Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels.

Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief at times. However, it had nothing to do with the paranormal aspects of the story. I can accept that Pepper is a private investigator for the dead. I had a much harder time with some of the other plot points. For example, I don't believe you could be signed up to do a reality TV series and NOT know about it until the camera crew shows up. Also, it seemed odd to me that the community service people weren't escorted by anyone "official", especially considering Pepper didn't know she was going to be supervising them until they showed up. Additionally, I had a bit of a hard time suspending disbelief for how the ending went down. It just seemed a little fantastical to me. Overall, however, it wasn't a bad story. I just felt like certain parts weren't ringing true for me and it took me out of the book a bit.

Night of the Loving Dead by Casey Daniels

Night of the Loving Dead by Casey Daniels


rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow! I think this is my new favorite book in the series. I will admit that it was just a touch slow in the beginning and that I was worried that it wasn't going to live up to my expectations. Thankfully, I was very wrong! It quickly picked up and I soon found it difficult to put the book down. We finally get to learn a lot about Dan, which I really appreciated. I've been waiting for more of his story for way too long. :) Now I'm really looking forward to more in this series.

Books Read 03/08

Wow. I must admit that March was an EXCELLENT reading month for me. I didn't read a large number of books, but they were all fantastic! March became a wildly busy month for me and I just didn't have the energy to read very much. Luckily, it seemed like every book I picked up was a total winner. What are the chances of that happening? Anyway, here's what I read:

13. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 3/02/08
14. Tombs of Endearment by Casey Daniels 3/09/08
15. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld 3/15/08
16. Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster 03/27/08

So, first of all, I started the month with Into the Wild. What an amazing book! The story is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. I felt a connection with Chris that I wasn't expecting. I really can't stress enough how awesome this story is and how much I enjoyed it. I understand why Sean Penn would spend years trying to make this into a film. It's a story that is likely to stay with you. I can't wait to see the movie version. It is definitely a book I won't soon forget.

Of course, after the emotional ride of Into the Wild, I was in the mood for something a little lighter. I chose Tombs of Endearment, the third installment of the Pepper Martin series. It was the perfect choice. I still can't believe I'm in love with a paranormal cozy series, but I am. Pepper is funny and definitely gained a little depth in this book. I am looking forward to following Pepper in the future, I can assure you of that! I still wish the author would just tell us who Dan the Brain Man is and what his purpose is, but I'm learning to deal. If his purpose ends up being lame though, I will be totally pissed. Just saying.

Next up, I decided to give Uglies a shot. My 15 year old cousin mentioned this series to me about a year ago. The concept intrigued me, but I wasn't sure if I would like it. Then I started seeing all sorts of hype about the series and figured I should get to reading them sooner, rather than later. I'm very glad I did! This book was great. Of course, I didn't have very high hopes for it at first, but the author really blew me away. It was absolutely fascinating! The next book in the series is en route to me right now and I can't wait to get it. I know I will be rereading this series in the future and recommending it to all sorts of people. It was an easy read but very thought provoking as well. What would I do in the same situation? Seriously, I know this is a young adult novel, but it's one of the best I've read in a while. It's in the same category as Speak and Boy in the Striped Pajamas for me.

Finally, I read Bright Lights. Politics aside, I can't help but feel that Jen Lancaster and I would get along famously. Of course, I'm not sure the world could handle it if we did meet. :) Anyway, she's incredibly funny and this book left me in stitches. It's almost embarrassing to find yourself laughing out loud while reading a book, but I can't help myself! She's just fantastic and I'm glad I ended my crazy stressful month with this great book. Thanks Jen for making my life a little better when things were hectic. You rock!

Favorite Read: All of them! Seriously, I couldn't choose between them. They were all great for different reasons.

Number of books read in March 2008: 4 (Okay, that's hard to look at!)
Number of books read in March 2007: 6

Books Read 01/08

So, let's see what I read in January 2008, shall we?

1. I Am America (and So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 1/4/08
2. The Chick and the Dead (A Pepper Martin Mystery) by Casey Daniels 1/08/08
3. Lean Mean Thirteen (A Stephanie Plum novel) by Janet Evanovich 1/14/08
4. Body Movers by Stephanie Bond 1/22/08
5. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter 1/26/08

January was definitely a SLOW reading month for me. I don't know why, but I just could not read for long periods of time. Many of the books I chose didn't grab me very much either. It was a very off and odd month for me.

Anyway, I started off the new year right with Stephen Colbert's I Am America (and So Can You!). It was an excellent choice. The word searches and margins were hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud while reading, which is always a plus in my world. It was a favorite for the month without a doubt. I don't think I'll be able to swap this one out. It belongs on my shelf right next to America the Book. :)

Next up, The Chick and the Dead by Casey Daniels. This was my second favorite book for the month. So far, I'm really enjoying this new series. I love the cozy mystery feel with the paranormal elements thrown in as well. I like Pepper and can't wait to read more in this series. Very enjoyable!

Then, there's the other 3 books I read. I was disappointed with them all at the end of the day. I had high hopes when I started Lean Mean Thirteen, but I felt quite let down when it was finished. It took me longer to read this one installment than the rest of the series combined! (Okay, not quite, but it really did take me a lot longer than any other Stephanie Plum novel). There was just some magic missing. Please, recapture that magic in the next novel or I fear I may have to quit reading! I never thought I'd see the day when I'd willingly give up on Stephanie Plum, but it's fast approaching.

Then, I made the decision to read Body Movers. Now, part of the problem is that I read the sequel before I read this one, so I knew what was going to happen to a degree. That was my bad decision in the first place. I knew I was reading a sequel to another novel, but I read it anyway. Unfortunately, it really did take away some of my enjoyment for the first in the series. Hopefully, however, when the third comes out, I'll be blown away and ready for it. It really wasn't a bad read, it just did not grab my attention when I knew so many of the details already. Oh well.

Finally, I read I'd Tell You I Love You.... I'm not typing out the entire freaking title again. Sorry. Now, this book had a lot of potential. The main character is a student at a school for spies and that is what piqued my interest. There is so much an author could do with that premise! Overall, though, it fell a little flat. I think I've been spoiled by the Students Across Seven Seas stories and I was looking for a stronger heroine. I wanted her to be a total badass and instead she's totally kick ass until she interacts with a boy. I would like to think that a girl with so much spy training would have a confidence in her that she'd carry every where. Still, it was a fascinating premise and I might read the sequel at some point just to see if it gets better.

Favorite book: Tough call, but I might give the edge to Chick and the Dead.
Least favorite: Another tough call, and I think I have to give it to Lean Mean Thirteen. It hurts to type that. :(

Number of books finished in January 2008: 5
Number of books finished in January 2007: 7