Bakers Dozen 2013: 13

Crystal Flame by Jayne Ann Krentz

Just like Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz, Crystal Flame is a romantic, futuristic, supernatural, Sci-Fi type novel.  So as I've mentioned before, this book came in a double bound edition with Sweet Starfire so I just ended up reading this one right after I finished with the first book.  Just like the other book, I don't remember as many little details like I have with other books that I have read but I just remember the feeling and emotion of this book.  I remember a little more detail about this book than other one but for some odd reason my amazing memory to remember little details has just failed me.  I might just have to reread this one also.

Anyway, the book is about female trained assassin Kalena and her mission to kill the man that was behind the destruction of her family.  She has to kill him in order to be free of her familial obligations.  She enters into a marriage contract with a man named Ridge but people call him the Fire Whip.  Neither know that they are in danger from the people who are closest to them and that they trust.  Or course even though their marriage is just really a contract, this is important because even though it's not a forever marriage, it is in a sense permission to be physical.

Again this is another one of those books that I ended up falling in love with just because of the impression that it left on me.  This might just be one of those books that I reread instead of guessing the little details that I wished I could remember.  Again even though I can't remember the specifics, I still love this book.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 12

Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz

Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz is a futuristic, supernatural romance novel.  Before I read this book I had only read one of her other books before this and I remember not being all that enthused by it.  But this book was awesome.  Now I have to admit that there is a lot that I don't really remember about this book but it left just one of those feelings and impressions that just makes me love this book so much.  I bought this book in a double set so it also had Crystal Flame with it and I read both back to back.  But I'm not really all that clear whether or not these two stories are tied together tightly.  They both were set into the future and use the same solar system, but other than that I don't remember

The story follows two people Cidra and Teague.  Cidra is from a race of people who have special telepathic skills, that she apparently lack.  She's considered an outsider and is on the mission to discover the secret that will allow her mind to communicate with others.  Teague Severance is a delivery man, the ultimate delivery man in the Stanza Nine System.  As long as the price is right he'll deliver it.  Cidra takes the risk of hiring him to bring her to the rough area with Stanza Nine system.  Even though Teague is certain that Cidra isn't his type they soon find themselves in a passion that flares between them that could put their lives in jeopardy.

Again, the little details aren't floating in my head as much as other books that I have read, but I just remember the emotion and the sense of awe.  The book just left a magical feeling over me that to this day I still remember.  I think I might have to reread this story just so I can relive how much I loved this story.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 11

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

So this is another one of those books that I reviewed about a year and a half ago.  And this was another one that I LOVED and I gave it a 5 out of 5.  So this is another book that I don't have in my collection because I borrowed it from my step-brother.  Now along with me writing a book review for this book I also did a book vs. movie comparison.  Yes they made this book into a movie.  But this is a clear example where the book is always better than the movie.

Now because this book uses a very well known historical figure, the author had to use a lot of historic points to make the plot seem plausible.  The book follows Abe from childhood to his assassination.  And the author was very descriptive when it came to explaining what was going on during the time period.  Also, this was a completely different take on vampires, but they author kept the classic ideal of what a vampire is.  Lately the images of what vampires are suppose to be have slipped away from the classic ideal and have gone to nice ones that sparkle.  So in a sense this was a very refreshing book to read just because of that aspect.  Plus as someone who enjoys learning about history this was an interesting way to introduce history to the avid fiction writer.

Even though as I mentioned before I don't have this book in my collection, a lot of the vivid details still remain in my head.  The author tied in historical fact this fiction so seamlessly that I at times wondered if I was reading real fact.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 10

Buddha Baby by Kim Wong Keltner

Buddha Baby by Kim Wong Keltner follows Chinese-American woman, Lindsey Owyang as she tries to find a happy medium between being a typical American and still trying to connect to her Chinese heritage.  She is a second generation born in the United States.  Her family settled in the China Town area in San Fransisco and Lindsey starts to discover her family roots.

