Finding a good book to read can sometimes be challenging. If the book in question is a new author or series, sometimes the reader is unwilling to take a chance. Book clubs are one good way to try out new books. There are actually several different local book clubs. The branches of the Fort Worth Public Library system run several. The Weatherford Public Library has a book club. There is even a new group for moms meeting in Aledo.

Another way to find out about new books is word-of-mouth. One author, whose popularity is increasing due to word-of-mouth advertising, is Maria V. Snyder. Her new book, Outside In, just hit the shelves. Outside In is the sequel to the YA book Inside Out, a departure from Ms. Snyder’s Poison and Glass books. Outside In is a well-written, fast-paced story that continues a tale of rebellion and trust set against an unusual and very vivid setting.

Trella succeeded in leading the rebellion to free the people of Inside from the dominion of the Travas, but she didn’t realize just how much her life would change. Instead of returning to her old life as Queen of the Pipes, now she’s forced to suffer through Committee meetings and politics, and never has a moment alone. But when the scrubs start rebelling against the uppers, she realizes something has to be done before Inside falls apart.

As it turns out, the people of Inside are the least of her problems. Outsiders have taken over the computer systems and now control Inside, and they intend to get rid of all the Insiders. Trella’s not sure whom she can trust, but she’s determined to save Inside again, or die trying. With her many enemies, she won’t have to try too hard.

Today is President’s Day, when we celebrate the birthdays of two of the country’s greatest leaders: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Most people don’t really consider it a holiday, except for the slight inconvenience of bank and post office closings. But what about those people who take their government a little bit more seriously?

The Naperville White House, purportedly by former press secretary Jerome Bartels (but actually by author Mark Pedriani), explores a world 10 years from now, when fantasy government games, instead of fantasy football, are popular in the gaming community. For those who want to be Secretary of State, Director of the FBI, or even President, the Nationizer software game will let them do that by setting up their own fantasy government.

Jay Weise is President of the AG, his alternate government. Fed up with the ineffectualness of the real government, he and his cabinet members have created their own, right down to Weise’s house, which has been remodeled as a replica of the White House. The AG is one of the most popular and highest-scoring fantasy governments in the country, but when the Stockdale hostage crisis happens, this fantasy becomes enmeshed in reality.

The terrorists behind the crisis—driven by Al Qaeda—kidnap five family members of powerful politicians in an attempt to make the United States government admit to possessing a bioweapon aimed at eliminating terrorist sects, an allegation the government denies. When one of the AG is kidnapped as well, President Weise is determined to help save all the hostages. Soon the terrorists are demanding to speak to “the other president,” and the game-players have a real role in the crisis, one that even the real government cannot hope to accomplish.

Not much explanation is given at the beginning of The Naperville White House. Instead, the reader is drawn right into the story as told by Bartels, who has been commissioned to write the “true” story of the Stockdale hostage crisis by President Weise. The book comes across as a real-life, behind-the-scenes account of a turning point in U.S. history, even if it is a fictionalized history.

My Fair Succubi is the third book in the Succubus Diary series from local author Jill Myles. It follows the further adventures of Jackie Brighton, an inadvertent succubus, and her two masters, angelic Noah and vampire Zane. My Fair Succubi is another funny, witty read, and Jackie is a great heroine whose trouble-magnet tendencies always draw a laugh.

Jackie Brighton thought she had things figured out. Her dream job on an archeological dig in the rainforest. Sexy Noah at her side. The future looked bright, except for one thing: missing Zane, who’d gone back to the vampire queen’s side to keep Jackie safe. Then Jackie’s best friend Remy is completely possessed by a demon, and Jackie and Noah are arrested by the angelic Serim Council, and things start looking a little dim.

The Serim Council aren’t all that angelic. In fact, they’re downright…cruel. But Jackie manages to escape and makes a deal with the archangel Gabriel, a deal that might cost her Remy’s life. And Zane is there to help her—but Zane has a keeper, and Caleb is there to keep Zane and Jackie apart, and to spy for the vampire queen. While Jackie tries to save Remy from the clutches of her powerful demon possessor, she also has to fight to keep the vampire queen from stealing the power. And Jackie has another problem: she has to make a choice between Noah and Zane. What’s a succubus to do?

One Bloody Thing After Another is written by Joey Comeau, a Canadian writer best known for his Web comic, A Softer World. This novel is billed as horror, and although it is not truly horrific, it does possess a rather distinct creep factor. Short and to-the-point, with fast pacing and crisp prose, One Bloody Thing After Another, although a little disjointed at times, is a quick and engrossing read. In turns a ghost story, a teen romance, and a tale of a family gone horribly wrong, One Bloody Thing After Another weaves together the tales of three distinct characters whose lives intersect at odd turning points.

Jackie has a knack for trouble and skates a thin line on the edge of crazy. She also has a frightening and frequently useful ability, one that brings her ever closer to her dead mother, and her dead mother’s ghost. And Jackie is madly in love with her best friend, Ann. But Ann has problems of her own. Her mother is turning into something else, something monstrous, something that demands living flesh for meals, and Ann doesn’t know what to do. Even with the help of her sister, she’s barely keeping it together.

And then there’s Charlie, and elderly man and his equally elderly and a little bit dim-witted dog, Mitchie. Charlie sees ghosts. Or, rather, one ghost in particular: a girl who holds her severed head in her hands and follows him around every day. He’s not sure what she wants, but he knows she wants something.

With the lives and fates of these three intertwined with touches of dark humor, One Bloody Thing After Another is an intriguing, if brief, read. The last line is sure to have the reader laugh out loud, and then feel just a little bit guilty about it.

Zombie movies have been popular for a while, but they seem to be enjoying a resurgence of popularity lately, with the success of movies such as Dawn of the Dead and the Resident Evil franchise. More recently, zombie comedies such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland have become popular, so it really should come as no surprise that zombie comedy books are on the rise as well. One such series is the Living with the Dead series, by Jesse Petersen. The first book in the series is Married with Zombies, and the second is Flip this Zombie, a funny, breezy action-comedy about what happens after the zombie apocalypse and how life goes on when everyone around you is dead—sort of.

Husband-and-wife team Sarah and David are now Zombiebusters Extermination Inc. They’re the zombie answer to the Ghostbusters. Things have settled down a bit since the world ended and life has returned to, well, not normal, but as normal as it gets these days. Until the rumors start floating around about bionic zombies: smarter, faster, harder to kill. Then Sarah and David take a new job: capturing zombies instead of killing them, for a scientist working on a cure.

It turns out killing zombies is a lot easier, even if you have to make pesky decisions like whether to use the scythe or the gun. Capturing…well, you have to get a whole lot more up-close-and-personal, and zombie goo gets everywhere. Not a good look for anyone with fashion sense. Then Sarah and David run into one of the bionics, and realize there’s a whole lot more going on than they thought, and that’s when things take a dark turn that leaves Sarah and David fighting for their lives—against an enemy that wants more than just their brains.

Local writer Jill Myles is the author of the Succubus Diaries series, paranormal books about a succubus named Jackie Brighton and her two sexy boyfriends/masters Noah and Zane. Yeah. Masters. It takes a vampire and an angel to make a succubus, so Jackie’s saddled with both of them, which comes in handy when it’s time to scratch her Itch. Succubi Like It Hot is the second book in the series, and it’s a fun, snarky romp of a read.

Jackie’s still pretty new at the Sucking business, but she’s having some issues. First her craving gets stronger—and much more frequent. Next she knocks the pizza boy unconscious with her touch. One little deal with a demon later, and Jackie has the answer: she’s cursed. Too bad neither of her boyfriends are speaking to her right now. So, it’s off with her “adult movie” star best friend Remy, to New Orleans, to find Delilah, the oldest succubus in America, and the only one who might be able to help get rid of the curse.

But their road trip is plagued with bad luck from the start. Remy is periodically demon-possessed. Jackie has a stalker, albeit a handsome, charming one. Throw in the creep factor of Remy’s newest “co-star,” and this isn’t quite the vacation Jackie had in mind. After a bloody warning at a hotel, things take a turn for the worse. Soon Jackie’s fleeing for her life, alone and helpless—sort of. Even when she reaches Delilah, the answers don’t help matters. The curse is destined to kill her if she doesn’t get rid of it. But more important than finding out who wants her dead is finding out which one of her lovers placed the curse on her.

With most Metroplex schools closed for almost a week, there were a lot of bored kids out there. Next time the kids are stuck at home, why not give them a good book to read? There are a lot of options available, with e-books being the quickest. An e-reader isn’t even necessary, as both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have free e-reader downloads for PCs and other devices. Some books that have been out for a few years are now available for the first time as e-books. One of these is Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis. This book is filled with fantasy and faith, as the author weaves together Arthurian legends with Bible quotes in an adventure-filled tale about a boy who learns he’s half-dragon. While marketed as a young adult book, this books seems to be most appropriate for younger teenagers looking for excitement.

High school is hard enough without being known as “Dragon Breath,” but that’s Billy Bannister’s new nickname. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but things have changed, and his super-heated breath is just the first sign. When the school troublemaker frames him, he has his first encounter with the odd new principal, Mr. Whittier, who has a fascination with dragons and knights. Then he’s rescued by the new girl, Bonnie, who never takes off her backpack. No matter what. Billy’s day gets worse when he overhears his father talking about being a dragon. Reeling from the shock, Billy doesn’t know what to think. If his dad has lied to him all these years, can he really be trusted?

Then Whittier attacks Bonnie, and when Billy rescues her, he discovers what her backpack hides. Soon Billy’s family and Bonnie are running from Whittier, who’s really a dragon-slayer descended from one of King Arthur’s knights. A housefire, a plane crash, and being lost in the snowy wilderness are just part of Billy and Bonnie’s adventures. Aided by Billy’s best friend and an eccentric teacher, the two struggle to beat the dragon-slayer and fulfill an ancient prophesy foreseen by Merlin himself. Will Billy’s faith be strong enough to withstand the trials?

With the wintry weather still gripping North Texas—which currently resembles the frozen North—staying warm with a good book continues to be a good idea. While you’re sipping something warm in toasty comfort, try discovering the world of Maggie Stiefvater’s Linger, the second book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. Set in frosty Mercy Falls, Minnesota, these books explore a unique take on the werewolf mythos.

Although the first book, Shiver, might be a more appropriate reaction to current temperatures, Linger delves deeper into Sam and Grace’s tale. Sam, after surviving a harrowing cure, is no longer a werewolf, but now he must deal with a future as a human—something he never thought to have. Grace, his true love, is at his side, but she has a secret of her own. Dealing with headaches and fever, Grace doesn’t tell Sam that she’s sick, that something inside her wants out. She’s afraid of what’s coming, of what she’s becoming, and Sam has enough worries. Not only is he getting used to being human, but he still has to take care of his pack—which has new members for the first time in years, including the mysterious and ever-changing Cole. Cole is a rock star, and discovery of his whereabouts would cause a media feeding frenzy. The last thing the wolves of Mercy Falls need is more attention. They face another threat, for someone in town wants the wolves dead, and after the death of a boy and the disappearance of one of Grace’s friends, the townspeople are up in arms, ready and willing to destroy the wolves for good.