Traveling Through Books

  "Dead in the Family" by Charlaine Harris Verdict: Like Vampires? Read these!!! For books like this, where I'm at the latest of the series, I'm not going to focus on the book specifically, unless I have started the series on this page. That being said, "Dead in the Family" is the latest in Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, the books that HBO's "True Blood" is based on. The books follow Sookie Stackhouse, back woods Lousiana girl who lives in Bon Temps, Lousiana. The basis for the series is that Japan created a synthetic blood, making it possible for vampires to "out" themselves to society. So Vampires are now legal citizens of the world, acknowledged in every society as real. Sookie Stackhouse, the main character, is also a supernatural of sorts, she's telepathic. She finds herself enjoying the company of vampires, whose minds she cannot read. As the series progresses, Sookie learns there are many more supe...

  Book 14: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell "Animal Farm" by George Orwell Verdict: It's a classic worthy of reading...though I'm not a fan. So much has been said on this book that I won't take up too much time writing on it. That, along with the fact that it has now been over a month since I finished it, will make for a rather short review. As far as classics go, this is not my favorite, or even in my top ten. As far as dystopia's go, I can see the appeal, especially for the time period in which it was written, but again not in my favorites. I always hesitate to critique classics of merit. This book does deserve to be a classic and I can see why it has been canonized, however- simply put- I didn't like it. I didn't hate it, I guess I'm apathetic to it. Overall this probably stems from two main reasons. Firstly, I've never been one to identify with animals. I just don't get involved in stories that star animals as...

  "Fahrenheit 451" By Ray Bradbury Verdict: A classic that is often used as reference in many other things: Read it. Yes, yes, I have just now read "Fahrenheit 451", for the first time. Okay, so, I hate to say it, but I'm not impressed. Perhaps I already knew too much, or the book has been over-hyped for me, but either way, I'm not in love. If you don't know, this book is a dystopia and is about a world where reading books is forbidden. Firemen don't put out fires but start them, burning books, the houses that contain them and any occupant that refuses to leave. The main issue I had with this book? The message was too obvious. The activities that the culture are supposed to be doing are mindless television based things. The message is simple. We, as a society, should strive to preserve knowledge, knowledge that technology of modern ages is threatening to destroy. This book is not about burning books, no matter what anyone says. Books ar...

  "Burned" by P.C. and Kristin Cast Verdict: I don't know why I read these books. "Burned" is the latest in the House of Night Series, a young adult vampire series authored by P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. Since classic vampires are quickly becoming vampires of the past, this series also puts a new spin on them. The books focus on fledgling vampires, or teenagers, that have not fully turned. Not every teen who begins the transformation (chosen by a goddess, no biting involved) survives the transformation, but while waiting for it they attend school at House of Night and gradually mature into full vampires. Each fledgling is marked with the outline of a crescent moon on their forehead. When they mature, the crescent fills in along with other markings on the brow specific to that person's talents. As the vampire becomes more powerful, the markings spread to the rest of the body. The series primarily follows Zoey Redbird, a chosen one of...