to all time lows. But you keep him around because he's basically harmless and highly amusing (when you are not hitting your head against a wall for the inadvertent insults he keeps dishing).

As the story progresses, Jake seems to mature or at least learns to keep his mouth shut as needed. He becomes that awesome hero. The knight in shining armor. The one you fan your self over and moon about. *sigh*

Heroine: Alice Grey aka The Black Widow. In the beginning she's just plain old creepy and quite odd. She's the spider-loving Guardian librarian. Her gift is communication with spiders, so she breeds them and feeds them vampire blood. *shivers* But she has been going out of her way to keep other at a distance, increasing her "creepy" factor when the novices are around (you have to loved the whole spider out of the mouth trick she plays on Jake after he kisses her) because of her bargain.

As we get to know her, we begin to really admire her and hope that her quest to find something to bargain with is successful. Because face it we don't want Micheal to die and we don't want her to be damned to suffer in hell for eternity. We find that she is strong but vulnerable, determined and cunning and very worthy of Jake. She even makes you like spiders at time. Though I don't think I would want to keep a tarantula the size of a large house cat as a pet even if it purrs. *shiver*

Review: Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Another wonderful page turner from Meljean Brook. It will definitely be a best seller, if it isn't then people are just missing out on one of the best book of the year. The story is inventive and very intriguing and kept my attention throughout the book. Again Meljean has inserts bits of history and historical facts seamlessly into storyline and it keeps me asking for more.

Jake is irrepressibly funny with his boy-ish charm and unflagging optimism. Alice is just plain fun. Her wit and internal dialogue (as well as her spiders) keep her from being too creepy in the beginning and makes her quite humorous later on. I love the whole archeology of the ever so mysterious vanishing temples. And the nephilims are just plain freaky and scary.

Love some of the new characters in this book. I wonder what the story is between Guardian Irena, the metalsmith and Guardian Alejandro, the swordmaster. Lots of tension there and hopefully a book! Let's not forget Khavi. I thought Alice was creepy but Khavi certainly out creeps Alice by quite a bit. And with the introduction of a new hellhound, I'm hoping for hellhound puppies in the future. (Meljean put me on the hellhound puppy adoption list!)

As the war between Lucifer and Belial continues to wage in hell (and we discover what Belial is offering the demons that has them risking eternal suffering to be on his side), the new battle on earth against the nephilim is firing up and is bound to be cataclysmic. I can't wait to see where Meljean will take us next but I know it is sure to be exciting and unexpected.

Keeper?: Most definitely!

Recommendation: All round great story. For greater enjoyment the reader should probably read at minimum Demon Night prior to reading this book. If at all possible, reader should read all previous books (I've really enjoyed all of them).

Rating: 5 of 5

ARC Review: Hope's Folly by Linnea Sinclair

Title: Hope's Folly

Author: Linnea Sinclair

Published: February 2009

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction

Stand Alone/Series: Book 3
Book 1: Gabriel's Ghost
Book 2: Shades of Dark

From the Author Site: Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a rag-tag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be, if he can reach his command ship—the intriguingly named Hope’s Folly—alive. Not much can rattle Philip’s legendary cool—but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She’s the daughter of his best friend and first commander—a man who died while under Philip’s command, and whose death is on Philip’s conscience.

Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly-minted rebel leader, who it seems has just become her new commanding officer? And will she still be willing follow him through the jaw of hell once she learns the truth about her father’s death?

Plot: The story opens with Admiral Philip Guthrie getting ready to assume command of his new flagship, Hope’s Folly, once known as the imperial Styker-class cruiser the Alric Stockwell turned fruit freighter after decommissioning, as the new and only admiral of the Alliance. Admiral Guthrie arrives at Kirro Station and runs into former ImpSec Sub-Lieutenant Rya Talyor Bennton and with her help escapes on board a shuttle bound for Seth Shipyard and Hope’s Folly. Once aboard they must get Hope’s Folly up and running and get to Ferrin in order to have hope for the future Alliance. While battling the endless number of system problems on the ship, both Phillip and Rya fight a more personal battle of attraction.

