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Home Improvement: Undead Edition: Undead Edition (Sookie Stackhouse #11.1 )
by
Charlaine Harris ,
Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author), S.J. Rozan (Goodreads Author), Stacia Kane (Goodreads Author), Suzanne McLeod (Goodreads Author), Simon R. Green, Toni L.P. Kelner , Victor Gischler
,
more…
The editors of the New York Times bestselling Death's Excellent Vacation bring home a new collection...with a never-before- published Sookie Stackhouse story!
There's nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who's ever wondered, What's that creaking sound?" or fans of "how to" television w...more
There's nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who's ever wondered, What's that creaking sound?" or fans of "how to" television w...more
ebook, 352 pages
Published
August 2nd 2011
by Ace Books
(first published January 1st 2011)
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I opened this book, scanned the contents page, and immediately made my way over to page 237.
I was so pleased with Kane's story that when I finished I closed the book with a big smile on my face, forgetting all about the "never-before-published SOOKIE STACKHOUSE story!" Sorry Sook.
"Rick the Brave" didn't disappoint. It was so much fun experiencing Terrible and Chess from another character's point-of-view.
"Oh, and don't forget the huge, very scary guy below them who looked like he ate babies and h...more
I was so pleased with Kane's story that when I finished I closed the book with a big smile on my face, forgetting all about the "never-before-published SOOKIE STACKHOUSE story!" Sorry Sook.
"Rick the Brave" didn't disappoint. It was so much fun experiencing Terrible and Chess from another character's point-of-view.
"Oh, and don't forget the huge, very scary guy below them who looked like he ate babies and h...more
11 likes · like · see review
view all 10 comments
Premise: Short stories about home improvements and the supernatural.
I am honestly very nearly speechless after finishing this book. I've read a lot of these UF story anthologies at this point. I know the authors that tend to pop up often, and generally I have my opinions on which ones I'm most likely to enjoy before I even read the stories based on my previous experience with these authors. I thought there were few surprises left for me. This anthology knocked my hubris down a couple of pegs the...more
I am honestly very nearly speechless after finishing this book. I've read a lot of these UF story anthologies at this point. I know the authors that tend to pop up often, and generally I have my opinions on which ones I'm most likely to enjoy before I even read the stories based on my previous experience with these authors. I thought there were few surprises left for me. This anthology knocked my hubris down a couple of pegs the...more
Aug 24, 2011
Cathy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anthology,
fantasy,
urban,
elves-fae,
horror,
jewish,
magic-users,
mystery,
mythology,
paranormal,
people-of-color,
read-in-2011,
romance,
vampire
Definitely one of the most successful anthologies I've read. Overall I really liked the home improvement theme, but I'm addicted to HGTV and DIY channels, so that was a given. I've also always liked cozy mysteries with DIY themes too. It's interesting that the editors chose to include so many straight mystery authors in this book. As far as I can tell, a number of these authors don't normally write mystical or fantasy books, but most of them did a great job with their stories. And cross marketin...more
Since this is an anthology I figure I would give a quick review of each story.
If I had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris: Of course I loved reading this story because I love everything about Sookie Stackhouse and since I have just finished reading book 11 everything was like a continuation of that for me. It also had spirits in it which is a little different compared to what Sookie normally deals with i.e. werewolves, vampires, and shapeshifters.
Wizard Home Security by Victor Gischler: I really enjo...more
If I had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris: Of course I loved reading this story because I love everything about Sookie Stackhouse and since I have just finished reading book 11 everything was like a continuation of that for me. It also had spirits in it which is a little different compared to what Sookie normally deals with i.e. werewolves, vampires, and shapeshifters.
Wizard Home Security by Victor Gischler: I really enjo...more
If I Had A Hammer (Charlaine Harris) - I'm not even bothering with these Sookie shorts anymore, their usually pretty pointless.
Wizard Home Security (Victor Gischler)3 stars - This is a cute and funny story but not quite laugh-out-loud. A wizard gets robbed and calls Wizard Home Security to come and update his house for an exorbitant fee. I wasn't sure if this would be good at first, but once the house turns on him, hilarity ensues. The zombie bear was by far my favorite part.
*Gray (Patricia Bri...more
Wizard Home Security (Victor Gischler)3 stars - This is a cute and funny story but not quite laugh-out-loud. A wizard gets robbed and calls Wizard Home Security to come and update his house for an exorbitant fee. I wasn't sure if this would be good at first, but once the house turns on him, hilarity ensues. The zombie bear was by far my favorite part.
