Author: Bubble Bubble Books and Trouble

“Wolfsbane and Mistletoe” edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

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Once again Christmas has roared to a screeching halt. Time to pluck off the ornaments and rake up the mountainous rubble of shredded paper underneath the tree. Although we must say goodbye to the decorations, fat-riddled goodies and yes, even the falalala Lifetime movies, there’s no reason to stop reading Christmassy stories! If you, like me, need something to stave off those post-holiday blues, you should pick up “Wolfsbane and Mistletoe,” a holiday feast of 15 short stories filled with werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires and oodles of romance! I’d like to give you mini-reviews for all 15, but that could take all day and I have some after-Christmas shopping to do! Here’s a taste of three of my favorites. 

For the funny bone
“S.A.” by JA Konrath 

When Robert Westin Smith attends his first Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting, he discovers Santa has a dark side – close ties with Satan to be exact. The not-so-jolly old elf teamed up with none other than Lucifer himself to rid the world of therianathropes, a special breed of shapeshifters with an appetite for evildoers. With his “salvation army” of demonic bell-ringing elves, Santa leaves toys as consolation prizes for children after devouring their parents. Wow – and I thought Billy Bob Thornton was a bad Santa!  Things really get ridiculous when Santa and his band of minions swoop in on the goofy group of shifters to systematically wipe them off his naughty list. I’m not sure what’s funnier about this story, the were-tortoise shouting “man your battle stations” or a wannabe shapeshifter who likes to dance in a hypo costume. Either way, this twisted-beyond-belief holiday tale is sure to tickle your funny bone!

 For Sookie Stackhouse fans
“Gift Wrap” by Charlaine Harris

For many happy couples, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. But for Sookie Stackhouse, it’s downright depressing. Sad, single and alone on Christmas Eve, she can’t stop brooding over her string of fanged and furry ex-boyfriends. Like a gift from the paranormal gods – or perhaps a well-meaning relative – a wounded, naked were-man is left for dead in the winter-bare forest surrounding Sookie’s house. Never one to turn away from a stray were-man (who just so happens to be smoking hot), Sookie wraps him in a blanket and nurses him back to health – and boy does she have good bedside manner! If you aren’t up to date on the series, you may want to catch up before reading this little story because it contains some major spoilers.

 For the naughty list
“Christmas Past” by Keri Arthur
 
This Christmas isn’t so merry for Hannah. Rather than cozying up by the fire with a tall glass of eggnog, she must brave a snowstorm dressed in a skimpy elf costume – jingle bell shoes and all –to hunt down a vampire serial killer with a penchant for Christmas charity collectors. But the humiliating costume and the unrelenting snowstorm isn’t the worst of it. She’s forced to partner up with hunky Brodie James, werewolf expert and chief investigator for Para-Investigations Squad. Owner of a killer smile and smoldering eyes. And the man who broke her heart precisely one year ago. Frostbite and bloodthirsty vampires are the least of Hannah’s worries when Brodie attempts to lure her out of her elf costume and into his bed. Out of all the stories in this collection, this one’s the hottest! I recommend reading this with a hot toddy and a decadent slice of chocolate cake.

“Christmas Letters” by Debbie Macomber

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 I have a confession to make: I am a sucker for Christmas romance books and Lifetime movies that ooze with sentimentality. Come on ladies, you have to admit those movies of the week are so bad, they’re good! I don’t know if it’s the scent of balsam pine that fills the air, or the twinkling fairy lights that transform my normally drab living room into a winter wonderland, but Christmastime always brings out the sap in me.

That’s why I couldn’t resist picking up “Christmas Letters,” a paint-by-the-numbers holiday romance about an aspiring book publicist named K.O. who ghostwrites other people’s Christmas letters. Who knew people actually needed to hire someone to write Christmas letters? I usually scribble something generic like “Have a merry Christmas y’all” and call it a day. But I digress.

 K.O. utterly loathes Dr. Wynn Jeffries,  best-selling author of a child-rearing book that advocates no boundaries for kids. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! So K.O.’s sister, a Dr. Jeffries groupie, follows the book religiously and allows her twins to turn into tyrannical terrors. Upset by the harm the book has caused, K.O. makes it her mission to hunt down the good doctor and expose him for the childless, psycho-babbling quack that he is.

