The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Publisher: Knopf 2007

Genre: Literature

Pages: 576

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; 52 Books - W40; Book Bingo -- 3 from everyone but me; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: iPad read

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

This book destroyed me. I was utterly helpless to its pull.  I had heard that this was a great book, but usually those popular books escaped me.  I just don't pick them up.  In this case, The Book Thief was chosen as our book club selection.  I started reading it and was intrigued but all a bit off balance.  The style of switching from the narrator to a third person point of view took some getting used to.  I was also thrown off by the interludes of bolded text.  I was a bit confused, but soon everything started falling into place.  I easily saw where the story was going (helped along by the narrator), but it was okay.  The strength of this book lies in the characters.  They are all amazing.  They all have such layers.  Usually the main characters have layers and the side characters are there solely to push the story forward.  In this volume, every character has layers.  I loved getting glimpses into the neighbor or the mayor's wife or even the members of the Hitler Youth group.  Each one has been crafted to appear as a real person.  Even the narrator has layers, something you wouldn't expect.  By the last 75 pages, I couldn't put it down.  Even as my eyes were dropping from lack of sleep, I had to finish this incredible volume.  Absolutely amazing!  I can't wait to see what the other book club ladies thought about it.

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters and Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sandman Vol 11: The Dream Hunters and Vol. 12: Endless Nights

Author: Neil Gaiman, Yoshitaka Amano

Publisher: Vertigo 1999, 2003

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 128, 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; Seriously Series; 52 Books -- Week 39; Fall into Reading; NPR SciFan

How I Got It: Library Loan

As I read these back-to-back, I thought I would review them together.  Plus, I don't have a huge amount to say about these two volumes.  Basically: they were good.

Written by Neil Gaiman; Art by Yoshitaka Amano Featuring striking painted artwork, this love story, set in ancient Japan, tells the story of a humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox who find themselves romantically drawn together. As their love blooms, the fox learns of a devilish plot by a group of demons to steal the monk's life. With the aid of Morpheus, the King of All Night's Dreamings, the fox must use all of her cunning and creative thinking to foil this evil scheme and save the man that she loves. This book also boasts an eight page section highlighting Yoshitaka Amano's amazing painted art.

This is an interesting volume.  Definitely a departure from the rest of the series, but I like it.  It has an even more dream quality than the rest.  I believe this is due to the beautiful illustrations.  I almost felt like I was intruding on someone's personal dream to follow the storyline.  Very interesting...

Joined by a dream team of artists from around the world, Neil Gaiman—the Hugo Award-winning, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of AMERICAN GODS and CORALINE—returns to the beloved characters he made famous in THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS. Alternately haunting, bittersweet, erotic and nightmarish, the seven stories in this book—one for each of the Endless siblings, each illustrated by a different artist—reveal strange secrets and surprising truths. In addition to the seven tales of the Endless, THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS includes a biography section in the spirit of the Sandman collections (designed by Dave McKean) and a summary of each volume in the Sandman Library.

This volume was a nice ending to the series.  It wrapped up a few of the leftover story lines.  It created a few new ones.  But overall, I loved seeing all the Endless siblings highlighted throughout the volume.  Very enjoyable series if you like the strangeness of Neil Gaiman.  I definitely do!

Sandman

• 1. Preludes and Nocturnes
• 2. The Doll's House
• 3. Dream Country
• 4. Season of Mists
• 5. A Game of You
• 6. Fables and Reflections
• 7. The Brief Lives
• 8. World's End
• 9. The Kindly Ones
• 10. The Wake
• 11. The Dream Hunters
• 12. Endless Nights

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: HarperCollins 2008

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 325

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; ebook; Book Bingo -- 3 from everyone but me; The Fantasy Project

How I Got It: iPad read

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

This book has been on my list for awhile now.  I participated in The Fantasy Project's Wheel of Fortune challenge and this book came up for September/October.  Truly I had forgotten what this one was supposed to be about and when I read the summary, I got a bit of a shock.  A few weeks ago I read Gaiman's M is for Magic short story collection.  That collection includes a story of Bod.  I enjoyed that story, but felt like there was so much more to tell.  Thankfully Gaiman thought so too and wrote an entire book around Bod.

