Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1) by Simon R. Green

John Taylor, a detective and native to the Nightside, must return to the street of hell in search of a lost runaway teen.



Rating: Four Stars****

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Summary: John Taylor left the hidden netherworld of London, the Nightside, to make a normal living. When Joanna Barrett hires Taylor to find her runaway teenage daughter, he accepts because of his dwindling income and the danger that faces her daughter in this world. He's one of the only people who can navigate these parts and everyone in the Nightside knows him by name. He is able to find Catherine through his connections and supernatural instincts, but he finds that the mother who hired him was just a decoy and the creature that has lured Catherine into these realms is literally sucking the life out of her. Taylor and his old partner in crime, Suzie, use their instincts and Nighside know how to rid the house its powers.

Evaluation: A fast paced plot that incorporates mystery, the paranormal, as well as references snippets of literature. The only down side is that the dark, eeriness of the Nightside realm is over emphasized and becomes repetitive. Nonetheless, it is a great introduction to Taylor and the alternate world he thrives in.

Read-a-likes: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Dresdon Files series by Jim Butcher
Other books in the Nightside series

Take the Cannoli : Stories From the New World by Sarah Vowell

A personal, humorous expose of the political, cultural, and iconic musings of This American Life correspondent Sarah Vowell.



Rating: Four Stars****

Genre: Popular Non-Fiction - Autobiographical

Summary: This book is a collection of short essays that are all about Sarah's funny musings as a child and liberal woman. The book starts off with her father's love for the NRA and shooting guns, as well as their opposing stances on Election Day, which immediately tips of Sarah's perspectives in politics. Other subjects she insightfully re-accounts are the lessons she learned being in a marching band as a teen, visiting Disneyland without kids with her anti-Disney friend, her stay and the history behind the Chelsea Hotel in New York, and her search for Frank Sinatra in Hoboken.

Evaluation: The book is a great mix of a memoir, travel essays, and commentary on iconic culture with a flavor of politics. Sarah Vowell is witty and bright, which makes this an entertaining, smart read about her life before she became known for her airtime on NPR.

Read-a-likes: Fraud: Essays and other books by David Rakoff
The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
Chuck Klosterman IV

B Is for Beer by Tom Robbins

Daddy and Uncle Moe LOVE beer, and six-year old Gracie Perkle learns about their love and life through a visit by the beer fairy after one bubbling sip.

"A Children's Book for Grown-ups. A Grown-up Book for Children."



Rating: Three Stars***

Genre: Humor

Summary: Kindergartner Gracie Perkle learns about the world's most popular beverage through her dad and Uncle Moe's love for beer. When her curiosity turns into a childhood obsession (even to the extent that she gets in trouble for talking about the 'Devil's drink' in Sunday school), she guzzles down a beer on her 6th birthday, then vomits and passes out into a mystical haze. In this dream, the beer fairy pays her a visit and takes her through the beer making process beginning with the fields of wheat all the way to the end where the vats of beer are left ferment. In the process Gracie learns some life lessons, while promising the fairy that she will wait until she's 18 and will never get behind the wheel under the influence.

Evaluation: Tom Robbins has a gift for writing humorous novels, and B for Beer doesn't fail to amuse. I usually find young characters to be obnoxious (see the review for The Last Good Man), but Gracie is intelligent and charming about her curiosity for the alcoholic beverage. Tom Robbins is also able to incorporate some tiny spurts of knowledge in the story.

Read-a-likes:The Modern Drunkard by Frank Kelly Rich
any series by Christopher Moore
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

In the middle of the night, Alexandra discovers a bookmobile that holds the library of a lifetime. She yearns to live her true calling, but at a price she never expected.



Rating: Three Stars ***

Genre: Graphic Novel - Mystery

Summary: Alexandra, a lover of books and ravenous reader, stumbles upon a bookmobile in the middle of the night after walking away from a fight with her live in boyfriend. To her surprise the bookmobile holds a library of every book she has ever read in her lifetime. After leaving her boyfriend, she searches for this bookmobile nightly, and without any luck reads more voraciously then ever before. She is only able to find the bookmobile every decade or so, and each time yearns to become the librarian of her own bookmobile. After studying to be a librarian, she commits suicide only to realize that she had to give up her entire library to follow her dreams.

Evaluation: There is no doubt that this book has widened the audience for the graphic novel market. This is a story written by and made for book lovers and librarians, and the colorful graphics has given life to Niffenegger's original short story. The illustrations in itself lacks in skill, but the presentation of the book is nonetheless attractive. The book fails in being climatic, but the mystery and fantasy of the story successful. A contemporary, lighter illustrative version of Borges' The Library of Babel.

Read-a-likes: The Adventuress by Audrey Niffenegger
Rex Libris Volume One: I, Librarian (Rex Libris) by James Turner


"The Night Bookmobile was first a short story written by Niffenegger in 2004. In 2010, she adapted the story into a graphic novel.

