Angieville

I picked up the new Sookie Stackhouse book the day it came out, but it took me awhile to get around to it. I've been looking forward to a new Sookie book every May ever since I first discovered Charlaine Harris something like seven years ago now. I picked up Dead Until Dark --the first book--shortly after my son was born and I was going through quite a bit of postpartum depression and starting to wonder if my life would ever take on a shape somewhat resembling the one it once held. Things were blue in every sense of the word, despite how much I adored my little boy and how happy I was he'd come into our lives. And then, during those quiet times sitting with him in the rocking chair, I started reading a little story about a barmaid from Louisiana who can hear other people's thoughts and who latches onto a vampire by the name of Bill when she realizes she can't hear him. Sookie was funny and happy and good and I liked her immediately. The series carried me through until ...

A few years ago I was twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the new Sookie Stackhouse book to come out, when I decided to see what else Charlaine Harris had written. Turned out she'd written a lot of other books, including three other mystery series featuring similarly intrepid heroines. My eye immediately settled on the Lily Bard series of mysteries also known as the "Shakespeare" mysteries because main character Lily lives in the small town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, and because each book has the word Shakespeare in the title. Up until recently all five of the Lily Bard mysteries were out of print, but then Berkeley Prime Crime re-released the entire series in very attractive mass market editions. My mom gave me the first one, Shakespeare's Landlord , as a Christmas present and I started tracking down the other four before I was even twenty pages in. A big fan of the Sookie books, I was instantly drawn to this darker, less humorous but no less compelling series. Since...

So ever since my decadent little re-read of Fire I've been in a reading slump. One foul doozy of a slump. I restlessly picked up and put down a handful of books, all of them full of potential, none of them able to hold my attention. Fortunately I'm still thinking clearly enough at this point to know it's me with the problem, not them. And I carefully set them aside on the nightstand to be picked up in a later, more amenable mood. But desperation was setting in and my family was starting to feel the effects. And then a friend saved the day by reminding me the new Harper Connelly book was out! The fourth installment in Charlaine Harris ' "other" series, I'd been looking forward to the release of Grave Secret ever since finishing the excellent An Ice Cold Grave two years ago. Entirely different from her Sookie Stackhouse series, the Harper books are gritty mysteries with just a hint of the paranormal. I absolutely love them. Harper and her stepbrother (and...

I have become a big fan of snippets. Well, of Ilona Andrews ' snippets particularly. Every so often she and/or Gordon relents and placates the fans by posting a tiny little bit of a piece of a story headed our way sometime in the not-too-distant future. My favorites of these are (for obvious reasons) the Curran-based snippets from the upcoming Kate Daniels book, in this case-- Magic Bleeds. But the very best is when Gordon writes a well-known scene from one of the previous books from Curran's POV . That's when the magic happens, people. My very favorite is the soup scene: Part I and Part II . Enjoy. Juliet Marillier 's website has a brand new design worth exploring and she has also posted the first chapter of Heart's Blood . Set in western Ireland during the 12th century this is a standalone novel that is very loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. It is my most anticipated book of the fall and so I couldn't resist the lure of the first cha...

Sookie always saves me. Just when I'm wondering if Spring will come at all, the new Sookie is suddenly out and life is brighter and more amusing. I'm always reminded of the spring I discovered this wonderful series and how they saved me then and, my, has it really been a year since I spent time with the gang, and how is every little thing? The last two books were somewhat transitional installments, in that Sookie's been through the wringer and is forced to reevaluate several aspects of her life, particularly the undead and shifty folk she's allied herself with and how much longer she's willing (or able) to go on being the one commodity everyone wants to have in their arsenal. The wolves are coming out of the walls. On a quiet night in Merlotte's, Sookie serves patrons and watches as the were community officially comes out to the world, painting themselves as the vampires' fuzzier younger sibs. Reactions in Bon Temps range from mildly bemused acceptance to wi...

Phew, I'm back. Vegas was hot and windy, but the wedding we attended was lovely. Lots of yummy, yummy Thai food at the reception and many good people to visit with. A much-needed getaway. I just wanted to put up a reminder that Laurie R. King , author of the most wonderful if-you-haven't-read-them-yet-you-must Mary Russell series , will be guest blogging here on Wednesday. Laurie is promoting her latest and greatest Mary Russell-- The Language of Bees . You're in for a treat so don't miss it! I've also got several good reviews on their way up this week. Look out for my review of Fragile Eternity (much to say on that one), Dead and Gone (Sookie rules), and of course The Language of Bees .

Patricia Briggs has the first chapter of Bone Crossed up on her site. You know you can't resist.  Charlaine Harris has the first chapter of Dead and Gone up on her site. Word is the weres come out to play in this one.  And Word Wenches has an interview with Sharon Shinn up on their site. In it she mentions toying with the idea of writing a novella about Kirra and Donnal as well as possibly following the next generation in the Twelve Houses world.  One word: yay!

Here's the trailer for HBO's True Blood series based on Charlaine Harris 's Sookie Stackhouse books . The show stars Anna Paquin as Sookie and premieres September 7th. If you're a Sookie fan, I want to hear what you think of this sneak peek.

