Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

This is the first installment in Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series of vampire novels.  In this book, which is pretty close to the 1st season of the HBO series True Blood, Sookie is a lonely waitress working in an out-of-the-way bar in Louisiana and suffering from what she calls "her disability."  Basically, she's a mind reader, and she doesn't like what she reads (which explains her loneliness.)  Then, a vampire walks into the bar and Sookie's delighted to learn she can't read his thoughts.  Thus begins an unlikely romance between a twenty-something virgin and a 150-year-old blood sucker.  This might be enough for most stories, but Harris throws in a serial killer for good measure.

This book will never make it onto any high school reading list, but it sure was a lot of fun.  I will read it again.

Recommendation: Buy it!*

* In fact, get over to Borders before it closes for good and buy up the whole series of Sookie Stackhouse novels.

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

This is a compilation of Neil Gaiman short stories branded as being for kids 10 and older, but I think there may be some material in here of too adult a nature for young children; it's definitely PG in my opinion.

The stories are mostly pretty good, but there is an odd clinker thrown in.  Gaiman's greatest strength is his characterization, and he deftly paints one gripping protagonist after another.  Unlike his novels, though, we never get a lot of resolution.  In at least one story, we're left knowing less about the characters than when we started.

It's still a fun read, though; especially for Gaiman fans.

Recommendation: Borrow it.

The Cat Dancers by P. T. Deutermann

Police lieutenant Cam Richter has his work cut out for him when he discovers a vigilante group is working from within his sheriff's department.  Richter, who's ex-wife is killed in a bomb set by the group, is soon embroiled in an investigation that takes him off the reservation and into the wild mountains of North Carolina.

This was a fun novel, but I found myself scoffing at some of the protagonist's choices.  For example, it was pretty obvious from the beginning who one of the main villains was, and he should have known it, too.  Instead, he blithely ignored the probability of her guilt, and even placed an undue amount of trust in her.  Another issue with this book was its repetition; several times the hero found himself in the same dire situation.

Even so, this was an enjoyable novel, and I was anxious to read more.  Happily, there are more Cam Richter novels, including The Moonpool (which I've already reviewed.)

Recommendation: Borrow it.

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

The Sookie Stackhouse novels are addictive little mysteries filled with intriguing supernatural characters.  Sookie is as unpretentious and down-to-earth a heroine as you'll ever meet, and her lack of complexity provides a great counterpoint to the rogues gallery of complicated and self-interested creatures she interacts with.

In this installment, someone is shooting weres (in the Stackhouse universe, there are all kinds of were creatures, from werewolves to werefoxes and werepanthers.)  This all comes at a time when the Shreveport werewolves are forced to choose a new pack leader.  Of course, Sookie gets dragged into the middle of all this.

As with the other novels in this series, I found it hard to put down once I started to read this book, and it left me wanting more.

Recommendation: Buy it.

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

The Sookie Stackhouse novels, which inspired the HBO series True Blood, don't precisely follow the timelines or story arcs of the series, and the characters' personalities differ a little (or, in some cases, quite a lot.)  This means, if you're a fan of the series, reading the books may spoil some of the excitement.

With that said, the books are just a lot of fun, and they're chock full of even more characters than the series, which is quite incredible. 

This particular installment revolves around a growing mountain of intrigue surrounding a political marriage between the vampire queen of Louisiana, and her counterpart, the vampire king of Arkansas.  The queen wants Sookie's help, although she's never clear on how Sookie can help.  On top of this, Sookie is looking for love with a new beau (a weretiger named Quinn) even as she struggles to survive multiple were attacks and clean out her dead cousin's apartment.

Even if you're not a fan of the series, you will quickly become hooked on the books.  They're easy to read and a lot of fun.

Recommendation: Buy it.