More in November...

Darke Academy: Secret Lives
Odd YA - strange happenings in a super-selective borading school that moves around the world each term. (Currently in Paris!) Has a special secret group that sucks the life source out of their roomies...what else can I say?  Didn't really go anywhere - don't really care!


New Moan by Stefordy Mayo
Bought this as much as I adore twilight, it is a guilty pleasure and I don't take it too seriously! After all I'm at least 25 years too old and this got the best reviews for all the parodies! Don't bother...it started out okay and I did laugh in places, the irritating, self obsessed Bella/ Heffa character was spot on in the early stages, but it all became a bit "trying to hard and self consciously clever" and they really didn't get the point of Edward/ Teddy...he's meant to be like that! That's why all the tweenies love him - he's gorgeous, infatuated, potentially dangerous but isn't!

Undead and Unwed
Good giggle - unwilling vampire who ants to keep most of her human comforts but has supper powers.  Not life changing, but good fun!


hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Another book off the back of the Twilight rush! It had potential and was a really interesting idea with a "fallen angel" trailing an ordinary American teenger...(getting the Edward and Bella similarities?!!) but it lost on the character of Patch being too unlikeable...he doesn't struggle with his demons as Edward does and he's all over the place as far as his motivation. Nora (bad name!) readily admits she's attracted to him but again the romance is unconvincing and uncompelling as they are soooo dull anyway...who cares?! I know I'm way to old for YA fiction but it's my guilty secret and I was disappointed.

The Italian Wedding by Nicky Pelligrino
Not as simplistic as I first thought -the story of Pieta's parents life were well woven into the current tale of her sister's wedding. I felt Pieta was a bit weak in places and Michele could have been developed more but I really enjoyed the story.

Summer School by Domenica
Gentle story about a writing course in a beautiful old Italian palace. The descriptions of Siena and Rome are great and the overall characterisation and mood of the story is pleasantly done. Slightly predictable, but with enough twists to keep it interesting - I really enjoyed it!

November's books!

The Calafornia Club by Belinda Jones
Okay, holiday type chick-lit with the usual everyone finds love and happiness at the end! Well written but not quite as engaging as some of her others.

Phantom by Susan Kay
Amazing! Okay, so I'm totally addicted to Phantom, particularly if only a bit of him resembles Karmin Raminloo...but this is has the potential to be completely addictive. Tells the life story of Erik and how he develops into the "phantom". The sections on his childhood and early adulthood are fasinating and show how he becomes the complex disturbed man at the Paris opera. Yes, it has a somewhat happy ending, but it didn't really need it as the book was soooo good!