Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

I re-read HP7 because the film came out in November and the only time I read HP7 was the day it came out (14 hours of reading). So needless to say there were a great many details I had forgotten.
As with Persuasion (and really more so, as I'm sure a number of people have read this book already), I am not certain how to review this. I took my time reading the book, which was very nice. Every time I felt myself getting sucked into the story (which really isn't not too difficult) I made myself finish the chapter and put the book down. It was great to savor the story and think about everything that got revealed (the whole Dumbledore-Grindelwald thing I had forgotten about, as well as the Deathly Hallows) and understand how everything fell into place over seven books. A fantastic re-read. Still love the epilogue and still want more. Next step: see the movie!

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Book three of the Parasol Protectorate (and that term is finally used in the book, hee!) finds Alexia back with her mother, stepfather, and half-sisters. And fairly miserable. After being cast out by Conall once he discovered she was pregnant, Alexia made her way back to Woolsey Castle, packed her things, and removed herself to her past home. The bosom of her family is not very happy to see her back, blaming Alexia for Evy's failed engagement.
So with the trusty Floote and Madame Lefoux, Alexia escapes her family (and the vampires trying to kill her) for the Continent. Her goal is not only to get away from her family and society (even Queen Victoria has cast her out; Alexia is no longer muhjah, as Queen Victoria respects family greatly and the rumor that Alexia strayed outside of her marriage is not looked upon kindly by the Queen), but to prove to her very stubborn husband that he is in fact the father, so that Alexia will be discovered to be Blameless.
They are heading to Italy, where Alexia's father is from, also home to the Knights Templar the group that does not tolerate ANY supernatural being. So when Alexia arrives in Italy with Floote and Madame Lefoux, the Templars are kind enough to save them from the pursuing vampires, but Alexia soon discovers they will have nothing to do with her--won't speak to her, won't look at her, won't touch anything she has touched (in fact it all has to be destroyed). Floote is immeasurably helpful, having worked with Alexia's father and the Templars for years. Floote, as always, knows more than he's telling Alexia.
It takes Alexia awhile to come to terms with the Infant Inconvenience (as Alexia has taken to calling the baby); she never thought she was going to have a baby, especially once she married a werewolf, and the fact that the baby has separated her and Conall makes her look less kindly on it. But when she discovers that being a preternatural means she most likely won't carry the baby to term (preternaturals are repulsed from each other, like two magnets and there have been no records of a female preternatural carrying a baby to term), she begins to get a little discouraged, though still determined to prove Conall wrong.
But a funny little German, Dr. Lange-Wilsdorf, may have discovered the baby has a chance and also why the vampires are so desperate to have Alexia terminated.
Blameless is the most action-filled book so far, with werewolves fighting vampires and Templars and little bits of Alexia's father's history being revealed, and the relationship between Conall and Professor Lyall (one of the best characters by far), the severed hand the Templars keep in case of emergency, and Alexia being used as bait, plus everything else I'm leaving out (Ivy, Biffy, Lord Akeldama). Wonderful fun. Ends nicely, but also ends the reader wanting more and the next book is not due to be published until July 2011. Blast!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Ah yes, it is nearing the end of the year and I have not read any Austen until now. This is actually the first year since 1998 I have not read Pride & Prejudice. I'm actually ok with that.
Persuasion is becoming my favorite Austen novel. There's something about Anne that draws me and has continually done so; more now that I'm older. In Pride & Prejudice I liked the feistyness of the Elizabeth-Darcy relationship, and have been compared to having a Jane-Bingley relationship, but the Anne-Wentworth relationship comforts me the most. The fact that Anne still loves him after all those years, that he stayed faithful to her (though not intentionally) over all those years, that upon seeing her again, some of her beauty returned and her confidence. Oh! It's a very sweet story. It's very calm and quiet too, which is part of why I like it so much.
I really don't know what else to say about a book I've read so many times. Other than I love it, and there's something comforting about returning to characters one knows so well.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I was not overly keen on reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick--it is another YA supernatural/paranormal romance, and having read the first three Stephenie Meyer Twilight books, I have had my fill. But a friend recommended it (and I got her to read The Hunger Games trilogy, which she loved) and went so far as to loan me her copy of it, so I read it (while on vacation without any other books to tempt me).
It opens with high school sophomore Nora, living alone with her mom (her father died about a year ago), best friend Vee, and sudden new classmate, Patch.
Oh, the mysterious dark male student. Nora is determined to not get involved with boys, wanting to get out of high school and on to college and no guy is good enough for her. But Patch, suddenly her new biology lab partner, draws her in and tempts Nora to do things Nora would not do before. Nora's the safe girl, the well behaved girl, but Patch is the dangerous one, hanging out in pool halls, riding motorcycles. He feels wrong for her but she can't keep away.
Well it comes out that Patch is a fallen angel (there's the paranormal bit). I admit I was a little skeptical when I first started to read: girl in school, slightly loner-ish, absent parents, meets dark mysterious boy with a secret, turns our to be supernatural, girl is constantly in peril ... it was reading a lot like Twilight. Though I appreciate the story Stephenie Meyer is trying to tell in Twilight (and the other books) I can't freaking stand Bella and all the books are filtered through Bella (I think that's why I find the storyline more interesting in the movies).
Becca Fitzpatrick is a better writer than Stephenie Meyer. I like Nora. I think Nora is well developed and Patch was more developed at the end of the book. Vee could use a little more of the storyline (but that's because I like her), more of the fallen angel stuff could be revealed (as I'm sure it will be in the next books), but overall, I'm intrigued to read the next book and the first thing I did when I finished Hush, Hush was put Crescendo on hold at my local library. Which is saying a lot compared to dreading reading the next book in the Twilight saga (I still have to read Breaking Dawn, and want to read it to get it over with, but am not looking forward to it). The pace of Hush, Hush picks up towards the end and there are some moments of suspense that make you want to keep turning the pages. I liked it. I liked it enough to want to read the second one, which is pretty good for me.
Overall, I recommend Hush, Hush, especially if you're a fan of the supernatural romance bit. It's a light fluffy read, perfect escapist literature.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

