Book 12 - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

February 7 ~ A friend had been bickering for me to read this book for so long, I finally decided to put him out of his misery and read it. I am not sure if he really wants me to read it or if he just want to darn book back. Probably both. It was a slow start for me but I am really enjoying it so far.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency at Amazon

Teaser Tuesdays for January

I will post February's Teasers on the side, but I wanted to keep these too.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
~Grab your current read, open to a random page
~Share any two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
~Share the title & author too

January 25 ~ He spoke cheerfully, as if he and the children were sharing a joke. "Why, you're a herd of buffalo!" p. 110 The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
 
January 19 ~ Divine omens or no, it was clear from the start that Alexander was meant for great things. To place him on the fast track for world domination, Olympias went far beyond what even the most devoted Texas cheerleader mom would consider. p. 26 Doomed Queens by Kris Waldherr

January 12 ~ Of course I could be wrong. I lunged at that thought like a barracuda at a shiny silver spoon. p. 118 Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

January 5 ~ I decided to spend the afternoon in the ravine. The sun started down behind the embankment, and the moon, rising early, emerged from the rooftops of the houses that somebody was putting up in front of the school -- brand-new-split-level houses my mother and her company were having a hard time selling. p. 8 Werewolves in Their Youth by Michael Chabon

Book 11 - Definitely Dead

January 31 ~ It's time for book six - Definitely Dead.

Definitely Dead at Amazon

Book 11 - The Underneath

January 25 ~ I made some book purchases over the weekend even though I promised myself I would wait for my Kindle. Oh well, too bad.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt has been on my wish list for a while now. I just read the first page and am hooked. "There is nothing lonlier than a cat who has been loved, at least for awhile, and then abandoned by the side of the road." So sad. With a beginning this dismal, it can only get better...or can it?

The Underneath at Amazon.com

Book 10 - The Graveyard Book

January 22 ~ Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book won the Newberry Medal. Wow, what an honor! It was selected by The American Library Association as the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in 2009.

I am at chapter four and enjoying it. It is pure Gaiman...creepy, different, and definitely unique. A murderer kills a family and is hunting for the one that got away...a toddler. This baby crawls away into the graveyard where he is taken in by the inhabitants there and offered the "protection of the graveyard" - which he needs.

The Graveyard Book at Amazon.com 

January 31 ~ The Graveyard Book is a page-turner. Newberry Award material? Sure. I believe it won because it is on the cusp of a newer trend in children's literature - the macabre. It is a fantasy unlike most others because it takes place almost exclusively in a graveyard and nearly all of the characters are indeed dead or supernatural. Neil has a knack for creating imagery that makes the fantastic seem real, the story starts with a jolt and ends with a flourish. It is a sincere, good-versus-evil delight and Gaiman finds "good" in the uncommon, the bizarre. I give it 4 of 5 stars.

Apparently Neil had the idea for this book over twenty years ago when he would watch his son ride his tricycle by the neighboring graveyard. He had the idea for a sort of graveyard Jungle Book. Interesting. Makes me want to read The Jungle Book.

On a personal note, I love the fact that it took Neil so long to write this book. It makes me see some light at the end of my "I'm-never-going-to-finish-my-novels" tunnel. Of course, he did pen a ton of great books in the meantime, but I am not thinking of that right now.

Book 9 - Dead as a Doornail

January 22 ~ It's time for another Charlaine Harris charmer. I am on book number five of the series - Dead as a Doornail. Book ten comes out in May so I plan to get these read by then. Not a chore! I adore them.

In this book, the shifters of Bon Temps and surrounding areas are under attack by a sniper.

Dead as a Doornail at Amazon

January 25 ~ I liked it but not as much as the first four; too much disturbing werewolf politics for my taste. The major mystery is finding the identity of the person hunting supernaturals. Many events are stumbling blocks to Sookie finding the culprit:  her house is set afire, she helps Tara out of a horrible "relationship", and she is enlisted by Alcide to help in his father's bid for packmaster among other things.

I will start book 6 in the series soon. 4 of 5 stars. Hopefully the coming books will have more Eric and Bill; especially Eric. He amuses me.

Book 8 - Doomed Queens

January 18, 2010 ~ Doomed Queens. Sounds cheerful, doesn't it? I am kidding of course. Historical non-fiction has always been of interest to me but I prefer it in "chunks" - small digestible morsels that I can handle without my brain aching and me saying, "This is not for a test, this is for enjoyment! Why am I torturing myself?" Sometimes historical non-fiction can be boring or monotonous. When I first perused this book, I quickly discovered Kris Waldherrell did not write your average stuffy, old history book.

Doomed Queens at Amazon

January 19, 2010 ~ The first thing I fell in love with in this book is the art direction. It is beautiful! From the delectable liner pages and lettrines, to the gorgeous illustrations and fun graphics. Then the text blew me away. It is so entertaining. Each doomed royal lady has her story told with wicked wit and a cautionary moral at the end. Cleopatra's states, "Choose your allies well, or they will come back to bite you in the asp." Diana Spencer's cautions, "Stay away from men with cameras and Camillas." I can't wait for more...Doomed Kings? Kris? Please! 5 of 5 stars. This book was a riot and I feel ready for this potential Jeopardy category too.