Book Trends: Vampires

The latest and greatest trend in books right now is paranormal fiction. It's not for everyone, but many readers are hungry for all things supernatural. This subject has been hot for some time now, thanks in large part to the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse series'. Bella, Edward, Jacob, Sookie, Bill Compton and True Blood are all virtually household names at this point. Most likely you've at least heard of them, if not read all the books, watched every movie/episode and Googled your way to every fan site available. If you can't wait for the next Sookie book or True Blood episode and don't know what to read now that the Twilight saga has come to a close, sink your teeth into one of these popular works of vampire fiction:

*Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton (Adult Fiction) - Vampire hunter and detective Anita Blake lives in a world where most people think the undead are just humans with fangs - but she knows better AND she carries a captivating secret of her own.

*Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward (Adult Fiction) - A war rages in Caldwell, New York between vampires and their slayers. A secret band of vampire brothers, called the Black Dagger Brotherhood, solemnly defend their race and dare to find love in a dangerous world.

*The Hollows series by Kim Harrison (Adult Fiction) - Bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan works to keep Cincinnati, and herself, safe from supernatural lawbreakers.

*House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast (YA Fiction) - 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's life is forever altered when she is "Marked" by a vampyre tracker and starts to "Change" into an actual vampyre. As if that weren't enough, she must leave her family and friends to live at the House of Night - a boarding school for young vampyres.

*Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Adult Fiction) - Sparks fly in a romantic triangle between psychic TV writer Meena Harper, Romanian history professor/vampire Lucien Antonescu and vampire hunter Alaric Wulf, all while a vampire war brews in NYC.

*Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine (YA Fiction) - When 16-year-old Claire Danvers starts college early, due to advanced placement, she soon has worse problems than making friends and adjusting to new courses. Along with her school, Texas Prairie University, Morganville is also home to vampires and vampire hunters. Claire must band together with three unique friends to survive.

*Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (YA Fiction) - Best friends Rose (half-human/half-vampire) and Lissa (mortal vampire princess) must defend themselves against the dangerous enemies out to get them, along with navigating peer pressure, gossip and new relationships at school.

*The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith (YA Fiction) - This series was the inspiration for the popular CW show of the same name. A dangerous love triangle ensues when popular high schooler Elena meets handsome, but dangerous, vampire brothers Stefan and Damon.

Have you read any of these? Do you have a favorite vampire book/series?

Detectives by the Book

Avid readers can attest to the fact that many movies and television shows are based on books. For example, three incredibly popular movies, Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone and Shutter Island, were all based on books written by Dennis Lehane. The list of movies and television shows based on books is impressive, but this post is all about detective fiction that has been translated to the small screen.

There is something intrisically interesting about solving a mystery. Keys to success in both detective series' and TV shows include quirky characters, puzzling crimes and an evolving storyline...of course, some romantic tension never hurts. Shows based on books already have a built in audience - the legions of fans who love the books. Who wouldn't like to see their beloved characters in real life? This doesn't always keep a show on air, however, as was the case for Women's Murder Club - the ABC drama based on James Patterson's series of the same name that only ran for a year. Other stories enjoy long-lasting popularity in both book and TV format.

*Here are a few TV detective shows based on books:

Bones (FOX) - based on the Temperance Brennan series written by Kathy Reichs and based on the author, herself

Jesse Stone made-for-TV movies (CBS) - based on Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (HBO) - based on Alexander McCall Smith's series by the same name

Rizzoli and Isles (TNT) - based on the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series by Tess Gerritsen

*On the flip side, here are some books that were inspired by TV shows:

Heat Wave by Richard Castle - based on the ABC show Castle

Mr. Monk series by Lee Goldberg - based on the USA Network show Monk

Murder, She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain - based on the CBS Network show Murder, She Wrote

What are your favorite detective novels and/or TV shows?

Roller Derby

Roller Derby is on the rise! This action-packed, full-contact sport is the fastest growing female sport in America. Have you heard of it? Chances are you know a roller girl, are a roller girl or have at least seen Whip It. If your curiosity is peaked, read on for a quick intro to this wildly popular sport and links to more resources.

