Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

I loved these books. Could not put them down. I read the Twilight series first and really enjoyed them. Then I moved on to the Sookie Books and loved them even more. The content is more adult and I just love the action and characters. Totally addictive, HIGHLY RECOMEND!

i am very happy with my recent purchase of the 8 box set of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The price was very reasonable, and was cheaper to buy the books in a 8 pack than individually. I am already on book 5! Thank you very much, I am very please.

Very nice books in a neat package. The books are light and easy to carry on your purse without being too small. Only thing I wish all the covers had characters or images from the HBO series. Only the first one has it, personally I think it looks much better and appealing.

Love it. I have always ready vampire novels from Anne Rice. Years ago I read a collection from an author I can't remember now, but the main character was a vampie named St. Germaine. I've been hooked since!

Charlaine Harris has the ability to grab you with her first page. Keep you intrigued throughout the book and leave you wanting more with the last page. I love the series and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Kathleen Thompson

A great buy!!!!! These books are very easy reading, not too demanding, the type that you can pick up just where you left off and not miss a beat. They do not follow the T.V. series exactly, but are still close enough to be recognizable. Highly recommended

I love these books! They are quick books to read and they are full of fun adventures! The words are a little small, but the books are small in size and easy to take on the go. I would definitely recommend these books.

The Sookie Stackhouse series is very good. If you are looking to read this book because of TrueBlood, be aware that the basic skeletal plot lines are the same. However the television series has more drama than the book. Overall the books are a very good read.

These books are so addicting. I found myself going into the bathroom for no reason other than to have a few minutes to myself to finish another chapter. These books are a rare blend of mystery, fantasy and romance. If you need an easy, enjoyable read, try these.

Awesome! Got here extremely quick! I was heading out the door for work barely 2 days after ordering it and it was there on my front porch. Also the series itself is awesome, so overall I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase!!!!

Not only was this item cheaper than EVERYWHERE else, but it was brand new so in far better condition than they said it would be! The item arrived well within the time limit they gave me upon purchase as well.

The books are so good. Great price for eight books. I love the tv series so automatically I thought I would love the books. Just a little disappointed that Tara hasnt been introduced. Other than that, they are great.

Desperately wanted to read these books as I love "True Blood". I haven't finished them all yet but I really enjoy that the story moves along at a much faster pace and 'witnessing' it from Sookie's POV. Good easy read.

This set of books is a real treat. Each book is so hard to put down, you can't wait to see what is in store for Sookie in the next book. Even after reading through the series one time -- it is easy to pick up book one and start the series all over again.

I love these books! If you are a Sookie Stackhouse fan, or even just a True Blood fan as I was at first before reading these books, then absolutely purchase this set! It is a great way to get hooked on this fantastic series by an incredible writer :~)

I bought this set and I have to say I am reading them so fast that I am about to buy book 9 and 10...very entertaining and creative.
Just what I need to take my mind away from the regular day to day stuff!

Love this series!!!Have always been a big fan of vampire themed books and this was one of the best reads! Very quick read, and still gives you a sense of the characters and their flaws. Good developed story lines.

I ordered this as a birthday gift for my mother. I was afraid she would get it too late, but it arrived only 4 days after ordering it. According to her the books are in great condition and she loves them. Thanks so much

Hats off to Charlaine Harris!!! The charactors in these books are priceless and rich at the same time!!! It is sad at times, scarey at times, of course weird, but there are absolutely laugh out loud moments .

I can never read enough "Sookie Stackhouse"! Although this box-set is one download (not 8 separate downloads), each new book is clearly marked and contains all necessary legal info. It's definitely worth the money, and each book is only a few dollars compared to buying separately.

Who doesn't love Sookie. Each book in the set brings more mysterious creatures for Sookie to deal with. She finds out more about her family and herself. Who to love, who is just out to hurt her. LOVE this series.

They came promptly and i am very impressed with the service and the quality of the books! thank you! i would definetly use this vendor again.. The books are gripping and keep you reading on and on.. wonderful writing and story line!

As a fan of True Blood, I was very excited when I received the books; however, after reading the first 6 books of the series, I have to say that I am thoroughly disappointed. The story line could have been fantastic; the characters are interesting, the settings are different and imaginative, and the play on the supernatural is great. However, the many problems with the writing itself left me with a sour taste for the whole series. The main problems are instantly obvious - grammatical errors, and sentences so poorly written that it takes a few tries to understand what the author is trying to convey. Then there are the problems with continuity; Harris frequently contradicts herself on many issues from colors, to Sookie's abilities. In addition, and this is more of a personal issue, I find Sookie's character to be extremely weak for a protagonist. She changes her morals and perceptions as often as she changes clothes. Also, concepts and questions are introduced throughout the series that never lead anywhere - the questions never get answered, the concepts are never touched again. If you are interested in the supernatural, I highly recommend Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter series), Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake series), and Anne Rice (The Vampire Chronicles) as great alternatives. Thanks for reading and I hope this helps!

I loved the books. I'm sure you save $ getting the boxed set, but I would really prefer a complete box set instead of a partial box set. Also it really bugged me that some of the books in the boxed set did not have cover & title pages w/ the cover art.

The tv series turned me on to this, and I have to say - this is WAAAAYYY better on like 99% of all accounts (except Tara). I loved reading them & really connected well with the characters. Totally worth it and a great read!

My husband bought this for me for Christmas, so I haven't read it yet. It came to our house about 3 days after we ordered it- then he promptly took it away and hid it. I am very excited to finally see it on Christmas!

Entertaining reading. I have read all of Ann Rice's Vampire novels. So....... this is not in the same catagory. This is like a comic book. Silly really. I have had a few laughs. I like the Elvis character the best him and Eric. Eric has become my new favortie romance charactor. I understand this is the basis for TrueBlood on HBO. I went to the Movie Rental store and rented a few. OMG!!!!!!!! THEY ARE SO NOT EVEN CLOSE TO MY IMAGINATION OR THE BOOKS. The series does not do they books justice at all. ( and I think the books are light reading) TRUE BLOOD IS BAD!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT WAS A BIG HIT!!

If you like light reading and like to laugh get this set of books..... Buy them used for less.

This is a very interesting series that I have enjoyed for a long time. I highly recommend these books! However, I was a little disappointed that when I received mine it was not the original covers. Obviously not a big deal because they were still in mint condition and still the same story but just a minor annoyance.

The Box delivered within 2 weeks but it has a dent on one corner and the book suffered also with that.
The story of Sookie and her adventures of course are fantastic. Its my craze right now and I can't wait for the 11th book.

I've read two of the books so far and the reading is light fair, unpredictable things keep happening, and it's continuous. Now I feel compelled to buy the dvd's of the tv series True Blood based on the books to see how it comes across on screen. I look forward to the next book.

I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MY PURCHASE CAME ON TIME BRAND NEW THE ONLY THING I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT WAS IT WAS A BOX SET AND I DIDNT RECEIVE THE ACTUALLY BOX FOR THE BOOKS TO SIT IN BUT HEY I GOT A REALLY GOOD DEAL WOULD DEFINITELY ORDER AGAIN

About a year ago I began a reading project of the major vampire novels and stories, from John Polidori's THE VAMPYRE to Bram Stoker's DRACULA to Richard Matheson's I AM LEGEND to Theodore Sturgeon's SOME OF YOUR BLOOD to more recent works. I had previously read various novels, including the Anita Blake series, which started promisingly but not only never lived up to its initial promise but regressed to embarrassingly awful pornography. Last year I decided to read Charlaine Harris's vampire series, which was originally known as The Southern Vampire Mysteries but eventually became better known as the Sookie Stackhouse Novels.

Now, this is where the story gets odd. Completely independently of my reading project I had heard about and planned on watching Alan Ball's new series TRUE BLOOD. I was a huge fan of SIX FEET UNDER and was anxious to see how he would handle a series dealing with vampires. A few days after I had ordered the first four Sookie Stackhouse novels I learn to my great shock that Ball's new series was based on the very same novels. It is the most serendipitous coincidence in my life as a reader.

Because so many people have become aware of these books as a result of the TV series, a word about the differences between the two is in order. There are both definite similarities and some sharp differences between the two. The books focus much more on Sookie and less on the lives of the supporting characters, not surprising given that Sookie is the narrator in the novels. Sookie's narrative voice is for me one of the joys of the books and I miss that very personal perspective when I watch the TV series. The books are also far less sexual than the series, though there are several sex scenes (though it never descends to the pure porn found in the Anita Blake books). The series differs sharply from the books when it deals with characters other than Sookie. For instance, Tara in the books is a minor (and white--some debate this, but she is explicitly described as having olive skin, something that is virtually always said of Caucasians, and there is not a single word to suggest that she is African-American) character. Jason plays a far smaller role. Just about everything touching Tara and Jason cannot be found in the novels. Sam and Tara are not involved. Lafayette cannot be regarded as an important character in the books, though his fate in the books sets up a surprising twist in the TV series. On the other hand, Eric is as important as the other three main characters in the books, Sookie, Bill, and Sam. Still, overall the larger story arc of the first two novels very roughly adheres to the novels. If this persists into Season Three of the TV series, then it will take place to some degree in Jackson, Mississippi and will see the introduction of the werewolf community to the story.

