Horror Books

I borrowed this from the library and couldn't wait to read it. To my disappointment, it read like a poetic film treatment: plot driven with minimal character development and nothing going on under the surface. Evocative language and the originality of a novel in verse (everything old becomes new again) merited an extra star.

I read about a hundred pages into this book. It failed to keep my interest. I found I was actually dreading reading this book. After reading all of these positive reviews, I was sure I would like it, but I guessed wrong.

This novel should come with a warning label: DON'T run away just because this is a werewolf novel written in free verse.

Because, let's face it, that sounds pretty dreadful. But it's amazing how well the experiment works in author Barlow's masterful hands. It's not only not hard to read, it may actually be *easier* and more fun to read than if Barlow had chosen to tell his tale more conventionally. The form allows Barlow to junk a lot of unnecessary prose and dive right into the minds of the characters and the action of the story. The result is an economical and very effectively told tale, a pleasure to read.

There's nothing unpleasantly "arty" about the writing or the form, but it is very artfully done, with some strikingly beautiful passages that -- I promise -- don't slow down the story or get in the way. If you're familiar with the conversational tone of a lot of Charles Bukowski's poetry, which this reminds me of a bit, I'll bet you'll enjoy this. I was also reminded of the machine-gun prose of James Ellroy. And there are whiffs as well of those masters of economic story-telling, 1950's paperback noir greats like Jim Thompson, Harry Whittington, Charles Williford, and the rest of the Black Lizard gang... at least so it seems to me, and that's high praise indeed.

Right from the start I was pulled into the story. And the story is great: fast-moving, suspenseful, bizarre. Werewolves, or were-dogs, traveling in packs in modern day San Francisco, plotting schemes and wreaking all kindsa havoc in both their human and canine forms. Horror, black humor, crime, suspense, noir, romance.... it's a page-turner.

Fine writing, a brilliant concept brilliantly carried off, a fun read, with some profound things to say and some moving and memorable scenes and characters. One of my favorite books of this year.

I would not typically read a werewolf book. I prefer my monsters in movies. But when I found out that this book was written in free verse, I took a closer look, then bought it. It was worth the cash.

The free verse format is not distracting at all. It actually reads much smoother than prose. For fantasy/horror subjects like this it fits very well. It allows the author to use quick brush strokes to move the story along rather than long, excessive descriptions. There are also some nice one liners that wouldn't work so well in prose, but really sparkle in the free verse format.

The werewolves in the book are also fresh. Rather than being monstrous, they're portrayed more like wild dogs. Pack mentality is stressed and the social construction of their society is well formulated. The werewolves in this book can change at will and do not become sub-human mentally when they do so. This is a nice spin on the werewolf theme, which usually involves a solitary monster killing people on the full moon.

There is some great violence here and the plot moves rapidly. This book isn't heavy literature. It's a fast reader and is more fun than enlightening. I recommend it for its entertainment value above all else.

This is the first time I have felt the need to write a review on anything. After reading many positive literary reviews, I brought this one home from the library. Thankfully I didn't buy it. I kept waiting for it to get good and it never delivered. I found it boring, slow, and nonsensical. But, I realize I am in the minority here so maybe you will enjoy it. Have fun either way...

I have read a few books by LA Banks, from the romance to the paranormal and she is truly gifted beyond her years. I am also a huge VHL fan. Bad Blood is a great way to start a new series and I cannot wait for the next book which I have already pre ordered. If you are not familiar with her work and the way that she writes then you may not really 'get'it at first, when I first started the VHL series, I was intrigued but lost by minion, then the awakening, then when I read the hunted it all started to come together her series seems to unfold as the books go on. At first you will get that she is just saying evil is evil and good is good, but that is not so, thats more so a personal interpretation when your wanting the climax or the point to come before she gives it. In reading all of the books, you seem to see what one thing has to do with the other and why she was very detailed and giving deep backgrounds because later on, that will come in handy, if you have never read any of her other books, I'd say do that first, then start on one of the series. Otherwise you may not be in tune to her form of writing with all the explaining that does indeed become helpful later on. In the VHL series, the books gets better as they progress just as they should, Minion started off the series a little slow and almost confusing but ended interesting, like the characters, each book is a step of growth, them learning more and you the reader understanding more as time goes on....like life. I believe the Bad blood series will do the same, in the first book people are like okay, I'm a little confused, then the second book will come and the first book will make much more sense, then the third book will come and the second book will make much more sense and you'll start to understand the flow of the story. Ms. Banks is a very talented writer with a beautiful imagination, no matter the genre, across the board her books are hot. If you open your mind and have a little patience, you will be able to cross over into that other world with her characters...while your reading at least lol. I hope you all enjoy.

