Demon Hunting in the Deep South

It was news to me, but apparently, there is a small town in Alabama (named Hannah)  that is rife with demons and half human/half demon hybrids.  Really---would I make this up? Lexi George's new novel, Demon Hunting in the Deep South is a great paranormal romance romp!  Evie Douglass is the star of this series, of which this book is the second.  Evie is thrust into the mystery-solving business when her childhood nemesis Meredith (aka, the "Death Star") is brutally murdered and she turns out to be the police's number one suspect.  Meredith and her cronies have tormented Evie her entire life and, unfortunately, Meredith is not much nicer as a ghost!  Her best friend, Addy, owner of Hannah's popular florist shop,  is blissfully in love with gorgeous demon hunter Brand, who has an equally gorgeous brother named Ansgar.  Evie is wary of anyone who thinks her plus-size self is beautiful, but this does not deter Ansgar from his pursuit of her.  Evie is troubled by fuzzy recollections of past events---is Ansgar and her friends keeping things hidden abour her past?  Ansgar, Evie, Addy and Brand all team up to figure out who Meredith's killer is and clear Evie's name--while they all fight the demons and demonoids running wild in Hannah, Alabama.  I read this book without realizing I should have started with the first one Demon Hunting in Dixie.  I wasn't too confused, but the plot in the second book does build on a few things that occurred in the first book so I think that they should probably be read in order.  This book is a hilarious, typically southern, bawdy ride and is a great choice for anyone in the mood for a funny romance with a touch of supernatural thrills.  Visit Lexi George at www.LexiGeorge.com!

New YA Books Added to the Collection--Part 1

Recently Jennifer has been working on beefing up our YA collection. The YA collection sits on white shelving to the right of the elevator (if you are in front of the elevator) and contains books suitable for high school through college age. Some amazing-sounding titles have passed through my hands and I wanted to share a few.

You by Charles Benoit finds fifteen-year old Kyle Chase covered in blood with no memory of what happened and time is running out.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins has Sophie Mercer discovering that she is not a witch, like she thought, but a demon and one of only two in the world. She also learns that she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. She decides to got to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers for good--or kill her. But once she arrives she makes a shocking discovery--someone is raising demons in secret, with plans to use their powers, and probably not for good.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is the story of Finn and Claudia. Finn cannot remember his childhood or life before Incarceron--a prison that has been sealed for centuries, where inmates live in cells, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. No one has ever escaped, but then he finds a crystal key and a girl named Claudia. Claudia's father is the Warden of Incarceron and Claudia is about to become a kind of prisoner herself, doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know because Incarceron is alive.

Stayed tuned for next week's blog where we examine four more new YA books!!!

Join Us on an Iron Hunt

Iron Hunt by Margaret Liu is one of the best supernatural stories I have read in a long time. The basis of the story is that Maxine Kiss, by day, is a fearless woman covered neck to toe in tattoos. At night, however, the tattoos peel off and become her loyal protectors. The five tattoos Maxine carries on her body are demons and her friends as well as an extinction of herself--they make her impossible to kill during the day and become her shadowy guardians at night. Each demon has a distinct personality, and they have been Maxine's friends (and her mother and grandmother's friends) for many years. Maxine hunts demons, and is known as the "Hunter" --in a world of zombies and other supernatural beings, she is kept very busy! The story is set in Seattle and the writing is beautiful. Maxine is a strong, flawed character and the reader grows to love her tough exterior covering up her vulnerable insides. In this story, Maxine is trying to corral the demons that have escaped the prison veil that exists in the dimension between Earth and other worlds, as well as figure out some crucial details about her past. If you enjoy reading Iron Hunt, try also reading Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn, another supernatural suspense story.