Only the Good Spy Young

Carter, Ally. Only the Good Spy Young. (Gallagher Girls #4)
I buy very few books for myself. The exceptions are anything by Rick Riordan or Adam Selzer, the Harry Potter books for my children, and this latest from Ally Carter. I was grocery shopping on Saturday on my way to spend several hours standing in a field and realized, to my horror, that I had brought nothing to read. I don't feel at all bad having spent my own money for this one-- it will be checked out the moment it's processed!

Cammie is enjoying a break in London when Joe Solomon shows up. Before Bex's parents and all of the security detail get to him, he tells Cammie to "follow the pigeons", then jumps into the Thames. Cammie is told that Mr. Solomon, her former CoveOps teacher and the best friend of her late father, is really a member of the evil Circle of Cavan. She doesn't quite believe this, and when Mr. Townsend, an English operative, comes to Gallagher Academy to teach and keep tabs on Cammie, she sets out to prove that Mr. Solomon is not evil. This involves breaking into levels of the academy that have been sealed off, and eventually breaking into Blackthorne, with the help of Zach, who shows up often enough to distract Cammie.

These are all delightful books, and Carter's spy knowledge makes it seem like if I took some classes, I, too could become an international spy. *Sigh*. There has got to be another book coming out, and it will probably involve Zach and Cammie running off on their own. I can't wait!



Schreiber, Ellen. Love Bites (Vampire Kisses #7)
Feel compelled to state that the first Vampire Kisses book came out in 2003 and that Twilight came out in 2005.

These have never been my favorite books. Raven's quest to become a vampire at the hands of her boyfriend Alexander makes me want to slap her. She is agressively Goth, and thinks it is original, and the amount of descriptions of her clothing makes me want to cry. Dullsville sounds like a very nice place to live, even though she constantly disparages it. Still, the series is wildly popular with girls and boys, and I don't mind reading the books because Schreiber's writing is so blissfully easy to read. Her stories move along beautifully. I just wish she would return to things like Comedy Girl.

In this installment, Alexander's best friend, Sebastian, shows up, and falls in love with Raven's best friend. Alexander's art career takes off and reporters come to the house to interview him. It doesn't really matter what these books are about-- the loyal readers want them, as well as the Blodd Relatives graphic novels. That I don't understand; they've already read the story. Doesn't keep them from checking out the graphic novels multiple times. Fortunately for the young fans, but unfortunately for me, Scrhieber's new series looks like werewolves are involved. (Once in a Full Moon, out December 28, and Cryptic Cravings.)

Since school has begun, most of the student requests have been for horror/murder mysteries, mythology, sprts and adventure books. I think, therefore, that I will pass on Zafon's The Prince of Mist (fantasy, translated from Spanish), Gephart's As if Being 12 and 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president (realistic fiction for girls, but whiny), and Kelley's Nature Girl (quirky/dysfunctional girl book). Nothing wrong with them; just don't fit what I need right now.