Insatiable

By Meg Cabot

There are two unusual things about Meena Harper: she writes for a soap opera, and she can see how people are going to die.  When her soap bosses want to create a vampire story line, Meena is frustrated, since she is sick of all the supernatural silliness.  Then she meets Lucien, a tall, dark, brooding stranger who is impossible for her to resist.  Of course, he's also a vampire.

This book couldn't decide whether to be sinister or silly, so it settled on uninspired.  Had the author stayed with Meena's odd gift of foretelling death, it would have been unique... instead she is the pawn of a vampire war.  Some characters were just too stupid for words.  How can a vampire be gossipy and chatty and stay alive for hundreds of years?  And don't get me started on how dopey Meena's brother Jon is --- not a surprise that he's unemployed and lazy.  Thank heavens for a determined vampire hunter, and some campy fight scenes.

Secrets

by Liz Schulte

The strange story of Olivia, a photographer who falls for Holden, a mysterious stranger.  What or who is he?  Why do they share dreams?  Who is following her?  Why are people around her killing themselves?

I really can't tell whether I enjoyed this story or not... I enjoyed the chapter being told from different characters, but I didn't understand why Olivia just blindly accepted all the weird things that were happening.  It wasn't bad, just odd.  Suspend your common sense, and read away!

I Am Number Four

by Pittacus Lore

The planet Lorien was destroyed by the Mogadorians, but not before nine special children and their protectors escape.  The nine are under constant threat of being found by their enemies, but due to special charms, they must be killed in order.  They have found and killed the first three Lorien children.  John Smith is Number Four, and the Mogadorians are now looking for him.

Fun, fast-paced book.  The characters were realistic, and even though I thought I knew how things would work out, I didn't know how anyone could possibly escape the Mogadorians.  Now I need to watch the movie!

Jane Slayer + Little Women and Werewolves

by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin

Takes the original Jane Eyre storyline and adds vampires, werewolves, and assorted zombies.  Obviously, Erwin thinks she is a more compelling writer than Bronte, since very little of the original work is used.  What makes Pride and Prejudice and Zombies so much better is the use of the classic work, adding the supernatural.  Erwin misses the point of adaptations by adding too much side story and changing the basic feelings of Jane & Rochester... and creates a sloppy, silly book.  Excellent example of taking a good idea & ruining it with your own thoughts about how a classic book should be written.

by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

If it's possible, this conglomeration is even worse than Jane Slayer! Ugh... stupid, stupid, stupid!  Which is again a shame, since the werewolf angle is perfect for this story.  Unfortunately, Grand decides to change almost everything known about "typical" werewolves to make things creepy and salacious. Ick

First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles)

by Heather Brewer

Joss McMillan's life is torn apart when he witnesses his little sister's death, by a vampire no less.  The next summer, he is sent to live with his Uncle Abraham, who tells Joss that he is meant to be a Slayer.  He is enlisted early, since the vampires are gaining ground and Slayer numbers are few.  But first Joss must survive his uncle's training in order to become a true Slayer and avenge his sister.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  It began with the typical boy-who-doesn't-fit-in storyline, but gained ground as Joss was forced to mature.  The bad guys were fairly obvious, but it was still a fun read.

Jane Bites Back

by Michael Thomas Ford

Jane Austen is among us... as one of the undead.  Going by the name Jane Fairfax, she operates a bookstore in upper state New York, and wishes she could get her hands the royalties from all the current Austen-mania.  Instead, she focuses on publishing the last novel written when she was human, and is rejected 116 times.  A man from her past appears to add to her troubles, while she finds herself longing to tell another man the truth about herself.

I have a new phrase for books you should read in the summer, on an airplane, etc. -- a Candy Book.  And that's exactly what this is; a quick, enjoyable read when you don't want much depth.  It's not a bad book, and the thought of Jane Austen as a vampire is a fun twist among all the supernatural storylines.  However, it's not nearly as good as Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, but then again, that story leaned heavily on Austen's actual work.

The Sorceror's Companion: A Guide To the Magical World of Harry Potter

by Allan Zola Kronzek

Supposedly a comparison of the unusual creatures, potions, and magic included in The Harry Potter series of books... it's actually a lightweight dictionary with HP page references so you know where to find things like centaurs in the books.  A rip-off that should have been stopped by J.K. Rowling, it doesn't include anything unique or interesting about any of the subjects. Total waste of time.

The Bride Wore Black Leather

by Simon R. Green

The last installment of the Nightside series, John Taylor is about to retire as a detective, become the new Walker in Nightside, marry the bounty hunter of his dreams... and solve one last, big case.  With the help of Julian Advent, Taylor vows to track down and stop the Sun King before he destroys all of Nightside.  But when everyone, even his friends, want him dead, Taylor believes this might truly be his last case.

I love this series.  Just when I think I'm getting tired of reading about John Taylor & the Nightside world, I start another book and get sucked in all over again.  Twelve books in the series, and I am sad that it's all over.  I don't think I've ever read 12 books about anything & enjoyed it.  Terrific series!

A Hard Day's Knight

By Simon R. Green

John Taylor, a private investigator in the alternate universe of Nightside, is amazed to receive King Arthur's sword Excalibur... in the mail.  He must travel back to real world London to meet with the Knights of Camelot, and save humanity from destruction.

This is the 11th novel in the Nightside Series.  I haven't read the other books in quite a while, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I missed John Taylor and Susie Shooter.  They have lost none of their spark or humor.  The previous novels were getting a little too character driven for me, with not enough action and cliffhangers to keep me interested.  Thankfully, this story gets back on track.  I can't wait for the next installment!

Odd Hours

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas' fourth adventure takes place in the foggy coastal town of Magic Beach.  This time he's trying to foil a nuclear holocaust.  I wanted to like this story, and in the beginning, I did.  However, the plot was too wacky, and the ending is too open.  Other stories in the series are wrapped up well; this one only solved half of the mystery.  Plus, the Ann-Marie, the ethereal, pregnant, catalyst to the story is too "out there" for me... she seems to know everything about Odd, but never answers a question directly about anything.  It gets annoying after a while.  I was finally starting to really enjoy Odd; then he gets sucked into this ridiculous terrorist/nuclear weapons plot.  Dumb.