Okay, I was
waaaay late coming to the Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse rave. Being a vamp lover and having a penchant for all things creepy, I should have read these books sooner. I have no excuse. None. I knew for a few years I wanted to read them, but I just didn't have the time until I made some - which meant no sleep. I believe as a writer, you must read anything and everything that’s out there in your genre, in order to hone your craft. And so I
did. Today, I thought I’d share some brief thoughts about the series to date and then in another post, I'll share my opinion of the HBO's TrueBlood series.
About the Sookie Stackhouse series:
In a nutshell the Sookie Stackhouse series are a never-ending dish of southern creepy comfort. These are books I could read for an eternity and never get bored. Sookie feels so familiar; a woman who thinks she’s a freak in so many ways, yet she’s still human (mostly). I think we all can relate - at least the human side. Her Deep South roots keep her unique and alluring to the core. The way Harris infused Sookie’s Gram's influence is something that speaks to my very marrow. My Grandma (while alive) used to have these old southern/nearly forgotten adages she’d say to us (the grand kids.) Back then, I laughed and ignored them. Now those memory clips – when I recall them - are like pure poetry to me. Sookie rattles off these southern sayings that make me yearn for my long-gone grandmother. As you can see, from the beginning, I was smitten. Sookie is smart, fun, positive, a go-getter and never dull. And above all, she has manners sprinkled with a “do unto others” mentality. What a concept! Don’t get me wrong, I love the snarky, tough chick heroine in books, but they are nearly everywhere in stories nowadays and I believe a bit overdone.
Creating solid likable
characters comes naturally to Harris. There’s probably not one character I don’t admire in some way. And the town Bon Temps resembles–"sups" aside– the mess of Podunk towns that I lived around as a kid. All the creepy creatures, vampires, fairies, elves, shifters, werewolves, witches, etc.… are awesome to say the least. The story lines are incredible too. Sookie finds love a few times, so there are always delicious love triangles that will satiate those who need romance in their fiction. Whether it’s Sookie's first love, Bill, or the forbidden love of Eric, it’s all goooood! Charlaine Harris knows how to write a series damn it! There’s a reason why these are so loved. If you haven’t had a chance to read the series, you really should. They are positively addicting!
Book
12, Deadlocked in the Sookie Stackhouse series comes out in May 2012. Oh jeez, I can’t believe I have to wait that
long. She released chapter 2 recently
for those who haven’t seen it. Can't wait!
Mina B.
Today for the AtoZ Challenge we are at the letter X. My Under the Sea Myths & Legends theme found an interesting creature to discuss.
