A friend of mine sent me the first Sookie book and got my started on them. I'm now almost finished with book #7.

I've caught up on the HBO version, True Blood, but other than the really good looking men, I really prefer the books to the show.

Have you read the books? Just watched True Blood? Both? Like one better than the other?

I was looking up online and saw that they have some short stories to the books. Has anyone read them? Are they worth reading?

I am addicted to both. I love the books more, and wish the series would follow them more closely. I have read the series twice, and can't wait till next May for the next one book 4 and 11 are my favorites.

Which one was 11? I found a list earlier of all the books but it only went through 10. Hmmmm!

The first season matched the books to me. The second season lost me with how they drug the MaryAnn stuff out. I was like enough already. 3rd season was just okay. Really am not liking the 4th season, cause I keep thinking, "but, but that isn't how it happened in the book!"

My husband and I were watching the S4-1, and he kept asking, what?? What's going on? I had to tell him I had no idea because it's not what the book does. He hasn't read the series. And is Barry now stuck in Faery forever? He ate the fruit.... that kinda blows the storyline for later on. That and Sophie Ann. And Bill is King? It's all too weird now, LOL. I love the books though. My sister likes the show and didn't realize there were books that it was based upon. I just sent her the first 2 yesterday to get her hooked.

Yeah and the King that's causing all the trouble isn't that bad in the books. It is just going to get further and further off the story line.

I've pretty much have had to tell myself it is a whole different story, they are just using the same characters. Because that seems to be it. While there area few things that hit close to home, it isn't near enough for me.

I've read the books but haven't watched the shows.

There's a game too http://www.dyingfordaylight.com/ I've played the first one but it's kind of short...only took me and the kiddos an hour and a half to get through it.

Finished 7 last night, started 8 and am over half way through it. Stayed up too late reading but I couldn't put it down. I guess when you get this far into it, you just have to know what happens next!

Texas, I'll have to look into that game, but not while I'm at work.

I'm addicted to True Blood at the moment too! I have just bought season 3 on DVD and have just started reading the 5th book. I think I may be confusing myself by reading and watching the series at the same time though. I think the books are nearly always better than the tv versions. I am in Australia so can't get season 4 yet so I am very jealous!

I wouldn't be all that jealous about not seeing season 4 yet. I watched the latest episode of Season 4 last night and it really annoys me how far off they are from the books. While there are some similarities, such as Eric's memory loss, and Jason becoming a panther, they completely changed up the how/why's of it. And added in and changed things about the story line.

It's pretty much the same people (well not all since some aren't in the book and so on) and very, very loosely following the story line. If there is a Season 5, then I'm curious if it will be able to relate to the book at all, because there are major events in the books that could not go with how they have the story lines now. Before too long it will just be the characters and nothing else to do with the books.

I like the actors,, they have really brought them to life in my head. I mean how can you not read about Eric and not picture him in your head? But honestly at this moment, I really wish I hadn't bothered to keep HBO. I could have saved myself $15 a month, since I only kept it for True Blood, and spent that money towards the books.

I started book 9 this weekend. Every time I hear about how great the show is, I just wanna go, read the books, it is way better!

I really like the confused Eric He just got a lot sexier. But you're right, they are waaaaaaaay off. Now no more Claudine, wth?? I love the books a LOT more, but I don't think that I couldn't watch the show anymore even now when they totally messed up the story. And was that PORTIA Bill was with last night, ewwwwwww! Please tell me I am wrong because they never said her name.

I didn't catch the name either. I just assumed she was the witch/informant girl, maybe I need to go back to that one and re watch it since I wasn't feeling good that night.

I'll keep watching the show. If I had went ahead and cancelled HBO before this season started, it'd be different, but I've seen enough that makes me want to just finish it. Kinda like when you are watching a stupid movie and you just have to finish it just to see what happens.

I'm just having to divorce the two in my head and look at the show as something completely different.

I'm not sure what I am going to do when I finish the books in the series!

Well I'm certainly out of the loop. I had to look up Sookie as I had no idea who Sookie was.
Amazing.. Me, who used to rush home to watch Dark Shadows!

I didn't really know about 'her' until about 3 months ago.

I really should be mad at my friend for getting me started on it.

Don't be mad at your friend, Texas, LOL!! I love them both. And the waiting until May for the next book is killing me. She has signed on for at least 3 more.
did you notice Sookie reading Harris last night at the table, haha!

Yeah I did catch that and it did make me laugh.

I actually like Eric better, in both the book and the show than Bill. I think with Eric it was more of a what you see is what you get. Sure he's an ass, but he doesn't pretend to be anything other than that.

I also liked Quinn, and was sad with how that went.

I love the books, but quit watching the show. First season was ok, but after that....yuck! Too far off from the books!

[quote="TexasSugar"]

Him and grandma figured out the connection on last night's episode and he told her he couldn't see her any more.

At first I thought that was going to be one of those things they left out, but apparently not.

karateka, I just have to divorce any thoughts of the books when watching the show. I think had I never read the books I'd probably really like the show, a lot of people seem to. But when you read the books you just know too much.

I just started #10 this weekend, Dead In The Family. I'm not sure what I am going to do when I catch up to the ones that are out and have to wait.[/quote]


You're going to be upset at the end of 11. SUCH a cliffhanger!! I can't wait until next May. Until then, I'm just enjoying the show even though they are totally off the series now. I hate that they made Claudine out to be bad on the show. She was so good in the book.

Yep, I did like Claudine in the books too.

May is such a long time from now!!

I caught this thread late! I loooove the Sookie Stackhouse series and watch True Blood as well. My boyfriend's sister got me into the books and the show. I read all of the books in my spare time (aside from the most recent release) in like 3 weeks!

That said, I enjoyed the first couple of seasons of TB but am having a hard time with it keeping my attention since it really is deviating from the books.

At first, I was like, wait! Lafayette is supposed to die! Tara? Huh? Why does she have such a HUGE part? Now I'm getting frustrated/upset/angry that they're deviating so much and it seems that they're not planning the series for longevity, because so many characters that should be in the later seasons are being killed off (Claudine) and then others are still there and they should be gone (Debbie). Jason's storyline is really jacked up also.

And in the books, Portia is supposed to be some dowdy, ugly woman...not the case in the series. I always thought the casting was pretty horrible from the get go and the acting could be way better.

From what I understand they kept Lafayette, because people liked his character. And Tara, I guess they needed another female in the show, and it gave Sam more of a story line. I think that's why they brought in the whole Jessica character and Sam's family.

Debbie didn't die until the end of Book 4, so she may not last past this season.

In my opinion, they pretty much went past the point of no return in Season 3. I think they are figuring that the majority of the people that watch the show don't read the books, or even know that they really exist. And honestly, of the people that I know that do watch the the show and rave about it, very few have read any of the books.

I didn't know the books existed until this year. Then I read them all in about 2 weeks, LOL. They were just so addictive, and in my opinion much better than the show. I love the show, too, but like you said, Texas, just have to divorce the two. I love Lafayette! I was SO upset when he ended up dead in the books, haha!! I love Jessica too. I think Debbie is about to go bad again. No way is she staying the way she is. She's gonna end up dead by the end of the season.
I remember hearing somewhere they are only doing 5 seasons which makes me sad. I love it! I wish they would hurry up with Eric and Sookie. They should be falling in love by now.

Yeah, I definitely like Lafayette's character, and I'm glad Jessica was added as well...not a huge fan of Tara though...I don't think she's a very good actress and for some reason she always looks sweaty to me...lol.

I can definitely understand having to disconnect. My boyfriend watches the show and he hasn't read the books, but he's still got the opinion that they're kind of getting off base with the way the show is heading.

I like Eric, but I kinda want Quinn to re-appear, or Alcide to be less of an ass.

What is book 11 called? I have finished book 10 and I think that is where we're up to in Australia but I can't wait!!

It's called Dead Reckoning.
And I'm probably the minority, but I don't want Quinn back. I love her with Eric