I think I read this book right before I started this blog, because a part of me thought that I posted a review for it but then I remember that I read it when I went down to Florida in March two years ago.  This was one of those books that the humor really stuck out to me.  But also the idea of how main character Lindsey was kind of embarrassed by her traditional Chinese heritage.  Also the author stressed the fact that Lindsey's boyfriend/fiance is predominately white with only a very small fraction of Chinese heritage.  But he has made a huge effort to learn customs and traditions to show respect to her parents and grandparents.  Than enter a person from her past, who is 100 percent Chinese but doesn't care at all about his Chinese heritage but Lindsey knows that her family would be more accepting of him as opposed to the one that she loves.  Through out this book Lindsey struggles with finding a happy medium in life in general.  At parts you want to beat her because she's being very whiny and other parts you sympathize with her struggle to find peace with whom she is suppose to be.

Because I was on vacation I believe I read this book on the plane ride down.  It was a very quick read.  There were parts where I laughed out loud and then there were parts where I felt the emotional turmoil of the main character.  While this book isn't quite in the humor or romance realm, I guess the only genre that it could be in would be drama.  I've never read anything like it so I don't really know how to categorize it.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 9

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

Almost one year ago I reviewed this book, Jennifer Government by Max Barry and LOVED it.  I gave this book a 5 out of 5 because I loved it so much.  This was one of those suggestions by my former boss at the book store and I bought this book at another discount book store almost eight years ago.  SO I had this book in my collection for about 7 years before I had even picked it up and started to read it.  I remember thinking to myself, "why didn't I read this sooner?  I had it this whole time and never read it!"  I can honestly say I was a little mad at myself for that.

So in case you haven't read my book review (here) I'll do a quick overview of what Jennifer Government was about.  So the book is set some point in the future, exactly when was never stated, but you got the sense that there was a decent amount of time for the world to become like this.  Now in this future, we are essentially owned by corporations.  So if your name is Jane Smith but you work for Barnes and Nobles you would be known as Jane Barnes and Nobles.  The government is also pretty much dictated by the high powered corporations that have the most money.  Jennifer works for the government and and is investigating the murders of a dozen or so kids because the company Nike put at hit out on them to promote the newest shoes.  This story you see corruption with in companies and Jennifer's fight to uphold the law to her best.

This was an incredibly fun book to read, but it also made you think.  The plot didn't seem all that far fetched and that is kind of a scary thing to think about.  Usually books like this don't appeal to me, but the author wrote it just like how I would watch a movie.  No it isn't written like a script, but when reading it I could easily picture what was going on.  I remember so much of this book vividly that it will stay in my mind for a long time.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 8

Fire-Starter by Stephen King

So many of you know this famous book by Stephen King which was made into a movie starting a very young Drew Barrymore.  Now I haven't read a huge array of Stephen King novels, but this was the first one that I had ever read by him and I think this book was pivotal in getting my start reading books other than V.C. Andrews.

Now I shouldn't really have to talk about the plot because everyone should have at least some idea of what this book is about but if not I'll briefly explain it.  The novel starts off with Andy meeting his wife Vicky for the first time during a government experiment for extra cash.  The fall in love and get married and give birth to a little girl, Charlie.  Now one of the side effects of this experiment is that Andy and Vicky end up with some special abilities, but because they aren't natural they are very painful to do.  But Charlie's abilities come natural to her.  She has the ability to start fires with her mind.  Vicky ends up getting murdered and Charlie and Andy are on the run from the government, whom want to see the full extent of Charlie's powers.

So this book kind of touches on a lot of different themes.  One is of course government abuse of power.  Which is kind of scary to think about.  I mean you just trying to figure out a way to make a few bucks and you take this crazy drug that has a LSD effect and give you powers and now the government wants to kill you in order to protect their ass.  Yeah kind of scary.  Another is of course to thought of people with special powers or mutants.  Which can also be another terrifying thought that there are people out there that have the power to cause harm without moving a finger.   So I think of the reasons I put Fire-Starter on my list was because this helped me to start reading different authors.  There are a few parts of the book that I can recall off the top of my head so this book definitely left a lasting impression on me.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 7

Violet & Claire by Francesca Lia Block

So this is the only young adult novel on my list this year.  Now Violet & Claire is kind of hard to explain unless you are familiar with the authors writing style it's kind of hard to describe.  She kind of writes like her stories are a poem or sonnet from the past.  Her words flow together like a song and she's very rich with detail and she uses a lot of symbolism to describe what she's writing.