The one huge advantage of the novels over the series is that there is just so much more that happens. Season One of the series corresponds to the first novel in the sequence. I expected that the TV show would begin to diverge from the novels in the second season and to a degree it did. The TV series introduced Sophie, the Queen of Louisiana much, much earlier than in the novels, so I think that some of the stories are going to be accelerated. So I see no reason for anyone who enjoys the show not to plunge in and enjoy a whole string of new adventures in the life of Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid and telepath. What has delighted me is how consistently superb the novels are. I felt the second novel in the series, DEAD AND LIVING IN DALLAS, was a bit less entertaining than the second book, but all the rest in the sequence were increasingly excellent. And they all mesh to tell a unified story. One novel ends and the next picks up the story perhaps as little as two or three weeks later.

The novels also introduce new and more interesting supernatural characters. The Anita Blake novels did this as well, but I felt that that series was increasingly less successful. Both series introduce weres (were wolves, were tigers, were panthers, and others), witches, vampires from other locales, and fairies. But throughout it all Sookie remains both an innocent and an explorer.

All in all, this is one of the most enjoyable long series of novels that I know. My only real disappointment is that a date has not yet been announced for the next and ninth novel in the series. Charlaine Harris (who lives in the southern part of my native state of Arkansas) has a couple of other series and 2009 apparently is devoted to those. My hope is that perhaps the success of the TV show will cause Ms. Harris to revise her plans and bring out another Sookie Stackhouse sooner rather than later.

I will add that on some boards many fans of the books don't like Anna Paquin as Sookie. I do. She isn't quite the way the books describe Sookie, being slender and not at all voluptuous, whereas in the books Sookie is constantly described as curvy and very chesty. But I think Anna Paquin gets a lot of the spirit of Sookie. She feels in her performance very much like someone who has been traumatized by hearing the thoughts of others.

If you are a fan of TRUE BLOOD, you should definitely read these. I actually prefer the books to the TV show, though I like the show as well. But if you haven't watched the show, but enjoy well written book on supernatural themes, you should read these anyway. In the recent tradition of revisionist accounts of vampires, this is one of the best.

First off I love the books and the story lines. The low score is only for all the missing words and letters that are present in the kindle version. This version needs to be fixed because your reading then all of of sudden it has a major mistake and you have to stop and try to figure of what the text was supposed to say.

This set of True Blood books is good, when they are not all into the sexual aspect of vamps and humans. I should have known it was like that since it is a HBO series though. Other than that the books have a good dialoge and build to the action. I have read many vamp books/series this summer and I would rate this series as moderate and would only recommend them to a mature reader.

When purchasing these books in the set I did not realize, based on the the store description, that the books were small sized. These are the same type of books that you would see sold late after publication in grocery stores. The size of print in these types of books, including these, is very small. I returned the book set and chose to purchase the books on my Kindle. I was wary of buying the books on my Kindle originally because of a negative review that the series is one long book when purchased as the set. I am choosing to purchase the books individually on Kindle.

I bought the boxed set because I had heard about this series and then I read all the positive reviews here. I've always loved reading, almost any kind of book, and I usually like what I read. I read the eight books, though very often I felt tempted to stop reading them (and that's happened just three or four times in more than 37 years since I started reading). The best I can say is that they're easy reading. Other than that, I think they are quite disappointing and expendable. Dumb and plain characters without any complexity, simple, poorly led, disjointed and incoherent plots, hasty ends, continuity errors ... All this as a background to the main character (who behaves like a ridiculously indecisive teenager) flirting with different supernatural beings. My sister read the first book and had more than enough. I have always kept every book I've bought, even some I haven't liked, but these are an exception. I think they are so vapid they do not deserve a place in my library.

My fiance and myself are huge fans of the show. Wanting a more in depth look at this world we decided to give the books a try. If I had none they were so cheesily written, like cheap romance novels your mother once read I would have steered way clear.

I got the Sookie Stackhouse series because all of my friends were urging me to. I was excited to get them. They were all in good ocndition. The only problem was that I discovered there is one missing. I don't have Living Dead in Dallas..the second book. I'm kind of frustrated.

The stories: The Sookie Stackhouse books are not great literature but they are a light, fun read. However, a good proofreader/editor is sorely lacking -- there are various inconsistencies, such as Bill Compton's middle name (to name just one). Caveat: The HBO series True Blood (which I also find entertaining) deviates quite a bit from the books.

The Kindle version: I assumed the Mac Kindle version of this boxed set would be 8 files -- 1 per book. Unfortunately, it's one big file. I've not found a way to break them apart by book. Under "Go To." the "Table of Contents" link is really a listing of the book titles; I've not been able to find individual tables of contents for each book. Had I known this was going to be on big file, I would have bought the Kindle versions of each individual book. I plan on never buying a Kindle boxed set again. Normally, I'm a very loyal the store customer, but this -- added to the fact that Kindle for Mac [at this time] has no search/find feature -- makes we want to buy an iPad and use iTunes.

I would love to read this series, but have no reason to spend this much for each novel, when there are so many choices priced @ $2 - $3 each. Since most of those are published by the author, they actually get more money from each sale.

*** UPDATED 1-20-2011 ***

As a heavy the store Prime buyer and reviewer, I initially gave this Kindle set of books a one star review due to the extreme price difference between them and the paperback set. The Sookie Stackhouse series are all great books, and my wife and I love True Blood on HBO. However, as both a Kindle and an iPad owner, I cringe at the thought of having to buy paperback books. As a technologist, I also believe that the price of eBooks and the related technology should get cheaper over time, not more expensive. However...

Before True Blood season 3 in the summer of 2010, the Kindle version of this set was just $33, but I think due to the popularity of the HBO series, Penguin Publishing decided to almost DOUBLE the cost of the eBooks just a few weeks prior to the premiere episode. When there are no physical costs associated with paper, printing, or distribution, there is absolutely no reason for an eBook to EVER be more expensive than a physical book, and permanent doubling of the initial eBook price is absurd.

I've increased my rating to four stars, to more fairly represent Charlaine Harris' story telling, but still feel robbed at the exuberant increase in eBook pricing by her publisher.

I bought these books looking for an entertaining easy read but the first book is so bad I couldn't get past the third chapter. The characters are not well developed, the dialogues are corny. It seems like the author did not spend time to polish this book at all. Of course this could just be a matter of taste, but I would encourage anyone to read a few pages first before buying any of these books.

If you buy the paper books you get the series broken up into the 8 books. You can read then in any order you choose. With the kindle version there is no overall index you start the books with book one chapter one. THere is no overall index of the eight books, This renders the set into one really long book for all intents and purposes. IF you just want to pick and choose amoung the books this really sucks, really it's so difficult as to be unreasonable. If I had realized that before I would not have bought the set.

I have all of these in paper books I thought I would be able to replace those with this, WRONG! I want to be able to pick A BOOK in the set and start there. I don't think that was an unreasonable assumption and I feel cheated that it is in effect ALL ONE BIG BOOK!

Meh! I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER KINDLE BOOK SET!!!!

package was damaged during shipping, as a result the end 2 books' corners were also bent, very little. it almost looks like the shipping people were using it as bowling ball! other than that it was brand new & in the wrapper, will consider using them again. just needs work on shipping problem, maybe add a "fragile" label on outside of package?!?!

WARNING - the Kindle delivery is actually one entire eBook lumping all 8 books into one.
There is no way to access one of the books in the box set. Your stuck reading it a page at a time which kinda stinks.

I am hoping the store allows a refund or something so I can exchange for the individual books.

I don't understand why I paid all this money for a Kindle because the store ranted about how much more economical it is, and this whole set is double the price of the paperback (which is currently priced around $30)

That is ridiculous. the store needs to come up with a new marketing strategy, because lying to their customers is a very bad strategy.

These books are amazing, so don't turn it down from this review. I just recommend you don't buy it for Kindle.

Charlane Harris ~ Dead Until Dark series
Ok Guys I have read the vampire series books Dead Until Dark, and watched the series True Blood that were based on the books By Charlane Harris. MOST awesome series ever, Thank you...
I am in love with Charlane Harris. The most talented author of all time. I have read other Vampire series that have tried to compete. It's a no go. I am not a fan of shotty knock offs. I feel that when the HBO series, True Blood, was discontinued it was a disservice to mankind. That director should have been smacked.
As for the books - I Own every one and am just as in love with them as I am the HBO series. Action, drama, love, even Elvis .... OOPS sorry for that little spoiler alert. I am here to tell you, if you haven't read the books, or watched the HBO series, READ THE BOOKS FIRST. I watched the series then read the books. Mistake on my part. I had to walk away from the show for months to be able to come back and read those books. I wish i had read them first.

