Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 325
Source: Bought

Rating: 4.5 stars

"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .

These books are absolutely addicting. I read this book straight through in like three and a half hours. This series is absolutely wonderful, and I love it!

This one had a bit of a slower start to it - it took me a good 20-30 pages to get real into this one, differentiating from prior books where it was just like go, go, go! Then the plot picked up, and per routine, it didn't slow down until the last page of the book. I am quite curious to see where things will go in the next book, after all the events that occured in this one.

There are so many characters in this series, and I was happy to see some of my favorite characters, like Pam, take more of a center stage than usual in this book. Pam just cracks me up, because she has a really unique sense of humor and always has some sort of comment. Claude and Dermot are 2 that are also really growing on me, and they definitely were in this one a ton!

I am quite depressed now that I have run out of published books to read and I will have to wait like everyone else for the next one. How saddening! That is the lovely thing about waiting to start a series, no wait to read a number of books at once.

I think this series is absolutely brilliant. It's not anything special in the writing department or anything like that, but it's super exciting and absolutely wonderful in pretty much every other way. A must read series!

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Pages: 311
Source: Bought

Rating: 4.5 stars

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

Dead in the Family was definitely not what I was expecting, but was still a very good read. The summary was very misleading I thought, because a lot of what it said was going to happen I didn't see really come through. So the entire book was a big surprise, with me just wondering what would come next.

The plot in Dead in the Family wasn't quite as exciting as it was in the prior book, but it was stilll quite action packed and in this book, a lot of its charm came from the moments that had a lack of action.

The characters are wonderful, as always. Some of the new characters and developments have me quite interested as to what their role will be in future books. I thought Jason really came into his own and grew up a bit in this one, something he's been doing in baby steps along the way of the series.
I am super excited to read the next book! I love that the plot just keeps thickening and thickening, between all the politics with all the Supes and what not. This series is super fabulous.

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Pages: 312
Source: Bought

Rating: 5 stars

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps-and nothing about weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works-and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.

But there's a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings-older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves-is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

After the bumping middle this series had, I would never guess that now! I think Dead and Gone was my favorite book in the series yet. With it action packed plot and lovely characters, this one will be one that will keep you on the edge of  your seat and you won't be able to put it down!

One thing that I absolutely love about this series is the paranormal diversity in it. It's not just vampires or anything. There's witches, fairies, werewolves, shapeshifters, you name it and this series has it. I thought this diversity was particularly evident in this book, which was super fun to read about.

The action in this one was absolutely no stop. I read straight through this book in less than 3 hours - it was so good and I just couldn't put it down. Charlaine Harris really throws a few loops in there with some things I would never ever have guessed with different characters.

This is a must read! This was hands down the best book in the series yet, and I am extremely excited to start the next book!

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse #8)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Pages: 359
Source: Bought

Rating: 4 stars
After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone human and otherwise is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.


It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.


In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.

WooHoo, this series is finally going back on the upswing after the let down I thought the past 2 books were! I am so excited to see where everything is going to go now, between the new characters that popped up and the events that have come to pass.

At the end of the book, readers hear briefly from Hadley's ex-husband Remy and his family, I really liked all of them as characters and I really hope that they make more appearances in future books as they were all lovely!

I am super curious to see how the whole new Vampire group will play in to the series. From Dead to Worse was perfectly balanced between Vamp and Were action in my opinion - the books in the series that have some of both end up being my favorites, because I love characters that are both.

I super love this series, and I recommend it to all. I can't wait to see where the series goes, especially after the super huge cliffhanger-esque ending Harris ended with!

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date:
Publisher: May 1, 2007
Pages: 323
Source: Bought

Rating: 3.5 stars

Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit.

The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

I enjoyed this one more than I had book 6, but it still did not live up to my love for the first 5 books. Regardless of that, this still is a really great series I would recommend.

While I don't think this was the best book in the series, there was definitely some interesting points in it. I am super curious to see how some of those new plot threads will play out in future books, if my suspicions are correct, I have a feeling Harris was revealing some things that may or may not be huge in future books. The end of the book in this one was huge.

I am still holding up big signs for Sookie that say DITCH QUINN ASAP. But she didn't see to see them, oh well. I enjoyed seeing Barry the Bellboy again in this book - he's a bit of an odd duck, but he's always fun. Eric always cracks me up, and him having to fill in for a priest in this book most definitely sent me over the edge. I could not stop laughing.

