Sookie Stackhouse

[SciFiCanuck]

So isn't this like book #10?

[SciFiCanuck]

So isn't this book like #10?  Holy!  I've really got to get reading mine...  :-)

[paulgoatallen]

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SciFiCanuck wrote:

So isn't this book like #10?  Holy!  I've really got to get reading mine...  :-)

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That's actually kind of shocking. It doesn't seem like ten novels... maybe it's because they're all relatively quick reads.

It does beg the question though – what do you think Charlaine has planned for this series? Will she keep it going because of the success of True Blood or do you think the end is near?

Paul

[3monstersmom]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

It does beg the question though – what do you think Charlaine has planned for this series? Will she keep it going because of the success of True Blood or do you think the end is near?

Paul

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It feels like we are near the end of the series, but who knows.  I can't say that if I was an author I wouldn't try to ride that pony as long as I could.  Mama got eat...and shop.  As to what is planned with the series, my best guess is that Eric is going to realize what a mistake Sookie is and come find ME and have a torrid affair (don't worry, already okayed this with hubby).  Or not, but a chick can fantasize....hmmm...wait, what was I talking about again?  In all honesty, I would love to see Sookie turned (yes, I know she refuses), but it would be neat.  Plus it would be a cool story line to hear her read the vamps thoughts all the time.  

[TiggerBear]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

It does beg the question though – what do you think Charlaine has planned for this series? Will she keep it going because of the success of True Blood or do you think the end is near?

Paul

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Truthfully I don't think so. She rather recently killed 2 out of three of her other series. And it has yet to have the same downer of a closure (I hate the way she ended the others, depressing) she puts on one.

Anyone get any scuttlebutt about her starting a new series?

[morninglight67]

I loved the way Charlaine ended the Harper Connelly series... I didn't think it was depressing at all.  She finally found out what happened to her sister, she finally understands that her younger half sisters are loved and being brought up well by their aunt and uncle and doesn't feel like she needs to "fight" for them, and she and Tolliver are alive, well, and in love.  I thought it ended nicely with some hope for the future and without a bunch of strings hanging.  What more could you ask for?

[TiggerBear]

The Harper series kind of a downer, the Teagarden series ending greek tragedy, together a full downer.

[NenetRN]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

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SciFiCanuck wrote:

So isn't this book like #10?  Holy!  I've really got to get reading mine...  :-)

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That's actually kind of shocking. It doesn't seem like ten novels... maybe it's because they're all relatively quick reads.

It does beg the question though – what do you think Charlaine has planned for this series? Will she keep it going because of the success of True Blood or do you think the end is near?

Paul

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Yes, book #10..... and I agree with Paul that it so does not seem like it.

I do think she will, and can probably go on for another 10!....... The main reason beeing is the love triangle between Sookie, Bill, and you-know-who (don't want to spoil it for anyone) has yet to be resolved!

True Blood has introduced more fans and readers, but even if the books would never have been made into a show, I think there's still plenty more for Sookie to go through 

..... oh and if you think about it, look at the Anta Blake series..... what is it like 18 boos so far?

[dalnewt]

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morninglight67 wrote:

I loved the way Charlaine ended the Harper Connelly series... I didn't think it was depressing at all.  She finally found out what happened to her sister, she finally understands that her younger half sisters are loved and being brought up well by their aunt and uncle and doesn't feel like she needs to "fight" for them, and she and Tolliver are alive, well, and in love.  I thought it ended nicely with some hope for the future and without a bunch of strings hanging.  What more could you ask for?

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Well, since it's a mystery series I could have asked for an investigation of the facts, an uncovering of clues and a well-earned solution. Instead, the book relied upon improbable confessions, farfetched coincidence, circumstance and a re-working of the 'facts'. (Plus,Harper was sort of bitter and not very forthright throughout, and she seemed a bit calculating toward Tolliver.) The book did wind-up all outstanding issues, but I wish the mystery solving would have been more complex and truer-to-life.   

[morninglight67]

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TiggerBear wrote:

The Harper series kind of a downer, the Teagarden series ending greek tragedy, together a full downer.

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I don't think the Harper series is any more of a downer than the Sookie series... at least each book is resolved and things aren't worse than they were before.  I think you need to re-read the ending to most of the Sookie books... she ends up with as much angst or more as when she started the book.  She is constantly used, conflicted and disappointed.  they're much more colorful and funny than the Harper books, but overall, the Harper books do end on better notes.

[morninglight67]

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dalnewt wrote:

Well, since it's a mystery series I could have asked for an investigation of the facts, an uncovering of clues and a well-earned solution. Instead, the book relied upon improbable confessions, farfetched coincidence, circumstance and a re-working of the 'facts'. (Plus,Harper was sort of bitter and not very forthright throughout, and she seemed a bit calculating toward Tolliver.) The book did wind-up all outstanding issues, but I wish the mystery solving would have been more complex and truer-to-life.   