 But things get complicated when she discovers he lives in her building and her loopy, tea leaf-reading neighbor attempts to play matchmaker. After getting suckered into having dinner with the strapping eligible bachelor, K.O.’s deep-seated anger is soon taken over by lust.

 As many of these love-hate romances go, the storyline is predictable and wrapped up with a cute little bow. Although you’ll most likely predict the outcome after reading the first couple chapters, this book is sure to give you the warm fuzzies. So grab your Snuggie (I know you have one!) and a steaming cup of cocoa and curl up with this cozy little romance!

Boys that Bite: A Blood Coven Vampire Novel by Mari Mancusi

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What do you get when you throw together a pair of distinctly different twin sisters, a tubby, pimple-faced vampire slayer, an Orlando Bloom look-alike with fangs, and a gaggle of money-grubbing Druid monks? A refreshingly unique teen vampire series that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Unlike her vampire-obsessed sister, Sunny McDonald would rather play field hockey and make moony eyes at the resident  high school hottie than hang out in graveyards and Goth clubs. Her averageness vanishes, however, the night her sister dragged her into Club Fang. Wearing a t-shirt brandished with the words “Bite Me,” Sunny catches the eye of Magnus, a vampire hottie who mistakes her for her sister.  After sinking his teeth into Sunny’s neck, she discovers that she will soon join the ranks of the walking undead. Even worse – she would miss the prom! This turns out to be very inconvenient for her sister Rayne, who secretly signed up to be converted into Magnus’ bloodmate.

With less than a week to reverse the curse and rejoin the land of the living, Sunny must track down the Holy Grail and devour the last remaining drops of the blood of Christ. Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, Sunny finds that her quest to reverse the bite may lead to a fate worse than turning into a fanged pumpkin after her week is up: falling head over heels for the bloodsucker who bit her.

If you’re in the mood for a good vampire story, but burned out on the formulaic star-crossed-lover melodrama, then pick up this book. The tounge-in-cheek humor and madcapped misadvenures  will send readers – especially fans of Buffy – into  fits of giggles. Mancusi keeps the quips coming without overdoing the sarcasm, and her take on vampire lore will intrigue and entertain even the most jaded vampire fans. The first book in the series, “Boys that Bite will definitely leave readers thirsty for more. I know I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the next installment!

“Goodbye, She Lied” by Russ Hall

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My friends always laugh at me for being the only Murder She Wrote fanatic without blue hair and a walker. What they don’t realize is that J.B. Fletcher is a hip, hip lady, who exemplifies the meaning of Girl Power! Not only is she a snazzy dresser (love the khaki trench coat!), but she is also a brazen, balls-to-the-wall crime fighter who puts local law enforcement to shame. That’s what I love about amateur women detectives! And that’s why I had such a great time accompanying Esbeth Walters – a Texified Mrs. Marple – on her quest to help her pal “Boose” find the con artists who cheated his elderly mother out of $64,000. 

A retired school teacher and full-time sleuth, Esbeth is the kind of woman that good ol’ Texas boys would call a ‘pistol.’ Much like my girl J.B. Fletcher, the sleuthing senior gets nothing but eye rolls and condescending remarks from local law enforcement. But that doesn’t stop her from taking on a new case when a friend in need comes knocking on her door. When Boose – an endearingly cantankerous rough-n-tough Texan – asked her to find the tricksters who stole his mother’s rest-home fund, she reluctantly answers the call of duty. After snooping around the local nursing home – run by a shifty director and an imposing nurse with about as much warmth as a prison guard – Esbeth discovers Boose’s mom wasn’t the only resident who was bamboozled by money-grubbing grifters. She soon stumbles upon another mystery when a damsel in distress enlists her help in proving her husband’s bizarre car accident was not a suicide. With the help of her elderly sidekick, Gardner Burke (who, if this ever became a movie, could be played by Clint Eastwood), Esbeth unearths (literally) connections between the two mysteries and discovers her cozy Hill Country hamlet is a hotbed for swindlers and cold-blooded murderers.

