Shin

Silhouette in Scarlet ~by~ Elizabeth Peter Started: 1st January 2011 Finished: 5th January 2011 Rating: 2/5 Synopsis by Waterstones: One red rose, a one-way ticket to Stockholm, and a cryptic message in Latin intrigue Vicky Bliss - as they were precisely intended to do. Vicky recognizes the handiwork of her former lover, jewel thief John Smythe, and she takes the bait, eagerly following Smythe's lead in the hope of finding a lost treasure. But the trail begins at a priceless fifth century chalice which will place Vicky at the mercy of a gang of ruthless criminals who have their eyes on an even more valuable prize. And the hunt threatens to turn deadly on a remote island, where a captive Vicky must dig deep at an excavation into the distant past. My Review: Third book in the Vicky Bliss series starts off very slow and did not pick up until half way through the book. For me, this book was not as exciting as the first two books in the series even though I struggled to read them too. Leaves me wondering why I continue to read the series. But I am interested in the relationship between Vicky and John. I felt the second half of this book was building up to something big and exciting but I was left disappointed. I think that the first half of this book was dragged out and Mrs Peters could have got straight to the interesting bits quicker without a deflated ending. Still....I will read the next book.

Some great reads there Purple Princess.

WISHLIST DENOTES MOVED TO TBR LIST DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ DENOTES READ & REVIEWED Adams, Douglas: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Armstrong, Kelley: Stolen Armstrong, Kelley: Dime Store Magic Armstrong, Kelley: Undustrial Magic Armstrong, Kelley: Haunted Armstrong, Kelley: Broken Armstrong, Kelley: No Humans Involved Armstrong, Kelley: Personal Demon Armstrong, Kelley: Living with the Dead Armstrong, Kelley: Frost Bitten Armstrong, Kelley: Waking the Witch Armstrong, Kelley: Spellbound Brom: The Child Thief Brom: The Devil's Rose Brom: The Plucker Caine, Rachel: Feast of Fools Caine, Rachel: Lord of Misrule Caine, Rachel: Carpe Corpus Caine, Rachel: Fade Out Caine, Rachel: Kiss of Death Caine, Rachel: Ghost Town Caine, Rachel: Bite Club Cremer, Andrea: Nightshade Cremer, Andrea: Wolfsbane Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unworthy Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unwelcome Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unfinished Evanovich, Janet: Plum Lucky Evanovich, Janet: Plum Spooky Evanovich, Janet: Sizzling Sixteen Evanovich, Janet: Smoking Seventeen Fforde, Jasper: Lost in a Good Book Fforde, Jasper: The Well of Lost Plots Fforde, Jasper: Something Rotten Fforde, Jasper: First Among Sequels Fforde, Jasper: The Fourth Bear Fforde, Jasper: Shades of Grey Fitzpatrick, Becca: Hush, Hush Fitzpatrick, Becca: Crescendo Fitzpatrick, Becca: Tempest Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha Gruen, Sara: Water for Elephants Harris, Charlaine: Dead Reckoning Harrison, Kim: A Fistful of Charms Harrison, Kim: For A Few Demons More Harrison, Kim: Where Demons Dare Harrison, Kim: White Witch, Black Curse Harrison, Kim: Black Magic Sanction Hosseini, Khaled: A Thousand Splendid Suns Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner Howe, Katherine: The Lost Book of Salem Kate, Lauren: Fallen Kate, Lauren: Torment Kate, Lauren: Passion Kesey, Ken: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Kessler, Jackie Morse: Hunger Kessler, Jackie Morse: Rage Keyes, Daniel: Flowers for Algernon Lampoon, The Harvard: Nightlight: A Parody Larsson, Stieg: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Larsson, Stieg: The Girl who Played with Fire Larsson, Stieg: The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest Mayo, Stephfordy: New Moan (Twishite Saga Book 1) Meyer, Stephanie: The Host Mitchell, Margaret: Gone with the Wind Monsour, Theresa: Clean Cut Monsour, Theresa: Dark House Murakami, Haruki: Kafka on the Shore Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time Traveler's Wife Patterson, James: Cat and Mouse Patterson, James: Pop! Goes the Weasel Patterson, James: Roses are Red Patterson, James: Violets are Blue Patterson, James: Four Blind Mice Patterson, James: The Big Bad Wolf Patterson, James: London Bridges Patterson, James: Mary Mary Patterson, James: Cross Patterson, James: Double Cross Patterson, James: Cross County Patterson, James: Alex Cross's Trial Rice, Anne: The Vampire Lestat Rice, Anne: The Queen of the Damn Rice, Anne: The Tale of the Body Thief Rice, Anne: Memnoch the Devil Rice, Anne: The Vampire Armand Rice, Anne: Merrick Rice, Anne: Blackwood Farm Rice, Anne: Blood Canticle Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Rubbenfeld, Jed: The Interpretation of Murder Silverstein, Shel: The Giving Tree Suskind, Patrick: Perfume: The Story of a Murder Walker, Alice: The Color Purple Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief

The Heretic's Daughter ~by~ Kathleen Kent Synopsis by Waterstones: Martha Carrier was hanged on August 19th, 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, unyielding in her refusal to admit to being a witch, going to her death rather than joining the ranks of men and women who confessed and were thereby spared execution. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and wilful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. In this startling novel, she narrates the story of her early life in Andover, near Salem. Her father is a farmer, English in origin, quietly stoical but with a secret history. Her mother is a herbalist, tough but loving, and above all a good mother. Often at odds with each other, Sarah and her mother have a close but also cold relationship, yet it is clear that Martha understands her daughter like no other. When Martha is accused of witchcraft, and the whisperings in the community escalate, she makes her daughter promise not to stand up for her if the case is taken to court. As Sarah and her brothers are hauled into the prison themselves, the vicious cruelty of the trials is apparent, as the Carrier family, along with other innocents, are starved and deprived of any decency, battling their way through the hysteria with the sheer willpower their mother has taught them. My Review: I have to admit but as I started this book I did not think this was a type of book that I would be interested in, even though that I am interested in the Salem Witch Trials. It took me sometime to read the first 100 pages but after I got passed that 100 pages I was glued to the book and read the remainder in a day and a half. The main aspect of this book for me was the hardship that young Sarah had to go through at such a young age and the relationship with her mother for someone under the age of ten. There was no tender loving care among the relationship on the outside but the love and care under it all during the trials was hard and I even shed a tear during the read. I did enjoy this read and would recommend it and if you do feel that you are struggling at the beginning like I did, don't give up because you will enjoy it. Rating: 3/5

