Mysterie & Suspence Reading Challenge 2011

Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw.

Courtesy of publisher SIMON & SCHUSTER UK, all participants of this challenge will receive a free ARC of The Survivor by Sean Slater to start you off on your challenge! Once you have made your participation post and signed up for the challenge, email me with your full name, address, post URL and your entry number from the participants list below (so I can verify) and I will pass on your details. This is INTERNATIONAL!

For more information and signing up klick HERE

Since I hate choosing my books ahead of time I'll be posting my books as I go.

Also check my tab for reading challenges where I'll also keep up my reading list for this (and other) challenges.

Gothic reading challenge

http://gothicreadingchallenge.blogspot.com/

There is nothing better than a great Gothic read - crumbling old castles, mysterious legends, shadowy characters, supernatural beings and unexplainable events, make for some of the most haunting and captivating reading imaginable.

There are four levels of participation to choose from:

A Little Madness - Read just 1 novel with Gothic elements.
The Darkness Within - Read 5 novels with Gothic elements.

A Maniacal Frenzy - Read 10 novels with Gothic elements.

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know - Read 20 novels with Gothic elements.

For more information and to sign up click HERE

On the soul of a vampire

For some it takes a lifetime to discover their raison d'être. Imagine searching for eight centuries. In 1997 Philadelphia, an 800 year old vampire comes face to face with his reason to be when he discovers a young mortal woman whose understanding of immortality is about to change all he's known as truth. Obsessed with the mysterie of her knowledge, he embarks on a journey that doesn't only lead him to his childhood home in the Provincal Alpes, but into his greatest hopes and dreams, fears and disappointments, and into the strange and frightning that shaped him. A novel about falterng faith and never-ending hope, On the soul of a vampire will not only alter everything you think you know about vampires, i will change the way you see your very soul. (cover)

The story begins with Valéry an 800 year old vampire who notices a young woman named Angelina. He's immediately drawn to her. Valéry tries to figure out his infatuation with her from a safe distance. We learn that these two already have a connection. Angelina knows what and who Valéry is, she has had dreams of a time long ago in which she never lived and the things she dreams about are of a life she couldn't possibly know, Valéry's life. This only makes Valéry more intrigued by her and he wants answers. How does she know all these things?
The chemistry between Valéry and Angelina is wonderful. Valéry is keeping himself in check when he's around her not wanting to hurt her but he also gets pretty annoyed and angry when Angelina is being quite cryptically because he wants answers and she just gives him riddles.
At the end of this novel all the puzzle pieces fall into place and you get these answers questioned.

This is not your typical vampire novel. Theology came to my mind when I read this novel. It makes you think. But not just for Valéry but the things described in this novel makes you think about different aspects of life, love and believe. Keley's writing is great, the story gripped me from beginning to end I was just as annoyed and frustrated at times as Valéry was with Angelina. And I love that, I want to feel the same way as the characters are feeling. I'm looking forward to reading more by Krisi Keley.

My rating: 4/5

Night of the Vampires

As a soldier, Cole Granger fights to restore peace to a world divided by war and evil. His extraordinary talents are enlisted to prevent the president’s horrific premonition from becoming reality. Nothing—and no one—will stop him from fulfilling his duty. Especially the mysterious young woman who claims to be his comrade’s sister. Enemy or ally, he can’t yet determine. But one thing he knows for certain is that he must keep her close. Very close.

Megan Fox’s quest to uncover a family secret leads her to the center of vampire riots in West Virginia. To find the answers she needs—and clear herself of suspicion—she must join forces with Cole. They work undercover to bring justice, but they can’t disguise the potent attraction and need that draw them together. Yet trust doesn’t come easily for Cole…and when Megan unearths the grim, dark truth, can she trust him to believe her? (blurb)

If it isn't bad enough the civil war is going on there is a much greater threat.........rouge vampires.

Megan Fox, a half breed vampire is send to Washington D.C. to help put a stop to the spreading of 'the disease'. Here she meets up with her half brother Cody who's joined forces with the Texas sheriff Cole. Cody, also a half breed doesn't know he has a sister and she isn't exactly welcomed with open arms. They believe soon enough that she is Cody’s sister but can they trust her? Cole especially is weary of trusting her. When Abraham Lincoln himself sends Megan and Cole to Harpers Ferry to put a stop to the spread of the disease, they need to rely on each other to survive.

The chemistry between Megan and Cole is great, the attraction is obvious but the issue is trust. Cole doesn't know he can trust her since she is half vampire, although he would trust Cody with his life. The attraction just gets bigger between them when the story developed.

Glass houses

Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Don't stay out after dark.

It's a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville , there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.

Claire Denvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school's social scene: somewhere less then zero. And Claire really doesn't have the right connections - to the undead who run the town.

When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood......(bookcover)

This is the first novel in The Morganville vampires series.

Claire is a sixteen year old freshman. She's bullied by the most popular girl on school Monica, who makes her dorm days a living hell. When the bullying almost cost Claire her life she's looking for another place to live. This brings her to an old house, the Glass house. Here she meets Eve a goth girl, Shane who doen't really do anything and Michael who isn't who whe says he is. When she starts living here she finds herself in a whole other world......

She learns that this town is run by vampires and people are protected by them....well if you're lucky. Claire has some trouble believing this but she finds out soon anough that it is all real. And bad enough Monica is one of the people who is protected by a vampire and Claire has no protection...

Her new roommates take care of her and try their best to make sure Claire doesn't get in to much trouble. Although a sixteen year old girl doesn't realy listen to what others tell her to do or in this case not to do.

Claire figures out the vampires are looking for an old book and this book seems pretty important for them....When Shane cuts a deal with a vampire so Claire is safe she decides that she's going to find the book to make sure she and her friends will be safe....

This is a fun and easy read. The characters are quirky, fun and have their own issues and secrets. Claire is strongwilled and determined and as it usally goes this gets her ito some great deal of trouble.

Here the vampires aren't thehot good man and woman. They look good some to the degree of hot but mostly they just look human except for the fangs ofcourse.

This is a real nice other take on the vampire novels I've read lately. Rachel Caine did a really great job with this story it's well written and she made sure the characters are very likeable but still have that anoying bit that belongs with a teenager.

I really didn't think I would like this story so much. The whole college thing, popular girls, bullying is not really my cup of thee but this was a really great book. And the ending just screams for more......this is the worst cliffhager I've ever read.......I want to know what happens next.......

My rating: 5/5