41. Bride by Ali Hazelwood

listened on Libby - borrowed from library
410 pgs.

2024
 Adult paranormal steamy romance
Finished 5/7/24
Goodreads rating: 4.09
My rating: 3.75

My comments:  3.75  Good vampire/werewolf/human story.  Last third of book has a LOT of steam....a little too much, actually....which took it from a 4/4.5 down to 3.75.  Loved the first 2/3 of the book.  Haven't read a decent vampire book in awhile...

Goodreads synopsis:  A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

50. Forever - Maggie Stiefvater

Third - and final - book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series
(after Shiver and Linger)
Scholastic Press, 2011
HC $17.99
for: YA
392 pages
Rating:  5

This book was mesmerizing, by far my favorite of the three.  The font was the same deep cranberry color as the cover illustration.  The story was, once again, told in four voices: Grace, the girl who now spends her winters as a wolf, Sam, her one-and-only, who has been "cured" of slipping from lupine to human, Isabel, reluctant friend to the wolves....cool...almost cold...and.daughter of the powerful lawyer that will do anything to kill the wolf pack, and Cole, the only one who chose to become wolf...brilliant, famous, beautiful, and cynical.

There are twists and turns as spring approaches and Grace returns, shifting back and forth between wolf and human at inopportune times.  And Thomas Culpeper, Isabel's father, has finally gotten the Minnesota state government to allow a wolf massacre.  The time is approaching, and the four friends must figure out how to save the rest of the pack.  And with the help of a young police officer and Cole's scientific genius - they do!  I've got to admit, I shed a few tears near the end of this story.  That in itself surprised me, that I could feel such emotion for these characters and the relationships they had attained.  Quite powerful, actually.  Quite a story.

61. Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

2nd in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series (more to come??)
for: YA
HC $17.99
360 pgs.
Rating: 4

I've had so much going on in my life that it took waaaaay too long to finish this book. It was an interesting mesh of peoples' inner (hidden) and outer (who-cares-what-anyone thinks) feelings. And the science of possibility.

Told from four points-of-view, Grace, who was bitten by a wolf as child and is just now suffering the repurcussions, her boyfriend - and soulmate - Sam, who has been "cured" of shifting from human to wolf when it gets cold and the return to humanity as summer approaches - Isabel, the seemingly cold-hearted rich-girl sister of a brother who died trying to change is fate, and Cole, famous musician, newly changed to werewolf, by choice, to flee a life he'd created, but hated.

It's a bit slow in places, but this is more of a think-about-it book than action thriller. Lots of think-about-it, actually. Full of music and poetry and sadness, I don't know whether to sigh loudly, knowing this is the way the story ends and wondering...wondering.... or waiting for a sequel. Research time.

43. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

Twilight Series Book #3
Audio read by Ilyana Kadushin
Random House Listening Library, 2007
13 unabridged cds
16 hrs, 23 mins.
640 pages
Rating: 2

The movie's about to come out, and there's no way I'm going to miss it; I really wanted to read the book first. I listened instead. Blech. On and on and on - there are about 400 pages too many to tell the story of this incredibly self-centered girl and the two powerful young men that love her. And for heaven's sake, what is it they love about her? I don't get it. She whines and mopes and makes demands and tells half truths and doesn't really have very much interesting going on in her head....

Victoria, the partner to James, who was killed at the end of book #1, is still tracking Bella and wants her dead. So she creates a mob of "new" very blood-thirsty vampires to help her attack the Cullens. The werewolves align themselves with their hated foes, the Cullens, to help save Bella. Give me a break. In the meantime, Jacob has tried and tried to convince Bella that she loves him and that he would be much better for her than Edward. Finally Bella realizes this, but knows that as much as she loves Jacob, she must be with Edward. Blah blah blah.

Let's see how the movie-makers portray this very boring story. And I've got to admit I'm interested to discover how Meyer will wrap this up - how can she make Bella become a vampire when for the first year after she's "turned" she'll be a bloodthirsty killer? I doubt if I'll read the next book until just before the final movie, but I imagine I'll do it. Can't stop now.

20. Captivate - Carrie Jones

2nd book in a series, Need was the first
For: Young Adults
Bloomsbury, 2010
$16.99
276 pages
Rating: Really got into it....4.5

The first book was enjoyable because it takes place in Ellsworth, Maine, which I know intimately. This one was enjoyable because the story raced along and I couldn't put the book down. Still in Ellsworth (called Bedford, Maine) in the middle of a snowy winter, I could picture the entire story perfectly. Right down to the bus of Sumner high school kids on Route 3. The hospital, where Asley and Brendan were born. The grocery store where I get groceries every time I'm visiting. The running trail where the cross country team - including Steve and Laura - ran. Talk about nostaligia!

