Its all about the quotes...

I have not read as many books as I would have liked to so far this summer. But, I have managed to read a few books that have had some lovely quotables. I love them so much I just had to share them!

Vampires at their best....The Bookbabe reviews: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

                           

     Books from the backlist: My Review of Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Interview with the Vampire is probably one of the best known books in most reading circles. and perhaps it is also a book that some may love to hate. Before reading the book I had some serious mixed feelings about it. Especially since I loved the film and I had heard some terrible things from friends about the book. However, I decided to give the book a go after having the soft cover sitting on my shelf for some time. I was immediately surprised by what I found within its pages. All I can say is that one can never judge a book by its movie or by its cover.

Rice introduces us into a world of dark, haunted, deeply flawed characters. We immediately meet Louis, a vampire, as he opens up a young man about his life. Louis, over the course of the night tells the entire story of his vampiric life. Starting with what started him on the dark path that lead him to becoming what he is. Louis is a character that you definitely feel a connection with. Unlike most of the characters that we meet in the novel, he is perhaps the most relatable. The most human. His flaw seem to be that he is to naive (at least in the beginning of his journey) and perhaps to unforgiving (towards the end of the story). Louis spins his tale of love and lost. The most tragic of his loves and his losses is Claudia. The child that he drains and who Lestat gives the "gift" of vampiric life. Claudia was the surprise for me in this novel. After watching the movie, I thought that I knew what to expect from this character. However, she was a bit to much for me. I got the impression that Claudia, no matter who played her, could ever truly be understood as a character unless you read the book.

Claudia, being a child, at first acted and was loved as a child. As a human child would be. However, as the years go on she remains a child. She matures as a person, her mind becoming that of a woman. She begins to resent being treated as a child. She hates that she can never be a fully grown woman. Claudia is perhaps the best written villain of this story; Lestat, while a brat, has nothing on this little she demon. Claudia and Louis are held together by a mutual need of one another; Louis feels that she and her love connects him to his humanity and she needs him as a means of protection. Honestly, it does not feel that she loves him at all. She simply tolerates him because he can protect and provide for her. The manipulation of Louis by both Lestat and Claudia only deepens the readers affection and sympathy for Louis.   

There were several changes from the book to the movie adaptation. All of which is going to make it even harder for me to look at the movie in the same light as I used too. Honestly, I am glad that I have read the book and I am also happy that I did not let the negative reviews from friends deter me from reading the book. On goodreads I gave it  4/5 stars.  

Quotes I Loved:

Book's Finished Last month....

So far I have written two of the reviews and will be writing the other two this weekend...to be posted shortly <3

The Bookbabe Returns to the House of Night....My review of Hidden by P.C. + Kristen Cast

Where do I begin....well how about at the part where I started this book in July of 2014 and stopped reading it! I honestly gave up on it. I will start by saying that once upon a time I was crazy about this series. I raved about it. Then came a few books in the series that I had a hard time digesting. Honestly, I think that this was because the characters never seemed to have any real "growth" or complexity. At least not the characters on the side of good like, Zoey, Stark and Stevie Rae. While the Villians, like Kalona, Neferet etc..... are well developed and well written. Which is one of the reasons I came back to the series. I wanted to know how they would fight evil and handle Neferet! 

What I loved about this book was that we finally see Zoey evolve. She is forced by Nyx to grow up. She is told point blank to stop acting like a child and step into her high priestess position. Same goes with Stevie Rae; who honestly I believed had handled her Red High Priestess position rather well up to this point. I honestly would have loved to have seen more of Stevie Rae throughout this book. She kind of took on a side kick role. 

It was also nice to see Kalona in action....to see him change his ways. We all knew he had it in him; but I was surprised by some of the developments with the character in this installment of the series. I think it would have served readers better if these changes had happened earlier in the series! Kalona's character is a very interesting one to me. He is deeply flawed and has done some very terrible things. However, he will do whatever he can to be forgiven and he proves that when he battles Neferet; only to find out that he can no longer control darkness. That was perhaps one of my favorite scenes of the book. Another scene I loved was when Zoey's Grandmother, Sylvia Redbird, takes on Neferet via the use of Native American charms and magic. 

