Dexter is Delicious- Review

Dexter is back in full serial killer next door style in Dexter Is Delicious, Jeff Lindsay's latest entry in the Dexter series, due out in stores September 7th. The charming people of Doubleday were kind enough to send me an advanced copy, which made my Wednesday afternoon when I pulled in from work. I wasted no time clearing through the ending of Mockinjay and diving straight into Dexter's latest antics.


We meet up with Dexter in the maternity ward, mooning over his new daughter Lily Anne. He's being overcome by his first ever wave of emotion and is dealing with it in his usual awkward, Dexter-like way, when it occurs to him that maybe he should give up the dark passenger playtime in his new daddy state. Unfortunately his timing is bad, what with the wave of cannibalism washing through Miami, the surprise visit by his brother in darkness Brian and the usual grumpy demands from his sister Deborah. What remains to be seen is if his family will let him give up his serial killer ways or if they'll demand he continue on with his Dexter brand of crime watchers.

Uproariously funny as usual, Dexter Is Delicious manages to carve new ground in the series with the birth of Lily Anne and thus Dexter's emotional roller coaster. Astor and Cody continue to be some of my favorite characters followed closely by gutter mouth Deb. There is a lovely scene that comprises of Deb repeating Shit in an endless variety of ways which still makes me giggle to think of it. But most rewarding of all, watching the mystery unwind slowly to its gory and triumphant peak, while normally nimble Dexter ambles hopelessly confused by emotion behind. Can Jeff Lindsay and all his rhyming Dexter didies get any better than this? I'm sure he can, and the twist at the end has me eagerly anticipating the next Dexter title (Sigh, and this one hasn't even come out yet!!)

At least I have the imminently exciting Season 5 of Dexter the TV show to tide me over for a little while in between! (September 26th seems to be the date we finally get to see where last seasons major cliff hanger will end up going).

Dexter Is Delicious, By Jeff Lindsay
Published by Doubleday, September 7th 2010

The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories- Review

Its been an  exceedingly busy few reading weeks for me, I've received a bundle of ARC's plus there has been the release of Artemis Fowl the Atlantis Complex, Mockingjay and now Clockwork Angel on Tuesday.  I've been reading full out to get everything in (of course enjoying every minute of it too!), but once in awhile I find I've got a day or a day and a bit before a new release and after wrapping my current book.  So I've been picking up Holly Black's short story collection The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories. 

I'm not generally a lover of the short story, but the hubby found The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories while we were making one of our many visits to The Strand in New York, and I just couldn't turn it down since it promised stories linking into Valiant, Tithe and Ironside.  Now first off, I have to say, only one of the stories actually linked into her characters from Valiant, Tithe and Ironside. One of the other stories (called going Ironside) was about elves so I suppose it tied in via subject matter, but it really had nothing to do with her previous faerie books.

A whole mix of stories from sudo-fairy tales, a vampire story, a competition with the devil and of course a variety of faerie stories made for a good mix.  My only complaint is I find Holly's gritty style doesn't work as well on the extreme short stories. Going Ironside was about 3 pages long and was so gritty with no relief (i mean it's 3 pages after all!) that it was just depressing and slightly horrifying.  The longer stories fared much better and in fact some were so enjoyable I would like to read more about them.  On the bonus side, the book is extremely pretty, black hard cover with green foiled lettering across the front with a green foil scull and cross bones underneath, and lovely matching green end pages, makes this one of the prettiest Holly Black books I've ever picked up (outside, of course, of the spectacularly pretty Spiderwick books).

Be warned, if you haven't read Holly's YA before, this is no Spiderwick.  She likes to write from a very gritty and intense angle often following runaways, teens who are so beyond caring that they abuse their bodies via sex and drugs, teens tangled up in hopeless lives where their mother sleeps with their boyfriend or they're struggling with their sexuality in all the wrong places etc, etc.  This isn't your usual YA fare, which is part of what makes it great, but if that's not your cup of tea and you want a generic teen love triangle with the good girl and two gorgeous guys then she's not the writer for you!

The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories, By Holly Black
Published by Big Mouth House, February 2010

Yes and Yes cat adventures- Feline Fridays

One of the most fantastic blogs I've ever run across is Sarah Von's Yes and Yes blog.  Filled with intriguing interviews, optimistic quotes and her often hysterical misadventures I find her blog the perfect combination of daily pick me up and daily dose of giggles.  Point in fact was her very funny post on Friday the 20th of August.  Part of her 31 things to do before she turns 31 (happening on August 29th!):

31 New Things: Walk My Cat On A Leash and Be All "What?"



I would like to preface this post by tell you that if my cat Putin was a human, he would be Niles Crane. He would probably have a variety of imagined ailments, he'd be allergic to peanuts, he'd be married to shrew of a woman and he'd definitely have a PhD in Something Useless from Somewhere Impressive.


I'm just saying: Putin is not necessarily an example of robust manhood.
He's more an example of Fraidy Cat, Fancy Boy.


So I did not take this goal of leash-using and outside-going lightly. Oh, no. There was a week of just wearing the harness around the house for funsies. There were two weeks of wearing the harness outside, while sitting on a blanket. There was walking on the leash up and down the halls of the apartment building. There was pre-walk cat-nip doping and mid-walk treat-giving.