Hero: Admiral Philip Guthrie was totally not what I expected. After reading Gabriel’s Ghost, I thought stodgy was the best description for him. After Shades of Dark, he was a bit more interesting but not hero material to me. But in reading this book he became the "long-lost always-forever dream hero" one always hopes for but very rarely encounters.

Heroine: Rya “the Rebel” Talyor Bennton is a no nonsense, ass kicking, and stubborn weapons toting woman. There is so much to like about her, her constant internal thoughts about her weight (would like to drop 30 pounds, like who wouldn’t), her no nonsense attitude and pride in her work makes her very easy to relate to.

Review: Those who have enjoyed Linnea's many other wonderful books will definitely enjoy this one as well. She, once again, has written a wonderful hero, a strong heroine and a suspenseful action filled story that grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go until the very end. I just don't know how Linnea Sinclair does it but this is sure to be another best-seller.

The romance was a slow burner with an explosive finale. For most of the book, Rya and Philip fight their rising attraction. For her, he is her “long-lost always-forever dream hero” from her youth but now is her commanding officer whom she is determined to protect from all harm and besides that she thinks that he does not find her attractive. For him, she’s the daughter of a friend who’s death sits heavy on his soul and a subordinate who is 16 years his junior that he has sworn to protect even from himself. But as they enter a life or death struggle, their attraction bursts into flames. Their burning looks and intense attraction has the “paint peeling off the walls”!

In addition to writing a wonderful hero/heroine pair, Linnea has included many wonderful secondary characters. Captain Folly, the ship’s namesake, plays a supporting role but is definitely a star that shine. Lieutenant Constantine Welford is another that I hope we will see more of in the future along with Sparks, the chief engineer. And let’s not forget “Mr. Nice Ass” Alek Dillon on the list of hoped for future appearance.

Keeper?: Definitely

Recommendation: Would recommend that reader read Gabriel's Ghost and Shades of Dark first, but isn't necessary to follow the storyline or to enjoy this wonderfully crafted tale.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Meljean Brook's Demon Bound

In honor of the release of Demon Bound and the national election on Tuesday Nov 4th, Meljean's running a contest and prize voting. Check it out!

Sorry

Hello All! Sorry I that I have been invisible for the last couple of weeks. First it was migraine hell then preparing for new contract starting this week. Talk about headaches!

Yup, that evil that seems to creep up on me unawares has struck again. And this time I was lacking my meds. *sigh* Then had to spend much $$ with doctor for nasty, butt-hurting shots then more appointments to transfer prescriptions and get them re-filled so that this does happen again! Some days I really hate the whole medical community!

In Summary: Shots hurt! Medicines are much $$ but they are necessary for poorer me.

Ahh... that lovely thing that we all can't seem to keep up with our book habits without... WORK! Lately I have been hunting for work (again) and now have secured another contract! Yeah and Boo! So I have been up to my neck in negotiations on the contract (hours and rate) then filling out the endless stacks of paperwork to get settled with a start date and time. Now have a tentative start date (Wednesday or they tell me, it was supposed to be Monday so we will have to wait and see).

In Summary: Work is good because it make $ flow in the + category. Work is bad because it causes the TBR to grow since book input doesn't get slower but the output gets slower since no time for reading.

And on top of all that... DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME SUCKS! I really hate having to reset all my clocks twice a year! It's not like we are a farming society anymore so this whole DST thing totally messes with everything. And now my phone (thus lifeline) has wrong time and I can't figure out how to get the correct time set! *pout*

WTF... now I find out it's not until next week... Freakin' calendar has it wrong. All the online stuff (thanks Alice) says next week. Guess I can live with all the clocks being off by an hour for a week 'cause I'm NOT doing this again next week (not counting resetting them to the right time for this week)

On to more positive things...

Coming to this blog soon...

Drum roll please...


ARC review of Hope's Folly by the wonderful Linnea Sinclair!

In the meantime... ENJOY... Supernatural certainly has nothing on Rocky.

Hosting Three Days over at the DIK blog

Hello All... I've taken over the DIK Ladies Rule blog for the next three days. Come by and have a drink and oogle our books and heroes.

