Dead to the World - Charlaine Harris

After reading Endymion and The Kite Runner, I decided to read a few fun and easy reads. Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series definitely falls into that category. Dead to the World picks up with Sookie and Bill's breakup. Bill has been called away to Peru so there is very little Bill in this book. I was actually kind of glad because I am a proud member of "Team Eric." I was not disappointed. This fourth installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series is all about Eric and Sookie.

I know that Eric is a self-serving, narcissistic vampire, but I really like him. He is really funny and easy on the eyes (maybe I'm a little influenced by True Blood here...Eric is pretty easy on the eyes in the show) and is pretty a pretty straightforward, uncomplicated guy. He definitely is more exciting than boring Bill!

This book featured some new supernatural beings. Were-panthers and witches made the book a pretty fun read. Just like in most books with witches, there are good ones and bad ones in Dead to the World. A neighboring town full of shape shifters (one of whom wants to court Sookie) coupled with Eric's amnesia in the story made the book a little mysterious too. One character who I really like but is somewhat minor is Pam, Eric's second in charge. She is equally straightforward and somewhat funny which I really enjoy. She's a strong woman who is loyal to her employer/maker which let's be honest, isn't very common today!

Of all the Sookie Stackhouse books I've read so far, this one was fun, but probably my least favorite. I was kind of sad about it because I really am a big fan of Eric and was hoping for a more satisfying read out of an all Sookie-Eric book. The witches were kind of what soured the book for me a little. They felt a little out of place in the book. I'm not sure why I feel that way. Can any Charlaine Harris fans chime in on this? I just found them uninteresting as a whole. I think I might have liked the story more if they had been featured more prominently in the book. Their whole story isn't really known until the last few pages. There just wasn't much of a connection with them in either a good or bad way for me so I didn't find myself routing for them or loathing them much. On the evil scale they were about a three out of ten for me. Still, I really enjoy the series and will continue reading them. It's a nice break from some of the heavier reading that I've done this year (although I admit that I've been reading quite a bit of fluff this year).

Club Dead - Charlaine Harris

Ahhhh....the continuing saga of Sookie Stackhouse. I feel like I have grown a lot in the type of books I am willing to read. I used to be a sort of "book snob" and would only read books I thought were of good enough quality to read. This year however has been all about fun, and I am realizing just how much I can enjoy a good, quick read. The Sookie Stackhouse books are by no means award winning literature, but they are quite a bit of fun.

The third book, Club Dead, picks up with Sookie back in Bon Temps after her nightmarish time in Dallas. Of course dating a vampire doesn't allow Sookie to live the nice, quiet life. From the first page of the book, Sookie's time of peace and quiet is something that never quite happens. Vampire Bill is spending all his time at the computer instead of snuggling up with his favorite living being. Whatever he is working on is sure to be dangerous, and he tells Sookie that should something happen to him she should take his computer and hide it. He tells her he is going to work on an assignment in Seattle and then disappears from Bon Temps. No sooner has he left than Vampires Eric, Chow, and Pam show up to tell her that not all is right in the world of Bill. Of course Sookie has to drop everything and attempt to save Bill. It leads her to Jackson, Mississippi where there are shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, and a creepy vampire bar called Josephine's (a.k.a, Club Dead).

The action is pretty non-stop in this third novel. It also further explores Sookie's complicated, yet hysterical relationship with Vampire Eric. He is by far my favorite person in the books and I even laughed out loud a few times. He says some pretty funny things like, "I took 'English as a Second Language' at community college in the seventies" when Bill asks him where he learned the term "possessive pronoun". Those little gems of comedy coupled with his Scandinavian good looks makes him the most likeable character in the series. I may just really like him because Eric in True Blood is played so well. I definitely see Alexander Skarsgaard when I read the books.

At times I get a little irritated with the conversational diary-ish tone of the books, but overall they are quite fun to read and it's something I know I can get through in a day or two. I will probably pick up the next book in the series pretty soon because I am having such a good time reading them. Sometimes reading should just be fun, don't you think?!!

Living Dead In Dallas - Charlaine Harris

I decided to start reading the second book of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series because I have it on my e-book reader and it's easy to read while I dry my hair after I get out of the shower. I have to say that I enjoyed the second book more than the first. I can't tell if it is because the writing/story were better, or I have just gotten used to her style.

In Living Dead in Dallas, Sookie and Bill are recruited by Eric the Vampire to go to Dallas and help the Dallas vampires with a problem they have encountered. One of the vampires in their nest has been abducted and they have no idea what happened to him. Using Sookie's telepath powers they hope to find out what has happened to their friend. This book somewhat coincides with the second season of True Blood (HBO's original series) although there are major differences. However, if you are worried about any spoilers, I'd wait to read this book until the second season is finished (even though I don't know exactly what is going to happen on the show since there is three episodes left).

Overall, the story was more captivating than the first. It might be that I am in the "Team Eric" group and he is in the second book much more than the first. I was also really disappointed that one of the characters in the book has quite a different fate than on the show. I won't give away what happened or who it happened to, but it happens at the beginning and was a huge downer to me.

There is one thing in particular that irritates me about the book. Charlaine Harris is somewhat repetitive in her writing when she mentions Sookie's "gift" or her inability to hear Bill's thoughts. At times I feel like shaking my book and saying, "OK, I get it!!! She has been somewhat of an outcast because of her gift and yes, it's great to not be able to hear Bill's thoughts!" It's somewhat reminiscent of Stephanie Meyer and her obsession with Edward Cullen's beauty in the Twilight books...I know...there's just no other way to say it...he is beautiful!!! I get it! Move on!

I'll definitely keep reading the Southern Vampire series since this book was better than the first and because of my huge love for True Blood. It's just something fun and easy to read to pass the time!

Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris

I went on vacation to Nova Scotia last week. Our flight was long....VERY LONG! I knew that I needed something easy and quick to read, so I picked up a copy of Charlaine Harris', Dead Until Dark. I am huge fan of the HBO show True Blood which is based off The Southern Vampire Series.

I knew the book wouldn't be a masterpiece of fiction so my expectations were fairly low. The book was enjoyable, but was complete and utter pop fiction. I enjoyed it for what it was, but overall it was a pretty simply written book that was somewhat uncompelling. I am going to continue reading the series just because I like True Blood so much, but I have to say that I was underwhelmed by this first book.

The story is about a waitress named Sookie Stackhouse who has a special ability to read people's minds. She meets and falls in love with a vampire from the Civil War era in rural Louisiana. Part of the reason she is so taken with Vampire Bill is that she cannot read his mind like she can most people. When women who have been intimate with vampires start turning up dead, people are quick to blame vampires and suspect Vampire Bill of killing them. What ensues is a quick read and an interesting plot twist.

I am not sure that I can recommend these books to people. They are what I call "grocery store novels." They are easy to read and are typically written to appeal to people who don't read a whole lot. While I have to say that I do read some "grocery store novels", I can't say that I often recommend them to people. I'll see how the series goes and I might end up changing my mind and really liking it in the end.


Since I didn't find the book overly compelling, I'm adding a picture from our trip that was taken during one of the most incredible experiences of my life! We went whale watching in The Bay Of Fundy off Brier Island. It is located on the Digby Neck in Nova Scotia. The whales were incredible! They came right up to the boat and a few were playful and showed off their massive dorsal sides! This picture is of the flukes of one of the humpbacks that was playing near our boat. It left me completely breathless to be that near to something that large. If you haven't had the opportunity to go whale watching, I highly recommend it. It is so addicting and is by far one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had.