Book #11 Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I have to confess...this is kind of a cheat book. I have read Hunger Games before, when it first came out, but with my daughter losing her marbles about the upcoming movie and wanting me to see it with her...I figured I better reread the novel, and follow up with the remaining two in the series. 

So with a slow period at my workplace, and with the help of my coworker, Mallory, I was able to get a .pdf copy of Hunger Games and read it while "working".  It wasn't really what I wanted to do, but sitting at your desk twiddling you thumbs is about as fun as eating glass. 

Hunger Games is a story based in  the nation of Panem (which was formally North America).  There is the Capital-something like the capital city-surrounding by 12 districts.  Each year the Capital  puts on The Hunger Games, a fight to the death for two children (one boy and one girl) from each of the districts.  The individual who "wins" or lives to the end of the Hunger Games is given food, housing etc. for themselves as well as their impoverished district. 

Katniss Everdeen is forced into the Hunger Games.  She regards it as a death sentence and knows she may never see her family again.  Something inside of Katniss awakens in this novel, and she learns to survive amongst 23 other kids who are looking to kill her, to win the Hunger Games. 

Although this was the second time I have read this book, I found myself immersed in the story more, and not that I remember everything from the first time I read the book, I'm pretty sure I was catching a lot of things I missed with the first reading.  The book is an excellent read, and I recommend everyone to pick it up.  If you don't , please don't see the movie...there's nothing worse than seeing a movie and then reading the book and you realize how much they cut from the movie (Psst...I haven't seen the Harry Potter movies yet...because I haven't read all the books).

Well I'm pretty sure I'm somewhat ready for the movie now...but to make my zombager (teenage zombie) daughter happy I will continue on with Catching Fire...what the heck else am I going to do at work???

Closing the doors of the crypt library for now, till next time my little minions!

Book #10 Kiss of Midnight By Lara Adrian

Any of you have a  co-worker who pays attention to what your reading, and gives you suggestions on what to read??  Well I do have a co-worker that does this...and damn you Heather!!!  I am cursing you!!

Now I must say...I am not an individual who loves romance novels, but vampire smut, I'm all there!  Heather pointed me to the author Lara Adrian who writes the Midnight Breed novels, and now I'm hopelessly ADDICTED.

For those of you who have read J.R. Wards, Black Dagger Brotherhood series these books are something like it.  A group of vampires called the Breed, fight against Rogue vampires...those that have succumbed to the Bloodlust, making them feral animals with no sense of right or wrong.

The first book is about Lucan Thorne, the leader of the Breed and an direct defendant of the original vampires.  He suffers everyday fighting against his bloodlust, not wanting to turn into the thing he hates most.  He lives everyday fighting with himself and the Rogues.

Gabrielle Maxwell is a young woman who goes out for a night on the town with her closest friends.  She unwillingly witnesses a murder in the back alley behind the club she's at.  Always the trigger happy photographer, she snaps some photos on her cell phone, but the flash catches the attention of the yellow eyed men that are ripping their victim apart.

Lucan has been watching Gabrielle in the club, he follows her outside and witnesses what has happened.  He knows he has to protect her from the Rogues, but will saving her life draw her into his arms??

I really enjoyed this book, it is very close to the JR Ward series (as I mentioned before) but it does have some different angles to it.  Now, I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, so I was totally down with this book.  I love big, dark vampires and smutty vampire sex.  Yes even me, in my little dark crypt, have desires for a manly vampire!!

Closing the doors on the crypt library...til next time my little minions!!

Book 9-Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

How many of you out there love Shakespeare?? How many hate his work?? I myself love Macbeth and Hamlet (anything with a murder and or ghosts and such) but hated Romeo and Juliet...I couldn't bring myself to read the whole play...even though it ends in death and suicide...I couldn't get past the poopy "Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?"  Excuse me...the brains I ate last night are coming up.... *gag*

So when my BFF the Banshee of Busby, Dawn called me over to meet the amazing author Jessica Bell (in from Greece I might add) You can check her books here: http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jessica+bell&x=0&y=0) and have dinner, I knew she had something to give me!