A total must read for any vampire fan. http://www.tastefullylife.com/

I recently discovered True Blood on the store Prime. I've heard about this show, but have never had HBO. It is vulgar and violent, to say the least, and it really feeds your dark side. I soon discovered that it was based on this series, so I decided to read it. Although it strays very far from the TV series after the first few books (and in some character's cases, it strays in the first book), I absolutely love this series. It's a quick read, and an addictive read, and just like the show, it feeds your dark side. You become invested in these characters and can't wait to see what happens in the next page, chapter, book. There are actually 13 books in this series and I just finished book 11. My main interest is in the vampire/human relationship, but I also enjoy exploring the other supernatural beings. It opens your mind to the possibilities/fantasies of the supernatural world. I find that I can escape reality in these books. They aren't going to change your life, but they are an interesting read. Sookie Stackhouse is funny, tough, proper (in some cases...), and southern. I checked all of these books out from the digital library in my state (NC), so I didn't purchase them on the store.

THIS IS STRICTLY FOR THE KINDLE VERSION ATTRIBUTES, not the books themselves. I purchased the kindle version thinking I would get 8 distinct books. But what I got was 1 MEGA Book, the table of contents only directs you to the 8 books, there is no way to navigate to the chapters within each book. With that being said I am eager to read the books and will review those once done.

I am hoping for a remedy of Kindle disaster.

I bought this box set as a christmas gift for my wife. Both of us have been wanting to read this series after getting hooked on the HBO series. However, the 1st book in the series skips from page 198 to page 231. I am trying to get a replacement copy, but do not know if the rest of the set is like this.

I LOVE Sookie Stackhouse! She is like the adult version of Buffy for me (with obvious differences but the little blonde fireball who loves Vampires part is the same) and I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it until I had it again!

Thank you to Charlaine Harris for creating these beloved characters, for sharing them with the world, and for creating so many stories. It's rare for a series to span 13 books and several short stories - so it was a delight to really get to know the characters in such a way.

I really wish there was a complete 13-book set on Kindle but perhaps that will come later. I was slightly disappointed and as another reviewer mentioned - the cover art is pretty poor. But by the time I downloaded it the books were split into different books by pages so perhaps Kindle did an update on the "mega book" problem.

The books get 5 stars - but the kindle edition gets 3 - for a total of 4. The stories themselves, the characters, the plots, the fun, they're amazing. It's fun to read these books from start to finish and almost impossible to stop reading once you start. They are short (usually between 280-330 pages) so they're a quick read but packed with drama and action and angst.

The main character of Sookie Stackhouse is fantastic. She's honest, loyal, hard working, brave and beautiful. She's funny and I just loved being inside her head and experiencing the world through her eyes. What a treat.

If you're a fan of the TV series you probably won't like her books. I've read everything Ms. Harris has put out. I guess this is my 5th pass thru this particular set. Her writing style is understated and matter of fact. You don't have to skip over a couple of pages when the sex scenes come up. She doesn't feel the need to describe everything in graphic detail and to me that's so much better than page after page of sex acts and graphic violence. Lets just say she gets her point across without it.
There are characters and things that happen put in the tv series that aren't even hinted at in the books.
Personally I don't know why they didn't use more stuff from the books as they are plenty exciting. Things like the bombing of the hotel at the vampire summit, Alcide's psychotic ex stalking Sookie, Arlene turning into a Fellowship of the Sun follower b/c of the man she's currently seeing and being in on the plan to murder her in a copycat of another murder of a were(wolf), and all sorts of other things.
However if you do read this series and love it like I do you will most likely enjoy all her books, The Gravesight series, Aurora Teagarden Real Murder series, she even wrote a couple of books before all her multi book sets that I have read and enjoyed.
Well worth your time and money.

I was lucky enough to find this complete set in a Goodwill store not long after adding the set to my wishlist. This is not all the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, but this is the first 8 books and will get you hooked on the rest.

I started reading these after Season 7 of True Blood was over. I saw the shows first. To be honest, I like the show and books equally but separately. I see the shows as alternate versions of the books.

When reading the set, I could not put them down. I took them to the bath, to the doctor's office, read them in bed, while eating... While the plots were a little predictable, I was sucked into Sookie's world. I am a Southerner by the grace of God who is currently living in California, and Charlaine Harris' novels gave me a dose of the South I was missing. That's probably why I love them so much. Her descriptions of Southern food and landscapes warm my heart.

If you liked the shows and haven't read any of the books, this is a great set to get you started. Or a great set to give as a gift to someone you want to introduce to the books.

Urban fantasy usually takes place in, you know, urban areas. Cities, big towns, and places where vampires and weres creep in dank alleys. But Charlaine Harris took a slightly different approach in the Sookie Stackhouse series, the first eight books of which are compiled here. While it has many of the genre staples, this series is solidly entrenched in warm Southern charm and mellow mysteries.

In "Dead Until Dark," Bon Temps waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing. But when she meets and befriends vampire Bill Compton, she becomes embroiled in the world of vampires -- and when her grandmother is viciously murdered, she finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated (and close to home) than she ever dreamed.

"Living Dead in Dallas" has Sookie is hired by vampires over a kidnapping, and ends up mired in a disastrous situation involving werewolves, Texan vamps, and a fanatical religious cult that hates the supernatural. "Club Dead" brings Sookie some relationship problems when Bill becomes inattentive... and vanishes. Sookie sets out to find her absentee lover along with Eric and the werewolf Alcide, but the result isn't what she expects.

After that, Sookie has problems in "Dead to the World" when she's confronted by a devious band of Shreveport witches, as well as handling her brother's disappearance and a newly amnesiac (and naked!) Eric. And "Dead as a Doornail" embroils Sookie in the inevitable werepolitics -- someone is shooting shifters, and there's a new potential werewolf leader in town. And Sookie may be the next victim.

"Definitely Dead" and "All Together Dead" brings Sookie back to the vampire political arena. First she heads to a pre-Katrina New Orleans when her vampire cousin is murdered, and learns a surprising fact about her family tree. And then she's called to a vampire summit where the Vampire Queen of Louisiana is being accused of murder. Of course, things get rough. And "From Dead to Worse" brings trouble back to Bon Temps -- the vampire and were worlds are rocked when power struggles erupt, and Sookie must deal with the conflicts, her family history, and a wedding.

The Sookie Stackhouse series does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere all throughout the series.

Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and nasty psychos here and there, as well as a few subplots that are deftly juggled in each book. Her style is warm, steady, mildly tongue-in-cheek ("We'd dumped a body together, and that cre­ates a bond") and quirky, and she introduces some unique ideas into the usual wolf packs and vampire bunches (such as Elvis Presley, now a vampire!).

What flaws? Well, Sookie's love life and attractiveness has her occasionally bordering on Anita Blake territory. That we don't need. Despite that problem, Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her. And there's plenty of other likable characters: the charming Viking vampire Eric, Sookie's flaky werepanther brother Jason, her down-to-earth werecollie boss Sam, and many others.

The characters who don't click are the boring, slightly creepy Bill, and the weretiger Quinn (a machismo-dripping nonentity). Bill serves a plot purpose, but I honestly don't know why Quinn is there.

"Sookie Stackhouse Books 1-8" is a solid collection of Charlaine Harris's warm, Southern-scented urban fantasies. It has some rough spots, but it's a good lighthearted read.

I really liked this series and I've read all 12 books in a little over two weeks, ( I get a lot of down time at work). Anyway I started reading them after watching the first couple of episodes of True Blood. As usual the books are way better. Ms. Harris has a nice writing style and good character development. I have a few complaints: 1. there is a hole in the story line between books 6 & 7 (I think) you'll know when you get to it. I had to check online that my kindle version was in the right order. Ms. Harris created the hole with one of the Sookie short stories called "One Word Answer" and it burned my ass a little. 2. She probably could have wrapped it up a couple books sooner It did feel a little stale towards book 10 or 11, but I was compelled to finish the series. And finally though I liked the graphic nature of the sex some of the sex scenes felt a little forced, like someone trying to talk dirty but not really into it.

Comparing this series to other "Vampire" series is unavoidable. Ms. Harris holds her own with the best of them. I got into the genre because reading twilight was a way to connect with my daughter. A comparison to the Twilight books is unfair to Ms. Meyers. Stephanie isn't in the same league when it comes to story line and plot development. So, all in all, a great escape with a lovable main character.

I purchased my Sookie Stackhouse series about a year ago and decided it was time to give it the glowing praise it deserves. I like a variety of vampire series including J.R. Ward, Richelle Mead, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Laurell K. Hamilton to name a few. I always like to read reviews that show other books people like because then it gives me an idea based on authors if I might like the series as well.

First off, when you start this series the very first book starts out a bit slow and you might feel like you should put the book down and run away because the writing style doesn't fit what you think it should be. DO NOT DO THIS! It gets much better if you give it a chance until like chapter 5... by then it's gotten good and you won't put it down.

Basically the series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse who is a telepathic blond barmaid from Louisiana. She's struggled all her life because she can hear people's thoughts when she's in the room and most people are a bit freaked out by her ability. She knows all of the secrets in her little town but she doesn't flaunt the secrets around and she's a genuinely good person.

In this first book she meets her first vampire, Bill. She's fascinated by him because she's never met another vampire before since they live in such a small town. Recently, the vampires have came out of the closet because they now have "True Blood" which is basically a synthetic blood in which nourishes them and they don't need to kill anyone for food.

