11 October 2008
THE MEDIATOR: SHADOWLAND - Meg Cabot
What a banner reading day I had yesterday. I went antelope hunting with DH and Lady K and I knew I wouldn't be doing much of (read NONE OF) the actual hunting, so I finished the very enjoyable BLOOD DRIVE - Jeanne C. Stein and (because I have the bookaholic's foresight) I brought, read, and finished THE MEDIATOR: SHADOWLAND. Meg Cabot has to be one of the most talented writers of books for such diverse ages and genres. She's written The Princess Diaries series, Heather Wells series, Queen of Babble series, and all sorts of stand alones of YA and paranormal and regular mystery genres. And each and every one of her books I have read have been FAB! This said with the understanding that I haven't read all of the series or many of the stand alones, but to have read the five or six I have read and all to be good? That's a fair decent given that the rest should be as well.
Susannah 'Suze' Simon is not your typical teenager. She is a mediator, which means she sees ghosts and helps them (whether they want the help or not) to get where they need to go and not keep roaming the earthly plane.
She's bummin' because her mother has married and Suze has to move from funky New York to Omigod California! What is she going to in California? AGH! All that sunshine and those beaches! Ohhhh...those beaches..well, thinks Suze, beaches are nice. She now has a stepfather and three stepbrothers and lives in a honkin' hewgah house. A house that happens to be 300 years old, which means ghosts will be hangin' around. One, a particularly hottie named Jesse, is in her room.
And there's a ghost , Heather, at her new school who isn't happy about Suze. Suze has her school locker and it looks like Suze is getting her friends and maybe her boyfriend. Suze isn't doing any of this on purpose, she just wants to go to school and do her job as mediator. Heather just isn't willing to move on to wherever she's supposed to go. She wants her old life back and she thinks Suze is keeping her from it. So Heather is bent on getting her way and will do whatever it takes to get it. Suze is bent on not letting her, especially since it seems that Heather doesn't care who she hurts to get her way.
I really cannot wait to read the rest of this series.
Four ghostly beans!
BLOOD DRIVE: AN ANNA STRONG VAMPIRE NOVEL - Jeanne C. Stein
I was a little disappointed when I started reading BLOOD DRIVE, but only because I found out I'd picked up the second in the series instead of the first, THE BECOMING. I have become a little weird about starting a new series with the first book. Ya know what? Once I got into the first few pages, it really didn't matter. The story stands on its own and it made me definitely want to go back and read the first one! And I will soon since I won the prize from Jeanne, but that's another blog....Anna Strong is a private investigator who was turned into a vampire. She is still working on getting used to being someone who can only drink fluids now and must take steps to move out of the sphere of her living family and friends. She's reluctant, but knows it's necessary since she'll be staying the same age as they continue to age. No one knows she's what she's been turned into, so you can see where it would cause some issues in the future.
She gets involved in a case to find a missing teen who may be her niece. There are some very unsavory folks in the mix as well as one savory folk...Frey. But is he who he says he is, a teacher who only wants the best for his students? Or is he involved with a child pornography ring? Anna isn't sure and is ready to tear him a new one if he is.
This is a definite keeper shelf book, along with my Charlaine Harris collection and soon to be Kat Richardson collection.
Four savory beans!
Labels:
Jeanne C. Stein,
paranormal mystery,
vampire books,
vampires
08 October 2008
I WON A BOOK!!

Thank you, Mark Henry and Jeanne C. Stein (and Sugar), for last week's interview on League of Reluctant Adults and chance to meet you and chat and then to win this book! I like winning and I like good paranormal books...okay I love books, but I especially dig reading well written paranormal mysteries and LEGACY fits the ticket. I think I win a signed copy of the book and a gift card to Amazon so I can pick up the ones of the series I am missing and maybe I'll get Mark's HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED and a Richelle Mead or start my own collection of Kat Richardson.
