Dead Ever After

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Dead Ever After
Charlaine Harris













Ok folks, there is a BOAT load of anger stirring around this last book of the series.  Many gals are feeling betrayed.  Spoilers WILL ensue in my review/discussion, so don't read further if you don't want to know anything.

Amazon Blurb -

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

*****

I found this book ok.  It certainly wasn't an out of the park homerun, but, it wasn't the absolute disaster many are making it out to be.  I loved how all her friends past and present gathered together to help her in the latest jam she finds herself.

Sookie is accused of murder.  Someone is setting her up big time, the question is who, and why are 

they doing it.  In the middle of that mess, her vampire boyfriend is not happy with her, nor she him.  Her friend and co-owner of Merlottes, Sam is behaving odd to say the least.  When this is all said and done will she have either one in her life anymore?  The only staple seems to be good ole' Bill.

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STOP HERE TO NOT HAVE THE BOOK RUINED IF THAT MATTERS TO YOU!!!!

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Now for the controversy and what ticked me and hundreds of others.  First let me say that I called it when I read the last book, I think most of us did.   I love Eric.  He is an unapologetic, egotistical, megalomaniacal, ruthless killer.  We all know that about him, and yet we all still love him.  CASE CLOSED!!!  It doesn't bother me, I don't care one bit about that.  Why you ask? Because through each book you learn that Eric does love Sookie.  Did he do what he had to to get her, yup, but HE LOVES HER.  When she was tortured and mutilated by the fairies and he held her hand and she asked him "why didn't you come?"  His answer was "You're killing me."  It was a tortured and wretched angst filled response to her because he loves her so.  Their relationship has been sown slowly through each book lovingly crafted, and for the author to calously toss it away like gum on the bottom of ones shoe sucked a big smelly pickle to say the least!

In my opinion Harris was not happy with the devotion that her fans of this series have given to Eric. Not even Bill has the same level of adoration.  She point blank said in an interview that it baffles her how he is loved because he is a BAD guy plain and simple.  That Sam was her answer all along I personally find disingenuous.  There was never the same level of attraction for Sookie with Sam than there was with any of her boyfriends, even Alcide had more zing with Sook.  It would have been an easier pill to swallow if she would have had Sookie just be by herself and live her life.

How insulting to have a relationship that has been nurtured through several books be cast away with barely an explanation.  Eric is almost non-existent in this story and man that just is so out of character for the whole series and the personality of the characters.  Where was the angst, the heartbreak, the anger over this by both of them!?!   I felt more hurt amd pain when Eric forced Bill to tell her he was using her while she lay in that New Orleans hospital bed.  Sookie's gut wrenching pain was soooo thick in that one scene that I cried, but not here, not with Eric.

Oh well I guess this is what happens to loyal fans with some authors.  Her paltry explanation at the begining of the book that she knows not all will be happy is just meaningless.  You can't please everyone, I think we as adults know and accept that, but please don't insult us, those who have bought every single solitary book, pre-ordering them, getting them signed and keeping them as a treasure to not give away to anyone.  We all were short changed here, those of us who have come to love our Blonde Viking and it hurts, it hurts bad. To those who think we're crazy and say get a life, a pox on you and  your ancestors. 

And now comes the next screwing over with True Blood on HBO, this has become a torturous adventure of disgust as I watch beloved characters get twisted into things they never were and even dumber storylines.  I need a drink....

3 Cannolis   Because it wasn't the worst I've ever read (that award goes to The Gathering) even though she has SUPREMELY pissed me off.

Dare You To

Dare You To
Katie McGarry
Netgalley arc














Amazon Blurb -

"I dare you…"

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock—with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams—and his life—for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….
*****

Why do children who are abused, neglected or both still love and feel loyalty to the crappy parent? A child wants to be loved and nurtured so bad by their parent they'll stick around through anything....

Beth is a hard skater girl. Pierced nose, jet black hair, foul mouth. Her aunt has taken her in as a foster child for the cash and lives in the basement along with her best friend Isaiah and Noah. Life hasn't been good to her and she has shut off all feelings of hope behind her tough exterior.

Ryan is the town's superstar baseball pitcher. "The Golden Boy", perfect in every way. Gorgeous, affluent, prominent town family, beautiful home, but is it? Peel away the facade of his home life and what lies beneath is far from perfect.

