Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire)

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!!!!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.