The Host by Stephanie Meyer and UnDead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

In Stephanie Meyer's The Host, the world has been taken over by aliens. These aliens attach themselves to a human's spinal cord and use all humans as hosts while keeping their bodies intact. Enter a special "soul" named Wanderer. She's famous in her world because of her travels throughout the universe. She's experienced living with a host of almost every world the souls have occupied. They choose her to occupy the human of Melanie Stryder. Melanie is also different than most humans. She's considered wild since she was part of the human rebellion that would not accept the occupation of the souls. In all cases, once the soul occupies the host's body, the host's personality fades away. But Melanie won't go away. Her consciousness stays while Wanderer also occupies Melanie's body.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts, her mind drifts to Melanie's boyfriend Jared. Jared is still in hiding. Reluctant allies, both Wanderer and Melanie start on a trip to find Jared, a man Wanderer has never met. Though each has separate consciousnesses in the same body, Wanderer and Melanie form a kind of bond. A kinship through the trip to find Jared and beyond.

I read this book years ago when it first came out in hard cover. I was talking to my sister Donna the other night when she asked that I write a little blurb about this novel in my blog. I also thought it relevant since the movie is scheduled to come out in a few months as well. I, of course, will be going to go see it in March. I can't wait and am super excited like the nerd I am. Donna - this one if for you.

I absolutely loved this book. I've actually read this again about a year ago because I love it so much. This book epitomizes the ultimate love triangle. A very weird and unique love triangle but a love triangle nonetheless. For all of those Twilight fans, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this novel. If you're expecting another series similar to Twilight you will be sorely disappointed. I also wouldn't recommend this book if you're not into the whole science fiction genre. It also moves kind of slow when you are first reading it. It's hard to figure out what's going on in the first several chapters. The best way I can describe this novel is it's kind of like an onion. Each chapter is another layer you peel off that you receive insight into Wanderer's and Melanie's characters and story.

This novel also focuses and discusses what it is to essentially be human. Whether you like Stephanie Meyer as a writer or not, I feel you have to at least respect her creativity after reading this book. Imagine writing from an alien's perspective and having to experience different everyday things that we take for granted. Your mind is developed and has the capability to process complex tasks and problems but you also don't know how to wash dishes for example because you've never seen a dishwasher. Maybe a not so great example but you get the idea.

I just really fell in love with this book. Though I would say it is honestly targeted more towards women simply because of the whole love triangle aspect of the plot. As an avid read, I find it very hard to find a book or author that stands out and makes you take notice. To be able to find a story that you fall in love with over and over. For me, this is one of those books.
General rating for this book: A+

The first in the Betsy Taylor series, Betsy Taylor loses her job. Then she gets hit by a car and dies. She wakes up in a horrible pink suit and cheap shoes picked out by her step mother in a funeral home. With her intense craving for blood, she soon discovers she's now one of the undead. With her new status, she's having issues adjusting to her new liquid diet. When Betsy also has this innate ability to withstand other vampire's compulsions that are much older than her, all her new friends think she's the prophesied vampire queen.

The best way I can describe this book is Sex and and City meets Charlaine Harris. Betsy Taylor kind of reminded me of Carrie from Sex and City with her major obsession with expensive shoes and couture brands. Generally classified as a romance, it has many funny one-liners from Betsy and her other human friends. I remember Andrew looking at me weird when I was reading this because he caught me laughing out loud so many times.

Generally just a fun and quick read, I would recommend this book if you're looking for something entertaining and amusing. Even if you're not really one to like novels of a paranormal nature, I would still recommend this book. As with most of the books on my blog, this is targeted towards more of a female audience. But I'm currently reading a few other books currently that are unisex friendly. I'm finally trying to venture out more so stay tuned. Again just to wrap up, a quick and enjoyable read that's really funny. I'll definitely be reading the next ones in the series.
General rating for this book: A

Hidden by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast and Silver by Rhiannon Held

In P.C Cast's vampyre world, vampyres worship the goddess of night, Nyx. Vampyres do drink blood but usually in conjunction with a regular intake of normal food as well. They are also most recognized due to the distinct and individuality marks they have on their forehead and other extremities. Sunlight does weaken them but they can go out in the sun if they have to. Each major city has a House of Night where various "marked" vampyres go to finish their education and learn about being a new vampyre before they go through the final change. P.C. Cast herself describes the series as a "vampyre finishing school."