History
-The birthday of Roller Derby is August 13, 1935, the day that Chicago promoter Leo Seltzer debuted The Transcontinteal Roller Derby. It was initially started to compete with the Dance Marathon mania and was meant to be an endurance test. Teams of one man and one woman took turns skating 57,000 laps. It caught on in a flash, attracting 20,000 viewers in just the first week.
-Roller Derby was transformed in 1938 when New York sportswriter Damon Runyan saw some competitors get jumbled up during the race. He mentioned to Seltzer that making the event full-contact and keeping score might increase audience numbers.
-During the 1950s, television helped add to the popularity of Roller Derby. The show's fan base increased and legends were made out of competitors such as Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn.
-Roller Derby's popularity lagged in the '70s, while the gas crisis and overhead costs caused Leo Seltzer's son (who had taken over the business) to shut down the show. Several promoters tried to revive Roller Derby, but none had any staying power.
-The game was successfully resurrected several years ago, through the tenacity of all-girl leagues rising up around the country. Today's Roller Derby is more of a sport, with female athletes paying to play, training throughout the week and following a fixed set of rules, enforced by referees.

Rules
Roller Derby has a defined set of rules. Here is a brief summary:
-Teams are made up of ten players, with no more than five players on the track per team - One Pivot, three Blockers and one Jammer.
-The Jammer has a star on her helmet and her role is to score points by passing opponents.
-The Pivot has a stripe down the middle of her helmet and sets the pace for the pack.
-The Blocker sets up plays to help her teammates or sets up blocks for opposing Jammers.
-There are a total of four referees - two Jammer Referees and two Penalty Referees.
-The game consists of four eight-minute periods.
-Play begins when the first whistle blows and starts the pack. The Jammers begins when the second whistle blows. Jams can last up to 60 seconds or when the lead Jammer calls it off.
-There are rules regarding leaving the track, penalties, legal and illegal blocks.

Resources
-Pamela Ribon, author of Going in Circles (which she amusingly refers to as Eat, Cry, Shove), wrote a very interesting article for Oprah's website called Show Me Who You Really Are: How Roller Derby Can Save Your Life. The article discusses her experiences playing roller derby, especially in conjuction with her divorce.
-A&E has a site devoted to its show Rollergirls, where much of the information for this post was found. It includes a history of the sport, rules, lingo and profiles of some real roller girls.
-The Women's Flat Track Derby Association has a comprehensive website featuring info about leagues around the country, FAQs, news, stats and more.
-Get to know the local Roller Derby organization - the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls - by visiting their website.
-Check out Whip It, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut starring Ellen Page. This movie is about a small-town girl with big dreams who finds an outlet on the Roller Derby rink.

Great Summer Reads: International Literature

Avoid luggage fees and traffic by experiencing the world through these great reads. From Germany to Syria and beyond, each of these books transport the reader to a unique place and time. Peruse the list of suggestions, along with highlights from a Publisher's Weekly review, and place a hold today!

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - "Fans of Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind and new readers alike will be delighted with this gothic semiprequel."

Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky - "...a stark, moving tale of resiliency and survival."

The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas - "Adamsberg's indirect approach, his ability to sense cruelty and to let solutions percolate to the surface make him one of the more intriguing police detectives in a long time."

The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami - "...despite the grim plot line of revenge, this is essentially a joyous book, an exile's book of love and a surprisingly fast read."

Delhi Noir edited by Hirsch Sawhney - "Few books can alter one's perception about the state of a society, but this does, while delivering noir that's first-class in any light."

The Disappearance at Pere-Lachaise by Claude Izner - "...the increasingly tight plot and several deftly constructed characters keep the story moving."

Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolano - "One of Bolano's first novels, this already displays his brilliant, alchemical gift for transmuting the dead-ends of life into sinister mysteries."

Once on a Moonless Night by Dai Sijie - "It's fitting that a story of a love affair with language should be written so beautifully."

The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum - "...Fossum sets in motion an inevitable collision that's as unsettling as it is unexpected."

The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho - "Coelho's latest blends spiritual allegory with elements of a thriller..."