Kim Reaper, v. 1: Grim Beginnings by Sarah Graley

Kim Reaper, v. 1: Grim Beginnings by Sarah Graley - 112 pages

Becka has a crush on goth Kim.  Little does she realize that Kim has a job as a grim reaper escorting souls to the afterlife.  Will this new relationship survive Kim's job?

I didn't really care for this graphic novel.  The artwork bothered me for some reason.  I also thought Becka's feelings seemed to waffle a little too much.

Rogue by Gina Damico

Rogue by Gina Damico - 336 pages
Book 3 in the Croak Series

Lex is an out of control teen Grim Reaper with a semi-dead boyfriend and an Afterlife to save from permanent destruction.  This entry finishes the series and is full of non-stop action and snark.  Definitely recommend this as a fun, fast series to read if you like paranormal teen fiction with dark humor.

Scorch by Gina Damico

Scorch by Gina Damico - 352 pages
Book 2 in the Croak series.

16 year old Lex Bartleby is a grim reaper with the very rare power to damn souls, no afterlife for them!  Lex is fighting her own personal dark side in addition to trying to stay one step ahead of people trying to kill her and her gang of friends as rebels.  They escape out of Croak to DeMyse in the desert and try to find friends to support their cause.  The characters are fun and the humor is dark.  If you liked the tv show Dead Like Me, then this series is for you.

Croak by Gina Damico

Croak by Gina Damico - 320 pages

Lexington is just your average teen girl until a sudden eruption of a dark side and bad behavior gets her sent off to the spend the summer with Uncle Mort in Croak.  There she finds her true destiny in helping souls cross over into the afterlife.  This is a fun paranormal read filled with snarky dark humor.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.  

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones - 320 pages
Charley Davidson series

The latest installment in this urban fantasy series focusing on the crazy life of part time PI and full time grim reaper Charley Davidson is full of snarky dark humor and eccentric characters. Charley is super pregnant and has been forced into hiding in sacred ground to protect her unborn baby from the forces of evil out to destroy her. Her husband Reyes (son of Satan) is increasingly more and more distracted and disappearing at odd times. Throw in a wedding, hell hounds and long lost family and what could possibly go wrong?

Posted with Blogsy

Black Butler (Manga) by Yana Toboso

Black Butler (Manga) by Yana Toboso , 768 pages
V1 - 192 pages , V2 -192 pages, V3 - 192 pages, V4 - 192 pages

12 year old Earl Ciel Phantomhive became head of his family when his mother and father where murdered and the family home burned in flames. Ciel was kidnapped (we later find) and comes back later with a black clad butler who seems to know Ciel's every thought and need. All of the characters of the book love Sebastian for the most part and think he's the most amazing butler around -- capable of doing some truly magnificent feats. The manga has side notes and flashbacks that gradually fill in the blanks of what happened to Ciel and his family and why he contracted with a demon to exact revenge on those who hurt his family and humiliated him. Throughout the manga, Ciel and his extraordinary butler work together to solve various mysteries plaguing the "Great Empire of Queen Victoria"  -- especially the streets of London -- while at the same time gathering information about who ordered the murder of his parents and then Ciel's kidnapping. Ciel's family has always been the Queen's Watchdog and when he returns to his family's home, he resumes the duties of his father. Ciel is also the shrewd owner of a toy company and various other Phantomhive businesses as the books progress. The characters are well done and the story lines draw you in. I would say it's the manga is dark humor for the most part, but tastefully done.

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones - 352 pages
(Charley Davidson series)

This is a fun addition to this fast-paced sexy series.  PI Charley Davidson continues to grow into her supernatural nature as she faces threats to her personal and professional life.  Having the son of Satan as your boyfriend / neighbor certainly helps to complicate matters...

The hilarious slogans / captions at the beginning of each chapter are often laugh at loud funny and something I look forward to in each installment. Warning - the captions are for grownups.   http://openbooksociety.com/article/the-grim-reapers-collection-of-sayings-charley-davidson-series-darynda-jones-top-2/

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet - Darynda Jones

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones, 320 pages
Book 4 of the Charley Davidson series

Charley is a grim reaper and a private investigator.  Her two worlds collided so horribly in her last case that she has taken several months off to wallow and abuse the home shopping network.  But Charley can't refuse to help a woman who shows up on her doorstep that is convinced people are trying to kill her.  At the same time Charley's on and off again love interest, Reyes Farrow (who happens to be the son of Satan) is out of prison and dropping into her life again.  This is much funnier than you would suspect of a paranormal series about a grim reaper.  If Janet Evanovich wrote urban fantasy, this would be it.   

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones - 310 pages

The third book featuring grim reaper Charley Davidson doesn't disappoint.  Think urban supernatural fantasy meets the humor and romance of the Janet Evanovich mysteries!  It is important to read the series in order so that Charley's relationship with her nemesis / lover Reyes Farrow becomes clearer.