True Blood (Series 1) - TV Series Review

I’ve read the books, and know the story but the first series of True Blood, produced by HBO is an ‘interpretation’ of the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris well worth the watch.

True Blood , TV series by HBO based on the books by Charlaine Harris

I borrowed this off my driving instructor, of all people, after we struck up a conversation one lesson about the series. Promised an edgy fantasy drama, from someone who hadn’t read the books seemed a great start, but I was very curious about some character names I didn’t recognise.

This 12 episode series was polished off in just over a week. Thanks to a rainy Sunday and more than a few evenings curled up on the sofa, I really became emotionally invested in the series and its characters. Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill) are fantastically cast to really embody the characters of my imagination. Terra and a new lover for Sookie’s brother Jason are completely re-invented and provide additional narrative streams that add some great extras to the plot.

Vampires, shape shifters and more are blamed for a multitude of sins, but the real trouble is caused by the people you least expect, providing some nail biting moments to some real shockers.

Overall I loved the series, and I believe it is just as enjoyable as the books, if not more so (yes I did just say I enjoyed the TV series more than the books) as it brings the series to life in a truly sexy way!

I enjoyed the series so much, the other half got me the box set of the first 4 series on Blueray for my Birthday, and I am already half way through the second series. Cozy evenings in just got gory, sexy, violent and vamped.

I give the series:

9/10 (Loses a point because I think these can get better, and I want to wait and see what the rest of the series has to offer).

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie x

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - Goodreads.com Review

I have just joined Goodreads.com a book reviewing website that I still don't really know much about.

So as I explore its functionality I wanted to post a review of a book I finished a long while ago, but still one of my all time favourites.

Consider these little bite size reviews written by me, which I have imported from this website.

Yet don't feel left out, as always my full length reviews will always be posted here first.

Happy reading!

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is easily my favourite book of the entire series so far.


I make it no secret that I am in love with the character of Eric Northman, and lets just hope he keeps loving our Sookie.


I have a real love-hate relationship with Miss Stackhouse, but I will keep purchasing and devouring these books because of Eric.


Having said all this, I appreciated this book because I knew the character of Eric before he lost his memory, and was all the sweeter for reading it within the series.


For lovers of love, sex, fantasy, supernatural and any fiction.

Thanks for reading

Love Rie x
View all my reviews

Book Cover Love.

One of things I miss the most, now I have my Kindle, is covers. They can be photographic genius, hand drawn art or just intriguing. For this reason I wanted to do a really quick run down of some of my favourite covers of late. So in no particular order...

Re-print of Dead Until Dark does not fail to catch anyone's attention. With one glance we know that this  books genre, tone, and style. Surpasses the first print cover by far!

This cover brings back serious memories, the start of something I obsessed over in my teen years. I love the hand drawn look, and encapsulates the way I see Harry Potter long before Daniel Radcliffe. 

For serious Twilight fans, this limited edition cover is to die for (pun intended)!

I haven't actually read this book yet, but I stumbled on it as a suggestion on Amazon and LOVE the cover. 

I really want to recreate this cover - its so beautiful. The only thing I am lacking is skill!

Possibly the book I am most excited about in 2012, this cover gives away very little, but I still love it. This print style of the series is mysterious and... well... beautiful!

   

Please link your favourite book covers in the comments. I would love to see them.

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

Not Really Public Transport Reading Material...

I am a great lover of adult fantasy fiction, as regular readers will know. But I have come to the conclusion that some chapters I have been re-reading of late are not suitable for reading in public!

The character Eric Northman
as described by protagonist Sookie Stackhouse

Picture me on a train, reading this: 'Dead to the World' by Charlaine Harris.

     "If there was an international butt competition, Eric would win, hands down - or cheeks up" 

This left me laughing softly to my self but it got worse!

     "I was so on fire for him I was surprised that flames didn't flicker out of my fingertips"


     "'Look at me my lover.' The way he said 'lover' was like a caress, like he was calling me by a name no other man had ever used before or ever would after."


