For those of you completely sucked into True Blood, I'm going to make another suggestion for you: try the earlier books in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I came across these books in a fairly dark period in my life -- I had just buried two close relatives in two weeks, and I needed some serious escapist fiction. Started out of order with Narcissus In Chains, then went back to the store and got as many other books in the series as I could find. Guilty Pleasures is the first one -- a little uneven, but it's where the story starts. IMO, the books improved from there and continued to be decent reading material until Ms. Hamilton started writing her Merry Gentry series -- a series I absolutely can't stand.

Warning: these books are not for the faint of heart or those who can't stand graphic violence and/or content of an explicitly sexual nature.

For all things Laurell K. Hamilton related, there is a site with regular updates here including a link to the author's blog.

Book #1: Guilty Pleasures

From the Publisher

My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me The Executioner. What I call them isn't repeatable.

Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I've seen their victims. I carry the scars...

But now a serial killer is murdering vampires -- and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer...

Guilty Pleasures is available at Amazon.ca.

Book #2: Laughing Corpse

From Amazon.com
Harold Gaynor offers Anita Blake a million dollars to raise a 300-year-old zombie. Knowing it means a human sacrifice will be necessary, Anita turns him down. But when dead bodies start turning up, she realizes that someone else has raised Harold's zombie--and that the zombie is a killer. Anita pits her power against the zombie and the voodoo priestess who controls it. Notice to Hollywood: forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Anita Blake is the real thing. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Laughing Corpse is available from Amazon.ca

Book #3: Circus Of The Damned

From Amazon.com
The third novel of Hamilton's Anita Blake series has the petite necromancer fighting a giant cobra and a rogue vampire, Alejandro, who wants her for his human servant. Anita is still resisting the advances of Jean-Claude, St. Louis's master vampire, but she does need him on her side, if not in her bed. Anita's reluctant involvement in the odd goings-on at the supernatural Circus of the Damned introduces her to Richard, the werewolf of her dreams, and Larry, her powerful but nervous partner in zombie-raising.

Mystery fans will love the tightly plotted, Paretsky-esque action, and horror fans will love just about everything in this unusual series. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Circus Of The Damned is available for purchase at Amazon.ca

Book #4: The Lunatic Cafe

From Amazon.com
The zombie-raising business gets slow in December, so Anita Blake is starting to see some oddball cases. She's got a neatly typed list of eight missing lycanthropes given to her by Marcus, the leader of the local werewolf pack, who wants her to find them. The trouble is, Anita's occasionally furry boyfriend Richard is locked in a power struggle with Marcus. Jean-Claude, master vampire of the city and Anita's other love interest, is getting jealous as well. To top it off, Anita has to solve some horrific murders and keep her bounty-hunting friend Edward from killing Richard and Jean-Claude. Hamilton alternates between funny and fearsome in this larky series about a monster hunter with a few dark secrets. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Lunatic Cafe is available at Amazon.ca

Book #5: Bloody Bones

From Amazon.com
When Anita Blake's boss at Animators, Inc., informs her that she's expected to raise 300-year-old zombies from a field of jumbled bones just to settle a land dispute, she's understandably annoyed. But as soon as she arrives in Branson, Missouri, to do the deed, the job gets more interesting. A psychotic sword-wielding vampire starts committing multiple murders in the area, and Anita must call on Jean-Claude, her powerful fanged suitor, for help. As always, Anita prevails over the undead, keeping Jean-Claude at arm's length, clearing the cemetery land of an ancient enchantment, and nailing the vampiric killer in one fell swoop. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Bloody Bones is available from Amazon.ca

Book #6: The Killing Dance

From Amazon.com
Anita Blake, vampire hunter, is now herself a hunted woman. Who put the $500,000 price on her head--a man or a monster? It's not just her own skin she needs to save; the rivalry between her werewolf boyfriend, Richard, and Marcus, the other alpha werewolf in his pack, has come to full boil. And there's always Jean-Claude, the vampire who's been waiting for just the right moment to slip inside Anita's head and heart. Don't assume anything, though--Hamilton's probably got a few more surprises in store. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Killing Dance is available from Amazon.ca

Book #7: Burnt Offerings

From Amazon.com
Burnt Offerings is the seventh in Laurell K. Hamilton's genre-straddling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. Anita carries a gun and an attitude: "Questions are great, but only if you know the answers. If you ask questions and the answers surprise you, you look silly. Hard to be threatening when you look ill-informed."

As Burnt Offerings unfolds, Anita agrees to help track down a possible psychic firestarter. She's also policing the local werewolf pack, though she's split up with their alpha, Richard. Then Jean-Claude, the vampire Master of the City and her lover, needs her help to confront a visiting delegation of the vampires' ruling council. They wonder how he got the power to destroy a council member and believe him dangerous to the hierarchy.

This fast-paced, urban fantasy includes gore, hardboiled mystery and a romantic triangle. The vampires and werewolves are as three-dimensional as the human characters, allowing us to join Anita in wondering who the real monsters are and to understand how her increased personal involvement with them is alienating her from her human colleagues. --Nona Vero --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Burnt Offerings can be purchased through Amazon.ca

Book #8: Blue Moon

From Amazon.com
Anita Blake makes a living raising the dead. She also executes rogue vampires and villains among the local were-folk. Marks bind her to Jean-Claude, the Master vampire of St. Louis and her lover, and to her ex-fiancé, a powerful werewolf who heads up the local pack. Anita shares some of their magic, and her own power over the dead keeps growing. But so does the body count and the situations that force Anita to bend or break her own rules.

In Blue Moon, Anita's ex Richard is jailed in Tennessee, accused of rape. When Anita arrives with a lawyer and an entourage of vampires and 'weres' supplied by Jean-Claude, it's clear that something is rotten in Myerton. The local cops are corrupt, and the trolls Richard was studying are threatened. But if she sticks around to investigate, the local Master vampire will attack her and her friends. The local werewolf clan isn't rushing to welcome her either, and her self-control is going to the, um, wolves.

Blue Moon is the eighth book in Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series; newcomers should start with earlier books. The protagonists' development and their relationships to each other and to the large cast of continuing secondary characters are what make these books so compelling. Be warned--there's steamy sex and graphic violence here, though Anita does reflect on her moral position. But if dark urban fantasy featuring those who hunt the night appeals, pounce on this series. --Nona Vero --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Blue Moon can be purchased from Amazon.ca

Book #9: Obsidian Butterfly

From Publishers Weekly
An inhabitant of an alternate Earth very much like our own--except that magic coexists there with natural law, and preternatural beings like vampires and werewolves coexist with humans--Anita Blake is full of contradictions that make her a potent lead character for this continuing series. Although Anita is a licensed vampire executioner, one of her lovers is a vampire (the other is a werewolf); she packs more firepower than a small army, but is a dedicated Christian; she's tough-as-nails yet ultrafeminine; she tangles with seriously dangerous supernatural forces, but she's as matter of fact about dealing with magic as she is about bashing bad guys, and she's as quick with a quip as she is with a well-placed kick to the groin. In her ninth adventure (after Blue Moon), Anita is summoned to New Mexico by Edward (aka "Death"), the cold-blooded killer from previous books to whom she owes a favor. In the course of investigating a series of grotesque murders (victims torn to bloody bits, survivors flayed of all flesh), Edward becomes more human and Anita less so. Celibate for six months, Anita's usual steamy sexual encounters with her inhuman but hunky boyfriends are missing from this novel, but there's still a lot of beefcake to appreciate and the considerable sexual tension is both humorous and supportive of the plot. The gory story line--which wraps around an Aztec vampire goddess, a dwarf necromancer, bull-headed bigoted cops, hearts ripped from chests and a witch who conveniently appears in the nick of time--needs that bit of sustenance, but the book is still a monstrously entertaining read. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Obsidian Butterfly is available from Amazon.ca

