Thursday, June 28, 2007

Beware, vampires are coming!

I can’t deny it! I have been fascinated with vampires after watching Bram Stocker’s Dracula when I was 16 years old. Forgetting the horrors of that movie (I couldn’t sleep for a week, I couldn’t stay alone at home for months!), I’ve been reading vampire novels seriously for three or four years. So many books I can’t remember them very well, let’s try and list those that I can:
By Barbara Hambly: “Those who hunt the night” and “Traveling with the dead”
By Tania Huff: “Blood Debt”, “Blood Pact”, “Blood Trail” and “Blood Debt” (from Blood Series)
By Patricia Briggs: “Moon Called” and “Blood Bound”
By Mary Janice Davidson: “Undead and Unwed”, “Undead and Unemployed”, “Undead and Unappreciated”, “Undead and Unreturnable”, “Undead and Unpopular”, and “Undead and Uneasy”, “Dead and loving it” (from Betsy Taylor series)
By Kim Harrison: “Dead witch walking”, “The Good, the Bad, and the Undead”, “Every which way but Dead”, “A fist full of Charms”, and “For a few demons more”
By Kelly Armstrong: the woman of other world series
By B. Hendee and J.C. Hendee: “Dhampire”, “Thief of Lives”, “Sister of the dead”, “Traitor to the blood”, and “Rebel Fey” (from Dhampire series)
By Michelle Rowen: “Bitten and Smitten” (from Toronto vampires series) “Fanged and Fabulous” is out too.
By Gerry Bartlett: “Real vampires have curves” book
By Kimberly Raye: “Dead End Dating” and “Dead and Dateless” (from A Novel of Vampire Love series)
By Katie Macalister: “A girls guide to vampires”, “Sex and the Single vampire”, “Just one sip”, “Sex, Lies, and vampires”
By Lynsay Sands: “Single White vampire”, “Tall, Dark, and Hungry”, “Love bites”, “A quick bite”, “A bite to remember”, “Bite me if you can” (from Argeneau Vampire)
By Charlaine Harris: “Dead until dark”, “Living dead in Dallas”, “Dead to the World”, “Club Dead”, “Dead as a door nail”, “Definitely Dead”, “All together Dead” (from Southern Vampire Mysteries)
By Savannah Russe: “Beyond the Pale”, and “Past Redemption” (from Darkwing Chronicles) books 3 is out too.
By Karen Chance: “Touch the dark” and “Claimed by shadow” (from Cassandra Palmer series)
By Laurell K. Hamilton: (from Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) “Danse Macabre”, “Micah”, “Cerulean Sin”, “Incubus Dreams”, “Obsidian Butterfly”, “Circus of the damned”, “Narcissus in chains”
There are some more that I can’t remember the name of the authors or the books. Also some collection of short stories by different authors like “Bite”, “Cravings”, “Dates from hell”,…
But all in all I kept myself away from Anne Rice books for no certain reason. May be it wasn’t the right time to start her work. I had seen half of the movie “Interview with a vampire” and heard “Taltos” on audio book but hadn’t pay attention to the name of the author. But that spell finally broke this last week and I finished three of Anne Rice books “Memnoch, the Devil”, “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle”. I love Lestat, OK, maybe love is a strong word for that self center vain SOB (even after his moral evolution). I can say I like him fine! About plots and cast of character it is too early too judge. Anne Rice style? Do I like it? Hoom! Let me read a few more of her books, but the answer is Yes up to now!
More on this subject later!

Monday, June 25, 2007

So many books, so little time!