Review: Pegasus in Space

Title: Pegasus in Space

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Published: December 2000

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adults

Stand Alone/Series: Book 3
Book 1: To Ride Pegasus
Book 2: Pegasus in Flight

From the Back Cover: For an overpopulated Earth, there is only one place to look for relief: straight up. With the completion of the Padrugoi Space Station, humanity has at last achieved its first large-scale permanent presence in space. But there are those who want Padrugoi to fail. Standing in their way are the Talented, men and women gifted with extraordinary mental powers that have made them as feared as they are respected - and utterly indispensable to the colonization effort. Now, as sabotage and attempted murder stike the Station, it's up to the Talented to save the day. Only who is going to save the Talented?

Review: This picks up the story from Pegasus in Flight and completes the building of the universe for the Rowan universe. The final chapter in the story of Peter Reidinger, first Tower Prime, and the beginning of the FT&T (Federated Telepath & Teleport). The world has become over-crowded, and the human need to explore, pushes exploration into space. First its the space station, Padrugoi, then the moon and Mars and beyond. It also provides Anne McCaffrey’s answers to the questions all space-exploring authors must face, how is space travel conducted and how do people stay in touch. Again Anne McCaffrey’s wonderful story-telling style keeps the reader turning those pages to see what happens next.

This book also points out the fact that the only place we have to go is up as we are faced with over-population and decreasing resources. Of course this means that people will have to work together and pool what resources we have, but it could be possible. Instead of wasting time and money on fighting, people should take a good look around. They would see that we are running out of space and resources. Sure conservation will help us but sooner of later we are going to have to face the fact that the planet as only so much space and resources.

Space the final frontier, to quote Star Trek. It really truly is the final frontier. This book always tends to bring out the little astronaut explorer in me (and not to mention the trekkie).

Keeper?: Yes

Recommendation: Yes, this story completes the world building for the Rowan universe.

Rating: 4 of 5

Review: Pegasus in Flight

Title: Pegasus in Flight

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Published: October 1990

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adults

Stand Alone/Series: Book 2
Book 1: To Ride Pegasus

From the Back Cover: As director of the Jerhattan Parapsychic Center, telepath Rhyssa Owen coordinated the job assignments for psychically gifted Talents. And though she had her hands full dealing with the unreasonable demand for kinetics to work on the space platform that would be humankind's stepping-stone to the stars, she was always ready to welcome new Talents to the Center.

Feisty and streetwise, twelve-year-old Tirla used her extraordinary knack for languages to eke out a living in the Linear developments, where the poor struggled to make ends meet and children were conscipted or sold into menial work programs. Young Peter, paralyzed in a freak accident, hoped someday to get into space where zero gravity would enable him t ofunction more easily. Both desparately needed help only other Talents could provide.

With the appearnce in her life of one extraordinary man with no measureable Talent at all, Rhyssa suddenly found herself questioning everythin she thought she knew about her people. And when two Talented children were discovered to have some very unusual - and unexpected - abilities, she realized that she would have to reassess the potential of all Talentkind...

Review: After reading some great new (to me) science fiction, I had a hankering to re-read one of my old favorites. And in science fiction, who hasn't read at least one Anne McCaffery.

This story is the middle part of the trilogy that precedes the Rowan series (Rowan, Damia, Children of Damia, Lyon's Pride, and The Tower and the Hive). The first book in the trilogy (To Ride Pegasus) didn't do much for me so I never kept it. Its series of short stories on the discovery of psychic abilities and the founding of the Parapsychic Center which is featured in the other two books of the series. Its very loosely tied into the rest of the trilogy and doesn't add much to the overall trilogy storyline was written nearly 20 years prior to the release of this book. This is really the story of Peter Reidinger and the beginning of the organization which will become the FT&T (Federated Telepath & Teleport).

As with most Anne McCaffery books, this is light reading with plenty of action to keep the story going. It takes a look at a society where the poor and unskilled live in underground dwellings and children are currency while the wealthy or skilled live in the sunlight and in luxury. Both side of this world are shown through the eyes of children. Tirla, whose birth was illegal (as the fourth child of a single mother), and Peter, who is paralyzed. Both have unusual skills and must find their place in the world.

