Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Blond haired, blue eyed Sookie Stackhouse lives in the small southern town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.  While she may appear to be an average southern girl, Sookie has a very unique talent; she can read minds.  Most of the local townspeople consider her to be a little crazy because of this quirk and Sookie has become somewhat of a recluse.  Dating has been especially difficult for her because she always knows what her dates are thinking.  While working at the local Bon Temps bar, Merlotte's, Sookie finally meets a guy whose thoughts she cannot read.  Bill is tall, dark and handsome, but he has an affliction of his own; he is a vampire.  Bill and Sookie begin dating and things are going great until multiple women known to associate with vampires are murdered.  Sookie then begins to see her telepathic ability as more of a gift than an affliction as she tries to read minds to discover who the killer might be. 

Erienne's Review:  
Since this has been one of my favorite series, I thought it was about time to post a review.  Dead Until Dark is the first book in a thirteen book series by Charlaine Harris.  The final book, Dead Ever After, was just released this month. These books have been the basis for the HBO tv series, True Blood.  While the characters are the same, the storyline is very different.  If you have seen or heard anything about the tv series, you are probably thinking that the books are all about vampire killing and sex.  While there is a some of this in the books, HBO made sex and blood the focal point for the television show.   I attempted to watch the first few seasons, but found that I liked the books much better.  Charlaine Harris does a fantastic job of portraying life in a small southern town while also adding a supernatural twist.  Sookie is a very lovable character and her adventures continue to be intriguing throughout all thirteen books.  This is a series I highly recommend!  

Sarah's Review: 
If you haven't read this series yet, you don't know what you're missing. While I actually had a hard time getting into the first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, something told me to push on. I was so glad I did! From the second book, the series took off and I found myself transported to Bon Temps. As the series comes to a close, I feel as if I'm saying goodbye to some very good friends. Sookie and the other residents of Bon Temps are so well-written that after thirteen books you really feel you know them well. Even if you're not a huge fan of vampires or are a little tired of all the vampire-mania, you will enjoy this series. There's a little bit in there for everyone, humor, action, romance, and since they are all out now you won't have to wait to read the next book. You can plow through all thirteen!