Immortal Love Stories With Bite - Edited by P.C. Cast

Rachel Caine revisits the setting of her Morganville Vampires series, where the vampires are in charge and love is a risky endeavor, even when it comes to your own family.

Tantalize author Cynthia Leitich Smith gives us a love triangle between a vampire, a ghost, and a human girl, in which none of them are who or what they seem.

Claudia Gray takes us into the world of her Evernight series, in which a pre-Civil War courtesan-to-be is courted by a pale, fair-haired man whose attentions are too dangerous to spurn--in more ways than one.

Vampire Academy author Richelle Mead brings us the tale of a young vampire on the run from the rest of her kind, and the human boy who provides the getaway car--as well as a reason to keep running.

Wicked series writer Nancy Holder immerses us in a post-apocalyptic New York where two best friends are forced to make a choice that may kill them both.

Rachel Vincent explores a new corner of her Soul Screamers universe with the story of a leanan sidhe capable of inspiring the musician she loves to new creative heights--or draining him, and his talent, dry.

Master fantasist Tanith Lee shows us what happens when a bright young woman with some supernatural savvy encounters a misguided (but gorgeous) young vampire.

And Kristin Cast, co-author of the House of Night series, introduces us to a new kind of vampire: one with roots in Greek mythology, and the power to alter space and time to save the girl he's meant to love.

Title: Immortal Love Stories With Bite
Author: Edited by P.C. Cast
Genre: Young Adult, Vampire Fiction
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
My Rating: 3.75/5

1. Haunted Love - Cynthia Leitich Smith. Interesting premise, had some good twists to it. Good story though it didn't quite keep me 100% captivated. 3/5

2. Amber Smoke - Kristin Cast. I like this author. I thought this story was poorly executed. It had great potential, but I disliked the main character, and thought everything was poorly explained (MC's reactions to her situation). 2/5

3. Dead Man Stalking - Rachel Caine. A good background story for Shane. Loved this one, and was happy to see Shane get his own story. 5/5

4. Table Manners - Tanith Lee. Felt like I needed to read this with a British accent, not entirely sure why, but that seemed to work for me. Otherwise, interesting. 3.5/5

5. Blue Moon - Richelle Mead. Loved this one. I think it could be the start of a new series for Richelle. Set-up and execution leaves you wanting more. 5/5

6. Changed - Nancy Holder. Very dark, and visceral story. Not one of my favourites, but still was good. 4/5

7. Binge - Rachel Vincent. Enjoyable storyline. Will definitely be reading more from this author. 4/5

8. Free - Claudia Gray. Captivating and refreshing. Loved the heroine in this tale. 4/5

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Vacations From Hell - Libba Bray et al.

Life's a beach. . . and then you're undead?

In this must-have collection, five of today's hottest writers--Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty), Cassandra Clare (City of Bones), Claudia Gray (Evernight), Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes), and Sarah Mlynowski (Bras & Broomsticks)--tell supernatural tales of vacations gone awry. Lost luggage is only mildly unpleasant compared to bunking with a witch who holds a grudge. And a sunburn might be embarrassing and painful, but it doesn't last as long as a curse. Of course, even in the most hellish of situations, love can thrive . . . .
From light and funny to dark and creepy, these stories have something for everyone. When vacation time comes, you definitely won't want to leave this collection at home!

Title: Vacations From Hell
Author: Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Mlynowski
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 5/5

1. Cruising - Sarah Mlynowski. An excellent short story. Very humorous and concise. Not your average vampire. I wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

2. I Don't Like Your Girlfriend - Claudia Gray. I quite enjoyed this short story as well. Witches and spells galore. Wrapped up quite efficiently in a small potion err package.

3. The Law of Suspects - Maureen Johnson. I found this story very well-written. It creeped me out completely! Definitely a great short story. The ending leaves you going uh-oh!

4. The Mirror House - Cassandra Clare. What would you do for someone you love? An excellent question answered in this short story. Sometimes you find out difficult things about yourself and are okay with it. Loved this one as well.

5. Nowhere is Safe - Libba Bray. Nowhere really is safe. Very intriguing; creepily so. Reminds me somewhat of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village", they both seem to have the same vibe. Excellent short story.


This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.