ARC Review: Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen

Title: Club Monstrosity
Series: Monstrosity, Book 1
Author: Jesse Petersen
Publisher: Pocket Star
Length: 233 Pages
Publication Date: April 29, 2013
Available Format: Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Get it @: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Description:

Natalie’s one of Frankenstein’s creations and works in a New York City morgue. So of course she needs therapy. She and her friends—er, fellow monsters—have formed the world’s most exclusive, most dysfunctional support group. What could go wrong?

Undetected in the modern world and under pressure to stay that way, Natalie Grey, Dracula, Bob the Blob, and others (including the fetching wolfman Alec) meet regularly to talk about the pressures of being infamous in the Big Apple. Topics include how long it’s been since their last sighting, how their “story” creates stereotypes they can’t fulfill, and—gasp—sometimes even their feelings. But when their pervy Invisible Man, Ellis, is killed in a manner reminiscent of the H.G. Wells novel, it’s clear someone’s discovered their existence and is down for some monster busting.

Led by Natalie—and definitely not helped by Hyde’s bloodthirsty tendencies—the members of Monstofelldosis Anonymous band together for security and a little sleuthing. And maybe—maybe—if they don’t end up dead, they’ll end up friends somewhere along the way.

When I requested this book at NetGalley, I did it solely because of its blurb. Who could turn down the chance to see our favorite classical monsters adjust to modern day times? That they feel that they need to have a support group in order to be able to deal with all the changes that come with centuries of human evolution was just the icing on the cake. Based on that premise I was expecting to have a grand time while reading the story; and I’m so glad to say that the novel delivers.

Although the story is mostly mystery and horror, none of the deaths that occur throughout the narration are described as they are happening. No, these occur behind the scenes and we later find out about their gruesomeness alongside the characters. In a story about monsters that is quite a refreshing approach, so my hat tips to Ms. Petersen.

Review: A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Title: A Hidden Fire
Series: Elemental Mysteries, Book 1
Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Publisher: E. Hunter
Length: 423 Pages
Publication Date: October 13, 2011
Available Formats: Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: Bought for Free
My Rating: ★★★¾☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads
Worth Noted: As off January 5, 2013 the book remains free in both Amazon and Smashwords.

Book Description:

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

I read this novel as part of Katie's Kick'n It Free-Style at Gotta Have Paranormal with a Kick. The challenge consisted of four groups of readers, each one with a randomly assigned book (that had been previously suggested). The books had to be free eBook downloads from the major book selling sites (mostly Amazon and B&N). My team, Feisty Femme Fatales, was assigned A Hidden Fire. NOTE: The tallies are up and our book won the challenge, it was the book with the overall best rating!!

I enjoyed the story, the author managed to refresh a concept that has, lately, become a bit overdone; I tip my hat to her for achieving this. It has many memorable characters in its roaster. Beatrice (or B, as she prefers to be called) is a strong female character and a great lead to the story. Gio is, well, he is complicated... Gio begins as a strong character, but there is one particular moment after which my perspective on him changes 180°. Among the rest of the characters we have Carwyn, one of Gio's best vampire friend, -and in my honest opinion- one of the best characters of the series. Did I mention he is a priest? Yup, he is both a priest and a vampire with a particular taste for Hawaiian shirts. Other great characters include Isadora (Beatrice's grandmother) and Caspar (Gio's butler/son/human best friend/ehh... you get the picture).

Review: The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Miserable Mill
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 4
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 195 pages
Publication Date: April 15, 2000
Reviewed Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
Source: Xmas Gift from my parents
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Dear Reader,

I hope for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudeliare are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumbermill, and they find disaster and misfortune luring behing every log.

The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpeasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons.

I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, buy you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

After the disastrous events that occurred by Lake Lachrymose the children are taken by train to a town named Paltryville where they will meet the man that is to become their new caretaker. Once the children start to live in the Lucky Smells Lumbermill they are quick to realize that there is no way things could possibly get brighter. But they also don’t really know how it could ever get much worse than how it already was. Not only do they have to live with all of the workers at the lumbermill without any possibility of fun at all. Working at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill is much more horrible than it sounds. The children are not only forced to work, but also to do it without breakfast; only a five minute break for lunch and only a light stew for dinner. With this little nutrition they have to get up early to strip bark, branches, etc. and in general prepare the logs that will be cut into boards and planks and what not. Not only do they barely eat but they also don’t get paid at all! Horrible conditions I say HORRIBLE!!! The whole story in general is sad, gloomy and depressing.

