"The Body Finder" by Kimberly Derting [5]

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her 'power' to sense dead bodies - or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world ... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer - and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer ... and becoming his prey herself.

Oh Wow this book was truly amazing for a first novel, it is definitely a must read.
So it's about a young girl who has the ability to find dead people by the echoes they leave behind. It is also about the blooming relationship between her best friend Jay and herself. I really enjoyed the way the author has turned a life long friendship and has slowly changed the characters feelings to realize that they are falling in love with each other and how they react to these feelings.

A love story and a thrilling suspense novel all wrapped into one. You won't want too put it down until you've completely finished it.

Beautiful front cover and really well written, a great book for young adults{16 and over}. I would love the author to write a second novel to this book.

I rate this book 5 stars.

"Rebel" by RJ Anderson [4 1/2]

Linden's caged glowed with fiery heat, burning her fingers when she tried to cling to the bars. She fluttered helplessly in midair, wing muscles aching with the effort, knowing that she couldn't hover much longer before her strength gave out - and that the moment it did, she would die...

A Magical second novel to the first, "Knife" and I think this was even better. Faerie novels seem to be all the rage at the moment and the couple of series that I've picked up have been really great.

Again this series will have a third novel out in Jan 2011 called 'Arrow' and hopefully that will finish it off beautifully.
Linden is a young faerie of 15 years and she has been fostered by 'Knife' or Peri as she is called now. It has been about 14 years since Knife chose to become human and marry Paul and they both do everything in their power to protect the faeries that live in the Oak in the back garden. Linden has been their foster daughter and she has been living in both human and faerie world alike.Things change when their queen dies and Linden is sent on a mission of mercy to save her people.
Timothy is Paul's cousin and he comes to stay with them after getting into trouble at school. Tension in the household is not good and Timothy decides to run away and that's where he meets Linden.

Between the two of them they get into a lot of trouble, but in the end they both save the faeries in the Oak tree...but for how long is the question. Both Linden and Timothy learn the lessons of friendship and trust and how to believe in themselves.

A really great faerie series this turning out to be, because while it's a good story the author has woven into it a few wonderful life lessons on friendship and the importance of believing in yourself. Wonderful novels for young teenage girls. Easy to read, flows beautifully and nothing to worry about in the writing, so suitable for teens.

I rate this book 4 1/2 stars.

Spells" by Aprilynne Pike [4]

A year ago Laurel discovered that she is a faerie, placed among humans when she was a baby. Although she's come to accept her true identity, Laurel refuses to turn her back on her human life - especially her boyfriend, David.

But the faerie realm is in grave danger and when Laurel is summoned, she must trust charismatic faerie-guard Tamani. Laurel's feelings for him are strong, and she is soon forced to make a choice that could break her heart...

The second book in this series and it starts off about six months after where "Wings" the previous book left off. Laurel is summoned to the Academy of Avalon to start learning her role as a faerie and while it is all quite thrilling and adventurous she is struggling to learn the basics as a faerie. Her friendship with the guard Tamani is starting to have an impact on her relationship with her boyfriend David, lines are starting to get blurred.

Then there is the danger of the trolls and Barnes who has been hunting her. Life couldn't be anymore difficult but wait...yes there is always something more and Laurel has to find the "faerie" in her to stay alive.

Really well written second novel to this series....but as usual we have to wait for the next installment!

I probably enjoyed the first book a little more than the second, but that doesn't mean that the series isn't good because it is. Great books for young teenage girls, they will love reading it.
I'm assuming the next installment is out sometime in 2011. Looking forward to it.
Beautiful covers too, I bought the U.K versions but the others are pretty too.

I rate this book 4 stars.

"Savour the Moment" by Nora Roberts [5]

Childhood friends Mackensie, Parker, Laurel and Emmaline have formed a very successful wedding-planning business together but, despite helping thousands of happy couples organise the biggest day of their lives, all four women have been unlucky in love.

Chef Laurel McBane has worked hard all her life to secure her dream - to be an award winning baker. Now her wedding cakes are as close as anyone can get to edible perfection - stunning creations that complement Mac's beautiful photographs and Emmaline's floral bouquets.

Because Laurel has worked so hard to overcome her tough upbringing, she is wary about letting anything, or anyone, get in the way of her work. But a slowly simmering chemistry with Parker's brother Del has suddenly become too hot to ignore...

I truly love this series and reading Laurel's story was wonderful. Just imagining all those wonderful cakes that she makes is just mouth-watering. Laurel has been in love with Mac's brother Del since she was a little girl and after a cheeky remark and a kiss he sees her in a different light...Perhaps she isn't the little sister that he's always pretend her to be.

As usual romance doesn't always run smoothly and both Laurel and Del have to come to terms with how they feel about each other and how it will effect everyone else at Vows.

The final installment "Happily Ever After" comes out in December and it will be a thrilling finish to a truly delightful series.

A must read for all those romance fans out there...you won't be disappointed.

I rate this book 5 stars.

'The Elegance of the Hedgehog' by Muriel Barbery

Renee is the
concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building on the Left Bank.
To the residents she is honest, reliable and uncultivated - an ideal concierge. But Renee
has a secret. Beneath this conventional facade she is passionate about culture and the arts, and
more knowledgeable in many ways than her self-important employers.

Down in her lodge, Renee is resigned to living a lie; meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old
Paloma Josse is determined to avoid a predictably bourgeois future, and plans to commit suicide
on her thirteenth birthday.

But the death of one of their priviledge neighbours will bring dramatic change to number 7,
Rue de Grenelle, altering the course of both their lives forever.

Book club read for May

"The Line" by Teri Hall [4]

Rachel lives with her mother on The Property. The good thing about living there is that it's far from the city, where the oppressive government is most active. The bad thing, at least to most people, is that it's close to the Line - an uncrossable section of the National Border Defense System, an invisible barrier that encloses the entire country.

She can see the Line from the greenhouse windows, but she is forbidden to go near it. Across the Line is Away, and though Rachel has heard many whispers about the dangers there, she's never really believed the stories. Until the day she hears a recording that could only have come from across the Line.

It's a voice asking for help.

Who sent the message? What is her mother hiding? And to what lengths will Rachel go in order to do what she thinks is right?

This is a really great book that 13/14 year old will enjoy. Teri Hall is a new and upcoming author and this is her debut novel.

With only just over 200 pages to read you'll get through this quite quickly. This novel will be a series and one that will be anticipated with relish. Very easy to read, the author writes quite beautifully.

So the story is about a young girl who is approximately 14 -16 years in age, and she and her mother work on The Property for a lady called Ms Moore. Her mother is a domestic cleaner and Rachel is studying but also works in the greenhouse with the Orchids. Rachel has a fascination with whats on the other side of the Line. Then one day she finds a recording that will change her life as well as those around her. But is she brave enough to make the right choices that will help everyone.

A really great read that young teeanagers will completely enjoy, also a great introduction to the fantasy style of writing.

I rate this book 4 stars.

'The Dead-Tossed Waves' by Carrie Ryan [5]

Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known, and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier ...

One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery ...

One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past.

I have been so waiting for the sequel to the 'Forest of Hands and Teeth' and I wasn't disappointed with it. The story is about Mary's daughter Gabry, so it's set about 12 years after Mary arrives on the beach. Gabry has been fairly sheltered from the evil that is outside the barriers, but one night with her friends changes her whole world.

Gabry meets a new boy called Elias who is from the outside world and she has feeling for him ... but that can't be right because she has always loved Catcher, her best friends brother. All these new thoughts and feelings are racing through her as well as trying to stay alive from the Mudo.

A brilliant sequel to the first novel, the only problem with it is you'll have to wait for the next installment because it's left HANGING.....

I read this in about 5 hours as I just could not put it down.

A little tricky to start with as you are getting to know new characters and their language for what they call the Unconsecrated etc, but apart from that just fantasic.

all I can say is ... 'Hurry up and Write the next one.'

I rate this book 5 stars.

'Loving Frank' by Nancy Horan [5]

In the early 1900's polite Chicago society was rocked by terrible scandal as renowned architect, frank Lloyd Wright, ran off with Mamah Cheney, a client's wife.

Abandoning their families and reputations, the lovers fled to Europe and exile. Mamah's actions branded her an unnatural mother and society relished her persecution.

For the rest of her life mamah paid an extraordinary price for moving outside society's rules, in a time that was unforgiving of a woman's quest for fulfillment and personal happiness. headstrong and honest, her love for Frank was unfaltering.

This months book club read is an exceptional and unforgettable story about the love affair of Mamah Borthwick Cheney to the amazing architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

In a time when women were still trying to have the opportunity and the right to vote, a love blossoms between a client's wife and an architect who designs and builds their new home. Mamah is married to a good man, but she is not happy. Her husband decides he wants to build a new modern home and he hires the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

It is here that a passionate love affair starts and will tear apart two families in the end. Because of the time [early 1900's], the couple flee to Europe for some rest from the hounding of the press. After travelling through Europe they finally settle in Wisconsin where Frank builds his beloved Taliesin for Mamah.

This is an amazing story that will reside with you for days after you've read it, it's mesmerizing and fascinating and the attention to the historical detail is truly brilliant. It is ultimately a very sad story and you wish that it would have had a happy ending for a couple who truly did love each other.

You come away asking yourself questions about how you would have done things if you were in their shoes. How far have women's rights change today, and do you still think it right for a mother too leave her husband and children to pursue her personal growth?

Truly thought provoking.

I rate this novel 5 stars.

"Dark Lover" by Brenda Joyce [4]

Ian Maclean's arrogance hides a terrible secret - for decades he was held prisoner by demons.

Not a day goes by that he isn't tormented by his darkest fears of powerlessness.

Now he is about to sell to the highest bidder a page he's stolen from the Book of Power -

if one woman doesn't stop him.

Slayer Samantha Rose's latest mission is to recover the stolen page -

and get payback from the only man who's ever rejected her.

what she hasn't counted on is the raging attraction between them - or her growing realization of what Maclean has survived.

As the powers of the evil from his past gather, Sam will do anything to help him -

even if it meant following him into time and facing his worst nightmares with him...

This is the fifth book in the series.

A warning first, there is a lot of sex in this novel.

I loved this story between Sam and Ian, they are both feisty and arrogant, and both think they are the best at what they do...in everything!

It is action packed right from the start until the finish...

full of humour, lust, romance, egos and everything thing in between...

Both Characters are torment in some way from their past and both have to learn to let go and depend on someone else for support, for comfort and friendship.

A great story full of testosterone and sensuality.

The next installment is entitled "Dark Resurrection" no release date as yet.

I rate this novel 4 stars.

"Dark Victory" by Brenda Joyce [3 1/2]

A dark, ruthless Highlander, the Black Macleod has refused his destiny.

His life is revenge for the massacre of his family. His enemies' insults -

that he is a man of stone - only amuse him.

But fate is impatient, and when a woman from another time dares to summon him,

he cannot resist her powers - or her...

A schoolteacher by day, Tabitha Rose uses her magic to protect others by night.

When the vision of a dark Highlander, bloody and burned, appears to Tabby,

she knows she has been called to help him, no matter how frightening he might be.

But what Tabby doesn't expect is to be taken against her will to his dark, violent time.

And when evil begins to stalk her, she realizes she must fight for far more than his destiny - she must fight for her love....

This is book Four in the Masters of Time Series.

The reason why this book is half a point less than the rest, is that I found it a bit frustrating in the fact that there was so much talking between the characters and not enough action going on. The character of Tabby was a little annoying for me because she always second guessed herself and then had to have a discussion with Macleod about it.

Macleod was a strong character, he probably isn't my favourite warrior, but these two characters suit each other.

The basic story was OK, not as good as some of the other books.

I rate this book 3 1/2 stars.

Dark Embrace by Brenda Joyce [4]

Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, has abandoned the Brotherhood and forsaken his vows.

feared by all and trusted by none, he hunts alone, seeking vengenance against the evil

that destroyed his son. He has not saved an Innocent in sixty-six years -

until he hears Brianna Roes's scream of terror across centuries, and leaps to mordern-day

Manhattern to rescue her...

Brie is a gifted empath who spends her time fighting evil from the safety of her laptop -

and fantasizing about the medieval Highlander she met just once. Still, her life is pretty ordinary-

until she awakens one night consumed with Aiden's pain and rage. When Aiden suddenly appears

and takes her hostage, Brie cannot believe how dark and dangerous he has become.

She knows she should be afraid, but instead, she will fight across time for his

redemption... and his love.

This is book 3 in the Masters of Time series.

A powerfully emotional, ingenious novel about a world peopled with characters that completely

capture your imagination. Her world of Healers and Masters is rich and the plot well-handled.

The supporting characters are excellent, and the passion intense.

You will be a willing captive from the opening until the very end.

An easy read that you'll fly through.

I rate this book 4 stars.

"North and South' by Elizabeth Gaskell [5]

Margaret opened the door and went in with the straight, fearless, dignified presence habitual to her.
She felt no awkwardness; she had too much the habits of society for that. Here was a person come on business to her father; and, as he was one who had shown himself obliging, she was disposed to treat him with a full measure of civility.

Mr Thornton was a good deal more surprised and discomfited that she. Instead of a quiet, middle-aged clergyman, a young lady came forward with frank dignity, - a young lady of a different type to most of those he was in the habit of seeing. Her dress was very plain: a close straw bonnet of the best material and shape, trimmed with white ribbon; a dark silk gown, without any trimming or flounce; a large Indian shawl, which hung about her in long heavy folds, and which she wore as an empress wears her drapery. He did not understand who she was, as he caught the simple, straight, unabashed look, which showed that his being there was of no concern to the beautiful countenance, and called up no flush of surprise to the pale ivory of the complexion. he had heard that Mr Hale had a daughter, but he had imagined that she was a little girl.
'Mr Thornton, I believe!' said Margaret, after a half-instant's pause, during which his unready words would not come. 'Will you sit down?'

Set in the mid-nineteenth century and written from the author's first-hand experience,
North and South follows the story of Margaret Hale and her families move from the tranquil but stagnant ways of the southern England to the vital but turbulent north.

The author has cleverly woven together an unusual love story to show how the complex relationships from different classes could survive in this new industrial society.

For all those fans of 'Pride and Prejudice' and Mr Darcy and Elizabeth...
well this is a novel for you.

You'll fall in love with Mr Thornton who is a hard working Cotton Mill owner, and Margaret Hale, who has lived the typical shelter Victorian upbringing. Their story is similar in many ways to Darcy and Elizabeth's, pride, prejudice, and misunderstanding.

A must read for all who love romance.

A little piece of advice...the reading is a little difficult as it's written in there period, but persist,
it's all worth it in the end.

I rate this book 5 stars.

"Have a Little Faith' by Mitch Albom [4 1/2]

In the beginning, there was a question.

'Will you do my eulogy?'

As is often the case with faith, I thought

I was being asked a favor.

Actually I was being given one...

Have a Little faith begins with an unusual request: an 82 year old rabbi from Mitch's old

hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Mitch insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago.

Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Mitch becomes involved with a Detroit pastor -

a reformed drug dealer and convict - who preaches to the poor and homeless in a

decaying church with a hole in it's roof.

When I read the back cover and the inside cover...well let's just say I put off reading this book until the last week before book club.

It has turned out to be a very touching and moving true story of one man's journey in life, his losing faith and finding it again, and the divine spark that is inside all of us.

I thought this book was going to be about religion, but it is so much more than that....

While there are many different faiths in this world it all comes down to the same thing,

we all want to be heard and we all want to be loved and appreciated and forgiven.

It's about believing in something that is bigger than yourself.

You will be deeply touched and uplifted by this extraordinary book.

A must read for everyone...

I rate this book 41/2 ****