And you know what all this resulted in? A whole lot of this:

Total refusal to engage in walking. Followed directly by:

Freak out. "OMG! Is that a squirrel?! Don't squirrels eat cat face for breakfast?!"

"That hydrangea is glowering at meeeee!"

"Human across the street. Dire threat to personal safety. Eff this noise."

"I can has inside?"


Have you ever walked a non-dog pet on a leash? What's your secret to success?

I was virtually in tears from this post, I mean between the catnip doping and the looks of horror on Putin's face I could barely read the post from my case of giggle-till-you-cry. 

Of course I can totally sympathize as my cats go out on leashes and harnesses as well (although not on walks or I would definitely get that reaction), mine mearly head out to my urban oasis with me and hang out in the garden while tethered to a stake in the yard.  Over the 15 fosters I've had plus my own three cats prior to them I have now trained close to 20 cats to go outside on a leash and harness, and lets just say I've had my fair share of Putin like reactions.  My current cat Baxter finds the harness so funny feeling he just slouches around with his belly on the ground whenever he has it on.  This can be particularly funny when he's going up or down the stairs (especially down) since he tries to just slide across them, all 14 pounds of him! 

Anyhow I'm dying to hear your funny pet on a leash story so please share! (it can be any pet, I did take my bunny out on a leash and harness when I was 8)

Mockingjay Review... with nothing you can't read if you haven't read the book!

It was with intense pleasure that I was sold my copy of Mockingjay late Monday night (technically first thing Tuesday morning).  At 1 am I was back home and in bed reading the first chapter, and this afternoon I wrapped up the whirlwind story with really only two work days to interrupt my read through.  I even had  the hubby get take out last night, I flatly refused to put down the book to cook.

Now there is nothing worse then stumbling into info you didn't want to know before getting there yourself, so I'm even going to forgo my usual brief synopsis of the gist of the story.  Suffice it to say if you've read the first two, you know where this is going, and if you haven't read the first two... what in heavens name have you been reading??! Have you looked at the Internet recently??  Get out there and read this series already!

I will tell you I was nothing but happy with how Suzanne Collins masterfully wrapped out the story.  It was everything it needed to be, and although it left me profoundly sad in some ways, I also feel like she accomplished exactly what she said she was going to do, write a story foremost about war.  And if you feel slightly burnt out by the end then it's as it should be, nobody escapes easily in war after all.

Prim, Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Beetee, Haymitch, Johanna, Annie, Rue, President Snow, even Buttercup were all so very well developed and fleshed out.  Suzanne used everyone of them to show the capacity for good and evil inherit in everyone and how extreme circumstances bring out the most surprising  things in everyone.  Between the Games and the Rebellion she repeatedly shows us how survival means a very different thing for each person, but in the end it's what we're all doing, whether for  ourselves or for others.

With her final Hunger Games book Suzanne Collins has proved she has remarkable skills in both writing an engrossing and engaging story and finishing it in a satisfying way, which is no small thing for any multi-part series.  I walked away equal parts sad and hopeful, but without any of that unpleasant lingering aftertaste a poorly wrapped out story with lots of build can leave behind.  It'll take a few days more to digest, and hopefully the hubby will have caught up to me by then so I can see what he thinks, because there is nothing better than sharing your feelings without worrying about ruining the ending! But since the comments to this post can't be seen unless you click on it, then by all means, share what you thought with me! I'm dying to know what you thought.

Mockingjay, By Suzanne Collins
Published by Scholastic, August 2010

For more reviews and opinions see the following:
Presenting Lenore
DeRaps Reads
Mistress of the Library
Book Reviews from Inside and Igloo
The Compulsive Reader
Green Bean Teen Queen
The Story Siren
Mundie Moms

Dexter By Design- Review

I was watching Burn notice the other night and realised that Miami has been a hot place over the years for TV and book settings.  Between Dexter the TV show, Jeff Lindsay's Dexter books, Burn Notice, CSI miami (ugh hate that show!), The Birdcage (the movie), The Golden Girls and of course Miami Vice, among many many others, I feel like I've been there many times.  Despite the fact I've never set foot in Florida, ever. 

One of the things I love best about Jeff Lindsay's books are his great and loving descriptions of Miami.  Whether its the heat, the psychotic traffic or just the to die for Cuban sandwiches, I always feel the hot sun on my skin and the Cuban vibe while reading the Dexter books.  That coupled with Dexter very humorous, very dry monologue, it can be safely said that Jeff Lindsay has created a character I will happily follow for many many books. Which is ultimately the goal of any kind of serial crime or detective type book.  Dexter can be my 21st Century Poirot.

Newly married Dexter is trailing along behind Rita through her whirlwind tour of Paris, loathing most every minute of it, when they stumble on an art exhibit setting the tone of the rest of the novel.  When they arrive back in Miami Dexter is launched into the search for a similar artist who just might be a serial  killer as well.  But thrown into the mix is Cody and Astor's training, Cub Scouts and a serious risk to Debs health.  Dexter will have to live up to his new family man status and start juggling a lot more than just the needs of his Dark Passenger, the question is, will pesky human emotions start to get in his way after all these years.

