The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond L. Atkins

 

I love good Southern literature.  It draws you in, makes you laugh and cry, and tells a great story.  The Front Porch Prophet is good Southern literature.  It weaves a heart-warming and heart-wrenching story about two men, A.J. and Eugene, best friends since Kindergarten.  They have led incredibly different lives and found themselves estranged when tragedy brings them back together.  The story of their friendship, their lives and the lives of those around them is told with humor and compassion.  Thank you Barnes & Noble for offering this as a Free Friday selection--I absolutely loved this book.

A.J. is a good guy-- he loves his wife and children, has a good relationship with his father and a good job at the mill.  He's got a few shadows in his past, but he's really as good as they come.  His best friend, Eugene, chose another path.  He's divorced and basically estranged from his wife and children.  He pays his support late as a matter of principle.  He runs an illegal boot legging operation and beer joint, but he's a good and loyal friend.  When Eugene asks A.J. to visit him after not speaking to each other for three years, A.J. comes but has no idea how his world is about to be changed.

The story is compelling and well-written with likable and entertaining characters.  I really enjoyed the dialogue and interaction between the various characters.  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good story.

Alpha by Rachel Vincent

Alpha (Shifters Book 6) is the final book in the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent.  The series focuses, mainly, on Faythe Sanders and her family/community of Werecat Shifters.  Stray (Shifters Book 1) introduces us to Faythe and her world--the world she's been desperately trying to escape.  Certain events draw her back into the Pride and her place in the Shifters world.  Over the course of six books, we get to know Faythe, her brothers, her parents and Marc, her first love, as well as the various other members of her father's Pride.  Faythe isn't your typical Tabby, female werecat.  Tabbies are prized and treasured and Faythe wants no part of that.  She wants to blaze her own trail and she does, making numerous mistakes and enemies along the way.  You can't help but admire her determination to break the mold and be her own woman. 

I've really enjoyed the Shifter series.  However, knowing that Alpha (Shifters Book 6) is the final book in the series, it sat on my TBR shelf for quite a while.  You see, Faythe had gotten herself into a very sticky situation in Shift (The Shifters, Book 5) and since I knew she'd have to make her decision in Alpha (Shifters Book 6), I put off reading it because I wasn't convinced I'd like the way the series ended.  However, I did finally pick it up the other day and had a very hard time putting it down. 

Faythe and her Pride are getting ready to take on the Council and it's corrupt leader.  Still reeling from the events and losses of Shift (The Shifters, Book 5), they attempt to use their wits to outsmart their enemies.  Unfortunately, their enemies are so powerful that even concrete evidence of wrong doing is brushed aside.  They have no choice but to resort to force--and they are in a weak position.  Faythe is forced to develop quickly into a leader and her unique perspective on things just might be her ace in the hole.

The entire Shifters series was very enjoyable.  The characters are strong and likable and, despite being werecats, very believable.  The series really focuses more on family and Faythe's development as a person than on a group of werecats.  Granted, the stories all involve being werecats, since the Pride is struggling against the shifter Council and the other Prides, but the heart of the stories is about love, belonging and being able to stretch your wings and grow.  Rachel Vincent created a wonderful character in Faythe, a real role model for young women looking to be their own person.  She isn't afraid to stick to her beliefs, nor is she afraid to make mistakes--and she certainly makes more than a few :)  Faythe learns and grows so much during the series, becoming a strong, independent woman not afraid to ask for help--a very likable character indeed. 

I really loved reading the Shifter series and am sorry to see it end.  If you haven't read it yet, the sequence is:  Stray (Shifters Book 1), Rogue (Shifters Book 2), Pride (Werecats, Book 3), Prey (Werecats, Book 4), Shift (The Shifters, Book 5) and finally Alpha (Shifters Book 6).  Happy reading :)

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

I love the Sookie Stackhouse series--my only complaint is that the books aren't long enough & I have to wait another year to read the next one!

There's trouble brewing in Bon Temps and Sookie finds herself in the middle of it all.  Her past has come back to haunt her in a most unpleasant way, her relationship with Eric is severely strained and something is definitely up with the fairies.  And, in the midst of all this, she nearly forgot that she's hosting a baby shower for her best friend Tara.