I found this book a lot more predictable than prior books. I totally pegged the bad guy chapters before we found out who, and in previous books I usually didn't end up doing that. Occasionally I'd have my suspicions, but I felt in this one there were big, flashing signs.

All Together Dead definitely left me with high hopes for From Dead to Worse, I am thinking what I was calling the middle of the series slump will come to the end and jump back into the loveliness that was the first 5 books. This series is really great.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary

The Postmortal
Drew Magary
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher

Rating: 4 stars

John Farrell is about to get "The Cure."
Old age can never kill him now.
The only problem is, everything else still can . . .

Imagine a near future where a cure for aging is discovered and-after much political and moral debate-made available to people worldwide. Immortality, however, comes with its own unique problems-including evil green people, government euthanasia programs, a disturbing new religious cult, and other horrors. Witty, eerie, and full of humanity, The Postmortal is an unforgettable thriller that envisions a pre-apocalyptic world so real that it is completely terrifying.

The Postmortal was a cool read that was something that felt like it could be so real in the not so far off future. With its thought-provoking premise, readers will be sorry to miss The Postmortal.

The Postmortal had a really cool design . First, off it spans over the period of many years so it's divided into sections because of that. Then, the actual book itself is a mix of writings from John, blog posts from others, facts about the changing world and how the Cure is affecting things, and other things like that. It really broke up the story, and I really liked that constant change.

The Postmortal had a bit of a slower start to it, then the story picked up and I really enjoyed it. The end slowed down a bit again, and it just got a bit long.

I really liked Katy. I thought she was a wonderful character, and while she was only in a very brief section of the book, that was one of my favorites parts. She was so free. Polly was another character I really admired - she was the grounding of the book I felt. she was so sensible, and even when things got out of her control, she was still just this great character.

The relationship between John and Allison really just didn't feel that real. I felt like that with Sonia and John too. There was no lead up, it was just this all of a sudden relationship and it was very unrealistic to me.

The Postmortal is definitely a book I would recommend to all. With its intriguing premise, it was a very thought provoking read that I simply didn't want to put down.

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #6)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 28, 2006
Pages: 324
Source: Bought

Rating: 3 stars

Spiked with a frothy fusion of romance, mystery, and fantasy, this bestselling series sends the supernaturally gifted cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse to New Orleans, where she has to deal with the legacy of one of her own family and a host of potentially dangerous characters.

This was definitely my least favorite book in the series thus far.

The last 30 pages or so picked up a lot, and had a lot of fun action, but before that it was quite slow. And by slow, I mean I was rather bored. It still was a fast read, but merely because I was waiting for the fast paced action I've come to know and love with these books.

I was not as crazy about the newer characters in this book either. Quinn plays a much bigger role in this book, and I really can't say I am a big fan of him. I did really like Amelia, but she was probably the only new character I really liked. As for the old characters, I still love 'em :).

This is a super awesome series, but this was a lull in the middle for me. Regardless, I am eager to pick up book 7, and start reading again about the next tale of Sookie and the others.

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 25, 2006
Pages: 295
Source: Bought

Rating: 4 stars

When she is not waitressing or preoccupied with her own amorous adventures, telepath Sookie Stackhouse is tracking down a serial killer of shapeshifters. Her sleuthing is partly altruistic, but she's also trying to save her were-panther brother, Jason, who has become the chief suspect in the crime.

Sookie's got just a month, before the next full moon, to find out who wants her brother dead - and to stop the fiend! Sookie Stackhouse enjoys her life, mostly. She's a great cocktail waitress in a fun bar; she has a love life, albeit a bit complicated, and most people have come to terms with her telepathy. The problem is, Sookie wants a quiet life - but things just seem to happen to her and her friends. Now her brother Jason's eyes are starting to change: he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. She can deal with that, but her normal sisterly concern turns to cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population. She afraid not just because Jason's at risk, but because his new were-brethren suspect Jason may be the shooter. Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first.

I love this series -  it is just too much fun to read. With it's fun action and plot, it's a sure win. I love that it's not just one supernatural creature either -  you have vampires, werewolves, shifters, faeries, telepaths, the list goes on and on. I always find books like that so much more fun.

