🍁......My Fall Wishlist....🍂

Sometimes a girl just have to have a few books to buy to make the next few months exciting! Of course, I have more than enough books. But here are the top for books I can't wait to buy....

Synopsis:

Sometimes I believe the baby will never stop crying.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner fears she is losing her mind. When her family move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, Amanda hopes she can leave her haunting memories behind: of her sickly Ma giving birth to a terribly afflicted baby; of the cabin fever that claimed Amanda's sanity; of the boy who she has been meeting in secret. . .
But the Verners arrive on the prairie to find their new home soaked in blood. So much blood. And Amanda has heard stories - about men becoming unhinged and killing their families, about the land being tainted by wickedness.

With guilty secrets weighing down on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or within her soul . . .

Synopsis: 

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.
     In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
     Like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey—hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.

Synopsis: 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 
 
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”  
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 

Synopsis:

Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America, compiled by the "New York Times "bestselling author of "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane "and "Conversion" 
From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, "The Penguin Book of Witches" is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft. 
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

*all descriptions came from Google Books*

Bookbabe Review: I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

                                       

Beware: Not your conventional chic lit: Review of I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

I received this book from Blogging for Books (a program maintained by Penguin Random House); and have promised to write an honest review. Eliza Kennedy's I Take You was not at all what I had expected. I thought it would be your typical chick lit story. But boy was I wrong. 

In this novel we are introduced to Lily; a tough talking, overly flirty, 30 something attorney. She's brutally honest and funny and Gosh It could be so easy to like her...if....she was not flirting and kissing with all these unnamed men and then swooning over how great her fiancee Will is. 

The Book actually opens with Lily making out with a man in a bar and then after having her partying cut short goes into work and proceeds to have sex with her boss. 

It was at this point; which was way to early on, that I almost wanted to ditch the book. But, I really wanted to see where the author was going. Plus, I wanted to know if she and Will would make it down the aisle; and if Will was going to find out about her cheating.

As the book goes on we start to get an even deeper look into Lily. We find out that her actions as a teenager caused the death of a friend; she cost another friend (and her first love) the lost of his freedom for a few years. She also does drugs, which is featured at least twice in the book. Lily is anything put perfect. But in reality none of us are. So maybe that is why her personality, character and the novel is so utterly realistic. 

Lily's fiancé, Will, seems absolutely perfect. He's funny, intelligent, well educated and employed at the Met. However, Will, is not at all what he seems. He is as bad as she is. However, he has been hiding it will and Lily was none the wiser. However, Will knew very will what Lily was doing. She was not as good at hiding it. She kept odd hours and came home smelling of liquor and sex. Also, she had weird text messages from strange contacts on her phone. Will, however, had a two phone system. A phone just for texting and talking to random women. One of which was Lily's college roommate Nicolle. Who he sleeps with, more than once. Lily is not made aware of Will's betrayals until their rehearsal dinner. He reaction is a bit infuriating; she actually gets mad. Which makes absolutely no sense. And Will tells her as much. Lily has no right to be made because she has been sleeping with anyone and everyone. Will is just the male version of herself; which makes them perfect for one another. 

This book was not exactly one of my favorite reads of the summer. But, it was enjoyable. It was like watching a train wreck, you just could not look away. In the end, the only character I really liked was the Grandmother. Kennedy could have featured her a little more in this book....because she was funny. I gave this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

Quotes I loved:

"Think positive, Iz....Your kitchen skills could jump start a new career. The legal profession's loss could be the prison food industry's gain."

"The human heart is the darkest of all mysteries. Who among us can honestly say he knows, truly knows, anyone else? Who even knows himself? Not you. Certainly not me."

"Can you imagine what would happen if people knew their spouses properly before marrying them? It would be calamity."

"A recent law school grad is like a newborn panda, mewling and useless. She needs a few years of growth and experience before she can be released into the wild without getting eaten."

     

Beautiful Prose: Toni Morrison, Beloved

Book Blitz for December 2014

Hey Bookies...Here are some new books that I discovered over the past few weeks. Each book will be have its price listed and a brief synopsis of the book. All Prices are from amazon.com. Well here goes nothing!

