Secret Vampire (Night World #1) by L.J. Smith

Poppy is sixteen years old and she is going to die. She has just been diagnosed with cancer and the doctors tell her there is no hope. She will die, or at least she believes so until James, her mysterious best friend, appears in her hospital room. James has a secret, a secret that can save Poppy is she is willing. James is a vampire and offers to turn Poppy so that he will not lose her. If James does this he will be breaking three very important laws of the Night World - the supernatural group consisting of vampires, werewolves, and witches - do not revel what you are, do not change a human into a vampire, and most serious of all, do not fall in love with a human.

James is willing to risk everything for Poppy because she is his soulmate. All appears to be going to plan when Ash, James' cousin and an evil and vindictive vampire, shows up and convinces Poppy that she must leave in order to save James from being punished for breaking the secret laws. Poppy leaves with him reluctantly and James sets off after them when he discovers Poppy is gone. Barely escaping exposure, James and Poppy set off to start their new lives together.

The Night World series is another series by L.J. Smith, writer of The Vampire Diaries series. While each book in the series is connected by a central thread, each volume follows a different protagonist who must face various challenges involving love, the "soulmate principle" and the Night World's strict code, which is why I have decided to blog about each book separately as I read them.

I liked Secret Vampire, as will anyone who enjoys vampire lore, because L.J. Smith mixes in some new with the old. For example, James was born a vampire and has vampire parents, but can still be killed by a stake through the heart. The book is quintessential Young Adult Fiction, so if you are not a fan of the genre, don't pick this book (and I'm assuming the rest of the series) up. Even I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the more ridiculous passages, that would have probably sent my heart a flutter and made me sigh, had I been 13 years old. Nevertheless, I enjoy L.J. Smith's writing and I am intrigued enough by the series to continue reading it. Next up is book two: Daughters of Darkness.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

NSparks does it again! Safe Haven tells the tale of Katie, a mysterious young woman who shows up in the small town of Southport, North Carolina, determined to make a new start. She lives on the outskirts of town, doesn't have a car, works as a waitress at a local restaurant, and largely keeps to herself. Alex is a young widower with two children who runs the local market who is intrigued by the beautiful young stranger. After a series of events begins to draw the two of them together, Katie finds herself letting her guard down and falling for Alex. She is ever fearful that her past will catch up with her and shatter her safe haven.

This is another well written NSparks novel and if you are a fan of his, you will enjoy it. I didn't find anything truly remarkable about the story. I thought the antagonist of the story was somewhat darker than in some of his previous novels and seemed to have no redeeming quality whatsoever. He totally deserved what he got. Other than that I wasn't overly excited about anything else. I wouldn't call the book boring...but it wasn't terribly exciting either. It was a quick read and I read most of it while sitting on a ferry in Greece.

The film rights to the book have been purchased and they are in the process of filming the movie, which will star Julianne Hough as Katie and Josh Duhamel as Alex. The movie is scheduled to be released in February 2013.

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

I picked this book up because Lincoln is one of my favorite presidents and I was curious to read this book after I heard so much hype about the book. I am not a huge fan of Bill O'Reilly, but decided to give the book a chance when I heard that it was written more like a suspense novel than a straight historical non-fiction book.

I liked the set up of the book - it is broken up into 3 parts. The first part of the book recaps the last week of the Civil War and the surrender of Lee. Part two focuses on John Wilkes Booth and the formation of the assassination plot. I liked how the authors didn't just focus on Booth and included the other players as well. I think most people who don't know a lot about the subject would assume that Booth acted alone and the only intended victim was Lincoln, and this book does a good job illustrating how this assassination plot's goal was bigger than just killing the president - the goal was to bring down the Federal Government, which is why it included other prominent political figures such as the Vice President, the Secretary of War, and General Grant. The last section of the book deals with the aftermath of the Lincoln's assassination, including the manhunt for Booth and the trials and punishments of his various accomplices.

I was somewhat disappointed with the book overall and did not appreciate the style of the book. In fact, I think in a lot of ways it detracts from the story. I felt that O'Reilly and Dugard took too many liberties with interpreting the thoughts and feelings of the various characters in an effort to make the book more dramatic and suspenseful. The problem with this style is that some of the more dramatic statements and conclusions can be construed as actual facts, rather than an interpretation of the truth. I think I would have preferred a more straight forward telling of the story. Nevertheless, people who are not fans of historical non-fiction, but are interested in the subject will probably enjoy the style more than I did. It is a quick read, so if you are like me (and have a pet-peeve about starting and book and not finishing it) and discover that the style of the book is annoying, at least it won't take you long to get through it. 

