An Easy Death

In An Easy Death, Charlaine Harris brings together Western and Fantasy through an alternate American history, with a little magic thrown in the mix. I loved Gunnie Lizbeth Rose. She was strong, intelligent, self-assured and confident. Gunnie Rose kicked ass. She followed orders and she gave them. She could shoot, but she didn't kill without reason. Growing up in such a harsh world, with cruelty all around her, Lizbeth has become a good person. She is fair, though not always kind. She is loyal and honourable. I am invested in what happens to Lizbeth now. An Easy Death is the first in Harris' new Gunnie Rose series and after that ending, I wonder what is next for Lizbeth Rose.

Her mother did well for Lizbeth and for herself. She married a good man, who seems to care for Lizbeth. There were times, however, I wondered why Candle wasn't around her daughter more when she returned from jobs. She did fuss, but Gunnie kept giving the reason that she wanted to go home, to her own house. She didn't want to inconvenience her mother and step-father or bother them. If it was my daughter, in this harsh life, I think I'd tell my husband I was going to spend a couple days with her. At least one overnight? Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Jackson, Gunnie Rose's step-father wasn't affectionate, but he treated both her well, also ensured to cover anything owed by his step-daughter while she was gone - owing someone is not a position you want to be in. 

I was maybe a little in love with Eli too. He is so different than Gunnie Rose, but they connect. They learn to trust each other deeply. There are many words unsaid between them, but they see beyond that. Apart from his relationship with Gunnie Rose, Eli goes through a lot. He suffers different, deep losses and I think it was good that Lizbeth was there. 

The alternate history is really interesting. The way Harris explained it in the novel was woven in well. It didn't feel like an info dump, though I knew that is what it was. You can only mention "New America" and "Texoma" so many times before you have to explain what happened. Is it weird that the Canadian in me likes the idea of Canada getting a chunk of the northern states? (The good thing is that they'd all have universal health care.) Mexico gets a chunk of the south too. When the Russian royal family flees, they don't all die. Instead the Tsar settles in California and some western states become the Holy Russian Empire. I really wish I had a map. The copy I read is a library ebook. I'm going to have to check out a print edition the next time I'm in a bookstore or library to see if there is a map. I think one would be fascinating. 

There was so much that pulled me into An Easy Death, but the main thing was Gunnie Rose herself. It's a harsh, hard world that she lives in, especially for women. Yet she survives and even thrives. I'm interested to see where her journey takes her and I wonder if she'll make it to the HRE one day.

The Best So Far: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

What are the best books I've read so far in 2013?  The Broke and The Bookish want to know.  I've been lucky.  Except for one truly disappointing book, I've read some really great novels so far this year.  I've limited the list to just novels, because if I included the fantastic poetry and short stories I've read on this list, I would have a much more difficult time deciding what titles to include.  

In no particular order, the best books of 2013 so far:

1. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey

2. Legend, by Marie Lu

3. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

4. And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hoseinni

5. Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes

6. Redshirts, by John Scalzi

7. Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris

8. The Wind Through The Keyhole, by Stephen King

9. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King

10. The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis

What are the best books you've read so far this year?

Time to Lounge In The Sun! Top Ten Beach Reads

It seems like every year just as the beach season starts, The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are your Top Ten Beach Reads.  This will in fact be my third "beach read" list.  This year the topic also specifically asks how YOU define a beach read.  

Usually, if a list is repeated or I've done something similar, I'll try not to repeat the books.  This time, I'm going to think about what I would want in a beach read and see what makes my top ten this week, even if it was on one of the previous lists.  For me, when I want to take something to the beach, I want it to be a page-turner.  It doesn't have to be fluff, it could be anything that will keep me engaged.  It also needs to be something I can put down at any point and come back to without feeling like I need to catch up.  What if I want to take a dip in the water?  Or build a sand castle?  I don't want to feel like I can't leave the story.  In no particular order, my Top Ten Beach Reads.