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis (Hardcover $14.21)

Synopsis:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all. Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines. When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey (Hardcover $11.37)

Synopsis:

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him. Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.  A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

A City of a Thousand Dolls by Miraim Forster (Paperback $9.18)

Synopsis:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure. Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die. Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

The Fall by Bethany Griffin (Hardcover $11.82)

Synopsis:

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house. In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down?The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (Paperback $7.27)

Synopsis:

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction. 

A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion by Ron Hansen (Paperback $12.54)

Synopsis:

Trapped in a loveless marriage, Ruth Snyder is a voluptuous, reckless, and altogether irresistible woman who wishes not only to escape her husband but that he dies; and the sooner the better. No less miserable in his own tedious marriage is Judd Gray, a dapper corset-and-brassiere salesman who travels the Northeast peddling his wares. He meets Ruth in a Manhattan diner, and soon they are conducting a white-hot affair involving hotel rooms, secret letters, clandestine travels, and above all, Ruths increasing insistence that Judd kill her husband. Could he do it? Would he? What follows is a thrilling exposition of a murder plan, a police investigation, the lovers attempt to escape prosecution, and a final reckoning for both of them that lays bare the horror and sorrow of what they have done. Dazzlingly well-written and artfully constructed, this impossible-to-put-down story marks the return of an American master known for his elegant and vivid novels that cut cleanly to the essence of the human heart, always and at once mysterious and filled with desire.

Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker (Paperback $9.98)

Synopsis:

The Mister B. of the title is Jakabob Botch, a demon whose ghastly past could make even the most merciless sociopath whimper in sympathy. Born in the deepest regions of hell, the spawn of an abusive drunkard and his whorish wife, Jakabob escapes to the world above after suffering fiendish torture. Once topside, he lands conveniently in 15th-century Mainz, the home of printing inventor Johannes Gutenberg. However, Mister B. isn't interested in merely observing history; like any other self-respecting diabolical being, he's just searching for a new demonic angle. A ghoulishly good fright fest.

New Book Discovery

                                                                                   

New Book Discovery (found on The Reading Room)

A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans

Here is the synopsis: 

Perched precariously on the precipice between horror and psychological drama, Evans' first novel explores the notions of demons--how real they are and how real we are able to make them. Eleven-year-old George Davies' father, a self-purported mystic and studier of demonology, dies a mysterious death after traveling to Honduras for equally mysterious purposes. Soon after, George is visited by a "Friend" that only he can see, who leads him on thrilling yet terrifying journeys to a shadowy ether-world, pulling him ever closer to a dangerous awareness of his father's death (the cornucopia of fatherhood issues emanating here would make Freud's head wobble). Is the boy really possessed, or simply crazy? And which is better? Evans deftly marks the labyrinthine wards of clinical treatment in stark contrast with scenes of floor-dropping exorcisms as the boy becomes ever more volatile and his Friend ever more diabolical. This is an edgy, compelling read--more unnerving than scary--that will slide its hooks deep inside and throttle you more than a few times before it's all over. 

Summer 2014 Book Suggestions

Hey everyone....this is my first ever book suggest list for the summer. This book list and all book lists to come will consist of new and previously released books. Most of the books listed will be ones owned by yours truly. I will try my hardest to get through all of the books listed within a timely manner so that I can review them. I will also try to give you prices and information on each book and where it can be found for purchase. Now that the formalities are out of the way we can get on with the list!

1) Sally Hemings by Barbara Chase - Riboud (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $13.00
2) Mr. Penumbra's  24 Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $9.00
3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (pretty much everywhere) Price $12.00*
4) The Demonolgist by Andrew Pyper (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $13.00
5) I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $16.00
6) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $8.00
7) The Cuckaoo Calling by R. Galbraith (available on Amazon/B&N) Price $18.00
8) The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker (available on Amazon/B&N) Price$ 10.00

*** My copy of The Fault in Our Stars is signed, check your local target for signed copies of the book***

Books I Just Can't Shut Up About...

