Book Review: Dr. Olaf van Schuler's Brain by Kirsten Menger-Anderson

Title: Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain
Author: Kirsten Menger-Anderson
Release date: October 9, 2008
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Number of pages: 304

In 1664 Dr. Olaf van Schuler flees the Old World and arrives in New Amsterdam with his lunatic mother, two bags of medical implements, and a carefully guarded book of his own medicines. He is the first in what will become a long line of peculiar physicians. Plagued by madness and guided by an intense desire to cure human affliction, each generation of this unusual family is driven by the science of its day: spontaneous combustion, phrenology, animal magnetism, electrical shock treatment, psychosurgery, genetic research. As they make their way in the world, New York City, too, evolves—from the dark and rough days of the seventeenth century to the towering, frenetic metropolis of today.

Like Patrick Süskind's classic novel Perfume, Kirsten Menger-Anderson's debut is a literary cabinet of curiosities—fascinating and unsettling, rich and utterly singular.

Read the first and last line of the book at firstandlastlines blog.

Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain starts with his story and continues with the stories of the next generations. Schuler's mother is a mad woman, and he believes if he fixes the soul, which he believes is in the brain, he will solve her problems. He experiments mostly on animal brains, but he does get a hold of human brains as well whenever possible. Great story, right? WRONG.

I am very disappointed by this book. The promise was very exciting, and there are parts of the book I very much enjoyed, like the first and last stories. Yet, the author doesn't seem to have much a style, and the stories are told quite matter-of-factly. This is the story of (supposed to be, really) a family who are obsessed with the human brain and the soul for generations and generations, starting from 1600s up to 2000s. It was hard to even comprehend the connections of the family members, let alone highlighting what they do and are trying to accomplish. I didn't get much of a sense of the different time lines either.

The chapters did overlap just a little bit, but other than that, they could be stories of completely different people, and you wouldn't know. Characters were quite disconnected as well. For me, characters are just as important as the story line, yet we didn't really get to know any of them. We met them for quite a bit and witnessed a very short part of their lives, but that's about it. For the most part, we don't even get to find out where they did or might end up.

Lastly, Patrick Süskind's Perfume is one of my favorite books of all time, and I'm rather angry that this was compared to it. Honestly, it doesn't even come close. It doesn't have the sense of curiosity or suspense or cringe-worthiness. Most of all, you don't feel anything toward any of the characters, which is very opposite of Perfume. I'd say go read Perfume and don't even waste your time with this one.

New blog: First and Last Lines

I've started a new blog called First and Last Lines, which is just that: a blog where the first and last lines of books are shared. I'm entering whatever I can, and I could really use come contributions. Please check out the blog here, and read this post to contribute. And if you share the word, even better!

Book Survey

First of all, I cannot view blogger blogs that are hosted by Google. It has been going on for a while, and nobody's said anything about it, but I'm pretty sure something's going on again. They're probably banned, and I hate that I live in a country where this happens way too often. Now onto brighter things...

• First off, Mad Scientist at steampunkery & book reviews is running a 1000 followers giveaway. She'll start giving out books when she hits 1000, and some of them will be open internationally, which got me all excited.

 

BOOK SURVEY (It's almost 4am, and I'm so not sleepy. And somehow I feel like I've done this before.)

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
Little Women. It's an old Turkish translation that my mother gave me.
2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?
I'm currently reading 'Deja Dead' by Kathy Reichs. Last book I read was 'Charlotte's Web,' and I'm planning to read 'City of Bones' by Cassandra Clare next.
3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
The Da Vinci Code. I just couldn't get into it at all and ditched it.
4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

I don't think there's such a book for me.
5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”
None, of course.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Wait till the end.
7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
I love the acknowledgements! The longer and more detailed they are, the giddier I get reading them.
8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Alice of Alice in Wonderland or Tinkerbell. Or I can just live inside any Marquez novel, really.
9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
I don't have a particular one.
10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
I've found a couple of second-hand, $1 books lately, which counts as 'interesting' here because it's already find English books, let alone finding them for so little.
11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
Yes. To my best friends. I don't trust too easily when it comes to giving away books.
12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
Quite a few books I own have crossed the ocean.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
No. I hated the older Turkish literature books, and I still hate them.
14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
A sea-shell shaped crayon. It was a second hand coloring book, but it was so old and beat up that I couldn't believe the crayon was still in there.
15. Used or brand new?
Used.
16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
Well, I do like his earlier work.
17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
I don't think so. But I'm starting to think I'll like the TV show 'Bones' more than the books.
18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Running With Scissors is the only one that I can think of right now. I'm sure there's more.
19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Yes! 'This Book Will Save Your Life' by A.M. Homes, especially.
20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?
Kathy, JuJu, Craig, Hannah.