I liked this book. Sasha and Max are some bad a*s wolfs. You don't want to run in to them in the shadows. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Combine special ops warriors and werewolves in a story sprinkled with far-ranging plots and conspiracies, then stir in a healthy dose of steamy romance and you get Bad Blood, an enjoyable action packed read and a very promising start to the new Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks.

There is a fair amount of complexity to the plot and the world with four different kinds of wolf-shifter/werewolf species. The type that draws the government's interest is a demon infected strain. The victims of this virus eventually Turn becoming something in form that is between man and wolf but insane, powerful, vicious and deadly. The government is covertly running experiments to try and use the virus to make super soldiers and while trying to keep Turned wolves out of the hands of the various factions seeking to capitialize on the werewolf virus in some form or fashion. The heroine Sasha Trudeau and her team -- who all carry some type of werewolf virus, but are taking drugs to suppress the Turn -- are unwittingly part of the experiment.

I liked Sasha who is second in command to paranormal special ops unit tasked with hunting down Turned wolves to protect the public. Sasha is independant, capable and smart - she has always been the strategist for her unit. I also really liked the male lead 'shadow wolf' Max Hunter who is a non-demon infected kind of wolf shifter and I liked the Native American elements that his wolf clans' culture brings to the story. Sasha and Max have great chemistry and Max is an appealing mixture of wise, strong and vulnerable. They make a good team but the story is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance in that there is no happily ever after ending for the pair in this book.

I am not familiar with Banks writing or her vampire huntress series, so I can't speak to the comments about this being a repackaging of Banks' same old stuff - though it did reminded me a bit of Christine Feehan's Shadowalker books. I personally found it quite entertaining, and look forward to learning more about the werewolves and the wolf familiars and watching Sasha to continue to explore her shadow wolf heritage as the story continues in Bite the Bullet: A Crimson Moon novel (Crimson Moon Novels).

As a person who (very disappointedly I might add) was never able to get into Ms. Banks vampire series, when I saw this on the bookshelves I had to try one more time and I am very glad I did. This was a much better read for me.

Special Ops soldier, Sasha Trudeau is a part of a unique group of 'beings'; all soldiers for the U.S. government. At some point, they were bitten or scratched by werewolves, and contaminated with a werewolf virus. With that common bond, the team led by their Captain has always done assignments together. Sasha is a bit bemused when she is sent on a mission without them, but this is the military and orders are given and taken without question. So Sasha sets out to perform her duty; trying to contain the level of paranormal activity around the world. But, this assignment is becoming increasingly harder to control; werewolf DNA is the only DNA scientists think is capable of being fused with humans, which causes almost insurmountable risks.

The solo mission in Korea sets Sasha up for some personal drama, introduces her to a new breed of werewolf, and makes her question the authenticity of her pack family. When she returns home, she finds her Captain has turned, which forces her to change her loyalties and her mission. Her perception, of the people to whom she has given much credence, and whom she obeyed without a backwards glance, is being challenged. Sensing something akin to betrayal, bad blood is not only running through the team's veins, it's starting to claim Sasha's mind.

BAD BLOOD, the first of the Crimson Moon Novels, focuses on werewolves, shadow wolves and the U.S. government Operatives. In Banks' indelible style, she manages to pull the readers into the story and let them share the 'run'. She gives the antagonist new powers and shares some almost believable myths, surrounding other-dimension phenomenon. As a confirmed reader of Banks, I've come to expect the thoroughness with which she writes. And while I felt a similarity between her werewolves and her vampires, from the Huntress series, it made me wonder if other-world creatures are as similar in nature as are humans; that was my take anyway... The characters bring the intrigue, mystery, and unabridged 'were-world' existence, to life and the ending will have readers hoping more is housed in another book.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

