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2012: #37 – Deadlocked (Charlaine Harris)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, paranormal mystery, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with , ; September 26th, 2012
deadlocked

Title: Deadlocked
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #12
Format: Audio
Audiobook length: 9 hrs 29 min
Release Date: May 01, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Source: personal copy

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

It’s vampire politics as usual around the town of Bon Temps, but never before have they hit so close to Sookie’s heart…

Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.

There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard—especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

My thoughts:

This book was pretty much on par with the other recent Sookie novels. Okay, but not great, or even particularly good. On the plus side, at least one major plotline (about the fae) in the series has been wrapped up, and none too soon, in my opinion. In a series already full of vampire and were- politics, did we really need fae politics on top of it all?

Sookie’s love life is still a mess, and at this point I’m not sure where I want her to end up. She is feeling a little lost, and so is this book.

One big problem Harris continues to have is the constant need to either repeat things that the reader should already know (especially this far into a series) or to go on and on and on about the day-to-day drivel of Sookie’s life. I get that she wants to insert some normalcy into her life, but I really don’t need to read about everything Sookie does to get ready to go visit her lawyer.

Overall, I enjoyed it enough, but the series doesn’t excite me as much as it used to. I listened to it on audio, and I probably would have been more bored with it in print.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “I’m struggling with whether or not I truly liked this book, as a stand alone novel, or if I’m just biased because of my attachment to the Sookie series.” — From Left to Write Book Club
  • “After all of that, I wouldn’t say I did not enjoy the book. I’m just sad about the outcome.” — the literary life of the well-read wife
  • “For me, Deadlocked was a thrilling read. Some fans are exasperated with the series, but not me.” — Mina Burrows

2012: #9 – The Dead Girls' Dance (Rachel Caine)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, urban fantasy, vampires, young adult; Tagged with , ; March 13th, 2012

Title: The Dead Girls’ Dance
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Morganville Vampires #02
Format: Kindle
Pages: 256 (2012 total – 2,470)
Approx. Word Count: 64,000 (2012 total – 695,504)
Release Date: April 03, 2007
Publisher: Signet
Categories: young adult, urban fantasy, vampires
Source: personal copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Back of the book:

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls’ Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

My thoughts:

This book picks up exactly where the first left off. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good if you’ve read the first book recently, because it means no waiting! But if it’s been over two years (like with me), it leaves you a bit disoriented until you can get up to speed again. I actually wonder if these first two books were actually just one that the author was forced to split in two.

But, once you do get up to speed again, this is a decent little book. Claire and her roommates really only want one thing — to be left in peace. But Shane’s father has other ideas, and once the  vampires find out his plans, someone has to pay. I like the group of roommates, though Claire does tend to get on my nerves a bit. She makes some really stupid decisions. I do have to give her a little benefit of the doubt. Just because you’re smart doesn’t necessarily mean you have common sense. (I might just know this from experience.)

Overall, I think this is a good series. I’m interested in seeing where it is going. Maybe this time I won’t wait two years to read the next one.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “DEAD GIRLS’ DANCE is one of the best books in the series and the shocking ending will leave you panting and begging for the next installment.” — Karin’s Book Nook
  • “This review has probably come across as a bit harsh and while I didn’t enjoy The Dead Girls’ Dance as much as Glass Houses I didn’t totally hate the book either so don’t let me put you off reading it if you are so inclined.” — Love Vampires
  • “The Dead Girls’ Dance was an interesting book that moves the story and the characters forward.” — Fluttering Butterflies

Past reviews:

2011: Charm City (Laura Lippman)
2010: Forbidden Falls (Robyn Carr)
2009: Amelia Peabody’s Egypt (Elizabeth Peters)
2008: The Copenhagen Connection (Elizabeth Peters)
2007: Birthright (Nora Roberts)
2006: Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
2005: E is for Evidence (Sue Grafton)

2012: #8 – Master of Ecstasy (Nina Bangs)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal romance, vampires; Tagged with , ; March 12th, 2012

Title: Master Of Ecstasy
Author: Nina Bangs
Series: MacKenzie Vampires #01
Format: Kindle
Pages: 358 (2012 total – 2,214)
Approx. Word Count: 89,500 (2012 total – 631,504)
Release Date: December 29, 2003
Publisher: Dorchester Lovespell
Categories: paranormal romance
Source: personal copy
Rating: 3 out of 5

Back of the book:

WARRIOR, HIGHLANDER, VAMPIRE

Meet the MASTER OF ECSTASY. Darach MacKenzie is everything dark, dangerous, and delicious. His voice is a tempting slide of sin, and he’s the primitive need that lives in every woman, no matter how much she denies it. But even five hundred years of sensual knowledge haven’t prepared him for the woman who awaits him in his clan’s ancestral castle.

