"The Official 'True Blood' Vampire Thread" ...spoilers included.

[The Mystery Machine]

OMG- I just talked myself into grabbing a book! I am going to the dentist today @ 10 am and he is right next door to Borders!!! - can anyone recommend a good vampire book to start me out with??

Go for the gold standard and pick up Anne Rice, "Interview with a Vampire".
Huge series called the Vampire Chronicles.

You need to read the next one, "The Vampire LeStat" and then "Queen of the Damned".

I have the next book "Tale of the Body Thief". Haven't gotten to it yet.

LeStat is the ultimate Vampire and pretty much what is copied in today's Vampire lore.

The movies are not in line with the books of course. Although I believe that the movie "Interview with a Vampire" is Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Kirsten Dunst's best work I ever saw.

"Queen of the Damned" movie portrays LeStat well although does not stay true to the book.

The books are so rich that they changed the story.

 

[RUDisney]

I respectfully disagree with The Mystery Machine. If you liked True Blood, start with Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. The first episode was pretty true to the book, with the few exceptions noted previously.

Twilight is also a very good vampire series with 4 books to its credit. It is written by Stephenie Meyer.

Blue Bloods, but Melissa De La Cruz is also very well done. You Suck, by Christopher Moore, was laugh out loud funny in some places.

I read Interview with the Vampire and I wasn't sucked in enough to read the rest. I found Anne Rice to be the type of author who could say something in 30 words but chooses to use 300 words instead. While the overall story was good, she bored me with her use of extra words to tell the story.

As for Lafayette and Jason, I didn't see them in prison garb. Jason is the foreman of a DOT crew in his parish. Lafayette isn't on that crew and I don't recall Rene being on that crew either, but I guess it fit into the visual story better to introduce them that way. I saw their vests just being used for safety purposes and not to identify prison workers. Remember, the sheriff didn't show up until he wanted to arrest Jason. There weren't any other guards there watching the crew.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I respectfully disagree with The Mystery Machine.

I read Interview with the Vampire and I wasn't sucked in enough to read the rest. I found Anne Rice to be the type of author who could say something in 30 words but chooses to use 300 words instead. While the overall story was good, she bored me with her use of extra words to tell the story.

To each his own. You missed LeStat and he is the ultimate Vamp and what current Vamps are based on.

The comparisons are fun to do. Also it really is delving into religion which appeals to me.

 

[HonnyDipp]

I really like the show last night! I'm looking forward to next week, also, I may have to check out these books!

 

[RUDisney]

To each his own. You missed LeStat and he is the ultimate Vamp and what current Vamps are based on.

The comparisons are fun to do. Also it really is delving into religion which appeals to me.

So, suck me back into Rice's novels. The religion thing appeals to me, too. I liked the story in Interview, just not Rice's writing style. When my queue at the library dwindles again, I'll put LeStat on my hold list and I'll give her another try.

What I found interesting last week at church was that the Gospel had the line, "get behind me Satan," in it. I never knew it was from Matthew. (I'm Catholic, we don't study the Bible much.) I know that line was used in Interview and in You Suck, to name a few. I just never knew from where in the Bible it came. I thought that was interesting and mentioned it to the priest. He warned me about getting too interested in vampire fiction. I assured him that it is just a harmless pasttime.

 

[NYPDwife]

I just finished watching and I liked it! I never knew it was based on the Southern Vampire series so I'm going to have to rent those. Who wrote them and how many are there?

 

[RUDisney]

There are 7 Sookie books and several short stories. All of them are listed here: http://www.charlaineharris.com/bibliography/bibliog-sookie.html

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So, suck me back into Rice's novels. The religion thing appeals to me, too. I liked the story in Interview, just not Rice's writing style. When my queue at the library dwindles again, I'll put LeStat on my hold list and I'll give her another try.

I agree that her writing style is VERY DETAILED.... It can get dry. Not going to disagree with you there.

However she is really metaphorically explaining religion over the course of time.

LeStat is the "father" of current Vamps and Dracula is like "grandpa".

 

[NMAmy]

Oh, hey, did anyone notice that when Sookie was talking to her grandmother at the kitchen table when the grandmother picked up her paperback and folded the cover back, it appeared to be one of the books from the series?

I'll have to watch it again to be certain but it made me smile.

 

[maddhatir]

IAs for Lafayette and Jason, I didn't see them in prison garb. Jason is the foreman of a DOT crew in his parish. Lafayette isn't on that crew and I don't recall Rene being on that crew either, but I guess it fit into the visual story better to introduce them that way. I saw their vests just being used for safety purposes and not to identify prison workers. Remember, the sheriff didn't show up until he wanted to arrest Jason. There weren't any other guards there watching the crew.

I just assumed they were wearing prison vests! If they work for the DOT- they should all be standing around talking- or eating their lunch, not working! JOKING!! No flames from anyone who knows or who works for the DOT!

anyway- I thought it was Lafayette with the DOT vest- only b/c later in the show he said he was "right there and saw it happen" when Jason was arrested???

I could be wrong b/c I am so not a person that pays too much attention to detail!

 

[RUDisney]

I just assumed they were wearing prison vests! If they work for the DOT- they should all be standing around talking- or eating their lunch, not working! JOKING!! No flames from anyone who knows or who works for the DOT!

anyway- I thought it was Lafayette with the DOT vest- only b/c later in the show he said he was "right there and saw it happen" when Jason was arrested???

I could be wrong b/c I am so not a person that pays too much attention to detail!

I thought it was obvious that Jason was with DOT because he was sitting down and talking on the phone. Ha ha ha

Lafayette did say that he was with Jason and Rene when Jason was arrested. In the books, Lafayette only worked in the bar.

As for the book that Gran had in her hand, I thought it looked like a Sookie book, but then it also looked like one of Nora Roberts Key trilogy books, too. I'm not sure.

 

[mom2rb]

The part that bugged me was that Sookie could hear Sam's thoughts.

 

[bookgirl]

I have read this series so I was looking forward to this show. It's slightly more graphic than the books (visual vs reading), but that doesn't bother me at all. I liked the episode but really until I see a few of them I won't have an opinion. I expect the first couple to be a bit slow while they introduce the world and charecters, so far I like it but we'll see.

 

[bookgirl]

For those who were talking about vampire books

LA Banks- Urban Vampire (African American, crosses races and religions, very urban settings and charecters)

Stephenie Myers- Bella Saga Young Adult very safe as far as violence and sex but so lush in the writing that it is not to be missed.

Charlaine Harris-Southern Vampire series (sookie stackhouse)

Laurell k Hamilton-Anita Blake Vampire Hunter- Both sides of the world, other supernaturals, alternate reality (starts out more hunter than life in the supernatural world then switches over, also heavy sexual scenes) Also has a Fae series Merry Gentry that is great.

Maryjanice Davidson- the Betsy books think the devil meets prada (fashion wise) meets I love Lucy...if Lucy was a Vampire Queen by mistake.

PC Cast (written with her daughter can't remember her name) The house of Night Also Young Adult but a little more graphic then Myers, but a great take on the genre.

If you like other supernaturals (werewolves, demons, shapeshifters, yadda yadda yadda) there is also

Kelley Armstrong- Women of the Otherworld series charecters change and there is a whole lot of different types of supernaturals.

Rachel Vincent- Cat based weres. Stray is the first book

Patricia Briggs- the Mercy Thompson series- shape shifters wolves/vamps/fairies, Mercy is a Native American Spirit Walker who shifts.


These are my favorites at the moment. I actually do not read the LA Banks much but she has such an outstanding reputation that you have to put her on the list.

I am not a Rice fan but she is pretty much the genisis of the modern vampire tales so everyone should try her stuff.

There's lots more and I'll be glad to add to the lists if people would like some more authors.

