All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

SYNOPSIS
Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse must now not only deal with a possible new man in her life-the oh-so-handsome shape shifter Quinn- but also contend with a long-planned vampire summit. With her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans, the local vampire queen is vulnerable to those hungry for a takeover. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

THEMES
Murder
Vampires
Relationships
Prejudice
Hate Crime


CONTENT
Knowing that this book is about vampires, don't be surprised by some blood and gore and sexuality. There is some language as well.

REVIEW
This is book #7 in the Southern Vampire Series. I have read the previous books and I won't give anything away. However, I will say that so far, I think this is the best one. It was quick and intense. The only negative, the ending was a little weak for me. If you watch the HBO series True Blood, you will have an idea what this series is about. However, compared to the show, the book has much less gore, language or sexuality. I actually like the books better for it. I really like the character Quinn and I think that Ms. Harris could write an entire series just about him and his culture. A word of advice though, read these in order. It is important to the chronology of the story. I am so excited to read the next one I put book #8 and #9 on hold at the library before I wrote this review. I've really enjoyed this series.

(picture and synopsis from http://serach.barnesandnoble.come/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781429533706)

Books and Movies

There are so many movies that have derived from books. The question always seems to be should I watch the movie first or read the book first? In my opinion, you should ALWAYS see the movie first. That way when you read the book it is like you are getting the extended version of what you originally got.

Tell me about a book you read that was made into a movie. Did you like the book or movie better?

Here are some movies that were surprisingly a book first:

All the pretty horses
American psycho
Amityville horror
Apollo 13
Around the world in 80 days
The basketball diaries
Be cool
A beautiful mind
Blade runner (Book Title: Do Android Dream of electric sheep?)
The boogyman
Brokeback mountain
Casino royale
Chocolat
A Christmas story (book title: In God we trust, all others pay cash)
Clueless (Book Title: Emma)
The count of monte cristo
The curious case of Benjamin Button
Die hard
Ella enchanted
The English patient
Father of the bride
Haunted
Mean Girls (Book Title: Queen Bees & wanna bes)
Romancing the stone

(info taken from www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/movie.cfm?browse=Z)

The Painted Veil

SYNOPSIS
Kitty Fane is lovely but shallow, and when her bacteriologist husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic hoping that she will die. Bitterly unhappy, Kitty is compelled both by the desolation around her and by her awakening conscience to re-assess her life, past and present. Slowly and painfully she learns how to love; tragically, she learns too late.

THEMES
Adultery
Relationships
Epidemic/Death

CONTENT
Though the content speaks about an adulterous affair, it doesn't include any graphic information

REVIEW
What a sad story. It was hard for me to even get through this book and it was brief. This is one of those where I saw the movie first (a couple of years ago when it came out) and now read the book. It was interesting, but very sad.

(Picture and synopsis taken from www.amazon.com/painted-veil-w-somerset-maugham/dp/0307277771#reader_0307277771)

A Bride in the Bargain

SYNOPSIS
In 1860's Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride, one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook, not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

THEMES
Husband/wife relationships
Christianity

CONTENT
While the book does talk of romance and marriage, there is no objectionable material.

REVIEW
After the book I read before this one, this was light hearted, fun read. I have previously read books by Deeanne Gist. They all fall into the same genre. However, they are a quick and fun read. This book deals with choosing between love, religion and earthly things. A decision must be made as to what is really the most important. Though the book feels geared a little more to young adults, it is was still enjoyable.

(Picture and synopsis taken from http://www.deeannegist.com/)

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

SYNOPSIS
Do we love across time? Or in spite of it? A developer has slated an ancient Abernaki Indian burial ground for a strip mall and now strange happenings have tiny Comtosook, Vermont, talking of supernatural forces at work. Ross Wakeman is a ghost hunter who's never seen a ghost, all he's searching for is something to end the pain of losing his fiance Aimee in a car accident. He tried suicide-any number of times. Now Ross lives only for a way to connect with Aimee from beyond. Searching this site for signs of the paranormal, Ross meets the mysterious Lia, who sparks him to life for the first time in years. But the discoveries that await Ross are beyond anything he could dream of in his world-or the next. Expertly entwining a powerful drama of the heart's redemption and the disturbing real-life history of the VT eugenics project of the 1930's, Second Glance asks if truth is always something that can be measured... and if what can be measured is indeed always true.

THEMES
Relationships
Racism
Suicide
Life After Death
Genocide

CONTENT
Second Glance does contain adult themes, adult language and brief sexuality.

REVIEW
I started this book thinking it would be about ghost hunting and life after death. While those are components of the book, they are only a sub-plot. Second Glance delves into some heavy themes of suicide, loss of the a loved one, living with a life threatening disease, genocide, and racism. Therefore, be prepared for an emotional and thought provoking read. However, Jodi does a wonderful job at making the characters come to life and presenting these hard topics in a very intriguing and interesting presentation. The book draws you into the story and keeps you there to the very end.

(Picture and synopsis taken from www.jodipicoult.com/second-glance.html)

To Those Who Write

My whole life I have had a dream of writing the great American novel. I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I had notebooks filled with stories. I would sit at my moms prehistoric Mac for hours and type away. I have dreams about plot lines and when I am bored in a class I find myself writing snip-its of stories. But, somehow, I have never been able to start, write and finish a book. It is still a dream of mine, but for now, being a mom, nursing student, and work, it just isn't a priority.

That is why I have such admiration for those who have done it. I can't believe the way Diana Gabaldon can describe an era or how Hemingway can break my heart. I love them. I love books. And maybe, if I keep reading and thinking and dreaming, someday I can write one for myself.