Elsewhere

Elsewhere
By Gabrielle Zevin

Fifteen year-old Elizabeth Hall just can’t believe it. It all seems so much like a dream, but why can’t she seem to wake up? Fighting her own memories, Elizabeth can’t at first come to terms with the fact that she is dead: D-E-A-D, dead. Somewhere in the in-between, Liz comes to terms with the fact that she will never turn 16 or get her driver’s license or be able to live the rest of her life. Along the way, she eventually finds that her journey in Elsewhere is the continuation of that life and more.

A great read - this book was recommended to me by one of my 14-year-old daughters. I found it to be funny, heart-warming, sad and happy – very often all at the same time. (Thanks for not telling me the ending, T!)

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Dead as a Doornail
By Charlaine Harris

Someone is taking shots at Shifters and Weres and Sookie is caught in the middle again.

Eric is upset that he can’t remember the time he spent with Sookie. When Sookie asks Eric to help Tara, Sookie is forced to come clean and provide him with information about the time they spent together.

Alcide asks Sookie to attend the competition for pack leader where she learns more about the Weres than she bargained for. She also runs in Quinn once again and sparks start to fly!

Dead To The World by Charlaine Harris

Dead to The World
By Charlaine Harris

Oh My! Eric & Sookie! What else can I say? You MUST read this one…. Maybe even twice!

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead
By Charlaine Harris

Eric asks for Sookie’s help in finding Bill, who has been abducted. Sookie complies with Eric’s request in spite of the fact that Bill has apparently been unfaithful with an old flame.

Alcide, a new Were friend is persuaded to show Sookie around and to watch her back on their trip to Mississippi. He introduces her to the folks in Josephine’s, a Supe bar better known as “Club Dead”.

Of course, Sookie runs smack into the King of Mississippi, who is #1 on the suspect list of who abducted Bill. Luckily, Eric unexpectedly shows up (under cover) because Sookie finds trouble and ends up near death – again. Amazingly, she finds herself in a perfect position to rescue Bill.

A possible romance with Alcide and more interesting encounters with Eric have you wishing that Bill would just stay away. Eric’s partner Pam plays a larger part and we get a better glimpse of her personality.

I enjoy the fact that Sookie can (and does) banish the Vampires from her home by verbally rescinding their invitation; and, Bubba cracks me up.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Living Dead In Dallas
By Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is back and trouble finds her pretty quickly. Unfortunately, she seems to have a knack for finding dead people. Although she started out this series minding her own business and just getting by, her original unassuming demeanor has gone by the wayside and she has really started to show some spirit! Her second brush with death (and another dose of Vampire blood) has also moved things along toward her independence. She’s no push-over and has few qualms about standing up to all sorts of creatures ranging from a Maenad in the woods to a bar full of Vampires.

The plot is full of action, sending Sookie and Bill to Dallas on an assignment for Eric, the big, bad elder vampire. (I love the Vampire-friendly airlines and hotels!) Sookie is abducted by The Fellowship, an anti-vampire cult, and shows her true grit yet again, when she escapes. (Not that she doesn’t have some help from a few new-found friends… more Vampires, Weres, and Shapeshifters). Both Eric and Bill help her out of another jam and they all stumble across the killer of yet another of Sookie’s friends.

Bill’s appeal is starting to dwindle, but Eric earns some points by escorting Sookie to a party in order to watch her back. This triangle is starting to heat up and get very interesting!

Say Goodbye
By Lisa Gardner

FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy stumbles into a case where a serial killer is preying on young prostitutes – easy prey, considering they’re hardly ever reporting missing. Makes it easy to kill again. And again.

Bringing to light the sick minds of child predators, this is one of those books that you want to put down at times just to get the pictures out of your mind. It’s that morbid curiosity like slowing down to look at the accident on the side of the road, you just have to see how it turned out.

Kimberly reminds me a bit of Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb’s In Death Series – which in my book, can only be a good thing. She’s sharp and independent and as tenacious as a pit bull, but still realizes her vulnerabilities from time to time.

The flashbacks into the mind of the killer keep you guessing as to where you are, who you’re with, and how you got there. Then toss in the realization that you sometimes feel bad for the killer. Oh, and the spiders just add to the creepiness factor. This book is very well done and will keep you up well past your bedtime.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark
By Charlaine Harris

First in the Sookie Stackhouse series of novels, this book reminded me a bit of the Twilight series. There are vampires and shape-shifters and the main character seems to be involved with at least one of each. There’s also a big, bad, edler vampire who takes an interest in Sookie. In a switch from Twilight, Sookie (a non-vampire) has the power to read people’s minds, while her vampire counter-part cannot.

There is a familiar feel to the characters, however, the story itself is more of a murder mystery and I think it was a good read. As far as a whodunit goes, it did keep me guessing until the end.

Other books in the series are:

Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Many Bloody Returns

Dean and Gone