Other Things I Have Read, And Plan on Reading

I tend not to write reviews on the short stories or books that are deep into a series. But I thought a weekly wrap up post about other things I have read but not posted full reviews of might be a nice. Lets see if I can remember to do this weekly, or at least monthly.

This week I picked up the latest in meg Cabot's Heather Well's mystery series. Size 12 and Ready to Rock is the fourth book in the series, and I am glad to say that the fifth book is schedule to come out sometime this year (called Size 12 is the New Black). If you do not know the series (for shame) it starts with Size 12 is Not Fat, where we meet Heather Wells, former teen pop star. Now she is a little heavier that in her glory days, her mother has run off with her manager and Heather's money. She has also lost her boyfriend Jordon, a fellow pop star, to a newer model. Heather is now working in a residence hall at New York College, but her dorm seems to be curse. Each book in the series includes a death that takes place in the dorm, and Heather and new landlord Cooper, who just happens to be Jordon hunky brother, work the cases. Luckily Cooper is a private detective and cares more about Heather's safety than her dress size.

Yeah, so the series sounds like just another series catering to women that cannot wear a size two, but I am glad to say that although Heather does worry about her attractiveness from time to time, the stories are more about her dealing with the chaos that is her life, and the mysteries that she seems to stumble into. I love her personality, and that she always comes out on top, against all odds. There is a good amount of Heather dealing with the problems of the teens that live i the dorm, or residence hall, that she works in as well as office and academic politics. So the series is about much more than her size; it is about living life, following your own path, and standing up for what is right, and protecting those around you. If you have not read this series, I recommend it for teens and adults alike- most libraries will have it in the adult fiction section.

I also read The Vampire Hunter's Daughter (Part 1) by Jennifer Malone Wright, which is being release in serial format via Amazon for the Kindle.

The offical blurb is:
"Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters. Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community. When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets. Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder. With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her. The Vampire Hunter's Daughter is the first in a series of short stories by Jennifer Malone Wright."

I enjoyed the first part of the story, which was a free download. However, I have yet to download any of the following installments. I cam close, but with my backlog of reading, I could not get myself to pay for the next installments. If or when I do, I will download one of the groupings of several sections that I found to be available.

What is on my plate to read next??
In progress is Wild Children by Richard Roberts, which I am about of a third of the way through. So far I find it very interesting and will be a book I recommend for my library's collection unless the rest of the books suddenly changes in quality.

Waiting for my attention:
Physical Books:
Black Heart by Holly Black
Cold Days (the latest Dresden Files book) by Jim Butcher
The Space Between (the second book in a new Disney series) by Kiki Thorpe
Last Kiss Goodnight (first book in a new series) by Gena Showalter
Love Under Cover by Jessica Brody
Honeyed Words by J.A. Pitts

E-Books from Netgalley, Amazon, Etc
The Choosing by Jeremy Lallo
Lord of Lightning by Suzanne Foster
Sojourner by Maria Rachel Hooley
The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan's Media Success Story by Ian Condry
The Book of Deacon (Volume 1) by Joseph Lallo and Nick Deligaris
Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes #1) by Peter Clines
Poison by Bridget Zinn
Coyote's Daughter by Corie Weaver
Daisy Madigan's Paradise (A Morgan Sisters Novella) by Suzy Turner
Cadaver by Jonah D. Ansell
Cow Boy by Chris Eliopoulos
Billy Frog by Guilllaume Bianco
ZED by Michel Gagne

I may well have left some out- in fact I know I did. I have not mentioned my cooking, gardening, and crafting books hidden about my house, never mind the books downloaded onto my netbook rather than my iPod. I am pretty sure there are more novels awaiting my attention on my desk, and countless books yet to download, but I digress.