Reading Challenge of 2010: May

Five months into my great reading challenge of 2010 and I've completed 22 books! Almost halfway through my total and we're almost halfway through the year. So far so good. Check out my May reads!


Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

I’ve been so excited for this book to come out! It’s the tenth installment of Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series. It’s your typical human girl loves a vampire story, but throw in fairies, telepaths, werewolves, werepanthers, and more and you have Sookie-verse. I was hooked from book one. Nine books later, Harris’ does not disappoint. As Sookie continues her vampire “marriage” with hunky Eric, things seem to be going well in her personal life. Her fairy cousin, Claude, has moved in for company and she’s spending some time with her telepathic newphew, Hunter. But of course, all is not well. Fresh dead bodies are appearing on Sookie’s land, and it appears someone has it in for her. To make matters worse, Eric’s maker returns and starts some trouble of his. One of the reasons I love this series is that I just love Sookie. She’s smart and sassy. She says what she thinks and genuinely cares for people. She just has the bad luck to be attracted to the undead. It’s a great series, and just a fun read.


Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

My book club selection this month was Weight of Silence. It’s the story of two little girls who meet tragedy. Callie has been silent since she was four years old. Petra, her best friend, became her voice. The two girls were of one soul. When one early morning both girls go missing, the parents fear the worst. The small town of Willow Creek is turned upside down, searching for the girls. Blame is placed on everyone. And no one knows the truth. Weight of Silence is told from the perspective of several characters, which I felt really moved the story along. When one character’s first-person narrative would end, another character in that scene would pick up their own first-person narrative. I felt invested in each character. I felt this book was everything Into the Woods wasn’t. A story of missing children, the search for a killer, it’s all there, but Weight of Silence leaves the reader with a payoff and closure, not necessarily a happy ending, but an ending nonetheless. While dark and emotional at times, I really enjoyed this book. It was a very entertaining read.



Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

This book is the first in a long series by Mankell featuring detective Kurt Wallander. A series I’m sure to be reading more of. Faceless Killers is the story of a sleepy farmtown in Sweden that is struck with a brutal double murder. Wallander and his team investigate, hoping for quick justice of a needless crime. Their wish does not come true, and months pass before Wallander is able to find closure on this case. The story weaves beautifully through twists and turns of the investigation, ups and downs of Wallander’s personal life, and the final payoff of justice. I’ve become quite a fan of the Swedish crime novel, and Henning Mankell is revered as one of the best. Having read this book, I can see why.