Sunday, June 24, 2012

Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)

Summary:
Sookie's got a vampire hubby who just can't seem to talk things through with her. They have a blood bond that Sookie is worried is the only reason she actually loves Eric. But when the bond is broken, and the love is still there, she's not quite satisfied. She wants Eric to talk to her, include her in his life and his worries. Not that she doesn't have enough to worry about. There's still someone out to kill her, and she can't stand Eric's new boss. She just can't figure out whether it's horrible to want people dead...

Thoughts:
Not bad. I wouldn't say it's one of the best in the series, but it could have been worse. The good news for you, dear readers (all three of you, haha!) is that you're not going to have to hear about Sookie Stackhouse much more. I've got one more published book to get my hands on, and then it'll only be once a year that you'll hear about Sook's adventures in vampirism. But back to the book. I found that this particular book didn't stick with me nearly as much as some of the others in the series. If something's really super-fantastic, it'll stick in my brain and make me want to read more of whatever it is so badly I can't wait to get the next in the series. This book in the series wasn't like that. I got more annoyed with the characters than usual, and was almost looking forward to getting to the end so I could move on to the next book. I'm not as pleased with Harris's work on this one as I have been in the past. Oh well, better luck next time!

Book 25 of 50

Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery, with romance and vampires and a few other fantasy characters...
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's still a good book, and the series is fabulous. But be sure to read from the beginning. This one will lose you if you start from the middle!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Three to Get Deadly (Janet Evanovich

Summary:
Stephanie Plum, novice bounty hunter, gets the worst assignment yet. She's got to pick up Uncle Mo, Trenton's favorite candy shop owner. Mo missed a court date, and hasn't been seen at the shop in days. Stephanie gets in too deep as usual, and finds herself threatened almost every day after starting her hunt for Mo. Add to that Lula, a former hooker who's angling to become a bounty hunter herself, who decides that she's going to help Stephanie out, and often causes more trouble than good. And the icing on this cake is Joe Morelli, Stephanie's first bounty and a Trenton cop, who can't seem to decide whether he wants to kill Stephanie or screw her senseless. Tough life for anyone, but Stephanie deals. Barely...

Thoughts:
How obsessed am I with this series? So much. I love Stephanie Plum's voice. Evanovich makes me smirk like the Jersey girl I am, and I feel like Stephanie could be the girl down the street from me. I love the feel of the books, a little suspense, and a lot of Jersey jokes that only we really get. Even if you're not from Jersey, there's plenty in this series that anyone can love, including the hunky cop (that we all KNOW Stephanie's going to get her *ahem* hands on eventually), the crazy sidekick, the crazy dude that knows how to handle the worst of it, and a ridiculous family that you're thankful that you don't have. One of the things I love about this series is that the books don't end with a ridiculously open ending. They end with actual closings of the storylines, and the only overarching plots are the romantic plot with Stephanie and Morelli, and the plot that carries Stephanie through her learning how to be a bounty hunter. Well done, Ms. Evanovich.

Book 24 of 50

Pages: 384
Genre: Mystery, with hints of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yup. For sure, especially if you're from New Jersey.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Two for the Dough (Janet Evanovich)

Summary:
Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and she's not so great at it. Not yet, anyway, considering she's not had all that much practice at it just yet. This second book finds her going after a guy who shot his buddy in the knee, and then skipped bail. Little does she know, Kenny Mancuso is involved in much bigger things than just an accidental shot to the knee, and there's soon dead bodies to deal with. What's worse, Joe Morelli, Stephanie's former flame, local cop, and ex-bounty, is after Kenny too. Of course, Morelli explains it away that he's just looking for his cousin, but Stephanie's gut tells her that there's more to it. She's learning well that she should go with her gut whenever possible.

Thoughts:
Love it. No really, I love this series. Stephanie Plum is a great character, and Evanovich gets the Jersey voice just right, as though she's a Jersey Girl, born and bred, which of course, she is. Of course, in this second book, she misses the boat on one of the classic Jersey phrases, (In Jersey, we go "down the shore," not "to the shore.") but if that's the worst of it, that's hardly anything at all. The series so far is great fun. I love Stephanie's fight to make herself look like she can actually handle herself as a bounty hunter, and I love the constant jabs and pokes at Jersey from someone in the family. Plenty of people make fun of New Jersey, but only real Jersey kids know how to truly stick it to the state. Plus, there's the romance story line with Stephanie and Morelli that no one can overlook. Evanovich does a great job carrying the whole mess, and I love watching every second of it. New favorite series, friends. Lucky you.

Book 23 of 50

Pages: 312
Genre: mystery, with a touch of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Yes. And this series feels more like one you don't have to read from the start. It helps, but it's not completely necessary.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Dead in the Family (Charlaine Harris)

Summary:
Poor Sookie. All she wanted was some quiet in her mind after years of telepathy cluing her in to what everyone she's ever met is thinking. That's all she wanted when she started getting into the vampire world. But now she's got her fairy bloodline, not all of whom are pleased with her, whether the door to the fairy world is open or not. She's got a whole other vampire that she's bonded with forever, and she might be in love, but she might not. She's got friends that are werewolves and dealing with their newly exposed existence, and one might be a traitor. And once again, there's someone out to get her. Sookie just can't get a break.

Thoughts:
Once the ending isn't really there. I won't harp, but Harris, you've really got to work on this. The book itself is good. Sookie and Eric are getting closer, and start dating in this book. Good for them. (Finally.) Jason, Sookie's brother, seems to be growing up a bit. (Finally.) Everyone seems to be settling into their lives (or unlives) well in this book. Of course, there's always problems, because it would be a pretty boring book if there weren't. I'm almost glad I'm getting close to the end of this series, though. (I'm sure you're glad I'm almost done too!) I enjoy them, don't get me wrong. They're just not as intense anymore. They've settled into a groove, which I appreciate, but the groove isn't as groovy as when they were more action-packed. Eric, one of the very major characters at this point, has become more kitten than tiger, thanks to a shift in power. Sookie, who used to be so light-hearted, has become hard. It's almost as though Sookie and Eric have swapped places. I almost want Sookie to get herself turned, just to see what she would do with it. Anyway, I've come this far (10 books into an almost 12 book series. Book 12 comes out in May.) I don't think I'll feel right stopping now. Besides, despite their groove status, they're still entertaining. Just with a little less wow.

Book 21 of 50

Pages: 311
Genre: Mystery, vamps, and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. But please start from the beginning. They're more fun that way.