i sent it to my sister so i couldn't tell ya, she seemed to be pleased though

The 5th installment, prequel to the Flowers in the Attic/Dollanganger series, picks up a notch from book 3 and 4 which although entertaining were a bit of a let down.
This book follows Olivia, who in her mid twenties, looks destined to be an old maid. In comes handsome Malcolm Foxworth, whose unromantic wedding proposal gives Oliva hope of living a life of love and family. they are soon dashed when Malcolm's true nature is revealed. So begins a downward spiral of dissapointment, deceit and bitterness, twisting Olivia into the cruel Grandmother first introduced in Flowers in the Attic.
Entertaining, but not one of V C's best.

This book seems to have been written by the ghostwriter. There's so much filler and nonsense in this book, and a real lack of depth, unlike original VCA works.

This is about the life of Chris and Cathy's grandmother, Olivia, and their grandfather, Malcolm. It's what you would expect: Malcolm is cold and ruthless, and he hardens Olivia's heart as well. Corrine and Christopher get together, and everything is ruined for the Foxworths. Come on...we already knew this from the first book; why did we need this one? If you're a true fan and want to read all of this saga, go ahead. But if you end up as bored as I was with it, you won't read it twice.

This was when everyone was thinking rationally. This was when I saw the beauty of the woman who would later become the Grandmother; set up on a blind date by her father with the mysterious Malcolm Foxworth her life is never the same again. Following a whirlwind romance, and wedding she's whisked away to Foxworth Hall, and all it's idosecrencies. She finds herself unloved, and only to breed a certain breed of children, and talk of Malcolm's mother is strictly forbidden. Well Malcolm shows what, and how he wants things in the Foxworth Hall...his way, and when his father shows up with his young new bride Alicia, and bad blood starts between Father and Son to where the mysterious death of Malcolm's father is never to be discussed. The secret is covered up, and everyone thinks that it's gone, but it's not. In fact this is where the lifelong cover up occurs. It's quoted in the Bible where God's wrath is shown on a person's family leading out to the 4th and 5th generations. This doesn't necessarily mean that if one generation messes up, but the other wants to get right with God that it's too late that God's wrath takes it's course, and nothing can stop it until after the 5th generation. If a family wants to turn, and break the chain, or any particular family member wants to go against the stream of what his family's doing then God will look upon them with favor. Salvation is for the individual, and not the family. A person can be saved, but he/she can't save thier family. Unfortunately, with the Foxworths it's where they walked around in darkness from one generation to the next starting here, and Malcolm's family fell apart where his sons respected him out of fear, and his wife just doted on her sons. Then with Malcolm's father's death came Alicia pregnant with Malcolm's baby which was a girl. Malcolm would name her Corrine after his mother who abandoned him when he was 5. Unfortunately, Malcolm couldn't let go of this, and after his sons died, and Corrine became a teenager she would be ready to go to the best college for women until she was discovered in bed with a young man who she only thought of as a first cousin, but in reality was her brother. This was the downfall of Foxworth Hall as Malcolm would throw the both of them out, and succumbed to a heart attack that would leave the Grandmother in charge. The ending of this book would be the foundation of the story that started it all "Flowers In The Attic". It was a book that made me begin to think of the grandmother in a different light. She seems to be a very loving woman who didn't have the peace of God within her spirit to weather this storm as she lost her beauty, and it was turned to ice. She would put off the air of grace, and seems to display it through allowing Corrine to move back to Foxworth Hall after losing her brother/husband to death. However, there was alot of repressed anger seething under her that would make the following generations just as doomed.

I don't really accept this book as a true part of the "Flowers in the Attic" story -- any more than I accept "The Phantom Menace" as a real part of the Star Wars epic -- but I have to admit, it's a fun read, and I found it much more interesting than I thought I would. And, yes, it's certainly a lot better than "The Phantom Menace" (not that that's saying much).

So, why the disclaimers? Well, for starters, there's quite a bit that doesn't jibe with "Flowers in the Attic." Additionally, a lot of key issues aren't dealt with. For example, in a story dealing with the young Corinne, you would expect to see some sort of a hint of a deficiency in her character, some darkness that would jibe with what we see later, in "Flowers in the Attic." Similarly, the character of Olivia is not what it should be. You expect to see a real transformation in her, and you see a bit of one -- but not enough. There's not enough to foreshadow the monstrosity that follows. In addition to that, within this novel itself, the character's behavior is inconsistent. I get the feeling that the author thinks that these fluctuations are nuances, but they just seem unreal.

