Jolenes Reading Information Blog

As I stated in one of my previous entries. I like to re-read my favorite books each year. The best is when there are several of the same character. Laurell K. Hamilton writes the Anita Blake series and currently has 16 books out with the great female character with a new one being released in June of this year. The first story, Guilty Pleasures (Buy a box set = Laurell K. Hamilton Set – Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned and The Lunatic Cafe) was first published in 1994. I just got through re-reading the entire series last weekend. I probably should have waited until the first of June to read them again but I am in-between projects right now and low on funds so I am trying to be good and just read during my off time.

These stories are packed full of fun, adventure, mystery and after the 5th book has some very interesting love scenes. The series centers around a female character who is in her mid 20s, short, black hair, buxom but fit and has some strong values and, of course, would like everything to go her way. She is a typical 20-something female in the modern era living in St. Louis except she raises zombies for a living and on the side she assists the local police with cases involving supernatural bad guys. Meanwhile she is trying to cope with being a single woman dating a Vampire, a werewolf and later on in the series living with two leopardmen as well as dating the vampire – Master of the City- and sometimes dating the werewolf – Ulfric or Clan Leader. She has to cope with the stress of the police work and the “good-ole-boy” code, a pushy boss who wants all of her time devoted to raising zombies and making him money, the demands of her boyfriends and their weird relatives, as well as trying to keep fit so that she can outrun the bad guys. Later in the series the vampire hunters are granted Federal Marshall status so that they can hunt bad guys across state lines. This is a help as well as a hindrance for her. She also has an edge. She is what is known as a necromancer with the ability to control all of the “dead”. As her power grows so does her enemies.

This story also touches on the problems of those of us who work nights. Granted she has been taught that zombies can only be raised at night and one of her boyfriends is only alive at night but she also has to deal with friends who call when she has only had two hours of sleep, sales people who call during the day when you forget to turn the answering machine on and in the beginning of the isolation that comes from not being on everyone else’s schedule. For me I just turn the phone off, wait till the kids are off to school, and call my friends and relatives first thing in the morning. And, I like her attitude about life in general, if you can’t do anything to change the bad things happening right now deal with what you can one thing at a time.

These stories will take you out of your stress-filled days and entertain you as only good stories can. These books appeal to both men and women, young as well as old alike. And by old I mean those who are over 100 as are most of the vampires in this series. So, if you feel that you are different and just don’t fit in anywhere just remember somewhere out there there are more people like us we just have to find a way to connect. As these books are about those who are different from the norm each of us can find someone to connect with if we keep trying, reading, researching and participating. Life is an active exercise!