TO BE READ LIST LB DENOTES LIBRARY BOOK | BR DENOTES BOOKRING DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ DENOTES READ & REVIEWED Andrews, Virginia: Fallen Hearts Andrews, Virginia: Broken Wings Andrews, Virginia: Darkest Hour Andrews, Virginia: Hidden Leaves Andrews, Virginia: Into the Garden Andrews, Virginia: Into the Woods Andrews, Virginia: Pearl in the Mist Andrews, Virginia: Wicked Forest Archer, Jeffrey: The Collected Short Stories Austen, Jane: Persuasion Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice Barnes, Zoe: Split Ends Beaumont, Maria: Marsha Mellow and Me Brokaw, Charles: The Lucifer Code Brunker, Amanda: Champagne Kisses Bryson, Bill: Notes from a Small Island Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden Caine, Rachel: Carpe Corpus Caine, Rachel: Fade Out Caine, Rachel: Feast of Fools Caine, Rachel: Kiss of Death Caine, Rachel: Lord of Misrule Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Burned Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Hunted Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Tempted Chattam, Maxim: The Cairo Diary Clark, Mary Higgins: While My Pretty One Sleeps Cole, Martina: Amanda's Wedding Colgan, Jenny: Do You Remember the First Time? Cookson, Catherine: A Ruthless Need Cookson, Catherine: Kate Hannigan's Girl Cookson, Catherine: The Obsession Cookson, Catherine: The Silent Lady Cookson, Catherine: The Solace of Sin Cordy, Michael: The Crime Code Cussler, Clive: Lost City Cussler, Clive: Polar Shift Denver, Jeffrey: The Bone Collector Dickens, Charles: A Tale of Two Cities Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations Dickens, Charles: Hard Times Dickens, Charles: Little Dorrit Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist Dickens, Charles: The Christmas Books (A Christmas Carol|The Chimes|The Cricket on the Hearth) Dobyns, Stephen: The Church of Dead Girls Eliot, George: Silas Marner Evanovich, Janet: Full House Evanovich, Janet: Metro Girl Frank, Anne: Diary of Anne Frank Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha Grahame-Smith, Seth: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter LB Green, Jane: The Beach House Grisham, John: A Time to Kill Grisham, John: Brethen Grisham, John: The Partner Grisham, John: The Runaway Jury Hardy, Thomas: Far from the Madding Crowd Harris, Thomas: Hannibal Herbert, James: Once Holden, Wendy: Bad Heir Day Holden, Wendy: The Wives of Bath Hope, Anthony: The Prisoner of Zenda Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner Hutson, Shaun: Heathen Hutson, Shaun: Lucy’s Child Jones, Brenda: I Love Capri Kellerman, Jonathan: When the Bough Breaks Kelly, Cathy: Always & Forever Kelly, Cathy: Best of Friends Kelly, Cathy: Lessons in Heartbreak Kelly, Cathy: Someone like You Keyes, Marian: Angels Keyes, Marian: Further Under the Duvet Keyes, Marian: Last Chance Saloon Keyes, Marian: Sushi for Beginners Keyes, Marian: The Charming Man Keyes, Marian: The Other Side of the Story King, Stephen: Carrie King, Stephen: Cell King, Stephen: The Shining Kinsella, Sophie: Twenties Girl Lamb, Charles & Mary: Tales from Shakespeare Lampitt, Dinah: Fortune's Soldier Lampitt, Dinah: Sutton Place Lampitt, Dinah: The Silver Swan Larkin, Mary A: A Matter of Trust Lee, Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird Lindsay, Jeff: Dearly Devoted Dexter LB Manby, Chris: Girl Meets Ape Manby, Chris: Ready or Not Mansel, Jill: Open House Marryat, Captain: The Children of the New Forest McDermid, V.L.: Report for Murder McDermid, Val: Beneath the Bleeding McDermid, Val: Killing the Shadows McDermid, Val: The Distant Echo Moriarty, Sinéad: In My Sisters Shoes Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver: Three Cups of Tea Mosse, Kate: Labyrinth Neale, Kitty: Family Betrayal Nesbit, E: The Railway Children O’Flanagan, Sheila: Bad Behaviour O'Connor, Gemma: Falls the Shadow Orwell, George: Animal Farm Patterson, James and Ledwidge, Michael: Step on a Crack Patterson, James: 4th of July Patterson, James: Cat and Mouse Patterson, James: Hide & Seek Patterson, James: I, Alex Cross Patterson, James: Violets are Blue Pearse, Lesley: Faith Perrett, Bryan: Against All Odds! Peters, Elizabeth: Trojan Gold LB Picoult, Jodi: Keeping Faith Pilcher, Rosamunde: The Carousel Quindlen, Anna: Black and Blue Rankin, Ian: Knots & Crosses Rankin, Robert: The Witches of Chiswick Rice, Anne: Blood and Gold Robertson, James: The Testament of Gideon Mack Rubenfeld, Jed: The Interpretation of Murder Scanlan, Patricia: Foreign Affairs Scanlan, Patricia: Mirror, Mirror Smith, Alexander McCall: The Best of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency Stevenson, Robert Louis: Treasure Island Stoker, Bram: Dracula Townsend, Sue: Adrian Mole: The Cuppuccino Years Vincent, Rachel: Stray Wiggin, Kate Douglas: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm TOTAL = 129

BOOKRINGS DENOTES MOVED TO TBR LIST DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ DENOTES READ & REVIEWED Grave Sight Series by Charlaine Harris ~ Bookring by Weave Grave Sight Grave Surprise An Ice Cold Grave Grave Secret Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris ~ Bookring by Weave Dead Reckoning The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ~ Bookring by Lucybird

Mac, I didn't even realised you posted on my log. I think Karin Slaughter is great...they have to be the best books I have read this year....get reading the rest....NOW!

