SKIN TRADE
Laurell K. Hamilton

Author Laurell K. Hamilton has raised the bar in her newest horror novel “Skin Trade.” This new addition is the 17th book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.

Hamilton takes Anita Blake, a U.S. Marshall and vampire executioner, to Las Vegas because a human head was mailed to her office as a threat. She heads to Nevada to investigate the murder and runs into old friends, including a crushing ex-serial killer.

A new element of magic is introduced and tangled into the mysterious murders due to unexplainable circumstances. This new angle brings a much needed jumpstart to the series and introduces a fresh, exciting plot line.

Compared to her recent novels, “Skin Trade” shines like a star among the dimly lit piles of redundancy that Hamilton spiraled into.

Anita’s escapades no longer center around her many romances, but focus more on her roots of investigating crimes.

VERDICT: With the introduction of this new investigation and rivalry in Las Vegas, Hamilton brings out in Anita the vampire executioner that we all know and love, rather than the emotional and confused girl with all the problems that has dominated her other recent novels.

- Kristyna Mauch

A QUESTION OF PRIDE
Frederick Laing

Going through your father’s stash of old books always proves to be beneficial. Last weekend, as I went through old boxes, I came across what proved to be the perfect book.

A book from the disco era, A Question of Pride by Frederick Laing is a relatively short book – only 128 pages long – but don’t let that faze you. What it lacks in length it makes up for in story content.

Laing writes about young love in a very upfront and honest fashion. It’s not all that different from other similarly-themed romance stories: Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy and girl fall in love, boy leaves.

Though I am not one to normally rave about romance novels, I like “A Question of Pride.”

In all fairness, it cannot be perfectly classified as a romance novel. All the same, it captures the simplicity and earnestness of what young love is and should be – and for that, I thoroughly enjoyed this simple read.

A friend who knows both sides of the relationship in question serves as the narrator of “A Question of Pride.” The story is mainly about a young trumpeter, Larry, who is trying to create a name for himself as an aspiring musician.

He undergoes many struggles, working three jobs because of an uncle who is unable to support him. His uncle is an actor who has never made it in show business.

Along the way, Larry meets the kind-hearted Lisa. Date after date, their relationship grows and they begin to fall in love. Their school romance seemingly ends when he leaves for a show and ends up making it big.

After leaving, young Lisa is left heartbroken. Will he ever return? And will she ever search for him? To reunite with each other, they will both need to learn to swallow their pride.

VERDICT: I rate it as a hopping yes. It’s readable and most definitely loveable.

- Priya Patel