The story is of two different girls, Violet and Claire.  Both opposite from each other, they both need each other to be whole.  Violet is the dark one, dressed in black and dreams of writing her own silver screen creation.  Claire is light and love, almost like a real-life Tinker Bell, dressed in wings of gauze and glitter, constantly writing poems to keep the dark away.   The story takes you through the journey in L.A. through the ups and downs.

This book not only followed these girls but you also feel their pain and loneliness.  It also touches upon anorexia, rape, drug and alcohol abuse.  But because of Francesca Lia Block's writing style you might now pick up on it right away.  Even though this book is in the young adult section I do feel that a lot of the symbolism might go over a lot of young adults head.  But if you're one to be able to pick up on them than this would be a good book for you to read.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 6

Open Season by Linda Howard

If you remember for my 2012 bakers dozen I mentioned that I almost put Open Season by Linda Howard in, but in the end I put Mr. Perfect instead since it was placed in Michigan.  But Open Season was the first book that I had ever read by Linda Howard.  Like most contemporary romance writers, Linda Howard got her start as a Harlequin author.  While most of the books that I have read from her are contemporary romance with hints of mystery and suspense, the main focus in all of her stories is the romantic connection between the lead male and female characters.

The story is focused around Daisy Minor, who on her thirty-fourth birthday decides she needs a make over on her life.  Tired of being the stereotypical small-town librarian, with boring clothes, ordinary looks and dateless.  Always the good girl, Daisy transforms her self into a party girl, dancing, flirting and laughing become a part of her life.  But she has ulterior motives, she wants to find a man.  She draws the attention of local sheriff, Jack Russo.  Attracted to her before her makeover, he sees that she's going to be trouble after the transformation.  They start a relationship, but Russo realizes that he needs to protect her from more than just herself.

This is probably the one book that I re-read the most.  This is probably my all-time favorite book by Linda Howard (my second being Mr. Perfect) and I'm kind of bummed that I bought it in a paper back because the spine is starting to deteriorate due to my constant re-reading.  This book has humor, drama, romance, and a good amount of action.  And it all seemed plausible.  This wasn't a fiction plot that seemed far fetched, it did seem kind of realistic and I think that is one of the reasons why I do reread this book  a lot.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 5

Secrets of the Ancient Goddess by Brenda Gates Smith

If you have never heard of Brenda Gates Smith or Secrets of the Ancient Goddess well I don't blame you.  This author is pretty much an unknown,  and I think I stumbled upon her first book Secrets of the Ancient Goddess several years ago.  It was published in 1999 but I think I read it a few years later.  I was probably around 15 years-old at the time.  This book does have a sequel, Goddess of the Mountain Harvest.  But I feel that out of the two this was the better book.  In fact I really didn't like the sequel a whole lot.  Now I just found out that this author as released a third book but I don't know if it goes with this one or the sequel or if it is a stand alone.  This was definitely more historical than anything else.  I guess I could say this book is some what similar to Clan of the Cave Bear.  But not quite.  The author took time to study the historical time period to make the setting seem authentic.

The book is set in a prehistoric land which is now Turkey.  And follows two different women.  One is the mate of a high priest of the Goddess, exiled from her people for giving birth to her second deformed son.  To survive she becomes adopted by a group of people who help straighten out her sons leg which was the deformity.  But one of their own was captured by a violent and war-driven clan.  Forced to become one of the many wives for the leader of the tribe, she's subjected to a more brutal way of life which is the opposite of the peaceful life she was brought up with.  The story follows both to where the women who was kidnapped joins back with her tribe.

