BOOK REVIEW: Days of Iron

TITLE: Days of Iron
AUTHOR: Russell Proctor

PUBLISHER: CreateSpace
DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 21, 2011
FORMAT: Paperback, 404 pages
GENRE: Science fiction
ISBN: 978-1460934630

SYNOPSIS FROM THE BACK COVER:

In the future, genetic engineering has created three species of humans. Homo sapiens - the Sapes - are the masters. The Sirians are savage and insular. And the Helots are slaves, denied even the right to breed.

Humanity in all its forms has spread out into the galaxy, ruled by the all-powerful Syndicate of Galactic Corporations. But the Syndicate refuses to share technology beyond the ruling Elite.

For Maddy Hawthorn, a Sape colonist, the peaceful life she had planned at Barnard's Star is torn apart when she becomes involved in a terrorist plot to destroy the stranglehold of the Elite over the other races. Pursued by the military and the Syndicate's agents, Maddy and her companions mount a desperate attack on the centre of control in the galaxy, an obscure planet on the fringes of known space.

Maddy must fight a ruthless regime to survive, but her own past demons might be the most dangerous threat of all.

MY REVIEW:

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The protagonist, Maddy Hawthorn, is a Sape (or Homo sapien) who has spent all her life living in space on-board a Slowboat called the Endeavour. She is kidnapped by Igil Hoo, a Helot – who is a part of the bottom-class species better known as the slave race. Because of the violence perpetrated against her by upper-class members of her own race known as the Elite, Igil presumes that she is a wise choice to aid him in a terrorist plot to bring down the Elite leaders. The two are joined by Dorac, who is a Sirian naval officer in search of his missing brother.

As the book moves along, it is interesting to note the shift in power and authority between the trio. While Igil was initially the mastermind in control of the mission, we find out that both Maddy and Dorac have their own agendas against the Elite. They each have their own reasons for what they are setting out to do.

Proctor creates a futuristic universe that is rich in detail, and he developed the characters very nicely. I loved the surprising and touching friendship between Maddy and Dorac. Given the general animosity between the two races, it is understandable that they did not feel comfortable discussing their feelings. However, time and again throughout the book, the characters expressed genuine emotions towards each other by their actions.

The ending of the book left me wanting more. I wonder if Proctor plans to follow this up with a sequel?

I enjoyed the book! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the science fiction genre!

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#42 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad - Market Day

TITLE: The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad - Market Day
AUTHOR: John Vasey
ILLUSTRATOR: John Vasey

PUBLISHER: CreateSpace
DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 12, 2011
FORMAT: Paperback, 24 pages
GENRE: Children's Books, Picture Books
ISBN: 978-1456411275

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

Children's book for children under five. It is a story about Grandad, his grandson Thomas, who is 3 1/2 and Erin his granddaughter who is 2 and their adventures.

MY REVIEW:

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute picture book for young children. It is the size of a reader, so I think that it would also be suitable for children that are over the age of five to use as an Easy Reader.

**SPOILER ALERT**

The children, Thomas and Erin, accompany their Grandad on a trip into town by bus on Market Day. When Grandad remembers that it is not Market Day, he takes the children instead to a bookshop, then a flower shop, and window-shopping down the street. Grandad gets tired and wants to stop and enjoy a cup of tea, but the café is closed already. After the bus-ride home, they enjoy a walk beside the river and watch the sunset. Once the family nears home, Thomas sees his friends and is excited to tell them all about his "amazing adventures" with Grandad.

At the end of the book, there is a page for the child to "Draw a picture of your grandad". My nine-year old daughter was quite excited about this part of the book, and she loved that she could personalize the book in her own way. Kudos to Vasey for this creative idea!

The simple lesson that the book conveys is that just being with family is special. Even though they did not end up at the market, the children still enjoyed themselves because they were with their Grandad. I love this sentiment, and I would expect that most children would relate to it.

I love the illustrations of the scenery, especially the page of the sunset over the river. The pages are colourful and very engaging. I also love the style of font used for its handwritten feel. However, we did not particularly care for the faces of the illustrations of Grandad and the children. Specifically, the eyes of granddaughter Erin are big, black round spots which my three year-old thought made her look like a zombie!

Overall, we did like the book!

