CE Murphy... good reads all around

I started by reading the Walker papers series...the series involving an "Urban Shaman."  I wasn't completely thrilled with the first book but like many series, it picked up steam as it went along.

After 3 books I was hooked into the story line and geeking out on these books. I love the heroine and that they aren't completely predictable story lines.

Then I read the Heart of Stone series... and while it was good, it was lackluster in comparison to the Walker series. Meh all the usual supernaturals were there... I like that Urban shaman is different and unexpected.

Then I read the "Queen's Bastard" book and it's sequel... and was horrified this was the same author. So glad there were only two books because any more would have been a crime against this author's reputation. Pages and pages of dress descriptions and sluttery. Granted I like a good sex scene as much as the next gal, but the fashion and sex in these books was tedious and slightly sickening.

If you are going to read any CE Murphy, I highly recommend just sticking with the Urban Shaman series. Anything else is not the best representation of what this author has to offer.

Cross reference like=ability: If you like the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter you will like this series.

'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy....

Leslie Langtry has a series in which she describes the Bombay family. A family of hitmen and I guess hitwomen now that I think of it... is hitwoman a word? I need a videogame to be sure :)

Anyway, I love the premise of this series which includes other romantic works such as "I Shot You Babe" and "Guns Will Keep Us Together."

These are campy romances but the sarcastic hitman lifestyle makes these worth a read.

I think what also earned the author a little of my respect were the quotes in the beginning of the chapters from various pop culture sources like "Kids in the Hall" and the movie '300.'

So don't expect to be blown away by these books and they are more for the female reader with the romances but these are great for a short entertaining jaunt into fantasy land.

If you liked the Movie the "Whole Nine Yards" you might like these books. That is the best I can compare it too. I won't say "Grosse Point Blank" because that is a cult hit that should be revered... although it is quoted in these books :)

Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr - Chris Paolini

So this series starts off with a new concept with dragons and riders... if you watched the Eragon movie you didn't miss much. I think what impresses me the most is that Chris was just a teenager when he wrote Eragon. I think this is good teenage reading.

Good in that, it didn't make me want to puke, it actually had a plot, and wasn't completely predictable.

Chris really hits his stride in the following books. The plot only gets better and more interesting. The originality of the dragon background and exposition is great. While I did find some characters boring and read through their parts as fast as possible to get to the good stuff, I understood why it was in there.

I would suggest this for a good teenage sci-fi read when you don't have a mind-blowing book available. These books were good reads but they were not "Omg, i have to finish this and find out what happens next" books.

Cross reference like-ability: I like the John Flanagan Series better, but if you liked the Ranger's apprentice Series then you would like this series.

Beautiful Creatures... ugly reading

So I decide to read Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia after seeing the preview in the theater for the movie.

The movie looks decent enough although obviously targeted to a younger audience than myself. However, even if I was a teenage girl, I would still be disappointed in this book. It tried way too hard to be meaningful and came out flat and cheesy.

First off, it's written from the point of view of the sixteen year old guy... uh... no... just no. Listening to a guy decide whether or not he is in love or one of the 'cool kids' at school will make you want to puke. Making a guy give all the details a teenage girl would want is wrong.

Take 'I Am Number Four'... written from the point of view of a guy... doesn't make me want to hurl. Maybe because the author IS a guy and knows how to write in that style.

The plot also sucks. So this young 'Caster' (aka witch) girl will either go light or dark when she turns sixteen. Doesn't seem like she has a choice. So 95% of the book is her agonizing over it and wanting to be a normal girl. Again, don't ask me why the author chose the boy to be the narrator. Then in an "Oh My God I totally saw that Coming" way, it turns out she might have a choice or be able to decide on her own. This all happens in about one page and is delivered in a very lame way.

The book has a sucky ending too which I guess is supposed to leave room for a sequel. I won't be reading it.

This book actually made me mad at the author. There is a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. in the front about hate, love, light and dark. I'm pretty sure MLK would never have read this drivel or endorsed it.
It's as if the author wanted to comment on prejudice and hate in a high school setting (seriously?) while putting sci-fi and romance in there as well. Maybe if she stuck to one or even two themes the novel wouldn't have been a horribly messy disappointment. Or maybe the author should get counseling about their high school years before writing a book.

Cross reference like-ability: If you thought the Twilight series was too deep and didn't have enough social and emotional drama, this is the book for you. Or if you are a 12 girl who has no idea that boys don't really think about their feelings 24/7.