ReadingFanatic

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: All Together Dead
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Fantasty - Mystery
ISBN: 0441015816
Pages: 323
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: 7th in the Southern Vampire seres.

About this book:
Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Louisina cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse must now not only deal with a possible new man in her life - the oh - so - handsome shape shifter Quinn - but also contend with a long - planned vampire summit. With her power base weakened by hurricane damager to New Orleans, the local vampire queen is vulnerable to those hungry for a take - over. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all - out catastrophe...

My thoughts:
Very good but still not the best in the series. The ending was very intense and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I had a hard time with this book because of all the characters that came into it. And all the characters that were from other books and I didn't remember. So trying to keep track of who everybody was, was a little difficult. I can't wait to read From Dead To Worse but that will be awhile until I can get it from the library. I have a position held and whenever it's my turn, I'll be able to read it.

( Major Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 9,792

Next book on the agenda to read: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Dead As A Doornail
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Fantasy - Mystery
ISBN: 0-441-01337-3
Pages: 295
Rating: 3/5
Series/Anthology: 5th book of the Southern Vampire Mystery Series.

About this book:
Small - town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has has more than her share of experience with the supernatural - but now it's really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shape shifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first...

My thoughts:
This book was just okay for me. I didn't think it was anything fabulous or anything but it was still good. I thought that the last 2 books were better so I was hoping this one would be equally as good. I think what I didn't like about this book was the Eric nor Bill were hardly even in this book. I mean, they made their appearance but not like in the other books. Also, I didn't like the whole politics in the werewolf community thing. Alcide was a jerk in this book so I'm not rooting for him to end up with Sookie anymore. I can't believe that Alcide blames Sookie for the death of his father. How stupid was that huh? Anyways, that's all I have to say about that.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 9,145

Next book I'm reading: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

P.S. Does anybody realize that everytime someone meets Sookie, they think that she's hot and they want her to get her into bed? :\ Does anybody else think this is strange/stupid???

Title: Warrior Rising
Author: P.C. Cast
Genre: Romance - Fantasy
ISBN: 0-425-22137-7
Pages: 340
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: Yes, book 6 in the Goddess Summoning series.

About this book:
Goddesses Hera, Athena, and Venus have had it up to here with the Trojan War. So much devastation - all because of some silly male egos. The worst of the bunch is Achilles, the Greek Champion whose powers have made him practically invincible. To stop him would be to end the war. But the only way to stop a man like Achilles is to distract him - with something far more pleasurable than combat...

The three goddesses seize their chance when a twenty-first-century beauty named Kat and her best friend perish in a car crash in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In no time, they shift the friends' souls into the bodies of a Trojan princess and her handmaiden, having no doubt that Kat will catch Achilles attention. But can her independent, fiery spirit match the unquenchable fire of his epic rage? Goddess only knows...

My thoughts:
This book was actually better than I thought it was going to be. It was a little difficult to get into in the beginning because there are a lot of different characters that you have to get to know and a bunch of different events that happened way before the story ever took place, so you have to be updated on everything that had happened. It was a little confusing but definitely worth the read. It turned into a very good story and it's amusing in the process. P.C. Cast does a great job with her novels and takes you into a world of fantasy for you to get lost in. This book in particular had a lot more adventure than her other Goddess Summoning series.

( Spoilers )

Great book and it comes with recommendation. All of Cast's books do. They are all very good.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 8,090

Title: Shout Down The Moon
Author: Lisa Tucker
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0-7434-6446-X
Pages: 289
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology? No.

About this book:
Patty Taylor can handle anything. So what if the guys in her band dismiss her as just a pretty face, hired by their manager to make them more popular? She's already survived a bad childhood, a destructive teenage relationship, homelessness, and working twelve-hour shifts washing dishes. Traveling with the band gives her a way to provide for Willie, the two-year old son she adores.
But on a summer day in Kentucky, when Willie's father shows up outside her hotel room, newly paroled from prison and intent on having her and his son back, Patty begins a journey that will change her from a girl who can put up with anything to a woman with a voice that can bring the house down.