    "'I wish' I said, 'I could save orgasms in a jar for when I need them, because I think I had a few extra."


    "Eric wanted me to be looking into his eyes; that obviously flicked his Bic."


I am sure I was blushing by this point, and looking over my shoulders guilty at my fellow passengers to see if they could see what I was reading.

I love the way this scene never got to pornographic, and was really well written! I am going to start using the term 'That flicks your Bic' - love it!

Got any favourite quotes you felt guilty reading in public?? Put them in the comments below; I would love to hear them! [nothing too graphic please!]

Get reading!

Rie xx

Why I Will Always Love Books.

With all things literary moving digital it seems the future will move away from books. But I can't help but love the printed page and the little messages left behind by previous readers. It seems to tell a history that will never be gained by a eBook.

Library books in particular are some of my favourite reads with post-stick notes, pencil scribbles and full on highlighting of pages really enhancing my reading experience.

Here is a book I got out of my university library this week that I really loved.

Black book on bottom right - Mythologies by Roland Barthes (2000)

Little pencil notes of a library book reference, a meeting & a website URL.

Post stick notes found inside the front cover including a shopping list!

There are some book that I will always purchase where I can namely the Charlaine Harris 'True Blood' series and Kelley Armstrong's 'Women of the Otherworld' series - and undoubtedly new. I still hold dear to my heart the printed book.

And I will always be a library dweller reading the notes left by others before anything else.

Despite the above I will not miss carting heavy text books, or running out of reading material whilst on holiday. I may be slow in embracing the digital trend, and will never fully abandon my books I still look forward to the future of reading!

Rie xx

Dead Reckoning - Review

As promised here is my review for Dead Reckoning – the latest’s book in the Sookie Stackhouse series (more formerly known as True Blood) by Charlaine Harris. Those of you that have been reading this blog over the last couple of weeks know that I was greatly anticipating the release of this book after reading the rest of the books in quick succession late last year.

**I have tried to include no spoilers, however I may have given hints to events happening in the book when talking about characters emotions and my predictions of their future.**

Sookie’s life is getting increasingly difficult in this instalment, leaving her to reflect on life before she discovered the supernatural world. Despite danger from all around she has time to indulge in human activities such as baby showers and repetitive cleaning of her house. I jumped into mundane areas of other books (such as my childhood favourite Harry Potter, with chapters such as being in Ron house and creating Dumbledore’s Army being some of my most read), but here they seemed like spacers for the limited new revelations in this book.

Sookie and Eric
(I believe in the televised version of Dead to the World)

Long gone are the assumptions that Sookie is a naive young woman in the bedroom. A blend of romance, attraction and sex is present as always, with suitors jumping into her bed or queuing at the doors when they learn of Sookie and Eric’s problems. The love I built for Eric in Dead to the World seems to be slowly crumbling with revelations in the political aspects of their relationship, as well as a development in their blood bond causing fissures. 

I believe that in the next book we may even see Sookie looking elsewhere from comfort, in the form of another supernatural lover.

I wonder if becoming a vampire has changed the
way he performs?

We also learn a little more about Sookie’s powers; however I was disappointed as they felt mere reinforcements of information we knew already. Other than the dramatic climax of Bubba’s concert to the vamps, there is very little action or new information given to us about how the series is going to be concluded. Don’t get me wrong, I am a great lover of the 10 book series so far, but soon enough Harris will run out of things to say and this needs to come to a conclusion.

After greatly anticipating this book as a development I was disappointed with the presentation of muted revaluations of information we already knew. I feel a lot more could have been done with this book to make it more interesting and exciting (I’m still up for Sookie being sucked into the Fairy world for a book!).


3/5

Please let me know if you have read this book, and what you think. Do you watch True Blood of television? Let me know what you think. Comment up people and get involved.

Thank you for reading,

Love Rie xx