Book Review - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.

I recently came across this book at the 'used books' section of a store, and I just had to get it. Unlike most, I had not read this as a child, and the first time I read it was the first year of college. I had found it quite bitter-sweet back then, and that has not changed. I guess it just reminds me how great life is with the good and the bad. I'm not normally crazy about detailed descriptions, but this book is an exception. Especially the parts where White describes the seasons changing are just beautiful.

I guess all there is to say about this book is that it's a great one for both kids and adults. And it has quite a lot of true facts about life. One of my favorites is a rather silly one:

"And when your stomach is empty and your mind is full, it's always hard to sleep."

Book shopping results.

Every month I tell myself I don't need to get more books and that I should read the ones in my TBR pile first. Of course, I don't ever listen to me, and the pile keeps growing.

Here is what I got this month: (one from Bookmooch, the rest from bookstores)

• The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
• Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Book #18 of 2010 - Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick Review

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Published in 2009
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life. 

First Twilight and now this... I'm becoming more and more aware of how MY biology labs in high school were a waste of time! There were no newcomers with piercing eyes and husky voices and strong abs and things... Now that I've finally complained about that, onto the book:

I really liked it. I haven't read anything with angels before, and the only ones I know are from the Supernatural-- they're (mostly, except for Castiel, of corse) arrogant and mean and all that. I guess that's kinda what I expected from this, and I got it, but it was much better.

It's hard not to fall for Patch with his teasing charm and good looks. Nora is confused about him, obviously, since he's also mysterious, arrogant and stalkerish. There were times when I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, going, "You want him, Nora! Hello!" Then I had to remind myself she is 16 and acting the way any 16-year-old girl would in her situation.

Overall, the story flows smoothly and is easy to read, as well as enjoyable. The only thing that left me needing more was Patch's backstory-- is that it? Really? I really hoped we could find out more about him, but apparently not. I'm hoping it will change in the next book since we'll definitely find out more about Nora's Nephilim blood line.

On the other hand, though, Nora's best friend Vee cracked me up a lot. And the twist in the end about the "murderer" was pretty cool; even if I might have guessed it at one time or the other, I'd definitely had forgotten it toward the end of the book.

I must admit that with the biology lab and Nora's driving to Portland to investigate Elliott and getting in trouble, a voice at the back of my head started screaming, "Twilight! Twilight!" Since the subject matter isn't too different, similarities are about to pop up, right?

Mothers' Day

My mother is the #1 person behind my growing up a big bookworm. Ever since I was little, I've always seen her with a book in her hand, and I remember wanting so badly to be able to dive into those books and discover the new worlds at her reach. She's the one who got me my first copies of the classics such as Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, Alice in Wonderland, The Adventures of Oliver Twist, Around the World in 80 Days... The most special gift she's ever given me is her copy of Little Women, which instantly became one of my favorites as soon as I got done reading it.

For the past few years, she's been preferring books that are "easy" to read, which are mostly chick-lit. In this genre, one of her favorite authors is Jane Green.

Of course, being the nosy daughter I am, I'd dived into her Jane Green pile as well. All her books are easy and quick to read, and they especially make fun, enjoyable beach-reads. I've pretty much stopped reading her when she started writing about married or engaged couples because all that talk about marriage just makes me sick, but I do still like and sometimes re-read her earlier works. My three favorites, in no particular order, are as follows:

Mr. Maybe by Jane Green (Published in 2001)

To Libby Mason, Mr. Right has always meant Mr. Rich. A twenty-seven-year-old publicist, she’s barely able to afford her fashionable and fabulous lifestyle, and often has to foot the bill for dates with Struggling Writer Nick, a sexy but perpetually strapped-for-cash guy she’s dating (no commitments — really). So when Ed, Britain’s wealthiest but stodgiest bachelor, enters the picture, her idea of the fairy-tale romance is turned on its head. Libby soon finds herself weighing the advantages of Nick’s sexual prowess and tender heart against Ed’s luxurious lifestyle and unlimited retail therapy. But when the diamond shopping commences, Libby is forced to realize that the time for “maybe” is up.
Taking romantic comedy to a hip, sparkling new level, Mr. Maybe is a classic tale of what happens to one girl when her heart and her head aren’t looking for the same thing. With a laugh a minute and a heroine whose struggles in the dating jungle will remind you of your own, Mr. Maybe is a story that will leave you smitten.

