So to me it seems a little like back in the day when you couldnt like PB and LZ. You cant like AB and SS. I know its not impossible but seems that die hard fans are sorta split down the middle. I loved Anita back in the day when she wasnt a hoochie but I have never really been dissapointed by Sookie. Even when I was angry with the way something went in a Sookie book I couldnt stay mad.

Anyone else see a divide in fans or am I just crazy?

i've always liked them both.  i *loved* the earlier Anita Blake books, and still like the later ones, and i've really liked all of the Sookie books (though the last one perhaps tried to squish too much into one book).  so i've never noticed a split.  :)

I'm a little thrown by the PF/LZ reference...never knew you 'couldn't' like them..... But I have agree w/ Ellen about Sookie...and while I seem to punish myself w/ AB... I like the earlier ones, but not such a fan of the more recent books. 

I still really enjoy them both :-)

I don't hate either series. I didn't like the turn the AB series took after about book 9 and the Sookie books become rather boring to me after the first 5 or so. I still read them though.

I think that happens with just about every long running series. Either things don't happen or change enough and it gets boring, or things change so much that you're ticked off by the disruption of the particular element/plot device/character that you liked most.

I have read a lot of forum posts of people saying things like "...I used to love the Anita Blake books, but, I swear, I will never read another one...", as the sex scences became more and more graphic. Some of them were much more strongly worded, you would think the author had walked up to them and slapped their baby, the way some of the posts would read.

Then you read the ones where people (like me) would agree that we really didn't need all the detail given in the sex scenes, but we were still still fans. Some, of course, read the books just for said scenes, although I've never seen a post stating that, I just assume. :)

So, yeah, I do agree that there seems to be two (or more) camps for the AB books, but I don't agree that people are telling anyone else what to like, that I have not seen.

I haven't really seen any negative feedback on the Sookie series. Not saying it's not out there, but I just haven't seen it. I have read the first three books in this series, and am still waiting to get my hands on the rest, I will let you know what camp I fall into if I decide to quit it for any reason, but I hope that won't happen! 

I can only speak for myself...and trust me, I appreciate a good sex scene.  But when the sex because more important than the plot...I have a problem with that.  That's why I have a problem with the later books.  Certainly not b/c I'm a prude...but I do appreicate good writing.  If I want straight simple porn...I can watch a 30 minute video. 

I've read all the books in both series. I like the earlier Anita Blake books WAY better than the Sookie Stackhouse books. I still like the Anita Blake books, but I don't think the later ones are as good as the earlier, crime-solving and monster-hunting Anita books. I like the Sookie books a lot too, I read them as soon as they come out.

Anita and Sookie are very different characters, and I just like Anita better.

I like Pink Floyd & Led Zep and I like Slipknot and Johnny Cash. :-) 

I like both Anita and Sookie, although I immediatley enjoyed the Anita series and Sookie took a little longer.  I haven't read the latter Anita books yet.  I think I'm going to start Obsidian Butterfly next and then I have the 7th Sookie book to read (name escapes me at the moment).  I'll have to see how downhill they go...I think I like a kick-ass type of character and Sookie seems a little meek to me although she's stepping it up.

I love them both -- they are two of my favorite authors.  I agree that AB got a little long on sex and short on plot there for a couple of books, but I think the last one or two were better.  I love Sookie too, although I agree I was a little disappointed in her last one because like Ellen said, I felt like she was trying to cram too much in one story.  It was almost like she took 3 or 4 short stories and wove them together, but I still like her. 

I agree that the last two Anita Blake novels seem to have a bit more story to them then they have been. I actually liked The Harlequin better than Blood Noir though.

I have never been able to read the Anita Blake series, and I have tried  couple of times. I just finished the first Sookie book and am reading the second.  I am really enjoying the story.  I guess that  there just seems to be more of a story in the SS stories, where AB's book seem frenetic to me.

I finally just finshed Blood Nior last night...and did find that as the book progressed it did get much better.  Based on the ending, I have high hopes for the next one.  Thanks god!  It's about time she brought this series back around!