This was a delightful little book.  I loved every minute of it.  Gaiman gives us a full story, but broken down into chapters that read almost like separate adventures.  The style reminded me of The Hobbit.  Each chapter is a story perfect for telling to children at bedtime.  I loved all of the characters, especially Silas.  I loved the adventures of Bod in and out of the graveyard.  I was sad but happy at the ending.  I wanted to read more about where Bod went after his time in the graveyard.  I wanted to learn more about the Honour Guard.  I wanted to see if Bod ever met with Scarlett again.  This book was amazing.  I think I will put it on the reading list for the boys.

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Storm Glass (Opal Cowan #1)

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: MIra 2009

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 504

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft; Mount TBR; Book Blogger Recommendations; 52 Books -- W38

How I Got It: I own it

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowan understands trial by fire. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it from happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic. Yet the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control her powers…powers that could lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

The reader is warned: this is a series that connect directly to the Study series.  I didn't realize this when I started the book.  Therefore, i was a bit lost at some of the references at first.  Snyder retells the plotline of that series throughout this book.  I probably could have done without all the statements.  It got a bit old after awhile.

Focusing on this book, I liked it, but it did feel a bit young.  I realize that it's a young adult novel, but does that mean that the characters have to be extremely immature throughout?  I would have liked to see more growth over the course of the book.  I like Opal, but her constant meekness annoys me.  I wanted to see more from her.  The storyline is decent enough, but I felt like too much happened in a short amount of time.  Maybe a shorter book?  I own the other two books in this series, but think I won't be rushing to read those right away.  Decent book, but with some issues.

Opal Cowan (DNFed series)

• 1. Storm Glass
• 2. Sea Glass
• 3. Spy Glass

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

Title: Cotillion

Author: Georgette Heyer

Genre: Regency Fiction

Pages: 482

Rating:  3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Jane Austen; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf

How I Got It: I own it

A sham betrothal isn't the only thing that gets Kitty and Freddy into trouble, but it's definitely the beginning ..

A most unusual hero Freddy is immensely rich, of course, and not bad-looking, but he's mild-mannered, a bit hapless-not anything like his virile, handsome, rakish cousin Jack ...

A heroine in a difficult situation Young Kitty Charing stands to inherit a vast fortune from her irascible and eccentric guardian-provided she marries one of his great-nephews ...

A sham betrothal No sooner does Kitty arrive in London then the race for her hand begins, but between confirmed rakes and bumbling affections, Kitty needs a daring scheme ...

I've read that Georgette Heyer is the successor to Jane Austen herself.  So I thought i would give her another chance (previously read The Black Moth), but I am a bit disappointed.  That isn't to say that Heyer is a bad writer.  I think overall the books is well written and interesting.  It's just not Jane Austen to me.  Heyer doesn't have the wit or the social awareness of Austen.  I predicted the plot line, but that's not the main problem.  I could predict Austen's plot lines before I got 30 pages into her novels.  The issue is that unlike Austen, Heyer's characters are caricatures to me.  I just can't seem to get behind any of them.  They seem so one dimensional.  I want to be surprised or at least enchanted with the main characters.  Yet, I felt none of that here.  Overall, many people may love this book, it just wasn't for me.

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman

Title: A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book

Author: Elsie Larson, Emma Chapman

Publisher: Potter Style 2013

Genre: Photography How-to

Pages: 240

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy -- How to; Bingo -- 4 2013 releases

How I Got It: Library Loan

Whether it’s of your sister’s smile, your morning coffee, or your new puppy, photos are a way to connect on Facebook and Instagram, keep a visual diary of our lives, and create momentos for future generations. Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman, creators of the mega-popular DIY style blog A Beautiful Mess, are in love with photographing everyday life. Here, they share that love with 95 all-new tips and photo challenges that will inspire you to style and snap better photos and then transform them into simple yet stunning projects and gifts.

I've followed the blog A Beautiful Mess for awhile now. I read about their book publication, but didn't seek out the finished project.  And then while perusing the new books section at the library, I spied it.  Flipping through, I was treated to gorgeous photographs.  When I started actually reading the tips, I found some great and easy ways to create beautiful photographs.  I may not follow every one of their tips, but I got some great ideas about how to classy up my pictures.  Plus they include some great little DIY projects using your photographs.  Very fresh.  Very fun.  Very useful.

