Book 32 of 52

Another Pretty Little Liars novel down, 3 more to go. I'm still really enjoying them. After how the last one ended I was worried as to how she would continue the story and was afraid she would start all new plots that had nothing to do with the first four books, but my fears have been put to rest. She managed to keep the story fresh and exciting and was able to keep the same basic plot without it feeling like she was pushing for it to work. I hope they continue to be this good. I will admit that I am not very happy that Ezra is gone now, I hope he comes back into it at some point.
It gets a bit weird at times reading the series and watching the TV show at the same time. I have managed to not get confused between the two but I think that is because they are very different. I enjoy the show because it brings the characters to life (especially Ezra) but there are certain changes that have been made that I feel will ruin the story a bit.

Book 31 of 52

Sara Shepard is amazing at confusing her readers. She gets you to believe one thing and then proves that it could never have been. I had gone back and forth on who I believed was -A but my original theory ended up panning out. Though Shepard did make me second guess myself many times, I found I was correct in the end. But this isn't really the end, still four more books to go (and of course she could always write more). I don't know that I believe Ian to be Ali's killer, though. And the way Shepard writes, makes me think that I am correct to doubt him. Can't wait to find out.

Book 30 of 52

Perfect by Sara Shepherd
You know a book is good when you don't even realize you are on the last page until you've finished it. That's what happened to me last night when I completed this book. I read the last line and stopped, leafed through the last couple pages containing the p...review to the next book and asked (out loud I may add) "its over? how? where is the rest of it?" While I read I often look to see how many pages I have left. But with Perfect, I was unable to stop reading long enough to check. 
I had guessed who Ali's killer was a book or two ago but I have a strange feeling that there may be twist there also. I still can't put my finger on who A is, though and it's driving me crazy. As for Hanna, I had just started to like her. Her problems still seem completely petty and high school-like compared to the other girls' issues but she is started to become a real person to me. She has been so spoiled and stuck up until this book and that for me is a complete turn off.

Book 29 of 52

I finished the first Percy Jackson book, The Lightning thief,  earlier today and I've been having a very hard time writing a review. I enjoyed it and was able to read the whole thing but I also found it very easy to put it down and walk away. I enjoy the absurd but I felt that every so often, something major in the book was too absurd even for me. It was also very predictable, I knew everything that was going to happen, way before it happened. It's a good book to pass the time but I'm not going to run out right now and tell all my friends to read it. I still haven't decided if I will continue with the other books or not. I'm interested to see how the movie came out though.

The Vampire's Assistant

When I finished reading the first three books in the Darren Shan series I watched the Vampire's Assistant right afterward. As a separate entity, the movie was pretty awesome. It was a good vampire story with a goofy side and it was pretty entertaining. But when you look at the movie as an adaptation of the books... it falls very short. The director didn't just make some changes for entertainment purposes, he changed almost everything. The kids were much older in the movie than how they were construed in the book. I love John C Reilly but he was not what I had expected for Mr. Crepsley. A big part of the book is how Crepsley is a lonely vampire but in the movie he is dating Madame Truska. The circus is described as being much smaller but in the movie it is huge with many more performers. Murlough and Mr. Tiny aren't in cahoots, at least not so far. Also, the way Darren Shan characterized Murlough really put a strong picture of him in your head. I saw a Wiley, odd, slightly crazy man who was very clever but in a psycho kind of way. I even had a voice for him... anyone who likes Buffy the Vampire Slayer will know who I mean... In season 7, episode 3 titled Same Place, Same Time there is a "monster" called a gnarl (he immobilizes his victims and then slowly pulls pieces of their skin off and eats them)... the voice of that monster is how I envisioned Murlough to sound. 

Book 28 of 52

I am really enjoying this series.  I was afraid it would be a bit Immature but it isn't. I have said before that Shan's writing is very reminiscent of RL Stine's writing but I am wondering now if that is because I have been gravitating towards books written by women and haven't read anything by a man in quite some time. I find it fascinating how easily you can tell if an author is male or female (especially when reading vampire novels). Take for instance, in the Cirque Du Freak books, it is not until book three that any kind of love interest is introduced. But if you have read any of the many female written vampire books that I have recently encountered, you will see that the love story is the main plot and is thrown at you instantly. I'm glad I am taking the time to read this series because it has brought me back to the reasons I first fell in love with vampires, werewolves, zombies and all other horror type books and movies. Don't get me wrong, I have come to really adore the modern vampire tales and theories but sometimes I get so caught up in them that I forget what good old fashioned horror is like. Even True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse books, though they show the gritty, blood hungry, goriness of "life" as a vampire, they spend an awful lot of time on the romantic relationships of the characters. And I am definitely not saying that I dislike the relationship focus, on the contrary I love that part but it makes it very easy to forget the thrill of a good, nothing but horror, book.

Book 27 of 52

The more I read this series the more it reminds me of R.L. Stine. That to me is a good thing. I have always loved R.L. Stine's writing. Shan is able to write a story that is considered horror without being too extreme for a young adult audience but that is still intriguing for older readers. The plots are not what you expect for a typical vampire book, which I feel is positive. The author has many different theories about how vampires are made and how they "live", none of which I have heard any other author use. He has a very fresh yet somewhat old school outlook on vampirism. I am excited to continue with the series and also to see the movie.