Dresden Files are set in a "alternate" Chicago where magic is real, but only a few actually believe in it; it's a first-person tale told by an irascible wizard named Harry Dresden, who regularly gives the magical establishment indigestion — and the police, the same. Take Sam Spade, your Average Joe Underdog Action Star, and toss in some spellcraft, and you get Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things -- and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -- well, whatever.
Fool Moon Business has been slow for Harry. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work — magical or mundane. But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise. A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses — and the first two don't count...
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky is an interesting new series reminiscent of Animorphs.
Book 1: The Capture introduces us to the main characters Soren, Gylfie, Twilight and Digger who have all been captured by other owls claiming they are orphans. There they are brainwashed to be almost slaves to these elder owls but Soren & Gylfie manage to escape but at a cost to other owls who try to help them. Once they escape they find Twilight and Digger and together band together to find the lost world of Ga'Hoole where they think their families may have hidden.
Book 1: The Capture introduces us to the main characters Soren, Gylfie, Twilight and Digger who have all been captured by other owls claiming they are orphans. There they are brainwashed to be almost slaves to these elder owls but Soren & Gylfie manage to escape but at a cost to other owls who try to help them. Once they escape they find Twilight and Digger and together band together to find the lost world of Ga'Hoole where they think their families may have hidden.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
#13
Lean Mean Thirteen
This time around Stephanie is reunited with her two-timing lawyer ex-husband, Dickie Orr, while doing a favor for the mysterious, sexy Ranger. But when Dickie disappears from his house leaving behind only bloodstains and bullet holes, Plum becomes the prime suspect in his alleged murder. Determined to clear her name, Plum and her on-again off-again Trenton cop boyfriend, the irresistible Joe Morelli, uncover Dickie's ties to a shady group of men involved in everything from money laundering to drug running. And when Dickie's jilted business partners decide Stephanie holds the key to the $40 million they believe Dickie stole from them, she's in for a wild ride. While helping Ranger search for Dickie (the ex) she has three 'skips' to find for the bond office, a taxidermist with a penchant for bombs to a grave-robbing tax man show us that life is never dull in the burbs. We see more of Grandma who still goes to funeral viewings and Lola who seems to be changing her hoing ways as she stays with one man - Tank
12.5
Plum Lovin' is a "between-the-numbers" Stephanie Plum novel. Stephanie already has two guys in her life (cop Joe Morelli and bounty hunter Ranger), reconnects with Diesel, a third heartthrob. Diesel offers Stephanie a deal: if he lets her find Annie Hart, a relationship coach who's become a big-ticket bond on Stephanie's Most Wanted List after fleeing a charge for a robbery she didn't commit, then Stephanie can do Annie a big favor by playing Cupid for a number of Annie's lovelorn clients, including a shy butcher, a desperate vet, an overworked single mom, a 30-something virgin and the marriage-phobic fellow who just happens to be Stephanie's pregnant sister's boyfriend. Diesel and Stephanie's short but sweet adventure ends on a teasing note that will leave fans hungry for the next juicy Plum-a-thon.
More of a novela than a full fledged novel it is still packed with laugh-out-loud moments. I felt kind of let down by the ending but it's no more a cliff-hanger than the previous books. So we'll see what comes out this summer. If Diesel is still around or left behind.
Twelve Sharp
#12 in the series
In usual fashion Stephanie finds herself in danger when she discovers that a woman is following her. This woman who threatens her and waves a gun around claims to be Carlos Manoso's (aka Ranger) wife! When she ends up dead and Ranger's daughter is discovered kidnapped from Miami by Ranger himself Stephanie knows something is up! A doppleganger has stolen parts of Ranger's identity, marrying the strange woman, kidnapping Ranger's daughter and then wants to go after Stephanie herself. Now she gets to pay Ranger back for all the times he helped her out in a jam. But she'll need the help of both Ranger and Morelli. Meanwhile she and Lulu are trying to pick up as many FTA's people who skipped their count appearance before Vinnie goes bankrupt. They have to start hiring new bounty hunters and the interviews are so funny! They end up hiring a FTA Stephanie is able to hunt down, a sad sack named Melvin Pickle, who had been arrested for indecent exposure in the multi-plex. Plus Lula, Sally, and Grandma Mazur start up a rock band and find new costumes for each gig!
You can't help but laugh out loud at all the quirky characters but I have to admit that this one had more depth than previous ones. It even ends with Ranger feeding Stephanie cake. yum...
Ten Big Ones ~ Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, the terror of Trenton, the bane of her boyfriend Joe Morelli's existence, and the delight of her crazy grandma's heart, is in the wrong place at the wrong time--as usual. Just happening to be indulging her nachos jones at a local deli when it's robbed by the notorious Red Devils, Plum is the eye witness who could put the gang leader, known as the Junkman, behind bars... if he just lets her live long enough. Looking for a place to hide out from the killer until the cops catch up with him, Stephanie sneaks into her fellow bounty hunter Ranger's apartment without telling Morelli, who's not overly fond of him. All the usual suspects in this long-running series are along for a wilder than ever ride, including Lula the gun-toting ex-hooker, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's pregnant sister Valerie and her fiancé, as well as a host of minor characters who bring Trenton's seedier environs to life.
#13
Lean Mean Thirteen
This time around Stephanie is reunited with her two-timing lawyer ex-husband, Dickie Orr, while doing a favor for the mysterious, sexy Ranger. But when Dickie disappears from his house leaving behind only bloodstains and bullet holes, Plum becomes the prime suspect in his alleged murder. Determined to clear her name, Plum and her on-again off-again Trenton cop boyfriend, the irresistible Joe Morelli, uncover Dickie's ties to a shady group of men involved in everything from money laundering to drug running. And when Dickie's jilted business partners decide Stephanie holds the key to the $40 million they believe Dickie stole from them, she's in for a wild ride. While helping Ranger search for Dickie (the ex) she has three 'skips' to find for the bond office, a taxidermist with a penchant for bombs to a grave-robbing tax man show us that life is never dull in the burbs. We see more of Grandma who still goes to funeral viewings and Lola who seems to be changing her hoing ways as she stays with one man - Tank
12.5
Plum Lovin' is a "between-the-numbers" Stephanie Plum novel. Stephanie already has two guys in her life (cop Joe Morelli and bounty hunter Ranger), reconnects with Diesel, a third heartthrob. Diesel offers Stephanie a deal: if he lets her find Annie Hart, a relationship coach who's become a big-ticket bond on Stephanie's Most Wanted List after fleeing a charge for a robbery she didn't commit, then Stephanie can do Annie a big favor by playing Cupid for a number of Annie's lovelorn clients, including a shy butcher, a desperate vet, an overworked single mom, a 30-something virgin and the marriage-phobic fellow who just happens to be Stephanie's pregnant sister's boyfriend. Diesel and Stephanie's short but sweet adventure ends on a teasing note that will leave fans hungry for the next juicy Plum-a-thon.
More of a novela than a full fledged novel it is still packed with laugh-out-loud moments. I felt kind of let down by the ending but it's no more a cliff-hanger than the previous books. So we'll see what comes out this summer. If Diesel is still around or left behind.
Twelve Sharp
#12 in the series
In usual fashion Stephanie finds herself in danger when she discovers that a woman is following her. This woman who threatens her and waves a gun around claims to be Carlos Manoso's (aka Ranger) wife! When she ends up dead and Ranger's daughter is discovered kidnapped from Miami by Ranger himself Stephanie knows something is up! A doppleganger has stolen parts of Ranger's identity, marrying the strange woman, kidnapping Ranger's daughter and then wants to go after Stephanie herself. Now she gets to pay Ranger back for all the times he helped her out in a jam. But she'll need the help of both Ranger and Morelli. Meanwhile she and Lulu are trying to pick up as many FTA's people who skipped their count appearance before Vinnie goes bankrupt. They have to start hiring new bounty hunters and the interviews are so funny! They end up hiring a FTA Stephanie is able to hunt down, a sad sack named Melvin Pickle, who had been arrested for indecent exposure in the multi-plex. Plus Lula, Sally, and Grandma Mazur start up a rock band and find new costumes for each gig!
You can't help but laugh out loud at all the quirky characters but I have to admit that this one had more depth than previous ones. It even ends with Ranger feeding Stephanie cake. yum...
Ten Big Ones ~ Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, the terror of Trenton, the bane of her boyfriend Joe Morelli's existence, and the delight of her crazy grandma's heart, is in the wrong place at the wrong time--as usual. Just happening to be indulging her nachos jones at a local deli when it's robbed by the notorious Red Devils, Plum is the eye witness who could put the gang leader, known as the Junkman, behind bars... if he just lets her live long enough. Looking for a place to hide out from the killer until the cops catch up with him, Stephanie sneaks into her fellow bounty hunter Ranger's apartment without telling Morelli, who's not overly fond of him. All the usual suspects in this long-running series are along for a wilder than ever ride, including Lula the gun-toting ex-hooker, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's pregnant sister Valerie and her fiancé, as well as a host of minor characters who bring Trenton's seedier environs to life.
To the Nines ~ Usual characters, but not so much Grandma that I enjoy so much but we get more of Lulu who is just a hoot as she decides she is only going to eat meat to become a super model. Plus we get to know Joe's family better, but Joe is only around superficially in my opinon. Makes you wonder what their future is? This time we get Stephanie out of town going to Las Vegas. There is more tension between her and Ranger as he becomes her bodyguard after she is obviously being stalked by the "webmaster". I did get annoyed as I did figure out who was the "webmaster" about half way through the book and found it interesting how oblivious Stephanie can be. For the first time not one car gets blown up but Stephanie is forced to get her hair cut short, I really never pictured her with long hair. But still a fun - laugh out loud read.
Hard Eight ~ It lives up to it's name as she gets beat up trying to catch fugitives and finally gets naked with Ranger! Hurray! Several laugh out loud moments, especially as she is stalked by a bear and a rabbit! All our favorites are here including Grandma.
One for the Money
Two for the Dough
Three to Get Deadly
Four to Score
High Five
Hot Six
Seven Up
Visions of Sugar Plums ~ is a special almost novella featuring our favorite bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It's Christmas in Jersey and Stephanie Plum has bigger problems than the usual thugs, robbers, thieves, and hoodlums. This time, there's someone in her apartment who just won't leave and he goes by Diesel and they are both after the same guy, Sandie Claws. But will Stephanie get into the Christmas spirit and just who is her grandmother's new hottie? Thumbs up for this Christmas story Jersey style.
Full House by Janet Evanovich - originally published in 1989 under the name Steffie Hall. She decided to update it and create some sequels only in paperback. It was a fun read, though not quite up to par with the Plum books. You can tell it takes place in the 80's but it isn't too dated. Billie Pearce is a divorced mother of two children. She meets Nick Kaharchek while taking Polo lessons. When fate brings them and their existing families together it can only be a disaster waiting to happen. Some basic drama and a very quick ending make this for a satisfying read.
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