My thoughts:
Actually I really liked this book. I picked it up and didn't think that it was going to be anything great but I actually liked it. I read it faster than I've been reading anything. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 though because I didn't really like the writing style. It's not something that I used to but at least the storyline caught my interest. Anyways, all through the book, I was hoping that Patty would get together with one of the band members or something. That some kind of love interest would come along or something which something does come along. I actually liked the character of Patty and all the characters were good solid characters.

( Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 7,199

Title: Million Dollar Marriage
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0-373-38914-0
Pages: 244
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: Yes, it's part of the Fortune's of Texas series. This is book one.

About this book:
A dedicated doctor struggling to raise money for a much-needed community health clinic, Lucinda Brightwater is beginning to feel as though time is her enemy. Besides the clinic, she desperately wants a child, but how likely is that for a single thirty-four-year-old who works long hours - with no man on the horizon?

So when a man who's hard to resister makes her an offer that's hard to refuse, Lucinda agree's to marry Holden Fortune for one million dollars. The notorious bachelor needs a "respectable" wife in order to clain his inheritance. Lucinda needs her clinic. The terms? One year. In name only. No strings.

No strings, maybe, but there's a lot of heat, making it hard for cooler head to prevail, especially since it appears Lucinda's other dream is now on it's way...

My thoughts:
Decent book. I loved the beginning where Lucinda and Holden were teenagers and Lucinda lost her virginity to Holden but he was too drunk to remember the following day and he ended up getting back with his girlfriend. Lucinda had become pregnant but it was an etopic pregnancy and it ruptured and she lost an overy. Then like 20 some years later she see's Holden at a party and the whole marriage arrangement goes from there. It's not a bad story. Actually it's pretty good. I really enjoyed it to be honest. After reading this book, I realized that it was part of a series and I was glad to find out that it was the first book in the series. I might actually read the rest in the series.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 6,190

Title: Animal Magnetism
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0425215164
Pages: 92
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology: Anthology Wild Thing

About this book:
Listen to the secrets of a beautiful animal whisperer who's drawn intimately closer to danger, and to the most suspect of all male animals - man...

My thoughts:
Good storyline! Of course, the main female ends up with the gorgeous male. It's no surprise anymore in romance books anymore. Nothing more I can say on romance books anymore unless they are outstanding enough for me write about what happened.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 5,946

Title: Annie's Hero
Author: Maggie Shayne
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0-380-78747-4
Pages: 378
Rating: 4/5
Series/Anthology? No

About this book:
Sweethearts since childhood, Annie and Richard shared an unparalleled love filled iwth tenderness, passion and joy. Until the tragic day Richard vanished - presumed dead after a terrible car accident - leaving his adoring wife pregnant and alone, and hold on to the shattered pieces of her broken world.

But Richard is not gone - for magic claimed him before Death could. He has returned in a mystical disguise with no recollection of the man he once was - a modern knight on a mission to protect his distraught yound widow and their unborn child from dark and deadly forces that threaten their safety. But no cloak of mystery can deceive Annie's heart - for her eyes see deep into her hero's soul and she knows he is her beloved. Theirs is a fire that can never be extinguished, two soulmates bound eternally by a love that knows no limits. And now only the power of Annie's passion can revive Richard's stolen memory...so that they may once again share the sweetness of a rapture more enduring than forever.

My thoughts:
This book was okay. I rated it a 4 out of 5 because of the ending. I think that Shayne could've done a better job on the ending but that's my opinion. I just felt that it wasn't as creative as she usually is. I was totally shocked when I started reading this because I had never read a book like it before. It basically is a woman's husband "dies" and this magical being named Sir George saves him and makes him immortal to go back through time and defeat this character called Blackheart. Then ends up having to back to his old life as this White Knight character to save his unborn child from Blackheart but has no idea of the life that he lived in this time. It was rather interesting to read to be honest but like I said, the ending could've been better.

( What happens at the ending...All Spoilers! )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 4,842

Next book to read: The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Title: Witch Blood
Author: Anya Bast
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-425-22043-5
Pages: 275
Rating: 4/5

About this book:
A water witch, Isabelle Novak has always led a chaotic, nomadic existence. But her life spins out of control when her sister - her only friend and emotional anchor - is killed by a demon. Driven by grief and a desire for revenge, she turns her back on the Coven and it's sacret rede: Harm ye none...

When Isabelle first encounters Thomas Monahan, she's running on pure rage and sorrow, channeling her pain into power - and trying to freeze the life out of the warlock she holds responsible for her sister's death. Together she and Thomas form an uneasy alliance to hunt and destroy a demon of tremedous power. As head of the Coven, earth witch Thomas must thwart Isabelle's dark impulses, but his very presence stirs deeper desires she never knew she had...

My thoughts:
I was actually really bored with this book at first. I loved the first book way more than this one. I didn't really like the characters of this book until the very end when they actually grew personalities. LoL. Thomas and Isabelle just seemed so...to themselves and they just weren't very interesting characters. I don't know any other way to explain. Another difference between the first and this book is that there was a lot of action in this book. A lot of fighting with a demon and hunting the demon down. Whereas in the first one, there was a lot of chemistry and so much more personal.

( Spoilers... )

Amy

Pages read YTD: 4.382

Title: The Kindness of Strangers
Author: Katrina Kittle
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0-06-056474-1
Pages: 390
Rating: 4/5

About this book:
Sarah Laden, a young widow and mother of two, struggles to keep her family together since the death of her husband, her high-school-age son, Nate, has developed a rebellious streak, constantly falling in and out of trouble. Her kindhearted younger son, Danny, though well behaved, struggles to pass his remedial classes. All the while, Sarah must make ends meet by running a catering business out of her home. But when a shocking and unbelievable revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another young boy into her already tumultuous life.

Jordan, a quiet and reclusive elementary school boy and classmate of Danny's, has survived a terrible tragedy, leaving him without a family. When Sarah becomes Jordan's foster mother, a relationship develops that will force her to question the things of which she thought she was so sure. Yet Sarah is not the only one changed by this young boy, and as the delicate balance that holds her family together begins to falter, the Laden's will all face truths about themselves and one another - and discover the power of love to forgive and to heal.

My thoughts:
This book was actually pretty good. I think I would compare Katrina Kittle to Jodi Picoult as an author. I was pretty shocked to learn that this book was about sexual abuse and child pornography. It was pretty disturbing although I had to finish it. I was a little confused on some parts. I felt that Kittle didn't explain some of the things at the end and whatever. ( Major Spoilers... ) Plus, I didn't like how that the last chapter, Kittle didn't even say that it was so many years down the line. I thought that was stupid. But all in all, it was good.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 3,290

Currently reading: The Last Summer (Of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Title: The Gifted Sophomores
Author: Terri Blackstock
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 0-8499-4342-6
Pages: 137
Rating: 4/5

About this book:
Three high-school sophomores -
A cheerleader, a nerd, and a jock -
Rescued from the rubble of an earthquake.
Miraculously healed of their injuries -
Then gifted with mysterious powers.

One can see into the hearts of others.
One has feet that carry him to people in need.
One can't stop talking about the Lord.

Before the earthquake we weren't even friends. Now were working together for Christ.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that Blackstock probably could have made the book longer and added details but the main focus of the book which is that God wants you to help others and bring people over to his kingdom and to find Christ, and the book got that point across. There's not too much that I can really say about the book to be honest. Yes it was good, but it was awfully short and everything is right to the point. So, with that, I have to end my short description of my thoughts.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 2,568

Title: My Immortal
Author: Erin McCarthy
Genre: Romance - Paranormal
ISBN: 0-515-14348-0
Pages: 311
Rating: 4/5
1st in a series called "The Seven Deadly Sins"

About this book:
In the late eighteenth century, a spoiled, selfish plantation owner struck an unholy bargain with a fallen angel: an eternity of servitude in exchange for the gift of immortality. For more than two hundred years, Damien du Bourg has held up his end of the bargain - by inspiring lust in everyone around him...

While searching for her missing sister, Marley Turner stumbles upon Damien's plantation on the outskirts of New Orleans and enters a world of shocking decadence. Drawn to the tortured man at the center of it all, Marley feels powerful sensuality stirring inside her. For the first time, it's Damien who can't resist the lure of a woman. But his past sins aren't so easily forgotten - or forgiven...

