Witch by Christopher Pike

I've always been amazed by Christopher Pike's ability to spin a web of supernatural tails. Witch is one of his works I've picked up in a bookstore.

My overall impression of the story is that it's definitely not one of his page-turners. After finishing the latest book of The Last Vampire and 2 books of Remember Me, it was unavoidable to keep my expectation bar at a certain level. His teen novels starring female protagonists are one of my obsessions simply because they're always rendered in a way that they exude smartness and courage.

Julia Florence was a witch. She was a healer but like a troubled teen having the lack of emotional maturity, she ends getting back at someone for revenge which pretty much teaches her that the future she's been trying to avoid is inevitable.


In the last pages of the story, she realizes her purpose and does what she perceives is the right thing to do.

Unlike my other reading sessions, this book took a little longer to finish. Although I enjoyed the story line, there was something off on the way he'd written the character lines. Some had been too straightforward while others were just too... shallow which is contrary to what I've read in his other books. I probably got used to his old ones wherein they always had depth or an uncanny sense of agenda.

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Thirst 4 by Christopher Pike

It gives me great joy to proudly say I have crossed out Thirst 4 in my "must-read" books for this year. Although I have two more Robin Cooks to read, the thought of finally finishing the Thirst series (at its current state) is something I'm somewhat happy to share to the world.

I'd like to share one of the excerpts of the book which is memorable to me (AFTER THE SPOILER ALERT). Christopher Pike's learned and interesting way of describing the higher beings are what I find most appalling. It had been so long since I could've accepted theories on regarding God and I'm delighted to have found a series of words and descriptions that completely make sense to me.

My beau is calling me a Pike-ist (derived from terms such as Theist and Atheist) because of how I like Pike's explanation of that which are unexplainable at the moment. He is a wonderful writer and I have tracked his books for more than 15 years.

SPOILER ALERT

Thirst 4 is definitely one of his well-written works. Like all the Last Vampire series, this is definitely worth every penny it cost. Alisa Perne makes a comeback as a reincarnate for the first half of the book just to be transferred back to her old body after being stuck as newborn vamp. It had its moments, especially with the 5000 year-old vampire craving for fresh human blood and lacking the skill set she used to have.

She joins forces with the two most important people in Yaksha's life while fighting a force larger than life called the Hydra (as Krishna has described). Thinking the climax had passed, it greatly took me by surprise that one more twist was about to unravel.

I believe Krishna's approach to spirituality was more scientific. He said that whatever path you follow in life, you should uncover small proofs along the way so you know you're going the right way. Otherwise, you could end up chasing illusions.

The quoted excerpt is one my favorite lines in the book. I want to share more of them but that would spoil Thirst 4. I've noticed that Christopher Pike is now into exploring more of the world's outlook on religion and it's nice to read from a fresh mind other than the ones in Youtube or the Church.

My next question would be... is this truly the last of the Thirst Series or will I be anxiously waiting for another one of Sita's resurrection or prequels to come?

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Thirst 3 by Christopher Pike

 
Ahhh, another book by Christopher Pike tucked safely in my mind. After re-reading the first two Thirst books also known as The Last Vampire novels, I'm glad I was able to finish this one sooner than I expected. I started reading it while I was waiting for my flight home and had just finished it a couple of minutes ago. Now, like a new-born vampire, I am craving for Thirst 4, anxious to find out what adventure awaits the famous Sita.

In Thirst 3, Sita faces two giant enemies- one in the name of the Telar ( an ancient race eager to disseminate the entire human race) and the IIC ( who possesses a powerful weapon in their hands). Both are after her, yet it is still a puzzle as whether they want her dead or alive. Surely, dead -as she's been that way 5000 years ago but definitely in a state where she can still share her worldly knowledge ( by torture or by.... umm, torture).

She meets an interesting personality by the name of Matt and Seymour is back in the picture. For those who've read Thirst 1 and 2, Seymour is an HIV-ridden high school friend who's supposedly written the manuscript of her life.

What's nice about Thirst 3 is that before the story gets deep into the action, Sita (Alisa Perne) visits Seymour and her whole life is summarized in 2 to 3 pages. That's right, there's no more need to read the first two books! But I'm sure most of the people reading this 3rd masterpiece of Pike have already done so.

Christopher Pike's newer books about Alisa have a more updated tech to it. Aside from the old school guns this particular vampire has in her arsenal, she is now accompanied by a mysterious and powerful being (whose name and parents I won't divulge) with a knack for state-of-the-art weaponry and gadgets.