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

The horrific murder sends the Locke family to Keyhouse to start anew. Evil awaits when a demonic realm in unlocked in their own backyard.



Rating: Five Stars *****

Genre: Graphic Novel - Horror

Awards: 2009 Eisner Awards nomination for "Best Limited Series" and Joe Hill is nominated for "Best Writer
2009 British Fantasy Award for Best Comic or Graphic Novel

Summary: The murder of Rendell Locke, a father of three and high school principle, by Sam, an angst ridden teen, has hauled the Locke family cross - country to their safe haven, a mansion in the town of Keyhouse in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. The eldest son, Tyler, is guilt ridden by his father's death, and Kinsey is trying to rid the horror of her little brother, Bode, from their stalker Sam. While exploring the mansion's grounds, Bode finds a key that unlocks a new realm and releases the demon from the well. They soon learn that their father and this house holds more secrets then they bargained for.

Evaluation: The talented collaboration of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez means a quality graphic novel of extraordinary graphics and a captivating story about the evil in paranormal and alternate worlds. The quickly changing time lapses and multiple climaxes will leave you struggling between keeping your eyes on the page and looking over your shoulder. A fantastic introduction to a series that is visually stunning and suspensefully thrilling!

Read-a-likes: The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman
Dark Tower Seriesby Stephen King (graphic novel adaptation)
Sin City Books by Frank Miller

Interesting fact about the novel is that Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King!

More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon

Through time and collective gestalt, a gang of dexterous freaks have evolved to into the ultimate single human entity.



Rating: Two Stars **

Genre: Science Fiction

Awards: 1954 International Fantasy Award
2004 "Retro Hugo" award

Summary: Lone, Janie, Baby, Gerry, Bonnie, and Beanie, the tele-porting twins, individually have strange abilities, and over time have taken their strongest traits to form and evolve as a single entity, the homo gestalt. The first part of the book focuses on how the group in introduced to each other through the adoption of a poor farmer and conception of Baby, and with all their abilities create an anti-gravity device. Seven years later, Lone dies and Gerry takes over the leadership of the gestalt. This is where the family is taken in my Alicia, but Gerry finds that the influence of domestication weakens the team, so they murder her and return to the woods. Another seven years later, Lt. Hip Barrows discovers their anti-gravity device, which threatens the homo gestalts very existence.

Evaluation: This is a book full of disjointed characters and broken sequences, which makes the story difficult to understand and connect with. The style is confusing, but can be attractive to those who expect it and are willing to tackle feat! NOT A LIGHT READ.

Read-a-likes: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and other titles by Philip K. Dick
The Demolished Man and other titles by Alfred Bester
Slan: A Novel by A. E. Van Vogt and Kevin J. Anderson

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

An accidental murder causes Alexia Tarabotti to be the prime suspect of the recent vampire disappearances.



Rating: Four 1/2 Stars****^

Genre: Fantasy- Steampunk

Awards: 2010 Alex Award from the American Library Association
Nomination for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Summary: Alexia Tarabotti is a spinster with olive skin and a small nose. She inherted these traits from an Italian father, which has made her too unattractive to find a husband. She also has no soul amongst the society of humans, vampires, and werewolves, which leaves her unaffected by the powers of the supernatural. The accidental murder of an attacking vampire labels Alexia as the prime suspect and responsible for the recent disappearances of other vampires. A werewolf, Lord Maccon is sent to investigate, but they soon discover a surprising and lustful attraction to one another. Without a soul, scientists use Alexia to reprimand the supernatural powers in their experiments, which threatens her life and that of Lord Maccon.

Evaluation: The story screams ROMANCE, but the writing is smart and funny, which makes it extremely enjoyable. The soulless aspect of Alexia is unique, but the ending of spinsterhood into a loving marriage is dissapointingly not.

Read-a-likes: Changeless (Book 2) and Blameless (Book 3) by Gail Carriger
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Maisie Dobbs (Book 1) by Jacqueline Winspear

Intuitive Maise Dobbs solves the cases of the mislead, which ranges from a misunderstood marriage affair to a suspicious solder's retreat.



Rating: Three 1/2 Stars***^

Genre: Mystery

Awards:Publishers Weekly's Best Mysteries of 2003
New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2003
Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel 2003
Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel in 2003

Summary: After the death of her mother, Maisie Dobbs was sent off by her father to live and work as a maid for the wealthy Lady Rowan Compton. When Maisie is caught sneaking in and out of the manor library, her knowledge of Hume, Kierkegaard, and Jung impresses Lady Rowan enough to provide an education for Maisie. After being accepted and studying in Cambridge for a year, she leaves college to help the greater good and serve in the war as a nurse. Maise is initially introduced in the story as a detective who solves the case of a husband who misinterprets the actions of his supposedly cheating wife, and in the process uncovers the true intentions of a retreat that was made for post-traumatic soldiers of the war.

