Moon Crossed by Patricia Briggs

 

Title: Moon Called
Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Release Date: 2006, January 31

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Source: Paperbackswap.com

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

 

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

 

The "Short Story:"

 

Were-wolves, shape shifters, vamps and more oh my!

 

The "Long Story:"

 

Now that I've actually read the first book in the series so many things from the last book I read in this series makes sense.  I really like Mercy....She's a "no nonsense" take no prisoners type of heroine...I really LIKE ass kicking heroines!

 

I also was really impressed by all the attention to detail towards how the relationships between all the different types of paranormals in the book work as well as the politics.  I'm not usually big on politics but I think that the politics in this book were pretty alright.

 

Alright....I'm jealous of Mercy.  Who doesn't want to have the attention of not 1 but 2 sexy werewolves?!

 

The suspense kept me turning pages.  All the twists and turns kept me wanting MORE! I really hated to put the book down.  The only thing I didn't really care for was how LONG it took me to get this book read....DANG YOU REAL LIFE!

Never Cry Werewolf review **Tiny Spoiler**

Never Cry Werewolf
Heather Davis
224 pages
Rating: 4/5

Source: Public Library
Challenges:

Synopsis:

Moonlight can totally change your life.
And it all starts so simply.
You. Him.
The moon.
You're toast.
Okay, so maybe Shelby has made a few mistakes with boys lately (how was she supposed to know Wes had "borrowed" that Porsche?). But her stepmother totally overreacts when she catches Shelby in a post-curfew kiss with a hot senior: Suddenly Shelby's summer plans are on the shelf, and she's being packed off to brat camp. It's good-bye, prom dress; hello, hiking boots.
Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges III. But soon she realizes there's more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby's help guarding it. Shelby knows that she really shouldn't be getting tangled up with another bad boy . . . but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good-looking one? One thing's for sure: That pesky full moon is about to get her into trouble all over again.

Review:

I picked this one up at the library after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for my number to come up. Is it just me or does the girl on the cover look at least a little bit like Kate Hudson only brunette?! I really liked this book....I am really happy with it! Shelby has some issues...She's got a stepmom from hell, her dad would rather just believe her stepmom than try and communicate with Shelby, her mom passed away and on top of that Shelby doesn't trust anyone...herself included! After this last "miscommunication" Shelby finds herself shipped off to "brat camp" where she hopes she doesn't screw up (because if she does she get's sent to an even eviler "brat camp") and meets some interesting people....some good, some not so good and then there's Austin.

See Austin has his own set of troubles to deal with. See his family is "blessed" genetically....they turn into werewolves. And because his medication to keep his "condition" was confiscated from him he is endanger of turning into a werewolf while he's at camp! That and he has a super HUGE crush on Shelby and the feeling is mutual.

I guess in the end it all works out for the best. I was a little disappointed though...it wasn't anything terrible. It was a little disappointing that I had to wait until the LAST PAGE for Shelby and Austin to kiss!

What I was really thinking:

The Beginning: UH OH!

The Middle: I like Austin a lot! I could be friends with him.

The End: FINALLY! (A good finally...not a bad one.)

Shiver Review

Shiver

Maggie Stiefvater

390 pages

Synopsis - 9/10

Plot - 9/10

Characters -10/10

Overall Story - 9/10

Conclusion - 9/10

Overall - 46/50

Synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review: It took me a little longer than I would have liked to get this book read (dang real life!) but I throughly enjoyed it. This is a good old fashion young love story...of course with a twist. There ALWAYS is a twist! See when Grace was younger she was attacked by wolves, then there was the wolf with yellow eyes that saved her. Now Grace is in love with those eyes and that wolf...which strangely enough she only sees in the winter months. It turns out that Grace has seen those eyes before...In there human form.

Those yellow eyes and wolf body belong to Sam. After an incident human Sam finds his way to Grace's house where things start to fall into place for Grace. She knows those eyes...They belong to her wolf. This wounded boy IS her wolf.

From the "chance" meeting there are ups and downs for Grace and Sam. There is also a little bit of drama thrown in to keep the story from becoming a "sappy" love story. Overall, I really love how Maggie draws you in with her writing style. I giggled a bunch and there were a couple "chance for tears" moments. LOVED IT! Can hardly wait until July to read book 2 of the series...Linger.

Linger Cover and first paragraphs!

• grace •

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.
Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn’t cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it’s only me who’s not firmly in my own skin.

I don't know about anyone else out there but I am totally excited for the second book in this series. I totally enjoyed Shiver and I can hardly wait to see what happens next. Linger is due out on shelves July 20 2010.

