Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark - Book 7

As I've said once already, this book is the read I was looking for: light, simple, unattached. Sure, there were vampires and shape shifters and murders galore; but really, overall, the book was a quick and easy read. And yet, still enjoyable.

Clearly, it was written with the intent to serialize it. The final page could almost contain "to be continued..."And I think I will. Not because I absolutely must know what happens in the series. Not because I'm in love with the characters. Just because I was lightly entertained for a few hours. Every girl needs a good easy read from time to time.

My next read-and-blog selection is a classic: James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. I am hoping that my limited knowledge of this book (of course, from the film) was correct in assuming that this novel included NONE of the following: vampires, wizards, time-travelers, vivid love scenes or other elements to disdain. My goal with this blog is to read lots of variety...so I have to keep searching for options. Also, I want to be sure and read all those great classic novels I managed to escape school without reading. Let's face it, if you were required to read it in school, you held some (even if it was only a slight bit) ill-feelings for the book, no matter how great.

So, my next book in the Outlander series is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, I've got the second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series staring me in the face right at this very moment and I've also got a copy of The Last of the Mohicans waiting in my car.

Read on!

Book #7, Blog #1

This book is exactly what I was looking for in my next read. The pages turn quickly. The language is light and witty. The story is engaging enough, but doesn't suck the reader in. I would call it a "light page-turner". I am enjoying reading it and have read more than half of the book in the first day; however, I can put it down and live my life without Sookie Stackhouse.

So the story is that Sookie can read minds and vampires are legally "out of the coffin" and many are living on synthetic blood. Sookie meets Bill (a vamp, of course) and loves that she can't hear his thoughts. She saves his life, he saves hers. This is the stuff love stories are made of, no?

But someone is killing "fang-bangers" in and around their town and Sookie's grandmother ends up killed also. Murder, sex, vampires and Cajuns.

I mentioned this when I chose the book (having not read a page) that there were some similarities between Harris' Dead Until Dark and Meyer's Twilight...now I must admit how eerily similar they are in some ways. First, you've got vamp/human love (obvious - kind of like how many stories are boy-meets-girl...this is an acceptable coincidence). Next, you've got one party able to read minds, but not the mind of the love interest. However, I like that Sookie has the power, whereas in Twilight, Bella is clumsy and fairly normal (but an excellent shield). And of course, it is an attractive thing that they can't read their love interests' minds. There is even a group of "bad" vampires in Dead Until Dark consisting of two males and a female...hum....and they are causing trouble for Bill who wants to live "like the humans"....hum....

Anyway, just some interesting parallels. I'm not sure what I'll choose to read and blog on next (I will most likely finish this quick read today), but I'm thinking I will seek out something non-fantastical...no vampires, no time travel, no wizards, etc. etc. Maybe a classic that I have never forced myself to read. Thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.

Next Book Chosen

I'm trying to read all different types of books with this read-and-blog thing. I want to step out of my comfort zone some. I want to read some classics and some books that are just plain trashy - although I have not brought myself to the level of choosing a Harlequin or other serial romance novel with a picture of some Fabio-esque man embracing a half-naked woman on the cover. But I fear I will if I keep this up, just to please the masses. (Again - this is a running joke!)

While I loved my last read (Diana Gabaldon's Outlander) and am awaiting books two and three from Barnes and Noble, I think it's only fair that I not spend my next six books of this blog on one series from one author.

My next official book is Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark. This is the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series that spawned the HBO series, True Blood. My best friend loves this series and, though I've never watched it, I take his opinion seriously. So, I'll give it a shot and see. (And a side note - just reading the back cover I thought there were some similarities between this and the Twilight books...which were written later, but I'm not accusing or anything...there's nothing new under the sun.)

Read on!