[megan]

If there is already a True Blood discussion going, please feel free to point me in that direction.

So who watches the show? Reads the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris? Prefers one to the other?

I personally began watching the show on HBO because a good friend of mine suggested it be our "new" show, as Nip/Tuck had jumped the shark. Not initially a vampire story fan, I quickly was hooked. After the season was over, the first Kindle book I bought was the first installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, so I am quite excited about the Book Klub. I am trying not to compare the two, but I enjoy both the show and the books in their own right. I also am enjoying a new found genre- vampire fiction!

 

[Jack C]

I'll usually take at least a peek at any new show HBO makes, since so much of the original programming they make seems to be worth watching, to me.

I hadn't heard of the southern vampire series at all up until that point. I was probably halfway through the season before I realized that this show was based on at least one book! So I went hunting...

I looked through two libraries near me, & couldn't find any of Charlaine's books, so I ended up getting two of them in audiobook form, online - I was entertained by them. I believe they were the first two.

 

[megan]

Same here Jack-O. I didn't realize they were based on books until much later in the series. I typically prefer books to TV shows, so I was especially excited about the books. I have only read the first book so far, but it seemed the show followed the book very closely. I wonder if this will continue throughout the series?

 

[robin.goodfellow]

Howdy Megan!

My two BFFs and I have been reading the Southern Vampire series since they came out. lol, yeah, we're those girls. So when we saw the first ad for TrueBlood, we were all very excited. Jess and Ivy were even more excited, b/c they actually have HBO, and I do not. We had a True Blood weekend this year, and watched the entire series together to that point (like 6 episodes) right before we went to Oktoberfest.

We also, in an unrelated note, sacrificed a rotisserie herb chicken. It didn't help. We're all still extremely single. It's like a curse that we can't break. But I digress.

But, we all love the show, and thought it was remarkably close to the book (the first one). Except for the Tara character, but we all agreed that Tara was a much better character in the show than in the books. The book Tara lets things happen around her, and the TV show Tara seems to be a lot more pro-active about her own fate. We hope she stays that way.

Spoiler

The book Tara character has some bad things happen to her later in the series, but we're hopeful that the TV Tara will handle them better.

We're all very hopeful about season 2, b/c there's more Eric in season 2. Ah, Eric.

Did you know that all 8 of the Sookie books are on Kindle? (click here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_kinc?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=charlaine+harris) I started reading them a while back, and was getting the order from Jess. Jess, who is both disorganized and constantly on the road (in the interest of full disclosure, I am also disorganized. I am also lazy, which is how I missed books 4 and 5 the first time around.). So when I had a cold last week, I stayed in bed and read them all. Which turned out to be a bad mistake, b/c book 9 won't be out until May, so I am probably going to wear out my carpet pacing off the days til May.

If you like the Sookie series, you may also like books 1-5 of the Anita Blake series by Laurell Hamilton (if you're a bad porn fan, you might like books 6-18 of the same series, but consider yourself warned: the AB books have been getting unbelievably stranger for a while now.). You might also like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. No vampires, but she has Ranger. Ah, Ranger.

I hope you'll join in on the Dead Until Dark discussion starting in January. It should be fun!

~robin

 

[Guest]

My road to True Blood is a strange one. It all started with the Sci Fi channel. They advertised a new show called the Dresden Files, based in Jim Butcher's books.

The show looked very good so I had to read the books before it started. I read most of them before the series started and loved them. I wanted more books like them an I came across the name Charlaine Harris.

I ordered her first 3 books bound together in one volume and loved them. I became addicted to the Sookie Bookies(my name for them) I was excited to see HBO was going to air a series based on the books.

I didn't have HBO at the time but I had watched previous HBO series on DVD and loved them. (Rome and Deadwood for example both are great)Seeing the quality they put into these shows made me think TB would be great. With some minor things, it was a great first season.

The biggest difference for me between the show and the books is the show was much rawer. The books were told through Sookie's point of view so they don't see a lot of the things we saw on the show.(egg plant anyone?)

Hated Tara at first but by the end of the season, I really got to liking her. As a guy, I am looking forward to seeing more of Pam. i really liked her in the books.

After I finished the Southern Vampire series, i found Kim Harrison and her Rachael Morgan/the Hollows series. Told from the main character's point of view, it's an excellent series about a witch bounty hunter and her 2 partners, Ivy, a living vampire and Jenks, a cranky pixie.

I am a Kim fan boy. She's my all time favorite author and I've gotten to meet her! There are pictures of that posted elsewhere on the forums.

Through Kim, I found Vicki Pettersson. She has the Signs of the Zodiac series. I'm a member of her forum and when True Blood was running we all gathered in the chat room to have ab on line viewing party. That was a lot of fun.(I do the samething on another forum for Heroes)

Other good authors in this genere are Patricia Briggs, Kelly Armstrong and Carrie Vaughn. All of them have been kindlelized for your reading pleasure and all are very very good...to me anyway.

Season two of True Blood begins shooting soon an i am so looking forward to it. Amazon has season one up for preorder but it looks a bit expensive for a 13 epi series.

Lastly I got the idea for my AV from that picture on the TB cover.

 

[marianneg]

There was a Dead Until Dark discussion on the Book Club board a while back. And there is a book club planned for the series, although I don't remember when it was supposed to start.

 

[Lotus]

I watched the show on HBO. I wasn't that into it when it first started, but I did start to enjoy it a few episodes in. I don't think I'll read the books, though. Somehow, once I've seen the series/movie, I don't want to read the books.

 

[cheshirenc]

I've read all the "Sookie" books and several of the other books Harris has written.  I didn't even know the series was out until there were only 3 episodes left.  I was bummed I missed them.

 

[sharyn]

You might also like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. No vampires, but she has Ranger. Ah, Ranger.

~robin

Babe.

Sharyn

 

[chobitz]

Am I the only one who DOES NOT buy Anna Paquin as Sookie? Yes I love the show (if I watch it without comparing the show to the books) and I have season 1 preordered. BUT I am sorry I cannot picture Paquin

Spoiler

killing the were bitch whats her name

and that is VERY important for the Sookie/Eric storyline.

Don't get me started on tv Bill vs book Bill. TV Bill is too nice and gentle. Book Bill is a class a JERK who needs to be staked. He isn't even a main character past book(season?) 3.

Now TV Eric and Book Eric, which BTW is my favorite character, seem similar enough. But he

Spoiler

better have amnesia on the tv show like in the books

or I will be an unhappy eric fan!

All I have to say is "Submit to me Sookie" that line when said on the show or eric calling sookie "My lover" will send chills down my spine.

Does anyone else see Eric a combo of Edward (twilight) and Lestat?

Sorry I would be a proud fangbanger

 

[bkworm8it]

Babe.

Sharyn

Hey, don't do that! It make my toes curl!

theresam
yip a Ranger fan! well ok I like them both.....what's the other guys name LOL!

 

[robin.goodfellow]

Babe.

rofl. Exactly.

The other guy is Morelli. I'm not so much a Morelli fan. I mean, he's okay if you're into that kind of thing. But Ranger...

Babe.

The Dead Until Dark book club starts January 21.

Chobitz,

Spoiler

Debbie was the werebitch she killed with a brick

. but thanks, now I'll never be able to read her name again without snickering. I am so going to pass that on to my other TrueBlood friends.

 

[Vegas_Asian]

I've been seeing charlaine harris's books in Border's for years, but I never picked it up. Vampyre recommended the books to me (cuz I am also a Kim harrison fan) when I first entered the board. I finished the books by the end of the week thanks to my kindle. the moment I finished one book I just ordered another. Now I'm just waiting for the next book.

I also read janet evanovich's Stephanie Plum series

 

[Guest]

I've read all the "Sookie" books and several of the other books Harris has written. I didn't even know the series was out until there were only 3 episodes left. I was bummed I missed them.

I think there is a TB marathon scheduled for New Years day. Set up your preferred method of recording and get ready for some fun!

 

[Vegas_Asian]

I watch it on the internet..lol. It as good as on demand

 

[megan]

Robin-
I'm a huge Stephanie Plum fan, but I'm more a Morrelli girl than a Ranger girl. I actually waited a month or two to read Dead Until Dark because I had an inkling that Santa was bringing me a Kindle and I wanted to hold out until I got it. Needless to say, Dead Until Dark was my first Kindle purchase and now I'm hooked. I will have to give the Anita Blake books a try but it may have to wait until I get through the (in Vampyre's words) "Sookie Bookies". Love that Vampyre! I also felt the same way about TV Tara. I hated her at first but by the finale she had grown on me. Hopefully I will exude some amount of self control and slowly read books 2-8 so that I'm timed correctly for book 9 in May and there is no anxious pacing! Also- it's all I can do to keep from looking at the spoilers

 

[Vegas_Asian]

AnitaBlake!! One of the first vampire series I read. I have most of the series in DTB format.
I am a Rafael fan. (don't know why. just always liked him) as for Richard...don't get me started with him. I'm not a fan of his.

StephaniePlum- I think Ranger is cool, but I like Morelli.

SookieStackhouse- I am a TV Sam fan, but then I am a Eric book fan.

Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan- I am a Kisten fan.

 

[Vicki]

OK - I have to confess that I have never read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books nor have I seen the series.
You all have me SO curious now that I have added the DVD to my Amazon wish list and am thinking that I need to
read the books. 

 

[bkworm8it]

I've read all but the last Sookie book. Love them all! I'll have to see if netflix is carring the series as I don't get HBO I get netflix instead

Anyhoo, loved all the books so far and just dying for Eric

Spoiler

to remember or get a clue

.
I like Anita Blake a lot until about book 5 or 6. If books can 'jump the shark' like TV series do than I'd say it did. I'm still going to continue because I want to know who some of the characters turn out. I'm just not into that much sex in my books. OK mostly I'm single and not dating and its soooo not nice to tease a person!!

I have to say Sookie is my favorite vamp series so far.

and Oh... I'm rooting for Morelli, with just a little Ranger on the side

theresam

 

[chobitz]

OK - I have to confess that I have never read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books nor have I seen the series.
You all have me SO curious now that I have added the DVD to my Amazon wish list and am thinking that I need to
read the books.

The plot:

After the invention of synthetic blood vampires came of of the coffin and announced their existence. Two years later a small town waitress meets her first vampire and discovers unlike other people she cannot read their minds. Because of her gift of reading minds tons of different beings want to use her. Some become her friends, some her enemies and some become her lovers.

Technically they are supernatural mysteries. Heck the first book is an out and out murder mystery.