Bookends by Jane Green (Published in 2002)
Catherine Warner and Simon Nelson are best friends: total opposites, always together, and both unlucky in love. Cath is scatterbrained, messy, and - since she had her heart broken a few years back - emotionally closed off. Si is impossibly tidy, bitchy, and desperate for a man of his own. They live in London's West Hampstead along with their lifelong friends Josh and Lucy, who are happily married with a devil-spawn child and a terrifying Swedish nanny, Ingrid." All's well (sort of) until the sudden arrival of a college friend - the stunningly beautiful Portia, who's known for breaking hearts. Though they've grown up and grown apart from Portia, the four friends welcome her back into the fold. But does Portia have a hidden agenda or is she merely looking to reconnect with old friends? Her reappearance soon unleashes a rollicking series of events that tests the foursome's friendships to the limit and leaves them wondering if a happy ending is in store.

Straight Talking by Jane Green (Published in 2003)

Meet Tasha — single and still searching. A producer for Britain’s most popular morning show working under a nightmare boss, Tash is well-versed in the trials and tribulations of twenty-first century dating. She and her three best friends certainly haven’t lived the fairy tale they thought they would: there’s Andy, who’s hooked on passion, but too much of a tomboy to have moved much beyond the beer-drinking contest stage; Mel, stuck in a steady but loveless relationship; and Emma, endlessly waiting for her other half to propose. Their love lives are only complicated by the sort of men who seem to drift in and out: Andrew — suave, good-looking and head over heels in love . . . with himself; Simon, who is allergic to commitment but has a bad-boy nature that’s impossible to resist; and Adam — perfectly attractive, but too sweet to be sexy.
The bestselling first novel that launched Jane Green, one of the brightest stars in contemporary women’s fiction, Straight Talking sets the record straight regarding the real world of dating, and follows the adventures of Tash and her friends as they search for fulfillment and the right kind of love. Funny, flirty, and ultimately tender, Straight Talking gets at the heart of modern romance.

To find out about more of her books and read excerpts, you can visit author's website.

Book #16 of 2010

Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel #6) by J.R. Ward
Published 2008/534 pages

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive.  As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.
As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself.  She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male.  But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy.  As the war with Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love….

I don't even know where to start with this one-- I guess I should start by saying that all of you paranormal romance fans should definitely read these books and start from the first one, Dark Lover. I'd given it to my sister who finished it a few days ago, and her comment was "I think I'm gonna fall in love with all of [the brothers] as I read the books." I have to second her on that one because that's just how it works.

Lover Enshrined, unlike the first five books of BDB, especially Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened, wasn't that big of a romance novel. This sounds negative, but it's not, really, because there was so much more going on.

Phury, unlike the other warrior brothers, puts himself before others first. Having saved his twin Zsadist from slavery after searching for him for an eternity and losing his lower leg in the process, he has his own demons and turns to drugs to ease the pain. As he turns to drugs more and more often, he also steps up to the role of the Primale so his brother Vishous can be with his shellan, which means he's expected to mate with the Chosen-- except he falls for Cormia, the first mate, and doesn't go through with the whole Primale thing. It was rather amazing to see what was going on inside his head, and I very much enjoyed reading him connecting with Zsadist finally.

Apart from Phury, finding out more about the Chosen and the "other side" was rather exciting for me as well. The more I found out about it, the more hated it though because it reminded me of my strict, annoying high school. I was glad in the end when Phury talked to the Scribe Virgin and brought them out of there. I especially enjoyed the last chapter where we get a glimpse of the Chosen's daily activities living all together at Rehvenge's property.

Rehvenge... The next book (and I'm STILL waiting for it to show up at my door) is his. I'm not sure how I feel about him. He's always seemed cool, and I like his sense of humor and everything, but I don't know how exactly I feel about sympaths. I guess I just don't get their whole deal yet. Hopefully Rehv's book will clear that up a little bit.

Like I've said, there's so much going on in this book. My favorite parts were definitely the ones about warrior-to-bes John Matthew, Qhuinn and Blaylock. And I'm very very excited about John Matthew's book, Lover Mine, showing up at my door with Rehvenge's.

I genuinely do think J.R. Ward just keeps getting better and better. Yes, the romances are to die for. But that's not the one main focus of the books, which I think is one of the reasons why they're so addictive. I'm so looking forward to more exciting plots now that Thorment is back and Lash (hate him!) is playing for the enemy's team.

