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Keeper Chance doesn't know what life holds in store for him, but he does know that he isn't enjoying school and he really isn't enjoying his grandmother nagging him about it, so when he's approached by a member of E.V.I.L. (Evil Villains International League) with an offer to join their ranks (as a trainee). It sounds interesting enough that he chooses to move forward, meeting another trainee, Toby, who's excited by the opportunity, having wanted to join EVIL for as long as he can remember. Their first EVIL mission, which could dictate whether or not they'll ever become full members ... steal enough cookies for the membership meeting. This should be pretty easy and straightforward, but the life as an EVIL henchman always takes disastrous turns. During their EVIL efforts, Chance and Toby encounter the enigmatic girl, Y, who's perhaps more capable than either boy. The simple crime of stealing cookies quickly snowballs into something much more dangerous and Kee...

 Based on an in-person presentation to help businesses strengthen the people in leadership roles, and to help people who want to move up (and stay up) the corporate ladder by being better leaders, authors Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood present their "Seven Disciplines to Achieve the Changes Great Leaders Know They Must Make". First they identify the seven key factors to better leaders (Simplicity;  Time; Accountability; Resources; Tracking; Melioration; Emotion), then they address each of them. It is essentially a workbook for their program, slightly modified to provide the narrative as well. The problem with this format is that we miss out on the charismatic presenters - and let's face it, anyone leading this kind of program is going to be very extroverted and very charismatic. It's the difference between reading and doing your homework and listening to your teacher explain it and walk you through your homework. A dozen years ago or so - about the time this book was ...

 Niri Lakani is the last surviving heir to the throne of Annwn, uncrowned ruler of the realm of Arawyn, sorceress master of the five elements and warrior guardian of Qi. She fights dark forces all across the magical realms as she looks to defeat the Mistress Witch with some help from some newfound friends. This is about as close to a DNF as I've ever come with a book.  I was absolutely ready to delete this from my Kindle about 20% into it when I thought I'd see what others were saying about it.  Seeing an overall rating of 4.63 on Goodreads, with only five and four star ratings I was shocked!  Clearly I was missing something, or the book was going to get much, much better. I wasn't, and it didn't. I continued because it was either going to be a really good book, OR there needed to be some reviews that provided a different viewpoint. First off, let's talk story.  There's nothing that really happens here.  Seriously.  It's a "wander" book - character...

Based on an Inuit tale passed down for generations, The Cannibal is a graphic novel telling the tale of one family working through the hard times when food was scarce and a community suffered.  When the patriarch of this Inuit family hunts, day after day and the animals he relies on for food for himself and his family have disappeared. Day after day the hunt produces nothing, and the family is going hungry. He knows where there is meat, though, and after another fruitless day, he he kills, skins, and boils the meat off the bones of the family pets. When that meat is gone, the man attacks his fellow villagers, providing a good stockpile of meat. But still the animals don't return and the man does the unthinkable, killing and eating his own children. His wife, heart-broken, refuses to eat her own children and settles for what few plants she can forage. But now the woman knows that her husband will stop at nothing to fill his stomach and there's only one source of meat left and i...

Ruby Tucker wants nothing more than to make it big in the punk music scene in Atlanta but she's currently stuck in her backwoods, small town with her dysfunctional family and she's had a falling out with her best friend and bandmate and her dreams look dead in the water, When Ruby goes to help her neighbor organize his religious relics, a strange ring affixes to her finger. The ensorcelled ring sends a blood-thirsty demon into Ruby's soul. The ring also acts as a broadcasting beacon, drawing all sorts of unnamable horrors toward her, all wanting to feast on her flesh. There's one way out - one way to remove the ring and rid herself of the demon: Ruby must get hundreds of people to chant a spell at the same time. Now Ruby needs to get the band back together, teach them a new song and take it on the road before it's too late. This is only my second experience with author Brom and, like the first, it's enjoyable. If you consider demons and bloodlust enjoyable, that...

Ellie Matthews is a criminologist, teaching at a local college and consulting with the FBI and local police. She has had a very tough early life (which perhaps prompted her interest in criminology) but things have finally started to go well for her. But her comfort is disrupted when, while at the college, she is visited by her stepfather, Marcus. but Marcus isn't supposed to be anywhere near Ellie and she asks her T.A. to call the police while she keeps a wary eye on the man. Marcus begs for her to listen but Ellie doesn't trust a word he has to say. When she is later called to an apparent overdose death and discovers the victim is Marcus, she has conflicting emotions. A search of his home reveals evidence of murders that Marcus may have committed, including that of Ellie's mother. Ellie tries to recuse herself from the investigation, but she's one of the best at what she does, and she's local, and is kept on the case. It could be easy to follow the apparent evidenc...

Tucked into the Swiss Alps is an elite boarding school catering to the world's wealthiest and most powerful vampire families. So it is a surprise to Dillon, who, son of a human man who has raised his son alone, didn't even know he had vampire blood in his veins until recently.  But as only half vampire, half human, Dillon is a Dhampire - hardly the trueblood that the wealthy are expecting to be joining their children in the school. Dillon has a lot to learn about being a vampire, but his blood shows that he is extraordinary, despite being human half. So extraordinary, in fact, that the smallest taste sends other vampires into a tizzy and, according to their ancient school customs, without knowing whose blood they were drinking, everyone voted for Dillon to be the leader for their year's students. This doesn't sit well with Bram - the spoiled, privileged student who's been groomed for this role since birth. Now Bram must serve as Dillon's second.  Maybe Bram'...