Book 53 of 2008: ??? by ???

This was a book I was asked by a particular author to read/edit prior to it being submitted to his/her publisher so I'm not going to post a review here. The person has been given my feedback on the book and once the book has been published I'll re-read it and give it an "official" review then.

Just wanted to note it here as to not mess up my book count for the year... hee hee!!!

Book 52 of 2008: Darkness Wakes of Tim Waggoner

Book Description:

In the small town of Ptolemy, darkness is a living thing. Its home is in the shadows of a bizarre club named Penumbra, where it is worshipped by followers who need the pleasure it gives them. They live for it. And they kill for it.

When Aaron was first introduced to Penumbra, he thought it was just a secret club where members could indulge their kinkier fantasies. As he learned the club's true purpose, he began to change in subtle, horrible ways. Now it's time for Aaron to prepare his first human sacrifice. It's too late for him to back out now, but murder is the least of Penumbra's sins. The true terror is still to come, when...Darkness Wakes.

My Opinion:

Yet another fabulous book from Waggoner! I've enjoyed every book Leisure book that has been put out by this wonderful author and I hope that there will be more to come in the near future. Waggoner has a way of mixing horror and sex together in such a way that it just fits perfectly... not to mention the fact that his imagery is so detailed that you can actually picture pretty much every scene in great detail. I highly recommend his books to any fan of the horror genre that doesn't mind graphic details in their reads.

Book 51 of 2008: Johnny Gruesome by Greg Lamberson

Book Description:

Johnny Grissom, aka "Johnny Gruesome," is a small town high school student with a passion for fast cars and loose women, served with a dash of sex, drugs, and head-banging rock 'n roll.

People think Johnny has a chip on his shoulder, but they haven't seen anything yet. When his murder by a drug dealer is made to look like an accident, Johnny returns from the grave as a vengeance crazed zombie.

With his over-the-top personality intact and the clock on his decomposing body ticking, "The Headbanger from Hell" vows to teach the residents of Red Hill the meaning of true fear.

Right after he watches his favorite horror movies one last time on DVD.

Book Trailer:

My Opinion:

I could NOT put this book down!!! Okay... I could, but only because I was forced to due to work and such, but other than that, I didn't... not even to drive. Seriously! This book was fabulous! The action in this book kept you wanting to read just to see what happened next. The only thing I was disappointed in from the book was that no one ever discovered the priest! I wanted to see the reactions to that one. There was another scene in the book that ALMOST happened that didn't that I am VERY thankful to Lamberson for, but I won't mention it here in order to avoid spoilers for those who have yet to read the book. This book was full of surprises and I can't wait to read more in the future by this author. This would make a great movie, yet I wouldn't watch it probably for two reasons... 1) it couldn't live up to the book and 2) it'd be sick as fuck!!!

MUST READ FOR ALL HORROR FANS!!!

Book 50 of 2008: The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

Book Description:

It's never a good day when an ancient demon shows up on your toilet bowl . . .

For Lizzie Brown, that's just the beginning. Soon her hyperactive terrier starts talking, and her long-lost biker witch Grandma is hurling Smuckers jars filled with magic. Just when she thinks she's seen it all, Lizzie learns she's a demon slayer-and all hell is after her.

Of course, that's not the only thing after her. Dimitri Kallinikos, a devastatingly handsome shape-shifting griffin needs Lizzie to slay a demon of his own. But how do you talk a girl you've never met into going straight to the underworld? Lie. And if that doesn't work, how dangerous could a little seduction be . . . ?

My Opinion:

I had just finished reading a couple of horror novels prior to this one so it was a refreshing change of pace to read a light, fluffy paranormal romance again. Angie Fox is yet ANOTHER new author to me and definitely someone I will read more from in the future. This book had some nice (and humorous) twists to the "demon world" and Hell. Plus the sexual tension between the two main characters definitely made it interesting. Oh... and I can't forget the "talking dog"... he was hilarious!!! At any rate, if you're a fan of paranormal romance, definitely give this one a shot as it's quite funny and a fairly quick read.

Book 49 of 2008: Covenant by John Everson

Book Description:

To the residents of the sleepy coastal town of Terrel, the cliffs of Terrel's Peak are a deadly place, an evil place where terrible things happen. Like a series of mysterious teen suicides over the years, all on the same date. Or other deaths, usually reported as accidents. Could it be a coincidence? Or is there more to it? Reporter Joe Kieran is determined to find the truth.

Kieran's search will lead him deep into the town's hidden past, a past filled with secrets and horror, and to the ruins of the old lighthouse atop the tragic cliffs. He will uncover rumors and whispered legends - including the legend of the evil entity that lives and waits in the caves below Terrel's Peak...

My Opinion:

Horror... sex... suicides... sex... action (yeah, in the form of sex as well as other)... well... you get the idea!!! I'm an avid reader of both horror and erotica and when they are mixed together as well as John Everson has done with Covenant, well... that just puts a fan like me in "book heaven". Everson grabbed my attention immediately when I started this book and I had a hard time forcing myself to put it down in order to go to sleep at night or to go back into work after my lunch break each day. The scenes are compiled with such vivid details that I could truly visualize what all was going on. Of course, in some instances this might not have been the best of things. (John... if you're reading this I'm sure you'll know what I'm referring to!) I found this to be a great "starter" book for me into the works of Everson and am greatly looking forward to reading more works by him. (Especially the sequel to COVENANT... SACRIFICE... but do I REALLY have to wait until June of 2009?!?!?!?!?) I definitely recommend this to all fans of horror that don't mind a bit of sex put into the mix. Everson has quickly reached my top fave horror authors list, not only for his writing style, but also due to the fact that he is such an all-around great guy. I've conversed with him via email off and on for a while now and last weekend had the opportunity to meet him in person (see picture below) and get my copy of COVENANT signed. I like when authors take the time out to get to know their fans as I know at least one author that would probably be my fave author of all time if they were to do the same, but due to the lack of that I can't put them up at the top of the list. Sorry... I've gotten off on a tangent, but in conclusion... READ COVENANT BY JOHN EVERSON!!!!!!!!!!

Book 48 of 2008: Ring by Koji Suzuki

Book Description:

One night in Tokyo, four healthy teenagers die one after another of heart failure. A journalist, the uncle of one of the victims and intrigued by the coincidence, investigates and learns of a videotape that the four watched together a week before dying. Amid a series of bizarre and frightening images is a warning that the viewer will die in exactly one week unless a certain act is performed. The description of the act, of course, has been erased from the videotape, and the journalist's work to solve the mystery assumes a deadly urgency.

Ring is not only a chillingly told horror story but also a shrewdly intelligent and subversive commentary on the power of imagery and contagious consumerism. Ring spawned one of Japan's highest-grossing films ever as well as the blockbuster DreamWorks remake starring Naomi Watts. The Japanese version of the novel has sold almost 3 million copies.

In addition to being dubbed "the Stephen King of Japan," Koji Suzuki is a respected authority on childrearing. He likes to roam Japan in his RV and has written about fulfilling his lifelong dream of riding his motorcycle across the United States, from Los Angeles to Key West. Suzuki is based in Tokyo.

My Opinion:

I read this book several years back and then went on to watch both the American and Japanese versions of the movie... therefore, I had to read the book again to make myself feel better about the storyline once again. The movies SUCKED!!! On top of that, they really didn't follow the book at all. After having re-read the book I realized just how much worse the movies were than I originally thought. It's like it was a wole new storyline rather than a movie form of the book. I also didn't get why people thought the movies were so scary. Uh... yeah... sur-re!!! Anywho... the book is VERY good and I love the way Koji Suzuki writes. I'm looking forward to progressing further with this trilogy as I've yet to read SPIRAL or LOOP. I will review them as I read them. Oh... and in case you're curious... find below the trailers for the two craptastic movies...

The Ring Trailer (American Version):



Ringu (Japanese Version):

Book 47 of 2008: My Prerogative by Sasha White

Book Description:

A secret admirer provides the spark for a single girl's fantasies in a blistering new erotic romance from the author of Bound...

Kelsey Howard is happy with the single life. She has friends, a job tending bar, a nice apartment, and the freedom to enjoy wild sex games with strangers— the riskier the better. But what she really wants is love.

Then Kelsey realizes she's got a voyeuristic neighbor watching her every move—and every move she makes is arousing them both. Not only is she not scared, she thinks she may have found her soul mate. Especially when she meets the mystery man in the flesh. That's when the fun really starts, and Kelsey realizes just how far she's prepared to go for love.

My Opinion:

Sasha White strikes again! Her latest in this series focuses on Kelsey Howard who is a single bartender who likes things a bit more wild than most. This book, like all of Sasha's books, is hot and steamy, but filled with a great storyline that keeps the reader from putting the book down for very long. One of my favorite things about this book of Sasha's was the bachelorette party that Kelsey planned. I loved the ideas she came up with. Another scene that I COMPLETELY related with was where it was described about Kelsey's experiences with online dating. I believe most everything said within that section is something I've had to face in the past... was glad to know I obviously wasn't alone because I'm sure the author has heard others to have had those experiences in order to have put it within this book. I also really enjoyed the character of both Kelsey and Harlan. They really grew on me as the book progressed. I hope that in future books in this series that Sasha will bring them back to see where things go with them.

In addition to the main story, Sasha included a short story called LOSING IT, which focussed on Lacey. This was one VERY hot short story and the bachelor party that Lacey planned in this was even better than the bachelorette party from the main story in the book. I bet I know several guys that would enjoy attending such a party!

Now I'm just anticipating the next book of this series... or at least I'm HOPING there's another in this series. In the meantime I'll be picking up Sasha's PRIMAL MALE (sequel to SEXY DEVIL) this November in order to hold me off.