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Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook

"Of course there is a risk," Edward said. "There is always a risk, but I'm confident it is an acceptable risk. Ultra is not toxic, that we know for sure."

It took me some time to finish Robin Cook's Acceptable Risk. It had been a funny book. I did love how he's incorporated the Salem Witch Trials with an unknown psychotropic fungus.

Kim, as the female protagonist, was somewhat an insecure and timid type which made sense given her past relationships. She was paired with Edward, who almost had the same personality as she, yet with the exception of him being extremely intellectual. The story revolves around Kim and her controversial ancestor, Elizabeth Stewart.

Before I had read the book, I was already telling myself that maybe this'd be one of Mr. Cook's open-ended novels. Reaching the last couple of chapters further strengthened my hypothesis that I would once again end up frustrated for not knowing what follows next. I'm glad he didn't do that.

Dr. Cook made it a point to place in a mystery item where in the main character would constantly be in a detective chase trying to figure out what it was. Even I couldn't help but speed through the pages to understand what the big secret was. Nonetheless, I am glad to have not cheated myself by reading the entire book without skipping a page.

In short, I loved it. Dr. Cook is one of the best writers when it comes to medical thrillers. He even adds a touch of mystique and flawed human emotion which the layman can relate to.

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Mutant by Peter Clement

I was a little surprised to buy a book for less than $1. It instantly took my attention with the words "medical thriller" all in caps on its cover page.I've been reading from some very good authors and I was curious as to Peter Clement's book titled "Mutant".

After three weeks of intermittently reading, I've finally finished it. Yes, dear friends, it took me three weeks because it hadn't been much of a page turner. Surprisingly, the fact that I'm making a post about it just means it's not that bad.

Compared to Robin Cook, Peter Clement made it a point to cram a whole lot of medical jargon in approximately 359 pages. Although accompanied by explanations, I still had a difficult time understanding some terms because I'm just a layman. Call me stupid, better yet call me SAS (for Short Attention Span). But if you're not into genetics and medical stuff, this is definitely not the book for you.

In Toxin, Robin Cook made it a point that his doctor protagonist was to be projected as any helpless person who could not fix his daughter's disease. Well, in Mutant, the hero and heroine were experts in their respected fields- making their discussion more alien to me. There had been a couple of times that I had to ask my beau what they were talking about. Picture me reading an entire paragraph to him while he was concentrating on something else.

Still, with all due respect to the author, the story showed a whole lot of dedication in explaining his ulterior purpose as to caution everyone of what may be going on in the scientific world we aren't aware of. I'm giving Mutant a 3 out of 5 because of the sometimes draggy atmospheric descriptions and too complex scientific explanations. And I also won't forget how the term "shit" has been used too often. Yet when there are cons, there are pros as well. It's a little surprising how a story like this can still have a detailed sex scene (I can recall 4 counts) and gruesome sceneries of plague and helplessness for those affected by the genetically modified Ebola.

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Toxin by Robin Cook

It's not a surprise that I'd eventually explore the medical science fiction genre in books. I was taken aback by how it took my interest starting with Gary Birken's Plague. I've seen Robin Cook's famous novel Outbreak made into a movie. In fact, I've watched Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo multiple times acting as the experts on the epidemic. Having that opportunity to grab a cheap hardbound copy of Toxin was just darned luck. It was quite a catch, finding it beneath some copies from other best-selling authors like Nora Roberts, Michael Crichton and Iris Johansen.


Compared to Gary Birken's Plague, Toxin had an indefinite end which suggested a sequel. It almost followed the same style as Outbreak. For those who haven't seen it yet, I won't be spoiling the fun as to tell it here. Robin Cook made it a point to make the people aware of what is currently happening in the government system. Corruption everywhere has been apparent- starting in the first chapters of the book. To make things worst, not only has it been hard for Dr. Kim Reggis to obtain proper help when his daughter got sick, but he right then and there saw how the administration he was working under had no genuine intention of helping people without profit as their main concern.

Ironic how I had just been reading this book after which I ate a burger. Robin Cook's vivid description on how cows were processed, momentarily gave me second thoughts on eating burgers or anything made of meat, for that matter. After all, the E. Coli O157:H7 strain had come from a rare cooked burger. I'd just like to warn all meat-lovers out there that this book teaches a valuable lesson on seriously making it a point to cook meat well. Even then, it hadn't been enough to kill the bacteria. Surprisingly, with all the effort that's been placed to exposing the truth to the public, money played the important role of covering these tracks.

