Tag Archives: books

Juliette’s Book Club: Exceptional Liars

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Exceptional Liars
by Marla Todd

Excerpt from “To Elizabeth With Love.”

This book was written as a love letter to my wife Elizabeth Hobbs Atkinson. She was brutally tortured and killed by a man who had once been my friend. Her body was never found, but her legacy of love will still be here.

From the day Liz vanished I prayed for her return and for hope. The day she was pronounced legally dead I lost all hope and thought I too would die. Only my faith in God and the love Liz and I shared kept me from going off into a black abyss of hopelessness and grief.

My comfort comes from my faith and my knowledge  that Liz is in a better place.

~ Gregory Atkinson

“Son of a bitch.”  I put down my glass of wine and threw the book across the room.

I’m surprised the bastard hasn’t been struck by lightning. What a crock of crap and lies. Any poetic justice of my situation had gone down the drain at that moment. Greg is walking and talking and writing bestselling books about me and about our marriage… and I’m still dead… saved by a serial killer, no less. God save me and have mercy on my soul and on that abusive lying son of a bitch Gregory Atkinson. May he rot in Hell. But he did get his wish. I am in a better place. A much better place.

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Alex Goldstein has a thriving law practice with his wife Tasha Alexander. Life is is good. Well, except for the fact that he drinks too much, and his wife regularly cheats on him. To keep his mind off of his problems Alex writes about by serial killers. His most recent obsession is The Killer of Virtue.

Liz Hobbs is born into a large family of sneaky manipulative children with an unhealthy fear of God only ranks second to the fear of their narcissistic parents. Unfortunately she falls in love with Greg Atkinson who is far more sneaky and manipulative than she could ever imagine.

After misreading the phone number of a women’s shelter Liz ends up in office of Alexander and Goldstein. Alex helps her build a new life as his own life falls apart.

Exceptional Liars is a roller coaster ride of a book – full of unexpected twists and turns, witty dialogue and interesting characters.

Exceptional Liars is now available in both electronic and paperback versions on Amazon.

Exceptional Liars was written by my writing collaborator Marla Todd.

As my friend author Mandy White said: I’ve read this book, and it’s a phenomenal story. It’s part drama, part thriller, part romance, and maybe a bit fantasy, for anyone who ever wanted to escape their life and start fresh. I highly recommend it. Read it!

Warning: this book contains violence, adult situations, and bad language.

Happy Reading. Wear a mask. Stay safe. Talk to your kids. Check in on those who might need extra help or company. And as always, kiss a Vampire.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Juliette’s Book Club: Halloween Horror

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Halloween is only a few weeks away. You might not be able to go out and party this year, or bring your little monsters out on the streets BUT you can stay home and scare yourself silly with some scary hellish horror stories.

Today is a pretty scary day at my house. I’m cleaning carpets which means I don’t have time to write up every single book so I’ll give you the covers and you can check it out on your own. These are books I’ve read and recommend. Feel free to add to the list in the comments section.

Yes, Vampires do clean their carpets.

Have fun. Stay safe. Be scary.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Yes, there is one in here that isn’t horror but it is a real horror that such an insanely bad story became so popular. Guess which one. Bahahahahahahahahah!

Juliette’s Book Club: Magpie Murders, Spooky Pie, and The Best Pie You Will Every Bake or Eat.

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It is time for another meeting of Juliette’s Book Club. Today our theme is PIE.

2020 has sucked in so many ways, starting with fires in Australia, and now fires in California with a pandemic, stupid nasty politics, and an assortment of other bullshit we’ve had to deal with. That includes crappy books. I can’t even count the number of books my husband and I have started in 2020 and not finished because they were THAT BAD. These included books by so called best selling authors.

On my way down to visit my daughter earlier this month I unfortunately left my book at the airport in the security area. Ugh. It was a good one too. Double Ugh.

Fortunately my child has the good fortune of living near a bookstore. There I picked up Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.

I can’t put this book down. We have a WINNER. It is a book within a book, done inthe most brilliant and clever way. Magpie Murders is so much fun. I haven’t finished it yet so if you have don’t give away the ending. As you can see in the photo my bookmark is still in it.

Here is the official description:

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.

Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.

Thank you Anthony Horowitz for writing a book I don’t have to throw in the recycle bin.

Halloween is almost here so once again I have to mention my favorite Halloween book Halloween Pie by Michael O. Tunnell and Kevin O’Malley.

When the kids were small we checked this out from the library all year long. Then one day we checked it out only to discover some little puke had ripped half of the pages (some completely gone) and used a purple crayon on the rest of the pages. Of course the adult who’d been in charge of the spawn didn’t tell the librarian about the destruction and offer to replace the book. At that point I got my own copy of the book.