Covet

COVET
by J.R. Ward
October 2009

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty, both personally and professionally, is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. His weapon: the power of love. His enemy: the darkest of evil. And failure is not an option.

Vincent Di Pietro has surrendered himself to his business—until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who will make him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over…but to redeem his very soul. 

Has anyone read this? 

My friend Kathy, who got me started with J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series said she wasn't too crazy about it. Honestly, I've never read any fictional angel books before-- Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is going to be my first when it gets here. Still, I'm thinking if Ward is as good with angels as she is with the vampires, it might be worth checking out.

For those of you who are interested, you can read an excerpt form the book at the author's website.

 

Lover Mine

I'm currently reading the sixth book (Lover Enshrined) in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I've already ordered the seventh and eighth books. The eighth book, Lover Mine, was recently released on April 27th.

I was searching for something completely different when I came across a video of J.R. Ward talking about the book on Penguin's YouTube channel. Now, since I have to read two more books before I can get to that one, I tried not to watch it, but I failed miserably. The spoilers aren't too bad, and I'm excited about the fact that she says she doesn't really see the series ending because there are so many possibilities.

She makes another good point about Lover Mine: we really did follow John Matthew through so many books, still are (well, I am due to where I am in the series) witnessing his physical and emotional development. I'm very excited to finally read all about him.

Book #15 of 2010

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Is Vishous an interesting character? Yes-- he's a tech-savvy, bisexual warrior vampire who's into BDSM and can heal or electrocute humans/vampires with his magic glowing hand. Since the beginning of the series, I've thought he was pretty cool and especially enjoyed reading his interactions with Butch. In this book, however, I wasn't as curious about him as I'd expected I would be because there was so much more going on. The biggest shocker about him is the fact that we (and he himself, too) find out The Scribe Virgin is his birth mother. His back story with his father, Bloodletter, was rather interesting as well, but, like I've said, failed to be the center of my attention because there was so much more going on.

• Phury loses his virginity after a forever-long celibacy. He's still hung up on Bella, which makes me rather sad to read about because she's his twin's shellan. Because of all this, he takes Vishous's place as the Primale, which I have mixed feelings about, yet I cannot wait to read about him and The Chosen, Cormia, in the next book.
• John Matthew was the most interesting part of the book. He finally went through his transaction and is a warrior-sized vampire, who uses the daggers with his left hand like Darius used to. I remember Darius making a request to the Scribe Virgin in the first book, so I have my suspicions about this, but I'll just wait and see instead of dwelling too much on it.
• Lash is a whole different story. I felt like something was up with him, too, and I'm hoping I'm right and that I'll find out what it is in the following books.
• Jane, the female Vishous falls in love with, was alright. The way she comes back after she's killed by a lesser feels kinda funny to me, though. I'm not too crazy about the whole "Jane, the Friendly Ghost" kinda deal. 
• The lessers weren't around as much in this book, so I'm expecting them to make a strong comeback.

More vampires translated to Turkish.

I've actually found out about this a few weeks ago, yet I kept forgetting to blog about it. The first two books in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Novels series have been translated to Turkish. I got the chance to look inside them, and the translations are as good as they get. I feel bad that the ones who read them in Turkish won't get to know Bones's overly-done British accent, though.

Jeaniene Frost'un Gece Avcısı Romanları serisinin ilk iki kitabı Türkçe'ye çevrilmiş. Kitapçıdayken şöyle bir baktım içlerine çeviriler fena gözükmüyor. Yalnız Bones'un (ana karakter olan vampir) abartılmış İngiliz aksanını "duyamayacaklar" için üzülüyorum gerçekten.

Idefix'in alıntı tanıtım yazıları:

• Tek Ayağı Mezarda için tıklayın.
• Mezarla Randevu için tıklayın.

Merak edenler için de yazarın kendi websayfası jeanienefrost.com

Bad, BAD Zim!

I've gone and bought books AGAIN. After paying off credit card, it's seriously the first thing I do as soon as I get paid. At least, this time, I didn't go overboard like I did last month. So, these are what I'll be expecting in the mail this month:

Lover Avenged (#7) and Lover Mine (#8) are the only books of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series that I don't have. I'm on book 5 right now (Lover Unbound), and I'm pretty sure I'll be done with that and book 6 by the time these arrive.

I'm also rather excited about Hush, Hush since everyone I know kept saying I'll love it. I wish I could have a week or two all to myself to just read. Dream on, no?

P.S. I've just realized I lied. I don't have The Black Dagger Brotherhood Insider's Guide either, but my friend Kathy --who got me obsessed with the series by sending me the first book-- said she'll get it for me, so I'm good.

