Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
![Let’s talk breather books [H&H Post]](http://vampirebookclub.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/HandHlogo-300x75-9431_200x75.jpg)
Remember my ho-hum reaction to Kim Harrison’s A Perfect Blood? Yeah. I labeled it a breather book, because I’m not willing to give up on Rachel Morgan just yet. We’ve gone through this time and again — more than once with Sookie Stackhouse — and so I’m over at Heroes & Heartbreakers talking about what makes a breather book. Read the post, then join the discussion. ![Why I’m Team Eric [H&H post]](http://vampirebookclub.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/HandHsidebar-14580_200x200.jpg)
I’m over at Heroes & Heartbreakers talking about everyone’s favorite Viking vampire Eric Northman. Fans of Charlaine Harris’ books (now you’re thinking about Dead to the World) and True Blood may want to read this one. A tease: I crack jokes about my affinity for all things Alexander Skarsgard, but I’m going to admit something to you: He’s not the reason I love Eric Northman. I’d be falling all over... 
From VBC: It’s hard not like a ruthless and devoted Viking vampire. Just ask Fiktshun, who wrote the Character Love Letter to him. Like me she can’t help but want Sookie to always pick Eric over Bill in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series. Plus, he’s a hottie to the point the closest they could get to play him on TV was the jaw-droppingly delicious Alexander Skarsgard. Read on to find out just why... 
Here’s the deal, readers: I like shifter books, too. I know. Shocking. But while I may be an expert on vampire books, my friend Kelly is the queen bee of shifter novels. Oh, she loves her heroes furry. It made sense to ask her to write up the favorite shifters for part of this week’s ongoing chats about favorite paranormal beasties. Other key things to know about Kelly: she runs the blog Reading the... 
Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner Published: Aug. 2, 2011 (Penguin) Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars I have a hit-or-miss record with anthologies, especially those including more than five stories. However, Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner consistently manage to pull together a quality collection of short stories. I... 
Anthologies tend to be hit or miss with me. The collection of multiple authors’ works can either be a great gateway to new voices (that’s how I discovered Vivi Andrews), or something that can’t hold my attention long enough. For the sake of this discussion, there are two types of anthologies: those including a few novellas and others featuring a bevy of short stories. The novella anthos, which include...
Last month, I re-read Charlaine Harris’ Dead to the World. It’s my favorite book in the series (and for many of you, as well), and I was nervous to see it adapted to television this summer on True Blood. Find out how I think they’re doing and just what the HBO show will need to do to keep me happy in my first post for Heroes and Heartbreakers: True Blood Ultimatums: Sex or Plot, It’s That... 
Sorry for the lack of post yesterday. I have a few reviews to get done for y’all, but I’m recovering from a concussion. (No, I don’t have a cool story. I fainted. It’s boring and, yet, still totally scary. I’m fine. But it limited my computer time and creativity.) I’m officially on the mend, and expect to have all sorts of reviews, features and giveaways right around the bend. Get your Downside fix I’ve... 
We’re ready for tomorrow’s premiere of True Blood’s season 4. We’re also nervous because we so very much love Charlaine Harris’ Dead to the World, on which the season is loosely based. Regardless if you’re a fan of the TV show, too, we want to chat about the novel. This month’s group read gave us Sookie Stackhouse becoming more ingrained in the supernatural world, getting tougher and getting busy with a... 
