Lissa and Rose are best friends. Although their friendship runs deeper than most. Lissa is a vampire as well as a princess. Rose is a dhampir, half vampire/half human, she hopes someday to be Lissa’s guardian and protect her from the Strigoi. They are being returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy where they escaped just two years earlier. St. Vladimir’s isn’t your normal boarding school. It teaches vampires in the ways of magic and dhampirs how to protect. The two girls are once again in the midst of drama and mischief. Lissa is no longer queen of the school and the new queen, Mia has no intention of letting her reign again. Rose is the blunt of vicious rumors. But she doesn’t have time to dwell on them, when Lissa begins to be mysteriously targeted. Someone knows Lissa’s secret and she may not be safe at the academy.

Okay, Wow! I really liked this book. Dare I say I loved it?! I can’t believe I waited so long to read it. If you are a vamp. fan you will simply devour this book! Rose was one of the funniest characters I’ve met in a while. She is the biggest smart-ass and I loved it! I admired the friendship between Lissa and Rose. It was so believable and realistic, because they balance each other perfectly. Vampire Academy has a little bit of everything, action, mystery, forbidden romance, humor and suspense! I can’t wait to read the next book Frostbite.

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The Princess and the Hound really starts in the prologue. It tells of the tale of King Richon and the Wild Man. Basically, King Richon is turned into a bear for his misdeeds toward animals by the Wild Man’s possession of animal magic. Since that time the animal magic has been feared, those who posses the traits are killed or must keep their talent hidden forever. Prince George posses the magic as did his mother. He is forced to keep it secret and thus isolates himself.

At the age of seventeen, George agrees to marry Princess Beatrice. George does not expect to love Beatrice nor does he want to become close to someone, the marriage is strictly a political alliance. But once he meets Princess Beatrice he is drawn to her and her relationship to Merit, her hound. Although George knows the Princess does not posses the animal magic, her relationship with the hound is something all together different. The Princess may have her own secret as does George.

I thought that The Princess and the Hound was well written and intriguing. I was hooked from the Prologue! The story is focused on self-acceptance, which both George and Beatrice struggle with. It is lengthy but I never found myself bored. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and that made the story even better. I do recommend this book, especially for fantasy lovers.

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Katie and Michaela are sisters. They aren’t only sisters, but they are best friends, who share all their secrets. They love living in New York City, and they both love ballet. Things turn upside down when the girls are uprooted from the city life and plopped into the small town of Fir Lake. Katie thinks it is the end of the world and she doesn’t understand why Michaela doesn’t feel the same way. Soon Michaela has a group a friends and even a boyfriend. Katie can’t help but notice the distance that is building between her and her sister. When Katie discovers that Michaela is keeping a huge secret from her, she can’t believe her sister, her best friend, would keep something like that from her.

This was a cute story, but I have to admit that The Year My Sister Got Lucky isn’t going to be one of my favorite books. I liked the focus on the bond between sisters and what it is like moving to a new town, but at times I found myself bored. I felt like there were a lot of things in the plot line that were unnecessary and didn’t really add to the book, like the weird neighbor Emmaline, I understand that she was someone that Katie felt she could confide in but, it didn’t really go anywhere. Also the focus on the girls dancing was a little overbearing, yes I realize they are dancers, but it was too much at times. I understood how Katie felt betrayed and upset toward Michaela, but I didn’t feel sorry for her. She had her mind set on how things were going to be and then she seemed surprised when things happened that way. On a positive note it does show the bond and the importance of having your sister, and that sometimes your sister isn’t your friend, but she will always no matter what be your sister. If you were planning on reading this book because it sounded like something you would like, by all means do read it. I hate to write something negative in my reviews, but remember it is only my opinion! I’ve read other reviews that have enjoyed this book.

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Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby

Alex has always loved horses. When Alex was six, he had a horse named Del Magnifico le Noir, except it wasn’t exactly a horse, but more of a bicycle that Alex pretended was a horse, he had reins and everything! Alex also falls in love with the riding style of dressage at an early age. He never thought in a million years that his father would win him a horse playing poker. From there on out is was Turnip and Alex. Alex loved riding Turnip and winning shows riding western style, but his true love was still with dressage.

Cleo loves horses too. She collects them, the plastic kind. She has no desire to ride a horse, but her mother throws her into it. Never being around or on a horse really limits your riding abilities. So Cleo really just falls into dressage, because there is no way she is going to jump a horse. Cleo attends a private boarding school and when she complains about her lacking coach her mom finds her a new one, much to Cleo disdain.

