Mini Challenge via LiteraryEscapism

Over at Literary Escapism, there's a nifty little mini challenge that has to do with the League of Reluctant Adults, one of my favorite blogs to follow. There are 20 authors on that one, all of the UF/paranormal schtuff I luh-huv to read. Link to post reviews is here.
ROE for the challenge is as follows:
1. You do not have to be a participant of the New Authors Challenge, but if you're not, why not?
2. The Challenge will run from February 1st through the 28th. All reviews must have a February 2010 date.
3. The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the list of Leaguers. There are 20 different authors, so finding five shouldn't be too hard.
4. The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you've already read all 20 of them, you can still participate, but don't re-read a novel. Try something new. Not only is this an excuse to try a certain group of authors, but it's also a great chance to promote them (and bookstores as you buy the books or the library if you go that route)

There are prizes from the authors as well as from the blog site hosting this challenge.
Authors o' the League:
Mario Acevedo, Michele Bardsley, Stacia Kane, Caitlin Kittredge, Kat Richardson, Michelle Rowen, Dakota Cassidy, Kelly Meding, Diana Rowland, Carolyn Crane, Richelle Mead, Jeanne Stein, Molly Harper, Nicole Peeler, Anton Strout, Mark Henry, Cherie Priest, Jaye Wells, Jackie Kessler, Jennifer Rardin

SUCCUBUS DREAMS: Book 3 Georgina Kincaid series - Richelle Mead

From the back of the book: Some days, a girl just can't catch a break.....

.....especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First, there's her relationship with gorgeous bestselling author Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It's not just that they can't have sex in case Georgina inadvertantly kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challeng. Seth's obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina's under demonic orders to mento the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused---especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge--rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina , and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again.....

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I stayed up late last night to finish this book, I had to know what was happening to Georgina in all aspects of the crap that was being thrown at her. She's a succubus and generally is able to work through everything good and bad that's happened in her long, long, long life. All she needs is an energy boost from a fling with a guy and she's good to go. Except lately, the energy boosts aren't lasting as long as they should. She goes to bed, sleeps, dreams, and wakes drained to the point of exhaustion and needing another boost soon.

Her secret love life with Seth is becoming rocky. She thought they'd worked out all the kinks (and not the good kind) in their not having sex, but it's becoming extremely difficult to be together and not have one of them needing the other completely.

Then, there's the new in town and inept succubus, Tawny, who Georgina has been ordered to mentor. Getting a guy to have sex should be easy, but Tawny can't get it right no matter what. And if she fails, Georgina is at fault for not showing her the ropes correctly.

Richelle Mead is one of my 'danger' authors, to coin a phrase from my buddy Amy. I can stay up way past my bedtime because I need to see what's going to happen next to her characters.

Five succubus and danger author beans......

THE STRAIN - Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan, narr Ron Perlman

From the back of the BOCD: They have always been here. Vampires. Nesting and feeding. Now, their time has come. In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months...the world.
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK, when she suddenly stops dead. All communication channels have gone quiet. An alert goes out to Dr Eph Goodweather, head of CDC's rapid-response team that investigates biological threats. What he finds makes his blood run cold.
So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by former professor Abraham Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city---before it's too late.
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I had a difficult time with some of the scenes in this book. I admit to fastforwarding through anything that had to do with the killing of kids or animals. The writing is so well written and graphic, I got a tad nauseous with the attacks on the adult characters. I listened to them, but barely made it. *shudder*
It's an interesting take on the vampire lore, it is indeed a virus that is transmitted through the bite, but it's not a typical vampire teeth gnaw. It's a growth under the tongue that lashes out and goes to town on the victim, which turns the victim into a vampire almost immediately. The affected vamps don't like sunlight and silver can do a big ol' number on them. Killing by beheading is the best way, crosses and holy water aren't very effective with this virus.
Because of the fastforwarding scenes and fast switching from one scene to another caused me to not like the story as much as I could have. It's a good horror story, though, and worth a listen or a read.

Four vampiric virus beans....

DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE: A Spike Berenger Rock'n'Roll Hit - Raymond Benson

From the back of the book: Musicians in progressive rock bands in Chicago are being murdered--one by one. The local police have no clues, but several of the musicians who fear they're next on the hit list claim that the killer is a ghost from the past--a woman who was reported missing and presumed dead for over thirty years!

The Rockin' Security team is called into actio. Spike and his partner, Suzanne Prescott, travel to Chicago to investigate the case, only to find that no one wants to talk. As Spike digs deeper, he begins to unearth a lode of deadly secrets involving sex, psychedelic drugs, and, of course, rock'n'roll. And it isn't long before the private detective becomes a pawn in a very dangerous game.

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I love finding new-to-me authors and books. Especially when the book turns out to be as good as this one did. A nice plus, Lee Child's blurb on the front, "Benson is a top-class thriller craftsman who know showbiz and music like the back of his hand. And unbeatable combination."

Well, hell, that line alone put the book to the top of the nightstand section of Mt Git'r'Read when it arrived in my order from High Crimes Mystery Bookshop. And I was lucky to have some quiet shifts during our last activity, so I took it in with me and finished it quickly. A very compelling, turn-the-page-faster, kind of book.

I love the name Spike, ever since James Marsters first showed up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as bad boy William the Bloody aka Spike, so I had a fairly immediate interest in the main character of the book, part owner of Rockin' Security, the go-to security peeps if you are a rock star and need some protection or private investigatin' done. Might be shallow, but there it is. The book stands up just fine in its own right without my little shallow added bonus.

There's no such thing as this progressive rock movement in Chicago, or Chicagoprog as it's called in the book, but the way Benson writes prog-rock family tree, you'd really think it existed.

The mystery is good, even though I figured out the whodunnit about halfway through. I didn't mind, though, the story was compelling and I wanted to make sure I was right, there were a couple of characters who had the motive and opportunity.

Five compelling rock'n'roll beans......

LIBERTY FALLING - Nevada Barr, narr Barbara Rosenblat

From the back of the BOCD: Award winning novelist Nevada Barr sends her remarkable sleuth, Ranger Anna Pigeon, to spectacular national parks to solve baffling crimes. In LIBERTY FALLING, Anna leaves the rugged countryside of Colorado to face the concrete wilds of New York City.

As soon as she hears her older sister is gravely ill, Anna rushes to the Big Apple to sit at her bedside. Between hospital visits, she relaxes at the park service quarters on Liberty Island and explores the crumbling ruins of Ellis Island where thousands of immigrants once were processed. Rest escapes her, however, when a teenage girl mysteriously plunges to her death from the Statue of Liberty--and Anna herself suffers a dangerous tumble.

The Park Service claims the falls could only be accidents, but Anna wonders if there is a common purpose behind them. Nevada Barr's vivid descriptions and narrator Barbara Rosenblat's dramatic performance transport you to New York City to share in all the danger and the excitement.

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I think I like Anna Pigeon better in the wilds of her other assignments. I also like when she's actually working in the wilds of her other assignments. Anna, in this one, is in New York to look after her sister who is in the ICU in an uptown hospital. When she's not visiting her sister, she's wandering around Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. There be murder, of course, but it felt a little forced and the story meandered a tad. I had a hard time keeping track of the story and the players at times. Barbara Rosenblat's voice kept me interested and brought me back to the tale each time I meandered off the track.

I loved the backstory on some of the employees and the eventual solving of the mystery was a good twist. I am glad this wasn't my first Anna Pigeon mystery, I might not have tried another. This is my 6th or 7th and I know the stories can be better, so will get more..in fact another arrived in the mailbox today from RecordedBooks. Yay!

Four New York City where's the wildlife beans.....

Books in the House Monday, 25 Jan 2010

From my buddy Mary Ann (along with some spiffy sticky notes and a fab bookmark):

A CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED DEATH - Nancy Martin, cozy mystery

MURDER ON THE MENU: Cooking Class #2 - Miranda Bliss, foodie cozy

From Our Lady of the Books:

SECRETS ON SATURDAY - Ann Purser, cozy

SABRIEL - Garth Nix, fantasy

ENDER'S GAME - Orson Scott Card, sci fi

ALVIN JOURNEYMAN - Orson Scott Card, fantasy/alternate reality

REDWALL - Brian Jacques, fantasy

SPINDLE'S END - Robin McKinley, fantasy

CONVERGENCE: Book One of the Blending - Sharon Green, fantasy

THE COTTON QUEEN - Pamela Morsi, current fiction

SOMETHING DEADLY - Rachel Lee, paranormal thriller

ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS - Scott O'Dell (for Lady K)

TOMBS OF ENDEARMENT: A Pepper Martin Mystery - Casey Daniels

From the back of the book: Rocking and rolling in his grave....Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin never imagined she'd get to meet rock legend Damon Curtis, the bad boy poet who made millions of teenage girls scream. After all, he kicked the bucket years before she was born. But thanks to her newfound ability to chat up the dead, Pepper's got a front row seat perfect for swooning over the still-sexy Damon's latest lyrics. He's convinced that his former bandmate Vinnie Pallucci murdered him back in'71, and he's promised Pepper she won't get any rest or peace until she helps him prove it.

But when Pepper goes behind the music, she finds Vinnie with a knife in his heart and the rest of the band members running for their lives. And if Pepper doesn't snare the killer soon, Damon's next hit from the great beyond might be her swan song.

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Pepper is a go-getter. She's talking to dead people, leading tours of the cemetery, talking to dead people, helping the dead rock star....

I do enjoy this series. The titles are so 'punny' which I always love and Pepper is so cool. I wish I had her taste in clothes and ability to accessorize. But I definitely wish I had her go-get-'em 'tude. She really has to make a go of it after the rug gets pulled out from under here (see DON OF THE DEAD for the reason why) and she takes ghost bull by the horns and does what needs doing to get her spectral charges on the right side of the Light.

Highly recommendable!!!

Five rock'n'roll ghost beans......

CARPE CORPUS: Book 6 Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine

From the back of the book: Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Don't stay out after dark.

In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in (relative) peace--until all the rules got rewritten when evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since.

Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants--the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires be content to go to the old rules after having had such a taste of power?

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I am always exhausted while reading this series, but it's well worth the debilitation.

Claire is always trying to do the right thing while being young, uber intelligent, in love and living in a town of vampires. Shane is in vampire jail, Michael is working for the bad guy, Eve hates her and her vampire mentor, Myrnin, is on the edge of madness. She's got to do what it takes to make things better if possible, if the good guys will let her help.

This is one of my favorite series. And now this one is my favorite of the series. Each one has that 'honor' as I read it and each next one has the possibility.

Highly recommedable to anyone who enjoys a well written story, vampire or otherwise.

Five Texas vampires aren't all bad (and not all good) beans.....

DARK LIGHT: Doc Ford novel - Randy Wayne White, narr Henry Strozier

From the back of the BOCD: Best-selling author Randy Wayne white and his character Doc Ford are favorites of suspense fans across the nation. The exhilarating thriller DARK LIGHT unfolds in the wake of a massive natural disaster.

A category four hurricane whips West Florida, destroying homes and taking lives. The storm thrashes reefs and buries known shipwrecks--but it also exposes new ones. Then one night a stranger shows up at Doc Ford's labratory. The elderly visitor relays an amazing story of her lover lost at sea during World War II while attempting to contact a Nazi submarine. The woman is sure he was being blackmailed--and now the truth may finally be within her grasp. Taken by her story, Doc investigates. It doesn't take long before he meets the rather unpleasant men working the same case from the other side.

With the spellbinding DARK LIGHT, White proves once again why his is one of the best suspense series running. A dramatic reading from narrator Henry Strozier ensures that longtime fans and newcomers alike will be treated to an unforgettable listening experience.

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Doc Ford is a man I could easily have a crush on. And there's his buddy, Tomlinson, who is a free spirit with a wicked sense of humor. Both are smart and take care of themselves, each other and their friends.

There seem to be two stories going on, but they are intertwined. There are some Wisconsin mob guys down taking advantage of the last hurricane's destructive path. Doc wants to set them straight after the mob guys take on some of Doc's buds.

Then there's the the mystery woman Tomlinson introduces to Doc. The story she tells of lost WWII treasure in the ocean intrigues Doc as much as the mystery woman does.

I've listened to a couple of books from this series and enjoyed each one thoroughly. This one was especially so. This is a series, but each one can be listened to as a stand-alone as far as I am concerned. And rarely does a series keep going strong when there are a lot of books in the series. This isn't one of those, again, as far as I am concerned. DARK LIGHT is #13 in the lineup and there are 17 of them.

Five Florida coast can be dangerous beans.....

DEAD RINGER - Lisa Scottoline, narr Barbara Rosenblat

From the back of the audiobook: A New York Times best-selling author and former trial lawyer, Lisa Scottoline has won the Edgar Award and a Distinguished Author Award for her novels, which include MOMENT OF TRUTH, DEAD RINGER, filled with high-octane suspense and humor, is a Main Selection of the Literary Guild and the Mystery Guild.

One of Bennie Rosato's law partners has just dyed her hair pink, and their Philadelphia firm's accounts are deep in the red. So Bennie agrees to take on a lucrative class-action suit. But as she prepares the case, her wallet, with all her credit cards, disappears. Soon, strange luxury purchases begin arriving at her office, and people start accusing her of bizarre behavior. Bennie realizes there's only one person who could pull off such a dangerous deception--her long-lost twin sister.

But when Bennie is arrested for murder, she has to find her sister and defend herself--or die trying. Audie Award winning narrator Barbara Rosenblat is the perfect voice for the offbeat, outrageous young lawyer.

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I take my time between Lisa Scottoline's books so I can savor them one at a time and anticipate the next one in a few months.

I enjoyed my time with DEAD RINGER, it was like being with old friends, Bennie, Mary, Anne, Judy (she of the pink hair). Each has a great, funny, smart, individual personality that works well in their all female law office.

Bennie is having a heckuva week. Her lease payments are way past due, new business is slow, her twin sister has decided this is a good time wreak havoc....then the man from France comes in to ask for her legal assistance in a class action suit, something Bennie's not well versed in. Her team of eager associates urge her to take it on, they'll help. Everything starts to go downhill from there.

The mystery is well told and I was completely taken by surprise (but not unpleasantly so) when the killer was found. There are a few stories going on at the same time, but each one is separate enough so that I didn't lose track.

The above description is correct, Barbara Rosenblat is the perfect voice for Lisa Scottoline's books. I love the Bennie Rosato series, especially the ones featuring Mary DiNunzio and Barbara Rosenblat adds that extra touch of nifty to the experience.

Five fab legal beans......

TRULY, MADLY: A Lucy Valentine Novel - Heather Webber

From the back of the book: Have any plans for Valentine's Day? Well, have I got a match for you! Her name is Lucy--Lucy Valentine--and she's so fresh, funny, and fabulously original, she just might give flowers and chocolate a run for their money.

Lucy hails from a long line of matchmakers known as Valentine, Inc. According to family legend, the Valentines have been blessed by Cupid with the psychic ability to help couples find true love. Trouble is, Lucy's powers were zapped away by an electrical surge and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You'd be surprised. In a big city like Boston, love is a mystery--and Lucy's upstairs neighbor, Sean Donahue, is a hot private eye whose job is murder. With a little luck, she can help solve the perfect crime and find her own perfct match--with Sean.

Filled with romance, a little mystery and a whole lot of fun, TRULY, MADLY is the perfect gift for readers looking for something truly special. Author Heather Webber has a smart, sexy, engaging voice that reminds us of Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie, but with an irresistable touch of the paranormal. Everyone here at St Martin's has already fallen head over heels in love with Lucy. And with two more books to come--at least--we think this could be a match made in heaven.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope Dellon, Executive Editor, St Martin's Paperbacks

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I received this SWEEEEET funny book as an ARC from Goodreads and I am so glad I did! It took me a month from receipt to read it. I tend to shy away from romance books, but this one has been getting rave reviews from 'trusted agents' and it had that paranormal and mystery I love so well....I caved (glad I did) and read it rather quickly. I stayed up late to read 'just one more page'! A danger book in that sense.

Wonderfully funny, a little wacky, some hot romance without making me avert my eyes, nifty dialogue and a really intriguing mystery with a neat little twist towards the end that had me wishing for the next in the series to come out soonest.

TRULY, MADLY comes out next month and you definitely should get this little gem.

Five SWEEEEET beans......

THE CHILDREN OF MEN - P D James, narr John Franklyn-Robbins

From the back of the BOCD: P D James, best-selling author of the Adam Dalgliesh mystery series, has proven herself adept at writing novels that are suspenseful without being gratuitously violent, complex without being complicated. Her characters are convincing and their plights believable, which makes THE CHILDREN OF MEN all the more compelling.

The human race faces extinction. It is annihilation brought not by disease or nuclear war, not by crashing meteorites or colliding stars. Men and women have ceased, simply, to procreate. In 1994, sperm counts hit zero; pediatrics wards were rapidly and permanently depleted. Overnight, it seemed, the human race had lost its power to breed.

The last generation of children to offer mankind a chance was born in 1995--the Omegas. Coddled and overprotected, the Omegas were the world's last, great hope. When they, too, reached sexual maturity unable to breed, everyone realized homo sapiens had become a doomed commodity.

Now, 25 years later, a pervasive lethargy blankets the world. Pornography has been legalized. Massive numbers of people have fled back to the cities, fearful of encroaching nature. Ritualistic suicides are sanctioned by the government as a means of ridding countries of their surplus elderly. Anarchy reigns in the prisons, immigrants are enslaved, renegade Omegas terrorize the land.

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I will say right now that I enjoy the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries that P D James writes, I can read those any time, watch the movies made from the books at the drop of a DVD. I really tried to bring the same enthusiasm to this book, but just couldn't get into it as much.

The premise is intriguing, but very bleak. Humans no longer reproduce due to some unknown malady. They have dolls as their babies with baby showers, baptisms, etc (creeeepy) or over-baby their pets.

A miracle occurs and the small team of rebels that becomes the center of the story is on the run.

There is death, sadness, oddities and a story that meandered. I will always love reading P D James' mysteries there is no doubt about that. It was just that this very bleak look at a possible future was not for me.

Three why does the future always seem bleak in books and movies beans....

Books in the House Monday, 18 Jan 2010

From Orchard Bookstore:

CAPE STORM: Weather Warden #8 - Rachel Caine, UF

MAGIC IN THE BLOOD: Allie Beckstrom #2 - Devon Monk, UF

BLOOD & IRON: Promethean Age #1 - Elizabeth Bear, fantasy

INK & STEEL: Promethean Age #3 - Elizabeth Bear, fantasy

From Amberkatze prize win:

HELL'S BELLES - Jackie Kessler, UF

From Ruthann on Shelfari:

INFERNAL: Repairman Jack # 8 - F Paul Wilson, paranormal

HARBINGERS: Repairman Jack #9 - F Paul Wilson, paranormal

From Janet on WW Booktalk the Original:

BOOK PLATE SPECIAL: Booktown Mystery #3 - Lorna Barrett, cozy mystery

From Cassie on WW Booktalk the Original:

