I know I said ages ago that I was going to post something about this debate, and I just never really got around to doing it or to reviewing any of the books. The Southern Vampire Mysteries series got too long at some point, and I was reading the books so quickly that it seemed pointless to review each of them individually, though I think that now I know why I want to do that.
Anyway, this is the perfect place to have a good debate. You can hop onto the page and cast your vote for Twilight or Southern Vampire mysteries right there on the page, and engage other readers. It should be a lot of fun, and I do hope that you'll join in the fray!
Twilight vs. True Blood
In the meantime, I'm re-reading Twilight at the moment. It's interesting to read the series for the second time, since it seems so different, and a bit slower moving. I'm thinking I might need to go back to reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles as well. We have several first editions from the series. I'd love to have Mrs. Rice autograph them for me!
School term started today, so I probably won't be here as much as I'd like to be. I need to start doing some memes again. Any suggestions?
Showing posts with label Charlaine Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlaine Harris. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Here I Am!
Well. I haven't written here in quite a while and I suppose that it is unfair to my readers to have simply jumped off the face of the planet and not returned to at least explain where I've been.
For starters, I've been gone because I was reading the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. I enjoyed the series (I'm current through book 9) but I thought that the writing was incredibly sub-par. Though I could detect the myriad ways in which Stephenie Meyer had taken ideas (and even names!) from Harris, I felt that Meyer simply did it better. There are countless inconsistencies in the books, and I am infuriated that I couldn't go from one book into the next without reading an "anthology" between the books. I always felt as though I was behind, and I couldn't give my favorite of the books (Dead and Gone) more than a three star rating. I have never run into such a poorly put together series that was this popular.
At some point, probably after the final book has been written and then read by me, I will review the entire series as a whole. I simply found it tedious to try to do the books one book at a time, considering that sitting down to review them emphasized how poorly written they really were. Once I'm done with this series, I will definitely not be reading anything more by Charlaine Harris.
In addition, I recently began college. I am currently majoring only in English though I plan to add history. I am working on my own novel (much more slowly than I had planned) and trying to take care of a household. I've been busy, but that isn't enough for me to abandon all of you, and I'm sorry.
I will be back immediately doing memes and book reviews of novels that I am reading. I will update the "currently reading" as soon as I pick up a book for pleasure.
Thanks to all of you who have continued to follow in spite of my absence. I appreciate you!
For starters, I've been gone because I was reading the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. I enjoyed the series (I'm current through book 9) but I thought that the writing was incredibly sub-par. Though I could detect the myriad ways in which Stephenie Meyer had taken ideas (and even names!) from Harris, I felt that Meyer simply did it better. There are countless inconsistencies in the books, and I am infuriated that I couldn't go from one book into the next without reading an "anthology" between the books. I always felt as though I was behind, and I couldn't give my favorite of the books (Dead and Gone) more than a three star rating. I have never run into such a poorly put together series that was this popular.
At some point, probably after the final book has been written and then read by me, I will review the entire series as a whole. I simply found it tedious to try to do the books one book at a time, considering that sitting down to review them emphasized how poorly written they really were. Once I'm done with this series, I will definitely not be reading anything more by Charlaine Harris.
In addition, I recently began college. I am currently majoring only in English though I plan to add history. I am working on my own novel (much more slowly than I had planned) and trying to take care of a household. I've been busy, but that isn't enough for me to abandon all of you, and I'm sorry.
I will be back immediately doing memes and book reviews of novels that I am reading. I will update the "currently reading" as soon as I pick up a book for pleasure.
Thanks to all of you who have continued to follow in spite of my absence. I appreciate you!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Book Review: Living Dead in Dallas
Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 291
Format: Paperback
Genre:Paranormal Romance/Mystery
Star Rating: 2/5
Buy: AmazonMy Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is called to Dallas with "her" vampire (Bill Compton) to help to solve the mystery of a missing vampire who is part of a nest there. In the meantime, Sookie meets new supernatural beings and tries to solve the mystery of a murdered friend.
