Book Review: Dead As a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

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Dead as a Doornail
Sookie Stackhouse #5 - True Blood

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: April 25th 2006
Review Source: Ace Books

Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home.

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 knows. But her concern 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…

People around Bon Temps have been mysteriously (yet meticulously) been getting killed, humans think they are random killings, Sookie Stackhouse knows that someone is hunting shifters. Book five of the series focuses more on the Were’s and shifters but the Vamps still walk around after dark.

Sookie is trying real hard this time to keep out of things until Sam get’s shot, was he the target or was Sookie? While she is able to not sleep with anyone and make matters more confusing, everyone’s vying for her heart. That includes Bill and Eric (although Bill’s got no shot in hell now), Calvin Norris is still giving it a go, but with Alcide Herveaux it’s hard to focus on anyone shifter. Alcide has been poking around for sure, but he’s letting Were business get in the way of him and Sookie, in that he’s asking a whole lot of favors that will bite them in the ass if he can’t be honest with what he needs from her upfront.

The who did it part of the book, was predictable. However, this didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the story. I've got book six ready to go!

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Book Review: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

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Definitely Dead
Sookie Stackhouse #6 - True Blood

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: March 27th 2007
Review Source: Ace Books

Since Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has so few living relatives, she hates to lose one - even her cousin Hadley, undead consort of the vampire Queen of Louisiana.

Hadley's left everything she has to Sookie, but claiming that inheritance has a high risk factor. Some people don't want her looking too deeply into Hadley's past, or Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous - and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...

Sookie's finally gotten word of what happened to her Cousin Hadley, she's dead. Which bums out our dear Sookie, but then again they weren't too close. Now she has to go into Louisiana to sort through her cousins vampire affairs, and she has to meet and greet the Queen of Luisiana herself.

Thanks to Eric, Bill is in the worst dog house he could find himself in, with regards to Sookie (but I won't spoil that to much more) TAKE THAT BILL!! I would love for Eric and Sookie to work some stuff out, but it's looking like that shifter from the last book is pertty serious in making Sookie his, Quin is in the running for her heart now.

This one's right up there with book 4 as a favorite within the series. I like Quinn, and hope he's a good guy because I dig him. Bill, well, poor Bill... but not really. As always, I root for Eric, and still place my bet on him!!!

I'm thrilled with the novels so far, loved the show but yeah it's not the same at all by this point. That's okay because really I like the book better, as always, but the show stands on it's own as a separate thing entirely. I'm surprised it took six books to bring up Sookie's heritage, I'm hoping for more info about in the future!

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Book Review: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

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All Together Dead
Sookie Stackhouse #7

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: May 1st 2007
Review Source: Ace Books

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.

Sookie's been dragged into plenty of vamp matters before, but now things are starting to cross a whole new line altogether. The more she is seen with the higher court of Vamps, the more she is exposed to the Sups community, and the door is closing fast behind her for her to remain an anonymous (and happy) human. Her latest beau, Quinn is hiding secrets of his own, good or bad Sookie's going to find out...

The Vampire summit at first seems kinda nice, the traveling goes smooth enough. That should have been a hint how badly things would go, the calm before the storm. At the Queen's beck and call, at all the various appointments and meet and greets, Sookie's kept busy, scanning everyone who comes near the queen. Andre, her right hand vamp is keeping a scary eye on Sookie, make's her skin crawl. The last time Sookie visited the queen there was an all out masacure at the Queens residence. What will happen now?

I liked this particular book, it's a fun get awa from bon Temps, and it shows more of what Sookie is capable. Yet it shows that even humanity would abuse her talents just as the Supernatural community, if they could get ahold of her, or Barry the Bellman. Poor Sookie, she can not keep any sort of wardrobe intact. At this rate I'm surprised she's not walking around naked. If you've been reading the series, you'd understand. I am thrilled with Eric making strides to sort his confused feelings for Sookie, but damn if it ain't at a bad time with the sexy tiger in play. Can't wait to grab the next book!

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Book Review: Dead to The World by Charlaine Harris

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Dead to The World
Sookie Stackhouse #4 - True Blood

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: May 3rd, 2005
Review Source: Ace Books

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has only a few close friends, because not everyone appreciates Sookie’s gift: she can read minds.

That’s not exactly every man’s idea of date bait – unless they’re undead; vampires and the like can be tough to read. And that’s just the kind of guy Sookie’s been looking for. Maybe that’s why, when she comes across a naked vampire, she doesn’t just drive on by.

He hasn’t got a clue who he is, but Sookie has: Eric looks just as scary and sexy – and dead – as ever. But now he has amnesia, he’s sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie’s help – because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

The fourth book in the series is exactly what I've been hungering for! it's Eric and more Eric, now that bad boy Bill has been uninvited from Sookie's home, and her bed.

This is probably the best in the series so far. Witches have over run Bon Temps, and they are looking for more than just go away money. They have their eye on Fangtasia, and the leader of the coven has been eyeing Eric. When negotiations go south, Eric winds up running in the dark without a thought in his beautiful brain. The witches have cast a nasty spell on Eric, put a bounty on his beautiful body to capture him. What for? Sookie has no idea but she's just turned into his care taker, thanks to Jason.

Everyone's looking for Eric, but no one realizes they can find him hiding at Sookie's place. The witches are not keeping a low enough profile. It's getting dangerious as bodies turn up, wiccans are scared into helping this Coven out of fear. Sookie's had to call in the Were's, things start heating up. Something strange is going on, Vampires are working with Werewolves against the Witches, and Sookie's still caught in the middle.

Book Review: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

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Club Dead
Sookie Stackhouse #3

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: April 29th, 2003
Review Source: Ace Books

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead.

When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ..

The third installment in the True Blood novels was both good and bad for me. I had conflicting moments where I wanted more for Sookie, more for herself. She’s left in the dark concerning a secret project where Bill needs to travel for work, or so he claims.

Of course this doesn’t turn out to be the case, but this poor woman does more than we think capable (vamp blood probably helped a lot for those moments) to save bill from certain death. At the hands of the vampire King no less, what a shocker!

Sookie shuffles off to find what's happened to Bill. All the while Eric whispers horrible possibilities to her, while her eyes can’t help roam over Alcide beautifully filled out Were body. From run in’s with his recent ex at Club dead, she picks out clues from the super underground hangout.

Is Bill worth all the trouble she faces? At this point, it doesn’t look like it. I’m still on team Eric, but for many of my own reasons. There are a few more romantic moments shared between Eric and Sookie, and it does make me wonder why she doesn’t say more on the subject, is it wanted or not? What about all the hopeful glances to Alcide?? Kick Bill to the curb, if nothing else rescind his invitation. I won’t give spoilers so I’m having to bite my own tongue here.

Book Review: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

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Dead Until Dark
Sookie Stackhouse #1

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: May 1st, 2001
Review Source: Purchase

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana.
She's quiet, 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....

Sookie is a small town girl in Louisiana, and works at the local watering hole as a waitress. Up until now, her life has been small and safe, living with her Grandmother. With the vampires out of the proverbial coffin, one moves into town.

Bill is handsome, and quite the gentleman, despite being an undead vampire. He sweets young Sookie off her feet, as well as charms her Granny! The towns folk don't take to kindly to their relationship, but everyone's trying to keep cool. Everything turns sour when not one, but a few of the local girls start turning up dead, and a lot of fang banger rumors floating around. All eye's are turning to Bill, and if not him they suspect Sookie's brother Jason.

Sookie tries to poke around into the brains around her while she's working, hoping to find any clue as to who's killing these poor girls, before the local PD hauls Jason off in hand cuffs.

A little back story on why it took me this long to read this particular book series, because really one would think I’d have already read it by now. I wasn’t drawn to the cover, I know, don’t judge a book - yadda-yadda-yadda! I remember when a girl was reading the book, back way before the show was a reality, and she was gushing about it. I just didn’t think much of it at the time. Fast forward to seeing the shown on Netflix and I was hooked, it was raunchy and well written, and the cast was so eye catching I was drawn in. I was also drawn in since it was set in Louisiana and that was just so odd and perfect I watched the show.