Kitty Takes a Holiday

by Carrie Vaughn

Paperback, 2007

Status

Available

Call number

Fic SF Vaughn

Publication

Grand Central Publishing (2007), Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. After getting caught turning wolf on national television, Kitty retreats to a mountain cabin to recover and write her memoirs. But this is Kitty, so trouble is never far behind, and instead of Walden Pond, she gets Evil Dead. When werewolf hunter Cormac shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell, Kitty's lawyer, slung over his shoulder, and a wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes starts sniffing around the cabin, Kitty wonders if any of them will get out of these woods alive...

User reviews

LibraryThing member librarycatnip

What I love most about the Kitty books is the combination of vulnerability, determination, idealism, and impertinence of the heroine. In a genre that, really, is not all that believable, Vaughn asks for a comparatively minimal suspension of belief. It is an interesting approach.

I love that

patriarchal BS rarely goes unanswered, and that the knocks life offers her sometimes leave Kitty down. I love that she chooses to get back up, and I love that she sometimes realistically wallows. As a character, Kitty is well put together.

The love triangle in this series is pretty subtle, and is not characterized by the earmarks of the traditional trope. We will see how things go in the newest book with Cormac out of prison (I'm saving that until I've reread the rest), but I do not anticipate irksome drama given Kitty and Ben's solid relationship.

This particular installation of the series interrogates monstrosity somewhat deceptively. The incidents involved are significant, and powerfully disturbing; yet the writing always feels somewhat lighthearted given the gruesome material. Honestly, this is something I appreciate. It makes the books highly palatable, fun, while still bringing the full impact of metaphor to bear on the plot line. I love the Anita Blake books as well, but lighthearted is something they are definitively not.

Besides the interrogation of monstrosity, Cormac vs. the parochial townspeople vs. the skinwalker, little jumps out at me for my current projects. There is White Horse Fail, what with Kitty saving Ben (as a nurturer though), Cormac saving Ben (but unable to nurture), Kitty saving Alice (action), Cormac saving Kitty (action). So I'm not entirely happy with the one saving the day being Cormac. Kitty gets to save the day enough in other places, but this one really wasn't hers. She wasn't able to do anything with the trial, or to help Cormac, or to help get info really; she spends a lot of time tagging along. There may be a link between this relative passivity and the "break" from her show, that may be worth pursuing.

Sex agency is alive and well in this story, Kitty gets to make sexual decisions and gets something that is starting to look like a happily ever after of sorts for it, so reward for the exercise of sexual agency. It isn't as pronounced as it was in the last book what with her positively portrayed fling, but it is there.

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LibraryThing member samantha.1020

This is getting a bit harder to do without spoilers for this series but here I go: Kitty has gone off to a cabin in the mountains to try and center herself after some recent bad experiences. What Kitty doesn't realize is that she attracts trouble like a magnet, and before she knows it is even

happening trouble is at her doorstep in the form of Cormac and slaughtered animals. Cormac, the bounty werewolf hunter, brings his own form of trouble along with the fact that it looks like someone is trying to curse Kitty. There is never a dull moment when Kitty is involved :)

Likes?

Gosh, even this is hard when you don't want to spoil future books for readers. I would have to say the developments in the relationship between Cormac, Ben, and Kitty. For all of you who have read this book that probably is pretty clear and for those who haven't I'm sorry. Give this series a try and you'll figure it out. I still think that Kitty is a strong, enjoyable main character who has a knack for getting herself into strange and dangerous situations. She gets stronger in every book and I'm liking that as a reader we get to see her grow as both a human and a werewolf. Plus, she isn't always sure of herself which makes her come across more realistically in these books. I also enjoy how easily I am pulled into these books...I look up and I've read 100 pages. They just keep me entertained and are all around fun reads.

Dislikes?

Hmm...I don't have any complaints with this one. The end portion of the book with the Cormac situation was frustrating but not a dislike. I just wasn't expecting the author to take that direction which makes the series all the more interesting for me....which means that it probably doesn't count as a dislike. I think I'll stick with none on this one.

Additional Thoughts?

For all of you who are on the fence as to whether or not you should read this series, I say give it a try. It is unique and fun with a strong main character. I'm liking the series more and more as I go on with it which is always a good thing. Carrie Vaughn has created an intersting urban fantasy series that will appeal to anyone who enjoys the paranormal aspect in their books. Overall, good read and recommended!