BOOKS BOUGHT THIS YEAR This will be were I will keep track of books I have bought during the year. January 2011 (18) 1. Great Expectations ~by~ Charles Dickens 2. Far from the Madding Crowd ~by~ Thomas Hardy 3. The Diary of Anne Frank ~by~ Anne Frank 4. Step on a Crack ~by~ James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge 5. Amanda's Wedding ~by~ Jenny Colgan 6. Adrian Mole: The Cuppuccino Years ~by~ Sue Townsend 7. Report for Murder ~by~ V.L. McDermid 8. The Shining ~by~ Stephen King 9. Carrie ~by~ Stephen King 10. The Witches of Chiswick ~by~ Robert Rankin 11. The Interpretation of Murder ~by~ Jed Rubenfeld 13. Feast of Fools ~by~ Rachel Caine 14. Lord of Misrule ~by~ Rachel Caine 15. Carpe Corpus ~by~ Rachel Caine 16. Fade Out ~by~ Rachel Caine 17. Kiss of Death ~by~ Rachel Caine 18. Stray ~by~ Rachel Vincent Total = £13.40 February 2011 (6) 19. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 20. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 21. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult 22. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid 23. The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Denver 24. The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson Total = £2.40 Total so far = £15.80 BOOKS I ACQUIRED IN 2011 These are the books that I have not bought during the year but have been passed onto me by someone, free of charge. January 2011 (20) 1. 4th of July: James Patterson 2. The Brethen: John Grisham 3. The Collected Short Stories: Jeffrey Archer 4. Best of Friends: Cathy Kelly 5. Hannibal: Thomas Harris 6. Bad Heir Day: Wendy Holden 7. I Love Capri: Belinda Jones 8. Open House: Jill Mansel 9. Girl Meets Ape: Chris Manby 10. The Wives of Bath: Wendy Holden 11. Split Ends: Zoe Barnes 12. Ready or Not: Chris Manby 13. Falls the Shadow: Gemma O'Connor 14. The Church of Dead Girls: Stephen Dobyns 15. Black and Blue: Anna Quindlen 16. Marsha Mellow and Me: Maria Beaumont 17. The Carousel: Rosamunde Pilcher 18. While My Pretty One Sleeps: Mary Higgins Clark 19. The Partner: John Grisham 20. The Runaway Jury: John Grisham BOOK SERIES COMPLETED UP~TO~DATE (WAITING ON NEXT BOOK) This will be were I will keep track of book series that I am currently reading, up-to-date with or have finished. This list may get a bit longer by the end of the year. The Vampire Chronicles ~by~ Anne Rice Alex Cross Series ~by~ James Patterson Plum Series ~by~ Janet Evanovich Rachel Morgan Series ~by~ Kim Harrison Morganville Vampire Series ~by~ Rachel Caine House of the Night Series ~by~ PC Cast with Kristin Cast Grave Sight Series ~by~ Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Series ~by~ Charlaine Harris Undead Series ~by~ MaryJanice Davidson Thursday Next Series ~by~ Jasper Fforde Nursery Crime Series ~by~ Jasper Fforde Women of the Otherworld Series ~by~ Kelley Armstrong Grant County Series ~by~ Karin Slaughter Will Trent Series ~by~ Karin Slaughter Vicky Bliss Series ~by~ Elizabeth Peters

Previous Reading Lists: 2009 : (39 BOOKS) 2010 : (38 BOOKS) 2011 AIM : 48 BOOKS RATINGS 5/5: Fabulous - could not put the book down. Highly recommended. 4/5: Excellent - really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. 3/5: Good - readable and would recommend. 2/5: OK - nothing to write home about but read it when you have nothing else to read. 1/5: Awful - finished the book for the sake of finishing a book but don't waste your time reading it. 0/5: Abandoned - that bad I couldn't even finish it. Don't even bother with it. CURRENTLY READING: Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine | Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella August 2011 (1) 12. Do you remember the first time? by Jenny Colgan 3/5 July 2011 (0) June 2011 (1) 11. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 4/5 May 2011 (0) April 2011 (0) March 2011 (0) February 2011 (4) 10. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay 9. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich 4/5 8. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison 4/5 7. Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson 5/5 January 2011 (6) 6. Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson 4/5 5. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich 3/5 4. Undead and Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson 4/5 3. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich 3/5 2. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice 4/5 1. Silhouette in Scarlet by Elizabeth Peters 2/5

I have to apologise that I have not reviewed the recent books that I have read. I have grown slightly lazy this passed year. I will try and update my reviews soon and my new year resolution is to keep this more updated.