*Gray (Patricia Bri...more
3 likes · like · see review
Sep 13, 2012
Ryan Zimmerman Carstairs
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio
Overall a very, very good collection. The worst stories within I still rate as at least Average/Good (Nothing merits below a 3-star rating). Overall it earns that 4.
"If I Had a Hammer" by Charlaine Harris - Its okay. (***)
"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler - Cute. (***)
"Gray" by Patricia Briggs - Really Good. (****)
"Squatter's Rights" by Rocelle Krich - Okay (**)
"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham - Fun. (****)
"Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady - I really like it. (****)
"The Streng...more
"If I Had a Hammer" by Charlaine Harris - Its okay. (***)
"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler - Cute. (***)
"Gray" by Patricia Briggs - Really Good. (****)
"Squatter's Rights" by Rocelle Krich - Okay (**)
"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham - Fun. (****)
"Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady - I really like it. (****)
"The Streng...more
2 likes · like · see review
Aug 10, 2011
♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2011
Only read the novellas listed below.
**Stacia Kane's Rick The Brave ~ 4 stars**
4 stars just for getting to read about Chessie and Terrible and....
"He's my family," she said finally. Quietly. "He's everything."
sigh...and its a cute, little story as well.
**Charlaine Harris' If I Had a Hammer ~ 3 stars**
This is about Sookie and Sam helping out Tara in a remodeling project. Nice story but nothing to get excited about.
**Patricia Brigg's Gray ~ 4 stars**
I really liked this story about a vampire dealin...more
**Stacia Kane's Rick The Brave ~ 4 stars**
4 stars just for getting to read about Chessie and Terrible and....
"He's my family," she said finally. Quietly. "He's everything."
sigh...and its a cute, little story as well.
**Charlaine Harris' If I Had a Hammer ~ 3 stars**
This is about Sookie and Sam helping out Tara in a remodeling project. Nice story but nothing to get excited about.
**Patricia Brigg's Gray ~ 4 stars**
I really liked this story about a vampire dealin...more
4 likes · like · see review
"Rick the Brave" by Stacia Kane: OKAY - I ONLY bought this book for this story and I had to read it right away! I needed my Chess and Terrible fix in a bad, bad way! I will eventually get to the rest but really, who cares about the other stories?? I loved seeing Chess and Terrible from a third person's POV. I understand people who rated this story moderately because they aren't familiar with Downside, but if you know and love Chess and Terrible as much as I do, you'd give this 5 stars also!
The ones who are good are AMAZINGLY good, the rest was rather horrid.
Charlaine Harris is strong in her story 'If I had a hammer'. It was middle of the road for her, but still a strong story with great plot and characters to enjoy.
Patricia Brigg's 'Mrs.Gray' was my favorite of the bunch. It's sweet, stand alone from her series and poignant. A romance! Awh. With vampires...ooh.
'Squatter's Rights' was a creepy horror story by Rocelle Krich. Scared me into fits. Had Jewish Folklore and overtones w...more
Charlaine Harris is strong in her story 'If I had a hammer'. It was middle of the road for her, but still a strong story with great plot and characters to enjoy.
Patricia Brigg's 'Mrs.Gray' was my favorite of the bunch. It's sweet, stand alone from her series and poignant. A romance! Awh. With vampires...ooh.
'Squatter's Rights' was a creepy horror story by Rocelle Krich. Scared me into fits. Had Jewish Folklore and overtones w...more
I read Gray by Patricia Briggs and Rick the Brave by Stacia Kane.
In Gray, Patricia Briggs writes about a vampire who purchases a haunted condo/apartment that she lived in while human. Although, this story doesn't have any of the characters from the Mercy Thompson books, the vampires appear to have the same rules and mannerisms as the vampires from that series. She is hiding from the seethe in Chicago. This vampire, just wants to be left alone in her apartment where she can feel close to the hus...more
In Gray, Patricia Briggs writes about a vampire who purchases a haunted condo/apartment that she lived in while human. Although, this story doesn't have any of the characters from the Mercy Thompson books, the vampires appear to have the same rules and mannerisms as the vampires from that series. She is hiding from the seethe in Chicago. This vampire, just wants to be left alone in her apartment where she can feel close to the hus...more
Another anthology; a big anthology; another book with hits and misses.
If I Had a Hammer 1.5 stars
It felt childish and awkward and not old Sookie-style.
Wizard Home Security 3.5 stars
Some laughs, but the villain was kinda obvious as soon as the second robbery occurred.