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LibraryThing member CheriePie69

This was another great installment in the Kitty series. I really like Kitty's character: tough as nails on the outside, yet vulnerable and quite complex on the inside. In this book, Kitty has escaped from the world for awhile to a remote cabin in the mountains, supposedly to write her memoirs, but

she really just needs time to think... to get away from it all, get her priorities straight, etc. Unfortunately, her time away isn't quite as comforting as she'd like. It seems someone in town is trying to curse her, and now to top it off, she's got a new werewolf to train too. Guess who? =-o

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LibraryThing member maughta

Poor Kitty is faced with townspeople who don't like her and a lawyer who's turned into a werewolf when all she wants to be is left alone. Couple that with a curse and a skinwalker, and this third installation lives up to the other two pretty well. Still readable with likeable characters.

LibraryThing member Kegsoccer

"Kitty Takes a Holiday" is the third book about werewolf Kitty Norville by Carrie Vaughn (The first being Kitty and the Midnight Hour followed by Kitty Goes to Washington).

After the events in Washington, Kitty decides to take a break from her radio show, and write a book. Of course, that isn't as

easy as it seems. One problem is that somebody has ripped off her idea, and there is a new supernatural radio show playing. Of course that pales in comparison to when Cormac shows up with an injured Ben. Add in the fact that somebody in town is doing their best to drive Kitty out, and we've got trouble!

This book is just as good as its predecessors. I love how trouble follows Kitty around. (And most of the time, she isn't asking for it!) Cormac and Ben, both play a large part in this story. In fact, one of them becomes romantically involved with Kitty, which creates a whole new set of problems. We also learn more about their pasts, and how they got to where they are today.

I'm definitely looking forward to Carrie Vaughn's next story. Kitty and the Silver Bullet should be out Winter 2007/08.

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LibraryThing member lewispike

Following on in the tradition of the first two books in the series, we follow Kitty as she takes a break - officially to write a book about her experiences leading up the present.

Of course things don't go quite that smoothly: the locals try to drive her out with magic, and just as that's starting

Cormac shows up after a disastrous hunt, Ben in tow. Ben has been bitten by a werewolf and will change in a couple of days. Ben is shouting abuse at Cormac for not shooting him.

Things get complicated with the three of them in a tiny cabin, the locals still trying to drive Kitty out with magic, and the skinwalker that was part of the problem when Ben got bitten turning up. I guess if you have a werewolf as a hero (even if she explicitly says some werewolves are evil, some are good), you need something suitably similar but different to make the "evil, bloodthirsty wolf-monster" fit, and skinwalkers fit the role.

Whilst this book works out mostly OK, it's nice to see it's doesn't have an entirely happy ending. I won't tell you what goes wrong and for whom, but it works well and adds to the story.

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LibraryThing member crishaynes

Interesting how the story line turns in this particular book. *****SPOILERS*****
I can't believe Cormac is in jail!! Maybe he will take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate his life. Also, I love the fact that her and Ben hook up. I absolutely love Ben.

What I find so endearing about this series is

that you don't pick up a book knowing-oh this one has vampires or this one has this other type of supernatural being. Usually, you don't find which other supernaturals will even be part of the plot until near the ending. It is subtle and cool. She makes them seem like it was happenstance that they are part of the storyline. So it feels like the story unravels as one would if it were truly happening in your own life. She gives them her own creative spin. I really enjoy her creativity.

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LibraryThing member pacey1927

After being the first werewolf to come out and shift on public television (see book #2 Kitty Goes to Washington), Kitty has retreated to the mountains to get out of the public eye. She's even stopped doing her radio talk show. She is supposed to be writing her memoirs...but thats not exactly moving

along either. Imagine Kitty's suprise when her friend/enemy/partner/potential love interest Cormac, shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell in tow. Ben, Cormac's cousin, and Kitty's lawyer has been infected by a werewolf. Kitty promises herself and Cormac to take care of Ben through his first change and to try to keep him positive in the trying days of his new life. To complicate matters, Kitty's cabin is being cursed and she doesn't know who is doing it. Also, there is suspicous activity in the town and the neighbors believe Kitty is probably responsible.

I think this was the strongest volume thus far. Vaughn is not afraid of taking chances with her characters...some potentially unpopular choices are made that affect Kitty, Ben and Cormac's lives. This works in her favor here as the story is intense, and exciting. The story line becomes more involved. I don't think this series will be able to be read as stand alones anymore. I must commed Vaughn for her beautifully drawn, complex characters, esepcially Cormac and Kitty. There is a depth to each of them that is uncommon in the paranormal genre. These aren't cookie cutter characters. While it doesn't end exactly on a cliffhanger, there is no solid, happy ending here. Yet, the book left me wanting more. How thrilled I am that the next book is right in my TBR stack, and there are two more installments soon to be published. If you haven't started this series, I encourage you to start with "Kitty and the Midnight Hour" and assure you they keep getting better.

