Recommended for Mystery Buffs

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

If you liked Hannibal Lecter, then you might like this little reversal. Gretchen Lowell is a serial killer. She's a beautiful woman, but she's poison through and through. After years of chasing her, cop Archie Sheridan is caught in her clutches - and miraculously escapes. Now, chasing a new serial killer, he has to do a little quid pro quo with Gretchen. This was good, no doubt, and quite frankly, a bit distrubing. Gretchen is a fascinating character being that you don't often see women as the calm collected killer like she is. The relationship she has with Archie is twisted, and it's their interactions that held me more than the actual mystery. However, I don't normally read mysteries like this one (more serious), and often avoid them simply because it's often young girls being murdered by some wack job, as it is here. So while I'd like to move on to Sweetheart and then maybe Evil at Heart, I can't yet bring myself to do it. But I definitely know people out there that will dig this series (one of my managers is one of them!)


Notes from the playlist: "Waterpipe Angels" by Matthew Sabol

Recommended for Writers (who need inspiration)

Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Bud Gardener

I discovered this book one day while in the library looking up writerly things. This was actually years and years ago when I was just beginning to look up how to get published. I never knew they made a Chicken Soup book for writers and thought it was grand. I borrowed it, read it, and then went out and bought it. This book has been a great way to keep my spirits up whenever I get bummed about rejection. Positive stories remind me that everyone has gone through the same process. It is possible to get accepted somewhere. Writing is both a pain and a joy. Frankly, I think this book helped me even more to handle rejection. I already knew it was going to be a fact of life when it comes to writing, but this made it much easier.

So for any writers that need a boost or are feeling burnt out, try a bowl of Chicken Soup and see if that doesn't make you feel better.


Notes from the playlist: "Becoming One of the People/Becoming One with Neytiri" by James Horner

Recently Finished

4 Bodies and a Funeral, 5 Bodies to Die For, 6 Killer Bodies by Stephanie Bond

Well, I finished off the series - thusfar anyway. There are to be at least two more books in Stephanie Bond's Body Movers series, but right now they're on hold because a TV thing might happen. The last several books were a lot more fun, and I easily polished each of these off in a single day. One right after the other pretty much. So while I wasn't jazzed with the first few books, if you're willing to get past them for the sake of the subplots (which are interesting) and the boys (who are also interesting - and yummy), then you should be able to enjoy some mystery, some drama, excitement, and a relatively good time.

P.S. It's kind of scary how well the song below fits these books...

Read the Epinions reviews for books four, five, and six!

Notes from the playlist: "Lights Out" by Breaking Benjamin

Recommended for Kids and Fans of Heartwarming True Tales

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle by Brian Dennis

Today is my other sister's birthday, and since I bought her DVDs instead, I know she would approve of a book that puts our soldiers back in mind...

This is one of those books I end up reading and then can't believe I've neglected to put it in my recommended reading list here. This is the kind of story that can bring a tear to your eye, or at the very least make you say, "Awww!" Nubs is a scrawny dog that lives in Iraq. He was part of a pack of wild dogs, but a special bond formed between him and Marine Major Brian Dennis. Dennis gave Nubs (naming him due to his clipped ears - likely due to a cruel/stupid person) food and affection. But eventually after coming and going and always meeting with Nubs, Dennis and his men had to relocate 70 miles away. As if that's going to stop Nubs. That dog actually followed them the entire 70 miles through the desert to arrive at the fort exhausted. When ordered to get rid of the dog, Dennis and his guys raised the money and sent Nubs to San Diego to his family where eventually the two reunited with a great happily ever after ending.

This is such a great book. You literally have to have a heart of stone not to appreciate this special story.

Notes from the playlist: "Melodies of Life" by Nobuo Uematsu

BREAKING NEWS!!

The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith is NOW AVAILABLE!

WHOO! You may remember me recommending this trilogy last year. Much to my dismay it was still out of print, despite the fact that everything else Smith has written had reappeared due to the Twilight phenom. But I just discovered yesterday that on June 8th it was released once again and is now available in bookstores, all three books in one volume! YAHOO! Though I'm still sort of not too sure about the girl on the cover, I'm already handselling this book to people that get too close to me. Haha. Honestly, I've enjoyed books before, but I've never tried to handsell them like I want to with this one. While I believe that Smith's work is infinitely better than Stephenie Meyer's, I do have to at least give Meyer some credit - Steph, if you hadn't published Twilight, this trilogy might have never seen the light of day again. So kudos (but I'm still not recommending or going to handsell your book, sorry).

Read the Epinions reviews for books one, two, and three!!

**I would like to add that the last two times I've worked once discovering this, I've sold at least one book per day and I'm happy to see them selling well on their own. I knew I was right about it being a good idea to re-release this trilogy!


Notes from the playlist: "Sweet Sacrifice" by Evanescence

Purchased for My Sister

The Last Hunt by Bruce Coville

For the longest time it seems, Bruce Coville has been working on the Unicorn Chronicles. My sister was young when she started them, now she's older, but there's nothing like finishing what you've started. Today, as it happens, is my sister's birthday. Lucky me (and her), this book came out June 1st. Originally it was going to come out a year (or was it two?) back, but Coville announced on his blog that the story was just too big, and therefore had to be split up.

I haven't read the third book yet (which reminds me, I ought to recommend the first one), but I thought I would wait until this book came out. While sis reads her new birthday gift, I intend to go back, start from the beginning, and then go all the way until the end. Hooray for unicorns!


Notes from the playlist: "Alice Reprise #5" by Danny Elfman

Recommended for Kids (and Wolf Lovers!)

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury

I have been waiting to post this book ever since I found it. I don't know why it took me so long. It's a truly delightful switcheroo on the traditional tale; here the pig is the mean one and the wolves are the good guys. The second I discovered this book at work, I read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love that the wolves are just minding their own business (like they do in real life, thankyouverymuch) when a big, mean ole pig comes along and messes things up. It's so cute! And yes, I admit, I'm a huge fan of wolves. I love them to pieces. So it really is nice seeing the wolves be the good guys for once instead of always trying to eat kids and pigs and the like. Honestly, my parents are still astonished I didn't go off into the woods to study wolves.

Whatever your take on wolves, pigs, and fairy tales, it's a cute story (a big huzzah for Trivizas!) and illustrations are just as adorable thanks to the popular Helen Oxenbury. A kids book you can't go wrong with.


Notes from the playlist: "Only A Dream" by Danny Elfman

Recently Finished

2 Bodies for the Price of 1 and 3 Men and a Body by Stephanie Bond

Well, since I muscled through the first book, Body Movers, I decided to continue on to the second and third books. I went through these much faster. I think it's because Carlotta wasn't as dumb this time around. There's some hot n' spicy stuff going on, another sticky situation that Carlotta finds herself in, and an attempt to draw in her parents (who've been on the lam for the last ten years). Though Carlotta and her brother are still totally stupid when it comes to money (and I mean painfully stupid), I was able to read both of these without as much eye rolling or a desire to throw it across the room. Though I don't recommend this series, I myself do intend to continue on. Why? I like the trio of guys (Peter is trying, Coop is squeal-worthy, and Jack is a smart ass cop), I'm curious about the parent thing, and I'd like to think that somehow both Carlotta and Wesley will wise up at some point.

I think we're getting there.

Read the Epinions review to book #2 here!


Notes from the playlist: "Brazil" by Django Reinhardt