234. The Struggle by L.J Smith...

About the book:

Torn between two vampire brothers

Damon: Determined to make Elena his, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.

Stefan: Desperate for the power to destroy Damon and protect Elena, he gives in to his thirst for human blood.

Elena: The girl who can have anyone finds herself in the middle of a love triangle... one that might turn deadly

drey's thoughts:
Oh, Elena. Damon wants you. Stefan wants you. Caroline hates you. How do you deal with all that attention?? Or, not?

In this sequel to The Awakening, people are suspicious of Stefan, and his possible involvement in the killings--no thanks to certain people who don't care for him or Elena. Elena, of course, tries to find him, and prove his innocence, in the face of censure from her friends, classmates, and family. For no other reason that he couldn't have, because Damon must've done it. Okay......

I have to admit, I'm not loving the series. I might pick up the next few book, but I just as easily might not. This is a so-so series for me. I don't care much for Elena, who's very all-about-me, or Stefan, who's sooooo blinded by her (hmm, remind you of another series, perhaps?), or Damon, who's so bad that there's nothing redeemable in him... So, if I don't care for the 3 main characters, or the love triangle, then what's in this for me?

Title: The Struggle
Author: L.J. Smith
ISBN-10: 0061963879
ISBN-13: 9780061963872
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009 (media tie-in)
Purchase at Indiebound, Amazon.

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of The Struggle flitted through my house like a moth heading towards light... Yes, it's back at my local library.

228. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder...

About the book:

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. 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 happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And 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 powers she hadn't known she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

drey's thoughts:
Storm Glass is a continuation of the characters from Maria V. Snyder's Study series, but has a different character focus. We've shifted from Yelena's story, to Opal Cowen's. Opal was a minor character in Yelena's story, who helped Yelena out with her glass creations. She is now a magician-in-training, but her skills seems to be limited to the ability to make glass that other magicians can use to communicate. That, in addition to her history with Yelena, means most of the other students either shun or humiliate her. So, she's not a happy camper, except when she gets to work with glass.

But, because of her unique skill, she's asked to help the Stormdancers figure out what has been going wrong with their orbs. And while there, she meets Kade and is surprised by the spark of connection between the two of them. But Kade is in mourning, and has no room for Opal in his life, or his heart. So she goes on, without him. Then, she meets Ulrick, another glassmaker with limited magical ability. He becomes her sort-of protector, but she's torn between the two men.

I like Opal quite a bit more than Yelena. Can't quite pinpoint why, but I do. The situations she finds herself in, seem a bit more realistic, and the resolution more attainable without all of the harrowing trials that Yelena went through. Which is good, I guess. If the sky kept falling, there wouldn't be much of a sky left, would there? *grin* I'm looking forward to Sea Glass, to see if the story gets better.

Title: Storm Glass (Glass #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
ISBN-10: 0778325644
ISBN-13: 9780778325642
Paperback: 488 pages
Publisher: Mira, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Storm Glass took a side trip from the library to my house on it's way to more important destinations.

224. Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast...

About the book:

At the start of this heart-pounding new installment in the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey's friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren't Neferet's secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona is gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly growing influence, but what if this past life unearths secrets Zoey doesn't want to see and truths she can't face?

On the run and hold up in Tulsa's Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them alldown. Meanwhile, ZOey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well--they've even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home--but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex, Eric, but she can't stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet's sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

drey's thoughts:
Well, it's nice to know that while some things do change for the better, others don't. Neferet is still an evil bee-hive, only now she's got Kalona on her side. Or so she thinks. He wants Zoey, because he thinks she's the reincarnation of the maiden sent to lure him to his prison eons ago. Like Neferet needs another reason to not like Zoey...

Anyway, Zoey still has boy drama, friend drama, evil hordes to fight, and a world to save. Luckily for her, she still has her grandmother, and friends who stick by her for the greater good. My overall impression of the series? It's ok. I'll read another book if it comes out, but it won't be at the top of my wish list. That spot's reserved for Kitty's House of Horrors right now... =)

Title: Hunted
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN-10: 031237982X
ISBN-13: 9780312379827
Hardcover: 321 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Hunted paid a visit along with the other 4 books of the House of Night series, and returned safely to my local library.

220. Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast...

