catwoman Posted November 15, 2009 Author Posted November 15, 2009 (edited) Book #19: Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay. Being a blood spatter analyst who hates the sight of blood has always made Dexter's work for the Miami PD tough. But it means he's very neat when it comes to his out-of-hours hobby: murder. Of course, the fact Dexter only kills bad people helps too. Now Dex is facing a disturbing situation. He's used to blood at work, and blood when he's out with the dark passenger (the voice that guides him on his deadly outings). But he's not sure what to make of the man who says blood is art. Using bodies as his canvas, someone is out there expressing themselves in the most lethal and painful of ways. After the dissapointing third book I had no expectations for this book but it did need to be good to keep mee reading them... and it was! Once I started reading thebook I really got into it. I loved the insight into Dexters Married life, the progressing storylines concerning his wife and the kids kept me entertained. As nornal the books are faced paced. Not as detailed as some other Crime thriller books, but this is more about the characters than the crimes themselves. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but I was slightly confused (maybe thats the wrong word) when Dexter and Chutsky went to Cuba. To me it seemed pretty poinless and they never really did anything . Other than that a really good read and I love the end, made me get excited about what the next book may bring. 8/10 Edited November 24, 2009 by catwoman Quote
Mac Posted November 16, 2009 Posted November 16, 2009 I have all four of these on my TBR pile - I'm looking forward to them. I'm also really pleased you like the Jack (JA) Kerley books. I think he's magic, too. Have you tried Michael Marshall Smith's books at all (or Michael Marshall, as he writes under sometimes)? Quote
catwoman Posted November 16, 2009 Author Posted November 16, 2009 I have all four of these on my TBR pile - I'm looking forward to them. I'm also really pleased you like the Jack (JA) Kerley books. I think he's magic, too. Have you tried Michael Marshall Smith's books at all (or Michael Marshall, as he writes under sometimes)? No I have not read his books I might have to check them out Quote
catwoman Posted November 20, 2009 Author Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Book #20: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. Synopsis Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about sex trafficking in Sweden are murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her. Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium, does not believe the police. Using all his magazine staff and resources to prove Salander's innocence, Blomkvist also uncovers her terrible past, spent in criminally corrupt institutions. Yet Salander is more avenging angel than helpless victim. She may be an expert at staying out of sight - but she has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies. You do not find many books where the sequel is better than the first this is one of those rare acceptions. I loved this book. I could quite easily go on about how amazing this book is. It is beautiful and captivating. From the first 50 pages I know I waas going to love it. One of my favourite characters ever, Salander gets better and better. I can't think of anything bad with this book. Ok so there are alot of characters, but they are all needed to show what a big and mass issue/ problem the book is based around. I did not want the book to end. If it was not for the fact that it is Xmas coming up and more than likely someone has bought me this, I would going to the local supermarket tomorrow and picking me up a copy of the next and final installment. This is really up there joint with Genisis as my joint favourite book of the year. I would recommend this to Crime and Thriller fans. A definate 10/10 Edited November 24, 2009 by catwoman Quote
catwoman Posted November 24, 2009 Author Posted November 24, 2009 Book #21: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong 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. I'm finding it really hard to review Bitten While I did enjoy it and will read the next in the series, I found it missing something. Maybe this was because of the hype and I was expecting something that gave me the wow factor. I had no 'bond' with the characters and did not care who Elena went with at the end, even though the end was predictable and we all knew what she was going to do. The book in fairness was a light and quick read and was not bad to the point that I lost my mojo so to speak and I was able to pick it up and read a few pages and put it down and pick it up easily again. I just suppose for me it was just an average read. I just hope the next one is better. 6/10 Quote
Stephanie2008 Posted November 24, 2009 Posted November 24, 2009 The last two books you have reviewed are two I want to read. I have never read anything by Kelley Armstrong. Quote
catwoman Posted November 24, 2009 Author Posted November 24, 2009 The Girl who played with Fire is a must, thats for sure, it is amazing!!! Quote
catwoman Posted November 26, 2009 Author Posted November 26, 2009 Book #22: Witch & Wizard by James Patterson Synopsis The world is changing - the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For fifteen-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no reason they can comprehend. The new government is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. Imprisoned together and condemned to death, Wisty and Whit begin exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never dreamed of. Maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly discovered witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents - and maybe the world? Yet another book out this year by James Patterson and his little elves. This is aimed at the YA sector and would a good book for all the Maximum Ride fans, waiting for the Fang book to come out. As the norm, it is quick paced, with 1-2 page chapters. The book is narrated by the two main characters - Wisty and Whit. For every chapter at the top you are told who is narrating the chapter so you get to see both view points which is great when they split up half way through the book. Ok so we all know that it is not going to be a beautifully well written piece of litrature, but for me it did exactly what you expect a J.P novel to be like. I can see this being yet another Blockbuster film in the making with the empahisis of Whit being Drop Dead gorgeous for the all the young teenage girls to yearn over. Perfect for a teenage girl for Xmas, and will almost certainly be the first in the series. 7.5/ 10 Quote
