“Poor lumpy Maudette, with her bitten thighs, was more interesting in death than she’d ever been in life.”
“Dead Until Dark: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries Book One” by Charlaine Harris
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris have been on my To-Be-Read list ever since the HBO show based on the books, True Blood, came out in 2008. Not having HBO, I never really got into the show, but I’ve heard good things about both media versions of these Sookie Stackhouse stories. And then it just sort of fell to the back of my mind as something to get to eventually, but not exactly a priority.
Fast forward several years later, and there’s the first book of the series sitting on the train station book cart. Exchanging it for the first book of another series (Resident Evil, anyone?), I claimed it for my own, took it home, and had it finished within the same week. Yeah. I was a little astonished at how quickly I devoured this book, especially considering how I’m always reading about eight books at a time. But the story kept me interested, I enjoyed Sookie as a narrator, and definitely intrigued to see how it gets interpreted for television. I have a feeling I’ll prefer the style of the books from what I’ve heard, but there’s only one way to find out.
There were times when the story, especially the love story between Sookie and Bill, made me groan and roll my eyes, bordering slightly on Twilight territory, but, overall, I enjoyed the setting Harris is working from and the characters she’s developed. Sometimes, the characters seemed a little too watery for my tastes, though you definitely feel quickly mired into Sookie’s world. The South and Vampires are always a classic combination; it’s nice to move out of New Orleans for a little bit and examine a different aspect of that culture. Due to having some friends who are fans of both the books and the show, I know a little bit about what’s in store for the series, but not everything, so I’m going to eagerly be keeping my eye out for the next book to show up.
Books read: 010/100.
L.S. Engler 
When watching the TV show, I HAVE to pretend it has nothing to do with the books. I started reading the books a long time before the show came on, and when I found out there was going to be a show based on the books, I was SO happy. But the series is NOTHING like the books. The show is over the top, sexually graphic, and gross. And I can’t stop watching, even though I keep saying I will. LOL.
I hope you enjoy the books. I don’t remember how far I got in the series before I abandoned them to start reading more indie books. 🙂