Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton

1. Guilty Pleasures
2. The Laughing Corpse
3. The Circus of The Damned
4. The Lunatic Cafe
5. Bloody Bones
6. The Killing Dance
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Blue Moon
9. Obsidian Butterfly
10. Narcissus in Chains
11. Cerulean Sins
12. Incubus Dreams
13. Micah
14. Danse Macabre
15. The Harliquin
16. Blood Noir
17. Skin Trade

Back of the Book:

When a vampire serial killer sends Anita Blake a grisly souvenir from Las Vegas, she has to warn Sin City’s local authorities what they’re dealing with. Only it’s worse than she thought. Ten officers and one executioner have been slain—paranormal style. Anita heads to Vegas, where’s she’s joined by three other federal marshals, including the ruthless Edward. It’s a good thing he always has her back, because when she gets close to the bodies, Anita senses “tiger” too strongly to ignore it. The weretigers are very powerful in Las Vegas, which means the odds of her rubbing someone important the wrong way just got a lot higher. (Amazon)

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. Really really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed this book so much that I made myself slow down and not skimming over parts (and no, I don't skim over the sex scenes, those are my favorites :) ). This was the best mix of pre-arduer and post-ardeur yet. While Anita is still trying to find a balance, LKH has definitely found a good balance in her writing process, if that makes any sense. We did pick up a few new boys, but not too many. Got to see a lot of oldy but goodies. I am in complete shock and do not believe the Mother of All Darkness and/or the Day Father are dead-dead. Just ain't happening. It did feel a little like it was wrapped up too quickly but that tends to be LKH's MO for Anita novels. I want to know what the "gift" from Belle Morte was, I don't think it was what Anita thinks it was. Just to insubstantial for her granduer. I will miss Requiem but not that much. Glad he wasn't killed though; I would have been pissed. Wished Anita wasn't too pissy to all her men. Yeah it can be annoying to have people depend on you, but they love you and are trying to do their best for you. Yoou shouldn't throw it back in their face. Yes, very eek about the under age thing. I wished the undersherriff would have gotten some karmic retribution for all the shit he put Anita and his SWAT team through. I was kinda thinking there would be some conclusion to the whole Otto/Olaf thing he has going on with Anita. They beat it all to death, their history, their feelings towards each other. I wouldn't be surprised if the next book is Olaf coming to St Louis. We shall see. Until next year....

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

The Madison Avery Series by Kim Harrison:
1. "Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper" novella in Prom Nights From Hell anthology
2. Once Dead, Twice Shy

Back of the Book:

My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff.

My Thoughts:

Great continuation of from the novella in Proms Night From Hell. I've wanted this since I read that short story. Kim Harrison's writing is very easy to read, and her stories are great and detailed. They just suck you in. Madison is a very interesting protagonist. She's still finding out who she is and who she wants to be, both as a person and as her new place in the Reaper hierarchy. She's got lots of people around her. Some whose loyalty gets called into question. I'm actually surprised it took her so long to start questioning Barnabas and Ron. But the reader always knows best, right? So, listen... when's the next one? I can't wait.

You're So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

You're So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Back of the Book:

Q: HOW MANY ZOMBIES DOES IT TAKE TO RUIN A SOCIAL LIFE?
A: NOT MANY.

Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you're trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it's kinda hard to score a date. Let's just say Megan's love life could use some major resuscitation.

Megan's convinced her life can't get any worse - until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it's up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life - and more importantly, the homecoming dance - depends on it.

My Thoughts:

Very good YA novel. Kind of reminded me of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy plot-wise, but Stacey has definitely built a cool new world to play in, and it's different enough that you feel like you are reading a different book. Great twist ending too. Sooo didn't see that coming.

The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong

The Darkest Powers Series:
1. The Summoning
2. The Awakening
3. The Reckoning - 2010

Back of the Book:

Book II in the Darkest Powers trilogy takes us deeper into a world where the supernatural intrudes on the everyday with riveting effect.

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl - someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment - not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Thoughts:

Wow, I am so dense sometimes. It took me halfway through this book to realize it's written in the same world as her Otherworld series. Doh! But all in all, another wonderful book. The ending seemed a little prepackaged but that's aight. I'll definitely gobble up the next one. :)

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

The Sookie Stackhouse: Southern Vampire Novels:
1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead to Worse
9. Dead and Gone
10. Cruel and Unusual

Back of the Book:

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.

But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

My Thoughts:

Another marvelous Sookie book! Yeah Eric! Love Eric! Interesting how all of Sookie's men show up in this one. Did they really need to throw Quinn in there? Probably not, but I imagine it has some meaning for later. And can Bill die? I mean really? The man has almost died-died 20 times now. Lots was put to rest in this book so I imagine hopefully fingers crossed there will be a real plot to the next one... we shall see.

Secret Life of a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

Love At Stake Series:
1. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
2. Vamps and the City
3. Be Still My Vampire Heart
4. The Undead Next Door
5. All I Want For Christmas is a Vampire
6. Secret Life of a Vampire
7. Forbidden Nights with a Vampire

Back of the Book:

Lara Boucher will do whatever it takes to get that coveted promotion to detective. She knows that something strange was happening at the incredibly handsome Jack's party. Working that out will have to take a back seat to discover why so many college girls have gone missing. But the last thing she expects when she goes undercover at the so-called 'spa' is to run into Jack again - or to feel such a strong attraction. The last thing Jack wants is to become the kind of man his father was. But that's just what's required if he's going to bring down this latest ring of Malcontents. Drawing on his legendary Casanova lineage, Jack works his way into the group. But will he be able to show Lara the man he really is without jeopardizing their mission? And can Lara ever trust a man with so many secrets?

My Thoughts:

Another great addition to the Love at Stake series. Jack, who we've seen in the last couple of stories, gets his true love story. They also finally ask the question (but never answer it) why is it that a ton of top level vamps are falling in love now? Is there any rhyme or reason behind it? Should be interesting to see if it gets answered in the next book.

The Immortal Hunter by Lynsay Sands

The Rogue Hunter Series:
1. The Rogue Hunter
2. The Immortal Hunter
3. The Renegade Hunter - Sept 29, 2009

Back of the Book:

Even vampires need a vacation. But Decker Argeneau's ends abruptly when he's asked to help hunt the group of rogue vampires targeting mortals -- one that might include a defector in his own family. Before he can worry about that, though, he's got to rescue the latest victim. It's all part of the job, including taking a bullet for a beautiful doctor.

Dr. Danielle McGill doesn't know if she can trust the man who just saved her life. There are too many questions, such as what is the secret organization he says he's part of, and why do his wounds hardly bleed? However, with her sister in the hands of some dangerous men, she doesn't have much choice but to trust him.

Except now Decker's talking about life mates and awakening a passion that's taking Dani beyond anything she's ever known. Being undead may not be half-bad...especially if it means spending forever with a man who would love her with his mind, body, and immortal soul.

My Thoughts:

I love Lynsay Sands. She writes the best no-need-to-think romances. This is just another in her 10+ series on the Argeneau Empire, and it's just as good. Always a great break from the normal doom and gloom vampire novel.