Jayson’s Reviews > Dead Until Dark > Status Update

Notes:
(1) While I definitely had a better experience listening to this than my first time (when I read the book in prose) I put a lot of that down to multitask listening—not paying it full attention.
- I also stand by my original assessment, which took issue with its lack of depth.
- It's also not a good romance. As a love interest, Bill here is simply cold and unlikeable.

Notes:
(1) Bill: "Call him Bubba! Something went wrong when he came over—from human to vampire—maybe it was all the chemicals in his blood."
- I forgot about Bubba (né Elvis)! My favorite recurring character from my first go-round.
(2) Sookie discovers Sam's big secret—which involves nudity.
- I'd have said this ripped off "The Time Traveler's Wife," except this came first.

Notes:
(1) How many sex scenes does this book have?!
- There's been six so far—five described at some length.
- I mean, this isn't exactly "War and Peace," it's barely longer than a novella. It's a coital clown car.
- Call me a prude, but mud sex isn't something I need read aloud.
- On top of being uncomfortable, it's repetitive—if you've heard it once, you've heard it all.

Notes:
(1) "... the creature I loved was lying somewhere in a hole underground, to all intents and purposes dead until dark."
- I do love stumbling across titular lines!
(2) Arlene doesn't want "Vampire Bill" babysitting her kids, which Sookie takes as bigoted.
- Though, can you blame Arlene? I mean, he drinks from the tap! Also, as genteel as he is, Bill just killed a guy.

Notes:
(1) Reading people's minds at a crime scene, Sookie learns that all the men present slept with the murder victim.
- Granted, it's only three, but that's still batting a thousand; and this isn't even counting Sookie's brother Jason (the deceased's ex-boyfriend).
- Small town, eh?
- Of course, this girl contrasts sharply with Sookie herself—town virgin vs town bicycle.

Notes:
(1) One of my main criticisms of the book the first time I read it—indeed the main point of that review—is how "supporting characters are flat and uninteresting."
- I'm really feeling that on this re-read, especially compared to the show.
- The book's narrated from Sookie's POV and you don't really spend much time with, nor focus on, other characters outside of Bill.

Notes:
(1) Surprisingly, "Tru Blood" (from the show) isn't mentioned at all, here it's called "synthetic blood."
- You'd think they'd use a slang term at least.
(2) "I'd always heard that the synthetic blood ... kept vampires up to par as far as nutrition, but didn't really satisfy their hunger..."
- I guess it's sort of like being on a vegan diet and craving fried chicken.

Notes:
(1) I've just finished an audiobook I chose for Halloween, but it wasn't scary nor very Halloweeny. Given there's still time left, I decided to try and fit this in.
- Not that this is all that scary either, though it is very Halloweeny.
(2) Also, my only unfulfilled reading challenge this year is a "novel series of five books or more."
- I have a box set tee'd up, but in case I don't finish, this is my Plan B.