Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

I've finally carved out some reading time. It's amazing how much I can read if I don't watch TV in the evening.
Joanne Fluke has a style that I just love. Her books are light, fun with a touch of suspense. She has a formula that works and hasn't gotten stale yet (which is saying a lot for a long series like this). I highly recommend the entire series but I think this is my favorite so far (except I'm not sure I like the ending).
What I liked best is that she twisted it just a little without getting far fetched but I also liked that Hannah was put in a position where she really had to think about her dating situation.
I'll try not to add any spoilers for those reading earlier books but I apologize if they pop up.
Hannah Swenson is getting ready for the spring season at The Cookie Jar. There are weddings, parties, Valentine's Day all to plan for. Her friend the minister is finally able to go on his honeymoon when a blast from the past comes to visit. Reverand Matthew had spent time at the parsonage as a teen when his parents had gone on a mission. He was joined by his cousin Paul. The boys were so close that they were nearly twins. It's been a long time since anyone has seen them so when Matthew is murdered things start getting strange.
Meanwhile, Hannah has a bigger problem. She has competition for Norman's attention. Cute, sexy new dentist Beverly has a past with Norman and seems to be wiggling her little behind into Hannah's comfortable pattern. Beverly is seeing both Mike and Norman. Hannah is jealous and Norman is acting weird. Will she finally lose Norman because she couldn't choose him over Mike or will she have to share them with Beverly? It's a tough season for Hannah and she has to solve a murder on top of it.
I like Hannah because she tries to be smart. She always ends up alone with the killer and at risk of losing her life but she tries to learn from it and not make those mistakes again. I like that she's smart and she has community support behind her.
This is a mystery series that has recipes. I have to say, they made me sooooooo hungry. Last night I stopped and made the coffee she described. It probably wasn't the same but it was so good. I even shared some of the recipes with my son who can't wait to try them this weekend. I have found myself talking more about the recipes to those around me than the book (that's because they get tired of me talking about the plots - I can see it in their eyes).

Love Bites by Ellen Schreiber

This seventh installment of Ellen Schreiber's Vampire Kisses was great. Some series' have a tendency to go off on weird tangents or lose their steam but Schreiber continues to craft a great story.
Alexander's best friend Sebastian arrives to stay a few days with Alexander. Raven didn't even know he had a best friend since Alexander talks so little about himself. She sees this as an opportunity to learn more about her boyfriend but things go array when Sebastian falls in love with Raven's best friend Becky. Becky has a boyfriend and doesn't know that Raven is dating a vampire. Things can go horribly wrong if Raven doesn't do something cleaver.
The thing I love about Raven is she is so true to herself. She refuses to compromise her values and she is loyal to a fault. She is honestly torn between wanting to protect Becky and to protect Alexander. She really likes Sebastian and he can't help who he is.
Another beautiful part of this story is Raven's desire to become a vampire and Alexander's reluctance to change her. Raven learns more about why he doesn't want to make her a vampire and begins to understand the consequences of that choice (for her).
There is some backstory that comes into play with this book but not enough that if one picked this volume up first that they wouldn't be able to follow the story. There's still a ton of character growth between Raven and Alexander.
I love this series and really think it's the best of it's kind. The stories are not so filled with drama that they become bogged down and Schreiber's writing is light and enjoyable. This is a real teen with an unusual situation but there's so much more.
I like the lack of love triangles, even though Schreiber has toyed with them Raven has remained completely faithful to Alexander. They have real world problems (some with supernatural twists but pretty believable).
This series is more geared towards girls but I think there's enough action and "manliness" that a young man would enjoy them. The characters are in high school and approaching 18 fast but the writing is simple enough for a younger reader. The books are short, especially compared to similar series. (There's even a manga series based on these books that my son is devouring).

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by AJ Hartley

I got this book as an ARC (advanced readers copy) from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. The review of this book is easy - it was great. I think there is so much going for this book that I can't wait for a sequel (please write a sequel).
Darwen Arkwright is a twelve year old boy who has been sent from England to live with his aunt in Atlanta. He's not adjusting well but when he is given a mirror that allows him to travel to another world things start to look up for him, until he starts school. Darwen's aunt is sending him to a private school that looks a little like Stepford. The teachers hate hime and the students don't get him. He does make two great friends (sounds a little like Harry Potter but that's the only similarity).
There is so much going on in this book. It's never boring. There's so much action and emotion. I could see this book used in discussions and classroom settings as much as entertainment. There are plenty of themes to make it interesting. There's environment and history. One of Darwen's friends is a history buff but the teachers/principal feel that they are only supposed to look towards the future. Darwen says a great thing at the end (paraphrasing) - we have to hold on to the past and look towards the future. It's an amazing thought.
I could gush about this book for days but I worry about sharing too much of the intricate plot. It has a lot of twists and turns but you never feel lost. This will be a great book for boys but I think girls will find the female characters easy to identify with.
I think what I like best about the main characters is that they all have different family structures and backgrounds. They may come across as misfits but we are no longer the nuclear family sort of culture and it was nice to see that all the children have different things they struggle with at home.
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pack hits shelves in October 2011. I highly recommend find a copy to enjoy.

