Meet the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Vampires have never been more sexy or deadly. The Lessening Society has pledged to wipe out every vampire in existence in the old country and the ancient war has crossed the pond to take up residence in Caldwell, New York.

When Darius is killed in a car bombing, the leader of the Brotherhood fulfills his dying wish to see Darius’s half human daughter through her transition. What follows will change his life and set the course of Vampire politics while the war rages just outside their door.

An American tourist curious about the effects of a drug rumored to create Zombies, visits Haiti during the reign of Pops Doc Duvalier. He finds himself in love with a native girl and in danger from a local Voodoo priest with political connections.

Whether you pronounce it Go-gee-rah or Godzilla, he’s the big noise with think tail and the electric- blaster- breath. In this installment of the Godzilla saga he comes to the aid the earth, working with Rodan and Mothra to defeat a three headed horror of a dragon. For a Monster who started out as a comment on violence and destruction, Godzilla is the hero of this flick.

These are ladies you won’t want to meet in the dark.

Billed as a cross-genre anthology, none of these women take life an afternoon tea party. They’re feisty, aggressive, intelligent, and very comfortable with taking up arms in defense of their loved ones, or just to keep the monsters confined to dark places.

If you want women who merely scream and wait to be rescued, this isn’t for you; but if you enjoy reading about those gals who take matters into their own hands, who take charge, and make change, this is for you.

A unique perspective on the relationship between people and bees. Sections about the history of honey as food and in recipes, kinds of bees and honey, the bee in art and culture and methods of beekeeping through the ages. All this is intermingled with an account of a modern commercial beekeeper and the author's journey to become a beekeeper herself. It is also wrapped up in lovely prose so that, if you choose, you can read the work as a meditation on the importance of bees and pollinating insects and reflect on the impact of humans on nature. But the work is admonition-free and you may enjoy it simply for its inherent information and delightful turn of phrase.

Why do I love the story line for the Ruth Galloway mysteries so much? There are so many unique and individual characters, but I especially love Ruth's dry humor. I missed Cathbad (he makes an appearance at the end of the book) and DCI Harry Nelson is a great counterpoint to Ruth. The Outcast Dead centers around a series of child abductions which bring back memories of an especially tough case from the past. Ruth finds herself working on a reality crime show 'Women Who Kill" when she unearths the body of the notorious Mother Hook. The story is somewhat predictable, but story isn't everything. I love these people and I can't wait to read more about their all-too-real lives.

Jean Fairbairn and her husband, Alasdair Cameron travel to a small island off the coast of Northumberland for the unveiling of a grave that will, hopefully for the archaeologist involved, prove the island is Arthur's Avalon. Jean, a writer for Great Scot magazine, is covering the story and Alasdair, an ex-cop, is along for the ride. They are soon embroiled in a mystery that spans generations. I found the main characters annoying. The author also writes romance novels and that shows up here--not to my taste at all. I did read the entire book, but won't be tempted to read any others from the series.

Of all the characters from GRR Martin’s Game of Thrones, my favorite is Tyrion Lannister.

He’s short, ugly and lusty with just the right mix of arrogance and vulnerability to keep one in thrall. Sometimes side-splittingly funny, and sometimes profoundly crude, Tyrion’s intellect and gifted turn- of- phrase will stay with you long after the book has left your hands.

Picking up where the Sisterhood of Dune left off, this new book, finds Gilbertus Toronado, founder of the school for Mantats (humans trained to function as living computers) facing a perilous future.

One ill- timed decision in support of progressive technology, and his precious Mentat School could be destroyed on mere suspicion, in the same manner as the Sisterhood school on Rossak. On the other hand, Venport’s spacing guild now refused to service anyone who supported the Butlerians.

His special situation places him firmly in the middle of these Titans. His life is extended by use of technology and his mentor, the robot lives within his domain.

Meet Dot! She's a girl that knows how to use digital tools! She can tap, swipe, text, and share. She tires of all of this indoor activity; she finds that she can be just as interactive outdoors with her friends. This book is a good story that parents can use to show a child that there is still fun to be had outside of the digital world.

James Aitcheson has written an excellent account of the state of affairs in Britain following the Norman Conquest in 1066. While the Battle of Hastings, often characterized as a battle that changed history, did have a significant impact, it was far from a "one and done" battle. Uprisings, especially in the northern Britain kept the outcome of the conflict in doubt long after 1066. Set in the bloody aftermath of Hastings, Sworn Sword tells the story of Tancred a Dinant, a sworn sword of Robert de Commines. When Lord Robert is killed in battle in Northumbria, Tancred must find redemption for the death of his Lord. Critically wounded, Tancred finds himself in the household of Guillaume Malet. To repay Malet for his care Tancred embarks on a journey south shrouded in secrecy. Having so recently read Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon, my hopes were high for another book set shortly after the Battle of Hastings. Sworn Sword is much more reliant on realistic battle scenes to drive the plot at the expense of character development. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, but it took a while to develop an interest in the characters and the story. The writing is strong and the descriptions paint a realistic picture of the time and places Tancred visits.

