Review: The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories by Charlaine Harris

Title: The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 288
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: Free ARC from Ace

Rating: 5 stars

Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Ace via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

Summary: This is a collection of short stories (and one novella), all of which take place in the wonderful world of Sookie Stackhouse. Correction. It is ALL of the Sookie Stackhouse short stories (many previously published in anthologies), including a novella that has never been published before. So, if you are a Sookie nut like me, chances are you’ve read some of these before. And you’ll love them just as much the second time around (or third or fourth or…).

Review: What can I say? If you’ve been here for a while, you know how I feel about Charlaine Harris. If she’s published it, I’ve read it. And if you know what a prolific writer she is, you know that’s saying a lot. And Sookie? Sookie is my favorite. She could have written a hundred more Sookie books and I would have read them all. To say I miss the people of Bon Temps is a gross understatement. So, reading these stories was a little like going home and visiting after a long time away. And what a great visit it was!

My most interesting takeaway from this book is it changed my feelings about Sookie’s relationship with a particular person. Truthfully, I was never really satisfied with how things ended with the series. It made sense, but it didn’t feel right. Reading the novella changed that for me. It shined a different light on their relationship, put them in a real world scenario, and all of a sudden, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. It’s disheartening to have one of your favorite series end in a way that doesn’t sit right with you, especially when you’ve dedicated so much time to that world. Having that “offness” righted is beyond satisfying.

Honestly, I doubt most people would be reading this book if they weren’t fans. The way they are written, there is a lot that probably wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t know the background stuff. But if you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed. Classic Sookie with some new insights. For me it was a lovely visit that didn’t last long enough. Now I’m considering rereading the whole series and binge watching True Blood again. In fact, I’m very much looking forward to it!

4 Replies to “Review: The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories by Charlaine Harris”

    • If you love the Sookieverse, you definitely should. The nice thing is they are short stories, so if you have 25 minutes, you can read one and then set it aside until you have time again, and you don’t “lose” the story. 🙂

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