VTown Book Club Cocktail Recipes

Here is the cocktail recipe recap of our November book club meeting:

1 part David Sedaris
1 part Amy Sedaris
2 parts Sookie infused simple syrup
Splash of Vampire
Splash of Werewolf

Shake ingredients together. Strain over ice, serve straight up, add a splash of Sprite on top.

Our November meeting started out gangbusters with everyone arriving right at 6:30. After introductions and we were seated we started out on a confessional, always a good sign, with one member shyly admitting that they have not read the books or the blog and felt weird about showing up to the meeting. Then a cascade of confessions poured in as many members disclosed that they have not read the books and/or the blog. With that information we were apprehensive about how to proceed with the meeting but also glad everyone showed up willing to try to participate in the discussion.

Luckily, another member arrived armed with knowledge through Book 4 and bearing copies of questions from the blog. A quick survey was conducted and we found that we were all game to apply the limited knowledge we each had to attempt to answer the questions.

Here are a few of the questions/responses we got from the meeting:

• If vampires cry bloody tears then why don't they have permanent pink eye? "Because pink eye is a virus/bacteria." Ok snarkety-snarks. The blog posters are now on alert and will attempt to be extra careful about editing (after this post). We even have an untapped editor in the club!
• What song would you choose for Tara and Sookie to dance to at the Supe club? Without question, "Tainted Love".
• El.....er Bubba sparked some great conversation about Elvis sightings and the dangers of bringing back the dead. We got a new question from our discussion about Elvis’ role in the series: "If you were a vampire and had a chance to bring back your favorite celebrity from the dead, would you do it?"
• Why is Sookie mad at Bill for not financially supporting her? One member had a compelling answer, she believes that Sookie is only mad because Bill is supporting the Bellefleurs, Sookie would not feel this way if the Bellefleurs were not involved.
• Out of six members we had two for Team Alcide, two for Team Eric and two for Team Bill.
• What cocktail represents Sookie? While it did not surprise us that Sookie liked a champagne cocktail, we all agreed that it was not her signature drink. We came to consensus on the Sunkissed Martini because it's sweet, a little frothy on top, not high end and packs a punch, here's the recipe:
  1 part Mandarin Vodka
  1 part Red Bull
  2 parts Peach Schnapps
  Splash of Orange Juice
  Shaken, strained over ice, served straight up.

A few members watched True Blood on HBO through Season 3 but have not read the books and were surprised and appalled at the lack of Tara and Lafayette in the book series. Those of us that have read the books released a bit of a spoiler that Lafayette died in Book 1. There were many declarations of disbelief at the news of Lafayette’s demise and everyone agreed that it was difficult to read the books without the significant storylines of Tara and Lafayette.

After dinner we continued our conversation under the night sky, gathering around the beautiful 40’ tall outdoor stone fireplace in the Suisun courtyard. Framed by firelight, one member happily noted that we met for over two hours without touching on the topics of kids, husbands, boyfriends, jobs or real estate. Although those topics are important and central to our everyday lives it was wonderful to be out with a group of women talking about books, history, parties and food while enjoying each other’s company and basking in a welcome night off from our everyday concerns.

We found time to preview Amy Sedaris’ book, I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence and discussed the recipes and décor that will be fun to share at the next meeting in December. We also found that we have a great mix of talents to contribute and share with one another; each member adding complimentary flavors of knowledge, skills and experience to the book club cocktail. The December potluck meeting is already taking shape, we are excited by all the possible threads of conversation and we can't wait to finally get everyone together.


Recipe for this post was provided by Angela:
1 part Ketel One
2 parts Tonic
Shaken, strained over ice, lime garnish.

Supe of the Day

It's a new year in Bon Temps and Sookie makes a resolution: "I just hope to not be beaten up...I don't want to go to the hospital. I don't want to see a doctor...so my resolution is to stay out of trouble." Good thing New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken because trouble is to be had along with a tall drink of our favorite Viking vampire, Eric Northman.

A storm of supernatural activity crackles and spins out of control in Dead to the World. Witches’, weres’, shifters’ and vampires’ chest-bumping pride and bank accounts get everyone sucked into the tornado. Who knew vampires could have a curse laid on them? Did it surprise you that a feline culture became inbred? We are presented with so much activity in this book we probably need some vampire blood to stay on course.

