More Vamps!

The Traveling Vampire Show written by Richard Laymon (2000) may be about teens but is not really written for them.

Three teens living in a little idealistic town have one thing one their minds. They saw the poster announcing one night only performance of the Traveling Vampire Show where you can see the gorgeous, beguiling and lethal Valeria, the only living vampire in captivity! The problem being is that you have to be eighteen to attend. A story of what lengths these teens will go through to see what they most desire, and ow they get more then they expected.

This is a compelling read. The three teens are very real and they have very real fear, loves and lives. The story will take you through a range of emotions that I like in a book. There were times when I wanted to see the traveling show myself. Then I would be hoping that they didn't make it as I started to really care about them. Then I would get angry at the stubborn mind set that kept driving them there. I realized that it was the same emotions that I have had dealing with other teens. That made the book all that much better because the author made sure I knew these kids. I liked this book. It took me on a journey into my past as I lived with these teens and their desires and their fear. A recommended read but possibly to much of a horror for younger readers. I believe this is a book meant to take adults back into their youth and then into terror.

Another series of books!

The Night World by L. J. Smith series is another set of young adult books that I decided to check out. Vampires, werewolves, witches and shapeshifters all living right along side of us without our knowledge. There's a secret society called Night World that is guarded with very strict rules and falling in love with humans breaks all the rules at once.

Volume one includes;
Secret Vampire
Poppy is secretly in love with her best friend, James and is suddenly diagnoses with terminal cancer. James is secretly in love with Poppy but for different reasons, it's against Night World law. He can save her life by making her immortal but that would mean breaking all the laws at once.

Daughters of Darkness
Three vampire sisters run away from home and the Night World to live among humans. They vow to live good lives and not to hurt humans but find that it is not as easy as it sounds. Their brother Ash, a ruthless vampire known to hate humans is sent to bring them home. Things get a little complicated when he falls in love with their human friend.

Spellbinder
Two witch cousins raised as sisters go to school with the humans. Lots of schools! They are kicked out of one school after another. This time has to be different. Yet they end up in a battle over a guy. White magic versus Black magic and falling in love with a human, will the Night World law ignore this?

Volume Two includes:
Dark Angel
Gillian a girl who has never really fit in with the kids she wants to is saved from drowning by an angel. No one else can see Angel and he makes all her hearts desires start to come true. She becomes suspicious of what Angel really is when some of Angels suggestions become strange and sinister.

The Chosen
Rashel is one of the most ferocious and successful vampire hunters seeking to avenge her mother's death. She finds a group of vampires with one of the most vicious vampires heading it up are luring young girls for a human slave trade. She knows she is destined to stop this evil but did she know she was destined to find love at the same time?

Soulmate
Hannah writes note in her sleep. She knows she must be writing them, they are in her handwriting. She does not know what they mean. She also feels as though she is being followed. She must be crazy right? When two wolves break through the psychologist's window, one trying to kill her and one saving her even he knows something more then crazy is going on. She doesn't know that only the love of the Lord of the Night World can save her.


Volume Three includes:
Huntress
Jez hunts the vilest of humans with her vampire gang. At least she used to, until she found out that she is only have vampire. Her mother was human! unable to explain to her gang who would be compelled to kill her she leaves to live with relatives of her mothers. Now she hunts bad vampires. Is it against Night World law to love a half human?

Black Dawn
Maggie's brother is dead and something is not right about it. On impulse she leaves immediately to investigate only to find thing are more wrong then she ever imagined. Finding herself kidnapped into slavery she doesn't know she is being transported into fighting to save all of humanity and forbidden love.

Witchlight
Circle Daybreak an underground organization of both human and Night World members hires Keller a shapeshifting panther to protect the new Wild Power, a young girl who is key in saving humanity. When Keller falls in love with the Wild Power's soulmate will she sacrifice her love for humanity or let it destroy all the good in the world.


These were initially introduced as pocket novels and now are sold as three story volumes. I really liked the way this author mixed the human and Dark World. It was captivating and a good read. I do admit that as time went on I was ready to get to the end of the story and kept on for that purpose. What did I expect? It is written for teens and they are all about the forbidden love! Despite the over the top romantic musings in every single story it was very interesting and I found myself ready for the next. I was ready for the finale and then found it had not been written yet! It really felt as though it was winding up to a big finish so I have high expectations of the final chapter. This one is definitely a good choice for young readers and it is a good PG13 type read. I would even suggest it for anyone who likes the romance genre books as well. They have happy endings and are not horribly graphic with the romance or the bloodshed. If you believe in love at first sight, or not, you will believe that these people, and uh, vampires, witches, werewolves and shapeshifters have found it! Feel good endings with characters from the underworld!

Looking forward to
Strange Fate
The conclusion of the Night World series to be released July 2010

L. J Smith has written other books that I will have to check out soon as in the Vampire Diaries, Secret Circle, Forbidden Game and Dark Visions. All appear to be books in series and I have found I like that. Stories that go on a little longer and then a little more and so on! Oh the fun that awaits!

Lost City Raiders

Lost City Raiders will be released on 01/26/10. In the near future water levels will rise to a unreal level due to global warming. Two brothers follow their father in the quest to save the world by finding ancient artifactsfor the Vatican that will stop the water from rising before a land tycoon gets his hands on it for self serving reasons.