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Okay, but this is a paranormal series, not Nancy Drew, Nero Wolf or Inspector Poirot.  I would probably need some specifics on each of those points how they're in this book but not in a normal mystery book.  It sounds like you just didn't like the series, which would make me ask, why did you read beyond the first book?

[Readingatthebe…]

Sookie Stackhouse has been one of my favorite characters for years!  I started reading the series when she had the first three books out in 2003.  And I think I have read each book at last ten times!  However, I don't like the TruBlood series because it is just not as good as the books.  I watched the first four or five shows and decided that I liked the characters the way my imagination and Harris' dialogue depicted them.  Sometimes (usually) the book is much better than the movie!

[SarahReadsAlot]

I cant wait for Dead in the Family to come out. May seems like it is taking forever to get here! I wonder what is going to happen for Sookie this go round... I will definitely have to reread some before then to refresh my memory. What does everyone think is going to happen?

[soylentgeek]

So I've been reading these books, and I'm in the middle of the seventh one, All Together Dead, and I can't stand Sookie. Every page, I dislike her more and more. I keep reading it so I can find out what happens to the other characters or if Harris ever develops them further, but it's not really happening.

Every book for me is a few hundred pages of Sookie discussiong how she is an innocent, naive, uneducated, telepathic, buxom, blonde, tanned, poor, sweet, Christian barmaid who has never experienced anything outside her small town world but she's the most desirable woman on earth to every heterosexual and bisexual man, vampire, shape shifter, demon, fairy, and were-creature there is.

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' and how she 'folded up Mr. Happy' have no place in any sort of sex scene) with Sookie unwilling to use any naughty words. I skim over most of the expository stuff where Sookie is talking about getting dressed, using the toilet, brushing her teeth, tanning, her work uniform, and her brother's sex life.

I think I'm insane because I keep reading it hoping she loses that naive country backwater thing, but really, at this point, I'm wondering why people are saying 'it gets better' and that I just need to keep reading it.

[paulgoatallen]

soylentgeek wrote:

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' ....

Was that actually in a book?!? I don't remember THAT!

Paul

[TiggerBear]

paulgoatallen wrote:

soylentgeek wrote:

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' ....

Was that actually in a book?!? I don't remember THAT!

Paul

(laughing) Me either. Something change in the reprint?

[paulgoatallen]

TiggerBear wrote:

paulgoatallen wrote:

soylentgeek wrote:

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' ....

Was that actually in a book?!? I don't remember THAT!

Paul

(laughing) Me either. Something change in the reprint?

Because if this reference WAS in a sookie novel, I'm DEFINITELY writing a blog about bad sex scenes and using it!!!

Paul

[TiggerBear]

soylentgeek wrote:

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' ....

I hate to ask, but dude give us page numbers, please. This has to be checked.

[paulgoatallen]

TiggerBear wrote:

soylentgeek wrote:

The way the character talks grates on me, I have to skip the sex scenes because they're really laughably bad (things like saying her breasts were 'quivering like puppies wanting to be petted' ....

I hate to ask, but dude give us page numbers, please. This has to be checked.

Absolutely – and please!

Paul

[soylentgeek]

TiggerBear wrote:

I hate to ask, but dude give us page numbers, please. This has to be checked.

I don't know how this translates into dead-tree page numbers, but here's the quotation from my nook edition, which is the eight volume set. I'm using Helvetica Neue Small font.

Page 717 out of 1837 (The shower with Eric)

"While I stood stock-still, paralyzed by conflicting waves of emotion, Eric took the soap out of my hands and lathered up his own, set the soap back in its little niche, and began to wash my arms, raising each in turn to stroke my armpit, down my side, never touching my breasts, which were practically quivering like puppies who wanted to be petted."

Page 718 of 1837

"I took the soap from the little niche and lathered up my fingers. As I stepped very close to him , I kind of folded Mr. Happy up against Eric's stomach, so I could reach around him and get my fingers on that absolutely gorgeous butt. I couldn't look him in the face, but he let me know he was delighted that I was responding."

Page 717 of 1837

"I could feel part of Eric pressed against my back, and he wasn't standing that close. Yikes. Yahoo. Yum."

Page 115 of 1837 (Losing her virginity to Bill)

".. and almost before I could gather myself I was flying, flying, seeing white with gold streaks." (when she's having sex with Bill)

Page 1367 out of 1837 (First time she has sex with Quinn)

"'Take off your shirt,' I said, and my voice came out as hoarse as his. 'I don't have a shirt, you shouldn't have a shirt.'

'Fine,' he said and presto, the shirt was off. You'd expect Quinn to be hairy, but he isn't.

....

Oh, boy - right at my eye level. He began dealing with his own damn belt while I began to explore one hard nub with my mouth."

Page 1369 of 1837

"'This is like standing in front of a buffet,' he said. 'I don't know where to begin.'

I touched my breasts. 'First course,' I suggested."

Page 1370 of 1837

"He enjoyed dessert so much, he came back for seconds."

If this is how sex is described in romance novels, no wonder I don't read them. On the other hand, when you're trying to find the laughably bad sex scenes in a book, nook's search feature is pretty awesome.