MY RATING: 3.5 stars (with the .5 star for the creative page at the end for the children to personalize the book with their own illustration!)

This book qualifies as:
#74 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Dark Lover

TITLE: Dark Lover
SERIES: Book #1 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
AUTHOR: J.R. Ward

NARRATOR: Jim Frangione
PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2009 (first published September 6, 2005)
FORMAT: Unabridged CDs - 13 hours, 35 minutes
GENRE: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1440704215

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

The first novel of J. R. Ward’s New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series features a unique take on vampire lore and heavy doses of sensuality. The vampire Darius fears for the life of his half-breed daughter, who is unaware of her unusual destiny. To oversee her transformation, Darius seeks help from Wrath, a dangerous loner and the world’s only purebred vampire.

MY REVIEW:

This book was hard for me to get into. I loved Twilight, and I expected that I would love this book as well. When it still wasn't doing it for me after a quarter of the way through the book, I wondered whether my expectations were too high after seeing all of the amazing reviews for this series!

It was hard for me to keep all of the characters straight in the beginning of the book. I think that was one of the issues that made it difficult for me to become engrossed in the story. It wasn't until halfway through the book when the main characters, Wrath and Beth, started to show some vulnerability that I began to connect with them. Once this happened, then I was hooked and I really began to enjoy the story. As we learned more about each member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, we began to see their weaknesses which made them seem more "human" and discovered that there really is much more to each one than just what we see on the surface.

One thing that I do like about this book more than I did about Twilight is the strength of the leading female role. Beth Randall is not Bella Swan, and I mean that in a good way. I did not care for Bella's utter dependence on Edward. Beth is a strong, tell-it-like-it-is, I'm-not-going-to-take-any-of-your-bull kind of woman. She is great!

It would have been handy to have a glossary with this book that laid out all of the odd terminology used such as "doggen" (servant), "Hellren" (a male vampire that has been mated to a female), "Lesser" (a de-souled human who hunts vampires), and "Shellen" (a female vampire that has been mated to a male).

My favourite quote from the book was from Fritz to the Brotherhood with reference to Butch: "If you're going to bloody the human, would you be good enough to do it in the backyard?" A little bit of the dark humor!

This definitely is a book that is adult-rated due to the explicit sex scenes. I have often heard it described as "Twilight for adults", which is certainly true although I do not hold it to the same calibre.

Now that the groundwork has been laid, I hope that I will enjoy the second book in the series more than the first.

This is my first narration by Jim Frangione, and I quite like him! He does a nice job conveying emotion, and the subtle adjustments to his voice with each character makes for a nice distinction.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars! Were it not for the slow start, I would have given it 4 stars.

This book qualifies as:
#36 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#23 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#23 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#13 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV 
#8 for my 1st In a Series Challenge 2011
#6 for my Vampire Challenge 2011
#5 for my 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge (Item #51)
#5 for my What's in a Name 4 Challenge
#1 for my Black Dagger Brotherhood Reading Challenge
#1 for my Paranormal Romance Challenge 2011

BOOK REVIEW: The Mystery of the Stolen Statue by George E. Stanley

TITLE: The Mystery of the Stolen Statue

SERIES: Book #10 of the Third-Grade Detectives Series

AUTHOR: George E. Stanley

PUBLISHER: Aladdin

DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2, 2004

FORMAT: Paperback, 80 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Chapter Books

ISBN: 978-0689864919 

 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

The Third-Grade Detectives are looking forward to their field trip to a local art museum, where a priceless fifteenth-century statue of Joan of Arc is on loan from a Paris museum. But when they arrive, they discover that the statue has been stolen!

The police quickly find the statue — smashed into pieces and thrown in a Dumpster. Why would someone steal the statue only to destroy it? It looks like a new case for the Third-Grade Detectives — even if the museum director doesn't seem to want their help.

MY REVIEW: 

 

I read this book with my daughters.

We are enjoying this mystery series! This is the fourth one in the series that we have read, although we have not been reading them in order. Since each book can be read as a stand-alone, it does not matter if you do  not read them in sequence.

The teacher of the Third Grade class is a former spy, and he gives the students code clues to help them solve mysteries. We always have a lot of fun trying to break the code or solve the riddles before we read ahead to find out the answer.