In the first book she's almost killed because she is dating Bill and there is someone in the town killing "fang bangers" (women who let Vampires bite them) You never know who the killer is till the end and when you found out it's pretty shocking. I think if you can get through the first 3 chapters you'll adapt to Charlaine Harris' unique writing style and will be thrilled. Once I got into the entire book I would tear into the next book and the next until they were all read. I think I read them all in less than 10 days. If you like Vampires, Shapeshifters, Faeries, and all kinds of beasties that go bump in the night, you'll love this series. This is definitely an R rated series with the sex, blood, killing that goes on through out the entire series so I wouldn't recommend this for anyone under 16.

Give this series a chance if you like any of the other authors I mentioned, I can promise you'll love it!

I received the eight book collection for Christmas. I have always enjoyed books about vampires and werewolves and I was excited to have eight new books to read. I love the world Charlaine Harris created.

************Spoiler Alert****************
The main character, Sookie Stackhouse, is a telepathic bar maid. She is an outsider in the human world, people believe she is crazy because she knows what is in people's minds and is often distracted by all the voices, thoughts and images that appear in her brain.

CH does something unique in her vampire novels, synthetic blood is created to help humans, but it also allows the vampires to come out of the closet and enter mainstream society. The synthetic blood is bottled like soda and sold in stores. Vampires fight for the right to be citizens, to be recognized by the world. Some countries accept the vamps, and some try to kill them all. The vamps are on their best behavior knowing the world is watching them. CH uses Sookie to introduce us to vampire society. Sookie can not hear vamps with her telepathy so she is attracted them. She starts dating a vamp named Bill and we all learn along with Sookie about vampire life. We meet many vampires and they are as diverse as humans. I found this unique perspective fun and entertaining. They do drink synthetic blood, but love to drink from humans too. And many humans love to be blood donors, the vampire can make it a very nice experience. CH's vamps are not hidden in crypts, dirty and ugly. They are good looking, clean, smart, hard working and very sexy. They are very secretive about their society. We learn about this society through Sookie.

As I read each book, I was introduced to the supernatural world along with Sookie. She learns that there are other supernatural beings. There are shape shifts who can take on any animal's form, werewolves, and other were animals. We meet them and learn about their cultures and societies which are hidden among human society. There are powerful witches who cast spells and earn Sookie's respect. Sookie, the once strange girl finds acceptance and meaning among the supernaturals. She finds her place in the world.

CH did a great job making this fictitious world and centers it in a small working class town in Northern Louisiana. It's fun and scary, some of the supernaturals are not so nice. They fight amongst themselves and take advantage of humans. They are also preyed on by humans. After the vampires come out of the closet hate groups form and the supernaturals must deal with them. The government is in every one's business too.

Sookie the telepath is our guide into the supernatural world. The sups see that she is an extraordinary human so she is not an outsider to them. She falls in love with a vampire, her first relationship and she goes on from there. There is some sex in the books, mostly Sookie with her partner. The sex is well written and not nasty pornography. In CH's world, vampires can have sex. To me, the books are not romance novels, there is much more going on in Sookie's world. There is relationships, sex and adventure, and the fun and broken hearts that go along with them, but it does not over power the book.

True Blood fans need to know that the books were written first, and Allen Ball did not follow all the plot lines. So TB is different from the books. I enjoy the books and the show. Don't expect the books to be the same as the True Blood series. There are more details and the plot lines are not always the same. Some characters are much different on the show then in the original books.

I would recommend these books to anyone who loves the supernatural world. CH has a great imagination and brings us on adventures with the vampires, werewolves, shifters and witches. The books are very detailed in the supernatural societies. The books are easy to read and addictive.

A fabulous and interesting series. Here is a summary of each book in the 8-book set, in order, for those of you who are curious. Spoiler alert- though these reviews reveal nothing you wouldn't read on the back of the book- obviously, you'll find out what happens to the characters if you read even those ahead of time. When I was interested in reading the series, I searched for a "broken down" review of all the books in one place. So here it is!

#1 'Dead Until Dark' (5 stars) introduces you to Sookie, the telepathic barmaid, who lives and works in small town Bon Temps, LA. Not soon after we meet Sookie, we meet Vampire Bill, perhaps the first vampire to make his way to Bon Temps. Vampires have recently "come out of the coffin" to join society, since now that the Japanese have invented synthetic blood for them to drink (instead of human blood obviously), they are no longer a threat to society. The first story in the series is a love story in a sense - between Bill and Sookie- as well as a murder mystery. Someone has been taking out "fangbangers" (women who have sex with vampires) and, obviously, this puts Sookie in jeopardy since she's been hanging out with Bill. More so than that, however, we get a fine intro into a host of side characters -- Jason, Sookie's brother, the town womanizer. Sam, Sookie's boss and owner of Merlotte's the bar. Eric, head vampire of the area. Pam, Eric's trusted vampire sidekick. And many others. (No, Tara does not really show her face until later in the series.) Season One of the HBO show TrueBlood is based off the first book, with some alterations.

#2 'Living Dead in Dallas' (4.5 stars) follows Sookie, Bill and Eric as they travel to Dallas in search of a missing vampire. At this point, Eric is taking advantage of Sookie's telepathic "gift" to his advantage and twisting her arm a bit to get her to do his bidding. Sookie reluctantly agrees but makes her own terms (Bill gets to go and all humans are safe from the vampires). This story starts to open the world a little beyond vampires and you get a larger peek into just what is out there.

#3 'Club Dead' (3.5 stars) finds Bill taking a job from the vampire queen and vanishing. He's suddenly out-of-character and we soon learn why. Bill has been taken hostage by Lorena, his "maker," and basically is ready to leave Sookie and the world behind to be with her- even though she tortures him it seems. (The implication is that the maker of a vampire has ultimate power over the "child" and so cannot be resisted.) Sookie, Eric and Alcide (our new werewolf friend) and others are off on an adventure to save Bill... but can he be saved? At this point in the series, you will begin to be sick of Sookie constantly being beaten up and terrorized physically- she has to saved, brought back to life, and cared for so many times it's amazing she's still alive.

#4 'Dead to the World' (5 stars) finds Sookie back at home in Bon Temps and trying to nurse her wounds (both physically and emotionally) from her traumatic experience of saving Vampire Bill. She is fuming at him and the two are on the outs. Lucky for us, Sookie has made a New Year's Resolution to NOT get beaten up anymore. (Ok, maybe even Charlaine Harris saw that it was getting ridiculous.) Yay! Moving on, this story centers around Eric, area Sheriff Vampire, found mostly naked on a back road with amnesia by Sookie, who takes him into her home. Soon we are on a mission to restore Eric's memory and find the nasty witches who are responsible for this and for starting trouble in Bon Temps. Here the weres and the vamps team up- which puts Sookie in the path of Alcide's lover Debbie (a werelynx?) who is out for some nasty revenge. Found here also the, unlikely but somehow endearing, romance between Eric and Sookie.

#5 'Dead as a Doornail' (3 stars) finds Sookie back to her regular life, with Eric safely restored to his seat as head vampire of the area. Still on the outs with Bill, Sookie has plenty of distractions to keep her busy. Someone is picking off shapeshifters with a sniper and when Sam, Sookie's boss, becomes a victim the attacks become personal. Along with this, Sookie finds herself helping Alcide with his father's political endeavors and then, herself, becomes a victim of attack when her house is burned down. Tag on a pirate bartender placed in her custody and we find a sort of Bon Temps stew with so much going on, it's a little hard to follow. We also are introduced to Quinn, a weretiger, as a romantic possibility for Sookie. This was the first novel in the series that I felt was messy to read or sorta lost the magic. The story was loose and shifty and it didn't really seem to tie up well in the end.

#6 'Definitely Dead' (2.5 stars) had one of the most confusing intros/ storylines ever of the entire series. Most of the books have followed a very neat timeline, with one book picking up right after the other. In this novel, we find out that Sookie's distant cousin Hadley (who is a vampire!?) has died and Sookie must go to New Orleans to clean out her apartment. I was frustrated with this novel because I felt like I had missed an entire segment. The book is written as though you should already know what has happened... for example, the queen of the vampires, apparently, has been in Sookie's house, etc etc... And Hadley's story is told as though it had happened. I found this to be very poor writing. I kept checking over and over to make sure I was reading the books in order. I talked to a few friends who've read the series and they felt the same about this book. There never really is a plot to this story, except to say that Sookie is uncovering the "mystery" of what happened to her cousin Hadley. But since we never met Hadley, we really don't care. Further, this novel begins to cement her love affair with Quinn, but he's thrown in so sporadically that we just don't care either. Add a twist where Debbie's (remember the werelynx?) parents come back for a little nasty and we have a strange concoction in this one. Perhaps the weakest story in the series. Oh right, and a surprise betrayal from old love Bill.

#7 'All Together Dead' (3.5 stars) follows Sookie in the aftermath of her heartbreak from first love Bill. Charlaine Harris seems to get her act back together in this novel- it seems tighter and more sensible then the last two. Sookie, this time, has been invited by the queen to the vampire summit at Lake Michigan to serve as a telepath. Excited by the prospect of making some extra money and having a little adventure, Sookie is off and on her way with some extra bonus in the form of free clothing and luxuries. The one odd thing is the sudden transformation of Sookie's personality. Up to this point, one charming aspect of Sookie has been her reluctance to get swept away by the glamorous world of the vampires. Every novel she has dug her heels against those who would influence her and openly demands her independence. However, in this novel, we find Sookie one step away from the "fangbangers" she's resented the whole time. She's basically a groupie on a mission. Slightly disappointing and makes Sookie much less appealing. But back to the story- we attend the summit which is a tense and exciting situation with a somehow predictable attack towards the end. Also, we find Sookie the center of attention of THREE different lovers- Bill, Eric and Quinn. (Yes, Sookie seems to be irresistible to supernatural beings.)

#8 'From Dead to Worse' (4 stars) opens the reader to the idea that Sookie, herself, is actually the descendent of a supe. We meet her fairy great-grandfather and more is understood as to why Sookie is different than other humans. Could possibly explain why supes cannot keep their hands off her. The mystery in the story follows mysterious deaths in the were-community which eventually hit close to him, when her new mantiger Quinn goes missing. Add in some trouble between her brother Jason and his werepanther wife, some issues with the vampire queen and her struggles of power over her lands, the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and some difficult revelations about Quinn, we find ourselves on another mystery/ romance roller coaster in the quirky life of Sookie Stackhouse.

I did not think I would like this series when I started reading it, but I was searching for a good paranormal series and decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did! I loved this series! Sookie is such a likeable and relateable character even though she is a telepath. Most paranormal romance novels are based in the city or have some butt kicking heroine,which I don't mind but it was so nice to read a series so different. This series is based in a small town in Louisiana and Sookie is a barmaid. I enjoyed seeing the world through a telepath. It really makes you glad that you can't hear what everyone is thinking about you. Each book contains a mystery, and Sookie's love life is always a mystery as well. You never know who she is going to end up with, and I am not even sure I know who I want her to end up with. This series has vampires, witches, weres, and towards the end even fairies. I was so caught up in this series that I could hardly put it down. I can't wait for the series to be complete. At the time I am writing this review there are ten novels, but there are more to come. I highly recommend this series to all paranormal romance lovers.

Another reviewer has called these Sookie Stackhouse books addictive, and I would agree with that. There's something rather charming about this working-class woman and her evolving relationships with what are called "supes" for supernatural beings. She's a regular working woman, but she is often both protected and nourished by these "supes" and does in fact save them from a permanent death (in the case of vampires) or great danger in other cases. And she speaks up to them. In the case of vampires, she finds them restful, because she can't read their minds, while with regular humans she often cannot prevent this invasion of their thoughts and emotions. Of course, it's sometimes both convenient and necessary for her to do this.. But at other times it takes a draining energy to block this talent (or rather this "curse" in her opinion). This particular volume contains the first 8 books in the Sookie Stackhouse series, so it's a good place to begin.

You don't go trick-or-treating and expect gourmet chocolate truffles.
You don't go to McDonald's and order $50 steak.
You don't go to Old Navy to find designer duds.
...you get my drift...

A lot of people have given this book and the series bad reviews based on a lack of plot or flat characters or what-have-you. There are some issues that kept me from giving this 5 stars (a little too much unnecessary sex, some character annoyances, etc) but for what it is it was great. I read all 9 currently available books in about a day each, one after another. So you can assume I found them highly enjoyable - especially once I moved past those little issues (if you know grass is green, but the author insists it's blue, then you just have to adjust your world view for the book's world and move on and then it's not a problem, right?). So I would totally recommend these to any adult looking for escapist fiction in an easy to read form.

A few disclaimers:
I wrote this after reading through book 9 and I do think it's better as a whole.
I had not heard of this series before I read it.
Aside from "Interview With a Vampire" this is my first foray into vampire literature.
I have not seen the HBO "True Blood" series.
I have never read a romance novel.
I haven't been able to read a fiction novel in MONTHS and so I was hungry for almost anything.

I became a fan of True Blood first before ever reading the books, which is something that I never do. In the past I have been disappointed when doing this, but this time I can say that I am not. The books are really good and I love how HBO takes a little from the books and puts their own spin on them. But enough about that let's get to the books, these books are a very modern update of the Anne Rice novels licked into high gear, with a lot of good plot twists and turns thrown in the middle to keep you on edge. With all the vampire books out there this is my favorite right along with the Black Dagger Brother Hood books. I am also a fan of the Twilight books, but unlike those books the main heroine isn't passing out when all the action happens, and she doesn't need to be protected from herself, since she may fall down. Sookie is an example of the modern single woman how has to but one foot in front of the other in order to make it through her day. No matter what is thrown at her be it her lover stabbing her in the back, were war, or a vampire take over she always keeps herself together and freaks out later. While I am a Team Eric fan, I'm glad that Ms. Harris doesn't make love the main focus of her story she just makes it a part of it, so that the reader can enjoy the love scene one moment and than be running for their life along with Sookie the next. I look forward to reading more Sookie Stackhouse books in the near future, and I also look forward to seeing them played out on television come next summer. Now I hate to be rude but I have to get back to Dead And Gone, and I hope this review helps you.

This is a great boxed set at a very cheap price given that each individual book is set at $8 each. That aside, each book is able to attract the reader and right away is able to wrap you around this universe that Harris has created. Not a single one of these books were boring and each were entertaining and full of suspense.Each chapter leaves you hanging and wanting more.A bit of warning though, these books are a super-quick read.I was able to read the entire series in about a week and a half, their so entertaining you do not want to put the book down at all.Each character is unique, and not all are made out to be perfect.Each have their flaws and it sort of gives it a sense of reality. A thing that did annoy me a bit about Harris's writing style is her receptiveness in each and every book.And I do mean in every book.She tends to restate events and other things that the reader should know that have happened either in the same book or in past books.It personally got a bit annoying since to me, I think a reader should be able to recall such events since they were sometimes so prominent.
I started reading the books solely because I'm such a big fan of the tv series.Once I started reading the books,I found myself to be disappointed in the tv series because they had changed quite a bit.I try not to compare the two things so much since the books were only meant as a guide.You will still be surprised as to how events go in the first two books if you have seen the series.Overall,I think these books will not disappoint the readers and will not be able to put them down after their first read.

What can I say about the Sookie Stackhouse novels? If you've seen the HBO series, you have to read the books. If you haven't read the books you have to see the series. The great part of the novel is that the reader can see into the thoughts of Sookie. Also, though the series does mirror the books, it is different, too. We feel what she feels, the wonder, the love, the yearning for Bill, then her feelings for Eric, then the danger and horror. These books rock, buy them. If you want some other really good scares when you finish this series and until True Blood comes back on, try this book of short horror tales; Seven Deadly Pleasures. Then, of course, you can always head over to Forks;The Twilight Saga Collection

I stayed away from this series. It just seem like it would be all husler and playboy because the main person in this story is named Sookie Stackhouse. Come on how cheesy right? Hell that's like it's pulled straight out of playboy. But I have to say the books flow. It is a great escape. Just shows you not to judge to deep. Give the series a chance. I think I'll even buy the HBO series. This story/series is about every day people with some of the sci-fi mixed in. It's not like those books you have to look up the names to keep track of who is who, let alone to know how to even say their names right. This is a very enjoyable series, and I look forward to the new books. When I love a series and the next book comes out, I can re-read them all. This helps to have the story flow, put me into the mood of the story, and remind me what I forgot. This is one of those series.

I read the books several years ago. Then watched the show. It was nice to revisit Skokie and read the books back to back comparing book plot to the tv shows and how the development of the character's changed.

After reading Twilight saga and I have to say I loved every book, I never thought I would pick another vampire series book and get hooked again. When I started reading Sookie `s novel, I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't wait to get home from work and read my book. I really enjoyed them. The good thing is that they are for adults.
I read all 10 books and I have to be honest, starting book 8, I got kind of bored as it didn't have the effect that other books did . I will buy book 11 if it comes out though ;)
I highly recommend these books. BTW, True blood on HBO is not as good as the books! read the book first.. at least 4 of them before you watch the show on HBO!

I started reading this set of books because I liked the TV series "True Blood" so much. It is rare for me to prefer the TV show or movie over the books which originally inspired them, but in this case I do. Still, the characters were good enough that I kept turning the pages to see what would happen to the characters.

I think Sookie ended up drinking too much vampire blood, because she seemed to lose a lot of her humanity by the end. She became more logical and cool and dispassionate by the end. I think she lost some of her charm because of that.

By the middle of the last book, I was sort of just reading to finish the series.

I really love this book series. Sookie is a well thought out character that brings humor, innocence and a feeling of "realness" to this series. Throughout the series you see her grow as a character and as a woman while her life is entangled with all sorts of supernatural characters and of course vampires.
Charlene's twist on vampire life and laws is very interesting and she does a very good job explaining all the details with out making it boring. The love connections mixed with mystery and adventure makes for a great plot that leaves you not wanting to put the book down.

