Southern Vampire Mysteries

[Ginx]

I started reading the series after getting a free copy of the first book at the True Blood panel at SDCC. I enjoyed it quite a bit so I'm making my way through the book series. I've been watching the HBO show also but I have to say that I'm enjoying the books a lot more.

Any fans of the books?

[Dyanara]

I tried to read those books but they were so horribly written. I guess Ive been spoiled by Anne Rice.

[slayer]

well although i have never read the anita blake series, for i heard of it's dramatic digression, i do adore the sookie stackhouse novels. i find sookie to be a breath of fresh air after having diluted my mind by reading the twilight saga. sookie is a much stronger character than bella.

i read the series after being continuously pestered to watch True Blood. it took me about 4 episodes to even decide that i would finish out the season. after having watched the season and enjoying it for the most part, i was lent the first seven books. the first season was pretty much a rough outline of the first book, Dead Until Dark. after reading the first book, i ended up reading one sookie book per day, for a whole week. either the extremely captivating plots (i doubt it) or eric northman, kept me reading. i hated bill so much i just kept reading, hoping he would get a stake through the heart.

i don't find Harris to be a horrible writer. she is very descriptive, which is often wasteful. when she would start describing sookie's clothes or hair - i would just skip ahead to the next paragraph. otherwise, Harris' writing techniques come very close to being like that of an experienced romance novelist - like Nora Roberts. the pacing is fast, it's not intellectual reading, it can evoke emotion, etc..

i'm reading Rice's Interview later this semester, so after i read it - i''ll let you know which i prefer. i'm taking a vampire lit class and we are reading Harris and Rice back to back to back with Meyer (all examples of our modern vampires compared with works like Varney, Dracula, and Carmilla.

[obsessedwithsv]

I've read Dead Until Dark and I'm part of the way through Living Dead in Dallas, but honestly, I find them horribly written as Dyanara said. There's something about Sookie's narrative that just seems immature and annoying in my mind as I'm reading. The needless bracketed thoughts trying to offer some humour just really grate on me and I have very little motivation to trudge through the second book already. I have to say that I'm a far greater fan of the True Blood tv series and Anne Rice books.