My Review: I liked it. But, as you can see, I gave it two stars -- less even than Dead Until Dark. Before I go on, let me assure you that I'm enjoying this series enough to finish it. It's compelling and Charlaine Harris creates good, and mostly very believable, characters. I like her style, and the more I read the Southern Vampire Mysteries, the less I like Twilight.
So why the low rating? After all, when you like a book, don't you rate it high? I guess most people do, but I'm trying to be honest both with myself (for re-reading purposes) and with my audience (so you can decide whether or not to read this book).
I found Living Dead in Dallas to be very confusing at times. There were entire pages that I had to read and re-read in order to understand what Harris was trying to say, and even then I finally accepted what happened next without fully grasping what had led up to it. The description and context was all over the place, and gave the impression of being poorly edited (probably because it's second in a series, and the fault may lie with an editor, not with Harris herself).
Moreover, this book included two mysteries, both of which were unsolvable from the point of view of the reader. While Sookie (and others) may have had enough information to solve the mystery in the context of the plot, there is no way that the reader could have, not having been given sufficient information in a timely manner. Personally I don't like that.
On the plus side, let me repeat that Harris' characterization is excellent, and makes up for the lack of good mystery writing. As I said, I will (happily) finish this series, consecutively. Hopefully Club Dead leaves a better impression.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Book Review: Dead Until Dark
Title: Dead Until Dark
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 291
Format: Paperback
Genre:Paranormal Romance/Mystery
Star Rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon
My Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in a small town in Louisiana -- a Town where nothing happens. Vampires have recently been made legal, and the story that is being fed to the people via the media is that vampirism is caused by a virus that makes vampires allergic to sunlight, silver and garlic.
Sookie wants to meet a vampire, but once she does meet one in the form of Bill (a Civil War era vampire), bad things begin to happen to people in her small town. Working class women keep winding up dead, and the prime suspects are people very close to Sookie -- and she fears she may be the next target.
My Review: I really liked this book, just as I knew that I would. A good friend has been hounding me to read it for a while, and I must say that I found the story delightfully fulfilling.
Dead Until Dark took me a little while to get into. I was worried at first that I would find it impossible to get through the novel, but it was right about that time that things picked up quickly.
I loved this book, so why am I only giving it three stars? I can hear readers wondering this question, and I want to be absolutely honest with you: The combination of paranormal + romance + mystery was a little bit too much. There were moments where the book was pure paranormal, or where it was paranormal romance. At other times it was all mystery. I couldn't quite settle into the groove I need to really enjoy a good cozy mystery, and the mystery distracted me from the romantic elements of the story (which were, I must say, very well done).
If you enjoyed Twilight you will almost definitely enjoy Dead Until Dark. If you didn't enjoy Twilight, I still recommend this novel. You'll see why once you've read it!
ETA: Julie, have you read this yet? If not, I think you'd like it!
My Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in a small town in Louisiana -- a Town where nothing happens. Vampires have recently been made legal, and the story that is being fed to the people via the media is that vampirism is caused by a virus that makes vampires allergic to sunlight, silver and garlic.
Sookie wants to meet a vampire, but once she does meet one in the form of Bill (a Civil War era vampire), bad things begin to happen to people in her small town. Working class women keep winding up dead, and the prime suspects are people very close to Sookie -- and she fears she may be the next target.
My Review: I really liked this book, just as I knew that I would. A good friend has been hounding me to read it for a while, and I must say that I found the story delightfully fulfilling.
Dead Until Dark took me a little while to get into. I was worried at first that I would find it impossible to get through the novel, but it was right about that time that things picked up quickly.
I loved this book, so why am I only giving it three stars? I can hear readers wondering this question, and I want to be absolutely honest with you: The combination of paranormal + romance + mystery was a little bit too much. There were moments where the book was pure paranormal, or where it was paranormal romance. At other times it was all mystery. I couldn't quite settle into the groove I need to really enjoy a good cozy mystery, and the mystery distracted me from the romantic elements of the story (which were, I must say, very well done).
If you enjoyed Twilight you will almost definitely enjoy Dead Until Dark. If you didn't enjoy Twilight, I still recommend this novel. You'll see why once you've read it!
ETA: Julie, have you read this yet? If not, I think you'd like it!
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