Back to Some Favorite Series

With the release of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, I've gotten back into the Twilight world. Oh, Bella, Edward and Jacob, how I've missed you! I worked at the coast this week and so I was able to listen to Eclipse on cd on my drive over. So nice to remember all of those little details, although I did find myself rolling my eyes sometimes at Bella, wishing for her to, just get over it! I'm really looking forward to listening to Breaking Dawn.


So, the new book focuses on Bree, a vampire who was made during the turmoil in Seattle as part of an army that was built to go against the Cullen family and destroy Bella. Meyers seamlessly incorporates this story into the already established Eclipse novel. Bree is a good character and Meyer's states in her introduction that she knew it was going to end badly for Bree, but wished it could have ended another way. No such luck when the outcome has already been written! A one day read and nice addition to the Twilight saga.

Another series I've gotten back to is Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. The newest book, Dead in the Family was recently released and I was going to wait until it was in paperback to read it, but Christy bought it for me after I loan her the whole series. Thanks Christy! I began reading it and could not remember any of the previous events the characters were referring to, so I thought I'd better take a look at the prior story, Dead and Gone, but none of the story was familiar! Now, I forget books, but usually can remember parts of the story as I read it if I've read it before. Nope, not a bit with this story, so I think I bought it, but never read it! So for me, I got two new Stackhouse stories!

I really like this series. I think she's on the 11th book in the series and I enjoy Sookie as a person. I am intrigued by how Harris creates the world Sookie lives in and the conflicts and concerns that encompass that world. One conflict Dead in the Family touches on is what occurs when the shape shifters want to make the presence known to the world. Vampires were the first to come out of the closet and because of the world's relatively good response to that announcement, shape shifters decided to let the world know that they exist. Shape shifters, who could be the neighbor down the street, your army buddy or school teacher, are not as well received as the vampires and humans feel betrayed and lied to because they didn't know of their existence.After all the vampires are dead or another species. The conflict plays out in the political arena as congress is attempting to pass laws whereby shape shifters must "register" with the government their abilities. This doesn't sit well with the shape shifter community as they feel they are Americans and some have families who have been in the U.S. since it was established. Interesting to find out if Harris will reach a conclusion for this dilemma in the series.

Two great authors and series. Check them out if you haven't already.