The chapters are short and more than one can be read at a time without being too tiresome. We plan to read more in the series.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#73 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: The Cobweb Confession by George E. Stanley

TITLE: The Cobweb Confession

SERIES: Book #4 of the Third-Grade Detectives Series

AUTHOR: George E. Stanley

PUBLISHER: Aladdin

DATE OF PUBLICATION: July 1, 2001

FORMAT: Paperback, 80 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Chapter Books

ISBN: 978-0689821974 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

CREEPY, CRAWLY

CRITTERS — YUCK! 

Poor Todd. First he has to give up his room for an old friend of his father's who's visiting. Then his valuable baseball card collection is stolen. Now Mr. Merlin says the class is going to be studying spiders. Todd hates spiders. 

But then Mr. Merlin tells the Third-Grade Detectives that a spider's web may help catch the thief. Maybe spiders aren't so bad after all.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book with my daughters.

This is another book in The Third-Grade Detectives Series. For those that are not familiar with the series, the teacher of the third grade class is a former spy, and he gives the students code clues to help them solve mysteries.

My elder daughter and I always stop and work on the clues or codes and try to figure them out before the answer is revealed.

The series is cute and fun, and we like the idea of being amateur sleuths! We enjoy the series and plan to read more! 

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:

#72 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: "B" Is For Burglar

TITLE: "B" Is For Burglar
SERIES: Book #2 of the Alphabet Mystery, aka Kinsey Millhone, Series
AUTHOR: Sue Grafton
NARRATOR: Mary Peiffer
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 18, 2005
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (7 hours, 42 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1415930120

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Finding wealthy Elaine Boldt seems like a quickie case to Kinsey Millhone. The flashy widow was last seen wearing a $12,000 lynx coat, leaving her condo in Santa Teresa for her condo in Boca Raton. But somewhere in between, she vanished. Kinsey's case goes from puzzling to sinister when a house is torched, an apartment is burgled of worthless papers, the lynx coat comes back without Elaine, and her bridge partner is found dead. Soon Kinsey's clues begin to form a capital M -- not for missing, but for murder: and plenty of it.

Winner of the 1985 Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award and the 1985 Anthony Award for Best Novel.

MY REVIEW:

This is the second book in the Kinsey Millhone, aka Alphabet Mystery, series.

Kinsey Millhone, Private Investigator, is hired by a woman to find her sister, who appears to have gone missing, in order to settle a relative’s estate.

When I started this book, I forgot it was written back in 1985 when parachute pants and Mohawks were in style and people didn’t email and use the internet or cell phones! How archaic to have to use the typewriter instead of the computer ;) I have forgotten how different everything was back then!

Kinsey is a very likeable protagonist: she’s a bit of a loner, quirky, self-reliant, and tough.

Grafton’s books are a fast read for me, and I enjoy them.

I also like Mary Peiffer's narration of these books. She did the first one as well.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#30 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#20 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#20 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#5 for my 2nds Challenge 2011
#2 for my Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 2nd Chance

TITLE: 2nd Chance
SERIES: Book #2 of the Women's Murder Club Series
AUTHOR: James Patterson with Andrew Gross
NARRATORS: Melissa Leo and Jeremy Piven
PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 1, 2005
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (8 hours, 35 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1594833847

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

None of the chilling suspense or bizarre plot twists of Patterson's supremely popular Alex Cross novels is lost in this second offering in the author's Women's Murder Club series, featuring a four-woman team of friends who tend to work outside the system. The female protagonists offer a different perspective on heinous crimes and provide more of an emotional subtext.

After a young girl is murdered outside a San Francisco church, the newly promoted Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer sets out to discover why the killer -- who is soon known as Chimera -- ineffectually tried to make the scene look like a casual drive-by shooting. The case bears a resemblance to another murder thinly camouflaged as a suicide. Baffled by Chimera's motives, Lindsay decides to call another meeting of the Women's Murder Club: Her best friend, medical examiner Claire Washburn; Chronicle crime reporter Cindy Thomas; and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt. Eventually, Lindsay learns that her own father, an ex-cop, is somehow entangled in the killer's past, and soon she and Chimera are caught up in a battle of wits as the women of the Club become his prime targets.