Before I Go to Sleep bu S.J. Watson

Imagine going to sleep every night and having your memories erased. Imagine waking up and not knowing who you are, not being able to recognize those you love, not being able to remember your past. This is Christine Lucas' life. Everyday she awakens in a house she cannot remember, next to a man to says he is her husband, Ben. He explains that she was involved in a car accident, which destroyed her memory.

One morning she receives a phone call from a Dr. Nash and Christine learns that she was been secretly meeting with Dr. Nash in an attempt to fix her memory. He tells her to look in the closet for the journal she writes in every day before going to sleep. As Christine reads this journal it becomes clear that Ben is not telling her the whole story. The journal becomes Christine's lifeline as she tries to figure out who she is and what is the real cause of her memory loss.

I really enjoyed this book. It asked a lot of interesting questions about memories, one of my favorite being: "What are we, if not the accumulation of our memories?" It was an interesting concept to think about - what if you really couldn't remember anything? How would you define yourself? What would tether you to your life? So much of our identities are wrapped up in our memories and our connections to those around us and to those we love. I think that is why amnesia and Alzheimer's disease are such devastating diseases. The author does an excellent job with the characters, especially Christine, and as the reader I found myself complete engrossed in the roller coaster that is her life as she tries to figure everything out. I felt incredibly sorry for her husband Ben, who appears at first to be the most understanding and loyal of husbands. As the story unfolded I thought I had it figured out until another event or memory would be introduced and I often found myself just as confused as Christine. It's a good read.

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries Vol. 1-6

For those of you who are fans of the show, this is the series for you. These books are loosely based on the novels created by L.J. Smith and follow the story line of Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, who create The Vampire Diaries TV show. If you have not checked out the TV series, I highly recommend it. Season 4 of the show premieres on Thursday, October 11th @ 8 pm!

Volume 1: Origins tells the story of two brothers - Damon and Stefan Salvatore.  Damon is the older brother, who does what he wants regardless of what others think. Stefan is the younger, more responsible one who always does what is expected of him. Their world gets turned upside down when an orphaned border named Katherine Pierce comes to live at Veritas, their family estate in Virginia. Katherine is unlike any girl the brothers have met and she has a dark secret...Katherine is a vampire. Both Damon and Stefan fall for Katherine, both unaware of the game Katherine is playing and her plan for the future. When a series of animal attacks and attacks on fellow citizens alerts the town to the presence of vampires, Stefan's father, Giuseppe Salvatore, helps form a secret council whose goal is to eradicate the demons tormenting their home. Stefan finds himself torn - on one hand he is frightened and repulsed by what Katherine is, but on the other hand he loves her...or does he?  When Katherine's true nature is discovered, Stefan and Damon desperately attempt a rescue mission that results in both of their deaths. Both awaken to discover that Katherine has begun the process of turning them into vampires. Both brothers now face a decision - to feed and complete the transition, or to not feed and die. Stefan is the first to complete the transition and forces Damon to feed as well to complete his transition. Now the question becomes, what will they do with the eternity before them?

The series continues with Volume 2: Bloodlust. Damon and Stefan are driven from Mystic Falls and make their way to New Orleans. Stefan is lost in his bloodlust, feeding and killing indiscriminately. Upon separating, Damon finds himself taken prisoner by a freak show and Stefan is taken under the wing of Lexi, a vampire who feeds on animals. Lexi helps Stefan gain control over his bloodlust and get in touch with his human side again, which he thought was lost to him. When Stefan discovers that Damon has been captured, he sets out to rescue his brother. Along the way, Stefan meets and falls for Callie, the daughter of Damon's captor. Stephan's failed rescue attempt get him captured as well, and the two brothers are forced into a fight to the death, until Callie's intervention allows them to escape. All does not end well, however. Damon's captivity awakes a darkness in him which results in him taking revenge on Stefan and in Callie's demise. Stefan retreats from New Orleans searching for a way to atone for all his sins and appease his guilt.

In Volume 3: The Craving Stefan travels from New Orleans to New York determined to begin a new life - apart from humans and without feeding on human blood. When he comes across a damsel in distress in Central Park, Stefan cannot help but step in to help and finds himself being welcomed into the Sutherland home and family. In his desire to belong to a family, to have companionship, Stefan allows himself to become apart of this family even though he knows it is wrong. He ignores the warnings in his head and soon finds himself wrapped up in one of Damon's plots, leaving tragedy, destruction, and death in its wake. To make matters worse, Stefan and Damon are now being hunted by an old vampire seeking revenge for the death of Katherine. The Salvatore brothers barely manage to escape and make their way to Europe.