Gray 4.5 stars
A sad but sweet story, with an interesting take on vampire hierarchy and powers.
Squatter's Rights 1 star
Interesting concept, but repetitive and lame ending.
Blood on the Wall 3.5 stars
Cute tale, but needed a bit more bac...more
If I Had a Hammer 1.5 stars
It felt childish and awkward and not old Sookie-style.
Wizard Home Security 3.5 stars
Some laughs, but the villain was kinda obvious as soon as the second robbery occurred.
Gray 4.5 stars
A sad but sweet story, with an interesting take on vampire hierarchy and powers.
Squatter's Rights 1 star
Interesting concept, but repetitive and lame ending.
Blood on the Wall 3.5 stars
Cute tale, but needed a bit more bac...more
An anthology of 15 short stories revolving around home improvement.
Series:
If I Had a Hammer, Sookie Stackhouse, 11.5??
Through This House, October Daye, 4.5
Rick the Brave, Downside, 3.75??
Full-Scale Demolition, Spellcrackers.com, x.5
The Stories
Charlaine Harris' If I Had a Hammer was a blip into Sookie's life. More particularly an incident involving a remodel of a few rooms in Tara and J.B. Du Rone's home to accommodate their twins, Robbie and Sara.
Victor Gischler's Wizard Home Security is a clev...more
Series:
If I Had a Hammer, Sookie Stackhouse, 11.5??
Through This House, October Daye, 4.5
Rick the Brave, Downside, 3.75??
Full-Scale Demolition, Spellcrackers.com, x.5
The Stories
Charlaine Harris' If I Had a Hammer was a blip into Sookie's life. More particularly an incident involving a remodel of a few rooms in Tara and J.B. Du Rone's home to accommodate their twins, Robbie and Sara.
Victor Gischler's Wizard Home Security is a clev...more
Review brought to you by OBS Staff Member Angie
Beware of spoilers
The awesome team of Harris and Kelner are back again with a creative compilation of stories from some of our favorite authors. Home Improvement is the fourth collaboration of this sort from this literary “dynamic duo.”
The basic idea is this. Harris and Kelner contact a bunch of writers and ask them to write a story that combines the characters from their supernatural worlds with an ordinary theme of the mortal world. In the case of...more
Beware of spoilers
The awesome team of Harris and Kelner are back again with a creative compilation of stories from some of our favorite authors. Home Improvement is the fourth collaboration of this sort from this literary “dynamic duo.”
The basic idea is this. Harris and Kelner contact a bunch of writers and ask them to write a story that combines the characters from their supernatural worlds with an ordinary theme of the mortal world. In the case of...more
Review for "Rick the Brave," a Downside Ghost novella, only.
*4 stars*
Cute short story set in Downside, from the POV of Rick, an electrician and a new character, who is coming to Downside to make some fast, fat cash helping with some home renovations. Imagine my smile the second it was mentioned that a "hulking" man was involved in the renovation as well. *sigh* Before too long, however, a ghost arrives on the scene, and Terrible calls in his one and only Debunker to help with the situation. Of c...more
*4 stars*
Cute short story set in Downside, from the POV of Rick, an electrician and a new character, who is coming to Downside to make some fast, fat cash helping with some home renovations. Imagine my smile the second it was mentioned that a "hulking" man was involved in the renovation as well. *sigh* Before too long, however, a ghost arrives on the scene, and Terrible calls in his one and only Debunker to help with the situation. Of c...more
Nov 21, 2011
Crystal
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
short-story-collection
Yuck! I picked this up at the library because I've enjoyed writing by Patricia Briggs and Charlaine Harris, and have a book waiting to be read by Melissa Marr, all of whom are featured in this book.
First story was the Sookie story by Charlaine Harris. a simple, kind of harmless story, that while in the Sookie universe, had no real influence on greater story plot. It was good.
Then I read the one by Patricia Briggs, Gray. it was an interesting vampire/ ghost story...seemed to be functioning by th...more
First story was the Sookie story by Charlaine Harris. a simple, kind of harmless story, that while in the Sookie universe, had no real influence on greater story plot. It was good.
Then I read the one by Patricia Briggs, Gray. it was an interesting vampire/ ghost story...seemed to be functioning by th...more
1 like · like · see review
I only read three of the short stories in this anthology and only really liked one of them. I am sooooo glad I waited to get this from the library instead of paying for it.
"Gray" by Patricia Briggs; 4 stars. I really enjoyed this short story about a vampire going back into the home where she murdered her husband and dealing with his ghost. It was well written and the only one of the three shorts I read that was really worth reading.
"If I Had A Hammer" by Charlaine Harris; 2 stars. Honestly I do...more
"Gray" by Patricia Briggs; 4 stars. I really enjoyed this short story about a vampire going back into the home where she murdered her husband and dealing with his ghost. It was well written and the only one of the three shorts I read that was really worth reading.
"If I Had A Hammer" by Charlaine Harris; 2 stars. Honestly I do...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance
Home Improvement: Undead Edition features short stories by mystery and urban fantasy authors, all focused on some aspect of home renovation, and the stories range from excellent to merely ho-hum. Because it includes stories by some of my favorite authors I was really looking forward to its release, but it’s a hardcover book, which means I went into sticker shock when I saw the price. If you’re only interested in a few of the stories...more
Home Improvement: Undead Edition features short stories by mystery and urban fantasy authors, all focused on some aspect of home renovation, and the stories range from excellent to merely ho-hum. Because it includes stories by some of my favorite authors I was really looking forward to its release, but it’s a hardcover book, which means I went into sticker shock when I saw the price. If you’re only interested in a few of the stories...more
This collection was a bit disappointing, not as good as I remember Death's Excellent Vacation being. I think the main disappointment was that the new Sookie story was a bit of a let down. It didn't feel like it fit in the Sookie-verse, plus there wasn't a single vamp to be found. Many of the stories were related to series I haven't read, but they were still complete enough to give me a sense of the world. One that really stood out was Suzanne McLeod's "Full Scale Demolition," which featured elem...more
It seems very weird to me that someone had an idea for an anthology about supernatural characters and home improvement - I'm not sure I've ever thought about my favorite supernatural books (like Harry Potter) involved in any type of construction or home modification. This anthology, like almost all of them, had a few good short stories, but most of them were awful or simply confusing. At this point I'm going to review by story, just because hopefully that will help people figure out which storie...more
There were some truly great stories in this anthology (am I using that word right?). I picked it up because Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and I trust that I'll like almost anything with her name on it. There was a story or two that just didn't strike my fancy, but that's okay because ERMAHGERD I discovered Suzanne McLeod! Oh my wow. This girl can build a world and write a story that captivates you and leaves you wanting for more. I found out after reading that the story in Home...more
Sep 12, 2011
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anthologies-and-collections,
fantasy-fiction
I was tempted to give this a 2 or 2.5 but the stories I liked, I really liked, and I didn't read many of them in full. I was going to go in order, but I decided to list the ones I liked most first.
S.J. Rozan's "The Path" was an excellent story featuring Buddhism and the pilfering of antiquities. "Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich was excellent and chilling. Toni L.P. Kelner's story was a nice, quirky way to wind up the anthology. I liked "The Strength Inside," a story about the difficulties o...more
S.J. Rozan's "The Path" was an excellent story featuring Buddhism and the pilfering of antiquities. "Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich was excellent and chilling. Toni L.P. Kelner's story was a nice, quirky way to wind up the anthology. I liked "The Strength Inside," a story about the difficulties o...more
I picked up this book because I love short stories and really like Charlaine Harris, and the funny thing is, her Sookie Stackhouse story which kicks off the book is one of the weakest stories in the group probably a 2 1/2 star out of 5.
The second story, Wizard Home Security by Victor Gischler was a strong 3 star.
Gray by Patricia Briggs was a 4 star story, I will be looking up more of her stories.
Squatters Rights by Rochelle Krich was wonderfully creepy - another 4 star.
Blood on the wall by Heath...more
The second story, Wizard Home Security by Victor Gischler was a strong 3 star.
Gray by Patricia Briggs was a 4 star story, I will be looking up more of her stories.
Squatters Rights by Rochelle Krich was wonderfully creepy - another 4 star.
Blood on the wall by Heath...more
Stacia Kane "Rick the Brave" - I had to read this first as I have been craving more Chess & Terrible adventures in Downside! This shirt story was funny, and gave you a hint of the wonder that is romance with Chess & Terrible!! A fun edition to one of my favorite series! 5/5
Charlaine Harris "If I had a Hammer" - quick read, but didn't reach out and grab me as a page turner. I read the first Sookie book and felt the same way...this short story did not change my mind. 2.5/5
Victor Gischler "...more
Charlaine Harris "If I had a Hammer" - quick read, but didn't reach out and grab me as a page turner. I read the first Sookie book and felt the same way...this short story did not change my mind. 2.5/5
Victor Gischler "...more
For those people who picked up this book just for the Sookie Stackhouse story and aren't planning on reading any futher, you're wasting your time. Charlaine Harris is getting extremely lazy with her writing and can't even keep up with her own universe. It was probably one of the worst stories in the whole book.