After dinner the Banshee handed me a book, Juliet Immortal, I was interested right from the start (after all the Banshee is a writer herself and has a knack for picking out good reads). Then I read the synopsis and was kinda iffy about continuing the book...but I pushed through and was pleasantly surprised :)

Juliet Immortal is a story about Romeo and Juliet, but much, much different. This story takes place in present time and now, the two work against each other. Juliet's soul works for the Amabasadors, those who work to make sure true "soul mates" are together for eternity. Juliets "job" is to inhabit a living individual and ensure the two people end up together. Romeo's soul works for the Mercenaries who strive to make sure the soul mates are never together. Romeo inhabits only the dead, and works against Juliet.

For 700 years the two have worked against each other, until Juliet in her new body, has found someone she is forbidden to love, and Romeo uses everything in his power to destroy that love..he wants Juliet to love him..only him.

Honestly this book was great...I found myself intrigued by the concept of the story, and the fact that it wasn't all smoochy and love. These two characters from the greatest love story of all time (to some...not me), were against each other...it was purely poetic!

I loved the characters, the setting, and the conflict in the book.  If you looking for a different spin on Shakespeare pick up this book.  But I must warn you, this is a young adult novel, so there is no gratuitous gore, sex, or language...Bummer :(

Look past those little negatives for a great read!  I promise you!

I am actually almost done my 10th book on the challenge.  I am going to curl up in my coffin and finish it.  Type at you all soon!!

Book 8-Dead City by Joe A McKinney

Wow...the crypt is white today. After an easy winter here in Canada it looks like Mother Nature has put the joke on us. Snow fell yesterday, not a little bit of snow, but something around the amount of a foot. It's white and fluffy and painful to the eyes when you go outside.

But anyway onto my reason for this blog post, book #8 of the 100 book challenge Dead City by Joe A. McKinney! After wandering though the crypt library for a while, I was stumped on what to read..I have lots of horror novels, but nothing was really peaking my fancy..so I went to find my iPad, where I have lots of novels (mainly those from my fav authors J.A Konrath, Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch). I was scrolling aimlessly when I stumbled upon Dead City and realized I needed a whole heck of a lot of blood, innards and gore to settle my book needs (c'mon with a cover like that, who couldn't resist!)

Ok now let me say if your looking for a book with in depth characters, feeling or some sort of impact you will not find it in this book. This book is perfect for those of us who love to "roll" with the blood, brain eating, and all out carnage that zombies cause. It was an easy read with lots of rotting flesh, black vomit, and empty body cavities. Amazing!

Although I loved the gore factor in the book, I found myself not believing in the characters plights. They are almost hollow in a way...but the gore made up for it and kept me reading.

So now my appetite for gore is somewhat satiated..yeah right! I am able to move onto book #9. Hopefully it will have a bit more feeling, but the same amount of gore. I know...keep dreaming.

Til next time my little minions!

Book 7-The Presence by Heather Graham

Ever have an author that you purchase 90% of the books they write, and you never read them?? Such is the case for me with Heather Graham. I have purchased her books for years and never had the chance to read them...until I finally picked up Haunted (book #3 for this year). Now I wouldn't say I'm addicted to her novels, but I do enjoy story with some kind of supernatural elements to it. Heather Graham does not disappoint.

The Presence is the story of a bunch of friends that rent a castle in Scotland, hoping to turn it into a tourist attraction using a story that is generated by Toni Fraser, unfortunately her faux story is all to real. Toni as a child had dreams of murders that were going to be committed. With the help of Adam Harrison, a man who runs a paranormal investigation agency, she has learned to suppress her visions and learn to deal with them, but with the return of the current Laird of the castle, Bruce MacNiall (who looks exactly like the character she envisioned in her story for the attraction), she is finding she is unable to stop her visions. The ghosts of the castle are trying to tell her something...is it a warning about her sudden attraction to Bruce? Is it something to do with the current murders in the town of Tillingham? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The Presence is a book that intertwines romance, mystery, and paranormal suspense. I found the paranormal aspect of the story wasn't all that engaging, but the electricity between Toni and the Laird Bruce MacNiall is what kept me turning the pages. You can't help but wonder if they're going to kill each other or get together. The story was well paced, and somewhat intriguing. My only complaint is the paranormal aspect wasn't scary...I like it when ghosts can give you chills up your back or make you look over your shoulder. I didn't feel this with this novel, but it is interesting enough to keep you turning the pages.

I am not closing the doors of the library just yet..I am wandering around amid the pages and floating dust trying to find another book to read...think I might need to get a maid down here..

Til next time my little minions!

