The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint

 First sentence:

"...like music entangled in a thorny embrace, leaf-sigh, branch-rustle."

Description:

"Back in print for the first time in ten years, this original novel stands among the finest of Charles de Lint's early works. Eithnie is a young painter who is acclaimed by the art world until the critics start noticing that her work has lost the animating passion that had set her apart from the crowd. She returns to her cabin in Canada's remote woods, hoping to find a place where she can seek solitude and focus on her art.

At first, Eithnie's muse remains elusive, but then beautiful and disturbing creatures start slipping into her sketches unbidden. The following days bring strange visitors bearing cryptic messages indicating that Eithnie may be bound by a promise made in a forgotten, magical childhood. The world of Faerie is clearly reaching out to her for help, and her ability to figure out what they need may mark the difference between their survival . . .and their doom." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book about different world interacting - the "real" world and the "faerie". Eithnie, an artist, becomes entangled in both as she wrestles with finding her muse and trying to figure out whether the faces she sees in the woods are real or not. I liked de Lint's descriptions of the woods and the sounds Eithnie hears as she moves through them. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Something Rich and Strange by Patricia McKillip.

Date read: 12/31/2024
Series: Brian Froud's Faerielands, #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0765302586
ISBN-13: 9780765302588
Publisher: Orb Book, Tom Doherty Associates
Year: 1994
# of pages: 205
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The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt

First sentence:

"The thing was carved of ice and rock."

Description:

"Humans call them the Monument-Makers. An unknown race, they left stunning alien statues on distant planets in the galaxy. Each relic is different. Each description defies translation. Yet all are heartbreakingly beautiful.

And for planet Earth, on the brink of disaster, they may hold the only key for survival for the entire human race." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first book in the Academy series. At first, the narrative of the planet archaeological exploration seemed a little slow, but as it continued and as the characters faced obstacles both personal and alien, my interest increased. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Deepsix.

Date read: 12/30/2024
Series: The Academy (Priscilla Hutchins), #1
Genre: SF
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0441002846
ISBN-13: 9780441002849
Publisher: Ace Book
Year: 1994
# of pages: 419
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

First sentence:

"The secret is how to die"

Description:

"Famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon answers an unexpected summons to deliver a lecture at the U.S. Capitol Building. His plans are interrupted when a disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols-- is discovered in the building. Langdon recognizes in the find an ancient invitation into a lost world of esoteric, potentially dangerous wisdom.

When his mentor, Peter Solomon--a long-standing Mason and beloved philanthropist--is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that the only way to save Solomon is to accept the mystical invitation and plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and one inconceivable truth...all under the watchful eye of Dan Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced story with surprises at every turn--one of Brown's most riveting novels." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this third Robert Langdon novel, especially the scenes in and round the Library of Congress. I worked at the Library for many years as a contract library technician so I'm familiar with the Main Reading Room and the tunnels. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Inferno.

Date read: 12/16/2024
Series: Robert Langdon, #3
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0307950689
ISBN-13: 9780307950680
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 2009
# of pages: 603
Binding: Trade Paperback
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Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

 First sentence:

"Professor Leonardo Vestra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own."

Description:

"An ancient secret brotherhood. A devastating new weapon of destruction. An unthinkable target.

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization -- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together, they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth -- the long-forgotten Illuminati lair." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first adventure of symbologist Robert Langdon in Vatican City and Rome. With the unexpected and sudden flight to the CERN hadron collider and his subsequent travel to Rome to find a dangerous item, the story kept my interest throughout.

Date read: 10/15/2024
Series: Robert Langdon, #1
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0671027360
ISBN-13: 9780671027360
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Year: 2000
# of pages: 569
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Plainsong by Kent Haruf

First sentence:

Here was this man Tom Guthrie in Holt standing at the back window in the kitchen of his house smoking cigarettes and looking out over the back lot where the sun was just coming up.

Description:

"Ambitious, but never seeming so, Kent Haruf reveals a whole community as he interweaves the stories of a pregnant high school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and grace--a narrative that builds in strength and feeling until, as in a choral chant, the voices in the book surround, transport, and lift the reader off the ground." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

A quiet and beautiful book! Haruf's description of place and characters drew me in to discover a family of friends.

