Demon Possessed

NO! NO! NO! AND NO!!! WHY!

Ok. I absolutely HATE when I read a book out of series - the very first book I read and it's the WRONG NUMBER! UGH!

With that being said, I wasn't overly confused about the plot - which is either good or bad.

So, for those of you having read the books in order I'm sure the plot will make more sense to you than it did to me.

Megan Chase is a psychiatrist and is currently not happy with the meeting she's in. She is meeting with an FBI agent named Elizabeth Reid. Elizabeth is trying to get Megan to acknowledge, that Megan's boyfriend Greyson Dante (who also happens to be a head honcho in the Demon world) will be participating in a local meeting of all Demon Leaders (think The God Father). Megan pretends like she knows nothing.

Later that week Megan and her hot (he's a fire Demon) boyfriend Dante arrive at the hotel and buckle in for the extremely long week. It's all politics and schmoozing as each leader of the Demon branch try to vie for power. Everything seems to be going well until Agent Reid shows up and someone attacks Megan. Oh and she learns some bad news pertaining to her boyfriend. Can Megan cope with it all while saving herself and Agent Reid?

Hmm. As far as books go this one wasn't that interesting. I was so irritated by the constant use of similes that I wanted to burn the book, or throw it out the window! The ratio of similes to dialogue was 23094:2! It went something like this: Megan "I like cookies." Text "Megan liked cookies like a fat person loves cake. That is to say she loved them so much as if she couldn't live without them like a flower can't live without the sun. " (Gag!)

Irritating there right? Now IMAGINE 3/4 OF THE BOOK LIKE THAT! On top of that, I found Megan to be so whinny and WEAK! And I later found out she was like 5'9" and 104 lbs. Not that's to say there is a connection. BUT COME ON! I cannot stand weak women characters that are protagonist! I hate being type casted as a woman that can't do work because I have two X chromosomes and I need a big burly man to stack wood, or open the door for me. Thank you for the help but I can also do it. But Megan but all the hard work of feminist back like 499 years! (Ok, not that bad.)

She couldn't get over the fact that Greyson lied to her about some b.s. relating to demon politics. SO WHAT. Talk about it like two grown adults and then either repair the relationship or move on! She reminded me of Bella Swan in Twilight which irritated me more because I found Bella to be vexing too.

I finished this book a week ago, and apparently I'm still upset by it. I'm actually glad I didn't read the other two books because I doubt I'd get that far in the series. The book finally got good in the last 50 pages which is sad because the book is 321 pages and which isn't saying much.

I'm curious to hear what others think of this book. Did you like it? If so what aspects? What did you think of the simile problem? Did it bother you? Did you notice?

Books in this series:

1) Personal Demons

2) Demon Inside

3) Demon Possessed

Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane. Pocket Books: New York (2010).

Dead Until Dark

FINALLY!!! I have been reading numerous books for school (Roman poets, Greek poets, books on WWI, WWII, Russian books, books on the Haitian Revolution - can you tell I'm going to major in history?) Well I finally got to read a book that wasn't mandatory! And I'm pretty proud of myself. I read the book in about 3 days! So without further ado here is the report!

Sookie Stackhouse lives in Bon Temps, La. She works as a waitress at the local bar. Everyone knows that she has a 'disability' and for the most part they treat her well. Obviously they think she's crazy. Vampires have just now become more main stream, and people are beginning to believe that the reason vampires are the way they are is because of a virus.

One night, while Sookie is working a man catches her attention. Pale with dark hair and eyes she is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Soon they found out that the new stranger in town is Bill Compton a vampire returning to his old family estate. The town is enthralled to have a vampire amongst them. However, Bills arrival also marks the arrival of strange happenings.

Soon the town of Bon Temps has other worries on their minds. At least two of the women have been killed. They were known 'fang bangers' so Bill might have done a way with them. But they also were known 'associates' of Sookie's brother Jason. By 'associates' I mean 'bed associates'. What's worse is that Sookie might be next. Her grandmother was killed, along with her cat Tina. The police are looking real hard into Jason's files, but he couldn't of killed his grandmother? Sookie has to solve the mystery fast before her time is up and her number is picked.

This is probably a bad thing, but when I first read Sookie, I instantly thought of SNookie from Jersey Shore. I know, I know Jersey Shore is a corrosive show - but also a very funny one. Watching egotistical people act as if they weren't!

I really enjoyed the characters in the book. It's always fun (for me) to read about vampires when their description is the same but different. Like Bill, he was described as pale (duh) but there were no mentions of his powers (like descriptions of Jean-Paul in one of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels.) Furthermore Sookie wasn't a skinny little twig. She had some meat on her bones which was nice.

In closing - I didn't know that the True Blood series was based off this book series. I don't watch the show (I don't have a TV in my house). Although I'm not all together surprised seeing how now-a-days more and more TV shows and movies are based off of books. I'm not too happy with that.

Books in this series:

1. Dead Until Dark

2. Living Dead in Dallas

3. Club Dead

4. Dead to the World

5. Dead As a Doornail

6. Definitely Dead

7. Altogether Dead

8. From Dead to Worse

9. Dead And Gone

10. Dead In The Family

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Ace Books NY (c) 2001

Napoleon: A life

I tried to find a photo of the book were it didn't have this irritating "look inside" but alas I could not.

