Review: Cinnamon Roll Murder

When Hannah Swensen hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at a festival in Lake Eden, Minnesota, she bakes up a supply of their namesake confections to welcome them. But tragedy strikes when their tour bus overturns on its way into town. And keyboard player Buddy Neiman's minor injuries turn deadly serious when someone plunges surgical scissors into his chest...Turns out, Buddy Neiman isn't the victim's real name. In fact, no one is really sure who he is. Hannah's investigation digs up a few local suspects. There is Doctor Bev, who seems to know more about "Buddy" than she's willing to admit. And Devon, an aspiring keyboard player who may have had a fatal case of jealousy. Hannah isn't sure how she'll unravel the mystery, but one thing's for sure: there's nothing sweeter than bringing a killer to justice...

 I've been waiting months for this book to come out, and I wasn't disappointed. It was yummy.

Unfortunately, Fluke has gotten into a bit of a rut when it comes to disposing with Hannah's competition for the hearts of Mike and Norman. The last two women Mike "kept company" wound up dead, so when Dr. Bev walked onto the scene in the last book I fully expected her to meet an untimely demise in Cinnamon Roll Murder. But to my great pleasure she broke her mold in a spectacular fassion. Whatever the oposite of knocking someone off is exactly what she did, and it resulted in some of Hannah's best detective work yet.

The plot was creative

My only complaint, if it can even be called that, was Cinnamon Roll Murder was very story driven. It was an amazing story, but not all the players fit into it. This was very much a Hannah and Normal story with natural cameos by Deloris and the sisters Swensen. However, the total absence of Hannah's neices left me scratching my head. It was like they pulled a disapearing dog trick alla The Brady Bunch.

Mike was also religated to a supporting role, but in his case it was a breath of fresh air to have him not be involved in the romantic drama for once.

All in all I would highly recomend Cinnamon Roll Murder to any reader and consider it a good jumping on  point for readers who are new to the series.

- Aaron

Review: Three to Get Deadly

Trenton, N.J., bounty hunter and former lingerie buyer Stephanie Plum becomes persona non grata when she tracks down a neighborhood saint who has failed to show up for his court appearance. While questioning admirers of the man nicknamed Uncle Mo, Stephanie is attacked and knocked out as she cases his candy store. She comes to next to the dead body of her attacker, who turns out to be a well-known drug dealer. Suddenly, she can't avoid stumbling across the bodies of dead drug dealers: one in a dumpster, one in a closet and four in the candy store basement. Stephanie suspects that mild-mannered Mo has become a vigilante and is cleaning up the streets in a one-man killing spree. But when she's repeatedly threatened by men wearing ski masks, she wonders if Mo has company and just might be in over his head.

It seems I started reading these books with a major misconception. When I was handed this book I was told that it was risque. And by risque they meant it was full of sex. I'm loving the series so far, but in a book that is chocked full of sex there is surprisingly little actual sex.

There are hookers, pimps, studly cops, attractive ex-lingerie buyers, man who are rumored to do unseemly things I don't even want to think about with ducks, and back room porn producers yet there is no actual sex. The only way Stephanie and Morelli got anywhere close to getting some from each other involved Stephanie being drunk. Kudos to Morelli for being a gentleman and taking her home after chasing off a vigilante peeping tom, but the foreplay is getting a little old.

On a non-sex related note, Rex managed to make it through yet another book unscathed. Unless you count almost being pumped full of drugs as a way of teaching Stephanie a lesson, but Rex, America's number one crime stopping hamster, came out on top, taking out countless baddies and saving Stephanie's life in the process.

-Aaron

Review: Two for the Dough

THIS ONE’S DOUBLE THE FUN

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso—a suspiciously wealthy, working-class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend—the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli—who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch—only makes the hunt more thrilling. . . .

Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Grandma Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move . . . and his next move might be Stephanie’s last.

-Aaron

Review: A Million Suns

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Review: Her Dark Baron

Scottish marauders, incensed at England's King Charles I and emboldened after achieving the upper hand in the Bishop's War of 1640, wreak havoc on the inhabitants of Northumberland, England, and Lady Mariel Hayes finds herself at the mercy of the land hungry Baron Harold Flanders after her father is killed in a border raid. Powerless to save herself from being forced to wed the vile Flanders, Mariel prays for divine intervention. But when her salvation comes, it proves more terrifying than comforting as Mariel learns that by order of the crown, she is to wed the dark and mysterious Baron Gervace Daltry, known far and wide as the Hound of Hell.

Mariel seeks to accept this new life with her dark Baron, a man whose secrets haunt her even as his touch inflames her body. But before her mind can reconcile the sinner she knows him to be with the seductive lover she willingly surrenders to, Mariel must confront the fears that whisper to her, as evidence mounts that her life may soon be forfeit, and decide whether to trust the man she begins to love, or betray the man rumored to be the Devil's instrument of destruction.

Again, my lack of romance oriented experience sent me into the book with a degree of built in bias. I was expecting a long, drawn out, over exaggerated love story. In my mind, on the off chance there would be any plot it would have been lost among all of the mushy sex stuff.

However, I was incredibly wrong in my preconceptions. Her Dark Baron was much more than just mushy sex stuff. Yes, there were sex scenes and yes they were very good (style points for Nadja on execution), but there was also character depth and a visible plot.

The pacing was also a perfect fit. When I first picked up the book I kind of looked at it like "who writes a book this short anymore?" It was like a midget in giant land, but it truly is quality over quantity. Her Dark Baron might have been short compared to other books, but for this story the length was just right. There was plenty of room for detailed explanations, a leisurely pace, and , and any longer and the story would have started to drag, boring the reader.

Yet again, I also enjoyed the little details that Nadja wove into the story. It's those little things that really sold the story for me.


-Aaron

Review: The Chosen (The Nine Lives of Chloe King)

CHLOE KING MAY BE THE ONE.

Despite a rocky few weeks, Chloe King is starting to get it. She's figured out who she is (a girl with catlike superpowers), where she belongs (at home with Mom), and what she wants to do (chill with her friends).

Yes, she's got funky superpowers, and yes, two rival groups think she's some "chosen" leader. But no, she's not buying all that ancient-warrior crap. And she's definitely not developing a superhero alter ego like in those old comic books. For Chloe, being the One means she can have whatever she wants -- i.e., more goof-off time and fewer "cat people" conventions.

Then she finds her friend bleeding in an alley. All at once Chloe realizes that the years of bloodshed are not over. In fact, they never will be. The Mai and the Tenth Blade are going to persist in their dangerous rivalry. Unless Chloe accepts her destiny -- and takes control.

By far the best book of The Nine Lives of Chloe King series. After dragging the story out through the first two books something, anything, happened. It wasn't exactly ground breaking, but it was something, finally.

Chloe was always a likeable enough character, and her "skill set" was definitely intriguing. However, the execution of her character until now left a lot to be desired. It was two books worth of plodding character development, all leading up to this, but finally Chloe got her chance to shine. And did she.


-Aaron

Review: The Stolen (The Nine Lives of Chloe King)

She argues with her mother. She occasionally skips class. And she alternately crushes on two totally different boys.
But Chloe King is by no means your typical teenager. The girl can scale buildings and see in the dark. Sometimes, at night, she even likes to leap from rooftop to rooftop. Yes, Chloe has the instincts and ability of a cat. And that makes her unique indeed.
It also makes her a wanted woman.
Because the Order of the Tenth Blade does not deal kindly with people like Chloe. It stalks them. Preys upon them. And wants many of them -- like Chloe, for instance -- dead.

Yet again, I was disappointed. I'd hoped the series would get better, but if anything it got worse.

I hadn't noticed it in the The Fallen, but Thomson has a real issue with continuity. I finished The Fallen and picked up The Stolen in the same motion, so when the first book ended in Chloe's house and the second book make it clear that it picked up right where the first book left off on now she was in some strange bedroom in a mysterious house I was startled. I kept flipping back and forth trying to figure out how she got there until I finally decided that either the author forgot where she left off or she didn't like it, couldn't go back and change it in the last book, so she just "fixed it." Like the reader wouldn't notice. It was insulting.

The ideas were fresh and new, but the story itself was a little dull. Again there were great details, but when it's all details that doesn't always mean a lot. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did. There were a few times were something could have happened, but nothing.

The nail in the discontinuity coffin for me was in the second half of the book where all of a sudden Paul smokes. Over 300 pages, and this was the first I ever heard of it. Just kaboom. First he's a regular guy, then a nerd, then a slacker, then a border line goth, and now a smoker? And each time a new aspect of his identity comes into play it's like all of the other aspects vanish, and that's all he is.

Is it possible to get whip lash from a book?


I want to read the third book to follow through on my quest to discover what the TV show got canceled before it could reveal, but I don't know if I can take another book like the first two. And I doubt the world needs another review like this one floating around in cyberspace.

