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Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 11 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series
Book Review

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 11
Publisher: Recorded Books, Listening Length: 10 hours and 23 minutes (368 pages), ASIN: B004YZ4SQY

Sookie has trouble following her around, some from her own making and some from outside of her control. Sookie, Eric and Pam need to deal with the new representative, Victor, that King Felipe de Castro has sent to Area Five. Victor is a nasty piece of work and he has it out for Eric. The book starts out with Sookie and her fairie family cleaning out the old Stackhouse attic.  What they find in the attic is interesting and it provides more information about Sookie’s background.

Dead Reckoning is the eleventh book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sookie Stackhouse Novel), and currently there are a total of twelve books. The thirteenth and final book is going to be released May 2013. All the books are contemporary fantasy but are also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sookie’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

I thought this book was much better than the previous book, Dead in the Family, but not as good as some of the earlier books. Sookie seemed more like herself, and she seems to have recovered from her ordeal in Dead and Gone. She was enjoying some sun tanning, helping her friends, and dealing with some threats.  I like that Sookie seems to really enjoy the day and the sun, even if she is married to a vampire.  She was also considering her future with Eric and wondering what will happen when she ages. Despite this, I can never see her wanting to become a vampire, she loves the sun too much, she loves being human too much.

The story had lots going on with some unexpected results, but some things also seemed recycled. There was lots of action, especially towards the end of the book. I felt the book was worth reading and I am planning to read the next book in series, Deadlocked. If you are a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novels then this is a must read and I recommend it as a good book.

 

Questions to consider:

Do you think Sookie would ever want to be turned into a vampire?

Do you think that Charlaine Harris is being influenced by the True Blood TV series and this influence is being reflected in her writing?

I invite you to share your thoughts on the above questions... (just click below on the comments link)

To Purchase: “Dead Reckoning” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Contemporary Fantasy, In Library, Goodreads, Book Review, 1 Treasure Box

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 10 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 1 Treasure Box
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 10
Publisher: Ace Books; 1 edition (May 4, 2010), Hardcover: 311 pages, ISBN-10: 0441018645, ISBN-13: 978-0441018642

Eric and Sookie are now married and Eric’s sire is in town.  Sookie has to deal with her vampire father-in law and her crazy, vampire brother-in-law. At the same time she is recovering from the ordeal she went through in Dead and Gone.

Dead in the Family is the tenth book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel), and currently there are a total of twelve books. The thirteenth and final book is going to be released May 2013. All the books are contemporary fantasy but are also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

Not too much happens in the beginning of this book because Sookie is recuperating from being captured and tortured.  Eric’s sire is in town making life difficult for the couple.  There are a few problems which crop up surrounding the werewolves and there are still some lingering faerie problems. This book continues to examine prejudice showing the damage it can cause. The end of the book was exciting and had plenty of action.

Previously, I had found this series to be one of the better in this genre, but now I am questioning if that is still true.  While reading Dead in the Family, I found some of the writing to be trite and rushed with a story that was not very well formulated. I also thought the book lacked its usual exciting pace. However, I still enjoyed reading Sookie’s thoughts and I still really like all of the characters.

This is a standalone book that continues immediately after the events in book nine, and since there are going to be three more books in the series, I know that there is more to tell in Sookie’s story.  I have read all the previous books in the series and I have enjoyed them all, but I found Dead in the Family to be underwhelming.  I thought the book was OK, and I am planning to give the next book in the series a read.  I am hoping it will pick up some speed.

 Favourite Quote:

 “I love spring for all the obvious reasons. I love the flowers blooming (which happens early here in Louisiana); I love the birds twittering; I love the squirrels scampering across my yard. I love the sound of werewolves howling in the distance. No, just kidding. But the late, lamented Tray Dawson had once told me that spring is the favorite season of werewolves.” Page 37

 

To Purchase: “Dead in the Family” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

2 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, Kindle, Goodreads, Book Review

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 9 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 9
Publisher: Ace; First edition (May 5, 2009), Format: Kindle Edition, File Size: 392 KB, Print Length: 312 pages, ASIN: B0024CEY22

The were community comes out to the world, the fae community start a civil war and Sooke is in the middle of all the action. The world does not take well to the existence of the weres and this is revealed with the shocking crucifiction of Jason’s estranged wife, Crystal. Who would do such a horrible deed? The mystery is unraveled as this story progresses.


Dead and Gone is the ninth book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series(also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel), there are currently a total of eleven books with book twelve scheduled to be released May 2012. All the books are contemporary fantasy but are also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous books in the series, perhaps because it was so much darker. The story deals with prejudice in a big way, first how people respond to the weres, then how the fae feels towards humanity and then finally with the attack on Sooke. It also had a very sad ending and I felt it left off on a rather down note. There was lots of action in the book with plenty going on all the time. I always enjoy the interactions between Eric and Sooke.

I recommend this book, especially to fans of Sooke Stackhouse; it carries the story forward and is an interesting read.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series so I can find out how Sooke deals with what she endured during Dead and Gone and to see where the story is going next.

Questions to ponder: Do you like the HBO version of True Blood? What do you think of the characters in the TV series?