On the upside, though: the author definitely understands Southern gothic, and he (or she) weaves in some funky surprises that not only fit into the basic FITA story, but complement it nicely, and make you think about it in new ways. The character of Alicia, who we hear so much about in the other books, comes to life vividly. Best of all, there's a painfully ironic twist at the very end of the book that, I have to admit, I don't totally buy, but it's a gutsy choice, and it's fun to mull over the fact that things could have happened that way.

In sum: it's a fun read, best enjoyed if you think of it as the brainstorm of a good friend imagining how the Dollanaganger kids came to be locked in the attic. Then you can come up with your own version. Too bad we'll never know for sure what V.C. Andrews thought.

A must have for Poe lovers. Excellent audio collection. Rathbone and Price are the perfect match. The audios are based on the quality of their voices and the writings. No sound effects are needed due to the talent of these two individuals.

I'm didn't like the audio levels, I had to turn it up to hear some of what the narrators were saying, but then other times it would be too loud.

I was looking forward to listening to this on a recent trip but found the experience less then hoped for.

I feel that the problem is the material. The readers, Basil Rathbone & Vincent Price, have great voices. They are part narrator part voice acting and that can add a great deal. But, it makes it difficult sometimes as the sound levels are variable; sometimes almost a whisper then shouting. That makes listening while driving difficult.

Also the material, Edgar Allan Poe, is rather densely written. The stories are convoluted and the words Poe used are intentionally obscure sometimes - all that makes it harder to follow in audio book form rather then in the actual reading.

Not a bad production and I may listen to it at work, but it was not very good for travel listening.

Edgar Allan Poe on audio is a perfect selection for the haunts of October. Who better to read his work aloud than Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price? In theory this is a wonderful collection. Unfortunately, it requires one to turn their speakers up near full volume in order to hear the replication. There are a couple of tracks when Rathbone exclaims a sentence very loudly, which, compared to the remainder of the stories, is excruciating on the ear drums once the speakers are full blast. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection and do recommend it. But, be forewarned, it is quite soft in volume.

Basil Rathbone was born to play Sherlock Holmes (in the films of the stories written by Conan Doyle, not the other spurious stuff) and to read the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
My vinyl recordings were worn out long years ago. This set is more than I could have hoped for. Now in my 73rd year, these performances carry me back to a time well before my own... magic, indeed.
For his part, Vincent Price delivers characteristically fine performances, but Rathbone's readings have been my delight. Rare excellence is here.

The Last Apprentice series (called the Wardstone series in England) presents the fearsome adventures of a young man who is destined for greatness, but on a lonely path. It should appeal to adolescents (roughly 10 or older) who like edgy fiction, who have grown beyond Goosebumps, and finished Harry Potter -- beyond the frightening and sometimes disturbing subject matter it is a story of a young boy who is learning to face ambiguities, learning to see that while there is bad and good in the world, most people cannot be categorized as either good or evil, that sometimes it is important to follow rules and sometimes one must trust one's instincts.

The Last Apprentice is set in an old world, somewhat like England, where the church is powerful, but not powerful enough to stop the things that go bump in the night. For that they need spooks -- seventh sons of seventh sons who devote themselves to the discovery of methods for controlling and eliminating creatures from the dark: ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts and more. The problem is there aren't very many willing or able to do what it takes, who can't take the loneliness, the long years of study, and the mistrust and fear they face from those who they serve.

Tom Ward doesn't know whether he has what it takes, but he has few options. When he becomes apprentice to the local Spook he doesn't know he will face witches and other dark things, sometimes armed only with his own wits and courage. The world depicted in the Last Apprentice series is a dark world and is getting darker -- but there are glimmers of hope and there are those who are sincere in their efforts to help others in need. The story, written in the first person, does a very good job of conveying his uncertainty and fear and leads in unexpected directions. I read this with my daughter, who is now eager to continue with the rest of the series. (I'm interested as well -- but a bit worried that the series will get scarier as it continues and that she may not be ready for the sequels.)