I loved loved loved this element of the story. The Cast's mix in elements of Wicca and Native American religion and Greek mythology into these books. Which is a great and fresh take on the vampire storyline; and honestly is another reason I was so anxious to give the series another try. All in all, I do not regret listening to the audio book (yes I know that's cheating lol). However, I did give the book 3/5 stars on Goodreads. I downgraded it a three because of the overly sexual scenes in the book. Like the last book these made me extremely uncomfortable because some of it read a bet like a bad Paranormal romance when the book is written for a YA audience. I am not trying to be judgmental or anything but the sex could be completely avoided because it does not enhance the story line; and again these books are marketed for kids from middle school to highschool age. I have read several YA authors that allude to sex in their books but they are not as vivid with it. In my opinion that's a fine line that should not be crossed in YA unless you can deal with it responsibly. 

Here are some of the quotes I loved from the book...

 

First Impressions.....Night Pleasures (Dark Hunter # 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Here is the blurb from the back for the book (Goodreads.com):

The Dark-Hunters are ancient warriors who have sworn to protect mankind and the fate of the world is in their hands. . .

 He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she's being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it's not just their lives that are hanging in the balance.  Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let's hope they win. 

First Impression after reading three chapters:

Okay, so I am a fan of J.R. Ward's Blackdagger Brotherhood series, and over the time I have been reading those someone always mentions this series. So at the end of 2015, I read the Manga's based on the series. You know just to get a feel on whether or not I may enjoy these books. Well the story was interesting enough that I went out and purchased the first three books in the series (used) from Acorn Books. I think that it is important to note that I am also speeding up my reading experience by using an audio book. A technique I found really helpful when I was reading the All Souls Trilogy. 

Well, with Kenyon also filing a lawsuit against Cassandra Clare for ripping off her characters and ideas I decided it was time to start them; because I truly wanted to be able to dissect the claims that the stories are similar. 

So now that we have the reasons why I am reading this text out of the way...let's get down to business. After three chapters, I have mixed feelings about the book. Kyrian is everything I expect in a paranormal romance; however, I feel like he is a little to "pretty" and is missing the edge and grit that I seem to love about Ward's Blackdagger Brothers. Of course, I am pretty much still in the beginning of the story so he may grow on me. Also, the actor that reads the audio's take on Kyrian kind of throws me. Since it's a woman the male voice is almost soft, not at all "manly". That could also be what's throwing me off. Right now the book is following the manga very closely. Which is a good thing if you want skip reading the novel. (Not that I would advocate for that.)

While the novel is funny, and characters very interesting. The mentions of sex can be a bit much. It's almost as bad as Ana Steele (character by E.L. James) and that "inner goddess" of hers. Hopefully it will not be the same way through every book; because if so I will find myself not reading the series. Not because the romance is to much but because it's not sexy and honestly is extremely poorly written to the point that it's tacky. I know that's a bit mean. But I feel that it's best to be honest. As of right now I am giving the books a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Hopefully that rating will change by the end of my reading experience! 

Vampires, and Sympaths...Oh My...The Bookbabe reviews Lover Avenged (Blackdaggger Brotherhood # 7)

            

    

                                            

Well I ventured back to Caldwell, NY with the seventh book in the Blackdagger brotherhood series. This particular book was very interesting because the subject of it was not a brother but Rehvenge; a drug dealing, club owner, and all around bad boy. For anyone that has read the series they are very aware that Rehvenge leads a double life. He is in hiding; and only a few people know the truth about what he really is. What I love the most about his character is that even though he tries to put on a tough guy exterior Rehv really takes care of those that he loves. He is the keeper of many secrets. He keeps his drug running and his "pimping" a secret. Not to mention the secret of this meetings with the Princess of the Sympaths. Due to his contact with her he tries to keep people away. He also blocks his thoughts from her so that she can have no access to his inner most feelings. What was extremely interesting about this book was watching Rehv's love affair with Ehlena develop. It was very slow and innocent. Ehlena is not the type of woman that anyone would have expected Rehv to end up with.  She came up among the upper vampire classes. However, due to a bad business deal her family ends up poor. Ehlena ends up being the caregiver and bread winner in the home. Her father, however, is suffering from something similar to Dementia. It takes up a lot of her time and if it would not have been for her treating Rehv at the Clinic she would have never meant him. Mind you she did not want to treat him at all; she just happened to be the only nurse that was not scared of him. 

