Definitely Dead

Definitely Dead
Author: Charlaine Harris
Ace, 2007
324 pages

Definitely Dead is the sixth book in the Southern Vampire series featuring telepath and self-proclaimed barmaid Sookie Stackhouse. This is the book series that became the hugely popular cable TV phenomenon, and True Blood the TV show is quite different from the books. I get confused sometimes. But things are starting to make more sense now. I think.

Let's see. In the past five books, we've learned that Sookie is irresistible to vampires, especially Bill the Confederate Army soldier and Eric the Viking. Her brother Jason and boss Sam are both shapeshifters. Sookie is now acquainted with witches and fairies. It kind of makes you wonder what's next. Book 6 provides a major revelation about Sookie . . . turns out, there's a genetic reason for her uniqueness. (Which I won't reveal yet. Sorry! Will have to see where Book 7 takes it.)

Of course, there's more of a plot than that in Book 6. Lots of things are going on in tiny Bon Temps, Louisiana: Sookie gets an unofficial request to help with a police investigation of a missing boy; the parents of a missing werewolf stalk Sookie for answers; and Sookie has a new boyfriend (a were-tiger named Quinn who kind of reminds me of Mr. Clean). Oh, but we're just getting started, for now the creepy Mr. Cataliades is in town to fetch Sookie to come to New Orleans. You see, Sookie's cousin Hadley - a vamp tramp-turned-vampire and one of the Queen of Louisiana's favorites - is dead again. For real this time. And by command of Her Majesty, the newlywed (to the King of Arkansas) Sophie-Anne, Sookie needs to close out Hadley's estate. When Sookie arrives at Hadley's place, she finds a "newborn" vampire waking up, and all heck breaks loose. She also learns the real reason for her summons by the Queen. Never fear. Sookie will save the day.

Definitely Dead introduces us to some new characters, including the Queen (we may have met her already, but we get to know her so much better in this book) and Hadley's landlord, a "good" witch named Amelia. We get to know Quinn a little better, and it's very clear that Bill and Eric are not the only ones in love with Sookie. There's now a third serious competitor. Who will win Sookie's love? I guess I'll have to keep reading. And watching.

I can't help myself.

Previous books in the series that I've reviewed:
Book 1 - Dead Until Dark
Book 2 - Living Dead In Dallas
Book 3 - Club Dead
Book 4 - Dead To The World
Book 5 - Dead As A Doornail

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
Author: Stieg Larsson
Translated from Swedish by: Reg Keeland
Knopf, 2010
576 pages

My Swedish friend Katarina introduced me to Stieg Larsson's work in 2008 when she gave me The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first book in the Millennium series. I didn't read it until May 2009, but when I finally did, it blew me away. I pronounced it "the greatest mystery novel ever written" in my blog. Book two, The Girl Who Played With Fire, was even more riveting. I wanted to read the third and final book -- The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest -- right away, and yet I didn't because I didn't want it to end. My curiosity finally got the best of me, though. So here we are.

The second book ended with a cliffhanger: heroine Salander had been shot, buried alive, and was being rescued; meanwhile, the "Bad Guy" was (we hoped) bleeding to death. Book three opens from the perspective of the surgeon who's working on both characters and then shifts to a totally new intriguing story that features secret government organizations and cover-ups. Much of the book is focused on the police investigation and legal proceedings, so there's not nearly as much action in The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest as in the previous books. It's more of a thriller than a mystery, but still moves at the quick pace we've come to know and love. We get to know some of the minor characters more (in particular, Giannini, Michael Blomkvist's attorney sister -- she rocks) and meet some new ones. I'm sticking to my usual "don't give too much away" policy here, but you can always find more plot details online if you want.

My biggest concern about The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest before reading it (other than coming to the end of the series) was that it wouldn't end to my satisfaction. I had read somewhere online that Larsson had actually planned a series of seven (or more?) books featuring journalist Blomkvist and genius Salander. However, when I finally got to the end, I felt as if most of my questions were answered.

Still, I'm a little depressed that there won't be more books. I maintain my opinion in previous entries that Salander is one of the most unique literary characters I've ever "met" and I will miss her dearly. The bottom line: I LOVE THIS TRILOGY. Stieg Larsson, why did you have to leave us so soon?

P.S. If you also liked the Millennium series, you might want to check out the three Swedish movies based on the books. They're in Swedish (of course!) but are subtitled in English. Noomi Rapace, the actress who plays Salander -- well, she totally is Salander -- great casting there. The movies follow the books about as well as any movie ever does. There's supposed to be a Hollywood version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo coming out sometime next year and I will definitely want to see it . . . Daniel Craig should make an interesting Blomkvist. Not sure about some of the other casting, though. We'll see!

Sprinkle With Murder

Sprinkle With Murder
Author: Jenn McKinley
Berkley, 2010
215 pages

I needed a quick read after my last book, so I grabbed this one off my shelf. I was missing my Foodie friends back in Indianapolis, especially my friend Lisa B. (Hey, Lisa!), who has a talent for and an interest in all things Cupcake.

Fairy Tale Cupcakes is a cupcakery (is that a word? If not, it should be) in a tourist area of Scottsdale, Arizona run by Melanie ("Mel") and Angie, who've been friends since grade school.  Mel was bound for a career in marketing, and Angie in education, but they decided to go for their dream of making people happy with cupcakes instead. They've got some simply amazing creations, and if you read the book, you'll actually find some recipes - what a nice bonus! (Unfortunately, I'm on a diet right now. Not quite sure how I managed to read Sprinkle With Murder under those circumstances, but I did.)

Unfortunately, they've also got a jealous rival (Olivia, who owns the other cupcakery in town) who's doing crazy things like driving past their store several times a day giving them dirty looks. But there's a bigger problem: best friend and investor Tate (who grew up to be a rich corporate executive) is about to marry Christie Stevens, a bee-yotch-y fashion designer who can't seem to get along with anyone. When Christie hires the ladies at Fairy Tale to make 500 cupcakes for the wedding, she can't just let them bake. She insists that they come up with five original recipes, which Christie (not Mel and Angie) will own.

Main character Mel isn't happy with this idea, but she accepts the challenge, and sets about creating some really yummy-sounding flavors - including a dark chocolate cake, cherry filling, dark chocolate ganache icing with dried cherries that sounds divine if you ask me. Mel sends the samples to Christie via Christie's assistants. When she goes to Christie's office the next morning to get her feedback on the samples, Mel finds Christie dead. Um, and there's a piece of a cupcake in one of her hands.

Of course, everyone thinks Mel did it. When business tapers off as a result of nasty rumors, Mel decided she has to find the real killer. She and Angie come up with some very clever investigative techniques and encounter some colorful individuals along the way. Whodunnit? The crazy cupcake rival? The dour, spooky assistant who looks a lot like a grown-up Wednesday from The Addams Family? The cross-dressing photographer who Christie constantly yelled at? Or perhaps Tate, the fiance and best friend of Mel and Angie? (And just why was he marrying Christie, anyway?!!!)

Unlike most cozy mysteries, I didn't guess the killer until that character was revealed. The murder technique was original, and all things considered, I really enjoyed the book. The only downside to me was what I considered an overuse of references to Mel's former weight issues and references to emotional eating. I really don't think it's necessary to get into that. After all, cozy mysteries are supposed to be fun. And darn it, if I can't eat the cupcakes, at least I can read about someone else eating them -- without guilt! :-)

Cutting For Stone

Cutting For Stone
Author: Abraham Verghese
Vintage, 2009
560 pages

Have you missed me? I can't believe it's been over two months since my last book review. There are lots of reasons for that, but the bottom line is, due to personal issues I just haven't had much time to read lately. I want to be very clear that my slowness has nothing to do with the book itself, because Cutting For Stone is, quite simply, one of the best books I've ever read.

In "real" life, author Abraham Verghese is a surgeon. Born in Ethiopia to parents who were from India, he came to the USA during a period of civil unrest in his birth country. These facts of his life play very heavily in Cutting For Stone. Main character Marion Stone is a surgeon who was born in Ethiopia whose mother, adoptive mother, and adoptive father are from India. The book is the story of Marion's life; of before his life, really, since it also tells the story of how is mother got to Ethiopia and how she met his father. I won't give away too many details, but Marion also has a twin brother named Shiva, who is his mirror image not just in physical appearances but sometimes in personality as well.

The twins are raised in a Hospital near Addis Ababa. Their adoptive mother, Hema, is the hospital's gynecologist; adoptive father Ghosh is a surgeon. So the boys grow up learning about medicine. Their extended "family" includes a woman with Eritrean connections and her daughter, Genet. Genet is about the same age as Marion and Shiva, and although they are raised so close together as to be brother and sister, Marion falls in love with Genet when they are still young. The three of them go through all sorts of adventures together, and share many secrets, including some that they will never be able to tell anyone.

Unfortunately, something happens between Marion, Shiva, and Genet that will change all their lives forever. This sets a chain of events in motion that is both fascinating and agonizing to read. Verghese weaves in bits of Ethiopian history throughout the book, and his explanations really helped me to understand the complicated situations that contributed to so many people leaving that country for the USA, Canada, and elsewhere.

At times, things seem a little overly detailed. The descriptions of medical procedures are both interesting and tedious. I mean, really, did I need to know that much about fistulas or vasectomies or liver transplants? No. But that's one of the things about the book that makes it so real.

There are so many rich characters. Ghosh is my favorite. His humor, his passion for medicine, and the thoughts in his mind as he relentlessly pursued Hema to be his wife made this so. He wasn't perfect (and one of his mistakes - if it is a mistake - isn't revealed until very late in the book), but I admired him. There were characters that I disliked a great deal. And then there was Marion. Unforgettable Marion!

