Horror and Fantasy Titles for Halloween

     It’s almost Halloween and I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some Spooky Reads! There are many different types of scary stories. Some are horror, some are fantasy or science fiction; and others are combinations of all of these. These kinds of stories may be terrifying, weird, or even funny. I’ve tried to list a sampling of books that would appeal to different readers, so, please enjoy!

Classic Horror Stories and Writers

• The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft (again, anything from Lovecraft)
• Bartlby the Scrivner by Herman Melville
• The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe (really, just about anything from Poe)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Dracula by Bram Stoker                  

More Contemporary Horror Writers and Novels

•  The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
• Under the Dome by Stephen King
• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
• The Haunted by Bentley Little
• Figures of Fear by Graham Masterton
• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• Perfect Nightmare by John Saul 

Urban Fantasy Series and Authors

• Vampire Huntress Legend by L. A. Banks
• Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor Series by MaryJanice Davidson
• The Otherworld Novels by Yasmine Galenorn
• Anita Blake Series by Laurel Hamilton
• Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
• Dark Hunter Novels by Sherrilyn Kenyon
• The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward
• Novels of Count Saint-Germain by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Zombie Fiction (Just for the Heck of It!)

• Death Warmed Over: Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. by Kevin J. Anderson
• I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Clause by Scott G. Brown
• Severed Souls by Terry Goodkind
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
• Zombie Island: a Shakespeare Undead Novel by Lori Handeland
• Apocalypse Cow by Michael Logan
• Strands of Sorrow by John Ringo

After Dead

This post is for all of my fellow reader friends out there who are also mourning the end of the "Sookie Stackhouse" series.  I just finished reading After Dead the new Charlaine Harris novel.  This book was written by Harris in response to the enormous amount of questions she received from her readers while she was writing the thirteenth and final novel in the series.  Readers wanted to know what happened to many characters who had appeared in other books but just couldn't be in the final book. So, in Charlaine Harris' own words, "in the

interest of satisfying the readers who've been following Sookie's adventures for years, I herewith present my coda to the books that have dominated my professional life for over a decade."  This book is organized alphabetically by the names of the characters and it is truly an interesting read!  I enjoyed finding out what had happened to many of my favorite characters and even though the book is short, it is a must read for every Sookie Stackhouse fan.  Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author for both her Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connelly Prime Crime mystery series, and she has lived in the South her entire life.  Please visit Charlaine Harris on the web at www.charlaineharris.com or at facebook.com/CharlaineHarris.

Sookie's Good-bye

It is with a bit of sadness that I write this blog and talk about the final Sookie Stackhouse novel.  Dead Ever After is the thirteenth novel in the series by Charlaine Harris and it ties up many loose ends.  I have enjoyed watching Sookie develop and grow into the strong woman character that she is now, and I will enjoy going back to the beginning and re-reading the first one, Dead Until Dark, in a few months.  Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at Merlotte's, in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps.  She is a telepath, and has spent her life trying to deal with her special ability, until vampires start "coming out" and co-existing with humans and paving the way for other supernatural beings (such as shapeshifters, werepanthers, werewolves, demons and fairies) to share their existence too.  Sookie dates a vampire and is introduced into this interesting world where her ability is appreciated by most supernatural beings.  The events of Dead Ever After  begin a few weeks after Deadlocked, the previous book, ends.  Sookie and her boss, Sam Merlotte, are trying to cope after Sookie brought Sam back to life, and life is bumpily moving along until Sookie's old waitress friend (who tried to murder her) is suddenly released from jail.  When she turns up dead after asking Sookie for her old job back, Sookie becomes the prime suspect in the murder.  Her group of friends bands together to help clear her name, while encountering twists and turns along the way.  Does Sookie end up with her past vampire flame, Bill Compton, her current vampire lover Sheriff Eric, werewolf Alcide or shapeshifter Sam?  I encourage you to read the book and discover for yourself!  Although the HBO series TrueBlood is based on these books, the books are much different than the television show.  Visit Charlaine Harris at www.charlaineharris.com and on facebook.com/Charlaine Harris to learn more about her writings.  I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Harris at a Mississippi Library Association Conference several years ago and enjoyed spending my evening talking to her and discussing what would happen if HBO decided to bring her characters to life.  I wish her good luck as we say goodbye to Sookie Stackhouse--you will be missed!

In the words of Charlaine Harris from the dedication page of Dead Ever After :

This book is dedicated to the loyalreaders who have followed this series from beginning to end.  Some of you were reading the books before True Blood, and some came after, but you were all amazingly generous with your ideas, speculations, and votes on Sookie's future.  There isn't a way I could make all of you happy with the ending of the series, so I've followed my own plan, the one I've had all along, and I hope you agree that it's fitting.

