Books: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Sarah (whose blog has some to-die-for food pictures, NSFD- not safe for diet) got me interested in True Blood, an HBO series based off of the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris.  The series was addictive, and before long I'd watched a great deal of every episode available for human consumption.  For my birthday, I'd asked to give the foundation books a go, and I've been eating them just as quickly!

The books center on the first-person narrative of Sookie Stackhose, a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana's only successful bar, Merlotte's.  Sookie is a twenty-something everywoman, except that she has a "disability" - as she calls it - of telepathy.  When Bill Compton, a vampire walks into Merlotte's, Sookie cannot read his thoughts and finds his silence blissful.

The books (and subsequent HBO series) do the in medias res thing I like so much.  Vampires have "come out of the coffin" and are (mostly) doing their best to fit in with the mortal population, baring the ability to walk in daylight, lest they burn into flames (as they should, Ms. Meyer).  Vampires may be old hat to big cities like New Orleans, but Bon Temps is a whole different story.  This is a helpful literary tool because it allows the reader to gain some backstory on vampires through some of the residents' naivety.

As a reading experience, Dead Until Dark was much closer One for the Money and Evanovich's other Stephanie Plum books, that is to say: funny, witty, with a side of mystery whodunnit thrown in for good measure.  Harris doesn't shove anything down the reader's throat, nor is the revelation a sudden change in direction.  The ending of Living Dead in Dallas did seem a little rushed, but that's my only compliant - and it's minor.  These books are edible and DELICIOUS.

True Blood on the other hand, is a different monster entirely.  The show follows the basic plot points from Harris' text, but spreading a couple hundred pages over 13 full episodes does require some fleshing out.  If you are a fan of the show, you'll likely enjoy the book, but they are not the same.  Whereas the HBO series is dark, sexual, and violent, Harris' books are more fun, and about the relationships (especially between Sookie and her vampire suitor, Bill - and a much-sexier-than-I-had-given-him-credit-for-because-I-didn't-find-the-actor-attractive, Eric).

It's been a perfect summer read, and if you have any interest at all, I'd say you need to sink your teeth into this series.  It's to die for: Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)