07 October 2008
ANGEL AT TROUBLESOME CREEK - Mignon F Ballard
This was a cute cozy read, may look for more of the series. The main focus point of the series appears to be a guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight. I think the idea is for her to go from troubled soul to troubled soul and takes care of them until they are no longer troubled. This troubled soul in the first book is Mary George Murphy who is home to take care of the effects of her Aunt Caroline. Mary George thinks Aunt Caroline was pushed to her death rather than fell to it, but why and by whom? This is where Augusta comes in. She is a guardian angel and last was helpful during WWII. She has some enthusiastic catching up to do as well as help Mary George.
A little bit of murder, mystery, and some kissin'. All's well at the end as a good cozy should do.
Three gentle beans.
06 October 2008
Time for Another Book Winning!
Go on over to Bitten By Books and see the cool interview with Michele Bardsley, author of the Broken Heart Vampire Series. I love the titles, BECAUSE YOUR VAMPIRE SAID SO and I'M THE VAMPIRE THAT'S WHY among a few other delightful entries. You can win an autographed copy of her latest.
05 October 2008
THE GLASS HARMONICA - Louise Marley
Another fine sci-fi, fantasy read for me. I seem to be on a roll lately. THE GLASS HARMONICA is a gentle version of the genres. One half takes place in 1760 England. This is the time of Benjamin Franklin spending time in both England and the colonies. He finds a young Irish girl, Eilish Eam, playing her water glasses on the street for money. He takes her in to help him with a new invention of his, the glass armonica. She plays for Franklin and his cronies and then for royalty.
Half of the story takes place in the near future of 2018 Seattle. This half of the story has the main character of Erin Rushton. She is a classical musician, playing the modern version of the glass armonica, for audiences all over the world.
Both girls in both times find themselves 'haunted' by the other's presence from time to time, especially in times of stress. Erin goes in search of her 'wraith' and discovers more about her own sense of self in the search.
Warm and wonderfully written. Four fascinating beans.
04 October 2008
HOMINIDS (First in Neanderthal Parallax Series) - Robert J Sawyer
HOMINIDS is a wonderfully written sci-fi book! My dad suggested it to me and gave me this first in the trilogy when I was out for a visit this summer. I hesitated until his visit this past weekend as I am a sort of fan of science fiction, but really only the TV channel these days. I used to read quite a bit of sci-fi, but wandered away into more mysteries and paranormal reading. I do have a few authors I look for from time to time, but Sawyer was not one of them. Anyway, all that said, I am very glad I got over myself and my hestitation and read this book! It moves swiftly and the only downfall is when the book gets into the weeds with physics and genetics. I don't understand, therefore I skim. But the basic premise of the story is pure wonder. Parallel universes exist, one is ours and the other explained is where Neanderthals are the advanced species. Both sides are working in the same cavern in Canada on different projects, but one makes inadvertant contact with the other side. This sets off a chain of events on both Earths. One is 'first contact' and the other is a murder trial.
I love the relationships between the characters, the smooth writing, and how happy I became when I had time to read the story.
Four beans (more if I could have understood the math schtuff)
03 October 2008
BONES TO ASHES - Kathy Reichs, narr Barbara Rosenblatt
I have read or listened to all of Kathy Reichs' books and have both enjoyed and been dismayed alternately. The early ones were heavy on getting into 'the weeds' of forensic medicine, more than I cared to know. I was more interested in the story. Then she eased up on the details and the story became more important and I was happy. Now it seems that coincidence plays a huge part in the storyline and I am becoming a wee bit dismayed again. Temperance Brennan has these HUGE leaps of brain synapse and things just fall together a little too neatly. This storyline begins in Tempe's childhood and her friendship with a Canadian French girl and her little sister. They meet up each summer and one summer the two girls just disappear (mysteriously of course). Fast forward to current times and a set of cold cases falls to Temperance and her used to be beau, Ryan (the cop) dealing with missing or dead young girls. Memories of her childhood friend drive Tempe to try to solve the case.