This is a wonderful tale of a witch who baked a pie and all of the graveyard ghouls who said “GIVE ME SOME PIE.” There is even a recipe in the back so you can make your own Halloween Pie.

Everyone loves pie, or at least they should. Even Vampires who can’t tolerate sweets well love pie.

So with that introduction I’ll introduce you to the BEST cookbook ever:

BAKED, New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, with photographs by Tina Rupp.

I heard (don’t correct me if I’m wrong) that these were the guys who invented salted caramel.

Everything in this beautiful book is amazing. If you follow the instructions you will think you’re a Food TV Star. You’ll be doing the happy dance. Everyone around you will be doing the happy dance.

If you have just one book for baking BAKED is the one book to have. Trust me on this one.

Now I feel like I’ve gained 20 pounds just writing this post.

I’ll see you soon for another meeting of Juliette’s Book Club.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Juliette’s Monday Book Club: Books I Read To My Kids

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Some books will always be favorites even when we’re all grown up.

Vampire Maman

When I was a child there were a lot of books with pretty pictures, but it has been in the past 50 years that the children’s book industry has blossomed into something truly magical and inspiring for both children and adults.

I’ll put links to Amazon and other sites on here, but I found out about most of these books by word of mouth or GOING TO MY LOCAL LIBRARY. Libraries ROCK – I urge you to GO to your local library and take advantage of all of the useful services they provide. You can also find many of the out of print books on eBay or used book stories (real life and online.)

Sammy the Seal by Sid Hoff

We found an old copy of this at our local library sale. What a find! Sammy the seal decides to go to school but finds it isn’t really the best…

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Juliette’s Book Club: Close to Home

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We’re experiencing a pandemic. Fires blaze around us. The air is filled with smoke. Social changes and politics are beyond volatile. I’m still waiting for the space aliens to land or for my dog to start talking. All of that and the new fucking block editor. In the meantime I’m reading two books that are extremely close to home. I had no idea when I started these how close.

The Brief History of the Dead
by Kevin Brockmeier

Official Description: The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out. Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.

My Note: I am loving this book. It is unexpected and beautifully written

Second Sleep
by Robert Harris 

Official Description: 1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artefacts–coins, fragments of glass, human bones–which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death?
     Fairfax becomes determined to discover the truth. Over the course of the next six days, everything he believes–about himself, his faith, and the history of his world–will be tested to destruction.

My note: This is not the 1468 you’re expecting.

As I write this my computer is acting like a ghost is in it so I’m going to be quick. I’m in Aptos, California right now. We are mostly out of the smoke. The object that looks like a giant dead fish in the water is a sunken ship. Just thought I’d share last night’s sunset.

Read a good book. Stay safe. Wear your mask. Pet your dog. Talk to your kids. Stay sane. Kiss a Vampire (it is safe to do that you know.)

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Juliette’s Book Club: Books we didn’t like this summer

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It is bad enough that we can’t travel this summer, but at least it would have been nice to have great books to read at home. I try not to be negative but I am so tired of starting books, or even finishing books that are not worth the time or money I spent on them.

Just as a heads up my list of books I don’t like includes all books by Sue Grafton, The Bridges of Madison County, Eat Pray Love, Twilight (the entire series), and more others that I don’t even want to think of. But this summer we’ve hit the jackpot of books we can’t finish or recommend.

 

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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

What I thought was going to be an entertaining, witty, and different kind of book turned out to be a mess. The story line and characters are contrived. The humor is forced. Everything about this book seems forced. None of the characters seemed interesting at all – not good or bad – just blah. Maybe a bunch of middle school boys might like to go through it and snicker at the silly sex scenes. I thought of reselling my copy but I’m going to put it in the recycle bin so nobody else has to deal with it. I was expecting something a lot better.

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Since We Fell

This book starts out slowly in as it introduces Rachael and her complicated relationship with her mother and the mystery of her missing father. The first 75 pages were good then it just grinds to a halt. Yes, the story goes on but Rachael never grows. She continues as a humorless boring drone. The plot drones on as well. I just stopped caring and stopped reading. Yes, it is well written if all you care about is good grammar.  I expected more out of this book.

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Elevator Pitch

My husband recommended I not waste my time. He said everything in this book was cliche. This book fell flat like an out of control elevator.

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Old Bones

I love these authors. I’ve read ALL of their books. I’ve read two of their other books this summer and really enjoyed them despite the silly parts. They’ve written some of my favorite books. This one is a total and complete dud. WTF guys?

 

These are all good writers so I don’t know what happened here. Sometimes you just miss the mark. God knows I’ve done it on this blog. I know I’m an asshole but hey, these are asshole times.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman