More Sookie! Yippiee! I got this book from Amazon for a great discounted price, and only because it has a little black stripe! I don't mind that at all, it won't hurt the story... LOL

From amazon:
"Sookie Stackhouse just can't seem to stay away from the supernatural denizens of Bon Temps, Louisiana. In Dead to the World (2004), she found herself embroiled in vampire politics; this time around, she's involved in the machinations of the Were-people, whose pack leader has just passed away. -Alcide Herveaux asks her to accompany him to the funeral, where Alcide's father declares his candidacy against a slimy, calculating rival. Angry at being drawn into the conflict, Sookie can't distance herself entirely, because a sniper has been taking shots at Were-people, and the community suspects Sookie's brother, Jason, a new shape-shifter. Sookie's love life is every bit as complicated as usual, and her collection of would-be beaux continues to grow. Also, someone wants her dead, which she learns when an assailant sets fire to her beloved house. Harris' southern vampire series remains one of the best of the breed, concocted out of just the right mixture of humor, intrigue, and excitement. Its latest entry does not disappoint."

After I read it, this book will be made into a Bookray.

The fifth book in the Southern Vampire Series was as entertaining as the ones before. It was a quick and easy read. There are many options now for new and exciting story lines and I'm very curious what Mrs. Harris will make of it! Various new characters were introduced and I'm very curious about especially one of them...
The main story is not that much about vampires and Bill and Eric take on only a small role in this novel. But we learn more about the Were- and Shiftercommunity, which was quite interesting. And will - of course - leave us with a lot to wonder.
All in all, a quick and enjoyable read.

This book will be made into a Bookray.

Some guidelines:
1. Please journal the book when it arrives (so we know it's safe and sound with you), once you read it (to let us know how you liked it) and when you ship it off (so we know it's on its way to the next reader).

2. Please PM the next person in line before shipping the book off, not only for the adress, but also to ask if they are still interested in the ray!

3. You may always write to me and ask to be bumped down on the list.

4. Surface shipping is perfectly acceptable.

5. Try not to take longer than eight weeks to read the book. But we all understand that sometimes life (and bookrings...) just happens. :-) In that case, please make another journal entry to let us know that the book is not forgotten.

6. And the most important thing: Have fun!

Here are the participants so far in shipping order. If you would like to join once the ray is started, please PM me. As long as I can fit you in with the shipping preferences you're welcome to join.

1. ladiibbug (US) / US
2. Rianonne (AT) / Europe
3. myntti (FI) / Intl.
4. Amberkatze (AT) / Europe
5. cathepsut (EG) / Intl.
6. synergy (US) / US/CA
7. explorer1118m (US) / US/CA
8. terra57 (US) / intl.
9. Mergyrl (US) / intl.
10. kbgoffe (US) / US / CA
11. Luintaurien (US) / Intl.
12. BooksnBeer (US) / intl.
13. MinervaBCN (ES) / Intl.
14. CandyDarling (FI) / Intl.
15. sweetf (UK) / Intl.

RELEASE NOTES:

Shipped off this morning from San Diego to ladiibug. Enjoy!

5/19/06 Woo Hoo, Sookie #5 arrived today! Will PM next reader for address, and get this on its way early next week. ~happy dance~ for a Sookie week end read! - RSVD

6/2/06 Thanks for sharing, Morgaine *g*.

Sookie #5 was as unique & enjoyable as earlier books. It was so good to "see" old friends and catch up with Sookie's adventures - I just love this series!

Air mailed today to Rianonne (Austria), Customs form # LC046558484US - TRAV

* Counts in the Keep Them Moving 2006 Challenge! *

Yippiee, Sookie arrived today!! That was really fast :-)

I'm sorry to say that I'm now really overwhelmed with all the BookRings/Rays staying with me at the moment - there are 8 Rings infront of Sookie *sob* I'll do my best to read it as soon as possible, promised!

Another great Sookie book. I love this series of books and get more and more involved in Sookie's life with each book.

I would have liked to have a little more on Jason's transition into the supernatural world but I hope there are more books to come and there is a chance to develop this storyline deeper.
I wonder if Harris has decided what to do with Sookie as far as relationships are concerned. Sookie has more suitors than anyone has a right to :)

As Morgaine77 already said there are various new characters (e.g. Quinn) introduced and that let's me hope for exciting stories :) I can't wait to start the next book in this series!!

Received in the mail this morning. Thank you, Rianonne.

This was a fun read - just like the other Sookie Stackhouse books have been.
I just hope that these books don't go down the Laurell K. Hamilton route... Do we really need yet another possible love interest for Sookie?
Still, I'm sure to read the next installment of the series.
Thank you for the bookray, Morgaine77.

I mailed the book to Amberkatze today.

The book is back in Austria! Thanks myntti for posting it to me and thanks Morgaine77 for letting moving me up the list while the book was still in Europe!

I will try and get to this over the coming week and I am sure the book will be back on it's way again very soon!

Wow!! What an amazing part of the series...So much happened! I really can't wait for the next one...at least now I know why there is a tiger on the front of it :)

I am really interested to know if the 'Lily Bard' who shows up in this book is the same 'Lily Bard' from Harris's other series...wonder what becomes of them...they didn't come back into the book again.

I wonder how Sookie will cope will all these men after her! She really needs to settle down a little :) Also I need to have some of what she is eating because I would have collapsed in exhaustion after page 100 if I was her!!! And she didn't even get some Vamp blood in her this time!

I just pm'd the next person so this should be off in the post sometime this week!

Thanks again!

Received three days ago. Sorry for the delay in journalling, wasn't feeling well. Just finishing off another bookring, will then turn my attention to Sookie!

This is what they have to say on Amazon.com:
"Harris's rousing fifth Sookie Stackhouse fantasy-mystery (after 2004's Dead to the World) pits vampires, were-creatures, shifters and one fairy godmother against a sniper with an apparent aversion to nonhumans. If trying to discover who's behind the shootings isn't enough, the telepathic cocktail waitress from Bon Temps, La., has to cope with a few other distractions. Between one mishap and another, Sookie is one busy gal. Harris does an admirable job of creating a heroine who's not only interesting but completely believable in a world of the strange and the different. Natural and humorous dialogue and a nicely paced plot that doesn't dwell so much on Sookie's old boyfriends help make this entry the best yet in the series."

Well, I didn't think it was that rousing. It was good and I enjoyed meeting Sookie and all her pals again. But it was more a comfortable than rousing read. I know the characters, I know the background, it's like a little homecoming. And the actual mystery wasn't all that gripping. I just sort of gently meandered along the storyline and had the odd chuckle or fright together with Sookie. How relaxing and nice after a stressful day at work!
I decided that I don't really like Alcide all that much, I would definitely go for Eric instead. Bill is just boring. Claudine is fun! And how cool to have your fairy godmother hang around and drive cool cars.... And Quinn defintely has a lot of potential. Plus we wonder mightily, how the whole scenario with Charles is going to develop further. And the new packmaster, uh-oh! Well, anyway...... trying hard here to not give anything away.... Number 6 please, thanks....

My book #45 in 2006, first published in 2005; 295 pages; Total pages for 2006: 15,007. I wonder if I will manage 20,000 pages by the end of the year?

Happy biting!

Oh good! The next Sookie book. And the postage was neat to look at. Thanks Cathepsut! :)

It's next on my TBR. I'm looking forward to it!

2006 Book #39 - Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) 05: Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris

As usual I really enjoyed reading the adventures of Sookie. Before I go on, here's the stuff from the inside flap:

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well-mannered and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family.

When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than more shapeshifters she's known. But her concerns for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first...

I think what I like best of the Sookie world is that people are so "quirky" unlike characters I've read in other vampires series. They're always big city people whereas in this series it all takes place in the backwaters for the most part. Even though Sookie meets new supernatural beings in this book and even though there's that immediate interest in her by them that's become the staple in this genre of books with the main heroine, it's not over the top. They show interest, she shows interest, but no one necessarily immediately jumps all over it acting on their attraction.

I was glad, actually, that the focus moved more towards the Weres than the vampires. I sort of find them more interesting although I do have to say that I don't find it a major loss for Bill the vampire to take a backseat in this story. Nor do I mind the increased use of the vampire Eric. I find him much more interesting than Bill. :) The one thing that irritated me is that the sniper storyline seemed kind of like an afterthought and wasn't really developed throughout the book. It kind of got rammed in the end and resolved quickly as though the author had forgotten about it. I hope this isn't a trend because this is how the Laurell K. Hamilton series got ruined for me. I like both the supernatural things series arcs as well as the new crime of the book.

Overall, a good entry into the series. I hope to read more about Eric and learn more about a mysterious Were Sookie meets near the end of the story...

explorer1118m had already gotten a copy elsewhere and was no longer interested in this book.

The book, then, is on its way to terra57 as of noon today.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book!

Woohooooooo! Finally a Sookie book. Will read after the one I'm on and then get it back into the wild blue yonder again. Thanks for including me.

Oh how I love Sookie. This was just as enjoyable as all the previous ones and there are so many ways that there could be many, many more in this series to come.

I don't know if Sookie is just unlucky or has a big sign on her forehead saying "Come Get Me". LOL! She sure can get into some trouble and to have the choice of men that she has sniffing at her heals is just down right a sin. I'm jealous.

I can actually see a storyline with more on Jason, one with Sookie trying to return all the favors she owes all these wonderful men, one on Sam and his past (he's just too good to be true), and one on Quinn. Actually, Calvin seems like he might be a really interesting character to do a storyline on also. Hmmmmmmmmmm..........so many choices.

I have to say that I think this Quinn is going to be a major player in all of the lives here but we'll have to wait and see. As far as Alcide goes, I don't think he's in any way reliable to be a good hookup for Sookie.

I can't wait for the next book and this one will be on it's way as soon as someone answers my pms. I have pm'd the next in line and am just waiting.

RELEASE NOTES:

Off to Mergyrl. Enjoy!

Book arrived while I was out of town - I will read it as soon as I finish the book I started on vacation but should get to it this weekend!

Got it today. Thank you. Will read and pass on ASAP.

Sending on without reading due to complaints that I have had it too long.