Rating: 
Summary: Loved it...
Review: The cover art had me interested enough to pick up this book last year and read the back cover. The synopsis had me instantly running to the counter to purchase! I have always loved the whole mystery of vampire lore and my husbands' name is Bill...the fact that Sookie can read minds-but not vampires was another interesting element to the story. It's not Anne Rice. It's not complicated and isn't stuffy. It's a great fun read and like nothing I had read before, so I really hoped for a sequel. I've obviously been out of the loop, since #2's been out for a while! I will be sure to get it!
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't handle the premise
Review: First let me be clear that I'm giving this book 1 star because I didn't like the subject matter. It has nothing to do with the author's writing. She tells the story from the view of our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse. The writing is witty with lots of humorous insights into Sookie's mind. Sookie is a cocktail waitress who can read people's thoughts and because of that is thought of by most folks as strange or in some cases a little crazy. She becomes the boyfriend of Bill, the vampire. Ms. Harris does a superb job of capturing the feel of a small southern town, and that's precisely why I didn't like the book.Now I like vampire novels, I've read almost everything that Anne Rice has written, Jeanne Kalogridis writes an entertaining vampire novel, and there's nothing wrong with the original Bram Stoker's "Dracula". But, I like my vampires a little more Gothic or worldly. That's why I couldn't finish this book. It's set in the small town, rural, not particularly sophisticated, nigh on to poor south. No matter how well written the novel is, I just don't want to read about these people. And Ms. Harris does an excellent job of describing that small townness. Sookie is so like the "strange" girl that every small town seems to have. The only difference is that Sookie is rather attractive. In real life, they're usually plain. There's the grandmother who belongs to some club or another that's based on being descended form a member of some group. Reminds me of my husband's aunt who's been trying for at least 20 years to get proof so she can join the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sookie's brother reminds me a little too much of a cousin I have that lives not too far from where this little work of fiction takes place. Heck even the vampire has a feeling of being "small town" with a name of Bill. Could we at least go for William?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Compare Charlaine Harris to Laurell K. Hamilton
Review: I am an avid reader and when I ran out of my usual fare of Sci Fi, fantasy and Laurell K. Hamilton (people can only write so fast, you know), I went looking for something new to read. Out of all the other stuff out there I decided that Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse sounded least boring and bought her two books. One thing I have to say first to anyone who does the same. Charlaine Harris is NOT Laurell K. Hamilton and I don't think she wants to be. Sookie is NOT Anita and I don't think she was intended to be. Once you get that straight in your head, you can sit back and enjoy a fun couple of books. Ms. Harris' characters are developing (so did Ms. Hamilton's as everyone should remember! Reread Guilty Pleasures if you've forgotten) and I hope they will become stronger as time goes on. Book two is already a little better than book one. Except for her "disability" to hear thoughts, Sookie is just your typical young girl waiting tables at a bar - she's no powerhouse cop or "bonded" with a vampire although she is in love with one. And except for tossing in the fact that Sam is a werewolf (where is she going with that? and why bother?), the books are pretty much just slow-paced murder mysteries with vampires in them. Not scary, a little down-homey, a touch funny sometimes, but also just a nice book to read on a rainy weekend. It doesn't disappoint if you don't expect anything except Sookie Stackhouse and HER world. Oh, and lose the cover art - those covers are for children's books, not adult murder mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Promising Series!
Review: I just finished reading the first two books in this series - and i really enjoyed it! I thought it would be the old cliche - girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, very mushy ending, but it was original and enjoyable! There were a lot of similarities between this series and the Anita Blake (Laurell K. Hamilton)series - there were the usual vampires, werewolves, shape shifters and other magical creatures, but these characters were incorporated in to the story in more of a humourous and non-cynical way which makes for an interesting read. It is hard not to like Sookie's character - she's kind and sweet, but not so much that she becomes irritating. The only thing i disliked was her allowing her boyfriend to feed from her so readily - it just felt like he was using her. I would like to see "Bill" the undead boyfriend loosen up a bit - like Eric (who is like the master vampire in town) who is also very much attracted to Sookie. But all in all i would recommend this series - it has a bit of everything in it, romance, murder, mystery, humour and vampires.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Until Dark
Review: I picked up this book thinking it sounded really bizarre, and it was. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. It was very cleverly written and very entertaining. I am not a big fan of romance novels, but this one is so darn cute. Mixing in the mystery and the vampires and shapeshifters makes it a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: One of the most realistic books I have ever read involving vampires. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in a bar. In walks Bill & he sits at one of her tables. The first thing she notices about him is that he is a vampire (they have recently been recognised legally & live openly among the humans), the second thing Sookie notices about him is that she can't hear him. You see Sookie has a problem, she can read peoples minds. This book has everything you want from a vampire story, it has intrigue, eroticism & it holds you from the 1st. page right through to the last. And leave you wanting more...
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I bought this book on impluse at a local bookstore and ended up stay awake half the night because I could not put it down. The characters are great and very real. Enough has been said about the plot, so I will just say that I think this is worthwhile read for anyone interested in a nice murder mystery with a little of the supernatural on the side.
Rating:
Summary: For the Escapists
Review: I picked up this book after looking at all the positive reviews on it, and I'm glad I did. Believe it or not this book actually has some orginal ideas regarding vampires! But, you don't have to be a vampire fan to like this book, just someone who likes a good mystery. I won't say much about plot, because enough has already been said in previous reviews. Just Know that his book offers a very smooth read allowing the reader to easily escape into the story. This is a mystery that will keep you turning the page until the very end and then...you will have to go buy the next book in the series, like I did. :-) Fun, fun, fun!
Rating: 
Summary: A good go between
Review: I was amazed to see how many stars this novel recieved. I can only guess that most of these reviewers have never read the Anita Blake series by Laurell Hamilton. If they did they would see the unmistakable resemblence. It was like Charlaine Harris had a copy of Hamilton's book beside her computer to refer to as she wrote this story. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly up to par. I found the main character, Sookie, to be superficial and spacey. She brought new meaning to the term, dumb blonde. The entire story was predictiable. I was able to guess the killer from the very beginning of the story, when the character was introduced. Boy, was I surprised when I realized I guessed right! NOT! I suppose you are wondering why I gave it 3 stars? Well, there is another author that I enjoy reading very much (Janet Evonvich) and, unfortunately, she only produces about one book a year. She does have an internet site where fans can write story lines and chapters picking up where her latest book left off. It is sort of like an appitizer until her next book comes in. By no means can they compare to her writing, though. Well, I consider Charlaine Harris to be the amateur writer to Laurell Hamilton. She is only a small appitizer until Hamilton puts out another book.
Rating:
Summary: Loving' it!
Review: I just got this book yesterday and on the 2nd chapter, I'm already hooked. It is so original and out of the ordinary, that I was so curious I had to read it, and the vamp sounds dreamy...
creative story, brilliant writing, an amazing cover (sorry i DO judge books by there cover, and the jist of it) I adore this beautiful novel, I'll be sure to remember the name Charlaine Harris!
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