The story flash forwards 20 years to 1888 in Volume 4: The Ripper. Stefan has settled into a quiet country life in England working on a farm for the Abbott family. Stefan has finally found some semblance of the peace and companionship he so desires. When Stefan accompanies Mr. Abbott to London he learns of a serial killer, known as the Ripper, who is murdering in the slums of London. Stefan quickly recognizes the Ripper for what he is...a vampire. As he seeks the identity of the Ripper, he becomes increasingly alarmed that the Ripper may be someone close to him. Damon and Stefan's paths cross again as Stefan becomes determined to solve the mystery, and Stefan encounters others of his kind, besides the old one he met in New Orleans, with dire consequences. Stefan fears that death will always follow him, as those around him continue to suffer because of their apparent association with him. He is determined to help Damon seek revenge on the vampires who caused them so much trouble in London.

Volume 5: The Asylum is a continuation of the story from Volume 4: The Ripper. Damon and Stefan find themselves united against Samuel, a vampire out for revenge for the role the Salvatore brothers played in the death of Katherine. Samuel has successfully framed Damon as Jack the Ripper and all of London is looking for him. Stefan is determined to to help Cora find Violet and to help Damon kill Samuel and his brother for all of the harm they have caused. When Stefan discovers that Samuel is using a local asylum, under the guise of philanthropy, as his own personal feeding grounds, he and Damon with the help of Cora hatch a scheme to get their revenge. When their plan does not turn out accordingly, Stefan realizes that in order to save his brother he will need to enlist powers beyond those that he posses. One thing is for certain, he is determined to save Damon, no matter the consequences.

Volume 6: The Compelled wraps up the story from Volumes 4 and 5. Stefan is desperate to save Damon, who has been taken captive by Samuel, but knows that he does not have the power to defeat him on his own. When Stefan saves a seemingly ordinary girl, named Mary Jane, from Samuel's attack, he finds the solution to defeating Samuel once and for all, or so he thinks. Mary Jane is a witch and together they discover that Samuel's plan involves so much more than destroying the Salvatore brothers. He is seeking a power which will allow him to not only compel and control humans, but vampires as well, and Stefan becomes even more determined to destroy Samuel and save the innocent lives of London. While the side of good prevails, there is always a cost - innocent lives are always lost. At the end of the story Damon and Stefan find themselves again at a proverbial fork in the road - Damon remains in London to return to his life of privilege and indulgence, while Stefan heads to New Zealand with the hopes of starting a new chapter.


I felt like Volumes 4-6 really could have been condensed into one book and the story did seem to drag on a bit. I was a little skeptical of the whole Jack the Ripper idea. The story did not have any element of historical fiction to it and I was a little leery of how they were going to tie it in. That element of the story seemed to drag on and started to feel like a superfluous detail that kept cropping up. It makes much more sense when you get to Volume 6 and I felt like the explanation behind it should have been introduced a bit sooner.

I hope that more books in this series end up being published. They are very quick reads - most of them are about 300 pages - and I like reading more of the back story of the characters I love on the show. Stefan and Damon talk about reuniting in Mystic Falls in 1913, so I am thinking that is were the story will pick up when and if more are published. Here's hoping!

The Vampire Diaries: The Return Trilogy by L.J. Smith

Those of you who are on Team Delana will love this series. People like me who are firmly on Team Stalana had a harder time swallowing this series, although I can certainly see Damon's appeal. Stefan appeals to me more I think because his love is innocent and pure, which is like wine to a sorry romantic sap like myself. He loves Elena so much that he is willing to do anything, be anything, and give her anything she desires. It kinda makes him seem like a pushover, but the innocence of a love like that is sweet and endearing. Damon's love for Elena, on the other hand, is dark, passionate, and slightly frightening, which has its own appeal. I guess I'm just more of a Romeo and Juliet kind of girl...what can I say? LOL! I did not like this one as much as the previous series, but L.J. Smith is an imaginative writer and she weaves a very imaginative and inventive world. If you are a fan of the 1st series and enjoy vampires and good YA Fiction, this is a good series to get into.