To Purchase: “Dead and Gone” from Amazon, click here or on picture above
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2 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, In Library, Goodreads

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 8 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 8
Publisher: Ace (TRD); 1 edition (May 6 2008), Hardcover: 368 pages, ISBN-10: 9780441015894, ISBN-13: 978-0441015894

Sooke Stackhouse, a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid becomes involved with several unrelated but life threatening situations involving either vampires or werewolves. This book takes place just after Hurricane Katrina and it deals with the impact this disaster had on the supernatural community.

From Dead to Worse is the eighth book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books with book twelve scheduled to be released May 2012. All the books are contemporary fantasy but are also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

The story was engaging and interesting. We learn a couple of more interesting things about Sooke that help to explain why she is telepathic. Sooke’s love life is pretty depressing, but as always, Eric Northman, the gorgeous vampire helps to spice it up a little bit. I loved how this book ended, it left me wanting more and I am going to start reading Dead and Gone as soon as I can!

This is a standalone book, but it should be read as part of the series and in the proper order. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  So if you enjoy reading about contemporary vampires that includes some romance then try From Dead to Worse.

To buy: “From Dead to Worse” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Goodreads, 2 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, Romance, In Library

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 7 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 6
Publisher: Ace (March 27, 2007), Paperback: 342 pages, Language: English, ISBN-10: 0441014917, ISBN-13: 978-0441014910

Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be telepathic and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. Sooke’s cousin, who had been turned into a vampire, has met the final death and Sooke gets pulled into the machinations surrounding this event.

This is the sixh book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy books also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

The story flows well starting out with a couple of mysteries in the beginning. Sooke trys to solve these while working with the gorgeous and sexy were-tiger Quinn. This book has plenty of action as Sooke is attacked several times.  There is also an interesting magical ectoplasmic reconstruction of the events which lead up to the final death of Sooke’s cousin. There is an interesting sex scene between Sooke and her new hunk Quinn.  I did not think this book was as captivating as the previous books and I thought the plot line was a bit thin. This is a stand alone book and can be read on it own, yet it is clearly part of a larger story.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  The book has some sex scenes in it, although not the main focus of the book but enough to put the book into the romance genre.  So if you enjoy reading about sex, romance and vampires then you will enjoy this book.

To Purchase “Definitely Dead” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Mobipocket, Goodreads, 2 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, Romance

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 6 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 5
Publisher: The Penguin Publishing Group (Electronic Edition:March 2005), EBook: 522 KB, Language: English, ISBN-0-7865-5677-3


Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be telepathic and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. Sooke suffers numerous hardships in this book including being shot at and having her house catch on fire.

This is the fifth book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy books also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

There is a madman running around town shooting weres. This has Sooke a bit concerned since Sam and Calvin were some of the weres who were shot. Then Sooke herself seems to be targeted when first her house is set on fire and then she herself is also shot at. Luckily, Sooke has a faery-Godmother (literally) a gorgeous faery named Claudine is looking after Sooke and saved her life several times in this book.  I enjoyed the story.  I did not think it was as exciting as the previous book, but it was still very interesting. There were not as many sex scenes in this book as well, but there was a special moment with Sam. The mystery of the shooter was written in a compelling manner and it was a shock to find out who it was at the end. Just when we thought the story-line was resolved, Harris throws in a few more plot points, just to make things interesing. The book is a stand alone book in that everything is resolved by the end of the book.  However, the story builds from book to book and it is best to read the books in order.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  The book has some sex scenes in it, although not the main focus of the book but enough to put the book into the romance genre.  So if you enjoy reading about sex, romance and vampires then you will enjoy this book.

To Purchase: “Dead as a Doornail” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

3 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, Kindle, Goodreads

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 5 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 7
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Ace (March 25, 2008), File Size: 414 KB, Print Length: 352 pages, Language: English, ASIN: B003RWT7U2

Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be telepathic and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. Sooke is getting dragged further and further into the world of vampires.  In this book, she is attending the Vampire Summit as a paid employee of the Queen of Louisiana. While performing this duty she faces numerous challenges.

All Together Dead is the seventh book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy but  are also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

This book did not have as much action as the previous books, although it was still exciting to read.  There was really only one plot line in this book, where as in the previous books there were usually several things going on. Still, I found the story to be interesting and I always enjoy reading about Sooke and what she is up to. It was neat how she interacted and worked with Barry, her fellow telepath and I enjoyed the addition of her new roommate. I was fascinated with how Ms. Harris referred to the affects of Hurricane Katrina and its affects on the vampire population within Sooke’s world. There was not as much sex in this book as in previous books, but there was still good interaction between Sooke and the men in her life. The story had a good build up and an exciting finish.

This is a stand alone book, but it should be read as part of the series and in proper the order. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  So if you enjoy reading about vampires with some romance then you will enjoy this book.

To Purchase “All Together Dead” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Contemporary Fantasy, Mobipocket, Goodreads, 3 Treasure Boxes

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 4 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 4
Publisher: The Penguin Publishing Group (Electronic Edition:July 2004), EBook: 484 KB, Language: English, ISBN-0-7865-4848-7
Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be telepathic and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. In this book she babysits the gorgeous and dangerous vampire Eric who has lost his memory so he is kinda lost and a lot sweeter. Also her brother Jason is missing and there is a contingent of powerful and dangerous witches causing trouble.

This is the fourth book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy books also known as urban fantasy. They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

Sooke is once again a single girl. Alcide is back and he is gorgeous although he is not a love interest for Sooke since he is still hung up on his ex-girlfriend the crazy Debbie Pelt.  Jason is missing and it is a real mystery as to what happened to him.  There are new witches in Shreveport and they are causing problems and not only are they evil but they are also deadly.  They are responsible for placing a curse on Eric which has removed his memory.  He is now an insecure, caring person, nothing like the real Eric. Sooke found him running half naked, not knowing who he was and in typical Sooke style felt responsible to take care of him. With a financial  compensation of more than $25,000, Sooke agrees to keep Eric’s where abouts secret and to keep him safe from the witches. During all this Sooke is also trying to find out where Jason is and she suspects the witches. There is a rather interesting battle scene towards the end of the book.

This book captured my attention from the first page and the story kept building throughout the whole book until the final battle scene at the end. It was interesting reading, always wondering what was going to happen next. Sooke is an endearing character and I enjoy reading about her adventures.  There were a number of hot sex scenes between the “new” Eric and Sooke. It is a mystery right up to the end as to what happened to Jason.  The book is a stand alone book in that everything is resolved by the end of the book.  However, the story builds from book to book and it is best to read the books in order.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  The book has some sex scenes in it, although not the main focus of the book but enough to put the book into the romance genre.  So if you enjoy reading about sex, romance and vampires then you will enjoy this book.

To Purchase “Dead to the World” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

3 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy, Mobipocket, Goodreads

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 3 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

 Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 3
Publisher: The Penguin Publishing Group (Electronic Edition: 2003), EBook: 442 KB, Language: English, ISBN-0-7865-4101-6


Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be a telepath and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. In this book she goes on a quest to solve a mystery involving her vampire boyfriend and she has a romantic crises.

This is the third book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), there are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy books also known as urban fantasy.  They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

This book is non-stop action from the beginning to the end. First Sooke comes to realize that things are cooling down with her boyfriend, Bill the vampire.  Then Bill disappears and even though they are no longer dating, Sooke feels responsible to find and save him. There is the introduction of a new character, Alcide Herveaux the hunky and sweet werewolf.  He and Sooke take off to Mississippi to try to find Bill. Eric, the sexy, gorgeous vampire and Bubba, who is Elvis Presley turned vampire help her along the way.  A lot goes down including finding and disposing of dead bodies, being attacked numerous times and a couple of stakings.  There are some pretty tense moments as Sooke goes through her adventure.

As with the previous 2 books, I enjoyed Club Dead. The story was well written and Charlaine Harris has a talent for creating clear visual pictures of what the people look like and what is going on. The action scenes, and there were plenty of them, were exciting and frightening.  Sooke handled herself well and we got to know her character a bit better.  The book follows a good steady pace as it builds up to the final conclusion, but then a few more things happen, each with their own ending.  The story is a complete story unto itself, but it is also clearly part of a larger story.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre.  The book has some sex scenes in it, but it is not the main focus of the book but enough to put the book into the romance genre.  So if you enjoy reading about sex, romance and vampires then you will enjoy this book.

To purchase “Club Dead” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Goodreads, Book Review, Contemporary Fantasy, Mobipocket

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

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This entry is part 2 of 11 in the series The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
A Sooke Stackhouse Novel (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), Book 2
Publisher:The Penguin Publishing Group electronic edition August 2003, Ebook:449 KB, ISBN: 0-7865-4098-2

Sooke Stackhouse is a cute, sweet, down–to-earth barmaid who just happens to be telepathic and she has become involved in the world of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural beings. This book starts out with a mystery.  How did a dead body end up in Andy Bellefleur’s car?

This is the second book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (also known as A Sooke Stackhouse Novel ), with the introduction of many different interesting characters and premises. There are currently a total of eleven books. All the books are contemporary fantasy books also known as urban fantasy.  They also fall into the romance genre. The story is told in the first person narrative with Sooke’s voice and thoughts as we follow her around.

Since the dead body was the short order cook from Sooke’s bar, she feels personally responsible to solve the murder and avenge the death and so the book unfolds.  However, first Sooke is attacked by a supernatural being and almost dies. In between solving this little mystery and recovering from the attack Sooke also gets involved with vampire problems in Dallas. The book introduces the anti-vampire group known as the The Fellowship of the Sun. There is a fair bit in the book concerning this group around the problems in Dallas. 

There is lots of action in this book.  The story seems to jump around a fair bit but it is never boring. I enjoyed the book. It was a complete story which I always find enjoyable to read.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary, urban fantasy books that focus on life with vampires and werewolves.  I think it is one of the better series in the genre and I definitely prefer the books to the TV series.  The book has some sex scenes in it, but it is not the main focus of the book but enough to put the book into the romance genre.  So if you enjoy reading about sex, romance and vampires then you will enjoy this book.