There is just something so amazing about these nine books that are pictured above. The authors are funny, complex, draw you in and leave you wanting to devour their next few books. I fell in love with reading at a very young age and have had a love affair with stories and words for some time. So when I come across  a really good book; one that challenges me, surprises  me or lifts my spirits then I just have to brag about them. So here goes….

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

I was not a fan of mysteries or thrillers until I read this book. I was late to the game on this one. It had been out for a while. The movie was being heavily promoted and people just kept talking about it. I was not really ready to hop on the band wagon until Walden books (may they rest in peace) issued me a 50 percent off coupon. Next thing I know I was falling in love with a Harvard Professor named Robert Langdon. I couldn’t help it. Langdon was one of the most well developed characters I had read for sometime; and the story was interesting and thrilling. I recommended this book for months after I read it. I even let others borrow my copy. Professor Langdon and his mad dash through France has  still stayed with me even though it’s been over 5 years since I have read the novel.

Renee and Jay by J.J. Murray

This was the second book I had ever read by Virginia author J.J. Murray. I really was not into romantic comedies and surely not interracial romantic comedies ; but , these one as just different. Murray, who is male and Caucasian; writes from the POV of a sexy African American woman. Renee is struggling after a break up and by chance gets stuck in a restaurant with the sexy Giovanni. This chance meeting makes Renee reevaluate how she views dating and she starts thinking outside the box. Giovanni is easy to love as a character; as is his father. He is sweet, kind, romantic and seems to fall head over heel with Renee almost right away. What really impresses me with this book is that it is so fast paced. It keeps you interested and its funny. I could not stop talking about this book. The reading of this one book has lead to me reading several others by this amazing master of words.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Love Wins is a non-fiction, Christian book that talks about the fate of the world and the importance of hell. Bell got a lot of blow back for this book. He left the church that he co – founded behind it. He has also become one of the most influential Christian speakers in the United States. What I loved about the book is that Bell really talked about the way that I felt about Christianity . He makes you feel like you are sitting down one on one with him having this intimate conversation about the world and Christianity. This one book has led me to read to others by him as well. Each just as insightful as this one; the other two that I have read were What we talk about when we talk about God and Sex God.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you have not read this book; well you are missing out. This is a fast paced beautiful love story. A man, after a terrible car accident which leaves him terribly burned. While recovering he meets Marianne Engle that tells him that they were lovers in a past life. The book takes us on a journey between their friendship and their past life. The story switches back and forth a lot but is not dry or boring. It is beautiful and sweet and complex and adventurous. By the end of the book  I wanted a different ending. It was bittersweet but it was clear that the man (who is unnamed the entire time) is changed because of his relationship with Marianne. This book is one of my favorite of all time. It touched my heart and is one of the greatest love stories I have ever had the privilege to read.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Wow….just wow. Cassandra Clare sucked me in. All she had to do was write a cocky, blonde haired, demon fighting young man into a book and I was there. Jace Wayland is one of the best supporting characters I have read in a young adult novel in a very long time. Clare’s characters are relatable, funny and loveable. You will find yourself falling in love with at least one of them. I personally love Jace; mainly due to his  quick  and witty come  backs. I also love Simon and Isabelle. But, I also found myself feeling sorry for the bad guy.  This  May the last book of this series will be released and I will be very sad to see this group of Shadowhunters go. Even though there is a promise of more Shadowhunter tales to come.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This is an amazing book. So beautifully written; so lovely and it will bring you to tears. Golden allows us a glimpse into the world of a young Geisha. Who did not choose this life for herself but was sold into it; along with her sister. The story tracks the highs and lows of her life and proves that even though love is not an option to her it will always find a way. What makes this book so amazing is the way it is written. The prose is so fluid and beautiful. I found myself reading passages over and over again just because I wanted to memorize their beauty.

