What?? A Review?? How Unusual! Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

Yeah, I know. I'm lame. The month is over 2/3's over and I've barely had time to review any books. Of course, I'm going to make this a banner reading year. I've already completed 5 books. Hopefully, I can manage to get all of my reviews in a little quicker this year!! I picked up Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne (320 pgs, Broadway Books, 2009) for one reason only: Chris' recommendation. Which makes it a selection for the 20/10 challenge - Bad Bloggers Category!! Well...that and I happen to love Zombies!!

I wake up on the floor in the darkness.

This is the tale of Andy Warner, zombie. He reanimated after a car crash killed him and his wife. In this world, sometimes the dead reanimate and become zombies. Although there are a lot of different theories, no one actually knows why this happens. It just does. Now Andy lives in his parent's wine cellar. Andy's father can barely contain his disgust over having a zombie for a son. His mother can't even touch him without rubber gloves, Lysol and a can of air freshener (sorry, but zombies are still decaying!) At at least he isn't in a kennel at the SPCA or worse.

When Andy isn't drinking wine or VO5 Shampoo (if you've never needed a daily intake of formaldehyde to keep your decomposition rate slow, you probably wouldn't understand!), he is attending UA meetings. Undead Anonymous is group therapy for the recently undead. Because it takes some adjustment to being a zombie. Literally at the bottom of the food chain, zombies in our society have no rights whatsoever. If a zombie doesn't have a human (or "breather") guardian to claim him, he can be shipped off to a research facility or become a crash test dummy or worse (and yes, there really is a worse!)

It's at the UA meetings that Andy comes to realize how much has been taken away from him after he reanimated. But with the help of his new friends and the lovely Rita, Andy decides it's time for Zombies to have rights too.

Man, where do I begin?? This book is part romance, part zombie/horror, part black comedy and part social statement. It opens with Andy finding out that in a drunken state he murdered, mutilated and stuffed his parents in the side-by-side frig. (not a spoiler...this happens by page 2). The first half of the book shows us how Andy got to this point....then the aftermath. So funny in parts you just can't help giggling, it's a hard book to put down. Andy is such a great character, but in a really warped sort of way. Kind of like Tony Soprano. I mean, when watching The Sopranos, Tony is the anti-hero. You WANT him to succeed. You don't want to see him get arrested, even though you KNOW he's a bad guy. You KNOW he's a killer and had his best friend whacked. And yet, you still cheer him on. Andy is like that. You want him to find happiness with Rita. You want him to win his fight for zombie oppression. And yet, he's still a flesh-eating zombie.

Even through the dark humor of the book, is the underlying social statement of racism, bigotry, and discrimination. Zombies have no rights at all, even though they USED to be human. Are they still? Can you be undead, and yet still have your humanity?? Lots of questions.

But mostly, it's just tongue-in-cheek, black humor. "You don't find many zombies in the southern states, since heat tends to speed up decomposition. That and when you're a zombie in a region that has a reputation of prejudice against minorities and outsiders, you tend to stick out like good taste in a country-western bar."

"Maybe it's just me, but a bunch of reanimated corpses wandering around a graveyard after ten o'clock on a Friday night isn't exactly the best way to break the zombie stereotype."

"Eventually, someone's going to realize my parents aren't home and even if I've managed to get rid of the physical evidence, I'm going to be suspected in their disappearance. But once you eat part of your mother during a candlelight dinner with your undead girlfriend, you pretty much know that you've chosen a path most people just aren't going to understand."

This book is one of those rare gems that you pick up, not knowing that much about....and find out how truly fabulous it is!! If you like zombies, read this book. If you like to laugh, read this book. Hell, it's fun. Read it for no other reason than that!! 4.5/5

The Perfect End to the RIP Season.....

