Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thursday Book Review

HIT LIST by Laurell K. Hamilton (Rated PG-15) (13 is still to young)


I'm a huge LKH fan. I've read everything she's published. I've met her at book signings. Talked with her and her husband, Jon. Seen them multiple times. I love love love Anita Blake, so I was very excited when Hit List hit the shelves. To say I'm an Anita junkie, would be putting it mildly. I do go through withdrawals and crave the books like a drug.


But, here's the deal (this is my opinion - my review) DISAPPOINTING. The book was well written, more character development, more time with Anita, Edward, Olaf, Bernardo and the introduction of a few new characters. There is the continuing struggle with the Mother of All Darkness and Olaf's obsession with making Anita his own serial killer girlfriend. I just feel slighted - as I know many others do too... the reviews on this book go from bad to worse. 


It's missing its awesomeness!!! Fans of LKH have gotten spoiled with awesome plots, big fight scenes, lots of explosive action, big guns and sex, sex, sex and more sex - oh and can't leave out the harem of men.  We had a whole year of waiting for Anita, we all had high expectations for the book, built it up in our minds and waited impatiently for its release, then we get it and poof the spark, was not a spark it was an ember. 
I don't do spoilers here if I can keep from it... but there were a lot of plot holes and issues that were resolved in a very anti-climatic way. There was only one gratuitous sex scene (YAY!!!) with yet another new were-tiger to add to her harem. The orders of execution for this book belonged to other Marshals, until they were no longer able to complete the mission. So, Anita is fighting her reputation as a sex machine and men collector, instead of fighting the big bad guys. If the shoe fits... or hey here's a concept, try limiting your collection, send the kid home, no more **** buddies and let the ones with lovers just do them. Anita says she's not bothered by all of the insults and it doesn't matter what others think of her... she's fooling herself but she's not fooling us. She's strong but it does matter. 


Will I stop buying or reading the Anita Blake series??? Are you serious? Its just one book. I love the characters, I love the plots and Anita's world. Honestly I feel like both LKH and Anita are tired. IMO -Vacations are in order for LKH, Jon, Trin and everyone she works with. Leave both series for a bit and come back to them... hopefully it will get better with the next books. I'll be waiting impatiently for the next Anita book. 


PLOT - The Harlequin, under the control of the Mother of All Darkness, are committing seemingly random brutal murders of were-tigers across the country in an attempt to lure Anita away from the security of her home city of St. Louis, giving their mistress access to attempt to metaphysically inhabit Anita's body. Realizing it's all a trap, Anita and Edward must find a way to stop the Harlequin before they can both kill again and capture Anita. 

  Product Description

The #1 New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series continues! 

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect "monsters" are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, U.S. Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.
So there you have it... all wrapped up in a nice neat thud. I'll be waiting for the next installment... ♥ out of 5. (worst review I've ever given...and not happy about it)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Weekend Reads

Here's what I have on my shelves to read this weekend.
Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton (number 20 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series) Yay!!! I finally get my Anita fix!
Product Review: A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect "monsters" are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, U.S. Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.





Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren ( I'm on pg 380 of 399) This is the second book in The River Of time Series. The first was Waterfall. Excellent writing, great character development, lots of great history... She takes you back to ancient Italy and winds an awesome tale.
Product Review: Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.
But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.


And a free Kindle download from Melissa de la Cruz - Witches 101: A Witches East End Primer. Its just a snippet from her first Adult Paranormal Tale.
Product Review: From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.
The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.
For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.
With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Non Fiction Blurb

It doesn't happen often, I generally can't get my head around reading non-fiction works. But, this time I found one that I couldn't put down. I've always been fascinated with Mediums. You know John Edward, Sylvia Brown, James Van Praagh to name a few. I came across Maureen Hancock and her new book The Medium Next Door. thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I learned a few signs to watch for from my loved ones who've passed. I'm waiting for signs. ♥ out of 5. 



  Product Description

At just five years old, Maureen Hancock discovered her ability to communicate with the dead. Descended from a long line of legendary Irish mystics, she was no stranger to the spiritual realm, but for fear of being misunderstood by her friends and family she kept the otherworldly messages to herself, eventually suppressing them completely.

Maureen wouldn't hear the spirits again until she was in a near-fatal car crash. Soon after, she had hundreds of voices in her head, many of which helped her crack cases and expose fraud in her role as a litigation paralegal at a large Boston law firm. Then, when tragedy struck on 9/11, Maureen was bombarded with messages from the spirit world. As each one made contact with her, she finally came to terms with her calling: to communicate with the deceased, assist the dying, search for missing children, and teach the living about life after death, all the while raising her children in her suburban home.

Maureen Hancock is literally is the Medium Next Door, and in this book and through her stories of her encounters with the otherworld as well as guided exercises at the conclusion of each chapter, she offers the same comfort and wisdom she shares in her healing encounters and lectures about what is out there waiting for all who are open to its mysteries. . . .

Friday Favorite

I've neglected the site and I apologize... I've been working on making some extra cash and getting my son's wedding flowers and some other items purchased. I have been reading though... I have a selection for my followers to try.


First is The Cross Gardener by Jason F Wright.

  From Publishers Weekly

Author and political commentator Wright (The Wednesday Letters, coauthor with Glenn Beck of The Christmas Sweater) returns with another modern fable that wears its conservative values on its sleeve. Born on the side of the road to a dying teenager, John Bevan grew into happiness and safety on an idyllic Shenandoah Valley orchard, falling in love as a teenager, eventually marrying his high school sweetheart and having a daughter with her. When, pregnant with their second child, his wife dies in a car accident, John finds his faith and ability to function shattered. Attending the site of her death, John encounters the Cross Gardener, a man who tends the roadside memorials of strangers, and with his help John finds himself returning to the path of responsibility and righteousness. This title offers the same kind of values-focused emotionalism that fans expect, with plenty of uplift and tradition-affirming sentiment; even by the standard of his other work, however, this effort is prudish and clunky, and John often comes across as more sullen than bereaved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 

My review: Its the story of a man overcome with grief from the death of his wife and unborn son. A man who has retreated into himself and withdrawn from the world around him, all except the two crosses that make where that tragic accident took place. Its about how he meets a man who is the Cross Gardener. This man cleans around the crosses of those killed in tragic traffic accidents along road sides and even watches over the crossing points of others killed in different circumstances. The cross gardener helps our main character John Bevin learn to grieve. You have to wonder did our author live through such events or similar? All the whys? What if's? And questions only God can answer.
This is a very emotional book... I cried, laughed and questioned some of the deaths I've dealt with over the years. I think I came to a better understanding and grieved a little right along with John Bevin and Lou Lou (John's little girl).  
♥ out of 5.