This was definitely one of those books where the author didn't have to write a sequel, because the sequel didn't do anything for the book.  I wonder if maybe she felt the need to since the Clan of the Cave Bear book is in a series?  But anyway, the first book, Secrets of the ancient Goddess was amazing.  I don't know if they're still printing new copies, but if you look on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com there are a lot of used copies that you can find cheap.  I definitely suggest picking up this book if you want to read a historical book that doesn't have romance.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 4

Mind Tryst by Robyn Carr

So this is the first and only book that I have read by Robyn Carr.  I have a lot of her other books in my collection, I just haven't had a chance to get to them.  This I believe was a suggestion from someone at the bookstore that I used to work at before I even started working there.  I think I was closer to 16 years-old when I read this.  So during this time I think I was starting to read a lot of historical romance and V.C. Andrews so this was a different type of novel that what I was use to.  This is considered to be part of the psychological/suspense/thriller/mystery genre.  While I do remember there being an intimate scene there wasn't love or romance in the story.

The book follows Jackie Sheppard who has moved to a small town in the Colorado Rockies after the tragic death of her young son.  She works at a small family law firm, meets Tom a local carpenter, but Jackie can't help distrust others.  Which hinders her relationships.  However as she moves on in this little town disturbing things start to happen to Jackie.  Objects are moved, an imprint of a body shows up on her made bed, a bouquet of wildflowers are left by her door.  Soon she find out more about Tom's checkered past and soon finds herself the next target of a sadistic killer.

This was for sure one of those stories that have kept a lasting memory just because at the time I was pretty much stuck in a rut.  I was kind of surprised by the lack of romance at the time but it fit with in the plot.  The back story for the main character was very well written so you understand where the character came from before the bulk of the story starts.  This was an enjoyable book but I have to be honest, I don't pick it up that often like I might others, but I still remember a lot of this book.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 3

Cradle and All by James Patterson

For those of you who have heard of James Patterson probably know him by his popular and successful Alex Cross series.  Well, he has done many more than just that.  He's done young adult with the Maximum Ride series, Nicholas Sparks inspired with books like Sam's Letters to Jennifer and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.  But he has also done some stand alone books like Cradle and All.  Now when this book was first released it was called Virgin but at some point the title was changed.  Now I don't know if there was any major editing done to the book when it was renamed or what.  This was another one of those books that my old manager at the book store suggested.  In fact I remember she bought a copy of this book at a major book sale and gave it to me.

The plot of the book is that there are two young women are pregnant, one is in Boston the other Ireland.  the key is that both are virgins.  Anne Fitzgerald, a former nun now private investigator, is hired by the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate the immaculate conceptions.  Once she gets to know the two young women she soon realizes that both are in great danger.  With both the force of good and evil beginning to play, Anne needs to discover the truth and save not just to two young women but to protect the future of all mankind.

This book was good and a quick read.  It had enough detail where I was kept interested and I couldn't put the book down, but it wasn't over saturated with so many details that you lost interest in the book.  The plot of course had a twist and while some may have seen it coming I have to be honest I didn't.  So it made the ending of the book much more enjoyable.  I do have to say that even though this is a stand alone book I wish that there was a sequel.  The ending was left kind of open-ended so I think a sequel would be perfect.  It's been 8 years since I've read this book and I just want to know what happens next.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 2

Envy by Sandra Brown

So I believe this was the first book that I had ever read by Sandra Brown.  While it does have a romantic undertone, there are so many different elements to this book that could make it part of a different genre.  Now Sandra Brown is a New Your Times bestseller author with many of her books making it on the list.  She got her start writing harlequin romance under the pen name Erin St. Claire.  So many of the books that I have read by her have been reprints from from that pen name.  But this isn't one of them.

The book is based around New York publisher Maris Matherly-Reed and author Parker Evans (whom claims to be a new author).  The manuscript catches her attention and she travels down to Georgia to meet the author.  Parker has worked hard to conceal is identity and past, but Maris is drawn to the manuscript of two young friends and betrayal.  Maris's life isn't perfect either.  Going through a divorce the chilling novel seems to be connected to her.

This was definitely one of those slow read stories.  Even though I read it fast I missed a lot of details so ever time I would be able to pick up on details that I had missed previously.  This book was a joy to read, but I do have to warn that there is some vulgar language.  Many of the newer books that Brown has written does have some form vulgarity.  But I don't think that it is added unnecessary, I think the vulgar aspects fits with the story plot pretty well.