I haven't read Bradbury since High School. And for some reason, my memory of his writing is pretty sketchy. Maybe it has something to do with all the brain cells I probably killed off in college. Or maybe I just didn't appreciate it back then. It's probably the brain cell thing, though. But whatever the reason, I don't think I will soon forget reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (293 pgs, Avon, 1962).

One strange wild dark year, Halloween came early. One year, Halloween came on October 24, three hours after midnight.

For two young boys, the appearance of a mysterious carnival in town in October, was amazing. Green Town, Illinois, was normally such a boring place to live. But on a windswept October evening, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show steals into town under the cover of darkness and changes their lives forever.

Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade were almost 14. They were next door neighbors and the best of friends. Born 2 minutes apart, one of them at 1 minute till midnight on October 30th, and the other 1 minute after, on Halloween night. They were the perfect companions: opposite sides of the coin, so to speak. Will was the light side, and Jim definitely the dark side. And yet, they complimented each other perfectly.

On that fateful October night, a Lightning Rod salesman stops by the boys' homes looking to sell his wares. Foretelling a great storm on the horizon, the salesman says that one of their homes is going to be hit by it. He can feel it in his bones. So he leaves a lightning rod for Jim, telling him that he needs it on his roof for protection.

Little did the boys know that the storm that was coming was by way of the Cooger & Dark show......

This book, written oh so many years ago, is a classic for many reasons. Named from the infamous Shakespearean line from Macbeth: By the Pricking of my Thumbs, Something Wicked This way Comes, this book is basically your good vs. evil story personified. And yet, there is so much more to it than just that. On the "good" side, we find Jim, Will, and Will's father, Charles Halloway. Charles and Will were never close. Charles feels he is too old to be a father. In fact, he was over 40 when Will was born. But when Will and Jim find themselves in deep trouble, Charles steps up and fast becomes the hero he was always meant to be. Ordinary people....taking on extraordinary beings.

On the "evil" side, is Mr, Dark, and his band of freaks from the carnival. G. M. Dark is the "Illustrated" man, carrying a tattoo of each person whose soul he has taken for the Carnival. But, as always, the side of evil offers up something that everyone wants: A chance to change their age. The temptation of being older is an incredible pull for young boys. As is the chance to be young again for anyone middle aged. And temptation is the name of the game in this book.

One scene that left me literally with chills up my spine, was one in which the Carnival people were looking for the boys. As Mr. Dark encounters Charles Halloway for the first time, he questions him about knowing 2 boys in town. On the palm of each hand is a picture of the boys, tattooed there....souls he is trying to steal. For some reason, that image, of the tattooed pictures on his hands, just left me cold. That's the way this book is. Nothing bloody or gory. And yet, so incredibly frightening. The power of suggestion is a amazing tool, and Bradbury uses it liberally throughout this book.

And Bradbury's writing is something to behold. It is lyrical and almost hypnotic. One paragraph that caught my attention was about Charles. He is constantly worried about his age and time, especially with regards to Will:

His wife smiled in her sleep. Why? She's immortal. She has a son. Your son, too! But what father ever really believes it? He carries no burden, he feels no pain. What man, like woman, lies down in darkness and gets up with child? The gentle, smiling ones own the good secret. Oh, what strange wonderful clocks women are. They nest in Time. They make the flesh that holds fast and binds eternity. They live inside the gift, know power, accept, and need not mention it. Why speak of of Time when you are Time, and shape the universal, as the pass into warmth and action?

This is a book everyone should read. Wonderful and frightening. If carnivals and freak shows didn't already give me the creeps, this book has definitely altered my image of them. I will never look at a carousel the same way again!! 4.5/5

Campy Fun Mixes with the Glitz of Hollywood

Even today, if you asked my father who his favorite actress is, he would answer Adrienne Barbeau. Since the days of Maude, he's had a wild crush on her. Me, I never watched it. But The Fog, Escape from New York, and the excellent HBO series Carnivale would rank me pretty high on the Fan-Girl list myself. So when Anna, from The Book Report Network, contacted me with an opportunity to review Ms. Barbeau's first fiction novel, Vampyres of Hollywood (336 pgs, Thomas Dunne Books, 2008) I was over-the-top excited. Not only is it Adrienne Barbeau, but she's writing about Vampires. And we all know how much I love Vampire Fiction.