Back to his funny, clueless self after his run in with Moloch, Dexter by Design had me laughing out loud as well as seriously concerned about some of the tight corners he managed to wedge himself in.  The Rita surprise at the end had me in tears and I now can't wait till September 7th for Dexter Is Delicious.  In fact to celebrate I've found the perfect thing!  A small sandwich shop at Yonge and Dundas square proudly proclaiming they have Cuban sandwiches made just like in Miami!  After so many yummy sounding descriptions of them I can't wait to bit into one for real and see what the fuss is about.  It's not Miami, but it's as close as I'll be getting for awhile.  So expect to see me camped eating a Cuban sandwich and with my nose buried in Dexter Is Delicious two weeks from Wednesday. 

Dexter by Design, By Jeff Linday
Published by Vintage, February 2009

City of Fallen Angels Excerpt

Mockingjay is a pretty exciting release tonight, and it'll be quickly followed up by next Tuesday's release of Cassandra Clare's highly anticipated Clockwork Angel.  Happily she'll also be following that up 8 months later with the even more highly anticipated City of Fallen Angels.
Yes, we can all madly follow Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Simon for three more books and I'm surprised a mad fan hasn't mobbed someone for the manuscript yet.  Maybe because she's releasing tiny little teasers all the time, like this one from the back of the paperback release of City of Glass:

He reached past her before she could say anything, and yanked open the elevator gate. "I love you, Clary," he said, without looking at her. He was staring out into the church, at the rows of lighted candles, their gold reflected in his eyes. "More than I ever-" He broke off. "God. More than I most likely should. You know that don't you?"

She stepped outside the elevator and turned to face him. There were a thousand things she wanted to say, but he was already looking away from her, pushing the button that would bring the elevator back up to the Institute floors. She started to protest, but the elevator was already moving, the doors closing behind it as it rattled it's way back up. They shut with a click and she stared at them for a moment; the Angel was painted on their surface, wings outspread, eyes raised. They Angel was painted on everything.
Her voice echoed harshly in the empty room when she spoke.


"I love you too," she said.


- City of Glass, paperback release, City of Fallen Angels excerpt

17 hours till the midnight release of Mockingjay!!

So the world of readers is currently counting down the hours and minutes till Mockinjay's release in desperate anticipation of what's going to happen next to Katniss.  I won't lie, I'm definitely part of this neurotically excited crowd.  I thought that to hold us all over I would link to wealth of great blogs, interviews and articles from a variety of sources, all talking about Mockingjay to one degree or another.  Sort of like watching the Red Carpet event prior to the Oscars.

So in no particular order: (please be advised, there are spoilers on some of these links for those who haven't already finished Catching Fire)

Nancy Werlin's guest blog over on Libba Bray's blog about Katniss, The Maddening Crowd and Casablanca.  Nancy Werlin is the award winning author of Impossible.

Suzanne Collins recent Entertainment Weekly interview on the books she loves

Stephen Kings Entertainment Weekly review of Hunger Games.  Yes. this is the one where he makes a couple of amusing comment's about Katniss's name.

Malinda Lo's commentary on the Team Peeta/Teem Gale theme on her blog called: Why I'm Team Katniss.  Malinda Lo is the author of Ash.

Publisher Weekly's article called Marketing 'Mockinjay', which talks about everything from the secrecy of this books release to whats happening in stores across the states, what's happening with the film and much more.

The list of tour stops Suzanne Collins is doing on her "12 Market US tour". p to the s- she has a hand injury so stamps of her autograph only folks!

A conversation with Suzanne Collins, by Scholastic.  Talking about Hunger Games primarily, where she came up with the idea, how she works in a day etc.

The School Library Journals' interview with Suzanne Collins.  In this one she talks about how Katniss and the mockingjay are similar and about how she's still new to writing and the things she finds difficult about it in contrast to screenwriting.

And if all of this hasn't sated your appetite, then try these great quotes about Hunger Games and Catching Fire by some awesome authors:

"I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it...The Hunger Games is amazing."



--Stephenie Meyer, www.stepheniemeyer.com

"The Hunger Games is as close to perfect an adventure novel as I've ever read. I could not put it down. Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America. Readers will be hungry for more.



--Rick Riordan, author of The Percy Jackson Series and The 39 Clues

Mockingjay... A quick reminder

So Tuesday the 24th is the official release date of the highly anticipated last part in the Hunger games series, Mockingjay.  At long last we can all know the outcome of Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and all the others as they battle to survive in their difficult world.
If you somehow missed the hype and haven't picked up the books yet, then run out Tuesday and get the whole set at once (trust me you won't want to pause for runs to the bookstore).  Barring some catastrophic thing like a poor ending (which I doubt) this series has set itself up to be one of the top ten I've ever read.

For the die hards in Canada, Indigo has announced they're doing midnight release part for Mockingjay! There's going to be a whole whack of fun Hunger Games related activities, including cupcake decorating (who won't need a sugar fix that time of night?), and some kind of "real hunger games" to compete for first in line (sounds like an observation activity to me, I do have to work the next day).  So if your a downtown torontonian then I'll see you in line late Monday night up at Yorkdale mall! (ugh, Yorkdale, I know! they really need to start doing these things down at their Bay and Yonge store!).

