A Bloody Book List – 75 Vampire Books You Must Read

NPR (National Public Radio) aired a special segment aired on All Things Considered on Vampires, and then turned around a published a follow up article, For Love Of Do-Good Vampires: A Bloody Book List. What a great segment, an excellent read and killer book list.

One aspect of the article I found most interesting were the time periods analyzed when a particular vampire novel or movie was written/released. For example, when Bram Stoker’s tale was first written, “England had some of the largest ports in the world”. Could it be that the public interest soared for Stoker’s tale because of fear? With the influx of people, trade and diseases coming into the ports from foreign lands, the concept of “Dracula” was possibly more believable to the masses. Other public interest crept in during the Great Depression, when Bela Lugosi launched his own personal depiction of the great, Count Dracula. The NPR article also highlights other famous vampire novels, pairing them with certain decades that I found beyond interesting, like Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire. This article was such a delight to read that if you like the mysterious as much as I do…I highly recommend reading or listening to the piece.


And now for the most exciting detail of the article, the Bloody Killer Vampire Book List. The article's author, Margot Adler, actually read 75 vampire books. I think she may be my new hero. Of course, I’ve read several of these books but all 75, I doubt it. But have faith…I will get there and will bring you along the way.


See below the list I plan on reviewing and or reading in the 2010 year.


Margot Adler's Vampire Book List

• 1-4. The Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer
• 5-13.The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, by Charlaine Harris
• 14-15. A Touch Of Dead, by Charlaine Harris
• 16-18. The Hunger, The Last Vampire, Lilith's Dream, by Whitley Strieber
• 19. Let The Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist
• 20. Sucks To Be Me, by Kimberly Pauley
• 21. Suck It Up, by Brian Meehl
• 22-25. The Vampire Diaries, by L.J. Smith
• 26-29. Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz
• 22-25. House Of Night, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
• 36-39. The Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead
• 40. Undead And Unwed, by MaryJanice Davidson
• 41-50. Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, by Laurell K. Hamilton
• 51-55. Blood Ties, by Tanya Huff
• 56-58. The Smoke Trilogy, by Tanya Huff
• 59. Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice
• 60. Dracula, by Bram Stoker
• 61-62. Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story; Suck: A Love Story, by Christopher Moore
• 63-64. The Society Of S; The Year Of Disappearances, by Susan Hubbard
• 65. Hotel Transylvania, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• 66. The Vampire Tapestry, by Suzy McKee Charnas
• 67. The Delicate Dependency, A Novel Of The Vampire Life, by Michael Talbot
• 68.Those Who Hunt The Night, by Barbara Hambly
• 69-71. Red Moon Rising, Malachi's Moon; Craven Moon, by Billie Sue Mosiman
• 72. Eternally Yours, by Stephen Juers
• 73. Fledgling, by Octavia Butler
• 74. The Dead Travel Fast, by Eric Nuzum
• 75. The Vampire Archives, by Otto Penzler, Neil Gaiman, and Kim Newman

I have no doubt that most of these, if not all, are great but I look forward to adding a few more to this list. Stay tuned and most of all…keep reading.

Mina B.