I've Got the Chills

First things first. Drum roll please. The winner of BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves is JULIE MUSIL. Congrats!

Now it's time for a book review my friends. Which book? SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater.

Remember my friend Seth? If not refresh your memory with this interview. Got it? He's a werewolf. A werewolf that said he really doesn't read books like this, so naturally, I asked him to do just that. At first he said, "NO WAY." Then I offered to bribe him and he acquiesced. So here's his review:

Okay, first off, lets get this out in the open - it was way too sappy for me. Total chick stuff. But, I have to admit that once I accepted that and resigned myself to reading it, I found I actually kind of liked it. I really liked Sam. Though I totally would have been all over Grace from the get go. I don't know what took him so long.

I also thought this Stiefvater lady did a pretty good job making up lore. I mean the whole when it gets cold I turn into a wolf thing was original. Hardly accurate, but I give her points for imagination. She really did get right in those wolves' heads though. That was right on. Like scary right on.

So, I have to say that if I was going to be forced to read a chick book about werewolves, this would totally be the one. Yeah. And anytime you want me to read LINGER and you offer me a few more Milkbones, I'll be happy to help out.

Thanks, Seth! I'll certainly be picking up LINGER when it comes out. My own take on SHIVER? I REALLY liked it. The romance was great. I'm a sucker for that myself. I agree with Seth in that I also enjoyed Sam's character. I understand why she chose to split the POV between Sam and Grace, but truthfully there were times I would have preferred to stick with Sam. I liked the fact that he was not your typical YA male. He was touchingly real. Also, I can't help but give a positive review to anything taking place in and around Duluth.

What did you think of the book?

Caring for Your Werewolf

Is your werewolf listless? Does he refuse to howl at the moon? Does he only half-heartedly sit with his head on his paws when the neighbor's cat walks by?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, your werewolf may be bored and there's nothing worse than a bored werewolf on a full moon. Lets face it, immortality can be tough. How many episodes of Jeopardy can you watch in a lifetime?

So what to do with a bored werwolf? Well, try putting a little spark back into his day. Here are some suggestions for activities werewolves love:

1. Hunting

Give a treat to say you care. Catch a zombie (not hard to do since they're stupid), give the zombie a thirty second head start and let your werewolf loose. Make sure there aren't any innocent bystanders too close when you do this though, or it could get messy.

2. Take him for a walk

What animal doesn't love a good walk. Make sure you put on your hiking shoes though! That terrain can be rough. Last time I did this with a werewolf I ended up with a broken arm and two bruised ribs. Oh the memories!

3. Give him a chew toy

Does he shred through normal toys too quickly? Try a garden gnome! They're made of tough stuff. Don't pick a real gnome by mistake, however. That wouldn't entertain for more than ten seconds and it would leave an awful mess.

4. Watch New Moon with him

Then give him one of those big cardboard cutouts of Edward so he can go to town.

Surely one one of these activities will be enough to break him (or her) out of this melancholy mood. Too many people adopt a werewolf thinking it's all fun and games, but the truth is they are a lot of work. You need to care for your werewolf and keep him happy. Too many are abandoned only to breed and attack at the next full moon. So be a responsible owner, please!