A well-written, albeit gruesome, horror series, for kids who think it's great fun to be scared witless. The fourth and latest book (as of August 2008) is the darkest so far. There are a few too many creatures that want to suck human blood for my taste, but that quibble aside, all entries in the series so far are page-turners.

I didn't know what to expect as I opened this book for the first time, a part me thought it would just be another bland young adult book but its so much more than that. The book has a naturally dark mood being that the protagonist, Tom Ward is learning to fight witches, ghosts, and boggarts. However this book strikes a perfect middle ground, making it a great read for any age group. The characters are also interesting, Tom Ward is the apprentice who must face his fears and control them, The Spook is a tough yet intelligent teacher, and Alice is a mischievous witch who takes a liking to Tom. Don't hesitate getting this if you've been looking for a fantasy series filled with adventure, and interesting characters.

Tom is 13 years old and lives on a farm with his parents, older brother Jack, and Jack's wife Ellie. Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son and it is time for him to go off and learn a trade. His father has made arrangements for him to have a trial as the apprentice of the local Spook - the person who travels the county ridding the area of supernatural creatures such as boggarts and witches. Tom is scared of these creatures and very wary of the Spook. But his mother tells him that this is his future and he must go off and give it a try.

The Spook puts Tom through a number of challenges in order to see if Tom is up to the task of being his apprentice. Tom is very very scared of many of the things he has to go up against, but he soon finds that he has good instincts for this kind of work. However, his best instincts are not better than the tricks that Alice, a girl that is a witch, plays on him. Tom finds out that he is too trusting of other people and he must learn when to trust his instincts and heart. But will Tom and his family have harm come to them before Tom is able to handle himself and learn all that the Spook has to teach him?

Joseph Delaney has a good start to a fun series with this book. Chronicles of this type are favorites of many readers now that Harry Potter has set the stage for magic and otherworldly creatures. This book is of a similar genere as Harry Potter, Spiderwick Chronicles, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. With regard to it's level of sophistication, it rates beteween A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter. It is well written, teaches as it goes, and surely will prove to be an entertaining coming of age series.

After reading Revenge of the Witch, I had to go out and get the second one because I wanted to know what happened to Tom and Alice. I think Alice is one of the most intriguing characters in the whole book because despite being a witch, she's not an evil person. Nor is she a good person.

And that's something this whole series (at least my impression) seems to convey - that no one is completely and utterly good or bad. We've all got a mixture of both.

I disagree with the reviewer who said s/he thought the book had misogynistic views. only ONE character has these views and it is shown by other, strong female characters, that he is wrong.

All in all, I think this would be a fantastic series for struggling readers, or those reluctant to put down the video games and pick up a book. The large text and illustrations make the reading go by fast - not to mention the pounding plot that doesn't really let up at any moment.

I haven't actually read this book, but I bought it for my 11 year old grandaughter and I can't express how much she loved it. She read and enjoyed the other two in the series, but she can't quit talking about this one. More than one school night, her mother has caught her reading after "lights out" because she couldn't wait to see what happened in the next chapter. I will definitely buy the next one out for her.

The Vampirate Series is excellent. Each book just gets better and better. I would recommend these to everyone. It was delivered in great time, no problems.

Vampirates: Blood Captain by Justin Somper is the third book in this series that mixes vampires and pirates in a heady romp through a world of rising oceans, treasure and mystery. Be warned, when you have read this book you will immediately want to find copies of the previous two books so you can read more about the characters.

In this installment, Connor Tempest and his twin sister Grace are pursuing separate paths, exploring their place in the world. Connor continues cutting a swath in the pirate world. He meets Molucco's brother, Barbarro, and his son, Moonshine, who takes an immediate dislike to Connor. The boys are thrown together as Molucco and Barbarro plan a daring raid.

Grace travels with a blind vampire to a mysterious Sanctuary to learn if Lorcan's blindness can be healed. In the Sanctuary she begins to learn healing from Mosh Zu, a vampire guru, but all is not as it seems. She finds both friendship and betrayal as she learns new skills.

The characters in Blood Pirate are well rounded, believable, and likable. As I read a chapter about Grace, I would be wondering what was happening to Connor. The alternating chapters became a device to keep the reader's interest, and Somper doesn't stick slavishly to them. The other people who populate the book are given the same careful treatment. Some were introduced in earlier books and some are new to this one, but each one is crafted with the care and attention to detail that run through the book. Yet the book is more than just character, it is a wild ride through a fascinating world.

Justin Romper is working on the fourth book of the series. Read this one, and you too will be waiting impatiently for its release.

Armchair Interviews says: Good sci-fi!

When I read the synopsis of this book, it seemed really cool. Sort of a different take off Buffy, chick slayer, with a larger group of sidekicks.
However, I could not, for the life of me, get into the characters, at all. They did not seem believable. Added to that, their dialogue, their 'lingo' seemed just lacking...and dumb. It felt like the author was trying to hard to be 'hip', trying to hard to get it down, that special dialogue or lingo that really close friends or close co-workers use, that seems to be signature or representation of their world.
If the characters aren't strong enough, they alone cannot carry a weak story. You have to have both. Strong characters intrigue people, and make them interested in the story, and the story carries the reader along as events happen or unfold to the characters.
It's too bad...could have been really hot.
I'd recommend Kim Harrison, Laurell Hamilton, Rob Thurman, or Keri Arthur.

I have a thing for a good vampire novel, so I thought I would go ahead and start this series, the book has been sitting on the shelf for some time...and I now know why I was hesitant to start lol. This book is a pretty good "set up" book. I didn't find it that hard to read, but it was a bit slow..until the end. I hope that the other readers are correct when they say that the second book is far better and maybe...if we are lucky..it gets better with each book. Worth the read, but don't expect to finish in one sitting.

In the interest of accuracy, let me note that the edition of Minion that I have is the "Special Huntress Edition." This is a sort of "director's cut" that contains scenes not in the original edition of the novel. I have not read the first version and do not know which scenes are new.

Minion tells the story of Damali, a young African-American woman, and her friends, who together make up a rap band and, secretly, a vampire-hunting team. Damali has been chosen Buffy-style as the champion of Light against the forces of Darkness, and her friends are the Guardians sworn to protect her until she comes into her full powers. There is a second plot as well, dealing with Damali's ex-boyfriend, Carlos, who was once a Guardian candidate but has fallen into a life of organized crime.

L.A. Banks draws many parallels, throughout Minion, between vampires and those who prey upon the urban poor in real life: the gang leaders and drug kingpins. On one level, Banks's vampires are a metaphor for these human predators.

The characters speak in urban slang, and whether you like this aspect of the novel will likely depend on whether you like authors to write out their characters' accents.

Minion contains heavy Christian themes. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The bad news is that the novel feels a little preachy at times. The good news, though, is that it works well within the plot. The characters' deep Christian faith gives them motivation to fight evil, and also gives meaning to the cross-and-holy-water methods of warding off vampires. There are some vamp novels in which religion is never mentioned except when the characters are splattering holy water across the scenery. One might wonder whether it would even work if the wielder didn't actually believe in the deity and was just using the water because "everyone knows" it works against vampires.

What didn't work for me: First, the aforementioned preachiness. This tone isn't limited to religion, but also includes diet and music lyrics. On the positive side, much of the sermonizing comes from a single character and can just be chalked up to her personality.

More importantly, Minion is just too "talky" overall. It starts with some action and some tragedy, but sinks into a morass of endless talk among the characters. Much of this talk is preachy, filled with bickering, or worst of all, info-dumpy. Characters take up a lot of page space telling each other things they already know in order to convey that information to the reader. There was probably a less clumsy way to do this.

I also wish more had been done with the group's musical interests. They theoretically have a band, but we only see Damali perform once (briefly), and never see any of the other characters play music. There is talk about the power of music to help people save their souls, but while jamming together might have helped the group keep up their morale and reinforce their bond, we never see them so much as rehearse.

Finally, I had been told that Minion ended on a cliffhanger. It's more like it screeches to a halt about two miles back at the first sight of the "Caution: Cliff Ahead" sign. There is an event that the entire plot is building toward, and we never get there.

Banks shows promise in this first VAMPIRE HUNTRESS novel, but doesn't do enough with it. The plot may thicken later in the series; however, the first installment is the one that needs to hook the reader.