Sookie has come a long way from the waitress who never dated, due to her unique abilities, to the wife of a vampire sheriff.  She finds herself in a world surrounded by supernatural beings, some of whom are her relatives, and caught up in the politics of these worlds.  She's dealing with weres/shifters, vampires and fey in this story--which has a return visit from Bubba, one of my favorite characters in the series :)  She feels a growing separation with Eric and believes it is due to the current regent of the area, Victor, who is doing everything in his considerable power to find a reason to justify killing Eric.  Victor is a problem, but there is more going on beneath the surface than she knows.  She is still living with Claude and Devlin, although she finds out that what has drawn them to live with her is more than just her fae blood.  The mysterious Mr. Cataliades makes an appearance, revealing more to Sookie about her fae heritage and also managing to save her skin, albeit indirectly. 

Overall, the book has a lot going on.  Sookie seems to have a lot of balls in the air while juggling all the intrigue and politics surrounding her.  Throw in a visit from an old friend and things get almost chaotic.  My only disappointment in this book, and indeed in some of the more recent books in the series, is regarding Sookie's relationship with Eric.  I understand that the characters will have problems, particularly since Sookie is a fairly independent woman who enjoys taking care of herself and Eric is still, in many ways, a Viking warrior.  However, I feel like the relationship is only given consideration when it is relevant to a separate plot point instead of being relevant for it's own sake.  I know this isn't a romance series, but I keep feeling teased at the end of each book.  It's like:  come on already!  Things start to look happy and then something else happens to drive a wedge between them!  I hope that this relationship either blossoms or ends soon because I'm seriously craving some progress on this point.  Otherwise, I really liked the book.  I hope I didn't include any true spoilers in this little rant of mine because I would hate to ruin the book for anyone, but I really needed to share :)

So, for all you Southern Vampires fans, go and read the book!  If you haven't read the series, go start now with Dead until Dark.

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie is not my typical read.  I am not generally a fan of dystopian society books, but this one kept coming up on my amazon.com recommendations list.  I was somewhat intrigued by the premise, so I put it on my paperbackswap.com wish list last summer.  About 6 months later, it was in my mailbox.  Then, it sat on my shelf for 2 more months until I picked it up on Friday.  It is a really good read.

Cassia lives in a world regulated by the Society, nothing is left to chance, there are no decisions to be made.  Your data determines the best job for you, the best place to live and the best person to be your Match.  Everyone is guaranteed a long life, there are no diseases and undesirables are removed from society.  It all seems perfect until her 17th birthday, the evening of her Match banquet.  She learns that she is to be matched with her best friend, Xander--only something is wrong.  Her information disc, designed to provide her with information about her Match, shows someone else--another boy she knows.  Cassia must decide what to do--does she pursue the possible Match with Ky or does she blindly follow the words of the Official that tell her that her Match with Ky is a mistake?

Cassia's journey from true-believing child to questioning adult is very well-written.  At first, she is unsure if she should even be questioning the authority of the Officials.  However, her own feelings lead her to notice the small rebellions going on around her:  her father, Xander, her grandfather, her mother.  The acts of others strengthen Cassia's convictions until she is questioning the entire basis of the Society.  I really enjoyed the world created by Ally Condie.  The strict regimentation of the Society seems, at first, to benefit everyone.  As Cassia's eyes open, so to do the reader's, to see that not everyone and everything is as equal as the Society claims things to be.  Nor is the Society as powerful or infallible as the image it projects. 

I highly recommend Matched by Ally Condie.  Also, look for the sequel, Crossed (Matched) due out in November 2011.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

 

I am a big fan of both the Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices series, so I have been anxiously awaiting the release of City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4) for a while now.  I have to say that I was not disappointed.

After defeating Valentine and his followers in Idris, we find most everyone back in New York adjusting to the new order of things while the Clave prepares new accords uniting Shadowhunters and Downworlders.  Clary is caught up in her training as a Shadowhunter, her mother & Luke's impending wedding and Jace--always Jace.  Simon is trying to live a 'normal' life while hiding his true nature from his family and juggling Izzy and Maia, who do not not he is dating both of them.  It all starts off as somewhat typical young adult issues, until the dead bodies of Shadowhunters start showing up in different parts of town.  Then, the intrigue begins...

I don't want to give away too much of the story because I believe that the anticipation of what happens next is probably the best part of a really good story.  This is a really good story.  There are mysterious new characters introduced and some characters from Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) are brought into this series.  The main mystery, while disturbing, is well-developed and I have to admit that there were more than a few times when I thought "I didn't see that coming".  Those are moments that I truly enjoy.  The characters are very real and likable, the stories are wonderfully fantastic without going so far as to be science fiction.  While the main characters are young, the stories go beyond the label YA and can be enjoyed by everyone.

