Summary: The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. However, as in all wars, life goes on. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Searching for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, Harry finds what may be his only vulnerability.

Review: I didn't really write a proper review last time, heh. I liked it a lot more than I remember liking it for some reason. It was not as complex as some of the other books, which was nice, and at the same time it was very interesting because we learn a lot about Lord Voldemort and his younger days, and we see a whole new side of characters like Draco and Snape. The idea of the Horcruxes is very interesting and explains more about how Voldemort survived after he tried to kill Harry. The pieces are definitely falling together, and overall, I liked it very much.

Summary: Dexter is kept from his games of "slice the slasher" by a suspicious Sergeant Doakes but is still finds a way to engage in his grim specialty when a fiendish doctor comes to town and leaves his victims brutally butchered, yet alive.

Review: Sequel to Darkly Dreaming Dexter, of course. I liked this one much better than the first - the plot was less confusing and also more interesting (what with the historical backstory and everything). Creepy as hell, too - certainly brought some unpleasent images to mind (Karl from Hellboy, anyone?). I really, really like Lindsey's writing, though! It's very witty and enjoyable to read. All in all, another good installment - I look foward to the last book in the series!

Summary: From a woman who marries into a family of volatile wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids to a girl who seeks sanctuary in the form of a graceful goose, readers will revel in the many twists and turns of fortune in these fantastical fairy tales and lush parables. Even vampire hunter and zombie animator Anita Blake gets blindsided by the disturbing motives of her clients in the new "Those Who Seek Forgiveness" and in "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death."

Review: I enjoyed this very much. Hamilton has a wonderful imagination and each story was unique and a lot of fun to read. I liked that the stories were all very different - some were very lighthearted while others very dark. There was only one I didn't really like, which out of fourteen stories is pretty good. I loved that there were two about Anita Blake and it was interesting to see into some of the other characters and worlds Hamilton has created. My favorites were "The Curse-Maker", "Stealing Souls" and "The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death." I'd definitely recommend it if you like any of Hamilton's other works, or if you like fantasy/horror stories in general.

Summary: Escaping from enemies, Juniper, Wise Child, Colman and Cormac arrive in Cornwall to discover that Juniper's parents are dead. Her evil aunt, Meroot, and Meroot's Gray Knight have seized control of the kingdom and severely oppressed the people. Colman, Cormac and Wise Child go to the palace and spy on Meroot, who is using Juniper's brother, Prince Brangwyn, as a "regent" to blackmail the survivors of the realm. The plot grows ever more complex as Juniper's mentor is found to be in service to Meroot and the children are captured and thrown in a dungeon.

Review: This is the third and last installment in this series, and I liked it just as much as the others. It was different because the narrator wasn't the main character from either of the other books but it worked very well. As always, the plot was well written; the characters and plot-points came together very well, it was a good ending to the trilogy. I wish more about the character relationships was rounded off; particularly like between Juniper/Finbar and Wise Child/Brangwyn but ah well.

Summary: In this exciting conclusion, Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the run from Lord Voldemort, whose minions of Death Eaters have not only taken control of the Minister of Magic but have begun to systematically -- and forcibly -- change the entire culture of the magic community: Muggle-born wizards, for example, are being rounded up and questioned, and all "blood traitors" are being imprisoned. But as Voldemort and his followers ruthlessly pursue the fugitive with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, Potter finally uncovers the truth of his existence.

Review: Obviously, there is much I could write about this book but not enough space. Overall, I liked it very much and thought it was an excellent ending to one of the best - if not the best - series of books I'll probably ever read. It was very action-packed, which made it exciting, and it had a bittersweet but undoubtedly triumphant ending. I loved that many of the characters we were introduced to in the previous books made an appearance (Krum, Oliver Wood, etc.) All of the questions I had were answered and wrapped up nicely, which was quite a relief. All in all, a wonderful ending to this series, huge props to Rowling!

Summary: Devastated by the accidental death of her five-year-old daughter, Aria, and still mourning for Aria's father, Justin, who died months before Aria's birth, Iranian-American Jasmine Talahi embarks on a somber voyage of grief. From Arizona's Sonoran desert to the maize fields of Guatemala to the holy places of Tibet, Jasmine, an oncologist schooled in rationality, searches for the spiritual enlightenment that might bring about her own healing. In the end, her yearlong odyssey brings her to Iran and to her parents, who reject her modern American lifestyle and with whom she has not spoken since before Aria's birth.