So, as soon as I finished the anthology "Hotter Than Hell", I had to go out and try some of the authors that were in the book. L. A. Banks was one of them because I loved her sexy, spine tingling story about the Greek Goddess, Artemis. As you can see by my rating, I did not love this book. Actually, I wish I could choose no stars.

I won't bore you with describing the book, many have already done that for me. What I will say is, Banks seems to be trying something out that she has no feel for. I like the story and the plot that she is building, but the dialogue is very lacking. Not only do the characters not have anything special to say, but they repeat themselves WAY too much. Don't even get me started on the slang. Banks makes it feel like George Bush talking about his bling.

I do understand when a writer needs to end on a cliffhanger to get you to read the next book, after all, I am a fan of the Meredith Gentry books. However, this one seemed to stop in the middle of a thought and did not leave me wanting more. Frankly, I don't know how Banks got the funding for a second book.

That is my soapbox speech.

I am reading this book now.. and I have to agree with the majority of people. It's not so great. It seems like it's just an exposition of characters. From what reviews I've read so far, the rest of the series is well worth wading through the first one. So, that's what I'm doing.

The only problem I have is that no matter where I look, I can't seem to find a listing of what order these books go in. I have no idea what book I'm supposed to buy next or third or fourth. I'm not sure what my next move is after this. Anyone know of a listing of the series in the correct order???

I became interested in Sandra Lee's past after hearing others on the Food Network mentioning her hard life. Sandra made her own decisions growing-up to have a better life than her parents. Every time she was knocked-down, she got back up and moved forward. A riveting read.

With a childhood like Sandra had, you wonder how anyone could survive, let alone succeed. What an inspiration she is! I could not put this book down.

Reading about Sandra Lee's upbringing was very emotional and heartwrenching. Made From Scratch is a very apt title. Did not have any idea what a hardscrabble childhood she had. I was interested in learning that she lived in Sumner, just a town away from me. She worked so hard and kept a good head on her shoulders through horrors hopefully none of us have experienced. She truly deserves all the success she has enjoyed. I hope she continues to flourish. I did not know about her former Beverly Hills/jet-setting lifestyle either so it was interesting to get a peek inside that world. I recommend this book--you will have a better understanding of Sandra Lee and her semi-homemade empire.

This book was great! I read it ONE day and I'm not a fast reader, but I just couldn't put it down! Gratned, it's not the most well-written or gramatically correct piece of writing I've seen in a while, but who cares! The story is real and honest and so is the woman behind it! The way she tells her real-life story is engaging and inpsirational! k! While I agree that her tablescapes are not always "easy" or "inexpensive," and her food is often chemically ladden with all of the "starters," and artificial crap in it, it IS easy! I think Ms. Lee is a very savy, smart and intelligent business woman, who yes, happened to know the right people and be in the right places at the right times, but hey, she worked her butt off, literally, for years and years and obviously, still does! I can't help but admire a hard worker! I think Ms. Lee's heart is/was always in the right place and her charitable work is admirable! I also liked the fact that she so honest at the end with how this book came to be! She states she's not a writer and also shares some of the pain in re-visisiting these memories and writing this story. I also liked that she acknowledged her divorce and how painful that is, many people glide over that facet of their life, I appreicated her honesty! All and all, I have a WHOLE NEW RESPECT and admiration for Ms. Lee after having read this book; if you want a quick, fast, easy and highly inspirational, encouraging read, you've found it!

At our local library you can request new books online. As the library has funds, books are ordered. I waited in anticipation for several months; the reviews were wonderful. I will write a check to our library for the price of the book $24.95 ,what a waste to have such a book in our public library.

From her pathetic reverence to Danielle Steele & St. Tropez to her reaction to Princess Diana's death this poor woman is a star obsessed name dropper. "Sensing my discomfort Charlie Sheen walked up to where I was standing, put his arm around me, and told the drunken guy I was his girlfriend"


The book is rampant with grammatical errors, ie; a photo caption "Me and Richie shooting the close of ..." There are many pictures, of Sandra with "famous" people, it's like a "worship me, look at me" book. Counseling will be worth it Sandra, get some help.

As for the quotes throughout the book, I don't believe she would understand or know how to use any one of these. Perhaps the ghostwriter looked these up on the net and inserted them where plausible?