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LibraryThing member NovelBookworm

Kitty is just plumb tuckered out. After her adventures in Washington D.C., Kitty does what Kitty needs to do. Kitty Takes a Holiday. Of course, Kitty makes it a “working holiday”. She finds a nice remote secluded cabin where she can write her memoirs, and do her wolf thing whenever she wants

to. Before you can say, “Dip me in ground round and call me werewolf food”, she’s got herself fur deep in problems. Somebody is leaving really gross dead skinned animals on her doorstep. Then Cormac, (her hottie werewolf hunter buddy…yeah…I said werewolf hunter) shows up at her cabin with Ben (her hottie lawyer guy) injured and unconscious, looking for her help. Add to this, some creepy red eyed critter is watching from the woods. This is so not the holiday Kitty had planned.

Book three of the Kitty books was just as satisfying and fun as the first two. Vaughn’s characters are hip, funny and weird. But in a really good way.

“I went to the desk and fired up the laptop. I started a new page and wrote a title at the top: “Ten Ways to Defeat Macho Dickheadism.” The I realized that most of the world’s problems stemmed from macho dickheadism, and if I could defeat that I could save the world…….”

Ain’t dat da truth…….

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LibraryThing member MonicaLynn

Once again Carrie does it. Creates excitement and adventure with Kitty and her pack. She starts of having a nice holiday by herself and ends up with quite the mess on her hands with people trying to get her to leave. Cormac suprises her with a visit and a very under the weather Ben. I don't want to

give to much away but again I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to crack open the next one.

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LibraryThing member FutureBestSeller

Kitty went to Washington and was exposed as a Werewolf...boy does she ever need a Holiday! Unfortunately, TROUBLE is Kitty's middle name. Filled with a newly turned werewolf (read it to find out who), black magic and a host of new characters, this third installent will leave you breathless!

Small

towns are never what they seem and Kitty just can't escape who and what she is! Of course, doing it on national tv doesn't help much either! But now our lone wolf is starting a pack of her own...only time will tell how this will end.

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LibraryThing member pat1eiu

The Kitty series just keeps getting better and better. I think the characters are great and now she is getting a pack. I know there are several more books already out and I am very excited to get into them.

LibraryThing member teckelvik

This is the third book in the Kitty Norville series. It follows a few months, maybe more, after the second one. I liked that Kitty was affected by her life, and that the way Ben and Cormac behave was shown to have repercussions.

I've mentioned before that Cormac is problematic for me. He fits the

spot in the plot for "romantic attachment - brooding," but there has never been an attachment. Kitty seems more concerned about his feelings than she needs to be, to be honest. I was glad to see that he doesn't just walk away from what he does, that he is held accountable. I get the feeling that I was supposed to feel sorry for him, but I don't. It was nice that he didn't seem to either, although that could be a macho thing.

The storylines came together well, and the book is a quick, enjoyable read.

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LibraryThing member astults

After Kitty’s traumatic experience in Washington she decides it’s time for a vacation. As a former college English major she romanticizes being alone in a cabin to write her memoirs. The book is not coming along at all and being in the woods makes the Wolf in her want to come out more often.

A

bloody cross is drawn on the door of her cabin accompanied by a dead rabbit on the doorsteps. Cormac, the werewolf mercenary hunter, from the previous books shows up with Ben O’Farrell. Ben is not only the lawyer for Cormac and Kitty; Ben is Cormac’s cousin and has been attacked by a werewolf.

Once again Vaughn manages to provide important information about the returning characters in the previous novels without it being boring or repetitive to readers of the series. New readers should be able to follow along without any problems.

When in Denver for the Kitty and The Midnight Hour book, Kitty was one of the lower wolves in her werewolf pack. Even before becoming a rogue werewolf - one without a pack - she considered her non-lycanthrope friends part of her pack. In Kitty Takes a Holiday she learns new meanings to the word “pack” and the alpha role.

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LibraryThing member LiteraryFeline

Ever since striking out on her own after being exiled from her pack in Denver, Kitty, the country's most famous werewolf and radio talk show host, has had it rough. Her trip to Washington only added to her now complicated life. She wants nothing more than to spend some quiet time alone and work on

her memoir. A cabin in rural Colorado is the perfect getaway--or so she believes until strange things begin happening around her. A dead rabbit is left on her porch long with a cross painted on her door in blood. An evil lurks outside her door, one she cannot quite identify. With the police wanting to pin recent animal deaths in the area on her, Kitty must figure out what is going on. Old friend Cormac, the werewolf bounty hunter, and her attorney, Ben, are more than willing to help, although they come with their own baggage.