I can't say enough about this book. Yes, it took me a while to get through it, but if I'd had nothing else to do with my time, I would have finished it a lot sooner.

If you like good literary fiction that broadens your horizons, teaches you something, and provides an insight into other cultures, you'll like Cutting For Stone. If you only read one serious work of fiction all year, this should be it. Buy it now.

P.S. My next book is going to be a quick read. :-)

Still Missing

Still Missing
Author: Chevy Stevens
St. Martin's Press, 2010
352 pages

I can't remember how or where I heard about this book (just published in June), but I'm glad I did. In her debut novel, Canadian author Chevy Stevens produces a nail-biting thriller. Main character Annie is a 32-year old real estate agent whose life is pretty normal: career, dog, boyfriend, overbearing mother, etc. But all is about to change when a would-be homebuyer abducts her during an open house. Her creepy captor takes her to his hidden hideaway in the mountains, where he has created a cabin prison from which there is no escape. There Annie experiences unimaginable tortures (warning: very graphic at times - this is not a "cozy" by any means) and learns some horrifying truths about her captor's past.

We know that Annie survives, because she's telling the story. But how? Each chapter is titled with "Session" (instead of Chapter) and a number. The book is written in first person with a blend of tenses (past and present) as if Annie is recounting her experiences with a psychiatrist. It's clever, and for the most part, it works. We learn not only about Annie's time in captivity, but of events in her childhood and in her family's history.  The sum of all the parts equals a compelling story that is much more complex than I expected.

Clearly, Annie will never be the same. This is one part of Missing Persons stories that you don't often hear about -- the return home and its affect not just on the victim but on friends and family. The police  investigation that follows seems to be a little unrealistic at times -- particularly Annie's relationship with the lead investigator. I'm just not sure that a seasoned professional like Gary would have behaved that way in real life. But :::sigh::: it's fiction, and I know certain things are expected.

Despite a few slow points in the second half of the book, overall this is a very good read, and an impressive debut for a new author. The Vancouver Island setting was a nice change, and when the motive for the abduction is finally revealed, you'll probably be just as surprised as I was. I just didn't see it coming.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010
192 pages

Like most other females, I'm a fan of the Twilight series, so when I heard that Stephenie Meyer had published a novella about a character only briefly mentioned (I don't even remember, to be honest) in . . . Eclipse, I think? . . . I thought: "Hmm. That sounds sort of interesting." Here's the deal. Remember Victoria, the vampire whose boyfriend was killed in the opening book? You may recall that she raised an army of "newborns" (newly-created vampires) to go to war against the Cullens as a sort of revenge. Well, Bree Tanner is one of those newborns.

When the story opens, Bree's still getting used to vampire life. She's living in a coven of newborns led by charismatic Riley and a mysterious female leader (whom the reader assumes is Victoria, but this is not known to Bree). There's a lot of political maneuvering in the coven, but Bree doesn't really want to be a part of it. She finds herself drawn to Diego, a trusted follower of Riley who shares some vampire secrets with her. For example, the newborns all believe that vampires can't go out during the day, but Diego proves that's not exactly true.

When it becomes apparent to Diego and Bree that something's up that they don't want to be a part of, they hatch a plan to break apart from the group. But first, Diego has to do one final favor for Riley, so they plan to meet later. This is where my description of the plot stops, because I don't want to give too much away. Suffice it to say that I knew how the story would end, but I allowed myself to get so caught up in it, that I really didn't believe it was going to end the way it did. Until the very last sentence.

I liked the concept behind The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and I can see where this might lead to other spin-offs from the series. I was impressed that the author was able to create such a fresh new voice. I would have loved to know more about Bree's past and how she became a vampire, but who knows, maybe there's another story (short or long) just waiting to be written.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coelho
Unabridged Audio Version [Time: 4:16:33]
HarperAudio, 2001 (originally published in 1986)

Three nonfiction books in a row . . . you might think I've turned over a new leaf. Actually, I've just been on the road a lot lately, and nothing passes the time like a good audiobook when you're driving. This is my second book by Brazilian author Coelho (I reviewed The Witch of Portobello in August 2008), whose works have been translated into numerous languages and sold more copies than you can imagine. But The Alchemist is probably the most well-known, and I totally get why.

The story begins with the introduction of a Spanish shepherd known throughout the book as The Boy. The Boy has a recurring dream about finding treasure near the pyramids in Egypt. Encouraged to follow his dreams by a gypsy woman and a mysterious man who claims to be the King of Salem, The Boy sets out on his journey. First, he goes to Morocco, where he encounters a thief, a crystal merchant, and an Englishman. As he ventures further, he meets other interesting characters, including a woman of the desert who might just be the love of his life . . . and an alchemist.

The simple yet deep allegorical tale of The Boy's quest for his "personal legend" reminds us of some simple truths, the main one (for me) being that we must always follow our dreams. If we don't, we'll always regret it.

I highly recommend the audiobook. A plus for me is that it was read by English actor Jeremy Irons. I could probably listen to him all day.