 

[kristilew]

The part that bugged me was that Sookie could hear Sam's thoughts.

Well, only when he was actually touching her. That's consistent. Don't want to say too much as it will be a spoiler for those who haven't read the books.

To add to bookgirl's post:

WATCH OUT for the Laurell K Hamilton books after about #6. They turn into porn. Poorly written porn.

I also enjoy the Mercy Thompson series. Patricia Briggs just started a new series, Charles and Anna, that uses the same world but doesn't focus on Mercy. The first one wasn't bad.

Recently read the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance. Main character (female) is not a vamp, but they figure heavily in the plots.

 

[maddhatir]

Bookgirl- thank you for the additional suggestions! The explanantions help too! I usually stick to horror that invloves the paranormal, as in ghosts.

I went to Borders earlier today and they did not have Charlaine Harris' "Dead Until Dark". I asked the emloyee and he said the books are getting popular b/c of the series- I am not one to jump on any bandwagon- but I will check Amazon.

As for Anne Rice- I hate admitting this, I have major A.D.D. and it is SO hard for me to read things that are VERY detailed- if you say it takes her 300 words to explain something and it can be done in 30- I will be a goner! Yes- I am one one those who needs to re-read paragraphs b/c my mind was elsewhere for a while

I would like to get the Anne Rice books- on tape. That might solve my problem.

 

[bookgirl]

Bookgirl- thank you for the additional suggestions! The explanantions help too! I usually stick to horror that invloves the paranormal, as in ghosts.

I went to Borders earlier today and they did not have Charlaine Harris' "Dead Until Dark". I asked the emloyee and he said the books are getting popular b/c of the series- I am not one to jump on any bandwagon- but I will check Amazon.

As for Anne Rice- I hate admitting this, I have major A.D.D. and it is SO hard for me to read things that are VERY detailed- if you say it takes her 300 words to explain something and it can be done in 30- I will be a goner! Yes- I am one one those who needs to re-read paragraphs b/c my mind was elsewhere for a while

I would like to get the Anne Rice books- on tape. That might solve my problem.

Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld has ghosts in it. Expecially once you get to book's Industrial Magic, Haunted, No Humans Involved and the new one not out yet Living with the Dead.

She has also started a Young Adult series where the protaganist is a 16 year old necromancer(talking to the dead/reanimator) named Chloe those books are The Summoning and the second is coming out titled The Awakening.

 

[bookgirl]

Well, only when he was actually touching her. That's consistent. Don't want to say too much as it will be a spoiler for those who haven't read the books.

To add to bookgirl's post:

WATCH OUT for the Laurell K Hamilton books after about #6. They turn into porn. Poorly written porn.

I also enjoy the Mercy Thompson series. Patricia Briggs just started a new series, Charles and Anna, that uses the same world but doesn't focus on Mercy. The first one wasn't bad.

Recently read the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance. Main character (female) is not a vamp, but they figure heavily in the plots.

I don't know that Hamilton is bad porn, graphic defintly and she kinda wandered off on a tangent for a while, but in the last couple of books she's been doing better with her plotting, more like her originals, but middle books kinda lost thier way.

However there is still lots of sex, and she is very open minded and not bound by conventional definitions of partners or technique, so if you're kinda traditional I'd say skip them, because getting hooked on the first 6 then trying to go through the rest might be too much, but if you're open minded that way you could probably make it. I have a friend who just skips all the sex parts LOL she says she only reads them for the kicking butt scenes...Anita is a very tough kinda girl.

There is also a new Graphic Novel Series of the early Anita and you can find those at most comic stores and some bookstores if you like that form of lit.

But they are not for everyone. So try them on for size at the library first.

 

[elliemae1192]

Watched the show and loved it. I had no idea it was based on books. Can anyone recommend which order I should read them?

 

[RUDisney]

Dead Until Dark is the first book, then Living Dead in Dallas.

The rest are on www.charlaineharris.com.