Winnie-The-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Title: Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh #1)

Author: A.A. Milne

Genre: Children's Classics

Pages: 159

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- Animal; Ebook; Bingo -- 3 rereads

How I Got It: iPad read

For nearly seventy years, readers have been delighted by the adventures of Christopher Robin and his lovable friends.  Paired with the perfectly suited drawings of Ernest H.  Shepard, A.A. Milne's classic story continues to captivate children of all ages.

A children's classic.  I don't remember all the violence from the Pooh stories, but maybe my memory is tainted by the Disney movies.  However, I am still a fan of the collection of stories.  These are perfect little stories to read to children before bedtime.  You better believe that I will be reading these stories to Arthur after he is born.  Definitely a classic for a reason.

Bachelor Girl by Betsy Israel

Title: Bachelor Girl: 100 Years of Breaking the Rules -- a Social History of Living Single

Author: Betsy Israel

Publisher: Perennial 2002

Genre: Nonfiction -- Women's Studies; Cultural Studies

Pages: 294

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction -- Cultural Affairs; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf; Nonfiction Adventure

How I Got It: I own it!

Drawing extensively on primary sources, including private journals, newspaper stories, magazine articles, advertisements, films, and other materials from popular media, Israel paints remarkably vivid portraits of single women -- and the way they were perceived -- throughout the decades. From the nineteenth-century spinsters, of New England to the Bowery girls of New York City, from the 1920s flappers to the 1940s working women of the war years and the career girls of the 1950s and 1960s, single women have fought to find and feel comfortable in that room of their own. One need only look at Bridget Jones and the Sex and the City gang to see that single women still maintain an uneasy relationship with the rest of society -- and yet they radiate an aura of glamour and mystery in popular culture.

One of those books held over from my days as a Women's Studies major.  I always meant to get to the this tome, especially since it dealt with women in U.S. History (my concentration).  Upon finally reading it years later, I can still say that it held my interest.  While some of Israel's "current" references to Sex and the City and Allie McBeal seem very dated in 2013, the meat of the book is a timeless study of the concept of single women in history.  Israel goes era by era to give the reader a clear picture of how our attitudes toward single women have and have not changed.  Being single is still something of a deformity (just ask any single women of 25 how many times they get asked "when are you getting married?") and yet it is such an integral section of society.  I especially loved reading about the various famous examples Israel sprinkles throughout.  For example, Florence Nightingale is a fascinating example of a women with aspirations caught by her familial obligations and expectations.  A very readable look at a complex societal issue.

Gale Force by Rachel Caine

Title: Gale Force (Weather Wardens #7)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Roc 2008

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 306

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Dusty Bookshelf

How I Got It: I own it

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is on vacation when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him. She’s thrilled to say yes, even if some others may be less than happy about it.

Unfortunately, Joanne’s pre-marital bliss is ended by a devastating earthquake in Florida. And she can’t ask David and his kind for assistance. Because the cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered—and a power even the Djinn cannot perceive.

Hmmm...  I feel like the series is losing a bit of steam, but I'm determined to finish it this close to the end.  Only two more books to go.  I still love Jo and David, but their constant being in the middle of these huge catastrophes is starting to take its toll.  Maybe it's because the timeline for the entire series is so short.  Or maybe it's because each threat is crazier than the last.  For whatever reason, I just want, no need some closure to this whole idea.  I still enjoyed the book.  It had the same well drawn out action sequences.  We still got snarky comments from Jo.  The book still had all the fun side characters (Kevin, Cherise, Ashan, Venna).  I just think we need to start wrapping some of this up now.

Weather Wardens:

1. Ill Wind
2. Heat Stroke
3. Chill Factor
4. Windfall
5. Fire Storm
6. Thin Air
7. Gale Force
8. Cape Storm
9. Total Eclipse

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Title: The Jungle

Author: Upton Sinclair

Genre: Classics

Pages: 458

Rating:  3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Rory Gilmore (Perpetual); Classics -- Nonfiction; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf; 52 Books -- W37

How I Got It: I own it!

1906 bestseller shockingly reveals intolerable labor practices and unsanitary working conditions in the Chicago stockyards as it tells the brutally grim story of a Slavic family that emigrates to America full of optimism but soon descends into numbing poverty, moral degradation, and despair. A fiercely realistic American classic that will haunt readers long after they've finished the last page.

