Humpday Joy and Delights

Greetings and salutations Humpday nation! You all are kicking some butt and taking some names....or at least that's my plan when I wake up. Usually after a few cups of Joe, I am good to go. Of course, where do we go on a rainy day after Mother's Day weekend???? Back to the grind but those 5 minutes of pure unadulterated appreciation on Sunday were nice. And there were some interesting moments from the weekend to keep me snickering and giggling through the hells that are Monday and Tuesday (aka second Monday of the week....)  To reward all those hard working mom's (kids, cats, dogs, friends, whatever ) I shall share with you some delish eye candy....por vous, merci!
Saw the Avengers on Saturday....serious eye candy people!  And very funny - took the whole family - everyone had a blast.  Of course, once you get through paying for movie tickets, popcorn and drinks you have half a car payment anymore, but that's a soapbox for another day......

Speaking of another day, guess who continues to carry on another day...and another....and another - yes, our dear gal Sookie Stackhouse.  Apparently I was also feeling quite masochistic this mother's day and started in on the latest Charlaine Harris offering in the Southern Vampire series, Deadlocked.

Deadlocked - Southern Vampires #12 , Charlaine Harris, Ace Publishing, May 2012

It’s vampire politics as usual around the town of Bon Temps, but never before have they hit so close to Sookie’s heart…

Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.

There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard—especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Sookie, Sookie, Sookie.....when will you ever learn?  I, like many true Harris fans, persist in buying this series on release day, dropping everything to gobble up every last morsal.  And, lately, they have been giving me some serious mental indigestion.  Perhaps my world view has been irrevocably altered by the twisted inner workings of Alan Ball's mind (although I really do try to pretend they are TOTALLY different series since he went so far off roading by Season 2, I have no earthly clue where things are headed), and perhaps I am frustrated with the ever present push me-pull you contest between Bill and Eric for Sookie's affections.  Not to give storylines away for those dear readers who haven't waded through Dead Reckoning, but seriously - I wasn't even sure there would be a Sookie and Eric after that ending. 

So, on the plus side - once again, Harris manages to skillfully suck (no pun intended) the reader into her web of vamp/were/fae intrigue, politics and romantic foibles.  The story line zigs and zags all over like a backwoods country road and there are quite a few potholes along the way.  The mystery that seems to be re-cresting with the world of the fae and that hot mess of a strip club run by cousin Claude really needles the reader.  The obvious set up of dead girl in beginning of the story seems like a familiar story line but the players have all changed (aside from the core crew) and once again Trust is paramount issue number one.  Who can Sookie trust. What motives are bay? Totally frustrating for our little telepath and reader alike that she cannot read the bloody vamps and weres who are wreaking havoc on the barmaid's never stable world....can't they just let that poor child tan and read a book in peace?

On the con side - once again, Harris manages to skillyfully suck (yes, pun was intended that time) the reader back into the nearly incestuous world of Sookie.  While life seems to move forward for everyone else: Jason gets engaged, Tara finally has the twins, Sam and Jannalyn (shudder - cant talk about it), for Sookie it seems all things just keep happening over and over and over. There is no doubt about her love for Eric, and she has softened her stance on Bill by allowing him back into her life, but the tasty part fae gal just can't seem to have a day without drama - it's like the periles of Pauline!

If you haven't read this series but love True Blood - by all means, check it out!  It is well written and highly entertaining.  The characters are so creative, and there are so many little elements of Southern charm that pop up in the most unexpected places, it will bring a smile to you face as you read.  If you have been following this series all along, then by all means stick with it - you can feel the web tightening and it does feel like a conclusion is looming on the horizen (although Ms. Harris's blog page does not commit to a final number, I feel there aren't too many more out there).

I give Deadlocked four chocolate dipped strawberries and a nicely warmed bottle of True Blood - B positive (hee hee)!