My husband likes disaster movies so I brought this one home for a preview. Oh boy! I found myself giggling when I was not supposed to. Can't help it! I have seen moves with worse graphics and plot and acting but not many. The basic plot was good. It was cool to see the buildings underwater with just the tops sticking out. The cating was not really bad but the writing was. You can't say corny lines without it sounding corny! They find the artifacts almost miraculously, figuring out where they are in a snap. They get then artifacts on the first try. OF COURSE the bad guy gets the final piece first and they must take it from him. The ending shows things that make you wonder how they got there and they give no answers. They left it obviously open for more movies. The cute guys ended up being the highlight of the movie and I don't know if that would be enough to get me to watch any sequel!

Whip It

Whip It is a film with Ellen Page playing Bliss Cavendar. A young girl finding it difficult to be herself with her pageant orientated mother. Not fitting in with the majority of other kids and with her own quirky style of dress she does not feel she belongs, The roller derby offers her a chance to find herself against the odds.

I really liked this movie. It was a rebellion film. We all know that teens want to do it their way and Bliss has found a way as Babe Ruthless. She is a genuine character that I found endearing. I even liked the mother who was trying to force the daughter into the perfect life she sees for her. The cast is filled with people that I found interesting and funny. You do end up feeling good at the end.

One warning, the rating is PG13 and I found it the high side of that. There is drug references, some sexual content and some pretty rough talk. I know most kids are pretty mature these days but I would be cautious of letting the pre-teens watching it without the parents previewing it.

I liked it and recommend it. To be released on January 26, 2010

Books and more books!

Last year I decided to read the Twilight series. I wanted to know what all the talk was about. I read all four books in ten days while managing to work, finish my Christmas shopping and wrapping the gifts in time! They were easy to read and I could see what captivated so many people. I did not have to work to understand what was going on and did not lose interest. I did see that it was meant for a younger audience but was not unable to empathize most of the time. True, some of the lamenting of Bella over the loss of her undead love was very teen like. I remember being a teen (vaguely) and so actually enjoyed them. Not even embarrassed that I liked a "teen" novel series.

Now that got me to thinking. There are lots of teen novels that deal with this fantasy of vampires and witches and other supernatural ideas. I wonder if they could hold the same allure as the Twilight series did? So I started on a journey.

The House of Night Series by P C Cast
Marked (book one)
Betrayed (book two)
Chosen (book three)
Untamed (book four)
Hunted (book five)
Tempted (book six)

Now this was truly entertaining! Combine Twilight with Harry Potter and we have a fun escapade continuing on from book to book! Believable and likable characters ranging from the teens themselves to the people they interact with. Fresh and inspired writing that makes even a blood-lust something completely understandable. A different take on the whole vampire thing. Zoey a teenager is to become a vampire and to do so she has to move into the school for vamps. She, like the others attending the school through their challenges and troubles prove that being a vamp does not mean you have to be awful. Not for the younger set as it does get more involved the older Zoey gets. I read them one after the other without a break. I will read the next one, Burned (book seven) available April 2010.

Need a break from reality? The House of Night series will definitely take you there!

what they say

I was told that the new "Final Destination" will change your mind about several everyday events including getting your hair done! I was told it was very scary and worth waiting for!

There has been a lot of conflicting reports about "Paranormal Activities". Some have said it was a huge waste of time and money: not at all scary. Some have said that the whole thing being shot in one room made it cheap and laughable. Others said it scared the daylights out of them. One person said he went with his wife and they left the theater crying because it was so real. Pretty much everyone one who has said anything it all boils down to this. If they don't believe in ghosts then it was stupid. If they do believe in ghosts it was horrifying! Me.... I take no chances...... not going to see it!

My tiny friends said that if it is going to rain anything....... not spaghetti but hamburgers would be great! More little votes for "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"

Time to get busy with life......... Maybe I will get the Grandkids today.

Grandkids pick

I have a few Grandchildren and from time to time I will also report what they like. I have two that live next door. They give two tiny thumbs up for "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". Everyone that I have talked to has liked this movie that will hit rental on the 5th. Good family fun.

The highly anticipated newest addition of "Final Destination" has not arrived yet so I will have to post on that later.

I have also decided to post progress on a combined art project. I have a friend (wow, I know, right!) that is also an artist and lives in another state. I am going to start a painting and mail it to her. She will then add to it before mailing it back. We plan on mailing it at least three times each..... We are at the planning stage now.... ball in my court.... I will drop it only if it has paint on it!!

Customer opinions coming later this week!

getting to know you

This being a new format for me, we may get off to a shaky start!

I thought it would be fun as someone in the retail portion of video entertainment to start dialog about movies. I can tell you what I like and don't like and give you the responses of my customers as well. I encourage you to give appropriate views too.

I don't have a favorite movie! I like lots of them and really like quite a few! I do not usually watch horror, but occasionally do. I have employees who do and of course have lots of customers who will readily give me their opinion!

If you are looking for a date movie.
"Just like Heaven" with Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon
"The Ugly Truth" with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler

In the mood for some action?
"Taking Lives"
"Star Trek"

Family Time!!!
"Flicka"
"Imagine That"

If you want to know more about it let me know and I will do what I can to help you out! Have an opinion you want to voice? Let me know!!!