The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This is the story of a both the building of the Chicago World's Fair and a serial killer operating there at the same time. It is a good story, but the teacher in me had a problem with all the times there were no sources cited.
Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela Choi. This is the story of a Chinese American woman who wants to break away from the "Hello Kitty" life she has been living. She does this by hooking up with a serial killer. This book had great potential, but it just wasn't really what I was looking for.
The Vampire's Warden by S.J. Wright. Sarah, who has been in charge of the family inn since her father's death receives an odd introduction to her heritage. She discovers that a plot of land on her property is the resting place and detention place of vampires. Again, this book had a lot of potential, but it just didn't live up to it.
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy. This is a YA book that is the story of Will Henry, the assistant to the Monstrumologist - a man who studies monsters. In this novel, the doctor and Will are hunting and fighting anthropophagi - monsters with no heads and mouths in their abdomens. I liked the idea of this story, but I disliked the character of the doctor so much that I don't think I can read any more in the series.
A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow. This is a murder mystery set in small town Alaska. Kate Shugach is a former DA investigator who is called in when two men go missing in the bush. The twist to this story is that there is a lot of family drama among the closely knit Aleut community. Not a bad story. I would read more by Stabenow.
Vacations from Hell collected authors. This is a short story anthology with stories of, what else, vacations from hell. There are vampires, and murderers, and ghosts ... I really liked this anthology and my buy it to put in the school library.
Red Glove by Holly Black. This is the second in the Curse Workers series that began with White Cat. I had been unsure of White Cat, but thought I would give this one a try. I doubt that I'll read any more in the series. Another YA novel about the paranormal - just my style, but the characters in this novel are so unpleasant that it's really hard to enjoy the book.
Jenny Pox by JL Bryan. This book was on the Goodreads list of Amanda, the wonderful woman responsible for this read-a-thon. I was immediately struck by the idea of a girl who is poisonous to the touch. Anyone who touches her dies. I liked most of the book - the struggle to be accepted, how so many people reject those who are different etc. There is a teenage love triangle with a twist. I enjoyed most of the book but (spoiler alert) the mass killing at the end really bothered me. I would have read the second in the series, but now I'm not sure I want to.
The Mating by Nicky Charles. This is the first of the Lycan trilogy. I actually read the third book first and worked backwards to this one. The story is good - a young werewolf sent into an arranged marriage with the Alpha of another pack and how she adjusts - but the way that Charles deals with the relationship between Elise and Kane bothered me. It was too chauvinistic for me.
So, those are brief reviews of my read-a-thon books.
