Living Dead in Dallas

I was very concerned about how this book would be after reading the first book in the series. My expectations were exceeded in that the book was actually great. I enjoyed reading it and didn't feel bored. I was excited to see who was doing what and it was great that the characters all got a bit more personality, lost that static quality that they all seemed to have when the series started.

I am really excited to start the next book. I have all the books on a shelf by my bed. Today, I was stranded at McDonald's and I wished I had this book with me. I do recommend that you take the time to read these books. You will have to wade through the first one, but the second book will flow much easier. I hope you enjoy the book!

Dead Until Dark

I watched True Blood religiously, but am behind on the second season. Thankfully, my good friend DVR is attempting to get me caught up. I love the show, love the supernatural, especially when there is a bit of a love story mixed in with it.

I had not planned on reading the books that inspired the television series, but my friend J had the entire series, so she loaned all the books to me. I just finished this first book and I was not impressed. I think I enjoyed the television show more, though I was not impressed with the vulgarities they felt that had to include in order to sell the show.

I want to read the second book, simply because I have started the series. I want to know what happens to Sookie and Bill. The funny part is that a lady in a meeting saw me with this book and asked me who my favorite vampire was. I had been introduced only to Bill and Eric at that point, so I didn't know who my favorite might have been. Now that I have finished the book, my favorite is most definitely Bubba.

The book is okay, but I recommend reading it before you watch the first season of True Blood. I hope the next book will be better. I think the author may simply be lacking some maturity. She writes as if she were in a college composition class at times. She lets Sookie describe herself as big breasted with a small waist, without letting someone else talk. Maybe Ms. Harris will get this sorted out as the series progresses. Here's hoping!

Dear Mr. Henshaw

I remember how much I loved Dear Mr. Henshaw when I was little, but I couldn't remember just what the book was about, so a couple weeks ago, I decided I would spend a couple hours rereading it.

When I started reading the book, I was amused by the subtle humor of the letters the main character wrote to Mr. Henshaw, the author of a book he had read. He keeps writing Mr. Henshaw letters as he reads the book year after year. The main character then begins processing the issues that are happening around him - the divorce of his parents, his grief over a dog his dad took and then lost, and the absence of his father.

I think the book can still speak to children and adults alike. There is this quality of innocence and relatability that I think is missing in many current books. I have to recommend this for children and adults. Read it to your children, reread it for yourself, but don't forget this book.

sTORI TELLING by Tori Spelling

Somehow I forgot to list a book I have read, a book I actually really enjoyed. I know what everyone things about Tori - I thought it myself, but I have to say, I have fallen in love with Ms. Spelling. Since the premiere of Tori and Dean: Inn Love, Tori has shown what a fun and normal person she really is. Because of this, I wanted to read a book by her. I lucked up on a copy of Mommywood, signed by Tori at a thrift store, and since then, I have searched for sTORI TELLING.

When I found the book, I read it and loved it. It was fun and quirky, and you found out lots of crazy things about Tori that you might not have known. I was ready to post Tori Trivia on Facebook after reading the book. It is fun and cute and interesting. I might be biased, but I think it is a fun, great read, one that your girlfriends will like, one that you can read really quickly. It is a true guilty pleasure, so enjoy it with some chocolates and really expensive bubble bath.

Should you read it? Absolutely!

Should you pass it on? If you find another copy. You might want to keep yours!

You, Maybe by Rachel Vail

I just finished You, Maybe. I have to tell you, I am sad right now. The book really had an emotional impact on me. It hurt when I finished the book, after battling through the emotional turmoil that was conveyed in this book.

Don't think I am giving away the ending of the book. It ended with a glimmer of hope, but through the book, you are really faced with the experience of a high school student going through that awkward stage - finding herself in her relationship and not in a relationship.

I was immediately taken back to my high school days, the days of being crying over heartbreak, the days of living high on love, and just enjoying that feeling of newness. I admit, I looked up my old boyfriend (and his wife), just to see how he had changed, and to be thankful that I have found a new relationship since that high school flame burned out. I am afraid that a teen might get the wrong idea from the book (that promiscuity is okay if you "love" a high school boyfriend/girlfriend), but I think it is great to revisit the past.

Should you read this book? If you have graduated from high school, yes!

Should you pass it on? Sure, to a high school friend, but not to a teen.

Click here to read a chapter from the book.

Eyeliner of the Gods by Katie Maxwell

I kept Eyeliner of the Gods in my purse. I read it while waiting to go into interviews, while I was in the parking lot, or when I was waiting for anything else. It was a short, quick read, and it was enjoyable throughout. The ending was terrible.

Why do I keep having issues with the endings? I think it may have something to do with the way this ended. Sometimes, I want the main character to get her man, and sometimes I don't. I think I would have liked this ending, but there was one little line that changed how I read the book. There was a line that made it all seem like the girl went from being the hero(ine) to being a '50's dependent on her man kinda girl. That changed the entire way I read the book.

I love Katie Maxwell. I think her other books are great, but none take this particular viewpoint; at least, not the ones that I have been reading.

This particular story is great (until it isn't). It focuses on a group of students who participate in an archeological dig. There is a bit of a mystery, which Jan (short for January) Jones is able to unravel. The mystery is great, because it isn't obvious. I wasn't sure who the perpetrator was until January revealed what was discovered. I wouldn't give this book to any young girl who is still forming her identity, but I think it is enjoyable, especially if you know where you stand regarding your existence outside a relationship.

Read it? Sure. Pass it along? Maybe....

Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught

Big Fat Manifesto is essentially a novelized form of the document Fat Girl Manifesto, which I found while googling the wrong title. The main character writes a column entitled Fat Girl Manifesto in which she chronicles the "injustices" she faces as a size 4X. She also comments on her boyfriend's bariatric surgery, which she is not a fan of. The story is a bit predictable for a teen novel, but worth reading. I rather enjoyed it, although by the end, I was ready for it to be over. It is rather like the book I read earlier, Fat Chance, but aimed more at a younger audience.

The book is filled with facts and research (though none of it cited), that rationalizes being morbidly obese. The character is supposed to be happy with herself and proud of being fat, but she complains because she is never cast as the lead in a play and she can't wear beautiful clothes. I really want to know if the author is fat. Does she understand these struggles or is she framing this in a way that she finds to be fair and balanced? I think it could be interesting to know.

Recommendation: I don't know... Read it if you identify with being a large person in a skinny world, but not if you don't want a long rant about how horribly fat people are treated.