The second book in the Parasol Protectorate series (the first being Soulless), Carriger's Changeless brings us to Woolsey Castle, home to Lord and Lady Maccon (the former Miss Alexia Tarabotti). Alexia has become accustomed to keeping werewolf hours and content in her marriage to Conall and her work as Queen Victoria's muhjah (the preternatural serving on the Shadow Council who works with the Dewan [the loner werewolf representative] and the Potentate [the rove vampire representative] to advise the Queen on matters supernatural).
She is not happy, however, to find a regiment camped on her front lawn, but seeing as a number of the soldiers are werewolves, they come to stay in Woolsey Castle (where the werewolves will reside) as a troop before dispersing. One of the soldiers, a rather presumptuous young man, makes a poor impression on Alexia--without realizing she is the new Lady Maccon. Much to Alexia's dismay, Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings is Woolsey Pack's Gamma.
Never a dull moment for Alexia, Conall runs off to Scotland to deal with his old pack--now Alpha-less after the death of one of the soldiers. Of course, mystery abounds and strangely in certain areas supernaturals suddenly turn mortal. Whatever is causing this strange happenstances is on the move--to Scotland, where Conall has gone. To save her husband (from what, she's not sure) Alexia follows him to Scotland--with Conall's claviger Tunstell, Alexia's maid Angelique, Alexia's sister Felicity (sour because other sister Evelyn is engaged), engaged friend Ivy (still smitten with Tunstell and jealous of Felicity's attentions to him), and inventor and new acquaintance Madame Lefoux (though her appearance is strictly coincidence).
After a few sticky moments on the dirigible to Scotland (Alexia hanging off the side of it, but no bother), the large party lands in Scotland and makes its way to Kingair Castle, where Conall is. To be welcomed (sort of) by Conall's great-something-granddaughter. Which is news to Alexia. The soldiers of the Kingair Pack are in residence as well, and more strange happenings occur while there. Much of the trouble stems from a mummy the soldiers brought back from Egypt, something Alexia is repulsed by (for interesting reasons). Since the Kingair Pack is Alpha-less, and Conall has returned, but not to be Kingair's Alpha, there is a great deal of trouble about that as well.
The problems are solved, of course, the day is saved, those trying to murder Alexia are thwarted (for now), and all is right once more. Until it is discovered Alexia is pregnant and Conall--being mostly dead--knows he cannot be the father and casts Alexia off.
Oh dear.
Fantastic storytelling. As I said with the first one, I did not think I would like these books, being not much into the supernatural scene, but the best part of the Parasol Protectorate books is that the supernatural are everyday, so it doesn't bother me much. Alexia is a phenomenal heroine (I love her curvyness, her attitude, her determination, her independence!), Conall is gruff and wonderful, Ivy is dopey and brilliant, Tunstell humorous, Floote humorless, and Madame Lefoux and intriguing character. The slant on history is great, the storytelling great. The books are just a whole lot of fun.