I am totally amazed with the ideas that Charlaine Harris (the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels) continues to come up with. Every book in the series introduces new and interesting characters and leaves me wanting to read more. In books 1-6 Sookie was introduced to vampires, shape shifters, werewolves, other were animals, witches, fairies and demons. In this book, the author successfully introduces "aliens" who are from another dimension! Amazing! In the 7th" Sookie Bookie" (as I've come to call them), Sookie finds herself in the role of paid telepath for the Queen of Louisiana at an undead summit or convention of sorts. Some highlights include: a vampire trial & execution, a vampire wedding, a Dr. Pepper bomb, romantic interludes with Quinn the weretiger boyfriend, mind discussions with Barry Bellboy (fellow telepath), an important blood exchange, a narrow escape on the back of Viking Vampire Eric, and much more! Loved it!

Definitely Dead

I liked "Definitely Dead" the 6th Sookie Stackhouse novel alot, b/c honestly, what could be better than a very tall, very muscular bald man who calls you babe and turns into a tiger? Hmmm... EXACTLY! Note worthy things that happen in the 6th Sookie Stackhouse book: Sookie tells Vampire Bill to get lost, Sookie's cousin dies & she goes to clean out her apartment, Sookie meets the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sookie is attacked by a one-of-a-king werewolf vampire, Sookie becomes close friends with a witch who accidentally turns her boyfriend into a cat, Sookie botches the Vampire King of Arkansas' plan to kill the Queen of Louisiana and SO MUCH MORE! Very exciting, indeed!

September's Book Club Party

We had a great time celebrating villians at our "A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning" Book Club Party. Many came dressed as villians in honor of the ultimate villian, Count Olaf. I was Doctor Psychosis! We even had Count Olaf among our numbers along with one of his very creepy white faced ladies! We started the party with a game against Team Violet, Team Klaus and Team Sunny. Team members answered questions from the book, explained life lessons as per Lemony Snicket and defined difficult vocabulary! Team Sunny ended up winning, and their prize was nothing more than the satisfaction of knowing they won!!! We then shared EYE ART and guessed who drew which piece of art. Nikkita Gibson won top of show for her eye art. I personally liked my eye best, but that's o.kay Nikkita... you crazy cat lady! After all the excitement of our art presentations we ate from a huge pan of "Not Roastbeef" otherwise known as Pasta Putanesca. Dessert was pudding. All and all it was a fun party.

Dead as a Doornail by C. Harris

"Dead as a Doornail" is the 5th Sookie Stackhouse novel. The Sookie Stackhouse books have all been very entertaining, but this is the first of the 5 I've read that I would feel comfortable allowing my 16 year old to read. Most go a little too far in the "romance department"... yeah, that's a good way of saying it! Anyway, I like the books very much. They are easy to read, and each chapter leaves you NEEDING to know more! In this volume Sookie (a telepathic barmaid at Merlotte's Bar) is saved by her fairy godmother (REALLY!) from her burning home, finds herself involved with a pack of werewolves and in the middle of the election of a new pack leader, is shot while leaving the library, is landlord to a vampire pirate who is filling in at Merlotte's as bartender, is warned by Bubba (who was Elvis in his post-dead vampire state) that she is in danger and strikes a deal with Eric (the vampire sheriff of District 5) to save her friend, Tara, from an abusive vampire named Mickey! Sookie Stackhouse leads a full life, you might say!!!

Dead to the World

I guess this is my favorite of the first 4 Sookie Stackhouse books. This is the book #4 and in this volume, Sookie finds herself taking care of Eric, the Vampire Sheriff of District 5, who has amnesia. He's a much more agreeable vamp when he's under the curse of a witch named Hallow!!! Vampire Bill is absent much of the book (which is fine with me) b/c he's in Peru doing something for the Queen of Louisiana. Sookie's brother, Jason, is also mysteriously missing. This book is packed with action. Were-wolfs, vampires and even one shape-shifter along side Sookie fight a coven of were-witches who drink vampire blood!!! So, they are super-duper mean and powerful witches! Bubba, the vampire, is also in this book, again. He is one of my favorite characters! You'd just have to read the books to know why!

Living Dead in Dallas

Just finished the 2nd Sookie Stackhouse novel Living Dead in Dallas, and it was pretty good. I like the books because they are fast-paced and full of action. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger! This book really even had two plots running at the same time. In this volume, Sookie finds herself forced to go to Dallas and use her telepathic skills to look for a missing vampire. She finds herself prisoner of "The Fellowship of the Sun", a kind of church whose members want to "do away" with all the vampires of world! All this after Sookie is attacked by a maenad and almost killed. I know if you're like me, you are wondering what a maenad is, so I will grace you with my knowledge... straight from wikipedia! Maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, the most significant members of the Thiasus, the retinue of Dionysus. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by him into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication. In this state, they would lose all self-control, begin shouting excitedly, engage in uncontrolled behaviors, and ritualistically hunt down and tear animals (and sometimes men and children) to pieces, devouring the raw flesh. During these rites, the maenads would dress in fawn skins and carry a thyrsus, a long stick wrapped in ivy or vine leaves and tipped by a cluster of leaves; they would weave ivy-wreaths around their heads, and often handle or wear snakes. Pretty darn scary, huh? Well, this book was a quick one to read and fun but not for kids. Ms. Harris could have left out about 3 pages, and it would have been fine. Guess there must be a market out there for those 3 pages!

"Dead Until Dark" by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark is the first novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I got the first six paperbacks at a steal last year, and Kaylie decided to read the first one. She was also into reading another series at the time, so she got behind... THANKFULLY! Dead until Dark & all the other Sookie bookies are NOT for kids & teens. The story is inventive, exciting and fast paced. It is also slightly provocative. I wish authors wouldn't ruin perfectly good stories with text that is better left to the imagination! That said, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed it enough that I plan to read the other five paperbacks I have. I won't be allowing Kaylie to read them though, unless I rip out several pages!!! Sorry, Kaylie-Bird. You've been censored.