Cassandra Clare has created an incredible world in both series, all of her stories have been captivating and incredibly well-written.  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the Mortal Instruments series and look forward to City of Lost Souls (scheduled for 5/2012 release).  If you have not read any of the Mortal Instruments series, start with City of Bones (Mortal Instruments).  Also, for any fans of the Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) will be released on December 6th!

Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

Thank you Barnes & Noble Free Fridays for providing me with such a fun read.  Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell is a delightfully funny romance, nothing too risque and having a lot of heart.  Millie finds herself in a bit of a bind--she's without a boyfriend and without a job, making for the perfect situation to be rescued by Orla Hart, romance writer.  Orla is reeling from a scathing review of her last book and is determined to write something better.  She decides to base her next book on real life, Millie's real life.  However, as Millie's life isn't as exciting as Orla would like, Orla decides to bring in some romantic candidates.  What she doesn't know, is that Millie is holding out on her.

As I said, this is a fun read.  The characters are realistic and funny.  Millie is surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast:  Hester, her best friend whose boyfriend is working 500 miles away, Millie's father and his wonderful partner Judy, the polar opposite of Millie's mother, Adele who left for London, looking for a more exciting life, Nat, Hester's perfect and absent boyfriend; Lucas, Hester's lifelong crush who is more than meets the eye; the gorgeous Con Devereaux, incredibly famous movie star with his own secrets.  And Hugh.

I've never read Jill Mansell before, and this book reminded me very much of a Sophie Kinsella/Marian Keyes type story.  Mind you, Mansell definitely has her own style and it's a very nice one, but I was reminded of these other authors, whom I love.  In fact, I'm planning to add plenty of Jill Mansell to my download list.  I was thrilled when I checked her website to see that she has quite an impressive list of books and awards to her credit.   I've been off of "chick lit" for a while, but I think Millie's Fling might just bring me back for a while.

Why is it so hard to review books I like?

Why is it so difficult to review books I really like?  The reader in me was thrilled to learn that I had won an Advance Readers Copy of Shift (Shade, Book 2) by Jeri Smith-Ready, while the reviewer in me thought "how on earth am I going to write about this?".  My problem is that when I like a book, I want to talk about the book, what happened and how it made me feel, but I don't want to add spoilers to my reviews.  So, I find myself writing and re-writing, editing out and shortening until I don't feel like I've spoiled anything and wondering if I've said enough.  I often feel like I haven't done justice to a book I really enjoyed because I seem to just say that I enjoyed it without really going into why I enjoyed it.  I don't know that my recommendation alone is enough to make someone want to read the book.  I have spent the last few days trying write a review of Shift (Shade, Book 2) that I am comfortable posting.  I am trying to convey how much I enjoyed the book without spoiling it for potential readers, but I find myself discussing plot points and things that a reader might prefer to discover on her own.  I don't want to focus on how the book is written because well-written doesn't necessarily mean enjoyable story, and this book is both.  Anyway, I feel like I've worked out some of my issues here and hope to post a well-written review of Shift (Shade, Book 2) very soon.

WOW: Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, highlighting the upcoming releases being eagerly awaited. 

My WOW this week is:  Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks, due for release on March 29.  I love this series!  It's a lot of fun mixed up with adventure and steamy romance!  The Love at Stake series centers around a group of vampires that drink synthetic blood.  Of course, there are also some shape shifters thrown in for good measure--it seems like vampires & shifters go hand-in-hand lately, doesn't it?  The vampires are fighting the good fight against another group of vampires that cling to the old ways of human consumption, threatening to expose their kind to the world at large.  Along the way, the good guys find romance.  Each story focuses on the story of a different vampire or shifter, while still including the majority of the other characters in the series.  This manages to keep the stories from getting repetitive or boring, while still keeping a connection to the series. 

These books are fun--full of humor and romance.  The first in the series is How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 1).  I'd recommend that anyone who hasn't read the series start there, since the books each contribute to the overall series in order.  If you like vampire romance, this series is a great read!

Review: Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost

The third installment in the Southern Witches series brings us back to Duvall, Texas with Tammy Jo Trask, pastry chef and late-blooming witch. Still recovering from battling the fairies and werewolves, she is trying to focus on her 'normal' life and her career while avoiding the oh-so-sexy Bryn Lyons. Of course, ever since her magic started emerging, things rarely turn out like Tammy Jo plans.