I continued to listen to the book mostly because of Barbara Rosenblatt. She has yet to read a bad story to me. I do like Kathy Reichs' books for the most part and will continue to listen to or read them. I may be getting biased because of my admiration of the television show loosely based on the series of books. I find myself liking the show more than the books.
Three beans.
02 October 2008
Bitten By Books is at it again....this time it's Rachel With Mark Henry
Off ya go to Bitten By Books! It's time to read about Mark Henry's Halloween traditions. Ask some questions, post some blog, win a prize package (chance to anyway).....
01 October 2008
Rachel Interviews Anya Bast Over At Bitten By Books
HEY! Get thee over to Bitten By Books and see the fab interview with paranormal author, Anya Bast. Chance to win a prize if you do.....just sayin'....
SEPTEMBER BOOK JOURNAL
KILLING FLOOR (#1 Jack Reacher series) - Lee Child, MPB, superb!
FOOL MOON (#2 Dresden Files) - Jim Butcher, MPB, excellent
BRUSH WITH DEATH (#3 Art Lovers Mystery) - Hailey Lind, MPB, fun read
TUNNELS - Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams, narr Steven Crossley, BOCD,decent story, maybe too YA for me
MURDER TAKES THE CAKE - Gayle Trent, ARC, author asked me to review and I was happy to say that it was a very enjoyable cozy, looking forward to more of the series
THE TALE OF HILLTOP FARM (#1 The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter) - Susan Wittig Albert, MPB, SWA does it again!! This is GOOD!
RUNNING FROM THE LAW - Lisa Scottoline, narr Barbara Rosenblatt, BOCD, superbly funny and intriguing
ANY GIVEN DOOMSDAY - Lori Handeland, MPB, ARC. Tasty, can't wait for more of this series and the author
A KISS GONE BAD (#1 Whit Mosley series) - Jeff Abbott, MPB, humdingah!!
MILK GLASS MOON (#3 Big Stone Gap series) - Adriana Trigiani, TPB, excellent!
Books: 8
Audiobook: 2
FOOL MOON (#2 Dresden Files) - Jim Butcher, MPB, excellent
BRUSH WITH DEATH (#3 Art Lovers Mystery) - Hailey Lind, MPB, fun read
TUNNELS - Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams, narr Steven Crossley, BOCD,decent story, maybe too YA for me
MURDER TAKES THE CAKE - Gayle Trent, ARC, author asked me to review and I was happy to say that it was a very enjoyable cozy, looking forward to more of the series
THE TALE OF HILLTOP FARM (#1 The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter) - Susan Wittig Albert, MPB, SWA does it again!! This is GOOD!
RUNNING FROM THE LAW - Lisa Scottoline, narr Barbara Rosenblatt, BOCD, superbly funny and intriguing
ANY GIVEN DOOMSDAY - Lori Handeland, MPB, ARC. Tasty, can't wait for more of this series and the author
A KISS GONE BAD (#1 Whit Mosley series) - Jeff Abbott, MPB, humdingah!!
MILK GLASS MOON (#3 Big Stone Gap series) - Adriana Trigiani, TPB, excellent!
Books: 8
Audiobook: 2
30 September 2008
MILK GLASS MOON - Adriana Trigiani
I don't know my reasoning for starting MILK GLASS MOON, setting it aside for so long, then picking it up again at this time. I only know I am so very glad that I picked it up again and finished it. It is now my favorite of the series...at least until I read HOME TO BIG STONE GAP. The book is in wonderful segments of home, New York City, home, Italy, home, Italy. It flows quickly in years skipped, but events are highlighted.
Ave is still alternately aggravating and endearing in her worries over her relationship with her husband, Jack, and her daughter, Etta. I see a lot of myself in the character in her concerns and the way she handles (and mishandles) situations. Etta is growing up and going through the teenage years in her own way. She acts out in the beginning of the book and loses her chance of going to New York with Ave to visit Ave's lifelong best friend, Theodore. Ave is definitely blessed in her friends as well as her family. Theodore helps her work through her issues with Etta and Ave's past love, Pete, who is also in New York. Is Ave still attracted to Pete? Yes, but won't act on it. She knows she is deeply in love and in like with Jack and always will be.
