Archive for June, 2010

Insatiable by Meg Cabot
Title: Insatiable
Author: Meg Cabot
Release Date: June 8, 2010
Pages: 464 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Best Book Quote: “Meena,” he said. His voice was a gruff whisper in the darkened gallery. “What are you hiding from me?” Her voice was as throaty as his. “Nothing,” she lied. “I swear.” And then the incredible happened. His mouth came down on hers.”


Move over Twilight because I’ve found a new vampire romance story that I love. Its called Insatiable by Meg Cabot and it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

The Story: Meena Harper is a writer for a highly rated daytime soap opera. Although skilled in her field, she also has another talent: the ability to look at someone and see when they will die. She’s used this gift numerous times to help others avoid danger – too bad it couldn’t be used to forsee this latest dilemna: vampires. You see the corporate suits have decided to write vampires into the soap opera’s storyline. Meena thinks that’s simply ridiculous – why would anyone want to watch a TV show about vampires? I guess it’s a good thing Meena is a writer and not in marketing . . .

At a neighbor’s party, Meena is introduced to Lucien Antonescu, a visiting professor from Romania, who, unbeknownst to her, is really the supreme prince of darkness and the son of Dracula himself. He’s immediately intrigued by her, this young woman who sees the future and can steer people away from certain death. As for Meena, she’s completely surprised that this polished, urbane, beautiful man is so focused on her; she’s completely swept off her feet by his attentions. Then reality sets in when Alaric Wulf, vampire hunter extraordinaire, tells her that her new lover is a super-vamp and she has landed in the middle of a vampire war.

I love a book with great dialogue and that’s what Meg Cabot has delivered in Insatiable. Meena is an independent character with spirit and soul who you connect with immediately. Lucien is brooding and dark after living for 500 years (it’s fascinating to watch Meena bring him back to life). Alaric is an emotionally closed warrior whose mission to kill every vampire on earth is forever altered by Meena and her life-affirming attitude. I think of this book as Twilight on steroids. I won’t give away the ending – you have to read it – but I think (and sure hope!) there is the chance for a sequel. I was so entranced, I read it in one sitting and you know that feeling you have when a good book is over? That’s how I felt when I finished this book – disappointed it was over and praying for a sequel.

This is a great book written by an extremely talent storyteller whose work will undoubtedly re-energize the paranormal romance genre. Tired of vampires? I think not.

Meg CabotAbout Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot has written over 50 books that span the adult and young adult markets. Her popular Princess Diaries books were the basis for two hit movies. She also writes the fantastic Heather Wells adult mystery series (the first book is titled “Size 12 Is Not Fat”).

Insatiable is her first adult paranormal book.

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Alcide True BloodThis guy makes me feel all tingly and causes me to think bad things. And when I say “bad” I mean very naughty.

Meet Joe Manganiello, who you may remember from the show One Tree Hill where he played a sexy bartender. In tonight’s episode of True Blood he stars as Alcide Herveaux, a sexy werewolf that joins the True Blood cast to help Sookie find Bill.

Um, Bill who?

Just kidding of course (sort of).

Anyway, last week’s show ended with Eric confronting a werewolf that had broken into Sookie’s home.

Here’s what happened in tonight’s episode:

Top 10 Highlights from True Blood Episode 3: It Hurts Me Too

#10 - Russell Edgington, the Gay Vampire King of Mississippi, suggests that Bill turn Sookie into a vampire if he really loves her. Turns out, Bill’s maker Lorena was the one who suggested that Russell approach Bill about betraying the Queen of Louisiana.

#9 - Tara, who’s never been big on vampires, has an intense sexual encounter with Franklin Mott, the vampire that defended her outside Merlotte’s.

I find Franklin to be extremely creepy and sleazy. He visits Jessica at Bill’s home, taking her the head of the guy she mistakenly killed. Looks like he plans to blackmail her into giving him information on Bill. Hmmn, I wonder what he’s up to.

#8 - Poor Sam. His family is so . . . um, lame. While visiting him at Merlotte’s his father proceeds to give alcohol to Sam’s underage brother and has the nerve to get an attitude when Sam stops him.

#7 - Meet Jason “Barney Fife” Stackhouse! Jason decides it’s his calling to serve and protect. Now would you want Jason running around your city with a gun and a license to use it in the name of the law?

Speaking of Jason, he’s now dreaming of people with bullet holes in their heads.

#6 - Arlene goes in for a sonogram and gets the surprising news that she’s 9 weeks pregnant. She’s shocked because she and Terry haven’t been together that long. However, when she tells Terry about the baby, she lets him think it’s his.

#5 - Sookie, sweet thing that she is, paid for Eggs’ funeral. She and Tara reunite during the ceremony. Sookie tells Tara to move into her home while she’s away in Jackson looking for Bill.

#4 - Bill’s flashback: we see Bill in 1868 going home to see his wife who, of course, thought he was dead. She realizes something’s wrong with him, turns to run from the home, and is grabbed by Lorena. His poor wife, whose son just died of smallpox, is so distraught, she begs Bill to kill her. At Lorena’s request Bill wipes his wife’s memory.

#3 - In order to ensure Sookie’s (and his own) safety, Bill renounces his fealty to the kingdom of Louisiana and pledged his loyalty to the Gay Vampire King of Mississippi.

#2 - Eric gives Lafayette a brand new convertible for being his top seller of V. He attempts to entice Lafayette into selling more V (to his wealthy clients) by promising him lots of money.

#1 - Franklin, who I’m really growing to dislike, visits Tara at Sookie’s house. Although she initially refuses to let him in he hypnotizes her into inviting him inside.

