Try These On For Size This Halloween!

First of all, allow me to apologize for my disgustingly long absense from posting! I am currently doing my pedagogy experience at a new school district and have been so swamped with wonderfully busy work! Plus, I was busy turning 24 this past Monday. But... I promise to make more of an effort!



Since the greatest holiday of the year is quickly approaching, I thought I would post some delicious books that will make your toes curl or will satisfy your hunger for something supernatural. I recommend all of these!

1. Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay - If you are a fan of the hit Showtime series and haven't dove into these books, you absolutely MUST! They are so wonderful. If you have never even heard of Dexter Morgan, well you'll be in for quite a treat. Dexter is a serial killer... but he is the most lovable serial killer you'll ever read about. His killer personality (haha) will draw you in. I am currently about half way through this series opener, and I cannot get enough!

2. Intensity, by Dean Koontz - This is no happy-go-lucky thriller. This book is intense and terrifying. I am not normally a huge Koontz fan, but this book gave me chills that kept me shivering even after I finished the book. The title says it all!

3. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - Yes, here I am again, plugging the Sookie Stackhouse books... But seriously, they are so fabulous. You get a little supernatural vampire action, you get some serious gore, you get great dry humor, and you also get some steamy romance scenes. I mean, what else could you possibly want? This, or any of the other Sookie Stackhouse books, make fabulous Halloween reads!

4. The Shining, by Stephen King - Honestly, after Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrence, do I really even need to explain why this book is so perfectly creepy for Halloween? Even if you don't consider the Nicholson effect, it's Stephen King! Come on, he's the king of creepy!!

These are only four of my favorites. Of course there are many, many others that are simply perfect for a spooky night. Happy Haunting, everyone!

The Tenth Circle of Hell?

As I have a lot of book reviewing to catch up on, I thought I would get this one out there and done with!

Jodi Picoult - The Tenth Circle

"When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush – where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself – jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante’s Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life – and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped…and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future."

Some of my friends who are avid Picoult readers discouraged me from reading this one. They said it was boring and that the characters were not altogether likeable. After reading it, I can see what they mean. However, I think they were comparing this to her other books. In that respect, yes this book wasn't that great. If you look at it as a stand alone book by a first time author, it was quite good.

Picoult usually inspires tears. This book did not do that, but it was interesting and different. The small glimpes into Alaskan Eskimo life was refreshing and different. Perhaps it was skimmed over just a little bit, but that seems to be a common thread for all of Picoult's books. The cultural background is just that - a background to push the story forward. She's dabbled with the Amish, Wicca, Scottish clan mentality, and now Eskimos. I suppose I would have to recommend this book with a warning though. The ending was not what I expected, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Without revealing the conclusion, I will say that it seems like Picoult wanted to end it in a way that was shocking without actually making very much sense. Either way, it was entertaining and well written.

More book reviews to come!!

Parr For The Course

After taking a break from the blogging world due to moving, I am back in action! And I definitely have some books that need to be reviewed. So I figured I would start out with my faborite genre: my newest historical fiction read.

The Last Wife of Henry VIII, by Carolly Erickson

This novel tells the story of the life of Catherine Parr. It begins when she is just a child and is attending The Field of the Cloth of Gold. She meets King Henry during this historic event. The novels continues with the story of her first marriage that ended in tragedy and into her second marriage to an elderly man whom she married to keep out of the womanizing Henry's grasp. Catherine is called to serve Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, by the king himself. Once her ill husband passes away, Henry jumps at the chance to marry her. Though her life as a queen is anything but relaxing. She lives in constant fear that Henry will become displeased with her and find a way to get rid of her, as he had to a few of his former wives.

Life Erickson's other books, this book was brief and definitely fictional. While she got all of the names right, I can't help but read between a lot of these fictional lines. But isn't that what makes these books so entertaining to us historical fiction fanatics? We get a good dose of history with a pinch of soap opera drama on the side. It was a fun read: light and quick. If you're looking for a quick fix of Henry and his wives, this book is good for that. But don't expect something historically perfect. Just expect to be entertained.

Up next? Well I have two more reviews that I need to post. But as far as reading goes, I have decided to reread the Twilight Saga in honor of New Moon coming out in theatres in November!

More Vampires to Sink Your Teeth Into

Well, you all know how much I love a good vampire story! Allow me to introduce this delicious vampire series!

