A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger's Guide by Leah Wilson

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger's Guide Reviews

• 
  Heather

  In A Taste of True Blood’s introduction, the book’s editor, Leah Wilson, writes: “...it’s our goal to be a book that has something for all True Blood fans, no matter why they watch...[to:] give you a taste of what others see when they watch the show—and give you a few new reasons to watch, too.” After marathon reading my copy, I think I can safely say mission accomplished.
  
  I started watching the show because, well, hunky men are great, and, more importantly, because I liked Anna Paquin’s feisty portrayal of Sookie. It was fun to read essays from the book that addressed these topics, but it was even greater to read the essays containing entirely new ideas. For example, the conclusion in Daniel Kimmel’s “Vampire Porn”? Brilliant! Another favorite is Nick Mamatas’ “Working Class Heroes,” which discusses Marxism in the context of the show. Jonna Rubin’s “SOOKEH! Bee-ill! and the Downfall of William T. Compton is hilarious, and after reading Peg Aloi’s “Night is the Color of Blood” I can’t stop looking at the colors in Sookie and Tara’s outfits while watching season three episodes. If I listed all of my favorites, you’d basically be looking at the table of contents.
  
  All in all, it’s a well-rounded collection that shows True Blood isn’t just vampire porn. While I didn’t always agree with the essay authors, I applaud their ability to share new ideas about a brilliant show.
  
• 
  Mariℓina

  A fine bundle of 18 essays with some of them being very interesting, inspired, well written and even witty. Contemplating various themes such as religion, sex, bigotry and of course death, all followed by a normal episode guide of the first two seasons.
  
  
  1) An analysis of the opening credits.
  2) Bill Compton's fall from Grace as a badass vampire character.
  3) Merlotte's significance to the show.
  4) South and its culture as an ideal location for the series.
  5) An examination about the blue-collar population of the show, and their everyday lives.
  
  
  6) Sookie's intimicy issues and her journey towards true love.
  7) Christianity and Vampirism
  8) Vampire lineage and why we like to believe in such creatures.
  9) Jason's place in the world and the explanation about his stereotypical sexuality issues.
  10) How "kind" is the kind hearted vampire Bill?
  
  
  11) Other supernatural interests, for example Sam.
  12) The archetypes of the most vulnerable characters.
  13) Bon Temp's small town, way of life.
  14) The meaning and the aesthetic appeal behind the colors used in the show.
  15) The reinvention of Vampires to dark, sexy, pop icons.
  
  
  16) Sookie's telepathetic gift as a burden.
  17) How the show stayed true to the novels.
  18) Vampire litaral history.
  
  
  
  THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
  
  - Some of the essays were far from their mark.
  - The editorial notes before every piece were fantastic.
  - The editing was also great.
  
  ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!
• 
  Bridget

  I'm a True Blood fanatic and this is a must have for any fan. I enjoyed reading A Taste of True Blood because it got to the heart and soul of the show. It made me want to watch the seasons again because all of the things I learned, so I'll probably do that soon. This would be the perfect gift for your die-hard True Blood pals.
• 
  Jessica Lewenda

  I wish I could write an essay-length review on each of the essays in this book, but that would just be going overboard, and would probably bore you all to death. Instead, I’ll just keep this review short and sweet (which would seem to be a first for me…) and post a small summary on some of the essays that I found to be worth mentioning.
  
  Now, before I start, I just have to add that I’m a massive fan of the show, True Blood. And I’m a fan of the book series (I’ve only read the first two, though. Whoops…). I love everything about it, how it’s a good trashy show that I can watch when I’m in a bad mood; and how you can watch it with an analytical eye and see the social commentary in terms of treatment of minorities (in particular, gays) in today’s society.
  
  Some essays I loved most:
  
  - Vampire Porn [Daniel M. Kimmel] discusses the grotesque opening title that we’ve all grown to know and love (or loathe), analysing different themes depicted in the 90 seconds, like racism, bigotry, sex, and the setting of the south. It’s given me a whole new insight to the opening title, and I no longer shy away from the graphic parts, instead, looking at them with awe and a critical eye.
  
  - SOOKEH! Bee-iil! [Maria Lima] is the second essay, and addresses how Bill Compton went from hot to not. Totally hilarious, will keep you wanting more. I mean, even that title is hilarious.
  
  And while I can’t remember the name of the essay, the last one is written by Ginjer Buchanan, the editor of the Southern Vampire Mysteries series, and talks about the differences between the show and the books, where each season spans for 12 hours, yet manages to perfectly reveal everything that happens in the books, all the while slowly taking on a new direction (for example, the inclusion of Tara as a main character in the show, whereas she was just a very minor character in book 2).
  
  If you’re a fan of the series, or just really like seeing social commentaries and analyses of TV shows, then this book is for you. Topics range from Freudian theories to Marxist theories to the Southern setting. And while I don’t always agree with the essays, I find that it does give me a new perspective on the show.
  
  Rating: 4/5 stars
  
  
• 
  Mell

  Has some interesting essays. Enjoyed the first essay most, an analysis of the opening credits (brilliant and creepy) and the theme song. Skimmed the rest.
• 
  Taschima

  I love Smart Pop books with all my heart. They always publish books like these about my favorite shows, and I always devour them. If you are not a fan of True Blood, then this book is not for you. If you are a fan of True Blood then you need to read this book. A Taste of True Blood for me was like having all those much needed conversations that I dream I have with my friends about the show (only not cause my friends don't watch it).
  
  This is the kind of book you really have to be in the mood to read because it has tons and tons of essays, so taking a break in the middle of it might be a good idea. Maybe watch an episode of True Blood in between, believe me that after reading even one of these essays you will have the need to put some True Blood on your T.V.
  
  Not all the essays are golden, there are some that were downright boring to me, but most of them were good reads. I of course had favorites, and those were:
  
  1. Vampire Porn Essay by Daniel M. Kimmel- An essay that dissects True Blood's opening sequence that will make you think twice about the importance of a show's beginning credits. Thumbs up!
  
  2. ...The Downfall of William T. Compton- as the title suggests this essay is about Bill's fall from grace. How he went Holy-Hell-what-a-hottie to overly lame. I partially agree with the writer, but that doesn't mean the essay is not 100% hilarious.
  
  3.I love you, I just don't want to know you (so much) by Bev Katz Rosenbaum- An essay about on how True Blood can be "regarded as a big critique on out oversharing culture."
  
  A+! It was so interesting, stating great points about the lack of privacy in this day and age, and the writing had a nice kick to it.
  
  4. From Castle Dracula to Merlotte's Bar & Grill by Bruce and Karen Bethke
  
  A great ending to a fantastic Smart Pop book. They were funny, they explored the appeal of vampires, specially True Blood, for both men and women nowadays and how it has changed through the ages. They had amazing banter right on the page!
  
  and my favorite...
  
  5. Adapt- or die! by Ginjer Buchanan
  
  Thumbs up, up, up! This essay was all about how Allan adapted the series from book to screen, the choices made, how they changed/improved the series, and basically the road to adaptation. VERY interesting.
  
  A Taste of True Blood brings relief, makes you feel less alone to think people (authors!) that watch your same favorite shows have opinions that are similar to yours. It's wonderful getting to know different point of views about the series, and a little outrageous when you completely disagree with an author's opinion on an aspect of the show (but still fun).
  
  
• 
  Ashley Logan

  This was a pleasant Christmas surprise by my husband. I didn't even know this book existed. It was quite a feat for him to find books I didn't know that were out. This is a collection of essays on what True Blood might stand for and its meaning underneath it all. All in all the essays were very good and made you think about things you might not have noticed about the True Blood series. There were a couple that were out there such as Peter B. Lloyd's Communion of Blood in which he states that maybe God is sending us a message through the show True Blood and that Christians should drink one another's blood lol. My favorite essay was by a husband and wife, Bruce and Karen Bethke's From Castle Dracula to Merlotte's Bar and Grill which kept me laughing through the whole thing. I definitely think this is a must read for any True Blood fans and Harris' novels that it is based upon. It is a great addition to my True Blood library.
• 
  Robin

  While I love the True Blood series, I struggled to get through this book. I enjoy speculating and analyzing things as much as the next person, but this book at times felt like it was too much. Some essays were much long than they really needed to be to cover a topic. Others were just pure speculation that seemed a bit ridiculous (and ultimately were proven wrong by future seasons of the series). A few of the essays were interesting and I enjoyed them, but I just felt like it was really hard for me to get through the book and it went extremely slowly. It could be I'm just not the intended audience for this type of book. I think the people that would enjoy this book will have to be truly involved in the show and books, and be people who love in-depth analyses of the show.
• 
  Aussie bookworm

  This book gave great Insight into the T.V show that I had never even thought of before, I really loved learning about the meaning of the opening credits as strange as that is it is something that you never really think about, but this book includes an essay all about the deeper meaning of the opening credits.
  
  This book was a little irritating at times, and I skipped over a few pages which I really hate doing, but there were some gems in there that I think fans would love.
  
  Overall it was an interesting read, but something that I would pick up occasionally when I was bored and read.
• 
  Michelle

  This anthology is really fun and enlightening. Some of the essays are boring, one embarrassed me to read (okay, stop drooling over Season 1 Bill), other essays offer interesting insight (class, race, and masculinity are discussed), and the best essay talks about True Blood and the vampire trend as horror, fantasy, and sci-fi and through the lens of gender. If you're a writer, you'll love the last essay, which is worth buying the book alone.
• 
  Bianca

  A more in depth way of viewing a series I'm in love with. True Blood is a truly magical series with so many layers - I am glad writers in the field have broken down some of the themes that I was previously impervious too - including Jason's hunt for masculinity, the colour scheme, how vamps are the new superheroes and explaining that creepy 90 second intro to the show. I loved every essay in this book and I highly recommend it for any True Blood/Alan Ball fan!!
• 
  Laura

  3.5 stars
  
  All essays were three stars, with the exception of two five-star pieces - "SOOKEH! Bee-ill! and the Downfall of William T. Compton" by Jonna Rubin and "From Castle Dracula to Merlotte's Bar & Grill" by Bruce and Karen Bethke. Both were well-written, smart, and funny enough to make me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.
  
  Best to read this book after watching season 2 of the show, as that's when this book was originally published.
• 
  Lindsay

  some of the writings were good and interesting and others made me want to poke my eyes out..... this book took me forever to read because after a few essays it just got boring.... but there were some interesting ideas and thoughts in here.
• 
  Christina

  I won this book from a contest...not too bad:)
• 
  Nicole

  Ok book, not an easy read for me. I had to force myself to complete it. Breaks down all elements of the show kinda drags on.
• 
  Alysa H.

  Review forthcoming.
• 
  Indah Threez Lestari

  638 - 2014
• 
  Chelsea

  For fans of the show, this was a fun read. 18 essays that cover every aspect of the show. Some were interesting, some I just skimmed over. Covers he first 2 seasons of the show.