As their relationship is progressing we get a tangled into a drama of a murder plot. We find out that Wrath has angered the upper classes and they want him out. Who else would they turn to but Rehv, and that is because his secret has been discovered. Rehv, being who he is, thinks that Wraths demise could work out in his best interest. However, because of his sisters connection to the Brothers he comes clean to Wrath. In return, Wrath vows to help him keep his secret from his sister and the rest of the vampire community. Even though Wrath has sworn to keep things quiet the Brotherhood receives an email calling on them to expel Rehv from the community. Of course, Rehv decided to take it upon himself to do what was best for his family and leave. Upon his surrendering to the Princess he spends months as a prisoner. Back home in Caldwell, Ehlena hatches a plot along side Xhex to rescue Rehv. 

What I loved most about this story was it showed the softer side of Rehv. We get to see him as a man in love. As a family man, and as a best friend. I am sure that we will see even more of him in the upcoming books. 

Quotes I Loved:

"The Fabric of the Race's society is going to unravel, and if you think that's going to help in the war, you've got your head so far up your ass you're using you're colon as a mouth piece"

"Oh man, there's a marathon of Beaches running tomorrow night. Can we go after ten so I can see it once all the way through?" (Rhage)

"What...Look its not Mary Tyler Moore, Kay? So you can't give me shit! "(Rhage)

"It's worse then Mary Tyler Moore. And to call you an idiot would be an insult to halfwits around the fucking world" (V)

Rating on Goodreads: 5 stars

Currently Reading: Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

I am currently reading the seventh book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by the wonderful J.R. Ward. Here is the synopsis: 

Rehvenge is used to living in the shadows and dealing with the roughest night walkers around—including the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As his secret identity as a sympath is threatened, he turns to the only light in his ever darkening world—a female vampire untouched by corruption, who’s the only thing standing between him and eternal damnation.

First impression: (I am 15 chapters in) 

I am pretty impressed with Rev's story so far. We are finally seeing Lash's betrayal unfold. Of course, there is one big thing that is plaguing me and I am wondering how John Matthew's seeing Lash alive is going to play out. I think he is keeping that particular secret. There have been a few surprises in this book so far. Finally Wrath; the king of the vampires, is back in on the action. And Phury is making a comeback as well. I still have a lot of story to make it through but I am

Excited for this book. My plan is to have it completely read by New Years Eve.  

Oh my...I am reading Manga!

On first glance this is just your typical manga/comic. Nothing really extraordinary about that; however, it is based on the Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Thanks to my beautifully bookish friend Lauren, I was "told" to give Sherrilyn a shot. So lady week I made my way to the book store and picked up book one of the Dark Hunter series and I just added it to my TBR pile. Let did I know but the manga was available on Scribd (a service I highly recommend); so I was like what the hell. It will be a quick read and will allow me to see if the books are really worth my time. Well I was pleasantly surprised. The novels are Paranormal Romance; so you can except a fair amount of sex. But the manga, mainly due to the medium, hints at the sex and keeps to the action. Which I LOVE. One of the best thing about these (and the story line) is that it is based on Greek Gods and Goddesses. And the story is very unique; much like Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, the story has complex characters. I really can not wait to do a full review on the manga series. If you have read these please leave a comment in the comments section! As always happy reading! 

