Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man's Quest to Live in the World of the Undead Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always been fascinated with Stoker's Dracula novel, but never with any of the movies, books, or countless manifestations of the character he created. I've never understood how the Dracula figure has grown into a pop-culture juggernaut over the last century on the strength of terrible movies, lousy novels, and breakfast cereals. This book addresses all of those issues.
I've never thought of the spread of the Dracula phenomenon as inherently vampiric until I read Sundays with Vlad. Paul Bibeau chronicles the transformation of a fictional character, based loosely upon a vague historical figure from a remote region, created in a novel that was not even mentioned in its author's obituary, into an unrivalled marketing powerhouse that has penetrated global culture with the same viral potency that gave Stoker's figure its true terror. The Dracula persona has been escalated by wave after wave of fans, freaks, and economic opportunists to the point where legend, history, literature, and pop-culture are permanently, and irrevocably intertwined. Sundays with Vlad untangles the mess.
But that sounds boring.
The true strength of Sundays with Vlad is Bibeau's humor.
This book is an impressively thorough examination of the Dracula phenomenon, that transitions smoothly between political, historical, literary, and pop-cultural issues - always with a brisk wit that keeps the matter interesting. Not only does Bibeau examine all angles of Dracula worship, he does it all personally. He goes to Romania on his honeymoon, he marches in a parade dressed as a clove of garlic, he watches every god-forsaken vampire movie he can find in a weekend, he goes LARPing in Kentucky, he speaks to the creator of Count Chocula, he almost gets attacked by hookers and skinheads in Hungary, and he even tries on vinyl pants. None of it is pretty, but it's all there.
The result is a very extensive, very entertaining, journey through a landscape littered with eccentrics in plastic capes and sanguinarians running for political office. Bibeau handles all topics from the sublimity of literature to the absurdity of Aaron Spelling vampire dramas with a sincere touch; non-judgmental, yet crucially observant, and always funny. As he follows the unlikely trail of arguably the most influential icon of the last century, Paul Bibeau's own thoughts, reservations, and shortcomings, often serve as a familiar point of reference for the reader in the face of the absurd. As we walk with him through the ranks of the unrecognizably strange, Bibeau's natural, comfortable wit may be the true appeal of the book.


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Examines Dracula as a cultural icon, describing his transformation from a fictional character in Bram Stoker's novel to a figure that has pervaded popular culture.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Give a Boy a Gun Review

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(More customer reviews)Good fiction encourages the reader to think hard about the issues that affect our lives. The very best fiction does that and more - it encourages us to act on those issues. In this powerful, honest, and disturbing novel about guns and school violence, Todd Strasser gives voice to the victims, classmates, neighbors, parents, and students who held the guns - both fictional and real - and asks the reader what he can do to make a difference. Strasser goes beyond just the issue of gun control by presenting a compelling look at the intolerance that pervades our schools. He implores our educators and children to celebrate the differences that make us human, to value accomplishments beyond those on the athletic fields, and to recognize that marching to a different drummer is not cause for ridicule. I applaud Strasser, a fiction author, who uses his craft and his gift to encourage readers to be part of the solution to violence that is unnecessarily costing young lives.

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Passion Unleashed (Demonica, Book 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)I experienced every emotion possible while reading Wraith's story. The writing flows beautifully, the plot and sub-plots are thrilling, heartwarming, frightening and suspenseful, and the dialogue is witty as well as brilliant. With each page I turned and read, I was kept on a razor's edge, not knowing how the intricate storyline was going to be resolved, let alone how Wraith and Serena Kelly were going to achieve their HEA.
Passion Unleashed
Wraith has been poisoned and is dying, slowly. Underworld General is literally crumbling and falling apart bit by bit. Staff is deserting the hospital. And, as war between human and demonkind looms, the apocalypse seems a tangible reality.
Eidolon and Shade try to find an antidote for Wraith and discover the only cure is for him to procure a charm from Serena, a beautiful, sweet archaeologist who has a zest for life. I loved this heroine, while she has lead a "charmed life" as it were, and you will understand my meaning if you read the book, she is independent and curious about all things historical. She goes to almost any lengths to recover a relic, almost like a Lara Croft type of character, except Serena is a virgin and must remain so or lose her health.
There is extraordinary irony in the love story between Wraith and Serena because he, as you know if you have read the series thus far, has always done what he wants, uncaring about the consequences of his actions on others. Wraith is a selfish, hedonist demon with a death wish, however I've always liked him. Why? He is funny, cocky, brutally honest (most of the time - lol), he is an amazing warrior and he does have a certain code that he lives by with respect to satisfying his sexual needs. Wraith never has sex with human or vampire women because of a horrific past that is really fleshed out in this story.
So, the irony you see is that the woman who holds the cure for Wraith's affliction is human and a virgin, and he must seduce her to take the charm that will save his life. Their romance is one of the more bittersweet stories I've read and while rest assured they do have their HEA, I wept for them on more than one occasion. As is the way with the seminus demons in Larissa's novels, Wraith falls hard and for the first time in his life he is forced to come to terms with deep feelings for another. The erotic scenes penned between Serena and Wraith are boiling hot, but also tender and sensuous, ladies, get ready!
The backdrop to their love story, as I mentioned above is complex, but the metamorphosis of Wraith's character is deeply embedded into an absolutely riveting story that will leave readers hyperventilating until the closing pages.
If you thought the antagonist of Shade's story was a malevolent scary creature, wait until you read the one written for Wraith's. This creature is an unequivocal hells spawn whose goal is the total destruction of earth. The graphic imagery and prose written surrounding the final battle between the Aegis army and demons took me right into the thick of the fray.
Gem and Kynan's story continues to be a roller coaster ride. Their angst and heartache also brought me to tears. I will say Kynan's future is tied to a prophecy referenced in the "Daemonica" tome that will surprise you.
Reaver's character is also fully developed and he plays an integral part in the plotline and final battle.
Larissa Ione has cleverly introduced a new and very interesting character to the storyline who is given a pivotal role in one of the subplots of Wraith's book. I'm sure this character will be the hero of the fourth Demonica novel, and we will again have the story of another tortured hero to look forward too.
I've given a great deal of thought to this series over the past couple of days. What makes it so special for me? What keeps me engaged? Why am I literally addicted? As with any series there is not a singular reason, but I think it is that the heroes are so tortured that when they find their HEA it is that much more satisfying. Secondly, these characters are so unique and well developed; you cannot help but become invested in them as a reader. Then there is the humor, OMG, the dialogue that comes out of Wraith's mouth especially had me cackling with laughter! And lastly, from my perspective, the Demonica world becomes more amazing with each story and Ms. Ione is expanding it with just the right amount of momentum. The other issue is that these books, at around 400 pages are good hearty reads, which allows for a wonderful in-depth storyline.
I have to comment that I think reading these stories in order is a must, because the plots do interconnect, each book builds on the previous.
Thankfully Larissa Ione has been contracted to write two more novels but it is going to be another long wait because they are due out in 2010.
The Demonica novels I'm sure will be my favorite series of 2009.

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FORBIDDEN TEMPTATIONS Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter-and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she's been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn't all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she's finally met the one man she cannot resist. FATAL DESIRES Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe-her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: He's falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.

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