Amidst all of that, Kitty takes in a newly turned werewolf and has to reach inside herself to find the strength to be the alpha, a role completely opposite the one she was in at the beginning of Kitty and the Midnight Hour. Kitty is an amazingly strong woman, however, she doesn't quite realize that. Remnants from her abusive past have left their scars and will carry over into the next book in the series as well. At times, she lets her fears get the better of her, but she always manages to come through in the end.

Kitty Takes a Holiday is not quite as fast paced as the other novels in the series, but it does allow the character time to process much of what has been happening to her over the past few months, which I think adds a hint of realism to this urban fantasy series—grounding it in a sense. This particular book carries a number of different story threads, some intersecting better than others. It feels like a transitional book. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but felt there were a couple of minor loose ends that should have been resolved. Perhaps I have that to look forward to in future books!

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LibraryThing member Sensory

I was really looking forward to reading this book since the last one I read (Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards) was such a depressing novel. All the while I was reading Mercy I was thinking ‘just a bit more and I can start the next Kitty book’. What a relief!

This is the third in

the ‘Kitty’ series and it changes direction a bit with plot. The first two focused on Kitty’s job as a night time DJ and her challenges dealing with lycanthropy – a condition wherein the ‘patient’ metamorphoses into a werewolf during full moons. In Kitty Takes a Vacation, Kitty gets away from it all in a remote cabin in the woods to write a memoir detailing her experiences as a werewolf. It’s not long, however, before odd things begin happening and odder still when the people in the nearby town show their distrust for Kitty and her ilk. Throw in Ben and Cormac – characters first introduced in the previous books – and you have another fun, light read.

I won’t give away plot points, but if you’re a follower of the series you’ll meet some other otherworldly creatures called ‘skinwalkers’ and their particular brand of powers. The secondary characters are somewhat chilling in that they display some personality traits akin to the witch hunters in Salem a century and more ago. I also like the fact that in the Kitty books the endings are not always completely happy but a sort of compromise (not saying however that that was the case in this particular book – you’ll have to read it to find that out!).

Kitty Takes a Vacation didn’t disappoint me – it lifted my mood and that’s what I expected from it. I’m going to read the next one, Kitty and the Silver Bullet, in May.

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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

Again, a much more realistic set of events than the usual urban fantasy. No saving the world, no fighting against the Great Evil. They run into something seriously nasty, but it's relatively weak - both bullets and appropriate magic work against it. Eventually. Kitty does get into a sexual

triangle, sort of, which is annoying (why does every urban fantasy have to have the female protagonist wildly attractive to every man around her?), but in context it actually makes sense. We find out a lot about Cormac and Ben, too, which is interesting. And they don't win, in the end - don't exactly lose, but it's still a hard ending. I was actually crying in the next-to-last chapter. The best scene, for me, was when Kitty actually talked to Ariel. It's not at all what I was expecting, which made it even better. Kitty got a bit of egoboo, which she really needed. And the conversation with her mother right after that, too. One of the reasons I really like the Kitty books, the reason I keep calling them realistic, is that I can imagine being or knowing these people. I can see these situations really happening. Which makes it a much stronger book, a much more engrossing story, than one where the protagonist is the center of Great and Terrible Happenings. Me gusta.

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LibraryThing member wbarker

Perfect for : Personal reading, anyone who likes vampire or werewolf stories

In a nutshell: In Kitty Takes A Holiday (Book 3 of the series), Carrie Vaughn shows readers that there are still more supernatural and magical things to explore in Kitty's world. Kitty is trying to mind her own business,

writing her memoir in a quiet cabin in Colorado, when someone decides to try to scare her away from the quiet community. Out of the blue, Cormac shows up with an injured Ben (Kitty's lawyer), asking for Kitty's help. During a job Ben was helping Cormac with, Ben was bitten by a were-wolf, and now Ben must find a way to survive. Throughout these events, Kitty's quiet life is altered, and she finds herself becoming the alpha of a pack, made up of her and Ben. Those who enjoyed the first two books won't be disappointed with this book, but rather will learn about blood curses and skin-walkers.

Extended Review: Kitty Norville has taken some time away from hosting The Midnight Hour to write a memoir after being exposed as a were-wolf on national television. Her life is altered as Cormac shows up on her doorstep with an injured Ben in tow. She helps Ben as he heals and comes to terms with his new life, and they must find out who someone is trying to scare Kitty away.

Characters: The story continues with a focus on Kitty, Cormac and Ben. Other local characters are added throughout the story. Each character has been written and introduced in a manner that makes them seem so real and believable.