I am a huge fan of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse Series. I have never watched TrueBlood so my review is purely for the novel. It is a wonderfully raunchy series with both traditional vampire aspects to it as well as a few new spins by the author, letting her create her own version of a vampire world. The series is about the life of Sookie Stackhouse after vampires have come out to the world in present time, finally to co-exist with humans knowingly. It takes place in the deep south, which gives it a great new style and vision. Each novel of the series is equally thrilling with action, mystery, sci-fi, and romance aspects. For those who enjoy sexuality in their books, Harris creates amazingly written sexual tension between her characters as well as some more in depth sexual sections in the books. This series sheds new light on the supernatural world and ties in all kinds of fantasy creatures, connecting them to the real world. It is a complete guilty pleasure. The reader will not only not be able to put any of the books down, it is a series you will re-read countless times. If you are an adult and love Vampire/Sci-Fi Fantasy books and know that vampires burn, not sparkle, READ THIS SERIES!!!

I am a huge True Blood fan so logically I was curious about the books. The books, if you can believe, are much better than the show! The books are simply written but in a way that provides ample detail allowing the reader to imagine Bon Temps & Sookie's world. Some of the books are naturally better than the others. My personal favorite is book four, which closely resembles the current season of show.

It's fun to see how the books differ from the show as well. This is a MUST read for any True Blood fan or any fan of the vampire/warewolf/supernatural craze.

Overall this series is a fun, fast, and really easy read, but there are several things that drive me crazy.
My biggest issue with the series? It seems like a high school student wrote it. She throws in words that either make no sense, or disturb the flow. I have no problem with a person using longer more complicated words... but it seems like the author was writing and decided that she need to use a bigger word, using her thesaurus to do so. The rest of the book is maybe junior high reading level then she throws in a word that just makes me wonder "why" when other phrases would have worked so much better and actually continued the flow of the sentence etc. The author uses a 'word of the day' calender to justify this. A real talented author uses what is best for the story- not just the longest word.
My other annoyance? The sex scenes, they are boring are predictable.
I like this series as easy read in-between some of the more complicated novels/series that I enjoy. I read them before watching the tv show, and I think the writers etc on the show have more imagination, creativity, and are just plain better at telling a story then the author of these books.

One last note: I understand in a series that you need some repetition to help when books have large gaps between release dates, but I have never (and I read a LOT of series books) seen this much. Almost every time Sookie mentions her telepathy she has to mention her struggles as a child or how she can sense some people and the fact that it can be really difficult to listen in to everything. At every mention on Bill- he was my first love etc. It is not needed, it is just annoying- I skip several paragraphs when she does this because I can actually remember that Sookie is telepathic and that Bill took her virginity etc. PLEASE stop this, I know books have to be a certain length, but it is so annoying to have a recap EVERY time you mention a concept that has already been covered over and over and over.

In reading through the series as a set like this, I was able to pick up on some inconsistencies I might not have noticed otherwise. These came in the form of names and places and really bothered me, probably more than it would most other people.

I did wish for page numbers, as it would have made navigating easier. When I read it, it did not have them.

This is probably one of the best book series I've ever read. I really enjoy reading this series because you really get to know a specific character or group of characters, as if they are your buddies. You know the ins and outs of their personal lives, not just what they do for one plot line.

Sookie is a sweet, innocent character, but as the stories move on, her character changes. I think the character development is great. Charlaine Harris puts Sookie through lots of drama and traumatic events, how can you not be changed as a person when faced with life threatening events?! Although she changes just a touch as the books progress, the same Sookie is always apparent throughout the series.

There are love triangles galore, but there's one relationship that seems to be the focal point of the series. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it, but it starts of so subtle that I didn't even think about it in the first few books. Then all of a sudden, you realize that this guy has always had feelings for Sookie and then you start to wonder how you didn't catch it in the prior books. I found myself going back to the prior books to reread their interactions. Their banter ss so funny and there were tons of one line zingers. I hope Charlaine Harris keeps this character and gives Sookie a happy ending with him when the series is done.

Lots of action going on in each book and it doesn't take long to get hooked. Vampires, weres, and shapeshifters make it very interesting. Hearing all the internal conflict in Sookie with the love triangles and family issues make her so much more likable. Plus she's fiesty as can be, which I love. I highly recommend this series.

This series has cleansed my eyes and mind of Twilight for good. I have a love/hate thing with the Twilight series....mostly hate. If you're still on a vampire kick, but looking for a book that isn't juvenile with a great heroine and sprinkled with humor, this is the series for you. My only regret is that Charlaine Harris isn't done with the series so I have to wait for subsequent books to come out annually. It's going to be painful to wait a whole year to find out what happens to Sookie.

I was stumped for a book to read and decided I may as well give 'Dead Until Dark' a shot, given that it was popular enough to have a show based on it, so I bought it.
I was not disappointed at all.
After spending a few days in Louisiana, I went ahead and bought Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead as well and finished those faster than the first. Both were so excellent, I came back and bought every book in the series, and now about to read 'Dead in the Family', I am really glad I picked up the first novel.
If you don't know what the series is about, basically it's about barmaid, Sookie Stackhoouse, dealing with a multitude of problems pertaining to the supernatural, a world she was introduced to when the vampire Bill walked into Merlotte's bar, where she works.
For anyone considering this series, I highly recommend it. I'm not sure what the age demographic is, but after having been only into teen fiction/fantasy, this series was a welcome change, with it's clever twists and actual 'laugh out loud' humor. I cannot wait to read Dead in the Family, which I hope isn't the last

I ordered these based on the "What other people ordered" suggestions that the store gives. Based on the books they were relating them to, I thought I'd enjoy them. While that is the case, I'm liking the books, they are definitely not for the same age range as some of the others that are marked as similar. There are very graphic sex scenes, parents beware! However, if you're old enough, they're good books.

Sookie is a great character, not the normal toothpick girl, damsel in distress. The author paints all the charactets in full living color. Let's talk about the setting, the deep south, yup! Where else would supernatural creatures of all sorts exist but the deep south. The subtle humor and colorful characters make this series a fantastic read. So fantastic I have been delaying reading the final book as I hate for it all to end!

I remember my bookstore transition from the grade school section to the young adult section. I only lasted there for about a year then I moved onto the regular fiction section. I remember thinking the young adult section was beneath me, like when I would pass over the juvenile Goosebumps section for the more teenage Fear Street section. Even now, when I reference R.L. Stine and my friends bring up Goosebumps, I have a fleeting feeling of superiority.

To clarify, I'm not a mean person or elitist, but I could read at a very high level when I was very young and so I skipped over most of the intermediate reads. I didn't understand why someone would want to read something (I considered) so basic, but I see now that not everyone was reading Stephen King and Anne Rice at 11. It's very likely that the only age-appropriate books I read back then were required reading for school.

When The Twilight Saga came out, I thought it was for teenagers. I thought it couldn't have substance. I saw the movie and enjoyed it so much that I bought the box set of books. To be frank, I wasn't impressed. The story was interesting, but the characters were so whiny! I know that Bella is a teenager and that Edward is a centuries-old teenager, but there's a reason why no one but teenagers can stand teenagers. They are really annoying. So, Twilight was a bit of a bust for me.

Cue one year later, I'm at a friend's house watching Real Estate Intervention with them and they mention that they've been watching True Blood. They assured skeptical me that it was good and most importantly, that it was ADULT, so I gave in and we watched an episode. This was episode 6 of season 2.

I WAS HOOKED. That same night, we watched 3 more episodes in a row and the next night, we finished season 2. As I drove home around midnight, I called my boyfriend and said, "OMG, we have to watch this amazing show." We have finished season 1 now and are now in season 2, past where I started. He has this habit of saying, "Oh no, what's going to happen now?" and he means it rhetorically, but I have to try hard not to answer. :)

Way back in October, I ordered the Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set (the series True Blood is based on). I received it 10 days ago (because the other book in my order was a pre-order that hadn't been released yet) and as of this morning, I'm just starting book 8. I am DEVOURING these books. They are amazing. They're funny, dark, witty, sexy, surprising, engrossing, and suspenseful. Yesterday, I ordered Dead and Gone (book 9), but I don't think I'll get it before I finish book 8. And Dead in the Family (book 10)

I don't normally like vampire stories. For example, I did not think the Twilight books were great, but at least I 'took a stab at them.' That having been said, I want to tell you I think this particular vampire saga is wonderful. Harris' writing is so completely immersing and engaging that she makes vampires interesting to me, HER vampires, that is. I give full credit to Harris' writing. Where Twilight is a romance, this series is categorized as a mystery at my library and for me that makes all the difference.

after watching and loving the hbo series true blood i wanted to see if the books had the same appeal. the lady at the bookstore brought me the boxed set and i asked her if she would recommend them. she said she was unsure because the story eventually becomes different than the series on hbo. so instead, i only bought the first book in the series. i could tell right away that the book was not my usual style of book choices. but it was fascinating and really pulled me in quickly. the characters and easy rolling stream of words are somehow soothing and compelling. it pulled me in completely, the near hypnotic writing style encouraged me to forget the stressful world around me and to enter sookies world. the next morning i went back to the bookstore to get the full 8 box set and i ordered in the latest book in the series as well as all the multi author story compilation books that included any sookie stories. they are all easy reading, and i read all of them in a week. but unlike oyher of my "favorite books", i began reading the set over again. sookies world became like a "real world" that i never got tired of visiting. the books are strangely empowering and thought provoking, in many different important areas of life like self confidence,doing the right things,caring for others,understanding differences,creating boundries,being true to yourself,counting your blessings however strange they are. i think the books can really strike a nerve with people like me who grew up with unusual abilities and felt so different from other "normal" people. i would love to fall into sookies world. but aside from my personal peculiarities,i think these books will be enjoyed by everyone. we all need an escape.and a strong female heroine is something to celebrate.

