Passage to India by E.M. Forster

Written while England was still firmly in control of India, Forster's novel follows the fortunes of three English newcomers to India--Miss Adela Quested, Mrs. Moore, and Cyril Fielding--and the Indian, Dr. Aziz, with whom they cross destinies. The idea of true friendship between the races was a radical one in Forster's time, and he makes it abundantly clear that it was not one that either side welcomed. If Aziz's friend, Hamidullah, believed it impossible, the British representatives of the Raj were equally discouraging.

Despite their countrymen's disapproval, Miss Quested, Mrs. Moore, and Mr. Fielding are all eager to meet Indians, and in Dr. Aziz they find a perfect companion: educated, westernized, and open-minded. Slowly, the friendships ripen, especially between Aziz and Fielding. Having created the possibility of esteem based on trust and mutual affection, Forster then subjects it to the crucible of racial hatred: during a visit to the famed Marabar caves, Miss Quested accuses Dr. Aziz of sexually assaulting her, then later recants during the frenzied trial that follows. Under such circumstances, affection proves to be a very fragile commodity indeed. What really happened in the Marabar caves? This is the mystery at the heart of E.M. Forster's 1924 novel, A Passage to India, the puzzle that sets in motion events highlighting an even larger question: Can an Englishman and an Indian be friends?

This book is so beautifully written and yet difficult to read at the same time. But it brings forth so many emotions and thoughts about oppression of Indians as well as men and women.

Rex Series by Eric Garcia

Anonymous Rex
Meet Vincent Rubio, the latest thing in hard-boiled private detectives. He's a dinosaur--it seems they're still among us, disguising themselves as humans. As a private eye, Rubio finds plenty of problems to solve, among them an arson case, the death of his partner, and the need to keep his true identity concealed. Rubio is a dinosaur. Literally a raptor, he is one of 16 dinosaur species that survived "The Great Showers" 65 million years ago. A whole hidden society exists in his world; dinosaurs scaled down in size and hidden inside complex, latex, human "guises," governed by Councils, recognizing each other by the distinctive odors only dinos can smell.

The mystery involves cross-race and cross-species breedings, a lounge singer who is not what she appears to be, and plenty of clue gathering. It was a very entertaining read. Kind of a strange mystery but it's fun to read something different and this is defintely that!

Casual Rex
Hot & Sweaty Rex

Nerd books by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Fun books featuring nerdly men who fall in love with beautiful women and prove themselves worthy. Interesting characters.

Nerd in Shining Armor
For Genevieve Terrence it seemed like a dream come true: a weekend alone on Maui with her sexy boss, Nick Brogan. But little did she know that Nick had dreams of his own -- a nefarious scheme that nearly got her killed on the flight over the Pacific. Lucky for her, brilliant computer programmer Jack Farley was on board and quick-witted enough to crash-land the plane. Now Jack is her sole companion on a remote desert island with nothing but guava trees and sharks for company. Who'd expect the shy genius -- and the least alpha male she knows -- to turn out to be the uninhibited stud of her wildest dreams?

Saving Genevieve's life has made Jack a hero in the eyes of the woman he has secretly lusted after for months. Now they're alone together in a tropical eden where they're free to give in to their every sensual whim. But when some nasty unfinished business puts them at risk again, Gen will learn there's nothing quite as dangerous as a fully aroused ex-nerd who'll move heaven and earth to protect the woman he loves...

Nerd Who Loved Me
Lainie Terrell is no ordinary single mother. With feathers in all the right places, she's one of the hottest showgirls in Vegas. Aside from a hot-tempered ex-boyfriend on her sequined tail, Lainie's biggest problem is finding a decent babysitter for her son. Lainie's dilemma is solved when she ropes Harry Ambrewster, the casino's shy-but very smart and cute-accountant, into the task.

Inheriting his chemist father's high I.Q. and sexy good looks, Harry has always been intrigued by Lainie. He isn't thrilled at the prospect of babysitting, but he'll do anything to get near the gal who fuels his craziest fantasies. Then Lainie's dangerous ex comes knocking. Their option? Run faster than a pair of net stockings.

In disguise and on the lam, Lainie's masquerading as the perfect wife. Harry's doubling as the he-man protector. But with a set-up this hot, who's fooling who? When the lights go down, and the masks come off, a nerd like Harry could be just the right ignition to set a woman like Lainie on fire....

Mai the Psychic Girl Volume 1 by Kazuya Kudo

Like many storybook heroines, Mai Kuju is just your average happy-go-lucky 14 year old. Her wishes are simple: she'd like to grow up faster; she'd like a boyfriend; she'd like her dad to be home more. Of course, Mai's not exactly average. For one thing, she can move stuff with her mind. And there are these mysterious men following her... After watching her father perish (or so she thinks!) saving her from the clutches of the Wisdom Alliance, Mai is alone and on the run. She finds an unlikely ally in Intetsu, a daredevil college student on a motorcycle, and his motley crew of dorm buddies. They too will risk their lives to protect this unusual girl from those who would control her powers. Not all the danger comes from outside, however; Mai soon discovers that her powers can kill and destroy as well as heal. Will she be able to control her emotions and protect her friends?

Entertaining and a fast read. There are two additional volumes.

Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell

Strangers in a bizarre land—that's what Ahvren's people, the Vivtare, are. They are the conquerors, the rulers now, of the T'Chin confederacy. But Ahvren is no longer sure what that means. After spending two years fighting a brutal war on another planet, here—where not a single shot was fired—victory doesn't seem quite so...victorious. Rumors abound of a plot to assassinate the Vivitare emperor. Sick of the horrors of conquering beings on other planets, Ahvrem wants to find another path. will end his service as a soldier and save his sister from an unhappy marriage if he can discover who is behind a rumored plot to assassinate the Emperor.

So Ahvren makes a deal with his father, if he can discover the plot to assassinate the emperor it will save his sister from an unhappy marriage. He can also choose his own path for the next year, otherwise he will be sent to conquer other worlds. When he discovers that even the rumors are not what they seem he is too late to change fate of others so can only do that for himself.

An interesting, powerful YA novel featuring a variety of aliens. Very well done and thought provocing. Can't wait to read more of her works.

Scott Pilgram by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Interesting look at life in a 20 something guy from Canada who is just waltzing through life. It is all about to change.

Vol. 1 Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Scott Pilgrim's life is fantastic. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, between jobs, and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's awesome until a seriously mind-blowing delivery girl named Ramona Flowers enters his life. She is invading his dreams and making him obsessed. Now in order to date her he has to fit her seven evil ex-boyfriends! We meet boyfriend #1 in this volume. I'm assuming he fights a new exboyfriend each volume.

Vol. 2 Scott Pilgrim vs. the world
As this volume opens we get a peek into Scott's past: we see his early romantic troubles and the talentless band that sprang from them. In the present, Scott's new romance with mysterious messenger girl Ramona Flowers sends his former girlfriend, teenage Knives Chau, into a fury that culminates in an all-out kung fu battle between the two. In the surrealist twists that fill O'Malley's work, characters who are introduced in dreams end up playing major parts in the "real" life of the story, and you never know when the meandering lives of these Canadian 20-somethings are going to shift into high-action fight sequences. There is a brief moment where he fights Ramona's 2nd evil boyfriend - former skateboarder now famous actor. In which he skates so fast he compusts! We finally get to see the face of his former girlfriend - who is now in a very well-known band. As they are performing at the end Ramona tells who her 3rd evil boyfriend is.

Volume 3 - Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
This time, Scot is pitted against #3 of the evil ex-boyfriends, Todd Ingram, the current boyfriend of his ex, rock star Envy Adams; they battle at a discount department store and a rock club. Unfortunately, Todd's got psychic powers, because he's a vegan ("graduated top of his class from vegan academy and everything"), and he's also a much better bass player. On top of that, Scott's band, Sex BobOmb, can't quite get it together; 17-year-old ninja Knives Chau is still obsessed with him; and the mysterious Ramona Flowers is becoming envious of Envy. We learn more about Scott's past and his infatuation with Envy (aka Natalie). He has such loyal friends who will stand behind him even when it appears he cannot win. This was much more funny to me because of all the minor storylines going on. I had trouble with some of the artwork as characters blur and it becomes hard to tell who is who and when the flashbacks even end. But overall very happy with the storyline and I'm assuming 4 more volumes to go!

Bianca Balducci Mystery by Libby Sternberg

Uncovering Sadie's Secrets
Bianca is a normal high school girl who attends parochial school in Baltimore, MD. She worries about her hair, clothes and most of all how to attact her new crush, Doug. But smack in the middle of a normal teens life comes a mystery. Who is Sadie and why is she so scared? Who are these people claiming to be her parents? Is Sadie on the run? Bianca inlists the help of her big sister, Connie, who also is a private eye and her best friend Kerrie. Together they will put the pieces together about Sadie. But will it be too late?