Book #10: Narcissus In Chains

From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Hamilton's Anita Blake, police consultant, executioner, necromancer, private eye and wereleopard protector, returns in her amorous 10th adventure, driven more by conflicting desires for the lovers she neglected in her last outing, Obsidian Butterfly (2000), than by the urge to solve any mystery. Once again, in a world where vampires and werecreatures are protected by law, Blake attempts to resolve her libido's constant crisis. Plunged into the netherworld of a leather D/S (dominant/submissive) bar, Narcissus in Chains, by the abduction of one of her inherited wereleopards, Blake finds herself deep into shapeshifter politics and a were creature power struggle that is all a metaphor for her own inner struggle. Whom should she choose werewolf Richard or vampire Jean-Claude? Or should she take a new lover? Who cares? Blake is eventually infected by the "ardeur" from the vampire clan and tinged with shapeshifting abilities from the were clan. As she becomes more like the fantastic creatures she protects or kills, she, alas, doesn't get any more interesting as a character. Her obsessions with lust serve mainly to overwhelm a rickety plot. Blake needs to put her clothes back on and get back to work. Too much flesh and not enough plot leads to the old but so true saying, "Less is more." (Oct. 9) Forecast: With a 15-city author tour and 100,000 first printing, this should be as successful saleswise as previous books in the series. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Narcissus In Chains can be purchased through Amazon.ca

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Note to readers: Any of the Anita Blake books above this line are brain candy and worth reading if this is the kind of thing you're into. IMO, the books written by Ms. Hamilton past this line are substantially weaker in terms of storyline and mystery. I am listing them out here in case you get really desperate for something to read or you become such a fan that you'll read anything in this series. Fair warning!

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Book #11: Cerulean Sins

From Amazon.com
Laurell K. Hamilton's legions of eager fans will be pleased to see Cerulean Sins, the eleventh novel in her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, which is set on an alternate Earth where magic works and vampires and werewolves are real. When a sinister stranger tries to hire the magically potent Anita Blake to raise the dead, she finds herself embroiled in the search for a vicious, supernatural serial killer, and also in the clandestine international politics of the vampires. And as she becomes more deeply enmeshed in cruel plots and counterplots, her tangled personal life only becomes more demanding, more wrenching, and more erotically fraught. With ten previous books in the Anita Blake series, Cerulean Sins is not the place to start. Though author Hamilton artfully reveals the backstory in small doses, the numerous returning characters and the complex history will overwhelm most newcomers (and even the most devoted fans may find that the backfilling slows the pace). Also, the characters frequently stand around talking and psychoanalyzing one another, which makes for static stretches unlikely to hold a new reader's attention. Newcomers should start with the first book, Guilty Pleasures. --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Cerulean Sins is available from Amazon.ca ... if you're so inclined.

Book #12: Incubus Dreams

From Amazon.com
As Incubus Dreams opens, Anita Blake may be America's most powerful vampire hunter and necromancer. So it's no surprise that the Regional Preternatural Crime Investigation Team seeks her assistance when a St. Louis stripper is murdered and the evidence points to unusual serial killers: a group of seven vampires. It appears a master vampire has gone rogue--and may prove too powerful for Anita Blake, even if she can gain help from not only her vampire consort, Master of the City Jean-Claude, but from the wereleopard king Micah, her other lover, and the alpha werewolf Richard, her bitter ex-lover.

It would be an exaggeration to say that Laurell K. Hamilton's Incubus Dreams (2004) is just one sex scene after another. This twelth novel in her bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series presents a wedding, a murder, and a lot of relationship angst before getting down and dirty on page 89; and the sex scenes pause on page 377 to let the mystery plot resume. The series deftly blends elements of alternate history, horror, romance, erotica, and mystery, but anyone reading Incubus Dreams for the murder plot is going to be frustrated. However, Incubus Dreams is a considerably stronger and more interesting book than its talky predecessor, Cerulean Sins, and fans will enjoy the many new developments in Anita's complicated love life. --Cynthia Ward

Incubus Dreams is available through Amazon.ca

Book #13: Micah

From Me:

This is a visit with old friends, and an opportunity to delve deeper into Michah's background. Which is good. On the other hand, it's still not as good as the earlier books in this series AND it's short - much shorter than the average Anita Blake epistle. It's one of the main complaints I've read about this -- that it should have been called a "novella" rather than a "novel". That being said, I didn't mind this Anita Blake release. I bought it, I read it ... but only once (so far). Maybe if I go on another end-to-end Anita Blake binge I'll pick it up again.

If you'd like to both buy and read Micah, it's available from Amazon.ca.

Book #14: Danse Macabre

My review of this book originally appeared on the Chapters-Indigo site, although it no longer seems to be online. The review is here in this blog and is also pasted, below:

*SIGH* Reviewer:Bibi from Toronto Date:13/07/2006 1:12:21 PM

This book was *not* good. I have been a long-time fan of the Anita Blake series -- I even enjoyed Micah for the kind of book it was. But Danse Macabre was ... bad. If you feel compelled to read it for the sake of loyalty and continuity, by all means go for it. But do yourself a favour and borrow it from the library instead of wasting money on the hardcover. Sure, ok, there is at least one hot sex scene in this book. And? If that was all I was looking for from a Laurell K. Hamilton book, I would have bought something from the Merry Gentry series. There is no mystery plotline. The conflict(s) feel contrived. The author frequently tells the reader what a character is thinking or feeling rather than showing us -- one of the fundamental no-no's of good writing. This book was so tedious that I literally skipped paragraphs, even pages. I got within the last 3 pages of the end of the book and couldn't be bothered to finish it for days. Maybe Ms. Hamilton has gotten bored of her characters, or of this series. If so, she needs to either take a break or do something else. Me, I'm getting her next book from the library and looking into other fine authors in this genre again.

If you really want to buy Danse Macabre, please click over to Amazon.ca.

Book #15: The Harlequin

From Me:

This one wasn't bad, although it still doesn't have the fire of the initial 7-10 books in this series. I borrowed it from the library rather than gamble on the cost of a hardcover; since it's now available in paperback, it might be worth picking up if you're of the truly addicted.

Product Description from Amazon.ca:

Readers haven't seen anything yet-new in the "fabulously imagined series" (Publishers Weekly) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Anita Blake is about to face the challenge of her life. Into her world-a world already overflowing with power-have come creatures so feared that powerful, centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names. It is forbidden to speak of The Harlequin unless you've been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death.

Long-time rivals for Anita's affections, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, alpha-werewolf, will need to become allies. Shapeshifters Nathaniel and Micah will have to step up their support. And then there's Edward. In this situation, Anita knows that she needs to call the one man who has always been there for her...

You can purchase The Harlequin from Amazon.ca

Book #16: Blood Noir

I really can't be bothered to hunt it down and read it until it comes out in paperback, at which point I'll probably buy it. In the meantime, I leave you with the review from Amazon.ca in case you're more of a gambler than I am!

From Publishers Weekly
The florid 16th Anita Blake novel (after 2007's The Harlequin) updates Anita's endlessly erotic adventures as a living vampire with many weird lovers. Anita serves her vampire sweetie Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis, obsessed with feeding him and her own need to leech off of others' sexual pleasure or ardeur while retaining her rep as vampire executioner (despite the seeming conflict of interest), U.S. marshal and necromancer. She's also accompanying her bed-buddy Jason Schuyler to visit his dying estranged father in North Carolina. After arriving, Jason's mistaken for his rich cousin Keith Summerland, who's ditched his bride-to-be to run off with the wife of a vampire Master, giving Anita a case to solve between wild orgies with wereanimals. Hamilton chronicles Anita's escapades with a growing air of ennui, which longtime readers can't help sharing as sex increasingly takes the place of plot and character development. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

If you want to purchase Blood Noir in hardcover, drop by Amazon.ca

True Blood does seem to be causing a stir amongst a number of friends and family. Several people have checked in with me to see if I've been watching and if I like it, given what they (think they) know about my taste in reading materials.

So what do I think?

Well ...