About the book:

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird-she's become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened.

drey's thoughts:
Zoey, Zoey, Zoey. Who cares why you kept secrets from your friends, when they thought you'd trusted them? Apparently not enough. Even if it makes perfect sense to you...

So now Zoey's alienated from her closest friends at the House of Night. And there's nothing she can do about it. And when it rains it pours, doesn't it? Because her BFF is back, and hopefully healed, and her frenemy has lost her Mark and her affinity for earth, but not her visions. Which now warn of the return of an ancient enemy... An enemy that Zoey's grandmother recognizes.

And so she has to overcome the mistrust of her closest friends, and rely even more on Aphrodite. And welcome assistance from unexpected new friends.

Untamed continues Zoey's saga as she tries to protect those she loves from harm. She grows up quite a bit here, which I'm happy about (surprised? I didn't think so...), and finds out that even those who are most unlike you, could be an ally against a common enemy.

Title: Untamed
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN-10: 0312379838
ISBN-13: 9780312379834
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Untamed was on loan from my local library...

219. Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast...

About the book:

Bloodlust and dark forces are at work at the House of Night…

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school are about to take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be her friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover about the secretive and sinister power that’s turning dead fledglings into bloodsucking monsters must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.

Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected position of having three boyfriends. Mix in more than a little forbidden desire to the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster of massive proportions. Then, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-loser in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends find out, things are not always what they seem…

drey's thoughts:
Yes, I read these back-to-back-to-back. I can't help it. There should be a rule at the library that I cannot check out an entire series at a time.

Chosen starts with Zoey's seventeenth birthday, and presents. And getting hit on by the old dude. Ugh. She also finds out that Aphrodite is the only person she can trust with certain knowledge, which is pretty ironic, considering how much the two of them don't get along.

People are dying again, and this time it's the staff at the House of Night. So there is now a full contingent of warriors at the school to protect the students. Which makes it more difficult for Zoey to sneak out to help her BFF get better. Yeah, that BFF. Surprise!

Chosen is a super-fast read, and you will breeze right through it if you're a fan of the series, or YA vampires. I definitely don't like all of the choices that Zoey makes in this installment--I'd hoped for a little more in the "good head on her shoulders" department. She's also a more emotional and angsty character here. Hopefully this improves in Untamed...

Title: Chosen
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN-10: 0312360304
ISBN-13: 9780312360306
Paperback: 307 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Chosen got lugged home from the library to get inhaled along with all the other books from the House of Night series that I could get my grubby mitts on...

218. Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast...

About the book:

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite group. Best of all, Zoey’s made some new friends and she finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. And despite the best efforts of her mother and step-loser John to humiliate her publically during parent visitation, she’s earned the respect of her professors and High Priestess, Neferet.

Then the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night, straining human-vamp tensions in Tulsa to a breaking point. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she finds herself drawn into an intoxicating forbidden flirtation that threatens to distract her from the growing crisis. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night. Too late, Zoey begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves, and she must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

drey's thoughts:
Oh, Zoey. She's taken over the Daughters of the Dark now, and is leading them in a new direction. And so all is well with her world. Or is it? After all, she's going out with the hottest fledgling on campus. But she's still Imprinted with her human boyfriend, Heath. And then, one of the (if not the) hottest vamp, like, ever, flirts with her.

Now, if you've been 'round here for a while, you'll know that this is where I say, Zoey, girl, keep your head on your shoulders. You already have a 2-boyfriend problem, what are you doing flirting back with an older, adult vampire? Seriously??

And if boy trouble isn't enough to mess with her mind, some of the boys she used to know get killed, and it looks like vamps did it. When Heath goes missing, I'm like, um, girl, someone's out to get you in trouble. The question is, who? And how? And then (yes, there's more), her best-friend-in-the-whole-place dies. Rough time for the new girl, eh?

Zoey grows up a little in places, and doesn't in others, which is pretty normal for a teenager, even one who's super-blessed by her goddess... But she doesn't do anything here to turn me off of her (except for flirting back with the "old" dude), and she does try to do the right thing. So far this series hasn't disappointed.

Title: Betrayed
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN-10: 0312360282
ISBN-13: 9780312360283
Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2007

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Betrayed came for a visit along with all the other books from the House of Night series, and went back to the local library.

215. Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie...

About the book:

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run - if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem-he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters-if they didn't hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven-but not before they are hanged.

drey's thoughts:
Ok, so if the "about the book" section above doesn't make you at least pick this book up, I don't know what will... *grin* So. After inhaling The Blade Itself, I swallowed Before They are Hanged. Literally. Mostly because it had to go back, like, NOW!

So. The adventure continues. And the characters that Joe introduced to us in book #1, continue on their merry way in book #2. Well, maybe not quite so merry way... But the tone and temperament of book #1 is definitely carried on in this one. And so. Prepare to chuckle out loud, even at passages that are a little more dire than those that deserve a chuckle. Because Joe's snarky wit is littered all over the pages of Before They are Hanged. Definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of fantasy, and especially if you're a fan of wit, snarkiness, sarcasm, and plain old understatement.

Title: Before They are Hanged
Author: Joe Abercrombie
ISBN-10: 1591026415
ISBn-13: 9781591026419
Paperback: 539 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Before They are Hanged sat patiently on my shelves for quite a while, waiting till I got and read The Blade Itself so I could get to it, and return it from whence it came (i.e. the public library).

206. Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine...

About the book:

Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Don't stay out after dark.

In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace--until all the rules got rewritten when evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since.

Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants--the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires be content to go back to the old rules after having had such a taste of power?

drey's thoughts:
Boy, did this book take it's time to make its way into my grubby mitts... But, hey, it got here, and it got read. Quick. Because I just had to know what happens.

Picking up from Lord of Misrule's misadventures, life in Morganville in this installment is definitely not fun--for humans or vamps. In fact, it's pretty glum. Which it would be, with an evil (say it in that funny pitch, and stretch out the "e") overlord sowing fear and chaos. And no, you still can't leave.

As if that's not bad enough for Claire, consider that she's got this magical tattoo that responds to Bishop's summons, her boyfriend's in a cage in the town square, her friend Eve thinks she's a traitor, and Michael's one of Bishop's. And she has to run errands for Bishop. Because he thinks it's fun to torture her like that...

Carpe Corpus has Claire and her gang taking back their town, with help from some of their vamps (of course). And the action will keep you turning the pages until you're at the end, when you let out--finally--a sigh of relief. Relief that book number six is just as satisfying as books one through five. A few more things are let out of the bag, and you will--as I do--wait till Fade Out gets into your hands.

Title: Carpe Corpus
Author: Rachel Caine
ISBN-10: 0451227190
ISBN-13: 978-0451227195
Paperback: 241 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series, Support Your Local library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Carpe Corpus came to visit for a week, from the local library.

201. Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara...

This is one of the books on my "I WANT IT" list. I really really (REALLY) like Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. So when a friend bought it for me, I completely devoured it. And then I did it again, just in case I missed something...

About the book:

A member of the elite Hawk force that protects the City of Elantra, Kaylin Neya has sacrificed much to earn the respect of the winged Aerians and immortal Barrani she works alongside. But the mean streets she escaped as a child aren’t the ones she’s vowed to give her life guarding. Those were much darker…

Kaylin’s moved on with her life–and is keeping silent about the shameful things she’s done to stay alive. But when the city’s oracles warn of brewing unrest in the outer fiefdoms, a mysterious visitor from Kaylin’s past casts her under a cloud of suspicion. Thankfully, if she’s anything, she’s a survivor….

drey's thoughts:
Where to start? This fifth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series is just as engrossing as the previous ones. I may be biased, here, because I love Kaylin, but I don't normally love books just because of a character...

There's lots going on here, but mostly it's a continuation of that feeling that something's rousing and it's not a good kind of something. A lot more history of Elantra is revealed, and a bit more of Kaylin's past, as well. And as you learn more about her, you're just a little amazed that she's as relatively normal as she is. Relatively being the key word, here.

It was nice to find out more about the supporting cast of characters. And what a cast it is. Pick these books up to find your favorite(s)... I'm now waiting impatiently for Cast in Chaos. Hurry up & get here... Please?

Title: Cast in Silence
Author: Michelle Sagara
ISBN-10: 0373803001
ISBN-13: 9780373803002
Paperback: 461 pages
Publisher: Luna, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series

Disclosure: My copy of Cast in Silence was bought and paid for by a personal friend who has nothing to do with the publishing business, and gifted to me.

199. Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill...

About the book:

VAMPIRES IN CHICAGO!

You'd think headlines like that would have provoked the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us blood-sucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying a celebrity status reserved for the Hollywood elite--fending off paparazzi, who are only slightly less dangerous than the cross- and stake wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong. Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side by side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle... yet.

All that will change once they learn about the Raves, mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior--but that doesn't make good copy for a first-time reporter looking to impress his high-society family.

So now my "master"--centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan--wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampires...and to keep the more unsavory aspects of our existence out of the media. But someone doesn't want people and vamps to play nicey-nice--someone with an ancient grudge.

drey's thoughts:
When Chloe Neill approached me about reviewing Friday Night Bites, I swooned. And when she so very nicely played along with my roundtable interview of the cast of characters from Some Girls Bite, I knew I liked her. And then, I read Friday Night Bites.

I love Merit. And I really enjoyed "watching" her grow. Some of the experience that she went through was not easy, nor was it fun. But all of it contributed to a Merit that was more. Faster. Stronger. And yet some things stay the same. She's still a vampire. Still attracted to Ethan. Still courted by Morgan. Still fighting to keep the vampire contained so that she can retain whatever shreds of her humanity she can hang on to.

And still using her brains to figure things out. Which I like, very very much. Another thing I liked about Friday Night Bites--the chapter headings, which are pretty amusing. Like, You Give Bite a Bad Name. And Merit's Deep, Dark (72% cocoa) Secret... So. If you're a fan of things that go bump (with fangs!) in the dark, pick up Chloe's books. You won't regret it.

Title: Friday Night Bites
Author: Chloe Neill
ISBN-10: 045122793X
ISBN-13: 9780451227935
Paperback: 357 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series

Disclosure: My copy of Friday Night Bites was provided by the author for this review.

185. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs...

About the book:

Anne Latham didn't know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son--and enforcer--of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn't know how dangerous it could be either...

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan--and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all--or risk losing everything...

drey's thoughts:
Hunting Ground is Patricia Briggs' follow up to Cry Wolf, where Anna finds out that instead of being a worthless submissive in the pack, she's actually a rarity--an Omega. The one that all pack members strive to protect, and not because she's weak. But because she's outside of the pack's hierarchy.

In this sequel, Anna and Charles head to Seattle to attend a summit with the Alphas from the other continents, to discuss the "outing" of the werewolves. While there, they run into the most feared European Alpha, nicknamed "The Beast" because, well, he is. (ha ha)

Things turn tense when Anna is attacked by vampires, and another Alpha's spouse is killed. Hunting Ground is precisely that, as Anna and Charles try to stay ahead of their enemies, while trying to figure out who they are.

While I prefer the Mercy Thompson series, Briggs' Alpha and Omega books display another dimension into the werewolf. And this is not bad reading, at all. Pick it up if you (a) like weres, (b) like Charles, (c) want a good story to go along with your weres (and Charles)...

Title: Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega #2)
Author: Patricia Briggs
ISBN-10: 044101738X
ISBN-13: 9780441017386
Paperback: 286 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Hunting Ground came from my local public library. It went back home safely after this review was written.

179. Walking Dead by C.E. Murphy...

About the book:

For once, Joanne Walker's not out to save the world. She's come to terms with the host of shamanic powers she's been given, her job as a police detective has been relatively calm, and she's got a love life for the first time in memory. Not bad for a woman who started out the year mostly dead.

But it's Halloween, and the undead have just crashed Joanne's party.

Now, with her mentor Coyote still missing, she has to figure out how to break the spell that has let the ghosts, zombies, and even the Wild Hunt come back. Unfortunately, there's no shamanic handbook explaining how to deal with the walking dead. And if they have anything to say about it--which they do--

NO ONE'S GETTING OUT OF THERE ALIVE.

drey's thoughts:
I so don't want to wait till 2010 for Book Five! Write faster, Catie! =) Ah well... In the meantime, let's talk about the current book, shall we? Walking Dead picks up a bit after Coyote Dreams left off. Joanne's now a detective, hoping to not regret the decision she made to take the promotion. She's also dating. Yeah. Crazy, I know.

Even crazier? Joanne's hosting a party. A Halloween party, to boot. And while she's all caught up in the getup Phoebe got her in (get it? =P), her party goes a teeny tiny bit awry. And so begins this next installment in the life of Siobhan Grainne MacNamarra Walkingstick.

Zombies and ghosts, mediums and exorcists, and the full complement of the Wild Hunt all put in an appearance in this fast-paced read from C.E. Murphy as Joanne tracks down a missing cauldron, follows lost souls, and solves a centuries-old cold case. Read the first three books--Urban Shaman, Thunderbird Falls, and Coyote Dreams--to get the back story. You don't have to, to enjoy this one, but you'll want to, because Joanne's one of my fav urban fantasy babes. So there. =)

Title: Walking Dead
Author: C.E. Murphy
ISBN-10: 037380301X
ISBN-13: 9780373803019
Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Luna, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Walking Dead came from my local public library. It went back home safely after this review was written. And I will most likely buy myself a copy to add to my series collection (unless someone wants to gift me one?)...

172. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong...

About the book:

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends — a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch — and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

drey's thoughts:
After reading The Summoning, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the follow-up, The Awakening. Thank goodness that didn't take too long... Chloe's in the Edison Group's hands, thanks to the botched escape attempt from Lyle House. And some "help" from those she trusted. Which just goes to show... Ok, ok, I won't spill... Even if you know you want it... *grin*

In The Awakening, Chloe confronts friends no longer here, those no longer "friends", as well as enemies no longer enemies. Make sense yet? It will. This time when she breaks away from the Edison Group, she has better luck. Along with Derek and Simon, and a fourth to make up a quartet, they make their way to Derek & Simon's father's friend Andrew. Where they find the expected and unexpected, and a hope for their future.

Fans of Kelley Armstrong will like this YA series, even if they don't usually read YA. Chloe is smart and strong, yet she freaks out at the icky manifestations of her power--and I so don't blame her for it!

Check it out:
The Awakening excerpt

Title: The Awakening (Darkest Powers #2)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN-10: 0061662763
ISBN-13: 9780061662768
Hardcover: 357 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library, Series

170. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead...

About the book:

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa--the last Dragomir princess--must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most... but will her choice man that only one can survive?

drey's thoughts:
Well, Richelle Mead doesn't disappoint with this next Vampire Academy book--there are lots of things going on, and it's non-stop from page one to page 443.

In addition to thinking she's seeing ghosts, Rose's mood swings are crazy bad. And when she finds out what happened to Vladimir and Anna, she understands the latter. So here's yet another secret she's keeping from Lissa... And when their field experience assignment pairs her with Christian instead of Lissa, Rose begins to think her world might be royally messed up.

Shadow Kiss will have you gripping the book till you're done. And boy, what an ending. I cannot wait for Blood Promise...

Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
ISBN-10: 1595141979
ISBN-13: 9781595141972
Paperback: 443 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

162. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning...

About the book:

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister's murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac's every thought--and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V'lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister's diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac's greatest enemy delivers a final challenge...

It's an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth--about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons...and about the world she thought she knew.

drey's thoughts:
Ok. If you haven't read Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, don't pick it up. Yet. Wait until Shadowfever comes out. Trust me--it's because once you pick up these books, you just HAVE TO know how it all wraps up. Might as well wait till they're all there to read. Or you'll be stuck in Fever purgatory with me, anxiously waiting for the last installment to this mesmerizing series. Not that I wouldn't welcome company. *grin*

Now that the "warning" has been delivered, on to the "fun" stuff! Not that Mac would call what happened to her, "fun". Even if her Pri-ya-self does, on her way back to reality. Whether reality is a preferable state, is up to you.

Dreamfever picks up exactly where Faefever left off, without missing a beat. And on goes the drums of hell through the streets of Dublin. When Mac comes to her senses, she goes on a tear to save her city, not caring about the enmity from her sister sidhe-seers, Rowena's censure, Dani's adoration, V'lane's attempts at reconciliation, or Barrons. Even Barrons. Especially Barrons. Eventually, she comes to the realization that as much as she wants to do it all her way, on her own, she cannot. And if she is going to avenge her sister's death, she needs to reach out to the others who share some of her goals.

And so Mac grows up.

Title: Dreamfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
ISBN-10: 0385341652
ISBN-13: 9780385341653
Hardcover: 362 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Series, Pub, Support Your Local Library

156. Frostbite by Richelle Mead...

About the book:

when Love and Jealousy collides on the slopes, winter break turns deadly...

