Two months after dying, seventeen-year-old witch Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body.

Until Gray finds a way back inside her own body, she’s stuck being Charlene every twenty-hour hours. Her sister has left precise instructions on how Gray should dress and behave. Looking like a prep isn’t half as bad as hanging out with Charlene’s snotty friends and gropey boyfriend.

The “normals” of McKinley High might be quick to write her behavior off as post-traumatic stress, but warlock Raj McKenna is the only person who suspects Gray has returned from the dead.

Now Gray has to solve the mystery of her death and resurrection and disentangle herself from Charlene’s body before she disappears for good.

Not much I can say about this one. I wanted to like it the concept was there, the cover was pretty, but the book for me was just not there. The writing is okay, the book is edited that isn’t the issue with this one. I think the issue for me was the characters. I could not connect with them because I didn’t understand why they did what they did. When I can’t connect or feel for a character (love or hate), I have issues with the book.

This one may be a good read for someone else, but for me it was a miss. I didn’t want it to be but can’t win them all.

My Gemstone Rating:

Following the tremendous success of her first novel, Innocent Traitor, which recounted the riveting tale of the doomed Lady Jane Grey, acclaimed historian and New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England’s most intriguing and powerful queen.

Even at age two, Elizabeth is keenly aware that people in the court of her father, King Henry VIII, have stopped referring to her as “Lady Princess” and now call her “the Lady Elizabeth.” Before she is three, she learns of the tragic fate that has befallen her mother, the enigmatic and seductive Anne Boleyn, and that she herself has been declared illegitimate, an injustice that will haunt her.

What comes next is a succession of stepmothers, bringing with them glimpses of love, fleeting security, tempestuous conflict, and tragedy. The death of her father puts the teenage Elizabeth in greater peril, leaving her at the mercy of ambitious and unscrupulous men. Like her mother two decades earlier she is imprisoned in the Tower of London–and fears she will also meet her mother’s grisly end. Power-driven politics, private scandal and public gossip, a disputed succession, and the grievous example of her sister, “Bloody” Queen Mary, all cement Elizabeth’s resolve in matters of statecraft and love, and set the stage for her transformation into the iconic Virgin Queen.

Another story of the Tudor court and another good story. While I did not feel blown over by this one I did enjoy it. The story of Elizabeth I is something that I personally feel you can never really get enough of. She had such a life from her birth and on it is just a great interest. I always get a little laugh because we all know how badly Henry VIII wanted a boy and yet one of the greatest rulers England ever knew was his Heir but a Daughter. So take that guy.

Alison Weir as always does a good job of writing, mixing the history we know with the fiction that we couldn’t possible know what happened one way or another. If you like a good historical fiction this is a good read that will hold your attention. You may not learn any new facts (like me) if you read a lot of Tudor history but you will really enjoy the book.

My Gemstone Rating:

Harry Dresden – Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you’re the only professional wizard in the Chicago-area phone book.

But in all Harry’s years of supernatural sleuthing, he’s never faced anything like this: The spirit world has gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble – and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone – or something – is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn’t figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself….

With every book that I complete in this series I am enjoying it more and more. I have read some other reviews and I know some people seem to not like Harry’s view on women, I do not agree with them. While in some sense his view is old fashioned he fully admits that and as a man he of course does notice how a woman is dressed and what it does to her form, but you don’t see him running around molesting them. So that said the story itself.

We learn more about Harry’s past in this one and we see that even with all his powers he can’t always save the day in a perfect way like he wants too. No in fact sometimes he just can’t do much at all and has to deal like the rest of us with the cards he is dealt. I also found it interesting that we learn more about the different kinds of vampire in his world, the red’s, whites and blacks. Very curious and interesting. Overall this was another action packed installment and I am so happy that I started reading this series. Harry has a very practical look to magik and I like the way that he wields it.

My Gemstone Rating: