Showing posts with label Janet Evanovich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Janet Evanovich. Show all posts

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Book Arrivals


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From Contests/Misc:

Siren's Call :: Devyn Quinn(Book one in the Dark Tides series)
(Won from
Lea - thanks!!)

Lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on Little Mer, an island off the coast of Maine, guarding her true identity as a mermaid. But when Tessa spots a man thrashing around in the ice cold waters during a storm, she must use her ability as a mermaid to pull him to shore. And a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he's determined not to let Tessa slip away. But when Tessa'a archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a clue to her heritage, she may be forced to leave her happiness behind...
Too Rich & Too Thin: Not an Autobiography :: Barbara DeShong
(Received for review)
When psychologist Jessica LeFave is summoned to profile the killer who drove a spike through the heart of the notorious Bernice Jackson, she has a deeply personal reason to be excited.
Bernice Jackson, dubbed the biggest liar in Texas had plenty of enemies.
She'd soared to the top of the Lone Star State's celebrity lists by shamelessly re-writing treasured historical events into wildly successful soft-porn novels and movies. But the piece of history Jessica cares about is that Bernice had been a psychiatry patient of her husband's at the time of his death.
Since watching her husband dragged from the bottom of Lake Austin - a Hilton receipt and another womans wedding rings in his pocket - Jessica has been a little crazy; obsessing over his files, even stalking patients with dodgy reputations. No one but Jessica believes her husband was murdered.
On her own, Jessica immerses herself in the bizarre movie-making family starring a doped-up basket case son, a daughter on a death-wish eating binge, and the ghost of Bernice Jackson who'd pushed her obsession with seeing herself as young and beautiful beyond any psychotic dream.
 
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From Paperbackswap.com:
 
Four to Score :: Janet Evanovich
(Book four in the Stephanie Plum series)
 
Stephanie Plum's charge is on the run. As a bounty hunter she is responsible for her charge and making sure she attends court. As things start to go wrong Stephanie becomes aware that the girl is hiding a treasure and that people will kill to get it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, May 21, 2010

Three to Get Deadly

Three to Get Deadly
Janet Evanovich

Series or Stand Alone: Stephanie Plum series, book three

Release Date: July 1998 (Mass Market)


Pages: 344


My Rating: 3.5/5

Source: Paperbackswap.com

Synopsis
[from goodreads.com]:

As readers of Janet Evanovich's two previous books about funny, feisty, family-tied bounty hunter Stephanie Plum already know, she operates in "the burg"--a "comfy residential chunk of Trenton, New Jersey, where houses and minds are proud to be narrow and hearts are generously wide open." On this turf, Plum fights for justice and fashion points--this time in pursuit of a beloved neighborhood candystore owner who seems to be moonlighting as an anti-drug vigilante. Evanovich now lives in New Hampshire, but authentic affection for Trenton energizes her prose. Plums in paperback include One for the Money and Two for the Dough.

Review:

I must admit while this series isn’t blowing me away I find myself drawn to Ms. Stephanie Plum. She’s such a quirky and fun character that is sure to make any reader laugh. In THREE TO GET DEADLY one of Trenton’s most lovable people is on Stephanie’s list of missing bad guys to hunt down. Mo Bedemier is known by everyone as Uncle Mo, the popular candy/ice cream store owner that’s been around since forever. It doesn’t matter that he was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon because half the city does that anyway. Stephanie quickly becomes one of the city’s most unpopular people.

While on the search for Uncle Mo, Stephanie notices that a lot of the drug dealers around town have disappeared. They are either in hiding or wind up dead and Stephanie seems to find herself next to their bodies. It seems Uncle Mo isn’t as innocent as everyone once thought and Stephanie is on the case along with the returning cast of characters.

Lulu is one of the funniest characters in the book. Once a prostitute, she’s turned herself around and joined the Plum bounty hunter team bringing her loud mouth right along with her! Ranger is more involved with this installment which I liked. He’s so mysterious and sexy-sounding and I need to know more about him!

Stephanie’s family remains to be one of the best fictitious families in my opinion. Grandma Mazur is such a crazy old woman and she pretty much always brings a smile to my face when she’s in a scene. Her mom is still pushing her to find a better and safer job but remains fiercely loving towards Stephanie. Sometimes I pity Stephanie’s poor father with all those crazy girls in the house =) And I know these books are funny/mystery/crime books but I so desperately want Joe and Stephanie together. Would it kill anyone to have a little more romance in the book?? Quite frankly I’m tired of the teases!

I’ll still be continuing on with FOUR TO SCORE up next. And I must admit I just love how Janet Evanovich titles her books. Definitely a lot of fun!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Two for the Dough

Two for the Dough
Janet Evanovich


Series or Stand Alone: Stephanie Plum series, book two

Release Date: September 1996

Publisher: Pocket

Pages: 312

Author Site: http://www.evanovich.com/

My Rating: 3.75/5

Source: Paperbackswap.com


Synopsis [from goodreads.com]:

From the author of One for the Money comes the second clever comic mystery featuring irrepressible bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Here, Stephanie finds herself on the trail of a killer who happens to have a distant relative who's a vice cop with questionable ethics, a libido in permanent overdrive, and a habit of horning in on Stephanie's investigations.

Review:

Stephanie Plum continues to make me giggle. She's not the typical kick-ass heroine that is gracing many of the newly released books today, but she is tough and definitley has luck on her side. TWO FOR THE DOUGH continues Stephanie's life as a bounty hunter. A new job comes in featuring a cousin of Joe Morelli's, named Kenny Mancuso, who is in a heap load of trouble for shooting his best friend. But he doesn't stop there as he's soon looking at a murder rap after the best friend is found dead. Things get quirkier as the story continues and Stephanie finds an unlikely partner in her Grandma Mazur. The two of them end up hitting up many local funeral parlors in hopes of catching Stephanie's bounty.

