2009 Reading List

Works read this year: 145/100

Works Completed in 2009:
1. Robinson, Ray (ed). Famous Last Words: Fond Farewells, Deathbed Diatribes, and Exclamations Upon Expiration. 177 pages. 1.2.09
2. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel. 132 pages. 1.10.09
3. Miller, Kathleen E. Last Laughs: Funny Tombstone Quotes and Famous Last Words. 157 pages. 1.12.09
4. Carson, Anne (ed). If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho. 355 pages. 1.13.09
5. Hamilton, Laurell K. A Stroke of Midnight. 385 pages. 1.16.09
6. Hamilton, Laurell K. The Harlequin. 422 pages. 1.23.09.
7. Rand, Ayn. Anthem. 105 pages. 1.26.09
8. Hamilton, Laurell K. Mistral's Kiss. 302 pages. 1.28.09.
9. Armstrong, Kelley. Men of the Otherwold. 369 pages. 1.29.09.
10. Glaspell, Susan. Trifles and "A Jury of her Peers". 48 pages. 1.29.09 +
11. Peacock, Caro. A Dangerous Affair. 303 pages. 2.2.09.
12. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. 303 pages. 2.4.09.*
13. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. 37 pages. 2.9.09.+
14. Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English, and How it Got That Way. 245 pages. 2.12.09
15. Poe, Edgar Allan. Complete Poems. 125 pages. 2.12.09.
16. McCarthy, Jenny. Belly Laughs. 165 pages. 2.14.09.
17. De La Cruz, Melissa. Masquerade. 305 pages. 2.14.09.
18. Hamilton, Laurell K. A Lick of Frost. 342 pages. 2.14.09.
19. Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones. 328 pages. 2.17.09.
20. Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. 244 pages. 2.20.09.
21. Hamilton, Laruell K. Swallowing Darkness. 365 pages. 2.22.09.
22. Briggs, Patricia. Bone Crossed. 309 pages. 2.27.09.
23. Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 281 pages. 2.28.09. +
24. Harrison, Kim. White Witch, Black Curse. 504 pages. 3.2.09.
25. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. 284 pages. 3.10.09.
26. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 189 pages. 3.12.09.
27. Cast, P.C. and Kristin Cast. Hunted. 323 pages. 3.16.09.
28. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Hound of the Baskervilles. 243 pages. 3.22.09.
29. Vern, Jules. Journey to the Centre of the Earth. 291 pages. 3.24.09. *
30. Lockwood, Cara. Wuthering High. 272 pages. 3.28.09.
31. Arthur, Keri. Dangerous Games. 384 pages. 4.2.09.
32. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Fantasy Lover. 352 pages. 4.4.09.
33. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. 99 pages. 4.5.09.
34. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Night Pleasures. 336 pages. 4.6.09.
35. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Night Embrace. 416 pages. 4.12.09.
36. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Dance with the Devil. 368 pages. 4.14.09.
37. Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie. 331 pages. 4.15.09.
38. Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods. 238 pages. 4.17.09.
39. Moore, Christopher. Bloodsucking Fiends. 291 pages. 4.18.09.
40. Moore, Christopher. You Suck: A Love Story. 328 pages. 4.20.09.
41. Twain, Mark. Pudd'nhead Wilson. 196 pages. 4.22.09.
42. Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. 109 pages. 4.28.09. +
43. Hamilton, Laurell K., Green, Alves. The First Death. 128 pages. 5.1.09.
44. Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia, eds. Literature: An Introduction... Vol. 2: Poetry. 38 pages (selection). January - May 2009. +
45. Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia, eds. Literature: An Introduction... Vol. 1: Fiction. 74 pages (selection). January - May 2009. +
46. Sleator, William. House of Stairs. 166 pages. 5.3.09.
47. Hamilton, Laurell K, Lim, Booth. Guilty Pleasures: Volume 2. 144 pages. 5.5.09.
48. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Kiss of the Night. 382 pages. 5.6.09.
49. Le Fanu, Sheridan. Carmilla. 112 pages. 5.6.09.
50. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 184 pages. +
51. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Seize the Night. 352 pages. 5.9.09.
52. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Sins of the Night. 384 pages. 5.11.09.
53. Harris, Charlaine. Dead and Gone. 320 pages. 5.17.09.
54. Lovecraft, H.P. "The Call of Cthulhu." 31 pages. 5.18.09.
55. Orwell, George. 1984. 254 pages. 5.19.09.
56. Moore, Alan, et al. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. 176 pages. 5.20.09.
57. Pratchett, Terry. The Truth. 348 pages. 5.23.09.
58. Campbell, Bruce. If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. 338 pages. 5.25.09.
59. Pratchett, Terry. Going Postal. 377 pages. 5.28.09.
60. Moore, Alan and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen. 416 pages. 5.28.09.
61. Pratchett, Terry. Making Money. 394 pages. 5.29.09.
62. Harris, Charlaine. Grave Sight. 320 pages. 5.31.09.
63. Harris, Charlaine. Grave surprise. 320 pages. 6.1.09.
64. Hamilton, Laurell K. Skin Trade. 486 pages. 6.4.09.
65. Twain, Mark. The Prince and the Pauper. 267 pages. 6.4.09. *
66. Harris, Charlaine. Shakespeare's Landlord. 214 pages. 6.5.09.
67. Harris, Charlaine. An Ice Cold Grave. 288 pages. 6.5.09.
68. Arnold, Catharine. Necropolis: London and Its Dead. 247 pages. 6.8.09.
69. Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. 213 pages. 6.10.09.
70. Harris, Charlaine. Shakespeare's Champion. 224 pages. 6.12.09.
71. Harris, Charlaine. Shakespeare's Christmas. 224 pages. 6.12.09.