The next segments have all of the characters older and wiser. Ave's best girlfriend, Iva Lou (my favorite character of the series), is diagnosed with breast cancer. Everyone concerned goes through growing pains with this news. Years go by again and there is a trip to Italy to Ave's father's home for a long visit. Etta also sees her crush, Stefano, but is older and wiser in how she is with him. Stefano appears several times throughout the book and is part of Etta's maturing into a fine young woman. And the consternation of Ave. She is reluctant to have her little girl grow up any quicker than she should, but Etta has always been her own person, rather strongwilled, but very intelligent and full of common sense.
This is such a warm and wonderful book and a great addition to the series. It is staying on my keeper shelf.
I know a part of my enamour for the series is that Big Stone Gap exists and this area is where my husband grew up. I had the chance to see many of the locations this summer when we went back to his home area for his nephew's graduation from University of Virginia at Wise. I smiled each time I read a familiar place name.
Five enthusiastic Appalachian beans!
28 September 2008
26 September 2008
A KISS GONE BAD - Jeff Abbott
I really like this author, but I LOVE this title! I am a sucker for a fab title and this one did it for me. Even more groovy, the smart dialogue, intriguing characters and steamy storyline is fab, too. Whit Mosley is my kinda guy. He's trying to redeem himself with the career path his father chose for him. Whit is a judge in Port Leo, Texas. Under the robes he dresses like a beach bum. He can be found reading court law documents and books to help him become a better justice of the peace and investigator. He really is trying hard to make the right choices and it really comes home when the son of a state senator is found dead of apparent suicide and Whit finds himself on the path to discover the truth. He also finds more than he bargained for...drug traffic, pornography, con jobs.
My favorite character is Gooch....you'll have to read the book to meet him, but he is someone you'd want on your side in any kind of altercation. I have a crush....
Four gritty Texan beans...
ANY GIVEN DOOMSDAY - Lori Handeland
There is not much better than a well written, FREE, paranormal mystery. Hey! That's what ANY GIVEN DOOMSDAY is! I signed up for the possibility to review Lori Handeland's new series to be released in November and I was lucky to be a recipient a week ago. Thankfully, I was at the tail end of a book and could begin almost immediately. Elizabeth Phoenix knows she's different, has always known this. She just didn't know how different. She was raised in the foster care system, found and lost and found her soulmate, found a career in law enforcement....lost that too. Lost the woman, Ruthie, who Liz thought of as a mother. Ruthie handed over her power to Liz. This is the power to lead the good guys against the bad in the coming Doomsday.
Yeah, Liz isn't so thrilled to have this power, but she'll do what she needs to do (and with whom) to find out more about her growing powers and the creatures that she always thought were myth....werewolves, vampires, witches....
I liked the book's different variations on were-creatures, witches, vampires. I liked how strong Liz was through the story. I like how Liz adds to her powers....YOWZAH! No spoilers.....
Four hottie paranormal beans!
24 September 2008
Eezy Cheezy Challenge!!!
Check out this challenge! It's at MyFriendAmy' blog and it challenges us to get a nonreader to read and us already readers to read more! Here are Amy's ROE!
It's called the Read One Book Challenge.
Here are the rules.
1) Read one book you have never read before by December 31st, 2008.
2) This book must not be a children's book that you are reading to your kids. It must be a book for you.
3) This book may not be part of work related research. This book is for you.
4) It can be fiction or nonfiction.
5) Please leave a comment telling me you're joining in and write a post linking back to this post to invite others to join in as well (if you have a blog, if not just leave a comment!).
6) For bonus points, spend an evening at a Barnes and Noble, Borders, or local independent bookshop browsing through books. (apparently there's a huge percentage of people who don't go to bookstores, either)
7) When you've completed your book write a post about it and I'll link to it here!
If you are like Amy and read 2-4 books a week, please still join in though you'll probably complete the challenge a lot faster than others. One ten dollar Amazon gift card will be awarded through random drawing to a person who signs up and completes the challenge on time.
So get thee over and sign up!!
It's called the Read One Book Challenge.
Here are the rules.
1) Read one book you have never read before by December 31st, 2008.
2) This book must not be a children's book that you are reading to your kids. It must be a book for you.
3) This book may not be part of work related research. This book is for you.
4) It can be fiction or nonfiction.
5) Please leave a comment telling me you're joining in and write a post linking back to this post to invite others to join in as well (if you have a blog, if not just leave a comment!).
6) For bonus points, spend an evening at a Barnes and Noble, Borders, or local independent bookshop browsing through books. (apparently there's a huge percentage of people who don't go to bookstores, either)
7) When you've completed your book write a post about it and I'll link to it here!
If you are like Amy and read 2-4 books a week, please still join in though you'll probably complete the challenge a lot faster than others. One ten dollar Amazon gift card will be awarded through random drawing to a person who signs up and completes the challenge on time.
So get thee over and sign up!!
23 September 2008
Lady K-ism of the Day
20 September 2008
Another Lady K-ism
Lady K-ism of the Day
19 September 2008
RUNNING FROM THE LAW - Lisa Scottoline, narr Barbara Rosenblatt
Oh man! Going without Lisa Scottoline for a long time and then getting back to her books must be close to what a smoker feels when the smoker gives up the cancer sticks for a rather long while then has one with the gang.....NICE RUSH!! I cannot believe it's been so long since my last Scottoline! Especially listening to one with the uber delightful Barbara Rosenblatt. Love her voice. She is in the top five of my favorite narrators.
Scottoline's main characters are all female lawyers and most, if not all, have a wicked smartass sense of humor. I respect smart smartasses.
This particular smart smartass is Rita Morrone. Or 'Miss Fresh' to her dad the butcher. Rita is hired to represent Fiske Hamilton, a prominent federal judge, when he is accused of sexual harrassment. Fiske is also the father of Rita's live-in boyfriend. And then everything goes to hell.
I love all of the pitch perfect characters, especially Rita and the old guys she plays poker with every Tuesday night.
Four legally smartass beans.
18 September 2008
THE TALE OF HILL TOP FARM: THE COTTAGE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER Book 1 - Susan Wittig Albert
I am once again very happy to have read a book that is the start of a series. I already love reading Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series. I like learning about herbal lore and gardening along with the mystery. In THE TALE OF HILL TOP FARM, the reader sees life in a small village in the Lake District through the eyes of the villagers, Beatrix Potter and, my favorite, the animals who live there. There are Miss Potter's pet hedgehog, rabbits, and a mouse; as well as the village cats and dogs, owls, rats, mice and frogs. Almost all have appeared in Miss Potter's children's books as she recollected from previous visits to the Lake District with her family.
The book is a cozy in the gentlest of ways. There is a death and there are mysteries to solve, but all of that is background to the story of the villagers and the countryside.
I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Four comfy beans.
15 September 2008
MURDER TAKES THE CAKE: A Daphne Martin Mystery - Gayle Trent
This is a fast read and starts and ends with a "What the .....?" The bang starts when Daphne of Daphne's Delectable Cakes brings what she hopes is the cake to win Yodel Watson's approval. Instead she finds the body of Mrs Watson on her couch....the dead body of Mrs Watson.
Daphne calls 911 and her life as she knows it is changed and not for the better. Her credibility is suspect as are her cakes. This is not good since she has moved back to her hometown of Brea Ridge, Virginia to rebuild her life after a failed marriage and a dead-end job.
