Sunday, November 1, 2009

A TOUCH OF DEAD: SOOKIE STACKHOUSE REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE
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GIVEAWAY ENDED
SOOKIE STACKHOUSE:

THE COMPLETE STORIES
A TOUCH OF DEAD
by CHARLAINE HARRIS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-in one special volume-from the New York Times bestselling author. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her "spunky" (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-together in one volume. Stories include "Fairy Dust," "One Word Answer," "Dracula Night," "Lucky," and "Giftwrap."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.

Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, REAL MURDERS, garnered an Agatha nomination.

Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.

When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, DEAD UNTIL DARK broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The southern vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.

In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses . . . and that’s how she makes her living.

In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her “spare” time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies.


MY REVIEW:

I will have to admit, I am a little behind the times as I haven't read the SOOKIE STACKHOUSE series but have heard so much about them, I just needed to find the time, and the books! Lucky for me I was able to get a copy of A TOUCH OF DEAD by Charlaine Harris, Sookie's author, and it is 5 short stories about Sookie and the characters in her books. From what I gather, you don't have to have read any of the books to enjoy this, as I liked it as a fun Halloween time read and got to know the Stackhouse gang. People who are die hard fans of the series say this was an easy and fun read that holds them over as they wait for the next Sookie book to come out in a few months. I quickly learned that Sookie is a small-town waitress who becomes a paranormal detective and not really by her own choice. Sookie has been such a hit with her books that HBO's southern vampire inspired series TRUE BLOOD owes a lot of its success to Sookie. (and I don't get HBO, so I am out on that one as well....sigh!)

Some highlights from the stories that I read were in "Dracula Night" when the vampires celebrate the Count's birthday at a huge party set up by Eric, and Sookie arrives never expecting THAT kind of party. In "Luck", Sookie and her roommate Amelia, who is a witch, are hired by an insurance agent named Greg to find out who is breaking into his files. It is evidently causing havoc for the residents of Bon Temps. One other I want to mention, since this is a BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE, is the story called "Gift Wrap". Poor Sookie is lonely at Christmas as she has no family to be able to share the holiday with. You will also meet characters like Claudine and even Sookie's cousin, well sort of, as he has died and Sookie goes to his funeral where she meets the vampire Queen of New Orleans!

These stories I learned have been printed before but never in one book. So it makes sense that by putting them together, it is a good introduction for those who don't know Sookie, or for those who just want to sit back and read a little bit about her and her "friends" in one sitting. I know it didn't take long to realize a bit of a Sookie format for she always seems to be trying to do her own thing when she suddenly finds herself in the middle of some kind of paranormal problem! This would make a perfect holiday gift for fans of the vampire genre that is now so popular as well, of course, for all Sookie Fans!

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Kaitlyn at Penguin
Publishing, I have one copy
of this fun book to give away.


--U.S. Residents only this time
--No P. O. Boxes, please
--Email address must be in your
comment or I can't find you!
--Each comment must be entered
separately to count as more than
one entry!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: Comment by going to Penguin Publisher's Ace Site and look at the Sookie Stackhouse books. Tell which Harris books you have read, OR would want to read if you if you could pick only one. Keep your eyes peeled during BINGLE BELLS BOOK TIME for a possible SOOKIE BINGLE BELLS BOOK BUNDLE (working to get one)

+1 MORE ENTRY: Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and come back here with the link so I can follow it.

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 15
GOOD LUCK!

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

+1 I've read all the Sookie books (1-9). I would love to read A Touch of Dead!
+1 tweeted

thebookvixen[at]gmail.com

Katie said...

+1 I haven't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books but I really want to read them all. I guess if I could only pick one it would be the first. =]

katieb206@gmail.com

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I've read 1-3, and can't wait to read the rest. But if I had to read only one, the first, Dead Until Dark, would be my choice.

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

holdenj said...

You're not the only one who is way behind on the Sookie bandwagon! They look great and if I could read one, it would be the first, Dead Until Dark! Thanks.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I didn't follow directions *facepalm*

Here is my 2nd entry:

+1 I tweeted

thebookvixen[at]gmail.com

Linda Kish said...

I'm sorry to say I have not read any of them . I guess I would start with Living Dead in Dallas.


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

rubynreba said...

I would pick Dead Until Dark since I haven't read any yet.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Unknown said...

I have read all of the Sookie books and I love them! I would also like to read the other series.

amandarwest@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I tweeted this giveaway. http://twitter.com/amandawk/status/5347331951
amandarwest@gmail.com

Brooke Reviews said...

