Time for a little variety - Sci-Fi/Fan & YA

Ok...well I'm still savoring the last "In Death" book but I'm sure I'll be done with it tomorrow. Like I said before, I have to enjoy this one because it will be a fairly decent stretch until the next one and that seems rough considering I've spent the past 2 months straight with these characters.

Moving on, I thought I would try something a little different. It mentions in my profile that I work part time at a bookstore. Well one of the benefits is that I get to recommend books (or up sell) to customers. We also have an endcap display devoted to just "Staff Picks." I take advantage of this wall and I must say my picks just fly off the display. So I thought I would share a few of those today to fill the gap until I read and finish the next book.

First up is one of my all time favorite book series:

The Black Jewels Trilogy By Anne Bishop. I have loaned this series (first the individual books then this omnibus copy) to so many people I can't begin to list. Every single one of them has loved it and read all the other little accompanying books. Don't think it is just my female friends that enjoyed this series...the male ones like it too!

A Sci-Fi/Fantasy book set in a dark world where the caste system is matriarchal. Filled with magic, betrayal, and utter devotion these characters firmly entrench themselves in your good graces from the first introduction. One of the few books where I did, in a very cliche way, laugh out loud and cry enough to need a kleenex.


Next up is a young adult...actually probably a few YA books as I am the only one at the bookstore who reads them:

Ginny is a 17 year old girl who has just recieved a letter from her aunt Peg. The thing is her aunt passed away a few months earlier. In this letter are directions that will lead Ginny on a scavenger hunt across Europe one little blue envelope at a time. Think one insane scavenger hunt/road rally. But Ginny is the only player and she can't have a cell phone, laptop/computer, or even a music player of any sort. She can only use what aunt Peg has provided.

The premise of this book is what intruiged me enough to buy it (even with my awesome 33% discount). The evening I finally got to it in my "to be read" pile I figured I would read a few chapters then go to sleep for the night. Fast forward to me yawning hugely and turing the last page in the wee early morning hours. Translation: Jenny stayed up way too late finishing the book. But I just couldn't put a pause on the adventure.

I really did enjoy this book and felt as though I was on the trip with Ginny. My only issue is the fact that this 17-year-old who's mother is supposedly very straight-laced and organized didn't have a problem with the whole adventure and has absolutely no contact with Ginny throughout the trip. Beyond that it is a wonderful story about a girl discovering things about herself and her family that help lay the groundwork for the rest of her life.

Ok, I was going to do another one but I have an early wake-up call for job #1 tomorrow. Maybe I'll add the other YA book during the day.