Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (book 7 in 50 book challenge and book 5 in my vampire challenge)

Book 7 Twilight
Okay with all the mixed reviews I read about Twilight by Stephanie Meyer I felt I needed to read it for myself. While my friend Irish did not enjoy the book I myself thought the book was not too bad. It was long and at times I got tired of Bella swooning over Edward but I viewed most of the swooning as a young teenager in love for the first time. I can remember my first crush you want to be and see that person all the time. That is how I viewed Bella wanting to be with Edward all the time.

I do have to agree with Irish on it being a bit freaky that Edward watches her sleep in her own house and bedroom. And at times is she obsessed by Edward yes but again I viewed it as a first time crush.

I thought the story flowed nicely from Bella landing in Forks and settling in to a new school and new friends, up to the very end.

Another point that I agree with Irish on is the fact that when Bella is almost injured and Edward saves her he tells her he needs to be alone so he can calm done. This I felt was wrong but, then if you look at it if he stayed he could have done more harm to her he is a vampire and all.

Twilight left me with mixed reviews. As I enjoy a vampire story I did feel some things to be better left out of the book then put in. I will most likely pick up the next book to see if my review of the series will change.

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle (book 6 in my challenge)

Book 6 in my 50 book challenge is a graphic novel lent to me by my friend Irish. it is [The Dresden Files; Welcome to the Jungle] by [[Jim Butcher]]. I loved all the other Dresden books so reading this one I thought I would feel the same.

The story was good but I am not sure about the graphic novel. I have always had a picture formed in my head of what all the main characters looked like and the drawings in this book didn't meet my idea of each character. The story line was great and Dresden still had the same sense of humor he has in the other Dresden books just not to sure about the graphics.
with that in mind I wont write off graphic novels complete as they are a fast and easy way to read a story and are enjoyable.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Dresden series.

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready (book 5 in my 50 book challenge and book 4 in my vampire challenge)

Book 5 in my 50 book challenge was Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-ready.

Wicked Game had me pulled in from the first chapter. The main character Ciara is looking for an internship for her school. She finds an internship at Radio station WVMP. There she meets a group of Djs like no others. each DJ is dressed in period clothing that matches the music they play. Odd? Ciara thinks so. She is also given a manual to read on her first night to help familiarize herself with the station and also give her information about the DJs. What she doesn't realize is that like herself they have something to hide.

Ciara reads the pamphlets given to her and read that the DJs all play the music from the time that they were turned to a vampire. As the story progresses we see that the DJs need to fight to keep their radio station. This is where Ciara comes in. she develops a marketing plan to play on the truth of the DJs which to the world will not be believed. She lets people know the DJs are vampires and that is why they know so much about the music that they play.

Along with the fight to keep the radio station Ciara falls in love is reunited with her father and is kept hostage by another group of vampires.

What happens in the end? Well that is something you can find out reading the book. I don't want to give the whole story away. =)

Girls that Growl (book four in my 50 book challenge and book 3 in the vampire book challenge)

So I had the day from heck at work today and came home and wanted a little escape so I picked up the following book: [Girls that Growl] by [[Mari Mancusi]].

let me tell you this book took my mind off everything that happened today.

Girls that growl is the second book int the Rayne MacDonald the vampire vampire slayer.

This book picks up with Rayne looking at her relationship with her boyfriend Jareth. Jareth saved her life in book one and they become bloodmates. Because of the virus that Rayne was given that Jareth saved her from he too was infected and had his power striped. This allows Jareth to go out in the daylight. With this new freedom Jareth becomes a surfer dude.

Rayne because she has become a vampire is no longer employed by Slayers Inc. officially but is held on to help out when needed. With that said Rayne is asked to join the cheerleader squad because Slayers inc. felt that they were all werewolves. This is where the story becomes funny. Picture a girl who wears goth clothing trying out to be a cheer leader. The story goes one with Rayne and Jareth going off to England to see if they can find an antidote for the cheer leading werewolves.

Girls that Growl is an easy read that can help take your mind off of a hard day.

It's all about books...: Vampire Challenge

Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic: Vampire Challenge -site to go to if you want to sign up.

I have joined in a challenge right up my alley. I love vampires so this challenge should not be too difficult for me. Have to thank my friend Irish for the info.
So, because I have already read two books on vampires I am increasing the number to 10 books. I will keep you posted on the how the challenge goes.

Here is info on the challenge:

What?
For the Vampire Challenge you will read books with vampires - romance, YA, paranormal, mysteries - anything, as long as there's a or two (or more) vampire in it.

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books with vampires in 2009, that's it. It's fairly easy, I think. For some inspiration check out cosymurders post on vampires in books.

72 Hour Hold (book 3 in my 50 book challenge)

Book three in my 50 book challenge was 72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell and have to say I really enjoyed. As I work supporting individuals with varying disabilities some even having a mental illness I could relate to a lot of what was being said.

Often times a mental illness is looked at as Taboo people don't want to admit they have a mental illness never mind there child does.

I felt Bebe Moore Campbell did a great job of showing what it is truly like for a mother to fight the battle of helping her daughter get help for her mental illness, while dealing with others views of the illness and fighting her ex-husband who feels that their daughter is not sick while fighting her own battle of guilt.

Bebe Moore Campbell tells a story that pulls you and has you pulling for Keri, a mother with a mission she is going to help her daughter no matter what it takes. Keri goes as far as getting help from a group that takes any means necessary to help an individual with a mental illness even as going as far as kidnapping them.

From the beginning you root for Keri to get the help for her daughter Trinia. 72 Hour Hold definitely shows people that a mother will do anything to help her child even when her child curses her and calls her the devil and hits her. 72 Hour Hold absolutely demonstrates the saying that a mother will always love her child no matter what.

Zen and the Art of Vampires (book 2 in my 50 book challenge)

Here is book two in my challenge this year. Now normally I don't like to read a book in a series if I haven't read the first book but when I picked this one up I didn't realize it was book six of a series. Although this is book six you do not need to have read books 1-5 to enjoy this book.

Zen and the Art of Vampires is a well written book about a woman who everyone can relate to. From the beginning you like her and want her to succeed.

There are several mini plots that combine for the large plot of the book.
One plot you meet a 40 year old woman, Pia, on a tour of Iceland with her friends. You learn of how she despises a co-traveler and what she will do to avoid her.

Another plot you find Pia being confronted by ghosts. Ghosts that only she can see as she has purchased an item that attracts the ghosts to her. With this item she takes the role of a woman called a Zoroya in the Brotherhood of the light. A role which she does not want at first.

Then yet another plot Pia meets a tall dark stranger and takes him home with her. Later she finds that this man she has been with is a vampire and in the dark ones group the sworn enemies of the brotherhood. Here is where the main story begins. By having the item that attracts the ghosts she learns of the role she is deemed to play. One that will help those who have died crossover to Ostri but to cleanse those referred to as the Dark Ones.

The story continues as Pia tries to balance her role as a Zoroya and still fall for one of the Vampires she meets along the way.

The ending is an ending one may not expect, but I will leave that for you to find out.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes romance and vampires.

Stake that by: Mari Mancusi (first book of my 50 book challenge)

Hello Everyone,
So I came home yesterday and after a long non-stop day at work I decided I needed to read a book that was an easy read so I picked up the Stake that.
This book pulled me in from the very first page. It focuses on a high school girl whose one dream is to become a vampire.

The main topic of the book:
A young adult supernatural read about a common girl in high school whose one dream is to become a vampire.

A little bit about the book:
Rayne MacDonald is a high school girl who has joined a vampire conven and is completing the process to become the mate of Magnus the coven leader. However, nothing goes according to plan for Rayne.

Sunny her twin sister is initiated into the coven as the mate of Magnus instead of Rayne and the story goes from there. Rayne also keeps a blog and updates her fans on what happens in her day to day life since her sister became the mate of Magnus.

The one things Rayne wanted most was to be a vampire and one day she is told that she is the next vampire slayer. Not what she planned.

Stake that shares with the reader the life of Rayne and how she uses her new found job to help rid the world of the bad vampires and along the way find romance.

Hell Bent by William G. Tapply is a well written book. The story line was well thought out and developed nicely through out the book. When reading this book you are introduced to one story and then quickly brought into another story line all long not losing the first group of characters introduced.
Once Tapply begins to expand on the main storyline involving Brady Coyne you would think that the previous story would be pushed to the wayside however that is not true. Tapply does a wonderful job of not only bringing a conclusion to the main topic but also a conclusion to the beginning story line.

Hell Bent is a story that will keep you guessing until the end. The story grabs you from the beginning and keeps you interested until the very end.

Hell Bent has a little bit of everything to offer the reader from romance to mystery and suspense. Tapply also does a superb job of describing each character so it is as if you know them and in they end you are pulling for the main character Brady Coyne to come out on top and happy.

I highly recommend this book for others to read.

Tan Lines by J.J.SALEM is a must read for the summer. The way Salem intertwines the story lines of three friends is amazing. Liza, Billie and Kellyanne are all characters you can relate to. While each woman has their own story line their lives intertwine in the summer they share together.
As you read about each woman you begin to feel their pain, their happiness and see their dreams. Each woman has a story to tell. Their stories make you love them, feel for them and yes at times dislike them. You have Liza who speaks up for herself through out the story, Kellyanne who has lead a tough life in acting and makes a few mistakes only to change her direction of life, and Billie who everyone loves to hate. Billie alone pulls pain, addiction and life's struggles together for an amazing story.

Tan Lines is a book that pulls you in from the beginning and keeps you interested until the very end. An end which one may not expect.

Tan Lines is a must read for me.

Review of Charanavi

I recently received Charanavi by Masahiro Tsurumoto from Lisa Roe. When I first received the book I wasn't sure how accurate it would be.

Finding what animal you were was easy Other personality books I have read have difficult equations to find out which personality you are. This one was simple and to the point. Once I found my number I matched it up to the animal and began reading about the animal that describes my personality. I have to say the animal to a strong degree described who I am. After reading about my personality I moved on to finding out the personality of my friends and family. And as I read about them I found it to be very accurate on them also.

This book is a great way to find some idea as to why some people act the way they do. I also found it a great add where it listed out other numbers and animals that I would be compatible with. it opened my eyes to why some do th things they do.

I highly recommend this book for those that would like a little insight into the actions of others. All you need to know is the persons birth date and the book will tell you the rest.