Bon Temps Cocktail Hour ~ November Meeting

Greetings Fangbangers and Tourists and others innocently sucked into Sookie's world of Supes,

Here is the information about our November meeting:

6:30pm on Friday November 12, 2010~ Sookie Stackhouse, by Charlaine Harris, books 3-4
Cast Iron Grill & Bar
700 Main Street, Suite 104
Suisun, CA
http://castirongrillandbar.com/

At this meeting we will:

• discuss the Sookie Series
• plan the December meeting/potluck using Amy Sedaris as our guide
• exchange books and ideas for future meetings
• decide on the signature cocktails for each of the following characters: Sookie, Bill, Eric, Pam, and Alcide

Please use FB or email Angela to RSVP because we will need to make reservations for this meeting. If you get there early reservations will be made under the name "Sookie Stackhouse", use Bill's inflection when you say "Sookie".

~

Book 3 ~ Club Dead / Man Buffet in Mississippi

Team Bill vs. Team Alcide? Or Team Eric? Sookie's got choices to make. Oh, if only we were in her shoes! Who would you choose?

• Do you like the promise of sunshine kisses and domestic bliss of Team Alcide?
• Or the sexy Corvette danger and political power plays of Team Eric?
• Or is Team Bill more your thing with the promise of passionate sex and two quaint homes that book-end a cemetery?

For anyone reluctantly succumbing to peer pressure to read book 1, then trudging through book 2, we promise that Club Dead is the light at the end of the tunnel. Charlaine Harris' writing style is finally making sense, her characters are 'fleshing' out, we have fully bought into Sookie. We understand Sookie and the conflict that her heart and mind are playing out: one side of her craves domestic bliss then the next moment she takes every risk to protect those she loves/those that she feels deserve to be loved.

After reading the first few chapters of Club Dead do you feel Bill deserves to be loved? In Chapter 1, did your heart break a little for Sookie when she expectantly went over to Bill's house for some frolicking good times and instead found Bill focused on the computer and drinking a bottle of synthetic blood type B? What is behind Sookie's motivation to help Eric find Bill? Is she driven by revenge, curiosity, love, or hoping for a second chance at love?

Here are some questions that popped up during Club Dead:

1. What did you think of El... er... Bubba's vampire role?
2. Do you trust Eric?
3. In books 1 & 2 Sookie consistently asserted her independence to Bill, taking offense when he offered to open an account for her at Tara Tog's. In Club Dead she is now getting mad at Bill for not offering financial support to fix her gravel driveway ? Why do you think Sookie is inconsistent in her expectations of Bill?
4. One of the connections between Sookie and Alcide, besides physical attraction, is that they have recently experienced being left for another. Sookie seems to need the truth. Alcide seems to still need his Ex. Have you ever been left for someone else? Did either characters’ actions or emotions ring more true to your experiences?
5. To have sex with Alcide or not to have sex with Alcide? After being dumped by Bill, if you were sharing an apartment for the weekend with Alcide what choice would you make?
6. How did you feel when Sookie ordered her first champagne cocktail at the Supe bar? Did you think that she was about to find her signature cocktail or do you think another cocktail represents her more?

Tara!
• How did you feel about Tara and Sookie in this book?
• Were you relieved that Tara showed up?
• Did you get embarrassed by the “Love is a Battlefield” dance? Or did you think, Hmmm, I would have chosen them to dance to __________.
• Do you think Harris chose “Love is a Battlefield” to symbolize the theme of Club Dead?
• Have you ever had a few to many and danced ridiculously at a bar? Maybe reliving your very own version of Coyote Ugly?

Sookie is developing a worldliness about her through her many Supe associations. She is discovering a new moral compass; the right and wrong parts of her personality appear to be bending and bowing towards selfishness. For example, in book 1, she saves Bill in the parking lot because he shouldn’t be wronged. In book 3, she’s hiding a body. Those two actions would not be next to each other on Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. Question~ Was Sookie prevented from truly identifying her beliefs when she tried to blend into her community?