My thoughts:
This book started off slow but it turned out being a very good read. I had started it sometime last year, twice, but couldn't get into it so I just put it back on my bookcase. I'm glad that I picked it back up again. ( Spoilers... )All in all, a good book. Not the best but worth the read.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 2,429

Books Currently Being Read: The Gifted Sophomores by Terri Blackstock

Title: Eternal Journey
Author: Carol Hutton
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0-446-67731-0
Pages: 149
Rating: 4/5

About this book:
In the tradition of the bestselling "Beaches" comes a story about love and friendship, loss and renewal. Anna loses her best friend, Beth, to cancer and escapes to Martha's Vineyard to mourn in solitude. There, a persistent stranger appears with shocking revelations that open the doors to her past.

My thoughts:
I thought this book was actually very good. I think I'll have to reread it thought because I think I missed that some important factors to the book. I loved the concept though and the writing style was awesome! I loved the main character. I think she was very believeable. Some parts were a little confusing because I didn't realize that it was in present time and then going back in time. Interesting though. It's something I would recommend if you like books about people grieving for a loved one.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 16,919

Title: Two Little Girls In Blue
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
ISBN: 0743264908
Pages: 322
Rating: 4/5

Margaret and Steve Frawley celebrate the third birthday of their twin girls, Kelly and Kathy, with an afternoon party in their new home, a modest fixer-upper in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

The evening of the twins' birthday party, Steve and Margaret attend a black-tie dinner in New York. When they return home, the police are in the house, and they are told that the babysitter had been found unconscious, the children are gone, and a note demanding an eight-million-dollar ransom had been left in their room.

Steve Frawley's firm, a global investment company, agrees to pay the ransom. The kidnapper, who identifies himself as the "Pied Piper," makes his terms known -- on delivery of the ransom, a call will come, revealing the girls' whereabouts. The call comes, but only Kelly is in the car parked behind a deserted restaurant. The driver is dead from a gunshot wound and has left a suicide note, saying he had inadvertently killed Kathy and had dumped her body in the ocean.

At the private memorial Mass for Kathy, Kelly tugs Margaret's arm and says: "Mommy, Kathy is very scared of that lady. She wants to come home right now." More unexplainable occurrences follow, indicating that Kelly is in touch with Kathy. At first, no one except the mother believes that the twins are communicating and that Kathy is still alive. As Kelly's warnings become increasingly specific and alarming, however, FBI agents set out on a search for Kathy. The novel reaches a breathtaking climax as they close in on the Pied Piper and his accomplices, while Kathy's life hangs by a thread.


My thoughts:
I wasn't really thrilled with this book. I mean it was good but I don't think as good as some of her other books. I mean, I still rated it a 4 because it did flow good and it was a page turner...but just not what I would expect out of Clarks writing. I think there was too much going on and definitly too much to keep up with. Clark's books are usually are pretty easy reads but just it was kinda hard to remember who's who when they aren't part of the main characters of the story and they only play a minor role but yet, they come back to them a couple times throughout the book. That happened a lot. It was difficult to keep everybody straight.

Title: She's Come Undone
Author: Wally Lamb
Pages:465
Rating: 4/5

About this book:
Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallmomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly up.

In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. At once a fragile girl and a hard-edged cynic, so tough to love yet so inimitably lovable, Dolores is as poignantly real as our own imperfections. She's Come Undone includes a promise: you will never forget Dolores Price.

My thoughts:
Not a bad book. Interesting. Wasn't too fond of the main character, Dolores, but I also can relate to her in a way. Well, in a lot of ways. I think Wally Lamb did a great job and getting into the mind of a girl growing up and how she feels about her body and knowing what a teenage girl feels in high school and what not. To me, the story was like weird but also entralling. I hope that makes sense. I had mixed feelings when I started it and thought about not even finishing it but when I'd start to feel that way, something would happen and I'd get hooked to it again. Then I'd go back and be bored with it and then something would hook me again. It was kinda like an emotional roller coaster or something. Weird. I've definitly never read a book like that before. Something so odd. Although I did like it. The book isn't for everybody though. That's for sure. ( Spoilers... )
All in all, it was a good book! :)

Amy