Date read: 10/16/2015

Series: Plainsong, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fiction

ISBN-10: 0375705856
ISBN-13: 9780375705854
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 1999
# of pages: 301
Binding: Paperback
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Windfall by Rachel Caine

First sentence:

"It doesn't take much to destroy the world as humans know it."

Description:

"Leaving Las Vegas seemed like a great idea to Joanne Baldwin. But there is no escaping her past -- and there is no time to recharge. The former Weather Warden's powers are at an all-time low just as the clouds of war are gathering -- and the biggest storm since Atlantis's destruction is heading for landfall.

Joanne is exhausted. When not donning a rain mac and camping it up for the camera as a TV weather girl, she has to contend with a vengeful cop on her tail, her newly divorced sister moving in and getting caught in the middle of a supernatural civil war. Worst of all, her boyfriend in a bottle can't stop draining her powers and is fast morphing from the Djinn of her dreams to the Ifrit of her nightmares.

As the agreement between the Wardens and the Djinn starts to self-destruct, Joanne finds herself forced to choose between saving her lover, saving her Warden abilities. . .and saving humanity." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book featuring Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin as she negotiates her work and life among the Wardens and the Djinn. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Firestorm.

Date read: 8/14/2015
Book #: 20
Series: Weather Warden, #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0749079290
ISBN-13: 9780749079291
Publisher: Roc
Year: 2005
# of pages: 496
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

First sentence:

"So the talk of random brutality wasn't just talk."

Description:

"Ten years after the publication of Wicked, beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts.

What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba's son? He has her broom and her cape -- but what of her powers? Can he find his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison, Southstairs? Can he fulfill the last wishes of a dying princess? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?

For the countless fans who have been dazzled and entranced by Maguire's Oz, Son of a Witch is the rich reward they have awaited so long." - Amazon.com

My thoughts:

I liked this second book in The Wicked Years series. Liir is an interesting character and I liked his interactions with Candle and Glinda as he learns about who he is.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, A Lion Among Men.

Date read: 2/16/2015
Book #: 2
Series: The Wicked Years, #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0060747226
ISBN-13:  9780060747220
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Year: 2006
# of pages: 352
Binding: Trade Paperback
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The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

First sentence:

"He is coming for me."

Description:

"For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin Museum. Dubbed “Madam X,” the recently rediscovered mummy is, to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact. But medical examiner Maura Isles discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse–horrifying proof that this “centuries-old” relic is instead a modern-day murder victim. When the grisly remains of two other women are found, it becomes clear to Maura and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli that a maniac is at large. Now Maura and Jane must unravel a murderer’s twisted endgame before the Archaeology Killer adds another chilling artifact to his monstrous collection." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this thriller set in a museum and featuring Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles. I especially liked how they followed the clues to places far and near.

Date read: 12/19/2014
Book #: 44
Series: Rizzoli & Isles
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Thriller

ISBN-10: 0345509390
ISBN-13: 9780345497635
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year: 2008
# of pages: 418
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Door to Ambermere by J. Calvin Pierce

First sentence:

"To an observer viewing the avenue from behind a low garden wall, the object, passing as though in languorous flight, would have been something of a mystery, though one perhaps more likely to prompt speculation than active investigation."

Description:

"This World. . .is tough if you play your cards as badly as Daniel. He's a gambler whose luck is about to change from bad to weird.

The Other World. . .is in shambles if you cast a spell as poorly as Rogan the Obscure. He's a wizard who can literally raise hell.

Between the Two Worlds Lies. . .

The Door to Ambermere

It is the gateway between an ordinary bar in an ordinary city and an extraordinary tavern in a magical realm. But when magic goes wrong, anything can happen. Like a trade-off. The gambler Daniel enters a world of sorcery in which the odds are far more dangerous than a poker game. And in exchange for Daniel, a creature is unleashed in humankind's city streets. . .a demon! " -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this meeting of two worlds fantasy. I especially liked the way Daniel figured out how to navigate in Ambermere and how he met his love, Modesty. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Sorceress of Ambermere.