Something Real by J.J. Murray

Another Murray book…I know. But, Murray is amazing. This was the first book that I ever read by the author. I was  just walking in Target and the cover got me interested. It was a quick fast read. I found myself identifying with Penny. Who is African American and plus sized. She is funny and going through a hard time in her life because she is single and Mr. Right does not seem to becoming her way anytime soon. Then on one fateful Sunday in flies a man looking for prayer; he is suffering a lost and is now left to care for his children. Through no fault of her own she ends up falling head over heels in love with Dewey Baxter (the man that enters her church). What I love about this book is how strong a character Penny is. She is not very sure of who she is and she knows what she wants. Of course, this is not always the case throughout the book but she becomes stronger as you read. Its not very often that you see African American characters; especially women like this in books that often.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Another non- fiction book, but it is a powerful one. It really has had a great impact on my as an adult. It made me think of how precious life is and how important it is to fight sometimes just to survive. What is so amazing about this book is the author. Even through unimaginable sadness Wiesel did not allow it to swallow him whole.  The book reads quickly but it’s hard to get through; it took me a couple of days due to the fact there is some very graphic scenes in it.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I read this book my senior year of college and I really needed to read it. What I love the most about this book is that it is funny and heartfelt. It’s another book where you feel like you are getting advice and insights from an old friend. The book reminds you of the power of living your dreams and just being yourself. The Last Lecture is an amazing book and I always recommend it to those graduating from college or who are struggling to figure things out.

Clockwork Princess Review and Impressions

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Brief Synopsis (without Spoilers)

            What to say about this wonderful book? Cassandra Clare has done it again. She has kept her readers caught up in the amazing, beautiful world of Victorian London. We meet up again with Jem, Tessa and Will as they battle to stop the Magister at his dangerous game to harm the shadowhunter race. The story opens with Tessa getting ready for her nuptials with James Carstairs. She should be happy, ready to marry the love of her life. But, their engagement is over shadowed ; not only by James failing health, but also by the magister need to get his hands on Tessa. The Magister will stop at nothing to get to her. The book takes us through the ups and downs of Will’s emotions as he battles to not only keep Tessa safe ; but, to keep his emotions hidden. He is sure that Tessa does not love him; and is happy to hide his feelings if it means that is best friend and parabatai from being hurt. The story finds Jem fighting for his life after the drug he needs to sustain it is in short supply. The Magister does this in hopes to lure Tessa out into the open; by putting Jem’s life in danger he ensures that she will come to him. He also knows that Tessa is a the missing piece to his plot; and will allow him to seek the revenge he so desperately craves. Once he is assured that even the shortage of Jem’s drug; well not lure Tessa out into the open. He takes advantage of Jessie’s return to the institute. Using automatons the Magister attacks the Institute; resulting in the death of Jessie and the kidnapping of Tessa. Jem is gravely injured, weakened due to his sickness and not likely to recover. He grants Will permission to go after Tessa. While on his mission to find Tessa ; Will and Jem’s bond is severed.  Even though his Parabatai is dead Will soldiers on determined to find the woman he loves. Meanwhile back at the institute Charlotte is trying to convince the Consul to help them. She has reliable information from Will of the whereabouts of the Magister. The Consul makes it very clear that he is unwilling to trust or help Charlotte; mainly because he wants to protect his own position and power within the Clave. With no backup the Shadowhunters of the London Institute must go it alone. The fight side by side and are joined by the Silent Brothers. It is; in fact, revealed that Jem has become a Silent Brother. He does so as a means of saving not only himself; but, so that he can help fight and save those he loves. Of course, the Shadowhunters prevail;  with the help of the Angel Ithuriel, who was trapped in the Clockwork Angel.

Impression:

            Cassandra Clare is one hell of a writer. Her work is always impressive; and it always draws you in. The same is true of this series and especially this book. I fell head over heels in love with several of the characters of this series. It was heart breaking to part with them. Of course, I know that Magnus,  Tessa and now Jem will be seen in other books. (And in fact Jem has already been seen in The Mortal Instruments Series.)  What I loved the most about this series is the setting and the attention to detail. Clare really makes you feel like you are walking the streets of London with Will, Jem and Tessa. She uses the time period to create a beautiful atmosphere that is believable and beautiful. I love the fact that in this story, there is sexual tension between Will and Tessa; and Tessa and Jem. They are all romance and restraint and that is not something that we get to see in some many books these days. I hope she writes more period pieces; this one was wonderful.

