A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Description:

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Honestly, when I first finished this book I really liked it. Now that it's been a little while I'm not sure (and after some thought I was annoyed with myself) why I liked it so much. It's another one of those Twilight type stories where the guy is a vampire and wants to protect the helpless little female (even if it means killing someone who wasn't actually that much of a threat).

The thing is, Diana can protect herself. She just needs to find her power. OK, that just made it sound even more cheesy. I apologize.

I wanted this to focus more on Diana's growing powers and belief in herself but she was so annoyingly focused on her love for Matthew that he has to help her with her powers. Whatever.

This is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy. I am tempted to read the next book in the series just to see where it goes. Hopefully to less cheesy territory.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Description:

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

As part of my sudden interest in zombie literature, I decided to read World War Z because of all the "hype" I've been hearing about it and with the movie coming out soon.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up. It isn't a typical novel. It is a collection of stories (essays?) from survivors of the zombie apocalypse. Some stories had boring information, but most talked about their experiences in survival. Those people "interviewed" are from all around the world.

There was a lot of aspects that I had never considered before, like how different cities and governments would handle the outbreak and the fact that zombies could walk around underwater (so don't go swimming).

If you're looking for zombie killing action, this probably isn't the book for you. If you just like zombies and want to know the implications of the zombie apocalypse on the world, I would suggest this as your next read.

Hush by Jo Leigh

Description

A hotel for first-class sex?
That's the buzz in Manhattan on Piper Devon's new upstart boutique hotel, Hush. From romantic nooks...to silky sheets...to naughty toys and videos in every room, the place positively oozes sex. And that's sending a deep shudder through the stodgy Devon hotel empire.
Devon family attorney Trace Winslow has checked in to check out Hush. He has to put a stop now to wild Piper and her sexy antics. Why, she makes Paris Hilton look positively tame! Except before long Trace is making full use of the, uh, amenities with gorgeous Piper. But are the two of them ready to hang a "do not disturb" sign on their suite---for life?

Hush by Jo Leigh goes back and forth between your wildest fantasies and love. The story line has you rooting for the characters and begging for more.

Trace Winslow is ordered by Nicholas Devon to check into his daughters new sexy hotel Hush, and put a stop to it once and for all! Except what daddy Devon doesn't know is that his number one attorney Trace and his rebellous daughter Piper have wanted each other since a young age. Will Trace put an end to Hush or will he find out the type of woman his crush has become?

Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Description

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

I have many good things to say about this book... but it made me want a horse. I live in (basically) a city. So it's not good for your mental health if you read books about animals that make you want animals (i.e. Watchers by Dean Koontz).

So aside from my general weirdness, this was a wonderful story about the lengths Puck will go to to try to keep her family together. In typical YA fashion she also learns about herself along the way. And then there's Sean Kendrick... whom I weirdly developed a strong attachment to.

There is some violent scenes, as the Water Horses that are being raced are huge and will attack people at any time. The island the story is set at has some magic as far as the Water Horses are concerned. Mostly it seems like a place where people are doing what they can to scrape by and the race is what people look forward to every year.

Overall a wonderful story. But I still want Puck's horse. And it upsets me. Also, I have no idea how to pronounce the author's last name.

The Specialist by Rhonda Nelson

"When you're this good, they call you The Specialist...

And Major Brian Payne is that good. Whether it's in battle or in the bedroom, there's nobody more "detail oriented." And that's the reason he's on this wild-goose chase, to find a priceless military antique--before the competition does. He's sure he can handle it...until he discovers the competition is smart, saucy Emma Langsford--a woman he'd definitely like to get his hands on...
Emma's years in the military have taught her Brian Payne is a legend. He's also way out of her league, regardless of how many fantasies he;s inspired over the years. But Emma has a job to do--and she has to pull it off. So if' The Specialist gets in her way, she'll just have to distract him...
Because all's fair in love and war..."

The Specialist is book 2 in the Men Out of Uniform series.

Major Brian Payne and Emma Langsford are sent on a mission by previous military bosses to retrieve a priceless military artifact...and not as a team, but as rivals. Emma remembers Brian vividly and has had several fantasies involving him over the years, although Brian Payne is captivated by Emma and knows he's seen her somewhere before, but where? The book takes you through several hilarious pranks they set on each other. Who will find the artifact first? Does it even exist? Or will they give way to their sexual tension?