These are some of my favorite books or series or books that I've recently read.

Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

Lots of people don't realize this book was published BEFORE Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. This was the original story written by Rebecca Wells, and, in my opinion, a much better read. The people I've talked to who read Divine Secrets first seemed to enjoy both. Having read Little Altars first, I just wasn't able to get into the sequel, and it felt like a great compromise. Not only do I think this book is better, but it's one of my very favorite all-time reads. The story takes place in Lousiana, where the author was born.

The Southern Vampire Series - Charlaine Harris

Okay, Anne Rice wrote about vampires, but was she funny? These books are candy for me. Funny and sexy, Louisiana telepathic barmaid Sookie is already familiar with those who aren't human (such as her shifter boss Sam) and finds herself involved in the world of vampires when one visits the bar where she works. I haven't picked up the newest, and I won't visit Charlaine's website to see what readers are saying until I've read it. I can read one of these in a couple of days, so I'm waiting for the paperback, but I can't wait to find out what Eric the sexy Viking vampire is up to next. The stories in the books take place near Shreveport, Louisiana, and not New Orleans where it is said you can't throw a rock without hitting a vampire.

The Kay Scarpetta Series - Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series tells of serial killer investigations from the point of view of the Chief Medical Examiner. The novels take place in the D.C. area and have a sterile, clinical atmosphere. Cornwell is quick to deliver and doesn't allow herself to get bogged down in poetic detail. Expect a direct approach without literary value. The investigations are intriguing as the Chief Medical Examiner interacts with the police, the feds, and politicians while trying to get into the mind of a serial killer and use tiny clues to track.

The Anita Black Vampire Hunter Series - Laurell K. Hamilton

When you pick up a vampire novel, the last thing you expect is a strong dose of dogma. For this reason, I finished the first novel, and said never again. In addition to being put off by the superior attitude, I was also frustrated by the lack of explanation on a topic that obviously needed a lot of explaining, that being Anita's talents as a zombie animator. The first novel left a lot of things unsaid, and being completely put off by the attitude, I wasn't compelled to find out more. However, a friend intervened and urged me to read more. Try it again. So, I did, and after I made it about half-way through the second novel, something in the character switched... and suddenly she was likeable. Maybe it's because after a book and a half, she finally had something positive to say about another character. She admitted to actually liking Irvin the reporter/werewolf, and lo and behold, there was hope afterall.

The interesting thing about the books is the development of the character. Some people liked the earlier books and thought less of the character as she progressed deeper into the world of vampires and werewolves. Perhaps they expected a less forgiving, more stagnant character, but that's not necessarily true of humanity, now is it? I was glad to see the character grow from an unbearable self-righteous psychically gifted animator to someone who admitted that there were a lot of things she wasn't sure about any more and who found that some things in life were more important than rules.

While a couple of the books felt just a tad formulaic, I was pleased to see the character continuing to develop, and while Anita continued to amass additional powers, she had to deal with many different relationships that were affected by her involvement with the undead and werewolves.

My main beef with the final book, Incubus Dreams, and a couple of the other books, is the hurried ending. Following the big climax, sometimes answers to questions would be summed up in a sentence, and sometimes omitted altogether. A single one-and-a-half page chapter often finished the book and left me feeling a bit wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. I mean, where was the cuddling and the pillow talk? Why did you allude to some big secret with the vampire Wicked and leave us wondering? What happened to Dolph? Can Anita have sex at least one time that isn't brought on by some disaster or end in disaster?

In spite of these issues and the frequent typos (you'll just get use to shaking your head... doesn't anyone pay for editors these days?), if you like stories about zombies, werewolves, vampires, and other magical topics, this is a great series. Some of the books inspired some really weird dreams for me. The books center around St. Louis, MO, with visits to Tennesse, Arkansas, and New Mexico.

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