Delia's Shadow is an atmospheric murder mystery set in San Francisco in 1906. Delia has traveled home for her best friend Sadie's wedding. Delia is drawn into the hunt for a serial killer when Sadie's fiance, a San Francisco detective, must track down the brutal killer. Delia's ability to see ghosts of the dead put her in a unique position to aid the investigation. The friendship between Delia and Sadie is well developed. As a character Sadie becomes somewhat tiresome. The author could have tightened up the story by dropping the endless references to her feminine wiles. The romance between Delia, the long-suffering loner, and Gabe, the tragic young widower, was, despite its inevitability, well handled.

A quick and compelling read. The many compassionate sketches of inmates create a work that is less a story and more an illustrative essay about how class, education and resources intersect with our particular American attitudes about justice, punishment and human dignity. But it's all wrapped up in wry observation and breezy language so it goes down very easy. 

Mila and her father have planned a trip from their home in London to New York state to visit Mila's father's life-long best friend, Matthew. Just before they are due to arrive Matthew disappears without a trace. He leaves behind his newborn child, his elderly dog and his wife. Mila has a talent which allows her to sense the undercurrents in a situation and with her father's help they set out to find out what has happened to Matthew. While Picture Me Gone is fast paced I found I didn't like any of the characters all that much. Mila's father is a stereotypical "absent minded professor" type and is annoying. Their life is just too perfect for my taste. The family doesn't seem real, nor does the situation they find themselves in. Matthew, while a totally unlikable character, at least seems pathetically real.

In this installment of the Aelf Fen mysteries, Lassair must figure out what a crazed Norseman is searching for. He is pillaging and killing members of Lassair's family so it must be something they have. She learns what the giant wants when she is abducted and carried away to Iceland. Compulsively readable and full of action, but credibility was stretched just a bit with the abduction twist.

A lovely fairy tale type story that sucks you right in. Although the story was predictable, it had a nice flow. The descriptions were incredible and the whole book came to life in my head as I read.

Laura Lippman is just so much fun to read--and to contemplate what makes her books such compulsive reads. Her newest book, "After I'm Gone" which will be published in February 2014, centers on Felix Brewer, a bookie who went missing years ago, just before he is indicted because he can't stand the thought of spending years in prison. He leaves behind a wife, three young daughters, a mistress who turns up dead 10 years later, and Burt, his best friend and attorney. Enter Sandy Bayard, a retired police detective, now working as a consultant on cold cases. Lippman's previous background as a Baltimore Sun reporter is, as usual, put to good use. A delicious bon bon to dive into.

Detailed account of the discovery of Richard III's grave in Leicester, The King's Grave is in part about the events leading up to the discovery and part a history of Richard's III's life. Told in alternating chapters the suspense about the archaeological dig and what is uncovered builds along with the historical events that led Richard III to Bosworth Field and ultimately to the choir of the Church of the Greyfriars.

Maya’s notebook tells the story of a teen girl that is trapped in life with no sense of direction after the death of her beloved grandfather. In this difficult stage, Maya takes a negative approach to life getting her involved in drugs, prostitution and money laundering. The anger that Maya felt against her and the world, was the iceberg to discover a new way of self-reflection about life and family.

In the story, Maya Vidal -known in the dark world as Laura Barron- was an egocentric person that did not value life at all. Laura’s only way to be disconnected with reality was hurting herself and everyone else that she really cared about. Her grandmother Nini, decided- without any hesitation- to find the sweet caring Maya in Laura, and bring her back after a process of reconciliation with herself and the world.

The story is crafted around the philosophy view that everything in life has a cycle. Summer, autumn, winter and spring are the titles that divide each chapter in the book. The author, Isabel Allende, prepares the reader with the forecast and climate seasons that Maya goes through the story. This is a great topic for a book club!

Maggie doesn't like her mother's new husband. She sees 'shadows' when she looks closely at him. He is from a world where magic is still practiced and she is supicious of his reasons for resettling in here world where the magic gene is spliced out of everyone. But, as time goes on, she learns that he is not the only one in her world who has magical abilities, including herself. All of the hidden practitioners of magic must come out of the shadows and unite in order to save their world from destruction. Shadows is not Robin McKinley's best work, unfortunately. I found it confusing and boring. The author uses many terms and phrases unique to her created world and this made the plot and dialogue difficult to follow at times. The "snappy" teen dialogue didn't ring true. The romantic element seemed rushed and contrived.