As you know, I'm a huge fan of the books. I have also been enjoying the series up to a point (this past week's episode being an exception -- I believe it was episode 6). But I'm having a bit of a mental jarring sensation while watching it. For those of you who are newly-acquainted with Ms. Harrison, I'll give you a bit of a crash course in how the show relates to the books. So far, at least.

Plot Point	True Blood (HBO Series)	Dead Until Dark (Book)
“V”	Drug of choice	Doesn’t exist in the books
People possessed by “demons”	Big thing with Tarra’s mother and, it appears, now with Tarra	Doesn’t exist in the books
Graphic sexual depictions	True	Not so much
Gothic, Anne Rice feel	True	False
Grandmother murdered	True	True

Character	True Blood (HBO Series)	Dead Until Dark (Book)
Sookie as telepath	True	True
Sookie’s rationale for staying in the house after grandmother’s murder	Unclear	Clear
Sookie losing virginity to Bill	True – happens after grandmother dies; very stylized and gothic and melodramatic	True – low-key; happens after grandmother dies but he is there to support her
Sookie having friends	True – in the series, her circle of friends include Sam, Arlene, Tarra and Lafayette	So-So – in the books, she is friends with Sam and Arlene … Tarra is a distant acquaintance/old friend, and Lafayette is just someone she gets along with at work
Jason as a horn dog	True	True
Jason involved in rough sex	True	So so
Jason as suspect in murders	True	True
Jason’s new girlfriend	Character created for tv series	Character doesn’t exist in the books
Jason as “v” (or other kind of drug) fixated	Exists only in the tv series	Jason, although a horn dog in the books, does not have a drug issue of any kind
Tarra as main character	True	False- she is a secondary, recurring background character in the books
Tarra as Sookie’s best friend	True	False – friend from childhood, but not a focal-point friend in the books
Tarra as strong-minded character who comes from a troubled background but who can take care of herself	True	False – Plays a character who comes from a problematic background who has daddy issues and tends to land herself into uncomfortable situations based on bad decisions she has made
Tarra with crush on Jason	True	False – no connection between Tarra and Jason in the books
Tarra, anti-vampire	True for tv series	False – she actually gets involved with a vampire in one of the later books who is a kind of “sugar daddy” for her for a while
Sam watching out for Sookie	True – but in a protective, guy, sort of from a distance way	True – more of a key figure in Sookie’s life; helps her to clean the house when her grandmother is murdered
Sam and Tarra involved	True for tv series	Sam and Tarra have no relationship of any kind in the books
Eric as a character	Dramatic, one-dimensional character (so far)	Key recurring character; has a very ironic sense of humour in the books
Arlene, anti-vampire	True	True

I’m going to keep watching – of course. But it’s an effort to suspend my disbelief and experience the series as something separate and different from the original book(s).

For those of you who want spoilers, it seems that each episode is following the path of the chapters of the book – more or less. If you can look around the obvious plot differences, you can read the book Dead Until Dark to find out what happens, who (else) gets murdered, and who the murderer is.

 

News flash!

It's not a book, but it is related to one of my favourite series of books: the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris.

With Allan Ball (previously of Six Feet Under fame) heading it up and Anna Paquin starring as the lead female character, Sookie Stackhouse, the first book has been turned into season one of a new HBO show called True Blood.

Here in Canada, Season 1 will start airing on The Movie Network (TMN) starting on September 7 at 9 PM. (And for those of you who don't get cable, I'm sure it will turn up online pretty quickly as well). Given that I was addicted to Six Feet Under as well as this series of books, I'm going to try to keep my expectations in check ... but will definitely be tuning in to check it out.

Curious to read the books that started it all? I can throw my support behind the first three or four of them ... the last three were much weaker. Maybe Charlaine Harris was distracted by all the tv hoopla? ;-)

If you're in the mood to do some preparatory reading in anticipation of next week's show launch, here is what you'll want to look at:

Book 1: Dead Until Dark
my rating: @@@@

Where it all started. Except for me ... I actually read Living Dead in Dallas first. Liked it ok but it didn't really grab me. Until one day I guess I was hurting for something to read and picked up this book because I recognized the author. Sucked me in right away.

