Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .

When I saw this book reviewed on Becky's blog I was immediately intrigued. I love the Beatles, and even though I have been trying to stay away from the idea of sticking zombies into real situations or famous books, I decided that I had to see how he pulled it off. If anything it sounded like an entertaining book. I am not even sure if I knew entirely what to expect from it, but upon completion I both found it really fun and didn't really like it at all. The short answer is that the whole idea behind it was enjoyable, but I wasn't crazy about the authors writing style. It didn't flow for me and sometimes it was less funny because he used too many words. I think that is the best way to explain my issues with the book.

When I get down to it, though, I am glad that I gave the book a try. Taking the Beatles history and zombie-fying it was a great idea. Everyone always has wanted to see a Beatles reunion. This author just ran with the idea and came up with a way for that to be possible. He took mostly actual events and added zombie elements to them. I mean, he has Mick Jagger as a zombie hunter! The scenes with Mick Jagger were some of my absolute favourites. You could really picture him and it would just make you laugh. Then, Ringo and Yoko are cast as Ninjas. I thought that was funny, too. I also appreciated that the author didn't back away from all the drama that was caused by allowing Yoko to be around so much.

A lot of the book was reimagining what the Beatles would think about certain things and how they would act as zombies. This meant that the author really had to know each of their personalities. I actually think he did a good job of this. I never felt like there was any pushing. The characters acted like themselves in the interviews, but not entirely like themselves because they were zombies. You should read how Mick Jagger takes down zombies. I laughed for a while at that imagery! It was so Mick! Other British personalities make appearances including the Queen and the people that worked with and around the Beatles when they were in their prime.

Whether or not you will enjoy this book is all based on what you go in expecting. For me, it was not a book that could keep my interest long enough to read it in one sitting, but it was still good. The author obviously did his research to make everything believable... Even if it was a bit unbelievable! It was really being curious that made me read on. I wanted to know what happened next, but at the same time I didn't enjoy the writing... I don't know if you should read this or not. Make your own decisions... Becky didn't really like it either, but I still had to see.

Another read down for the R.I.P. challenge!

Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 11) by Kelley Armstrong

The new novel in Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Women of the Otherworld series showcases the fascinating Savannah Levine, a powerful young witch with a rebellious past and a troublesome heritage.

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at twenty-one she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town, as a favour to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

I read this before the R.I.P. challenge started, but since it needs to be reviewed eventually I decided that this time of the year was the perfect time for it. This is the latest novel in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. Before I get into the book, though, I wanted to ask where this series is shelved in your local bookstore? I noticed within the last year that it has started appearing in the horror section at mine. I know the new released covers are black and maybe a little dark, but horror? They always used to be in with the regular fiction, which I never agreed with either. I think of them as fantasy. Patricia Briggs, for example, writes essentially the same type of books and she has always been in the fantasy section. I just think that Armstrong is the type of author that people that don't even read fantasy would enjoy, but putting them in the horror section is really misleading. Thoughts on this?

Now, on to the book. If you read my review of Frostbitten, which was a discussion with Marg, you will know that the witch books are not my favourite of the bunch. I am a fan of the werewolf books first and foremost, but Savannah and Paige have grown up a lot and are starting to interest me a lot more than they did. When Dime Store Magic came out, Paige was in her 20's and Savannah was just young. Now, Savannah is almost the same age as Paige was when she became her ward. Savannah is a different personality to Paige, though, and that means she acts a lot different. She has attitude, drives a motorcycle, etc. Paige is all about the her work and was always a bit calmer. It makes for an interesting contrast. This is Savannah's book, though.

As I said above, Savannah lives with Paige (and Lucas). Paige and Lucas run a successful business solving cases in the paranormal community. Savannah has been left home alone, though, while Paige and Lucas go away on a trip together. While they are away a case appears and Savannah is determined to solve it by herself and prove to Paige that she is ready to take on more responsibility. This book turns out to be a bit of a murder mystery, but paranormal in style. I feel like you really get to know Savannah in this book. She has always really been a secondary character, but now she is taking the reins and coming into her own. There are other characters in the book, but this is really all about her. Savannah is perfectly capable of holding her own, but sometimes she discovers that she needs the people around her. This book was a learning experience for her.