One thing that is fantastic about vampire stories is that each author or screen writer gets to make up their own rules. Examples:

• Twilight’s vampires don’t sleep, Sookie Stackhouse’s need rest
• Anne Rice’s & True Blood’s vampires have sex with each other, but the Stackhouse books say that vampire/vampire coupling is frowned upon. Who knew vampires frowned upon any sex?
• What do you make of Harris’ vamp sexual impasse?

And some general points to ponder as we recall Club Dead:

• Have you ever experienced a situation where you were not thinking for yourself and were surprised by your actions?
• If vampires cry bloody tears then why don't they have permanent pink eye?
• If you are fan of the HBO series True Blood…are you enjoying Pam in the books?
• How many bottles of Tru Blood did you see on Halloween weekend? Who tried it?

All these questions are making us antsy for another meeting! Our-cocktails-in-Suisun meeting is quickly approaching, hope to see you there!

This post was coagulated by Kim and Angela

Pretty Is As Pretty Does

We are all wrapping up Living Dead in Dallas and gearing up for our first Book Club meeting in Napa this Sunday. Post on FB what you plan to bring to the potluck, otherwise we'll just hope we end up with 8 wedges of brie! Yum!

We felt some disappointment that our favorite characters from True Blood were not in Living Dead in Dallas. Because of that, we found it difficult to read book 2... but not impossible.

In Living Dead in Dallas we find Sookie gaining confidence with her disability and learning to use it as her secret weapon. Sookie's relationship with Bill is evolving and we're not quite sure if these two are anything more than sexually compatible with one another. However, the main theme of book 2 is race and how the races interact. Humans, vampires, maenads, and shapeshifters all have their own ideas of government, leadership and ethics.

S&M seems to be a recurring theme as well, with humans more than willing to play the part of masochist. A shining example was the arrogant human attorney Hugo, he was so thoroughly enthralled by the vampire Isabel that he allowed himself to be emasculated in order to serve her, even volunteered himself to the service. Are Sookie and Bill following in their footsteps? Sookie always asserts her independence however how many times has she been severely beaten since she's met Bill? And while in the employment of vampires? Sookie keeps going back for more.

During a human attack on the Dallas vampire nest Eric shields Sookie with his body so she is not harmed by gunshots, after the smoke clears she discovers Bill took the opportunity to hunt. She begins to question her entire relationship with Bill. She wonders if she sees him as he is: clearly, truly. This hit home with us. Have you ever come to the sudden realization that the person you thought you were with is not that person at all?

Are all those lusty nights sipping blood with her vampire lover (and Eric!) causing Sookie to turn? In Living Dead in Dallas Sookie discovers she's able to pick up on some vampire thoughts, she exhibits super fast reflexes, she kicks some major Gabe ass, and she discovers she glows with the same luminosity as Bill.

And finally, what would you rather be: human, telepath, shapeshifter, maenad or vampire?

This book seemed to be heavier in theme and content than book 1, or maybe we were in heavier moods? We still can't wait to pick up Club Dead and Dead to the World.

We are excited to see y'all on Sunday!!! We'll get more discussion topics, exchange our favorite books, eat some food, take some photos and just plain hang-out!

Leif Erikson Day

How coincidental is it that we are reading Living Dead in Dallas at the same time we are celebrating Leif Erikson Day?

When our favorite 1000 year old Norwegian vampire, Eric Northman, was introduced to us by the Dallas vampires as Leif a light bulb lit up over our heads and we exclaimed "oh! It's Leif Erikson, the guy that 'discovered' America 500 years before Christopher Columbus!"

If Eric is adventurous enough to wear a pink tank top and lycra leggings to an orgy then he sure as hell is adventurous enough to discover America! Here's a toast of mead to you Eric Northman, we found out that you are not only legendary but sexy as well!

Now we ask the question: what the hell is Leif Erikson/ Eric Northman, doing in Bon Temps, Louisiana? It seems that Eric was not the only famous former human drawn to the area. Maenads, shapeshifters, vampires, telepaths, and Elvis... Maybe the mystery of the Sookie Stackhouse series is Bon Temps?