The Vampire Within: A Review of J.R. Ward's Lover Revealed

The Vampire Within: The Bookbabe Reviews Lover Revealed by J. R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #4)

First let me start this review by apologizing for not writing/posting it sooner. Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward was an unexpected addition to the Black Brotherhood Series; mainly because it deals squarely with Ex homicide detective Butch O'Neal. Honestly with this series I would have never in a million years imagined a book based on Butch, mainly because I saw him only as a secondary character. I was pleasantly surprised by this book but it was also a bet predictable. About a quarter of the way in I saw the outcome of Butch's storyline because it just made sense. With this book we are re introduced to Marissa, the female vampire that Butch is carrying a torch for. We learn a little more about her. Such as that even though she is carrying on with the owner of on of the most popular clubs in the area her feelings for him are not concrete. We also know that she is a part of the vampire elite. Also, at her age she should have mated with another vampire but it has not happened yet; this makes her a bit on an outcast in their society and she is practically shunned. She hides the fact that her shunning bothers her and that she is in love with a human. As the book goes on she and Butch find themselves back together again after he is captured and tortured by members of the lessing society; because something has been done to him and she runs to his side she ends up being quarantined for days along with him. Even though she is with him he still finds a way to push her aside. She convinces him to let her in and it leads to her brother, Havers, walking in o them in a very compromising position. After this incident her brother puts her out of their home right before dawn; telling her that she is no longer his sister. She goes to the only place she knows that she will most likely be take in. The Brotherhoods compound. By this time Butch has come back to the compound as well and he still feels compelled to keep Marissa away as he works through the damage that that lessers have done to him. 

As the story continues we find out that Butch can sense the lessers, and he can also kill them without the use of a blade. It is not until the brotherhood decides to find out more about Butch's genetics that they find out about his vampire ancestry. (This is where it got predictable). The Scribe virgin allows for Butch to transition to a vampire after she hears that he is directly related to Wrath (the king of the vamps). Even before his transformation and induction into the Brotherhood Butch displayed some of the marks that members of the Brotherhood does. Such as the "bonding" scent whenever he is around Marissa and his fierce need to protect those he loves. It is for this reason that he pushes her away during this tough period and also the reason why he tires and fails to keep her out of the way. While he is fighting his own battles Marissa finds her own voice and takes it upon herself to make some decisions for herself. By the end of the book Marissa is stronger, and more outspoken then ever before. She is also working to help vampire women and children that are victims of domestic violence. 

What I loved about this book was Marissa'a development as a character. She grew into someone with gentle strength and one hell of a backbone. I really can not wait to see more of her in the upcoming books. I have the book a 4 out of five stars on Goodreads.com.

Quotes I Loved:

"I Love you, to Butch"

"Now, why you want to go and do that, baby? I'd figured you as a smart female"

For more reviews and information on my bookish adventures be sure to follow me at www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com / www.facebook.com/thebookbabeofde 

A Sexy vampire and The Beast that loves within: Bookbabe Review of Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) by J.R. Ward

It's like Beauty and the Beast but with Vampires: The Book Babe reviews: Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) by J.R. Ward

Let me preface this by saying I have read the first book, and there is no review on that exist for the first book. Mainly because I read it over two years ago, and before the blogs existence. So, I have read the first one so I know a bit about the series. In the second book we meet Rhage, the "lover" of the group. He is drop dead gorgeous with his blond hair, broad shoulders and teal colored eyes. But he is also hiding a secret that could destroy the ones around him. He seems to go through life with an outward appearance  of a greek god and has the arrogant attitude to match. However, that is all masking the hate and shame he feels over his secret. It will take a good woman, with and extraordinary heart to break him down and get him to drop the act. We meet Mary Luce at a very sad point in her life; she is still dealing with the death of her mother and the fact that her battle with cancer may not actually be over. Even with all this Mary is upbeat and bright and friendly, she befriends a young man named John. Who is also dealing with something of a mystery. Which I am sure will be uncovered in upcoming books. Mary "meets" Rhage in a hallway of the Brotherhoods training center. She is bought there to help with John by her neighbor and friend Bella. The meeting is a bit different (Laugh) due to the fact that Rhage is not completely himself at the time. Of course, Mary will not remember this moment because humans are not to know about the vampires living among them. So the memory to "cleared" from her mind. After the meeting Rhage can not get her out of his mind. With the help of a brother and Mary's friend Bella, Rhage engineers a blind date so that he can see her again. For him its love at first sight but Mary immediately thinks its all wrong. She has convinced herself that a man this perfect could never want her because she is to plain. She does her best to shake Rhage off; and well, that does not work. He feels and overwhelming need to protect her and make her his. Mary tries her damnedest to push him away and even though he knows the relationship could cause problems with his brothers he still sees her. He even disobeys the direct order of their leader and it results in his punishment. Its not until this act that Mary sees the lengths he will go to to Protect her from anyone and how dear she is to him. Also during the course of the book we meet the "lessers". An odd society of men trained to kill vampires. The group is trying its hardest to get to the Brotherhood by tracking down other vampires they may know of them or where they live. Let me just say this....these dudes are creepy. With a capital C. Their whole organization and appearance that makes my skin crawl. (I will not explain it here...guess you have to read it) What I loved about this installment was that there was less sex and more sexual tension  between the two main characters. Also Mary and Rhage's relationship  is believable and surprisingly normal. Another thing I loved  about this story was that it flowed well and has a great mix of action. Also, J.R. Ward has mastered the cliffhanger. She leaves us in the mists of a crisis and sets up the story for the next couple. I gave this book five out of five stars on Goodreads. I really can not wait to see how the storyline and the characters grow.