 I’m not sure what disturbed me the most about this mystery, the two ruthless hit men who like their weapons a little too much, or Esbeth’s foreboding dread of living her last remaining years in a grim rest home that reeks of Lysol and death. This book definitely left me feeling a little uneasy in many ways. But that’s not to say I didn’t have a heck of a good time reading it!

 This read is perfect to snuggle up to with a steaming mug of chai tea – my fave!  With  the nights getting darker and colder, what better than a good murder mystery with a good dollop of Texas grit thrown in too! Thanks Russ, for creating another fun and feisty female detective series. Keep em’ coming!

Do you have a favorite amatuer sleuth? If so, who?

“The Carrie Diaries” by Candace Bushnell

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Finally Candace Bushnell answers the questions that have plagued diehard Sex in the City fans ever since Carrie Bradshaw sipped her first pink cosmo: How did Carrie hit the big time as a newspaper columnist in New York City? What spurred her fascination with bad boys and high fashion? And most importantly – how did she meet her fabulous trio of gal pals?

Considering this book is classified as young adult, many Sex in the City fans will dismiss it as a dumbed-down “little Carrie” story filled with high school hijinks and insipid mean-girl melodrama. But don’t be fooled, this book runs much deeper than – gasp! – the plotlines in the TV series and the movies.

Before donning Monolos and hobnobbing with A-listers at trendy Manhattan hotspots, Carrie Bradshaw was a small town girl who dreamed of being a writer and jumping on a train toward the bright lights of Manhattan.  Detailing  the hardships young Carrie encountered after her mother’s death – a back-story barely touched upon in the series – Bushnell reveals  how the insecure teen depended more on her friends than her widowed father to maneuver her way through the emotional minefield of adolescence.

In this much-anticipated prequel, Bushnell offers a glimpse into  the origins of Carrie’s outlandish fashion sense and penchant for tall, dark and dangerous men. Sebastian Kydd, a James Dean kind of bad boy, most certainly foreshadows Carrie’s rocky road ahead with the notorious Mr. Big.

A refreshing departure  from shallow plotlines surrounding  product placement, over-the-top weddings and decadent trips to Abu Dhabi, “The Carrie Diaries” offers a coming-of-age story that gives “our girl” a bit more substance. Fans in need of a Sex in the City fix will love seeing Carrie evolve from an awkward teen into a quick-witted, insightful writer.

Although I was hoping Bushnell would give readers a taste of Carrie’s early beginnings with Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, she does reveal the young fashonista’s road to New York City and serendipitous encounter with a certain PR bad girl. Oh Candace, please tell me you’re writing a sequal!

Gizzy’s Pick: “Murder Melts in Your Mouth” by Nancy Martin

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I’m not the biggest fan of heiresses, the Upper East Side elite or celebutantes, which is probably why I’ve always skipped over Nancy Martin’s  high society book series. Unable to resist the chocolate-infused murder plot in “Murder Melts in Your Mouth,” I decided to give the books a shot and realized that I’ve been missing out on a real treat!  

In this fast-paced Blackbird Sisters adventure, Nora Blackbird – former Philadelphia heiress and high-society It Girl – is teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Her big sister got ran over by a Rolls Royce and left her in charge of five kids while she recuperates at the Ritz. Just when life couldn’t’ get more hectic, Nora’s best friend becomes suspect No. 1 after her boss plummets to his death from his high-rise office balcony. Then madcap hijinks ensue when the tax-evading Blackbird parents reappear with their life coach, sending Nora and her two zany sisters into a tizzy.

On a quest to prove her friend’s innocence, Nora searches for suspects while covering see-and-be-seen social events for her high society newspaper column. After rubbing elbows with Philly’s most notable bluebloods at the annual chocolate festival, she discovers anyone is a suspect – even her own  father!   

With the help of her old flame, a hunky Jersey tough guy with mafia ties, Nora must root out the truth – even if it means turning in someone she loves.

 This book – peppered with witty one-liners, steamy sexual tension and oddball characters – is the perfect antidote for a bad mood.  If you’re in need of a good laugh, this book will do the trick!  The sharp murder plot and entertaining fashion commentary is sure to delight fans of Janet Evonovich, Ellen Byerrum and Jennifer Cruise.