In case you're wondering, I've looked at the episode lineup for Season 1 of True Blood and it looks like it's based on this book.



Book 2: Living Dead In Dallas
my rating: @@@ 1/2

Based on my own experience, clearly this is not a book to read out of order. On its own it's ok, but you'll get a lot more out of it if you read Dead Until Dark first.

In this book, Sookie moves up a bit in the vampire hierarchy (much to her chagrin and discomfort). Wackiness ensues.




Book 3: Club Dead
my rating: @@@@

This book is good, but it's a bit more disturbing than the first two. You are reminded very clearly that Bill Compton is a vampire, and not a nice guy at that. Sookie still saves the day, but you wonder whether - given the same set of circumstances - whether you would do the same in her position.






Book 4: Dead To The World
my rating: @@@@ 1/2

Granted, I was already addicted to the series by this point. But that being said, it's one of my favourites. Without spoiling the book too much, Eric loses his memory and sense of self and Sookie (against her better judgment) helps him out.

To tell you any more would ruin it. All I have to say is that this is not the book to skip.




Book 5: Definitely Dead
my rating: @@@

Yeah ok ... so this is where the series starts to lose ground. It still has the mystery, and Sookie ends up with a new love interest, but ... I've only read it once so far. Which is the marker for me of a good book.







Book 6: All Together Dead
my rating: @1/2

IMO, this is the weakest book in the series. Huge disappointment. Weakest plot line. A few moments of Eric wickedness but otherwise it just didn't do it for me.

If you're a die-hard fan, then you'll probably want to read it just to find out what happens next to your favourite characters. But if you were to borrow it from the library rather than buying it, you wouldn't feel cheated by the experience.



Book 7: From Dead To Worse
my rating: @@

Ok, not my favourite. This is the most recent addition to the series, and in typical Charlaine Harris fashion (once she has written several books in a series) the passion has waned. Better than Book 6 -- I'll give it that. But it felt more like a visit with old friends rather than a gripping installment of a great series.

I've been busy with my course and with life lately, so I've been spending more time reading alternative press magazines than I have actual books. In fairness, I'm about halfway through a thick book right now but with everything else that's going on I'm having trouble focusing on it.

So instead, and possibly for the next few blog posts, I'm going to share some series you might want to check out.

Today's contribution is the Kitty Goes To ... series by Carrie Vaughn. The good news, given that Ms. Vaughn seems to only release one book per calendar year, is that you don't have to wait for the first four. ;-)

This is a series with a strong female lead. Kitty is a werewolf -- but not by choice. When the first book opens, she has only been a wolf for a few short years having been bitten against her will. Throughout the series, she goes from being a submissive part of a pack led by a violent and abusive man to being a strong-minded person in her own right. She is also an online radio host of "The Midnight Hour", a call-in show for supes -- supernaturals. For those of you in Canada, think "Talking Sex With Sue" for the supernatural community.

Book 1: Kitty and the Midnight Hour
release date: November 1, 2005

From the Publisher (c/o Chapters Indigo)
Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew?



Book 2: Kitty Goes to Washington
release date: July 1, 2006

From the Publisher (c/o Chapters Indigo)
Celebrity werewolf and late-night radio host Kitty Norville prefers to be heard and not seen. So when she's invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, and her face gets plastered on national TV, she inherits a new set of friends, and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an ++ber-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose kitty as a monster.Kitty quickly learns that in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone's itching for a fight.


Book 3: Kitty Takes a Holiday
release date: April 1, 2007

From the Publisher (c/o Chapters Indigo)
After getting caught turning wolf on national television, Kitty retreats to a mountain cabin to recover and write her memoirs.But this is Kitty, so trouble is never far behind, and instead of Walden Pond, she gets Evil Dead. When werewolf hunter Cormac shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell, Kitty's lawyer, slung over his shoulder, and a wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes starts sniffing around the cabin, Kitty wonders if any of them will get out of these woods alive...

