Book Review - Definitely Dead

Definitely Dead

BY: Kathleen Fuller
PUBLISHED BY: Ace
PUBLISHED IN: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-441-01400-2
Pages: 324
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

After flying through Dead as a Doornail, I jumped into Definitely Dead. Sookie Stackhouse is now over her ex-boyfriend, Bill Compton, and her other lover, Eric, and she is ready to get on with her life. That’s when Quinn, a weretiger, shows interest in her and they soon start dating. The Pelts family comes to Bon Temps looking for clues to where their daughter's, Debbie, whereabouts, and Sookie is doing everything to ignore them. When Sookie’s life starts to turn average, the unexpected happens. Her cousin, Hadley, passed away. Hadley was a consort to the New Orleans Vampire Queen.

After learning that she is the heir to Hadley’s estate, Sookie begins unraveling her cousin’s dark secrets. Rogue werewolves are on her trail as she gets closer to the truth. Despite all this, Sookie learns another secret about her former lover Bill.

I honestly had a hard time reading this and I had to really push myself to the end. I’m not enjoying the new character, Quinn, who seems to be more trouble for Sookie. The premise about Hadley’s death was interesting, but fizzled out before the conclusion. The fairy-godmother, Claudine, is starting to get annoying, unlike the pervious novels. It was nice to see the Vampire Queen again, and I look forward to see how Sookie is going to assist her in the seventh book, All Together Dead. Definitely Dead is definitely not my favorite in the series, I actually found it boring.

Great Finds Issue #92

I was excited to find Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs. I recall seeing it in the stores last year. I was also surprised to find the August 2011's release of Stampeded by B.J. Daniels at the thrift store. I didn't realize until I came home that I already had a copy of BSC #4 and The Stepdaughter, I guess I'll have an extra copy of each. 

Paperbacks:

Bone Crossed

by Patricia Briggs

The Stepdaugher 

by Carol Ellis

Fantastic Tales for Boys

by K. A. Applegate, Emily Rodda, and Kathryn Lasky

The Baby-sitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day

by Ann M. Martin

The Baby-sitters Club: Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout

by Ann M. Martin

Shadow of Turning

by Valerie Hansen

Return of the Warrior

by Rebecca York

Stampeded

by B. J. Daniels

Romancing the Renegade

by Ingrid Weaver

Friday Ramblings and Friday Blog Hops

It's after 1:30 A.M. and I'm drinking coffee, it's the only thing keeping me going. After several days of the internet going on and off again, I thought it would be best to switch cable lines, which involved rearranging the entire room. Moving an entertainment stand and computer desk is not an easy task for one person, and I'll be regretting in a few days, as I'm already sore. Tomorrow, I'm planning on writing three reviews, reading a non-fiction book, continue reading an eBook, finishing two short stories, research on another story, and finish a gift project. Saturday morning, I'm volunteering delivering food, in which I'll be carrying heavy boxes.

I'm a sucker for old horror movies. I remember watching them late at night on AMC around Halloween, but how times have changed and what is considered 'classic' is not what I consider 'classic.' I was excited to find a 50 Classic Horror Movies DVD set for $10.00. I've watched two so far. Carnival of Souls was filmed in 1962 about a young woman who survives a car accident, but her friends die. Days later the woman leaves town and starts another life as a church organist. I've seen the movie once a few years ago and I enjoyed watching it again. It's pure psychological horror, even on a low-budget. The second movie I watched was Atom Age Vampire, but there are not vampires in it. It's a foreign film about a mad doctor, and it's boring for the first fifty minutes. The quality of the DVDs aren't the best, but considering how old the movies are, it doesn't bother me.

In the mailbox: Goosebumps Hall of Horrors: Special Edition: The Five Masks of Dr. Screem by R. L. Stine; It's the First Day of School. . . Forever! by R. L. Stine: Master Self-Publishing 2011 Edition by Owen O. Daniels; and Surrender the Dawn by MaryLu Tyndall. Today I received Life Is Not a Candy Store: It's the Way to the Candy Store by Tal Yanai. Be sure to look for my review next month as part of the World of Ink blog tour.

Blogger of the week: http://thebookaddictedgirl.blogspot.com and http://thelittlebookblog.blogspot.com

Question of the week: Lets step away from the books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?

My Answer: Warning: Don't talk to me until I have had my second cup of coffee.

Visit this weeks hop at http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/07/book-blogger-hop-729-81.html.

Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!”

My answer: Surrender the Dawn by Mary Lu Tyndall, the third book in the Surrender to Destiny series. I have yet to read the previous books, but I plan to.

Book Review - Dead as a Doornail

Dead as a Doornail

BY: Charlaine Harris

PUBLISHED BY: Ace

PUBLISHED IN: 2005

ISBN: 978-0-441-01333-3

Pages: 310
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

After finishing Dead to the World and watching the current season of True Blood, I realize that I an addicted to Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and was eager to jump into the next installment, Dead as a Doornail, picking up the previous plotlines. Sookie’s bother, Jason, is now a werepanther, by force, and joins the other werepanther Hotshots. As Jason learns to be a panther, Sookie’s boss, Sam, is shot by a mysterious sniper. But Sam isn’t the only victim, there are others and they are all shape-shifters. This has Sookie fearing for Jason’s life.

Now for a twist, Sam asks Sookie for a favor - for her to ask the vampire Eric if Sam could borrow one of his vampire bartenders. Eric can never say no to Sookie, therefore the vampire pirate Charles joins Merlotte’s in Sam’s absence. Meanwhile, Tara is now in the control of the dangerous vampire Mickey.

Dead as a Doornail focuses more on the weres and shape-shifters than it does vampires. If you are watching the current season, you’ll realize that some of the plot elements in Dead as a Doornail are in it, mainly with Jason. Vampire favorites Bill, Eric and Pam have very little to do with the novel, and involves more of the Hotshots and werewolf clans. The death of Debbie Pelt is coming back to bite Sookie in the you-know-what, as private investigators are looking into her disappearance. I liked that the author laid out more of the werewolf mythology into the modern world. Sookie’s fairy-godmother, Claudine, is a riot and fun character unlike the fairy plot from True Blood. The fifth book in the series is great read.

Book Review - Goosebumps Halls of Horrors: Night of the Giant Everything

Goosebumps Halls of Horrors: Night of the Giant Everything

BY: R.L. Stine

PUBLISHED BY: Scholastic

PUBLISHED IN: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-545-28935-1

Pages: 127

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Wow! This one has been sitting on top of my computer monitor for a few months, and since I just received the third book in the series in the mail on Saturday, I thought it was time to pick it up. Like the previous installment, the book opens up with a narration from the Story-Keeper, which reminds me of the Crypt Keeper, in which introduces the main character and sets up the story. Steven is the main character. He is in love with magic and the occasional practical joke. For a quick laugh, he plays a harmless trick on his two friends Ava and Courtney, but they dislike the joke and plan on getting revenge. The girls trick Steven into drinking a mixture they created in the school’s lab. Steven instantly feels weird and shortly after, he shrinks to under 10 inches tall.

After reading the back cover, I was a little skeptical about starting this book because it sounded like a reused plot from other Goosebumps books - where a kid is at home, the kid somehow changes, and races across town to find his friends for help. But there is a new twist by the name of Mr. Pinker, a piano teacher, with a hobby of collecting miniature houses, and, of course, Mr. Pinker is not who he seems to be. This is where the story reminds me of the Goosebumps television episodes, "Chillogy,” which wasn’t based on a Goosebumps book. Night of the Giant Everything isn’t scary, but it has enough twists and turns to keep the average young reader interested.

Book Review - Treasuring Emma

Treasuring Emma

BY: Kathleen Fuller

PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson

PUBLISHED IN: 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59554-775-0

Pages: 304

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Emma Shelter's life is turned upside down when her mother passes away, leaving she and her ailing grandma to run her falling apart farm. Her only other family is Clara and her unemployed husband, Peter. Clara wants Emma to sale of the family tools, so she open a fabric store in the old workshop, but Emma isn’t ready to let go of the past, until Adam Otto returns to town.

Adam had left the Amish community years ago and moved to the big city where he took odd job. After buying a car, a television, DVDs, and ending his on and off again relationship with Ashley, he realized that his life was missing something. Then one day, he retrieved his mail and found a letter sent by an Amish friend, who informed him of Mrs. Shelter’s death. He packs a bag and heads home. Despite Adam’s shunning, his mother welcomes him home with loving arms, but his father gives him a cold shoulder.

Peter’s cousin, Mark, also returns to the community and he is interested in one thing - stealing Clara away from Peter. Meanwhile, Emma and Adam reunite and their old feelings return, but will Adam’s new life interfere with their future.

Treasuring Emma is heartwarming story about second chances. I have read a few other books by Kathleen Fuller and this one doesn’t disappoint. I was instantly hooked from the first chapter where Emma is dealing with her mother’s death and ponders her future. Adam would have to be my favorite character from the novel, a young man who is lost in the world, but desires a family of his own. With all the economic problems in the world, I thought the character Peter was a nice touch, along with his wife, Clara, who loves and supports her husband despite the fact he cannot hold a job. I pleased to able to review this delightful novel that put a smile on my face.

*I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy.

Great Finds Issue #91

I couldn't resist picking up a few romance paperbacks at the thrift store today, even though my bookshelves are stuffed with books. I already have a copy of SVH Double Love, but I believe this is the copy with the updated (changes) for the new generation of readers. Perfect Partners? looks like a good read, I might squeeze it into my reading time this week.

Paperbacks

Hidden Stars

by Nora Roberts

Dreams of Glory

by Linda Herring

Race Against Time

by Justine Davis

The Pride of Jared Mackade

by Nora Roberts

Invisible Recruit

by Mary Buckham

Perfect Partners?

by C.J. Carmichael

Sweet Valley High: Double Love

by Kate William

Created by Francine Pascal