So many books I finished and haven’t got the time to write about them. “The mistress of the Art of Death” was one of the best books I’ve read recently. Adelia is a doctor in middle ages and coming from Salerno Sicily to investigate death of four children in a backwater town in England. Town folks are divided and Christians are making life hard for Jews, destroying their businesses and attacking their houses. Working parallel with Adelia and her team (Mansur an eunuch Arab who is her bodyguard, Simon a Jew and agent of king of Sicily, a Celtic housekeeper and her grandson, and prior of the town) is Sir Rowley Picot, handsome crusader and tax agent; inspiring love, friendship, and a deep suspicion in Adelia’s mind and heart. What will happen? Who is the murderer? Read the book and find out!
Next, I spend much time reading five of Lisa Scottoline books. Most of her books are about a cast of characters whom you come to love after a while. Rosato and Associates is an all woman law firm, having Bennie Rosato as the owner. “Mistaken Identity” and “Dead Ringer” are about her. Judy Carrier an athletic Californian lawyer with artistic flair tries her own case in “The Vendetta Defense”. Marry DiNunzio, good catholic Italian girl with dark blond hair and low confidence; is solving her complicated historical case in “Killer Smile”. The fourth associate Anne Murphy, the red head beauty had her adventure in “Courting Trouble”.
Devil’s Corner” is about some one not related to Rosato & As, so I didn’t like it that much!
I read the most recent book of Kim Harrison, “For a few Demons more”. I love Rachel Morgan and Ivy and Jenks. I had waited for this book impatiently but was very sad at the end of the story. Yes, Rachel did good introducing Trent and Ceri and interrupting Trent’s wedding and helping FIB and David, but oh my god! I was so sad. I cried some when Kisten died. I loved that confident sexy blond vampire, I loved him. Why? Why should he die? I don’t want to read more about them, it is not fair to Kisten’s memory.
The other book which I had waited long and hard for it was “No humans involved” by Kelly Armstrong, one of my favorite authors. This book is about Jamie Vegas the cute red headed spiritualist and necromancer. She finds the killers of children in LA with some help and protection from Jeremy (oh, yes, that sexy black haired middle aged alpha werewolf).
What else? Hooooooom, “The Water Devil” by Judith Merkle Riley, third book of A Margaret of Ashbury Novel series.
A Vision of Light” and “In Pursuit of the Green Lion” are the first two books which I missed but going to hunt down. In "Water Devil", Margaret a beautiful healer in medieval times is trying to solve all her domestic conflicts, tame her wild daughters into ladies and save her son’s life from a jealous madwoman. She also has to find time to help her father-in-law and make her husband’s relationship with his father better. She is funny, entertaining and utterly kick-ass in a very lady-like gentle fashion. Loved her!
I’m getting a taste for those dark ages and those manly man knights!
The sun over Breda” is the third book of Captain Alatriste adventure by Arturo Perez-Reverte Spanish author. Loved the first two books “Captain Alatriste” and “Purity of Blood”. Happening in inquisition times in Spain under Philip IV regime, Inigo tells the story and adventures of Captain Diego Alatriste. Series is great historical novel and I loved reading about Spain.
Yes, finally I gave up and have started to read from Anne Rice. I’ve just started the “Blackwood Farm”. We’re gonna talk about Lestat later. I promise!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Free at last!

Took the final exam yesterday afternoon. I'm hoping against hope it went OK. I didn’t read any books except my text book for a whole four days and I was feeling really down, so I started “Damsels is distress” by Joan Hess the night before my exam to calm my jitters! Not a bad book if you are over seventy with a heart condition! It is from a mystery series staring Clair Malloy a small town bookseller in Arkansas and her daughter Caron. Anyway, I finished the book right after the exam and started one very exiting book by Ariana Franklin. “Mistress of the Art of Death” is a detective mystery happening in middle ages. I’m half way through the book and love the main characters. More on it later!
I finished “Stray” by Rachel Vincent in my study-breaks and loved the book! It’s about a Were-Cat girl who doesn’t like to be tied down by rules and responsibilities. She ignores her father and pride alpha as much as she can and fall in trouble really bad! Her ex boyfriend and her brothers and every one else helps her help herself! Good happy ending, very nice!

Don't have much time, should go out and have lunch with friends! Later!!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

something strange is happening here. I can't publish my new post!!! Help! Anybody, help!!!!!!!

p.s: Yey! It was published! Never mind that HELP part! :)

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

How is it when you have no time for socializing you get invited to all these events and your schedule is overflowing but when you are dieing to go to a party, not even one dinner party invitation comes your way?
I have been turning in home works, trying to find time to study for my final (on Monday) with no luck what so ever and attending a couple of parties and dodging a couple of more invitations. There is still one baby shower I have to attend on Sunday and a wedding in another three weeks, but hey, that is a long way out! Have been out going up and down hill sides and checking hiking trails three time this week, just to find a waste water treatment plant for class project! What a lousy class this one turned out to be! And what do I do in this most fabulous time when not attending obligatory gatherings or cleaning dust from my sneakers after walking up and down a mountain trial for an hour in hot sun? Why, read of course!
Have finished three more books by Lisa Scottoline, “Running from the law”, “Courting Trouble”, and “Rough Justice” are all about female lawyers in Philly and their cases. I like her style of writing although after reading four books from her I’m getting used to her tone and twists in story.
Another book I just finished is “The Devil Wears Prada” by Lauren Weisberger. OK, don’t laugh now! Of course I’ve seen the movie, I loved it; but for some reason I didn’t think the book is going to be any good, may be because of all the advertising! I’m honest to admit I was wrong and the book is very well written and quite entertaining. See, I changed my mind, although I still like the movie better! It is the first time it has happened, me liking a movie better than the book it was based on! I think all those gorgeous clothes in the movie are the reason but hey, read the book, see the movie (if you haven’t already) and then we talk.
You know the only great thing about going to party after party is a chance to wear my lovely clothes and I fully appreciate it! I love pretty clothes! That beautiful bargain dress from ATL was worn to a wedding reception Saturday night with a golden shawl and a golden little clutch (bought for just that purpose the day before), how cool is that!