BALTIMORE BLUES: Tess Monaghan #1 - Laura Lippman, suspense

NIGHT SHIFT: Jill Kismet #1 - Lilith Saintcrow, UF

SHARP OBJECTS - Gillian Flynn, thriller

EVIL AT HEART: Archie & Gretchen #3 - Chelsea Cain, thriller

High Crimes Bookshop:

MAID FOR MURDER: Squeaky Clean Charlotte LaRue Mystery #1 - Barbara Colley, cozy mystery

THE ALEHOUSE MURDERS: Templar Knight Mystery #1 - Maureen Ash, historical mystery

KNOCK OFF: Finley Anderson Tanner Mystery #1 - Rhonda Pollero, cozy mystery

Lady K in her First School Production - Stone Soup

A young OldTown resident , Lady K...it's a grumpy OldTown
Lady K is smack in the middle, second row from the top, six-ish from her left. You can see her purple scarf cranium next to the red scarf cranium, there's a girl in pink behind the two (if you still feel like looking for Lady K) DH wouldn't got up front for a closeup and I banged up my knee yesterday afternoon, so was limited in my meandering ability.

ANGEL'S ADVOCATE: A Beaufort & Company - Mary Stanton

From the back of the book: Being a lawyer has its challenges, but this is downright otherworldly. With a long list of ethereal clients who need her help, Bree's career choice is beginning to haunt her....

Money's been tight ever since Brianna Winston-Beaufort inherited Savannah's haunted law firm Beaufort & Company, along with its less-than-angelic staff. But she's finally going to tackle a case that'll pay the bills--because this one involves the living, rather than the lost souls she usually represents. The spoiled teenage daughter of a recently deceased pharmacy tycoon robbed a Girl Scout and now desperately needs representation.

Soon enough, the ghost of the departed millionaire father appears, also in need of Bree's help. His proximity to the fiery pits of Hell is too close for comfort--and he wants Bree to help him take wing. Bree isn't sure that she can help this unsavory father/daughter duo. But she knows that sooner or later she has to start making a living off the living.....

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I already look forward to the next book in this series, AVENGING ANGELS, due out next month (YAY). Bree is a good strong character who finds herself in the position to work with angels and assist those who need some intermediaries to get them out of areas of Hell and possibly into Heaven or at least in a better circle of Hell. She has some great assistants aiding in her good fight, a dog, a couple of legal aids, a cool landlady...all of whom are angels of dubious goodness.

The office is set in a graveyard that no one but Bree and her aids can find. Also the ghostly clients can't pay the bills and Bree is feeling the pinch. Luckily, she has the free rent of the office, free rent of her abode she shares with her sister, so she's got that going for her. She also has the loving (wealthy) arms of her family should she ever take them up on their offers of funds.

I want to smack the crap out of the rich teen, Lindsey, who hires Bree to get her out of the horrid crime she admits to committing. It seemed like a fun idea at the time, in her basic spoiled brat thought process. Her ghost of a father is not much better. That's how I tell the characters are well-written, I want to reach in to smack the crap out the brat characters and hug or high-five the good ones.

Five angelic beans.....

UNDERGROUND: 3rd in Greywalker Series - Kat Richardson, narr Mia Barron

From the back of the BOCD: The third book in Kat Richardson's best-selling Greywalker series, UNDERGROUND features heroine Harper Blaine, a private investigator who walks the shadowy line between the living and the dead.

It's winter in Seattle, and the homeless on Pioneer Square are being found dead and mutilated. Rumors abound that they're rising as zombies to stalk the Underground--the city buried beneath modern-day Seattle. When Harper's friend Quinton suspects he might be blamed for the killings, Harper agrees to help him locate the real source. Using the city's past as a guide, they soon trace a path back to an ancient killer--a horror even Seattle's dangerous vampires rightly fear.

Through her richly imagined world enhanced with historical detail, Richardson provides a unique experience that willhave fans clamoring for more Harper Blaine. Mia Barron provides a razor-sharp narration that only magnifies this harrowing dose of urban fantasy.

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This is one of my favorite series, especially in the urban fantasy genre. I loved learning more about Quinton, a character the reader meets in the first book of the series and gets to know a little bit about to be supremely intrigued (I know I was). I was pleased to see a lot more of Quinton this time around and a lot less of Will, the boyfriend in book one and two.

Richardson uses folklore to create the monster that is attacking Seattle's homeless and what a monster it is. Freaked me right the hell out, but Lady K thought it was scary with a funny name. She named it Sissy-Doodle and that is the name that has stuck in my cranium (sorry Kat). Helped to take the ick out of the attacker's leftovers.

Zombies, vampires, ghosts, all that good stuff makes for a superb outing in this one, my favorite in the series so far.

Five ancient monsters named Sissy-Doodle beans......

CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS - Lisa Lutz, narr Christina Moore

From the back of the BOCD: A New York Times best-seller, CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS is Lisa Lutz's sequel to her popular debut, THE SPELLMAN FILES. Two years have passed, and Isabel and her family of private investigators are just as dysfunctional as ever. Landing in lock-up for the fourth time, Izzy has a lot on her mind. Her dad is acting strange. Her mom is going on late-night secret missions. Her teenage sister finally has friends her own age--even a boyfriend. Someone's re-creating a rash of vandalism from Izzy's youth--which she certainly had no part in. And what's up with her family's new neighbor, John Brown (if that IS his real name)? Izzy knows he's no good, and she'll do anything, including getting arrested again, to discover his secrets.

Be prepared to laugh uncontrollably at this droll heroine packing a rapier wit and a PI license. Narrator Christina Moore captures all of the hilarity in this rollicking tale.

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This is a very good series, especially to listen to. Christina Moore is the perfect narrator for each of the voices, each and every dysfunctional character.

Izzy is on a mission to find out what exactly her new neighbor is up to. She just knows in her gut that he is evil. She continues to surveill him even though each time out leads to her arrest one way or another. She's about to lose her license to be a PI if she doesn't stop.

Izzy is engaged to her cop friend, much to both their dismay. It's to help out a family member.

There's so much more going on, the story is told in backwards and forward time that took me some time to get used to, but it made sense as Izzy tells her tale like a normal person would...or at least how I would. You start to tell the story of something that happened and you remember that you should maybe start a little farther back to make the listener understand what led up to the current tale. You don't exactly start over, but you go back a little bit in time to complete the tale.

The story made me laugh and enjoy my time with this crazy family.

Five dysfunctional is fun beans....

BITSY'S BAIT AND BBQ: Fishing + Food = Life Lessons - Pamela Morsi

From the back of the book: "I just bought us a B&B on eBay!"

While Emma Collins wonders who in their right mind would us her hard-won divorce settlement to purchase a bed-and-breakfast down in the Ozarks, her free-spirited sister Katy fantasizes dreamily about how this move to a small own will be just the thing for her six-year-old son, Josh.

And, as usual, Emma is right. But it is not until they drive to Warbler Lake, Missouri, to take over Bitsy's B & B that they realize just how right she's been. In this part of country, B&B stands for Bait and BBQ! the girls know little enough about running a bed-and-breakfast, but a bait-and-BBQ?

With their money and futures sunk into a run-down, roadside rattletrap, the girls have no choice but to roll up their sleeves and get to work. But as they settle in and get to know the difference between fatheads, night crawlers, mealworms and shiner, no one is more surprised than they are when they actually get the place up and running.

But trouble is brewing. Katy's ex-husband is having second thoughts about the custody arrangements for Josh, and he fully intends to get him back. With the prospect of losing the little boy, the sisters face another challeng, only this time it's Katy who proves that she, too, can solve a problem.

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The beginning of each of the 31 chapters is a bit of wisdom from Bitsy, the woman who died and left her B&B to the town to sell and keep the proceeds to help Warbler Lake's citizens. Bits of wisdom like: "Use unsalted butter. You don't want somebody else deciding how much seasoning is right for you." or "Rub down your clean cooking grate with a smidgeon of oil. It will cut down on cursing when you're taking the meat off." or "Hornyhead minnows are often confused with creek chubs. Maybe you can't tell the difference, but the fish can."

I loved reading this book. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I can highly recommend this to anyone who likes a well-written, warm, and funny story. It's a soft, mellow book with soft, mellow good people and one or two harsh people who end up being mellower than the run-of-the-mill harsh person in other books. They are just harsh enough for the reader to dislike and hope that they get their come-uppance. The good people are wonderfully funny and sweet and you keep rooting for them.

I liked watching Emma and Katy make friends in the town and learn how to sell bait and work the BBQ pit. The town is behind them and the support is heart-warming and funny to see.

Five 'I wouldn't mind living in a town like Warbler Lake' beans......

Lady K-ism of the Day

Me: "C'mon, it's time to get up, sweetie!"
Lady K: "I don't wanna!"
Me: "On the bright side, it's Friday!"
Lady K: "What's so great about Friday?"
Me: "Well, it's the day before Saturday which is the weekend."
Lady K: "Yeah, well, today is still Friday!" and the covers went back over her head....

