Naomi reviewed the following books:

Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton

Swimming without a Net by MaryJanice Davidson

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Diana reviewed Kressley Cole’s latest, Demon From the Dark.

To Read all the reviews click here.

Happy Reading!

~M.

The title listed is Dead Reckoning and the synopsis is as follows …

With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit – and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can’t ‘read’ vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his ‘child’ Pam well – and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human – and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .

So, what do y’all think?

Enjoy! Kelly

The two new books under contract–City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire–are scheduled, respectively, for May 2012 and September 2013.

There is also a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series, the first book in the Infernal Devices series is Clockwork Angel.

Film rights to The Mortal Instruments have been optioned by Unique Features.

To read Naomi’s review please click here.

The youngest of our crew, Becca, reviewed A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix and Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton. To read her thoughts on these books, please click here.

Our resident bookworm, Naomi, reviewed Sleeping with the Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson and Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost. To read her thoughts on these books, please click here.

Also, for those of you who just want to hear Anton Strout, author of the very fun Simon Canderous series, crack Tamara and Maria up… click here.

Enjoy!

~M.

AceShowbiz

“Book One: Origins” is already available for pre-order on Amazon and would hit the shelves on November 2. The synopsis according to the show’s fansite Vampire-Diaries.net is: “Set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, three teenagers in Mystic Falls, Virginia enter a torrid love triangle that will span eternity.”

“Brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore are inseparable until they meet Katherine, a stunning, mysterious woman who turns their world upside down. Siblings turned rivals, the Salvatores compete for Katherine’s affection, only to discover that her sumptuous silk dresses and  glittering gems hide a terrible secret: Katherine is a vampire. And she is intent on turning them into vampires so they can live together- forever.”

The second book will be called “Bloodlust”. “Stefan and Damon Salvatore are now vampires, and must deal with the consequences of their fate. They escape their small hometown of Mystic Falls, which is overrun with vampire hunters, and travel to New Orleans. While Stefan revels in his powers, Damon continues to mourn the loss of Katherine, the beautiful vampire that turned them both.”

“But New Orleans offers temptations and dangers. Stefan falls in love with another human, and his willpower is tested to the limit. Damon ends up captured by an evil, sadistic vampire hunter. Stefan knows that he must save his brother, but will it cost him his new love?”

The third and probably last book is “The Craving”. “Stefan Salvatore has come to terms with being a vampire. The events of the past few months have sobered him, and the fog of his own blood lust has begun to lift. He travels to NYC  to start a new life, one that does not require him to kill humans to survive. Instead he feeds off of animals in Central Park. But the quiet life he envisioned is jolted when he runs into his brother Damon, who has convinced New York high society that he is Italian royalty.”

“While Stefan is regaining his humanity, Damon has completely lost his. Stefan will do whatever it takes to protect Damon from himself, but there is another villain present. A vampire that seeks revenge for a death the Salvatores are responsible for. Stefan and Damon will have to work together to fight the greatest evil yet.”

By: Maria G.

So, I was laying in bed and a thought crossed my mind as I stared at the glow of the clock on my nightstand.

The boards are going to go bonkers… especially sites dedicated to Bill, Sookie and Eric.

In last night’s episode of True Blood a lot of things happened, but throughout the course of the night I realized one thing… we must toss our copies of Club Dead out the window and accept that we are officially treading through Alan Ball’s True Blood territory.

That moment of fruition happened when Sookie stood before Debbie Pelt and threatened to take her out with a shotgun. I prayed that it was just moment of foreshadowing for season 4 and happily Debbie survived. If you’ve read the book, than you know what I mean.

Let’s get back to the topic at hand. Book fans, I feel for you because I know you are frustrated.

I’m not saying I did not like the episode. I actually enjoyed it and feel that the show gets better and better as the season progresses. Yet, as I scrape my mouth off the floor and hoot and holler at each scene, a part of me knows that you are about to retreat back into the safety and comfort of the books.  Yes, you know who I am talking to. I’m talking to those of you who refuse to separate the written word from what is unfolding before your eyes on a weekly basis.

Did you cringe, when Eric sent Hadley to warn Sookie about Bill and Russell, only to realize that Sookie refuses to believe anything that Eric says or that Calvin Norris is a hick, with no regard for anyone outside of Hotshot?

Let me explain my “Aha” moment and it happened as I sat as a panelist that was dedicated to one of the male characters of the show. The panelists were livid with Alan Ball’s version of the books and how it slanted everyone’s perception of a certain character. Then it dawned on me as I sat back and listened to the bickering. Do you know what True Blood is? It’s the ultimate version of fan fiction.