Anne McCaffery is a wonderful story-teller and I love all the different world she’s created. This one is fascinating since it was one of first that I read that had people with paranormal powers set in modern day. Even though I’ve read this several times, it still keeps my interest.

Keeper?: Yes

Recommendation: Good for all ages. One of my oldies but goodies.

Rating: 4 of 5

Page 56 Book Meme

Tracy at Tracy's Place tagged me for this book meme:

So here are the rules:

Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.

Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the closest. Tag five other people to do the same.

Okay so the book closest to me didn't have five sentences so I grabbed the next closest:

"She has refused out of fear, and her Lord is bitter enough over the recent attacks that he supports her refusal"
"Has news of these raids reached Celieria City?"

Any guesses about what it is? And its one of my favorite books. Okay... you guys are so lucky that the American Heritage Dictionary (which usually closest to the computer) was buried under a stack of books. But for your enjoyment, page 56:

bark n. The short , harsh sound characteristically made by a dog. -v. 1. To produce such a sound. 2. To speak sharply; snap. -idiom, bark up the wrong tree. Informal. To wastefully misdirect one's energies.

Ok - I'm tagging the following people but they are under no obligation to play.
Sarai
Ciara
Kate
Lesley
Shannon

Review: Shades of Dark

Title: Shades of Dark

Author: Linnea Sinclair

Published: September 2008

Genre: Science Fiction / Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Sequel to Gabriel's Ghost

From the Author Site: Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind—until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding and it works.

With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal—not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose—between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.

Review: Linnea Sinclair takes us back aboard the Sully’s Boru Karn. It’s been three months since the destruction of the jukor lab and subsequent escape from Marker. And the crew has come to respect Chaz and accept her as one of their own. What riffs were caused by Sully’s mind-probe of the crew have been mostly mended. And Chaz is slowly adjusting to the ky’saran bond between her and Sully. Now its just the matter of finding the second mobile jukor lab and destroy it.

Or at least that what it seemed, until word reaches the Boru Karn of the arrest of Chaz’s older brother, Commander Thaddeus Lars Bergren, for treason and for aiding and abetting the dangerous terrorist, mercenary Gabriel Ross Sullivan escape Marker after his terrorist attack. Along with the arrest comes the alarming news that Thad is cooperating and telling all he knows about Sully. Mainly that Sully is one of the feared and much hated kyi-ragkiril.

With that information hanging over them, Sully and Chaz make the meeting with the mysterious Del, who turns out to be a Stolorth kyi-ragkiril prince in exile. As a lesser of two evils, they agree to bring him on board so that he can help them find and destroy the jukor lab. But it seem Del has other plans. He helps Sully gain control over his powers and shows him how to use them but he wants something in return.

Again this is an action packed adventure with a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader flipping the pages to see what happens next. Again Chaz is presented with a seemingly endless series of problems with her ex-husband on board (after being rescued from the Fleet ships out to kill him), a Stolorth kyi-ragkiril that seems to want to add her to his list of conquests, and a husband who can’t control himself or the Stolorth and is simply trying to keep the crew together and save the empire from disaster.

This wasn’t as light-hearted as Gabriel’s Ghost. This book definitely takes a darker turn. Sully struggles with what he is as his powers grows. Chaz has to deal with Sully’s fears of turning into the monster everyone thinks kyi-ragkiril are and keep him balanced while Del is pushing and testing both of them for mysterious purposes of his own. A definite page-turner but is not for someone looking for a HEA all wrapped up and pretty at the end.

Keeper?: Oh Yeah... For sure.

Recommendation: Yes. But you MUST read Gabriel's Ghost first or the first book will be mostly spoiled for you. Also will make this terminology used in this book easier to grasp.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Banned Books And I Love Your Blog Award!

Look what happens when one hides in one's cave for awhile.

I got tagged by Alice (for the Banned Books).

And CJ gave me an AWARD *faints*!


Okay first the banned books... in honor of the banned books month (ah... I think it was actually last month *g* oh how the time flies). I've colored the ones I've read in RED.

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson I was on such a roll...
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna Its a really naughty picture book *giggle*. My mom bought it for my sister then gasped at what she had actually purchased for her teenaged daughter. Hmm... maybe she should have fingered through it first.
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel okay... this is assuming it's that Clan of the Cave Bear series
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes oh so sad... *sniff*
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein oh my... really? If that one then I thought Uncle Shelby's Book of ABZ's would be on this list for sure...
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) Erotica at work on a classic... hehe
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King uh... probably read it but don't remember there for not colored
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl okay so don't get this one
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume Really? It's a must read for all teenage girls!
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle and What's Happening to Me?
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford hmm... This one confuses me. What's so objectionable about this book?
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell haha... I remember this one.
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Okay there were some surprises on the list (like Where's Waldo? Still a bit confused on that one, and who knew Judy Blume was so objectionable) but then on the other hand some people will ban anything. It does bring to question whether or not they've actually read it before banning it.

I think there are some notables that seem to not have made this list but I just have the feeling that they've been banned SOMEwhere...
a. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown maybe its just too new to have made it onto any official list
b. 1984 by George Orwell
c. Animal Farm by George Orwell
d. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
e. And Tango Make Three by Peter Parnell, Justin Richardson, and Henry Cole
Just to name a few...

Now the question of who to tag...
I vote for CJ of the Thillionth Page!
and whomever else wants to do this!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And WooHoo! CJ of the Thrillionth Page awarded me an I Love Your Blog award. My first every. Thanks CJ! So honored! I'm so happy, giddy even. It was a really nice thing to wake up to.

The rules for this award are that you need to:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

So I'm officially awarding this award to:
Alice of Peaceful Days and Dreamy Nights... my first blogging friend!
Ana and Thea of the Book Smugglers... my other book-crack dealers
Ciara of Ciara Stewart... 'cause she always has something interesting to read and ponder
DIK Ladies of the Desert Island Keepers... 'cause I can't blog without you all
To whomever runs Judge a Book by Its Cover... 'cause its always good for a laugh
Kristie and Kate of the Ramblings on Romance... my favorite book-crack dealers
Nalini Singh... not only does she write great books, she runs a great blog too!

Review: Gabriel's Ghost

Title: Gabriel's Ghost

Author: Linnea Sinclair

Published: October 2005

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Book 1

From the Author Site: After a decade of cruising interstellar patrol ships, former Captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime Pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit—and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.

Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding jukors: vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates imperial space. For Chaz, it’s a matter of survival. For Sully it means facing the truth about who—and what—he really is. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.

Review: From the very first page, the story grabs your attention and doesn't let go until the very end. The book opens with our heroine, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren, the former pride of the 6th Fleet, standing over the lifeless body of a Takan security guard who had just tried to rape her on the prison planet of Moabar on which she is serving a life sentence for crimes she did not comment. While trying to recover her balance from that attack, a ghost from her past appears in front of her in the form of a very live and very sexy Gabriel Ross Sullivan aka Sully. Though he has been thought dead for the last two years, he appears very much a live and is offering Chaz a way of the planet if she’ll help him. From there this “little” mission blossoms into something that could create a civil war within the Empire. And as they get closer to their goal, the danger increases and so does the passion between Sully and Chaz.

Gabriel Ross Sullivan aka Sully, the poet, and mercenary on a mission to stop the illegal breeding jukors (monsters designed and breed to kill anything that moves). But he needs the information on the Fleet and their protocols. So he rescues Chaz from Moabar (against the advise of his advisors) or that least that is the story he tell Chaz. But the truth of his unshakable trust, love and lust for Chaz soon becomes apparent. While there are many mysteries about Sully, even those that scare him, Chaz finds that she can’t resist Sully (and his wicked Sully grin)

Captain Chasidah Bergren aka Chaz, the once pride of the Sixth Fleet, and according to Sully, the best interfering bitch in the universe. Chaz is no faint flower. She is used to being in command knows what has to done in order to get the mission accomplished. Besides the luscious distraction of Sully, she does maintain her control and uses cool logic to solve problems. But when push comes to shove, she’ll shoot first and ask questions later.

I have to say I loved the story. The action was nonstop and it was one surprise after another as Chaz discovers things about races and people that she thought she knew. All the characters are quite complex and that makes them seem more alive. Sully, the mostly time flamboyant gambler hero also has a deep streak of self hate and fear of discovery, especially when it come to letting Chaz know what and who he is. Chaz spends most of the book being frustrated with Sully’s tendencies to hide facts from. The whole dynamics of the growing relationship was fascinating.

Keeper?: Yes. And since I borrowed it from a fellow lovely DIK lady (thanks Sarai), I had to go out a buy my own copy.

Recommendation: Yes. A lovely story full of action and romantic tension. Super yummy hero and a kick ass heroine. What more can you want.

Rating: 5 of 5

Review: Magic Burns

Title: Magic Burns

Author: Ilona Andrews

Published: April 2008

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Stand Alone/Series: Kate Daniels #2
Book 1: Magic Bites

From the Author Site: Down in Atlanta, tempers - and temperatures - are about to flare...

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate's going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest - and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive...

Review: Its back to the adventures of Kate Daniels. So its been a couple of months since the death of her Guardian and she's still working for the Order as the liaison to the Mercenary Guild. Still having a hard to making ends meet and taking on the odd jobs for the Mercenary Guild. But for the most part things have settled down to a somewhat happy routine for Kate.

Then of course its the late night call for an assist that turns into more trouble than the norm. Kate not so happily goes to the aid Jim, the panther shapeshifter mercenary, (for a fee of course) and one thing leads to another and the next thing she knows the Pack wants her help to:

... track down a supernaturally fast sniper who can disappear into thin air, retrieve your maps, and do it so nobody finds out what [Kate] is doing or why...

So the adventure starts. And one thing leads to another and before she can do anything about, Kate is once again wading neck deep in trouble. Not only does she have to deal with a sniper who can poof anywhere and has more wandering hands than an octopus, she's has to protect a helpless kid looking for her mom, deal with demons that just won't die and go away, and she's helping the Beast Lord's ex-lover by arranging her marriage to Kate's almost boyfriend, Crest.

Like Magic Bites, this book gets it claws into you and doesn't let go until the end. We're introduced to some intriguing new characters, Andrea, a Knight of the Order who has some serious problems and Julie, the abandoned street kid. We get to catch up with Derek, Kate's former wolf shifter body guard, who has matured some and has moved up a bit in the Pack hierarchy. Ghastek, the Master of the Dead, also makes appearance as does Saiman (still don't know what he is other than a bit strange) and of course Curran, the Beast Lord. And the revelation of the true depth of Kate's powers and more hints about Roland.

And the book leaves us with some intriguing questions: 1.) Just who and what is Roland (other than Kate's possible father) and just how powerful is he? 2.) How powerful is Kate? After the glimpse of her raw strength, it leaves one to wonder. Also the continued references of waiting until she is more powerful to kill someone, possibly Roland, makes one think that she only going to get more powerful as time goes by. And the biggest question of all 3.) Will Kate and Curran ever get together? Curran is a definite YES with:

Not only will you sleep with me, but you will say 'please'.

Ooh... the shivers. Love that whole alpha-male thing. And Kate is a definite NO with:

You've got to be insane. All that peroxide in your hair has finally did you brain in, Goldilocks.

You gotta love that smart mouth remark especially considering he can turn into a lion. Oh the possibilities. Can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Although the story is very satisfying it leaves you flipping pages helplessly at the end shaking your fist saying... "wait there's gotta be more, I NEED more" then wailing "What do you mean I have to wait until April 2009 for the next book!" And of course drooling for the next book. Can't wait for Magic Strikes!

Keeper?: Definitely.

Recommendation: It was definitely a great read. Anyone who loves a mouthy, kick-ass heroine will enjoy this book greatly. It going on my best of 2008 list for sure!

Rating: 5 of 5