MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

When I was young we only had one t.v. I know, I know, deprived children that we were. And, more than that, Dad was the one who ran it. Not the kids. But every Friday night Mom would let us watch a movie - it was usually something similar to Animal Planet but back then it was called Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

And there was always a lion or a crocodile chasing Jim across the field, through the water, or where ever he was heading.

But the big treat of the night - aside from the movie - was popcorn. We all got to have a bowl of popcorn, sometimes even two. And we'd even get to have a glass of pop. My choice back then was Coca-Cola or what we now call Coke.

Those were the simple times.

Today there are so many choices it can seem overwhelming. HBO, Showtime, Disney Channel, and that doesn't even include the other 400 channels offered nightly.

Kids are bombarded with choices today. Some times I wish we could step back in time, to the simpler days. Especially at the holidays when we're all so busy getting ready for that one big day.

What simple memories do you have of growing up and the holidays?

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

I sat down a few weeks ago to watch a show with my husband and daughter, which is a rare occurrence in my house. Usually, I’m reading a book or writing. Anyway, we were watching True Blood on HBO, when I got a little uncomfortable. I mean I turned to my 20 year-old daughter and said, “Can they do that on T.V.?”

She shook her head, like I must be an alien pod person, and said, “It’s HBO.”

I said, “Yeah, but can they do THAT on t.v.?”

She looked at me like I’ve been living in a cave or something and groaned, “Duh. They can do whatever they want.”

So anyway, I’ve been enjoying the series but a friend told me the books are even better. So I ran out to my local Borders and bought Dead Until Dark.

It’s a quick read at 292 pages. And I read the entire book on my airplane ride from North Caroline to Portland, Oregon.

So, you can grab this story and finish it in no time. And, to be honest, I liked the story better in the book than on t.v. Not that the actors aren’t all gorgeous on HBO but Sookie Stackhouse comes across as a smarter character in the book – at least to me. And, Bill Compton seems stronger in the novel than in Hollywood.

This isn’t a Twilight experience even though it has romance and is a vampire novel. It’s more complicated in some ways.

In Dead Until Dark the vampires have “Come Out of the Closet” and are living amongst the humans. They drink synthetic blood – or at least the ones who are “mainstreaming” and trying to live their lives without sucking off the humans around them. Plus, there are more characters with special abilities than were found in Stephanie Meyer’s books. Sam is a shapeshifter and Sookie is a clairvoyant and – I have a feeling – there’s more to it than that.

VB (Vampire Bill) and Sookie seem like star-crossed lovers. They both are unique and drawn to each other. But, VB isn’t all good. He’s got one wicked temper when pushed too far. And, with super human strength, a bad temper is a real BAD thing.

I just bought the second book in the series, Living Dead in Dallas, and I’ll update you all after I read that story.

But, if you like a quick story that keeps you turning the pages, Dead Until Dark is a fun book to pick up. And if you don’t have time for a quick story, you can always turn on the t.v. and watch the HBO show. But, remember, the books are better.