The episode ends with Bill and Lorena having the most eye popping (or is that neck popping) sex I’ve ever seen!

And here’s the funniest line from True Blood Episode 3: It Hurts Me Too:

•  When Sam’s dad see’s Merlotte’s he says: “I always dreamed of having my own chicken shack. I’d call it Mickey’s Chicken & Chitlins.”

Question for viewers: Didn’t it look like Franklin, Tara’s vampire one-night stand, was awake during the day? What gives?

Categories : True Blood
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Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Pages: 352
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Best Book Quote: “I could have kept arguing with him – I usually like arguing with Adam. But there were things I liked better. I leaned forward and kissed him.”

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs is another great installment in the story of Mercy Thompson, coyote shapeshifter. At this point in the series she’s bonded to Adam, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack. Mercy is an ace mechanic who works in a garage, fixing cars while trying to understand all the nuances of her relationship with Adam. A coyote mated to a wolf comes with its own unique set of problems – least of which is the fact that his pack isn’t welcoming her with open arms because they think their Alpha should be mated to a true werewolf.

Mercy lives in a trailer with Samuel, a family member from a different pack. He’s a very old werewolf (but still incredibly hot) who seems to be succumbing to a problem that plagues a lot of old werewolves: he’s losing his humanity. When Mercy comes home on day to find Samuel in wolf form and realizes he’s not switching back, she fears the worst because most lone wolves don’t survive for long – they are usually killed by their pack. However, Mercy is determined that this will not happen to her friend and sets out to find a solution to his problem. But this makes significant problems for her because Adam is not about to let a lone wolf near his mate. How can she protect Samuel but not lie to Adam at the same time? Quite the dilemma . . .

Patricia Briggs once again delivers a great story with complex characters and captivating story lines. Samuel and his battle with his inner wolf keeps you engaged as you truly hope it does not negatively impact the relationship between Adam and Mercy. Keeping these two together is of paramount importance. Along with a parallel story where Mercy tries to help out a young fae bookstore owner, the author gives you plenty of action to keep you captivated throughout the book. Be sure to pick up Silver Borne if you are looking for a fast-paced, fantastical and interesting story to read. check prices

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The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality by D. R. Whitney

Title: The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality
Author: D. R. Whitney
Release Date: November 1, 2009
Pages: 374 pages
Genre: Epic Fantasy

Best Book Quote: “Vivienne drifted above the desperate scene until the warmth of strong arms embraced her. The handsomest young man she had ever seen with black hair and the most penetrating golden eyes, was comforting her as he held her in the fine wool of his purple cloak.”

Imagine a girl who dreams of a handsome boy with golden eyes. In the dreams, he is madly in love with her and shows her places so beautiful she cannot believe they are real. But real they are and with this, you have the makings of a great new teen fantasy series, The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality by D. R. Whitney. This is the story of Vivienne Le Faye, a normal American 16-year old girl who lives in a boarding school in Manhattan. Her grandmother has recently died, leaving her an orphan. She inherits a family heirloom, a beautiful ruby necklace, and immediately begins to have vivid dreams of a golden eyed boy who professes his eternal love for her. The hardest part for her to believe is that the dreams are also telling that her she is the Lady of the Lake, the last princess of an alternate world.

This alternate world is filled with magic and mystery but absolutely no technology. Her dreams tell her that evil people are coming for her and Vivienne is determined to find out what the heck is really going on – it seems her dreams are saying that if she does find her way back to the fantasy world then both her world and theirs are going to end. What is a sixteen year old girl to do with all that responsibility? The only thing she knows for sure is that the golden eyed boy is there for her and she must find him.

D.R. Whitney has crafted a wonderful fantasy world where any adult or teenager can lose themselves in magic and wonder. It is a wide-ranging story filled with mystery, eternal love, and the fulfillment of a destiny that has waited thousands of years to reach culmination. This is a tremendous treat for any fantasy lover and I am especially pleased by the author’s ability to draw the reader into her spell and keep us wanting more.

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Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead in the Family
Author: Charlaine Harris
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Pages: 320
Genre: Vampire Romance

Favorite Book Quote: “I think we need to kill Victor”, I said, and his eyes met mine. I’d finally succeeded in surprising Eric.

The latest installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Dead in the Family, by Charlaine Harris, carries on the tradition of giving us a well written story with engaging characters that pull you in and keep you reading until suddenly, you’re done!

Sookie is recovering from a recent and devastating supernatural war in which she almost lost her life as well as losing several people close to her. Now, she just wants to decompress and snuggle up to her vampire lover, Eric, trying to get back to normal. But can things ever be truly normal for Sookie? She’s telepathic, she dates a vampire, and she works for a shapeshifter – normal does not enter into it.

And, try as she might, she can’t catch a break. There is a dead body on her property that appears to have been planted there in an attempt to make her look guilty. The FBI is sniffing around, sure that Sookie is up to no good. Her former vampire boyfriend, Bill Compton, is dying of silver poisoning and she is determined to save him, since he won’t save himself. To top it all off, Eric’s maker has appeared in town, causing some major problems in the relationship department – not to mention the ‘trying to stay alive’ department.

Charlaine Harris writes with a flair that takes you into small town Louisiana and makes it a believable world. I liked that Sookie hooked up with her small telepathic cousin, Hunter, again. You see a lot of the same faces in this story plus several new ones. Once again, this story stands on its own and the author does an excellent job of giving you enough back-story to explain certain situations but not so much that it’s tedious if you’ve read the previous novels. I love these books and have read them all several times. Dead in the Family will be added to my repeat read list because Charlaine Harris delivers once again.

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