MANIC MONDAY

Title: Queen of Babble

Author: Meg Cabot

Genre: Women's Fiction / Adult Fiction / "Chick Lit" (ßhate that saying)

Summary: Lizzie Nichols has a problem: she can't keep anything to herself. And when she opens her big mouth on a trip to London, her good intentions get her long-distance beau, Andrew, in a major hot water. Now she's stuck in England with no boyfriend and no place to stay until the departure date on her nonrefundable airline ticket. Fortunately, Lizzie's best friend and college roommate, Shari, is spending her summer catering weddings in a sixteenth-century chateau in southern France. Who cares if Lizzie's never traveled alone in her life, and only speaks rudimentary French? She's off to Souillac to lend a helping hand!

One glimpse of gorgeous Chateau Mirac - and of gorgeous Luke, the song of the chateau's owner - and Lizzie's smitten. But thanks to her chronic inability to keep a secret, before the first cork has been popped Luke hates her, the bride is in tears, and Chateau Mirac is on the road to becoming a lipo-recovery spa. Add to that the arrival of her ex-beau Andrew, who's looking for "closure" (or at least a loan), and everything - including Lizzie's shot at true love - is in the la toilette.unless she can figure out some way to use her big mouth to save the day.


Amber's Take On It:

Of course I had heard of Meg Cabot due to the Princess Diaries series, but I never got into those. When I found out she had some adult novels out, and one of her main characters happened to have a fat mouth (like me) - I thought I'd give it a try.

Now saying this, I usually don't get into a book where the main character is fashion crazed. They come few and far between for me. During the first chapter, I almost didn't read the rest. Thankfully, I turned the page.

Meg Cabot has created a very unique and loving character in Lizzie. I actually envy her take on the world. Things in her eyes can always get better, doesn't matter if you're at rock bottom or not. She takes on each thing with an open heart and goes for it. Who cares if she ends up embarrassing herself in the process.

The other characters in this novel are ones you'll instantly love. From her best friend Shari, who shoots it straight to sarcastic Chaz, and then there is - like the back of the book will tell you - gorgeous Luke. (Although my opinion on him changed as the series went on, but in the first book I adored that boy.) And of course I cannot forget the drunken grandma who had me dying laughing every time she appeared in the story.

I don't know what took me so long to discover Meg Cabot, but I'm hooked! She knows how to write a sharp and witty read that will have you racing for the next one.

--If you love this, don't forget to check up on the rest of Lizzie's life in Queen of Babble in the Big City && Queen of Babble Gets Hitched!







Title: Cell

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror/Adult Fiction

Summary: What happens on the afternoon of October 1 came to be known as the Pulse, a signal sent though every operating cell phone that turns its user into something...well, something less than human. Savage, murderous, unthinking-and on a wanton rampage. Terrorist act? Cyber prank gone haywire? It really doesn't matter, not to the people who avoided the technological attack. What matters to them is surviving the aftermath. Before long a band of them-"normies" is how they think of themselves-have gathered on the grounds of Gaiten Academy, where the headmaster and one remaining student have something awesome and terrifying to show them on the school's moonlit soccer field. Clearly there can be no escape. The only option is to take them on.

CELL is classic Stephen King, a story of gory horror and white-knuckling suspense that makes the unimaginable entirely plausible and totally fascinating.

Cheryl's Take On It:

It is difficult to ever NOT like a Stephen King novel. His mind is one in a million and his way of writing is genious. This story takes you on a crazy adventure of one of the most scary--to me anyway--ways to end civilization.

Cell phones--something so not given a second thought--are the detinators to reign of crazies that polute the earth. Could it be a terrorist attack? Or could it be something else? Something...worse.

The start of the book introduces you to a character I quite like. Clay Riddell has just landed a graphic novel deal in Boston, which isn’t too far from where he resides in Maine. His day is looking good and an expression of contentment spreads across his face. After buying a gift for his estranged wife, he is distracted by the tinkle of an ice cream truck.

This is where the fun begins.

Waiting for ice cream also are two Power-Puff girls who he refers to as Pixie Light and Pixie Dark, and a woman in a power suit.

Behind him on a stretch of grass, a park is filled with people and their dogs. He takes notice to one man in particular, who he calls the Dog Man. It is a perfect day, filled with good weather. As Clay waits for his turn he listens in on conversations between the Pixies (who are talking on their phones as well as to each other) and the phone call the woman in the power suit is having.

Suddenly, in a matter of a moment everything changes. Power suit and Pixie Light change into attacking machines, Dog Man bites the ear off his dog, things are blowing up down the street and everyone is screaming.

What was a wonderful day filled with good news and a promising future, has now become what we know now as The Pulse.

Like any other person thrown in a bazaar situation, Clay must get away.

Trying to stay alive and helping others along the way, Clay is trying to get to his son Johnny. Nothing is what it seems and everyone is either, dead, scared or the zombie-like mad men attacking the rest of the city. Clay isn’t sure how far The Pulse as spread, but he is sure that this is going to get worse.

The story takes you on a journey with Clay and the people he befriends along the way. Takes you along with him to find his son, before its too late.

Thank God Clay doesn’t own a cell phone.