Book #14 of 2010

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead but found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him...

All I'm going to say about this one is that it seemed to drag for too long. Maybe it's because Butch was always a character I didn't really care about. Sure, he's fun, but I could do without having to read his story. Anyway... Still, bonus points for some great Rhage moments.

Men Who Hate Women

I've started watching this last night, but I couldn't finish it. I really, really liked the book The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, so I want to like the movie, too, but eh... The places, including the towns and the houses, are just like what I've pictured. But the characters I liked a lot in the book are so not working for me in the movie: Mikael Blomkvist has no charm, Lisbeth Salander doesn't look way younger than she is, and Erika Berger isn't fierce at all.

I'm going to finish watching it just so I can say I've given it a shot. For those of you interested, here's the IMDB link to the movie.

P.S. I find that my brain is automatically filling the blanks while watching the movie, which makes me wonder what the people who haven't read the book will think about it.

Book #13 of 2010

Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society. 

***SPOILER ALERT***
This one brought me to tears at least three times. In the first two books, whenever I read about Zsadist, I had a "what the hell is his problem?!" kind of attitude toward him. You know he was a slave and all and probably went through hell, but you still don't understand why he's so cold and very killer-like all the time.

In Love Awakened, though, you get the whole story behind this "tortured hero," which instantly makes you feel for him. Although I wanted to strangle him when he kept denying love and happiness to himself, I did understand the reasons why.

As torture-filled as they may be, I enjoyed reading about Zsadist's past, and what his twin had to go through to free him. This also lead to my sobbing hard when Phury shaved his hair off and scarring his face to go meet the lesser in his twin's place, and their bonding at Haver's when Zsadist hugged him.

Time for a few bullet points:

• Zsadist eating with Rhage to gain weight = *melt*
• I'm still very curious about why Vishous made Butch drink his blood, and I'm hoping it will be revealed in the next book.
• John Matthew is such a cute character. I was so sad when both Wilsie and Sarelle were killed by the lesser and Tohr disappeared.

That's all I can think of right now, but whoever said these books keep getting better is damn right. And no, I'm not sick of their listening rap music and walking around in shit kickers all the time. 

Onto book four...

Phew!

I took my external hard drive to the shop today because even though it turned on, it wouldn't show up on my computer. The guys at the store pronounced it dead and said they would give me a new one 'cos there's still time on the warranty. I said I didn't want it. I don't care about anything else in it, but all my writing and interviews were in it, and I really didn't want to lose them-- why I was stupid enough to let an external drive store them, I don't know. Anyway... My amazing friend Barkin saved it! He took it out of its box and hooked it up to his desktop computer, and now it's safe and sound in there. PHEW.

* * *

On a different note, I'd really like to say that this woman knows what she's talking about. I'd started the 3rd book of The Black Dagger Brotherhood series yesterday, and I'm almost done with it. Looks like I'm going through this box set pretty fast and will need the rest of the books very soon.

Book #12 of 2010

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin.

Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone...

This is the second book in The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I liked the first book a lot, and I loved this one. This was mainly the story of the brother Rhage, and he made me *swoon* from beginning to end, which made me finish the book in two days and left me wanting more.

50 Books in a Year: 2010 list is updated.

I'm off to start the third book now.

Book #11 of 2010

The electrifying follow-up to the phenomenal best seller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("An intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller" –The Washington Post), and this time it is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, who is the focus and fierce heart of the story.

Mikael Blomkvist—crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium—has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered. But perhaps more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander.

Now, as Blomkvist—alone in his belief in her innocence—plunges into his own investigation of the slayings, Salander is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

(I've updated my book list for 2010.)

I'm not even going to bother reviewing this one-- it was as great as the first one of the series, if not more. This time, though, the subject was more interesting: sex trafficking. Larsson really has a way of keeping the reader hooked, and he can easily juggle so many characters, providing many details while building their personalities and actions.

The only problem I have is with the ending, and not because it's bad, but because I cannot wait for the third and last book now, which will be out in English in May.

P.S. I wouldn't recommend reading this one before reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo first.

Now I'm back to vampire novels. What a shock!

I've got mail!

Whenever I shop for books (which would be ALL the time if I could afford it), it ends up looking like this. It doesn't matter whether I'm buying them online or at a store, I always end up wanting more more MORE.

I'm still reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. After that, I'll have to decide which one of these two series (The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward or The Night Huntress Novels by Jeaniene Frost) I want to start with. Decisions, decisions... Life's so tough when you're a bookworm, ha!