Bakers Dozen 2013: 1

Well I hope everyone has had an amazing holiday.  Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that everyone has taken the time to sit with family and cherish the small things.

Moving on, I'm doing a 2013 bakers dozen edition.  I planned on starting it early December but unfortunately procrastination got the better of me so be prepared for a slew of posts.

Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding

So I'm going to start this one out with Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding.  This is the first book that I had ever read from this author and it was a psychological thriller/mystery.  At the time that I read this I was still working at the book store so it has been about 9 years since I last read the book and I don't have this in my possession, but it still one of those book that seems to have left a lasting impression on me.  In fact I remember when I went to a book store with my sister I saw this book in the bargain book section and convinced her to buy it.

The book is about forty-year-old nurse Terry Painter who lives alone in her house after her mother passed away.  A young and vibrant girl Alison Simms rents a cottage from her and the two women become fast friends.  Terry suddenly finds herself going out, having makeovers and even flirting, but soon she becomes paranoid about her new friend.  She soon discovers stuff about Alison which thrusts her paranoia even farther.

In this novel there are so many twists and turns that if you don't pay attention to what's going on you might actually miss some important details.  The first time I read the ending I found it shocking but when I went back and re-read certain parts I picked up on clues that the author cleverly left for readers to pick up on.  And I also had my manager from the book store (who told me I had to read the book) to discuss the book about so it helped me figure out details much quicker.

I remember this book sticking with me so strongly because for one, it was much different from what I normally read (even though I read mostly romance I do actually like reading other genres also), and two I had to read this a little slower than what I normally will read a book, just because there was so many subtle hints about what was going on.

I definitely enjoyed this book and a big part of me wished that I had purchased a copy when I had the chance because I would go back to this book and re-read it when ever the mood would strike me.

Bakers Dozen 13

The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

Ok so I'm cheating with this one and I'm using the whole series.  I really couldn't pick just one book in this series that I have read.  Seriously with all of the funny antics that Janet Evanovich writes in her stories, how can you just pick one.  Again this was another series/author that Kristi suggested (honestly if she had her own blog I'd probably be linking her all the time on this site.)

The basic plot for the whole series starts when Stephanie Plum gets let go from her job and she's desperate for money.  It just so happens that her cousin Vinny has a bail bonds agency and needs some help, so Stephanie decided to become a bounty hunter (or a Bail Bonds Agent, the more correct job title).  Honestly because she isn't equip for it, hilarity ensues.  Through out the books there is an array of crazy characters and some are recurring.  I have to say Grandma Mazur is my favorite, I fell in love with her character from the first book when she shot the butt end off the turkey at the dinner table, and as the series progresses Grandma's character never fails to pump up the hilarity factor.

These books, seriously have me staying up all of hours of the night giggling my ass off.  How Janet Evanovich was able to come up with the crazy characters and scenarios and yet they seem normal I have no idea.  I do have to say though, there is a bit of romance.  But the romance is very plausible and Stephanie's emotions are written in a way that everyone can relate too.  While a majority of the book is based off of the bounty jobs, there is underlying story lines that continue through out the stories concerning family, romance, and the fact that Stephanie Plum always has a car destroyed.

If you ever need a good belly laugh, I suggest the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  You will no be disappointed.

Bakers Dozen 12

Ransom by Julie Garwood

So this was probably one of the first historical romance books that I had read, or at least in the wave of historical romance that I started.  And you might find it weird but I remember clearly how I came about getting this book.  I had read a little snippet of another book by this author, Mercy, in a Cosmo magazine.  I hadn't bought that book but I found this book in the bargain book section at Borders for around 2 dollars.  This book didn't have a cover wrap (it is a hard cover book) so there was no synopsis.  But I figured for 2 bucks I can take a gamble.  I think this was one of the first book that I fell in love with because it was about Scotland, and it totally made me think about a hunky Scottish warrior (I know kind of dorky, but hey I was like 15 when I got the book.)