**Might contain some spoilers so proceed with caution!**

The Return Trilogy is the next chapter of the series The Vampire Diaries. Defying explanation, Elena has returned from the Other Side alive and human. All appears well as we left our motley crew celebrating after defeating Klaus and chasing away Tyler Smallwood, his werewolf sidekick. However, Elena's return is not without a hitch, as she quickly evolves into a child-like spirit. Elena loses the ability to walk, talk, read, write, etc. and must rediscover all of these things. One thing she has not forgotten is her intense love of Stefan. While Elena slowly recovers her abilities, it becomes clear to Stefan that Elena is more than human. Her blood contains a new power, which quickly proves to be desirable force. 

As Stefan plots a new way to keep Elena safe so they can build a life together, evil forces, drawn by the ley lines (lines of power) that cross Fell's Church and Elena's essence, once again descend on the small town. Strange things begin to happen again as the young women of the town appear to be possessed by some unknown power. Damon is determined as ever to have Elena by his side as his princess of darkness and makes a deal with kitsune twins, named Shinichi and Misao who are evil fox spirits, to get Stefan out of the way and secure Elena. Unbeknownst to Damon, these evil twins have other plans and Damon finds himself victim of their possession. Elena must now find a way to save her friends, the town, and Damon, a seemingly impossible task, until she discovers she possesses powers and gifts bestowed on her in the afterlife. With crisis averted for now, Elena must now find and rescue Stefan.

The Return Trilogy continues with Shadow Souls. Elena and Damon, armed with the clues given to them by Misao, must travel to the Dark Dimension to locate two half of a fox key in order to free Stephen from the Shi no Shi, the prison where he is being held. Elena sets off with Damon and Matt across the country to Arizona to a gate that will allow them to enter into the Dark Dimension. While traveling, Elena finds herself increasingly drawn to Damon and has difficulty resisting his advances. Elena comes to care for Damon and is desperate to find a way to help him unlock his humanity, which he so carefully keeps chained up inside of him. Damon is trying to help Elena gain control of her newly acquired powers. Matt, who becomes increasingly suspicious of Damon and Elena's relationship, leaves and returns to Fell's Church to help Mrs. Flowers defend against the ever increasing darkness that is spreading throughout the town. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Meredith show up in Arizona and travel with Elena and Damon into the Dark Dimension. The only hitch is that the girls must travel as Damon's "slaves." In the end and with a lot of help, Elena is able to rescue Stefan and returns to Fell's Church. Just when she thinks she is in the clear, Shinichi shows up with the promise of more mischief to come. Damon, who lets his curiosity get the best of him, finds himself human after opening a bunch of flowers given to Stefan by a good kitsune. Now that Elena has rescued Stefan, she must deal with all the fall out of what's to come...

The Return Trilogy concludes with Midnight. Damon, having inadvertently become human after using the gift given to Stefan by a good kitsune he was imprisoned with, is determined to make it back to the Dark Dimension to find a powerful vampire to change him. He steals Misao's star ball and uses the power to open a doorway to the Dark Dimension. When Bonnie tries to stop Damon, she finds herself stuck in the Dark Dimension and shut up and abandoned in a room awaiting Damon's return. When Bonnie leaves her room, she is arrested as a runaway slave and is taken to a slave holding to be sold.

Meanwhile, back in Fell's Church the chaos is reaching new heights. Elena and Stefan head off into the Dark Dimension to rescue Bonnie, while Matt and Meredith remain to defend Fell's Church with the help of Mrs. Flowers. They quickly learn that everything they thought they knew about the evil poisoning their town and each other is not what they expected. Having "rescued" Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie set off on a quest to recover a powerful star ball, after Bonnie has a premonition, in the hopes of using its power to cleanse Fell's Church of evil once and for all. Along the way they face many challenges and one of them is lost forever, or so it seems...

I don't want to give too much more away about this book, other than to say that it did not end how I expected it to and it is totally and completely left open for a sequel...which there is! The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters...volumes 1 and 2 are out now, volume 3 is due out in October.

