Book Review: A Touch of Dead

Title: A Touch of Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2009

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—together in one volume.

Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”

My Thoughts: A Touch of Dead is a collection of all Sookie Stackhouse short stories ever written.

Fairy Dust takes place after the events in Dead to the World (Book #4). Claudine and Claude asks for Sookie's help to figure out who killed their triplet. This short story didn't engage me much. I didn't care whether Sookie would find the murderer or not. If the story did anything for me, it was making me dislike the fairy siblings, especially Claude.

Dracula Night is set before the action of Dead as a Doornail (Book #5), and is the only short story that involves my favorite character: Eric Northman. Makes you think I would love this one, doesn't it? Well, I didn't. Mainly because Eric wasn't his normal self, instead he was giddy like a little girl meeting her big idol Justin Bieber. And Eric's idol in this case was Dracula, which he hopes will attend his big celebration of Dracula Night...
My favorite character in this short story was Pam, she has such a great sense of humor!

One Word Answer is set after the events in Dead as a Doornail (Book #5)
In this short story Mr. Cataliades shows up in Bon Temps late at night, to tell Sookie about her cousin's death. It was quite interesting to get to learn more about the events surrounding Hadley's death, and Sookie and Hadley's relationship. When I read Definitely Dead (Book #6) which deals with the aftermath of Hadley's death, I was very confused because the reader never hears about Hadley's death. Suddenly Sookie has a cousin who's dead, and is going to her home to pack up her stuff... So this short story definitely gave some more insights to Hadley's death, and how Sookie got the news. I like that this story added some more content to the Sookie's books.

Lucky takes place after All Together Dead (Book #7).
Sookie and Amelia team up to solve a breaking and entering at law firm. Probably the longest story of them all, and the least supernatural of them, even if it involved two witches. Got a bit of a Nancy Drew feeling to it, and felt like a "complete" short story.

Gift Wrap takes place before Dead and Gone (Book #9).
Sookie is dreading spending Christmas all alone, but when she takes a walk in the woods surrounding her house she stumbles upon an injured were. She takes him home, protects him from a rivaling pack who is out to kill him, and cleans his injuries. It seems like Sookie doesn't have to spend Christmas all alone after all!
There was a twist in the end of the story that I didn't see coming, very sneaky! But also, very creepy!

Overall: Charlaine Harris writes in the introduction to this book: "Sookie's life and history are so complex that I didn't know if I could create a coherent piece of short fiction that would do her justice. I'm still not sure I have, but I've enjoyed trying. Some efforts have been more successful than others." And Harris couldn't be more right! Some of these stories were definitely better than the others, but sadly most stories was just so-so. If you aren't a BIG Sookie fan, I see no reason for you to "have to" read this book. It doesn't add much more information to Sookie's life. But if you have some time to spare and are looking for a few quick reads, give it a try. You might end up appreciating it more than I did!

Rating: 2.5 of 5

Book Review: From Dead To Worse

Title: From Dead To Worse
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 8)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2008

The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is reeling from two hard blows - the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made horror of the explosion at the vampire summit the month before in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires - some friends, some not - were killed or injured, and her weretiger boyfriend, Quinn, is among the missing." "It's clear that things are changing, whether the Weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie - friend of the pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, the leader of the local vampire community - is caught up in the changes. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death... and, once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood flowing, her world will be forever altered.

My Review: After reading eight books in the Sookie Stackhouse series, I can describe the series in one word: pleasant. The books are enjoyable and have comical parts and some outstanding characters. There are some action and mysteries, but the books are never too thrilling or too terrible. They're just pleasant, cozy reads. And there's nothing wrong with that! But I'm not addicted to the series.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Previous books in this series:

Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead To The World
Dead As a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead

Vampire of the Week

Vampire of the Week is a semi-weekly feature on my blog. For more information, go here. To see previous VoW's click here.

And today's Vampire of the Week is. . .

Pam!

Pam is a character in the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series written by Charlaine Harris. She is also a character in the television show based on the books, True Blood.

Pam was made into a vampire by Eric Northman, probably a few hundred years ago. She is now Eric's second-in-command and co-owner of Fangtasia (Eric's vampire bar).

Pam is, according to Sookie, one of very few vampires that actually has a sense of humour. She takes joy in teasing and provoking others, and she is always looking for material to tease Eric with.

Pam is played by Kristin Bauer.

Cover Combat: Sookie Stackhouse Novels

The first three books in the Sookie Stackhouse series are being released in Swedish at the end of the month. And they are followed by book 4-6 in August. To celebrate this I decided to do a "Cover Combat" post between the US covers and the fresh Swedish covers. Let's have a look!

US Covers:




Swedish Covers:






Which covers do you prefer?
I'm not a huge fan of the US covers, they're simple and original, but definitely not my taste! The Swedish covers however - I really like them! I like that the pictures are painted, not photographs. I also really like that the covers aren't focused on Sookie, but on the main characters in each book. For example, Eric's on the cover of Club Dead, the witches on the cover of Dead To The World etc. My favorite Swedish covers are probably number 1, 3 and 5! The covers for book 3 and 5 are dramatic and have a lot of attitude, and Sookie looks really pretty on the cover of Dead Until Dark.

But what do you think? Leave your opinions in the comments! :)

Book Review: Definitely Dead

Title: Definitely Dead
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 6)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2007

In the sixth Sookie Stackhouse novel, the supernaturally gifted cocktail waitress heads for New Orleans, where she is forced to contend with her own family's dark legacy and a variety of potentially lethal characters.