An ok series. The cover makes it appear like there is some kind of supernatural aspect to this book. There isn't. An older version of Nancy Drew. Bianca is popular and fun. It will be interesting to see a new installment.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

Welcome to Echo Falls. Home of a thousand secrets, where Ingrid Levin-Hill, super sleuth, never knows what will happen next. Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. Getting them back means getting involved in a murder investigation rivaling those solved by her idol, Sherlock Holmes, and Ingrid has enough on her plate with club soccer, school, and the plum role of Alice in the Echo Falls production of Alice in Wonderland. But much as in Alice's adventures down the rabbit hole, things in Ingrid's small town keep getting curiouser and curiouser. Her favorite director has a serious accident onstage (but is it an accident?), and the police chief is on Ingrid's tail, grilling her about everything from bike-helmet law to the color of her cleats. Echo Falls has turned into a nightmare, and Ingrid is determined to wake up.

Appears this might be a series as there are several unanswered questions by the end of this fast paced story. Like is her brother Ty on steroids? Where will her relationship with Joey go? Will her parents stay together? Will Grandpy be forced to sell his property? and more. So I can several more Echo Falls mysteries on the horizon.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Centuries ago, when magic still existed in England, the greatest magician of them all was the Raven King. A human child brought up by fairies, the Raven King blended fairy wisdom and human reason to create English magic. Now, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he is barely more than a legend, and England, with its mad King and its dashing poets, no longer believes in practical magic.

Then the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey appears and causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. News spreads of the return of magic to England and, persuaded that he must help the government in the war against Napoleon, Mr Norrell goes to London. There he meets a brilliant young magician and takes him as a pupil. Jonathan Strange is charming, rich and arrogant. Together, they dazzle the country with their feats.

A fascinating story but I could not read it. About half way through the story I just gave up. It has pages and pages of footnotes and the storyline has many threads. I gave it another chance when I listened to it on tape. What a difference. It was delightful for me this way. I could sit back and enjoy being read to and not try to figure out how the footnotes worked. So I would recommened listening to the book rather than trying to read it.

Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo

Midnight for Charlie Bone
The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. When Charlie Bone is sent to the Bloor's Academy he discovers that he is not alone in his talents. But not everyone is out for good. We meet Charlie and his new friends as he discovers more about the Red King and the battle that is waging between good and evil.

Fun series rather like HP but has it's own flavor. It has an interesting story and I especially like the fire cats.

Charlie Bone and the Twister

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors

Summer of Love by Debbie Drechsler
Or see her other artwork at: http://www.sonic.net/~debdrex/

In Summer of Love, we meet Lily Maier, age thirteen, just moved into a "stupid," "ugly" house that looks like all the others. With a mostly absent father and a mother with two small children to watch, Lily has little to do with her family short of getting into near-comical spats with her slightly younger sister. "Summer of Love" moves along as Lily navigates new friends and new feelings of love while trying not be outcast or gain a bad reputation.

Drawn originally as a 5 part series called Nowhere this has been put together as a interesting graphic novel of first experiences. It is painful yet endearing to watch Lily as she tries to fit in and yet have her own voice. The drawings are not in black and white but rather green and brown kind of like pistachio ice cream.

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train by Kazu Kibuishi

Daisy Kutter is a notorious gunslinger decides to call it quits, settles down and gets busy living a legit (in other words, boring) life. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances and the persistent exhortations from other individuals force the gunslinger to perform “one last job.” does just that.

Instead of being gruff, grizzled and squinty-eyed, the retired gunslinger in this story is a gruff, “girl with the curl” (quite literally), carrying a shotgun whose length and power really qualify it as portable artillery. Instead of enjoying the charms of a virtuous town school teacher, Daisy Kutter has to suffer the unwanted romantic determination of her ex-partner-in-crime Tom, who’s turned his life around and become the town sheriff. His square personality is emphasized by his squarely-drawn head. Instead of being situated in 19th century Tombstone, Arizona or Deadwood, South Dakota, Daisy Kutter takes place in some unspecified time and place, where telephones, radios, security guard robots, holographic machines and enormous Mechanized battle armor occupy the expected wide-open Western genre vistas, saloons, general stores and gambling halls.