Wild Spirits Review for Feline Fridays

Between the ages of 8 and around 13 or so I was quite the little activist.  I'm pretty sure it was mostly inspired by my grade three teacher Madame Del Canto (who incidentally introduced me to my love of fondue as well), who got us talking about the Rainforest, World Wildlife Fund, and Bruce Coburn (you know "when a treeeeeeee falls in a forest, does anybody hear?").  I spent several years helping to raise funds to buy acres of the Rainforest, pushing Unicef, and writing letters to McDonalds about their destruction of the environment for grazing fields for their cattle (for which my mom would drive me to the closest McDonalds so that I could drop it off with a cashier.  I'm pretty sure that never went anywhere now that I think of it).  This is of course only the tip of the ice berg as I was also campaigning against my beloved grandfathers smoking habit by hiding or flushing his cigarettes and regularly railing against my mom and dad for destroying earth and then giving birth to me.  What can I say, I was a serious kid.

I suppose it's hardly surprising, flash-forward 19 years, the adult I've become is also conscientious and trying to continue to do my part (but maybe a little less intensely, which I'm sure everyone is thankful for).  And although my hubby can bemoan the loss of a day due to finding an abandoned baby squirrel and then having to care for it and get it to the wildlife center way way across town, he is very tolerant of my animal rescue attempts and various cat welfare commitments.  

All of this said, it seems likely I would really enjoy Rosa Jordans recent book Wild Spirits, so I was very excited when the lovely folks at Dundurn Press sent it my way to peruse.  

19 year old Wendy and 11 year old Danny are both introvert animal lovers who end up bonding over their shared love of animal rescue and rehabilitation.  Over the years they both become experienced in increasingly more and more exotic animal rehab and rescue, culminating in a baby Ocelot.  Wild Spirits is the story of their relationship, their shared passion and the hurdles they overcome together.

This was such a terrific story of both following your passion and the do's and don't of animal rescue.  Rosa Jordan goes into great depth about the importance of keeping wild animals wild, the intricacies of rehabbing wild animals, and most importantly does not gloss over the less than savory details of trying to do these things (at one point everything Wendy wears or owns smells of pee because the bobcat kitten she's weaning is busily marking his territory all over her house).  Its an inspiring tale of the difference two people, with less than fantastic resources, can make when they put their minds to it, and I think if I had read it when I was younger it may have significantly changed my aspirations in life.  

If you're passionate about wildlife welfare, have a budding activist on your hands, or just looking for some inspiration about making your own small impact on the world then this is the book for you.  

Wild Spirits, By Rosa Jordan

Published by Dundurn Press

Tyger Tyger- Review

Last week, courtesy of the lovely people at Clarion Books, the ARC for Tyger Tyger winged itself to me in the mail.  Author Kersten Hamilton's first YA novel, Tyger Tyger has been on my radar to pick up and read for two reasons: the Debut Authors Challenge over at the Story Siren, and also because it sounded like it had the potential to be a really great new read.  Can I just say?  I wasn't disappointed.

Kersten dug deep into the annals of Irish/Gaelic folklore, threw in dashes of some of the Catholic Saint's and mixed it all into the most intoxicating YA fantasy I've read since The Mortal Instruments series.  I blew through this book in less than 24 hours and could barely put it down to perform the daily functions of life.

Teagan Wylltson has an unusual teenage life.  She's the daughter of Children's book illustrator and a librarian, she's an over achiever, and she refuses to be interested in boys since she's aiming for an important scholarship and doesn't want to be distracted.  Unfortunately her mothers mysterious past as an Irish Traveler crops up to disturb all her carefully laid plans, in the form of her cousin Finn Mac Cumhaill.  He brings a past full of Gaelic myth with him, including Goblins, the Fir Bolg, Aingeal's and Meg Mell.  Can Teagan and her family survive their brush with Gaelic legend?

Part one of a possible trilogy, Tyger Tyger introduces a story I can't wait to read more of.   Delving into an area of fantasy I can't say I've read much of in my many years of reading, Kersten has managed to write something fresh.  No vampires or the quickly overpopulating Faeries here.  By imbuing it with Gaelic lore she gave it an added depth and believability that makes all the difference between a good story and an epic one.

Although you'll have to wait until November 15th to get your copy, I can guarantee you'll not be disappointed by the build-up once you get to sink your teeth into this story.  And then you can join me in jumping up and down on the spot waiting for part two.

Tyger Tyger, By Kersten Hamilton
Published by Clarion Books, November 2010

For other great reviews please see:
Dirty Sexy Books
The Compulsive Reader

Dexter in the Dark- Review

Jeff Lindsay's third novel in the Dexter series is not my favorite. And while I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, I will say it dragged in a way the previous two did not for me.

Dexter in the Dark finds Dexter in the throws of planning a wedding.  With Rita running around like a whirlwind, Vince insisting on difficult and expensive caterers, and  Dexter trying to fumble his way through it all, it's no wonder Dexter is having trouble sneaking time for his Dark Passenger.  Unfortunately a confusing new killer and a weird incident at a crime scene leave Dexter Dark Passenger less, quite alone in the world and singularly adrift.  How can someone who defines himself by an inner voice, exist without it?  And for that matter, where did it come from in the first place that it could just skitter off ?