Review: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Reptile Room
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 190
Publication Date: September 30, 1999
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
Source: Xmas Gift
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Find it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

After narrowly escaping the menacing clutches of the dastardly Count Olaf, the three Baudelaire orphans are taken in by a kindly herpetologist with whom they live happily for an all-too-brief time.

After enduring several hardships in the hands of Count Olaf the Baudelaire Children are sent to live with the kind, happy, fun, gentle, and brilliant Dr. Montgomery. He and the Children bond rather quickly. Even though the death of their parents and the abuse they suffered at the hand of Count Olaf are still fairly fresh in the children’s minds the Baudelaire’s soon find themselves having a good time while helping Dr. Montgomery or Uncle Monty as he rather have the Baudelaire Children call him.

At first, the book starts off in a very gloomy way but as the story progresses the reader may quickly find him or herself enjoying what is a seemingly happy story after all. But it’s not long before Lemony Snicket makes do on his promise of an unhappy story and takes all the joy, happiness, and cheer and smoothly turns it into despair, anxiousness, sadness and hopelessness.

Review: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Bad Beginning
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Event, Book 1
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 176 Pages
Publication Date: September 30, 1999
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

This story takes place in an extremely FILTHY house owned by the strange, scary and mysterious Count Olaf. This house is set in the other side of the town in which the children live. Once the children start to live and try to adjust to their new lifestyle they are quick to realize that it will be impossible for things to get better for them. Most of the feeling of the story is one of darkness, sadness and misery with very few moments of happiness or joy.

Lost Girl

Title: Lost Girl

Genre(s): Supernatural Drama, Mystery, Crime
Runtime: 45 minutes
Rating: TV-MA, D, L, S, V (for mature audiences)
Channel: Showcase, SyFy
Directors: John Fawcett, David Winning
Writer: Michelle Lovretta
Cast: Anna Silk, Kristen Holden-Ried, Ksenia Solo, Zoie Palmer, Rick Howland, K.C. Collins
Country: Canada
Language: English
Seasons: 2 (so far at the time of posting)
Total of Episodes: 28 (aired so far at the time of posting)
Official Website: http://www.showcase.ca/lostgirl/
My rating: ★★★★★

I have a new TV obsession and it’s called Lost Girl; a Canadian show that has a great spark, is really funny and has loads of action.

I mean, what’s not to like; sexy succubus heroine, smoking hot fae men, a hilarious sidekick that keeps reminding me of my sister…toppled with fantasy-adventure, sprinkled with crime fighting served with a side dish of kick ass action. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is what you can get if you watch Lost Girl, the new hit TV series by SyFy.

The series is originally produce by Showcase and began airing in Canada in September, 2010 with the pilot episode beginning airing in the USA this past January, 2012 through the SyFy channel.

The main character is Bo, who has been on the run most of her life; ever since, as a teenager, she discovered that her love can kill. Her problem is that when she gets hungry, the unfortunate person that happens to be the object of her lust winds up dead. At least they go out with a smile on their faces. See, Bo’s lust drains the person of their life force, if too much is drained the person dies (full of lust and apparently happy, but dead nonetheless). She finally discovers what she is and why she kills, but now that she knows about the existence of a whole new race (the Fae) that predates humanity she must learn to survive in both the human world as well as the highly political Fae world.

The Fae is the race that every creature belongs to, be it werewolves, vampires, banshees, trolls, succubi, sirens, or any others. The Fae is divided into two clans the Light Fae and the Dark Fae (the “good” and the “bad”). Every single Fae is born into either clan, and when they reach maturity a ceremony is celebrated in which they must choose a side. Nowadays the celebration is more of a sort of sweet sixteen or bar mitzvah; originally it involved a series of challenges to test both the will and the strength of the individual. Bo is the only Fae ever raised by humans and as such she has no clan and no affiliation. As a free agent she is the only one that can come and go between both Light and Dark territories, unfortunately that leaves her completely unprotected and basically free game for whoever wants to attack her; such is the life of the only free agent.