Once again, I loved this book. With the exception of one book, I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series. Considering this is an 11 book series and there are two short story collections; I think Armstrong is doing really well! I continue to get excited every time there is a new book in the series and even though it has been going on for a while now, I don't find that anything is getting old. I would gladly read this series for many more books to come, so hopefully they continue. There are still so many characters that I want to see more of and many more story-lines that should be developed. The next book in the series once again deals with Savannah. Considering how this book ended, I am really interested to see what is going to happen next!

If you haven't read this series, you really should! The first book is Bitten.

Thanks to Random House Canada for a review copy of this book!

What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen

Under Certain Circumstances, No One Is More Suited to Solving a Crime than a Woman Confined to Her Bed

An invalid for most her life, Alice James is quite used to people underestimating her. And she generally doesn't mind. But this time she is not about to let things alone. Yes, her brother Henry may be a famous author, and her other brother William a rising star in the new field of psychology. But when they all find themselves quite unusually involved in the chase for a most vile new murderer-one who goes by the chilling name of Jack the Ripper-Alice is certain of two things:

No one could be more suited to gather evidence about the nature of the killer than her brothers. But if anyone is going to correctly examine the evidence and solve the case, it will have to be up to her.

I saw this book mentioned on a blog at some point and thought it looked interesting. It is entirely something that I would not have read if it wasn't for book blogging. I am really interested in the Jack the Ripper aspect of the book, but have no interest in Henry James. Actually, I have never read Henry James before, so while he is an aspiring author in the book and I know that he has written a few famous things, I didn't really know anything else about him until I read this book. I am not the person to ask if it seems true to form.

Anyway, I am not sure what I thought of this book. I didn't love it. There were times where I actually skimmed a bit because I wasn't too interested in what was going on. Sometimes knowing what is going to happen is interesting and works in a book, but with this book it didn't seem to be working for me. I thought it was great that the author imagined what Alice was capable of lying in bed watching the world go by, but we all know that the Jack the Ripper murders were never solved. It is this fact, and the brutality of the crimes, that makes people so fascinated with the man. I was curious whether the author was going to solve the crime and write a very fictional book, or whether they were going to think they solved the crime and then find out later that they hadn't. In the end, I think I was more interested in Jack the Ripper than the mystery. I only found the James family interesting when their characters were developing.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book, though, is all the cameos from famous personalities from the time. There is Oscar Wilde, Samuel Clemens, du Maurier, etc. There are also famous painters, but I admit that I am a bit clueless when it comes to famous artists. The book did interest me enough to finish it, but I was disappointed in a way that I can't seem to put my finger on. Something just didn't work for me. I am not sure if it was her writing style, disinterest in the outcome in the plot, or something that I can't see. Also, my library claims it is an adult book, but to me, it seemed like a young adult book. Maybe that's it. I was look for adult reading because I am getting tired of young adult lately and this didn't really seem adult.

I don't even know what to say. I'd like to look at some of the details, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone.

I really liked the cover, though. Isn't it great?

Has anyone else read this book? What were your thoughts on it?

This counts as another read for the R.I.P. Challenge.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again ...

Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Life begins to look very bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding Mrs Danvers ...

Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

Rebecca is a book that I continue to see reviewed over and over again, but I never actually made myself read. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a book that I would love and the edition I have on my TBR pile is a mass-market paperback with really small print. Unless I really want to read a book, that format can be a turnoff for me. Then, the other day I was browsing through the new books on the library website and I saw a trade edition of Rebecca with a really nice cover. I decided that today was the day and requested it. Not wanting to change my mind again, I started the book the day that I picked it up from the library and I was captivated. I went into that book thinking 'this probably isn't for me', but what resulted is me finding a book that will likely be on my list of favourite books of all time.

I know that I should not be a genre snob, but those that know me are aware of the fact that I am not the sort to rush out and read anything marketed as a romance novel. That is not to say that I don't read a few here and there, but I like romance as part of the plot and not the main thing. With older books, though, just because it says it is a romance does not mean that is what you should expect. Rebecca did have a romance as part of it, but there was a lot more going on than that. Our nameless narrator marries a man whose wife died 10 months before in a terrible accident. She is happy to be saved from her life as a companion to an over-bearing woman, but then she is transported to a world that she knows nothing about. Not only does she have to learn to be the lady of the house, but she also has to learn to live with the ghost of Rebecca.