It took an X-ray and an autopsy to confirm that Jason Eddings had been killed with the Oscar he'd won for Best Actor just six hours earlier. He deserved it. The Oscar, that is. As for being murdered, well, he probably deserved that too.

As so begins the story of the Vampyres of Hollywood. Ovsanna Moore is a Hollywood powerhouse. She is the "Scream Queen" that has starred in and written seventeen blockbuster horror films ("and a few that went straight to video"). She is also the head of her own Hollywood Studio called Anticipation Studios. Beautiful, tough and powerful, she is a true Hollywood A-lister. She just also happens to be a 500-year-old vampire. As the Chatelaine of Hollywood, Osvanna was the first vampire to lay stake to the area. No other vampire is higher in rank than she. And rank is a pretty big deal among the various vampire clans. She also has connections to 3 very violent and very public Hollywood murders. Each actor that was killed by the "Cinema Slayer" has starred in at least one film from Anticipation studios. Not to mention that all 3 were vampires and part of Osvanna's clan.

Detective Peter Moore has been assigned to find the "Cinema Slayer". As handsome as an actor, Moore is a star in his own right. He has hero status among the cops for saving a child's life in a very high-profile way. He also has a lot of knowledge of the movie industry. His mother was a bit player back in the day, but ended up owning a very successful catering business that worked big name films. And now she's an even more successful dealer in Hollywood memorabilia. Peter knows the ins and outs of the business, and to him all roads in the gruesome serial killings lead right to Osvanna Moore and Anticipation Studios.

My first thought when I picked up this book was, "What if I don't like it?" I would be so disappointed, as an Adrienne Barbeau fan-girl, if I didn't. But nothing could be further from the truth. I absolutely loved this book!! Campy, without being cliche; witty, without being slapstick; and gruesome, without being repellent; Vampyres of Hollywood is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is fast becoming overdone in the literary world. With a new take on all the old vampire legends, Barbeau and Scott have created a funny, fast-paced "horror" novel that is also a very crafty mystery. The icing on the cake is a lot of cool Hollywood trivia, and the inclusion of many of the old Hollywood screen legends.

Told in alternating chapters from both Osvanna's and Peter's perspectives, the novel moves quickly. And once the story starts taking shape, it's near impossible to put the book down! If you are a fan of the paranormal, of the vampire legend, or even of the old Silver Screen Actors, this book is definitely for you. Combine that with a lot of behind-the-scenes looks at Hollywood from a true insider, and you have a novel that certainly puts a "Bite" on the reader. Pun, most definitely intended!! Many, many thanks to Anna for passing this great read on to me. Highly Recommended!! 4.5/5

Vampires and Werewolves and Demons....Oh My!

See? Told you I was excited about this series! So much so, that I jumped right into Book 2 of the Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs: Blood Bound (304 pgs., Ace).

Like most people that own their own businesses, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they'd better by dying. "Hello, Mercy," said Stefan's amicable voice in my ear, "I wonder if you could do me a favor." Stefan had done his dying a long time ago, so I saw no reason to be nice."


Stefan is Mercy's vampire friend. If you could possibly call a vampire a friend, that is. And yes, she owes him a favor. He had gone to bat for her with his seethe when she had some werewolf trouble, and now he is calling in that favor. Stefan has been asked to investigate the appearance of a new vampire in town. One that didn't ask permission from the seethe, which is a big no-no in the vampire community. And Stefan wants Mercy to come along as a witness, in case something happens. He needs her for 2 reasons. Because she is a Walker, she is virtually immune to the powers of a vampire. And she can shapeshift into a coyote and no one will know who she is.

