Down These Strange Streets-edited by George RR Martin-Review

Down These Strange Streets edited by George RR Martin

I love anthologies... and I always pick up the ones that have a Charlaine Harris story in them so I had to read this and it was GREAT!  Here is the goodreads description: 

All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy. In this all-new collection of urban fantasy stories, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois explore the places where mystery waits at the end of every alley and where the things that go bump in the night have something to fear... Includes stories by New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Simon R. Green, S. M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn, as well as tales by Glen Cook, Bradley Denton, M.L.N. Hanover, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Joe R. Lansdale, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Melinda Snodgrass, and Lisa Tuttle.

These stories were great! I loved the mysteries and got introduced to so many new authors. One of the things I really liked about this anthology is that the stories were much longer then I am used to. Instead of taking 15 minutes to read a story could take an hour or more. Which means I got to know the characters so much better. Zombies, witches, murder, just all the stuff that makes urban fantasy fun. The stories take place from Babylon and ancient Rome to colonial Jamaican slave revolts to the Aleutians during WWII to Victorian England to modern-day Denver.

This book is quite expensive though, and I did get my copy from the library.  It is also long so be ready to put some time into it. I am looking for anthologies similar to this one so if anyone has a suggestion please tell me about it!!  

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Charlaine Harris

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelnew

I love these anthologies! Goodreads description: 

The editors of the New York Times bestselling Death's Excellent Vacation bring home a new collection...with a never-before- published Sookie Stackhouse story! There's nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who's ever wondered, "What's that creaking sound?" or fans of "how to" television who'd like a little unreality mixed in with their reality shows, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner return with an all-new collection of the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself. Sookie Stackhouse resides in these pages, in a never-before-published story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. And New York Times bestselling authors Patricia Briggs, James Grady, Heather Graham, Melissa Marr, and nine other outstanding writers have constructed more frightening and funny fixer-upper tales guaranteed to shake foundations and rattle readers' pipes.

I have really enjoyed all the books of anthologies that have been edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner.  They find some great authors and set up a theme where these authors write little short stories about the theme.  This book did not let me down.  In fact, one story made me want to go out and read one of the authors series! I loved the humor in this book. 

I will say the Sookie Stackhouse short story was OK.  That is probably one of the main reasons that someone is going to buy this book.  I kinda would like to see Harris write a short story about something other then Sookie.  But she only has two more books so one can only hope.

Can't wait to see what the next anthology will be about!!  Here are the other anthologies everyone should check out!