Jane Vows Vengeance

Do you love Jane Austen?  How about vampires?  If so, try reading the third installment in the "Jane Austen Vampire Series" written by Michael Thomas Ford.  The newest book, Jane Vows Vengeance is a great story whose main action takes place in Europe.  In the series, author Jane Austen is a vampire who owns a book store in sleepy, upstate New York.  Jane is a struggling author (the irony is that her books sell well at her book store) who is engaged to her fiance', Walter---who has no clue she is a vampire.  She and Walter are trying to plan their wedding but things keep happening that interrupt the ceremony.  Walter and Jane finally decided to visit Europe on a tour of architectural wonders, inviting their friends Lucy and Ben and Walter's witchy mom along to particpate in a wedding ceremony in London.  From an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery to a wedding interrupted by the ghosts of the Princes in the Tower to a shocking revelation about Walter's mom, this book is pure mayhem.  Jane is also on a search for Crispin's needle---a legendary device supposed to restore a vampire's human soul.  If she finds Crispin's needle, will she use it to restore her own humanity and live happily ever after with Walter? This series is entertaining and Ford's characterization of Jane Austen is delightfully refreshing.  I look forward to reading more books in this series!  For more information on the books, check out the web at www.janesbitesback.com.

 

Deadlocked

Deadlocked is the new novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series written by Misssissippi native Charlaine Harris. This novel is as full of action and character development as the other novels in the series. In this book, the Vampire Queen shows up to wreak havoc on Sookie and Eric's relationship, and the book opens up with the death of a half-were girl on Eric's front lawn, very soon after Eric has fed on her.  Sookie and Bill Compton, the official Area Five Investigator,commit to solving the mystery, figuring out what the Queen wants and dealing with the outlaw fairies in the area.  Meanwhile, many of Sookie's friends are having problems of their own with marriages, proposals and new babies.  Sam also has a few plans that involve the bar, Merlotte's, where Sookie works, and these plans involve Sookie too!  The story is another great installment in thhis series that promises to get better and better.  I do reccommend reading these books in order as the characters' actions build on the events of the previous books. Connect online with Charlaine Harris at www.charlaineharris.com or at facebook.com/CharlaineHarris

Blood Wyne

I know you have heard me talk about this author before, but I have to tell you...every one of her books that I read just gets better and better! Yasmine Galenorn's newest book, Blood Wyne is the newest installment in the Otherworld series. Blood Wyne is told from the point of view of Menolly, one of the three D'Artigo sisters who ae half-Fae and half-human and are living Earthside instead of in the fairy realm. The three sisters are each a different type of supernatural beings--Camille is a witch, Delilah is a shapeshifter who turns into a cat and a panther and Menolly is a vampire. They live with Iris, a house sprite, are raising a baby gargoyle named Maggie and have a wide assortment of supernatural beings as friends and lovers. The basic premise of the series is that the three sisters are fighting against Shadow King, a very nasty demon, who is trying to find all of the spirit seals and open a permanent portal between Earthside and Otherworld. In this installment of the series, Menolly is helping to track down a vampire serial killer who is targeting young women and threatening to make Earth very intolerant of vampires! The stories are based in Seattle and it is refreshing to read descriptions of places I have visited and visualize where the stories' action is taking place. Galenorn's writing is magical--her characters are fascinating and the world she weaves is very believable. I look forward to reading the next installment in this wonderful series! If you'd like to "try" reading the Otherwold series, start with the first one, Witchling. The stories can be read alone, but since the characters lives build throughout each book, you will be less lost if you start with book one! Plus, the library has purchased these books in paperback so they are very handy and can be slipped into your purse for convenient "reading-on-the-go!" Yasmine Galenorn is the author of several other series, including the Indigo Court Series, several Berkley Prime Crime titles and casmetic-focused series she writes as India Ink. Check out her website at http://www.galenorn.com/ or follow her at www.twitter.com/yasminegalenorn.

Sookie Appears Again!

One of my favorite characters in the book world today has to be Sookie Stackhouse. I have been a fan of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series of books since before the HBO series "True Blood" began production. The latest book in this series is Dead Reckoning, and it stars, once again, all of Sookie's interesting boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, friends, family members and enemies. I adore all of the supernatural creatures that find their way into Sookie's world and how she takes it all in stride. Sookie is a telepath and a waitress at Merlotte's, a bar and restaurant owned by her shape-shifting friend Sam, located in a small town in Renard Parish, LA. In this installment of the series, Sookie has an enemy who keeps trying to kill her, and the Vampire King of Louisiana has a big bone to pick with Sookie's vampire husband, Eric Northman. A lot of action occurs in this book as well as some very interesting twists with Sookie and Eric, Eric's "second-in-command" vampire Pam, and Sookie's fairy cousins. You definitely have to have read the other books in the series before you read this one or you will be hopelessly lost with the novel's plot. A special treat is a surprise appearance by Bubba (Sookie fans will know exactly who he is :)) I truly enjoy reading about the food and atmosphere of Louisiana and the believable characters, supernatural or not that are in this book. Charlaine Harris is truly a talented author. Be sure to also check out Harris' Aurora Teagarten and Connerly siblings series.