The Vampire Diaries: Volumes 1-4 by L.J. Smith

This is another reread for me. I first picked up this series in 2009 when I heard that they were making a television series based on the books. Because I love all things vampire, I was intrigued by the show and quickly got hooked, which led me to pick up the book series as well. On a side note, if you haven’t checked out The Vampire Diaries on the WB, you should. Even though it is geared towards a young adult demographic, the writing for the show is excellent. In fact, I think I almost prefer it to the books, which is not something I normally say. Plus, there are a lot of hot guys in it J. But I digress…

Three years ago I read Volumes 1-4 and Volume 1 of The Vampire Diaries: The Return, which is the sequel. I had to stop there and wait for the next volume to be published, which is one thing I hate about reading a series. Needless to say in the meantime I read several other books and the series got pushed further down my “to read” list. Since I first read the series, there have been several more books published, including Volumes 2 and 3 of The Return and Volumes 1-6 of Stefan’s Diaries, a spin-off series, which means I have a lot of catching up to do! However, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a good vampire fix, so I figured it can’t hurt to start back at the beginning (especially since I can’t get my weekly fix since the TV show is now on summer hiatus and the new season of True Blood doesn’t premiere until June 10th).

**I will try not to reveal too much, but be forewarned that there may be some spoilers, so proceed with caution.** 

The Awakening introduces us the Elena Gilbert – the golden girl who is used to getting whatever and whomever she wants – who has just returned from Paris after escaping there to recover from her parents’ sudden deaths in a car crash leaving her and her younger sister orphans and in the care of her aunt and her aunt’s fiancé. Elena is anxious to begin her senior year of high school and reclaim her position as queen of Robert E. Lee High School. Enter Stefan Salvatore – a mysterious and brooding newcomer with a dark secret. Stefan is a vampire. Despite Elena’s best attempts, Stefan seems determined not to become involved with the beautiful blonde as he fights to protect her from himself. However, Elena and Stefan are increasingly drawn together and fall in love. All seems to be going well until a series of murders rock the town of Fell’s Church. The townsfolk become increasingly suspicious of Stefan’s involvement in these murders, and he can’t be sure himself that he is not the murderer. There is one other possibility – Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s older brother who also happens to be a vampire, has returned. Damon is determined to seek his revenge on Stefan and to have Elena for himself, and Elena finds herself caught between the two brothers.

The story continues in The Struggle as Elena finds her world turned upside down. A new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, arrives in town and there is something not quite right about him. The town remains suspicious of Stefan and people have become wary of Elena as well because of her association with him. Elena knows the truth – Damon is the murderer. However, any evidence she has to prove it could easily be turned against Stefan and make him look guilty. When Elena’s diary goes missing and mysterious messages begin appearing threatening to expose Stefan as the murderer. Elena becomes desperate to discover the culprit. Adding to her distress is Damon and his relentless pursuit of her. Damon is determined that Elena will be his and is not above going after her loved ones to obtain his goal. Although Elena loves Stefan, she cannot deny that she feels a certain pull towards Damon. As his pursuit intensifies, Elena finds herself on the brink of destruction, her own survival hanging in the balance.

Just when you think Elena is dead, the story continues in The Fury, with Elena waking up in the woods as a vampire. She sets off to find Damon and Stefan locked in a furious battle, and her only thought is to protect Damon. In her new state, Elena has forgotten her love for Stefan and is convinced that she loves Damon. Stefan, devastated by this turn of events, reluctantly relinquishes Elena to Damon's protection. As Elena continues to adjust to her new existence, her memories return to her and she remembers her love for Stefan. Their reunion is short lived however when strange things begin to happen in Fell's Church again. The weather changes, animals turn on their masters, and it becomes clear that the town is under attack from something evil. Elena convinces Damon and Stefan to enter into an uneasy truce as they set out to find this "Other Power" and destroy it. It quickly becomes clear that no one is what they seem and everyone is a suspect. In the battle to destroy the Other Power Elena is once again confronted by the ghosts of Stefan and Damon's past, and is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to say the ones she loves.

This part of the story concludes with Dark Reunion. Elena is gone. Stefan, in his grief, has followed Damon to Italy in an attempt to fulfill his final promise to Elena – to take care of Damon. He is summoned by Bonnie, who is descendant from witches, with a summoning spell back to Fell’s Church after Elena visits her in her dreams and warns her that danger has once again returned. Strange things begin happening in Fell’s Church and new horrors, including werewolves, threaten the entire town when Klaus, Katherine’s maker, returns seeking revenge on the Salvatore brothers. An epic battle between Klaus and the Salvatore brothers ensues, and when all hope is lost, Elena returns from the other side with the spirits of Civil War soldiers to save the day. Just when it appears that Elena and Stefan will be separated again, this time forever, Elena returns to them as a human.

After everything they have been through, a ray of light has returned to Fell's Church. The question is, will it last? The story continues in The Vampire Diaries: The Return, Volumes 1-3.