-Aaron

Review: B

Originally written in 2007, “B” is a thank you note, a love letter, a wish, a promise, a confession, and a secret. With beautiful illustrations by Sophia Janowitz, “B” is finally available in this whimsical, magical book. This book is the perfect gift for every mother and every daughter. Short, touching and lovingly illustrated, it is a family tradition waiting for you to start.

B is a very usual book. As mentioned above it can't be classified as any one thing. It's part picture book, part poem, and part life wisdom. It's written from the point of view of a future mother speaking to her future daughter but also from that of a daughter looking back on the advise give by her own mother.

Going into this after hearing that B had first been presented as a spoken poem gave me certain expectations. I was expecting more fluidity and a lot of rhyming words, so when I started reading and didn't find that I faltered unsure if I wanted to keep reading. Then I reached this passage, which changed everything.

You're just smelling for smoke
so you can follow the trail
back to a burning house,
so you can find the boy
who lost everything in the fire
to see if you can save him.

Or else -

find the boy
who lit the fire
in the first place,
to see if you
can change him.

The words are beautiful, but for me the real poetry lies in the images those words create.

Even though it's illustrated this is not a gentle rhyming book I would choose to read to a young child. So, I don't believe the every mother and every daughter plug. However, this is a book that I would highly recommend to mother (possible favoring recent empty nesters) and girls who are "coming of age."


-Aaron

Review: One for the Money

Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

I'd heard great things about this series for years, but as usual that was more of a deterrent for me than a selling point. I hate reading books other rave about because I'm worried they won't live up to the hype. However, after years of refusing to touch One For the Money I finally gave in and am ecstatic about the results.

I don't want to ruin it for any prospective readers, but the thing that sealed the deal for me was the first big confrontation scene of the book between Stephanie and a hulking prize fighter type. Until then I'd been kind of puttering along half thinking about lying when people asked me if I'd finished One for the Money. Stephanie was a decent character, but there was no mettle, no fire just a putz jobless woman. Then this guy ties into it with her, and it was like a completely different woman arrived on the scene. Even though she had no training and was scared witless she didn't freeze up or wait for some guy to come charging in from the wings to rescue her (a failure to many other leading ladies to count are guilty of). She used everything she had, went down swinging, saved her panic for later, and got gun training as soon as she had the opportunity.

That was it for me, by the end of that chapter I knew I'd inhale this book and not rest until the rest of the series was within easy reach.

Another big selling point for me was the humor. It was hiding in all of the most unexpected yet perfect places. Such as when she was so desperate she tried hamster food, or the gradual hawking/ trading of all of Stephanie's possessions to pay for for various and sundry things such as a TV and VCR for a Nova.

The relationship dynamics were both hilarious and believable, but my favorite relationship by far was the one between Stephanie and Rex, her hamster. The stumbling step in many books I've read is the pet/ owner dynamic. Most authors can barely pull off a good dog/ person relationship, but Janet Evanovich managed to deliver in spades with a hamster and a wanna be bounty hunter. So well in fact that I started to fear for Rex's health just in case the relationship was being so flawlessly constructed to elicited an emotional response when some psycho killed him off. I kept expecting Stephanie to come home to find a blood soaked cage and Rex's bloody body nailed to the back of the door. Thankfully despite guns being fired in his vicinity he survived book one unscathed.

My Rating

-Aaron

Review: Claiming the Prize

Walking a solitary, disciplined path in his pursuit to become the light heavyweight champion of the American-Mixed-Martial-Arts-Organization, Drago Zadrovec leaves the security of his homeland to train in the United States. But once within the exclusive MMA organization, Drago finds himself increasingly drawn to his mentor's daughter, Grace Antolini. Quiet and gentle, yet thoroughly immersed in the world in which he exists, Grace captures his heart as firmly as his quest for the title, igniting a long buried passion inside the fighter. Subjecting his body to the brutality of the cage and opening his heart to the woman he desires to share his life with, Drago comes to understand that his journey is comprised of more than want of victory in the ultimate goal of Claiming The Prize......

I'm not a big romance reader, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I downloaded Claiming The Prize. But I was blown away by how skillfully Notariani weaved together all of the different aspects of Grace and Drago's story.

Grace's dedication, loving nature, and kick ass fighting skills made her someone I could instantly connect with. She was the type of woman I'd totally be friends with if she were real, but since she isn't I wanted to find out more by reading more. I just wish Grace had gotten more fighting time in, maybe in a sequel?

Although the events were well described and believable the pacing was mind bendingly fast. Once Drago and Grace got past the initial "I don't date" stage of their relationship it was like watching a space shuttle launch. "10, 9, 8, ... 3, 2, 1" and it's gone! I was expecting a long and tedious everything, but they were off like a shot.