Short chapters keep the action going by at whizz-bang speed. As the viewpoints shift from Lindsay's introspection to the killer's own brutal mind, we learn more and more about how similar they are in some respects, making this an eventual cat-and-mouse tease of investigation as hunter becomes hunted. 2nd Chance powerfully realizes both its heroes and villains, and fans of Patterson's bestselling Cross novels will be equally delighted with this series.

MY REVIEW:

This is the second book in the Women’s Murder Club series and is co-authored by Andrew Gross (someone whose work that I am unfamiliar with).

Four women (a police lieutenant, medical examiner, assistant DA, and a crime reporter) join forces to solve crimes. A serial killer is murdering people from every walk of life. At first, it does not appear that the deaths are related but “the girls” find the connection.

I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor, 1st To Die, but it was still a fast read and enjoyable.

The one thing that bugs me about the series is that the way the women are portrayed and relate to each other is not at all realistic. These “professional” women relate to each other in an immature way that is reminiscent of adolescence!

Another pet peeve is redundancy of vocabulary…I lost track of how many times the author used “clapboard.”

I enjoyed the plot twist, and I still plan to continue with the series.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#29 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#19 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#19 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#4 for my 2nds Challenge 2011
#2 for my James Patterson Reading Challenge II

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: BoneMan's Daughters

TITLE: BoneMan's Daughters
AUTHOR: Ted Dekker
NARRATOR: Robert Petkoff
PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: April 14, 2009
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (10 hours, 25 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1600246050

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.

Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn.

Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.

In a story that is devastating in its skill and suspense, - Ted Dekker brings to bear his ability to terrify and compel in BONEMAN'S DAUGHTERS.

MY REVIEW:

This is my first book by this author.

The beginning of the book reads like two separate stories: One story tells about Military Intelligence Officer Ryan Evans, who is psychologically tortured by insurgents in Iraq; the other story is about a serial killer nicknamed “Boneman”, who kidnaps young girls and breaks their bones but not their skin, leaving them to die of internal bleeding. The two stories eventually meld together, which is where the story starts to pick up pace.

The narrator, Robert Petkoff, did a great job…even Boneman’s voice was creepy!

I enjoyed the book well enough to look for other works by this author.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#15 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#9 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#9 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Bloodroot

TITLE: Bloodroot
AUTHOR: Amy Greene
NARRATOR: Emily Janice Card (as Myra Lamb), Lorna Raver (as Byrdie Lamb), and Jessie Bernstein and Rebecca Lowman (as Myra's twins)
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 12, 2010
FORMAT: Unabridged CDs (13 hours, 34 minutes)
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 978-0307713230

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

Bloodroot is that rare sort of family saga that feels intimate instead of epic. Set in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, it’s told largely in tandem voices that keep watchful eyes on Myra Lamb. She is a child of the mountain, tied to the land in ways that mystify and enchant those around her. There’s magic to Myra--perhaps because she has the remarkable blue eyes foretold by a nearly-forgotten family curse--but little fantasy to her life. Bloodroot is as much about the Lambs as it is about a place, one that becomes ever more vivid as generations form, break free, and knit back together. Its characters speak plainly but true, they are resilient and flawed and beautiful, and there's a near-instant empathy in reading their stories, which--even in their most visceral moments--are alluring and wonderful.

MY REVIEW:

This is Greene's debut novel. I saw it recommended on a list as one of the Best Top 10 Debut Novels, so I decided it try it. It was also rated as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month for January 2010.

It is a sad, touching story. The book is unique in the way that Greene uses six voices to tell the story through four generations, and it is set in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Greene did a great job in developing the characters, and I felt myself feeling their happiness and sorrow throughout the book.

I intended to give a higher rating of 4 stars to the book, but there was an animal abuse scene in the last quarter of the book that disturbed me so much that it almost ruined the book for me. I could have done without that. I am glad that I pushed on and continued the book because the ending is very satisfying.

The audiobook narrators were superb! 