Favorite Quotes:

" Being a bastard's more of a compulsion, really"  -Zsadist

"God spare me the heroes,"she muttered. "Back the fuck off"

"And why had those prayers focused heavenward? Well, it kind of made sense, didn't it? Even when there were no more options for the body, the heart's wishes find a way out, and as with all the warmth, love rises"

Mary"You are a manipulator" /Rhage: "I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer"

For more reviews be sure to follow me at www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com\thebookbabeofde

Daemons, Witches, Vampires and Enchanted Books ... oh my!

The Bookbabe Reviews: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

So I have completed the last book in this freight train of a book and I can honestly say that I was not at all disappointed. Harkness built the right amount of drama, suspense and weaved just the right amount of magic. There are a few things that I was really excited to see happen in this book. We finally travel back to England with Diana and Matthew and the rest of the "clan". Diana is still learning about her magic and more of Matthew's secrets are coming to the surface. As a result their bond is tighter than ever. While they are finally coming to terms with how the blood rage will affect their lives and we get a glimpse of the madness of Matthew's son, Benjamin. We also get reunited with one of my favorite characters from the previous book (Shadow of Night), Jack. We also see the reappearance of Father Hubbard; who the last time around was shrouded in shadiness. That is still the case this time but their is also a surprising twist that I really did not expect. The best part of this book was seeing Diana let go of her fear and go into battle with the congregation. As she takes them on we get the impression that Harkness is leaving an opening for a possible return to the story line. Which honestly is exactly what you are going to want to see happen after you've finished this book. 

Best Scene:

Favorite Quotes:

   "No wonder Philippe always looks so exhausted," he said ruefully when he was through. "It's very fatiguing pretending you're in charge when your wife actually rules the roost" 

"As I am the end, so my lover is the beginning. I encompass the whole work of creation, and all knowledge is hidden in me " 

"If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise most about themselves" 

Witches, Vampires, Shadows and a bit of Elizabeth the first.....

The Bookbabe Reviews: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Well It took me much less time to read this book, then the almost two weeks it took me with book one. I was not at all bored with this book. This is mainly due to Harkness ability to pace the action and plot well. This book is littered with the familiar names and places from not only the first book but from history as well. From monarchs like Elizabeth 1 and Rudolf III to Walter Raleigh and the Lord of Northumberland. The most remarkable meeting of all (for me anyway) is Philippe; Matthews father. When Diana and Matthew travel to Sept Tours at his fathers request Philippee comes off as a brut. Mean and impassive and is the master of all those around him including his children. I expected this throughout the entire time they interacted with him however (as Harkness does so well) the character reveals himself. He slowly shows his care for Matthew and then for Diana. Slowly I begin to see why Ysabeau remains so in love with him, even after his death. What I loved about this book is we slowly see Diana and Matthew get to know one another better. We get to see more of Matthew's defenses shatter as Diana attempts to get closer to him. We see their relationship deepen and they arrive at a kind of understanding that only people truly in love can. Harkness really has a way of writing flawed, real and beautiful relationships. Another thing I loved about this book is the final coming together of the "family" behind Matthew and Diana. I can not wait to see them "fight" as a family unit. Of course, we find out that we have lost one of the members of the family and I can not wait to see how this plays out in the next book. I am also eager to see how Matthew's and Diana's new arrival will affect things as well. I give this book a four star rating; if you like this spoiler-less remove you can read many more at 

www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com

Favorite Quotes:

"You are not just my heart but it's beating" - Matthew to Diana

“Gallowglass returned to Sporrengasse with two vampires and a pretzel"

“We don’t lock up books in this house,” Philippe said, “only food, ale, and wine. Reading Herodotus or Aquinas seldom leads to bad behavior"

A Witch, A Vampire and a book; whats not to Love?

The Bookbabe Reviews: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I can not believe that I let this gem sit on my shelves for so long (almost three years). I remember it as one of the last books I purchased from a closing Walden Books location. What can I say about this book? I feel like I was taken away to England on a sea of wonderfully and imaginatively written prose. Deborah Harkness delivered everything you can expect in a Paranormal romance.  There is a very likable main character,  a distant and shadowy love interest and lots of drama. What I enjoyed most about the book was that Harkness has such and amazing way at describing the places and people that both Matthew and Diana interact with. Harkness also is very careful to slowly reveal bits and pieces of the characters at just the right time. The way she builds  the intensity of the drama is awe inspiring. It goes without saying that I have not read a book this good in sometime; especially in this genre. One thing that I really loved about the story was that Harkness was in no rush to get Matthew and Diana into bed; in fact she has the couple "married" off but they have not consummated their marriage. In so many paranormal romances readers often see the characters taking to the sheets in no time flat. I loved that Matthew Clarimont takes on the role of a night and shining armor and wants to protect his lady love; and is okay with "courting her".  Even though this frustrates Diana to no end no doubt. I can honestly say I was in love with Matthew Clarimont's character from the moment he decided to protect Diana in the library. I was also even more in love with him after we are introduced to his family; we get a get to see his devotion to them and we start to learn a little more about our lovable vampire. I really can not wait to see if some of my theories (which I can not post here because they would spoil a good read) about the characters come to past. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in a complex story with complex characters and high drama. If you love all things witches, vampires and daemons then check this out at the library or buy it at your local bookstore.

Quotes I loved:

"the smell of the library always lifted my spirits-that peculiar combination of old stone, dust, woodworm, and paper made properly from rags"

"As far as I can tell, there's only two emotions to keep the world spinning, year after year......One is fear. The other desire."

First Impressions: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

So I am a little late to this band wagon but hey I read what I want when I want. So this month I decided to start the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. I am officially six chapters in and boy let me tell you....I LOVE IT! First off let me say that this book is different. I have read several books featuring a witch as the main character but never have I felt a connection to them; as I do with Diana Bishop. Diana is an intelligent, educated woman that does not want her ability to use magic to get her ahead in life. She is trying her hardest to be "normal" and she is anything but. She has daemons following her around and can not shake off Professor Matthew Clarimont; a sexy, intelligent vampire. I honestly can not wait to read more about Professor Clarimont. I am hoping that something romantically develops between Diana and Matthew. The only thing about the book that I think will drive me crazy is all the alchemy stuff. I see it going right over my head and I have a funny feeling that I will have to read up on some of the terms so that I can fully grasp the subject matter. As of right now I see myself really enjoying the first book and I can not wait to write a review on it. 

The Strain (Book 1) Review

This is most likely a repost; but I just wanted to make sure to post it due to the popularity of the tv series on FX! 

Here is the review:

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).

What I am currently reading

My current read! The Night Eternal (book 3 of the Strain trilogy). Really excited about this book...its vampires the way they should be...no sparkling here. I can't wait to see how civilization survives after a complete vamp take over. So far, everyone is falling in line with the new world order. Which includes farms...were people are penned and bred for the vamps to feed off of. Its gonna be an epic ending lol!  

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).