The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

Title: The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl
Author: Barry Lyga
Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Meet Fanboy a high school student who well like most his age dislike school. He doesn't have many friends and the one friend he has doesn't hang out much with him in public. Fan boy feels he is all alone especially since his mother is pregnant with the child of his step dad whom he can't stand.

Fanboy spends his time reading comics and working on one of his own. Then one day he meets Kyra also known as Goth Girl. She too dislikes school and the jocks that go with it. And an added bonus for fan boy is that Kyra likes comics too.

Barry Lyga weaves a great story of the struggles in high school and how with a friend you can overcome it. I must say he also has such great detail that you can picture the things he is saying. for example when he described dodgeball in gym I could literaly in my head see the game going on.

I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading more by Barry. And I must add He is really nice to talk to. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Barry when I attended the Book Expo America back in May.

The Devil Inside By Jenna Black

Tittle: The Devil Inside
Author: Jenna Black
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

So I was walking around Borders one day thinking to myself that I wasn't going to by any books. Yeah right. Who knows me to go into a bookstore and not walk out with at least 4 or 5 books. So while looking at the books I picked this one up and read the back it had a interesting premise.

Morgan Kingsley is a demon exorcist that is called into to exorcise a demon from an 8 year old girl. Once that has been accomplished the folks that called on Morgan to help believe she herself is possessed however she asks that another exorcist be called in and she is cleared. Morgan leaves and the story begins.

Morgan begins to find strange notes written in her handwriting upon walking up. Telling her that someone is inside her. Morgan doesn't believe the notes and goes to her friend for help. Morgan begins to dream upon falling asleep and meets Lugh who she finds out has invaded her body but can not control her while she is awake. Uncommon for demons who possess humans. What Morgan finds out is the demon that possesses her is the King of the Demons, Lugh. The story progresses with Morgan trying to find out who would want the Demon to be stuck in a humans body.


I thought the story had a good baseline and developed nicely. The only thing is at times I thought some of the story could have been left out as it did not really have any backing in the whole Demon possession story. With that in mind I do feel it is a good book and an enjoyable story line.

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

Title: What Happened to Cass McBride
Author: Gail Giles
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

I bought this book about a year and a half ago and started reading it then but couldn't get into so I put it on my shelf of books to read. So I picked it up again yesterday and was able to read it in one day. Even though the book bounced around from the main characters the story was easy to follow.

Gail Giles did a wonderful job of tell Cass's story from all the viewpoints of the people involved. Gail Giles brings the reader in and holds her until the story ends. At times you feel bad for Cass and at other times you can sympathize with Kyle.

What Happened to Cass McBride is a story of one individuals struggle to accept what his brother has done, one individual trying to figure out why she is in the position she is in. And the last question will Cass be found before it is too late?

A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

Title: A Circle of Souls
Author: Preetham Grandhi
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A circle of Souls is Preetham Grandhi's break out novel and I must say it is a great way to start a writing career. Grandhi introduces the reader to many different characters but through out the story you see how each person's story ties together for the main story.

There is no time waisted by Grandhi in getting the reader into the story. The story jumps off from the beginning. The characters you meet along the way only help tell the story better.

First meet Janet a young girl who goes missing and is later found brutally murdered. Then meet Naya a seven year old girl having dreams that no one can explain. Her parents bring her to the hospital for help when they see her trying to jump off her balcony. At the hospital we meet Peter Gram a child psychologist who takes Naya on as a patient. He wants to find out what is causing Naya's dream and by doing this gets pulled into the mystery of what happened to Janet.
Agent Leia Bines an FBI agent called into help solve this murder mystery.

Grandhi does a wonderful job tying all the characters and their individual stories together and solving the mystery of what happened to Janet.

I definitely recommend this book to others who like a book that keeps you guessing until the very end.

When Snowflakes Fall by Carl R. Sams, II

Tittle: When Snowflakes Fall
Author: Carl R. Sams II
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book was sent to me from the publishers that I also met at the BEA 2009. I spoke to them about the books they had and how I thought the photos were amazing. After talking with them I then left their booth with a catalog of their books to look through so it was a great and happy surprise when they emailed me and asked me to review this book.
I found this book to be an easy read that young children would enjoy. The story tells about what different animals do when snow begins to fall but the thing that in my view is astounding are the actual photographs that they use to tell the story. Each page has a wonderfully taken photo to help tell the story.

I highly recommend this book and others by this author for the photos alone. They are amazing.

Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

Title:Everyone Poops
Author: Taro Gomi
Rating: 4 out of 5

This book was sent to me by the publishers that I met at the BEA 2009. It is a children's book that tells kids how everyone poops not just them. Some poop is big some is small. They also share that some will move around as they poop while others don't. I found this book to be interesting and thought children would probably love to read it as most kids like to talk about poop.

I found the illustrations where well done and the short story flowed nicely. I recommend this book for any young child who is getting ready to be potty trained.

Currently reading

These are the books that hold a spot on my nightstand. Each so far are a great read.

Current books to be reviewed.

Slowly but surely I am plugging away at all the books to be reviewed below. I know I need to review them but I just keep getting great books to read. But I am going to try my best and get these books listed below reviewed.