I had heard one of the books got a bit esoteric and mystical, but still I was confused by the sudden biblical/demonic turn Dexter in the Dark took.  Instead of dealing with a flesh and blood serial killer, as per the previous books, there were lengthy inner chats about possession, King Solomon and the possibility Dexter would suddenly be normal.  My issue with it, outside of the fact it was a mite boring, was where was the crime in my crime novel?  I mean there were murders but it wasn't about the crime so much as the history lesson.

It was a shame because the wedding fodder was terrific,  Manny the Caterer provided significant entertainment (how was Rita going to make this work? Maybe she'd only invite 2 or 3 people), as did the progression with Cody and Astor and the return of the seriously creepy Doakes.  It was set up to be a great novel, until Lindsay and Dexter got lost contemplating what exactly comes over people to make them serial killers (come on, it sounds interesting right?  but two hundred pages of rambling thought about it got tedious).

I have total faith Jeff Lindsay brings us back to classic Dexter by book four so I'm not throwing in the towel over one slightly boring story.  And I'm still looking forward to the September 7th release of book 5, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to skip this particular book if you're about to start your own Dexter reading marathon.  It doesn't seem to cover any critical ground so I'm pretty sure you can move on to book 4 without any problems.
I'm just saying.

Dexter in the Dark, By Jeff Lindsay
Published by Vintage, Sept 2008

Artemis Fowl: the Atlantis Complex- Review

I'm a great lover of Eoin Colfers Artemis Fowl series, it's smart, funny and very James Bond with Fairies.  For me the Series ranks up with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Fablehaven and The Sisters Grimm as some of the best stuff available to Middle School Readers and older (come on now, this stuff is way too good to not read just because you're not 9-12 anymore! You read Harry Potter didn't you??!).  Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex no exception, and in just a few days I had ripped my way through it.

Artemis has decided, once and for all, to change his path to saving the world.  Unfortunately, the new bad guy in town has other plans for him, Holly and the usual Gang.  Throw in Artemis's downfall to the Atlantis Complex, bringing out his sappy other side Orion, and things are about to get seriously complicated and seriously funny.

Bursting with all your favorite characters, lots of action, witty word play and a great story, Eoin Colfer has once again made Artemis Fowl a series fit to compete with the best of today's middle school fiction.  My only complaint about this series is the various spin offs it's currently getting from Disney Hyperion.  I'm not a fan of the Graphic novel stuff (it's really not how I picture the characters at all), and what is this business about a song?? Really? A song? Why do I need a song for the release of a book? What happened to a good old fashioned author tour??

Other than that Eoin has hit the perfect pitch for the seventh time, and Artemis Fowl continues to be one of my favorite series's out there.  If you haven't read it make sure you pick it up, trust me... you'll love it!

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, By Eoin Colfer
Published by Hyperion, August 2010

Dog Days of Summer- Feline Fridays...Belated!

Whoops, got the days confused and spent yesterday thinking it was Thursday! Alas, summer is good.
Happy Feline Friday/Saturday, hope you're remembering to take time for the child/animal glee of summer.

Dearly Devoted Dexter- Review

Doakes is on to Dexter.  The havoc this will create is the basis of book two and the cause of a large proportion of the action.  While being tailed Dexter has to stay as annoyingly normal as possible, which ends up meaning endless visits to Rita's while planted on her couch drinking beer or playing kick the can with the neighborhood kids.  Mix the normal with a new serial killer and you have the recipe for Jeff Lindsay's second book Dearly Devoted Dexter.

Book two has really only one aspect similar to season two of Dexter, the Doakes issue.  And even that is different (can I just say? I prefer the Doakes solution in the book to the series).  Most significantly the annoying Lila is non-existent in the book, thank the lord!  I couldn't stand two more seconds of her than I had too.

Dexter remains uproariously funny and enjoyable through out.  Some of my favorite parts are while Doakes is "Driving him normal"  especially when he accidentally gets drunk at Rita's:

But what the hell- it was a light beer; or as the can proudly proclaimed: LITE BEER.  I suppose we should be very grateful they hadn't thought of a cuter way to spell beer.
  I took a big sip.  It wasn't that bad when you got used to it.  By golly, it really WAS relaxing.  I, at any rate, felt more relaxed with each swig.  Another refreshing sip-I couldn't remember that it had tasted this good when I'd tried it in college.  Of course, I was just a boy then, not the manly mature hardworking upright citizen I was now.  I tilted the can, but nothing came out.
  Well-somehow the can was empty.  And yet I was still thirsty.  Could this unpleasant situation really be tolerated?  I thought not.  Absolutely intolerable.  In fact, I did not plan to tolerate it.  I stood up and proceeded to the kitchen in a firm and unyielding manner.  There were several more cans of lite beer in the refrigerator and I took one back to the couch.

 Dearly Devoted Dexter had me laughing out loud while turning the pages eagerly for the out come of events.  So many great twists, which I won't spoil here, but suffice it to say I now wish they'd done some things differently in the series...IE: Cody and Astor (you'll see what I mean when you get there!).

Book two has me eagerly anticipating book 5, Dexter Is Delicious due out September 7th (good lord, I have a lot of books to read between August 23 and September 7th, maybe I should book some vacation time!).  Hip Hip Hooray, Jeff Lindsay for a great read, even with a TV network running away with his main charecter.