So Mercy goes along on the meeting. But when they meet up with this vampire, she knows that trouble has come to the Tri-Cities. Not only is he a vampire, but a sorcerer.....that has let a demon inside. He actually had the ability to control Stefan, and he's about the most powerful vampire around. And now this new vampire's bloodlust is causing a rather large body-count. Which for a group of vampires that don't want the human world to know their existence is big trouble.

What can I say? This is one fantastic series!! Mercy is tough as nails, funny, and exceedingly humble. I just love her! Strong female characters are always good for me, and Mercy is definitely one of the best. The main storyline is fascinating, as we learn a lot more about the vampire community. And Mercy's lovelife is only getting weirder. Not only is she caught in the middle between 2 dominant werewolves, now there is a little something with Stefan the vampire! Blood Bound is ever bit as good as the first book, Moon Called. Maybe better. I can't wait to see where Mercy goes next!! 4.5/5

Fantastic Beginning to a Unique Paranormal Series

I read a review on Kailana's blog for this series over a year ago that prompted me to run right out and buy this book. Since then, I've read numerous reviews that just cemented the fact that I must read this series!! So for this year's TBR Challenge and the Spring Reading Thing I decided to read Book 1 of the Mercy Thompson Series, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (304 pgs., Ace Books).

I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first. My nose isn't it's best surrounded by axle grease and burnt oil -- and it's not like there are a lot of stray werewolves running around. So when someone made a polite near my feet to get my attention, I thought it was a customer.

Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson knows a thing or two about werewolves. You see, she was raised by them. Mercy isn't a werewolf, though she does have the ability to change. She is a Walker, or "skinwalker", like the old Southwestern Indian witches. She can shapeshift into a coyote. Faster than a werewolf, but not nearly as strong, Mercy lived with the Marrok pack until she was 16 and went to live with her real mother. Now, she owns a garage (bought from a Gremlin named Zee) and works on German cars (like the VW Van outside owned by a Vampire).

So when Mac walked through her door looking for a job, she knew what he was. Mac couldn't have been more than 17 and looked like a runaway. He was hungry (not a good quality for a werewolf) and was looking for some work. And Mercy felt sorry for him. She knew she had to notify Adam, the local Alpha Werewolf and Mercy's next door neighbor, but she wanted to ease Mac into telling her his story first. But he was really skittish (another bad quality for a werewolf). So she gave him a job and a place to stay....he could sleep in the van. He seemed to be a scared kid, and all Mercy wanted to do was help him.

But when she showed up one night to see if he was ok, she heard voices outside the shop. Mac was there, along with a couple of humans and another new werewolf. They were trying to get him to come back with them, and he refused. When Mercy tried to help Mac out, a fight broke out, and the new werewolf ended up dead. It was time to call Adam.

Apparently someone had turned Mac, and was keeping him prisoner in a cage. They were experimenting new drugs on him when he escaped. Adam was none too happy about it, but he offered to help Mac understand his change and help him. But just when Mercy thought everything was going to be ok, Mac's body was dumped on her doorstep. Adam's house had been broken into and he was left close to dead. And his teenage human daughter Jessica had been kidnapped. Mercy was the only one that could help now.

Smart, sassy and full of bravado, Mercy Thompson is my kind of heroine!! In a world where werewolves run in packs, fae are alive and living among us, and vampires haunt the night, Mercy can handle herself. She is gutsy and sarcastic, a true spirit. Adam Hauptman is dangerous and cool. Tough as nails, but with a soft spot for Mercy, he is plunged into a war that he never saw coming. With help from Mercy's old Marrok pack, they try to uncover what is really going on in world of werewolves. The wind is bringing change....and it isn't good.