Book 6 Cinder-By Marissa Meyer

Ok, Ok, so I'm off to a bit of a slow start for this 100 book challenge, I have actually read 7 books, but haven't had the time to blog about them. My crypt, family and the working life have called a few to many times and not allowed me to nestle down in my reading coffin to really get into a book...until now.

After bumming around on Facebook one afternoon, I happened on a listing for Chapters.ca for a book called Cinder, I was instantly intrigued with the book. Having an immense desire to have the book in my dusty hands, I snuck out (little to the zombie dad's knowledge) and picked it up.

Now honestly after picking up the book I looked at the cover closely and kinda thought to myself WTF?? It shows a robotic leg inside a red high heeled shoe...Ok it was either robotic erotica, or sci fi type of story. I remembered just after thinking about the robotic erotica, that this is a young adult novel so erotica it is not...sci fi it is...bummer. :(

I am not a sci fi reader at all...honestly I find the genre boring, and not all that engrossing...unless it's has a lot of brain sucking, limb ripping aliens or something along that line (come on who in their right mind, doesn't love the game Dead Space?). Which really took me by surprise, when I couldn't put Cinder down.

Cinder takes place in the future after World War 4 and the entire world is nothing like we know now. Cinder is a teenage cyborg who is both ostracized by society simply because of what she is. She struggles to find her place, and runs her own mechanic shop in the market where she does repairs on androids, hovercrafts etc. for the people of New Beijing. She struggles with life at home with her stepmother, and two step sisters who are always against anything and everything she does.

The planet of Earth is struggling with a plaque-Letumosis, and people called Lunars that live on the moon and their Queen is hell bent on marrying the emporer. Doctors are struggling to find a cure for the plague, but cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what to do about the disease. And now the Emperor of New Beijing is dieing Letumosis.

On a somewhat happier note New Beijing is holding the annual Ball. Cinder would like to go, and her stepmother promises she can go if she finishes her chores, which strangely seem to add up as soon as Cinder finishes one. She is defeated and realizes that her dreams of going to the ball will not come to be...until the Prince Kai shows up at her repair business....

This is an amazing book. It is a retelling of the Cinderella story from a futuristic/science fiction angle. Marissa Meyers discribes her characters with such intense wording that you can't help but feel for everything they are going though. From Cinder, to her "wicked" stepmother you can't help but love and hate each and every one.

Closing the doors of the crypt library for now...Till next time my little minions!

Book 5-The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Wow..all I can say is wow, for this book. I never thought I would want to read this book...ever. The Help has no serial killers, vampires, werewolves, splattered brains/innards, and no blood..well maybe a little. Not exactly the genre of my choice, but with all the hype around the book my curiosity got the best of me and I picked it up.

The Help is the story of 3 women. Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny...3 woman who have the times and their homelife to contend with, but who strive to do better for themselves and their families.

Aibileen is a middle age black woman in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who has spent her whole life as a maid for white families. She has struggled with harsh treatment from her employers, loving the children she has brought up knowing they will eventually forget her and harbor the same feeling as their parents: "Black folk aren't equal to White folk"

Minny is another middle aged black woman, who is Aibileens best friend. The two have confided in each other about their employers, the good , the bad and the ugly. Minny is a strong woman, is an amazing cook, with a sassy tongue unafraid to tell anyone where to go and how to get there. This has caused many of her white employers to fire her, and start rumors around the town regarding her work ethic and her integrity.

Skeeter is a young white woman who has just returned from college, and would like to pursue a career in the area of writing or editing, but she is shunned due to the fact she has no husband. After witnessing how black people are treated Skeeter wants to create awareness about the atrocities being committed against Blacks, in Jackson and all over the country.

After contacting a publisher about a job opportunity, Skeeter comes up with an idea to write a book about the things maids are going through working with their white families. She teams up with Aibileen initially to write this book, but eventually gets the help of Minny and other maids, who are combating the fear of being caught to tell their story.

This book was amazing, it grabbed me right from the first page and kept me wanting to read it. Not having lived in 1962, I had no idea the trials of the African American people. Not only was this a heartwarming, and sometimes heartwrenching story, it opened my eyes to how life really was.

From someone who would not normally read a book such as this, I am telling all of you to go out and get this book, sit down with a coffee, tea, or a stiff drink and immerse yourself into these 3 womens story. You will not be disappointed.

Closing the doors of the Crypt library for now...Til next time all my little minions!