Things in Duvall are a bit crazy. It seems that some of the townspeople that Tammy Jo helped during the battle are on a crusade to rid the town of witchcraft. On top of that, WAM is coming to investigate and dole out punishment to both Tammy Jo and Bryn. And, she finally hears of her mother & Aunt Mel: her mother is in fairy and Aunt Mel is trapped in England without her powers. So, who else can she turn to besides the incredibly handsome Bryn?

In Halfway Hexed (A Southern Witch Novel), Frost brings us deeper into Tammy Jo's relationship with Bryn. Tammy Jo really starts to acknowledge the depths of her feelings for Bryn--despite the family prophecy meant to keep them apart. With no one else she can depend on, she really begins to wonder just how bad can the prophecy be?

I enjoyed this installment, although the ending left me wondering if there will be another. While some things are resolved to a point where the story could end, there are still other things left unresolved. Nothing on Kimberly Frost's website gives the indication of future books. None the less, I have enjoyed reading the Southern Witches series and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.

Review: Arcane Circle by Linda Robertson

Arcane Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 4) is the 4th book in the Persephone Alcmedi series.  It picks up just after the end of Fatal Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 3).  In fact, some of the issues from the previous book are still up in the air as this one begins.

I really enjoyed this book, but it's difficult to review without spoilers.  Some of the events from the previous book impact the plot of this story and I'm afraid that if I go into too much depth of review, I'll spoil the suspense for another reader.  So, I'll be keeping things somewhat vague in this one.

Robertson really begins to unlock some of the background of her characters in this story.  Elements from Persephone's and Johnny's pasts come into play during the story.  A large part of the story is focused on Johnny's being recognized as Domn Lup and the search to find the person who can unlock his power, which is being contained in his tattoos.  We learn a little more about Johnny and his struggles in dealing with losing his father figure and being acknowledged as Domn Lup, while accepting this truth about himself.  I enjoyed having more of the focus on Johnny, as the story was more focused on Menessos in Fatal Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 3).  The relationship between Johnny and Persephone is explored more in this book and seems to be getting stronger, despite the temptation of Menessos.  Of course, the pressures and expectations of Johnny being Domn Lup have only just started to impact his relationship with Seph.

Not everything is resolved at the end of the book, leading me to believe that there will be another addition to the Persephone Alcmedi series and I look forward to reading it.

For anyone who hasn't read the Persephone Alcmedi series of books, Vicious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 1) is where to start :)

Review: The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor is an interesting take on the Alice in Wonderland story. This interpretation contends that Alyss Heart, Princess of Wonderland, is the Alice of the Lewis Caroll story. When her evil Aunt Redd attacks and kills her parents, Alyss flees to the outside world. Separated from her escort and bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, Alyss finds herself an orphan in London who is eventually adopted by The Liddells. Her adoptive family dismisses Alyss' stories of her life in Wonderland as flights of fantasy. She gives up her memories of Wonderland when a family friend publishes her stories under the pen name Lewis Carroll. Alyss is hurt and angry because she feels her life has been trivialized and turned into a fairy tale. She becomes determined to be the ideal daughter and truly becomes Alice Liddell. She is set to marry Prince Leopold when a figure from her past arrives and brings her back to the ruins of the Wonderland where she grew up. Redd has destroyed the city and all those who support White Imagination, that of the former King and Queen. She and her followers practice Black Imagination, which is destructive and evil. In order to restore Wonderland to the peaceful land of her childhood, Alyss must learn to hone her imaginative skills and defeat her aunt.

This book took a long time for me to read. I kept getting hung up comparing it to the original story. I was also distracted by the semblance to the real life story of Alice Liddell and the fabricated parts created for the character of Alice Liddell. In fact, at one point, I put the book down and left it for over a month. I read quite a few other books before I came back to finish it. However, I did come back to finish it. I enjoyed the adventure of the story, and the change and development of Alyss' character. It makes an interesting statement about how much is lost when imagination is discouraged. It furthers the statement with the power Alyss has once she begins to hone her imagination as an adult. The characters were interesting, particularly Alyss' childhood friend Dodge, but many of them were weakened by being based on characters in the original story. For example, Hatter Madigan may have appeared as a stronger hero figure if I weren't thinking of him as the Mad Hatter.

I can't even decide if I liked this story or not. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been based on Lewis Carroll's Alice. Of course, being based on the famous work is part of what drew me to the book in the first place. I'll say this--The Looking Glass Wars is an interesting adventure filled with some familiar characters in a familiar land. Will I read the sequel, Seeing Redd: The Looking Glass Wars, Book Two? Probably, if I come across it on a book exchange site, but I won't be paying to download it.

