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.

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

New YA Books Added to the Collection--Part 2

This is the second blog (of two) that examines new books that have been recently added to the library's YA collection. If you missed last week's blog, check the archives for the May 4, 2011 entry.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks opens with Tobias Richard Vandevelde waking up in the hospital with no memory of the night before. His terrified mother tells him that he was found unconscious at Featherdale Wildlife Park in a dingo pen. He figures his two rambunctious best friends are responsible until he discovers that they're just as freaked out as he is. Then the mysterious Reuben turns up, claiming that Toby has a rare and dangerous "condition." Next thing he knows, Toby finds himself involved with a strange bunch of sickly insomniacs who seem convinced that he needs their help. It's not until he's kidnapped and imprisoned that he starts to believe them.

Virals by Kathy Reichs introduces 14 year old Tory Brennan. She is the niece of the world-famous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. She moves to the middle of nowhere Morris Island, South Carolina to live with a marine biologist dad she's never known. Tory does the best she can to adjust to her new life. There she meets a group of local kids who are just as "Sci-Phile" as she is--science geeks who have grown up experiencing the backswoods marshlands of nearby Loggerhead Island. But there's something strange going on at the Loggerhead Research Institute...maybe even something deadly. After rescuing a stray wolfdog pup from a top-secret lab, Tory and her friends are exposed to a rare strain of canine parvovirus, changing them--and their DNA--forever. Now, with newly heightened senses and canine-quick reflexes, they'll have to solve a cold-case murder that's suddenly become very hot.

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Jusine Larbalestier is an anthology of 12 stories. Though each tale has its own flavor, the dialogue between the co-editors draws them together, creating the feel of one long, continuous story. With Black defending the unicorn side of the debate and Larbalestier advocating voraciously for zombies, each team has six powerful stories to sway readers into joining one side or another.

After by Amy Efaw is Devon's story. Before it all, Devon was a good student, a good athlete, an all-around good girl, but then IT happened--the thing that was so horrible, so shameful, so impossible to imagine that Devon simply chose not to admit it to anyone, even herself. But denial can't make a thing go away, and now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, facing a possible life sentence for her actions. Does she deserve that punishment? Did she know what she was doing? Or was her denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly unavoidable changes happening to her?

These are just a few of the wonderful YA books available for check-out---browse the shelves and see what else the library has to offer!

Have Mercy on Me!

Moon Called is the first novel in the series written by Patricia Briggs and starring Mercedes Thompson, a skinwalker or shapeshifter who can shift into a coyote and back again, at will. Mercedes is a very interesting woman--she is an auto mechanic who is friends with vampires, demons, werewolves, fae and many other supernatural creatures. Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson was raised by a tribe of werewolves because her parents weren't sure what to do with her. She learned much about werewolves, but perfers to exist on her own, not following any pack rules or rituals. When a newly formed werewolf stumbles into Mercy's garage, looking for food and a place to sleep, Mercy knows she has to contact the local werewolf pack to assist the lone wolf in adjusting to his new life. When Mercy finds the new wolf dead on her doorstep and Adam, the leader of the werewolf pack seriously injured and his daughter missing, she commits herself to finding the truth. Complicating the issue is the fact that Adam is half in love with Mercy and Mercy has to re-visit the pack who raised her to figure out the truth. This is a great supernatural mystery story with a very strong female heroine. Mercy is definitely a "lone wolf" who has to work hard at letting people in. I especially enjoyed watching how Mercy revels in her "coyote nature" and is as much at one with her animal form as she is with her coyote form. If you like this book, try also reading the Otherworld series written by Yasmine Galenorn. The first book in the series is Witchling and the series stars the D'Artigo sisters--one is a witch, one is a changeling and one is a vampire. If you'd like to learn more information about Patricia Briggs, check out her web site at http://www.patriciabriggs.com/