Story-Line: This is another well-developed and fast-paced book that is sure to keep the readers interest. I really like how Ms. Vaughn has added new supernatural elements to each story to continually add new layers to the books.

Readability: A fun and easy read.

Overall: Another great addition to the Kitty Norville series! Fans of the first two books are sure to love this one while continuing to learn more about curses and skin-walkers. If you haven't read any books about were-wolves and vampires, give this series a try. I have been very pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying them!!

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LibraryThing member krau0098

This is the third book in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn. I think this was the best book in the series so far. It is the only book in the series that has actually grabbed me and yanked me right through the book. I didn't find any part of this book boring or forced.

In this book Kitty is

taking a break from her radio show "The Midnight Hour" to go off into the wilderness to write a book about her experiences as a werewolf. She is having a rough time getting going on the writing. Things get even rougher when Kitty's bounty hunter friend Cormac shows up with Kitty's lawyer Ben who has been infected by a werewolf. Kitty is trying to help Ben cope with his change but she has problems of her own when the locals start harassing her and they find out that something dark has followed Cormac back from where Ben got infected.

This book was more suspenseful than previous books and had quite a bit of action in it. Since Ben and Cormac are my favorite side characters I really liked that the book focused on them and let the reader learn more about them. I kind of missed Kitty doing her radio show; hopefully there will be more of that in the next book.

Like the other two books in the series this book is well-written and makes for a quick and easy read. I think if you like the first two books, this one won't disappoint. The only thing that bothered me was that a lot of interesting characters from the second book were completely absent. What happened to Luis the were-jaguar? I guess I can understand not having the Vampire Mistress of Washington DC involved, but I kind of missed her too. The addition of Tony as the witch doctor expert filled some of this gap; but I still felt like some of the other characters got cut adrift.

I already have the next book in this series so I will definitely be reading that one. After that we will see if I read the next two.

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LibraryThing member miyurose

Another great entry in the Kitty Norville series! Kitty is trying to lay low in this book, dealing with her sudden outing and wondering if she should even continue her radio show. Then Cormac shows up, and her personal life gets… messy. I liked the direction this book took us in, and I felt like

we got a little more up close and personal with Kitty. There is one big surprise here that could have a major effect on later story lines; it’s good to shake things up! I’m looking forward to reading further in the series.

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LibraryThing member SunnySD

Kitty's taking a break. No radio show, a cabin in the back of beyond, and nothing to worry about but the fact that her crazy "I'm gonna write a book" idea has turned into a bad case of writer's block. Still, except for the dead animals that keep appearing on her door... and the scary little

barbwire crosses... and the gutted livestock, things could be worse. Worse arrives when werewolf hunter Cormac arrives with Kitty's lawyer Ben who's about to become the world's latest werewolf. And everything goes completely downhill from there.

Things are getting pretty complicated. And darn it, I liked Cormac! It will be interesting to see where Vaughn ends up with this.

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LibraryThing member demonite93

Yet again Carrie Vaughn has done a great job. I love this series. It’s nothing intricate nor profound, but I love it. She makes Kitty realistic and not some impenetrable superwoman. Kitty has flaws, she knows that and addresses them but she does not let them stop her from figuring her situation

out. This particular story has all kinds of fun with Indian curses, new werewolves, and skin walkers. If you don’t know what a skin walker is then google it. J Anyways good book, went by way to fast. I’d recommend it is you’re into that kind of thing.

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LibraryThing member les121

This third installment in the Kitty Norville series takes a more serious tone than the first two books. It's more introspective, focusing on the characters' struggle to overcome their various personal issues. The large cast of the previous books is narrowed down to the trio Kitty, Ben, and Cormac.

(It's easy to guess the kind of relationship problem that springs up between them.) I found myself missing psychic Jeffery Miles as well as other minor characters like Matt and Ozzy and getting a mild case of cabin fever from the story's unchanging setting. Despite this lack of variety, the three central characters keep the plot moving with scenes full of excitement and drama. Overall, it's interesting and well written, different but still just as entertaining, if not more so, than the first two novels.

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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend

Kitty has retreated to a mountain cabin to write her memoirs and to try to recover from her previous adventures. Things get even more complicated when Kitty's lawyer arrives slung over the shoulder of Cormac a werewolf hunter. Add to this a wolf-like creature hanging around her refuge and KItty's

retreat has turned into a complicated life

Enjoyable.

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LibraryThing member dulcibelle

I picked this up for a bit of fluff. I remembered the first two in this series as funny and light hearted. This installment was much darker but still quite good. There was more character development in this story and we learn much about the history of Ben and Cormac.

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