I loved the characters in this book. Mrs. Danvers was a really well-written villain. You never knew what to expect from her at any given time. It was fascinating to watch her character progress and discover just how crazy she could be. She is very unhappy that Maxim has remarried and still feels like Rebecca is a presence in the household. She is determined to keep her memory well alive and to do anything in her power to bring about the end of the new Mrs. de Winter. I think Daphne du Maurier captured her on the page brilliantly. She really came alive for me. Then, there was Rebecca herself. She played the perfect ghost. Even though she was not alive for the novel, you still knew her really well by the end of it. She may be dead, but she has not actually left Manderley. From the surface she seemed like the perfect hostess for a beautiful house, but as the story progresses and the layers are peeled back you will be fascinated by the character that appears.

I just loved this book so much! When I started it I was constantly interrupted and only managed to get through 200 pages. The next day I managed to block most things out and read to the end. I was so excited to see how the story played out, but on the other hand I was really disappointed that it was over with. There haven't been a lot of books like this so far this year, so I was so happy that I finally found one! It is was atmospheric, Gothic, and the perfect book for this time of the year. If you are participating in the R.I.P. challenge and haven't read this book before, you really should! I am glad that I did!

This book is my fifth read for the R.I.P. challenge.

Roald Dahl Guest Post

Last Sunday was Roald Dahl day. This post was originally supposed to be up then, but I got busy and we are only getting it up now. My partner for this is Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. Below you will find her answers to my questions, and then if you head over to her blog you will find my answers to the same questions.

1. There are so many fabulous Roald Dahl books, but do you have an all-time favorite?

I love so many of the Roald Dahl books. If I had to pick an ultimate favorite it is Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory was the first book I've ever read by Roald Dahl, and as a child I spent hours re-reading it to experience the journey Charlie goes on again and again. As an adult, I have a dangerous addiction to chocolate (I eat it everyday) and I am still mesmerized by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and in particular the river of chocolate, Heaven!

2. Roald Dahl sure knows how to write fantastic characters. One thing he seems to specialise in is writing evil characters, just like the Twits! What is your favorite evil character from his books?

The Twits! The Witches are evil, but the Twits are evil and stupid. I simply loved reading about them and finding out what evil act they would do to each other next.

3. I'm always watching and re-watching the movies based on Roald Dahl's books. What is your favorite movie based on a Roald Dahl book?

Given my love of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, most people think this is my favorite Roald Dahl movie, based on the book. I do love both versions and constantly re-play them. However,my absolute favorite is The Witches! It was a little dark and scary the first time I watched it, but that made it even better. Angelica Houston is definitely the highlight of the movie. She plays the evil Grand High Witch so well!

4. Quentin Blake did all the illustrations for Roald Dahl's books. Do you have a particular cover that stands out more than the others?

Matilda! The girl with all the books. I was always reading as a child, and now I read even more as an adult. This cover, totally speaks to me, as both the inner child and the adult reader.

Thanks, Bella, for posting together! I look forward to doing another post together soon!

What would your answers to these four questions be?

Room by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It’s where he was born and where he and his Ma eat and play and learn. At night, Ma puts him safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it’s the prison where Old Nick has kept her for seven years, since she was nineteen. Through ingenuity and determination, Ma has created a life for herself and her son, but she knows it’s not enough for either of them. Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s desperation -- and Room can’t contain either of them for much longer...

Told entirely in the inventive, often funny voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of the resilient bond between parent and child, and a brilliantly executed novel about a journey from one world to another.

I first discovered Emma Donoghue when I read her historical fiction novel Slammerkin a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Since then I have been collecting her books, but not actually reading them. Then, this one came out and caught my attention. It works for the R.I.P. reading challenge and book bloggers that I trust have been saying good things about it. I decided to finally read something else by Donoghue and see if Slammerkin was it, or if I was going to enjoy all her books. Both books are by Donoghue and both were really well written. Other than that, though, there is really nothing similar about the books. It amazes me when authors can write so many entirely different types of books and manage to write them all well.

Room is told from the viewpoint of 5-year-old Jack. Jack has spent his entire life in Room and to him that is the entire world. Ma, though, knows better and has spent the past 7 years as a prisoner to the man that Jack calls Old Nick. Not knowing how to handle the situation any differently, Ma tells Jack that everything that happens on television is only TV. She wants him to not know what he is missing out on, but eventually he has to get older and more curious about the world. Then, she is faced with the decision to either continue telling him the elaborate lies or to finally let him in on the fact that there is really a large world out there. When he finds out he doesn't believe her at first. This is a lot for a child to take in, but Ma is tired of her captivity and needs to find a way to finally escape. In order to do this, though, she needs Jack's help.