In the most recent installment in the House of Night series, Neferet's true nature is finally revealed to the Vampyre High Council. There's also a huge but mysterious fire that wrecks havoc on a portion of the grounds. Conflict and mistrust begin to break solid friendships apart. Two of Zoey's closest friends - the twins Shaunee and Erin - are barely speaking. This same mistrust and conflict leads Erin to stray from the more righteous path where she starts hanging out with the wrong crowd. Zoey's trust is also pushed to the limit because her former enemy, Kalona, is now the school's warrior and protector. With so much chaos going on at Tulsa's House of Night, Zoey wonders if her and her friends can actually overcome Darkness after all.

My mother-in-law was actually the one that introduced me to this series several years ago. This is definitely one of those series that you should start at the beginning. Otherwise you won't really know what's going on. This wasn't one of my favorites from the series. You can kind of tell that P.C. and Kristin Cast are gearing up for something major to happen and this novel is more of a transitional novel. P.C. gives her daughter half credit for these series because originally she was the one who went in and helped P.C. actually make each book more accurate for the targeted age group. Yes another YA series that I read and love.

I don't have as much to say for this particular novel but more for the series as a whole. Fun, cute and funny. Though it is technically a YA series, I do recommend it for any age group. The only thing I might complain about is P.C. Cast's obsession with Tulsa, Oklahoma. Granted I know that's where she's from and she's the author so she can make her books be wherever she wants but I've been to Oklahoma and there's nothing there. For the record, I've read other novels not in the House of Night and those take place in Oklahoma too. Not much originality when it comes to the location. But then again I'm not a best-selling author. Anyways, just read the series.
General rating for this book: B+

Andrew Dare is a werewolf and the enforcer for the Roanoke pack. He's responsible for tracking down any intruders in the territory. He finds a lone wolf that doesn't act or smell like any other wolf he's come across. When he gets to her, he finds she's been poisoned by silver being injected in her veins. She calls herself Silver. She's kind of crazy and can't shift anymore because of the poison. Because of the horrendous nature of this crime, Andrew is concerned about the threat this killer poses to every pack in North America. Both Silver and Andrew join forces to track down the killer and discover the secrets of Silver's origin and past.

I actually found this book while I perusing through Barnes and Noble awhile ago. This is definitely one of those books that sounded a lot better with the description on the back of the book. The description makes it sound more like a love story between Silver and Andrew. It is but it's not. I felt like Rhiannon Held needed to go one way or the other. Either make it a love story or a mystery. Not both. My personal feelings on the subject are that it's more a mystery. Andrew and Silver go across country to find her attempted killer and the person who destroyed her pack. There's obvious romantic tension between both main characters but it never really develops anywhere. I kind of feel like the author should have just kept that out completely and focused on the who done it aspect.

My general opinion is this book is just ok. I believe they made a note in the book that this is the author's first book. Not horrible for a first try. The e-ready version is $9.99 on Barnes and Noble. So I guess it's worth that. I actually think this might be better as a series as opposed to a stand alone novel. Then again, the author might make it a series. I honestly haven't been following her to find out. So to sum it up, an ok book and kind of worth the money.
General rating for this book: B

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

Best known for her YA Blue Bloods series, Witches of East End is de la Cruz's extension into the adult fiction world. The novel centers on three Beauchamp women - Joanna and her daughters Ingrid and Freya. Forbidden to use magic by their governing council since the 17th century, they've all been living together in relative harmony in a small town called North Hampton on Long Island. In exchange for their compliance, they've been given immortality.

Each woman has her own specialty when it comes to magic. But as the novel progresses, the restrictions placed on them begin to fray at the seams. Each woman's magic begins to leak out which prompts all the women to use their magic to assist their fellow townspeople for various purposes - infertility, writer's block and infidelity to name a few.

But while assisting the townspeople in their various problems, they find horrible events starting to occur. Otherworldly creatures start to appear where they shouldn't and some of their fellow townspeople disappear and are then found dead. These problems are then blamed on the Beauchamp women. Joanna, Freya and Ingrid begin to fear the same result the last time they blatantly used their magic on the townsfolk during the Salem witchcraft trials. With some assistance from Freya and Ingrid's estranged father they begin investigating these crimes to try and prove their innocence. Though these crimes and other plot twists are wrapped up, de la Cruz still leaves us with a major cliffhanger at the end to keep readers in suspense.

Reading the first general description on the novel, I decided to give this book a chance. Though I never read the author's Blue Bloods series, I was still intrigued by what this book might have to offer. What I was actually surprised by was where the plot actually ended up going. Mainly the origin of why all the weird things in North Hampton were happening. I'll give you a hint: Norse mythology. For some this might be a dead giveaway if you're at all familiar but I'm not so I had no idea.

I also enjoyed the way the author portrayed each Beauchamp woman. Freya has always been the free spirit. She's 19 and is a bartender at one of the local bars. She also has a magic fake ID that shows her of legal drinking age even through she's not. Man what I would have done to get one of those when I was underage. She's also engaged to the town's most eligible bachelor, Bran Gardiner, though she's having an affair with his brother.

Ingrid is practically the polar opposite of Freya. She's single, hasn't had any real relationship throughout her immortal life and is a librarian at the town library. She's intelligent and reserved. She's also generous and self-less and wants to help people. That's actually how she decides to start using her magic again. One of her friends and co-workers is having issues with infertility and she helps them by using her magic.

Then there is their mother Joanna. Though in this particular installment, I don't feel the author goes into as much detail with Joanna as she does her daughters, you still get a general idea of her as a character. She's definitely not the traditional mother. Obviously. She doesn't really cook or clean. But she does bake quite a bit. Joanna is also still dealing with the separation and estrangement of her son and husband. I won't go into details on both situations but it's a major emotional and mental albatross on her neck. But no matter her issues, she still tries to be the best mother she can be by supporting her daughters whenever and wherever she can. I think that's what any mother strives to do with their children.

It's pretty obvious to say that I really liked this book. Just on the sole basis that I've written so much on it and this is the only book listed on this post. I think it's rare to find a book or a series that really speaks to you these days. And that's always different for every person. The world is such a diverse place so of course each individual is going to enjoy reading different books and genres as a whole. But I honestly feel that this book and later the series (once the author gets around to writing more) has the ability to transcend and connect to readers outside this particular genre. Plus she probably already has at least some of the Blue Bloods audience already. So hats off to Melissa de la Cruz. You thought up and wrote a good one. And you've just earned yourself another fan.
General rating for this book: A+

White Oleander by Janet Fitch and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

White Oleander tells the story of Ingrid and her daughter Astrid. Ingrid is placed in prison for murder. Astrid is then placed in the foster care system after her mother is imprisoned. The novel focuses more on Astrid and her journey through the various foster homes she's forced to live in until she turns 18.

Her story is a journey of self-discovery. Each home is its own universe with it's own laws where consequences for breaking those rules can be pretty dire. Consequences that range from just getting ignored to being attacked by dogs to being shot at.

The imagery that Janet Fitch uses in this novel is so vivid. She's very descriptive with her writing. I originally decided to read this book because it was on Oprah's book club. Lame I know. But the plot did sound interesting so I read it. I found while I was reading the different environments that Astrid had to immerse herself in, it's extremely sad and heart-breaking.

She has to deal with some really messed up situations and she becomes so much more jaded about life and relationships because of all the different foster homes she lived in during her childhood and teenage years. Because of her mother being in prison, she's learned about life, about humanity and how unkind it can at times. She's learned from the different people she's surrounded herself with throughout her life. Even after gunshot wounds, dog attacks and poverty among other things Astrid can still love and trust. It's almost as if Astrid is a better person because of all the adversity she's had to deal with in her life.