Evaluation: Maisie Dobbs is an interesting protagonist, but her cases are anti-climatic and do not seem true to the mystery genre. The characters and history are clever and smart, which makes this a very enjoyable read. The story has more of a historical romance theme, but overall is a great introduction to such an intelligent heroine.

Read-a-likes: No. 1 Ladies Detective Series by Alexander McCall Smith
A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Stiff has created a new definition to death and its 'after life'.



Rating: Four Stars ****

Genre: Popular Non-Fiction - Science

Summary: Stiff is a collection of essays about how human cadavers are used in science. Some topics covered involve the army and the impact of bullets on human cadavers, how our bodies decompose (i.e. gases need to escape so our tongues and mouths, as well as genitalia become 'edowed'), cannibalism is China (up to the Ming dynasty, it was a practices that kids, more so daughter take a part of themselves and make a dish for their ailing mother in laws - boiled breast, seared thigh, etc), organ transplants, beheadings, as well as features environmental alternatives for the dead AKA human compost. Main message: DONATE YOUR ORGANS TO MEDICINE/ Bodies to Science.

Evaluation: I once had a customer that bought a hard cover of this book said it was really good, but borderline awful. I found it to be the prefect way to describe Mary Roach's incorporation of tangents and tacky jokes in the profusion of great writing. She is thorough enough to keep it interesting, even though the book has parts that are somewhat dated.

Read-a-likes: Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death by Jessica Snyder Sachs
Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab by Dr. Christine Montross
Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments by Alex Boese

Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott

A heist of rare artifacts sends medical student Daniel Connor into the unexpected underworld of Lucienne Bernard, a philosopher and notorious thief.



Rating: Three 1/2 Stars ***^

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: Daniel Connor, a medical student, is on his way to Paris to study anatomy under the prestigious Dr. Cuvier. Equipped with coral, a mammoth bone, and letters, the rare and valuable finds are stolen by a sly and intelligent Lucienne Bernard who shares the same stagecoach with him on the trip to Paris. Upon tracking his Lucienne to recover his valuables, Daniel is actually the person being followed and a relationship of love and loyalty develop between the student and the thief. Daniel does recover his belongings and follows through with his apprenticeship in Paris, but he is enthralled with Lucienne and after much explanation, Daniel seeks to protect her from Jagot, the authority who initially aimed to help him find his stolen goods in the first place. A deadly proposition to steal a valuable diamond has Daniel, Lucienne, her daughter, and companions trudging through the secretive and dangerous quandaries of underground Paris to ‘magically’ disappear from their fugitive lives.

Evaluation: The Coral Thief carries a strong narrative and suspenseful plot, while involving philosophy, history, and factual information about nature and the progressive thoughts of evolution and the origin of the species (“Darwinesque”). The story thickens at a nice pace that is lightly mysterious. What makes the story uniquely appealing is simultaneous incorporation of Napoleons whereabouts and pictures from the 1800's. The author's voice is one that is educated and proper. Stott exudes character traits flawlessly, and presents facts that appear to be well researched, as well as realistic. The voice and persona of Lucienne is the strongest.

Read-a-likes: Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland

Rebecca Stott - Author Website

Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress, Book 1) by Gena Showalter

The thrill for alien huntress, Mia Snow, is bringing to justice the extraterrestrial murder suspect and not succumbing to her desires for him.


Rating: Three Stars ***

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Summary: On behalf of the New Chicago Police Department, Mia Snow, a strong, independent alien huntress and her partner Dallas is fighting to control the violence against humankind by the Aradians (an alien species). Assigned the case of serial murders of handsome human men, they are on the search for the extraterrestrial murder suspect Kyrin. They are able to catch Kyrin's sister Lilla, but another agent under the influence of the Arcadian mind control shoots Dallas and has left him to die. The lust and love between Mia and Kyrin has her begging for his healing powers to save Dallas in exchange for the release of Lilla. Even with their eye on both suspects, the murders are still occurring and the real killer is pinpointed to Atlanta, an Arcadian with assets invested in her fertility clinic, who Mia recognizes all too well.

Evaluation: The encounters and interactions between humans and Arcadians is the most interesting aspect of the book. The fighting scenes where Mia kicks as is unbelievable, but the action adds to her independent, burly persona. The sex scenes are pretty explicit and are shocking for being interspecies, but this is coming from someone who is new to the alternate worlds - paranormal romance genre.

Read-a-likes: Close Encounters: An Alien Affairs Novel, Book 1 by Katherine Allred
Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series) by J.R. Ward
Your Planet or Mine? (Otherworldly Men Series) by Susan Grant