The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page, 255 pages

This prequel shows how Faith Sibley, a single caterer living in New York City, met her husband, Reverend Thomas Fairchild. Faith, as the daughter and granddaughter of clergymen, had sworn that she would never marry a clergymen, but the heart knows no limits. Her and Tom fall deeply and quickly in love, with an engagement soon following. Faith plans their wedding, with the ceremony to happen at her beloved Uncle Sky's Long Island mansion. But mysteries abound, threatening not only the wedding, but also Faith's life. Can she solve all of these before she becomes the dearly departed instead of the blushing bride?
I've read all the Faith Fairchild mysteries, so I particularly enjoyed getting to see how it all started. Katherine Hall Page always creates a story that not only intrigues but also entertains, with compelling storylines and characters that are refreshing. The mix of mystery and food is mixed perfectly, with the meals and cooking complementing the plot perfectly. These books are always wonderfully readable and "The Body in the Boudoir" proves to be no different.

The Museum of Hoaxes by Alex Boese, 266 pages

This also was reviewed on the Unshelved Friday book club page and piqued my interest. It looks at the history of hoaxes and some of the most famous. I especially liked the inclusion of pictures. I enjoy reading about hoaxes and shenanigans, I was a big fan of the Weekly World News when it was still published. Bat Boy lives on forever!

Hippo Eats Dwarf by Alex Boese, 278 pages

This book was reviewed under the Unshelved comic strip Friday book club, and I thought it sounded interesting. It covers internet and media hoaxes and such, and is also a guide on how to be able to tell reality from fantasy in today's hype-driven world. Though I'm thinking the first step would be that if the story comes from the Weekly World News, you might not want to believe it. This was an okay book, it didn't enthrall me, but it did keep me entertained and the chapters were relatively short with lots of bullet points.

Final Sail by Elaine Viets, 260 pages

Another book in the Dead-End Jobs mystery series by Elaine Viets. I have really enjoyed these books from the start. I'm really wanting Helen to tell Phil about her dead ex-husband so they can deal with that. This is a great series but I really recommend starting from book one.

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith, 307 pages

Seth Grahame-Smith made Pride and Prejudice something that you could take a bite out of with the addition of zombies, and took a swing at Abraham Lincoln by giving him a silver tipped axe and a passion for killing vampires. Now he's done the same thing with Jesus' birth, but there aren't any monsters, except for the people. What if the wise men weren't really kings or magicians, but instead thieves, on the run from Herod? How would that change the story?
I was a little hesitant when I picked this book up because I wasn't sure how respectful the author would be of one of the most beloved events in the Christian religion. But, I have to say he did a good job of putting a new spin on the story without mocking or belittling it. The way Balthazar treats Joseph for believing Mary's story of being pregnant with God's story is how I'm sure a lot of people reacted.

I can see a lot of people being upset that someone dared to mess with the story of Jesus' birth, but all in all, I think it was a good read.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, 361 pages

Some people say serial killers are created, others say they're born that way. What happens when you're the teenage son of the most famous serial killer of all time? Jazz is determined to prove everyone wrong, including his dad, by not being killer. But someone has started recreating his dad's kills, and the clues are pointing to Jazz as the copycat.

This was a disturbing and intense read, that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really enjoyed it and am eagerly looking forward to the next book. I can easily see my 16-year-old daughter and Lisa getting into a fight over who gets to read this book first. They would both really enjoy it.

Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen, 259 pages

Since Jesse Petersen will be coming to the library on Saturday, I thought I would reread her books again. I knew I liked them but I had forgot just how much. The chapter headings are one of the many delights of the book. My husband was getting a little irritated because I kept insisting on reading them to him even though he had already read the book. What can I say, they're just so funny they deserve to be read out loud.