Book 4: Kitty and the Silver Bullet
release date: January 1, 2008

From the Publisher (c/o Chapters Indigo)
Kitty's radio show is as popular as ever and she has a boyfriend who actually seems to understand her.Can she finally settle down to a normal life?Not if this is just the calm before the storm.When her mother falls ill, Kitty rushes back to Denver--and right back to the abusive pack of werewolves she escaped a year ago.To make matters worse, a war is brewing between the city''s two oldest vampires, threatening the whole supernatural community.Though she wants to stay neutral, Kitty is again drawn into a world of politics and violence.To protect her family, her lover, and herself, she''ll have to choose sides.And maybe become what she hates--a killer.

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. More than a year. How does that happen? What have I been doing from May of 2007 until July 2008? How does a person lose a year in the blogosphere? It's not like I haven't been reading. Really.

I can tell you that I read each and every one of those books from my May 2007 post.

All Together Dead, by Charlaine Harris
This is, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), a somewhat consistent type of book for Ms. Harris. I love her books. I have worked my way through all of her series. However, I have noticed that by the 4th or 5th book she seems to lose steam a bit. The writing is still good but somehow the storyline lacks ... something.

All Together Dead is no exception. In fact, I'd say it's the weakest book in the entire series.

But hey, on a positive note, in the time it has taken me to do this review the book has come out in paperback and is probably widely available through the library. ;-)

My rating: @@


No Humans Involved, by Kelley Armstrong
Now this book was MUCH better than the previous one I reviewed, above. Armstrong is a consistently strong writer and this book was no exception. There wasn't quite as much of the interpersonal, bittersweet angst that we find in some of her other books; it was also a bit darker than some of the other installments in the Women of the Otherworld series.

Have I read it more than once? No. Will I get around to re-reading it sooner or later? Possibly.

My rating: @@@


Demons Are Forever, by Julie Kenner
It's fluff. It's chick lit. It's marketed towards those Buffy (BtVS) fans who have (or are) grown up and living in the suburbs but are still thinking of adventures gone by.

With that disclaimer and attempt at literary superiority in place, here is the truth of it: I really like this series. It's part guilty pleasure and part ... nope, it's pretty much a guilty pleasure. But at least it's well-written if a little under-challenging. Works for the beach, on vacation, on a plane and even bathroom reading. Anywhere you can pick it up and put it down again without making a huge emotional or mental investment.

My rating for this book is allowing full appreciation for what it is.

My rating: @@@


The Harlequin, by Laurell K. Hamilton
Unfortunately, I just don't remember what I thought of this book. I remember it being better than the previous book, but past that ... it just didn't make much of an impression. Based on that ...

My rating: @@


Thin Air, by Rachel Caine
Such a good series. You have the romance, you have the angst, you have internal and external conflict -- and you have a female lead who kicks butt.

Don't start with this book, but do pick up this series. It's just so satisfying.

My rating: @@@@


There. It may not totally make up for vanishing for a year there, but at least it's a start.

Books I'm Looking Forward To Reading:

Have not been reading much lately.

The good news is that this has also given some of my favourite authors a chance to release some books I haven't read yet!

Here's what I'm looking forward to between now and the beginning of August:


All Together Dead, by Charlaine Harris
Latest in the Sookie Stackhouse mystery series
release date: May 1, 2007

I'm leaning towards waiting until this either shows up at the library or comes out in paperback. It's one of my favourite series, but I wasn't wild about the last book in this collection. Will let you know how it goes once I've gotten through it.


No Humans Involved, by Kelley Armstrong
Part of the Women of the Otherworld series
release date: May 1, 2007

Her last book was good. I've requested it through the library, but I might buy this one if I've read my stack of unread stuff before it arrives. Ellena is still my favourite character, but it might be interesting to see what happens with Jaime ... and Jeremy ...


Demons are Forever, by Julie Kenner
Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series
release date: July 3, 2007

Ok, so it's "chick lit". So it's fluffy, a light read, not so much with the heavy emotions. And? Do we really have a problem with that? The first two were great: Carpe Demon, followed by California Demon. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a soccer mom. Absurd, right? And that's one of the things which makes it such great brain candy. I'm hoping this latest book rocks as hard as the other two.



