Paranormal romance is not a genre I'm familiar with so I'm not sure how this book stacks up against others in the genre. Diana Bishop, a modern historian, is a direct descendent of the powerful Bishop witch from Salem, MA. Matthew Clairmont, a centuries old vampire, is now living as a medical reseacher at Oxford. When the two meet they are immediately drawn together despite strong personality differences. As time passes and they grow closer, it is revealed that their love is actually forbidden by the Congregation, a group of representatives who police the relations between witches, vampires, and daemons. I found the characters a bit stock in the sense of romance--strong, plucky female falls for equally strong-willed man--but the alternative universe of our world inhabited by witches, vampires and daemons made the stereotypical handling of the romance between the main characters a bit more interesting than it would have been otherwise. Billed as "a brilliant synthesis of magic and history," I was expecting a bit more history than there was. Castles, spirited horses, private jets, forbidden love...not my usual cup of tea, but the underlying premise was interesting and the action kept me reading. Unfortunately I discovered this is the first installment in a trilogy and the next volume won't be out until 2012. This book would make a good read for those who like romance and don't mind stereotypical characters. I gave it four stars because it held my interest well enough to keep me reading, but the plot and writing really only deserve three stars.

An excellent piece of fiction set in Victorian era Philadelphia. A little bit for everyone: mystery, historical fiction, science, art and romance. Even the famous Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins makes an appearance.

In this really long short story Connie Willis creates a humorous tale of alien/human interaction. The said aliens have been in Colorado for several months but have not communicated at all with the humans on the scene. All attempts at interaction on the part of the humans have failed. When the aliens are taken to the mall to hear Christmas choirs singing they suddenly react for the first time. Now the mystified humans must ascertain what precipitated the aliens' action. The author's sense of the absurd makes this book a delightful romp.

This book provides a nice overview of the craft of weaving. It is short and to the point. The illustrations and diagrams are helpful. I picked this up soon after I was given a Dorset loom. I had done some tablet weaving, but knew almost nothing about the history of weaving on a floor loom. I found this book to be less intimidating that longer books on the subject. It was just right for giving me a little knowledge to use as a foundation for further study. The book contains interesting facts about weaving in different cultures. Not meant to be a comprehensive account of weaving through the centuries, it keeps the reader's interest without overwhelming him or her with too much information.

Luke is young and single and has just moved to Paris. Alex is young and single and has lived in Paris for a year. They are both Englishmen. They become friends. Luke than meets Nicole. Alex meets Sahra. Then they all four become friends. Dyer makes friendship when you are young look so easy and attractive. He throws in bits of pretty explicit sex too. It is a quite enjoyable read although the author loses his way toward the end. The finish is rather unsatisfactory but overall it was well done.

A great fictional account of the rise of the "first" Churchills - the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough - including the court intrigues facilitated by Sarah's own first cousin, Abigail Hill, which led to the couple's political fall. An excellent read you would expect from Plaidy.

The Wise Man's Fear steps back into the life of Kvothe as he takes time off from the University to travel and seek adventure. Reading this book is like spending time with old friends. It lacks the suspense and intensity of the first book, but we begin to see how the young, brash Kvothe transforms into the contemplative innkeeper. There's plenty of adventure and clever puzzles for Kvothe to figure out and a mysterious ending involving the still unexplained Bast, of course, leaves the reader pining away for more.

The author presents an acutely realistic portrait of Restoration England as well as life in the New England colony of Massachusetts. The story centers around two unique individuals, Thomas "Carrier" who are working for a family in Billerica and Martha Allen. Martha is a strong willed woman who doesn't fit in with the conventions imposed upon her by society. She refuses to bend and, thus, finds herself unwed at the age of nineteen. When she goes to work for her cousin, Patience, she meets Thomas who is equally strong willed. After saving Martha from attacking wolves, the two begin to develop a respect for each other and this respect eventually grows into a deep and quiet love. But Thomas' mysterious past and the role he played in the execution of King Charles I threatens to bring about a sudden end to their new found happiness. Rich with period detail, shying away from none of the brutality of the times, The Wolves of Andover brings to life the everyday realities in Colonial New England.

By tackeling a light once-over of famous theater impresario, Oscar Hammerstein, his two sons and his even more famous grandson, Oscar Hammerstein II, the author(great-great-grandson of the first named,) gives us an enjoyable tour through New York musical theater history and the place this remarkable family has played in it.

The author does this by prepping the reader with just enough historical background and a stunning panoplay of illustrations to make the family's journey interesting and relevant. The two Oscars remain fairly opague figures; there is no attempt to dig deeply into either of their psyches. This makes for an enjoyable, informative, but not entirely compelling read.

Oscar II, while too often derided for his occasional bouts of bathos and twee, was nevertheless a writer of enormous emotive power, a giant of sentiment among cynical pygmies. He was responsible for, among so many other things 1) two of the five most important musicals in the development of the genre( Show Boat and Oklahoma,) perhaps the most perfect example of the craft(South Pacific,)and arguably the most popular musical of all time (Sound of Music.) He was an artist of major ranking, and if anything, his grandson lets family modesty take too large a role. "Dash it all- Vaunt the man up and show the wellsprings of his soul," -- this reader's soul cries.

But perhaps this reader's soul is not the best judge of what the market will bear, so, for now, this book will more than suffice.