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Last Act by Christopher Pike

Another Christopher Pike book finished here. I'm sure I'm not a quarterway done of finishing all his books but I'll be getting there soon enough.

Last Act is one of Christopher Pikes earlier teen story books. It wasn't as exciting as Remember Me, which kept me yearning sequel after sequel. But it did have his personal touches like targeting another female protagonist and a sick twisted friend of hers out for revenge. I haven't mentioned in my previous post of Slumber Party so I can't really compare the two.


Last Act is about the new girl in school getting the main role in a play where she was supposed to shoot a friend of hers. The problem was, her friend died on stage during performance night. The first half of the story focused on how she had met the other casts in the play. Some had been eccentric but Pike made sure that others had their fair share of standing out through specific descriptions and actions.

What's a female heroine without a mysterious guy by her side? Christopher Pike once again introduces a male interest in his books so that all aspects of Melanie (the female protagonist) in terms of vulnerability, strength and deductive reasoning were given some attention.

Like any other murder mystery, Last Act also starred a capable detective who made use of his Q&A skills to figure out the guilty. The protagonist herself also did some investigating to uncover the truth in order for the readers to not feel helpless in the guessing game. In the end, there was a certain amount of surprise in the suspect's discovery.

It's not one of his best but I still appreciated reading the book so it's not a lose lose situation on my end. I suggest this book only for big fans of his. It's not a must read for everybody.

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Remember Me 2 by Christopher Pike

Even when I thought I'd already gotten enough of a particular author, a new surprise awaits my insatiable mind for teenage stories of protagonists of the supernatural kind. Was she a vampire? No. Was she a werewolf? It never even crossed my mind. Might she have been a ghost? In a way. But Christopher Pikes well-written teen novels are one of those collections I strive to complete.

Last Sunday, I had purchased a book of his called Remember Me 2 and I finished it in one seating. One of the first chapters had been pretty interesting that I even asked my beau to read a certain two page passage that may be the link between multiple religions in the world. And even he had agreed that it might just be that revelation he was seeking for. I would have loved to add this passage in this post but that would be spoiling one of the good parts in the story.


After reading this second story of the Remember Me saga, I noticed that Christopher Pike made sure that his fans would get the best of his stories. There had been relations to his previous work that only those who've read them would be able smile at the fact and appreciate its contribution to the current plot.

Mr. Pike has a way of creating scenes in the simplest description which some people may find downright boring and not enough to build an ambiance. I begged to differ. I'm particular in imagination and his play of words suffice the brewing curiosity in me. I prefer detailed story lines than detailed scenery and it's always still a wonder to me how his mind works. I especially like the way he had included a mini-story about a brilliant author and her muse as a form of the protagonist's partial fulfillment of her earthly agenda.

Shari Cooper goes back into another teen's body with a purpose. The unveiling of her identity becomes the main topic of this book and chapters jump from one world to another in an attempt to explain how events were to unfold and how dark secrets would come into light.

Lastly, one more thing I've noticed about Mr. Pike's protagonists aside from being headstrong, witty and beautiful females is most of them have names starting with the letter S and with blonde hair. This opposes to the stereotype of blondes being dumb, which is why his work gains more respect in my standard.

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Plague by Gary Berkin M.D.

"A Novel of Bioterrorism," the novel stated as I picked it up from its shelf. In actuality, the title "Plague" had caught my interest in the first place. I haven't read that many science fiction books these past years and this was to be the first of a couple more I plan to read.

It's about a psychotic bioterrorist who was set to show his prowess to the world by poisoning helpless kids in the hospital he works in. The protagonist, a doctor Annick Clement, is set out to discover who this person is and much more. The suspense was engaging and the ending wasn't what I was expecting it to be.

To poison without having the pleasure of watching them
suffer would fall well short of the mark.
By tomorrow, when the toxin is coursing through their
bloodstreams, I will set in motion the second part of my plan:
To bear witness to their agony.

It's quite a surprise to discover an author capable of making a medical novel interesting to the layman. I usually get turned off with too many jargon and technical terms shoved into one book, so I was very delighted to read the Plague and not feel the pressures of needing to browse the Internet often to figure out what the characters had been talking about. I also simply adore the fact that his portrayals of each character made every single one of them stand out- flawed, perfect, smart, clever, intuitive, psycho and elitist. Even the ones who've just appeared for a page or two, became memorable. That said, the incorporation of his medical expertise made it more medically feasible, authentic and realistic.