Loved these books! So easy to follow cookies journeys. Started watching true blood on prime, I like the books better. Sookie is pretty reliable throughout and the stories aren't as dark and twisted and thank goodness Jason is an occasional character, not an every scene stealer like the show(which I still thoroughly enjoyed). Book 7 and 8 were prob the worst.

I love the HBO series "True Blood" so I decided to read the books. To say the books are better is an understatement. Wow! I LOVE these books... I read the first 8 in under a week. Yes, they are that good. Charlaine Harris has effectively created a fascinating universe filled with a broad range of characters that just completely pull the reader in. Even the most cursory characters are interesting. Just make sure you have adequate time to do some serious reading when you get started - you won't want to put them down.

I have read all these books TWICE. I Love SOOKIE! I also own seasons 1 and 2 in the DVDs and cant wait to buy season 3. I am totalluy in love with Eric. That is one sexy viking! I have turned my friends on to the Sookie Stackhouse books. Wonderful read. Hope that the series never ends.
Author Vicky Renee Johnson
Mississippi Vampires
A MISSISSIPPI MOONLIGHT
Magic And Magnolias (A Mississippi Moonlight)

After watching Season one of HBO's 'True Blood,' my partner rushed out to purchase the box set of Sookie Stackhouse books. What a sweetheart. I settled in for a great read. I have to say, I found this to be one of the rare occasions where the series is actually way better than the book/s. The series of books, even after becoming incredibly popular, needs a strong edit. There are places where the characters react in unrealistic ways, some of the sentence structure is incorrect (not that mine is perfect) and the writing is simply lack-lustre and unimaginative. The STORY on the other hand? Brilliant. What a story-teller. I read the entire series because of this and I'm glad I did not give up. These books should be re-written and redistributed ... it would be worth the effort.

I made it through 1 book... I thought I was getting interesting novels with suspense and charaters I would know and couldn't even wait to see what happened next. I was soooo wrong. Not only were the charaters so dumb but also had no depth. I could care less if the vampire killed them all. I didn't even want to start the next book but wanted to see what everyone who wrote a positive review was getting. Well about 4 pages or so later, I deleted the entire set. Save your money.

The onset of this series in my life has been fantastic! In the past month I have read all ten of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I do not regret one minute of it. All of these books bring intrigue, suspense, and drama into the reader's imagination. I am on the very last few pages of "Dead in the Family", and I am going to cry when it is over. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good series.

I agree that this series has gone on too long, but these first eight are a good read. I love Ms. Harris's sense of humor, she does a great job creating characters you care about, her plotting is well paced and she is so creative! Not to be too spoilery but I love Bubbah's character! That was hilarious! I loved that she took an urban legend of sorts and gave it a really interesting "explanation".

I'm not completely done with this series I'm on book 6. And while I think it's more of a charming let my kid at 16 read the series it's still pretty good. The author does breif you on people and things in the books that have happened in the past books so if you were to read this out of order you would still understand everything. I don't want to drop other author names in this review I will just say that there are two specific authors with superb writing that come to mind more so than Charlaine. Charlaine keeps it a much cleaner, dignified, less sex and intamicy to it. I'm just not as enraptured to this series as a few I've read. While Charlaine keeps things moving and there's always something and makes sure Sookie always have some kind of sexual tension with whatever abnormal she crosses it's just not enough for me. This is a good starter series for kids 17-21.

Being able to borrow this set via my library was fabulous! E-reader version or print, having this set together is nice since you can move from one book to the next quickly and easily. And, as I mentioned libraries, you don't have to worry about waiting around for the next book to be available.

Great story, and great option...

I bought this box set and wow! This was my first time ever reading anything by Charlaine Harris and I am pleased to say, I thoroughly enjoyed each book.
Harris is wonderful at pulling the reader along into the story for one hell of a ride.
At times Sookie can be a bit annoying, yet she is a character that I felt I could relate to.
I look forward to reading more from Harris.

Sometimes these books get me in trouble because I can't put them down! I really enjoyed reading this series, it was light, entertaining, and mysterious. Besides that, what woman doesn't love a good romance? Totally recommend, sending these to my best friend so she can enjoy them now!!

So this series is one of those that you can't put down. Harris has a true gift of mixing different genres, such a horror, humor, and romance, and creating a marvelous cocktail of suspense and intrigue which fascinates the reader. One of the best settings of southern gothic I have ever read, and her characters are rounded and well developed, so that halfway through you cannot help but be in love with two vampires at once, the way Sookie is, because they are both so very intriguing and so well imagined. Great writing, I highly recommend it!

I started reading this series after Twilight and I must say, this is the adult version of Twilight. I loved the series, with books 1 and 4 being my favorites. Sookie, the main character is so spunky. Overall, I really love all of the characters, and the series is written so well. I can't wait for the new book's release in May, "Dead in the Family".

I started watching the series and then half way threw the third season I bought the book series. I had hear from friends it was a great series. I must say it is. I love the books almost as much as I love the series, they do have different people in there and how things played out, but it is worth the read if you like the series like I do.

My friend bought these for me for Christmas since I had never watched the show on HBO. The books were amazing!! Once I got started I could not put them down. Much more fun and adult-like than Twilight. I would not let a kid under 16 read these - lots of sexual content. I have since watched the show and the books are SO MUCH better!!!!!

Absolutely one of my favorite series! Each book has an unexpected event and I love that! It's definitely a sci-fi book and I don't really like those so I thought! This series has opened my mind to a whole new world!

I found these books to be really intriguing. The characters and their attributes were all interesting, at times it seems like the series goes on forever, but at the same time, who wants their favorite books to end? I really enjoyed these and think they are a great read.

I love this series and to find that it comes in a nice box set is great. This is a good value and if all the books were to come in a box set(if the series ever stops with a final book)I would buy that as well.

The books vs. the TV series I would say both are equally good in their own right. If you've watched the series before reading the books(like me), you will find some changes were made, but thinking of them separately would be the best thing to do. The read is enjoyable though and I wouldn't be put off by differing views between the two[books/TV series]. I recommend to any one who loves reading about vampires and magic.

If you, like me, are coming to the series after developing a taste for the HBO show, you will probably be a bit disappointed. I much prefer the show to the books. A few reassons:
1. The portrayal of Sookie and Bill. In the books Sookie is often portrayed as somewhat childish and silly. Bill still very much enjoys the vampire lifestyle and often lets these interests overcome his concern for Sookie.
2. Significant roles for Tara and Lafayette. In the books, Lafayette plays a minor role and is killed off quickly. Tara's role is insignificant as well.
3. The sex. The books are highly sexual, but the sex reads like a dime store romance novel. It kind of ruins the effect.

I watched the show first and just grabbed the first book at library on accident in case I ran out of good books to read.... well then I got the 8 book box set and I couldn't stop... it's 100% better then the series I only wish it never ended

I read this series as a result of my interest in True Blood. It has exceeded my expectations and surprised me with many different plot stories. I highly recommend to anyone who wants to read light material that's fun and compelling. Charlaine Harris is one of my favorites!

I'm glad I read the reviews for the Kindle boxed set before I bought it. It's actually slightly less expensive to buy the books individually, rather than as a set, so that's what I've been doing.

I'm finding them delightfully addictive and a wonderful combination of romance and mystery. Each is a very quick light read, but loads of fascinating fun. Sookie is a wonderful character.

I'm looking forward to reading Ms Harris's other series.

When I was introduced to True Blood on television I was in love. When I got the books from my hubby for Valentine's Day this year I was pleasantly surprised! I love the characters, plots and story lines. The books are delicious! I can't wait to get my hands on the next few in the series!

I read the first 3 books years ago, then recently decided to read all of them in succession again.

Reading them in succession means some of the story telling becomes redundant (i.e. Bubba), but there are also a handful of errors that proofreaders should have caught and corrected, especially with a money making series like this.

For a quick, light read these are good stories, but not anything I would be likely to read twice.

I was a little apprehensive about getting the box set but took a chance anyways. I've just finished the first book and I'm more than half way through the second. I think that the main character, Sookie, is a great. I'm glad I bought the box set and will probably buy book 10. Would recommend to other readers.

I watched the first and second seasons of true blood, until of course I could no longer afford HBO. And although I've only read the first book; it's true, the book is always better than the movies/tv series. So excited to read them all!

Thanks to The Sookie Stackhouse series (which I've read twice!) I've become an addict to all things paranormal and fantasy. This series is wonderfully written, doesn't contain a dull part (well except when Sookie describes herself as a barmaid and a size 8 in almost every book) and is full of surprises and new paranormal creatures. The HBO series is loosely based off of the series and for once reading the book doesn't make you not like the TV series-- they're both good in their own way. Can't wait for the book 10 release in May 2010!