My Review: When I started reading this book I got so confused. The first five books in this series took place in a short period of time, with just a few weeks separating one book from another. Not this book though. Definitely Dead picked up several months after Dead As a Doornail, and during those months some major things happened. Since we usually follow all events in Sookie's life, I was sure that I had missed a book explaining those things that had happened during the "missing months". I had to check and double-check the bibliography in the beginning of my book, Charlaine Harris website and Amazon.com until I realized that I, in fact, hadn't missed a book!

Since the things we missed included (without giving too much away) a murder, a newly made vampire and the queen of Louisiana, I'm surprised that Harris didn't write a book about those events, or included them in this book. As it turned out, the beginning of this book left me utterly confused, and the plot book didn't get up and running until more than 100 pages into the book.

After two books of being single, Sookie is now in a relationship again. But it isn't with Alcide, Bill or Eric - no it's with Quinn, the weretiger. While Quinn seem nice and all, I don't care much for his and Sookie's relationship. I don't know why, probably because I don't find him attractive - I mean a bald guy? Not that hot if you ask me. Bill and Eric really took a back seat in this installment, and I missed them. Their short appearances were the most interesting and fun parts of the book.

This book wasn't as exciting or action-packed as the previous books, and therefor one of my least favorite books of this series.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Vampire of the Week

Vampire of the Week is a semi-weekly feature on my blog. For more information, go here. To see previous VoW's click here.

And today's Vampire of the Week is. . .

Bill Compton
Even if Bill is a vampire, he's still the gentleman he was raised to be. He's polite, charming and considerate, and he enjoys living in the dark.

Bill Compton was born in 1840. He lived on a farm in Bon Temps, Louisiana with his wife and children. He fought for the South during the Civil War, and shortly after the war he was made a vampire by Lorena, with whom he later had a long and stormy relationship.

When Bill moves back to his ancestral home in Bon Temps, he meets waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is immediately drawn to Bill, she's never met a vampire before, and she can't read his thoughts. She enjoys the silence. Later that night she saves Bill from being drained by the Rattrays, and a day later Bill returns the favor. Thus, their relationship is born.

Bill is played by Stephen Moyer. Stephen was born in England in 1969.

Book Review: Dead As a Doornail

Title: Dead as a Doornail
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 5)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2006

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well-mannered and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family." "When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter." Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first.

My Review: No one can say that Sookie Stackhouse has a boring life. In just a few days she gets shot, someone burns down her house, and tries to kill her. And as if it isn't enough to have to worry about her own life, someone is also trying to execute Sookies new friends, the were and shifters.

And in the middle of all this, Sookie is being courted by no less than five guys, all some kind of supernatural being, and they're not only after her help and telepathic ability, they're also after her heart. . . Watch out, Sook!

Dead as a Doornail is filled with the familiar Bon Temps characters, our most beloved bachelors, crime, murder and adventure. Another great installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series!

Rating: 4 of 5

Other books in this series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead In Dallas
Club Dead
Dead To the World

Book Review: Dead To The World

Title: Dead To The World
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 4)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2005

When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire--but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life. . .

My Review: Poor Sookie Stackhouse. As if breaking up with her cheating boyfriend, being caught up in the vampires business, and worrying about her financial troubles wasn't enough! Now she has to take care of Eric, who suffers from amnesia, while worrying about her brother who has gone missing.
Plus it looks like Bon Temps attracts supernatural beings, the place is teeming not only out of vampires and shape shifters, but also werewolves, witches and even a fairy! And as usual, Sookie is caught in between. . .

If you liked the previous books in the Sookie Stackhouse series, you will like this one too. And if you are a fan of Eric Northman, you will definitely enjoy this one!

Rating: 4 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead

Book Review: Club Dead

Title: Club Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries (Book 3)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2003

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ...

My Review:
As usual, when you read a Sookie Stackhouse book, you have one brave and practical heroin, a few guys lusting over her, and some mysteries for them to solve.

This book wasn't as action-packed as the first book in this series, but there were a few mysteries that kept you guessing.

Sookie, as a character, is growing on me, and I find her more and more likeable. She is polite, practical, and has a clear opinion about what's wrong and right. And did she show some attitude in the end of the book! :)

Rating: 4 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas

Book Review: Living Dead in Dallas

Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 2)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Released: 2002

Waiting tables, sweeping floors, reading minds and solving mysteries for the undead. It's all in a day's work for Sookie...

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favor.

Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...

Review: I enjoyed this book far more than I enjoyed Dead Until Dark.
Since I have watched the TV show True Blood, I keep comparing the books to the TV series, and I have to say that I liked Living Dead in Dallas much more than True Blood Season 2! While the TV series focused a lot on drinking, drugs and sex, the book focuses more on Sookie and her relationship to Bill, Eric, and the other residents of Bon Temps. The maenad, which was a big part of the TV show , was actually a minor event in the book.

Sookie was a more likeable character in this book. She was very loyal and honest and kept her promises, even if it put her in dangerous situations.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Club Dead. A book I haven't seen transformed to televison!

Rating: 4 of 5
Fan(g) Girl

Other Reviews of books in this series:
* Dead Until Dark

Book Review: Dead Until Dark

Title: Dead Until Dark
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 1)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2001

About the Book: Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

Review: In less than 300 pages Charlaine Harris manages to squeeze in close to 10 murders. Needless to say - this book is full of action and mystery, and the pace never slows down once. In my opinion, perhaps this book was too action-packed. The first season of True Blood is based on this book, and the first 5 episodes is basically the 5 first chapters in the book! Fast-paced, huh?

Sookie felt almost unemotional to me - I would love to have seen more feelings and emotions from her. She is exposed to one dramatic, and traumatic, event after another, but she doesn't seem particularly moved. Instead of crying her heart out when a person close to her dies, she's like: I saw her lying on the floor. She was dead. -Next chapter!- So a little more emotion from her, and this book would have been even better!

Rating: 3 of 5
Fan(g) Girl