Thankfully, this was the world-wind variety of true love, so the speed fit perfectly and only served to suck the reader in. Anything slower would have been exactly what I had originally expected: tedious.

My favorite part of Claiming the Prize by far was how fast Nadja switched gears, which she accomplished by altering view points from one character to another. Just when I was starting to settle in for a nice, mellow, chaste love story the focus would pan to another character who was having fast and furious sex in the next room while hopped up on X.

And the skill with which the story changed gear was truly artful. The suspense would start building with a little foreshadowing here and there. Then you get what was going on from the current focuses point of view before hopping inside another character's head and finding out what was really happening.

Even if, like me, you aren't a romance fan I would still say check this one out. It's got enough of everything you'll find yourself getting sucked in before you realize it. If not for the romance then for the action or the scandal or the accents, which admittedly don't sound half as sexy when they're in your head but you make do with what you have.

My Rating

- Aaron

Review- Original Sin

SHE HAS A LICENSE TO KILL. AND CARPOOL.

Seeing Lucy Hamilton, you would think she is just like any other suburban stay-at-home San Francisco mom. She takes her three-year-old son Theo to the beach, playground, and the zoo. She makes organic applesauce, folds laundry, and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband Will, is that for nine years she was known as Sally Sin, a spy for the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction). And that’s just the way Lucy wants to keep it – a secret.

Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer and Lucy’s long-forgotten nemesis, returns to the USAWMD’s radar, and they are forced to call Lucy back to action to lure Blackford out into the open. As she races to unravel the mystery that surrounds Blackford’s return (and get dinner on the table), she realizes that the answers she needs lie in a past that she’s tried very hard to forget. In a race against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her family – and, oh yes – the world.

As the back cover suggests Original Sin has a very unique cast of characters and when it comes to character development Beth does her due diligence and then some. Although, Lucy is the focus all of the supporting characters are equally as well formed through Lucy’s observations of them. She describes each with an elephant’s memory and a spy’s eye for detail. Not only do we get Lucy’s commentary on each person who passes through her life, but in many cases we also get to travel back in time to Lucy’s most vivid memories of them. As a result in this book as in real life everyone is a true blue individual with their own unique quirks.

At times it felt like there was almost too much character development. Much of the story was spent in the past going back over Lucy’s life and using big chunks of it to explain the present. The detailed back story was greatly appreciated, but so much time was spent in the past I often forgot what was happening in the present.

Although, Original Sin was a solid debut novel it’s real strength, in my eyes, was as a set up device for the rest of the series. Now that the stage is set I’m very interested to see how the next book turns out.

All in all I liked Original Sin, and would recommend it readers who enjoy complexly plotted vibrant stories.

- Aaron

Review - Death Whispers

Caleb has the most rare of the paranormal powers, Cadaver-Manipulation (aka corpse-raiser). In this world of the future, with Brain Impulse “pulse” Technology’s wide-spread use and influence keenly realized, routine school inoculation has expanded to include a pharmaceutical cocktail, which once administered, unlocks the genetic potential for paranormal abilities. Using this small window of puberty, teens who have the genetic propensity find themselves manifesting extraordinary gifts; some of which garner the full attention of our government. Caleb must camouflage his new “talent” during the mandatory eighth grade Aptitude Test so that he remains undiscovered while establishing choice for his future. However, events beyond his control systematically reveal Caleb and his friends, which force them to fight for their freedom. In the midst of this struggle, his girlfriend's father battles to reassert his abusive dominance in her life while a couple of “peer enemies” thwart his efforts of secrecy at every turn. In the explosive climax, Caleb must protect his friends, and Jade, the one he loves...at all costs.

Stories with male leads aren’t normally my thing, and I wasn’t sure how far I’d get when I first started reading. But I was hooked by the end of the first page, and starting with a past event and then transitioning back to the present was what did it. It made me feel like the world inside Death Whispers had existed long before I’d opened the book, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was struggling to catch up. Caleb’s memory of a disastrous day in Biology was the perfect place to start. It both gave valuable background information and set the stage for future events at the same time.

Since the story is set in the future there’s some pretty cool new technology involved that made the techie in me sit up and take notice. It took me a little while to catch on to some of the new gadgets, but the fact they were gradually introduced and explained in the story made it easy. Also, most of the new technology were very logical evolutions of existing technologies, which made it easier to follow along with.

The relationship between Caleb and Jade seemed very genuine. Tamara didn’t over dramatize the nerves or the fist steps of their relationship. She just set let it progress naturally which resulted in a connection between the two that seemed as real as that between any couple in any hallway of any high school in the U.S.