“Insatiable” by Meg Cabot

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 When I found out Meg Cabot, the literary queen of cutesy teen princesses, wrote an adult book about vampires, I couldn’t hit the pre-order button fast enough. For all you ladies who would rather read the instruction manual to your DVD player than pour through another predictable vampire love story – don’t roll your eyes just yet. Unlike many cheap Twilight and True Blood knockoffs – this one doesn’t suck! Very punny, I know.

Fans of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy the Vampire Slayer looking for a lighter version of the vampire huntress should cotton to Meena Harper, a quirky New York City gal who really wants to be normal, but suffers from pesky precognitive powers that force her to see how everyone she meets is going to die. 

Plagued by images of her pregnant best friend’s untimely demise, Meena’s luck  goes from bad to worse when she gets bypassed for the position of  head dialogue writer for the daytime soap “Insiatiable,” and the producers decide to pump up ratings by incorporating steamy, spiky-haired vampires into the script.

 Things really get complicated when the endearingly dingy protagonist up and falls in love with – who else – the  Prince of Darkness.

 The prodigal son of Dracula Lucien Antonescu  abhors human bloodletting and will stop at nothing to put an end to the murderous vampire hijinx in Manhattan. But despite his noble ambition, Meena sends him packing when she discovers she’s been kanoodling with a walking dead guy.

 Enter the smoking-hot vampire adversary – Alaric Wulf (a very clever last name, I might add). A member of the Paletine Guard, a secret society of vampire annihilators, Alaric has a bit of an anger management problem and a major beef against vamps. Hot on the trail of the Prince of Darkness, Alaric swoops in on Meena and finds that it’s not just her link to Lucian and conveniently useful psychic powers that he’s after.

 With punchy jabs at the Stephanie Meyers vampire franchise and literary references to Bram Stoker’s Dracula,  this fast-paced read will definitely leave readers wanting more. The deft touch of Cabot’s trademark humor is evident in the snappy dialogue. Even the most loyal Twihard will giggle at lines like, “Guys have been asking me to do their hair like his for weeks. Like it’s an actual style and not something accomplished with a razor blade and some mousse. People are psycho for that guy.”

“Third Eye” Mystery Series: “Deadly Sins, Deadly Secrets” and “Dead Wreckoning”

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Last Halloween I wandered into a random book tent at the Texas Book Festival and found myself chatting with Sylvia Dickey Smith, author of  the “Third Eye” mystery book series. Won over by her sweet southern charm, I bought a copy of  “Deadly Sins, Deadly Secrets,” stashed it in my bag of books and moseyed on my way in hopes of bumping into one of my favorite Texas authors. Not expecting too much from an unknown mystery author, I decided to scan the first couple pages just to see if it was worth my time. Fifty pages later, I found myself fully immersed in an absorbing world of romance, mystery and (be still my heart!) ghosts.

Move over Stephanie Plum and Annie Darling because there’s a new sassy sleuth on the scene and boy is she a firecracker! After escaping decades of confinement as a preacher’s wife, Sidra Smart returns to her sleepy East Texas hamlet to take over the reigns of her dead brother’s “Third Eye” detective agency. Just when she starts to get her bearings, her office burns to the ground and her apartment is yanked out from under her. With an empty wallet and limited options, Sidra has no alternative but to room with her endearingly neurotic aunt in a spooky 19th century haunted house. Just when life couldn’t get more complicated, she befriends a crotchety geezer in desperate need of proving his son’s innocence in a grizzly murder case. With a little help from a ghostly sidekick, a lanky, floppy-eared hound, a meddlesome aunt, and a trusty Cajun-tongued detective, Sidra combs through a lurid web of secrets, lies and deceit.

In the third installment of Smith’s mystery series, “Dead Wreckoning,” Sidra finds herself in a boatload of trouble – pun intended! Strapped for cash and in desperate need of a paying client, the last thing Sidra needs is a pro-bono case. But when Boo, a cantankerous old recluse who resides in the bellows of the Big Thicket, is framed for a murder involving a ghost ship and modern-day pirates – how could Sidra say no? Against the wishes of her mentor, George Leger, and her protective fiancé,  the ferociously independent PI probes into the case and finds that even the people she trusts the most are not who they appear to be. Steeped in a humid, eerie deep south atmosphere, “Dead Wreckoning” is a solid who-done-it rife with all my favorite elements – loveable furry companions, ghosts, mystery and romance! 