There was a lot of action that occurred in a small amount of time, but that didn't seem to bother me as it might have in another book. Cozies have to move fast, only so many pages to git'r'dun. I liked all of the nice characters and laughed at the funny ones. There were some shady characters too, that received my dislike. I absolutely was startled to find out whodunnit at the end and it was not one of those lame-o choices so the author could hurry and finish up.
I could identify with Daphne's relationship with her family. I think this was the part I liked best. Daphne has a cautious and teeth gritting relationship with her mother, a loving warm one with her father and her sister.
And the cake baking and decorating!!! I didn't get the recipes in the copy I reviewed, so will get the book just for those. This is one of my criteria for a cozy, it makes me want to learn how to do the activity that's the basis of the character and story......This one makes me want to learn how to decorate cakes.
Four frosted beans!
14 September 2008
TUNNELS - Brian Williams and Roderick Gordon, narr Steven Crossley
This is a decent enough story, especially for the YA book that it is. I enjoyed the beginning of it and then slowly became a little annoyed with the story. I did finish it, mostly because of the narrator Steven Crossley. He made the story more interesting with good characterization of voices. I could see the characters in my cranium because his wonderfully talented voice. Will Burroughs and his father are diggers. They love to dig underground and take joy in all of the treasures they discover. One day they find a tunnel into something quite different. This also brings about the disappearance of Will's father, then Will and his friend Chester. There is a land under the ground, people live there in houses. Rules are different, I guess no natural light will do that for a civilization. Will discovers some surprising information about himself and makes his escape to the 'topsoil' as it's called by the underground dwellers. Life is not what it was and Chester didn't make it out, so Will goes back underground to rescue his friend.
This is obviously setting up for a series or trilogy, not sure yet if I will follow along or not.....
Three questioning beans....
13 September 2008
BRUSH WITH DEATH - Hailey Lind
A fine third entry for the sister writing team making up Hailey Lind. You get a mystery, some insight into the art world, and cool faux finishing techniques...and for me, an add to my vacation wishlist to visit San Francisco one day. Annie Kincaid just wants everyone to get over her past as a supremely art forger, a talent she was born with and enhanced with tutoring from her grandfather, who is wanted by the art world (and not in a good way).
Annie is very happy, well..happy...okay reasonably satisfied with her life. She owns her own faux art business, she has good friends and a nice boyfriend. And Frank, Annie's sexy landlord and Michael a hottie art thief. What's a former art forger to do???
She is working on a commission in the Chapel of Chimes, a columbarium, mausoleum and crematorium fixing faded art when she meets Cindy Tanaka at a nearby cemetery. Cindy asks her if the reproduction of La Fornarina by Raphael hanging in the columbarium could actually be the original. The discussion is interrupted by two men in masks, Cindy ends up dead, and the police are calling it suicide. Annie isn't so sure, especially after more suspicious deaths occur. And all of the deaths and mayhem seem to revolve around the mysterious La Fornarina painting.
Four faux gilded beans.....
12 September 2008
Becky L Tagged Me!!
My buddy, Becky L, over at NoMoreGrumpyBookseller tagged me!
Here are the rules: I am going to list three categories of books.
3 MUST Read Books,
3 Keep Your Eyes on These
3 Look For These Soon.
Keeping with the theme, I am going to tag at least 3 bloggers. They should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. Then they should tag at least 3 more bloggers. It will be fun to see how the lists change as they go around the blogosphere. Please come back to this post and leave a comment so I can see how the lists are changing.Since this is Book Buzz…please keep your lists to titles released in 2007-2009. So, here goes…[asterisks are next to my additions]
3 Must Read Books:
DUMA KEY - Stephen King
*THE MERMAIDS SINGING - Val McDermid
THE LACE READER - Brunonia Barry
3 Keep Your Eyes on These:
STALKING SUSAN - Julie Kramer
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY - Mary Ann Shaffer
*GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson
3 Look For These Soon:
THE DARK VOLUME - Gordon Dahlquist
*PASTLIFE - Kat Richardson
THE FIRE - Katherine Neville
And I am tagging:
ThoughtsofJoy
BloggingMyBooks
SherrisReadingJubilee
Here are the rules: I am going to list three categories of books.
