Book review: Sookie Stackhouse series

I had never planned to read these books. I was reading the author roster for a series of vampire-themed workshops at the upcoming Romantic Times convention (that I hope to go to) and decided that maybe I would get more out of the workshops if I read the books by the presenting authors.

I'm very glad I made that decision because I love this series. The direction that many books take that vampirism is legal now is very interesting and appealing to me. It was something I hadn't really thought of before and it has opened a whole new group of ideas to me.

Charlaine Harris has done a fantastic job with the relationships, especially balancing them. If someone was telling me that a series of books existed where the heroine bounces back and forth between several boyfriends, I would have thought the heroine was a slut and I wouldn't want to read the book. But Sookie doesn't come off like a slut at all, to me at least. She doesn't date just anyone, all the guys she has dated have been special to her. And there's only a few sex scenes, most of the time she just alludes to the fact it happened.

I also love how they are all different. Bill is the quiet guy with the silent mind that she likes. Eric is boysterous, obnoxious, but straight-forward. Alcede (sp?) is the perfect Southern boyfriend that would fit in right at home.

I keep changing my mind of which guy I hope she ends up with. It's a toss-up between Alcede and Eric with amnesia. I'm not a big fan of Bill, I mean I like it when he's in the story but I hope she doesn't end up with him. Oh yeah, or Sam. He's cool too.

Charlaine has also done a great job with believability. These books are full of supernatural stuff, but I buy all of it. I can imagine living in this world. She does well in tying up loose ends and things stay consistend throughout the series, like Sookie's gift.

All in all a great series and I recommend it! You may think I'm crazy because all these book reviews are positive ones, but since I began reading romances, I haven't found one I haven't liked. I know the day will come, but I'm enjoying the streak so far.

Coming soon: Mary Janice Davidson's Undead series and Michelle Rowen's Bitten & Smitten.