Favorite Scene:

Gideon’s Proposal to Sophie; I really did not know that Gideon had so much Darcy in him. It was so beautifully rewritten. I was so happy for the couple. I would have loved to see more happen between Gabriel and Cecily.

Water Works Moments:

Jem and Tessa’s farewell: This was the worst scene I could have ever read. It made me ball. I have been in love with James Carstairs (Jem) since he was first introduced. I always found him to be the more interesting of the two boys. The was calm and steady; romantic and haunting beautiful. His departure from Tessa was hard. I felt so sorry for him because he was losing the woman that he loved so that he could live.

Will’s Death: This was an unexpected surprise for me. I think that it was because It was not until the end; when it seemed like Tessa was really truly happy with Will that I came to terms like this cocky boy actually having some really emotions. I personally was not always a fan of Will’s; he has a little too much Jace in him; but he was likeable enough.  

Happy 123rd Birthday Zora Neale Hurston!!!! Author of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Warm weather Wishes

What I would not give for a lovely spring or summer day and a lovely book to read....perhaps some Cassandra Clare...since the book comes out in spring <3

Review....The Strain (Book one) by Guillermo Del Toro And Chucnk Hogan

This book rested on my book shelf collecting dust for some time. If memory serves me right I have had this book for the better part of about three years. After reading so much young adult lately I wanted to dive back into the realm of good old hard core fiction/horror. So I started off with this. When I first started off reading the book I was pretty sure that I would like it. I truly believed that it was going to be "another one of those" vampire novels. You know the ones...all talk no bite (lol). Well this turned out not to be the case. I actually found the book to be rather rad. Del Toro and Hogan were influenced both by Stephen King and Bram Stoker. Stokers influence is evident in the way that the vampire uses dirt from him home land to travel across the sea to the Manhattan. They use one of our most populated cities to show us what a vampire out break could look like. And man does it turn into one hot mess. I loved the way that Del Toro and Hogan set this book up as back story for the trilogy. It is obvious, even within the conflict of this book that there is something bigger coming. Something much more dangerous is lurking in the dark and there is nothing that anyone is going to be able to do to stop it because the wheels are already in motion. Another really great thing about this book is that all the characters are flawed. The main character Doctor Eph Goodweather, is a recently divorced, recovering alcoholic who is in the midst of a fierce custody battle with his ex wife Kelly. Kelly has been eclipsed by her ex husbands shadow for way to long. She uses their son Zack as a way of hurting Eph. Eph finds some comfort in his on again off again fling with co-worker Nora; who has to take a backseat to Eph's job and his love and devotion to Kelly and Zack. And there is the old man; the professor. The professor is the most interesting of all the characters. He holds the kings to the kingdom so to speak. He knows all the dirty secrets about the vampires but somehow you get the feeling at the end of the book that he is still holding out. Still holding back from Eph, Nora and Fet. The Professor has been on the hunt for the "master" for some time. He has devoted his life to hunting him down and killing him. Of course we know that this is because of his past or at least that's what we think so far. However, I get the feeling that there is a deeper cause for this hatred of "the master". Maybe he took the life of someone the professor deeply cared for. That is the beauty of a well paced series...all the secrets are not given at once. I must say that I was deeply surprised by this book. I expected something all to different and I can not wait to read the next two in the series. I only hope that the books are as good as the first and that the magic captured in the first book continues until the very last page of The Night Eternal.

Interesting scenes: Gus in the police van....that was most likely the best vampire kill of the book...not going to write any of the details...but damn the kid got the job done right. Can't wait to see what he does in the rest of the series. The vampire in times square (also with Gus) was rather intense.

Creepiest Scene: When Zack was unable to sleep, looks out the window to see a naked man standing under the street lamp. He knew that it was weird and perhaps even a little funny, a homeless, naked, possibly drunk dude just chilling outside under the lamp light. Until the guy turns and locks eyes with him. Later Zack thinks back on seeing the "Y" shaped incision in the mans chest and knowing what that means (he thinks that the guy is a zombie).