For those of you that read my blog, you will know that I am not always a big fan of young narrators. So, first up I am going to admit that the 5-year-old angle drove me crazy sometimes. Yes, he was cute and yes, he was funny, but he got on my nerves sometimes. This was my main problem with the book. I had to keep getting passed it in order to enjoy the book. This is me, though, and I want to say that I did like the book a lot despite the fact that I wasn't always a big fan of the narrator. This book was actually a page turner. I finished it in one sitting and for the most part, loved every minute of it. Emma Donoghue is such a great author and she knows how to use every word. Even if I wasn't a big fan of Jack at times, she did a really really good job of capturing what it would be like for a 5-year-old to grow up in isolation and then be transported to the 'real' world. I really felt like it was believable the entire time.

I think I will try and leave something to the imagination and not say anymore about the book. It isn't a page turner if you have read a review that tells you everything that happens in the book.

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

This book counts for the R.I.P. V challenge.

BBAW Interview Swap

As part of the BBAW events I get the opportunity to interview Amy from My Friend Amy. I was rather excited because this week was all her idea and she deserves lots of recognition for such a great idea!

1. As the brains behind Book Blogger Appreciation Week, what has it come to mean to you? Has it changed how you look at the blogging community?

BBAW has always been a labor of love for me. I am genuinely thrilled there's a group of such amazing, intelligent, thoughtful people who take time out of their lives to write about books. I love the way book blogging allows us to create community around books as well as discover new ones. I am still amazed by this.

Yes it has changed the way I view the community in that I realized it's truly a community. Which means that the first year I went into it all naive and honeymoon-ish and was quickly reminded that real flesh and blood individuals write book blogs. And even though I have the best of intentions with BBAW, I will at times hurt people feelings without meaning to or cause them to feel marginalized when that is the opposite of my goal. It's something that I've really had to keep in mind every year. I hope that most bloggers know the very last thing I want to do is make them feel any less than appreciated--which they are--deeply.

2. What are some books that you are particularly interested in buying when they come out?

I really like YA paranormal and dystopian. These are the kinds of books I end up spending more money on than others. I really rely on recommendations for other purchases, or trusted authors.

3. If you had to pick three, what were your favourite reads of the year?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins was the most powerful read for me.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Sacredness of Questioning Everything by David Dark

4. You get a chance to guest star on one of your favourite tv shows. Which show would it be and what would your character be doing?

Um, I would totally guest star on The Vampire Diaries and I would be seducing Damon naturally! :P

5. Is there a book you have read in the last couple years that you would love to see made into a movie? If so, any thoughts on the casting?

You know, I would really like to see Hate List by Jennifer Brown made into a move-- it felt very cinematic while I was reading it. However, I have no idea on casting, I'm terrible at that!

6. Earlier this year I talked about childhood and books that you feel have influenced you as a result of reading them back then. Do you have a book that you feel influenced who you are today?

You know, I'm puzzling over this question. I think the Little House books framed what I think of as family and survival, the BFG taught me all not all monsters are bad, and the Best Christmas Pageant Ever made me realize that beauty is for everyone. But that's not a great answer is it? These were all books my mom read out loud to me.

7. On Historical Tapestry a few people have been posting about their 'Books of a Lifetime'. If you were to make a list off the top of your head spanning your life so far, what would you choose to include?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Silence by Shusaku Endo
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith
The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers
Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart
The Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

8. Have you discovered any new blogs this year that you believe deserve more attention?

I really love Jason Gignac's blog Moored at Sea. He blogs sporadically but he's one of the most insightful writers out there I think. Another blog I really love is Sarah Clarkson's Thoroughly Alive. Sarah has an amazing gift for words and a deep and abiding love for story.

9. If people could know just one thing about you, what would it be?

That I do my best.

10. We have been discussing another buddy review. Any thoughts on what book you want to read for it?

I thought we were going to do The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters! (ha ha ha! Oops! We are! Don't mind me... lol)

Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

More of New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong's most popular Otherworld characters get a chance to shine in this second short fiction collection, showcasing critical moments from many different lives.