I had to read this book for my class on the "history of Modern War and Society". Right away I loved the book. One of my favorite lines in the book is "more books and been written about Napoleon than anyone else - except for Christ". What is it that fascinates us about this little guy?

I enjoyed the books smooth transitions and wonderful information. I didn't feel like I had to labour to read it (as I did while reading Cheese and Worms)

Napoleon a Life by Paul Johnson

The Cheese and the Worms

This will be a quick post about the book (I have to go read the Iliad - which I should've finished Monday -oops).

The Cheese and the worms is written about a 15th Century miller in Italy during the time of the Inquisition. His name was Menocchio (well, nickname rather) and he was known for his radical thoughts and ideas. His fellow peers didn't hate him, but they also didn't agree with his brash outspoken ideas. When Menocchio is called to trial the inquisitors can't help but marvel at this man and his crazy ideas! The Virgin Mary isn't a virgin because she had a child? Say What???

The point of the book was to see how popular peasant thought intermixed with the religious beliefs and teachings of that time.

I would have to say the only negative thing about this book was his writing style. I hated it. It was too confusing for me - at one point it was in Menocchio's POV and then suddenly it was the inquisitors or suddenly Ginzburg was trying to relay information. I didn't like the flow at all.

Poor Menocchio, to be born at the wrong time with such radical ideas.

The Cheese and the Worms by Carlo Ginzburg

Update.

Hi guys!! My posts (for awhile) will be a bit sporadic. I recently had a little boy so sleep has been on the back burner, even reading too. I'll slowly be reading - although I'm trying to quickly read Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side before it's due on Monday - we shall see. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

This is my son :)

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica is on her way to school one day when she sees a strange person, in dark clothes. This person doesn't belong and is starting to give her the creeps. As she gets on the bus she swears he is calling out to her "Antanasia". How could he know that name? No one knows that name . . .well no one in America. Jessica is adopted, and Antanasia is her old name that only her parents knew back in Romania.

As her first day ends, her mother picks her up from school and she mentions the fact that a strange man has been following her. On their way home - she sees the strange man and points it out to her mother. Her mother gets out of the car and Jessica is nervous. What is her mother doing - this guy could kill her! But instead her mother talks to this strange man and even shakes his hand. When she gets back in the car she says this strange man will be coming over for dinner later.

During dinner that night Jessica learns that this strange man is two things: 1) a vampier and 2) her future husband. Before her parents died they promised her to him. Great, now she has to deal with her senior year of high school and somehow telling him that she does NOT want to marry him!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Jessica the main character was an actually REAL girl who was NOT a size 2! I was actually shocked to read that she was a size 10. Lucias (her betrothed) kept telling her through out the book that being a size 10 was beautiful and that being skinny was not. Wonderful!! I'm tired of constantly seeing super skinny people and being told that's what beauty is. It took me years to appreciate my body - even though I'm not a size 2 (I'm quite bigger and that's ok :). I also enjoyed Lucias who was a clever, funny young man who wasn't emo. What is it in teen books with the heartthrob being emo? I don't care for it.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (c) 2009

Twenties Girl

Lara Lington's great aunt-Sadie has just passed away at the young age of 105 years. However, no one seems to care. In fact the only people that show up to great aunt-Sadie's funeral are Lara, her mother and father and sister Tonya and her father's brother Bill, his wife, and spoiled daughter. What's even more pitiful is the room. There are no flowers, not pictures of Sadie, and horrible muzak is being pipped throughout the speakers.

Lara feels even more guilty when the vicar comes and asks for some information on Said so that she can put it in her speech - and not one family member can give any information. No one knew her or went to see her. As the vicar begins her speech, a shrill voice cries out asking where her necklace is. Lara looks around - where is this voice coming from? Again she hears it and suddenly she sees the person belonging to the voice. A young lady in a flapper dress. The young lady notices Lara looking at her and demands to know where her necklace is. Lara replies she doesn't know - and suddenly her family looks at her startled. Who is she talking to? Suddenly it dawns on Lara - she can only see this person. Is she going mad? The ghost, who now makes it known that she is Sadie Lancaster (Lara's dead great-aunt) demands that the necklace be found and the funeral stopped. She won't stop bugging Lara until she gets her wish. Lara stops the funeral by saying she believes great-aunt Sadie was murdered. Suddenly Lara finds herself agreeing to help her great-aunt's ghost hunt down a missing necklace. Is she on a wild goose chase?

I must admit that when I read the inside flap of the book I thought the story would turn about differently. Like she'd find the necklace and be transported back into the 1920's and that sort of thing. I'm glad I was wrong. The 1920's has always been on of my favorite eras (the clothes alone!) and I was glad that I was able to read a book that blended the culture of the '20s with that of the '09s (as in 2009). Sadie is such a spunky woman, and you have no problem imagining her in the '20s in a smoke filled club dancing the Charleston. At time Lara seemed a bit dim witted (especially when it came her to her ex-boyfriend) and I was glad Sadie was there to tell it to her like it was. It was such a cute book to read. I was greatly pleased by it - the little twist and turns in the plot kept me wondering (and it wasn't an agonizing wait for the answers either).

After reading this book I want to go out to a cute vintage clothes shop and purchase some flapper dresses of my own (I've always loved vintage clothing '40s in particular). And why not? Although I don't think I'll be cutting my hair into a short bob or marceling it any time soon.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. New York (c) 2009