3 MUST Read Books,
3 Keep Your Eyes on These
3 Look For These Soon.
Keeping with the theme, I am going to tag at least 3 bloggers. They should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. Then they should tag at least 3 more bloggers. It will be fun to see how the lists change as they go around the blogosphere. Please come back to this post and leave a comment so I can see how the lists are changing.Since this is Book Buzz…please keep your lists to titles released in 2007-2009. So, here goes…[asterisks are next to my additions]
3 Must Read Books:
DUMA KEY - Stephen King
*THE MERMAIDS SINGING - Val McDermid
THE LACE READER - Brunonia Barry
3 Keep Your Eyes on These:
STALKING SUSAN - Julie Kramer
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY - Mary Ann Shaffer
*GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson
3 Look For These Soon:
THE DARK VOLUME - Gordon Dahlquist
*PASTLIFE - Kat Richardson
THE FIRE - Katherine Neville
And I am tagging:
ThoughtsofJoy
BloggingMyBooks
SherrisReadingJubilee
10 September 2008
Lady K-ism of the Day
09 September 2008
This was a very fun, super fast read! Super fast because it's a YA 120 page book and FUN because it's Gregory Maguire at his finest! It's funny, interesting,funny..wait..I said that. The reader gets the viewpoint of the girls (the Tattletales), boys (the Copycats), their wonderful teacher Miss Earth, nurses, the truck driver, a TV reporter named Meg Snoople, and (best of all) the seven Siberian Snow Spiders found frozen in ice in the Arctic. They escape when the truck they are in crashes. The ice thaws and they make their way to the forest in Vermont where they see the seven girls in the Tattletales and instantly fall in love, one spider per girl. The problem is that as the spiders get bigger, they get a little cranky and the love turns into revenge as the spider siblings meet their demise, one at a time in various inadvertant silly ways.
This is a fantasy-mystery with outrageously fab elements to exaggerate a tale of spider intrigue.
Four funky arachnid beans...
07 September 2008
TRUE BLOOD on HBO!!!!
06 September 2008
Lady K-ism of the Day
05 September 2008
FOOL MOON - Jim Butcher, Book 2 Harry Dresden series
Yowzah!!! If you like your werewolves and magic in plenty, then this is a definite book for you! Harry Dresden lives in the city of Chicago in a world that does not believe in magic in any way, shapeshifter or form. Harry obviously does, he has his shingle out, Wizard for Hire. He is called in by his police detective mostly friend, Murphy. She is lead on Special Investigations, the cases no one knows what to do with...usually ending up being magical (that no one believes in) in nature.
The call is to investigate or consult on a particularly gruesome murder scene and the only clues are rather large wolf prints...and there have been other such murder scenes in the past several months..during the full moon....see where this is going?
Harry has to do what he needs to do with his powers and his connections to the magical world to solve the murders and get the bad...um...guys......
Five magical beans!
KILLING FLOOR - Lee Child, book 1 Jack Reacher series
This is the first in the Jack Reacher series and I can't wait to read more of this series or anything else Lee Child may write. Jack Reacher is a retired military investigator, now a wanderer, even calls himself a hobo to the police who pick him up on suspicion of murder. He is new to the town of Margrave, GA,having just wandered in because he heard a story from his brother that a bluesman they both admired grew up and was killed in the small town.
Jack knows nothing of any murder and discovers that all in the town is not what it appears. Everything is new, people are scarce and the few who are in town are nervous. Jack finds himself investigating the murders he was accused of as well as the mysterious occurrences.
There is plenty of action, all of it colorfully and heart poundingly written.
Five beans!
