Lately I've been inhalling books about vampires and just haven't read many others that hold my interest.  I'm used to going in phases, but the vampire phase is lasting a bit longer then normal, not that I'm complaining.  It also helps that kick-ass female heroines are really popular in vampire books right now.

Some of the series I've been reading besides the standard Dracula and Ann Rice books have been really good, some have just seemed like regurgitated crap stolen shamelessly from other authors, and some have been genuinely good.

To start my friend Molly got me into the Anita Blake series, by Laurell K. Hamilton, which started off incredibly well, got me throughly addicted, and then descended into angst and porn as the author went through a divorce and then found a new lover.  Luckily there are rumors that the newest book (I'm waiting for paperback) returns to the original style (Aka. with actual plot movement) but still manages to retain some of the fun from the middle set of books with out the raunchiness.  I'm looking forward to judging myself. Now the reason why I got hooked on Anita Blake so quickly and effortlessly was that she's a kick ass chick, with real social issues, hobbies (she collects stuffed penguins - how cute!), and just happens to make a living raising Zombies.  She also is courted by the Master Vampire of the city and eventually the head werewolf. 

The next series I read was the Vampire Files, and I really liked the first couple books and got quickly bored because it was the same nonsense over and over.  I had bought the first 6 novels in 2 volumes, and didn't even finish the 2nd volume.  Part of the charm that I found in the first couple books was that the main character, Jack, wakes up dead and has to bumble around to learn how to be a vampire while he chases down and hunts his killers.  How cool is that?  Seriously, killing your murderers in 1930s Chicago.  But like I said, after the strong start it petered out quickly into reused plot lines with different names.

Yesterday I read a book by Karen Chance called Touch The Dark which seemed like an Anita Blake wanna be.  I may eventually revisit the series, but not until there are more books out, since I hate reading books that end on cliff hangers (like this one did - ugh) and there is no follow up book out yet.  There is a sequel to Touch The Dark, but I wasn't impressed enough to rush out for it yet.

The last book I've gotten half way through 3 times, and have yet to finish, and thats the Historian.  The only reason I haven't eagerly finished it is because I keep starting and then forgetting the book at my parents house; its quite aggravating, and when I do get it again its such an intricate plot that I know I should restart because I'll forget things, and then I get annoyed and put it down again.

Other series that I'm looking forward to trying are the Vampire Diaries, the Rachel Morgan series, and the Mercy Thomas.  At first glance the second two series seem like they'll be in the Hamilton style, but hey, I enjoy it when its well written.

Posted by: Mookie at 01:44 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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