1. Anything by Sophie Kinsella.

2. The Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

4. The Divergent Trilogy, by Veronica Roth

5. A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket

6. The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling

7. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

8. Anything by Jane Austen

9. The Sookie Stackhouse Series, by Charlaine Harris

10. Redshirts, by John Scalzi

Well, apparently I like taking mostly genre books to the beach....  What are your favourite beach reads?

Dead Ever After

I love the last line of Dead Ever After. (I'll try not to be spoilery, but there might be some vague ones...) Thirteen books later, I think Sookie has learned who she is and what she is capable of. She isn't searching for someone or something. She is happy with the person she is. I don't think that it's about who Sookie ends up with, though I like the man and I totally expected it. I think the series has been Sookie's journey to herself. It is her over coming her perceived disability and becoming strong and independent. She's beyond needing a man. Having one is nice, but she isn't going to let it define her.

Dead Ever After was fun and entertaining. It had a mystery to solve, which I've always liked about the Sookie Stackhouse books. We had an appearance by every man in the series that Sookie had been involved with, which I think was very exciting and appropriate as this was the final novel. I loved Karin; if they thought about it too much, I think she and Pam would turn Sookie because they'd want her as a friend forever.  I also think Karin might have found someone nice in Sookie's woods. I was excited to see all of Sookie's friends, her houseguests. I really thought the courthouse scene made her see herself more as others see her.

Charlaine Harris's dedication was to her fans. It was nice, but also like a pre-apology for what was to come in the story, because she knew not everyone would be happy. In her acknowledgements she also mentioned her fans and said that she's always given her best and tried to create the best works possible. It seemed really genuine to me. I know there's been a lot of hate going on for the last few books and I admit the last three (especially book 11) weren't as good as the others.  I also heard about the spoilers posted for this one (which, if you post spoilers, how about spoiler warnings or hiding your spoiler-filled Goodreads review, because those are supposed to be the rules.  I wasn't trying to find spoilers.) I just started the book feeling bad for the author. I don't know if people are going to agree with me, but this is my opinion and everyone is allowed to have an opinion.  I guess I'm surprised by the amount of hate for a book that a lot of people haven't read, that started months before it was even released.

I was satisfied with the end to Sookie's story.  Not everything/everyone was tied up, but I think that's what After Dead is for.  If it's a coda or appendix or short story collection, I think I'll like it....  I thought Dead Ever After was an entertaining final novel.  Sookie Stackhouse had her ups and downs, but it was fun.  I'm glad I picked up the first book and continued on through all thirteen.

Maybe I'm Not A Light & Fun Reader

This week I found the Broke and The Bookish's top ten topic more difficult than usual.  Apparently, I don't read a whole lot of "Light and Fun" type stories.  There are a few though.  Let's see if I can make it to ten.

1. Anything by Jane Austen - They're classic, but they're romantic.

2. The Shopaholic Series/Anything by Sophie Kinsella - Kinsella's books are hilarious and my go-to read when I want something light.

3. The Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson - Undead might be about vampires, but Queen Betsy is hilarious.  I have to catch up on this series.

4. The Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris - I started this series when I needed something light to read.  There's a fair bit of violence and sex, but whatever, it was light for me.

5. The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices series, by Cassandra Clare - I've read the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series and I found them quick, fun reads.  Maybe not light?  Again, a fair bit of violence in these books.  

So, not even close to ten...  I find a lot of the Young Adult Dystopian series I've read in the past couple years "fun", in that they are quick and enjoyable reads, but they deal with some heavy/dark subjects and I don't know that they qualify for this list. Even some of the series I have up there might not really be what the topic intends.  I guess I'm not really into "light" books.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll discover some this week looking at everyone's lists.  Any recommendations?

What A Surprise! Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know what are the Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did.  I decided to split the list, 5 each.  They're in no particular order.  Hopefully my ramblings are understandable.