72. Slater, Maya. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy. 324 pages. 6.15.09.
73. Pratchett, Terry. Nation. 367 pages. 6.17.09..
74. O'Brien, Robert C. Z for Zachariah. 249 pages. 6.19.09.
75. Harris, Charlaine. Shakespeare's Trollope. 194 pages. 6.22.09.
76. Harris, Charlaine. Shakespeare's Counselor. 243 pages. 6.22.09.
77. Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. 240 pages. 6.23.09.
78. Harris, Charlaine. Real Murders. 304 pages. 6.25.09.
79. Harris, Charlaine. A Bone to Pick. 272 pages. 6.26.09.
80. Harris, Charlaine. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse. 240 pages. 6.29.09.
81. Wilde, Oscar. An Ideal Husband. 96 pages. 6.29.09.
82. Harris, Charlaine. The Julius House. 240 pages. 6.30.09.
83. Yalom, Marilyn. A History of the Breast. 279 pages. 7.2.09.
84. Harris, Charlaine. Dead Over Heels. 272 pages. 7.3.09.
85. Harris, Charlaine. A Fool and His Honey. 272 pages. 7.3.09.
86. Harris, Charlaine. Last Scene Alive. 224 pages. 7.4.09.
87. Hall, Traci. Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways. 240 pages. 7.5.09.
88. Showalter, Elaine. The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980. 250 pages. 7.8.09.
89. Adrian, Lara. Kiss of Midnight. 432 pages. 7.10.09.
90. Oakley, Annie (ed). Working Sex: Sex Workers Write about a Changing Industry. 301 pages. 7.12.09.
91. Blumenfeld-Kosinksi, Renate. Not of Woman Born: Representations of Caesarean Birth in Medieval and Renaissance Culture. 153 pages. 7.12.09.
92. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Unleash the Night. 384 pages. 7.15.09.
93. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Dark Side of the Moon. 384 pages. 7.16.09.
94. Feynman, Richard P. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out. Ed. Jeffrey Robbins. 257 pages. 7.18.09.
95. Eugenides, Jeffrey. Middlesex. 529 pages. 7.23.09.
96. Harris, Charlaine. Poppy Done to Death. 288 pages. 7.25.09.
97. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Devil May Cry. 384 pages. 7.28.09.
98. Verne, Jules. Around the World in 80 Days. 297 pages. 8.4.09.*
99. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Acheron. 816 pages. 8.4.09.
100. Valenti, Jessica. The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women. 219 pages. 8.7.09.
101. Colbert, Stephen. I Am America (And So Can You!). 230 pages. 8.9.09.
102. Rowling, J.K. The Tales of Beedle the Bard. 111 pages. 8.10.09.
103. Pratchett, Terry. Men at Arms. 377 pages. 8.11.09.
104. Pratchett, Terry. Feet of Clay. 357 pages. 8.12.09
105. Lowry, Lois. Messenger. 169 pages. 8.13.09.
106. Pratchett, Terry. Night Watch. 338 pages. 8.17.09
107. Pratchett, Terry. Monstrous Regiment. 405 pages. 8.24.09.
108. Adrian, Lara. Kiss of Crimson. 416 pages. 8.28.09.
109. Adrian, Lara. Midnight Awakening. 400 pages. 8.29.09.
110. Adrian, Lara. Midnight Rising. 384 pages. 9.1.09.
111. Briggs, Patricia. Hunting Ground. 286 pages. 9.4.09.
112. Pratchett, Terry. Wyrd Sisters. 265 pages. 9.6.09.
113. Roach, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. 304 pages. 9.10.09.
114. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. 118 pages. 9.13.09.
115. Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair. 382 pages. 9.17.09.
116. Twain, Mark. The Mysterious Stranger. 112 pages. 9.19.09.
117. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 327 pages. 10.3.09.
118. Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard book. 307 pages. 10.3.09.
119. Armstrong, Kelley. Frostbitten. 339 pages. 10.5.09.
120. Verne, Jules. Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. 279 pages. 10.8.09.*
121. Moore, Christopher. A Dirty Job. 387 pages. 10.14.09.
122. Pratchett, Terry. Unseen Academicals. 400 pages. 10.20.09.
123. Clare, Cassandra. City of Bones. 512 pages. 10.23.09.
124. Andrews, Donna. Murder with Peacocks. 296 pages. 10.25.09.
125. Roach, Mary. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. 303 pages. 10.29.09.
126. Adrian, Lara. Veil of Midnight. 368 pages. 11.6.09.
127. Roach, Mary. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. 300 pages. 11.16.09.
128. Andrews, Donna. Murder with Puffins. 290 pages. 11.19.09.
129. Andrews, Donna. Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos. 293 pages. 11.20.09.
130. Andrews, Donna. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon. 297 pages. 11.23.09.
131. Andrews, Donna. We'll Always Have Parrots. 340 pages. 11.25.09.
132. George, Jean Craighead. My Side of the Mountain. 177 pages. 11.26.09. *
133. Collins, Paul. The Book of William: How Shakespeare's Fist Folio Changed the World. 219 pages. 11.28.09.
134. Adrian, Lara. Ashes of Midnight. 368 pages. 12.3.09.
135. Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 104 pages. 12.5.09.
136. Andrews, Donna. Owls Well That Ends Well. 326 pages. 12.7.09.
137. Hamilton, Laruell K. Divine Misdemeanors. 333 pages. 12.11.09
138. Shepherd, Jean. In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. 264 pages. 12.13.09.
139. Andrews, Donna. No Nest for the Wicket. 304 pages. 12.14.09.
140. Armstrong, Kelley. Exit Strategy. 480 pages. 12.15.09.
141. Danielewski, Mark Z. The Whalestoe Letters. 83 pages. 12.16.09. .
142. Gautier, Théophile. The Mummy's Foot. 48 pages. 12.20.09.
143. Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. 156 pages. 12.24.09.*
144. Grafton, Sue. 'A' is for Alibi. 215 pages. 12.27.09
145. Grafton, Sue. 'B' is for Burglar. 211 pages. 12.30.09.