What is amazing to me is how much is expressed with so few words. Rather it is her expression or how things are reflected around her that portray her thoughts and emotions. This is truely an amazing comic or graphic novel whatever you want to call it. I think I enjoyed it so much because it had it's own flair with combining the Western & Sci Fi.

Cece Caruso Mysteries by Susan Kandel

I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason
Mystery author, biographer, and nosy former beauty queen Cece Caruso interviews a prison inmate for her latest book only to find herself embroiled in a double murder case with forty-year-old ties. Cece is writing a biography on Erle Stanley Gardner and while going through some files she finds a letter that sparks her interest. A self appointed bloodhound but will take breaks to purchase and try on vintage clothing, Cece travels between LA and Ventura County to find the scoop. But will she loose her life in the meantime?

Interesting story. The last half of the book was more interesting than the beginning for me. So I will try the sequel to see if it gets better. Lots of interesting characters and I learned a lot about ESG.

Not a Girl Detective
Having idolized Nancy Drew throughout her childhood, mystery writer biographer Cece Caruso meets a collector of early edition Nancy Drew mysteries and attends a fan convention, but when a patron is discovered dead, she must identify the killer to keep from becoming the next victim.

Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley
Trent is asked to give a corespondence regarding a much publized murder case for the paper he writes for. When a close personal friend asks him to do a favor by assising the local police in this matter he decides to see for himself what is so special about this case. He discovers a mass of confusing clues that do not even lead to the correct conclusion as this clever plot, contains not one but two solutions to the crime. This novel is also known as being the start of the modern mystery novel. Dorothy L. Sayers writes the introducation.

Wow, was this book interesting. Well writen and several red hearings. I never did figure it out plus with the dual solutions I never would have.

Sano Ichiro Mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland

Shinju
It is winter 1689 in Edo, the city that would one day become Tokyo. The bodies of a beautiful noblewoman and a male commoner, bound together, are dragged from the murky Sumida River: a typical shinju, a ritual double suicide committed by a pair of star-crossed lovers. But when Sano Ichiro, a teacher, samurai, and reluctant police officer, begins a routine investigation, he comes to suspect murder. Disobeying direct orders to close the case discreetly, he pursues elusive answers from the ornate mansions of the highest born daimyos, to the gaudy pleasure quarters of the lowest classes, from a cloistered mountaintop convent to a horrid prison where death is a blessing. He risks his family's good name and his own life to solve a crime that nobody wants solved. As he unravels the twisted story behind the deaths, he stumbles upon a trail of deceit and assassination that threatens the very underpinnings of the shogun's Japan.

A very interesting series. I know very little about this time period of Japan when the Shoguns still existed. Lots of descriptions of battles and life as a samurai as well as how political the cast system was during that time. One incorrect move and you could be demoted or put to death. Can't wait to read more in this intriguing series.

Bundori
Samurai sleuth Sano Ichiro must track down, virtually single-handedly, a serial killer who is at work in the region and whose motivation is complex, related to events of 129 years prior. This serial killer is stalking Edo, Japan's feudal capital, as he risks everything to bring to justice a murderer who not only kills but publicly displays his "bundori," or trophies--severed heads. The detective's job is complicated by court intrigue, increasingly so as his clues point toward suspects of influence.

Chamberlain Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, makes it plain to Sano (though not to their common lord) that he intends to thwart the investigation at every turn, overriding the shogun's command that the Edo police assist Sano and setting Aoi, the mystic and chief shrine commander, to spy on Sano. Acting on information supplied by his friends, chief archivist Noguchi Motoori and Edo Morgue superintendent Dr. Ito Genboku--and by the equivocal Aoi as well--Sano traces the executions to a century- old military intrigue. But what is he to do when his field of suspects is narrowed down to Edo's foremost merchant, the Captain of the Guard, a legendary (and formidably protected) concubine, and the treacherous chamberlain himself?

Will he be able to live by Bundori in which if the real killer is Yoshiyasu he must kill him and then kill himself?

Way of the Traitor
Concubine's Tattoo
Samurai's Wife
Black Lotus
Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria
Dragon King's Palace
Perfumed Sleeve
Assassin's Touch
Red chrysanthemum
snow Empress
Fire Kimono
Cloud Pavillon

Rhi Nolan series by Kathy Buchen

Death In Chintz
Introduces us to Rhi, a newly widowed mother of three teenagers, who has just moved to New Belgium, Wisconsin, but already she has her hands full. Her new law practice isn't going as well as she thought it would and the town is full of quirky characters who seem overly interested in her past. There is a nosy policeman following her around town giving her tickets, her teenagers are rebelling, and the local Lothario has just dropped dead in her best friend's living room.

Interesting to see how this series was started. I cannot believe how many barbie doll type women there are in this town as the the man murdered is Casanovava who only goes after those types. Rhi and her family are interesting but I got rather tired of how no one was friendly to her, how badly she drove and the tirades. I don't know if she needs glasses and a prescription for valium as she is rather over the top. I don't think I will read another for awhile at least.

Undead series by Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Unwed
Betsy Taylor turns 30, gets laid off, is killed by an SUV and wakes up dead all in the same week. The vampire community is convinced she's their prophesied Queen. But she's not having any of it - she's got shoes to buy! And now the undead world is being turned upside-down by a Bela Lugosi throwback and her subjects expect her to take care of it! Why didn't she read the handbook? But her would-be consort, Eric Sinclair, is (annoyingly) ever-present. If only he wasn't so tall, dark, gorgeous...and undead.

Fun series good sex but the fighting and violence is nothing like Laurell K. Hamilton. It is fun and light. I'll read the sequels.

Undead and Unemployed
Undead and Unappreciated

Bitterbynde by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

Ill-made mute
Imrhein, a scarred, mute girl, is taken on as a servant in Isse Tower. Eventually, with the aid of a friendly wanderer, she escapes, learns handspeech, and begins her search for the secret of her origin and a way to recover the power of speech. On the way she learns that many of the tales of unworldly and dangerous creatures she has heard are true and that she and the land in which she dwells are in mortal danger. Featuring a world in which fairy and mortals live together.

Interestingly enough she weaves folklore and legends into this novel to make this fantasy even more of a treat.

The Adept 1st in the Adept series by Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris
Meet Adam Sinclair, a psychiatrist, a nobleman, a scholar, and "Master of the Hunt" who possesses intriguing "magical" powers along with the ability to recall past lives. With help from his friends Peregrine Lovat, the artist, and Noel McLeod, the detective, Adam embarks on a series of adventures in which he attempts to right situations involving historical items and to keep the dark from conquering his beloved Scotland and more.

An interesting series. Lots of things are introduced that will be interesting to see how it developes in the series. The ending definitely leaves sequels open.

You've Got Murder by Donna Andrews features amateur sleauth Turing Hopper. She isn't a person or even a talking cat or dog. She's an AIP, an artificial intelligence personality, and, of course, she lives inside a computer. Zack, her programmer, has not logged onto the net for over a week. She cannot detect any kind of activity anywhere. When she illicits the help of two humans who work at University Library to help her search for Zack, they uncover more than they bargained for, perhaps even a murder. All of them, especially Turing, fear for their safety. An interesting look at the effect of computers on our society plus an entertaining read. Part of a new series, so am looking forward to more to come.

Click Here for Murder
2nd title in this new series. Hopper Turing draws on all her cyber skills to help investigate the murder of a gifted computer programmer, Ray Santiago, found shot to death in a Washington, D.C., alley, his laptop stolen. Turing and human colleagues Maude Graham and Tim Pincoski at Universal Library outside D.C. discover that Ray cleverly constructed a false identity and was deeply involved in the role-playing game subculture. Dangerous criminals have been preying on those gamers who turn to live-action role playing. The narrative mimics real software with layers of security for access to different databases and with worms to deny access and destroy intruders.

Access Denied
3rd in this fun and unique series. Turing Hopper has been monitoring the credit cards of notorious criminal-at-large Nestor Garcia, waiting for signs of activity. When suddenly thousands of dollars of purchases begin appearing, Turing traces them to deliveries to a vacant house in northern Virginia. For Garcia to be using his credit card in such a manner is highly suspicious, so Turing and "her" assistants, including human friends Tim and Maude, who work for Washington's Universal Library, start investigating. Tim watches the vacant house, but when a dead body turns up, Tim could well be the police's only real suspect in the murder. Later, someone tries to break into Maude's house, and Turing realizes that a devious plot is unfolding. Could Nestor Garcia be behind it all? It is so entertaining to watch Turing try to figure humans out. She has to learn that just because she has an interest not everyone shares her passion. She turns Maude's backyard into a jungle because Maude had mentioned she liked flowers.