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, No. 5) finds MJ Holliday and the cast of Ghoul Getters in Ireland, investigating a haunted castle.  However, this is no ordinary haunted castle, this castle boasts a phantom and a legend of lost treasure.  Upon their arrival in Ireland, the team finds that several treasure hunters before them have lost either their lives or their sanity trying to locate the lost treasure of Dunlow Castle.

MJ is back, helping lost spirits and busting evil ones.  She's got Gilley, Heath and her television crew with her.  They are in Ireland visiting a very haunted castle--with helpful and harmful spirits.  When a member of her crew goes missing, presumably lost to the phantom, the kinder spirits at the castle charge her with solving the mystery of the phantom and ridding the castle of it.  Only then will they assist her in finding her friend.  MJ finds herself solving several mysteries, including the mystery of her feelings for Heath.

Victoria Laurie provides a fun adventure, mixed with some ghost hunting and a little romance, in this addition to the Ghost Hunter Mysteries.  MJ continues to be her witty, entertaining self, and her relationships with Gilley and Heath add humor and romance to the mix.  Overall, this follows the previous books in the series very nicely and I hope we see more development between MJ and Heath in the future.

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers, Book 3) brings us back to the world of Kaylee Cavanaugh, teen-aged bean sidhe.  Kaylee, still adjusting to life with her recently returned father, is finally finished with her grounding from her last adventure when the Netherworld rears its ugly head in her home town.  It appears that some of the students in her school, friends of Nash, are inhaling Demon's Breath for a high, unaware of its otherworldly origins or of its deadly consequences.

Kaylee and Nash set out to protect the student body from the highly dangerous Demon's Breath, but all is not as it seems.  Nash's behavior is erratic and he keeps trying to Influence Kaylee.  Both Emma and Sophie are wrapped up in things via their respective boyfriends, and Kaylee can't know for sure how much danger either of them are in.  She wants to go to the adults for help but Nash keeps stopping her.  The whole story seems a bit disjointed before things finally click into place for Kaylee and, vicariously, for the reader.  Once the core of the story begins to unwind, we see that all roads lead to Avari, the hellion whose attempt to snatch Kaylee's soul was thwarted in My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers Book 2).  I won't tell you how things develop to this point, but once Avari is revealed, things begin to make a little more sense and the action begins to pick up.  Kaylee must make some difficult choices and take a long, hard look at who is truly on her side.

In My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers, Book 3), Kaylee begins to grow up.  She has to make difficult decisions based on what is right, not on what she wants.  She also seems to have made an enemy in Avari, bringing Netherworld into her life on terms other than her own.  Her actions in previous books are coming back to either benefit her or make her re-evaluate the consequences of her previous decisions.  Overall, I think that this book represents a turning point in the series.  Kaylee is maturing, the problems are getting bigger and the villain is badder.  It seems as if the character relationships will be more complex in the coming stories which will benefit the series' longevity.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

The Story Sisters is an incredible tale of love, loss, tragedy and betrayal. It follows the lives of the Story Sisters: Elv, Meg & Claire and how each of their lives is impacted by a single tragedy which places each of them on the path to her destiny. Alice Hoffman's telling leads us into a dark world of sadness, depression, drug abuse and death. It is written so honestly and thoughtfully that the reader is drawn into the world of these sisters and feels their pain right along with them. This is an amazing work.

I absolutely love Alice Hoffman & tend to devour her books rather quickly. This one, however, took me over a week to read. When I started it, the material was a little dark & disturbing, so I put it down, walked away & actually read another book before I came back to it. But, I did come back to it. I really wanted to know what happened to these girls and I cried several times while reading it. But, it was worth working through all the tragedy and heartbreak these girls face in order to see where they end up. As usual, I can't wait for the next Alice Hoffman to show up on my shelf.

Wondrous Strange

Lesley Livingston's first installment in the series really captured my attention. Granted, the plot wasn't overly complicated and was a bit predictable, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Kelley, a young actress living in New York City, gets her big break when the actress playing Titania gets injured and can't do on. Once Kelley steps into the role of Titania, the parallels between her own life and the characters in the play start to develop. She meets Sonny, a changeling stolen from the cradle and raised in the realm of the fae. Together, they embark on a quest to find Kelley's true identity and save the human realm from the Wild Hunt. Livingston's story is well-written and highly entertaining. It is a great first installment and definitely has me interested in the next book, Darklight.