Kelley read and liked Shannon's review of Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1):

"I'd never heard of these books until a few months ago, and as usual, once one person recommends them, everyone seems to be talking about them, you see them everywhere, and you get curious. They're in the fantasy section, though for some bizarre reaso...more I'd never heard of these books until a few months ago, and as usual, once one person recommends them, everyone seems to be talking about them, you see them everywhere, and you get curious. They're in the fantasy section, though for some bizarre reason I was under the impression, at first, that they were YA and silly. They are fun, but they are definitely for adults. The vampire/mystery style reminds me of the one Anita Blake book I read, the first one, which was horrible (can't say that enough times) - the similarities aren't obvious or anything, but perhaps because Dead Until Dark isn't paranormal romance, and it's not like The Turning or the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Anita Blake is the closest comparison.

Oh but this book is soooooo much better! After a slightly rocky start in which the writing confused me a bit (something that also reminded me of Guilty Pleasures, perhaps unfairly), the story really gets going and in new and surprising ways.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at a bar in Bon Temps in Louisiana. She has what she calls a disability: she can read minds. She's spent her young life trying to guard against the babble of other people's thoughts, and because of the level of concentration that takes she never did particularly well at school and never went to uni. But she likes working at Merlotte's, likes living with her Gran since her parents died, even though she can't have a relationship - it wouldn't be fun hearing what a man thought of you while being "intimate", would it?

She's also fascinated by vampires and has been waiting to meet one since they "came out of the coffin", so to speak, and became legal citizens. One night her wish comes true: a vampire called Bill (!) comes into Merlotte's and, joy of joys, his mind is silent. She can't hear a thing. Finally a man - an undead man, true - she can relax with.

But while Sookie and Bill are trying to have a normal relationship, working class women are being murdered in the area and while at first it looks like vampire work, soon the police are looking at Sookie's womanising brother Jason. On top of that, the most powerful (and dead gorgeous) vampire in the area, Eric, has his eye on Sookie and her ability for his own uses.

Dead Until Dark is a great mix of urban fantasy and mystery, and the crime side of the story didn't bore me a bit. I loved Bill, he was kinda adorable while also a bit unpredictable and scary (very nice), and while I didn't understand all the expressions I've seen enough movies set in southern US states that I could picture the people, places and culture fairly well. The book could have done with better proof-reading to catch all those missing prepositions and, at one point, an interesting way of spelling "complexion". There were also a few times where Sookie, who narrates, is musing about something and then another characters replies - it threw me off because it wasn't all that clear that she'd voiced her thoughts.

Sookie is a great protagonist, lively, fiesty, quirky and strong without being stubborn and bitchy, and her telepathy makes her especially interesting. She's definitely one of the better heroines of vampire novels I've come across to date. I loved Sam too, and Dean was great! Oh and the Elvis thing was funny too, though I was a bit slow in catching on. Anyway, if vampire books aren't your usual cup of tea, you might want to try this series because it's very enjoyable and fast-paced, yet with nice slow moments where you get to enjoy and understand the characters (so good character development, always important). So I guess this means I'm joining the Sookie Stackhouse bandwagon?(less) "

Kelley read and liked Asymmetrical's review of Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story:

"I was ready to like this memoire, even have a good whine along with the author if that's how it turned out. This book could have been as bad as all the people who gave it one star say it is, and I still would have liked it okay. But it's worse than...more I was ready to like this memoire, even have a good whine along with the author if that's how it turned out. This book could have been as bad as all the people who gave it one star say it is, and I still would have liked it okay. But it's worse than that.

But it's obvious that the book is full of downright lies! It's not just that people behave in unlikely ways, though they do. She describes crunching through the leaves on the first day of school, and being bullied by the football team after their practice in spring. But leaves don't fall at the beginning of September, and football is long over by springtime. If she can't even make the concrete details plausible, I can't believe the rest of the story is anything other than junk.

Toward the end she describes going back to a reunion, and telling one of her tormentors that she's writing a book "based on" her experiences. Loosely based, I'd say. She's taken whatever really happened to her and colored it pathetic. (less) "

Kelley read and liked Rebecca's review of Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story:

"This book was very good and I enjoyed it alot. It was about this girl named Jodee (also the author), and her experience of growing up during middle school and highschool. Jodee was bullied terribly all through her teen years and this story is very ey...more This book was very good and I enjoyed it alot. It was about this girl named Jodee (also the author), and her experience of growing up during middle school and highschool. Jodee was bullied terribly all through her teen years and this story is very eye-opening, but also very detailed and sad. She started off as a normal, popular, well liked girl in elementary school, until she started to hang out with the "retarted" kids. Not only did she start to hang out and help them, but she would stand up for them. From that point on, her life started to go downhill. Her friends left her, and people called her names like "retarded." Eventually she switched schools where she was able to star an entire new life. Everyone liked her and she immediately fit into the "popular" group. Jodee thought that her life was wonderful again and that she would be able to fit in again. She was so popular and liked that she as even invited to all of the parties. Which turned out to not be such a great thing. To her it probably seemed like every time she stood up for something that she believed in, or the "right" thing, she was then treated unfairly. At the party, things start to get a little wild and uncomfortable to her, and Jodee makes the mistake of calling her mother and asking her to pick her up. Not only does she ruin the entire fun and destroying the party, but the entire class hates her. Absolutely hates her. They bully her and spit on her in the hallways, cracking nasty little jokes rigt in front of her face. They barge into her locker and steal her brand new sweater- where she finds it later trashed and covered with sticky liquids. People physically bully her also, kicking her in the legs, shoving snow down her throat, and more. Jodee's parents don't understand why their child doesn't fit in, and decides that she needs to see a psychiatrist. This is exactly what Jodee needs and wants. Not. This horrifies Jodee and she doesn't understand why her parents can't just see what her problem is, and that its not her fault. Her parents decide to have her transfer her to a different school again. Her life starts off normal again as usual, but there is always something that happens that seems to throw her off, and once again she finds herself lost and hated. However she decides that it would best that her parents don't know about her state of being. Jodee's life is miserable, and all that she can think of is getting out of highscool to college. I think that this story was very sad, and if I were Jodee in her situation I would have probably killed myself during highschool because she was treated SO badly. This was a very good book and very inspirational. It will teach others about what it's like to be bullied, but also educate the bullies about what they are doing to other people and the world around them. This book never got boring and kept me turning the pages. :) (less) "