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she could ever have imagined...

drey's thoughts:
Frostbite opens with a Prologue that pretty much covers the basics, so if you've not yet read Vampire Academy, you won't be lost. And from there on out, the pace explodes. Chapter One has Rose on her way to her Qualifier--where high-level Guardians determine whether novices can continue down the Guardian path. And instead of the test she expects, she finds a house full of the dead...

Next thing you know, her mother is in her classroom, talking about hunting Strigoi. Her mother, who hasn't been around since she packed Rose off so that she could go be a Guardian extraordinaire... And Rose blows a gasket. The interaction between Rose and her mother is normal-rebellious-teenager amped up by a factor of 10, which makes sense, given the sense of abandonment that Rose feels. And teenager that she is, it doesn't matter why her mother left her, it just matters that her mother did.

With teenagers as main characters, there is plenty of teenage angst--about identity, friendship, loyalty, and even love. All set amid a backdrop of murder and mayhem. A fitting sequel to Vampire Academy.

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
ISBN-10: 1595141758
ISBN-13: 978-1595141750
Paperback: 327 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library, Vampire, Series

154. Lip Gloss Jungle by Melissa de la Cruz...

About the book:

Lauren Page's plan was simple: Get a fabulous makeover, become one of the Ashleys, and once she was securely in their trenches, completely destroy them from the inside. The only problem is, now that Lauren is seventh-grade royalty she isn't so sure she wants to follow through--especially because Sadie, her former best friend and current best frenemy, has formed a new plan to bring down the Ashleys in all of her own fabulous makeover glory.

Now Lauren's plan of action has changed: to save the Ashleys. But with Ashley dating a penniless blue-collar, Lili shunning makeup and fashion, and A.A. questioning Ashley's loyalty, can it be done? Or will the Ashleys actually go down?

drey's thoughts:
I think this is the book I've been waiting for in this series, and it's fitting that it's bringing up the rear. In this installment, the tie that binds the Ashleys together starts fraying. Betrayals past come back to haunt Ashley. A.A. has to decide if having her boyfriend means confronting her "BFF" over a very tall tale that hasn't been 'fessed up to. And Lili doesn't like that their former threesome is looking to become a permanent foursome. Especially since they're faced with rivals. Like, for the first time ever!

Ashley grows up a little, Lauren chooses sides, A.A. throws down the gauntlet, and Lili asserts herself. A good, fitting conclusion to the Ashley series. I'll be taking a break from tween drama for a bit now.

Title: Lip Gloss Jungle
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
ISBN-10: 141693409X
ISBN-13: 978-1416934097
Paperback: 239 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library, Series

149. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich...

About the book:

Unbuckle your belt and pull up a chair. It's the spiciest, sauciest, most rib-sticking Plum yet.

Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head--literally.

Throw in some spice: Bail Bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she'll talk to is Trenton cop Joe Morelli.

Pump up the heat: Chipotle's sponsor is offering a million-dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.

Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur. Enough said.

Bring to a boil: Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, and five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, and solve Ranger's problems and not jump his bones?

Warning: Habanero hot. So good you'll want seconds.

drey's thoughts:
Well, one thing's for sure. Not much changes in Stephanie's world. She's still a not-so-good bounty hunter--the skips still give her trouble. Actually, more than just trouble. Lola's still too-much-in-too-little. Grandma Mazur's still stir crazy. Joe Morelli's still kinda-sorta-in-the-picture. Ranger's still hot. *grin*

Comic relief in this book comes from Lola and Grandma Mazur entering a BBQ cook-off. Because, um, like they can cook... But they sign up anyway, because there's a chance the killers will show up, and hey! Who can't use a million-dollar reward? Wait'll you read about the cook-off. You'll laugh your head off.

Family: Grandma Mazur is hilarious, as always. I am so glad she's not actually MY grandmother, holy moly is this lady nuts. Stephanie's parents are still suffering from living-with-Grandma-Mazur. But at least she doesn't have to bunk with them. Even if Lola does... And Stephanie's apartment gets firebombed.

Wheels: How many cars does Steph toast? Let us count, shall we? 1. Her Escort goes up in flames. 2. Stephanie manages to toast not one, but TWO Porsche Cayennes (which brings her total to 3 so far). Within 24 hours. With fire. I'm amazed that Ranger keeps giving her keys. I want that man. Like, seriously. And if Steph's vehicles aren't enough, Lula's Firebird is home to bullet holes.

