Fire Touched, by Patricia Briggs

I enjoy Brigg's books--all of them!   She writes a number of fantasy series and all are well written and engaging.  Yes there are werewolves and shape-changers as well as a variety of supernatural creatures and ancient gods!  But, the books have good narrative arcs and a number of well rounded characters.

But, I am embarrassed by the covers.  I actually found myself turning the book face-down in doctor's offices and coffee shops when I was not actually reading.  If you look at the covers you will probably expect a fantasy romance novel.  There is little if any "romance" other than the developing relationships between main characters--the normal romance found in most novels.

What do I like about these books?  Well, ancient gods always appeal to me!  I'm fascinated by our mythologies and the "character" of the gods, demi-gods, and other "divine" beings.  This series, along with the Iron Druid, Artemis Fowl, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel, and Percy Jackson series as well as individual titles such as American Gods have pulled me into a wide range of mythologies.  Brigg's books are set in Southeastern Washington State (the tri-cities area) and thus also resonate with my northwestern US home.  Her details of the setting and region throughout this series may enhance your enjoyment of the books if you are familiar with the area.  If you are not, then they may encourage you to come visit!

It's a great summer read (and you can create a book cover to hide the cover image!).  In this case don't be fooled by the cover.

Shiver (and Linger), by Maggie Stiefvater

Werewolves in Minnesota--hot young teen romance.  That pretty much sums up the plot of these two books.  There are also some themes of parenting (mostly bad parenting).  This shows up as a well reviewed book on several review sites.  I think it must be popular because of the romance themes.

Overall the book feels a bit derivative of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.  It has a little more description of romantic interactions that will appeal to romance readers.

Stiefvater has interests and songwriting, music, and art all of which appear as part of the book. And there were spots in the book where I think the writing could have used some improvement.  I didn't always agree with Stiefvater's word choices.

Since I'm not much of a romance reader I don't think I will go on to read the third and final book in the series.  I do have a mild interest in whether or not the main characters are able to find a cure for the werewolf virus.  Unfortunately, I don't think I can get through all of the steamy romantic scenes to find out. I like to feel like I've learned something about the world as I read a book in addition to enjoying the plot, characters, settings and language. I didn't really feel like I came away with much from this book other than just entertainment.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks

Any teacher wanting to explore point of view should consider this book. Yes, it is about Vampires but, they...

• live in Australia
• do not have super powers
• are sick and listless much of the time

Jinks makes this humorous vampire novel come to life. Yes, the Cullins family has made the Northwest US safe, but still are awesome. The Australian vampires in the Reformed Vampire Support Group are exploring group therapy as a way to deal with their many limitations and get control over their cravings.

I enjoyed every moment of the book. Especially if you are not a fantasy fan, this is a book you can share with the adolescents in your life. Even the most hard-core team Jacob or team Edward fan will enjoy this alternative view of vampire and werewolf cultures.

City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare

Fairies, demons, werewolves, vampires, and Shadowhunters (who kill demons) in New York City. This is the second in the Mortal Instruments series. It has a strong plot and character development. Any adolescent who likes The Vampire Academy or Twilight series will feel comfortable in this series. It is also somewhat reminiscent of Holly Black's Faerie series.

It also has some plot twists reminiscent of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. It's an engaging read and plays well with readers who enjoy the supernatural. Clare has gone beyond basic werewolf, vampire, fairy tale and included some the the double dealings and political intrigues of Tolkien's fantasies. As urban fiction it also creates a believable setting of and New York City populated with supernaturals.

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

Vampires, werewolves, demons, magicians--again. But, I was drawn into the story. It has a somewhat predictable plot line. Our heroine, Clary Fray discovers that she has supernatural powers, a mother with a hidden past, and something odd about her dead father. It's okay. For younger readers (I'd suggest 7th-9th grades for this) the predictable plot line helps with comprehension and fluency. What I appreciate about this book is the ambiguity and subtly shaded characterizations.

I enjoyed the reader comments on the Barnes & Noble website. It tells me my instincts about this book's attraction for kids was right. They find it a good read and will continue with the series.

I listened to this as a CD checkout from the public library. I wasn't bothered by the narration the way that Publisher's Weekly seemed to be. But, I listen to these books while walking the dog, gardening, cooking & cleaning house. It might be that if I was using it as something to read while driving that I would be annoyed.

I have the next in the series on reserve from the library. I don't think I'll buy the books--I'm running out of shelf space and want to save the available inches for books I would use for instruction. This probably isn't one I would use (I'd use the Rick Riodan Red Pyramid or Michael Scott The Alchemyst instead). But, it is one I will keep as a recommendation for kids who like the genre. A good next read for Twilight or Percy Jackson fans.