I thought I'd like MORE:

(aka, Disappointed)

1. Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations, by Alexander McCall Smith - Everyone seems to love Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books.  I'd heard such good things about them. When I saw a copy of Heavenly Date and Other  Flirtations not only did I pick it up because of Smith's reputation, but I love short stories and I liked the title.  I was sadly disappointed.  I've since read another of Smith's books, a novel, not No. 1 Ladies, and also didn't really like it.  He's not a bad writer, just something about his style doesn't appeal to me.

2. Girl meets boy, by Ali Smith - Girl meets boy is a book from the Canongate Myth Series.  Up until this installment, I had enjoyed each Myth book.  They're all by different authors, so perhaps there was bound to be one I didn't really like.  It's a slim 149 pages, but it took ages for me to get through.

3. Undead Reckoning, by Mike Slabon - I was really looking forward to this self-published zombie-fantasy novel.  I've been getting more into zombies (perhaps blame Walking Dead) and I want to support self-published authors and Slabon seems like a genuinely nice guy.  I really wanted to love this book, but sadly didn't.

4. The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie, by Alan Bradley - Why do people love The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie?  I expected to love it too.  They synopsis, what other people were saying, all indicated to me that I would enjoy the book.  I found Flavia so irritating, I just couldn't handle it.

5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen - Unlike the other books on this list, I really liked Pride and Prejudice.  I loved Lizzy and Darcy; all the characters were fantastic.  It's a great story.  I read it after I read Sense and Sensibility, which I loved.  The way people spoke about Pride and Prejudice, I expected to love it more than Sense and Sensibility and that just didn't happen.  So while I still enjoyed it, I didn't love it the way I expected.  Right now, Sense and Sensibility is my favourite Austen.

I thought I'd like LESS:

(aka, Pleasantly Surprised)

1. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling - So many people were complaining about The Casual Vacancy.  It wasn't Harry Potter, it was long, it was boring.  If you went in expecting it to be like Harry Potter then yes, you'd be disappointed, but I knew it wouldn't be.  I read the synopsis.  More than one it was mentioned that this was a book for adults.  It actually reminded me a bit of a Stephen King book.  I really liked it.

2. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey - I knew I'd like Livvy Higgs, I just didn't know I'd love it!  I could seriously gush about it, but it would probably be simpler to read my review.

3. Living Dead In Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2), by Charlaine Harris - I read the first book in the series, Dead Until Dark and liked it.  I didn't think it was spectacular, but I had a box set and figured I'd eventually get to the rest of the books.  A while later I read Living Dead In Dallas and that was the surprise   Book 2 hooked me into the series.  I read five books in about two weeks, which is pretty fast for me.  Then, I borrowed book 8 because I just had to know what happened next. (I'm not going to talk about the most recent books.)

4. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - I figured Lee's novel would be okay.  There would be some historical/societal/social stuff, but I didn't know.  I didn't know how amazing this novel really is and why EVERYONE should read it.  Everyone.

5. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts, by Douglas Adams - My hubby told me to read it.  He usually only reads fantasy, but here he was trying to get me to read sci-fi.  I didn't know how awesome  Hitchhiker's  was.  I want to re-read it.  Multiple times.

Top Ten Books I’m Excited For In 2013

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know what books we're most excited to read in 2013.  My list might be different than what everyone else is putting down.  I honestly don’t tend to read a lot of new releases.  I might only read one or two a year.  So, I’m breaking the list into two parts –

Part 1 - Books that will be released in 2013 that I’m excited to read.

1. Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris - The final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series! (May 2013)
2. The Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare - The final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. (May 2013)
3. Sever, by Lauren DeStefano - The final book in the Chemical Garden trilogy.  I'm so excited to read this one! (February 2013)
4. Divergent #3, by Veronica Roth - No title yet...  Also, another final book. (September 2013)

Part 2: Books that are sitting on my shelves that I need to read in 2013.

5. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King
6. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood
7. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey
8. Fool, by Christopher Moore
9. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore
10. City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare

I was tempted to add Undead and Underwater, by MaryJanice Davidson (March 2013), but I'm not caught up in the series yet, so I don't know if I'd definitely read that book next year.  I'm often a mood driven reader.

What are you looking forward to reading?