The Harlequin, by Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake series
release date: June 5, 2007

I'm nervous about this one. I bought the last two - in hardcover, natch - and was so bored by the last one I literally started skimming it. Did I read the last three pages? Maybe; who can remember. It feels like Laurell K. Hamilton has run out of new ideas, innovative ways to push boundaries in her books. It's unfortunate.

But I'm still a fan, albeit a reluctant one at this point. I'll probably wait for it through the library system. Unless the reviews are really really good ...



Thin Air, by Rachel Caine
Weather Warden book 6
release date: August 7, 2007

Another fave series. It has moments where it borders on chick lit, but it's such an easy read with lots of action and layers of inter-connected relationships. The other five have been so consistently good that I will definitely be buying this book when it comes out.

More to come!

Lists ...

Looking for something genre-related to read? What follows are a few of my favourite books ... in no particular order ...:

1. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. My Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
3. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
4. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Bitten is the first book in the Women of the Otherworld series. It's my favourite.

My Silver Metal Lover is a stand-alone, although a sort-of sequel was released several years after this one.

Burnt Offerings is somewhere in the middle of the Anita Blake series. They're all good up to Narcissus in Chains; after that, they started losing their focus to become more of a crazy mass sex partner plus ick factor storyline and less of a kick-ass detective story line.

Dead Until Dark is the first of the Sookie Stackhouse supernatural mysteries. One of my favourite series - an easy, light read with a sense of humour. The later books seem to be losing their freshness a bit, but the first four are great and even the ones after that are readable.

Dead Witch Walking is the first in the Rachel Morgan series. I've really enjoyed every book in this series -- it isn't waning for me at all. The only one I wasn't crazy about was A Fistful of Charms ... but even that was well-written. It was just some elements of the subject matter that annoyed me.

Recently Read ...

For A Few Demons More, by Kim Harrison

Haven't posted in quite a while! It's not like I stopped reading ... although maybe I've been reading a bit less ...

The most recent book I read was For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. It's the fifth book in her Rachel Morgan collection, currently one of my favourite series. I as wasn't crazy about the fourth book -- A Fistful of Charms -- but this latest work more than makes up for it.

We're talking magic, we're talking decisions, we're talking poignant. The characters are evolving. I'm a little concerned about Matalina, since clearly the author doesn't have a problem with removing key characters as needed. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan? I'm guessing "yes" on that one ... LOL ...)

The main characters in this installment are the core trio - Rachel, Ivy and Jenks. Look for appearances by Glen (Edden's son), Trent Kalamak, Kisten, Piscary, Skinner and of course Rachel's alpha and insurance agent, the werewolf David Hue. And did I mention the demons? Oops.

If you're already into the series, I think you'll find this book satisfyingly bittersweet. If you haven't started the series yet, I recommend going to the library or bookstore and picking up the first one -- Dead Witch Walking.

To check out the author's site, click here.

Recently Read ...

Firestorm, by Rachel Caine
It's the latest in the Weather Warden series. I clearly have a vested interest in this series, having bought and read all of the books. But as with all of the others, I inhaled this book as soon as I got it. Was I reading something else at the time? Who can remember! I believe I was but clearly it got tossed aside in favour of one of my favourite authors.

Do yourself a favour and read the whole series, starting from Ill Wind and working your way through until you hit this one. I've done it myself - more than once!

Recently Read ...

The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawkes.
Highly recommend this book. One of the most interesting stories I've read in a long time and the writing is superb.

More than that though ... this is a book that makes you think. About just how often we are photographed every day, and what is being done with those images. It can make you paranoid. It can make you want to find some way to live off the grid. It's definitely making me want to read the next book in the series.

Anansi Brothers by Neil Gaiman, part 2

Finished reading this book a few weeks ago now - sorry!

Ultimately, it was a good book.

One of the things I love about Neil Gaiman books are the layers. You think he has wandered off the point when, with a gentle toe nudge, you understand why the story is being told the way it has been told.

Strong Caribbean folkloric theme crossed with London slightly geeky urban culture. It makes for an interesting mix.