Though not a novel that's very happy-go-lucky, I still felt compelled to keep reading simply just to find out what happens to Astrid and Ingrid. If you're looking for a happy story then I wouldn't read this one. But it's still wonderful nonetheless. For what it's worth, it's a little more depressing than Such a Pretty Face that I blogged about in an earlier post. It's probably got a depression scale factor of about a 7 or 8. 1 being sunshine and rainbows and 10 being the ugly cry and everyone dying at the end. But you should read it anyways. I of course recommend it. Otherwise I wouldn't have put it on my blog.
General rating for this book: A

Esther Greenwood has won a month-long trip to New York City. She's won a contest to be a junior editor for a magazine. But as the time that Esther spends in New York progresses, her relationships become more and more strained due to her increasing mental instability.
Throughout the novel her condition worsens. She begins to not sleep and then attempts suicide several different times. Her mother sends Esther to Dr. Gordon who administers electroconvulsive therapy to her incorrectly. She describes it as being electrocuted and refuses to go back for good reason. After her last suicide attempt, Esther is sent to a mental institution where she meets Dr. Nolan. With a combination of medication, psychotherapy as well as doses of electroconvulsive therapy that are properly administered, Esther's condition gets better and better.

Partially autobiographical, The Bell Jar mirrors Sylvia Plath's own life. She always had issues with depression and used that to write poetry and then later this novel. She ended up committing suicide when she was 30. It saddens me to think of all the other potential prose and poetry Sylvia Plath could have shared with the world if she had lived a full life.

As a novel this really spoke to me. Though the major emphasis is on Esther's mental illness, there's also a focus on her as a woman and the cultural and social issues of the day. Issues with looking a certain way, acting a certain way and the huge pressure to get married - whether that man is the wrong one or not - and to start a family. These and other issues that are discussed are relevant in some way or form today almost 50 years later.

I know The Bell Jar is almost always on some required reading list for a class or project. Plus it's considered an American classic. I had always had this list of "classic" books I wanted to read and this was one of them. I'm actually not one to hardly ever recommend any sort of classic/literature type novel. But I'm glad I read this. This book definitely goes on my list of awesome classic novels. Money and time well spent.
General rating for this book: A

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Taking place several hundred years after the world as we know it exists, the world has completely changed to learn from the past civilization's mistakes. Cities are built that only use sustainable resources. This world recycles everything (including clothes) and doesn't take the world's resources for granted. Modern day cities are referred to as the Rusty Ruins because old buildings have been rusted from sitting out in the elements after centuries. These locations are also sites used as school trips for littlies (children).

In this first installment of the series - three different types of people are introduced. Uglies, Pretties and Specials. Uglies are essentially people as we would know them today. Normal people bearing the genetic markers from their parents. But when an ugly turns 16, they forgo an operation that turns them into a pretty. Their physical traits completely change and the person morphs into what the ideal physical specimen is considered at that time. Specials are essentially the police force of the new world. They are pretty but there's something other about them. Something dark. This book talks about them but goes into more depth in a later installment.

Enter Tally. She's on the cusp of her 16th birthday. She's fantasized about being pretty her whole life. Once she's pretty, she'll be able to reconnect with all of her friends that have also turned pretty. Her only worry will be what to wear for the next big party. Her only job will be to have fun. But her friend Shay isn't sure she wants to turn pretty at all. Shay runs away. Right before Tally is scheduled to have the surgery, she's taken to the Special facility. There she's issued an ultimatum - either bring Shay back or she won't be able to get the surgery at all. She'll be ugly forever.

I found Scott Westerfeld's version of the future compelling and out of the ordinary. I enjoyed the way he discusses the world of today through the eyes of the youth of the future. In one part of the book, Tally and Shay are in a library looking at fashion magazines. Granted in their time, these magazines are hundreds of years old. But the way both of them talk about the models that are in the ads is just really funny. They see this one model that is really skinny. Too skinny. You can tell from their description that she suffers from anorexia but neither of them can remember the name of the disease. Tally talks about how they would discuss this sort of thing in her history class but she considers this such a foreign concept in her world.