P.C. Cast - The House of Night series: Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed


This series is about Zoey Redbird, a typical teenager. Except that she's been Marked to become a vampyre. Because of this, she must switch schools and attend the fledgling vampyre school in Tulsa, The House of Night. Zoey learns all about the politics and supernatural aspects of being a vampyre. But that's not to say that she doesn't experience normal high school issues: the snobby mean girl, the gorgeous guy that all of the girls pine after, keeping up in classes, and even high school leadership. Zoey has powers that no other vampyre has ever been gifted with. Zoey learns throughout the series that with that power comes responsibilty that is difficult to handle.

The series is somewhat predictable to say the least. However, it is really entertaining. The books progressively get better because you learn more and more about the characters. Zoey is likeable and so is the book's heartthrob, Erik Night. Even the "mean girl" Aphrodite becomes a character that I wanted to know more about. The two things that really bug me about this series are the forced pop culture references (like referring to Matt Damon and the Bourne movies, etc), and also the names. Upon entering The House of Night, fledgling vampyres are considered "reborn." Therefore, they can begin their new lives with a name of their choosing. Some names remain normal. But others are distracting. For example, there is a professor named Dragon. Eventually, you do get used to the unusual names, just as Zoey gets used to her new school. But other than those two minor things, the series is quite good! It's not as great as Twilight or Sookie Stackhouse, but it is definitely different... and in a good way! I've only read the first four books, so I can only speak for those so far... but I am willing to guess that the fifth and soon to be released sixth books are just as good. If you like vampire stories, I would highly recommend these!

Next up for me? The Last Wife of Henry VIII

RIP Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson: August 29, 1958-June 25, 2009



I realize that my blog is supposed to be about books, but I had to pay my respects somehow. Whether you loved him or hated him, Michael Jackson will always be one of the most influential music artists of all time. His music videos were what inspired me to be a dancer for so many years. His videos made me realize my very real love for dance. It is so difficult to believe that he is gone. It feels strange, but I am incredibly sad. Michael, may you finally have some peace.

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same then everything in between can be dealt with." - Michael Jackson

Time To Get Off Our High Horse

I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes hate giving in to popular reading trends. I resisted the Twilight series until a friend convinced me to try it. I also refused to read Nicholas Sparks (until seeing the movie version of The Notebook), and Jodi Picoult because they were so "main stream." I have since done the same thing with other authors. But, on a whim, I decided to try out a trilogy that sounded like it might be interesting, even if the writing wasn't so great. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. So what I am saying, is that it is time for some of us avid readers to get off of our literary high horses and quit judging people because they read "light reading" books. Here is the book that brought this all on:


"After three boys accidentally awaken an ancient evil near their small Maryland town, the tight-knit community finds itself lost to a Stephen King–style plague of madness and destruction for a week every seven years. Twenty-one years later, those three boys, now grown, are hoping to find a way to stop the evil before its third return, which may mean the end of the town; they don't know much about the anomalies, but they do know that [e]very time it gets stronger. This time, the town is graced by author Quinn Black, eager to document the paranormal mystery. When two more women arrive—one an associate of Quinn's, the other led to town by strange visions—the circle of six decide to face the oncoming apocalypse together."

Yes, Nora Roberts... the woman who has written over 500 books. I actually enjoyed this book. The trilogy should be good. The characters are very likable. It's really not bad, I promise!

Bah! I Adored It!

Georgette Heyer - These Old Shades

"Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, is known by friends and enemies alike as Satanas--the devil. On this particular evening, the dangerous rake crosses paths with Léon, a red-headed youth of low birth who is fleeing a certain beating at his brutal brother's hands. On a whim, Avon buys the boy and makes him his page. It soon becomes clear, however, that Léon is not what he seems, and that Avon has an ulterior motive for bringing him into his household. Set in pre-Revolutionary France, These Old Shades follows a twisting course as young Léon (or is it Léonie?) is swept up in a dangerous mystery: how to account for the page's amazing resemblance to the sinister Compte de Saint Vire, for example; and why will this man go to any lengths to get the youth in his power?"

I secretly hate that plot summary, but it was one of the only ones that I could find without doing it myself. But regardless, Georgette Heyer has done it again! With every book that I read by her, I fall more and more in love with her writing. This genre is exactly what a historical romanctic fiction fan craves! The romance is always just below the surface, so it doesn't slap you in the face. And the history... what could I possibly say about the historical aspects of the book? They are perfection. This particular book was wonderful because of the delightful Leon/Leonie. She reminds me a bit of Eliza Dolittle meets Jo March. And I adore her.

Fans of Heyer or of Jane Austen should definitely pick this book up for a read! Its mystery and romance is a perfect marriage. Enjoy!

Next up? I am trying out another vampire series called The House of Night. Everyone knows I love a good vampire story!