The Pluto Files, by Neil deGrasse Tyson

For the record, I always thought Pluto was a jumped-up snowball with delusions of grandeur. It’s been three years since the International Astronomical Union voted on a definition of the word “planet” that excluded Pluto. There was a disturbance in the force, as if 300 million Americans suddenly realized their elementary school teachers were wrong, [...]

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Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

With thanks to my BookExpo-attending colleague, who returned with an advance reader copy, here’s a sneak peek at a young adult book to be released in October 2009. This alternate World War I adventure kicks off with a middle-of-the-night escapade in an AT-AT walker a two-legged stalking tank, followed by aerial acrobatics aboard a living [...]

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What I Did For Love, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This is the light beach read I was looking for! Georgie York, sweetheart of Hollywood for her portrayal of spunky Scooter in a long ago ended TV sitcom called “Skip and Scooter” – is in the middle of an ugly and very public divorce from her hunky actor husband.   She just can’t keep that “nothing [...]

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Just Breathe, by Susan Wiggs

The cover of Susan Wiggs’ book screamed “beach read” to me so I had to grab it when the weather started warming. But Just Breathe is more of a “woman at a turning point in her life” story than what I would call a light beach read – but it is very satisfying and I’m [...]

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Mean Streets, by Jim Butcher; Simon R. Green; Kat Richardson; Thomas E. Sniegoski

I picked this one up because I’m a fan of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden — but now I think I’m a fan of John, Harper, and Remy. Each approximately 80-page story in this collection stands solidly on its own as a mystery with paranormal twists.  But I found it tantalizing that  small details about the [...]

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Pendragon: The Merchant of Death, by D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is a typical 14-year-old boy.  Well, sort-of.   On the night of the big semi-final basketball game, right after he gets kissed by the coolest girl he knows, his Uncle Press shows up and tells Bobby he needs to come with him — he needs his help.  Uncle Press looks so serious that Bobby [...]

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Body Check, by Deirdre Martin

I was recently flipping channels on the TV and ran across the Stanley Cup hockey games – which reminded me of this fun, contemporary romance featuring hockey players. Janna MacNeil is a publicist working her way to the top of the profession when she’s selected to do PR for the Stanley Cup Champions, the NY [...]

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The Fame, by Lady Gaga

I had just started hearing the name “Lady Gaga” tossed around, when I heard she would playing a concert in Richmond. I planned to buy tickets, but they sold out so fast. I was shocked, wondering who is this Lady Gaga, and why are people so quick to buy tickets to see her? That convinced [...]

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Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card

I never considered myself a fan of science fiction until a friend recommended Ender’s Game. I devoured that novel and the series that follows, starting with Speaker for the Dead. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a science fiction novel, let alone an entire series, as much as this one, so when I heard the [...]

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You Grow Girl, by Gayla Trail

Gardening seems to be trendy these days, being a relatively inexpensive hobby as well as a means to save money by producing your own food. Some days gardening is such a prominent topic in the news that I have to wonder if we’re in the midst of a Victory Garden renaissance, especially after our first [...]

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Sink Reflections, by Marla Cilley

In today’s fast-paced world, keeping a clean home can be challenging. I’ve read way too many books about organizing and cleaning, and Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley continues to be the one that has made all the difference. Sink Reflections is a collection of tips and life lessons from Cilley’s web site (she is known [...]

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 by Joss Whedon

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended after seven seasons on TV way back in 2003. Well, fans, the waiting is over – season eight is here! Joss Whedon, creator of the popular TV series, teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to continue telling Buffy’s tale in the form of comic books in 2007. Thankfully, these comics [...]

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Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

I hope you have all enjoyed this week of Twilight alternatives. And now, in the immortal words of Monty Python, for something completely different: Summer is nearly upon us and it is starting to get hot. While I cannot help with the heat, I can recommend a great set of wintery short stories. Set at [...]

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Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

In the history of star-crossed loves, the story of Miranda and Zachary ranks right up there with Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or perhaps more appropriately, Buffy and Angel, with a bit of role reversal. Miranda is a vampire and Zachary is an angel, but their story doesn’t start out that way. Miranda was [...]

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Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Nightshade, California, the setting of Dead is the New Black, shares quite a bit in common with another strange California town. No, I don’t mean L.A. I’m referring to Sunnydale, CA. For those who don’t get the reference, Sunnydale is a fictional town, and the home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like Sunnydale, Nightshade has [...]

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Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica thought her life was going pretty well. She had adopted parents who loved her, a best friend, and a crush who actually seemed to share her desire for a relationship. Until, on her first day of senior year, Jessica hears her name being whispered at the bus stop. Not the name Jessica, but her [...]

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Evermore by Alyson Noël

My posts this week are written in an attempt to relieve some of the agony for those readers on the waiting list for Twilight. I know how hard it is to wait for something I really want to read, so here are a few alternate titles for those of you in need of a vampire [...]

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Stalking Ivory, by Suzanne Arruda

To finish out the week, we’ll look at one more historical mystery series that should be better known among readers. Suzanne Arruda’s Jade del Cameron is an excellent addition to the ranks of tough and resourceful, but elegant, female detectives. Del Cameron served in the Ambulance Corps during the First World War, and she learned [...]

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