Review: This book didn't come recommended to me but was something I saw while at the library on display and borrowed out of curiosity. It actually turned out to be quite good, I enjoyed it very much. It's written entirely in letters/emails from one person to another (mostly from the main character, Jasmine, to others but sometimes the other way around). It is very haunting; the event that transpires at the beginning of the book is terribly sad and creates a bittersweet atmostphere throughout the rest of the book, but it was fascinating to learn about the places Jasmine goes. Guatemala, China, Tibet and Iran are all very different places but it was interesting to learn about the various cultures, beliefs and practices. Makes me really want to take a similar trip!

Summary: After Alisa, a Dark One, loses her powers in a confrontation with some Light Ones, she heads to recuperate at a girls' camp, where she feeds on children's nightmares. There she falls in love with Igor, who turns out to be a Light magician. The plot centers on the ramifications of their romance and the theft of Fafnir's Talon, a powerful artifact which is linked to the legendary Ring of the Nibelungs.

Review: It was as good, if not slightly better than Night Watch. Like the previous book, I really love how the book is divided up into segments of story that all come together at the end. The characters in this book were even more diverse, since the book's main characters were not only from the Night Watch but were also from the Day Watch. Personally, I liked the Dark Others better which is why I sort of liked this book better. I was also a lot less influenced by the movie while I was reading this book so that was nice. I liked the story, though the whole thing with Alisa and Igor was sad. I liked the ending, though.

Summary: Mrs. X has little more to do than spend her adulterous, workaholic husband's 7-figure salary on manicures, designer clothes and floral arrangements. She delegates the care of her 4-year-old son, Grayer, and other small errands (e.g. shopping for a 50-guest dinner party) to an NYU grad student, Nan.

Review: Another book I've been meaning to read for a while. It was really good, I liked it a lot. It was hilarious, but at the same time extremely sad, especially towards the end. The fact that families like this not only exist but are probably quite abundant is very depressing. Nanny was a great main character and Grayer was adorable and stole my heart, but his parents were nothing short of abominable. The ending left me wondering what would happen to Grayer but they couldn't have really ended it any other way, I guess. All in all, it was well written and I thought it was great.

Summary: The former Los Angeles PI has given up detecting and fully embraced her duties as Princess Meredith NicEssus, potential heir to the faerie throne. Her men are regaining their full powers and the long-dead faerie gardens are springing to life, but when Meredith and her merry men find themselves in the territory of King Sholto, who has been betrayed by others in faerie, there's deadly danger even for immortals.

Review: Eh, I was disappointed. It was more like a short story than a full novel; the entire book takes place during a continuous period of 24 hours and nothing really exciting happens. Hamilton seems to be relying more and more on the original plotline of Merry needing to have a child or whatever and isn't bothering to advance it any, which is getting very annoying. Hopefully the next is better.

Summary: Joan Foster is the bored wife of a myopic ban-the-bomber. She takes off overnight as Canada's new superpoet, pens lurid gothics on the sly, attracts a blackmailing reporter, skids cheerfully in and out of menacing plots, hair-raising traps, and passionate trysts, and lands dead and well in Terremoto, Italy.

Review: This was recommended to me by a friend .. it took me a while to read but I ended up enjoying it very much. The plot was very interesting in that there were three sort of stories going on at the same time (one of the main character as a child, as an adult and currently). The fact that she skips around in telling this story make it a lot more interesting than if it was in chronological order. I also liked the ending quite a bit, it was great. Wonderful characters as well.

Summary: In the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, far-right Schlafly/Falwell-type ideals have been carried to extremes in the monotheocratic government. The resulting society is a feminist's nightmare: women are strictly controlled, unable to have jobs or money and assigned to various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the reproductive Handmaids, who turn their offspring over to the "morally fit" Wives. The tale is told by a Handmaid who recalls the past and tells how the chilling society came to be.

Review: Excellent! It's one of those books everyone should read or reads for school - I never had to read it but thought I'd give it a try. It was wonderfully written; poignant and touching. The world Margaret creates in the book is strange, it oddly reminded me a bit of V for Vendetta. The ending wasn't my favorite part, mainly just because I don't like ambiguous endings, but overall it was an interesting, well-written book.

Summary: Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games.' Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games. He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

Review: Besides the 7th Harry Potter book, this was my favorite book I read this summer. I loved it, it was incredible! Of course, I've always heard about it but never really felt the urge to read it, but I'm so glad I finally did. The best thing about this book is the characters - Ender is a character you not only feel a connection to but I actually felt myself looking up to him as a mentor as the book progressed. It's amazing how much personality Orson managed to stuff into his character. All of the supporting characters were great, too. Of course, the story is extremely interesting and the battles and such were great fun to read about. I'm not a huge fan of Valentine and Peter's stories, especially towards the end, but that's the only part of the book that was so-so for me. The ending was sad, but perfect. I would highly recommend this book, even if you don't normally read sci-fi.

Summary: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy celebrating his 11th birthday when a giant named Hagrid appears and gives Harry the all important news: he is a wizard. Now his journey in life gets more intense as he travels to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry to learn the trade of being a wizard. Here, he meets his friends who would be by his side for many years to come. But not everything is quiet at Hogwarts as Harry suspects someone is planning to steal the philosopher's stone.

Review: I reread this for fun this summer, of course I've read it a million-and-one times before but not in the past, like, five years. Not my favorite Harry Potter book by far, but it's where it all started! Just as wonderful as I remembered, and I enjoyed reading it again after reading all of the other books and seeing the movies.

Summary: The lives of five sisters in Georgian England are turned upside down when a wealthy young man and his best friend arrive in their neighborhood.

Review: Another book I'm rereading - I first read Pride and Prejudice for my senior class in high school and loved it. My brother was reading this for his senior class this summer, so I decided to read it again. It was almost better now that I'd read it before (the first time, it can be a bit thick to take in all at once) and seeing the various movies. I love Jane Austen's writing and really enjoy this book. It's sappy and fairytale-ish but who doesn't love Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth? Definitely a fantastic book. I hate to use the cliche "timeless classic," but, well ..

Summary: Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games.' Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games. He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

Review: Recent reread; click on link under author for review.

Summary: Jessie Sullivan is a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother.

Review: I didn't like this as much as The Secret Life of Bees but it was still quite interesting. I absolutely love folk lore, which this book was stuffed with, so that was really neat. The fact that there really is a Mermaid Chair and that the legend is an actual one, and that there is a St. Senara Church is fascinating to me. The whole mystery aspect of the plot was quite good as well, but overall I was unsatisfied with the whole love story. It was worth reading, but not as good as Sue's first book.

Summary: Steve and Margaret Frawley return to their new house after a night out on the town to discover that their three-year-old twins, Kelly and Kathy, have been kidnapped and the kidnappers are demanding an eight million dollar ransom. Though the Frawleys meet all the conditions, only Kelly turns up in a car along with a dead driver and a suicide note saying that Kathy has died. But Kelly's telepathic messages from her sister keep telling her differently, and Margaret won't give up hope.

Review: I randomly picked this up, originally thinking there was going to be a lot more of the whole "twin connection" thing going on. There was a bit of it but it didn't focus as much on that as I was expecting or hoping. The book didn't have a mystery aspect because it was one of those books where we see both the protagonists and the villains so the audience always knows what's going on, but I still enjoyed it. It was weird, because the way it was written, one almost felt sorry for the villains. It was interesting, I liked it, it was just different from what I was expecting.

Summary: With Watson at his side, Holmes investigates such famous cases as the singular disappearance of Silver Blaze, the favourite for the Wessex Cup, and supposed murder of Colonel Barclay of the Royal Mallows. Reminiscing by the fire of a winter's night, he tells Watson of some of his earlier advetures, such as the extraordinary case of the Gloria Scott and the curious episode of the Musgrave Ritual. Cases and reminiscences culminate when Holmes meets at the Reichenbach Falls, in that intruiging and deadly encounter with Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime.

Review: I got this as a gift, and have never really read any Sherlock Holmes before so I enjoyed it immensley. Of course, I rarely if ever could guess accurately what was going on, but it's quite fun nonetheless! My only complaint with it was the ending. I never knew that's what happened .. kind of morbid. And really quite sad. But besides that, all of the stories in this collection were excellent and I enjoyed it very much. A quick and fun read!

Summary: 17-year-old Isabella Swan, a girl who moves to Forks, Washington, finds her life in danger when she falls in love with vampire, Edward Cullen.

Review: Heh, I finally got around to reading this. It's been on my to-read list for ages but after all the hype I was kind of iffy about reading it. It was pretty good, I enjoyed it. The writing was kind of bad but the story was unique and enjoyable in a guilty pleasure kind of way. I don't know how I feel about Bella but I do like Edward and all of the other supporting characters, especially the rest Edward's family and also Jacob.

Summary: Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games.' Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games. He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

Review: Recent reread; click on link under author for review.

Summary: As an animal scientist and an autistic person, Temple Grandin's professional training and personal history have created a perspective like no other. This is her exciting, groundbreaking look at the intersection of autism and animal.

Review: This was an absolutely fascinating book! I learned so much about not only animals and animal behavior but also autism. There was a lot of interesting examples and stories, Temple Grandin really knows her stuff. I would highly recommend this incredibly interesting book to anyone interested in behavior and/or animals.

Summary: Anita Blake is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by law. Now someone's killing innocent vampires and Anita agrees to help figure out who and why.

Review: Reread; click on link under author for review.