+1 I've read all the Sookie Books :) Except this one!

bacarleton(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I haven't read any of the Sookie books either. What have I been thinking?! Anyway, Club Dead sounds like a fun one.

I blogged about this in my right sidebar at:

http://janelsjumble.blogspot.com

Mandyfish said...

+1 I have only read book one, but would love to read them all!

Mandy

mandy@gmail.com

Mandyfish said...

+1 I tweeted: http://twitter.com/mandyfish/status/5350031150


Mandy

mandyfish@gmail.com

Libby's Library said...

I'd like to read Definitely Dead.
Thanks for the giveaway.

libneas[at]aol[dot]com

Martha Lawson said...

Dead Until Dark since I haven't read any of the books yet! I don't what I'm waiting on...

I'm a follower.

mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

Wrighty said...

I didn't know this was short stories. What a great idea! I've read the first two books and liked them so I'd want to read Club Dead next. Thanks for your giveaway!

5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

donnas said...

I have read all the Sookie books except A Touch of Dead. So if I had to pick one to read that would be it.

Linked on sidebar here: http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Stephanie said...

I've read all the Sookie books. My favorite was Living Dead in Dallas. skyjordan23h@yahoo.com

Commchick said...

I haven't read any of this series, but will start looking for them because they sound interesting. I would love to read "From Dead to Worse" because I like to cover art (weird I know) but a books cover can catch my eye very quickly.

Sharon
belchers@jccal.org

g.g. said...

I haven't ready any so guess the first one..is it Definitely Dead? I think?

anjamie4 AT gmail (dot) com

Ladytink_534 said...

I've read all of Ms. Harris' Aurora Teagarden books and all the Sookie books twice.

Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

lag123 said...

All Together Dead.

lag110@mchsi.com

throuthehaze said...

I have not read this series so I would want to read Dead Until Dark.

Raelena
throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I haven't read any of the Sookie books but I'd like to start with this one.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I'd love to read this one - I just love the name Sookie Stackhouse : D

BevE
merryweatherbookblog (at)gmail (dot)com

dag888888 said...

I would like to read A Touch of Dead, the latest!

dag888888[at]yahoo[dot]com

Mariee said...

I haven't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books yet, so I'd choose the first book: Dead Until Dark.

marieimy(at)gmail(dot)com

Mitz said...

Omg, I can't believe your giving this away, I love Sookie and Charlaine. So far I have read Dead until dark & Living Dead in Dallas.
I also have a 3 & 4, but I'd have to say I'd love to have #8. I also watch True Blood on HBO and can't wait til Janruary when new season starts.

I would really love this book, I haven't read it, but would love to.
I'd also love to read her Grave series it sounds pretty good to.

Thanks so much for having a Charlaine contest so sweet of you to offer such a great book by such an excellent author. I will have my fingers crossed for sure on this one.

misty_labean@yahoo.com

Beth (BBRB) said...

I think I'd go with Dead Until Dark since it's the first.

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

Reading said...

I have read all nine books in the Sookie series. I have read all 5 books in the Shakespeare series. I have read the first 3 in the Grave series. I just love Charlaine Harris books.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

cfisher1504 said...

+1
I have been hooked on this series from since Dead Until Dark !!! I would love A Touch of Dead to add to my collection.
cfisher1504 at gmail dot com

drey said...

I've read them all. Every single one, except for A Touch of Dead, which is why I'm here. =)

dreyshouse at gmail dot com

catss99 said...

I have read all of them but this one and the new book in the series that just came out!
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/catss99/status/5643336216

amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

LoveMyCoffee said...

I would choose Dead Until Dark as my first read. I'm behind the times too, I haven't read this series yet.

Dutchlvr1(at)aol(dot)com

CherylS22 said...

If I could choose only one I would choose "Dead Until Dark" which started off the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Thanks ~ megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

Gaby317 said...

+1 I haven't read any of the Sookie books but have requested all of them at my local library! If I could pick one, I'd choose Dead Until Dark!

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

thanks!

Margie said...

I haven't read any in this series, so I would probably start out with the first one Dead Until Dark. I have read some of Harris' Shakespeare series though, and really enjoyed them.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

PW said...

I am totally obsessed with True Blood and am 'dying' to read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books!!! I have the 8 copy boxed set on my Santa wish list, but this would be so awesome to win 'A Touch of Dead!!!!!' Love your blog - it is so much fun to read.

Kim Pickett said...

+1 I've read all the Sookie Stackhouse books except for the latest one and this one too. I'd also like to try her Aurora Teagarden ones.



Kim
bookbutterfly9@gmail.com

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