And then they meet, Cleo and Alex at their dressage lessons. Alex is a talented rider and very hardworking, and Cleo is rebellious, selfish, and lazy. The story alternates between Cleo and Alex’s stories and struggles. Cleo struggles with her past mistakes and tries to rise above them. Alex struggles with his hidden sexuality and acceptance by his father.

Another Kind of Cowboy is enjoyable and refreshing! My grandparents used to raise Palomino horses, in turn, I’ve always been a horse fan. So, I couldn’t wait to read this book. But it is about so much more than horses. The story itself is well written and the characters are likable. Another Kind of Cowboy is a contemporary story that deals gracefully and humorously with issues of teen pressures and sexuality. This was my first read of Susan Juby, but I think I will have to look into reading more books by this author! I absolutely recommend this book!

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Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

Who wouldn’t want to have everything, a huge house, a name that is well known, and billionaires for parents. Syrah Cheng that’s who. It may seem like Syrah has everything, but we all know that line about judging something by it’s cover.

Syrah wants nothing more than to be a pro snowboarder, but as soon as she tears her ACL that dreams goes down the drain. The almost boyfriend she thought she had was only using her, well he was only hoping to use her name. Her parents are never around and her step siblings hate her. Syrah thinks her life can’t possibly get any worse. Then Syrah meets Amanda, who has been diagnosed with leukemia, and she does what the Chengs are known for. She rises to the occasion and arranges a fund-raiser to make a difference. Along the way she discovers herself and the family she never knew she had.

Girl Overboard was a story of self discovery and personal growth. When I first started reading I have to admit that the poor-little-rich-girl routine really REALLY annoyed me, but after Syrah met Amanda and she realizes that things can be much worse, I rejoiced! Finally, I got to see the Syrah that I knew was in there! The girl that fights for the person she wants to be and wins the respect of her family. As well the story itself I also enjoyed the insight into a new culture. Overall, it was a good story. Personally, I didn’t get into the book until about chapter 20, but I still recommend it as a good read.

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The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

D.J. is back at it again in the sequel to Dairy Queen, The Off Season. Things are finally on the upside for D.J. She is friends again with Amber and even Amber’s girlfriend Dale, and she is still sort of dating cutie quarterback Brian Nelson. She couldn’t be more happier than playing football for Red Bend and the guys actually accept her as part of the team.

But as we know, D.J.’s life has been anything but easy. She injures her shoulder during practice and has to decide between continuing playing football and possibly sustaining her shoulder injury, which would keep her from playing basketball. A basketball scholarship is D.J.’s ticket out of Red Bend. Then things with Brian start to go downhill, he seems fine when they are alone, but he never wants to be with her in public. To top that all off, Win is injured and D.J. flies across the country to take care of him for her parents.

I almost thought it was to much for D.J. to handle, I know it would be more than enough for me. Ultimately D.J. prevails like I knew she would. Of all the books I’ve read, D.J. is one of the few characters I’ve found myself truly admiring. The Off Season was more than I expected and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last of Miss D.J. Schwenk.

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While not as humorous as his Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer presents an engaging story in Airman. Conor Brroekhart leads a charmed life with a princess for a best friend and a fellow aeronautics enthusiast as a teacher. Everything falls apart when Conor witnesses the murder of the king and gets sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

The story is captivating from the beginning, although it does slow and drag a bit in the middle. Conor spends far longer in prison than either he or the reader would like. Conor’s intelligence makes him a more likable character than some because he is not constantly making stupid mistakes and he is able to get himself out of the occasional mess. His stubbornness, on the other hand, gets a bit irritating.

The action is exciting and the plot interesting enough that even in it’s slower moments the book is hard to put down. It is a little predictable, but in a good way. A plot without a little predictability feels strange to the reader.

Airman is an enjoyable read. I’m usually turned off by historical fiction, but Airman feels almost more like science fiction than historical fiction. Lovers of both genres will enjoy this book.

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I read the 4th book in the Essex sisters quartet first and I wasn’t a big fan. (Pleasure For Pleasure) I wrote a review for it stating that I should probably go back and read them in order. I’m glad I did.
The story of Tess Essex and Lucius Felton was very satisfying. The development of their relationship was interesting and I wanted to follow it through to the end. But what I liked the best about this book was the relationship between Tess and her three sisters. The realistic way they interact with each other helped to give the book depth. Too often in romance novels, the heroine and the hero are the main characters and everyone else is in the background. Portraying Tess against the backdrop of her relationship with her sisters helped to make this story seem truthful.
Tess and her three sisters are left impoverished when their racehorse mad father dies and leaves them in the care of Rafe, Duke of Holbrook. Their father leaves them each a racehorse as a dowry and Tess needs to get married quickly so she can support her sisters in their Seasons of husband hunting. Initially she’s engaged to the Earl of Mayne but doesn’t really want to go through with it. Luckily Lucius “rescues” her by asking Mayne to step aside.
An interesting note: there is a poem by Catullus that is quoted by Lucius and Tess called “How Many Kisses: For Lesbia”. I had never read Catullus but I will now be adding his works to my reading list.
Overall a good book and a great start to a series that I plan on completing!
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Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson

Goldy Schultz is at it again, she has somehow found another dead body in the midst of a catering job. Not only that… she has seen a ghost! Sandee Brisbane is back from the dead, everyone thought she was killed in the forest fire after admitting to kill the Jerk (Goldy’s ex-husband), but it seems she has unfinished business and she has her sights set on Goldy’s golden locks. Even though the death of Drew Wellington is not not causing anyone lose sleep; he was a liar, thief and a statutory rapist, but his death did make headlines, since he once was the district attorney. Not only did Goldy find the body, but she’s also been asked by her friend, Patricia Ingersoll, to help find the murderer. Of course, Goldy gets herself into trouble, but, as always, Tom, Arch, Julian and Marla are there to help her out.

This 14th installment of the Goldy Schultz series is similar to the rest… great. Just when I thought 14 books about the same family could get stale Diane Mott Davidson delivers another thriller with some wonderful recipes. The one thing I did find lacking in this episode was Goldy’s helping out her neighbors with some frozen spinach soup (the best Goldy recipe EVER, in Death by Chocolate).

Even though I enjoyed the book, things are changing with Goldy. Arch is growing up and as a teenager he does not seem to be present as much. The victim was more removed from Goldy’s life than have been in the past, but I guess after a time all your friends, family and their families die off and the victims must come from the outside.

Overall, again, it was a good read and I not only recommend “Sweet Revenge”, but the first 13 Goldy Schultz books as well. And you must try some of the recipes, especially the spinach soup.

EW

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The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare

Typical story line… young girl (Lizzie) winds up in Los Angles with no clue as to how these strange people live. Filled with her naïve faux pas and ultimate transformation, complete with “Hollywood Honey” hair and sarcastic cynicism, this story is everything it has always been before. She moves to a town where she knows no one, finds the one “good” person in Hollywood (Lara) to be her friend, sleeps with all the wrong people (Bob) and some how not only makes it out alive, she thrives. Have you read this book before… I know I have.

OK, that is about all I can say. It was OK, I wasn’t compelled to stay up until 2am finishing it (see my review for Big Boned by Meg Cabot), but I did finish it. The book did its job, kept my mind off the fact that I was being hurled though the air with 250 strangers, at 30,000 feet, across an ocean.

The first thing that boggles my mind is how two people author a book together; I have a hard time writing a baby shower invitation with another person, much less agreeing on 321 pages of a character’s thoughts, actions and values. Because of this I think some of the detail of the character is lost. In the end Lizzie ends up being very stereotypical in her actions and views.

I started reading this book and the thought, “I’ve already read this,” cross my mind. Then it dawned on me, it’s the same as “You’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again,” only replace the word Nanny with Second Assistant. However, this Second Assistant doesn’t seem as star stuck as the nanny and in the end she seems to stick around Hollywood to become a First Assistant, a producer and to date someone “in the business”, something she vowed never to do in the beginning.

Even though the book was mediocre, the First Assistant is still on my reading list and I am looking forward to these two ladies’ screenplay, The Accidental Husband, due in theaters soon, starring Uma Thurman and Denny from Grey’s Anatomy. I’m hoping that when it comes to movies, two heads really are better than one.

EW

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Everyone has a story. That’s the premise of The Knitting Circle. Which is true. We all have a story and have all overcome our own personal tragedies. It’s how they are told that makes them worth reading or not.

Our lead character, Mary, lost her daughter. It was an accident, truly no one’s fault. When one loses a child though, fault doesn’t seem to truly matter because that child is still gone. Mary’s mother convinces her to learn to knit as a sort of therapy. Something to keep her mind off things; something that is not overly strenuous that will occupy her mind. Her mother encourages her to knit to save her life. An admirable goal.

Through a knitting circle she joins, Mary meets a group of people who are not all that they appear to be at first. But then, who is? Slowly, she learns their stories. While knitting they explain to her why they began to knit. The phrase “I knit to save my life” is uttered over and over. Don’t any of these people simply enjoy knitting? No, they all have various heart wrenching tragedies that pushed them to knitting.

I have no doubt that this activity has been helpful to some in getting over their grief; that it can take one’s mind of their problems. It just seemed contrived that no one in the group had the types of issues you hear about every day. Those issues can sometimes need relief as well. However, that would not be conducive to the story. The pieces all fit together a little too neatly, a little too forced. They are not knitted into the beautiful tapestry they could have been.

- Kristin
Diverxtrme

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The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

Being a fan of vampire literature I picked up a copy of The Vampire Diaries. The series has four books. Originally the books were published separately in the early nineties. Harper just recently revamped (ha! revamped!) them into a two book series with the first book containing The Awakening and The Struggle and the second book contains The Fury and Dark Reunion.

The Awakening

Elena is miss popular with a capital P. She is the queen of her school, she knows it, she revels in it. She has a cute boyfriend and the envy of every girl in school, yet she isn’t exactly happy or satisfied. Cue Stefan.

Stefan is hot with a capital H. He is mysterious, considerate and withdrawn. He doesn’t draw attention to himself, yet he can’t escape it. He is overcome with more than one lifetime of guilt and regret. Stefan is a vampire.

Of course Elena is attracted to Stefan. She will do anything to have him including losing her cutie boyfriend Matt. Unfortunately for Elena, she reminds Stefan of the one thing he wishes he could forget. Their attraction can’t be denied and finally Stefan lets go of his past and in turn gains Elena’s complete devotion.

But there have been some strange things happening in the small town of Fell’s Church and Stefan gets blamed for a murder, even though he is innocent. When Stefan disappears, Elena knows the one person to blame, the one person that has been causing all the trouble. Cue Damon.

End of The Awakening

The Struggle

Damon is Stefan’s older brother. They don’t get along too well. They had a falling out over a girl. The girl actually. The girl that made them the way they are. The girl that resembles Elena. Damon is the opposite of Stefan sure he has the good looks, he might even be hotter, but he is dangerous. And he will do anything to make Stefan miserable. Including stealing Elena.

After Elena finds Stefan in the aftermath of Damon’s wrath he is almost to the point of death. Damon has warned Elena that she will be his or else. So begins the tangled web of deception. Damon deceiving Elena in anyway he can, and Elena deceiving Stefan, the only way she feels she can protect him.

Elena is being tormented with fragments of her stolen diary. Her diary that talks of a secret Stefan is hiding. Which can be interpreted that he may be the murderer the Fell’s Church police department are looking for, even though it isn’t true. Elena finds out who stole her diary and what they plan to do, but she is powerless against it, unless she asks Damon for help and takes his deal in return. But something happens to Elena that will change her relationship with Stefan forever.

End of The Struggle

I was so glad that those two books were together! Talk about a cliffhanger ending! I really liked this book, I might even love it! I was totally hooked from the beginning and the whole love triangle! How suspenseful! I almost can’t handle it! It you are a vamp lover, you will totally dig this book! The ending of The Struggle was mind blowing, I’m glad I had a copy of The Fury hanging around! I loved the characters, there were so multi-dimensional. Yes, Elena may seem like she has it all going fo her, but the girl is only strong because of her struggles. Stefan may be a vampire but he is more full of humanity than the homo sapiens themselves. If you haven’t read this series yet, I suggest you do.

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The raging war in Russia causes Anna, a countess, and her mother and brother to flee the country. Betrayed by their wet nurse the family is left penniless. They arrive in England to live with Anna’s former governess.
Concealing her true identity Anna takes a job as a servant to help in her families finances, although she keeps it hidden from her mother and brother. The job is going swimmingly until Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme, arrives along with his fiancee. Against his better judgement, Rupert finds himself falling in love with Anna.

Again, as with Dragon’s Keep, this was a book I had high hopes for and I was left with disappointment. Anna as a character seemed too perfect, she was perfect. There wasn’t any chemistry between her and Rupert, I didn’t encounter any of the instant attraction that the book summary suggests. At times I found myself lost in the reading. I liked the idea of the story, but again I think it was poorly executed. I liked this book, but I didn’t by any means love it. If you are interested in reading it, I would still give it a try, hopefully you will end up liking it more than I did.

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