The Last Little Blue Envelope ★★★

The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelopes, #2) - Maureen Johnson ★★★ 288 pgs

After having spent her summer traveling throughout Europe, following the instructions that her Aunt left her in letters, Ginny thinks her biggest adventure is behind her. Now, as she struggles to write her college entrance essay's, she gets a mysterious e-mail. She never thought she'd get to see the last letter her Aunt wrote her, but now a piece of it has appeared on her computer screen with instructions for her to retrieve her final instructions. Gin thinks she'll make a quick trip to London to get her letter back, but nothing is as easy as she expects.

I love these books. They're light YA reads, but kids get bits and pieces of different countries, and small lessons in art and life. I would love for someone to leave me letters and money to travel the world. Although, I would try and enjoy my travels more than Ginny does. It's understandable that she is still dealing with coming to terms with her Aunts death, but she spends a lot of time skulking. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first one, since Oliver was much more interesting than Keith. Although, Keith and all his antics are back. Also, Ginny starts to come a bit more into her own and slowly starts to figure out what she wants. She's not there yet, but things look like they're heading in the right direction. I enjoyed the ending and I hope there's another book to come.

This one will release on April 26th.

City of Fallen Angels ★★★

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) - Cassandra Clare ★★★ 424 pgs

Clary, Jace, Simon, and the gang are all back. Valentine has been defeated and life should be getting back to normal, but people keep chasing down Simon, Jace keeps having weird dreams, and the Fae keep popping up around Clary. Things seem to be coming from all different directions. Someone is killing Shadowhunters who use to be members of the Circle and leaving them lying around in different Downworlder territories in an attempt to cause strife and distrust in the Clave. Vampire politics are coming to a head, and Simon has found himself brought into the middle of it. Plus, a dead baby has been found, which brings forth even more concerns.

I really enjoyed the first three books in the series, but this one was really difficult for me to get into. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it more if I had re-read the previous books, or read these all in a row for the first time. The first three felt very much like a complete trilogy and I'm not sure if the series should have just picked up where it left off. It was hard to get back into the story, when I already felt like the story was over. I give it 2.5 stars myself, but I know it deserves at least 3.

That being said, it was interesting and I know a lot of you out there will really enjoy it. This book still has quote worth lines, Jace is still snarky (although he's incredibly insecure), and Simon continues to be lovable. Simon is finally starting to try and find out where he fits in and Clary has grown and become more confident in herself. There's also the introduction of some new characters that could prove to be entertaining in the next volumes to come.

The Vampire Dimitri ★★

The Vampire Dimitri (Regency Draculia, #2) - Colleen Gleason ★★


I hate to say it, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. If I had read it without having read The Vampire Voss, I would have given it 3 stars, but I found myself bored during the first half of the book. The Vampire Dimitri is written almost like Stephanie Meyer's Midnight Sun, where you get the same time period written from a different perspective. Most of the first half of the book is replaying scenes that you've read about in The Vampire Voss. Where this book went wrong was that during the Vampire Voss you got some scenes from Dimitri's point of view, thus it seemed redundant to have them replayed. It would have been okay if the scenes weren't repeated, but it took a lot of the mystery and excitement away. I would have been more entertained if the first book had cut out the scenes from Dmitri's perspective. I was more interested in the second half of the book, when the plot was new and unique.

I like the idea that Gleason is trying to pull off, but I feel like it could have been executed more effectively.

This book will be released at the end of the month.

The Vampire Voss ★★★

The Vampire Voss (Regency Draculia, #1) - Colleen Gleason ★★★

Angelica Woodmore's life is about to be turned upside down. Her brother is missing, but she's not worried since has the unique ability to foresee the death of others, and it isn't his time. However, this time he's done something that could endanger her and her sisters. He's left instructions that they're to be watched over by a friend of his, the Earl of Corvindale. Unbeknown to her, she's been thrust into the world of the Draculia. Her brother's enemies want to capture her to not only get revenge on her brother, but to take advantage of her abilities. The earl doesn't want anything to do with the girls, but an attractive stranger does. Voss, Viscount Dewhurst, keeps appearing in her life, and Angelica finds herself drawn to him despite being ignorant of his motives. She must determine whether she trusts him with her life, or if he intends to take hers.

This was a nice melding of a regency romance and the paranormal. Minus the blood, it reads almost like an early Lisa Kleypas novel with less snark: a bad man meets an innocent girl, and while protecting her from harm, he slowly becomes a better person.While it wasn't the greatest page turner I've ever read, there was something about The Vampire Voss that kept me interested. I didn't want to fall asleep because it meant I would have to put the book down. When I finished the book, I immediately started to next in the series. While the Draculia in this world equate very closely to vampires, they're creation story and their weaknesses differ. There are different aspects to their "curse" that make them different. It's like when an author can take a common thing, add a few twist to the world, and manage to make it feel like you're reading something new and unique.

Spirit Dances ★★★★

Spirit Dances (Walker Papers, #6) - C.E. Murphy ★★★★

This series continues to grow into itself. Each book is better than the last, and this one is no different. Joanne continues down the path of accepting herself and her new talents, while learning just how far she can push herself. In Spirit Dances, Joanne must stop another killer, but this time she doesn't know if it's paranormal or if she's just being paranoid. Homeless people are disappearing and she might just be the only person that cares enough to even look into the matter.

At the same time, Joanne has to stop a magical attack centered around a dance troupe that she witnesses while out on a date. Yes, I said date! I don't know what was more interesting, the date, or the events that unfolded as she attempted to discover her newest nemesis. You'll definitely be left with a smile on your face several times throughout the book.

The Walker Papers have always been great Urban Fantasy reads, with a wonderful strong, snarky female that keeps things interesting; but the series has come into it's own as Murphy has allowed just a small sliver of romance to seep into the pages.It's the relationships that make this book. Both Joannes friendships and love interests. Billy and Mel, Morrison, Coyote... They all keep things interesting.The only complaint is that Gary doesn't grace the pages of this book, but Murphy did a wonderful job of making up for his absence. I can't wait for the next book, since the end of this one promises a new adventure that could be even better.