Not only was there a fabulous "new" storyline, but enough back story so a person feels they can truly understand where Mercy came from and how the packs run. This is definitely a series I'm going to continue....in fact, Blood Bound, which is book 2 is staring at me right now!! If you are a fan of the OLD Laurell K. Hamilton books, you will definitely enjoy this series. Patricia Briggs has brought us a series that is a true page-turner....filled with fun, excitement and lots of things that go bump in the night. 4.5/5

Wizards and Werewolves

Last year, after faithfully watching the Sci-Fi Channel series The Dresden Files, I decided it was time to read the books that inspired it. And I was blown away by the book Storm Front. You can read my review here. But it seems now that if I want to read anything, I have to add it to a challenge list!! So, as a category of Urban Fantasy, I added the second book in the series to my list for the Once Upon a Time II Challenge, as well as the TBR Challenge and the Spring Reading Thing Challenge. Figured I would get it in somehow!! And Fool's Moon by Jim Butcher (352 pages, Roc) certainly did not disappoint!

I never used to keep close track of the phases of the moon. So I didn't know that it was one night shy of being full when a young woman sat down across from me in McAnally's Pub and asked me to tell all about something that could get her killed.

For Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, life was rough at the moment. Business was slow. OK, business was almost non-existent. Since the "episode" last spring, involving a dark wizard and Chicago's drug trade, his main source of income, working with Chicago's Special Investigations Unit, had all but dried up. Lt. Karrin Murphy was still a little pissed at Harry for leaving her in the dark over some of the more Supernatural elements to the case. In Harry's defense, he really was trying to keep her safe. The White Council had strict rules about too much information going to mortals. But Murphy didn't see it that way. She thought Harry was keeping things from her and with Harry's loyalty in question, she had backed away from using him as a consultant. So when Kim Delaney, a novice wizard, offered to buy Harry dinner in exchange for some information, who was he to argue? A man had to eat.

But when Kim wanted information on containment circles, Harry knew she was way out of her league. She didn't have the experience or the power to create the kind of circle she was asking about, and Harry didn't want to give her information that could get her in trouble. Then, in walks Murphy with a brand new case, one that Harry might be able to give her some guidance in.

But when Murphy takes Harry to the crime scene, he knows that bad things are about to happen. The corpse in question is one that he knows: a henchman for Gentleman Johnny Marcone, Chicago's biggest crime boss. That isn't so much the problem. The problem is it looks like the body was "eaten" by wild animals. But just as they were investigating the body, the FBI shows up and interferes with the case. Because this isn't the first body to found in this condition. 12 others just like it.....during last month's full moon cycle.

Murphy doesn't believe in the existence of werewolves, but Harry does and she wants to know all about them. With 3 more days in the cycle, others are going to die if something isn't done. And when the next body is discovered....the body of Kim Delaney, Harry makes this case a personal one. Werewolves, Hexenwolves, Lycanthropes, Loup-garou....there is a lot of activity in Chicago, and only one wizard that can figure out what is going on!

I don't think I can express how much I love this series!! Harry is one of the coolest characters to come along in the fantasy world, and I just love him. He's smart, funny, chivalrous, and moral. He WANTS to do the right thing. And yet, he's human, albeit a wizard. He has faults and flaws just like anyone else. Fool Moon moves at a lightning-fast pace, and the pages just seem to turn themselves. The plot is rich with unexpected turns and twists. And poor Harry seems to have everyone gunning for him. But can a few little wolves keep Harry down?? Well...I guess you'll just have to read it and find out. I dare you not to fall in love with Harry Dresden and this series!! 4.5/5

A Modern Day Faerie Tale

This weekend I needed something to read, so I picked up Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (336 pgs, Simon Pulse). It's a book I'm using for the Young Adult Reading Challenge, though I think it would fit perfectly well in a category for the Once Upon a Time II Challenge.

Kaye Fierch isn't your average 16-year-old girl. She hasn't been to school since she was 14. She got a job to help her Mom pay the bills. To be honest, she was more of an adult than her Mom, who spent all her nights in bars singing in a band. Besides, Kaye was always considered a little weird. As a child, she spoke to Faeries, though everyone thought it was all in her imagination.