Smith, who has now been added to my dirty dozen of top mystery authors, has created a charming and winning character in Sidra Smart. With her atmospheric descriptions of rural East Texas, and character-driven plots, she has a real knack for crafting a quality thriller.

“Summer Island” by Kristin Hannah

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Nora Bridge had what appeared to be the American dream – a devoted husband, two loving daughters, and a quaint beach house on Summer Island. Yet one day she turned her back on them all and vanished into thin air.

A decade later her youngest daughter Ruby  finds herself grappling with the heartbreaking legacy of her mother’s selfishness. Stuck in the spin cycle of financial and emotional debt, Ruby is listless, angry and desperate to make a buck. After Nora, ironically a nationally beloved radio advice show host of “Family First,” becomes the center of a scandal, Ruby decides to write a tell-all roast about her absentee mother for a sleazy tabloid.

Just when life couldn’t get worse for poor Nora, she totals her car in an alcohol-induced haze, rendering herself  incapacitated  in a wheelchair. Alone and helpless, she’s left to rely on the one person who despises her the most: Ruby.

Guilted into taking care of her down-trodden mother at her childhood home in Summer Island, Ruby decides to maximize her quality time with mother dearest by writing her tell-all. But when her anger ebbs and forgiveness fights its way to the surface, she struggles with the moral dilemma of cashing in on her mother’s scandal or killing the story and letting her mother back in her heart.

Lessons of redemption and second chances are also infused in the two subplots: one a romance between Ruby and Dean, an old boyfriend who she kicked to the curb after her mother split, and another involving Dean’s dying brother who’s struggling to make peace with his broken family. Conveniently they’re all summering on the island and  rebuilding their relationships.

Brimming with sentiments of forgiveness and unconditional love, the book reads like a lengthy episode of a Lifetime movie under the influence of “Delilah after Dark.” Get out those boxes of Kleenex ladies, this one is a surefire tearjerker.

The Devil Wears Prada

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What do you get when you mix Cruella DeVille with a posh fashion magazine editor in chief? The ultimate boss from hell, rightfully named “The Devil Who Wears Prada.” Meet Miranda Priestly, a sadistic tyrant who just happens to be the Editor in Chief of a high-fashion magazine Runway. Miranda is so evil, she ranks right up there with the most wicked female Disney villains. She takes pleasure in beating down her helpless assistants with brutal insults and impossible tasks. Unlike the remaining cast of forgettable characters, the infamous Miranda Priestly almost makes this book worth reading. Unfortunately the main character (Andrea Sachs) is as bland as flat soda. There’s nothing there, no life, no spunk, just a boring, one-dimensional creation. This lifeless puppet begrudgingly goes through the motions as her tyrannical boss dictates her every move. The reader is supposed to feel sympathetic for this unfortunate soul, but it’s easy to grow tired of Andrea’s sarcasm and self-serving attitude. The plot (or lack there of) is just a cluster of scenes where Andrea leaps from one disaster to another. There were a couple of instances in this book that didn’t sit well with me: Weisberger’s snide remarks about Texas and people with southern accents, and her nonchalant attitude towards drinking and driving. Being a fan of the “chick lit” genre, I didn’t expect to read a literary masterpiece; I just wanted something fun and light to read. This book, however, proved to be a little too light, and brainless. I’ve read young adult books with more captivating characters and storylines. To all the fashionistas out there, this book may be worth reading. Considering that author, Lauren Weisberger once worked for a real-life Miranda Priestly during her employment at Vogue, she’s able to gives the readers an inside look at what it’s like to work in the high-fashion industry. To the readers that aren’t solely interested in fashion and designer duds, don’t waste your time with this book. With a cast of characters that you’re likely to forget, a plot-less series of redundant misadventures and a ho-hum ending, this book is a chick-lit miss.