I watch the show, True Blood, which is based on the books. On the show there are certain characters, like Tara, that I absolutely can't stand. I am pleasantly surprised to find that Tara actually is an alright character in the book and not an annoying, shrieking character that adds nothing to that plot that I find her on the show. I've found so many of the characters to be much more personable in the books, like Pam. I love Pam on the show, but she's even funnier in the book.

So, does anyone else watch True Blod and has read the books and noticed this at all with some of the characters??

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 31, 2004
Pages: 291
Source: Bought

Rating: 4.5 stars

When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire--but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

This series gets better and better with each book I think. They plot becomes more and more developed, and everything just comes along nicely it feels like.

The plot in this one was buckets of fun. There was SO much going on. With each book, I become more and more addicted to the books. They are no masterpiece in the writing department, but I really find the writing developing more with each book along with the plot getting more twisty and turny with more and more going on.

The characters are just wonderful, and I love the mass of new characters that got introduced in this one. I continue to love Eric and Alcide. Those two rank up in my top 3 characters along with Arlene, who always just cracks me up.

I would really recommend this series. It's a great one to read, that you simply will not be able to put down!

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 29, 2003
Pages: 274
Source: Bought

Rating: 4.5 stars

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ...

I really really enjoyed this one! I think it was my favorite in the series thus far. Like the other ones in the series, the action was hopping and the characters were just marvelous. It was another un-put-down-able read from Charlaine Harris.

I loved the plot in this one - it was fun to be somewhere other than Bon Temps. I love seeing what Sookie and the others will find themselves having to figure out next.

I loved the characters in this one - the new characters were super fun. Bubba made another appearance in this one, and I think he is a fun character, despite being a little creepy with his cat obsession. Alcide was a new character in this book, that I hope comes back in every book from here on out - I absoltuely loved him and I am not strongly Team Eric / Alcide. I love both of them quite a lot, and there was quite a bit of both of them in this one.

I would really suggest this series. It really is not the best written or anything like that, but the plot and characters make up for the lapse in other things. They are just a ton of fun to read!

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2)
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: April 26, 2002
Pages: 279
Source: Bought

Rating: 4 stars

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favor.

Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...

I am absolutely loving reading these books, it is just so much fun - I couldn't put this one down. I didn't find the plot as exciting in this one as I did in the first one, but it was still quite exciting.

As I said in my review of Dead Until Dark, I'm a huge fan of True Blood, the TV series based off the books. I know it's just a show based off them, but I still like to compare. Differing from book 1, Living Dead in Dallas differentiated a lot more from the book with the TV show, which made it a lot more fun for me to read, as I definitely didn't know how things were going to play out.

I am super intrigued to see the roles some of the new characters are going to play. Like Tara and Portia, they seemed to turn up more and more towards the end of the book, so I'm curious to see if they'll turn up again in the next one. I really also like Pam as a character, I love her sense of wit and humor. I am so totally Team Eric!! There was so much more Eric in this book than in book 1, so I was happy :)

This is a book I was really recommend. This series is totally one of my new guilty pleasure series.

Cover Rating: C+ I guess they have their charms about them, but I am really not too much of a fan of the covers for this series.

From the Back of My Shelf (3) : Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

Dead Until Dark
Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 1, 2001
Pages: 292
Source: Bought

Rating: 4 stars

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life--and one of her coworkers checks out...Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea. A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed.

I have been watching True Blood on TV since season 1 came out, so I figured it was time to read the books that inspired the amazingness of that show. I really enjoyed Dead Until Dark -  I didn't find the writing or anything super spectacular, but the plot was a lot of fun.

I loved the plot. It was a lot of fun reading, as I already knew a lot of what was coming from the show. I  already knew who was behind the murder and what not, but the show leaves out so many little details that it was quite cool to read and see all those things.The writing wasn't my favorite thing, but I feel like the plot made up for it.

It was a ton of fun to all play compare and contrast with the show, and see what the show kept what the show changed. I was surprised how much the show stayed true to the book, at least for this book so far.

I really liked the characters. I wasn't too crazy about the romance between Sookie and Bill - it felt so OK now we're gonna be together after meeting right now? It built slower after that, but right off the bat, I thought it was quite rushed. I really liked Sookie's character. She is just so fun and quirky. Arlene is another character that I really just love, despite the smaller role she plays. I love Eric, there was only little snippets of him but I thought he was just a marvelous character.