I found all this information on A BookLover's Diary who found it at The World According to Maggie.

Blog with Bite - Intertwined Review

Intertwined
Gina Showalter
440 pages

Synopsis - 8/10
Plot - 9/10
Characters - 10/10
Overall Story - 9/10
Conclusion - 6/10

*Overall Score - 42/50


Synopsis: Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they're causing him all kinds of trouble.

Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or, he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.

He's so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he's with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late. . .

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden... doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger... but not everyone will come out alive...








I had heard a little bit about this book on a couple of different blogs and forums before I stumbled upon Blog with Bite. At first I was a little iffy on reading it because it's not something that I would normally read....Honestly I'm a big ole sap for a sappy love story. But I'm really glad that I decided to read this book. The first chapter was a little creepy in my opinion but that's exactly what it is...my opinion. The main character Aden Stone is viewed by society as a "troubled" teen but in actuality he is possessed by 4 souls...LOVE the souls...There's just something about them I just really liked. Aden wants to go public high school so that he can spend more time with Mary Ann...who has a couple "issues" of her own. Heck there is even a little forbidden romance thrown in for both Aden and Mary Ann. I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to give away anything. I really only had two gripes with the book....Just a tad bit too many paranormal characters make an apperance in the book and the rushed ending. Overall, I'm SUPER happy with the book and I'm glad that I decided to purchase a copy instead of wait for a copy from my library.

Discussion Questions:

#1 Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended? I feel that the ending was pretty rushed...It wasn't the worst ending in the world but I wasn't particularly happy with it.

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again? There are some series I feel that have been written just to get the books sold...Others I have enjoyed immensly...Overall I LOVE a GOOD series and enjoy reading about my favorite characters over and over again.

#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three? I liked Eve a lot....I felt that sometimes she was the "voice of reason" for Aden.

#4 When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real? I liked that Gena used actual characters in the story...I think it made the story more "real" for me personally.

#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved? Honestly, I didn't care for Tucker or Penny.

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls? I think he's kind of got the "Jack of all trades" superpower...But that's just me.

Breaking Dawn - Review

Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis: It ought to seem redundant to dismiss the fourth and final Twilight novel as escapist fantasy-but how else could anyone look at a romance about an ordinary, even clumsy teenager torn between a vampire and a werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their happiness for hers? Flaws and all, however, Meyer's first three novels touched on something powerful in their weird refraction of our culture's paradoxical messages about sex and sexuality. The conclusion is much thinner, despite its interminable length. Everygirl Bella achieves her wishes quickly (marriage and sex, in that order, are two, and becoming an immortal is another), and once she becomes a vampire it's almost impossible to identify with her. But that's not the main problem. Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily-in other words, grandeur is out. This isn't about happy endings; it's about gratification. A sign of the times?

Review: Didn't care for it at all....And that right there is what I REALLY thought.

Eclipse - Review

Eclipse
Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob —- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review: I kept going with the series because I wanted to see what happened with Jacob really. The highlight of the book was when the vampires and the werewolves worked together.

What I REALLY thought:

Beginning: It happened.

Middle: Really Jacob and the werewolves are what are keeping reading at this point.

End: Again, it happened.

New Moon - Review

New Moon
Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Review: I'll be honest...The only reason this book got 4/5 is because about the time of the "separation" I started to really NOT like Edward and at times Bella and really started to dig Jacob. Thought Edward was just being outrageously mean in his attempt to keep Bella from further danger.

What I REALLY thought:

Beginning: It started off great and in my opinion went downhill from there.

Middle: Dang it Bella....You're a total USER!

Ending: Whatever.

Twilight - Review

Twilight
Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

About three things I was absolutely positive:First, Edward was a vampire.Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood.And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife -- between desire and danger.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Review: I know a LOT of people out there have already read this so I am going to keep it short and sweet. I really enjoyed this book. It's hard not to like Edward in this book, he's so noble and even though he's not a "normal" teen like Bella he tries to do "normal" things with her. It's a classic "first love" story. Let's not forget Jacob...he's there and he's also starting to become attracted to Bella. Now we're headed for a classic love triangle.

What I REALLY thought:

Beginning: When I first started reading it for the first time, I didn't really understand the beginning. Now that I've read it a couple times I really like it.

Middle: A vampire trying to act like a "normal" teen for the sake of his relationship.

End: Really liked it alot.

Coming Soon To My Bookshelf....

It should be in my hands either Thursday or Friday! I can hardly wait!