Don't Forget About Me! Ten "Older" Books I Think It's Important To Remember

I like the Broke and The Bookish's topic for this week's Top Ten.  What "older" books do you love, that you want to make sure no one forgets.  There are tons of books I could put on the list, but these were the first ten I thought of (yup, my mind went from Rice and Harris to Montgomery and Lewis without pause).  In no particular order, my top ten don't forget about me books:

1. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood - My very first dystopian and very scary.
2. 1984, by George Orwell - Another classic, very scary dystopian.
3. Interview With A Vampire, by Anne Rice - Great vampire fiction.
4. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - The book that inspired True Blood.
5. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery - A classic book, the thought of which always makes me smile.
6. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis - I'm on the last book and it's a series I don't want to end.
7. Carrie, by Stephen King - This one is a bit of a cheat   I haven't actually read it yet.  But it's King's first book and the one that started his career.
8. Kindred, by Octavia Butler - Just brilliant.
9. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - An amazing story.
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini - It still makes me emotional.

I was tempted to add Harry Potter to this list, but I figured it would be on tons of other lists this week.

What older books do you love?

It’s Always Difficult To Pick Favourites

My blog has been around a long time.  I started it back in 2006.  Six years!  I’ve read a lot of books.  As The Broke and The Bookish have requested, I’ve narrowed it down to ten (or thirteen).  You can see the progression, looking back at 2006 to now, how much more verbose I am in my reviews.  I’ve also read across the genre and age spectrum.  In no particular order, here are the Top Ten Favourite Books I’ve Read During The Lifespan of My Blog.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseinni
2. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
5. 1984, by George Orwell
6. Wicked:  The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire
7. The Dark Tower III:  The Waste Lands, by Stephen King
8. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (re-read)
9. Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
10. The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland
11. The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch
12. Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
13. World War Z, by Max Brooks

I couldn’t do it!  I couldn’t just pick ten.  What are your favourite books that you’ve blogged about?

* Some of the early reviews seem to not have any spoiler warnings on them.  Oops!

*All book links lead to my reviews.

The Book World to Real Life – Could They Make It?

This week’s topic from The Broke and The Bookish made me think.  A lot.  I considered what obstacles the couples had to overcome, as well as the foundations of their relationships.  I didn’t want to just throw together a list of romantic couples, that would be too easy…  So here we are, my Top Ten (Eight) Couples Who Might Make It In The Real World.

1. Ron and Hermione (Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling) – I know it’s almost cliché, but clichés exist for a reason.  They work through the antagonistic feelings to become friends, then from friends to more.  They would be those friends you have to dinner with who tell you how they hated each other, but now, it’s funny to think back on.

2. Eddie and Susannah (Dark Tower series, by Stephen King) – I know they’re not exactly a well known “romance”, but they are a couple that went through a lot.  Not even death could stop them from being together.  Eddie didn’t see Susannah as disabled, he saw her as someone he could love forever.  In the end, they did get a chance to make it in the real world and you’re left with the feeling that they do.

3. Lizzy and Darcy (Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen) – I know everyone will probably have Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy on their list.  But I don’t care.  They are a great couple.  It wasn’t love at first site and that makes is so much more real.

4. Katniss and Peeta (The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins) – I think it’s the epilogue at the end of Mockingjay that really makes me feel like Katniss and Peeta could have a real relationship in the real world.

5. Becky Bloomwood and Luke Brandon (Shopaholic Series, by Sophie Kinsella) – Though exaggerated for the books, Becky and Luke seem to have real problems, like working too much or shopping too much and they work through them.

6. Sookie and Sam (Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris) – Yup, that’s right, I said Sam.  Bill lied and Eric is too selfish.  After Deadlocked I think that’s who Sookie is going to end up with.  Sam is kind and has been a good friend to her no matter which crazy vampire or shifter she’s dated.

7. Jane and Rochester (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë) – If you want to read about a woman who doesn’t change her values just to be with a man, then read this book.  They still end up together.