Here are a few quotes for poor Sandra: "You Might Move Out, but You Can't Move On" and "You can take the trash out of the trailer but you can't take the trailer out of the trash".

To be fair, I quit reading halfway through as I could not stomach any more, she is too into herself. I wish there was an option for a ZERO star rating.

As usual, Alan Moore delivers. A story that could easily get lost in it's own ambition is smoothly directed towards conclusion, with all the twists and turns that make Alan Moore the master. When you finish this volume you'll just want to turn around and read the entire series over again. Or explore more of Moore.

This book has Swamp Thing in outer space for a fair part of it, as he encounters various other dc figures in his travels, such as those from the planet Rann, and the odd Green Lantern, and even the New Gods.

He does eventually end up back on Earth, and is a little peeved with some of the bad guys.

As The Shadow would say, if Swamp Thing is after you, 'The weeds of crime bear bitter fruit.'

Alan Moore's entire run on Swamp Thing is amazing. But his `Swamp Thing in Space' stories are my favorites as Moore switches from weird horror to weird sci-fi-horror. As remarkable and acclaimed as Watchmen is, for my money, this is where Moore penned his most ground-breaking stuff.

Here is the final installment of Alan Moore's tremendous and groundbreaking run on the Swamp Thing series, collecting original issues #57-64. Moore brings to a precise ending his take on the character and his breathtaking development as an elemental spirit, but with plenty of room for future writers to continue the series. We also see the apotheosis of Moore's strong horror (and increasingly, sci-fi) writing, which both resurrected and revolutionized this comic genre. At the beginning of this particular collection, Swampy's spirit is still drifting in outer space, and Moore takes him on a series of adventures that illustrate his very "fertile" imagination. Swampy restores fertility to Adam Strange's nuclear-damaged planet, accidentally mates with a lonely bio-mechanical space station (in a great example of speculative sci-fi), and accidentally enslaves a sentient plant civilization but amends his misdeed with help from the local Green Lantern associate. Moore brings his run to a close by finally reuniting Swampy with his true love Abby, as he ponders his place as an elemental god on his home world. The artwork continues to astound as well, with Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala handling most of the duties during this period, while colorist Tatjana Wood continues her moody and praiseworthy work. This is the stupendous ending to one of the great series in comics history, and also one of the best graphic novel collections. [~doomsdayer520~]

While the title of the final collection of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing work has an obvious meaning to it, the reunion between Alec Holland the Swamp Thing and his wife Abby, the book is also Moore's last work, so it is just as much his departure from a character he changed in so many ways, helping to create what would someday be DC Comic's Vertigo line.

The final collection features some more of Moore's reworking of the DCU with some horrifying results. Adam Strange, hero of Rann, appears, and Moore suggests that Strange may be Rann's hero, but not for the reasons he thinks he is. As Swamp Thing makes his journey home to Earth after his forced severing from the Green as seen in the previous collection, he makes a variety of stops, some of which show how his abilities and such make him one of the more powerful beings, and as such, Alec's reasoning in the end as to why he doesn't just fix the Earth's ecology for humanity makes a good deal of sense.

Of course, Moore never lets you forget Swamp Thing began as a horror book. Alec's revenge against his would-be killers for separating him from Abby for so long (which, as far as Alec is concerned, is the real crime they committed) takes on terrifying aspects as we see just how powerful someone who can control plants really is. His trip to a planet of sentient plants has similar frightening results as he inadvertantly pulls up a body made entirely of the citizens of the city and needs to be stopped by the planet's Green Lantern, but not before his presense causes internal shifts in a few of the planet's inhabitants, most for the worse, seeing what they really are as opposed to what they believe themselves to be.

Most horrifying (and somewhat confusing) is an issue recounted by some kind of alien creature which it seems is part plant, part asteroid, and part machine, and her capture and what appears to be a rape of Alec trying to get home while his consciousness travels across space.

I give this collection four stars for a simple reason, though. In the middle of the book is a single issue Moore didn't write dealing with Alec and the New Gods. Artist Rick Veitch wrote that one. It's not a bad issue, but if you buy this thinking Moore wrote every issue (which may be an impression you get from reading the cover), then you should be warned that this is not the case.