30 Days of Me: Day 13 - A fictional book

This seems a bit repetitive as in Day 4 of this meme it asked me to share my favorite book with you guys... so I'm going to put a slightly different spin on this one and share what's on my current reading list since I have several fiction books I'm hoping to get through.

Currently I am reading "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith. I believe this is the second book by Grahame-Smith (his first being "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies") and surprisingly it can be found in the Humor section of Borders.

The story is told in narrative, as in the prologue narrator explains how he came into possession of the rumored missing journals of Abe Lincoln in which in them (as we read excerpts from throughout the book) Honest Abe recounts how vampires exist, were responsible for his mother's and grandfather's death, how he planned to slay every last one of them and how the vampires fit into the Civil War. However on his quest he learns that some vampires aren't all bad as one saves him from death and the continues to help him out by passing along the names and locations of "bad" vampires that deserve to be slayed.

In a chapter I recently read, he also comes into contact with Edgar Allen Poe, whom he almost mistakes for a vampire. Poe, it turns out, has met quite a few vampires as he has his morbid fascination with death - in one humorous moment, Lincoln asks Poe if he plans to have them turn him someday, to which Poe exclaims "God no! Who in their right mind would WANT to prolong their life on this dreaded earth?"

It's definitely an interesting book and it plays with your mind a bit as it comes off as being biographical and non-fiction, but again, you have to keep telling yourself that it is fiction - vampires don't really exist... or do they?

I'm a little over halfway through it and it's taking me awhile which I'm not sure why. I think part of it is that historical books tend to bore me and while once I'm reading it, I'm into it and look forward to reading what happens next, but it's just a matter of making myself pick it up.


Next up on my list is "A Touch of Death" by Charlaine Harris, which includes 5 Sookie Stackhouse Universe short stories that Harris had written for various compilation books. (A 6th short story, titled "Two Blondes" which is about Sookie and Pam, recently came out this summer in a new compilation Harris was involved in).

In the introduction it explains what order these short stories fall into when it comes to placing them in the original series. In one story we meet Claudette - Claudine and Claude's triplet who dies before we ever meet her in the original series. In another story that takes place prior to book 6 we meet Vampire Queen of Louisiana Sophie-Anne and Sookie's cousin Hadley (whom we never actually meet in the books).

It looks like a pretty fun book and I'm sure I'll read through it quickly like I have with all the other Sookie Stackhouse books. Hopefully it'll hold me over til the next season of True Blood starts or until book 11 in the series comes out.


Another one on my list is "Dear American Airlines" by Jonathan Miles.

This one came back in 2008 and I remember first learning about it through an email I got from Borders listing some of the newly released titles that were recommended reading. It sounded interesting and I planned on purchasing it but just never got around to it until I checked out Border's tent sale this summer and found the paperback version of it for just a few bucks, so of course I had to get it!

The book is about a dad who has been estranged from his family for years and he's traveling to get to his daughter's wedding when his American Airlines flight is delayed, making him think he'll miss the wedding. In his anger at missing what he feels could be his last chance for redemption with his daughter, he starts writing an angry letter to the airline company but then begins reevaluating his life and relationship with his family... it sounded interesting!


Also on my list is "World War Z" by Max Brooks. I've mentioned this one before - I first learned about it when one of my employees at the theater was reading it and let me read the back cover. It sounded pretty interesting and I had been meaning to get myself a copy of it for awhile.

This book is an oral history of the Zombie War. Say zombies started popping up and attacking people like you see in the movies, however the human race was able to ban together and fight back, putting an end to the zombies in an all out war? Well this book recounts the tales of what happened via survivors of the Zombie War.

Apparently it is being made into a movie in which Brad Pitt has signed on to star in it. Should be interesting!


And finally, "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. I don't know too much about the premise of this one but I like the works of Neil Gaiman that I've read/seen and I hear that this one is supposed to be really good! I actually borrowed this one from my mom and sister, as they both read it and it must be pretty good if my sister read it as she's not big on reading and/or finishing books for fun.

From Amazon.com, the synopsis states:
"Richard Mayhew learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times."

I figured it was worth a read as I've heard nothing but good things about it!


I also plan on picking up "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson as I saw last week Walmart has the packback for under $7. I've heard several people in Blogland just rave about the book as well as others on Facebook and Twitter so I figured it's worth checking out.

I've read the back of the book and it sounds interesting - an uncle is searching for his niece who went missing nearly 40 years ago and enlists the help of a mysterious younger girl (I presume she is the girl with the dragon tattoo).

I like mysteries and if this one is as good as everyone says it is, I'm sure I'll like it. I know there's a foreign movie version of the book, however I recall hearing that they're making this one into a big budget movie also.


What's on your reading list?