Fangtasia vs. Merlotte's

Greetings Fangbangers and Tourists,

We hope most of you are well into Dead Until Dark and about to start Living Dead in Dallas. We'll try not to post any spoilers here, although if you are watching True Blood then the story is definitely spoiled. Here are the discussion topics of the week:

1. Where would you rather hang out, Fangtasia or Merlotte's?

2. Do you believe that the Sookie series is a way for the author, Charlaine Harris, to write about diversity and how people deal with differences in the South? Vampires "came out of the coffin" and are now "legally recognized undead". Many people in her story either hate vampires and want to see them die or they love them and want to have sex with them. Many others awkwardly tolerate their presence. Vampires can contract Sino-AIDS from drinking from infected victims and some intentionally try to infect vampires.

3. We noticed that Ms. Harris referenced Anne Rice on the first page of Dead Until Dark. Did the reference allow your brain to disengage from making Anne Rice comparisons throughout the rest of the novel?

4. We loved how Sookie asked questions along the same lines that we asked before we started reading this series. She didn't get too many answers but she did ask the following:

• How do vampires do laundry?
• Do they go into their coffin naked?
• Do they need to drive or can they just float wherever they want to go?
• And yes, if a vampire was made a vampire with a beard or a bad haircut then the vampire is stuck with that beard and haircut for the rest of his days.

5. Anyone else a bit envious of Gran's simple country life and her involvement in the Descendants of the Glorious Dead and the Bon Temps Gardening Society?

6. We love a hot vampire story but is it weird that vampires want to have sex with their food source? Is it strange that they aren't bored with sex after centuries of doing it?

7. Remove yourself from the HBO series for this question: after reading Sookie's description of each, if you were Sookie would you rather have sex with Sam, Bill or Eric?

8. What do you think was the main theme of Dead Until Dark: Sookie learning to come to terms with her disability, vampires and their diversity issues, or Rene and his feelings about vampires?

You may comment here or... V-Town has a Facebook page! Please Like the FB page and post any additional discussion topics on the wall or under the Discussions tab.

Vampires, sex and books...oh my!

Feedback from everyone this week is that we are all willing to descend into the dark, sexy, improbable world of Sookie’s vampire chronicles.

Thank you for topics this week. We are pleased that V-Town Book Club is quickly becoming a fun yet debased coterie.

Because most of us are waiting for our books to arrive, here are some discussion topics based on HBO’s True Blood (no spoilers please, some of us haven't seen season 3):

True Blood title is a play on the word “Blood”:

• About vampires drinking blood, humans drinking V
• About vampires being the only True Blood, which Godric questions and tries to atone
• About lineage, in the series vampires (Bill) honor or (Jessica!) despise their human lineage (bloodline) and also their vampire lineage: Makers & Kings & Queens
• Ray Bradbury often spoke about how most of his novels resulted from a habit of playing an early morning game of word association while he was still freshly connected to his dreams. Is the evolution of the vampire myth a result of significant word associations to “blood”?

And now some topics that descend into pure, bloody debauchery:

• If a vampire gets a hair cut could they ever grow it out? Or do they need to cut their hair every day? Erik gets a hair cut on the show but his hair doesn’t seem to grow back the next day. However Jessica's hymen keeps growing back…
• Season 1 was excellent because of the massive sexual tension of wanting to live vicariously through True Blood and fuck a vampire who doesn't want to kill us, which is a different sexual tension than wanting to have sex with a vampire who does want to kill us.
• And more importantly, can a male vampire ejaculate?

Thank you Kim and Dalila! We will talk about the complexities of vampire intercourse and vampire anatomy during a book club meeting where the wine will be flowing!

Sucking on another topic, this economy is draining many of us dry right now. If you would like to participate in Book Club but can’t justify the price of this series send an email and we’ll arrange a book-share program.

Excellent topics so far showing that discussion boundaries extend far and wide.

***Thank you for the blog title Gina!!!

Sookie!

Because we love True Blood on HBO we are reading the Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set.

Hopefully this doesn't kill our appetite for Season 3 (still waiting for the release on Netflix)!

Seems like a fast read, so we are proposing to read 2 books each for each Sookie meeting.

Order the boxed set here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0441018238/?tag=befast-20

Email discussion questions that you would like to post to this blog.

Here are some suggested questions for works of fiction, we realize they are a bit generic and hope to hone them down to more relevant questions as we read through the series:

• What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
• Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
• How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
• Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way?
• Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?

Here's to bloodthirsty and vampy reading this fall!