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#10 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#7 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#7 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: A Is For Alibi

TITLE: "A" Is For Alibi
SERIES: Book #1 of the Alphabet Mysteries, aka Kinsey Millhone Mysteries
AUTHOR: Sue Grafton
NARRATOR: Mary Peiffer
PUBLISHER: Books on Tape
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 17, 2006
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (7 hours, 39 minutes)
GENRE: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 9781415930113

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

This first novel in the "Alphabet" series introduces the character of Kinsey Millhone, a twice-divorced private eye based in Santa Teresa, California. "A is for Alibi" covers the investigation by Millhone into the death of Laurence Fife. The investigation is initiated by his wife, Nikki Fife, who was charged and convicted of his death. Eight years later, and upon her release, she sets Millhone the task of finding the real killer. 

MY REVIEW:

This is a new author for me, and it is also a book that is first in a series.

It was a quick, enjoyable, easy read for me. The detective is likeable. Pretty light stuff, nothing really disturbing or heavy. I plan to read more of the series.

The narrator, Mary Peiffer, did a nice job.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#7 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#5 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#5 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#2 for my 1st in a Series Challenge 2011
#1 for my Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011

BOOK REVIEW: The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope/The Puzzle of the Pretty Pink Handkerchief by George E. Stanley

TITLE: The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope/The Puzzle of the Pretty Pink Handkerchief

SERIES: Books #1 and #2 of the Third-Grade Detectives Series

AUTHOR: George E. Stanley

PUBLISHER: Aladdin

DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 18, 2004

FORMAT: Paperback, 144 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Chapter Books

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Mr. Merlin's Third Graders are known as the Third Grade Detectives — with some hints from secret code clues and help from Mr. Merlin's friend, the police scientist Dr. Smiley, they help solve cases. This two-in-one flip book contains the full text and illustrations for the first two Third Grade Detectives books. In their first case, The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope, the Detectives find out who has been sending Amber Lee anonymous letters. And in their next case, a dirty handkerchief provides a clue to who's been trespassing in Todd's tree house.

MY REVIEW:

I read these books with my daughters. What is really cool about the book is that #1 is on one side of the book and, if you flip it over, #2 is on the other side! It is a great value!

This is a cute series called The Third-Grade Detectives. Their teacher is a former spy, and he gives the students code clues to help them solve mysteries. My elder daughter and I stop and work on the code and try to figure it out before moving forward in the book. Don't worry if you cannot figure out the code because the teacher will give you a clue in the following chapter to help you solve it!

We enjoy the series and plan to read more!

MY RATING: 3.5 stars! We liked these books!

This book qualifies as:

#67 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Practical Demonkeeping

TITLE: Practical Demonkeeping
AUTHOR: Christopher Moore
NARRATOR: Oliver Wyman
PUBLISHER: HarperAudio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 1, 2009 (first published 1992)
FORMAT: Unabridged CDs - 8 hours
GENRE: Fiction
ISBN: 978-0061770500

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

In Christopher Moore's ingenious debut novel, we meet one of the most memorably mismatched pairs in the annals of literature. The good-looking one is one-hundred-year-old ex-seminarian and "roads" scholar Travis O'Hearn. The green one is Catch, a demon with a nasty habit of eating most of the people he meets. Behind the fake Tudor façade of Pine Cove, California, Catch sees a four-star buffet. Travis, on the other hand, thinks he sees a way of ridding himself of his toothy traveling companion. The winos, neo-pagans, and deadbeat Lotharios of Pine Cove, meanwhile, have other ideas. And none of them is quite prepared when all hell breaks loose.

MY REVIEW:

After reading a more serious book, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, I like to balance it out with something a little more wacky and zany...enter Christopher Moore!

My massage therapist recommended Moore to me as an author that is very readable, whose books don't involve a lot of complex thoughts that could be forgotten if the book is read over long periods of time. I had lamented to her how much I missed reading adult literature for pleasure, and she suggested Moore books primarily because I could set them down and may not necessarily be able to pick it back up again for a while and I wouldn't have to go back 50 pages to re-read what had last happened to refresh my memory. She was right! Although it took me much longer than I would have like to read his books (pre-iPod), I was thrilled that I actually managed to squeeze in about ten minutes of reading a day!

Practical Demonkeeping is about a man named Travis who unknowingly summons a demon named Catch. As a result, Travis becomes his Master with one of the benefits being perpetual youth. Travis wants nothing more than to get rid of Catch, and his life revolves around trying to find a way to send catch back to where he came from him.

This was not my favourite Moore novel, but it was pretty good. Narrator, Oliver Wyman, is a pleasure to listen to.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!