So, read any good books lately?

[jillyson]

Since it's come up a few times in other threads, I thought we should have a place to recommend some good books. Holley and I are currently enjoying the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, written by Charlaine Harris. HBO has based a series on them called "True Blood". (see Holley's avitar) You can currently catch season 1 with "On Demand", and season 2 begins June 14th. Here is the list below, in the corect order:

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

Also, some anthologies that include "Sookie" stories:
"Powers of Detection"
"Night's Edge" (Sookie's world, but no Sookie)
"Bite" (most recent Sookie story)
"Many Bloody Returns"

Vampires not your bag? How about a woman with psychic powers who helps solve crimes:

Charlaine Harris writes The Harper Connelly series:
1) Grave Sight
2) Grave Surprise
3) An Ice Cold Grave

(I have only read the first 2 so far, but they are well written and quick reads!)

T.J.Macgregor writes the Tango Key mysteries:
1) The Hanged Man
2) Out of Sight
3) Black Water
4) Total Silence
5) Category 5
6) Cold as Death

(I didn't realize it was a series, and started at book 3. You don't need to read them in order to enjoy them - they stand alone very well.)

[Sarie]

Vampires are awesome any way. These books sound really good if HBO is having a series based on them. I'll check if my library has them.

Currently, I'm re-reading the Inheritance series. I'm almost done with Eragon, and then Eldest, then Brinstar.

[Tina ☺]

Wow, that is a nice list of books! Unfortunately, I haven't read any lately. I do enjoy a good vamp story though. I like to read anything with a bit of mystery and intrigue involved.

[Nicole]

Damn, I haven't read a book in so long, I miss it.

Some I've read in the past year that were good are:

A Game of Thrones- George RR Martin
Duma Key- Stephen King
Velocity- Dean Koontz

[jillyson]

I enjoyed Duma Key very much - King back to writing the way I liked him best!
I'm pretty sure I read Velocity, but I can't remember it! Lol! I've read a TON of Koontz, but my faves by him are the Odd Thomas series. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Those!

[Tina ☺]

Stephen King is my favorite author! I have started reading Duma Key, but haven't gotten very far. For some reason, I just haven't taken the time to sit down and really start reading it yet.

[Nicole]

I really like the Odd series too, Jilly! I was sad when Stormy died though. I think I've almost read every book by him, and tonnes by Stephen King.

Edward Lee is pretty good too, but he might be a bit too dark for some of you all here. And his books are hard to find sometimes. The Infernal Series is really good though.

[jillyson]

I haven't heard of him. I'll have to look that up. Do you have a list of those?

[Nicole]

City Infernal
Angel Infernal
House Infernal

That's what I believe they're all called. You may, or may not like them. They're a bit gothicy and graphic.

[jillyson]

A dark and twisty fan, eh? Here's a list for ya!

Serial killers who are the good guy:
Books by Jeff Lindsay:
1) Darkly Dreaming Dexter
2) Dearly Devoted Dexter
3) Dexter in the Dark
4) Dexter by Design

I haven't read the 4th one yet. This is also a series on Showtime that is most excellent. It's about a policeman who adopts a child who was orphaned - met at a crime scene where his mother was butchered and left there, locked in a truck trailer with her dead body and his older brother. (he was like 3 or so, brother was like 4 or 5) As he grows up, his policeman adopted father notices homicidal tendancies, all the things you see in adult serial killers, and decides if this is what the boy is programmed to be, maybe he can still be good. He teaches the boy as a teen how to evade the police, and use the police files to search for murders and such who, thru legal loopholes, escaped the law. (He grows up to work in the police crime lab - full access to the police computers.) The series and the books are different enough that you would easily enjoy both.


Books by Tim Dorsey:
1) Florida Roadkill
2) Hammerhead Ranch Motel
3) Orange Crush
4) Triggerfish Twist
5) The Stingray Shuffle
6) Cadillac Beach
7) Torpedo Juice
8) The Big Bamboo
9) Hurricane Punch
10) Atomic Lobster
11) Nuclear Jellyfish

Serge Storms is a psychopathic vigilante, thrills, chills, and oddly, laughs. I haven't read these yet, but I've bought the first book and plan to read it after I'm done with Sookie. They're developing a "Florida Roadkill" movie now.

[Tina ☺]

Wow, that's a nice list, Jill! I just may have to get back into reading one of these days and check some of those out.

[Pixx]

I haven't read anything good lately, just a few books by Carl Weber and Eric Jerome Dickey. They're a bite vulgar but there's always a surprise twist

[jillyson]

Vulgar you say? Hmmm...*searches internet for titles*

[Pixx]

Actually of all the books I read I think Eric Jerome Dickey's Milk in my Coffee is the best, cause it focuses on the racial problems in the U.S. It's about this guy named Jordon who is pretty much torn between the southern ethics he was raised on (one being don't trust whites, black men don't date whites, whites steal all good black ideas and don't give credit where credit is due) and the love fpr this girl named Kimberly (who is white).

I'm actually in the middle of reading it now. I wanna see if Jordon will be dumb enough to listen to his uneducated down-home teachings or go with his heart.

[Nicole]

You've pegged me, Jilly. Dark and twisty is how I like them, even SK is very casual reading for me. Thanks for the gigantic list of books!