A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

As promised, I read an actual Sookie Stackhouse novel for this review.  If you need some background as to what I am talking about, click here.  And please don't make fun...at least to my face.

I do, however, have one tiny confession to make.  I couldn't find any "firsts" of Ms. Harris's books at the library, so I decided to check out A Touch of Dead instead.  You see, I have this thing about reading books in a series IN ORDER.  I cannot stand to read a series out of order.  It is something of a familial trait, I guess.  I blame my mother.  I probably should have waited until I found a first in one of her Sookie Stackhouse series, but I am impatient. (Consequently, that is not a familial trait.  Can I blame my husband, instead?)  Reading the jacket, I found out that this is a collection of short stories about Sookie.  In fact, it is every short story about her all in one book!  Perfect.

As I mentioned in my last review, it seems like everyone has read at least one Sookie book.  When I talk about books (I have lots of nerdy book friends, you see) her character comes up a lot.  I could see the attraction to Sookie's character I have heard so much about almost immediately.  She's fun.  She's brave.  She's surrounded by some downright unique characters in her life and always manages to keep seeing the good in them, even when they drive her crazy.  I like her.  Oh and she is a human telepath.  That's just cool.
 
There are five short stories in this book and I have to say, I liked all five.   My favorites were "One Word Answer" and "Gift Wrap."   "One Word Answer"  follows Dead As a Doornail and is when Sookie finds out that her long-lost cousin Hadley is dead.  The entire short story takes place in Sookie's front yard and finds Sookie in the middle of a conversation with four vampires, including the Queen of Louisiana.  That' right, the vampires have queens.  I had no clue.

"Gift Wrap" takes place before Dead and Gone.  Sookie is alone for Christmas which made me sad.  Then, she found an attractive naked man in the woods behind her house, which made me intrigued (and a little jealous).  The end of the story was touching and sweet (there was a grandparent involved) and that made me happy.

I hope this review serves as some sort of redemption for me.  It might also serve as an apology to Ms. Harris (and Snooki, I guess) for my past character discrepancies.  I can't decide because it is late and I am getting tired. Staying up late is a familial trait, too.  Why do I have a feeling my daughter will be blaming ME for that someday?