I would suggest reading this one. The beginning was a bit slower but after a certain point I didn't want to put it down! With it's enticing plot and fun characters, Dead Until Dark is one you won't want to miss.

Share YOUR Reviews Below :)

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

The Very Thought of You
Rosie Alison
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Pages: 320

Rating: 4 stars

England, 31st August 1939: The world is on the brink of war. As Hitler prepares to invade Poland, thousands of children are evacuated from London to escape the impending Blitz. Torn from her mother, eight-year-old Anna Sands is relocated with other children to a large Yorkshire estate which has been opened up to evacuees by Thomas and Elizabeth Ashton, an enigmatic, childless couple. Soon Anna gets drawn into their unraveling relationship, seeing things that are not meant for her eyes and finding herself part-witness and part-accomplice to a love affair with unforeseen consequences. A story of longing, loss, and complicated loyalties, combining a sweeping narrative with subtle psychological observation, The Very Thought of You is not just a love story but a story about love.

The Very Thought of You is a beautifully woven tale follow the lives of an entire cast of wonderful characters. I love historical fiction, so I was happy to find another marvelous historical fiction that I will be sure to recommend to others. With this book, Alison deliers one heck of a debut.

The Very Thought of You was a very slow read, there just wasn't a lot happening. While it was a slow read, I never found myself bored, it was just a book I found I couldn't absorb huge chunks of the book in one sitting. The book covers the span of several years, and it was a smooth transition through time.

The more I read, the more I fell in love with the writing. The descriptions in The Very Thought of You are downright beautiful. I loved that Alison switches around from what characters point of view the story is being told from. Readers hear generally from Elizabeth, Thomas and Anna, but you also hear from Roberta, Pawel, Ruth and more. It kept me engaged and was never too much to comprehend.

The book was divided into several sections. It was the last about 50 page section that left me unsatified. I felt the story could've ended where it did, instead of covering a span of 1957-2006 in 50 pages. While Rosie Alison did a good job with the flow, I felt the story was nicely tied up and it was extra, unneeded pages.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this one. It is a tale that will stick with you for many reasons, ranging for the beautiful prose, the unforgettable characters, or the haunting storyline. I cannot see what is next for Rosie Alison.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

Animal Dreams
Barbara Kingsolver
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: January 1, 1990
Pages: 342
Source: Copy from School

Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:
"Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What the finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.

When my AP English teacher handed us Animal Dreams one day, I did not think I would like it. From the title and the cover, I was expecting to hate it. What I found inside was one of the best stories I have read in a long while, and it is a story I will be sure to remember for quite a time to come.

We analysized the heck out of this book in class, and in some instances I think that can cause me to not like a book as much. In this case, I really think it only enhanced my love for it. I loved the story. It was so interesting, and so beautifully woven. Throughout the book, there were so many motifs that kept reappearing. It was really interesting to pick them all out and see where they would show up next.

The characters were another really great part of the story. Codi was a really interesting narrator - her mind was so skewed, so seeing the story through her eyes left you to interpret different things and find the truth. Loyd was my favorite character of the book. I loved every scene with him in it - except the cock fighting ones, those just made me angry.

This is something I definitely would not usually have picked up if not assigned for class. Books like this are the ones that really make me want to go outside my comfort zone of reading, and grab something new. Animal Dreams was a book I truely enjoyed, and I will definitely be checking out more from Barbara Kingsolver.

Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Dedication
Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Publisher: Atria
Release Date: June 5th, 2007
Pages: 288

Rating: 4 stars

What if your ex was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had one chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk?
Kate Hollis's ex-boyfriend's face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he's famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her -- from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist's office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived.

On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song "Losing" -- about his and Kate's first sexual experience -- shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before.

Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate's life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now?

Newsweek dubbed The Nanny Diaries "a national phenomenon" and the New Republic proclaimed, "Thank God for Citizen Girl." Now McLaughlin and Kraus have written a poignant, humorous tale about modern celebrity obsession and coming of age during the divorce boom. With flawless depictions of the 1980s, a charismatic heroine, and their signature biting wit, the authors offer up another lively and hilarious tale of a smart young woman looking for satisfaction in the chaos of contemporary culture.

Dedication is another stellar read by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus! This fabulous duo have written another book that will intrigue readers.

The first few pages I didn't feel the vibe, but once I got a few chapters in there was no putting Dedication down! I loved the whole idea of the plot - the ex-girlfriend getting revenge on her boyfriend who left her to make it big in the rock world.

Dedication is split in 2 parts - you have one chapter from the "today" Kate and then one chapter that is from Kate's past. The entire book goes on like this, alternating views. I loved it! As you read each little past section, you get more incite into the story. It was fun, as you kind of put pieces together as you went, learning more about each character.

Dedication is very well written. I loved how even in the more serious scenes, McLaughlin and Kraus kept the air about the book lighter.

I really enjoyed the chracters for the most part. Kate was a fun character, who was going to get even. Laura was a total crack up. She made me laugh so many times! I absolutely loved her. Nick was kind of a jerk, yet still had a charming air about him.

My only complaint was how at a few points, I had to make sure I was still in the "present" story, as it seemed as the actions of several characters were those were more of what I would expect out of a high schooler or middle schooler.

Overall, this another fabulous read by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. Fans of their Nanny Diaries will definately enjoy this one. I would definately recommend reading it!

Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Nanny Returns
Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Release Date: December 15, 2009
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 288

Rating: 4 stars

Ten years after her original misadventures in babysitting, Nan returns to NYC in this saucy sequel to the phenomenal bestseller The Nanny Diaries. Now married and pondering motherhood herself, the recovering caregiver is about to get a whole new perspective on childrearing. Her trouble former charge bursts back into her life and her new consulting business introduces her to nannying's sophisticated older sister: private school. With the same biting wit and tender heart that marked the original, this long-awaited follow-up skewers the elite culture of "outsourced parenting" on the razor-sharp tip of a 21st-century Mary Poppins umbrella. It's as funny as it is affecting: call it chicklit with a conscience.

Nanny Returns was a great continuation of Nan and Grayer's story! I loved hearing what the Xs were up to after all this time. Also hearing how Ryan (H.H.) and Nan fared was great - you knew they would probably end up together, but it was great to know for sure!

I love the characters Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have once again enchanted readers with. You see the same characters and meet some new ones! Nan and Ryan are my 2 favorites. Stilton is a new character you meet that is heart warming and brings so much to the novel.

With the way Nanny Diaries finished up, I wasn't 100% sure how catching the plot in Nanny Returns would be, but I wasn't let down one bit! Once you get a few chapters in, it was hard to put it down!

I can't wait for another great novel from this fabulous duo!

How To Buy A Love Of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson

How To Buy A Love Of Reading
Tanya Egan Gibson
Pages: 400
Publisher: Dutton Adult (May 14, 2009)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Fall in love with reading all over again.

To Carley Wells, words are the enemy. Her tutor’s innumerable SAT flashcards. Her personal trainer’s “fifty-seven pounds overweight” assessment. And the endless reading assignments from her English teacher, Mr. Nagel. When Nagel reports to her parents that she has answered “What is your favorite book” with “Never met one I liked,” they decide to fix what he calls her “intellectual impoverishment.” They will commission a book to be written just for her --- one she’ll have to love --- that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family’s devotion to the arts. They will be patrons --- the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter The Love Of Reading.

Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine loving books, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley’s best friend and Fox Glen’s resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her lately as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.

When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy --- author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus’ failed journey home through the Internet --- into their mansion to write Carley’s book, Carley’s sole interest in the project is to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. But as Hunter’s behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself increasingly drawn into the fictional world Bree has created, and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories --- those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person. Or save her.


This was definitely a page turner! I loved it. It took a few chapters to really get into the book, then I had a hard time putting it down. Tanya Egan Gibson really spins a unique story. The plot is really unique, which really got my attention. Also, she writes in different point of views, which generally makes a story better. You hear from the main character Carley, her best friend Hunter, the author Bree, and a few others. It's really interesting hearing insight from more than one or two characters.
Also the ending is really unsuspected. You don't really consider it. Gibson leaves you with a definite ending, but two possibilities of what it meant, which leaves you pondering.
All the characters were realistic, and as the story goes on you see each grow in their own individual ways, some for the better, while others for the worse. You find yourself really feeling for the characters as they encounter problems.

Overall, it was a great debut novel, I'd definitely recommend it to everyone!