Ryan and his best buds and teammates Chris and Logan are forever daring each other to do stupid things, on this night at the Taco Bell it's to get a girl's number and a date with her. Chris scores with no trouble, Ryan needs to get the next girl or he loses. In walks Beth, the farthest thing from his type. As he gets closer he see's she is pretty and what starts out as a dare becomes a journey of discovery for them both.

I more than enjoyed this book, I loved this book. Another YA has stolen my heart! There is nothing like a great story and this is it. I even had tears streaming down my face at some points. That's major aces for me. It was a tough subject, and it portrayed it wonderfully, nothing smarmy, phony, or overdone. Katie covered all the bases well, right down to the school's bitchy mean girl. Beth and Ryan are true lovely characters. Ryan is such a gentle sweet kid and Beth, well your heart breaks for her. You will fall in love with them both.

I highly recommend this book. Very light on the love scene side so even a 15 year old will be okay with it. There is a book for Beth's beat bud Isaiah coming out, Crash Into You, and I want to read that too!

5 cannolis

First Grave On The Right

First Grave On The Right
Darynda Jones











Amazon Blurb -

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.
*****
I enjoyed this book. It wasn't the best book I ever read, but it wasn't a drag. Charlie is a funny sassy character who "sees dead people". She is actually the grim reaper and helps souls cross over. Her dad is a retired New Mexico cop and her Uncle is a Detective and she helped her dad solve cases and now does the same for her Uncle. Her best friend Cookie is also her "secretary".

Charley has been having some really intense life like dreams involving a very hot man, and her dreams are slowly coming to reality and when she finds out who it is it just might be a deal breaker.

3 1/2 cannolis

Best and Worst Books Of 2012

I read 55 books this year! Not too shabby :) I had several favorites, but the best one for this year was On The Island by Tracy Garvis Graves. This was such a great book! From beginning to end I loved it. The worst book ever? The Gathering by Anne Enright. OMG this book was horrific! We spent book club talking about how bad it was! Two other great books was Girl Gone by Gillian Flynn and And When She Was Good by Laura Lipman. Both of these are just great reads. Campy fun? The Immortals series by Kresley Cole, love them, lots of fun too read and read four of them one after the other. If you're a fan of paranormal romance pick them up. Most hyped disappointment? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It wasn't bad, but not the great read it was pumped up to be. I will give it this, I tend to hate over descriptive books, but this one made you "see" where they were. Nicest surprise goes to That Boy by Jillian Dodd, very cute story and easy quick read. I usually hate Young Adult, but I read a few this year that were decent books. After Twilight I vowed never again, but I'm glad I read these- Flat Out Love, Because Of Low, and Easy. Are you looking forward to anything special in 2013? With sadness I am anticipating Charlaine Harris' last in the Southern Vampire Series (True Blood) come May. I have no clue how she's going to wrap this up and I'm scared! My To Be Read pile is a mile long, I don't think it'll ever shrink :) There is no such thing as too many books, just too many books and too little time ;) Happy Reading....

Gone Missing

Well October has flown away and now November is headed out the door too.  I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week!  I haven't blogged in forever, have not found the time and kinda lost my blogging mojo a bit. I have been reading, but nothing that has made me say "I gotta talk about this one!!!"  I didn't read as much in October, nor will I be in November either.  That's ok.  I'm going to put what I read in list form everything highlighted in bold is my review/rant depending on how I felt ;) -

September

1. White Witch Black Curse by Kim Harrison
2. Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware by Cristyn West
3. Psychos by Jim Skipp - Netgalley
4. Forever Werewolf by Michelle Hauff - Netgalley
5. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - Book Club Readhttp://booklending.com/
6. And When She Was Good by Laura Lipman

October

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. The Lion The Lamb, The Hunted by Andrew E Kaufman
3. The Gathering by Anne Enright - Book Club Read

So, of all these books read there was a REAL stinker of the bunch and that honor goes to The Gathering by Anne Enright.  Mama Mia that book just rotted!!!!  We spent book club ranting about how darn bad it was and that's all the time I'll waste on it here!  I really liked Gone Girl and And When She Was Good, excellent in my opinion.  I'm done with Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, I just can't take it anymore and my rant explains it.  