Just to clarify: I know this isn't strictly a nonfiction book.  However, it reads in parts like nonfiction.  Plus it was written as an expose of the meat packing industry.  So, I have decided to include it in my nonfiction category for the Back to the Classics Challenge.

Moving to the book... I wasn't as excited about this tome as I thought I would be.  I am a fan of Theodore Drieser and the muckrakers of the Progressive Era.  But, I just wasn't a huge fan of this one.  Sinclair rambled way too much for my liking.  I wished he would focus more on the issues of the meat packing industry than the fictional story of Jurgis Rudkus.  I wanted this to be more of a nonfiction volume such as Jacob Riis' How the Other Half Lives.  Overall, a bit of a disappointment, but still a fairly interesting read.

As Shadows Fade and Max Stops the Presses by Colleen Gleason

Title: As Shadows Fade (Gardella Vampire Chronicles #5); Max Stops the Presses (Gardella Vampire Chronicles #5.5)

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Signet Eclipse 2009; 2013

Genre: Vampires

Pages: 342; 30

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Paranormal -- Angels; Monthly Key Word - Shade; Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Eclectic -- Romantic Suspense; Ebook; Bingo -- 2 2013 releases

How I Got It: I own it

Demons, enemies of both mortals and the undead, have found their way to Earth. To defeat them, Victoria Gardella proposes an alliance between her slayers and Lilith’s vampires. But the vampire queen wants the former slayer Max Pesaro in return for her cooperation—a small price for the world, but a price Victoria is unwilling to pay...

An amazing conclusion to a great paranormal romance series.  I loved seeing where the story led.  And I'm super excited to find a happy ending, albeit one with a huge twist.  I can see the need for the twist, but holy crap it was a shocker.  My only complaint was that I wanted a bit more of an ending.  Thankfully, we Gleason made a short story to give the readers a bit more of a ending.

This is a short story (about 30 pages) that takes place after the end of As Shadows Fade, the fifth book in the Victoria Gardella Vampire Chronicles series.

And this is the story that helped me find a bit of closure for the characters.  Plus, it was a cute little short story to follow up.  Love it!

Gardella Vampire Chronicles:

• #1 The Rest Falls Away
• #1.5 Victoria Gardella
• #2 Rises the Night
• #3 The Bleeding Dusk
• #4 When Twilight Burns
• #5 As Shadows Fade
• #5.1 Max Stops the Presses
• #6 Roaring Midnight
• #7 Raging Dawn
• #8 Roaring Shadows

The Dragon Men by Steven Harper

Title: The Dragon Men (Clockwork Empire #3)

Author: Steven Harper

Publisher: Roc 2012

Genre: Steampunk

Pages: 365

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Steampunk; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

Gavin Ennock has everything a man could desire—except time. As the clockwork plague consumes his body and mind, it drives him increasingly mad and fractures his relationship with his fiancée, Alice, Lady Michaels. Their only hope is that the Dragon Men of China can cure him.

But a power-mad general has seized the Chinese throne in a determined offensive to conquer Asia, Britain—indeed, the entire world. He has closed the country’s borders to all foreigners. The former ruling dynasty, however, is scheming to return the rightful heir to power. Their designs will draw Gavin and Alice down a treacherous path strewn with intrigue and power struggles. One wrong step will seal Gavin’s fate…and determine the future of the world.

Love this series!  It's just so much fun!  Love the steampunk inventions. Love the action sequences.  Love the romance.  Love the general adventure.  This volume sends us to China and in the midst of a power struggle.  Cixi is such a fun character.  She added another fun layer to this adventure story. I warn readers that the main story arc ends with this volume, but the series seems to go on to a fourth book.  I wonder what it will be about? Even though Alice and Gavin's story seems to be ending, I'll pick up the next volume.  Steven Harper writes such great adventure stories; he's on my must-read list.

Clockwork Empire

• 1. The Doomsday Vault
• 2. The Impossible Cube
• 3. The Dragon Men
• 4. The Havoc Machine

Apocalypse Z by Manel Loureiro

Title: Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

Author: Manel Loureiro

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2012 (original text in Spanish 2007)

Genre: Zombies

Pages: 324

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

The dead rise…

A mysterious incident in Russia, a blip buried in the news—it’s the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men.

Humanity falls…

A lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. Bur he never expected that his anonymous blog would ultimately record humanity’s last days.