Alan Ball has always stated that he was a fan of the books and then he got the one shot we never get. He gets to show us what he wishes happened in the books. Knowing that has ultimately allowed me to cut the ties the bind the two versions. Yes, on Last Bite, I critique and act on traumatic-post show distress syndrome, but that just makes for better podcasting.

In reality, I re-watch the episodes and try to see where Ball is leading us…

To tell you the truth, my favorite storyline of the season revolves around Tara. Yes, she is tough and has managed to get out of that horrible situation with Franklin, but now she kind of misses him and she hates herself for it. Tara is now suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and chances are Franklin will show up again, but will Tara kiss him or kill him? This is great drama and it keeps me tuning in!

The other questions that popped into my head are:

We see Sookie and Bill back together, but for how long? Remember, she knows that since she has hooked up with Bill her life has been a mess.

“Que lastima” indeed, Russell knows that he was betrayed by those he could trust. Now, it’s all pay back time. How is he going to get back at those that made him lose his one true love, Talbot. How will Russell reconcile the fact  that if it were not for his craving for power and dominance over humans, Talbot would still be around.

Eric got his revenge, but now he has to suffer the consequences of his actions. Between Nan Flanagan and Russell Edington, Eric is definitely in a bind.

Alcide and Sookie realize that if circumstances were different, they could be a couple. Will that ever happen in Alan Ball’s Sookiverse?

Will Jason find out what the deal is with Hotshot, keep Crystal safe and get what he wants in the end?

Will Jessica and Hoyt ever get a shot to be together, especially now that Jessica realizes that being with Hoyt is not the best thing for him and especially now that she has the guidance she needs from Bill?

Arlene’s in a tizzy over her little bundle of worry, will she turn to the new waitress for help?

Sam and Tommy got rid of one obstacle, but will they ever find a moment’s peace and start to create a strong familial bond that they both need.

Everyone keeps hinting that there is more to Lafayette, but there is so much on his plate; he’s working two legal jobs and two not so legal jobs, keeping an eye on Ruby-Jean, Tara, Sookie and keeping close tabs on his love, Jesus… When will this secret come to the light.

So much is going on and I’m joying it.

I have to admit that what happened last night makes me wonder if we’ll get to see Book 4 in season 4, but then I stop and realize that I’ve enjoyed the ride so far… why worry now?

But, I have one question for you…

By: Maria G.

I will be the first to admit that being a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books has been both a joyous and arduous journey. In the beginning, we meet this sweet, naive young woman who, because she fell in love with a guy, gets thrust into a world that no average woman would willingly get involved with. Yet, because of her charm and that underdog feel to her, we have dutifully followed her on this journey and as a result we’ve laughed, cried and suffered with her through the years.

As you are well aware of, Sookie has had it kind of rough in the last few books. She’s been at death’s door and has lost many of those she considered dear, but for a change from the norm, in Death’s Excellent Vacation we finally see Sookie go on a vacation. Unfortunately, it’s not with Eric. It’s actually with her bud, Pam.

As it is with many of the Sookie Stackhouse stories, something that should have been so simple ends up being just another hair-raising experience. Why? Well… there is an extra little task that has to be handled on behalf of Victor Madden. It was supposed to be a simple “check out a Vampire’s human lover to see if the Vampire is on the up-and-up.”  Yet, as you know, when it comes to Vampires nothing is ever simple. So, things go awry for Sookie and Pam and that’s when the stripper pole comes in.

For you Eric shippers, you will get to see some fun and sweet moments between he and Sookie. For you Pam fans, you’ll get to see a different side to our favorite right-hand man and for you Sookie fans; we see the fun, sassy and tough Sookie that we fell in love with eons ago. Also, we finally see the moment where everyone gets a clue and realize that Victor Madden is someone that will have to be dealt with.

In a lot of ways, this tale is basically a buddy cop tale. Two people, who you would never think would get along, end up being a great team and luckily we’re along for the adventure.  

For those of you who have not picked this anthology up, I want you to know that in my opinion, this is one of the best Sookie tales (books and short stories) that we have seen in a while.  It is well worth the $17.00; but if cost is prohibitive, than go to your local library and check it out.

Latest KMM Tease: Barrons a beast? But, did her kill Mac’s Sister?

I curl in a tight ball on the cold pavement and cry.

___________________________________

I’m getting that odd “spidey-sense” feeling again. What do you guys think?

~M.

Release Date: August 3, 2010

The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story.

New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns.

With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque. Learn why it really can be an endless summer-for immortals.

Just so you know;  Charlaine’s short story is titled, Two Blonds. The story revolves around our favorite heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, Pam and a stripper poll.

By the way, Last Bite Podcast will discuss this book on their podcast on August 8th.

Are you intrigued with the stripper poll story or any other short stories in the anthology?

~M.