ReadingFanatic

Title: Night of the Huntress
Author: Kathryn Smith
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0-06-084991-6
Pages: 370
Rating: 4.5/5
2nd in a series

About this book:
Since the foul murder of my beloved wife three hundred years past, I have dedicated myself to the destruction of monsters. My obsession is rivaled only by the raging blood-lust that sets me apart from ordinary men. But now there is another who seeks vengeance as well. She is called The Huntress -- and when our paths cross, one of us must die.

But now that I have seen Marika Korzha, how can I be the instrument of her ruin? The beauty and courage of this determined vampire slayer move me in ways I no longer believed possible. And I alone know her dark secret. We are more alike than the exquisite Huntress realizes. We both crave justice . . . and passion . . . and absolution. And we dare not deny the desire that consumes us both . . .

My thoughts:
I must say that this wasn't as good as the first book in the series (Be Mine Tonight) but definitely worth reading. I was bored int he beginning cause I felt that it kept dragging on and on but once Marika and Bishop started liking each other, thats when it started getting good. Mostly I would have to say that this book is more about adventure than love. My opinion. I mean, there is romance but it just was more action filled than actually love and romance. Maybe that's why I wasn't as thrilled with this one.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 18,854

Title: Twilight
Author: Stephanie Meyers
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
ISBN: 0-316-01584-9
Pages: 498
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife -- between desire and danger.

My thoughts:
Awesome book! I've been hearing all the ranting and ravings about this book and I'm surprised that I never checked it out before now. I must say that all the gossip about this book being awesome is definitely correct! It was a little slow in the beginning but most definitely picks up. I know why they put this book in the young adult section, however this book can be for all ages. I loved the whole concept of the vampires and loved the characters. There was this part that I thought was absolutely beautiful about these vampires of Ms. Meyers and that was when they go into direct sunlight and they start shining like a diamond. I thought that concept was truely extraordinary! Definitely a re-read and a keeper.

Amy

Pages read YTD: 18,114

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 0-545-01022-5
Pages: 759
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
The last and final story of the epic tale of Harry Potter.

My thoughts:
Well, I must say that this book was fantastic!!! I thought Rowling wrote this very well although I was a little confused with some of the parts. I found myself saying "what is that?", "where did that come from", "what is she talking about", and those sorts of things. I had to reread some sections where she was explaining things such as the Deathly Hallows cause I didn't feel she explained them good enough. But all in all, it was great. I'm totally sad to see that the story has ended. I really thought that this wasn't going to be the last book. However, I'm wondering if the story will continue in another's point of view. ( Spoilers.... ) I must say that although I'm sad that there will be no more Harry Potter books, I'm glad that Rowling made this book all worth while. I'm satisfied with the ending and really enjoyed reading this book.

Amy

Books read YTD: 39
Pages read YTD: 12,959

Title: A Whisper of Roses
Author: Teresa Medeiros
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0-553-29408-3
Pages: 402
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
As she peered over the edge of the gallery, Sabrina Cameron trembled at the sight of the sun-bronzed giant striding into view. But she never recognized the stranger...not until the moment she found herself surrounded by arms of warm steel—and drowning in smoldering green eyes that had once held cool disdain but now shimmered with passion. Morgan MacDonnell, the boy, had been her tormentor. Now it looked as if Morgan, the man, would prove infinitely more dangerous...

Though hatred divided their clans, Morgan MacDonnell had come to Cameron Glen hoping for a truce...only to find that by evening's end the only way to avert bloodshed between the two families was for him to marry his enemy's daughter. But even as Morgan spirited Sabrina away to his rugged fortress, his battle would not be won. For this delicate rose of a girl would put up a bold fight...and the spoils of victory would be nothing less than a heathen MacDonell's heart.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't think I was going to but it turned out to be a nice surprise. I've had some ups and downs with this author so I was a little wary of reading any more of her books. Now, I think that I will definitly read more from her in the future. When I read Breath of Magic, I didn't like it what so ever. Then I read the sequel to that book called Touch of Enchantment and couldn't put it down. So it was a 1:1 ratio and I didn't know what to expect from another one of her novels. This one was great. I totally didn't expect to like it but I'm glad that I read it. I couldn't put it down. I didn't like the ending though. ( Spoilers... ) I really enjoyed this book. I think that if you're looking for a storyline that takes place in the past and love the whole romance thing, this is a book for you.

Amy

Books read YTD: 37
Pages read YTD: 11,831

Title: Goddess of Love
Author: P.C. Cast
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0425215289
Pages: 292
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
Pea Chamberlain needs a makeover-shoes, hair, clothes, make-up-if she wants to attract an Ÿbersexy fireman. And who could better coax Pea out of her pod than the Goddess of Love, whom she invokes in a moment of desperation?

Venus works her magic on Pea, but who will help her when she falls for that same sexy fireman? Could Venus need a love makeover for herself? Check out the five-alarm heat when the Goddess of Love unexpectedly loses her heart.


My thoughts:
I absolutly loved this book. P.C. Cast is a fabulous writer and one of a kind. She knows exactly what a woman wants to read about and uses humor and love to get through to our emotions. This book was very humorous and cute in all the right ways. I loved the characters and I loved the emotion displayed in the novel. I give her an 'A' for such a great job on this novel. I had to give her a 4.5 though because it didn't hold my attention as much as her other Goddess Summoning series did. Not that it's a bad thing but just because there was a lack of as much fantasy to me. All in all, I would definitly recommend this to someone that likes to read about love and magic with some humorous ties to it.