The end of the world has begun…

Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called “Safe Havens” are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, a lone survivor will give mankind one last chance against…

A random find from the library, but it turns out that I had originally had this book on my Goodreads TBR shelf.  Imagine that!  This is a bit of a run-of-the-mill zombie survival book.  Nothing too new or exciting, but it did keep my attention for a day.  The book started as a blog published in Spain in 2007.  It was translated into English and published as a novel in 2012.  While the action scenes are nice, some of the writing seems very detached.  I don't know if this is due to the translation or just how the passages were written in the first place.  I was not super impressed.

Apocalypse Z

• #1 The Beginning of the End
• #2 Dark Days
• #3 The Wrath of the Just

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Title: M is for Magic

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: HarperCollins 2007

Genre: YA Short Stories Fantasy

Pages: 260

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; TBR Pile; 52 Books - W36

How I Got It: Library Loan

Master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a breathtaking collection of tales for younger readers that may chill or amuse, but that always embrace the unexpected.

I really enjoyed this little collection of YA short stories.  Each one has the Gaiman flair for the unexpected.  Every time I started a story I knew my ideas of the ending would be dashed once Gaiman decided how he was going to end the story.  My favorite stories:

• "Chivalry" -- I love the story of the little old lady finding a holy relic at the Oxfam shop.  It starts out a simple story and somewhere along the way it delves into mythology.
• "The Price" -- There is something bordering on the horrific with this story.  The ending leaves the reader at a loss for a conclusion.  I love the atmosphere in this one.
• "The Witch's Headstone" -- Another moody story that leaves me without a conclusion.  I love the of Bod and Liza.  Great idea!

The Sandman Vol. 8: Worlds' End, Vol. 9 The Kindly Ones, Vol. 10 The Wake by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sandman Vol. 8: Worlds' End, Vol. 9 The Kindly Ones, Vol. 10 The Wake

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Vertigo 1995, 1996, 1997

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 168, 320, 192

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W35; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

Reminiscent of the legendary Canterbury Tales, THE SANDMAN: WORLDS' END is a wonderful potpourri of engrossing tales and masterly storytelling. Improbably caught in a June blizzard, two wayward compatriots stumble upon a mysterious inn and learn that they are in the middle of a "reality storm." Now surrounded by a menagerie of people and creatures from different times and realities, the two stranded travelers are entertained by mesmerizing myths of infamous sea creatures, dreaming cities, ancient kings, astonishing funeral rituals and moralistic hangmen.

A new edition of the classic title reprinting issues #57-69 of THE SANDMAN and "The Castle" from VERTIGO JAM, with pivotal events that laid the groundwork for the finale of THE SANDMAN.

In the final Sandman tale, Morpheus made the ultimate decision between change and death. As one journey for the Endless ends another begins for the Lord of Dreams and his family. All the final pieces come together for the final moments of the Sandman.

Three more wonderful Sandman volumes.  I am consistently surprised by the quality of text and illustrations. For every volume, I don't have much to say other than I seriously enjoy my time.

Sandman

• 1. Preludes and Nocturnes
• 2. The Doll's House
• 3. Dream Country
• 4. Season of Mists
• 5. A Game of You
• 6. Fables and Reflections
• 7. The Brief Lives
• 8. World's End
• 9. The Kindly Ones
• 10. The Wake
• 11. The Dream Hunters
• 12. Endless Nights

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Pages: 279

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Jane Austen Etc.; ebook; Book to Movie; Book Bingo -- 4 rereads

How I Got It: Own It!

Book: Always a favorite. I have to reread the complete Austens once every few years.  This particular novel always rates highly with me.  Every time I reread it, I find something else new. This time I picked up the animosity between Wickham and Elizabeth after he and Lydia are married.  You could cut the tension in that room with a knife.  And yet, Elizabeth tries to be polite and cordial while giving Wickham the what for.  Love it!  As I have now read the main six novels, I guess I need to start over again next year.

BBC Version: This is the definite version.  I love Colin Firth's standoffish manner.  I love Jennifer Ehle's version of Elizabeth.  Her spirit is just amazing.  The scene with Darcy emerging from the pond is a lovely piece of cinema, but I always have a bit of an issue with how completely out of time it is.  Overall, I'm just loving this version.