The story starts off with Lady Gillian as a child and she is trying to escape from her manor with her sister after their father is killed by a greedy baron.  The story then time warps to about 15 years later where Gillian is ordered to find her sister whom she hasn't seen for that time.  She finds out that her sister is now living in the highlands and she must go to find her.  She also sees that the greedy barons captured a boy that they plan to kill.  But instead they escape and go into the highlands to bring the boy to his family.  Gillian pretends to be the boys Uncle's, Laird Brodrick Buchanan's, bride in order to insure a safe return for the boy and to also get help finding her sister.  Brodrick, feels the need to protect Gillian and soon sparks fly and they become married.  There are so many plot twists and turns that keep you interested and I honestly couldn't put the book down.

This story is in theory a sequel to The Secret but the book has enough detail to stand on its own and you can read it with out reading The Secret first.  I love how Julie Garwood mixed in the humor and to romance together and it seemed so seamless that they humor didn't feel out of place in the setting and time period of the novel.

Again, I just love this book.  I have read several of Julie Garwood's other books and I have to say, I have never been disappointed by what I had read.  If you're in the mood for a book that has a romance, humor and some action, I definitely suggest one of her novels.

Bakers Dozen 11

Shadow's Kiss by Joan Hohl

This is a historical/paranormal/romance novel, that really struck me as unique.  Now I know that there are a million different historical romance novels and paranormal romance novels, but I have to say, this is the first that I have read that combined the two genres.  Again, this author was another one suggested by Kristi and whenever she has suggested something to me I have never been disappointed (this is a reason why she is so awesome.)

Anyway, the story starts off with Darcy Flynn, leaving her Philadelphia home to Denver to help her mother for what she thought was a boarding house.  When she gets there she found out that her mother had passed away and the boarding house is actually a whore house.  Darcy who had lived in a all girls catholic school all her life, is shocked that her mother ran a whore house, but after she gets to know the girls, she realizes that her mother actually helped the girls by helping them escape from horrible upbringings.  Being inspired by these girls stories, she decides to transforms the whore house into a school for ladies so that they can learn skills and be accepted into society.

The romance starts when two days prior to Darcy's arrival Jonathan Stuart is murdered in the whore house.  He has unfinished business and his spirit walks the house.  Only Darcy can see and feel his presence, she soon starts to fall in love, but obviously because he is a ghost it seems impossible.  Or is it?

I just loved how this story was written.  It was the perfect combination of romance/historical/paranormal, and it kind of had a little bit of girl power.  Even though the character Darcy falls in love and that is a huge factor in the book, I just loved how Joan Hohl wrote this character to be very self-aware and very much empowered to help these women.  I also felt the that the love story was very sweet, and you find yourself rooting for this couple even though it seems impossible.

Bakers Dozen 10

So I couldn't do this list with out also adding The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.  As I stated in the previous post, this was one of two books that Kristi suggested.

The story is set in the year 1066 in England during the transition from a Saxon England to a Norman England.  The fierce warrior Wulfgar is in charge of an army to claim the land and residents of Darkenwald in the name of William, the Conqueror.  But the conniving Ragnor gets there first, killing the Lord of Darkenwald, and he wishes to posses his beautiful daughter Aislinn.  Fortunately for Aislinn, Wulfgar takes possession of Darkenwald and becomes their new Lord.  Refusing to bow, she becomes Wulfgar's slave and mistress.  Through out the story Aislinn and Wulfgar struggle with their feelings for each other but you see their love blossom.

Also I loved the the plot twist of Wulfgar's vengeful and evil sister, Gwyneth.  Her presence in the story makes for an interesting plot and drama.

I have to say when I first read this story and The Flame and the Flower I actually preferred the other one more.  Only because the speech is written how we would perceive 1066 English would be spoken.  So as a 16 year old it was a little hard to follow.  As I've gotten older though, this has become another one of the books that I pick up on a frequent basis and re-read over and over again.

If you are interested in reading historical romance, you can not go wrong with Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.

Bakers Dozen 9

The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

This book was recommended to me years ago by Kristi when she found out that I was starting to get into romance novels.  In fact I remember her saying point blank, "If you love romance novels you have to read The Flame and the Flower and The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss."  So I remember going to Boarders and buying them right away and LOVING them.  Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is definitely the queen of historical romance.

