Friday, July 29, 2011

Quiver [Review]


Stats:
304 Pages
Published 25 Jan 2011

Synopsis:
In sixteenth-century Hungary, Countess Elizabeth Báthory tortured and killed over six hundred servant girls in order to bathe in their blood; she believed this brutal ritual would preserve her youth and beauty

Danica, a young forensic psychologist, is drawn to Báthory’s legend. She has moved from Canada to England to work at Stowmoor, a Victorian insane asylum turned modern-day forensic hospital. One of her patients, the notorious Martin Foster, murdered a fourteen-year-old girl in homage to Báthory. He cultivates his criminal celebrity and Danica struggles to maintain a professional demeanor with the charismatic Foster as she begins to suspect that his activities may be linked to a cabal that idolizes Báthory.

Danica’s life in London becomes increasingly complicated when Maria, a glamorous friend from Danica’s past, arrives to do archival work in the city. She claims to have discovered Báthory’s long-lost diaries and slowly reveals horrific passages to Danica. As Danica’s career and her relationship with her artist-boyfriend, Henry, begin to break down, Maria lures her into a complex social sphere. Unsure of who to trust, Danica’s professional and personal lives become dangerously entwined, and she must decide what she is willing to risk to satisfy her attraction to Báthory’s ominous legend.



My Thoughts:
I don't know what everyone was talking about with this book being "slow" - I was hooked the whole time. I wanted to keep reading and keep reading. I like how it flip-flopped in time a little and I like how it included the diary entries of Bathory. I was just plain impressed.

It ended well and I am going to go looking to see if there will be a sequel. The story leaves it up in the air as if there could be a sequel.
 


This book was for my Readers Anonymous book club :)

Friday, July 22, 2011

As Husbands Go


Stats:
352 pages
Published 6 July 2010


Synopsis:
Bestseller Isaacs draws on tony Long Island, gritty New York City, and a tabloid-friendly murder for this smart-alecky whodunit/surprisingly sweet love story. Susan is left alone with her three boys, big suburban house, and nagging questions when plastic surgeon hubby Jonah Gersten turns up dead in a hooker's Upper East Side apartment. Though the police and prosecutors wind up their case against call girl Dorinda Dillon, it's far from settled for Susan. It simply didn't add up, in either my head or my heart, she confesses. And what better sidekick to track down the truth than Susan's rogue granny, Ethel. What follows is an intricate and fascinating dissection of Susan's marriage, family, husband's medical practice and partners, and the unwitting call girl at the center of it all. Isaacs (Past Perfect) brings it all together in this fast and furious ride through wanton greed, fragile relationships, and love worth fighting for.

My Thoughts:
40% thru the book and I just could NOT read any more. It was awful. I don't even know if there was a point to this book but it was awful. I hated the narrator and I was waiting for it to get better. Do not waste your time on this book. I think this is the 4th book for the Clamhouse Book Club and I'm sad that we have yet to have a good book! :S Next month's pick is Outside Wonderland and I have high hopes for that. My next book that I will start today is Quiver...it's for another book club.


 

Friday, July 15, 2011

Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me


Stats:
272 pages
Published 10 May 2011

Synopsis:
"My tendency to make up stories and lie compulsively for the sake of my own amusement takes up a good portion of my day and provides me with a peace of mind not easily attainable in this economic climate."--Chelsea Handler, from Chapter 10 of Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

It's no lie: Chelsea Handler loves to smoke out "dumbassness," the condition people suffer from that allows them to fall prey to her brand of complete and utter nonsense. Friends, family, co-workers--they've all been tricked by Chelsea into believing stories of total foolishness and into behaving like total fools. Luckily, they've lived to tell the tales and, for the very first time, write about them. 


My Thoughts: 
Hilarious! The different stories are just too funny. I can't believe how many of her staff and friends and family keep falling for her lies!! :) I highly recommend this to Chelsea fans and people who have a good sense of humor. There were a few reviews where people were so shocked at the "awful" things she did to people around her. It's so ridiculous...it's Chelsea!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Dead Reckoning [Review]

Stats:
Published 3 May 2011
325 Pages

Synopsis:
With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...


My Thoughts:
I wasn't very impressed with this one. It didn't have nearly as much substance as the others.

And I'm unsure, but I thought this was the last one? It left with a mighty big cliffhanger, so I can only assume, I was misinformed.


 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Lover Unbound [Review]



Stats:
502 pages
Published 25 Sept 2007

Synopsis:
In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart pf a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...


Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

My Thoughts: 
This book in the series was all about Vishous.

I actually think this is my new favorite. It went further into the warrior's background than any of the other warriors and it also talked about Phury and John a bunch too. It focused less on Lessers and the Omega.

This book was the first that almost made me cry two or three times. It was a very good read. I'm curious to see how his character evolves over the next few books and I'm also curious about what the Scribe Virgin mentioned towards the end about Payne