Dearly Devoted Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay
Published by Vintage, 2005

Knightley Academy- Review

Alrighty.  So generally, after reading a book by an author I'm unfamiliar with, I jump online and have a look-see.  This is when astounding things like sequels, come to my attention, or in this case... that an author isn't a real person but a pseudonym.

Here I was, thinking  Knightley Academy was a debut authors first novel.  And I suppose, in a way it is, since Violet Haberdasher only started to exist when this book went to print.
Weird right?
I mean outside of Lemony Snicket how many Middle School authors hide behind a pseudonym?  Anywho, after beating around trying to find a Violet Haberdasher website I finally came  to the realization that Violet Haberdasher (I guess it's kind of a weird name, come to think of it) is really Robyn Schneider.  I also discovered Simon and Schuster (or Robyn Schneider) really aught to update the Knightley Academy site; seriously, I can't pre-order a published book and the extras page says access forbidden until March 9 2010....uh? isn't it August 2010??

Outside of these oddities I can tell you two things, this book is an entertaining read, and although it's not commented on anywhere that I can find it is surely a series, likely 4 books long.

Henry Grim is an orphan working as a servant in an upper class school, studying on the sly, when he is suddenly given the chance of a lifetime.  The prestigious Knightley Academy, for the first time ever, is letting commoners test for entry, and Henry is the first to gain admission.  Along with his three new commoner roommates and the daughter of the Headmaster, Henry spends an exciting yet stressful first year at Knightley.  Can he come out on top? Or will his first year prove to be his last?

Strikingly similar story arc to Harry Potter (orphan Henry, admission to a school he would never dream of attending, a teacher who seems to be plotting against him, a fellow group of outsiders to befriend, a lurking greater threat outside of school), the Knightley Academy is original while being totally unoriginal.  Which is to say I liked it, but there was a familiarity to it that I found disconcerting.  Henry's group of friends are fun, especially Frankie the Headmaster's daughter, and the action is largely enjoyable.  What I would truly like to see in the next books is for Violet/Robyn to pull away from the Harry Potter story arc and build her own non-referencing world.  Honestly, no story which mimics Harry Potter will end up coming out well in the comparison so I wouldn't recommend it.

Since I can't find any further information on her site or the Knightley site about a second book we'll just have to wait and see if I stumble into it down the road.  This has the potential to become a really good story, but I have to say the Harry Potter leanings will have to end to be so.

Knightley Academy, By Violet Haberdasher (Robyn Schneider)
Published by Simon and Schuster, March 2010

Cassandra Clare's big Mortal Instruments news!

So during her big online/signing announcements, Cassandra Clare gave out some truly exciting news.  The Mortal Instruments series has been expanded, again. 

 Originally a three part story arc, The Mortal Instruments was first expanded to include a three part prequel series The Infernal Devices; then expanded again to include a one off story following Simon and his issues with the mark of Cain, making The Mortal Instruments 4 parts.  The official announcement is that Simon's story, City of Fallen Angels, has morphed into another 3 part story arc.  That's right, The Mortal Instruments, when finally complete will now be a nine part story series (including The Infernal Devices Prequels).  Apparently Cassandra Clare is of the Go Big or Go Home writing population, here's her explanation of how the story grew:

Then, in October of last year, I sat down to start writing the story of City of Fallen Angels. I had a detailed outline based in part on the graphic novel idea I had had, but when it came to expanding the outline and writing the story, it just wasn’t working for me. I was on a writing retreat in Mexico with a number of other writers, and when we sat down to go over the issues I was having, I realized that the story I had thought I was telling was really a much bigger story — that my smaller, Simon-centric story had morphed into something much bigger, much more epic, and deeply involving the whole cast of characters from the first three Mortal Instruments books. I realized that what I had on my hands was not a single book that would wrap up the story begun in The Mortal Instruments, but rather the beginning of a new trilogy about these characters. (The fun part was calling my agent and editor to explain “You know that one book I was going to write? Well, actually, it’s three books!” I like to think I could hear heads hitting desks all through Simon and Schuster.) But when I submitted the outlines for the new Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire, they were thrilled with the idea of the new trilogy — and I hope readers will be as well!

I couldn't be happier, I loved Cassie's characters and world so much I'm quite happy to go back for 6 more books.  That said, the first book of The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Angel, comes out in 22 more days (see widget below!, also if you click on the corner you get to look at all 9 books in a row. pretty). 
 Yes I am wishing away my month for both Clockwork Angel and Mockingjay...who isn't??!

Also, it would appear that the bonus chapters in the soft cover of City of Glass, are the first chapters of Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels.  Clockwork Angel Chapter is available here, but the City of Fallen Angels is embargoed (meaning no ARC's and the only way to read the chapter is to buy the soft cover of City of Glass), but you can read her blips she's been posting to twitter.  She's collected them here.



p to the s- added this morning is an entertaining assortment of 40 additional questions Cassandra Clare couldn't get to last Wednesday.  My fav response?  That the actress who played Elizabeth Bennett on the BBC mini series of Pride and Prejudice is doing the audio book for Clockwork Angel!  Too cool, I might have to listen to that at some point!

