The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

I read 4 of these books in a row so I thought I'd review them together. The last few weeks I have been reading: "Dead as a Doornail", "Definitely Dead", "All Together Dead", and "From Dead to Worse". I really enjoy this series and I can't get enough of it. I had a hard time putting these books down and when I was done I wanted to go out and buy the last book published this winter. I stopped myself because I have far too many books in my TBR pile. I like how Sookie's character evolves over the course of the novels. In the beginning most of the novels were about her being in a relationship with Bill but I almost like these books better because Sookie is single for the majority of them. She has different short term flings with different characters but nothing super serious. I like her better this way because she seems to be more independant and displays a take-charge attitude. Harris' imagination is fascinating; there is always a new type of supernatural creature in each book. She has it all: vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, were-panthers/tigers, faries, etc. I highly recommend these books and if you enjoy them you should definitely check out the series based on the books called True Blood.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

From the Publishers: This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors.

My Review:
Well it was my day off on Friday and I had big plans of cleaning my house and doing laundry and my apartment building decided it was a great day to shut the water off for 7 hrs. Needless to say I didn't get anything accomplished except reading an entire book. I have to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. I did like the main character but I thought that the book didn't give as much character development as I would have liked. There are a lot of mini stories going on throughout the entire novel. I did enjoy reading the descriptions of Africa and I suppose that the character development may come in future books in the series but I have to say that overall I was a little disappointed. There is so much hype about this series and I felt it fell a little flat. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Flying Changes by Sara Gruen

From the Publishers: Twenty years after her competitive riding career died, Annemarie Zimmer worries that her relationship with the man she loves is off course, and fears that daughter Eva's own dreams of Olympic glory will carry her far from home ... and into harm's way. When the teenage Eva is invited to audition for a world-class trainer, Annemarie realizes that she must give Eva a chance to soar. But when Eva falls in love with a spectacular blue roan Nokota who hasn't let anyone ride him since his arrival at the barn, Annemarie's doubts come crashing back. It is a time of change at Maple Brook, when fears must be saddled and broken. And one remarkable family must learn how to deal with.

My Review:
This is the second book of a two book series. I have already reviewed the first book Riding Lessons and that being said I really enjoyed this book a lot better than the first one. The main character in the first book was quite irritating and it was difficult to sympathize with her. In this book, while she still does some frustrating things, she is a much more believable character. I stayed up all night finishing this one; I couldn't put it down. I also found that this book tugged a bit more at the heartstrings. Gruen really develloped each character from the first book and I found myself drawn into wanting to know more. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

From the Publishers: Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don't get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara's great-aunt Sadie-a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance-mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie's possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she's just been dumped by the "perfect" man.
Sadie, however, could care less. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie's necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different "twenties" girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella's books beloved by millions, "Twenties Girl "is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

My Review:
I know this is chick lit and therefore not a great literary masterpiece but I couldn't put this book down. I really enjoyed the characters in the book. This book was a little different from Kinsella's other books in the fact that it is a ghost story. It focuses on family heritage which I have always found interesting. I have always been the one in my family who wanted to know my relatives as more than just their title (grandmother, great aunt, aunt, etc) I have always wanted to know what it was like for them growing up and what kind of trouble they got into. This book reminds me of how important these kinds of conversations are with your relatives while you still have the chance. That being said, like most chick lit there is an air of predictability about the book. I have come to expect this and it is still fun to read none the less. I really enjoy Kinsella's writing style but have found that I enjoy her non-Shopaholic books best. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

From the publishers:
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence. But her uncle, Henrik, is convinced that she was murdered by someone from her own deeply dysfunctional family. Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate, but he quickly finds himself in over his head. He hires a competent assistant: the gifted and conscience-free computer specialist Lisbeth Salander, and the two unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

My Review:
It took a little time for me to really get into this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed reading a book that was set in a totally different country than I am used to. The book really did a good job of giving me an idea of who the main characters really were. The book was not purely driven by plot and I really enjoyed that. I almost felt like I was smack dab in the middle of the mystery. I also have to say that the book was anything but predictable. I have often found that I can guess who the "bad guy" is right away in mysteries but while reading this book I really found myself changing my mind every few minutes about who could have been the killer. I really liked the twist at the end of the novel too. I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't read the book. I am really looking forward to The Girl Who Played With Fire which is the 2nd book in the series. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5

Postcards From Last Summer by Roz Bailey

From the Publishers: Darcy, Tara and Lindsay are the best of friends who reconnect every summer for a few weeks of catching up and living easy. The summertime is anything but boring for these three strong women who indulge in the best of what''s in season: romance, excitement and the time of their lives

My Review:
I have to say I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. Most of the plot was boring and there were long gaps in the timeframe that I didn't like. It also had way too many gratuitous sex scenes. I am not a prude by any means but I don't think that a book has to have a sex scene in it every chapter. It was just a little too much for me. I was disappointed because I thought that it would be just a nice easy summer read and I was looking forward to it. I give this book 1 star out of 5.

Booking Through Thursday

So I've been seriously slacking on my blog and decided to participate again this week. I'll be adding more reviews soon too. Our summer is ridiculously busy with 3 weddings and all wedding related things (showers, bachelorettes, stag and does). Ok, so here is this weeks meme. My answers are beside the italic print.

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date) Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Depends on my mood. Something in between really.
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Paperbacks Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Fiction Poetry? Or Prose? Prose
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Autobiographies History? Or Historical Fiction? Hmm... I was a history minor but I guess I'd go with Historical Fiction
Series? Or Stand-alones? Stand Alones... I do read some series but after a while depending on the series the books can tend to get too repetitious
Classics? Or best-sellers? Best Sellers
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Something in between, nothing too basic but nothing too fruity
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Plots
Long books? Or Short? Depends on my mood
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Non illustrated
Borrowed? Or Owned? Owned
New? Or Used? New
(Yes, I know, some of these we’ve touched on before, and some of these we might address in-depth in the future, but for today–just quick answers!)

So there they are :)