The Midnight Gate by Helen Stringer

This book reminded me of Harry Potter. Not in the broad sense, they aren't witches but in the smaller sense that a young child is forced into a position where they have to be so much wiser and older than their years. Poor Belladonna is still only 12 years old - this story is only months away from the previous. The adventure is far more dangerous. The sad part is that those who have put Belladonna in this position really don't care if she lives or dies, she's replaceable as the Spellbinder. She has people who love her and want to protect her but they are not in positions to really help her.
There were things I loved about this story. Belladonna and Steve take their missions very seriously but there seems to be loose ends from one book to the next. In the first book, the oracle gives them two riddles to solve and they only solve one. That second riddle doesn't come up in this book. Aside from that, it's very good.
Belladonna is forced to live with foster parents but her new family is not what they appear to be. So many things happen but I worry about spilling any of the surprises. Early on you figure there is something wrong with her foster family and you find yourself very suspicious of hot chocolate but what is going on has so many details and twists that you can't guess it all.
I love the way Helen Stringer mixes in all types of mythology. There's so many more creatures in this book than in the last one. I really need a good mythology book but that will have to wait until after I finish my growing reading pile.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

I was going to give up this blog and stick with the two sites I mentioned in my last post. As I was transferring reviews around, I realized how limited those sites were. There are things I can share here that I can't really share on Goodreads or LibraryThing. There are some great features to those sites but I can only review books that they have in their databases. Sometimes I come across books sold by the author or, as the case is now, be given an ARC that isn't available. So here I am. I'll share the same reviews here as I do on those sites (or vice versa) but will add things here that don't apply on the other sites. It's a little more work for me but reading is my passion and sharing what I read brings me joy.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
Spellbinder was an amazing book. Helen Stringer did a great job of creating a story that is frightening, funny and wonderful. It's a touching story of a young girl who can see ghosts. She feels like an outcast and works to separate herself from her classmates. Her ability works in her favor when her parents are killed. They pretend they are a normal family until all the ghosts disappear. Belladonna wants to save her parents but no one will tell her what is happening. She and her friend Steve opt to do it on their own.
The journey mixes in some old mythology with some new ideas. It's a quick lesson in learning to trust and learning to be cautious. The two have unusual chemistry. They are such good friends and on this great adventure but they are challenged in ways they didn't expect.
At one point Belladonna cries "But I'm only twelve years old." It was so easy to forget how young they were. The book follows a sort of prophecy-like format but the kids involved have no idea who the Spellbinder and it's Paladin is or how they are involved. Right up to the end, they question and wonder.
There's a great realism with these two children. They are willing to try anything to help save the ghosts and the world but they don't think of themselves as heroes or warriors.
The story is not full of that many twists and turns but it does keep you reading. There's a number of struggles which kind of reminds me of Wizard of Oz. Not that the stories are similar but that you have an idea of where the journey is going - it's what happens on the way that makes the story great.
I will say that there were some weak spots in the writing but I can't say for certain that they are obvious. I've been doing a fair amount of editing lately and researching how to edit better so those particular parts may have just triggered my internal editor. They weren't enough to turn me away from the book or to prevent me from recommending this book.
The main character is female but I believe that this story will appeal to boys and girls. There's lots of action and age appropriate interactions.

Reading Sites

I have been thinking about the reading sites I use and whether it would make sense just to transfer everything from this blog to the sites and stop here. I do use Goodreads and LibraryThing. It would make sense to just use those sites for my book reviews and encourage people to join me there. I haven't been reading much lately due to a rather busy schedule. I am about half way through Spellbinder by Helen Stringer and have the sequel waiting patiently for me to finish. I have 5 (count them - 5) ARCs to read and review. I've gotten them all in the past month or so and hate to see them just sit there and wait.
I'll let you know what I decide about the blog.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Pierce died when she feel into the pool one winter. The doctors have nearly convinced her that everything that happened when she died was a dream but they don't know about the necklace and they don't know about him. John is the ruler of the underworld and he wants Pierce to be his.
This twist on the Hades/Persephone myth was as captivating as it was unexpected. It's more than a love story and more than a tale about good vs evil. Pierce is torn between two worlds and a long battle. She didn't put herself in the position she is in but she doesn't accept it willingly either.
I was really impressed by Pierce's character. She was strong but not overbearing. She just wants to survive high school like a normal person but she's in the middle of something that goes back far before she was born.
This is the first book of a trilogy starring Pierce and John. I can't wait until the second book. This first one had me so enthralled I barely put it down.