I Read While Dripping Blood

It is creepy doing human type things during the day, staying away from bright sunlight and easing casually amongst the growing number of Goths out for a stroll - or a much needed airing going by the smell. Being a vampire does have its special moments, like wafting like a ill breeze through my closest Borders and speed reading a novel or two.

Holly Black, an apt name when I think about it, drew my hand away from a woman's throat and caused my fangs to quiver with a different kind of expectation. 'White Cat' from Gollancz is, despite bans on such practices, a magical journey of discovery, of crime and of course criminal families; and trust me, I have known a few over the centuries. There is a brooding darkness and constant threat that, for me, slowed the flicking pages long enough so I could absorb even more of the style, scenes and mood Holly Black has created. I oohed and ahhed a few times much to the chagrin of the store owner, who already knew better than to interrupt a vampire while enraptured. 'White Cat' in a way is a strange beast with comparisons made with great dark fiction writers, but I feel Holly is unique enough to be deserving of her own comparison; she writes like herself and I am well pleased by this. But the question for the reader will not be will you buy this book, but more, will you survive it?'. With the care of someone of great age, I slipped the book into my bag and gave the owner a wink of 'put it on my bill'. He never complained, didn't dare too. I knew what I liked and he appreciated his life enough to allow my simple shopping method.

Not far along the shelf a book barely having time to even collect the finest dropping of dusty time is something I have actually been looking forward to, almost as much as my nightly feed from the purveyors of interesting services. 'Dead in the Family' by Charlaine Harris literally levitated into my hand and I took the whole thing in via osmosis, submerged my very being into the slick, pacy and colourful world. Sookie Stackhouse would indeed make a good meal for me, she is so clean of mind, direct of person and strong of blood and indeed this is about blood, family blood. This is another Gollancz book that delves even deeper in a world only I know too well - okay, in reality it is quite different to Harris' depictions, but who is splitting teeth here?

The world of Bon Temps Louisiana is wild, alive and bristling with weirdness, tension, sex and even more weird - good weird mind you. Though this is yet another Sookie Stackhouse novel (True Blood TV Series is based on the books) I always find myself journeying anew into the redneckish backwater. If this story had been set in NYC it wouldn't work, it would lose to depth and colour, the vibrancy of the characters and the heat and bugs - did I mention bugs... maybe I'm just remembering good times. 'Dead in the Family' is a must grab, a must read and of course warm a bottle of True Blood in the microwave while you are at it.

The colour green isn't my favourite, it often brings back memories of some feeding I had on a party of Green Peace activists in the forests in Tasmania. I know it is all in my head, but their blood tasted like celery and I really don't like vegetables. That being so, the colour stood out a little way down the shelf, and given I was starting to draw a crowd - biting a man on the wrist as he headed to the coffee lounge tends to draw attention, even in the city - I did a flash take on Orbits 'The Eternal Prison' by Jeff Somers. I admit it is harder and edgier than the works I have just mentioned and at times the stories and characters are very unforgiving, but true to form, as shown in 'Electric Church' and 'Digital Plague', Jeff exploits fear and tension to maximum effect. I remember when I was only new to this walking dead vampirish life, I was brutal and harsh, never caring for what transpired about me, and I can comfortably say 'The Eternal Prison' does a fist clenched good job of that brutality. You will flinch, gag and feel more than just a little uneasy here but you will also be compelled and dragged through the story all the way to the gripping end. Yes, it was a reflect to grab the green cover, but it was a good moment in the sun.

The sun is setting and security, despite the owners own cautions are getting quite uncomfortable with my person and the few drops of blood on the yellow carpet. It will wash out I whisper across the room. The owner winks, for he has cleaned up before. I have purchased 3 books this day and I will sleep beneath my bed after feeding long and hard on the people of the city and once more savor these interesting literary feasts. Until I dare walk amongst the great walls of books again, sleep well, and lock the door. I am hungry, always hungry.