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Posted by Grete, on March 29th, 2009  Being the son of the gods Warcraft and Hate meant life was not an easy one for Cratus. After refusing to take an innocent life, Zeus, father of the Gods tortured him and sent him into exile. He vows never to trust anyone again. Offered the chance to regain the power that that was taken from him and gain vengeance, he sides with those that would see humanity destroyed and the world in ruins. Can the Oneroi Delphine succeed in bringing him back, convince him that the world is worth saving or if she fails, kill him.
I was excited to find Dream Warrior had been released and I was really looking forwards to reading it. It was a bit disappointing when I found I was having a hard time getting in to it, usually I can’t put them down. I think the pace of the first section was a little off, it seemed a bit rushed and didn’t build as much empathy with the main character as normal. Having said that, once Delphine came into play, I was hooked and the rest of the book flew past. The pace of the rest of the book was excellent and packed full of action, passion and the appearance of some old and dear friends.
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Posted by Grete, on March 27th, 2009  About Janet Evanovich
Just like Stephanie, Janet Evanovich is a Jersey girl born and raised. She escaped and now lives with her family in New Hampshire. A much loved writer of romantic and crime fiction, she is probably best known for the creation of her gutsy, fiery and tenacious heroine Stephanie Plum.
http://www.evanovich.com/
My Comments
I’d had a few books from the Stephanie Plum series sitting on the shelf for a while but kept putting them off until I could find the first one (I’m one of those people who like to start from the beginning even if it’s not strictly necessary). After talking about them with a friend, she told me I HAD to read them so I stopped procrastinating and finally ordered the first book. She knows me too well and I was hooked by the second chapter and never looked back, devouring the whole series as fast as I could. If I had to pick just two words to describe them, it would be ‘pure entertainment’. They are touching, emotional, amusing and often laugh out loud funny. As with any long running series some of the later novels can feel a bit samey, but Evanovich’s superb characterisations are what make them so enjoyable and it’s those that keep you reading and wanting more.
Bibliography
Stephanie Plum
Alex Barnaby
Romance Novels
With Charlotte Hughes
Posted by Grete, on March 6th, 2009  If there is one person Stephanie never wants to collect on it’s the mysterious Ranger. When he’s suspected of murder, he skips bail, determined to figure it out and clear his own name. Her arch nemesis Joyce is assigned the job and insists on following Stephanie, convinced she knows where Ranger is. Unfortunately Joyce isn’t the only one and in typical Plum style, she quickly finds herself on the receiving end of a lot of attention. Never knowing who will show up in her apartment next on a midnight visit, she also copes with Grandma Mazur moving in for a while. Then there is Bob.
I’ve had a lot of pleasure reading these books one after the other and number 6 in the series is another good installment. Stephanie makes me alternately shake my head and laugh out loud, she is just so human. Her escapades and penchant for getting into and out of trouble make for a very funny read and they are hugely entertaining. I love the interplay between her, Morelli and Ranger and her attraction to each is really well written. Her family, as usual, are hysterical and Grandma Mazur makes me cringe but laugh.
I felt the plot was a little more twisty than usual but it wasn’t too hard to keep up and there were a couple of times I really thought that was it for Stephanie. Yet she gladly prevails and I can’t wait to read book 7!
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Posted by Grete, on March 6th, 2009
Posted by Grete, on March 6th, 2009  Stephanie is assigned the task of bringing in bail jumper Maxine Nowicki, a seemingly simple task. When Maxine is nowhere to be found and her ex-boyfriend starts receiving strange cryptic notes for a treasure hunt, Stephanie resigns herself to figuring it out. Hoping to find Maxine at the end of the trail, she calls on the help of a codebreaking whiz in the form of 6 foot 4 drag queen, Sally Sweet. When a couple of odd occurances involving a severed finger and a scalping come to light, are they related to the case and can Stephanie get the mess sorted out before anyone else gets hurt. Especially her.
With each book, I come to like Stephanie more and more. She’s gutsy but often a little inept, street smart but gets a little silly over chocolate, doughnuts and Morelli. Oh and she loves her Hamster, Rex. She gets into so many fixes you wonder how on earth it will get straightened out but she manages it with her sanity and sometimes her dignity intact. I have yet to come across a dull character in any of the books and the major players are just full of colour and personality.
Another great read from Janet Evanovich with many laugh out loud moments.
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Posted by Grete, on March 1st, 2009  Claire Danvers had started to settle into the Glass House with her slightly odd housemates. Michael who is nowhere to be found from dawn to dusk, Eve the goth and Shane, her new boyfriend. Only Shane’s dad has come to town and has sworn revenge on all the vampires that caused his family so much grief in the past. He, with his biker gang friends, is willing to run roughshod over everyone to get what they want including his own son. With the troubles at school continuing and trying to keep her head down in a town owned by vampires, can Claire save Shane and her friends, even if it means asking for help from the very vampires Shane’s dad has sworn to bring down.
Book two of the Morganville Vampires follows directly on from the shocking conclusion of first book. It dives straight into the action as the remaining housemates try deal with their grief and the situation they are now in. I thought the actions and reactions of the teenagers were about right and not too overboard, dealing with events as they can and ultimately just trying to survive.
The writing is very straightforward but still manages to convey a lot of emotion and depth without being confusing. I still feel these books are targetted at a younger audience but I was still able to empathise with the characters and care about them as they evolve throughout this novel.
The pace was pretty good and there are a few twists, some of which you see coming but I completely missed any clues to the one with Michael and I was also quite surprised at Claire’s actions at the end.
All in all I enjoyed it and am looking forwards to reading the next in the series.
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Very young children eat their books, literally devouring their contents. This is one reason for the scarcity of first editions of Alice in Wonderland and other favorites of the nursery.
Rosenbach, A. S. W.
About BookThing! BookThing! is a website where Grete can indulge her passion for books. There are reviews covering a range of genres (paranormal romance, crime, fantasy, romantic comedy), bibliographies for selected authors, features and sometimes the odd free book giveaway!
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