Reading Round-up!

Summer is officially over. The Autumnal Equinox has come proclaiming the official start of the fall season. So, I have decided to start a new section of my blog. The end of season reading round-up. At the end of each season, I will tell you about the best books I have read over that season. No way could I tell you every book I have read, it would take way too long. So I'll tell you about my favorites. And let me know what your favorite seasonal reads have been. So let's start the End Of Summer reading round-up!

These books are my favorites that I have read this summer but are listed in no particular order.

Divine By Mistake: This book is by P.C. Cast and was originally called Goddess By Mistake. When Luna bought the rights to it they changed the name because Cast has a deal with the publisher of her Goddess Summoning series that only they can use the word Goddess in the title. Since it has been 5 years since the original publishing, P.C. updated this book a little bit and I honestly think the changes work great. They really help to flesh out this already amazing story even better. I definately give this book a 10!

Sorceress Of Faith: This book is by Robin D. Owens and like Divine By Mistake is published by Luna books. Sorceress is the sequel to Guardian of Honor and is phenomenal. My favorite character is Tuck the talking hamster. He's hilarious. While I almost always like sequels, it is rare that I ever think a sequel is better than the first. But in this case, Sorceress is even better than the original and the original was great.

Dark Celebration: This is a Carpathian reunion novel by Christine Feehan. I LOVED it! I am a huge Carpathian fan. Some reviewers have said that because the book deals with so many characters it loses its edgy feel. I highly disagree. I think it not only maintains its edge, but manages to involve so many characters without losing the substance of the story. I love this book.

Dangerous Tides: This book is also by Christine Feehan. It's the current novel in her Seven Sisters series and it totally rocks. Libby's story is great. Libby is the good girl of the family but longs to be seen in a different light. Unfortunately for her, a killer on her tail will make that happen in spades. This book is filled with great tension but also a lot of humor. I really enjoyed it.

A Bite To Remember: This book by Lynsay Sands is the continuation of her vampire series and is awesome. This book was so funny. I loved every minute of it. And, if you have read the others in the series you will have met Marguerite. There is a jaw-dropping surprise involving her at the end of the book. And I do mean jaw-dropping.

Well, those are my absolute favorites that I have read this summer. I have read many more books this summer, but as I said, it would take way too long to list them. So what books have you read? What books did you like the most? Let me know what's in your reading round-up.

The Ultimate Villian!

The Dark Phoenix is my all-time favorite villian from the Marvel Universe. And she was the ultimate villian, male or female. We are not talking ordinary nasty, she had the power to destroy whole solar systems. When the Phoenix entity inhabited the body of X-Men hero Jean Grey, it became corrupted by human emotions. It took cruel pleasure from dark sensations and the ultimate control over life and death. The Dark Phoenix was an unstoppable force. No one could touch her. Well, except for Jean Grey in the few moments she could wrest control of her body and mind. It was Jean who destroyed the Dark Phoenix by taking her own life on the moon. Jean would be reborn years later.

The third installment of the X-Men films is about to be released on DVD and the character I am dying to see portrayed is the Dark Phoenix. Those of you who saw X-Men 2 know at the end of the film Jean sacrifices herself to save the others from an oncoming wall of water when the dam burst. She is resurrected in X3 but the Dark Phoenix takes over. The Dark Phoenix joins with Magneto's army for a time, but eventually she even turns on them and goes on a killing spree. I haven't seen the film because I was sick when it came out in the theaters but I am dying to see the DVD. I have it on pre-order.

In all of the Marvel Universe there is no greater villian than the Dark Phoenix in my opinion. She was the strongest, most merciless villian ever. She didn't kill or cause harm for any specific agenda like most villians. She wasn't trying to enslave the universe and gain power. She killed simply for the sensation of it. The purest form of evil ever was the Dark Phoenix, my favorite villian EVER!

End Of Summer...Good Riddance!

I hate summer. It's the one season I could definately do without. So I am not sorry to see summer winding it's way elsewhere. There are 2, yes 2, major issues with summer that causes me to hate it.

Issue 1: It's too freaking hot. I mean come on, we had a whole week here where the temperature reached 114 degrees everyday. Air conditioning can only do so much in that type of extreme heat. And to make it worse every day was extremely humid too so you couldn't breathe.

Issue 2: Bugs! This is the major issue with me. I am a total bug-a-phobe so I definately hate summer when the bugs are out. And to prove just how much they dislike me, I was walking back from my mailbox yesterday with the mail. Just as I got to my door a yellowjacket stung me in the back! I wasn't doing anything to provoke it. I didn't even know it was there and I get stung. I really, really hate bugs. Good thing I'm not allergic to bee stings but my back seriously hurt for several hours.

So unlike all the kids who have to go back to school and the adults who have to return to work, I am totally glad to see summer leave. I am eagerly waiting for winter for the same reason I am glad to see summer go. In winter, it's cold and there are no bugs. A lot of people say they hate cold weather but I feel that you can dress for the cold and be warm. In summer, even if you went naked on really hot days you wouldn't be cool. Bye bye summer and please do be a stranger.

Crikey He'll Be Missed!

The world has lost a true conservation icon and indeed a legend to a terrible accident. On Monday, September 4th of 2006, Steve Irwin, better known to the world as the Crocodile Hunter died. Steve Irwin rose to fame through his popular Crocodile Hunter documentaries that were aired on the cable channel, Animal Planet. Irwin was known for his risky encounters with some of the less lovable creatures such as saltwater crocodiles, venomous snakes and sharks. It was his mission in life to make people understand these dangerous predators and to help educate people to protect them and their habitats.

Steve Irwin had a passion and zeal for wildlife that is unmatched if you ask me. He was more than willing to put his own life on the line to protect those animals. And unfortunately, that is in the end what killed him. Those of us who have watched him over the years are probably not surprised that he died while getting up close and personal with wildlife. What is shocking to us all is no one expected him to be killed by what he was killed by. I always thought it would be either a snakebite or getting too close to a croc that would kill him. But believe it or not, it was actually a creature most people wouldn't consider to be a major danger that ended his life.

Steve Irwin was filming an underwater documentary off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef on stingrays. It would seem he was swimming above one when the stingray's tail hit him square in the chest causing it's poison barb to go into his heart. Though his fellow divers and the film crew tried to get him to help it was too late. He died en route to the hospital. Steve Irwin was only 44 and he leaves behind a wife and two children.

I was a huge fan of the Crocodile Hunter and I will miss him. I loved his enthusiam and zest for wildlife conservation. And in honor of you Steve Iriwin, I close this by saying CROCS RULE!