Broken by Karin Slaughter Synopsis: When the body of a young woman is discovered deep beneath the icy waters of Lake Grant, a note left under a rock by the shore points to suicide. But within minutes, it becomes clear that this is no suicide. It's a brutal, cold-blooded murder. All too soon former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton - home for Thanksgiving after a long absence - finds herself unwittingly drawn into the case. The chief suspect is desperate to see her but when she arrives at the local police station she is met with a horrifying sight - he lies dead in his cell, the words 'Not me' scrawled across the walls. Something about his confession doesn't add up and deeply suspicious of Lena Adams, the detective in charge, Sara immediately calls in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Shortly afterwards, Special Agent Will Trent is brought in from his vacation to investigate. But he is immediately confronted with a wall of silence. Grant County is a close-knit community with loyalties and ties that run deep. And the only person who can tell the truth about what really happened is dead. I think it is quite hard to really review this books now without giving too much away for those who have not read up to Skin Privilege. I thought this was a great book....so much better than Genesis and a definite must read. I am afraid that the rest of my review will be in spoiler quotes just in case I give anything away by accident. But I really did enjoy the book....honest! I think it has been the best since before SP. And I just can't wait for the next installation to see how everything pans out. Rating: 5/5

Genesis by Karin Slaughter Synopsis: Three and a half years ago former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton moved to Atlanta hoping to leave her tragic past behind her. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta's Grady Hospital, she is starting to piece her life together. But when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalised, it's clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind. When Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Investigation Team returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth - Sara's patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. Wrestling the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner Faith Mitchell find themselves at the centre of a grisly murder hunt. And Sara, Will and Faith - each with their own wounds and their own secrets - are all that stand between a madman and his next crime... I have to admit that I was quite disappointed in this book after reading Skin Privilege. I thought this book would have made me come to terms with what happened in the book but unfortunately that wasn't so. For me it left alot of things opened for me but I understand that this was a way for Sara to meet Will. Of course the actual story line itself was great but I noticed in this book that I guessed the ending before it happened. Is Slaughter letting things slip here? Did Skin Privilege do this author any justice? That reminds to be seen. However much I was disappointed with the back storyline and was so delighted with the cross over with Will Trent. I just love Will Trent. I really don't want to give anything away for those who have not read this but I think Slaughter could have done better with her background story line but the actual plot was great and so was the cross over. Rating: 4.5/5

God, I can not believe how bad I have been. I haven't done a review of a book since....Skin Privilege. I am also slowly but surely getting used to the new forum. There were a few quirks from the old forum and I am trying to find out if you can still do them on this one. I am also bad in that I haven't been doing much reading lately. It's not that my mojo has left or anything, it is just that I have a few cross stitch projects on the go and they eat up my reading time. Now I only seem to read before going to bed. (Just loving these smileys). Anyway, I will do short reviews for all those books that I have missed...and I mean VERY SHORT! Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris Synopsis: Now it's the turn of the weres and shifters to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world. Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course - her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she's friend to the local Were pack and Sam, her boss at Merlotte's bar, is a shifter. At first the great Were revelation seems to go well - then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found outside Merlotte's. Though Sookie never cared that much for the victim, no one deserves such a horrible death, so she agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer. But what Sookie doesn't realise is that there is a far greater danger than this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of unhuman beings, older, more powerful and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves is preparing for war ... Review: Quite a good read and really enjoyed this book. Rateing: 4.5/5 Bitten by Kelley Armstrong Synopsis: Elena Michaels is a model woman for the 21st century: self-assured, keenly intelligent, fighting fit. And like every modern woman, she has her secrets. Nothing extraordinary about that. Except that Elena really is extraordinary. In fact, she may well be the most extraordinary woman alive. She is, after all, the only female werewolf in the world...Ten years ago, against her will, Elena's lover turned her into a werewolf. Some days it feels like a gift. Most days it feels like a curse. A year ago, she decided to live as a human. Now she has to go back to New York State, her old home. Her pack is under seige by a new group of violent, psychotic werewolves that shows no respect for the old ways, and no respect for territory. Forced into helping her old friends, Elena soon slips back into the reassuring camaradarie of the pack, though she struggles against her dangerous, unpredictable desires. Hunting down her enemies, Elena prowls through territories usually barred to women. From dangerous back alleys to the dark, luscious forests of New York State, she must hunt and destroy the renegade pack before they destroy her. Review: I thought this book was slow to begin with and was thinking of putting it aside but so glad I carried on because it gets so exciting. I just loved the relationship between Elena and Clay and also gives off Girl Power. Rating: 4/5 Kiss The Girls by James Patterson Synopsis: Detective Alex Cross makes his second appearance in the worldwide No 1 bestseller that also became a No 1 box office hit as a film starring Morgan Freeman -- now reissued in striking new cover style. In Kiss the Girls, Washington-based homicide detective Alex Cross is thrust into a case he will never forget. This time there isn't just one serial killer, there are two. One collects beautiful, intelligent women on college campuses on the east coast. The other is terrorising LA with a series of unspeakable murders. But the truly chilling news is that the two brilliant and elusive killers are communicating, cooperating, competing -- and they have Alex Cross's niece. Review: Another great book from Patterson. A great page turner and something that keeps you on the edge of you seat. Rating: 5/5 Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson Synopsis:It's been a hell of a week for Betsy Taylor. First she loses her job. Then she's killed in a freak accident only to wake up in a morgue to discover she's a vampire. On the plus side, being undead sure beats the alternative. She now has superhuman strength and an unnatural effect on the opposite sex. But what Betsy can't handle is her new liquid diet...And whilst her mother and best-friend are just relieved to find out that being dead doesn't mean Betsy's can't visit, her new 'night-time' friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen. The scrumptious Sinclair and his cohorts want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries. (A Bella Lugosi wannabe who's seen one to many B-movies.) Frankly Betsy couldn't care less about vamp politics. But Sinclair and his followers have a powerful weapon in their arsenal - unlimited access to Manolo Blahnik's Spring collection. Well, just because a girl's dead - er undead - doesn't mean she can't have great shoes... Review:What a fun and witting book! I really enjoyed the humour in this book even though parts could be cheesy but I will definitely be reading the rest of this series. Rating: 4/5 The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom Synopsis:When Conrad Harrison impulse-buys a big old house in Wisconsin, his wife Jo doesn't share his enthusiasm, reluctant at the idea of leaving their LA life - so Conrad is left to set up their new home as she ties up loose ends at work. But Conrad's new purchase is not all that it seems. Soon Conrad is hearing the ghostly wailing of a baby in the night, seeing blood on the floor and being haunted by a woman who looks exactly like Jo. With his wife away, Conrad becomes obsessed by the pregnant girl next door, Nadia, who claims to be a victim of the evil in the house. The crying leads him to a bricked-up body, and the mystery of the Birthing House unravels, pulling in Jo, Nadia and leading Conrad to a nightmarish conclusion... Review: I bought this bought because it sounded really like and interesting read and it was generally quite good. But there were parts that did not make sense to me, in particular his relation with his wife. I was also disappointed at the ending as to me it left it in mid air....or again maybe it was just be not understanding the book. But overall I would say it was just ok. Rating: 3/5 Undead and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson Synopsis:And the first who shall noe the Queen as a husband noes his Wyfe shall be the Queen's Consort and shall rule at her side for a thousand yeares.' The Book of the Dead. 'If that rat 'person of dubious parentage' Sinclair thinks I'm going to be his wife for a thousand years, he's out of his f***** mind.' From the private papers of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I, Empress of the Undead, Rightful Ruler of the Vampires, Consort of Eric I, Lawful King. Nothing can make Betsy Taylor give up her shoe fetish - even dying and rising as the new Queen of the Vampires. Only being royally undead doesn't mean there aren't still credit card bills to be paid. Things couldn't be better - except for her new friends who keep pestering her while she's at work. As if she has time to socialise when there are deliciously sinful shoes to try on - and buy at a discount. It seems there's been a string of vampire murders in town and they're all clamouring for Betsy to do something about it. The worst part is she'll have to enlist the help of the one vamp who makes her blood boil: the oh-so-sexy Eric Sinclair. Only the last time she ran into Sinclair she accidentally fulfilled an ancient prophesy - and ended up married to him Review: All I can say is great, fun, witty but cheesy...but I loved it. Rating: 4/5

Well, it not that I hated it...I did enjoy it...it just took some time getting used too..if you know what I mean. Still haven't done my review for it though but when you have read Broken we will have a good chinwag about it. I just can't wait until the next one.

I read The Eyre Affair...quite a good book. Haven't read any of the follow up books yet though. Can't wait until you read Broken. I didn't think too much of Genesis but this one is definitely good.

Hi CW, I haven't been on lately because everytime I come on to get to know the new layout, I give up and do something else. But I am determined now, I haven't been doing much reading lately but hey...Tescos was doing Broken for half price and I couldn't resist...just finished it at the weekend. Did you finish it? I have been looking to see if I can find your review if you had but haven't found yet it...but then again I can't even find my reading log either.