Amy

Books read YTD: 36
Pages read YTD: 11,429

Title: The Survivors
Author: Dinah McCall
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 0778324354
Pages: 376
Rating: 4.5/5

When a passenger plane goes down in the Appalachians, rescue teams start looking for survivors and discover that a five-year-old boy and a woman are missing. Twenty miles from the crash site, Deborah Sanborn has a vision of two survivors, cold, hurting and scared. Over the years she has learned to trust her gift, and she senses these strangers are in terrible danger. She sees a hunter, moving in for the kill.
Four generations of O'Ryan men have gathered at the crash site, ready to search for the missing boy, Johnny O'Ryan. His forty-five-year-old grandfather Mike O'Ryan isn't sure what to make of Deborah, but with the snow coming down, she's all they've got to lead them through the mountains. Because not only are they racing against time and the elements . . . they're up against a killer desperate to silence his only living witnesses to murder.


My thoughts:
Interesting book. Written really good. Not usually my style of book but surprisingly good. I loved the characters although I didn't like some of the aspects of the book. Like Evan falling in love with Molly without them hardly speaking and had never ever kissed. It doesn't seem realisitic to me. Anyways, I felt bd for Johnny cause he had to deal with the death of his grandparetns, witness a murder, and then to have to journey up a mountain to outrun a killer and almost die. Then later on, being shot at and losing Deborah's dog, Puppy. Poor thing. I cried when they buried Puppy. It was sad. However, I'm glad that Evan and Molly ended up together. And then Mike and Deborah getting engaged. Good Story!

Title: Cause for Alarm
Author: Erica Spindler
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
ISBN: 0778323765
Pages: 503
Rating: 4.5/5

When Julianna Starr selects Kate and Richard Ryan to be the parents of her unborn child, she opens the door to a nightmare. Julianna sees Richard as her fantasy man and begins to stalk the couple. She molds herself in Kate's image and insinuates herself into Richard's life, determined to tear their marriage apart. Unspeakable evil follows Julianna and now no one is safe--not even an innocent child.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. Spindler has a fanatasic imagination and can put a story into motion. This was the last of the books that I needed to read by her and it was excellent. I haven't read one bad book by her. As for the characters, I couldn't blame Julianna for her actions and I was really upset that she ended up dying at the end. I hated the way Richard acted and the more I found out about his past, I ended up not liking him even more. To think, he married his wife so another man wouldn't win her. Anyways, all in all, the book was great.

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Erica Spindler
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
ISBN: 0-7783-2375-7
Pages: 507
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
Men are dying unexpectedly in Charlotte.
North Carolina - all victims of bizarre accidents.
No one will call these deaths murder.

No one except small-town cop Melanie May. She sees the patterson: a serial killer targeting men who have slipped through the fingers of justice. Alone with her awful certainty, Melanie risks her career to convince Connor Parks, a troubled FBI profiler, that she's right.

Suddenly Melanie is in the limelight, lauded for uncovering the Dark Angel. But her involvement makes her a target. For as she and Connor study the victims, their deaths, the signature the murderer leaves at every scene, Melanie comes face-to-face with the terrible truth. The profile Connor's created fits someone in her own life...a profile a cunning killer, one without remorse and bent on vengeance.

A killer who will not stop until...All Fall Down.

My thoughts:
I did like this book although it definitly wasn't one of her best. Spindler sure knows how to untie all the knots that she adds in her books and they just keep you guessing until the very end. Wow. I must say that I have to give two thumbs up for the author! She's fantastic. I couldn't really relate with any of the characters in this book. The only thing that I had to give it a 4.5 instead of a 5 is because I didn't feel like I was in the story like I do with all my 5/5 books. I love it when you actually feel like you're there watching everything and I just didn't feel that way with this book. I like the character of Conner although I thought he was a jerk in the beginning. But I felt like Spindler just kinda...made him too soft for Melanie too fast. It was like, he's a troubled guy and then all of sudden he's nice and sweet and falling in love. It just didn't make sense with all the pain and guilt in his life. That was a little strange. I didn't really like either one of Melanie's sisters and I wasn't too fond of Veronica that came into the picture either. :\ I just wasn't thrilled with the characters so maybe that's why I had to rate it down a little bit. *Shrug* I'm not really sure. Just wasn't one of her better books. I think I only have 1 book left of her's to read and I just ordered it from paperbackswap.com. :)

Amy

Books read YTD: 29
Pages read YTD: 9,349

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Pages: 405
Rating: 4.5/5

About this book:
A shocking murder shatters the picturesque calm of Pennsylvania's Amish country -- and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer who steps in to defend the young woman at the center of the storm....

Plain Truth

The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and, for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

My thoughts:
I thought this book was very well written. ( Slight Spoilers... ) I felt like I was actually there with her and I very rarely feel that way when I read a book. It has happened before and it probably won't be the last time. Picoult did a great job with writing this book with her descriptions and everything. Her knowledge of the Amish was great so she must have done a lot of research. It was a very informative book as well as a great read. I was a little confused how all of a sudden there was this guy that I had never heard of before. He showed up all of a sudden and I'm still not sure if he lives in the same house as this all takes place or what. I think that he's Katie's grandfather although I don't think they ever really mention it. That was the only part I didn't like. That didn't run together with everything else. Overall, it was a great read. Some parts where rather disturbing but what murder story doesn't have a disturbing part. Anyways, this book is recommended.

Amy