Action: Not much happening here, except for some smooches. You'll have to read it yourself to find out with whom. Heh.

All in all, another rollicking read from Janet Evanovich. And even though this is #15 in a series, I think it'll be fine as a stand-alone read. You'll just wish you'd read the rest for a bit more of Ranger. Actually, I probably wouldn't mind a lot more of Ranger... *grin*

Title: Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
ISBN-10: 0312383282
ISBN-13: 978-0312383282
Hardcover: 308 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Series, Pub, Stephanie Plum, Support Your Local Library

146. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper...

About the book:

Forever a bridesmaid, Never an undead bride

Once a devoted children's librarian, Jane Jameson now works at a run-down occult bookstore. Once a regular gal, she's now a vampire. And instead of a bride, she's an eternal bridesmaid--which leads her to question where exactly her relationship with her irresistibly sexy sire, Gabriel, is headed. Mercurial, enigmatic, apparently commitment-phobic vampires are nothing if not hard to read. While Jane is trying to master undead dating, she is also donning the ugliest bridesmaid's dress in history at her best friend Zeb's Titanic-themed wedding. Between a freaked-out groom-to-be, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and Zeb's mother, hell-bent on seeing Jane walk the aisle with Zeb, Jane's got the feeling she's just rearranging the proverbial deck chairs.

Meanwhile, Half Moon Hollow's own Black Widow, Jane's Grandma Ruthie, has met her match in her latest fiancé. He smells like bad cheese and has a suspicious history of dead spouses. But Jane's biting her tongue. After all, would a nice girl really think she has a future with a vampire?

drey's thoughts:
Molly Harper so does NOT disappoint with this follow up to Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs! I laughed out loud at Jane's kvetching about the bridesmaid's dress--holy moly it's UGLY! Molly's descriptions, and her dialog, will have you laughing out loud. The characters are entertaining; I cannot believe the extent to which Zeb's mother will go to, to get Zeb to marry Jane instead of Jolene. And speaking of the werewolf, the "quality family time" with hers, is downright scary.

There's a bit of drama (wouldn't be interesting if there wasn't, now would it?), a dash of Bridezilla, and a whiff of corniness. But it all adds up to an enjoyable read that doesn't require much thinking, so if you're looking for entertaining & quick, pick this up.

Next up: Nice Girls Don't Live Forever, coming in January 2010. Is it too early to beg for a review copy now?

Title: Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson #2)
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN-10: 1416589430
ISBN-13: 978-1416589433
Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star Books, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Vampire, Series

145. Jealous? by Melissa de la Cruz...

About the book:

They have it all: Money, looks, popularity, anything their little platinum-encased hearts desire. They also have a new face. After Lauren Page's unexpected and brilliant maneuver at the fall VIP dance, she is in so tight with Ashley Spencer, the number one Ashley, that she might as well be Ashley's favorite pair of leggings.

But a new website, www.ashleyrank.com, catches on like the flu in February, and for the first time since kindergarten it's open season in the popularity race. Lauren Page sees a way in, Ashley Li and Ashley Alito see a way up, and Ashley Spencer sees a way to prove there's only room for one at the top.

drey's thoughts:
Well. Things are shaking up at Miss Gamble's. And all is good, as long as Ashley (Spencer) is (still) at the top of the new popularity ranks. That girl is all about her, and only her. She's navigated her way in with A.A.'s "boy". She still walks all over Lili. And she's gotten rid of that usurper, Lauren. But not for long...

When Lauren approaches the Ashleys about being on a reality show with her, as her friends, they jump at the opportunity. All of a sudden, they're trying to shine individually--because, duh, only one gets to go to the next round. The length to which these girls will go to, to one-up each other, makes me really really glad I didn't grow up with girls like them. With them for friends, who needs enemies?

Jealous? is full of pre-teen drama, and bad behavior. But, of course, I will have to finish up the series. Because it is entertaining. =) Birthday Vicious is on my library list, and should come home in the coming days. Lip Gloss Jungle is already waiting its turn...

Title: Jealous? (Ashleys #2)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
ISBN-10: 1416934073
ISBN-13: 978-1416934073
Paperback: 239 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2008

Challenges: Support Your Local Library, 100+, Series