Just a quick mention that I absolutely LOVE these books! I bought season 1 of TrueBlood after seeing it advertised everywhere (and already being a fan of Twilight series, both books and movies) and loved it! So when I found out their were also books I bought them all. In the last week I have read 9 books! One night I read two and a half books in a row.. The tv series is really good but the books are far better! I found the first book to be not as good (having seen most of it in the tv series) however from then on they just keep getting better and better! So I am going back now to read the last book I have Dead In The Family. I pray she writes some more soon!

I started this series a year ago. I loved it, was obsessed with it, but now I am done with it. I do not understand why it is considered romance. Yes, the first 4 are romances, but it seems Ms. Harris no longer wants to write romance and is focusing more on the paranormal aspects. If you like paranormal with a touch of romance, you will like this series. If you like romance with a side of paranormal, you may feel betrayed in the end and frustrated like I do. I have never loved a series so much only to lose all interest in even finishing it in the end. I wanted to love this series and see it to the end, but I just can't. It started as my style, but ended as something totally different.

I wanted to like these books. I'm honestly sorry I didn't. The HBO series is enjoyable and I love a good paranormal series, but these books were just dreadful.

I found myself zoning out while trying to read it, skipping pages, and putting it down for days at a time. I tried, I really did. I made it all the way to the forth in the series before I just gave up.

So why did these books fall so short? The writing is second rate, it felt as though a 15 year old wrote them. The writing is choppy. The characters are underdeveloped.

I'm amazed these books got published, I'm even more blown away that these books were the inspiration behind True Blood on HBO. Even the show can be corny at times which worried me about the books and is why it took me so long to pick them up. Yet, the books are not half as funny or sexy as the series. The characters are not comparable either. The only two characters that seemed at all like the show's are Sookie and Bill. Other then that there were not a whole lot of similarities.

I wouldn't recommend these books to anyone I know. Unless they were on a ninth grade reading level.

While I'm a Sookie fan to a degree I can't really say I enjoyed these books as much as others of the supernatural genre. It often seemed to me I was reading the same story over and over again just with slightly different characters. Not to say that I wouldn't recommend these to others that enjoy a good supernatural romance with a bit of mystery, they simply weren't for me.

These books are soo great that it makes me sad to know one day it will all end. Im always so devastated when I get to the last chapter because I always want MORE! Love the sexuality of sookie stackhouse. Its always fun to see through her p.o.v. Have reread several of the books. Book 4 is by far my favorite though;) Keep it coming Charlaine Harris!

I love this series. These books have traveled with me to many places because I read in every spare moment; I devoured the series. I will say that the author gets caught up in Sookie's clothing at times, but other than that, a great read.

Ok the set has 8, but there are more than 8...I am currently on Book 7 and I cannot wait to get to the rest.
Awesome author....no matter what they say it is NOT for young teens LOL...very descriptive but again, a great series.

I read the first one and I thought it was OK. A little brainless reading -- a "weekender" book. The second one is not as good. And as someone has mentioned before all of it is a little eye-rolling. The relationship between Sookie and Bill, the dialogue, the text, the story. It's at times unbelievable -- who says that?, who does that? -- but I guess it wasn't like I was expecting some great piece of literature.

As I mentioned, each of these is a book that can be read in one weekend, but I am still reading it over a week later. Most likely, because I keep putting it down to pick up a better book. I have to finish it, though, because I started it.

I don't like romance books and I don't even really like it having part in any book, so the sex scenes turn me off. At least she gets through them quickly and it's not some sort of drawn out love fest.

The text is definitely corny. In the second book, the simile borders on the irritating, mostly because of its high number -- and you could fill a house with the instances of hyperbole :)

This book (and I would assume the rest of the series) is just ok. I registered the thought early on that the author is just churning out these books as fast as possible and, after looking at the amount of books she has written, I believe this is so.

It's a simple read. Nothing over-the-top interesting about it. Light reading to rest your brain.

I always like the books more then the movie/Tv show. So much more depth to the characters. The plots can be different and there are just things that happen or don't happen, but I just really love how you get to know sooo much more about the people!

Love this series. Some books are better than others, of course, but I read about a book a night until I got to the 13th book! the store tells me there will be 21 in the series... I'm looking forward to it.

After Twilight I was looking for more Vampire novels to read and asked the local librarian and she recommended this series.. so glad I checked it out.. absolutely fabulous and I love the hit tv series Tru Blood as well. Bravo! Not to be missed! Highly recommended!!!

I'm obsessed with the True Blood series on HBO and could not wait to get my hands on these books. Although a little different in the story line, I am not disappointed at all. Charlaine Harris is an amazing author and these books are compelling. They are hard to put down. the store shipped them fast and the arrived in excellent condition. Couldn't be happier.

These books are the perfect combination of fantasy and excitement. There is some sexual content, but the author does not over do it. Very creative characters and an exciting story that makes you want more!

I find the Sookie Stackhouse series a highly addictive read. I bought the series and had it all read in a week. I was always wondering what new, unexpected thing would happen next. For those who like science fiction/romance novels (if that's what it's considered), you will LOVE this series. I highly recommend it. Oh, and it's different than the series on HBO, (which makes it more fun to read in my eyes) so don't be disappointed if what you read is not exactly what you see on tv!

These books were awesome! I loved everyone of them! Its not just the same old love story either...there are twists and turns along the way! After reading the Twilight series I just wanted more vampires so some friends suggested this series and I am thankful for it!

Great introduction to the Sookie series. First book was difficult to get into (different writing style than I typically like) but totally worth hanging in there. After that, it was too easy to flow from one book to the next. Love it.

I love the concepts with the birth rights and heritage Charlaine has for the Supernatural world, but making this a series clearly shows she wanted another shot at tightening up her plots. These books have been a guideline and a reference on the characters we come across in the show.

The Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris is truly one of the GREATEST book series I have EVER read (and I read a lot!). Each book is fast paced, clever, full of action, and more action, mysteries galore, love, romance, some sexy scenes (hee hee), and wit, humor, and sass! I got through this series very quickly because I truly could not put the books down. I would try and try to stop so that I could "save some reading for later", but I was just so addicted to the series and was always left wanting more by the numerous cliff hangers that I could NOT stop!

The Sookie Stackhouse novels are set in present times in a world where synthetic blood is created and perfected. Because of the synthetic bloods creation, it turns out that vampires are actually real, and they now feel that they can "come out of the coffin" and reveal themselves since they no longer need to be feared by humans (because they can just drink synthetic blood in stead of hunting humans). These books are a great escape that are written very well, I highly, highly recommend it!!!

P.S. I actually bought the OTHER box set which has only the first 7 books, this one has the newest in paperback From Dead To Worse, but this one obviously is better because you won't have to run to the store once you're on book 7 to get book 8 like I did!

I got hooked watching "True Blood" on HBO. What a great show- I thought, Hey, I'll start reading the books. (I did the same with Twilight; got hooked). I LOVE the Sookie Stackhouse books because I dont feel like I'm 13 when I'm reading them like I did with Twilight. There are adult situations and experiences, they get a little steamy. I like how they are different than the show- they're totally different; better. If, that's even possible. Anyway, love the books, but I HATE the small print font. HELLO?? could they not print them a little larger?? As far as the books are concerned, however, great reads! (That is if you're into sappy vamp romance). ;-)

I never thought I would fall so in love with a book series. I received the Sookie Stackhouse box set for my birthday and I have reread every book at least 3 different times. I love the writing style and even more, I love the fact that it is very different from the True Blood you seen on HBO.

I loved these books! If you are one that enjoyed the Twilight series but want to get involved in a sexier more action packed series this is for you. I have so far enjoyed watching the two seasons of Trueblood and I have to say, I am so glad I read this series so I know a little of what to expect in season three. Hope you give it a try, I read all nine books in two weeks and can't wait for the 10th book coming out in May 2010. I'm addicted to Sookie Stackhouse now :)

This is great way for Sookie Stackhouse fans to have the first 8 books read sequentially. Wish the publisher had numbered the books on the spine. They are listed in order inside the book, minor issue. Definately a "guilty pleasure". If you are a "True Blood" fan,don't worry, the books give more indepth and more story lines than the TV series.No "spoiler alert" for the full set.

I had a hard time getting into the first two books. I was wondering what all the fuss was about but then Club Dead (book 3) had me hooked. I read through Dead in the Family and A Touch of Dead (the short story novel) with in two weeks. Can't wait for Book 11! In the meantime, I have been looking for another fantasy type series but haven't found anything nearly as addictive.

This is an amazing series, that really would capyure the interest of readers interest in supernatural books. It explores the mythological world of vampires, witches, wiccans, shape shifters and many other supernatural beings. It is definitely dark and captivating. The does have many difference from the television show but it definitely is an amazing read.

Very different from the TV show on HBO, but both are good. As the series continues on, it gets further and further from the show. But i think it's fun because neither give the other away and it's like you get two versions of Sookie's world.