Two new additions to our family- Feline Fridays

Two really great things have happened in the past couple of tumultuous months in our household.  First was the arrival of our foster kitty Baxter.  A great big teddy bear of a cat Baxter was instantly loved by our other three fuzzy kids.  He has frizzy long hair, great big mitten paws and the most laid back personality ever.
He had a very bad first three years to his life, born in a particularly dangerous feral colony in Toronto (bordered by two major expressways), he was a difficult cat for our trappers to be able to catch for his TNR (trap, neuter and release).  When they finally did, they realized he was far too sociable to be put back on the streets, unfortunately there were no foster homes available and back onto the streets he went (and was very upset by it).  A while later he was injured and caught again, this time to be placed in a foster home.  He was skinny and needed to be shaved from all his mattes, but he came around and settled in.
He was adopted to someone, which should have been a good thing, but after only a couple of months his new mom surrendered him to the Humane Society, who surrendered him to the Toronto Animal Services, and was immediately set to be euthanized due to overcrowding. 

Thank god one of our volunteers found out in time and was able to rush to his rescue.

By this time he was pretty scarred, but he came back into Annex Cat Rescue's foster program and in a couple of months ended up with us.  We felt pretty protective of him, and worried about finding him the perfect, amazing forever home.  Then we suddenly lost our beloved Topaz, and decided that we had to keep him, Topals would have wanted us to, and so did we.

We officially adopted Baxter back in May, and he has been our little bear ever since.

A week after Topaz died, we were contemplating dropping out of the foster program for a bit, when we were asked if we could take a tiny little kitten named Teddy.  Well, kitten therapy seemed like a welcome distraction for us and our cats, so Teddy entered our home and was christened Thurman (as in Thurman Merman from Bad Santa).

Turns out Thurms was a crazy little monster, cavorting around the house being a crazed lunatic who liked to bite, purr, snuggle and wreak havoc.  He had an eye infection when he arrived, then was promptly diagnosed with Giardia (which he gleefully spread around to everyone except the hubby!), then was diagnosed with a SECOND parasite!  Needless to say, it's a good thing he's adorable, funny and really good at sappy puppy dog eyes.

Him and Baxter particularly fell deeply in love, though we're all pretty crazy about him.  So two days ago we made it official, and adopted Thurman into our mostly furry family. Of course we are now the crazy people who own four cats!  And it does spell the end of our fostering career  (at least for the time being).

But we're proud to say in the three years we've participated we've placed 15 cats with wonderful families, two of them with us.  It's an amazing accomplishment, and only a drop in the bucket compared to some of the other foster homes in the program.  I highly recommend it to any one with the slightest inclination to help as it's been an incredibly rewarding experience.  Most cities around the world have both city or government run animal shelters as well as privately operated rescue groups for cats, dogs, ferret's and other animals.  It's generally a simple application with a home check to begin participation, and of course you can opt out at any time.

Maybe you'll find your new soul mate in the process.

In Toronto the following groups are all looking for volunteer help, not just foster homes (for instance I remain Annex Cat Rescues Special Event Coordinator).
Annex Cat Rescue
Abbey Cats
Toronto Cat Rescue
Toronto Animal Services
The Humane Society
and many others.

Along for the Ride- Review

I won Along for the Ride, from the generous and talented Lauren Oliver as part of a summer reading contest she had just a short while back.  This was great for two reasons.

1.  because won books are exciting, and come in the mail as surprise packages upon arrival from work, brightening even the dullest day.
2.  I never would have picked this book up on my own.

I never would have picked it up for a few reasons, but mainly because it's super pink, super girly looking and has a cover I really don't find appealing.  Which, amusingly, puts me in the same boat as the main character Auden, who is similarly predisposed to dislike anything super girly, super pink and seems like she wouldn't be caught dead reading a YA novel (certainly not my problem!).  Well thank god there are lovely gifters like Lauren to set me on the right path, because Along for the Ride was a terrific summer read that I would have been sorry to have missed out on.

 

The plot is relatively simple; Auden's parents are split up, her dad has recently remarried and has a brand new baby girl, the three of them are living in a small ocean side town of Colby, and have invited Auden to visit for the summer.  Auden has lead a life barren of the usual pleasantries of childhood, and decides to spend her summer between high school and university differently than all her previous summers of studying and staying home with her demanding mother.  She takes her dad up on his offer for a visit and heads down to Colby for the summer.  The question is, can she make up for all her lost childhood in one summer or is she too set in her ways?

 

This book was, quite simply, charming.  I loved the characters, I loved the surprises along the way about the characters, and I loved Auden's re-discovery of the every day childhood things like riding a bike, bowling, and stopping in at the corner store to fuel up for the night.  And the love interest Eli?  He might be one of my favorite love interests in YA, I mean come on! he knows how to make rice crispies and how to deal with fussy babies?! Plus he has that quiet introspective thing going for him, which I so enjoy.

 

Along for the Ride touched on all my fond memories of time off in the summers; friends, adventure, being somewhere idyllic and unlike the cities we all live in the rest of the year.  It was a perfect couple day getaway for the summer and I recommend it for everyones summer reading list, especially if you don't have any real time off and your trapped in a hot, dirty, city!

 

Yay Lauren, for introducing me to my next great read!

