All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

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.

Having read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books that are out, I put this one on the hold request list at the library as soon as it came on the catalogue because I was so eager. Having read it, I will definitely read the next book, but I might not be in quite such a hurry.

Once again the book is filled with all the usual suspects - Bill, Eric, Quinn, Sookie and also the Queen of Louisiana and her entourage, and this time they are off to the vampire summit, where Sookie is to use her talents as a telepath to try to find out anything that could help the queen, especially during the trial that she is due to face for the murder of her husband!

This book, in a way that I don't recall happening before in this series, got bogged down in the vampire politics, and there also seemed to be much more death and destruction in this one, particularly towards the end of the novel.

There are as always several possible love interests in this one, but I do wish that this question would be resolved a little more. I don't mind so much the very difficult choice that Sookie has between Eric and Quinn, but I do wish that Bill didn't still get trotted out again and again!

This isn't a book to start reading this series on. I don't think it would make any sense whatsoever if this was the first read for someone new to the series. Overall, I would say that this is one for the fans.

Rating 3.5/5

Bite Anthology

Feel the Touch of Darkness. . .

Follow a vampire who can be as deadly as her prey. Meet a down home southern girl who's found out, much to her chagrin, that vampires are her type. Feel the euphoria of fear in the shadow of a reluctant Queen of the Undead. Step closer to the hot-blooded edge of passion as a strange new mythology of the night is unveiled.

The bite is back in vampire fiction as today's most provocative authors of vampire fiction cast their irresistible spells on you . . .

The brightest and hottest authors --including New York Times best-selling authors Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris--tell all-new tales featuring their best known and loved characters.

I added this book to my TBR list because it was the only Sookie Stackhouse story that I hadn't read previously. I do have to say that when I read the book I was kind of surprised that Laurell K Hamilton and Charlaine Harris were the headline acts in the book because between the two stories by them, they covered only 58 pages out of the total of 294 pages in the book.

* From Laurell K. Hamilton, a never-before-published Anita Blake story in which Anita, temporarily separated from her vampire lover Jean-Claude, must go to him for help on a case. Where she finds herself once more falling under his erotic spell. . .

I haven't read any LKH before, so this was my first exposure to Anita Blake, and based only on this story I am not convinced that I need to read more from her. The story itself felt more like an epilogue and a first chapter than a complete story. Eventually I guess I will get to her, maybe after I finish catch up with all the Sherrilyn Kenyon books.

* A brand-new, Southern Vampire story by Charlaine Harris features Sookie Stackhouse and the vampires who have come to define her romantic life, and have ended her hope of a normal one. . .

You know, I don't recognise the story I read from the blurb above. Basically, this very short story fits in between the last two Sookie Stackhouse books,Dead as a Doornail and Definitely Dead and is about Sookie finding out that her cousin Hadley has died and left her a legacy. This explains a couple of things that happened in Definitely Dead a bit better.

* Newly crowned Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor reluctantly assumes her royal duties in Mary Janice Davidson's brand-new novella.

This is another new to me author that is pretty popular. I was actually pretty surprised when I looked on her website by two things - the first was how many different types of books she writes, and secondly how amateur the website looks. Anyway, Dr Sophie Tourneau has been the local vet in Embarrass, Minnesota for many years. If anyone realises that she is a vampire then no-one is saying anything. She used to have a special friend that she fed off, but he died some time before and she has been lonely for a long time.

Liam Thompson is one of her clients, but he has been secretly in love with her for years. The only problem he is human, but when Sophie realises that there is a rogue vampire on the loose killing young girls, he's there to assist her in anyway she can. Gradually she realises that maybe she could do with Liam's company.

Of course, in a novella 60 pages long, the romance was rushed, but it wasn't too bad. Overall, this book was okay. I might add some more of this authors books to my TBR list eventually. Any recommendations?

* Introduced in the anthology Hot Blooded and the romance Master of the Night, Angela Knight has created a fascinating universe melding Arthurian lore with erotic vampirism . . .


Whilst I enjoyed this one, I did feel a little overwhelmed with understanding the world that the story was set up in, given that haven't read any of the other books in the series. It is a kind of mix of several different stories. The above blurb tells you nothing, so I got the following off of Angela Knight's website.

When brand-new witch Caroline Lang has a vision of demons, evil vampires, and unholy grails, she finds an ally in Galahad, immortal knight of the Round Table.

Galahad is a veteran of the Magekind's magical battles of good against evil, but Caroline is like no partner he's ever had. Sexy, smart-mouthed, and irreverent, it doesn't take Caroline long to get under his skin.

But even as their partnership heats up, dark forces conspire to strip them of their power and kill them. If Galahad and Caroline don't defeat them, mankind will pay the price...

I will definitely be reading more of this series!

* Finally, in the romantic novella "Blood Lust", popular romance author Vickie Taylor brings her own unique spin on vampires . . .

I don't recall hearing about this author before, but she is definitely on my reading radar now.

Daniel Hart has been working to try and develop synthetic blood, something that has the bigwigs in the local vampire community very interested. So interested in fact that they are willing to steal his formula and beat the crap out of him to get it. Fast forward a couple of months and Daniel is determined to exact revenge, not only in respect of his work, but also his fiance who was left undead by them. In order to get revenge he needs to get himself turned into a vampire as well, and this is where Deadre Rue. She is very reluctant to bring him over, especially seeing as she thinks that she has a pretty miserable existence - especially there has been so many restrictions on who she can feed from.

This novella was really good, and I have added this author to my "I am going to read more from this author one day" list!

Overall, I have added a couple of new authors to my list and I have now caught up with all the Sookie Stackhouse stories (I think).

One interesting thing is that this is the fourth anthology I have read so far this year. I only read 6 in total last year. What this does have the effect of doing is increasing the number of new to me authors I have read. So far this year, I have read 19 books, and been introduced to 16 new authors!



Rating 4/5

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

As a person with few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley - a consort of the vampire queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley's estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk.

Someone doesn't want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley's past - or for that matter, Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack to the vampire queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject - Sookie's first love, Bill.

Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous - and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...

Read it, liked it. Will that do as a review?

This is the sixth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, after Dead as a Doornail and I liked that there seemed to be some closure on a couple of Sookie's relationships. It was getting a bit ridiculous that every paranormal bloke in town was hot for her, although I did find it interesting that this attraction was explained a little in this book.

I liked Quinn...a lot! And I liked the way that the relationship was building up between the two of them.

Once again Sookie was badly injured, but I suppose that it is to be expected really. She does get tied in with some seriously unpleasant business with the Queen of Louisiana that I am sure will be explored a bit more in future books.

Can't wait for the next Sookie book to come out in May I think! You can read the first chapter of All Together Dead here.

Rating 4/5 (Finished reading this book on 4 December 2006)

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

This is the fifth book in the Southern Vampire series, following on from Dead to the World

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well manner and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family.

When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother 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....

Okay...so I am probably going to sound a bit grumpy with this review. I really did enjoy this book but the thing I am beginning to find is that the books are basically rehashed each time!

The main storyline is that someone has been shooting shapeshifters including Sam, Sookie's boss. The local shifter community suspects Jason, Sookie brother. In order to help out and have some protection, Sam (who is half in love with Sookie) asks Sookie to approach Eric (the local vampire sheriff who can't remember what went on with Sookie in the last book but would really love to because he can't stop thinking about her) to give him a vampire to work the bar where Sookie works. Charles dresses like a pirate and soon is charming all the locals!

As in the other books Sookie gets injured, her house nearly burns down, Bill (her ex-boyfriend who would really like to get back with her) tries to come to the rescue as does Alcide (who even suggests to Sookie that he would like to have a permanent relationship with her, even going so far as to include her in the process to choose a new pack leader).

With just about every supernatural man half in love with Sookie, including the leader of the local were-panther community, things are a little predictable, but still entertaining, and because I am a series junkie I will still read the next one!

Rating 4/5

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

The fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, following on from Club Dead.

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read - just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.

Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy - and dead - as the day she first met him. But now that he has amnesia, Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help - because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart - because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist...

Sookie's New Year's resolution was to stay away from vampires. Should be easy right? After all, her ex-boyfriend Bill has gone to Peru so she has no need to have anything to do with any of his vampire buddies. Except when she comes across Eric running naked down a road, apparently unaware of who he is, he is pretty hard to resist. It turns out he has lost his memory, and the people who put the curse on him are pretty intent on tracking him down so that they can finish him off once and for all. Not long after Eric turns up, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing, so between looking for him, and trying to keep Eric hidden, her New Year's resolution has gone out the window. It certainly doesn't help that Eric is still sexy as, and to top it off he is kind and vulnerable....yum! I wouldn't be saying no either, just quietly, and I don't know about Sookie, but I was definitely thinking "Bill.....Bill who?" a lot of the time through this book!

With more and more supernaturals being unveiled and time running out, Sookie is drawn into a supernatural battle between witches, were-creatures (including the very sexy Alcide who we met in the last book), fairies, vampires and the local wiccan community, Sookie is just hoping that she doesn't get too badly beaten up.

When I finished the last book I was really hoping that Sookie would end up with Alcide. They had such great chemistry, and he seemed like a really great guy...well, for a werewolf anyway! It wasn't to be in this book, but one of the major obstacles is out of the way for the future if that is the way the author decides to go!

With more supernatural men find Sookie attractive, and her own conflicted feelings about some of them, it all looks like interesting times ahead for Sookie.

Rating 4/5

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

The third book in The Southern Vampire series featuring Sookie Stackhouse, following on from Living Dead in Dallas.

There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant -- in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally find Bill -- caught in an act of serious betrayal -- she's not sure whether to save him ... or sharpen some stakes.

Things aren't great between Bill and Sookie, but when he lies to her about where he is going and what he is up to, Sookie is devastated. When she is contacted by Eric and the other vampires because they are concerned that he has gone missing, Sookie is willing to help in any way but she is torn about whether when they find him she will be happy to see him or not.

Eric gives her an in to the supernatural community of Jackson, Mississippi, and we are introduced to Alcide Hervaux, a shapeshifting surveyor whose family owes Eric a favour. I have to say....I like Alcide as a character. Where Sookie didn't date normal men, she certainly has supernatural men falling over themselves to be with her, and Alcide is certainly amongst them, but he is a man who seems to treat Sookie quite well, the same can't always be said for some her other men friend.

Anyway, Sookie goes to Jackson, ostensibly to search for Bill, and she finds him, but not before we meet an old enemy and Sookie is seriously injured. This gives Eric an excuse for Sookie to take more of his blood, making his link to her even stronger. After rescuing Bill and generally saving the day again, Sookie returns home, and I was glad to here the decision that she made in the last few pages of the book. Good on you Sookie!!

This was quite dark at times, but still funny and entertaining. I can't wait to read more and see what role Bill, Eric, Sam and Alcide have in her life in the future!

Rating 4/5

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Melissa's Bookshelf

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

The second book in the Southern Vampire Novel series featuring Sookie Stackhouse, following on from Dead Until Dark.

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then she's face-to-face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).

Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the bloodsuckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie's in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved. There's just one condition: the vampires must promise to behave--and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly. . .

From having never read a vampire novel, this was my third one in a month. I guess I haven't really got to any hardcore ones yet though.

When yet another one of Sookie's coworkers is murdered, and Sookie is the one to find the body stuffed in the back of one of the local policemen's car, it's bad enough. But when she is attacked by a maenad and ends up with poisonous wounds on her back, and all so that she can give a "message" to Eric, you know that Sookie's in for a rough ride.

It has been agreed that Sookie will be hired out to a nest of vampires who live in Dallas. One of the vampires has gone missing, and it is up to Sookie to question the humans who hang out with the vampires to see what they know. Sookie has agreed to do this only on the condition that the humans won't be harmed once they have been finished with.

Sookie and Bill head off for Dallas, not realising that they are heading into a lot of danger. There is a radical anti-vampire movement there that is masquerading in the form of a fundamentalist church, known as the Fellowship of the Sun.

The fellowship has a vampire in their midst who is determined to commit suicide by exposing himself to the sun's rays. That is not enough however....the leaders of the fellowship want another vampire, and maybe even a couple of humans to make the show really exciting!!

Along the way, Sookie meets another telepath, some shapeshifters and many more vampires, and in more danger than she really wanted to be! Can't a girl just live a quiet life with her vampire boyfriend. Even once they return home, there is still more drama, as Sookie sets out to assist in solving the mystery of who really killed her friend and co-worker.

Once again, I really enjoyed this read. There were several laugh out loud moments, and the relationship between Bill and Sookie seems to be developing very nicely indeed! It will be interesting to see how the continued presence of Eric impacts on their relationship in future books! I guess because I had more of an idea what to expect I actually enjoyed it more than Dead Until Dark. Hopefully I will be picking up the next book in the series tomorrow, so I will soon know if the high standard has been maintained or not.

Rating 4.5/5

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Melissa's Bookshelf

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, she keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life...

but Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of - big surprise - murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next....

My first EVER vampire book, although this seems to be a bit of a cross between vampire and cozy murder mystery so I am not sure that everyone would count it as a true vampire story but that's okay!

Sookie Stackhouse lives a pretty quiet life, not really by choice, but because she can hear the thoughts of everyone around her and that gets to be quite overwhelming! Usually she tries to block everyone's thoughts but even that is pretty tiring so she does her work and then spends her time with the grandmother that she lives with, and the brother that she doesn't necessarily always get along with! That is, until she meets Bill. Bill is different because, well, she can't hear any of his thoughts. Bill is also a vampire who is looking to return to the hometown that he lived in a couple of hundred years.

Things are changing for vampires. They are grudgingly being accepted by most of the community (even appearing on Oprah), and they are protected by the law, but that doesn't mean that everyone accepts them. As Sookie gets to know Bill, she also gets to meet some of the crowd that he hangs around with, and they aren't all quite as civilised as Bill!!

When one of Sookie's coworkers is found dead, there are several suspects. When another girl is killed, suspicion is more strongly focused on two people close to Sookie - Bill and her brother Jason.

Quicker than you can say "I Vant to Suck Your Blood" the bodies are stacking up and Sookie is being targeted by the murderer. She has to find out who the murderer is before she becomes a victim herself.

Whilst I did really enjoy this book, I did have a couple of issues with it. The first is that when one of the people closest to Sookie is murdered, she is pretty much over it in a couple of chapters. The other is that if this is supposed to be a murder mystery then Sookie doesn't really seem all that focused on finding the killer. She does, but it is almost as though she is caught unawares until he is finally upon her, trying once again to kill her. It would seem that being able to read people's minds would make it easy to solve a murder mystery but it seems that some people are harder to read than other, including Sam, Sookie's boss who is another person in Sookie's life who is not quite what he seems!

Having said that, I did enjoy this book, and will be reading more of the series. It is certainly a change of pace from the other books that I have been reading. Can't wait to read more about the vampires, shape shifters and other creatures that live in Sookie Stackhouse's small time Louisiana.

Rating 4/5

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