Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you! Going out Trick or Treating? Parties? Any plans at all? The weather was warmer yesterday, so the melt has begun. The streets are clear, so Lady K and I walked to her school's annual Monster Mash last night and we will do the haunting of the neighborhood this evening starting around 5pm.

Sledding Fun...Or How We Like to Use 18 inches of snow

Day 2 of the Snowstorm

Lady K and her buddy...now under even more snow...

Lady K loves shoveling snow....

The woodpile is getting loaded up....

Snow for Halloween?

We got us a humdingah snowstorm going on....here's the front porch

The Colorado Blue Spruce in the front...

Lady K in her element......

Books in the House Monday

From Dad:
THE NIGHT FERRY - Michael Robotham, suspense
BLUE HEAVEN - C J Box, suspense
QUANTICO - Greg Bear, suspense
FREE FIRE - C J Box, suspense
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD - Greg Iles, suspense
TRIPWIRE - Lee Child, suspense
THE STRAW MEN - Michael Marshall, thriller
CITY OF THE SUN - David Levien, suspense

From cousin Kathy in Wise, Virginia:
VERY VALENTINE - Adriana Trigiani

From Mary Ann (for my seester):
THE SUGAR QUEEN - Sarah Addison Allen

From the author, thanks to Goodreads Book Giveaway:
DEATH MESSAGE - Mark Billingham, suspense

From Lisa @ Online Publicist
THE HANDY ANSWER BOOK FOR KIDS (AND PARENTS) - Gina Misirglu

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:
CRIMESPOTTING: EDINBURGH CRIME COLLECTIONS - Anthology

Big Ass Box of Books from Our Lady of the Books Pamala:
CORPSE POSE: A Mantra For Murder Mystery - Diana Killian, cozy mystery
24 HOURS - Greg Iles, suspense
THE HARD WAY - Lee Child, suspense
TRIPWIRE - Lee Child, suspense (now have three copies)
MORTAL FEAR - Greg Iles, suspense
INNKEEPING WITH MURDER - Tim Myers, cozy mystery
SHAMUS IN THE GREEN ROOM - Susan Kandel, cozy
BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE - Lee Child, suspense
WITHIN THE SHADOWS - Brandon massey, horror
RUNNING BLIND - Lee Child, suspense (now have two copies)
DROWNED NIGHT - Chris Blaine, horror
MURDER ON WASHINGTON STREET: Gaslight Mystery - Victoria Thompson, cozy
CRY WOLF - Patricia Briggs, paranormal
THE GIRLS HE ADORED - Jonathan Nasaw, thriller
WICKED THINGS - Thomas Tessier, horror
FEAR THE NIGHT - John Lutz, thriller
THE FALLS - Ian Rankin, suspense
BLEEDING HEARTS - Ian Rankin, suspense
EVERY FEAR - Rick Mofina, suspense
FROST OF HEAVEN - Junius Podrug, thriller
FORTY WORDS FOR SORROW - Giles Blunt, suspense

SOULLESS: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel - Gail Carriger

From the back of the book: Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and a werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia is responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

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I was intrigued by the reviews I'd read on this one, immediately added it to the WWBL...and it really didn't take long for it to be on Mt Git'r'Read...then not long for it to be in the stack that went with me on the roadtrip to Virginia.

I liked the premise that this was Victorian England and werewolves and vampires were an accepted part of society. Alexia is dryly funny and I could see myself being friends with her, soulless or no.

There was more romance (sex) than I'd anticipated, but it wasn't overwhelming or dismaying. I enjoyed the analytical thoughts of Alexia as she 'explored' her interactions with Lord Maccon. She compared these interactions to the books she'd read in her father's library and found the books lacking.

My favorite character was Alexia's vampire friend, Lord Akeldama. He is smart and witty and perfect friend to Alexia.

Ms Carriger has one of the most inventive alternative past history's built for her characters. This is a Victorian England with the manners, class structure, and behaviors we know and has an added twist of the hives of the vampires and the packs of the werewolves integral to the society.

Four gaslight with a twist beans....

THE HARROWING - Alexandra Sokoloff

From the back of the book: Baird College's Mendenhall echoes with the footsteps of students heading home for Thanksgiving break and Robin Stone, who won't be going home, swears she can feel the creepy, hundred-year-old residence hall breathe a sigh of relief for its long-awaited solitude. As a massive storm approaches, four other lonely students reveal themselves to Robin: Patrick, a handsome jock; Lisa, a manipulative tease; Cain, a brooding musician; and Martin, a scholarly eccentric. Each has forsaken a long weekend at home for their own secret reasons.

The five unlikely companions establish a tentative rapport, but they soon become aware of another presence disturbing the building's ominous silence. Are they the victims of an elaborate prank, or is the energy evidence of something genuine--something intent on using them for its own terrifying ends? Together they'll face three long days and dark nights before the world returns to find out what's become of five students nobody wants and one will miss....

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October is my month for trying to read horror and paranormal only. This is the first (and maybe only) for the month. I am glad I read this as my purse book as I know I'd have had wild-ass dreams of the extremely scary kind. I enjoy the horror novels that lets me use my imagination and not have everything spelled out in big bloody letters. That's what makes the movie Psycho remain the flick that keeps my shower curtain open after watching it every time.

Alexandra Sokoloff writes a genuinely creep me the hell out book and I can't wait to read more!

Four scare the piss out of you beans.....

HEAD GAMES: A Body of Evidence Thriller - Christopher Golden, narr Julie Dretzin

From the back of the book: Jenna Blake is home from college for the holidays, and this is one vacation she'll never forget. First, the mayor appears to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Then, several childhood friends suddenly erupt in murderous rages.

As a pathology assistant working with the county Medical Examiner, Jenna has more than a passing interest in these events. Together, she and Dr Slikowski uncover evidence suggesting the mayor was dead before he fell from the building. And when authorities blame the teenage violence on video games and movies, Jenna believes something far more sinister is behind the madness.

Christopher Golden is an award-winning , LA Times best-selling author. Other books in his Body of Evidence series includes BODY BAGS (Loved it!) and SKIN DEEP. Through narrator Julie Dretzin's riveting performance, Jenna emerges as a smart and brave young woman.

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I do enjoy this series of YA forensic mystery. Jenna is smart and her character is written enough as an 18 year old learning how to get older and going home isn't easy, but an intelligent 18 year old who knows she will be up for the journey.

Jenna comes home for Christmas and realizes that she isn't sure one can really go home again. She is torn between missing her mom and her friends in her hometown and missing her other home at college with her job working with Slick and Dyson and the friends and boyfriend in her college life. The murders of the families throws a light on the changes in her relationships with her high school friends. She feels compelled to help the police and her friends think she's weird for wanting to do so. The murders are appalling, but they think Jenna is full of herself now. The police think she's too young to be of any help.

There are some amazing co-ink-e-dinks that move the story along at a rather rapid pace, but it's a short book, so it was likely necessary and reasonably understandable.

I look forward to reading/listening to the rest of the series. Christopher Golden is on my WWBL and has been for a while. Highly recommend...

Four don't judge a book by it's young cover beans.....

Lady K-ism of the Day

Lady K upon finding out her lunch menu from school stated that October is Spinach Month: "Well, that's just wrong!"

DEATH'S DAUGHTER - Amber Benson

From the back of the book : Daddy's Little Girl
For the last few years I'd been in a state of bliss---living under a self-imposed Forgetting Charm, because I so did not want to go into the family business. What I wanted was a glamorous career in New York City and the opportunity for a normal life --- buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from craigslist, Web surfing for organic dim sum for my boss. And then my father's Executive Assistant, a faun named Jarvis, showed up to tell me that my dad had been kidnapped.
Good-bye Forgetting Charm, hello (unwanted) responsibility. Not only am I expected to step into the CEO slot on the company Board, but I have to "prove my worth" by competing against the Devil's protege--who's so hot in more ways than one. The contest involves finding three (why is it always three?) objects of power. In Hell.
One of them is this adorable puppy--who happens to be a hellhound. The others are turning out to be not much fun. All this so I can take (unwanted) charge of Death, Inc.
My name is Calliope Reaper-Jones and I'm.....Death's Daughter.
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I 90% enjoyed the heck out of this book. My only ehhhhh parts was the constant use of 'so' every other sentence or paragraph...ie...I so did not want to join the family business, I so did not know how to tell the boss I couldn't find her organic dim sum...etc..It did ease up as I read farther into the book and I could settle in and not be momentarily irritated from time to time.
My favorite character is the hellhound, Giselda(aka Runt), pup daughter of Cerberus guardian of one of the gates of Hades.
Calliope spends a lot of time finally growing up and accepting her role in life and in the family business. Most of this time is in Hell hanging with the Devil's protege and other places in other ethereal locales with gods and goddesses.
I look forward to the rest of this series and anything else Amber Benson has written.

Four Hades beans.....

BROKEN: Women of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong

From the back of the book: In this thrilling newnovel from the author of INDUSTRIAL MAGIC, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on twenty-first century Toronto--and become his next target....

Ever since she discovered she's pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she's never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who's given birth. But, thankfully, her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper. As a distraction, the job seems simple enough--only the letter contains a portal to Victorian London's , which Elena inadvertantly triggers--unleashing a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs.