This book is set in the 1800's in post revolutionary war America.  The story starts of with Heather, going with her abusive aunts brother to London to hopefully get a job at Lady Cabot's school for women.  But the man has other plans and tries to rape Heather.  Scared and frightened she runs from him after she accidental stabs him and comes across two men whom she thinks is a part of law enforcement but turns out they went out on their Captains orders to find a "pretty wench to spend the night with."  After spending a couple of nights with the Captain Brandon Birmingham she flees back to her aunt.  Unfortunately, Heather is with child and is forced to marry Brandon.  They set sail to America where the antagonist Louisa is and she finds out that the conniving women is Brandon's former fiance.

The drama builds into a wonderful crescendo, and you can not put the book down.  Seriously, every few months I find myself picking this book up and re-reading it from front to back cover repeatedly.  I would love to go on and on about how much I love this book but I have to be honest words just don't describe how awesome this book is.

Bakers Dozen 8

On the Bright Side; I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison

So this is the second book in Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series and my favorite.  This is also a young adult novel and at the time that I read it it was age appropriate.  I think one of the reason's why this story stuck out in my head is because of the humor.  My taste in humor is very slap stick and kind of juvenile.  One of my favorite parts is where Georgia is holding her younger sister in her lap and her younger sister farts.  That whole scene had me giggling for about 3 hours straight.  But other than that the whole book is full of hilarity.

The whole series is based on Georgia's journal entries about her daily life and her affections of the opposite sex, especially her Sex-God boyfriend Robbie.  The story takes place right after Rennison's first novel, Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging so it is a series that you would probably want to start from first novel to the end of the series.

While the first three or four novels seem more juvenile,but you definitely see a character growth in Georgia as the series progresses.  But Rennison never looses her distinct sense of humor as the series progresses.  I have to say that she wrote an excellent modern-day, young adult version of Lucy and Ethel, as Georgia's best friend Jas plays side kick to all of Georgia's crazy antics.

This is definitely a book and series that will probably stay on my bookshelves for years to come.  If you ever feel the need to indulge you inner teenager with some humor I definitely recommend this series to anyone, young or old.

Bakers Dozen 7

The Funhouse by Dean Koontz

So this was probably one of the first books in the Horror genre that I have ever read, and it's stuck with me 10 years after I have read it.  I remember going through my mom's book collection because I was sick of reading nothing by V.C. Andrews and the title intrigued me.  So I grabbed the book from the bookshelf and started to read.

The book is based around Amy Harper's life and how she is trying to cope with an overly zealous Catholic mother who is fighting demons from her past and taking it out on her children and turning to vodka to drive away her misery.  Their are many key plot changers in this story that keeps you interested but ultimately you know what the final conflict will be.  The story starts with a young Ellen (Amy's mother) married to an abusive carny, Conrad Straker, and she has given birth to a deformed, demonic child.  Terrified and disgusted by the disfigurement of her first born son, Ellen kills the child and flees from the carnival.  She then turns to religion and eventually remarries and gives birth to two normal children, Amy and Joey.  After the prologue the story is mainly based on Amy with cutouts of Conrad looking for revenge.  Amy finds out she's pregnant in prom night and tells her mother, who is terrified of what the child might look like because he was conceived in sin allows Amy to get and abortion and tells Amy that she is done protecting her soul and that she is basically emotionally alone.  Amy turns to her best friend Liz, who is one of loose morals, and soon finds herself slipping into a darkness that she doesn't want to be a part of.  When the carnival comes to town, Amy's little brother Joey decided he's going to become a carny because of his mom's abuse and runs into Conrad.  Joey doesn't know that Conrad, has a second son who has grown to be what the first born was and he is seeking revenge for his son's murder by killing Ellen's two children.  The final showdown is a fight between Gunther (Conrad's second son) and Amy, and these where Amy realized her positive view on religion.

Again, this story is a major first for me because it was a different genre that what I usually read.  Now I still don't read a lot of horror book but this was a nice breath of fresh air and it's a good book to pick up from time to time to re-read.