When an attack on her mom left the two without a place to stay, they were forced to go back to New Jersey to stay with Kaye's grandmother. As Kaye got a chance to look up old friends, she meets a Faerie Knight that is wounded. This starts off a chain of events that leads her right in the middle of a war between the two Faerie Courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie. The bright and the dark. The tradition of the Tithe is being brought back. It is the sacrifice of a mortal. And it will require that all the solitary fae, those that aren't a part of either court, be bound for seven years in servitude to the Unseelie court.

Just when Kaye starts to understand that she herself is set up to be the mortal sacrifice, she is blindsided with more news. For the last 16 years, Kaye has been living a life that wasn't hers to live. She is not a mortal at all, but part of the Fae world herself. Now with her mortal friend, Corney, and the Dark Knight, Roiben, she has to figure out who to believe. Things are not always as they seem.

I really enjoyed reading this book, although it is exceedingly darker than I originally expected. Holly Black has created a strange and dark world in which faeries aren't exactly the nicest creatures around. In fact, they are down-right frightening!! Kaye is a great character in that she has feet in both worlds. She is faerie by birth, but having lived in the mortal world for 16 years, she is starting to understand the delicate balance of power between the two worlds. And the need to keep each world in it's place.

My only major complaint at all is that this book IS marketed to the young adult set. As a 16-year-old girl, Kaye spends more time in bars with her mother than anywhere else. She drinks and smokes and is a high school dropout. There is also a lot of sexual innuendo that is just way too much for those under the age of 16. It's not a book that I would go right out and buy for my son, who reads at this age level now, at age 11.

But for older kids and adults, I think it's a unique story about new worlds. And I'm looking forward to reading Ironside, the follow-up to this book. 4/5

Also Reviewed by:

Darla D @ Books and Other Thoughts

A Gothic Un-Valentine

Yes, I realize it's after the fact. But I couldn't let the Valentine Season go by without mentioning this book. The UnValentine by Sam Beeson and paintings by Jesse Draper (32 pgs, Shadow Mountain Publishing).

This book is a short little poem of sorts. Lily doesn't believe in love. And she certainly doesn't believe in Valentine's Day and the cutesy cards and mush that goes along with it. She writes in her journal about how she feels:

"Exactly midway through the frigid month of February

A day is celebrated by the dull and ordinary.

And all around me notes are passed by idiots and stupids --

Packed with sugar-mottoed hearts and naked, pudgy cupids.

This ritual, conducted under heart-shaped, crimson flag,

Does absolutely nothing for me, but to make me gag!"

I have to tell you, this little book is a treasure! When Patrick, from Shadow Mountain Publishing offered to send it to me, I was a little surprised. It didn't seem like something I would like. But Patrick must have been reading my blog, because my inner-goth girl fell in love with this poem!! The paintings are gorgeous and although the poem is rather simple in prose, the meaning certainly hits home!!

The best surprise of all comes at the end of the book. Included are 6 un-valentine cards that YOU can send out. Purely genius!!

I realize this isn't much of a review. There's not a lot that I can say without ruining it for you. But if you secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) hate Valentine's Day, have a little goth in you, or just want to look at the beautful pictures, then you must buy this book!! That's the best recommendation I can give!! Next to a bouquet of black roses, this is the best Valentine I could imagine!! And many thanks to Patrick for sending this one my way! 5/5

Hmmmm.....Another Wizard Named Harry!

Storm Front by Jim Butcher (322 pgs, ROC) is the first book in the Dresden Files series. I have had this book ever since the first episode of the Dresden Files aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. I loved the series on TV, and I'm still disappointed that it won't be coming back. But I can say that I'm extremely glad Jim Butcher is still writing the books! Because after reading the first one, I'll definitely be continuing reading the series!

Harry Dresden – Wizard

Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.