Now Elena must find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they're looking for -- which, for some unknown reason, is Elena......

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I love this series!! And the ones that star Elena are the best as far as I'm concerned. It took a lot for Elena to come back to her pack and admit her feelings for the abrasive Clay. Don't think that because of that statement that this is a paranormal romance. It very much isn't. I love the relationship Elena has with her sweetie, but the relationship between Elena and Clay does not take center stage. It's the relationship Elena has with the pack and friends that is there as well as the action of the mystery that is in the middle of it all. Well written storylines with intriguing mysteries to follow and excellent paranormal characters.

This is a seriously fast-paced page turner that I highly recommend.

Five catch the Ripper beans.....

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK - Neil Gaiman, narr Neil Gaiman

From the back of the BOCD: Nobody Owens, known to friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family....
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic CORALINE . Magical, terrifying and filled with breath-taking adventures, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
Gaiman is the author of several books for children, including the New York Times modern classic CORALINE, the collection of short stories for young readers M IS FOR MAGIC, and INTERWORLD, co-authored withMichael Reeves. His picture books include THE WOLVES IN THE WALLS, THE DAY I SWAPPED MY DAD FOR A GOLDFISH, and THE DANGEROUS ALPHABET. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.
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What a wonderful story to listen to! Especially as narrated by Neil Gaiman. He is the perfect voice for telling the story of Bod, the boy raised by the ghosts in the graveyard he wandered into as a baby after his family was killed in their house.
I enjoyed listening to the small details of how the ghosts decided to raise Bod, how to get him food and how to educate him. The graveyard is full of ghosts from all eras, including the time of Roman Empire occupation through somewhat present day. Bod enjoys the company of a witch who was drowned by her village, a poet who is waiting to be discovered, ghosts of educators and servants. His guardian, Silas, can move about town though only at night.
Bod is a good kid, taking on bullies when he goes to school and learns how to deal with evil and possibly love.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this story. I highly recommend it.

Five ghostly beans......

Lady K the Flower Girl

THE MEDIATOR: REUNION - Meg Cabot, narr Johanna Parker

From the back of the audiobook: Suze Simon, a teenaged mediator who guides ghosts to the afterlife, is having a great time with her best friend Gina from New York. That is until four ghosts, the "RLS Angels", show up looking for revenge. The angry spirits died in a car accident and they blame Michael Meducci, a nerdy boy with a crush on Suze.

Suze starts spending time with Michael to protect him. After all, she's one of the few people wo can see the ghosts. And Michael isn't too bad--under those glasses he is even somewhat of a hottie. But there's something strange about the accident that took the Angels' lives. Is it possible they are rightfully seeking revenge on Michael? Could he be their killer?

The Mediator series has earned #1 New York Times best-selling author Meg Cabot unrivaled praise for her portrayal of a smart, courageous heroine. Johanna Parker's skillful narration perfectly captures Suze and her supernatural exploits and adventures.

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I look forward to reading or listening to each of these books. I admire Suze for what all she goes through as a teenager and then to have the mediator gig thrust on her and she still keeps on going.

The dialogue, the action, the smoothed over language when the dialogue is intimated that it's getting a little on the rough side.

It's fun to go along with Suze and her wishful romance with Jesse, the ghost who lives in her room. Father Dominic cracks me up wiht his wanting Suze to be more compassionate with the ghosts who need help and sometimes the ghosts don't need compassion so much as an ass kicking.

I am either really in touch with my inner YA or Meg Cabot just rocks as a writer. I go with a happy in between. I'd say 'happy medium', but that would be just too too dontcha think?

Five I highly recommend this series beans.....

Books in the House Monday

I won a signed ARC of Cleo Coyle's upcoming 8th in the Coffeehouse Mystery series!!!
I could not resist this when I read so many fab reviews...perfect for October reading!

I have heard a lot of good things about John Connelly and I always like to start at the beginning of a series when I can

Kelley Armstrong is Guest Blogging over at Amberkatze's!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! Kelley Armstrong is guest blogging over at Amberkatze's blog today! There's a chance to win a copy of the latest Women of the Otherworld series, FROSTBITTEN, too. Get on over there and have a chance to win and read the cool blog post.

TGIF!

Training schtuff, sick child, prep for travel....TGIF indeed! This weekend will be more prep for the travel to Virginia next week, so that's packing and shopping for wedding presents. DH said he'll get out the Halloween decorations for Lady K and I to start putting up inside the house. We'll do the outdoor ones when we get back.

We'll be busy, but not overwhelmed I hope.

What are your plans?