02 September 2008
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
This was Lady K's first 3D flick and she loved it! It was an inadvertant choice, we just wanted to see the movie. Only found out it was 3D when we bought the tickets and they handed us the glasses. Lady K was excited, to say the least. I was a little less so. I don't have good luck with 3D or simulations or spinny rides, so I just knew I'd be in for a long 90-some minutes. Gotta say, though, that the 3D was easy and totally made the movie superbly fun. Very well done and I really wish that the DVD version could come out in 3D. The movie itself was very loosey-goosey and it helped to just let it flow over you and not get too caught up in the missing bits or how the humans were able to outrun the T Rex....just let it flow over you and you will be fine. And then there is Brendan Fraser....WOOF! Have always enjoyed watching him, especially in movies like this. The Mummy series is a huge part of my 'guilty pleasure' drawer of DVDs...
So go, put on the 3D glasses and enjoy seeing the tape measures, rocks, water, T Rex spit, all that fun schtuff...come at ya!
Four 3D beans!!!
01 September 2008
AUGUST BOOK JOURNAL
THE GHOST - Robert Harris, BOCD, super suspense
BONE YARD - Michelle Gagnon, MPB, keeper shelf, superb thriller
QUESTIONABLE REMAINS - Beverly Connor, MPB, good medical mystery
MIDNIGHT ALLEY: Book 3 MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES - Rachel Caine, MPB, Super good!
GHOST OF A CHANCE - Kate Marsh (aka Katie MacAlister), MPB, darn fun
TALES OF A FEMALE NOMAD: LIVING LARGE IN THE WORLD - Rita Golden Gelman, TPB, Keeper Shelf
THE FORGERY OF VENUS - Michael Gruber, BOCD, oddly good and compelling
GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson, TPB, getting for keeper shelf
POLTERGEIST: #2 GREYWALKER series - Kat Richardson, TPB, extraordinary and getting for keeper shelf
MISS JULIA PAINTS THE TOWN - Ann B Ross, BOCD, snort laugh funny and warm
THE CHRISTMAS QUILT - Jennifer Chiaverini, BOCD, pretty good even if not exactly in the mood for it
FLESH AND BONE - Jefferson Bass, HB, not nearly as good as CARVED IN BONE but readable
BONE YARD - Michelle Gagnon, MPB, keeper shelf, superb thriller
QUESTIONABLE REMAINS - Beverly Connor, MPB, good medical mystery
MIDNIGHT ALLEY: Book 3 MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES - Rachel Caine, MPB, Super good!
GHOST OF A CHANCE - Kate Marsh (aka Katie MacAlister), MPB, darn fun
TALES OF A FEMALE NOMAD: LIVING LARGE IN THE WORLD - Rita Golden Gelman, TPB, Keeper Shelf
THE FORGERY OF VENUS - Michael Gruber, BOCD, oddly good and compelling
GREYWALKER - Kat Richardson, TPB, getting for keeper shelf
POLTERGEIST: #2 GREYWALKER series - Kat Richardson, TPB, extraordinary and getting for keeper shelf
MISS JULIA PAINTS THE TOWN - Ann B Ross, BOCD, snort laugh funny and warm
THE CHRISTMAS QUILT - Jennifer Chiaverini, BOCD, pretty good even if not exactly in the mood for it
FLESH AND BONE - Jefferson Bass, HB, not nearly as good as CARVED IN BONE but readable
FLESH AND BONE - Jefferson Bass
I have to admit to being disappointed in this book. The first in the series, CARVED IN BONE, was super and I looked forward to reading this second in the series. Well, both looked forward to and hesitated...that whole sophomore effort hesitancy..and this time I was correct in my wavering. CARVED was strong in story, characters and forensic science (for as much as I know anyway). This one was more about getting Dr Bill into the sack with another forensic pathologist, at least for the first half of the book. Second half was much better and more of why I picked up the book in the first place. Murder, mayhem, suspense kept me reading. It only hinted at this in the first half. I will look for more, and hope for the best like the first book, of the author team of Jefferson Bass.
Three beans....
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