October / November Reads

I've been so busy reading good books that I've barely had time to write about them!  Here's what I've been reading in the last few weeks:

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

Imagine a book that is a mix between Neil Gaiman's Coraline and the children's classic Alice in Wonderland and you have Lauren Oliver's newest YA novel.  I would really love for her to publish an illustrated version of this because the imagery she creates with her words would be fantastic in large scale pictures.  Creepy and delightful, this was a very fun read!

Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart

My mom has been talking about this mystery series for years because she loved the book shop that the main character, Annie Laurance, runs.  After having read the first book in this mystery series I have to agree with her; I'm hooked!  What a fantastic book shop that our leading lady runs! All she sells are mystery books of all kinds!  One of the ongoing themes of the series is a contest whereby the first customer who correctly identifies a series of five mysteries from the clues in a painting hanging in the shop wins his or her choice of a novel.  There is also a coffee shop with hand painted mugs featuring the titles of famous mystery novels.  The location is amazing, the characters are fun, and the mystery at hand keeps you guessing till the end.  A fun series for cozy mystery fans!

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

The first book in the Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne mystery series, this novel centers around an abandoned baby found on the steps of the local church one snowy night and the murder of a young woman found half frozen in the local river.  I found the angle of having the lead characters as a priest and a police chief quite interesting and look forward to reading more in this series!

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

The final book in Roberts' Inn BoonsBoro series, this story deals with Innkeeper Hope and the third Montgomery brother, Ryder.  As per usual, Robert's delivers excellent dialogue (especially between women), a beautiful setting, and a tender and engaging love story.  A great end to a lovely series.

Ready Player One By Ernest Cline

One of the best and most fun book's I have read this year!  My inner geek screamed with happiness for pretty much the entire novel.  So many excellent 80's references! From video games, to sci-fi and fantasy novels, to films, and music, this book had them all!  Well written, engaging, fun, and action packed, Ready Player One is going to be on my favourite reads of 2012 list!