catwoman Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 Book #23: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton. Synopsis My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me The Executioner. What I call them isn't repeatable. Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I've seen their victims. I carry the scars ...But now a serial killer is murdering vampires - and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer ... I loved this book. I found it sooo much better than the Sookie stackhouse novels. Ok so I have only read the first one, but hey! I loved all the characters and I cried at the end. I loved all the different types of being, including Ratmen, and my favourite ZOMBIES! What a great story with some great characters, and without all the lovely dovey romance! Some great twists and what I thought was a great ending. I will be reading the next one in the series. The only thing was that I did not have a long reading period so there was many stops and starts, because of this at one point I was a little confused but I really do think that it was due to the stopping and starting. If you like the Sookie Stackhouse novels I would recommend giving this a try! 9/10 Quote
Charm Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 Oooh I like the sound of this catwoman, it's going straight on to my wishlist Great review! Quote
catwoman Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 Oooh I like the sound of this catwoman, it's going straight on to my wishlist Great review! Thanks Charm. It was a hard review to write as I did not want to give ANYTHING away. But I would say especially for you it is a must read. I heard this was the original, and where Harris got her 'inspiration from'. I woud say more than that, there are many similarities with both of them, but for me, this is better. I also think that as you go through the series the characters will (hopefully) flurish. I will be reading the next one sson, as I would like to see how Anita develops. Quote
Charm Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 It sounds great! It will be nice to compare the two and see where Ms Harris got her inspiration. I have been looking for something similar to Sookie lately, it might well be just the thing I'm after . How many are in the series, do you know? Quote
catwoman Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 It sounds great! It will be nice to compare the two and see where Ms Harris got her inspiration. I have been looking for something similar to Sookie lately, it might well be just the thing I'm after . How many are in the series, do you know? I might be guessing but I think there may be nine??? Maybe more. It is the first one I have read, so I am pretty in the dark myself. Quote
Charm Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 I might be guessing but I think there may be nine??? Maybe more. It is the first one I have read, so I am pretty in the dark myself. Wow! That many? Excellent! I hope I enjoy it, I love coming across a new series and as I've just finished all there is in the Women Of The Otherworld series, this might fill the void nicely! *Goes off to search the internet for Laurell K Hamilton* Quote
catwoman Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 Wow! That many? Excellent! I hope I enjoy it, I love coming across a new series and as I've just finished all there is in the Women Of The Otherworld series, this might fill the void nicely! *Goes off to search the internet for Laurell K Hamilton* Happy searching, please let me know how many in the series there are. CW. Quote
Charm Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 Happy searching, please let me know how many in the series there are. CW. Bloody hell, there's 17 ... so far! ... and ... there's zombies! BIG ones!! I know you mentioned zombies but I didn't realise there would be so much of them! I don't do zombies. Need to give this more serious thought before I rush out and do something silly like buy it! then give myself nightmares! Zombies really freak me out in case you haven't guessed Quote
catwoman Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 Bloody hell, there's 17 ... so far! ... and ... there's zombies! BIG ones!! I know you mentioned zombies but I didn't realise there would be so much of them! I don't do zombies. Need to give this more serious thought before I rush out and do something silly like buy it! then give myself nightmares! Zombies really freak me out in case you haven't guessed Hmm... I will be honest, there is a fair bit about Zombies, especailly near the end. There is also a 'chase scene' where they are trapped ina graveyard with some, and they have to figure a way to kill them all , I thought it was pretty intense. But not scary. Tough decision mate, if the copy I read was mine I would have given it to you, but unfortunately it is the library's and had to go back today. Quote
catwoman Posted December 2, 2009 Author Posted December 2, 2009 Book #24: 2nd Chance by James Patterson The second novel in the Women's Murder Club series. When a little girl is shot on the steps of a San Francisco church, Detective Lindsay Boxer reconvenes the Women's Murder Club. Working with reporter Cindy Thomas, assistant DA Jill Bernhardt, and medical examiner Claire Washburn, Lindsay tracks a mystifying killer who turns his pursuers into victims. The unorthodox allegiances of the Women's Murder Club lead them to suspect the unexpected - the killer may be an ex-cop. But nothing prepares them for the demented logic behind his choice of victims. Ok now I know that there are many people who hate Patteron's work, or 'the work under Patterson's name' but I loved this book. I could not put it down. It was a and quick paced with twists and turns, I loved the story and the many issues that it brought up. Ok so we all know that it does not yeald much detail, but I found the story to flow between Boxer and the killer. There is a twist at the end, which I did not guess, but left me with the case of the... Ooooh yeah!!!!! As this is the second in the installement, I found myself warming to the characters more, and because of this I found this book better than the first one (First to die) See my review. Absolutely loved it 9/10 Quote