 

Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
Published by Viking Juvenile, June 2009

Darkly Dreaming Dexter- Review

So as mentioned in my Craig Ferguson biography review, I haven't branched out  much from Middle school or YA books in the past year or so.  It's been a definite binge that I can't seem to drag myself away from for even one book.  The binge before this was when I spent two years only reading historical non-fiction, so yah, I have a habit of doing a genre all out.  But lately I've been tempted by a lot of great looking books that don't fall into YA or Middle School reading.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is currently on loan to me via my good friend in reading, Jenna.  But the hubby absconded with it before I could settle down with it, so I decided to pick up our other loaner from Jenna, Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Now I know what you're going to say, I love the show, have seen all the seasons, so why in heavens name would I revisit them through the books?  I too love the TV show, and because Dexter has quickly become a beloved serial killer, near an dear to my heart I had to read the originating story by his witty creator Jeff Lindsay.  If only to see what the humble beginnings were.  The happy surprise? Although the book is very similar to season 1, there are A LOT of differences and some of them pretty major.  Someone dies for instance, who is still alive and causing havoc in the TV series.  And I hear that books 2, 3, 4 and 5 only navigate further and further away from the TV series.

Some of the things I loved about Darkly Dreaming Dexter which differed from the TV series (no spoilers I swear!):           

• -Dexter's internal dialogue, although in the show to a certain extent, in the book it's just that much more so.  Although I didn't do a formal count, there seems to be more internal dialogue then external dialogue in the book, making  you as much a passenger as his "Dark Passenger".
• - Dexter's total naivety.  Yes, again, I know this is present to some extent in the TV series, but seriously...it is laugh our loud in the book.  He is easily twice as naive in the books and it makes for some of the funniest moments
• -LaGuerta, yes that nasty SOB is in the book, and can I just say, she's twice as nasty, down right evil almost, ohhhh and I loved it!

So to sum up, I loved this book, really really enjoyed it.  Whipped through it in just over 24 hours and am excited for the next one!  Obviously I knew where it was going to some extent, yet I was repeatedly surprised and still totally entertained.  Its funny and intelligent and so shockingly original that it's hardly surprising they've spun out an entire popular TV series out of it.  If you like Dexter, you'll love the original.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, By Jeff Lindsay
Published by Vintage, Aug 2009 (reprint)

A long awaited, spectacular, Banner!!

So the hubby finally sat down and started sketching me a banner as a surprise early birthday present back in early June.  It was completed, colored and in my very excited hands in mid June.  At which point I spent a month and half trying to get it to load properly onto my blog!! ##$@%^^!!.... (i am not exaggerating time lines at all here, not even slightly).

Of course you would think I would have long ago learned my lesson and realized sometimes it takes a fresh look at something to figure out simple problems.  But no no, I stubbornly persisted until last night.
 Last night I bailed.
I emailed my good friend  Mel from The Streets I Know (even though she just lives upstairs) to stop by and have a look for me.
We spent a good hour fussing over HTML code neither of us fully understood only for her to figure out today that I was just having a sizing problem (seriously, i must have re-sized it on my own forty seven times, but who am I to complain now its working...right?)

Anywho, one way or another I finally have my much coveted piece of one-of-a-kind banner art!  It's official, this blog has been branded.  You'll notice the hubby has a witty array of fictional characters dancing around my head, I'm going to post a who's who next week but in the meantime see if you can guess who they are.  They're all fairly well known, some of them in extremes, so I can't wait to hear your guesses!

Many thanks to my wonderfully talented husband Ryan Keith, please check out his other fab work over at his Deviant Art page.

The Mysterious Benedict Society- Review

I've been coveting the The Mysterious Benedict Society series for awhile now.  A great sounding premise, coupled with awesome cover art made it one of those irresistible purchases.  Of course I didn't pick it up for ages! So the Hubby bought me all three at once so I could finally be initiated, and see if I was The Mysterious Benedict Society material.

The premise to the first book is pretty simple, four children are brought together by an add in the paper.  After passing a number of odd and challenging tests, they're introduced to Mr Benedict, who lets them know the world is in deep, deep trouble.  And guess who are the only four who can save it?  Well, they'll have a small amount of outside help, but largely Kate, Reynie, Sticky and Constance have been hand picked to get the job done.

Fun and very amusing, Kate, Reynie, Sticky and Constance's quest is one part James Bond/MacGiver, and one part Nancy Drew.  Constance Contraire, lives up to her name and is endlessly amusing as the difficult member of the gang, and for me at least, the favorite.  But all the members are charming in their own way, Kate with her circus background, Reynie for his sincerity and Sticky for his many little stutters and nervous ticks.

A fully realised story, with no cliff hanger ending means I didn't feel the need to rush straight to the next one, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, but I'm glad I have it.  These kids are too much fun not to catch up with them again soon.

The Mysterious Benedict Society, By Trenton Lee Stewart
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers, April 2008

Great reads coming out in August!

This month has four fabulous releases, all of which I'm dying to read.  So don't forget to stop at your local bookstore and pick these up to add to your library.

August 3- Artemis Fowl, The Atlantis Complex, by Eoin Colfer

August 24- Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins

August 31- The Clockwork Angel, By Cassandra Clare

Finally, by Blogger turned Author Emma Michael, The Thirteenth Chime. Out on Friday the 13th of August (cool release date hey?).  If you haven't heard about it check out Emma's site, the teaser sounds great.  And the cover is also fantastic!