Lovers of Paranormal discussion

Greetings Lovers of Paranormal!

Don't you just love it when your favorite book is made into a television show or movie? Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris is our *CULT READ* for November, along with discussion of its spinoff television series, True Blood.

I will say that I had the privilege of meeting Charlaine Harris shortly after she released the final episode of the Sookie Stackhouse series :-) It was one of those awesome *SQUEE* moments to listen to her speak about how she'd developed her characters.



Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much - not because she's not pretty, she's a very cute bubbly blonde, or not interested in a social life - she really is ... but Sookie's got a bit of a disability. She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable.

And then along comes Bill: he's tall, he's dark and he's handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own: he's fussy about his food, he doesn't like suntans and he's never around during the day ...

Yep, Bill's a vampire. Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind.

And then one of Sookie's colleagues at the bar is killed, and it's beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim ...

ARE YOU READING DEAD UNTIL DARK? Shout it out in the discussion thread below, find some Book Buddies to read along, and tell us what you think as you read your way through the book. Just remember to BE KIND please and use the spoiler .html so you don't ruin the plot twists for a friend who isn't as far along.

Be epic!

Anna Erishkigal
LOP BOTM/R2R Mod

I'm definitely going to re-read this. True Blood is one of my favorite shows, and I started reading the books after I got into the show.

I'm in for a re-read :-) Already own the entire collection.

I'm in for a re-read too. :-)

So I just finished my re-read of this, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it this time round. When I first read it, I was a few seasons into True Blood and could only focus on comparing the two. I loved the True Blood and did not think the book was as good. I felt the same about the next few books in the series and stopped there.

This time I was able to separate the book from the show, and I loved it. It makes me want to read the next few books in the series that I already own and check out the ones that came after. I'm so glad this was the book of the month, and I gave it another chance. I love it when things like this happen.

I was the exact opposite. I've read all of the books except for the last one (every time I start reading it I get distracted by something else, so I never get to finish it) and they changed too much from the books for the TV series...I mean, I'm sorry, I love Lafayette and he became one of my favorite characters on the show, but Charlaine killed him off in like the second book so he should not have been around for *any* of the stuff that happened on the show after like the first season. And Tara? On the show, she and Sookie were lifelong best friends. In the books, they didn't even know each other till Sookie went to New Orleans to investigate something (for Bill, I think) and she met Tara for the first time, and stayed with Tara while she was there. Now after an initially bumpy start they did become really close, but they did NOT know each other their entire lives. And in the books, Jason became a shifter (panther, I believe) and got together with a fellow shifter and I think (but don't quote me on this, because it's been a while and I could be wrong) that they even had a kid together. On the show, he stayed human throughout the entire 7-season run, and even briefly joined that bigoted "church" group before finally coming to his senses. Just little things like that, that may not really be important for the storyline or anything but if you're a fan of the books will really bother you for a while. Okay, the part about Jason actually *was* important for the storyline in the books, because at least one of the books focused on his being a shifter and his interaction with his fellow shifters and he was a part of Alcide being able to take over his own pack...you get the idea. That was a major plot point in at least one of the books, so by leaving him human they could never fully address it in the show.

All that being said, once I gave the show a second chance, I loved it and hated that it was ending, although they at least gave everyone a decent ending, even if they did kill off Bill instead of trying to get him the cure (which, ironically enough, came from the major thorn in *everyone's* side, and her fate couldn't have happened to a nicer person :P). Eric actually became my favorite character besides Sookie and Lafayette. :D And Baby Jessica got her happy ending, so that was good too, and I loved that Bill got to play father of the bride and walk her down the aisle. :D

Thanks ladies! Just finished "Dead until dark". I've had this series on my to read list forever. The last couple of books I've tried to read were almost painful to get through. so glad I picked up this one, finished it in 2 days.

I have read Dead Until Dark several times. I don't like the TV series as I feel they didn't handle it right. I think the pick for Sookie was good but Eric was cast very bad. I much prefer to read the books over and over!

I have read the complete series and I have seen it too. I liked it very much.

Totally down for a re-read, it's been a minute, but oh how I wish I could eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind myself with that last book and forget how it ended. Ugh.

I'd read Dead Until Dark years ago, then picked it up again this summer when a librarian friend said it was popular with high schoolers. (I like YA.) I really liked it second time around, so started the next...which has led to reading through Dead In the Family--gotta get to the library again soon! I have not seen True Blood, and after comments from friends and here, I probably won't.

Pam has become one of my favorite characters, and I had a scare Charlaine was setting her up to die in a recent book. SO glad she didn't! Anyone else a Pam fan?

Yes, I also like Pam and really enjoyed a short story about her in a collection of short stories I read last year. I am not sure which collection it was now but these are the ones I read: An Apple for the Creature and...sorry! I can't locate the title. It was quick and very funny! If I remember the other collection I will put the title up!

~☆~Autumn♥♥☽ wrote: "Yes, I also like Pam and really enjoyed a short story about her in a collection of short stories...

Hmm, I have a collection Charlaine edited...will dig that out and check it, too! Thanks for posting this. :)

I love Pam. She was one of my favorites on True Blood as well.

I read this one a few years back and loved it. I really want to watch the show, but haven't gotten around to it.

Hello all! It appears I'm a bit late but I'd love to enjoy your group read. I have the series but it's been years since I've read Dead til Dark. I used to drive to Borders (when there was a Borders) every time the next book came out. One day I will own that hardcover series. However I'm not embarrassed of my shelf of slightly rough looking paperbacks.

I'm new to GR. When I did join though, I joined your group right away! So far, this one & Horror Aficionados are my only groups. I haven't shelved nearly half of my books. Anyhow- my name is Sheri, 31yrs old & absolutely love all things supernatural...vamps,zombies,shifters,ghouls,etc and I'm usually always reading 2 books at a time. Also, I believe re-reads can be have their advantages plus who doesn't wanna have that experience again?
Have a great day!
Sheri

Just finished a re-read of this guilty pleasure. Much better this 2nd time. Will continue with the series. <3

I have read this book so many times but I keep coming back to it such a good book and a good series

Oh Sookie! I love the Sookie Stackhouse series my hubby bought me them as a birthday present last year so I wouldn't have to keep re-checking them out at the library. Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors as well, I just got done reading the Aurora Teagarden series for those that like a little humor with their crime and mystery. :D

I read the book several years ago, and loved the character. It's somewhere in my book pile somewhere. I'll have to find it up and have a reread :) Loved the TV series as well.