SNOWED IN by Rachel Hawthorne

SNOWED IN by Rachel Hawthorne is about a 16-year old girl named Ashleigh Sneaux who moves from Texas to an island on the Great Lakes. Besides adjusting to the weather change, she lives in a bed and breakfast that needs renovating.

The romantic prospects aren't very good either. Josh has been with his girlfriend for five years and Chase seems to only date tourists. Also, Ashleigh is not a relationship person. Will she change her mind when she meets the right guy?

Snowed In is full of romance, small-town charm, and has a dash of drama. It is a quick read that's great for the holidays and will warm your heart and your spirit.

RUSTY NAIL by JA Konrath

Jack Daniels is back, and she is glad that things around the office have quieted down. But they aren't calm for very long. A videotape of a woman's murder arrives at the office and the investigation begins.

Even with Konrath's excellent writing style and witty dialogue, Rusty Nail still disappoints compared to Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary. It has the most gore out of the three, but the gore didn't seem to serve a purpose, as if it was thrown in to make up for a lack luster plot.

The plot was a little too recycled and predictable. Some events that happened in Rusty Nail already happened in the first two books, such as Mr. Whiskers attacking the killer, Jack calling Latham to get back together, and Jack having several near-death experiences and miraculously living through them. It is like an action movie where the protagonist gets shot at twenty times and is still alive to shoot the bad guy.

Honestly, my empathy for Jack is running low. She is much more whiny this time around. She complains that she is lonely yet pushes away the man she loves, and the worst part is she knows she has no one to blame but herself. At work, she constantly makes stupid decisions that put her life in danger, and rarely takes measures to protect herself before charging into seriously risky situations.

Jack endures much emotional and physical pain at the hands of the Kork family and yet when she is faced with death she feels nothing but apathy. That seemed out of character for her, but she is tired, and at some point the reader must ask - how much can she go through before she cracks? Who knows.

Fans of the first two books will appreciate Konrath's humour, such as Harry's wisecracks about lockjaw (a rusty nail/tetanus reference) and Jack's verbal hits to Harry's ego. So if you enjoyed Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail is still an okay read, but let's hope Dirty Martini will be better, if only to see Jack prevail one more time.

Want to read too? Rusty Nail by JA Konrath.

DEADLINE by Chris Crutcher

How would you react if you found out you had one year to live?

That's the dilemma eighteen-year-old Ben Wolf faces after he is diagnosed with leukemia. The prognosis isn't good. Ben has one year to live, maybe a little longer with treatment. Ben refuses treatment and decides to keep his illness a secret from his friends and family so he can live a so-called normal life.

The story moves at a good pace, with Ben making quick decisions like asking out the girl he likes, joining the football team, and harassing his teachers. Meanwhile, he questions everything and tries to figure out the meaning of life while coming to terms with his impending death.

Even though Crutcher packs a lot of issues (death, teenage pregnancy, Ben's mother's depression, molestation, suicide, racism) into one novel, there is balance between the storyline and characters, and the characters are well developed, especially Ben.

There are only two small problems that stand out.

The first is all the Malcolm-X references throughout the book. Even though there are hints and explanations, as someone that hasn't read Malcolm X I was confused as to what exactly Ben was trying to achieve with his school assignment.

The second is the reactions to Ben saying he was terminal. His brother seems a little too apathetic, considering he has the closest relationship with Ben. His parents' reaction is a mystery to me, too. His mother is depressed most of the book and locked away in her room. After hearing the news, she cries and then Ben leaves the room and that's it.

At first glance, it's a little odd that Ben's declining health isn't a little more prominent, but then I thought no, this is book is about his life, not how sick he is, and that's what I liked best. The ending has the most impact, despite knowing from the beginning the inevitable. It's still somewhat of a shock. I found myself choking back tears and wanting to scream, "Noooooo! He can't die!"

Even though Ben is gone, what he leaves behind is a strong reminder to all of us to enjoy life to the fullest every single day. Live like you were dying.

Want to read too? Deadline by Chris Crutcher.