Book review!
Aug. 23rd, 2009 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theatokosWhat have I been doing with my time in Santee? Reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris! I give a huge shout out to snowcalla for the recommendation! I even got my sister hooked on them. I have now read all that are available in paperback and I think I'm going to go out and by the most recent in hardback. Gotta finish before I move abroad!
Obviously, I enjoy these novels tremendously. They are the perfect brainless summer reads. Brainless in the sense that they are not literary fiction and the writing doesn't aim to be. It's light, it's breezy, but the characters are compelling, the plots fast paced, interested and many layered, the occasional sex steamy, and occasionally it's laugh out loud funny. Twilight wishes it was so good. Ok, maybe it doesn't. But these books are definitely the choice for those that like vampires but want a little more maturity.
The premise is that vampires have "come out of the closet" and in a small town in northern Louisiana a telepath, Sookie Stackhouse, meets a vamp and her entire life is altered. Along the way we discover an entire world of were-animals, shifters, fairies, and other beings. The plots are entertaining, though sometimes far fetched. Occasionally I wonder how Sookie hasn't had some serious burn out. But it's the characters that are so engaging, particularly Sookie. She is the antithesis of Bella. She's pretty, sure, but she's 26 - a woman. She is supporting herself. She's looking for the right guy, but not willing to settle for just anyone. I'd go so far as to say she's feminist, but I get the feeling that she wouldn't ever use that word to describe herself.
Another difference between these books and Twilight is that the vampires have their own internal conflict. Each one is a fully fleshed character. They let us know that they are fully ensconced in the vampire world, but some are struggling to remember their humanity. This struggle is especially compelling to me.
These are the books that True Blood is based on. What's amazing to me is how well the show keeps to the original books while still adding and changing some things. For example, in the books Lafayette (who I LOVE in the show) is not a very big or well defined character. In the books, "V" doesn't play much of a role. And yet, both of those changes are entirely appropriate. I notice that some of the scenes are even word for word from the books. Alan Ball is amazing.
I suspect that among serious fans there are "Teams" just like for Twilight. Team Bill, Team Eric, Team Quinn, Team Alcide..... I think I'm voting for Team Eric.
Obviously, I enjoy these novels tremendously. They are the perfect brainless summer reads. Brainless in the sense that they are not literary fiction and the writing doesn't aim to be. It's light, it's breezy, but the characters are compelling, the plots fast paced, interested and many layered, the occasional sex steamy, and occasionally it's laugh out loud funny. Twilight wishes it was so good. Ok, maybe it doesn't. But these books are definitely the choice for those that like vampires but want a little more maturity.
The premise is that vampires have "come out of the closet" and in a small town in northern Louisiana a telepath, Sookie Stackhouse, meets a vamp and her entire life is altered. Along the way we discover an entire world of were-animals, shifters, fairies, and other beings. The plots are entertaining, though sometimes far fetched. Occasionally I wonder how Sookie hasn't had some serious burn out. But it's the characters that are so engaging, particularly Sookie. She is the antithesis of Bella. She's pretty, sure, but she's 26 - a woman. She is supporting herself. She's looking for the right guy, but not willing to settle for just anyone. I'd go so far as to say she's feminist, but I get the feeling that she wouldn't ever use that word to describe herself.
Another difference between these books and Twilight is that the vampires have their own internal conflict. Each one is a fully fleshed character. They let us know that they are fully ensconced in the vampire world, but some are struggling to remember their humanity. This struggle is especially compelling to me.
These are the books that True Blood is based on. What's amazing to me is how well the show keeps to the original books while still adding and changing some things. For example, in the books Lafayette (who I LOVE in the show) is not a very big or well defined character. In the books, "V" doesn't play much of a role. And yet, both of those changes are entirely appropriate. I notice that some of the scenes are even word for word from the books. Alan Ball is amazing.
I suspect that among serious fans there are "Teams" just like for Twilight. Team Bill, Team Eric, Team Quinn, Team Alcide..... I think I'm voting for Team Eric.