I'd say the only thing that I would've liked to see was a more in depth depiction of Tally as a character and person. You only really get to know Tally on a more superficial layer. Though since this is the first in the series, the author may go more in depth in future installments. I don't know. I haven't read the other books yet. Scott Westerfeld focuses more on the world and how it exists as a whole. Which is understandable when writing more futuristic-type novels. The multi-layered focus on the character is just my personal preference when reading a novel. Overall I'd say an enjoyable read. Entertaining and comical at times. I would choose this book if you're looking for a somewhat quick, easy read that's kind of fun. Though the mood of the overall book is fairly serious at times but still amusing nonetheless.
General rating for this book: B+

Number 11 in the series, the overall synopsis of Nalini Singh's world contains 3 types of people: changelings, psy and humans. Changelings are pretty much what their description entails. They change from human to various animals. But her series focuses on cat and wolf changelings mainly. The Psy are a race that has extreme mental capacity. From telekinesis to teleporting and beyond. Because of the abilities of the psy and changelings, humans are considered the weakest of the three races.

In the newest installment, the Psy are on the brink of civil war. The Snow Dancer clan (wolf changelings) are working on regrouping their pack after an attack in their territory by a right wing extremist group leader and Psy council member named Henry Scott. The main characters are Adria and Riaz. Both have difficulties dealing with their attraction to one another because of past relationships. Riaz has found his mate but can't have her because she's married to another man. Adria recently ended her long term relationship with someone because he couldn't handle her being more dominant than him. But because of that reason, they both find themselves being able to relate to each other in a manner that they wouldn't be able to with other people in the pack.

Out of all the books in the series, this one was not my favorite. I just wasn't as compelled with Adria and Riaz's story as much. What I found more interesting in this book and all her others previously is the world that the author creates. She not only unveils what's going on with the main characters and discusses their story but also discusses what's going on in the outside world. And how those specific characters effect that world and what their role is. So even though I still didn't prefer Adria and Riaz, I still want to find out what is going to happen with the Psy/Changeling/Human world.

Just so you know this is classified as a romance. A lot of my friends make fun of me because they think I read too many romances. Which honestly, I probably do. I know I need to branch out a bit...or a lot. But I feel that this series is more than that. I actually read it because of this futuristic world that Nalini Singh has created. It's so creative and different. I think in this particular case there was more going on with the macro world versus the micro world. And I love her all the more for creating this world and bringing it into existence.
General rating for this book: A-

Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb and When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him

Stevie Barrett went through weight loss surgery and lost 170 pounds after she had a heart attack. She's in her 30's now and is having to learn to be a whole new person in some ways. By being thin, she's learning more about herself and how the people she knows interact with her in a whole new light. This book is an exploration of Stevie's self now, her past self and how she can learn and change herself in the future.

The book starts out in the present but then reverts back to Stevie's past and then jumps back to present day. Each alternating chapter is chronological in nature. So the chapters that start out in the past start at one point in her childhood and continue on from there. But the way Cathy Lamb writes the novel makes it pretty continuous and it flows naturally. So it doesn't seem too choppy and it's still easy to follow what's going on. 

After you start getting into her past (and her present actually) you wonder why she's not more messed up in the first place besides her being overweight. Without getting too much into the actual plot, her mother is a paranoid schizophrenic and her uncle (married to her mother's sister) is extremely emotionally abusive to his entire family. So from when Stevie was very young, she started to use food as a coping mechanism for the stress in her life.

This book is compelling honest in it's nature. I would not recommend it if you're looking for a happy-go-lucky story. And it doesn't necessarily contain a typical plot but more focuses on Stevie as a character herself. The overall mood of the novel is on the sadder side but it still contains several funny parts. I especially like Stevie's co-worker that calls her Steve and some of the crazy things Stevie's mother says. But while I was reading I found myself really relating to Stevie and felt that if she were a real person we'd be kindred spirits of sorts. Hopefully Cathy Lamb's other works are as gripping as this one.
General rating for this book: A-

An autobiography, Chanrithy Him recounts her trek through Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge took over. She writes from a child's point of view of her struggles through the labor camps she lived in where modern technology no longer exists and basic medication like antibiotics are rare or nonexistent. Death and illness are common. But throughout her struggles, Chanrithy and her family stay loyal to each other and eventually escape to America. 

