Yes, there is life after TWILIGHT... (Mature Edition)

Hello grown-up TWILIGHT fans. You know who you are. (Shhhh....it's ok, I'm one of you). What are you reading now? If you're looking to recapture some of that Edward/Jacob/Bella magic and sexiness, take a look at these hot series. You won't be disappointed ;) And if you want more suggestions, check out this post for recommendations that are appropriate for teen-readers, too.

DEAD WITCH WALKING by Kim Harrison (click here for a "look inside")

"You'll love this bounty-hunter team. . A fun-fair ride through a fascinating version of our world." (Charlaine Harris, USA Today Bestselling Author of Club Dead )

DARK LOVER by JR Ward (click here for a "look inside")
"In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams."

DEAD UNTIL DARK by Charlaine Harris (click here for a "look inside")
Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out...Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea. A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan Sizemore)

Enjoy!!
Sarah

PS: If you haven't read the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer, you can read my review of it here. (Basically, we're talking about a gothic romance. Totally fun, moody, sexy, and incredible atmosphere. Think WUTHERING HEIGHTS meets Nora Roberts. Somehow they manage to be both chaste and sexy, which is why mothers AND daughters are loving them :)

Yes, there is life after TWILIGHT... (YA Edition)

NEW MOON is in theaters and the Team Edward and Team Jacob wars are heating up again! But what should you read NEXT? Fortunately, there are quite a few great options for both young and more mature fans of Edward, Jacob, and Bella. Here are just a few ideas for teen fans (suggestions for more mature Twilight-lovers are coming tomorrow!)

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (click here for a "look inside")
"In this debut fantasy novel, Cashore treats readers to compelling and eminently likable characters and a story that draws them in from the first paragraph. In Katsa's world, the "Graced," those gifted in a particular way, are marked by eyes that are different colors. Katsa's Grace is that she is a gifted fighter, and, as such, she is virtually invincible. She is in the service of her tyrannical uncle, king of one of the seven kingdoms, and she is forced to torture people for infractions against him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts in the service of justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused. This is gorgeous storytelling: exciting, stirring, and accessible. Fantasy and romance readers will be thrilled."—School and Library Journal

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater (click here for a "look inside")
"For years, Grace has been fascinated by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she was a child. Sam, bitten by a wolf as a boy, is that wolf. Long obsessed with each other at a distance, they finally meet after a wolf hunt...Stiefvater skillfully increases the tension throughout; her take on werewolves is interesting and original while her characters are refreshingly willing to use their brains to deal with the challenges they face." - Publisher's Weeky (starred review)

HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick (click here for a "look inside")
"Hush, Hush has great atmosphere, and had me wondering where in the world -- or out of the world -- this story could go. If the guys had been this dangerous and delicious when I was in high school, I would never have wanted to graduate! I see more fallen angel stories coming from this talented writer."-- Sandra Brown, bestselling author of White Hot and Smoke Screen

Enjoy!
-Sarah

PS: If you haven't read the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer, you can read my review of it here. (Basically, we're talking about a gothic romance. Totally fun, moody, sexy, and incredible atmosphere. Think WUTHERING HEIGHTS meets Nora Roberts. Somehow they manage to be both chaste and sexy, which is why mothers AND daughters are loving them :)

Book Review: THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT

There's no doubt about it.I love Kate DiCamillo's writing style (Tale of Desperaux, Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Tiger Rising). Her words are beautiful and her stories evoke the feeling of old fashioned fairy tales, filled with incredible good, evil, and love.

But I cry my way through every one of them.

I loved THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT. It is a fantastic bedtime read-aloud for families and should be savored by every young believer in miracles (read-aloud 2nd grade+, self-reading 4th grade+). It tells the story of a boy, a little girl, a magician, a policeman, a soldier...and (of course) an elephant. One night, the magician makes an elephant appear out of thin air. It crashes through the roof of the building, scattering people and debris everywhere. That same night, a boy speaks to a fortune teller who tells him to follow an elephant.

And the adventure begins.

Families looking for a great winter read-aloud should curl up with Kate DiCamillo's THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT. A chapter a night will leave you all with the warm, wonderful feeling that everyone wants this time of year.

Click on the title of this post to go to Kate DiCamillo's Web site for an excerpt.

Slobbers,
Finn

Book Review: I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT

It's been raining here for five days (!) so I've been able to do quite a bit of reading. I just finished a new book by Josh Lieb called I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT.

One guess what it's about.

12-year old Oliver Watson is a genius. He's also deep undercover so everyone (including his parents) think that a tissue is smarter than he is. This is a hilarious book from first-time novelist, Josh Lieb. Mr. Lieb is a writer for THE DAILY SHOW and that same witty, quick, and sarcastic style shows through here. Kids (6th grade+) who loved EVIL GENIUS (Catherine Jenks) or STORMBREAKER (Anthony Horowitz) should really give this a try.

The action moves quickly - and ends a little too quickly, for my taste - and I hope that Oliver gets another taste of the limelight from Mr. Lieb very, very soon!

Click on the title of this post for a closer look from ReadingRants.org :)

Slobbers,
Finn

Book Review: UNDER THE DOME (Stephen King)

This is a guest review from Julia and Corduroy. Sarah's diving into it this weekend! Click on the title of this posting for a ton of information about the book from Stephen King's Web site.

Slobbers,
Finn

UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King

I am a whimpy utopian reader. I like happy books with happy endings.  But for some strange reason I have been dying for Stephen King’s new book “Under the Dome” to be released and I was at the book store on Tuesday morning to snap it up.  If there had been a midnight release party for it I would have been there with bells on.  Which is Sooooo unlike me. Not the midnight release party involvement but I tend to avoid horror books like the plague.  My imagination is just too fertile to give it sharp implements to play with. 

I’ve read a few of his (King's) books over the years--Carrie, the Stand, Cujo, the Green Mile--but the last one I picked up, Lisey’s Story, I gave up after the first 75 pages without a clue what was going on.  However, I sucked down “Under the Dome” in just under 48 hours.  Not an inconsiderable feat considering it is 1072 pages and must weigh in at 3 pounds.  I took cat naps in order to be able to keep reading until the early hours of the morning.  It’s FABULOUS! 

The concept is Brilliant and really funny in a weird Stephen King sort of way.  The characters are memorable and the evil ones are truly evil but totally believable because we all know someone that fits each role.  The only character that wasn’t totally believable was the hero who was a little too all knowing but that’s ok, it works.  I LOVED this book even though it contained everything that I don’t like reading about, rapes, child abuse, child abandonment, stupid people with power, racial slurs and evangelical Christians. 

“Under the Dome” is great like the movie “1408” is great.  It’s creepy, disturbing on too many levels to count but seriously great.  In fact, I think it’s Stephen King’s best book ever.

Wags,
Julia and Cord