A bit of anti-bullying is included in this book and it's done very well. Considering that it's a child's book, everything does wrap up fairly neatly, but I'm pleased that the bully doesn't become friends with the people she's picking on. I love realism in my fiction (when done right) and it would not have made sense.

Spoiler

The bully is praised for her activism (she starts a petition and gets a good number of signatures) and standing up for what she thinks, but then it's explained that she's going about it the wrong way (deliberately trying to hurt people) and told that just because she thinks something different doesn't mean she's right or that she will get her way just because other people agree with her.

This is definitely something children should be reading in this day and age.

Plague! Also, if the bats and rats have fleas, wouldn't they be super-sized like all the other critters? It appears not because one was able to bite his mom's hand without them originally noticing, but why are fleas exempt from the extra large genes? O_O Also, Hamnet is my hero!!

As good as the first one was, the second book is just as good if not better. I love that Gregor immediately told his mom everything that happened at the end of the last book so that his disappearance this go round is more easily explainable. :-D

I did not expect to like this book nearly as much as I did. I thought I would like it, but it's amazing! I hate that it took me so long to finally read this book. :-D Also, Boots is adorable with her little roach friends! Hahaha!

Delightfully morbid and children love it. I will definitely have to add this one to my collection!!!

The artwork is incredible and, while I didn't originally view this as a horror story, it really is. It's horror for children with a built-in moral. Don't be drawn in by flattery; it's a great moral.

*"Caribou's Gift" by Eve Langlais -- A fun read. Well written enough to entice me to put others by this author on a to-read list. :-)

*"Hunted Holiday: A Vampire Romance" by Mandy M. Roth -- This one made me laugh and was enjoyable, but much more disturbing than I might like. Who defiles a snowman and gives him a carrot penis?! o_O Oh, right, Dani Malloye. (It was hilarious, by the way!)

*"Lost in Winter" by Viola Rivard -- This was sweet and I'm tempted to look up more books from this author.

"Kissed by Temptation" by Deanna Chase -- Not bad. Predictable, but I'm curious about the ending comments on one of the pairings. I'm not sure if I'm curious enough to read more of this authors books, though. (Time will tell.)

"Bear Witness: Pearson Security #1" by Michele Bardsley -- Oh goodness, not only is he a handsome bear with a non-shifter wolf friend, but he's willing to change diapers, too!

"A Heart in Winter" by V.M. Black -- I'm not down with infidelity no matter the cause or reasoning. This was a no-go for me, but I did enjoy the way it was written so I would consider giving others by this author a chance.

"Alpha's First Christmas" by Aubrey Rose and Molly Prince -- Hutch is more than a little dumb (at least, that's how he comes across to me), but I love his description of his best Christmas at the end. It's enough to make you roll your eyes and sigh "men" in a slightly amused and exasperated tone.

"Witches Shall Rise" by Terah Edun -- There were a few editing issues that really bugged me, but other than that I was intrigued.

"A Christmas to Bear" by Carina Wilder -- I like the main character's mental dialogue.

"Shadows Beneath the Falling Snow" by Cristina Rayne -- An interesting story that makes me want to read more about this world.

"Home for the Howlidays" by Chloe Cole -- Not a bad story, but not enough to really hook me into more works from this author.

*"Everlastingly" by Michelle M. Pillow -- I can handle not knowing exactly what's going on in the story, but come on! Give us something to try to figure it out from. (Spoiler alert - I figured it out, but I let someone else read over this story and they almost threw my Kindle in frustration.)

*"The Hunter's Moon" by Shawntelle Madison -- Cynthia's brother is the character showing the most true love in this book. :-)

"A Ghostly Gift" by Angie Fox -- This was the only simple and non-sexy love story out of all these.

*"Love Singer" by Mimi Strong -- I can deal with immature writing, but even I couldn't get past sparkles shooting from someone's "ladyparts" and then running away embarrassed! Reading this story made me feel like I had walked in on two twelve-year-olds trying to figure out sex, getting it all wrong, knowing they're getting it wrong, and then just running away naked instead of talking or getting dressed and deciding to try again after maturing. (Ear sex from Family Guy, anyone?)

*"Lord of Misrule" by J.S. Hope -- This was the only story that wasn't completely predictable, but it was also the only story that was the first section of a novel instead of a stand-alone piece.

"Blood Deep: Vegas Vampires Book 1" by Jessa Slade -- This story definitely makes me want to pick up from from this author!

"A Cold Winter's Bite" by Dawn Michelle -- Too many absurd and crass jokes about being gay and inappropriate jokes and talk about employees.

"Dangerous Attraction" by Lola St. Vil -- Meh. An angel dreams of sleeping with a criminal and then he saves her so of course the dream must come through.

"Breaking the Stag" by -- A little creepy to start with (they're children, for crying out loud!), but interesting and a solid end to the bundle.

*review posted on listing for individual story

Stupid cliffhanger!

Okay, cliffhangers don't bother me that much when I can immediately start the next book, but still. This book. I'm just dead. War is not the answer...

Picking up immediately where the previous book stops, Gregor finally reads the Prophecy of Time. The Warrior must die.

So there's war, some awesome Ripred scenes (he's my most favorite character!), Solovet being horrible, and Luxa and Gregor!

By the way, this book definitely has an anti-war agenda. I don't mind reading books with agendas (political, social, whatever - even if I disagree with it), but this one punched hard when we got there.

This book feels like her geek writing is coming together a little better. Still not quite what I expected, but enjoyable if a little cliched.

... So we went from geekdom attempts to undercover rich and landed English Duke? Okay....

Well, it was another fast read and still enjoyable, but fairly cliché overall.