ReadingFanatic

Title: A Bride Wore A .44
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance - Suspense
ISBN: 0-425-20564-9
Pages: 82
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology, "Kick @$$".

About this book:
Okay, there was no description for this book so I'm winging it myself.

Kira's engaged to Peter but without any memory of how that happened. Kira was in Africa when there was an explosion and she was caught in the middle of it. She lost her memory and is about to marry a man she doesn't remember at all. She finds a trunk full of her stuff in the attic and goes through it, trying to remember her life. She soon discovers that nothing is what it seems.

My thoughts:
Awesome story. I love Maggie Shayne's writing so much. I don't think I have not liked anything that she has written. She just hooks you right from the beginning. :)

I loved all the characters. The suspense in this story was awesome! I loved the loving relationship between Michael and Kira at the end. I loved the fact that she finally remembered everything and could love Michael after realizing why she put a distance between her and Michael before the explosion. Her father finally gave his blessing for them to be married. That was really nice. Great book all around from all angles.


Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,328

Title: Midsummer Night's Magic
Author: Virginia Kantra
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-515-13793-6
Pages: 61
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology, "Man of my Dreams".

About the book:
There wasn't any description for this story since it's in an anthology book...but here's a summery.

Janet's car breaks down on a deserted road. She sees a light in the woods and wanders into the woods to see if she can get some help. She runs into a man that looks strangely familiar but couldn't be her college boyfriend because this man was still in his early 20's when her old boyfriend would be about 30 just as she is. He helps fix her car and sends her on her way. She gets a call a few months later and he asks her to come back. He reveals his secrets to her and she has to find a way to help him escape from the people that abducted him 14 years earlier.

My thoughts:
Strange storyline but good none the less. A fast read. Surprisingly it wasn't one of the stories where you already know the ending before it happens. There was a few shocks to the story so it gave you something to look forward too. And there was action at the end to make your heart beat faster in antipation to find out what happens.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,246

Title: Shades of Moonlight
Author: Angie Ray
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-425-16571-X
Pages: 80
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology, "Moonglow"

About this book:
After the death of a Regency rake, a lovely lady unexpectedly inherits his house...and finds it occupied by his seductive ghost. Solving the mystery surrounding his death will free his troubled spirit, but it may also break her heart.

My thoughts:
This story was surprisingly good. I thought the beginning kinda stupid to be honest because this ghost in the house that this woman inherits is almost like a real man. I don't understand the concept of being a ghost but looking real and he can hold a glass of whiskey and drink it but he can't he can't touch this woman. I thought that was crazy but like I said, it turned out to be quite enjoyable. I liked the ending of the story, it had a bit of a twist of magic and superstitions to it. Of course this is one of those storiest that you can figure out the ending before it even happens.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,185

Next book/story to read: The Wolf Keeper by Katherine Sutcliffe

Title: To Mend A Spell
Author: Lisa Higdon
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-515-12157-6
Pages: 56
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology "Bewitched".

About the book:
When a young would-be witch carelessly places a curse on a handsome sea captain, her attempt to reverse the spell only strengthens the magic...of love.

My thoughts:
This book was cute and okay. Laura came across a magic book in the attic full of spells and she accidently cast spells while angry with a captain of a ship that brings in good to Salam. However, all the spells were tied with other reasoning for what happened. In some spots it was boring but otherwise a good read. I don't think I would read it again.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,105

Next book to read: "A Spell of Mist and Roses" by Amy Elizabeth Saunders

Title: Saving Sirena
Author: Susan Krinard
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-515-12157-6
Pages: 92
Rating: 3/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology, "Bewitched".

About this book:
Save cat, get witch: When a rescued black cat turns into a beautiful, ever-so-grateful wtich, Jack Danner has his hands full trying to ward off her latest seductive spell.

My thoughts:
Wasn't too bad of a story. It was cute but kind of dull in some spots. Sirena's character wasn't very developed except for her tempting men to bed and using her magic to make them fall in love with her. She wasn't very developed in that way, no personality. It is a short story though and you can't expect too much from a story thats only 92 pages. However, it was cute and something to read.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,049

Next book to read: Another story from this anthology book.

Title: Witch Moon Waning
Author: Lorna Tedder
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 1-892718-33-2
Pages: 76
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: 2 story novel.

About this book:
A young Wiccan falls in love with a college student, who neither understands nor accepts her religion. More than anything, Lydia wishes her love could understand her faith, and evenutally she performs a full moon ritual asking for his understanding as they say, Be careful what you wish for...

My thoughts:
Honestly, this story could have been better. I really enjoyed it but it could have been way better. There was so much missing that Tedder could have written a full length novel. Everything just skipped around and it was a little confusing. Especially the ending. It just ended without explaining anything. But like I said, the story had amazing potential but just gave you the feeling that it wasn't finished and pretty much a bunch of pieces to a novel. My opinion.

( Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 15,957

Next book to read: Not sure yet.

Title: Witch Moon Rising
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 1-892718-33-2
Pages: 73
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 2 story novel.

About this book:
Internationally bestselling author Maggie Shayne delves into the ethics of Wicca: does a Wiccan school teacher defy her administrators, neighbors, and a student's father to teach a lonely student the truth about the religion? Will the peace of mind she can give this student spell disaster for the teacher's career, friends, and even her life? Maggie weaves a wonderful tale of faith, love, and suspence.

My thoughts:
I have been waiting for the this book for a long time. I'm a big fan of Shayne's and I love reading her stories about Witches. I have never been let down when it comes to her stories. Anyways, this story was fantastic. I didn't realize that it was a suspense story though until the end. If you love witches, the wiccan religion, magic in general, you'll love this story. I'm so happy that I finally got this book in my hands. I've waited for about 2 years for this book to become available on paperbackswap and sure enough, it has. Thank you to whoever sent it to me. This story just makes me realize how much I love Shayne's work. Even though the stories are kind of predictable they make me happy inside. However, some of the endings are a bit too "happily ever after" but, the rest of the story is great.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 14,881

Next book to read: Witch Moon Waning by Lorna Tedder

Title: One Word Answer
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 0-515-13970-X
Pages: 24
Rating: 1/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology Bite, also part of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

About this book:
Sookie finds out how her cousin, Hadley, is murdered.

My thoughts:
I have no idea why Harris wrote this short story. It was pointless and didn't really tell you anything important. I am very disappointed and was expecting so much more. Some...explaination I guess you would say.

( Spoilers... )

I know...stupid right?

Amy

Pages read YTD:14,808

Title: Blood Drive
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 0441015093
Pages: 297
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 2nd in the Anna Strong Vampire Series

About this book:
Now that she's a vampire, Anna has superhuman strength and near invincibility. But that doesn't make her life any easier. She's struggling to find her place in the world of the undead as she clings to her connections with the living.

Anna's situation becomes even more complicated when she discovers that he long-dead brother may have had a daughter - and the girls in series trouble. There are some very dangerous people after her, but they didn't count on Anna stepping into the fray. Now they're about to learn that to a bounty hunter with an unnatural thirst for blood, even the deadliest human predators are easy prey...

My thoughts:
This book was actually pretty good. I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was hoping that I would enjoy the second. There's hardly any romance in it which is kinda a bummer but it was still pretty good. There was a lot of mystery in this book too which I liked and I thought made it even better than the first book. However it was a little boring in some parts.

( Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 14,784

Next book to read: One Word Answers by Charlaine Harris

Title: The Con and the Crusader
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0-425-20576-2
Pages: 97
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: In the anthology book, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

About this book:
Jack McCain jumps into a well - and into the past. Mistaken for a criminal, he's headed for prison. Until he's freed - with a wedding proposal!

My thought:
I actually thought this was pretty good. A lot of Shayne's stories end the same way so I knew how it was going to end but if you're in for a good old fashioned love story, her books are really good.

( Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 14,487

Next book to read: Again not sure.

Title: Lover Unbound
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Romance - Paranoromal
ISBN: 0451222350
Pages: 502
Rating: 3/5
Series/Anthology: The 5th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

About this book:
Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time - until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

My thoughts:
Okay so this book wasn't really bad but I had a hard time getting through it. But not like the last book in the series. I think maybe I had a hard time with it because I'm kinda bored with the series. The same characters or maybe not. That's just what I'm taking it as. Anybody that likes vampires and romance and of course twist and turns in a novel, this series would be the book for you. I think out of all the books, Jane it the female that I like most of all the Brothers. She has a mind of her own and just doesn't let Vishous tell her what to do. She'll say no if she has to which makes Vishous love her even more. I guess it's kind of a turn on so that aspect of the book was great. I guess I'm just saying that she's more of a believable character that I can relate to. To me, she didn't have a weakness.

( Major Spoilers.... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 14,390

Next book to read: Not sure yet.

Title: Lover Revealed
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0451412354
Pages: 455
Rating: 2/5
Series/Anthology: The 4th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

About this book:
Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature, a hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world - to engaged in the turf war with the Lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have Marissa, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back. But even her love may not be enough to save him.

My thoughts:
I hate to say this but I totally disliked this book. It took me almost a month to read it because it was just so boring. I mean, some parts were really good but then the bad parts just took away from the good parts. I was really disappointed to be honest. J.R. Ward had me mesmerized by this series and then I get to Butch (who I must say, I was really looking forward to reading) and it's boring and just dull. Hopefully the next book will be better. And not so confusing. This book was majorly confusing too.

( Major Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 13,888

Next book to read: Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward

Title: Untamed: A House of Night Novel
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
ISBN: 0312379838
Pages: 338
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: 4th in the House of Night series.

About this book:
Life sucks when you rfriends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird - she's become an expert at suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened.

My thoughts:
To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this book to some extent. I was kinda bored with it especially in the beginning. It just dragged on and on and I think that the authors should kinda stop with all the crap that doesn't really matter and get going with the story. I mean, this is the 4th book and the total amount of time that has pasted in the books is like a month or two. It's just going so slow. Anyways, the ending was fantastic though. Even though this book was remotely boring, I still can't wait for the next book. Hopefully that one will be better, which I'm sure it will. I don't see how it couldn't be.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 13,433

Other books in this series...
1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen

Next book to read: Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Title: Lover Awakened
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-451-21936-8
Pages: 434
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 3rd in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

About this book:
A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion and terror his only passion - until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for each other begins to overtake them, Zsadist's thirst for vengeance against Bella's tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past and find a future with her....

My thoughts:
I loved this book. It started out a little slow for me but I really ended up liking it!!! Anyways, so far I think that Rhage's story is my favorite. I cried like a baby reading that book and only a little bit in this one. I do have to admit that this book was more funny and I really enjoyed laughing at Zsadist. He loved Bella so much and he wanted to be what she wanted but he felt that he was dirty because he was a blood slave in the past. She tried to be so patient with him but he just kept pushing her away and being mean. I loved the character that Ward made with Zsadist. She made people love him but yet hate him in the same kind of way. I mean, who wouldn't love a guy that didn't know his way around a relationship and that was just starting to figure out what love was? But then again, he was so mean to everybody you hated him but you also understood what Zsadist when through to make him that way. I hope that makes sense. Anyways, a very good book.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 13,195

Next book to read: Untamed: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast

( P.S. Spoiler.... )

Title: Lover Eternal
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-451-21804-3
Pages: 441
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 2nd in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

About this book:
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover - for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own. Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

My thoughts:
When I first started this series, I didn't think that I was going to like it because I'm not big on "warriors". I LOVE vampires but not warriors. So I was hesitant to pick it up and start the series. I was talked into it by my aunt and a friend that I met online on paperbackswap. So I figured I'd give it a try. I love this series!!! I feel like I'm a part of these books like I'm actually there with them. Like I'm reading about my family or friends. This book hit so close to home because Mary has cancer. I found out that my dad has cancer about a month ago. I had a hard time reading about her cancer talks with the doctor and such. J.R. Ward is a fantastic writer and to think that all this creativity was from one woman's mind is beyond me. I just can't fathom that someone could come up with all this and put it into words that a reader can actually picture it in their minds.

( The whole ending...Mean SPOILERS!!! )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 12,761
Next book to read: Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Title: Dark Lover
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-451-21695-4
Pages: 393
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 1st in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

About this book:
The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-bread daughter unaware of her heritage or his fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. HIs tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens the consume them both...

My thoughts:
I had a little bit of a hard time understand what was going on in this book. I'm not used to authors just jumping into a story and not explaining whats going on. I really hated the parts with the lessers because I had no clue what they were and that they were even immortal. Anyways, the book was good and I enjoyed Wrath's story.

I loved reading about Butch and Marissa too. I can't wait until their story!!! When I started this book, I fell for Wrath. My heart just hurt for him because I could just feel his pain coming off the pages. It was cool.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 12,320

Next book to read: Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

Title: Night World Volume 1
Author: L.J. Smith
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
ISBN: 1-4169-7450-4
Pages: 729
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: First 3 stories of the Night World Series.

About this book:
In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World.

Fugitives from Night World, three vampire sister leave their isolated home to live among humans in Daughters of Darkness. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.

Two witch cousins fight over their high school crush. It's a battle between black and white magic in Spellbinder.

( All Spoilers.... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 11,927

Next book on the agenda: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Title: The Becoming
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 0441014569
Pages: 293
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 1st in the Anna Strong Vampire series.

About this book:
My name is Anna Strong. I am a vampire. How I became one is the reason for this story. I tell it the way it happened. It may not be what you expect.

She's a bounty hunter - tough, beautiful, and trained for the unexpected. Until the night she's attacked and left closer to death than she can imagine. She awakens to an indoctrination into a dark new world where vampires walk among us. But this time, a tight grip on a .38 won't stop what she's hunting for.

Existing between the worlds of the living and the dead, Anna is torn by her love for two very different men. Max, a DEA agent, all too human, and vulnerable. And Avery, a Night Watcher who's joined Anna in pursuit of the rogue vampire who changed her life that terrifying night. Now, as her two worlds collide, fate plunges Anna into the ultimate battle between good and evil where survival is not just for the living...

My thoughts:
I thought this book was great! It had so much action and adventure in it. I love Anna's character. She's a fantastic heroine. I thought the book was written very well and all the characters were belieable. I think that anybody that likes vampire books, would like this one.

( Major Spoilers... )

So all in all, a great book!!! I recommend it to anyone that likes vampires. I can't wait to read the next book!!!

Amy

Pages read YTD: 11,198

Title: From Dead To Worse
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Fantasy - Mystery
ISBN: 0441015891
Pages: 359
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 8th in The Southern Vampire series.

About this book:
The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is reeling from two hard blows - the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man - made horror of the explosion at the vampire summit the month before. In the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires - some friends, some not - were killed or injured, and her weretiger boyfriend, Quinn, is among the missing.

It's clear that things are changing, whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie - friend of the pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, the leader of the local vampire community - is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death...and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood flowing, her world will be forever altered...

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well written. I think it was a great story with lots of action. This series has been fantastic so far and I'm hoping that future books will be equally as good. I'm so glad that they're making a movie series for this series. I'm making sure that I'm gettin HBO just so I can see how they're going to make this series into a tv show.

( Spoilers... )

I know there's going to be another couple of books because there's a lot that was left out in this book. I'm anticipating reading the next book although I looked on her website and there's no books scheduled to come out in 2009 yet. Makes me a little bummed since I love this series so much. :\

Amy

Pages read YTD: 10,905

Title: Breaking Dawn
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
ISBN: 0-316-06792-X
Pages: 754
Rating: 5/5
Series/Anthology: 4th in the Twilight Saga.

About this book:
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed....forever?

My thoughts:
I'm going to do this a little different. While I was reading, I wrote down my feelings and thoughts about some of the sections of the book since it was so big. So I'm going to copy and paste here and then add my thoughts about the book since I finished it.

( Major Spoilers... )

All in all, I don't see what all the drama is about this book and why the fans were disappointed in it. I think Meyer's did an excellent job with finishing off the series. I couldn't have asked for better because I think it was the best there could have been.

Amy

Pages read YTD:10,546