the godmother by Carrie Adams

Title: the godmother
Author: Carrie Adams
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: September 18, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Age Group: Adult

Tessa King envies her friends - their relationships and their children. She is surrounded by families while she struggles to pull her life together after losing her job. However, when Tessa returns from an extended vacation she begins to see that her friends' lives are not full of happy endings either. Tessa ends up racing from one friend's crisis to the next, all while trying to find some balance in her unsettled life. All four of Tessa's godchildren also need her help during the course of the book.

This book was a good read, although I found it a bit depressing rather than humorous. I'm not sure that I 'get' books that overwhelm the main character with so many issues that it is supposed to be laughable. Tessa and her friends are all incredibly overwhelmed with stuff in this book to the point that you wonder how much more any of them can take. Adams' writing is fast paced and lets the reader really feel the stress of the characters.

the godmother is Carrie Adams first novel and is available in both hardcover and paperback. Her second book, The Stepmother, will be released in hardcover March 3, 2009.

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

Title: Any Given Doomsday
Author: Lori Handeland
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: November 4, 2008
Format: Mass market paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Phoenix Chronicles (Book 1)

I was very excited to receive an Advance Reading Copy of Lori Handeland's Any Given Doomsday from the Library Thing Early Reviewers Program. From the description I thought the book would fit perfectly with my library of urban fantasy, traditional fantasy, and paranormal titles. Unfortunately, I was ultimately disappointed in this book.

Elizabeth Phoenix is a psychic and ex-cop who wakes up after a four day coma. She was found lying next to her foster mother's murdered body. Elizabeth is about to enter a world she didn't even know existed, filled with creatures from myth and legend. Her psychic powers have been greatly enhanced and expanded and now she must learn quickly because the fate of the world may rest in her hands. She is aided in her quest for knowledge by Jimmy, an ex-lover and half vampire, and Sawyer, a skin-walker who Elizabeth hoped was in her past.

The story in this book sounds promising and I might have enjoyed it if it had been executed in a different fashion. I had never read anything by Lori Handeland before and did not realize her background as a romance author. While I have read some romances that I enjoyed, it is definitely not one of my primary genres. Handeland's romantic background came through very strongly in her descriptive passages and the book contained a large amount of sexual scenes. While I do not object to the occasional sex scene in a book, I do not like it when the sex becomes a primary plot device as it did in this book. Handeland compares The Phoenix Chronicles to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and I think that is a very accurate comparison when talking about the most current Anita Blake books. I was a fan of the Anita Blake series before it became bogged down with all the sex but the increase in sex and subsequent decrease in an actual plot line has me wondering if I will continue to even read them. Fans of the current Anita Blake books would probably enjoy Any Given Doomsday.

Find out more about The Phoenix Chronicles and Lori Handeland's other books at her official website. There is also a short story about Elizabeth Phoenix on the website which takes place before the book. Any Given Doomsday is scheduled for release on November 4, 2008. Book 2 in the series, Doomsday Can Wait, is scheduled for release on April 28, 2009. If our local library picks up this series, I will probably check out the second book and then make a decision on the series as a whole.

Sleepless by Terri Clark

Title: Sleepless
Author: Terri Clark
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Age Group: Young Adult

Terri Clark's debut young adult novel is a fast-paced, thrilling read.

Trinity Michaels has the ability to dream walk. It is ability that she doesn't want as it often leads to her seeing the darker side of people and their secrets. The worst by far was dreaming of Kiri the day after her parents reported her missing. Trinity was able to help the police find her but it was too late - she had already been murdered. Her killer, Rafe Stevens, was sent to a mental institution instead of jail. Now Rafe has escaped and he has developed the ability to invade people's dreams and mix them with reality. He is after Trinity in her dreams and if he kills her in her dreams she will die for real. At least Trinity doesn't have to face the danger alone as she finds an unlikely ally in Dan Devlin, the son of the lawyer who kept Rafe Stevens out of jail.

Terri Clark writes fast paced action and witty dialog that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The novel is dark and twisted while also containing humor and even some romance. Clark peppers the text with contemporary references that today's teens will easily relate to. Her characters are interesting and dynamic with solid motivations for their actions. While there is no word currently about future books starring Trinity, Clark certainly leaves the possibility open.

Find out what Terri Clark is up to at her official website, Terri Clark Books and at her blog Confessions from Young Adult Author Terri Clark. I can't wait to hear what Terri will be publishing next!

Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher

Title: Captain's Fury
Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Publication Date: December 4, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Codex Alera (Book 4)

The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher centers on Tavi, a young man from the country who lacks the ability to control the elements of nature. The use of fury crafting is expected among his people and Tavi feels like an outsider without this gift. It is this lack of fury crafting which forces Tavi to be creative in his thinking when he is thrust into battle, defending the realm against enemies from outside as well as in.

Butcher has created a highly political series where fast thinking and intuition must often triumph over brute strength. In the fourth book of the series, Captain's Fury, Tavi has risen to command a legion in the battle against the Canim. To win this fight, he must politically outmaneuver his personal enemies while trying to minimize the losses on the battlefield. The Codex of Alera series gets even better with each book as Tavi learns more about his personal history and how it intertwines with the history of the realm.

This book is currently available in hardcover and will be released in paperback on November 25, 2008. The fifth book in the series, Princeps' Fury, will also be realeased in hardcover on November 25, 2008. The first 6 chapters of Princeps' Fury will be published on Jim Butcher's website between now and the official release date.

Breaking Up is hard to do

Title: Breaking Up is hard to do
Authors: Niki Burnham, Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, & Lynda Sandoval
Publisher: Graphia
Publication Date: May 5, 2008
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
Age Group: Young Adult

Four fabulous young adult authors come together in this short story collection to bring teens tales of love, heartbreak, and hope. Each author brings a unique voice to the collection and the stories represent a range of characters, story lines, and styles while centering on the theme of love and loss.

Niki Burnham shares the story of Toby, a high school junior with a gorgeous girlfriend. Things seem to be going great for Toby as the school year starts until his girlfriend starts pressuring him to have sex. Burnham does a great job writing about not being ready for sex from the male perspective as Toby struggles with his conflicting feelings.

Newcomer Terri Clark provides a fast paced story about Dark Dee who gains the ability to hear other people's thoughts after being in a car accident. This leads to the unpleasant realization that her boyfriend has been dating her to gather information for a book on how to get girls from a variety of cliques to fall in love with you. Dee and her friend, Pixie, decide to reveal the boys scheme before they can con anyone else. In order to do this, they must bridge the gaps separating the various social groups at school. Clark engages the reader with snappy dialogue and well drawn characters.

Ellen Hopkins offers the reader a story in verse form, breaking the prose of the rest of the book. Her main character, Lisa, feels plain compared to the other girls in Palm Springs. She is happily surprised when a boy comes in to the coffee shop where she works and eventually asks her out. As the relationship develops, Lisa finds herself changing her outward appearance to please her new boyfriend. She adapts to the relationship in ways that make her uncomfortable especially when her boyfriend starts putting on more pressure. Hopkins verse is shaped to fit the content and the emotions of her narrator.

Lynda Sandoval shows another side of love when Mia's girlfriend, Paige, breaks her heart at the beginning of the school year by hooking up with the school's hottest guy and outing Mia as a lesbian. Mia rides an emotional roller coaster as she deals with the scenario that her summer love is actually straight and having her sexual preference known by the entire school. Sandoval writes in depth characters and carries the reader along for the emotional ride.

All four of these stories revolve around first loves and heartbreaks. While this could be a very depressing collection, each author also injects strength into the characters to overcome the heartbreak and offers the characters hope for future relationships. A great read for mature teens!