Help me I am hooked on V!

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

Vampire based fiction that is.

It started innocently enough I enjoyed Trueblood and decided to read the novels the series was based on - and though they were not masterpieces the subject matter and characters were engaging enough so I read them all, while ignoring the massive plotholes, obvious 'twists' and so on. Then I devoured the Twilioght series in a weekend, though I felt angry and used afterwards as the extremely dodgy world view it was based on disturbed me.

Then I wanted more... I have tried several different authors all American all of varying trashy quality and most with hugely romantic(though graphic!)/ puritanical views on sex whilst whilst glorying in violence and revenge killings etc.

But I wants more I tells you - they are so easy to read in a sitting and the exciting though hugely predictable plots make it a very guilty pleasure.

So I am conflicted and want help finding an author that might actually confound my expectations rather than confirm them - does such a wonder exisit? I am coming out as a reader of trashy books - after being a bit of a book snob for many years Mervyn Peake and Angela Carter are my favourite Authors and I like a bit of Science Fiction from the likes of Asimov and Vonnegut. But I seek cheap thrills at the moment... can anyone help?

i cannot possibly comment on your personal choice of reading matter

but the passage by justin cronin is quite good...

also try kelley armstrong women of the otherworld series...

If you like any supernatural stories then nicky Charles the mating. & the keeping are good. She is unpublished so u get them free on iBooks and as ebooks. There is a few grammar mistakes throughout but good plot, great characters and pretty steamy. She is currently doing a third called the finding but not done yet.
Ps I'm also addicted to V

Thank you - for replying

I have tried the Kelley Armstrong Books thanks MayorNazethey were enjoyable - but they all start becoming a little predictable after reading several of them iyswim - good fun though. Not heard of Cronin so I shall try him next.

I shall look up your suggestion EdwardorEric (Eric obv!) cheers.

Try a bit off Anne Rice.

I too am addicted to V, lost a whole month to Sookie Stackhouse.

Ah yes the lovely Sookie - though in many ways she is unlikeable - surprisingly narrow minded and judgemental at times but that is a weakness of first person narrative I think - you get a very blinkered view of the actions and motives of other characters.

Book 4, shower scene, nuff said.

Seriously though, Anne Rice is the way to go.

Till she turned loopy anyhoo.

muckyturkey [sic] Oh yes v steamy shower scene i might have re-read that a couple of dozen of times.

I love the true blood series. I also liked Christopher Pike last vampire although they are a bit teen chick lit!

The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton entertained me for quite a bit...

Just don't look up what the authors look like on the internet though, puts you right off!

If you like vampires, consider werewolves... I am a huge Patricia Briggs fan. Her Mercy Thomson series is a great read.

JR Ward has an intersting take on the vampire genre - fairly entertaining for a while.

Lynsay Sands are quite fun to start with, but the stories have started to get ridiculously predictable. But worth reading a couple for some light vampire entertainment

(I always find it disturbing in these series how vampires live for thousands of years and then suddenly, the space of a year, a family or friend group all suddenly find the love of their lives, resolve their issues and move on. I would find it far more interesting if the author dipped in and out of different time periods, with people finding their soul mate at different times!)

I liked the Patricia Briggs books too.

I also enjoyed the passage by justin cronin

bigmouth: you may want to mosey on over to the TSA threads. We're not all about sparkly virginal vampires - we're not discriminatory about our Vampires at all.

Have you looked at fanfiction- it can be better written than the source material (certainly true in the case of Twilight and is much more 'adult').

Come and see us - we don't bite ... unless you want us to

Hell yes, the TSA are ALL about trashy excellent loosely-vampire-based fiction. Come on over! We have fanfiction...

ah, you sound like me! I'm totally addicted to true blood and have managed to find my way to watching all 3 series and eagerly awaiting season 4 in june! Us mothers need our rewards!!

Another TB fan here, I'm saving the Anita Blake's until my maternity leave starts but I have read Hamilton's Merry Gentry fairy series, some very memorable scenes in those I've saving the last book in the series for my hospital bag.
I'm also on the 2nd Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson book at the mo and the 3rd of Charlaine Harris Harper Connelly series although Harper isn't as good as Sookie, they are a little too predictable.

Bling I agree that Lynday Sands is extremely predictable but quite fun. I've only read a couple but got a bit bored with them. Although they were works of literature compared to the Amanda Ashley book I read . At least I got it from my library so it didn't cost my anything apart from a feeling that my life was to short to be reading such shite

I did enjoy Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series it was what got me hooked back on V fiction again. The earlier novels in the series are the best though, again they get a little samey as you go on.

TSA's - Give us TSA virgins a link so we know where to find you.

Here you go, Liv

Have you discovered the Black Dagger Brotherhood? They pwn me....

You seriously need to read the Black Dagger Brothers, The Dark-Hunters and the Demonica Series

Hello again

I am resurrecting this thread because I wanted to thank you all for your suggestions and let you know that I have been busy - I 'devoured' the Jeaniene Frost 'Night Huntress' series - though Cat and Bones are the most violent twisted unlikeable pairing I have come across for a while - the only couple I actually empathised with were in the off shoot night Huntress world book 'Eternal Kiss of Darkness' The couple (Kira and Mencheres) are actually quite mature and understated despite their melodramatic storyline which is a rare and beautiful thing!

I also tackled the 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' but only the first in the series as the testosterone pumped machismo of the Vampire 'Brothers' was off putting as was the complete lack of a real relationship - it is lazy to replace real connections with pre-destination and chemistry as the the reason the 'romantic leads' get together, I found it all rather distasteful.

I have read a couple Anita Blakes/ Merry Gentry's - but again find the characters all a bit unsympathetic, I have to care what happens on some level to these people for it to be worthwhile.

I have also read 4 of the Mercy Thompson (Mechanic/ Shifter/ Preternatural problem solver) series, these I really enjoyed - Mercy is a real rounded female character with complicated relationships but the story isn't predicated on her getting her 'oats' which is very refreshing. So thank you Blingloving and dyzzidi for the recommendation.

I also branched out into another supernatural series with the first book of a trilogy by Anne Bishop 'Daughter of the Blood' set in some mystical world where Witches rule with a sadistic hand and men can be controlled by a ring of obedience (you really don't want to know where that ring is!). I won't be pursuing that any further, too horrific and rather pretentious.

So again cheers I clearly need to find the TSA threads now...