I'm having what pretty much amounts to a new experience here. And when you get to my age there is very little new to experience. Well, there are always new things, I suppose, but most of the things I've never experienced at this point are not things I'm really interested in experiencing.

Anyway, back some time ago (about two - maybe three - years) I tried to read Dead in Dixie (First three Sookie books in one omnibus edition.), which I had gotten as a free gift from a book club, but I couldn't get past chapter five (I think it was actually chapter three where I stopped, but since I can't remember for sure I'll be generous and say five). Nothing about the first bit of Dead Until Dark grabbed me and pulled me in. Nothing, which is a bit unusual, because usually with most books there will be at least something that will get me interested enough to at least finish the first book even if I never read another in the series.

Therefore I was not upset when True Blood (the series based on the books) was made to air on HBO, which I don't get - I could, if I was made of money. Usually, having something vampire airing somewhere that I can't access would annoy me (at the very least), but not this time.

Now comes the twist, I just watched the first two episodes of True Blood on DVD, and find myself sorry that the series is airing on HBO. Well, not sorry exactly, just sad, though I do think on a "regular" channel this series peobably wouldn't be so good. Anyway, those first two episodes were very good. Were they perfect? Probably not, but they were loads more interesting than I found the first Sookie book. However, I do suspect I will quickly get tired of every episode ending in a cliffhanger.

Seriously, those two episodes were good enough that if I could find my copy of Dead in Dixie I'd probably give reading it another try. It probably wouldn't be any better, but I could probably get through it by telling myself I'm trying to read spoilers for a show I like.

What's really interesting is that apparently I am not alone in feeling the in this one odd instance the television show is better than the books they're based on.