Maybe I found Charlaine's weakness....

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

This heroine is, again, a bit of a loner in a small town (sensing a pattern?), yet attractive. And, of course, there's something a bit off about her. It's not supernatural off like the Vampire series, but it's off for the norm. This first book was a little too slow - it dealt too much on a terribly violent thing that happened to the heroine that I just wasn't that into reading about or thinking about. The mystery was okay; there's some romance in it that was okay, but not great.

I wouldn't recommend it, but, at the same time, after reading it and knowing I wouldn't recommend it; I was placing the next book on hold at the library. Harris is a good mystery writer, even when she's not that good, she's still better than most....and I seem to be addicted to her.

Old fashioned feel - and I mean that in good way

Real Murders - Charlaine Harris

This is the first book in the Aurora Teagarden (yes, Harris does seem to have a penchant for ungainly names) series. It looks like it is one of her first books, wayy before the, ahem, vampire series. I loved it - I know some might not like it because their ain't no vamps in it, but it was a well-written, truly old-fashioned (again, in a good way), murder mystery.

Teagarden is a librarian in a small town - and something about the way it is set up and presented, it reminded me a lot of the British small town mysteries. This is a really likable, bookish, quiet heroine who also happens to be a huge fanatic of horrible murders - for me: what is not to like?

Not so good.....

Borderline - the latest book by Nevada Barr

I've loved this series about the National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon, but the last 2 books have been un-finishable for me. (I know, I don't think unfinishable is a word either) This one, like the last one about wolves, just took itself wayy to seriously. I don't want to read about illegals dying trying to get to this country. I can read about that every day in the paper. I didn't make it very far....If you've never read anything by her - start with Firestorm or Blind Descent - they're exciting books set in different National Parks with a female Park Ranger as the lead character.




Shimmer by David Morrell

First of all, David Morrell is an incredible thriller writer. He started the whole Rambo thing; he's written other great books Scavenger and Creepers being my two favorites about urban exploreres.
This book suffers from the same thing the Barr book suffered from - just too realistic. If I want to read about marriages suffering, I'll read about it through Richard Ford or John Updike. Morrell is so incredible with the art of the thriller - I don't want to read about his take on a marriage "in trouble".

These writers are great - Barr and Morrell are at the top of their craft. I don't think Updike or Ford or Roth would be able to write a breath-taking thriller or mystery. It's not their bag. It feels like Barr and Morrell were trying too hard to be something they're not.

Dead to the World - possibly read this in 2 hours flat b/c I'm a loser, baby

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I think that when I like something, I just REALLY like something. I've blown through this series. I'll list 'em all here; and, yes, maybe I should have countered all this with some Phillip Roth.


Also read: ahem, yes, ahem, yes. colon:

Dead Until Dark

Definitely Dead

From Dead to Worse

As memory talks to me, one of them was slightly boring, but I don't even remember which one, that's how quickly I read them. If you've enjoyed one or two, you'll probably enjoy them all. I just read the latest one and I can't wait for the next. Although, spoiler here, I really had high hopes for Quinn, seems like, again, Spoiler, she's starting to be all about Bill? Bill is a bit boring - but I'm thinking she's setting it up for a major Bill vs. Eric scene. Harris needs to show me a little bit more about Bill to make him interesting. Loyal guys are awesome in real life, but in novels, eh, not so much.

Charlaine Harris - I am your slave (evidently)

Loved it, these books are getting increasingly trashy - so very very trashy. I love trash. I will say, it's also well-written trash. I love well-written trash.

Bellwether - Connie Willis This is a very witty novel about workplace culture, the academic culture, and how trends become trends. It also served to remind me that humankind has always been pretty ridiculous when it comes to vanity and ego. This present culture is no exception to the norm. I love Willis's other books and this one is most closely like To Say Nothing of the Dog in term of humor and close observance of human nature, of which I think Willis is a master. This has a SciFi label on the spine (if you get it from the library, as I did), but I didn't find any traces of that in it, unless you count that the main character is a scientist of fads and their inception. This had a humour that appealed to me (think a more sciencey/nerdy Office Space or The Office) and an observant outlook on life that appealed to me as well.

Telepaths, vamps, shapeshifters and religious cults, how can you go wrong???

Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris. This is the second in the (shudder before saying the name) Sookie Stackhouse series - it's just as fun and as fast paced as the first, if not more so. Still more events occur that make me wonder about Stephanie Meyer's insistence that she never read this series before writing Twilight....

Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris HBO's very popular "True Blood" is based on this series about a roadhouse waitress in a small southern town with the unfortunate name of Sookie Stackhouse. After having read the Twilight series, I was convinced Harris must have ripped off Stephanie Meyer, but then noticed that this was published well in advance of Twilight. Needless to say, if you're interested in the controversy, there are numerous websites out there to peruse. I think that in the grand scheme of Vampire Fiction (sure, I'll capitalize that, why not?), it's really no big deal. Good reads are good reads.

This book is a sexy, more humorous, less victorian in feel and less teen angsty (not that there's anything wrong with teen angst!) book. It's not great literature, but you knew that already. Compared with Meyer's books, Harris delivers on the fight scenes, sexy scenes and it's just lighter in tone. She doesn't take it too seriously.

On a side note, I've never seen the HBO series that's based on this and out of curiousity I google imaged the leads. Of course I was very disappointed in the male lead, but Anna Paquin is about right for Sookie (again, don't love the name). I would've gone for the young, hot Britney Spears for this though -- it's always fun to play casting director though, isn't it?

Just a prelude...

Cold Skin - Albert Sánchez Piñol
A very interesting premise (guy is dropped off on a seemingly deserted island, meets up with another, seemingly deranged guy, monsters appear, hope seems futile...) that ultimately disappoints as it seems to me Piñol tries to stretch what should have been a novella into short novel length. He reprises a lot of the horror in this book to much greater effect in the far more entertaining and satisfying Pandora in the Jungle.

More than just a repairman

Aftershock & Others: 19 Oddities - F. Paul Wilson
Several of these stories were literal hair-raisers: in particular, the title story (a Bram Stoker Award winner), and my personal favorite, the ultimate revenge story, "Anna." Wilson also recounts the circumstances surrounding the writing of these stories, always a bonus to get a peek behind the curtain. Also includes a cool (as ever) Jack story, and several others that manage to amuse and horrify at the same time.