Kelley Armstrong's readers have proven themselves a dedicated fan-base: her previous hardcover collection of short stories, Men of the Otherworld, appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, and Canadian lists too - despite three of the stories having been available, unedited and for free, for years on Armstrong's website. With a similar format - a handful of reedited stories and one wholly original novella - Tales of the Otherworld explores the lives of some of Armstrong's most popular characters, giving readers glimpses into how Clay and Elena met, how Eve and Kristof first hooked up (a brand new novella), and how Lucas and Paige got married. Kelley is a superstar of the genre, andTales of the Otherworld is a great way to begin 2010.

Normally I am not a big fan of short stories. I would much rather read a novel if I had the choice; but there are certain authors that can pull it off and make me love the short story form. Kelley Armstrong is one such author. I hate reading long things on a computer screen, so I am thrilled that she has taken the time to edit her stories and release them for a wider audience. For those that are fans of the series you will appreciate how this book fills in a few loose ends. They aren't something that you had to know, but you are happy to learn about it when given the chance.

If you read my review of Frostbitten, that I did with Marg, you will know that I am a werewolf fan. I love Elena as a character, but I think the short story in this collection really showed me who Clay was. I have always liked him, but you very rarely get to see things from his point-of-view, so you miss out on things. The short story included in this collection shows you a side of Clay that doesn't really come across in the novels and tells you how it is that Clay and Elena met. When Bitten takes place that is all in the past, so it was nice to get a chance to back in time with the characters.

Anyway, there are lots of other stories, too. There is the story of how Aaron, the vampire, came to be the character that we see occasionally in the series. He is in Waking the Witch, actually. It would be a good time to do a book about the vampires. I would love to see a whole book about Cassandra because she is such an intriguing character when she does show up. The next book is going to be about Savannah again, but maybe the one after that. Speaking of Savannah, the next story in the collection is about Eve. I really like Eve; so I was interested in a story about her and Kristof. It's a novella, really. It tells how they met and how things turned out the way that they did. We know Kristof as a high-official for one of the cabals, but this shows the more 'human' side of him.

The next story in the collection is about the werewolves. It's actually about Logan, who I have to admit I hardly even remembered. The refresher, and his appearance in one of the other stories, makes me want to reread the earlier books in the series to refresh my memory further. After that is the novella about how Clay and Elena met. I think it was my favourite one, but really they were all good. I all ready talked about it above and if you want to know more you will just have to read it. This is followed by a short story told from Jeremy's point-of-view. It is also from the beginning of the series and it mainly shows events that have all ready happened from Jeremy side of things.

"Wedding Bell Hell" is a story about Lucas and Paige. I think the title of the story sort of sums up the point of the story quite well. One of the ways that we learn about Kristof is through Sean, his son, who appears from time to time in the books. He is actually a central character in the next story and I found it really interesting. I enjoy how Armstrong might be writing about very 'different' things, but she still manages to tackle instances that can pertain to anyone. This story is one such example of that and I think she handles it really well. Plus, it is sort of 'to be continued', so I think it is fitting because Armstrong is in the middle of a witches story arc at the moment. This story actually fills in a few blanks about Waking the Witch. Nothing that you have to know, but now that I know I am glad that I do.

So, there is bit of clues about what to expect from the stories in this collection. If you want to know more you will have to give the book a read! You will not be disappointed!

Thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

This book counts toward the R.I.P. V challenge.

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns with the tenth installment of the Women of the Otherworld series.

The Alaskan wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it’s downright deadly.

Elena Michaels, the Pack’s chief enforcer, knows all too well the havoc “mutts” can wreak. When they hear of a series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage, she and her husband, Clay, journey to Alaska in the dead of winter in order to hunt down the dangerous werewolves. Trapped in this savage, untamed winter realm, she and Clay learn more about their own werewolf heritage than they bargained for, tapping a little more into the wild nature of the beast within. With Elena back in the starring role, this is the book Kelley Armstrong fans have been waiting for.

Today we have a buddy discussion with Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. I am the one in white, while she is in this green. I have the first part of the review and she has the second part posted on her blog. Enjoy!

Kelly, you and I have both been long term fans of this series. Do you prefer the werewolves books, or the other books?

I think I actually prefer the werewolf books. I have some issues with the witches. Paige drove me crazy and actually lead to me pausing in the series for a while, but I have enjoyed every book that has dealt with Elena, Clay, etc. It was actually a werewolf book that lead me back in the series, No Humans Involved. Even though Paige doesn’t bother me anymore I still cringe when a book is going to have her as a central character. What about you?

I am the opposite to you. I like the werewolf books but if I could only read one part of this series forever, I think I would choose the witches. Part of that is because I think that the witches stories tend to be more inclusive of all the other paranormals out there - the warlocks, the necromancers, ghosts etc.

You make a good point. When the witches are involved there is a lot more characters involved in the story. The werewolves are a bit more secluded with the exception of maybe Jaime. Plus, the werewolves appear in the witch story lines. I think, for me, it comes down to liking Elena over Paige and that affects my overall opinion. In Haunted when the book was more about Eve I really enjoyed it and Waking the Witch, the newer book, is about Paige’s ward. I find them much more interesting to read about.

I have always liked Elena and Jeremy, but struggled a little bit with Clay. I got why he was the way he was, his background etc, but I don’t think I really got Clay himself until I read this book. There was a scene where Elena and Clay were reading some research material about the shape shifting mythologies that may have impacted on the investigation:

“Clay knew all of them, but as he read, he infused every scrap of well-trodden myth with the excitement and passion of a new discovery. This was another part of Clay. The father, the lover, the enforcer, and the professor. Four sides entwining into a whole - simple yet complex, fascinating and infuriating.

and everything kind of clicked into place for me at that point.

As you were writing this I was following along and you made me think what I thought about Clay before reading this book. I never really had a strong opinion. Sometimes I didn’t really ‘get’ him, but generally I concentrated my attention on Elena and Jeremy. I really like Jeremy... In this book, though, Clay seems to be there more. You wrote some notes about what you wanted to discuss and mentioned how there seemed to be a lot more sex in this book than in previous ones. I entirely agree with you there. They have always been having it, but it seemed a lot more central in this book. I actually was thinking that the series overall has turned a corner in terms of how she wants to treat the relationships with her characters. There was a lot of action, though, so the addition of more sex did not really take away from the overall story for me.

I find that each book has a much different tone. This book, for example, was more action as you say, but I didn’t think that it was really the case with Waking the Witch for example. I am not sure if that was because there were different editors and publishers for the two books, or if it was because the main character in Waking the Witch is younger. Maybe it wouldn’t be something that I would normally notice but was very noticeable when you read the two books so closely together. I don’t usually read consecutive books from the same author.

Yet when I think about it, I do think that the writing style is very consistent for the werewolf books, and very consistent for the witches books. I do think that Kelley Armstrong is a very clever author to be able to be consistently alternating between these characters and settings, and to be constantly evolving her world to include new characters and new types of characters. For example, I am pretty sure that we will see more of Reese and Noah in future novels.

The interesting thing that we should point out is that while I have read Waking the Witch, it was actually about a week ago. While you read that book and this book back-to-back; I read this book and Tales of the Otherworld back-to-back. It is interesting seeing what you see from your experience and what I see from mine. Just so you know, the reason I avoided talking about Clay was because there is a couple stories about him in Tales of the Otherworld and I am not sure if it was this book or one of the short stories that developed his character for me. I do agree with you that there is more action in Frostbitten than in Waking the Witch. I just attributed that to age of the characters and the stage of their relationship. In Waking the Witch there is just a hope of a relationship, but in Frostbitten the relationship is all ready developed.

I also love how the books in this series are constantly evolving and there are characters being added in every book. It could be very daunting, but I feel that Armstrong handles it really well. I do have moments, though, where I have to think for a moment who people are. In this book Clay says something about Lucas and I thought for a moment he was talking about Logan. I just got my names mixed up and I was entirely baffled about the abilities of a three-year-old until I discovered he was in fact much older. One of the reasons I think I enjoy these books is because there can be so many different characters and you grow to know most of them and connect with them even if they have only appeared in one book (for now).

Some of the secondary characters we haven’t heard much about yet seem to have potential for development as well. I think I would like to see Nick have some time in the spotlight at some point to. I did listen to a Q and A session on Youtube last night where Kelley Armstrong wrote about only giving a character the lead role in a novel when she is sure that she had the perfect story for them, and not forcing the character to fit into any old storyline. I thought that was very revealing about the way this series is evolving for the author, and quite frankly that means we could end up having anyone narrate at any point in time. It really does mean that this series could continue for a long time without feeling stale.

