Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

"No." I slammed my hands into the stone. It stung, but not enough. "No!" I smashed my fist into the floor. My whole arm tingled and went numb. "NO!" I pounded my fist into the rock over and over until they bled. Pain was sharp, real, mine. I screamed, "Get out of my mind! You bitch!"

I crouched on the floor, panting, cradling my hands against my stomach. My pulse was jumping in my throat. I couldn't breathe past it. Anger washed through me, clean and sharp-edged. It chased the last shadow of Nikolaos's mind away.

I glared up at her. Anger, and behind that terror. Nikolaos had washed over my mind like the ocean in a seashell, filled me up and emptied me out. She might have to drive me crazy to break me, but she could do it if she wanted to. And there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop her.

Anita Blake would love to have a normal life. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss. It's hard to have a normal life, however, when you raise zombies for a living, help solve supernatural murders, and execute vamipres on the side. Despite her busy schedule, Anita is perfectly content with her life. That is, until a series of vampire killings brings her to the Master of the City. Nikolaos is cruel and powerful beyond imagining, forever trapped in the body of a child. Now Anita must find what is killing the master vampires to save her life, along with that of her friends. What could make matters worse? Jean-Claude, a handsome and alluring master vampire, marking her as his human servant, and Edward, killer extraordinaire, arriving on her doorstep, determined to get information about where the Master of the City is hiding, even if he has to torture her to find out. It seems wherever Anita turns she has enemies. Can she fight them off on her own? She must, or everyone around her will suffer. Anita must fight for her life, and her very soul.

Guilty Pleasures is an extraordinary first novel of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter collection, unlike any other vampire series I have read. Laurell K. Hamilton will delve into your mind and completely change the way you see the world of the supernatural. Zombies, vampires, lycanthropes, ghosts, ghouls, and witches; sexual tension, odd friendships, gut-wrenching terror, and intriguing mystery; the Anita Blake series covers virtually everything, and each book will have you salivating for the next. The most recent addition to the series is Skin Trade, released June 2nd, and is book number 17. In the summer of 2010, the Anita Blake saga becomes a movie series on IFC.

Intrigued? You should be.

Tenth Grade Bleeds

Let's recap some of the school years, shall we? Eighth Grade: Bites. Ninth Grade: Slays. At least, it tries its best. And sure, biting and slaying are bad enough, but when one is bitten or in the process of being slayed, they tend to bleed. And Tenth Grade, my friends, Bleeds profusely.

The council had been clear: "Bring us Vladimir Tod and your reward will be immeasurable." They never mentioned in what condition to bring him in, had barely stressed that he should be living. Little did they know, Ignatius didn't require payment. Causing the boy's suffering--and perhaps even his death, he thought with a pleasant shiver--would be reward enough.

Meet Vladimir Tod, your average, socially awkward teenager. He's always hungry, has an amazing best friend, a beautiful girlfriend, and lives with his loving aunt. The hidden downside? His hunger is for blood, his best friend is his human slave, a frightening side of him desires to eat his girlfriend (literally), and he's a half vampire. After surviving two painful attempts at murder, Vlad is facing the fact that he may always be fighting to survive. But first thing's first: surviving highschool. With Henry hiding something from him, Eddie Poe trying to expose him for what he truly is, and having to suffer through Health Class, highschool is definitely still hell. But what is a schoolyear for Vladimir Tod without a psycho stalker trying to kill him? Incomplete.

With the third volume of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, Tenth Grade Bleeds, Heather Brewer once again amazes us with her ability to keep hearts racing and readers guessing. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is a saga that can not only be related to the lives of many teenagers, but also give them hope. Heather is a woman who knows full well how tough the lives of highschoolers can be, especially with bullying, and she captures that perfectly within Vlad, with a little extra gore. Although aimed at teens, this is a series that people of any age group can enjoy. It is terrifying, heart breaking, and witty, guaranteed to leave you thirsty for the next volume. Heather's first two novels are Eighth Grade Bites and Ninth Grade Slays.

Vladimir Tod is the ideal friend, boyfriend, and dorky highschool companion, just with a couple of fangs attatched.