I was in the mood for an easy read, so I picked up this book. It is the novelization of the movie “Underworld Evolution”, which is the sequel to the movie “Underworld”, and I figured it would have lots of action and lots of vampires in it. I actually read the novelization of the first movie before I saw that movie, and wanted to read this one before I saw the movie it is based on. I pretty much knew what to expect before I opened the book.

I didn’t put the author’s name in the title of this post, because I couldn’t decide on which one to put. The spine of the book says: A Novelization by Greg Cox, Based on Characters Created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, & Danny McBride, Story by Len Wiseman & Danny McBride, Screenplay by Danny McBride”. Who was I supposed to choose?

This book picks up about where the last one left off. Selene, a vampire who had been a Death Dealer for about 600 years has gone on a bit of a vengeful killing spree, inspired by learning the truth about why her family was slaughtered by vampires all those years ago before she was turned into a vampire. Michael, Selene’s ally and lover, started out this night as a regular human, but, after getting bitten by both a werewolf and a vampire in the previous book, has become a “hybrid” combination of both. Together, they are on a quest to figure out the missing pieces of the puzzle surrounding Selene’s past, and also on a quest to continue to stay alive, (or, at least to stay undead). They seem to make almost everyone they encounter in this book want to kill them.

At the same time, the last sleeping Vampire Elder, Marcus, is awakened. He has become a hybrid too (but a very different looking one than Michael did), due to some loose ends from the last book. He is on a quest to free his twin brother, a giant albino werewolf, who has been imprisoned for centuries. To succeed, he needs both Selene, and the pendant Michael wears. The reasons why are explained in the story.

There is also this CIA like group, called The Cleaners. They are headed by one man, and they basically go around and try to make sure the regular humans don’t find any proof that either vampires or werewolves exist. Why? It get explained in the story.

The story has lots of action scenes, most of which are violent and bloody, but somehow, didn’t really hold my attention for long. Too much repetition, I guess. All the buildings/boats/castles, etc. (in other words, each specific setting) blows up at the end of the scene. Selene shoots the vampires she fights in this book with her guns, and kills the werewolves by sticking a knife through their skulls, each and every time. Michael kills werewolves by ripping off their lower jaws, each and every time he battles one. And Marcus enjoys killing his enemies after first pinning them to a wall with the spikes that come out of the top of his bat like wings. He does this to each and every enemy he encounters. It gets a bit predictable.

If you are looking for a deep, meaningful, insightful read, this is not your book. If you are simply looking for an action book with battling vampires and werewolves, with a plot drawn loosely around them, and a lot of explosions, then look no further! If you are looking for something to read at work when you are on your break that you can follow while carrying on a conversation with your coworkers at the same time, then this is your book.

Now, I just have to watch the movie! I bet the special effects are wonderful!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

It is a bit strange, in every way I can think of. This is the story of Henry DeTamble who, through some fluke in genetics, is a time traveler, and his wife, Clare, who he often meets when he time travels. Henry has no control over when he time travels, or when/where he goes, and can’t bring anything with him other then himself. This includes clothing and food, which makes Henry’s life a difficult and dangerous one sometimes.

Clare first meets Henry when she is a little girl. Henry is in his late thirties at the time. Henry first meets Clare in his late twenties, when Clare is in her early twenties, and he does not remember meeting her, because, from Henry’s point of view, it has not happened yet. Confused? The book makes sense of it all.

In spite of the twisting and turning time line, and the abrupt jumping from one year to another year (and not in chronological order, either!), this story is incredibly readable. It is the perfect marriage of “Romance Novel” and “Science Fiction Story”.

Niffenegger breaks up each part of the story in a few ways. Each part is labeled with either “Clare” or “Henry” and the year it takes place, as well as the age of each of them. This makes it instantly clear to the reader whose point of view that part of the story is from. Also, in the parts where Henry is there, and is also there, again, because he time traveled to that particular point in time, and is visiting himself, (which makes him two different ages at the same time), it makes it easier to comprehend. Niffenegger does a wonderful job of making each character very real. I was impressed by how Henry’s thoughts are very much “guy thoughts”, and how at the same time, Clare’s thoughts are “girl thoughts”, especially when the two are thinking about the same event. Niffenegger does this without making either character a walking stereotype.

I also liked very much that the setting for most of the story is in Chicago, in places I have not only been to, but have spent a lot of time in. The Chicago Art Institute, The Field Museum, the bike path by the Lake, and much more. Even the way Chicago looks around Christmastime is described perfectly, from the snow, to the store windows full of animated scenes, to the giant wreaths around the lions in front of the Art Institute. There are many parts of this book that take place at or around either Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, so I would recommend reading it around that part of the year, for maximum enjoyment.

Summer is here, and the weather is hot, humid, and sticky! Looking for a book to read when its too darned hot to focus on much of anything? Then you are in luck! Here are a few books that I have been enjoying lately. All of them are quick, easy, and fun.

Diablo Moon Of The Spider is written by Richard A. Knaak. He is the author of the majority of the books in the Diablo series. These are the books loosely based around the Diablo RPG, but, it is not at all necessary to have played that game to simply be able enjoy these books. This is the fourth book in the series. I recommend that you either have read the third book before starting this one, or, not be upset when this fourth book reveals some of the ending to the third book.

Anyhow, the story is a good one. Two characters from book three, Zayl, (a necromancer who is devoted to restoring the balance between good and evil), and his sidekick Humbart,(a mostly intact skull of a long dead man that Zayl animated in the previous book), are main characters in book four. The main story line surrounds an ancient and misunderstood artifact, power hungry nobles, visits from beyond the grave, zombies, (well, ok, unorthodox zombies, but you get the idea), lots and lots of spiders, (none of whom are friendly), and an ubernecromancer who just may have turned to “the dark side”! This book has nonstop action scenes that really move. Almost as exciting as playing the game itself!

Wishing you could just go vacation on an island somewhere? Maybe you just miss watching some of the good tv that ended right as summer began? If so, then you are in luck! There are now books based on my favorite TV show, “LOST”!

I have only read one of these books so far, but believe there might be a total of three. Each book focuses on a minor character who was also on the island when the plane crashed, and throws in a few of the main characters we all love to make it that much more interesting. It is not simply a repeat of an episode of the tv series!

LOST : Signs Of Life is written by Frank Thompson. The focus of the story is on Jeff Hadley, who was an artist from Scotland before he got on Oceanic Flight 815 and stranded on the island with the rest of the survivors of the plane crash.

Jeff is still creating art, but not the same art he used to create. What he makes now are little sculptures and drawings that have these primitive looking symbols in them, and also some monsters. They scare Jeff. He doesn’t have an answer for the other survivors who ask Jeff where he got the ideas for this new creepy art. All he knows is that he has been getting bad dreams.

Jeff has mostly isolated himself from the rest of he survivors, and spent too much time thinking about his past, his art, his lovers, and his choices. A mystery unfolds as you read through this short book that links Jeff’s past and his current life. Stranger things start to happen after Jeff agrees to go on a boar hunt with Locke, Michael, Charlie, and my favorite character from the tv series, Hurley! Hurley is in this book quite a bit. (There are also brief cameos by Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, and Walt).

The back cover of the book seems to have a typo. It calls the main character, Jeff Hadley, “Nick Hadley”, and I have no idea why. The front cover of the book has Locke on the cover. That should help you find it.

Too humid to focus on much more than pictures? Try a manga! I just finished reading the second book of the Tsubasa series by Clamp. (You can read my review of Tsubasa volume 1 by looking it up in the past reviews I have done for Bookwyrm U.S.).

Tsubasa volume 2 picks up where volume 1 left off. Sakura is still unconscious, and Sayoran (who loves her) is still trying to restore her memories by finding them in different “worlds”. He is still accompanied by Fai, (a happy go lucky sorcerer), Kurogane, (a disgruntled ninja), and Mokona, (a round, white, animal like thing that can somehow sense when one of Sakura’s memories are nearby). They start out in the world they were still in at the end of volume 1, the Hanshin Republic.

Off they go to try and find the piece of memory. In this volume, they learn what a “Kudan” is, and how to get one. There are many battle scenes, all of which have artwork that seems to move very fast around the page. They meet a few people with very powerful Kudans, battle them, and save a new friend along the way. It is a quick read. Most of this book is exciting, and many parts are funny. The ending has something really good and really bad happen, (and its the same event), and also a scene linking to what might happen in Tsubasavolume 3. I can’t wait to read the next volume!

It helps to know, before you pick up this book, that there really is a tapestry called “The Lady and the Unicorn”. It belongs to a series, all of which have a lady and a unicorn, all of which were created in the late fifteenth century, and all of which are now located in the Cluny Museum in Paris. This book is a work of fiction based around those tapestries.

Alex Pellier works for the Cluny, and part of her job is to acquire more medieval art for the museum. She spends lots of time searching. One day, she comes across hints that there might be a seventh tapestry belonging to the series already hanging in the museum. It becomes her dream to bring this new, never before seen, work of art together with the rest of the series it belongs to. Most of the book is a treasure hunt, as Alex picks up clues and hints in her quest for the tapestry. It was exciting.

So, Alex spends her days, and many nights, working on getting this tapestry, becoming more and more interested in the story behind its creation. What was going on with the woman who designed it? Did she become a nun? Why was this tapestry hidden away for so long? She is also scheming about how to manage to obtain this tapestry for the Cluny. Alex finds herself feeling very connected to the woman who designed the tapestry. At times, she feels like the woman is communicating directly to her, sometimes guiding her. She spends her off time with her young daughter, Sunny, and Sunny’s grandmothers. Alex was married when she was young, and is now a widow. Sunny is extremely intelligent, and working on becoming an artist herself. Sunny is attracted to the tapestries, and trying to draw the ladies she sees in them.

Out of nowhere, Jake appears in Paris. Alex and Jake dated when they were in college, and there is clearly something unfinished between them. Jake has come to Paris to see if he can start painting again, and also to escape his engagement to a woman who he does not seem well matched with. The lives of Alex and Jake become more and more entwined, as he helps her on her quest. Will Jake and Alex ever get together? This question hangs in the air over most of the events in the book.

At first, this book was interesting to me. Some parts are very exciting, especially the parts where Alex learns more about the mysterious tapestry. After a while, however, I began to lose interest. I stopped caring about who ended up with the tapestry, or if Alex and Jake finally hit it off. I guess I wanted more of the story to be about the woman who designed the tapestry in the first place, and more about her life. Jones did cover a little bit about that in the very beginning of the book, and a little more after the story of Alex and Jake resolves. I would have liked to see more of that part of the story.