Jane Goes Batty

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment in Michael Thomas Ford's series featuring Jane Austen---as a vampire! Jane Goes Batty continues the story of Jane Austen, aka. Jane Fairfax, bookstore owner and author of the recent bestseller, Constance. In this installment, Jane must contend with meeting her boyfriend Walter's strong-willed Jewish mom and deciding whether or not she can marry Walter and confess her vampirism, while dealing with her persistent and pushy editor who wants chapters of her six-months-behind new novel. Add to this mix a pushy film editor and crew who are filming a version of Constance...set in the 1950's! What's an un-dead vampire author to do with all this mess? Jane deals with all of this drama in her classically unflappable way--she is witty, well-mannered and a great heroine. If you love Jane Austen or any of her books you are sure to love this delightful series that celebrates one of the world's most beloved authors. Be sure you start with the first book in the series, Jane Bites Back, or you might be a little confused!

Jane Austen...Vampire?

Is it so hard to believe that one of the world's favorite authors is still alive today...running around...as a vampire? This is the premise of Jane Bites Back, a very entertaining novel by Michael Thomas Ford. Jane Austen is living as Jane Fairfax in the sleepy college town of Brakeston, New York. She is the owner of Flyleaf Books, a moderately successful bookstore (who is surprised by this???) and is a bit weary of having lived for the last 234 years. Jane has been trying to get her "big break" by getting her novel, Constance, published while watching the stunning sales of anything having to do with Jane Austen and not receiving any royalties from the sales. Her manuscript is rejected 116 times before she receives her big break and a publisher decides her novel is one of the best things written in a really long time. Things get a little crazy when she begins to be pursued by a local contractor (should she tell him she's undead???) and a suitor from her past. This entertaining novel contains lots of references to dead (and un-dead) authors and literary figures from the past and it is a treat to read. I am a big Jane Austen fan, so it was enjoyable imagining her trying to live a comtemporary life, and doing things such as talking on a cell phone and being a panelist at a romance writers' conference. Jane is charming because she is constantly in turmoil about who should know she's a vampire, and she really thinks feeding on blood is a "necessary evil." This is a great read for vampire and literary story lovers! If you like this story, try also reading Stephanie Barron's, Jane the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, the first book in the Jane Austen Mysteries series.

Bite Me! A Love Story...

Christopher Moore is the master of black comedy and his books are always a treat to read! Bite Me is his latest novel, and is the last installment in a trilogy (Bloodsucking Fiends is the first book, and You Suck is the second). Bite Me stars San Franciscan goth girl Abby Normal and her brainiac boyfriend, Stephen "Foo Dog" Wong. They are chasing a huge vampire cat and his vampire kitty minions, but life becomes more complicated when three ancient vampires intent on revenge arrive in the city. The "old ones" want payback for a few deeds Abby and Foo Dog committed in the earlier books, and Abby and Foo are forced into many different actions in order to save their friends, themselves, and ensure the safety of San Franciso. I really enjoyed the appearance of characters from the first two books, especially the Animals (the night stock crew at the Safeway supermarket) and the self-proclaimed "Emperor of San Franciso" and his "men" (a Boston Terrier and a Labrador Retriever). the book is peppered with contemporary slang and some rough language, but it accurately reflects the life of a twenty-something-year-old today, albeit with a lot of vampirism thrown in! Christopher invites all his readers to visit his website at http://www.chrismoore.com/ and e-mail him at BSFiends@aol.com.

Sookie Stackhouse Strikes Again!

I just love reading books in the "Southern Vampire Series" starring Sookie Stackhouse! Charlaine Harris has written another winning series entry with her latest title, Dead and Gone. These mysteries are supernatural in nature and are set in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, where Sookie is a telepath who works as a waitress at Merlotte's bar. These mysteries are set in the future, where vampires are "out" because they claim that they have "caught a virus" which makes them susceptible to daylight and forces them to drink blood--however, since a synthetic blood product, TruBlood, exists, the vampires are not as threatening as they could be. Other supernatural beings (such as fairies, werepanthers, shape shifters and demons) exist in this series as well. Since Dead and Gone is the latest book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, I highly recommend you start at the beginning, with Dead until Dark, if you have not read any of these books. Lots of events occur in each story, that build upon the previous stories and I am afraid you'd be hopelessly lost if you started the series' with Harris' latest. Dead and Gone is darker than the other books in the series, but its story arcs push the events of Sookie's life onward. Sookie Stackhouse is a determined young woman trying to live a normal life in a world that is far from ordinary-I admire Sookie's determination to live life to the fullest no matter what obstacles are thrown in her path. Charlaine Harris creates a fabulous picture of life in Louisiana that I know you will appreciate! Harris has also written the Aurora Teagarden and Harper Connelly mystery series. HBO will begin airing the second season of "True Blood," the television show based on the "Southern Vampire Series" on June 14, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. Check out the show's web site at www.hbo.com/trueblood!

for more information.