Friday, April 5, 2013

Book Reading (or Listening) Challenge 23rd - 27th Book

23. "Hotel Hex" by Linda Wisdom (e-Book)

I began my reading journey down the paranormal path a few years ago. Prior to that shift in my reading tastes, you would find the novels of Mary Higgins-Clark or John Grisham or Marcia Mueller on my "read" or "reading" or "to read" list. You'd be hard-pressed to find any of those authors on my recent bookshelf. It seems that with few exceptions, the books I choose to read now are about witches or vampires or werewolves or a combination of the three. Just look at the list of books I've read for this challenge so far! But...I digress...Linda Wisdom's "Hex" series is about a group of witches who "screwed up" in witch school and are living out their punishment over the years...hundreds of years. The story behind "Hotel Hex" centers around Jazz Tremaine, her vampire boyfriend and her "pets"; a pair of fuzzy,teeth-bearing bunnie slippers named Fluff and Puff. Linda's books are usually light reading, but this one gets a little darker by pulling on some of the darker, more evil, black magic ~ so I would pick up her earlier books (in paperback form) and start with "50 Ways to Hex Your Lover" first and get to know all the witches and their magical specialties.


24. "Werewolf in Seattle" by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Audio Book)

This series began with "Werewolf in Manhattan" and is a fun, romantic series in which the love interests are undeniably attracted to each other from the start, but something always gets in the way. In the first book, the werewolf falls in love with a human - in the second, the brother of the werewolf in book number one (who is dead-set against human-were coupling even though his brother paved the way) also falls in love with a human. In the third book (Seattle) the werewolf falls for a female werewolf, but she is a half-breed: were father and human mother, which is unacceptable to most packs. It has the twists and turns of a steamy romance novel, including the descriptive sex scenes, but it and the others in the series are fun reads. The thread that ties them all together are the characters and the families or packs. In every book, there is some mention of the main characters from other books. Either from previous books, or future books not yet written. Personally, I like when that happens.


25."Elvis and the Blue Christmas Murder" by Peggy Webb (Hardcover)

This series is what my friend Kathe would call "mind candy". The titles are fun, the characters quirky and the pets tell part of the story. This is the fifth book in the "Southern Cousins" series. The series home is in Tupelo Mississippi (although some stories are set in other venues depending on the book). There is lots of southern cooking (and recipes), romance, hi jinks and hilarity and a basset hound named "Elvis" who is "The King" reincarnated as a dog. Elvis communicates with his human family by howling out some of Elvis Presley's most famous and favorite songs and ballads. If you love southern hospitality and and Elvis Presley, you will be in hog heaven with a peanut butter and banana sandwich.


26. "Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti" by Bailey Cates (Paperback)

This is the second book in the "Magical Bakery" Mystery series. As the title suggests, this is a novel in which the main characters are witches. They call their coven "The Spellbook Club". Most of the non-magical people in their lives know that they practice the craft, but no one else in Savannah, Georgia knows what really goes on at the bakery. Theses ladies practice all types of magic, but use their "hedgewitchery" skills while baking the goodies for the Honeybee Bakery.
We are drawn into the world of Katie Lightfoot, a novice yet powerful witch. The stories center more around Katie's coming of age in witchcraft, but the characters and story lines are so well-drawn and woven together. Again, there is a little romance and a love triangle, but just as we'll see how Katie's magical training fairs, so we will follow her love-life.


27. "Shadow Rising" by Yasmin Galenorn (Audio Book)

This is the 12th book in the "Otherworld" series. If you have been following my book journey through this blog, you will no doubt know of my fascination/love of this series and the author Yasmin Galenorn.

In this work, the vampire sister, Menolley is our main character and we watch as she matures and grows, just as her sisters do, through the trials and tribulations of defending both Earth and Otherword against Shadow Wing and his army of demons and destroyers. LOVE!

Chameleon Washing Hands

Just taking a break from the Book Challenge to watch a cute video...
Best chameleon Video Washing Hands