Date read: 8/19/2014
Book #: 28
Series: Ambermere, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441159443
ISBN-13: 9780441159444
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1992
# of pages: 229
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

First sentence:

"According to the First Scroll of Wen the Eternally Surprised, Wen stepped out of the cave where he had received enlightenment and into the dawning light of the first day of the rest of his life."

Description:

"Time itself is threatened— and it's up to the History Monks to save it in Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld® series

Everybody wants more time. Which is why, on Discworld, only the experts can manage it—the venerable Monks of History who store it and pump it from where it's wasted, like underwater (how much time does a codfish really need?) to places like cities, where busy denizens lament never having enough of it.

While everyone talks about slowing down, one young horologist is about to do the unthinkable. He's going to stop. Well, stop time, that is, by building the world's first truly accurate clock. Which means esteemed History Monk Lu-Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd have to put on some speed to stop the timepiece before it starts. For if the Perfect Clock starts ticking, time—as we know it—will end. And then the trouble will really begin " -- from Amazon.com

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book about time, destiny and the Four, or is it Five, Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I especially liked Monk Lu-Tze and his lessons to his apprentice Lobsang Ludd.

Date read: 7/9/2014
Book #: 24
Series: Discworld  #26
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0062307398
ISBN-13: 9780062307392
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2001; 2014 (this edition)
# of pages: 432
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason

First sentence:

"They were able to guess his age, but had more trouble determining which part of the world he came from."

Description:

"A dark-skinned young boy is found dead, frozen to the ground in a pool of his own blood. The boy's Thai half-brother is missing; is he implicated, or simply afraid for his own life? While fears increase that the murder could have been racially motivated, the police receive reports that a suspected paedophile has been spotted in the area.

Detective Erlendur's investigation soon unearths the tensions simmering beneath the surface of Iceland's outwardly liberal, multi-cultural society, while the murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this mystery set in Iceland. The possibilities kept me guessing right until the end.  I look forward to reading earlier books in this series.

Date read: 6/2/2014
Book #: 18
Series: Reykyavik Murder Mystery #7
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 0099542323
ISBN-13: 9780099542322
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 2009
# of pages: 344
Binding: Trade Paperback
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The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddoe

First sentence:

"Oxford England, July 1869. Everyone thought she had made it ups, and she had tolerated more taunting and teasing from other children, more lectures and punishments from grown-ups, than any eleven-year-old should have to bear."

Description:

"The Myth:

Alice was an ordinary girl who stepped through the looking glass and entered a fairy-tale world invented by Lewis Carroll in his famous storybook.

The Truth:

Wonderland is real. Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne, until her murderous aunt Redd steals the crown and kills Alyss's  parents. To escape Redd, Alyss and her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, must flee to our world through the Pool of Tears. But in the pool Alyss and Hatter are separated. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Yet he gets the story all wrong. Hatter Madigan knows the truth only too well, and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This book was a good take on the Alice in Wonderland story. I liked how Alyss and Hatter have to navigate in this world and how they and their friends work together to confront Redd. I look forward to reading the next book, Seeing Redd.

Date read: 1/17/2014
Book #: 4
Series: Looking Glass Wars, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0545049369
ISBN-13: 9780545049368
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Year: 2007
# of pages: 358
Binding: Trade Paperback
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Minion by L.A. Banks

First sentence:

"Sarah Richards stood in the middle of her bedroom trying to console her infant who was wailing at the top of her lungs."

Description:

"There is one woman who is all that stands between us and the eternal night. Here is an account of her Legend...

All Damali Richards ever wanted to do was create music and bring it to the people. Now she is a spoken word artist and the top act for Warriors of Light Records. But come nightfall, she hunts vampires and demons -- predators that people tend to dismiss as myth or fantasy. Damali and her Guardian team cannot afford such delusions, especially now, when a group of rogue vampires has been killing the artists of Warriors of Light and their rival, Blood Music.

When strange attacks erupt within the club drug-trafficking network and draw the attention of the police, Damali realizes these killings are a bit out of the ordinary, even for vampires. Instead of neat puncture marks in the neck showing where the blood has been drained from the body, these corpses are mutilated beyond recognition, indicating a blood lust and thirst for destruction that surpasses any Damali has encountered before. Soon she discovers that behind these brutal murders is the most powerful vampire Damali has ever met -- a seductive beast who is coming for her next..." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first book of the Vampire Huntress Legend series. I liked the interactions of the characters, especially Damali and her friends. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Awakening.

Date read: 7/25/2013
Book #: 22
Series: Vampire Huntress Legend, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0312316801
ISBN-13: 9780312316808
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Year: 2003
# of pages: 176
Binding: Trade Paperback
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Crazy Hot by Tara Janzen

First sentence:

"Dropping a sealed manila envelope on the desk, General Buck Grant eased himself into his chair and stretched out his bad leg."

Description:

"Only the most dire emergency could send paleontologist Regan McKinney racing across the West in search of a man. But her grander has vanished, and Quinn Younger could be the missing link. What the bad-boy-turned-American-hero is doing in a deserted tumbleweed town is an even bigger mystery...until danger trails Regan into Cisco, Utah, and the sexy ex-air force pilot becomes her sole hope of survival....

Quinn figures things can't get worse than being stuck in tiny Cisco on an impossible special-ops mission. Then the dinosaur doc's granddaughter roars into town with bad guys on her tail. Once, Quinn was on the fast track to a life of crime...until Regan's grandfather rescued him. Now Quinn owes it to them both to find the old guy. But throw in a deadly terrorist and some hot dinosaur bones, and a man could get himself killed. Because facing down danger with this revved-up lady is one endless adrenaline-rush of pleasure--especially when they're falling crazy in love...and hanging on for dear life...." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:


I enjoyed this first book in the Steele Street series. The characters were enjoyable to get to know, and the plot moved along well. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Crazy Cool.

Date read: 6/27/2013
Book #: 16
Series: Steele Street, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Thriller

ISBN-10: 0553586106
ISBN-13: 9780553586107
Publisher: Bantam Dell
Year: 2005
# of pages: 403
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Trouble with Magic by Madelyn Alt

First sentence:

"I don't know what it was that made me abandon my usual path to work on that particular October Tuesday."

Description:

"Bored with her office job (and subsequently fired for excessive tardiness), Maggie jumps at the opportunity to work in Enchantments. She was a little weirded out when Felicity described herself as a witch, but if her boss wants to play with broomsticks and cauldrons, where's the harm. However, Maggie's first day on the job may turn out to be her last when police question Felicity in the murder of her estranged sister.

With everyone in town proclaiming Felicity's guilt faster than the Salem Witch Trials, Maggie finds herself wondering if she'll also be tied to the stake. And lately, she's been receiving messages on a spiritual frequency guiding her to prove Felicity's innocence--and to embrace her own 'charmed' life. . ."

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first book of the Bewitching Mystery series. I liked how Maggie learned about Felicity and about herself. I look forward to the next book in the series, A Charmed Death.

Date read: 5/30/2013
Book #: 12
Series: Bewitching Mysteries, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

ISBN-10: 0425207563
ISBN-13: 978042507568
Publisher: Berkeley Prime Crime
Year: 2006
# of pages: 261
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman

First sentence:

"The radio on the helicopter was tuned to the tower frequency, and the crisp metallic voices said Air Force One was on final approach long before anyone could see it."

Description:

In a town where the weapon of choice is usually a well-aimed rumor, the strangling of Secretary of State Lansard Blaine in the Lincoln Bedroom is a gruesome first. White House counsel Ron Fairbanks is ordered to investigate. There are persistent rumors that the Secretary was an accomplished womanizer with ties to a glamorous call girl. There is also troubling evidence of unofficial connections with international wheeler-dealers.

In death as in life, Blaine is a power to be reckoned with. For Fairbanks, who loves the President’s daughter, one point is soon clear: only a few highly placed insiders had access to the Lincoln Bedroom that fateful evening. And one of them was the president. . . . -- from Amazon.com

My thoughts:

I liked this first book in the "Capital Crimes Series". I enjoyed meeting the characters as well as trying to figure out who killed Blaine.  I look forward to reading the next book, Murder on Capitol Hill.

Date read: 5/27/2013
Book #: 11
Series: Capital Crimes Series #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 0446310700
ISBN-13: 9780446310703
Publisher: Warner Books
Year: 1980
# of pages: 252
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams

First sentence:

"The wind sawed across the empty battlements, yowling like a thousand condemned souls crying for mercy."

Description:

"It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki's wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point - the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow.

And even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to fulfill missions which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the hidden mountain caves of the Qanuc trolls - across storm-tormented waters to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend - to the secret heartland of the Sithi, where the near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood. . . ." -- from the back cover


My thoughts:

I read the previous book, The Dragonbone Chair years ago, so I was glad to read the recap before reading on. There were times when the plot jumped around and I had trouble keeping track, but overall I liked this book and I look forward to reading the final book, To the Green Tower.

Date read: 5/20/2013
Book #: 10
Series: Memory, Sorrow, Thorn #2
Rating: 3*/5
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0756402972
ISBN-13:9780756402976
Publisher: DAW Books
Year: 1990
# of pages: 727
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Heat Rises by Richard Castle

First sentence:

"The thing about New York City is you never know what's behind a door."

Description:

"The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat's most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York's most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads Nikki Heat to a dark conspiracy that reaches all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.

But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who’s not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.

In the midst of New York’s coldest winter in a hundred years, there’s one thing Nikki is determined to prove: Heat Rises." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this third book of the "Nikki Heat" series. It was fast-paced and it kept me guessing throughout. I look forward to reading the next book, Frozen Heat.

Date read: 9/22/2012
Book #: 36
Series: Nikki Heat, #3
Rating; 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 1401324436
ISBN-13: 9781401324438
Publisher: Hyperion
Year: 2011
# of pages: 301
Binding: Hardcover
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The Xander Years, Volume 1 by Keith R.A. DeCandido

First sentence:

"The argument started when Cordelia saw what Xander was wearing."

Description:

"Unfulfilled crushes. Awkward first conversations. A date who wants you. . .dead.

Having a Y-chromsome in Sunnydale is never easy. But Buffy the Vampire Slayer's friend Xander Harris seems to find more than his share of trouble with the opposite sex.

At first Xander is happy being the teacher's pet--until his schoolboy crush brings out her true animal instincts. Then his whirlwind romance with the exotic foreign exchange student falters when she demands the ultimate sacrifice.

Some members of the Slaying squad might say that dating Cordelia Chase could kill a guy. But Xander's relationship with the high-maintenance Cordy actually seems to be working out--until she decides he's seriously harming her social standing. His craft plan to win her back may earn him more love than one guy can handle.

Now collected for the first time, are three stories from the hit TV series chronicling Xander's search for love on the Hellmouth." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read stories based on a television show, even a show I like. But as I continued reading, I started to enjoy reading about Xander's misadventures and finding out how he saw things and what he thought.

Date read: 9/18/2012
Book #: 35
Challenges: Whats in a Name 5 Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge 2012, A to Z Challenge 2012, New Author Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0671026291
ISBN-13: 9780671026295
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 1999
# of pages: 227
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Naked Heat by Richard Castle

First sentence:

"Nikki Heat pondered red lights and why they seemed to last so much longer when there was no traffic."

Description:

"When New York's most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Heat uncovers a gallery of high profile suspects, all with compelling motives for killing the most feared muckraker in Manhattan.

Heat's murder investigation is complicated by her surprise reunion with superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook. In the wake of their recent breakup, Nikki would rather not deal with their raw emotional baggage. But the handsome, wise-cracking Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's personal involvement in the case forces her to team up with Rook anyway. The residue of their unresolved romantic conflict and crackling sexual tension fills the air as Heat and Rook embark on a search for a killer among celebrities and mobsters, singers and hookers, pro athletes and shamed politicians.

This new, explosive case brings on the heat in the glittery world of secrets, cover-ups, and scandals." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this second book of the Nikki Heat series.  It's was fun remembering scenes from the television series Castle and seeing how they are portrayed in the book. I also enjoyed seeing the character Richard Castle thank the actors in the acknowledgements.I look forward to reading the third book - Heat Rises.

Date read: 9/13/2012
Book #: 33
Series: Nikki Heat, #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 1401324029
ISBN-13: 9781401324025
Publisher: Hyperion
Year: 2011
# of pages: 288
Binding: Hardcover
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