HAPPINESS IS HER BUSINESS

In a distant future, Blythe works for Ecstasy Inc. to make people happy. That’s her job, and she does it well. Company policy forbids the use of sensual solutions to cure unhappiness, and Blythe agrees that sex is a short-term fix. When her abilities are called into question, Blythe travels back to the Scottish Highlands of 1785 to prove that she can make anyone happy. She hasn’t counted on a centuries-old vampire for a client.

Darach believes that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness. Blythe thinks that Ecstasy Inc. has all the answers. Neither one considers love as an option. They’re about to discover how wrong they can be.

My thoughts:

Master of Ecstasy is a paranormal romance that lean towards erotica without actually being erotica. It certainly has its share of sex, but I don’t think it has anything more than a lot of other romances I’ve read. What it also has is its fair share of humor, which cuts the sexiness quite a bit. The world-building is very odd, a mixture of 1700s Scotland and the future. I’m not sure that I’ll read any more in the series. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t really hold my interest much.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | WorldCat

Other reviews:

  • “When it comes to combining sexy situations and humor, Bangs has it nailed.” — RT Book Reviews
  • “This was a great start to the Mackenzie Vampire series.” — Book Love

Past reviews:

2011: Crazy Hot (Tara Janzen)
2010: Tongue in Chic (Christina Dodd)
2009: The Stupidest Angel (Christopher Moore)
2008: Loyalty in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Tokyo Woes (Bruce Jay Friedman)
2006: The Surgeon (Tess Gerritsen)
2005: One for the Money (Janet Evanovich)

2011: #41 – Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, featured reviews, psychics, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with , ; July 24th, 2011

deadreckoning Book #41 was Dead Reckoning, the 11th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. The back of the book reads:

With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows…

I felt pretty good about this book. I’ve been lukewarm about a lot of the books in the latter half of this series, but here we had a little bit of an old fashioned whodunit, rather than a lot of vampire/fae politics. Of course, we can’t get away from the politics altogether. I’ve always preferred action over talk in this series, and there was plenty of action here. Sookie makes some interesting decisions in this book, and I quite enjoyed the return of Bubba. It was enough to keep me interested in the next novel.

Other reviews:

Dead Reckoning (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Review
Book Review: Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Candace’s Book Blog: Book Review: Dead Reckoning
Review of “Dead Reckoning” by Charlaine Harris « Rhapsody in Books
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris « Book Monkey

Audiobook length: 10 hrs 23 min | Approximate word count: 84,000 (’11 total: 3,972,850)

2010: So Much For That (Lionel Shriver)
2009: Drop Shot (Harlan Coben)
2008: Creation in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Final Jeopardy (Linda Fairstein)
2006: All Through the Night (Mary Higgins Clark)
2005: The Count and the Confession (John Taylor)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2011; 2011 Audiobook Challenge; Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011;

2010: #100 – The Strain (Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, horror, vampires; Tagged with , ; December 10th, 2010

strainBook #100 was The Strain, the first book in the Strain trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.  The back of the book reads:

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing…

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city–a city that includes his wife and son–before it is too late.

It’s been a few weeks since I finished this, and I’m still not completely sure what I thought about it.  On one hand, it was a interesting, creepy twist on the vampire.  No brooding looks or sparkling skin here, just gore and horror. On the other hand, you could really tell that a screenwriter was one of the authors.  Things jumped around A LOT. There were many times when I just wanted to get back to our main heroes: Eph, Nora, and Setrakian. The reason we were following some of these secondary characters became clear in the end, but I still think some of the other scenes could have been cut. The book does end on a cliffhanger with little to no resolution, so that’s something to keep in mind before you pick it up. I liked our core team of protagonists, so I’ll probably pick up the second book to see what happens to them.  It’s hard to imagine a way for New York to get out of this mess.

Other reviews:

That’s What She Read: REVIEW – The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Fantasy Book Critic: "The Strain" by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan : Book Review
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: The Strain – Vampire Book Review
MariReads: Book Review- The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Page count: 608 | Approximate word count: 152,000

2009: Practical Demonkeeping (Christopher Moore)
2008: The Dirty Secrets Club (Meg Gardiner)
2007: Fantasy Lover (Sherrilyn Kenyon)
2006: Final Target (Iris Johansen)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; Four Month Challenge – Part 5; Countdown Challenge 2011;

2010: #68 – Flirt (Laurell K. Hamilton)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; July 29th, 2010

flirt Book #68 was Flirt, the 18th book in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series.  The back of the book reads:

When Anita Blake meets with prospective client Tony Bennington, who is desperate to have her reanimate his recently deceased wife, she is full of sympathy for his loss. Anita knows something about love, and she knows everything there is to know about loss. But what she also knows, though Tony Bennington seems unwilling to be convinced, is that the thing she can do as a necromancer isn’t the miracle he thinks he needs. The creature that Anita could coerce to step out of the late Mrs. Bennington’s grave would not be the lovely Mrs. Bennington. Not really. And not for long.

This novella was just okay for what it was meant to be — a short exploration of flirtation, a return to Anita’s day job, and a way to give Anita one more animal to call.  Unfortunately, the flirtation stuff was a little overdone.  In a scant 156 pages of story, the word flirt is used 31 times, and the word flirting 21 times. Too. Much. I wanted to mail her a thesaurus. There’s also a lot of the usual Anita self-reflection, analysis, and denial, all of it telling us nothing new about her character or her situation. If you’re stubborn like me (yes, I finally admit it) and intend to follow this series to the end no matter what, then give this a read.  Or email me and I’ll share the salient points. If you’re ready to put the Anita Blake series to bed, this book isn’t going to change your mind.

Other reviews:

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review: ‘Flirt‘ – Laurell K. Hamilton (Headline)
Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton | Reading with Tequila
[REVIEW] Flirt – Laurell K. Hamilton « Tez Says
The Good, The Bad and The Unread » REVIEW: Flirt by Laurell K Hamilton

Page count: 192 | Approximate word count: 28,800

2009: Skin Trade (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2008: Dead Witness (Joylene Nowell Butler)
2007: Plum Island (Nelson DeMille)
2006: Letters From An Age of Reason (Nora Hague)
2005: Therapy (Jonathan Kellerman)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #64 – Dead in the Family (Charlaine Harris)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, psychics, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; July 12th, 2010

deadfamily Book #64 was Dead in the Family, the 10th book in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series.  The back of the book reads:

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she’s angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he’s under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie’s connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry…

And with this book, I am officially caught up with the series! Unfortunately, this one wasn’t that great.  There was no overall story or theme here, just a bunch of smaller problems that have to be solved all at once. Sookie is starting to lose some of her depth, and is almost becoming a parody of herself.  I’m hoping that the next book is a little more thoughtfully written.

Other reviews:

Dead in the Family by C. Harris | Literary Escapism
All About {n}: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Writings Of A Wicked Book Addict – Dead In The Family
Charlaine Harris – Dead in the Family « Fyrefly’s Book Blog
Review: Dead in the Family « Stiletto Storytime

Page count: 320 | Approximate word count: 87,939

2009: High Noon (Nora Roberts)
2008: A Living Nightmare (Darren Shan)
2007: The End (Lemony Snicket)
2006: Narcissus in Chains (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: Nora, Nora (Anne Rivers Siddons)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Pub Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Finish That Series Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #63 – Dead and Gone (Charlaine Harris)

4 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, psychics, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; June 28th, 2010

deadandgone Book #63 was Dead and Gone, the ninth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.  The back of the book reads:

For Sookie Stackhouse, the day to day activities of the vampire and were communities in and around Bon Temps, Louisiana, are of vital interest, She’s blood-bound to the leader of the vamps, a friend to the local were pack, works for a man who is shifter, and has a brother who is a were-panther…

But for most of the humans in Bon Temps, the vamps are mysterious seductive creatures-and they don’t even know about the weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.