Obviously not a very happy story. I don't usually read non-fiction but I found myself gravitating towards this book for several reasons. My father was Cambodian and was given permission to stay in the United States when the Khmer Rouge took over. Though I never really knew him and therefore never got to understand that part of myself and the Cambodian culture, I still think it's important to know where you came from and what those people went through. I know I'm ignorant and unknowing about so many things when it comes to my father's side of the family but after I read this book I felt that I had taken at least one step towards awareness.

I will also warn people that this book isn't for the faint of heart. If you're the type of person who is sensitive to violence, there may be some portions of her story that are difficult to read. I won't go into details but the author describes her witnessing a soldier kill a pregnant woman. And there are other aspects of her story where she sees things like that. People literally being killed in front of her. They are pretty difficult to take in but I think it also makes you respect her and her story that she witnessed violence like that and isn't completely crazy. This book was published in 2000 but I'll still bring it out and read it every few years. My husband also got me a signed copy from the author several years ago. Thanks Andrew! Overall an extremely compelling, honest and gut-wrenching memoir.
General rating for this book: A

A Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen and Broken by David H. Burton

A YA series by Jessica Sorensen. A girl named Gemma has never been able to experience emotion until a new guy at school becomes a sort of catalyst that creates an influx of all these new feelings she's never had before. Gemma has also been recently been having these strange, intense nightmares where these strange creatures with yellow eyes haunt and kill her in the woods. Things that shouldn't be real are being to exist and appear in real life. The appearance of this new guy, Alex, at school as well as the frequency of her strange nightmares create a means that turn her world upside down and where her life will never be the same.

Without going into key points in the plot, the general mood of this book really reminds me of the House of Night series. Very much a sci-fi type plot, the first book in the series contains several twists and turns that I personally didn't guess until I actually read them. Gemma's character is the typical shy, introverted teen. Though because of her not being able to experience any emotions most of her life, she doesn't really have any friends and is considered an outcast at her school. I'm in the process of reading the second book in the series, The Underworld, which expands on Gemma's adventures and delves into more of her background. I really enjoyed this first book in the series but I find myself not as compelled while reading the second installment in the series. I'm already about halfway though the second one and I'm debating on whether I want to read the third as well as the fourth book in the series. I'd recommend this book to people who generally like sci-fi type novels. It's also a pretty quick read as well.
General rating for this book: B+

Three days before her twenty-fourth birthday, Katherine Gregory receives a letter from her deceased mother. It details a faery curse in which the eldest child in each generation will die in their twenty-fifth year. Katherine must decide if this is all real, or if the strange visions she's been having are just a figment of her imagination.

After I finished this book I pretty much fell in love with David Burton as a author. I downloaded the ebook version on my Nook Color which contains a excerpt for the next book in the series, Bitter, that's due to come out sometime during 2012. I'm still looking for a specific release date. I would describe Broken as a paranormal fantasy romance mystery. Katherine has 2  conflicting love interests - Jonathan and Chris. Though both men don't turn out to be at all what they seem. And the book goes into more detail on how each of these men play into the curse that's tainted Katherine's family for generations. Once the core of the plot unravels, it's actually hard to keep up with all the twists and turns. Or at least I thought so. I had to reread a few of the paragraphs to make sure I had everything correct. The end kind of plays out like a soap opera that reveals how everyone and everything is connected so I'd say for anyone that doesn't really like soap operas, this isn't the book for you. But I love soap operas, especially when they have a fantasy theme. I also love anything that includes the fey so this book was really right up my alley. I pretty much plan to read anything and everything David Burton has written. And I'll be the first in line when the next book in the series comes out. I heart you David Burton!

General rating for this book: A+