I've read three books so far in November, Blameless by Gail Carriger, Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, and The Secret Of Ella And Michah by Jessica Sorenson and will be reading Look Again by Lisa Scottoline for book club.. It sounds really good and debate provoking along the lines of Jodi Picoult.  This is the first Scottoline for me so I look forward to it.   Right now I'm reading Exquisite by Ella Frank. The best part is all these books were free!  Three from paperback swap and two from booklending.com!

Well I probably won't get to blog again till after Thanksgiving so have a wonderful one filled with great food and great company.  Make some memories to last a lifetime!

Gone Girl

Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn













Amazon Blurb -

Marriage can be a real killer. 
   One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. 
   On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
*****

Amy and Nick are two of the "beautiful people".  Young hip New Yorkers that are successful, vibrant, and just gorgeous.  He's a writer, she has a degree in psychology and writes personality quizzes for magazines.  They don't nag each other, want to have a friends night out, cool, no ball and chain, no hen pecking on either side.  Then trouble hits, Nick loses his job, his mother who lives in Missouri is terminally ill and his twin sis needs help since their dad has Alzheimer and this shouldn't be just on her.

And so starts the trouble.  Amy doesn't want to leave her life, Nick really could care less.  They go and she gives him money to open a bar with his sister.Their marriage slowly deteriorates and then on their anniversary Amy goes missing.  Who did it?  Well read and be prepared for a ride.

I loved this book, I figured out what happened about almost halfway, but was just a bit unsure.  That didn't deter me from enjoying the ride.  Here's what's funny, I HATED both Amy and Nick.  Didn't like either one one stinking bit.  She was a b*tch and he was a jerk plain and simple. That didn't stop me from loving the book either!  I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.  I recommend this one.

4 cannolis

And When She Was Good

And When She Was Good
Laura Lipman













Amazon Blurb -

When Hector Lewis told his daughter that she had a nothing face, it was just another bit of tossed-off cruelty from a man who specialized in harsh words and harsher deeds. But twenty years later, Heloise considers it a blessing to be a person who knows how to avoid attention. In the comfortable suburb where she lives, she's just a mom, the youngish widow with a forgettable job who somehow never misses a soccer game or a school play. In the state capitol, she's the redheaded lobbyist with a good cause and a mediocre track record.

But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the area, she's the woman of your dreams—if you can afford her hourly fee.

For more than a decade, Heloise has believed she is safe. She has created a rigidly compartmentalized life, maintaining no real friendships, trusting few confidantes. Only now her secret life, a life she was forced to build after the legitimate world turned its back on her, is under siege. Her once oblivious accountant is asking loaded questions. Her longtime protector is hinting at new, mysterious dangers. Her employees can't be trusted. One county over, another so-called suburban madam has been found dead in her car, a suicide. Or is it?

Nothing is as it seems as Heloise faces a midlife crisis with much higher stakes than most will ever know.

And then she learns that her son's father might be released from prison, which is problematic because he doesn't know he has a son. The killer and former pimp also doesn't realize that he's serving a life sentence because Heloise betrayed him. But he's clearly beginning to suspect that Heloise has been holding something back all these years.

With no formal education, no real family, and no friends, Heloise has to remake her life—again. Disappearing will be the easy part. She's done it before and she can do it again. A new name and a new place aren't hard to come by if you know the right people. The trick will be living long enough to start a new life.

*****

"You have a nothing face."  So says Helen Lewis' father Hector to her, and so begins the abuse  by her father.  A frustrated nothing who takes it out on Helen, her mother is more relieved that her child is now the benefactor of his rage so she does nothing to protect her.

Helen knows she must get out, sadly her choice leads to what happens to most young girls that have no where to go.  But Helen is smart and she watches, hoarding away what she see's learning for when she is on her own, and on her own she becomes successful in an upper middle class neighborhood. 

After her pimp is jailed for murder, she must hide her pregnancy from him since he is the father.  Making up the excuse that her mother is dying and she has to go home so that she won't have to visit him, she gives birth and then uses his help to start her own call girl business.  He never knows about his son, she visits him regularly and he takes his cut from Helen, now known as Heloise.

In a neighboring town, there is the murder of a suburban madam.  Is there a crazed killer on the loose, or is this a well thought out hit?  Helen has to be very careful, her son and her life depend on it.

I loved this book!  It was just fantastic.  Helen was a fantastic character.  I was going right to the last few pages which had me gasping and on the edge of my seat!

4 1/2 cannolis