Not much time has passed since Need ended, and I'm guessing not much time will pass before the opening passages of book number three (which I hope comes out soon). Zara and Nick are still hot and heavy, and still battling pixies. The evil pixies, whom they have imprisoned and hidden in the woods. But new pixies are arriving from all over, ready to take over the weakening king's territory. Enter Astley, a young and handsome pixie king from elsewhere who swears he is not evil... and that Zara is destined to be his queen. Hmmm. This guy really is quite appealing. But what about Nick? Beware, there's a SPOILER COMING: Well, the unthinkable happens, and Nick is overpowered. Just as he is about to die, he is taken to Valhalla to be made into a warrior to fight for Odin and....I know, I know. Sounds nutty. But it all works. And instead of mamby-pambying around with this "turning" by kissing, Carrie Jones confronts it and GOES FOR IT! Finally. A daring twist. I cannot wait to see what she does in the next book.

Relationships. That's really what this book was about. Trust and love and humanity. I'm really looking forward to Number Three! Thanks, Ms. Jones!

75. Need - Carrie Jones

for: YA
Bloomsbury, 2009
$16.99
306 pgs.
Rating: Hmmmm....3.5?? 4??

Within the first few pages Zara, the protagonist, arrives in Bangor and hits Rte 1A for the coast of Maine. Well. If I had a buck for each time I'd done this..... Every bit of the setting of this story is known to me. All the places that Zara's EMT grandmother is called to - Rte. 9, Acadia National Park. This Bedford, Maine has to be Ellsworth. I can see the high school, have walked the halls (and taken summer workshops) there many times. The library - I love the Ellsworth Library - is one of my favorite places. Betty, Zara's grandmother has to live in Lamoine or Trenton, or one of the long, twisting roads that attach the outside world to Ellsworth. And there's a blizzard in October. Major nor'easter. A little early for my liking - but we're talking Maine here. Those long, cold, gray winter days arriving in October are part of the reason I now live in Tucson!

So.....I loved loved loved the setting of the book. The heroine/protagonist Zara is a gutsy, interesting young lady. Liked her a lot. Some of the other characters were harder to get to know. I wanted more about them before startling images and information were given. Oh well. I must admit I couldn't put the book down. No vampires in this one! However, there are pixies (they sound a lot sweeter and nicer than they actually are) and plenty of "were's." Gold glitter. A lot left to the imagination. Not enough details! Specifics - what does "turning" look like? I needed deeper insight into everything that went on.

I feel like I've already given enough spoilers for the story. I don't want to give away the few secrets that you wait for. It's good. It's fun. Maybe the next in the series, out in January (I think) will give me more of that. I will be standing in line for the first Tucson copy....

So, yes, the book is about to have a sequel! To go to the "series" website click here.

68. New Moon - Stephanie Meyer

Megan Tingley Books, Little Brown
2006
563 pgs plus 36 pages of Eclipse
Rating: 2
For: Middle schoolers

I don't get it. I really don't. I understand how and why Harry Potter got where it did. But I just don't understand how and why this series got where it is. I read Twilight when it first came out, and enjoyed discussing it with my middle schoolers. I wasn't crazy about it - I hated that an intelligent young woman could become so dependant on anyone else, and even more so because she became so smitten, her every move, her every thought, revolved around Edward. I enjoyed the movie. That's why I read this book - the New Moon movie comes out in November. And it sure doesn't take very long to read these almost-600 pages. But, well.....blech.

It was boring. Pages after pages of the same thoughts over and over. Pages and pages (and months and months) of an almost catatonic state because she lost her boyfriend? I liked the character of Jacob, but his reactions seemed so....extreme. His actions made sense, but not his reactions. And the dare-devil activities Bella pursued? Yeah, right. And the consideration she had for her parents? Always included, but as an afterthought, but it was made to appear that her love for them was affecting her thinking. Yuh. Mmm hmmm. Plus, I think this story could have been told in half the pages . Give Bella a tinybit, a microscopic bit, of independence. Of rational thought. I really like Edward, the Cullens, Jacob, his pack.....but I couldn't stand the protagonist! You can't like a book when you roll your eyes at the main player!

I'll probably like the movie. It won't spend half the time going over Bella's tortured thinking. I'm actually really looking forward to it!

62. Shiver - Maggie Stievater

for: YA
Scholastic Press, August, 2009
HC $17.99
200 pgs.
Rating: 4.5