What made the story quite the catch was it was a master of keeping a person guessing. I was rendered helpless to resist reading page after page in an attempt to appease my burgeoning curiosity. Only 3 authors are capable of having that same effect on me. Dr. Gary Birken would be the fourth.

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Remember Me by Christopher Pike

Remember Me is one of Christopher Pike's part-detective, part-supernatural novels. It's about a teenage girl who tells her story while trying to solve the mystery of her death. Shari Ann Cooper starts as a ghost recalling the events leading to her demise. Her friends are her possible suspects. She observes each and everyone of them in their homes and through their dreams in phenomenal cosmic ways no living could possibly do (of course, she was a ghost so nothing is normal in this story).


I've read this story the second time around. I thought I haven't but the moment I was done reading the first chapter, I remembered immediately who killed her. What is a Christopher Pike book without a psycho for an antagonist?

What makes Remember Me special?

Aside from being written by my favorite author, the way the story turns out is original. At first, it may tend to be draggy that an amount effort should be exerted just to get through the interrogation section by the detective handling her case. But there's this build up towards the climax of the plot that you'd have second thoughts in putting the book down as details of Shari's past and identity uncovers. Even the reason why this book was written in the first person perspective is answered.

Christopher Pikes' vivid imagination, correlation of events and knack for putting mysteries in almost every single published book he wrote is a statement of how one's imagination can run wild yet come back with analogies that strongly hold the story's structure to its core.

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The Golden Barbarian by Iris Johansen

I'd say one of Johansen's finest. The book is set in Sedikhan and a number of villages, deserts in a nonfictional Balkan country, with sheiks, tents, divans and carobels (a pot used in a political horse race in the desert). And as some commentators have asked themselves, HOW DOES SHE WRITE THESE THINGS? Even I wonder the same thing. I could not put down the book and had to will myself to stop midway because it was 3am in the morning.

In a record time of two seating and probably less than 4 hours, I finished the book with a satisfaction- contented at the moment but yearning for the next Iris Johansen I may pick up from my sister's old box of pocket books. Unfortunately, I realized that that was the last of it. I'll have to buy one each week if I'm set out to finish all her historical romances.

Spoiler Alert

The story is about a Tamrovian princess (Tess) who met the sheik of Sedikhan at an early age of 12 while trying to save her dog who got stuck in a bog. The first line of the book being "She was going to die!" as she herself was also sinking. Luckily, her cousin (Sacha) and the sheik (Galen) was there to save her and at that point, they grew a certain connection. Tess found him fascinating for an adult while Galen admired her bluntness and worldly intelligence of how the society works. That night, Tess went to Galen's bedroom to ask for him to save her beloved dogs because her father was about to have them killed and she promised to repay him once she was capable of doing so.



After 6 years, she is picked up by her cousin from the ship sailing from the convent and was met once again by the magnificent sheik. Galen offered her a proposition that she marry him for his cause of unity in Sedikhan. He promised her freedom like no other man could give her, as long as she fulfill her side of the bargain. They marry and find themselves no longer just doing the deed for its duty but for the feelings that are welled up in them.



It's already obvious that they do end up together, but the internal turmoil and external conflicts unraveling while reading page after page was the icing in the cake. Tess is a strong, stubborn and impulsive woman- always feeling the need to protect all women and object to all rules pertaining to making women submissive to men. Galen is mysterious, persuasive and cool with a ferocity that comes out whenever his barbaric side calls it forth. Most of the time, Tess disobeys Galen but still feels he outwits her in most of their ordeals.



When I was 12, I recall a classmate of mine reading these types of books already. And I'd always thought it'd been difficult for her. But now that I've read it, it actually isn't so bad. The words are easy to digest and the romance between the main characters are unambiguous by the descriptions of their interactions between each other. With the exclusion of the passionate scenes, I'd definitely recommend this to my teenage niece.

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The Beloved Scoundrel by Iris Johansen Book Review

From the title of it, this book sounded intriguing already. My sisters loved reading books by Iris Johansen and I have never expected to be a fan of hers. The torn blue book I found a week ago had been sitting in an old box for ages.

It's about a girl early in her teens found by a young duke during the invasion of her hometown. He offered her her young brother shelter and protection if she came with him. In her dire situation, she felt she had no choice but to give in to the strangely alluring duke's proposition.




She had him intrigued and at the same time, he needed something from her. He decided to take care of her and acquire what he needed from her when the time was right. Marianna ( the main female character) and Jordan's (the duke) love and hate relationship in this story unfolds their true desire for each other and their denial for one another's feelings.