8. Henry and Clare (The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger) – I know this has been on a lot of lists too, but even without the time traveling, I think they could make their lives work.

That’s it.  Eight.  I can think of lots of couples in books, but I doubt the staying power of their relationships.  I thought of adding Harry and Ginny, but thought one Harry Potter couple was enough, so I picked the one I thought more likely to work.  I know there are people who picked Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility, but if this were the real world, Elinor would have found someone else ages before Edward came around.  Except for the first two, I kind of doubt my own choices too.  Relationships in the real world are difficult, wonderful and amazing, but difficult.

What do you think?

It’s Hot Out Here!

It’s been a while since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday, from the Broke and The Bookish, but I saw this week’s topic, Top Ten Beach Reads and started listing off books in my head.  There are more than ten here.  Most of the books I’ve listed are actually series.  They are in no particular order.

1. The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins
2. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
3. Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris
5. The Undead series, by MaryJanice Davidson
6. Wither and Fever, by Lauren DeStefano
7. The Legend of Drizzt series, by R.A. Salvatore
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks
9. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
10. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, by Douglas Adams

What will you be reading at the beach?

Deadlocked

I’m so glad that Charlaine Harris brought the mystery back to Deadlocked, the twelfth book in the Southern Vampires/Sookie Stackhouse series.  Though, it did take a lot of pages before we got to the finding of the dead body; there was a lot of Sookie’s life, the in-between bits, that were included in this story.  I liked the book, a definite improvement on Dead Reckoning.  However, I felt like it was too long.  There were a lot of Sookie-thinking moments; it could have been maybe fifty pages shorter.  I wonder it there’s a sort of page count they aim for with these types of books.  All the Sookie books are about the same length.

I digress.  I liked it.  I’m happy I liked it.  I liked the mystery.  I liked the solution to the mystery.  I’ve gotten to really like Dermot.  I also wonder about Claude’s motivations.  I wonder if he somehow blames Niall for his sisters’ deaths.  I’m glad for Jason and Tara and all of Sookie’s friends.  I’m hoping that Sookie and Amelia mend their relationship before the end of the final book.  I always really liked Amelia and though she’s too impulsive, I think she might have been the most understanding friend Sookie ever had (except for Sam). 

Why is it always Bill or Eric?  I'm sure there are readers, who think Sookie would be better off with a non-vampire, like Sam.  I love Sam.  Sookie deserves better than what Eric has been giving her.  Bill didn’t do much better.  I do have to question Sam’s choices in women.  The next book is the last.  I hope that it tells us who Sookie will end up with, but I’d have to understand it Charlaine Harris left it a bit open.  After all, Sookie is only… 27?  I know lots of people who were/are unmarried/single at that age.

Deadlocked brought me back to loving the series.  Though not my favourite book of the series, it was an enjoyable read and has left me eager for the thirteenth and final book. 

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

I don’t usually buy “companion” books.  Sometimes I think they’re a money grab.  Sometimes I think they’ll just be filled with fan-loved favourites without really giving us anything new to think about.  I couldn’t resist The Sookie Stackhouse Companion though, for one simple reason, I wanted to read the novella.  

Small Town Wedding is a great story.  I love Sam.  I was so glad to see him return to the forefront.  I enjoyed learning about Sam’s family.  They are loving, wonderful people (not to be confused with Sam’s terrible family on True Blood).  Sam’s brother is getting married and even though he’s not a shifter, people protest.  Much of the trouble is caused by a nasty neighbour and a long lost “friend”, of Sookie’s, Sarah Newlin.  It’s nice to find out what happened to her.  Quinn even makes an appearance.  Small Town Wedding brought me back to what I love about the series, especially after a disappointing Dead Reckoning.  

Small Town Wedding takes place before Dead Reckoning and it had a publication date that put it before Dead Reckoning’s release, so why was it pushed back?  The only thing I could think of was the interview with Alan Ball about True Blood.  It was not a feature I remember seeing in the book originally, so I’m guessing it was a late addition.  It’s a good interview, just like the one with series author, Charlaine Harris.  Part of me wishes I had the chance to read the stories in the right order, but another part of me is okay that I read it after, since I was disappointed with the last book.  I also appreciate that the interviews with Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris distinguish the television series and the book series as two separate worlds.  Ball used Harris’s books as source material, but has taken many of the characters (for example, Tara) in different directions. 

This book is definitely a “companion”, it’s really only for fans of the series.  There are some things I didn’t really need, like a summary of the entire series, though it was nice to be reminded of some of the good things and corrected on a couple of things I remembered differently.  I didn’t really like the quiz, mostly because I didn’t know any of the answers.  (I wonder if anyone could get a pass on those questions.)  There are a lot fun things in the book.  I like the character list.  I think it’ll be helpful in a series this long.  I also really like the recipes.  Not that I’ve tried any of them yet, but I enjoy cooking and I’d like to try out some of Bon Temps’s favourites.  The Sookie Stackhouse Companion is a welcome addition to the series.

Side Note:  I know that the next two books will be the end of the series.  On one hand, I’m sad to see it go; I’ve really enjoyed the Southern Vampires.  On the other hand, Dead Reckoning was not that great.  Dead in the Family was better, but I’m in the minority on that opinion.  I have hopes for Deadlocked.  However, if it is on the same level as Dead Reckoning I’m glad that Harris will be ending the series soon.

Don’t Stop! Top Ten Books To Read In A Day

Some of these Top Ten Books are to Read In A Day, because they are quick reads.  Others are for one day reading because it's difficult to put them down.

1.     The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - You could potentially read the whole series in a day.

2.     Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - It's easy to fall for Sookie and Bill in one day.

3.     Undead and Unwed, by Maryjanice Davidson - Decide if you love Betsy or can't stand her craziness.  I love her and you can decide in a day.

4.     Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella - You can get excited and feel embarrassed with Becky.  Go through this fun Chick Lit adventure easily in one day.

5.     Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - It's been so long since I read the first Harry Potter book.  It would be nice to sit back and take in Harry's first adventure in just a day.

6.     A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Houseinni - It would be a long, emotional day and you might cry at the end, but this book is so difficult to put down.

7.     The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland - Coupland's writing is so fluid, it is difficult tear yourself away; you want to know what is going to happen to these characters.

8.     Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - So good and fun and I think it would be easy to read in a day.

9.     The Helmet of Horror, by Victor Pelevin - I read this in a day by accident.  It was such an easy read, I was sitting with my hubby and the next thing I knew it was done!

10. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood - An easy, potentially one-day read, for any Atwood fan.  You really want to know what happens to Penelope in end.

Except for The Helmut of Horror, all of these books took me more than a day to read.  It's been a long time since I've had the kind of time where I can just sit and read my time away.  But if I was without the children, maybe on a vacation or something, I could read any of those books in a day.

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for another great topic.

It’s Getting Hot In Here!

I’m putting this one out fast.  It’s going to be a busy morning with the kids, but I was thinking about this topic all week.  So quickly, from The Broke and The Bookish, here are the Top Ten Books I'd Save If My House Was On Fire.  In no particular order: 

1. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
2. The MadAddam Trilogy, by Margaret Atwood (I know the third book isn't out yet, but I'm sure I'll want it.)
3. The Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins
4. The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling
5. The Legend Of Drizzt, by R.A. Salvatore
6. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
7. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
8. The Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series, by Charlaine Harris
9. Sense and Sensibilities, by Jane Austen
10. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

I know there are a lot of series on there.  I couldn't help it.  I love books so much, I’d have a hard time just picking ten.  I’d actually, probably grab the King, Atwood and Rowling books first and then try to get the rest.  My husband would be grabbing the Salvatore books too.

A Touch Of Dead

A Touch of Dead is Charlaine Harris’s collection of Sookie Stackhouse short stories.  There were originally published in various paranormal anthologies, but now they’re all together.  That’s good, because as much as I love Sookie, I wasn’t going to buy five different books just to get these short stories.  (I do have one of the books, but I didn’t buy for the Sookie story.)  Here are my brief thoughts on each story.

Fairy Dust

Fairy Dust is a great little mini-mystery.  I enjoyed getting a deeper look at the fairies, Claude and Claudine as well as their relationship to Sookie.  I also liked finding out what happened to their triplet, Claudette.  The only problem I have is that from the novels, I thought Sookie didn’t know what happened to Claudette.  Maybe I don’t remember correctly. 

Harris admits in the introduction that she tried, but that the stories may not completely line up with the novels.  I have a second problem, though not a timeline one.  I found the language in the first half of the story a little dry.  It lacked the usual flair I enjoy in Harris’s writing.  At least it picked up by the end.

Dracula Night

Dracula Night doesn’t really give you any new insight into the story of Sookie, but it does let you find out something about Eric.  It’s a cute little story that finds Sookie in danger (as usual) and then pulling out of it.

I want to mention that I like many of these new takes on Dracula lore from books, television and movies.  It keeps things interesting.

One Word Answer

One Word Answer confused me.  This story deals with the death of Sookie’s cousin Hadley.  The story is different from the events in Definitely Dead.  There are similar bits, but unless I’m remembering it completely wrong, it’s still surprisingly different.  Why did Harris write this?  I still liked it.  Sookie solves the mystery of her cousin’s death (again?).

Lucky

Lucky was another good story.  It involved characters that are often passed over as residents of Bon Temps and never looked at closely.  By doing this, Harris avoids discontinuity issues and gives herself new characters to play with. 

Lucky had Sookie teaming up with Amelia Broadway, who after the last couple of novels, I’m not sure we’re going to ever see again.  I’d like too.  Amelia has been the most understanding of Sookie’s human friends.  She has been there for Sookie in a way that Tara and Jason haven’t.  (The character of Tara is VERY different from the book to the television show.)  Amelia is interesting, creative and will get right into anything Sookie needs her to.  I hope to see more of Amelia in future books.

Gift Wrap

Gift Wrap was easily my favourite of the stories.  It shows how much Niall loves Sookie and how unique Fairy love is.  Gift Wrap doesn’t affect the body of work; there are no new plot points.  It also doesn’t change anything that has already been laid down.  It’s written in the style that made me fall for the Sookie books.  It was a great final story to the collection.

Out and About: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone for Top Ten Tuesday

This week The Broke and The Bookish are asking what books you’ve read that were outside your comfort zone.

Another late in the day post, but this is the only chance I’ve gotten in the last few days to type it up. I wrote down the name of the books while feeding my baby boy in the middle of the night. It took me a few of those late nights/early mornings to get it all down (I'm often very drowsy). I do have to say that I have a big comfort zone. I’m an eclectic reader, as you can see from my blog. Therefore, some of these books are going back ten or more years to when it didn’t occur to me to read books other than literary fiction and the occasional horror or sci-fi.

1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson - It's a mystery.  I don't really read mysteries.  In general, they just don't appeal to me.  This book was also really hyped up and I tend to shy away from books with a lot of hype.  In the end, I loved it.
 
2.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - It was super-hyped.  It was also written for kids and I couldn't understand why so many people were reading it.  I didn't think I would like it when I borrowed my boyfriend's (now my husband) copy of the book.  I LOVE this series.
 
3.  Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer - Another super-hyped book.  I would never have read it if my friends at work hadn't handed me the book and said, read it!  I have to admit that I was definitely addicted.  It also opened me up to reading more Young Adult novels.  Up until Twilight, the only YA I'd read was Harry Potter.  If I didn't read Twilight I most likely would never have read The Hunger Games or Wither.
 
4.  The Dark Tower:  The Gunslinger Born, by Stephen King etc. - This was my first Graphic Novel.  I didn't read Graphic Novels before this, but I love the Dark Tower series, so if there was a Graphic Novel, I was going to read it.  I'm so glad I did.  I've read several Graphic Novels sinces and not all of them are Dark Tower related.
 
5.  A Short History of Myth, by Karen Armstrong - I had never really read non-fiction except for philosophy.  I really enjoyed this little book and it made me want to read more by this author.
 
6.  The Crystal Shard, by R.A. Salvatore - Salvatore is my husband's favourite author, so I had to read him.  This was my first Drizzt book and my first foray into Dungeons and Dragons style fantasy.  It was great.  I love Drizzt and have read more about him in the years since I read this book.
 
7.  Undead and Unappreciated, by MaryJanice Davidson - I picked up this book without realizing it was the third in a series.  I read it and really enjoyed it, so I picked up the first two books.  Now I've read up to book seven, I think.  I also would never have read the Sookie Stackhouse books if I didn't start this series first.  In one of the books there's and exerpt of the fourth Sookie book.  So Davidson's vampire series made me read Harris's.  I love them both.
 
I couldn't make it to ten.  I had a hard time making it to seven.  I'm not actually sure number seven actually counts, but I'm keeping it in anyway.  Do you read outside your comfort zone?

Halloween Reads

I know it's late in the day, but I still want to get my list out there.  Today The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are your top ten books to read around Halloween.  In no particular order:

1. Dracula, by Bram Stoker (*note:  currently reading)
2. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
4. Anything by Stephen King
5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
6. Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice
7. The Sookie Stackhouse books, by Charlaine Harris
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks (*note:  planning on reading this soon)
9. Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood
10. How To Survive a Horror Movie, by Seth Grahame-Smith

I don't know how Seth got two books up there....

Dead Reckoning

Minor Spoilers. I don’t think I really give anything away, but just in case…

Dead Reckoning is the latest (eleventh!) book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Originally, this series was called The Southern Vampire Mysteries and when I reviewed each installment, even though it had become common to call them the Sookie Stackhouse series, I kept to the first series title. Today I don’t really want to. Where was the mystery in this installment? In previous books, though there are several different storylines, the main mystery has been something like, “Who killed Lafayette?”, “Who’s shooting shifters?” or “Where is Jason?”. I thought the mystery of Dead Reckoning was going to be “Who attacked Merlotte’s?” but that was discovered pretty quickly.

The book also wasn’t sexy enough. I know that’s not a complaint I often have about books, but this is Sookie Stackhouse. They’re the basis of the HBO series True Blood. There’s a reason the show is the way it is. This book lacked that sex appeal that the previous books had. It’s an aspect of the series I’ve come to expect. With the lack of mystery, the lack of sexiness was even more apparent

Dead Reckoning was all about enemies. There were past enemies, present enemies and dead enemies all causing problems for Sookie. Some were minor, some were major, in a terribly deadly way. Sookie spent the novel trying to figure out how to get rid of her enemies. There was a lot of death, gruesome bloody death, that was telling of how Sookie’s character has changed since way back when she dated Bill Compton.

One thing I did like is that we get to learn more about Sookie’s family history and where her telepathic gift/curse came from. We learn about her fairy heritage in some major ways. I also really liked the evolution of Dermot as a character. Though a fairy, I think he has the potential to be one of Sookie’s closest friends.

There were so many loose end at the end of this novel; Harris listed them all at the end. Sookie has to figure out a lot of different things. There were loose ends at the end of Dead In The Family that other readers complained about, but I didn’t mind the ending. I thought it was fine. It wasn’t a complete story the way some of the previous books had been, but I liked the ending. That’s not what I found at the end of Dead Reckoning. It ended with a checklist.

Though probably least favourite of the series, I still enjoyed Dead Reckoning. It gave me what I was in the mood for, supernatural mayhem. It took me only four days to read. There was a lot of action and adventure. The book was never boring. There is no way that a tangle of loose ends is going to put me off of this series. I’m itching to know what happens next to Sookie and the people in her life.


Other Reviews:
The Phantom Paragrapher  
All The Books I Can Read

If you have a review and would like me to add it, please leave a comment below.

True Blood Covers From Entertainment Weekly

Some more fantastic True Blood pics thanks to Stargazing.