1. Wish you were dead 5 out of 5 (was asked by author to wait until book is released to post review as some things have changed from the ARC I received)
   
2. Midnight Cravings. 5 out of 5
3. Handcuffs 4 out of 5
4. Going to Far 4 out of 5 stars (How could I have forgotten this one)
5. Intertwined 5 out of 5 stars (added 6/29/09)
6. Demons Not Included 5 out of 5 stars (added 7/6/09)
7. The last of the Red hot Vampires (added 7/11/09)
8. Strange But True America Weird Tales From All 50 States 3 out of 5 stars (added 7/15/09)
9. Dead Girls Are Easy 4 out of 5 stars (added 7/19/09)
10. Dead Until Dark 4 out of 5 stars (added 7/31/09)
    

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Rating 5 out of 5 stars


I will be honest I bought this book and then it sat in my too be read pile for a while. Then my friend Gail asked to borrow it because a friend of hers said she must read it. So i let her borrow it and then she said I must read it. Once returned I began reading it and enjoyed the storyline and the way Alyson developed the characters in it.

Meet Ever a young girl who is the soul survivor of a car crash that took the lives of her parents, sister and dog. Ever would have joined her family on the other side however she stopped to "smell the roses" so to speak and was called back into her body. Since that fateful night Ever can hear voices and see things ghosts and auras around people. To hide this gift or punishment as Ever views it she hides herself in sweatshirts and listens to her ipod. This all stops when she meets Damen a new student at school whose very touch or presence seems to quiet all the voices that Ever hears.

Upon meeting Damen she also meets another woman. A woman who she thinks is Damen's girlfriend but turns out she is something else and is not a good thing for Ever.

Noel does a wonderful job of fleshing out the storyline between Damen and Ever, the story progresses nicely and to slowly. By the end of the book I was wanting more. Gladly Blue moon the second book in the series has been released. I look forward to reading it soon to see what happens to Damen and Ever.

Necking by Chris Salvatore

Tittle: Necking
Author: Chris Salvatore
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If you ask anyone who knows me they will tell you that I love vampire books so it should come as no surprise that when I saw this book I picked it up and brought it home to join the other vampire books I have in my collection.

Gia Felice just your average woman working as a publicist for a firm. Well that is what most would think but the firm she works for are publicists for supernatural authors like aliens, vampires, werewolves and witches. Gia's best friend Lola is a werewolf and worries about her.
Gia’s current client is a vampire by the name of Belladonna Nightshade. How much trouble can Gia get into you ask well let's begin.

First: Gia falls for Bella's manager who you may have guessed is a vampire.
Second: Bella has asked Gia to find the vampire who turned her a dangerous mission for anyone who takes it on.
Third: Gia has to decide when she becomes involved with Johnny, Bella's manager, on whether or not she wants Johnny to change her. Even if she decides to let Johnny change her the question is does he want to change her..

Of course in the book you have Gia finding herself in dangerous places and needing at times to be saved for her own good. The story was good some of the jokes thrown out by the characters were at times unnecessary, Gia's fate is predictable from page one however, it is a nice read that I enjoyed.

Salt and Silver by Anna Katherine

Tittle: Salt and Silver
Author: Anna Katherine
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Before I review this book I must say I loved this book from start to finish. From the minute I picked it up to the moment I put it down. I read this book in a day.

Meet Allie, a young woman who work's at Sally's Diner and lives right above it. Her mother has run away with her tennis instructor and has taken Allie's trust fund with her leaving Allie with nothing. Allie doesn't think her life can get much worse until she and her friends chant a made up spell asking for money, luck, and love. What they didn't ask for in the spell was to open a Doorway to Hell.

In walks Ryan a Stetson-wearing demon hunter dressed in leather. His job to watch the Doorway to Hell and kill anything that tries to escape. So begins Allie's adventures with Ryan and all that has to do with the doorway she and her friends have called up.

To Ryan and Allie's amazement one day the doorway in her basement just disappears and of course Ryan thinks that Allie had a hand in the door disappearing.

After some research done on Ryan's part and a meeting of other demon hunters Ryan realizes there is something much bigger happening. Ryan also finds that the other doors that they check on call Allie by name. This could be an advantage or disadvantage. The only way to solve this mystery and what is behind the doors disappearing Allie and Ryan with some others must enter a doorway and go through hell themselves.

Can Allie's new found feelings for Ryan survive a trip through hell? Can they find the person responsible for the doors disappearing and save the world?

Red Headed Step Child by Jaye Wells

Title: Red-Headed Stepchild
Author: Jaye Wells
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

While walking through the bookstore one day I found this book sitting on the self staring at me. At first I thought while the cover looks good not sure if I want to get it but while picking a book up next to it to read the back Red-headed Stepchild jumped off the shelf (yes, it jumped didn't fall just jumped off the shelf) so of course I had to bring it home with me.

I will admit I didn't read it for a while after purchasing it but once I picked it up I enjoyed the story. It had its moments where I found myself laughing out loud as I read it. Really loved the first line of the book.
And well I have to say I loved the demon that was sent after Sabina Kane the main character in the book. Done with my pre-babble now onto the review.

Sabina Kane is half mage and half vampire. She was born from a forbidden love affair and will never become a full fledged member of the Dominae, the vampires’ governing council. Sabina is their trained assassin. Sabina's grandmother raised her to only follow vampires and hate all other dark species (mage, fairy and demon), all descendants of Lilith.

Sabina's life is fine until she is ordered to become part of a rival cult whose leader is Clovis Trakiya. Clovis is half demon and half vampire. Once in the cult Sabina soon realizes things she once believed are false and is no longer sure who she can really trust. As she delves deeper and deeper into Clovis's cult and their mission she begins to question her grandmother's orders. Thus putting her in a difficult situation.

Throughout her adventures Sabina realizes she is being stalked by a mage one of her kind. She also has inherited a demon called up by her mage stalker. As hard as she tries she is unable to get rid of the demon so when going on her mission to Clovis's cult she changes the demon into a cat.

Jaye Wells did a nice job of telling the story of Sabina but at times I wished there was a little more build up to the climatic scene in the book. All in all though the book was enjoyable and I plan on reading the next in the series.