Books Read in 2009

1. REMAINS OF THE DEAD - Wendy Roberts, ARC, paranormal cozy
2. LAUGHTER OF THE DEAD KINGS: Vicky Bliss series - Elizabeth Peters, BOCD, cozy
3. MEAN STREETS - Jim Butcher, Simon R Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E Sniegoski, TPB
4. UNDEAD & UNWED: Queen Betsy series - MaryJanice Davidson, MPB, paranormal funny
5. LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS:Sookie Stackhouse series - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
6. AN ICE COLD GRAVE: Harper Connelly series - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal mystery
7. HARM NONE:Rowan Gant series - M R Sellars, MPB, paranormal mystery
8. HEAT STROKE: Weather Warden series - Rachel Caine, MPB, UF
9. THE GHOST AND THE HAUNTED MANSION: Haunted Bookshop series - Alice Kimberly, MPB, paranormal cozy
10. THE GATEKEEPER - Michelle Gagnon, beta read, thriller
11. BLIND FALL - Christopher Rice, BOT, thriller
12. DEFENDING ANGELS - Mary Stanton, MPB, paranormal mystery
13. THE WITCH'S GRAVE - Shirley Damsgaard, MPB, paranormal mystery
14. PLAYING WITH FIRE - Katie MacAlister, MPB, funny paranormal
15. SKIN HUNGER: The Resurrection of Magic - Kathleen Duey, BOCD, YA fantasy
16. THE GINGERBREAD MAN - Maggie Shayne, MPB, suspense
17. TASTE OF NIGHT: Second Sign of the Zodiac - Vicki Pettersson, MPB, UF
18. DEAD TO THE WORLD - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
19. NO REST FOR THE WICCAN - Madelyn Alt, MPB, paranormal cozy
20. THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOOKS: A Mobile Library Mystery - Ian Sansom, TPB, cozy
21. BLOODSTREAM - Tess Gerritsen, BOT, medical mystery
22. ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE - Jeaniene Frost, MPB, UF
23. THE MAGIC THIEF - Sarah Prineas, BOCD, YA fantasy
*24. GHOST ROAD BLUES - Jonathan Maberry, MPB, horror, superb!
25. ESPRESSO SHOT - Cleo Coyle, HB, cozy mystery
26. MURDER WITH RESERVATIONS - Elaine Viets, MPB, cozy mystery
*27. GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson, BOCD, UF
28. MURDER OF A CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY - Denise Swanson, cozy mystery
29. THE MEDIATOR: NINTH KEY - Meg Cabot, BOCD, YA paranormal mystery
*30. SUCCUBUS BLUES - Richelle Mead, TPB, UF
31. SOMETHING FROM THE NGHTSIDE - Simon R Green, MPB, UF
32. SHADOW SPINNER - Susan Fletcher, HB, YA fantasy
33. PERSONAL DEMONS - Stacia Kane, MPB, UF
34. CLUB DEAD: Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
*35. DOG DAYS - John Levitt, MPB, UF
36. THE BODY IN THE CAST - Katherine Hall Page, MPB, cozy mystery
37. LIE DOWN WITH THE DEVIL - Linda Barnes, BOCD, suspense
38. THE WHISPERING ROOM - Amanda Stevens, MPB, suspense
39. MEXICAN HAT - Michael McGarrity, BOT, suspense
40. ALADDIN & THE MAGIC LAMP - Phillip Pullman, BOCD, YA fantasy
41. GHOULS JUST HAUNT TO HAVE FUN - Victoria Laurie, MPB, paranormal mystery
42. BLUE DIABLO - Ann Aguirre, MPB, UF
*43. A KISS BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE - Thomas E Sniegoski, MPB, UF
*44. FOUR & TWENTY BLACKBIRDS - Cherie Priest, TPB, UF
45. DEAD & GONE: Sookie Stackhouse series - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
46. BODY BAGS - Christopher Golden, BOCD, YA medical mystery
47. THE GHOST AND THE FEMME FATALE - Alice Kimberly, MPB, pararnormal cozy
*48. THE DEVIL YOU KNOW - Mike Carey, MPB, UF
49. THE LITTLE SLEEP - Paul Tremblay, TPB, mystery
50. SERPENT GATE - Michael McGarrity, BOT, suspense
51. BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER - Margaret Maron, BOCD, mystery
52. THE WATCHER: Anna Strong series - Jeanne C Stein, MPB, UF
*53. GARDEN SPELLS - Sarah Addison Allen, TPB, fantasy
54. BEST MAN TO DIE - Ruth Rendell, BOCD, mystery
55. GRAVEDIGGERS WANTED: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY - Jeff Strand, TPB
56. WICKED GAME - Jeri Smith-Ready, TPB, UF
57. WEBMAGE - Kelly McCullough, MPB, fantasy
58. THE HERO & THE CROWN - Robin McKinley, BOCD, fantasy
59. DON'T CALL ME A CROOK - Bob Moore, TPB, autobiography
60. THE CHATTER OF THE MAIDENS - Alys Claire, MPB, medieval mystery
61. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN - Justin Gustainis, MPB, UF