Charm Posted December 2, 2009 Posted December 2, 2009 Tough decision mate, if the copy I read was mine I would have given it to you, but unfortunately it is the library's and had to go back today. Aw .. thanks hun, I know you would Will have to think about this one for a bit though, I mean, Shaun Of The Dead gave me nightmares! Quote
frankie Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 That Laurell K Hamilton series does sound great, I might have to look into the series Quote
catwoman Posted December 4, 2009 Author Posted December 4, 2009 That Laurell K Hamilton series does sound great, I might have to look into the series I would definately recommend it. Quote
Shin Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Book #23: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton. Synopsis My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me The Executioner. What I call them isn't repeatable. Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I've seen their victims. I carry the scars ...But now a serial killer is murdering vampires - and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer ... I loved this book. I found it sooo much better than the Sookie stackhouse novels. Ok so I have only read the first one, but hey! I loved all the characters and I cried at the end. I loved all the different types of being, including Ratmen, and my favourite ZOMBIES! What a great story with some great characters, and without all the lovely dovey romance! Some great twists and what I thought was a great ending. I will be reading the next one in the series. The only thing was that I did not have a long reading period so there was many stops and starts, because of this at one point I was a little confused but I really do think that it was due to the stopping and starting. If you like the Sookie Stackhouse novels I would recommend giving this a try! 9/10 I have heard about these books and I heard they are better than the Sookie books...will put them in my Wishlist...thx for the review CW. Quote
Shin Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 I see you are reading Amanda Grange's Mr Darcy Vampyre! I read Mr Darcy's Diary by the same author and found out she had one with him being a vampire. I couldn't believe it! So I am really looking forward to your review on this one CW. Quote
catwoman Posted December 6, 2009 Author Posted December 6, 2009 I see you are reading Amanda Grange's Mr Darcy Vampyre! I read Mr Darcy's Diary by the same author and found out she had one with him being a vampire. I couldn't believe it! So I am really looking forward to your review on this one CW. Well I am on page 100 at the moment, it is Ok. I hope it improves. Part of me wishes I had reread P&P first as my perception of Elizabeth is different to how I feel she is portraying her in the book. Did you find that with Darcy's Diary? Quote
catwoman Posted December 8, 2009 Author Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) Book #25: Mr Darcy Vampyre by Amanda Grange lizabeth Darcy is the happiest woman alive when she steps into the carriage that is to take her on her wedding tour - until she sees the look of torment on Mr Darcy's face and discovers that he has a deep, dark secret that nearly destroys their love, their marriage and even her very life. Darcy and the rest of his family are vampires that cannot be outside during sunrise or sunset. Lady Catherine is at the source, having turned Georgiana into an undying friend for her vampiric daughter, Anne, and then Darcy as the perfect mate for Anne. Now Lizzy and Darcy must travel across the Continent to the Pyrenees to find a way to break the curse. But Lady Catherine won't give up her undead without a fight. Ok I am going to find this hard to review, as I loved Pride and Prejudice, but I have not read it since for at least six years. So there may well be inconsistences in the book that I have not picked up on. Becuase of the nature of the book, a follow on sequel, I would advise that you read P&P first, mainly so you know the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth before reading. Also there are frequent passages and memories from the book. But if this does not bother you and how some of the names may go over your head then I suppose this could be read as a stand alone. Ok so to begin with this is an easy read, no confusing text, straight to the point and quiet light. I was not confused at all, only at certain points I was trying to go back through my memory banks to remember who some of the previous characters mentioned were. God I need to read P&P again! It starts of with the Newlyweds and straight away Elizabeth senses tension. Darcy changes their honeymoon so that they are going to Europe, to begin with France. As the book progresses you follow them through many different countrys. There are a few twists and turns in the book, which I throughly enjoyed. Not what I was expecting at all. The only thing that did get me at the beginning was I felt that Elizabeth was a little needy, a little umm vunerable. I did find her courage and passion come through midway through the book. Not sure what else to say other than, there are a few on here who are thinking about reading it and I would recommend. As long as you take into consideration that this is a sequal but is not a subsitute or an extended added on version to the original. It is not!!!... Take it at face value and see it for what it is.... A vampire novel with the ultimate dream Vampire... MR DARCY! Good points- quick, light, twists and a plot I did not expect... and of course Mr darcy! Bad points - I would have liked Mr darcy to have a little more bite 9/10 Edited December 8, 2009 by catwoman Quote
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