Grandma Mazur is one of the best characters in TWO FOR THE DOUGH. Her attitude and the things that come out of her mouth definitely had me laughing out loud. I fully admit I'm in love in Stephanie's family. Not one I'd like to have myself lol but one I'd like to go over and have dinner with as often as possible =)

While I didn't love this one as much as book one, I still really enjoyed it. It's full of action, hilarious moments, and kept me turning those pages. I'm looking forward to continuing on with all the characters in book three. I'm sure Janet Evanovich will have Stephanie in more adventures that will go horribly wrong and still keep the reader laughing.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Teaser Tuesday [42]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:







-Grab your current read
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!



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I narrowed my eyes. "If you kiss me I'll scream, and then my father will come out and punch you in the nose." And before any of those things happened, I'd probably wet my pants. (63)




Two for the Dough :: Janet Evanovich

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Book Arrivals



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Purchased:

Dracula :: Bram Stoker

Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:

New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

Mind Games :: Carolyn Crane
(Book one in the Disillusionists Trilogy)

Mind Games follows the adventures of Justine Jones, a hopeless hypochondriac who longs to be normal. Instead, she is recruited to join a psychological hit squad in a city terrorized by criminals with strange powers…only to fall for her most dangerous target!





Mina: The Dracula Story Continues :: Marie Kiraly

In the haunting sequel to Bram Stoker's classic Dracula, the dark prince's most famous mistress tells her story. On the brink of becoming one of the Undead, Mina Harker was saved by a stake driven through Dracula's heart. Mina tries to return to the mortal world, but after feeling Dracula's undying passion, can she go back to an ordinary marriage?



Impossible :: Nancy Werlin

When seventeen-year-old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both.





An Abundance of Katherines :: John Green

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washedup child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl.

Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin's hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.

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From Paperbackswap.com:

Three to Get Deadly :: Janet Evanovich
(Book three in the Stephanie Plum series)

As readers of Janet Evanovich's two previous books about funny, feisty, family-tied bounty hunter Stephanie Plum already know, she operates in "the burg"--a "comfy residential chunk of Trenton, New Jersey, where houses and minds are proud to be narrow and hearts are generously wide open." On this turf, Plum fights for justice and fashion points--this time in pursuit of a beloved neighborhood candystore owner who seems to be moonlighting as an anti-drug vigilante. Evanovich now lives in New Hampshire, but authentic affection for Trenton energizes her prose. Plums in paperback include One for the Money and Two for the Dough.


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From Contests/Giveaways & Misc:

The Pack :: LM Preston
(Received for review from author)

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that Shamira is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them, the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. Yet, in order to save her brother's life she is willing to risk it all.


Token of Darkness :: Amellia Atwater-Rhodes
(Won in a giveaway)

Cooper Blake has everything going for him - until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn't know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she's a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper's old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers' most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Day 139 - One for the Money

One for the Money
Janet Evanovich


Series or Stand Alone: Stephanie Plum series, book one

Synopsis: [from bookcover]

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of m oney, and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it - shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up.

Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. There's also a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body in her future could be her own.

Review:

I've seen these books everywhere for years and have never picked one up. I don't really know why I decided to do so now, but I'm very glad I did. And I'm a little miffed I waited so long.

Set in Trenton, New Jersey, the "burg" to be precise, Stephanie Plum is seriously down on her luck. Losing her job as a lingerie buyer she's desperately looking for a new job - any job really. Her Miata is being repossesed and she even has to sell her furniture to pay her bills, basically she's more than broke. So why not pay cousin Vinnie a visit? Stephanie ends up blackmailing convincing Vinnie to let her join him in his bail bondsmen business. It doesn't matter than she has no idea how to be a bounty hunter, what matters is the 10% cut she gets after bringing in a FTA (fail to appear).

Her first case? A $100,000 bond which will give her a nice $10,000 to help her get out of the debt pit she's in. The bad thing is who that bond belongs to - a one Joe Morelli, a former vice cop running from a charge of muder one. Now Stephanie and Joe go way back and she's not necessarily all warm and toasty of her thoughts of him. He's the type of man Stephanie's mother warned her about and still she didn't listen. After a hot and steamy night behind the pastry counter of her teenage job, she hasn't seen or heard from him since. That is if you don't count that one time afterwards when Stephanie hit Joe with her car. He was definitely in the way, even if she had to drive up on the sidewalk to strike him.

With some help from her new buddy and fellow bounty hounter, Ranger, she learns a few tricks to help her along the way. But the number one thing that saves her butt many a time is pure and simple luck! Stephanie's got a lot to learn in this new world. Joe is smarter than a crook, he used to be a cop for crying out loud. He's not just gonna let Stephanie take him into the waiting arms of the police.

While on the hunt for Morelli, Stephanie encounters Benito Ramirez, a heavyweight prize fighter that doesn't know how to take no for an answer after expressing his interest in Stephanie. Known to get a little (okay a lot) rough with women, Ramirez soon shows Stephanie what it feels like to be hunted down.

This book is jam-packed with hilarious and unforgettable characters. From her quirky and crazy family, to Stephanie and Joe, I totally should have started this ages ago. If you haven't picked up a Plum novel, why not start with the first one?? I promise you Stephanie's down to earth character will grab you and not let go. I'm really looking forward to continuing in the series.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Day 130 - Teaser Tuesday [6]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:






-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!




"I fiddled with my fork. My day hadn't exactly been a success, and announcing to the world that I was a fugitive apprehension agent seemed presumptuous." (62)

One for the Money :: Janet Evanovich

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