From Dead to Worse is the eighth Sookie Stackhouse book and, after reading it, definitely a comfort Sookie for me. Meaning, of the eight books so far, this is one I'll go back and reread when I want to feel good about things again. Right up there with numbers four and five-- Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail . And, yes, I realize that my favorite Sookie books are also the ones with a high Eric factor. That's just the way it is. Fortunately, Ms. Harris seems to be channeling the good Eric vibes as well, because I continue to like where his and Sookie's relationship is going. And I like that it's not speeding but taking its time. Although, I will put in a request for "that conversation" to happen in the next book, please thank you. This installment sees Sookie and company recovering from the repercussions of the disastrous vampire summit in the last book. Post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana is also still recovering and several new people come into Sookie...

The latest Sookie Stackhouse book, From Dead to Worse , comes out tomorrow! If you're a Sookie fan, there's a great interview with Sookie (aka Charlaine Harris ) over at Cat and Muse . Check it out . (Thanks to Urban Fantasy Land for the link)

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris I am so into this series. I stumbled across Charlaine Harris right about the same time I discovered Janet Evanovich --just after my son was born. I credit the two of them for getting me through those postpartum blues, for making me laugh when all I felt like doing was cry. While I always look forward to the next Sookie Stackhouse book, it's Harris' Harper Connelly mystery series that's really got me champing at the bit for more. Harper finds dead people. With the help of her stepbrother Tolliver, she travels from town to town helping police departments and grieving families alike get to the heart of mysterious deaths. The best thing about these books is the unexpectedly complex relationship between Harper and Tolliver (two people who don't have a thing in the world except each other) and the increasingly mesmerizing/horrifying events they find themselves mixed up in. Harper never fails to find the body(ies) in question, but the two...

Best reads of the past month: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris There's nothing like a new Sookie to cheer you up. And this one (#7) is the best one since #5. Harris skillfully weaves in threads from each of the previous books in complex, riveting ways. It becomes very clear that the events of the past six books have changed Sookie. Her life is not what it was when she met her first vampire (who shall remain nameless here) in a bar in Bon Temps. This theme dovetailed particularly well with the focus on how Louisiana itself was altered by Hurricane Katrina. I like the direction Harris is taking with Sookie and Eric's relationship. I like that she's given her a friend in Amelia. I like where this series is going. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Sandell When I heard about a retelling of Tennyson's Lady of Shallott, I was so in. I mean, I'm nothing if not up for a good Camelot tale. When I heard that, like Tennyson's version, it was entirely in verse, I wasn't...

Best reads of the past month: Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn This is the 3rd in Shinn's Twelve Houses series. The 2nd, Thirteenth House, came out this past March, so when I found out DMD would be out in October I squealed in delight. It's so rare to get more than one book per year out of a new series in hardback and I love this series. The six companions are each so different and intriguing that it's a pleasure to watch them interact. They really are old friends by now. The first two books followed Senneth and Kirra respectively, the two females in the group. This one focuses on Justin the gutter boy turned King's Rider. Warning: the dude on the cover looks nothing like Justin. The 4th book is going to focus on Cammon and is, without a doubt, going to rock my world. Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris This is the 2nd in Harris' Harper Connelly mystery series. I surprised myself with how much I was looking forward to it. Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series is h...

Life's been a bit busy lately and so I've combined the last two months this time. Best reads of the past two months: Sacred by Dennis Lehane (best one in the series so far, hands down) Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (not enough Eric, but Quinn's a tiger and that's cool) The Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn (last and probably best in the trilogy; when it comes to trilogies, my favorites tend to be the middle books, so this one was a pleasant surprise) The Princess Diaries Vol. 1&2 by Meg Cabot (picked up against my better judgment, turns out it's laugh-out-loud funny; i love being proven wrong when it comes to books) Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich (not a resolution in sight, but Ranger's there being all Rangery, so all is right in Plumland) Best rereads of the past two months: Homecoming , Dicey's Song , A Solitary Blue , Sons From Afar , and Seventeen Against the Dealer by Cynthia Voigt (Finest Kind) Sunshine and The Blue Sword ...

Best reads of the past month: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Counselor by Charlaine Harris Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

I miss Lily Bard...I miss Jack Leeds. And I miss Shakespeare, Arkansas and all its freaky, endearing inhabitants. For Christmas my mom got me the new Berkely Crime edition of the first Lily Bard mystery, Shakespeare's Landlord , by Charlaine Harris . This is the second series I've read by Harris, the first being the deliciously funny Southern Vampire series featuring the irrepressible Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic barmaid extraordinaire. Lily's story is much darker than Sookie's (despite its distinct lack of vampires) and I was delighted to find myself immediately sucked into Lily's world as she seeks to carve out a life for herself in the not-so-sleepy town of Shakespeare. The next day when I'd finished it, I sat down anxiously at my computer to search out the four remaining books in the series (no small feat, I discovered). The 2nd book, Shakespeare's Champion , is out of print and hard to find, though I managed to secure a decently priced copy through goo...

Best reads of the past month: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope Best reread of the past month: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer