What could be better than more stories featuring our favorite vampire fan – Sookie Stackhouse! Sure, we have all read the original series and loved it, watched the television show and are now impatiently awaiting the return of the show for its fifth season. But did you know there are stories about Sookie out there that are not part of the regular series? Did you know there are Sookie Stackhouse stories plotted by Alan Ball and written by some great writers who know a thing or two about fangs?

Well it is true and we have two volumes of untold stories from the denizens of Bon Temps just here for your pleasure, as they certainly have been mine. They are called True Blood: All Together Now and True Blood: Tainted Love. You just know Alan Ball must have come up with those titles, they are such a great reflection of the puns of numerous song titles as episode titles he has had for the show.

In addition, I have unearthed a little fun book for all true blue fans,The Fangbangers Guide. I thought it would be a fun book to have along with Charlaine’s recent companion book A Touch of Dead that I reviewed earlier. And finally- an interesting take on our gal Sookie and all her friends in William Irwin’s True Blood and Philosophy. It has always hit me that True Blood has a lot to say beyond just the fangs – and this is a great look at some concepts that even Anne Rice has said drew her to the world of Bon Temps where vampires live and kill in the open.

True Blood and Philosophy by William Irwin

This is part of an ongoing series that explores aspects of pop culture through the lens of philosophy and social structures. Sounds heavy but actually it is really interesting reading. He takes a look at such subjects as how werewolves struggle with self identity, the nature of vampire politics and how Sookie portrays the many questions we have about the metaphysical side of mind reading.

I found it particularly interesting that he looks at MaryAnn in the light of how sacrificial rituals and religions work. You will find yourself seeing all the citizens of Bon Temp in a new light after reading this book. This is the perfect book for this time between seasons to get a little more of the old True Blood fever and viewpoints to ponder.

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide by Leah Wilson (editor) and others

This book was written upon the conclusion of the second season and looks at all the ways that the television show has created a dialogue for the fans and the writers. In fact, some of the essays in here are written by the show writers and look at things like political influences on the show, the role of sexuality in the portrayal of vampires, and then there are the just plain fun stories like Jonna Rubin’s “SOOKEH! Bee-ill! and the Downfall of William T. Compton”.

While it is true that much has happened since season two ended, most of this is just a great look at all the wonderful characters in the show and how the fans just as much as the writers have come together to make the show as great as it is. The heart and soul of True Blood are its fans, and this book shows it with flying colors. A Taste of True Blood is a must for anyone who claims to be a true believer of the show.

True Blood Volume 1: All Together Now by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner and David Messina

This is a graphic novel of the comic books, and before you let that stop you-check it out. The art is just perfect for this set of stories. The premise is a good one; Sookie and company are trapped at Merlotte’s by some kind of sorcery that makes them feel and reveal the little and big secrets they have kept out of shame. It is a great setup to get to know many of these characters better by seeing some old stories of their lives, and deaths, before they came to Bon Temps.

The additional bonus is the art – with many wonderful illustrations of each character you are going to want to mentally frame for future daydreaming. Alan Ball’s touch is all over this – so don’t expect it to feel like the books, this is truly a child of the television show. But that said, it has all of the great touches that Ball brings to the show and brings all of us closer to Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason and Lafayette then we have ever been before.

Truly, Madly, Deadly: The Unofficial True Blood Companion by Becca Wilcott

This is truly a work of fan appreciation for the show. If you love True Blood the show and would like to know more about the actors, who they are and even what they did before this show this is the place to find it all out. The biographies of all the principle characters are here at your fingertips, along with some pretty cool interviews, an episode guide to the first two seasons (this was written between seasons two and three) and some really fun behind the scenes stuff that all fans crave. Like many books on this show, there are discussions of the themes that sit beneath the writing on the show, including its exploration of the identity of sexuality. I particularly liked the fact that Wilcott has included a great overview of the many ways that vampires have been historically shown in both film and television. A great companion book to the show and you don’t need to warm up your laptop to look any of it up!

Well, there are probably tons more of great books about True Blood, and I may yet do an overview of the books I discover along the way. In the meantime, this should hold us all until the show starts again in June.

So for all the Sookie Stackhouse fans out there – just pour yourself a cup of joe and sit back and read up on our favorite vampire companion, with these fun books that explore all the aspects of living and sometimes even breathing in Bon Temps.