No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

That is how Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is listed in the Chicago phone book. He's a wizard. And he's very good at what he does. Unfortunately, not every one in Chicago believes in magic. But Harry manages to scrape by finding lost objects for people. Sometimes he's even called in as a special investigator for the Chicago PD, in cases that are "unique". So when Lt. Murphy of the Special Investigations unit calls Harry to help her investigate a double homicide at the Madison Hotel, Harry jumps at the chance to earn a little extra rent money. Business for the local wizard isn't exactly booming.

When he arrives at the scene, he finds the gruesome remains of 2 people whose hearts have exploded from inside their chests. Only an extremely powerful wizard could conjure enough Black Magic to accomplish this feat, and Harry isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of helping in the investigation. He's on thin ice as it is with the White Council, the governing body of the Wizard community. In fact, he's under the Doom of Damocles, a probation of sorts. Harry was "convicted" of killing a person with Black Magic, which goes against the Laws of Magic and is punishable by death. Harry's plea of self-defense won him this probation instead of execution, but the White Council is watching every move he makes. And the fact that one of the victims worked for mob boss "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone is just one more reason to stay far away from this case. Besides, Harry just got a new client. Her name is Monica and she is looking for something she lost....her husband. And she is willing to pay top dollar to find him.

But Lt. Murphy needs help and soon it becomes apparent that both cases are somehow linked to a new drug that hit the streets in Chicago called the ThreeEye. To top it off, it seems the White Council is convening a special meeting to determine if HARRY is the wizard that did the killing. Now he must help in the investigation, if only to save his own skin!

I couldn't help but picture Paul Blackstone, from the TV series when I was reading this book. He was the perfect Harry!! Storm Front is filled with a little bit of everything....vampires, wizards, both White and Black magic, faeries, frog demons, killer scorpions, and spirits. Harry is a phenomenal character that is not only smart, but funny as hell! He's compassionate, as well as strong-willed, and is determined to the do the right thing. I was completely enthralled by page 2! This series seems to mix a little bit of the hard-boiled PI with the paranormal. And it works! It's fast-moving and fun. I whole-heartedly recommend it to both mystery fans and fantasy fans!! 4.5/5

Incredible Alternate History of Zombies and Life

Carl's RIP II Challenge was the perfect opportunity for me to justify reading another "Zombie" book so soon after Monster Island. And I'm so glad I did!! I've had a few people recommend World War Z by Max Brooks (352 pgs., Crown), and for a very good reason: It's such a unique way to tell a story!!

The subtitle of this book is "An Oral History of the Zombie War". And that's exactly the way it's written. A few years after the Zombie World War, a UN postwar Commission Report was written. The author (unnamed) was upset because the report he submitted was not the report that was presented. All the "human" element was removed. This book is a compilation of that human factor. Divided into sections detailing different aspects of the war, the author gives us a look at what happened through interviews with survivors. We learn a little about the initial outbreak of the Zombie epidemic that started in China and spread rapidly worldwide. We hear horror stories from survivors of the "great panic", and what each had to do in order to be telling the tale today. We learn about different countries and how they chose to turn the tide of the war. And we learn about heroes worldwide and how they stepped up to help their fellow man survive an attack like the world has never seen.

It's hard to review this book, because there are no central characters, no plot lines, no big finishes. It is written as if it is a documentary, detailing events and people all the way down to little footnotes of "historical" fact. And it is indeed chilling. Early on, I had expected this to be a funny book, taking a stab at the paranormal genre. What else would you expect from the son of Mel Brooks, but something of a parody?? But it isn't like that at all. It is a well-thought-out and carefully plotted book, that goes into such detail, it's hard to believe World War Z is just fiction!! Each little "interview" tells it's own little story, and Brooks ties them up nicely in his presentation. Not too much drama, but just the facts. Brooks also throws in a lot of political references in how he perceives the world would change if such a catastrophe occurred. Can you imagine a world in which Cuba is the new commerce capital? And yet, he does it so smoothly and believably, it's really hard to see it as fiction! Kudos to Brooks for such a unique and down-right fascinating book!! If there ever IS a Zombie epidemic, I know who's doorstep I'm going to show up on!! Max Brooks can lead us to Victory!! 4.5/5