Movie Version: I'm not a huge fan of Keira Knightly.  In this film, I can see her as Elizabeth.  She's quieter and more reserved than Ehle's version, but it works in the mood of this film. Darcy is to die for in this one.  Love him so much.  My only issue is the scene in the field between Elizabeth and Darcy. The scene is not canon at all, but I do love the romantic feel of it.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Back Bay Books 2008

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 620

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Paranormal -- Aliens; TBR Pile; Book to Movie; Bingo -- 3 rereads

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

A reread for me.  With the release of the movie this year, I wanted to reread the book and do a bit of comparison.  I remember that I enjoyed The Host more than the Twilight series, but I wanted to see if my memories lived up.  They do live up to my memories.  I really enjoyed this book.  The story of the aliens taking over Earth through body snatching isn't anything new.  But Melanie/Wanderer's story of understanding and identity is nice and unique.  I loved following their slow realization that neither of them are the enemy.  And watching the love triangle (or is it a square?) develop did not annoy me like in the Twilight series.  This one felt genuine.  I loved rereading this book.  And I'll even admit to ugly crying in parts.

Movie:

Overall, I quite enjoyed this adaptation. I'll admit that the voiceovers for Melanie and Wanderer's internal conversations were awkward, but the movie kept them to a minimum.  The actors actually portray their characters well.  The movie spent a lot of time following the searcher, but it added to the heightened fear of capture.  My favorite character was Jeb played by William Hurt.  He captured that exact mix of crazy and genius that I loved from the book.  I went into the viewing thinking I would hate the movie, but it turns out that I really enjoyed it.

American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Stephen King

Title: American Vampire

Author: Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Stephen King

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 200

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

How I Got It: Library Loan

This volume follows two stories: one written by Snyder and one written by King. Snyder's story is set in 1920's LA, we follow Pearl, a young woman who is turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of righteous revenge against the European Vampires who tortured and abused her. This story is paired with King's story, a western about Skinner Sweet, the original American Vampire-- a stronger, faster creature than any vampire ever seen before with rattlesnake fangs and powered by the sun.

This was a refreshing change from the sparkly vampires.  Here we get classic horror.  Vampires with a vicious streak.  Vampires consumed with blood.  Vampires would transform into something truly grotesque.  I was riveted from the opening page.  Snyder and King's stories blend seamlessly together to create a unique tale of the first American Vampire.  I loved seeing Skinner and Pearl evolve into something new and compare them to the old style European vampires.  Vampire clan wars are too much fun!  I am really wanting to get back to the library to snap up the next volume.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Title: The Sugar Queen

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Publisher: Bantam 2009

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 294

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Genre -- Fairy Tale; What's in a Name -- Kitchen Find; TBR Pile; Dusty Bookshelf

How I Got It: I own it!

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.

Another entertaining Allen book.  I caught on to the twist early on, but still really enjoyed seeing the plot unfold.  I immediately rooted for Josey and loved Della Lee.  Amazing characters!  And the addition of Chloe was nice.  As the story progressed, you couldn't help but root for Josey and Chloe to get their own lives apart from moms and boyfriends.  It's always nice to see female characters assert themselves for identity.  By the last chapter I was completely in tears, not from sadness, but from happiness at the character growth.  I can't wait to see how the other book club members felt about the book and get Allen's newest book.

The New Deadwardians by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard

Title: The New Deadwardians

Author: Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel; Horror

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

In post-Victorian England, nearly everyone of the upper classes has voluntarily become a vampire in order to escape the lower classes who are all zombies. Into this simmering cauldron is thrust Chief Inspector George Suttle, a lonely detective who's got the slowest beat in London: investigating murders in a world where everyone is already dead! When the body of a young aristocrat washes up on the banks of the Thames, Suttle's quest for the truth will take him from the darkest sewers to the gleaming halls of power, and reveal the rotten heart at the center of this strange world.

Oh my!  I grabbed this on a whim and I have been rewarded with an amazing little comic.  I love the idea of vamlpirism as a "cure" to a zombie apocalypse.  But this one has the added twist of class warfare and a secret bigger than everyone.  I loved the twists and turns of the story; not sure where it was all leading until the end.  And we are treated to some very interesting characters.  Loved Suttle and Sapphire was a real treat.  Definitely an interesting read for an afternoon.