At first it seems to go well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found in the parking lot of the bar where Sookie works. The victim is someone she knows, so she feels compelled to discover who-human or otherwise-did the deed.

But what she doesn’t realize is that there is a far greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings–older, more powerful and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves– is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too human pawn in their battle…

A lot happens in this book.  A lot.  And it seems like every character that’s ever made an appearance in the series shows up. I think that in the end, too much happens, and the stuff that’s important isn’t fully developed.  I was a little surprised at what happens to some of the characters at the end of the book, but I’m glad that Harris has the guts to kill off major characters, not just the minor ones.  This isn’t the best book in the series, and it’s full of holes, but it’s still candy for my supe-loving brain.

Other reviews:

REVIEW: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris | Dear Author
Whimpulsive: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris – Dead and Gone « Fyrefly’s Book Blog
Musings of a Bookish Kitty: Review: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Review

Page count: 320 | Approximate word count: 87,939

2009: Bad Things (Michael Marshall)
2008: Key of Light (Nora Roberts)
2007: Born in Death (J.D. Robb)
2006: Dark Angel (Karen Harper)
2005: Godplayer (Robin Cook)

Used in these Challenges: Sookie Reading Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #61 – From Dead to Worse (Charlaine Harris)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, psychics, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; June 26th, 2010

deadtoworse Book #61 was From Dead to Worse, the eighth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.  The back of the book reads:

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone—human and otherwise—is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.

It’s clear that things are changing—whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie—Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community—is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.

Lots of moving and shaking in this book, both for Sookie and for the supernatural world in general.  I really like how Harris has used Hurricane Katrina to really drive the overall story arc of the series.  She could have easily just mentioned it and moved on, but instead she has shown us some far-reaching implications. There’s no overall plot to this book, but a lot of loose ends are tied up (or are at least an attempt is made). Sookie also discovers a branch of the family she didn’t know about. I read this in about a day, so I must have been pleased.

Other reviews:

REVIEW: From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris | Dear Author
From Dead To Worse (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Reveiw
Darque Reviews: From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
Review of “From Dead to Worse” by Charlaine Harris « Rhapsody in Books
Charlaine Harris – From Dead to Worse « Fyrefly’s Book Blog

Page count: 336 | Approximate word count: 92,336

2009: City of Thieves (David Benioff)
2008: Full Tilt (Janet Evanovich)
2007: The Color of Magic (Terry Pratchett)
2006: City of Bones (Michael Connelly)
2005: J is for Judgment (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: Sookie Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #60 – All Together Dead (Charlaine Harris)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, psychics, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; June 25th, 2010

alltogetherdead Book #60 was All Together Dead, the seventh Sookie Stackhouse book by Charlaine Harris.  The back of the book reads:

Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit.

The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she’ll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

A lot of the time, later books in a series can feel watered down or old, but I’ve really enjoyed the path this series is on. Despite the heavy vampire politics in the recent books, things are not too difficult to follow here. In fact, some of the clues were neon-sign obvious to me, though Sookie doesn’t figure things out until way too late.  She also makes some logical jumps that I’m not sure I would make in her shoes. I’m finding myself warming to her relationship with Eric, and disappointed in Quinn.  I thought the most interesting part of this book was the action Sookie takes that can possibly expose her "gift" to the public at large. I’m already on to the next book, so we’ll see what happens!

Other reviews:

All Together Dead (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Review
Charlaine Harris – All Together Dead « Fyrefly’s Book Blog
All Together Dead « reading comes from writing
All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris « Scooper Speaks
Whimpulsive: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Page count: 352 | Word count: 96,733

2009: Breathers (S.G. Browne)
2008: Twisted (Andrea Kane)
2007: Hollywood Station (Joseph Wambaugh)
2006: The Slippery Slope (Lemony Snicket)
2005: The Rebels (John Jakes)

Used in these Challenges: Sookie Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #39 – Beneath a Blood Red Moon (Shannon Drake)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, romantic suspense, vampires; Tagged with ; May 4th, 2010

bloodred Book #39 was Beneath a Blood Red Moon, the first book in Shannon Drake’s Vampires series.  The back of the book reads:

Maggie Montgomery, the owner of Magdalena’s, an elegant New Orleans boutique, was shocked to learn about the mysterious beheading of a local street person, and the trail of blood that led from the corpse to her building. Her shock turned to turmoil when she met Sean Canady, the police officer who arrived to question her…inspired a dangerous desire.

Something powerful–and beyond reason–had brought Maggie and Sean together. Something that spoke of an interwoven past, and a passionate torment that began generations before under a blood red moon. For on that night, over a hundred years ago, disturbing events occurred within the Montgomery family, and now Maggie must begin a quest to find the one man whose love was pure enough to save her from the darkness within.

This was good for a little while, but it quickly turned into one of those "let’s throw everything plus the kitchen sink in here" stories. I was good with it when it was just murdering vampires tied into a hot and heavy love story, but then we have tie-ins to Jack the Ripper and the Civil War and by the time we got to the reincarnation I was done with it.  I actually gave it up about 75% of the way through, pretty much unheard of with me. And have I mentioned that these vampires follow almost NONE of the rules that vampires normally follow? Not even with variations.  This led to them being pretty much untouchable, and I think that what makes vampire books work is that humans have some way of being safe from them.  It’s no good if the monster doesn’t have a fatal flaw. So to sum it up, I was disappointed.

Page count: 383 | Approximate word count: 95,750

2009: The Lost Hours (Karen White)
2008: Envy (Kathryn Harrison)
2007: Wish You Well (David Baldacci)
2006: The Lost German Slave Girl (John Bailey)
2005: On the Street Where You Live (Mary Higgins Clark)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project; 1st in a Series Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; The TwentyTen Challenge;

2010: #32 – Definitely Dead (Charlaine Harris)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, vampires, werewolves, witches/magic; Tagged with ; April 20th, 2010

definitelydead Book #32 was Definitely Dead, the sixth book in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series.  The back of the book reads:

Spiked with a "frothy fusion of romance, mystery, and fantasy" (Publishers Weekly), this "deliciously fiendish…increasingly riotous series" (Dallas Morning News) sends the supernaturally gifted cocktail waitress to New Orleans, where she has to deal with the legacy of one of her own family and a host of potentially dangerous characters.

Some parts (the relationship parts) of this series keep getting better.  Maybe because Sookie’s moving further away from Bill with each book?  I now feel totally justified in my dislike of him from the start, plus, I like Sookie with a shapeshifter. Unfortunately, the plot here wasn’t that great.  It seemed a little cobbled together, like the author just needed a reason to get Sookie out of town and to New Orleans for a while.  There’s a couple of small bombshells dropped that will impact later books, but overall, the plot didn’t do much to further Sookie’s story (and the reenactment stuff was just plain weird).  Though now that I’m thinking of it, what *is* Sookie’s story arc?  I’m really not sure. I’m not a fan of Bill, but I would like to see Sookie interact more with Eric and Pam again.

Other reviews:

Definately Dead (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Review
Review of “Definitely Dead” by Charlaine Harris « Rhapsody in Books
Review: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris « I’m Booking It
Charlaine Harris – Definitely Dead « Fyrefly’s Book Blog
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris « Scooper Speaks

Page count: 352 | Word count: 100,899

2009: For a Few Demons More (Kim Harrison)
2008: Exit Music (Ian Rankin)
2007: Dark Angels (Karleen Koen)
2006: Survivor in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: We’ll Meet Again (Mary Higgins Clark)

Used in these Challenges: Sookie Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #31 – White Witch, Black Curse (Kim Harrison)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in bounty hunters, featured reviews, paranormal, vampires, witches/magic; Tagged with ; April 14th, 2010

whitewitch Book #31 was White Witch, Black Curse, the seventh book in Kim Harrison’s fabulous Rachel Morgan series.  The back of the book reads:

Kick-ass bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan has crossed forbidden lines, taken demonic hits, and still stands. But the death of her lover struck her harder than she ever thought possible. She won’t rest until his murder is solved . . . and avenged.

But a new predator is moving to the apex of the Inderlander food chain—and now Rachel’s past is coming back to haunt her.

Literally.

Oh, Rachel Morgan series, how I love thee.  Let me count the ways:

  1. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated characters.  Your good guys are just a little bad, and your bad guys are just a little good, which makes everyone a lovely shade of grey.  A reader can find themselves wondering if a demon or ruthless business man are really all *that* bad.
  2. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated relationships.  In real life, there are layers to relationships, and Harrison knows how to show it in her novels. Rachel and Ivy are more than partners.  They’re best friends, and feel a deep loyalty to each other, often without thinking of the consequences to themselves (or thinking of them, and deciding they don’t matter).  Jenks has grown into much more than the spunky pixie side-kick.  He is a father figure packed into four inches of determination and love. Even Rachel’s relationship with the demon Al has many levels, from resentment to respect.
  3. You take place in an incredibly different yet familiar world. Harrison has managed to build an alternate universe of sorts, one which might have been the same as our real world if not for some diseased tomatoes.
  4. You seamlessly move the major series arc ahead while giving us an interesting immediate concern.
  5. You don’t dilly dally with namby pamby background at the beginning of the story — you jump right in to the action! One thing that Harrison is especially gifted at is working the background information into the course of the story without it being overly intrusive.
  6. You build upon current supernatural mythologies without changing too much and without adding cheesy elements. In Harrison’s books, the supernatural often feel more natural than the human.
  7. You never ignore the past.  Events that happened in the first books in the series still have an impact in the last books.

This series is really one of the best paranormal series out there.  If you’re not reading it, YOU SHOULD BE.

Other reviews:

SciFiGuy.ca: Review – “White Witch, Black Curse” by Kim Harrison
Darque Reviews: Review – White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison : Book Review
Alpha Heroes: White Witch, Black Curse – Kim Harrison – Review
Beyond Books » Blog Archive » White Witch, Black Curse

Audiobook length: 18 hrs 33 min | Approximate word count: 144,000

2009: Breath of Scandal (Sandra Brown)
2008: Seduction in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Exile (Richard North Patterson)
2006: The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog (Elizabeth Peters)
2005: H is for Homicide (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: Four Month Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge;

2009: #133 – Bloodsucking Fiends (Christopher Moore)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in comedy, featured reviews, general fiction, vampires; Tagged with ; December 31st, 2009

Sneaking one more in!

bloodsucking Book #133 was Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore.  The back of the book reads:

Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching back, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realizes the decision has been made for her.

Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that’s where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful undead redhead walks through the door…and proceeds to rock Tommy’s life — and afterlife — in ways he never thought possible.

Now this is the Christopher Moore I initially raved about.  This is light and irreverent and a lot of fun. The main characters are likeable and the supporting cast strong.  The "Animals", Tommy’s fellow night-shifters at the Safeway, seemed like precursors to the "Nerd Herd" on Chuck. Moore explores some of the little talked about side effects of becoming a vampire, like having to quit your job and figuring out what to do when your car gets towed and you can’t retrieve it in the daytime. Then again, it’s hard to beat the perks of perfect skin and superhuman strength.  This is the first book of a series, and we’ll definitely be listening to You Suck sometime this year.

Other reviews:

Christopher Moore: Bloodsucking Fiends – Book Review
REVIEW: Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Ace and Hoser Blook: Bloodsucking Fiends

Audiobook length: 9hrs 18min | Approximate word count: 76,000

2007: Side Effects (Michael Palmer)

Used in these Challenges: none

2009: #115 – Kitty Goes to Washington (Carrie Vaughn)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in paranormal, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; October 29th, 2009

kitty Book #115 was Kitty Goes to Washington, the second book in Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.  The back of the book reads:

Celebrity werewolf and late-night radio host Kitty Norville prefers to be heard and not seen. So when she’s invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, and her face gets plastered on national TV, she inherits a new set of friends, and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an über-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose Kitty as a monster. Kitty quickly learns that in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone’s itching for a fight.

I actually liked this second Kitty book a little more than the first.  There wasn’t all of the pack politics, and Kitty is starting to show her backbone. Of course, there are politics of a different sort at work here, as Kitty has been subpoenaed to testify in front of a congressional committee about the existence of preternatural beings.  She finds herself bombarded from all sides, by not only a fire-and-brimstone conservative senator and a tabloid reporter, but also the mistress of DC’s vampires. I did find the confrontation with cult leader Elijah Smith to be a little too quick, almost an afterthought.  I think there should have been some more buildup for that storyline.  But overall, I really liked this and will definitely be continuing with the series.  And hopefully, there will be more of were-jaguar Luis!

Other reviews:

Carrie Vaughn: Kitty Goes To Washington – Book Review
Booking Mama: Review: Kitty Goes to Washington
Gripping Books: Kitty Goes to Washington
Sam’s Book Blog: Kitty Goes To Washington by Carrie Vaughn
Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Kitty Goes to Washington

Page count: 360 | Word count: 86,675

2007: A Lick of Frost (Laurell K. Hamilton)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010;

2009: #112 – Glass Houses (Rachel Caine)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in paranormal, vampires, young adult; Tagged with ; October 26th, 2009

glasshouses Book #112 was Glass Houses, the first book in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series.  The back of the book reads:

Welcome to Morganville, Texas.

Just don’t stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life. But they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

I found this to be a pleasant surprise.  It’s young adult, so it’s not super gory or super scary, but the girl-on-girl violence is super cruel and unfortunately, probably not much of an exaggeration. And the romances are sweet. I liked meeting Claire and her new roommates.  Caine also makes Morganville a particularly creepy place to live.  The feeling it invoked in me was like one of those dreams where you’re being chased and can’t find a way to escape.  My one complaint about the book is that I didn’t like the last chapter with its manufactured cliff-hanger.  I would have rather had that event open the next book – it didn’t really fit – but it wasn’t enough to discourage me from continuing with this series.

Other reviews:
Rachel Caine: Glass House (The Morganville Vampires Book 1) – Book Review
Just Listen Book Reviews: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine.
Book Review : Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Just Your Typical Book Blog (Main Site): Glass Houses – The Morganville Vampires Book One by Rachel Caine
MariReads: Book Review- Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine

Page count: 256 | Word count: 74,107

2007: The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
2006: Under the Overtree (James A. Moore)

Used in these Challenges: Random Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;

2009: #111 – Dead as a Doornail (Charlaine Harris)

7 comments By Jaime Filed in paranormal, suspense, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; October 24th, 2009

doornail Book #111 was Dead as a Doornail, the fifth book in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series.  The back of the book reads:

When Sookie’s brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population-and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks, unless the killer decides to find her first.

I liked this one a little more than the last two.  Sookie is getting more independent and sure of herself, and is less willing to let the men in her life walk all over her.  I’m still glad that Bill is on the outs — so shoot me. I did notice that it seems like Sookie has developed a bit of a temper… I don’t know if her anger has been ramped up, or if I’m just now noticing it more, but she does an awful lot of yelling and storming out of rooms. I think my enjoyment of the series has been heightened by the HBO show, because now I have great mental pictures of the characters (especially Eric and Sam!). Also, well-read Harris fans will recognize the cameo appearance by Lily Bard.

Other reviews:
Dead As A Doornail (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris : Book Review
Review: Dead As A Doornail, by Charlaine Harris «
eclectic / eccentric: Book Review: Dead as a Doornail
Ulat Buku in the City: Dead as a Doornail
The Eclectic Reader: Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Page count: 320 | Word count: 88,296

2007: A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson)
2006: Storm Front (Jim Butcher)

Used in these Challenges: Sookie Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;

2009: #67 – The Accidental Human (Dakota Cassidy)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, romance, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; July 3rd, 2009

accidentalhuman Book #67 was The Accidental Human, the third book in Dakota Cassidy’s Accidental Friends series.  The back of the book reads:

Wanda Schwartz is raking in the dough selling Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics—and she’s a pro at recruiting new saleswomen. So, she’s shocked when a man comes to one of her in-home parties—a very hot man. Heath Jefferson is sure to put some extra spin into a lot of women’s color wheels.

When Wanda is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. With a werewolf and a vampire for best friends, she has options that most ordinary people wouldn’t. As Wanda ponders what to do about her mortality, Heath reveals he has secrets, and one of them is that his former bloodlust has turned into an old-fashioned lust—for Wanda. And he’s already given up too much to lose the love of his lifetimes.

I picked this up on a whim at the library, being in somewhat of a paranormal mood lately.  Unfortunately, I found it kinda of “meh”.  I admittedly haven’t read the first two books in the series, but I don’t think they were necessary for this storyline.  I liked Wanda, and the story of Wanda and Heath, but Wanda’s friends Nina and Marty just rubbed me wrong. They’re kinda bullies… though that would apply more to Nina than Marty. And Wanda took *forever* to tell anyone about her illness, and I think it would have been more interesting to have more time spent with *everyone* dealing with what was going to happen, rather than Wanda just dealing with it herself.  So it was an okay read overall, but not good enough for me to seek out more of her work.

Page count: 352 | Approximate word count: 88,000

2008: Neon Rain (James Lee Burke)
2007: Portrait of a Killer (Patricia Cornwell)
2006: The Grim Grotto (Lemony Snicket)
2005: Hell at the Breech (Tom Franklin)

Used in these Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; The 999 Challenge; Support Your Local Library Challenge 2009;

2009: #65 – Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Carrie Vaughn)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, paranormal, vampires, werewolves; Tagged with ; June 28th, 2009

kitty1 Book #65 was Kitty and the Midnight Hour, the first book in Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.  The back of the book reads:

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station—and a werewolf in the closet. Sick of lame song requests, she accidentally starts "The Midnight Hour," a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. After desperate vampires, werewolves, and witches across the country begin calling in to share their woes, her new show is a raging success. But it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew…

I’ve been meaning to start this series for quite a while, and finally got around to it!  It definitely was worth the wait.  I thought the story was wonderfully written, much better than the books you usually find in this genre.  The story was tight, without a lot of extra analysis or gratuitous sex hanging around.  I liked Kitty quite a bit, especially how she grew and got more confident as the story progressed, and I really liked the way the werewolf and vampire cultures were explained.  I was trying to think of another book I’ve read that had a werewolf as the main character, and I think this was the first! I’ll definitely be continuing this series, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is interesting in the paranormal genre but wants to ease their way into it.

Page count: 288 | Approximate word count: 72,000

2008: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Lauren Willig)
2007: Blood Sport (Dick Francis)
2006: Danse Macabre (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: Silent Partner (Jonathan Kellerman)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge; 1st in a Series Challenge; 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; The 999 Challenge; A-Z Challenge 2009; Read Your Own Books Challenge;

2009: #40 – Undead and Unappreciated (MaryJanice Davidson)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in ebook, featured reviews, paranormal, vampires; Tagged with ; April 9th, 2009

unappreciated Book #40 was Undead and Unappreciated, MaryJanice Davidson’s third Queen Betsy book.  The back of the book reads:

Reluctant vampire queen Betsy Taylor may rule the topsy-turvy world of the undead, but now Betsy’s discovered that she has a long-lost half-sister who’s the devil’s daughter–and destined to rule the underworld.

I found this third “Undead” book to be rather anti-climatic… or maybe non-climatic would be a better word.  When I got to the end, all I could think was “That’s it?  Am I missing pages? Were chapters left out of my ebook?” Not a lot happens here. Basically, Betsy finds out she has a half-sister who’s really the daughter of Satan, goes a little crazy after reading the Book of the Dead for too long and has to apologize to everyone, has one confrontation where she finds out some important facts about her new half-sister, and finally admits that she loves Sinclair.  And… that’s it. Maybe we find out more about this prophecy with her sister in the next book?  All I know is that this one was pretty lacking.

Page count: 304 | Word count: 46,962

2008: 20th Century Ghosts (Joe Hill)
2007: Plum Lovin’ (Janet Evanovich)
2006: All the Flowers Are Dying (Lawrence Block)
2005: A Kiss of Shadows (Laurell K. Hamilton)

Used in these Challenges: The Countdown Challenge; 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; 2009 eBook Challenge; The 999 Challenge;

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