If you're willing to read a bit further and branch out into some other authors, there are some real gems here. A couple of the other stories had a bit of poor editing, a few barely made it...more
If you're willing to read a bit further and branch out into some other authors, there are some real gems here. A couple of the other stories had a bit of poor editing, a few barely made it...more
If you thought remodeling your home was hell, you ain't seen nothing yet. Home Improvement the Undead Edition is a pretty varied collections of stories some urban fantasy and a few horror. Many of the authors here offer shorts connected to their long running series, which is fun for us fans. On the whole though, this is a pretty mixed bag, there are some stories that I just slogged through side by side with some that I really enjoyed. I found that my favorites on the whole were ones by authors t...more
Ev tamiratı işlerini konu alan tematik bir antoloji. Elbette doğaüstü karakterler mevcut. Antolojiyi charlaine harris'in sookie stackhouse kısa hikayesi ve patricia briggs'in vampir kısa hikayesi gray için okudum.
*Sookie'nin hikayesi son derece bayıcıydı. Sookie ikiz bebekleri olan arkadaşı tara'nın evini bebek odası açmak için sam ile birlikte düzenleme işine girişiyor. Tara'nın kocası JB 'de onlara yardım ediyor. tamirat sırasında üseri kurumuş kanlı bir çekiç buluyorlar ve olaylar gelişiyor....more
*Sookie'nin hikayesi son derece bayıcıydı. Sookie ikiz bebekleri olan arkadaşı tara'nın evini bebek odası açmak için sam ile birlikte düzenleme işine girişiyor. Tara'nın kocası JB 'de onlara yardım ediyor. tamirat sırasında üseri kurumuş kanlı bir çekiç buluyorlar ve olaylar gelişiyor....more
An anthology of modern urban fantasy writers that works around the theory of how would you fix a house if you had, say, ghosts in the attic or an unhappy spirit in the walls or the house just didn't want you there.
I usually buy these to find new authors to read - one of the previous ones was where I first of Seanan Maguire. Charlaine Harris's Sookie story was very good (much better than her last 2 books actually) and Seanan Maguires October Daye story was a great read also, I enjoyed Patricia Br...more
I usually buy these to find new authors to read - one of the previous ones was where I first of Seanan Maguire. Charlaine Harris's Sookie story was very good (much better than her last 2 books actually) and Seanan Maguires October Daye story was a great read also, I enjoyed Patricia Br...more
An anthology featuring tales of haunted home repair and surreal estates. As with all anthologies, this one had good, mediocre, and bad all in one.
The Good:
Gray by Patricia Briggs - A vampire story set in Mercy's world (but without Mercy). New characters and a lot of fun.
Squatter's Rights by Rochelle Krich* - A couple is remodeling a house that turns out to have ghosts trapped in it which are poisoning the wife's mind. Very creepy.
The Mansion of Imperatives by James Grady* - Some friends buy a ho...more
The Good:
Gray by Patricia Briggs - A vampire story set in Mercy's world (but without Mercy). New characters and a lot of fun.
Squatter's Rights by Rochelle Krich* - A couple is remodeling a house that turns out to have ghosts trapped in it which are poisoning the wife's mind. Very creepy.
The Mansion of Imperatives by James Grady* - Some friends buy a ho...more
3.5 stars
Usually the anthologies i read have four stories in them. This one had considerably more, and I think it is a good bargain. The good stories far outweigh the bad.
Patricia Briggs - Gray 5 stars: A hauntingly beautiful tale of a vampire and a ghost and their past history.
Victor Gischler - Wizard Home Security 4 stars: A rather funny story about a burgled wizard and the home security he buys
James Grady - The Mansion of Imperatives 2 stars: A hot mess of a story
Heather Graham - Blood on t...more
Usually the anthologies i read have four stories in them. This one had considerably more, and I think it is a good bargain. The good stories far outweigh the bad.
Patricia Briggs - Gray 5 stars: A hauntingly beautiful tale of a vampire and a ghost and their past history.
Victor Gischler - Wizard Home Security 4 stars: A rather funny story about a burgled wizard and the home security he buys
James Grady - The Mansion of Imperatives 2 stars: A hot mess of a story
Heather Graham - Blood on t...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q&A with Stac...: RICK THE BRAVE | 40 | 79 | May 06, 2012 03:39am |
Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was wr...more
More about Charlaine Harris...
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was wr...more
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