For me the best part by far was trying to connect the dots and figure out what was going on with all the other teen aged characters. Caleb was focused on the development of his own paranormal powers, but at the same time there were little bread crumbs being dropped about the other characters paranormal powers. Trying to figure out what the powers were before Caleb found out was a lot of fun for me.

Death Whispers was an excellent debut from Tamara Rose Blodgett that I recommend to teen and adult readers alike, but you'd better pick up your copy soon so that you're up to date when Death Speaks, the second novel in the Death Series, comes out this summer.

- Aaron

Review - The Family That Wasn't

Can you wipe out your family simply by wishing for a new one? And how do you get them back? These are the questions John Boggle must answer in this new fantasy novel by Gene Twaronite.

I really appreciated how Gene took the time to set up the story. With lines like "I didn't mean to do it - things just got out of hand" the first chapter was devoted solely to hooking the reader. The next several chapters introduced this crazy family and the events that led to the book's misadventures. It took a little too long to get to the meat of the story for my taste but the set up was interesting and funny enough that it kept my interest despite its length.

I see this as a great stepping stone book for elementary and middle school students as it deals with a lot of different content areas in a simplified manner. Not only is it a solid entry level fantasy story with a minimum of moving parts, but The Family That Wasn't also contains all of the elements of a quest: a hero, a search, mystical tools, signs, and a lesson that is learned by the end. It also contained hints of deeper issues (such as hints there was a funny uncle in the family) but it was done so in a very skillful manor in which it could either by glossed over or discussed in more detail quite easily.

The voice Gene lent to John Boggle was captivating. Not openly funny John's humor was in his turn of phrase and the book was liberally peppered with kidisms (moments that are funny simply because of how the kid responds to it).

Although, The Family That Wasn't is advertised for teens and adults it is definitely a book I'd recommend to elementary and middle school students. As a teacher I'd also recommend The Family That Wasn't as a read aloud book.

-Aaron

Book Review: "Legacy" by Cayla Kluver

(Unfortunately, Blogger chose this moment to be absolutely frustrating and wouldn't let my upload the beautiful cover of "Legacy", but here is the book's summery): Duty-bound to wed her father’s choice in successor to the throne, Princess Alera of Hytanica believes that she is being forced into the worst of all possible fates—a marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered suitor, Steldor. When a mysterious boy from enemy Cokyri appears bearing secrets and an entirely different view of what's appropriate behavior for a young lady, Alera learns that her private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. When Narian’s shocking past comes to light, Alera finds herself in a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, facing an uncertain future with dwindling options—and must learn to decide between right and wrong all alone.

Sounds awesome, right? :D

Well, just to let you know ahead of time, I've never done a book review before (outside of school), so I'm just going to go ahead and give my honest opinion of the book-and hope that it sounds reviewer-ish enough: To be honest, when I read the opening pages of "Legacy", I had mixed feelings. I was a little confused as to what exactly the book was going to be about, but once I got past my confusion and onto Princess Alera's story, I was hooked (and things began to make more sense)! I loved Alera's feisty, determined attitude, Miranna's bubbly personality, London's sarcastic wit, Steldor's stuck-up (and at times, pretty hilarious!) charm, and Narian ...Oh Narian. I fell in love with him pretty quickly, but I was also just as suspicious of him as Alera was and only began to trust him when Alera did. But once I knew that he was an OK guy and saw how in love Alera was with him and how he treated her as an equal (not to mention how awesome of a fighter he was!) I was head-over-heels!

Not only are the characters in "Legacy" amazing, deeply layered, and totally relatable despite the time-period, but the language and dialogue were also beautiful and easy to understand and you as a reader were able to experience every emotion that Alera felt just as strongly as if you were feeling it yourself. I was completely engrossed in the story and the world and was on the edge of my seat more then once during some particularly intense fight scenes. I was breathless and totally caught up in Alera and Narian's passion for one another, and heartbroken whenever they were forced apart.

Overall, "Legacy" was simply extraordinary, and would be quite the challenge for any other teen to attempt to craft. But not Cayla Kluver. She writes with a confidence and feeling that is well beyond her 16 years. In fact, I loved this book so much, that I've seriously considered having "Team Steldor" and "Team Narian" t-shirts made up to show my devotion! And the best part? I convinced my mom to read the book as well! :)

Adventure, mystery, suspense, and romance fill the pages of "Legacy", sweeping readers up in a story they won't soon forget.

~Ella

P.S. I'm absolutly PINING for the sequel! :D