I read the book chapter after chapter. I had actually known they'd end up happily together but the culmination of the story- how the series of events connected- was something I wanted to learn in detail.

Iris Johansen has a writer's magical pen. The words flowed like liquid chocolate, each sip from the cup a satisfying treat. Her descriptions of the stained glasses, the majestic castles, the rich environments and the colorful characters were clear and beatific.

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Sam Siciliano's Blood Feud Book

I love it when my desire for reading is invigorated. I just finished reading Sam Siciliano's Blood Feud. I bought this book at a book sale when I was in my early teenage years but did not have the aptitude to read it as I did now.



The story is about two ancient vampires who have grown to hate each other through the years that one will not rest until the other is dead.

Spoiler Alert

( I hope I was able to summarize it in a way that most details in the story are still kept a mystery.)

It starts when a boy named Alex is convinced by his lover, a vampire's assistant named Tracy, to kill a male vampire named Ruthven. And the story continues after the sister of Alex, Mary, saw Tracy again in her hometown after a long time since her brother had disappeared.



Mary discovers the truth about her brother's ex-lover with the help of Ruthven's hired private investigator. Later, a band composed of a priest, her brother's best friend, Mary and the PI set out to kill the vampiress, a Madame Rambouillet, who they believed was the source of all evil. As they reached her lair, their fate changes after realizing they had killed her decoy.



They set out once again, this time without the PI to kill Ruthven with a deal that they will be left unharmed. Eventually, after a long day of darkness and torture, the two vampires square off leaving Mary and her crew badly battered but alive.



There are some excerpts that make this book unforgettable. This is one of the two I liked.

"It's rather ironic. I was raised on stories about the devil and demons. As a child, they were very real to me, and when I was in the seminary, the devil was still treated as a theological doctrine. When he went out of fashion in the sixties, it was a relief. Human evil was powerful and inexplicable enough, and it was manifest all around us.The devil seemed a scapegoat, and obvious rationalization to justify our sinful natures. I was glad to be rid of the old horned fellow, but now..."

The reason I was drawn to the book in the first place was because of the poem written in French situated in the first pages entitled "Les Metamorphoses du Vampire" (aka "Metamorphosis of the Vampire") and Deullum (aka The Duel) in the book's Part 2 both written by Charles Baudelaire.



Blood Feud isn't as well written as books of the world-renowned Stephen King, Charlaine Harris or J.K. Rowling. There were instances I would be confused on line ownership and some lines were very long without a description of what actions transgressed during the conversation. Other sentences lacked pauses.



However, even with these pointed out, I won't deny Siciliano's description of the story's atmosphere, in it's vividness and darkness, was well thought of. I almost wanted to skip some parts to learn the ending. Each event boring down with a curiosity demanding to be satiated. His story,although lacking that writer's crafty play of words, was overall interesting and original.



If I were asked, if I would read more from this author, the answer is a definite yes.

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Manga Mania: Suki and Confidential Confessions

The first time I started reading manga seriously was a couple of months ago (it's in my blog). I love purchasing them and enjoying every single page of one of the most graphically fulfilling paperwork in this entire world. It takes a lot to make one. You'd need talent and a whole lot of imagination to be able to successfully complete an entire volume.

Some of the mangas (I'm not sure of its plural) I'd definitely recommend are the following. I will spare the details to minimize spoiling the curiosity of searching for one in a bookstore.

1. Tramps Like Us a.k.a Kimi Wa Pet- (14 Volumes) Romance; Contrary to its suggestive title, it's actually a cute not-so ordinary love story between an older woman , a mature guy and a talented boy who's her pet (above 18).
2. Suki- (3 Volumes) Another romantic weird relationship between a naive girl and her teacher. If you're familiar with the works of Clamp, this a definite must read.
3. Crescent Moon- (5 Volumes) A girl who encounters a tribe of demons. My nieces love the drawings and the graphics are detailed.
4. Dream Saga - (5 Volumes) Like Card Captor Sakura, work of art by Megumi Tachikawa too. It's about a little girl she catches a red magic stone that mysteriously falls from the sky. My nieces love this one too.
5. Confidential Confessions - (Unsure) The manga deals with many of the hard-hitting issues that teens face today. It's very brutal but it actually has good lessons to teach. This has mature content all over.

Anyway, some of these titles are difficult to find since they are quite expensive (prices range from 160 php to 500 php, National Bookstore used to sell it at 79 php then at 50% off a little later but that was just something that happened once). If you want to read them online, I suggest you go to www.mangafox.com. They have a wide selection for the manga lovers to feast their eyes on.

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