See, how can you not like the werewolf books more? Even though there are more people represented in the other books, I am much more intrigued with the werewolves. I would really like to see a book about Nick, too, and I think a book about Jeremy and Antonio’s relationship would be really interesting. Then there are the ‘new’ werewolves and the tie to Canada! I think it would be fun to have a book about a werewolf clan on the east coast, but that might be because I live there.

I think your patriotism is showing! You don’t want to read more about sun-bleached Aussie werewolves?

Well, see, you can’t ‘hear’ the accent through the pages of a book. Even if it is written like you would speak in Australia, it is just not the same! That and Kelley Armstrong is Canadian and the books technically take place in the US which is kinda sad.

It would take a lot of skill to do that for sure! I am not actually sure that we even have wolves here in nature. We have foxes, and dingoes. A were dingo novel maybe? Were kangaroos? Oh, this could get very silly!

Charles de Lint has a book about Dingos and he is Canadian. Canada secretly loves Australia, I think.

Everyone does! We are very lovable people! lol

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Canada is very lovable, too! Maybe a British colony thing...

Maybe....anyway, back on topic!

Don't forget to read Marg's review for the rest!!

Thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

R.I.P. Challenge V

I guess I should officially sign-up for this challenge! It is just a given that I am going to join in, but this is the first chance I have had to think about things. I find it hard to believe that this is the fifth year for the challenge! I can't believe I have been blogging that long... This year I am doing Peril the First. This means reading four books that fit into any of these categories:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

I tend to read this way at this time of the year regardless of the challenge, so I will likely read more than four.

Books Completed:
1. Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
3. Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days by Derek Landy
4. Room by Emma Donoghue

5. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

6. What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen

7. Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher

8. The Witches by Roald Dahl

9. Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Skulduggery Pleasant - Book 4: Dark Days by Derek Landy

It's the fourth Skulduggery Pleasant adventure! only Skulduggery Pleasant himself is lost on the other side of a portal, with only some evil gods for company. Can he possible survive? (Yes, all right, he's already dead. But still.) What can we say, without giving too much away? Not much, is the answer. But what we CAN say is that this book is hilarious, it's tense, and it's packed with all the eye-popping action, crackling one liners and imaginative set pieces you've come to expect. There's a new threat to our plucky heroine, of course. But that's not all. There's also the little fact of the Big Bad, the uber-baddy who's going to come along and really, really destroy the world. (Really.) And what we learn about that villain in this book will literally make your jaw fall off and your hair go white with shock. (Not really.) Will Skulduggery make it out of the Faceless Ones' dimension? Who knows. The problem is, he may not have much to come back to!

If I was making a list of my current favourite series you would definitely find Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. There is just something about a skeleton main character that intrigued me since book one and hopefully will for as long as the series is published. I keep going to say things and then remembering that if you haven't read any of the other books in the series it is a spoiler... It is hard to review books from a series. I can safely say that this is the funnest group of characters I have encountered in a while. They are all over the place for personality and it all just works. Skulduggery is still why I read the series, but the other characters are growing on me. I just don't think I would have been interested in this series in the first place if it wasn't about a skeleton. Nothing else is necessarily all that original, so I was happy that Landy found a fresh idea.

I really like the combination of action and humour in this series. You get on the edge of your seat and then something entirely off the wall happens and you wind up laughing aloud and hoping that there is no one around who will think you are crazy. If you are crazy, though, then you would fit right in with this series! So, maybe it is okay if people catch you randomly laughing. Landy is also capable of keeping the sub-plots going. Even if you think it is minor, he mentions it and develops it in someway. I hate when authors forget about their own subplots and then you get to the end of the book and still don't entirely know what happened. I have high hopes that by the time this series comes to an end everything will be addressed, if not entirely wrapped-up. This series doesn't really struck me as the type where everything can be resolved in a neat little package when the finally book is reached.

So, since there are a lot of people that read this blog that STILL haven't discovered the wonder that is Skulduggery, I am just going to say that this was another great book and you really must read it! Then, there is the fears that I am crazy and no one will understand my love attraction to this series, but that is the price you pay when people are slacking off and missing out on greatness. Okay, maybe I wouldn't go quite that far, but you still should give this series a try and be very excited that book five will be out next month!

Thanks to Harper Collins for once again supplying me with a copy! (Did I mention you really should try this series?)

This book counts for the RIP Challenge, but I haven't officially signed up yet. Must do that!