Can an author present his facts in novel form? Brooks can and does with this Mobius strip of a book. For the form of this book is an unexpected way of doing faction(fiction + fact, think Wolfe and Mailer in the 60s,) and even more splendidly, a form that specifically reinforces the book's theme. So, by presenting an embodied summation of an emerging paradigm, Brooks delivers surprise and delight as well as instruction and illumination.

The novel is about two people who are born, grow, meet, marry, age and part at death. As the two people pass through events, the narrator steps in and explains their contexts, motivations, influences and outcomes in terms of Social Science research done in the last few decades (there are copious endnotes for those who want to factcheck.) There is a point in the middle of the novel where the book almost buckles under the contorting spasms of its reciprocating parts, but it rights itself and picks up for a beautiful and moving end. In short, the novel works well on its own, and by relating people and events to the abstract knowledge offered, it allows us readers to more easily integrate this knowledge into our own messy, oh-so-human lives.

Like the author, this reviewer hopes that such an unique presentation will encourage people to enrich their mental maps with the new ideas presented. Will they? Who knows? But on a sidenote, no one every writes about how funny Brooks can be. It's dry, deadpan humor slipped in on the sly, but it is there, and is one of the more playful features that animates this unusual beast.

What a powerful story! I started reading and couldn't put it down. The story of Yummy is such a dark tragedy. This is the true story of 11 yr old Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, last days. In 1994, while shooting at a rival Chicago gang, Yummy killed a 14 year old girl named Shavon Dean (an old friend) by accident in his neighborhood. This killing made national news; every news channel had “Yummy” picture displayed on the TV screen. Try to avoid being arrested Yummy went on the run. Guns, drugs and violence are talked about throughout this story but, the author G. Neri doesn't try glamorize or down play the gang activity, he simply tells it as is. This 2011 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner is highly recommend for teenagers, adults and educators. Other awards: ALA 2011 Notable Book, 2011 Great Graphic Novel for Teens, and YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. A must-have for all teen/young adult (YA) collections. It was brilliant of the author to choose a child narrator, who did not look up to the gang lifestyle.

Book one in the creepy but gripping Life Brothers series. African immortals walk among the nations of the world and use their powerful blood to cure the seemingly incurible. When a young boy is diagnosed with an incurable disease his father will stop at nothing to track down and obtain this miracle blood.

Vampires are everywhere! A savvy urban lawyer discovers that she has been mourning the death of a spouce that cannot die. By taking a mortal mate Dawit has broken a cardinal rule of the Brotherhood. Those who wish to keep their exsistence a secret see his wife and children as a threat that must be removed. Where can Jess take her child - a half immortal - that these others will not find them? To whom can she turn for help?

Mommy Noir is the Mother of all Blood drinkers. She's been asleep and dreaming for thousands of years, but through her link to Jean-Claude, Mommy wants to take control of Anita for her zombie raising powers. Anita can usuall control anything that's dead, but Mommy Noir is way out of her league. She'll need the help of a very special bounty hunter to put Mommy down.

Graphic Novel version of the Anita Blake series best seller. This woman isn't like any other. She's dating two men, one dead and the other very much alive -neither one human any longer. To complicate matters, her special talent lays in raising the dead, which calls for a bit of blood letting to get their attention. On top of everything else, her sweeties are waring over who gets her undivided attenttions, and a cold blooded murderer is on the lose in her city. What's a girl to do?

He made a awesome choice and now he must face the consequences. Hundreds of years have passed for Leto II and several generations of the Atreides blood line have come and gone under his direction. The Gola, Duncan Idaho, is now leader of the Fish Speakers- Leto's elite all female guard. What is his role in things to come? Siona Atreides has lived in the shadow of the God Emperor all her life. Her father is his major domo and chief confidant, but there are times when "the Worm" runs wild and blood follows. She and her band of rebels are determined to end Leto's peace at any cost - even the life her own father.

Covers those years following Dune but before the birth of Leto II. Paul is Emperor of the Known Universe, Irulan is his wife in name only, and Chani is the beloved. The Sisterhood seeks a way to gain control of the rogue bloodline, the Guild is manuvering for control of the spice, and the Freman are just beginning to see the damaging effects of Kynes Dream to change the planet. Witness the forces that pull Paul about and drive him into the wilderness in Dune Messiah.

Return to Crydee and the world of the Void hopping Pug. Old familiar characters have faded into legend and a new set step up to fill the gap. The Kingdom of the isles is again in danger of invasion, this time from their one time allies of Great Kesh. Two brothers must suddently grow up very fast and take up arms to save all they hold dear. Book 1 of the Chaos War

There are doors that lead into other dimensions and from these doors Roland pulls the companions he needs to continue in his quest. The drug addicted Eddie with his need for a change, Crippled Suzanna who is also Mea, Jake an orphan like himself who may be destined to become another Gun Slinger, and Oy - the faithful BillyBumbler. Together, they travel between worlds hoping to find just the right point in time to put right what the world has broken.

This should have been called "Stuck on the Train". While trying to escape a band of Salem's lot style vampires Roland and company take refuge on a train headed into the Waste Lands. They soon discover that the engine is the only sentient being in control and getting off is going to take more daring-do than just waiting for the next scheduled stop.