62. STORM BORN - Richelle Mead, MPB, fantasy
*63. MONEY SHOT - Christa Faust, MPB, noir mystery
64. A KISS GONE BAD - Jeff Abbott, BOT, suspense
65. BLOODY GOOD - Georgia Evans, MPB, paranormal mystery
66. ALL TOGETHER DEAD: Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
67. MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND - Lisa Shearin, MPB, fantasy
68. ANGEL VINDICATED - Viola Estrella, E-Book, paranormal romance
69. LORD OF MISRULE: Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine, MPB, paranormal mystery
70. MYTH DIRECTIONS - Robert Asprin, BOT, fantasy
71. A CIRCLE OF SOULS - Preetham Grandhi, TPB, suspense
*72. THEM BONES - Carolyn Haines, MPB, cozy mystery
73. SUCCUBUS BLUES - Richelle Mead, TPB, UF
74. DEAD MARCH - Ann McMillan, MPB, Civil War mystery
75. GRAVE PERIL: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher, MPB, UF
76. PANIC - Jeff Abbott, BOCD, suspense
*77. STREET MAGIC - Caitlin Kittredge, MPB, UF
78. THE UNSCRATCHABLES - Cornelius Kane, TPB, fantasy mystery
79. POLTERGEIST - Kat Richardson, BOCD, UF
80. CHILE DEATH: China Bayles series - Susan Wittig Albert, MPB, cozy mystery
81. SKIN DEEP - Mark Del Franco, ARC, UF
82. BONES OF BETRAYAL - Jefferson Bass, BOCD, suspense
83. DIED IN THE WOOL - Rett McPherson, MPB, cozy mystery
84. THE MEDIATOR: DARKEST HOUR - Meg Cabot, BOCD, YA paranormal
85. DISAPPEARING NIGHTLY - Laura Resnick, MPB, paranormal fantasy
86. THROUGH VIOLET EYES - Stephen Woodworth, MPB, suspense
87. BLACK JACK POINT: Judge Whit Mosley series - Jeff Abbott, BOT, suspense
88. DIM SUM DEAD - Jerrilyn Farmer, MPB, cozy mystery
89. STAYING DEAD: The Retrievers - Laura Anne Gilman, MPB, UF mystery
90. MISSING YOU: 1-800-Where-R-You - Meg Cabot, BOCD, YA paranormal mystery
91. AUNT DIMITY DIGS IN - Nancy Atherton, HB, cozy mystery
92. BROKEN - Kelley Armstrong, MPB, UF
93. DEATH'S DAUGHTER - Amber Benson, MPB, UF
94. DEAD UNTIL DARK: Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
95. LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS: Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
96. DEFINITELY DEAD: Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, BOCD, paranormal
97. THE MEDIATOR: REUNION - Meg Cabot, BOCD, YA paranormal
*98. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK - Neil Gaiman, BOCD, YA paranormal mystery
99. THE HARROWING - Alexandra Sokoloff, MPB, horror
100. SOULLESS - Gail Carrington, MPB, steampunk mystery
101. HEAD GAMES: A Body Bags Mystery - Christopher Golden, BOT, mystery
102. STORM QUEEN: Dark Swan #2 - Richelle Mead, MPB, fantasy
103. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE - Annette Curtis Klaus, BOCD, YA paranormal
104. BLOODY AWFUL - Georgia Evans, MPB, paranormal mystery
105. CUT & RUN: Judge Whit Mosley series - Jeff Abbott, BOCD, suspense
*106. VICIOUS CIRCLE: Felix Castor series - Mike Carey, MPB, UF
*107. HOLIDAY GRIND: Coffeehouse Mystery - Cleo Coyle, ARC, cozy mystery
108. SKIN DEEP: A Bodybags Mystery - Christopher Golden, BOT, YA medical mystery
109. DESOLATE ANGEL - Chaz McGee, MPB, paranormal mystery
*110. OVER MY DEAD BODY - Michelle Bardsley, MPB, paranormal romance
111. A DILLY OF A DEATH: China Bayles series - Susan Wittig Albert, MPB, cozy mystery
112. DEATH'S HALF ACRE: Judge Deborah Knott series - Margaret Maron, BOCD, suspense
*113. LEGACY: Anna Strong series - Jeanne C Stein, MPB, UF
114. MEDIATOR: TWILIGHT - Meg Cabot, BOCD, YA paranormal
115. JERUSALEM INN: Richard Jury - Martha Grimes, MPB, mystery
116. A CHRISTMAS SECRET - Anne Perry, HB, cozy mystery
*117. ROSEMARY & RUE: October Daye series - Seanan McGuire, MPB, UF
118. LET THERE BE SUSPECTS - Emilie Richards, MPB, cozy mystery
119. THE PRIVATE PATIENT: Adam Dalgliesh series - P D James, BOCD, police procedural mystery
120. SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT: Nicki Styx series - Terri Garey, MPB, UF
121. UNDEAD AND UNRETURNABLE - MaryJanice Davidson, HB, paranormal romance
122. DIPPED, STRIPPED, AND DEAD - Elise Hyatt, MPB, cozy mystery

* means book was extra special for a good reason

I will get back to link the books to my reviews when I get the chance.....

Happy New Year!!