Incomplete Reads:
1. Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Hummingbird's Daughter. 10 chapters (approx. 118 pages). 7.3.09.
2. Grahame-Smith, Seth. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 25 pages. 10.4.09.

Reading List Color code:
Modern horror/vampire
Pregnancy/Baby Books
Classic Literature
Poetry, Short Stories, and Drama
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Biography/Nonfiction
Fiction, YA, etc
Graphic Novels
* Read to Brooks
+ Read for work

And the last book of the year:


145. Grafton, Sue. 'B' is for Burglar. 211 pages. 12.30.09.

The second novel in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series, 'B' is for Burglar is a great improvement over the first book. Kinsey is hired to find the estranged sister of her client, but when the disappearance suggests murder her client balks and stops the investigation. The missing woman's elderly neighbor, however, becomes delightfully involved in the investigation, and rehires Kinsey to find out once and forever what happened to Mrs. Boldt.

The flow of 'B' is for Burglar is more natural than the first book, although Grafton still wanders away from her original story from time to time. The book itself is dated by fashion (and a typewriter!), but in another few years these details will be charming instead of strange.

Not the best book to end the year with, but not a horrible one, either.

144. Grafton, Sue. 'A' is for Alibi. 215 pages. 12.27.09

'A is for Alibi is a shallow beginning to a very enjoyable mystery series. In the first of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries Grafton introduces her female detective through an investigation of a murder case closed eight years before. While the plot is interesting, the brevity of the novel leaves the narrative feeling underdeveloped. The characters are intriguing, but the ease with which Millhone forms relationships with other characters is grossly unbelievable, creating the sensation that the reader has walked in mid-story, missing a great deal of background. While 'A' is for Alibi is not terrible on its own, the Kinsey Millhone series is one that improves greatly as it progresses.

Happy Holidays!

143. Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. 156 pages. 12.24.09.*

This December I set out to read A Christmas Carol to Brooks, with the goal of finishing on December 23 (so we could read Moore's "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve. It worked out well, and we made it through just in time. Dickens' classic story of holiday hauntings carries a sense of nostalgia before you even crack open the cover, and the short novel itself goes far further than any version translated to other mediums. Scrooge's journey is a delight, and I hope to make a tradition out of reading A Christmas Carol with my boys every holiday season.

142. Gautier, Théophile. The Mummy's Foot. 48 pages. 12.20.09.

The Mummy's Foot by Théophile Gautier is a traditional and charming Gothic tale. Gautier tells the tale of an aristocratic Frenchman who purchases a mummified foot to be used as a paperweight in a curiosity shop. The foot, which is taken from Princess Hermonthis, is more than what it seems, and inspires a fantastic nocturnal journey for its new owner.

141. Danielewski, Mark Z. The Whalestoe Letters. 83 pages. 12.16.09.

The Whalestoe Letters by Mark Z. Danielewski is an extension of his premier novel, House of Leaves. Initially appearing as an appendix to the novel, The Whalestoe Letters (which includes ten additional letters) are those written by Johnny Truant's mother Pelafina H. Lievre during her residence at the insane asylum. Like House of Leaves as a whole, The Whalestoe Letters is to fiction and literature what thought experiments are to physics; Danielewski seems to write and publish to push boundaries and test waters for no other reasons than curiosity. While I would argue that the experiment of House of Leaves is very interesting, his subsequent publications are less successful. The (limited) success of The Whalestoe Letters is that it makes me want to go back and read House of Leaves once again.

Another one for the "Books off the shelf" challenge, which has put me at my revised goal for the year!


140. Armstrong, Kelley. Exit Strategy. 480 pages. 12.15.09.


I don't actually remember purchasing Exit Strategy, but it is likely Amazon pointed the title out when I was ordering another book by Kelley Armstrong. I initially read the first 200 pages, and then put the book down as other things caught my eye. Resolving to finish things from my own shelves gave me a great reason to pick it up again.

Exit Strategy follows Nadia - an ex-cop turned hitwoman - as she and a collection of other hitmen try to hunt down one of their own who has turned serial killer. While each professional has their own personal reason - from personal to simply bad for business - Nadia is fueled by a sense of justice and ultimate desire to protect.

Overall, I found the book to be very entertaining. I like hitmen (fictionally - my sense of self-preservation keeps me from liking real ones), and Armstrong delivers a wide range to chose from. The sense of secrecy between them keeps any characters from feeling too shallow, while preserving the sense of mystery surrounding not only the case, but the "who and why" of how the group comes together.

At 480 pages it's a nice meaty chunk of entertainment that is perfect for a long snow day or lounging by a pool.

139. Andrews, Donna. No Nest for the Wicket. 304 pages. 12.14.09.

Suffering from a chronic inability to say "no" to her friends and family, blacksmith Meg Langslow finds herself sliding down a bank during the eXtreme croquette tournament she was talked into hosting ... and lands on the body of a strange woman. As life goes on for nearly everyone Meg finds herself investigating the mysterious death and daydreaming about which suspect would make her life easiest. No Nest for the Wicket is an enjoyable cozy mystery, and echoes the tone and storyline of the previous books nicely.

The book behind "A Christmas Story"

138. Shepherd, Jean. In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. 264 pages. 12.13.09.

The image of a fishnet-clad leg glowing in a window and the call of "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" have become as much a part of American Christmas traditions as stockings and trees. Ralphie and his "Official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle" were first introduced in Jean Shepherd's In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, published in 1966 (seventeen years before the making of "A Christmas Story"). The iconic tale is only a few chapters of the book that recounts growing up in Indiana during the Depression. After escaping to New York City, narrator Ralph returns to his home town for a business trip and find himself planted on a bar stool with an old friend, reminiscing about their shared adventures.

Taken as a whole, In God We Trust... is a mixed bag. For every entertaining anecdote Shepherd relates he has an equally tedious chapter to follow. While the exaggerated purple prose adds humor as Shepherd describes some rather bleak realities, it can quickly lose its charm. 2.5 stars.

As You Like It at Sidney Harman Hall

Last night my partner and I attended a performance of William Shakespeare's As You Like It by the Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall.
Thanks to some confusion over the location of Sidney Harman Hall and parking difficulties (which I'll admit were my fault) we did not make the curtain, but were seated by the end of the first scene.*

Directed by Tony Award-winner Maria Aitken, The Shakespeare Theatre's current production takes a look at Shakespeare's romantic rump in its original role as entertainment. Presented in imitation of classic American historical films, Aitken takes the audience through an evolving trip that emphasizes both the nature of performance itself, and the universality of Shakespeare's play (which was itself borrowed from other sources, like much of his work). On a stage framed with film canisters and lit from the sides by large "cameras", the actors move through scenes beginning with a stark and Puritanical setting, and travel through pilgrims landing in North America, Valley Forge, the Civil War, the roaring 20s, and end with a number worthy of Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, tripping through many recognizable and entertaining film styles in between. Complete with camera crews, a director, and on-stage set and costume designers, As You Like It is a theatrical spectacle of the most entertaining sort.

All major roles are well-cast, and Floyd King as Touchstone, Anjali Bhimani as Phebe and Aubrey Deeker as Silvius are especially delightful. There is wonderful chemistry between Francesca Faridany (Rosalind) and Miriam Silverman (Celia), and Andrew Long as Jaques is sure to please. However, I maintain that the best role belonged to that of the costume designer Martin Pakledinaz - with so many costume changes and so much to choose from Pakledinaz makes full use of the creative potential, and really makes each scene with a keen eye and attention to detail.

The run has been extended until December 22, and I highly recommend attending a performance before you miss your chance!

*** Photos by Scott Suchman, and borrowed from shakespearetheatre.org

*If you're ever late to a performance by the Shakespeare Theatre company, don't fret! They mark the time between scenes so they can seat late-comers without disturbing the audience members who actually plan better. As an added bonus we had purchased end-row seats, so we got in with limited fuss. Whew!

137. Hamilton, Laruell K. Divine Misdemeanors. 333 pages. 12.11.09


Divine Misdemeanors is Laurell K. Hamilton's eighth Meredith Gentry novel. In this most recent installment Hamilton takes Merry and her ever-growing household out of faerie and back to LA, where they are forced to adjust to the everyday, while helping police work through a case involving dead fey.

Most evident in this novel are Hamilton's attempts to superimpose the world of fairy tales onto the everyday, and she seems to struggle with her characters as they are forced to consider things like rent and occupation. However, little seems resolved by the end of the book, and much of the plot comes off as underdeveloped. It seems like Hamilton has too many characters and too many stories to tell, and can't really balance everything she wants to do in 350 pages. As a result characters are lost and story lines come off as shallow. However, I did enjoy some of the tidbits revealed by a few of Merry's men, and can see their stories growing in the future.

Divine Misdemeanors is not nearly as enthralling as Swallowing Darkness, and seems to serve as a transition from one storyline to the next. On its own Divine Misdemeanors is entertaining but nothing special; I have confidence that Hamilton will again find her feet with the next book.

136. Andrews, Donna. Owls Well That Ends Well. 326 pages. 12.7.09.

Donna Andrews' Owls Well That Ends Well is a pratfall of a novel. That's not to say that it isn't entertaining - on the contrary, it's very amusing - but the antics of Meg Langslow's suspect pool reached new heights. As part of the buyer's agreement for their new house, Michael and Meg organize a large yard sale to unburden themselves of the previous owner's goods, while generating a small profit for the deceased's family. On the day the 30-family yard sale opens up a local scalawag/antiques dealer is murdered in Meg's barn, and everything goes downhill from there. As a police investigation goes underway on one side, a carnival springs up on Meg and Michael's front lawn, with suspects darting to and fro. In the end it all adds to the charm and chuckles, and the Meg Langslow books continue to be an endearing series.

135. Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 104 pages. 12.5.09.

When the usurping Duke exiles his niece Rosalind (daughter of the overthrown Duke), she and the present Duke's daughter Celia steal away to the forest of Arden to prevent their separation. Rosalind, newly infatuated with a young wrestling champion named Orlando, disguises herself as Celia's brother, and the two set up household not far from where Rosalind's father holds his Robin Hood-like court in the wilderness. Full of the accidents, cross-dressing, wit and hurried couplings that define so many of Shakespeare's comedies, As You Like It is a delightful play to read.

In 2007 my mother in law gave me a set of Shakespeare that was published in 1901. The original set is actually missing As You Like It, and somewhere along the way someone substituted a Yale publication of the play from 1965. This edition claims to make an effort to get back to the "original" format of the play, and therefore excludes almost all stage directions. This is the first time I've read the play since grad school, and I could still hear some of the lectures echoing in my head. I was personally stuck by the reliance on duality to define identity, not unlike what Becket will do centuries later in his works Waiting for Godot and End Game. It was very interesting to take another look at the play, and I enjoyed reading it on several levels.

134. Adrian, Lara. Ashes of Midnight. 368 pages. 12.3.09.

I did not find Ashes of Midnight to be as entertaining as previous books. The characters have grown increasingly flat as the series continues, and the plot drags from the very beginning. The Midnight Breed series has lots its momentum.