Classic Tale by a lesser known Bronte

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte was first published in 1848. Let me just preface my review by saying, "Thank GOD, I didn't live back then!" The story is told by Gilbert Markham through a series of letters to his friend Halford and by journal entries of the mysterious and devout Mrs. Helen Graham. A recent widow, Mrs. Graham and her young son are the new tenants of Wildfell Hall, a dilapidated estate owned by Frederick Laurence. The air of mystery that surrounds Mrs. Graham is certainly fodder for the townsfolk. She is quiet, reserved and not very inviting to most of her neighbors. Wildfell Hall only has a few rooms that are in livable condition. And she has a strange attachment to her son, Arthur. She is never separated from him.

As the days go by, Gilbert finds that he is undeniably attracted to Mrs. Graham. But he is very disheartened to find that rumors are now being circulated around town about Mrs. Graham and Frederick, a man that Gilbert has always considered a friend. It is also very clear to him that Helen is shutting him down at ever effort to get to know her, especially regarding her past.

Eventually, Helen is unable to deny her feelings for Gilbert and gives him her diary. This action is her one chance for him to understand who she really is and dispel the rumors that the townsfolk have come to believe. The diary is Helen's account of her life before she moved into the rooms at Wildfell Hall, but most specifically, it is about her marriage to Arthur Huntingdon, a very charming man that had few, if any, scruples.

At first I had a hard time getting into this book. I found the characters all rather unlikable and rather annoying. The townsfolk were always in everyone's business. Gilbert was rather insensitive and kind of bully, when you come right down to it. And Helen spent most of the book playing a martyr by saying it was "God's Will". I do realize that it was different times, and a woman's rights were very few. This is the main reason I overlooked my annoyance and continued reading. In the end, I found that I really enjoyed the story. Bronte wrote this book at a time when women were less than citizens and brought forth a whole host of probably very controversial topics for that time: alcoholism, infidelity, and women's rights to name just a few. I think Anne Bronte was very much ahead of her time. 4/5

Another Harper Collins Review!

Did anyone else out there know there REALLY IS a Body Farm? And it's located at the University of Tennessee?? Everyone else knew this?? That's what my husband said anyway!! OK...so I've never HEARD of the Body Farm. Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass is actually written by 2 Doctors from the REAL body farm. So if you are a CSI fan, then this book will probably appeal to you. And you if you are "faint at heart" pass right on by! There are some seriously graphic scenes in this book. A couple dealing with maggots and blowflys that even I had to skim! That being said, I really liked this book. It is the second in a new series of books about the Body Farm, which is where they study dead bodies! Dr. Bill Brocton is the director of the Body Farm and a professor at the University of Tennessee. When he is isn't teaching, he's consulting on crime scenes as a forensics expert for the police or the FBI. When he gets a call from Dr. Jess Carter, about helping recreate a crime scene, he jumps at the chance. Jess is the Medical Examiner for part of the state, and also a woman he has feelings for. He hasn't dated anyone since his wife passed and Jess is the first woman he has desired in quite awhile, though she is only recently divorced.

A man's body was found, dressed in a blonde wig and black corset, hanging from a tree in the woods near Chattenooga. Is it a hate crime or something else? Jess and Bill are trying to determine who the man was and why he was killed. Bill is also trying to fend off a lawsuit brought on by a religious organization that wants creationism taught in the classrooms. When the murder victim is identified as a known pedophile, things get even worse. I really can't say much more without giving away any key items in the plot.

I thought this was a good, solid read. The mystery was enough to keep me intrigued, and so were the human interest issues. Aside from all the gory dead body stuff, I really enjoyed Flesh and Bone! 4/5