Does the Anita Blake series need to be read in order? 

yes.  the relationships - both romantic and just friends and even some enemies - grow and change throughout the whole series.  reading them out of order will give away a lot of what happens in earlier books.  plus there's an ever growing cast of characters, so you won't know who people are unless you read where they were introduced.

(oh, and i love this series.  one of the few authors that i buy in hardback, and i usually pre-order these so i get them right away.)

I agree.  They should definitely be read in order.  I also collect them in hardback.  I'm also a fan of LKH's Merry Gentry series.

i read the first ten books out of order still loved this series can't wait for the next book

I read a few of the short stories in some anthologies before getting into her books. Now that I'm into the series though, I'm going to go back and reread them so the relationships make more sense. I'm an order girl though and get too confused if I don't do that. lol

I would say read them in order. I started with Narcissus in Chains, which is book 7 or so, and I was quite lost. Anita's powers grow, and new characters emerge. After NIC, I went back and started from book 1, and it made so much more sense.

yes, I am currently reading Lunatic cafe.  it's books 4 and I can already tell you that it's much easier to read in order.

I got turned on to the series through the story in the Cravings anthology and while the story was enjoyable, it made quite a bit more sense after I read the series from the beginning.  It's kinda like catching a movie that's already been on for an hour or so.

Wow...when I saw the title to this thread I was a bit nervous to open it!  lol! 

But yes...do read them in order!!!

ETA:  I think all series should be read in order...why else would they be a series!  I don't know how people read out of order...I can't do it!

I have every book she's ever written, and she's one of the few that I won't part with. I to buy only in HC for this author. Yes definitely read them in order! This is the easiest way to get all the books:

 "Club Vampyer" has the first three books in it. (Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned)  

"The Midnight Cafe" has the next three. (Lunitic Cafe, Bloody Bones, Killing Dance)

"The Black Moon Inn" has the next two in the series. (Burnt Offerings, Blue Moon.)

"Nightshade Tavern" has the following two. (Obsidian Butterfly, and Narcissus in Chains)

From there you have to buy them individually:

#11 Cerulean Sins

#12 Incubus Dreams

#13 Micah

#14 Danse Macabre

#15 The Harlequin

#16 Blood Noir (due out May 27th!! WOOHOO) Read chapter 1 here http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Anita/BloodNoir.html 

Anthologies:

"Out of this World" - is the first 100 pages of Narcissus in Chains.

"Bite" - 30 page teaser -  This story lands between "Blue Moon" & "Obsidian Butterfly."

"Cravings" -  I believe this one is the prelude to Incubus Dreams. Not positive though. I know I was irked when I bought it because I had all ready read it!

Personally, I say read until Obsidan Butterfly and then burn the rest if you have them.

i just try to consider the books after Obsidian Butterfly as a different series.  i like them ok, but they're definitely not on the same wavelength as the earlier ones.

You should try the Merry Gentry series by her too.  Especially if you like some heat in your books. Plus I like the whole Fae thing.

I agree books 12-14 kinda sucked, but were necessary. By the Harlequin, she got back to the quality of writing that addicted me to this series to begin with.

I agree books 12-14 kinda sucked, but were necessary. 

I have to disagree and certainly don't think they were necessary..in fact they were completely unnecessary and a huge disappointment.  I've read them all...I guess after reading 10 books you keep going hoping and praying they will get better.  Now she is the author and I don't argue she has a right to do what she wants with her books, I can always stop reading but geez they were a total waste of time!  The last book was better...but still not great.  I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to subject myself to the series. 

I agree, they weren't needed at all. They are crap, plain and simple.

Thank heaven, I thought I was the only one who had gotten disgusted. Anita was a very different person until the last few books. They just revolve around more and more complicated sexual complications.. How about some decent plot.. How about letting her return to at least semi human. There are characters that are gone, that I loved and new ones that I dont see the point of. I have all in paper up to Danse Macabre and have not even tried Harlequin, although I suppose I will.

Not a Meri fan at all..

I like Merry...don't know why.  Maybe I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised? 

I had book number 7 and I traded it in a swap because at the time I didn't want to wait on getting the 6 previous books.  I thought I might go back to the series later when I wasn't tied up in so many.  Now I'm sort of wondering if it's worth even getting into.  I guess I just need to get the first book and see what I think about it.

I have heard so much though about it getting very erotic after the first part of the series and I don't care for that too much.  So I just don't know if I'll bother with it. 

no, not erotic....just full of stupid pointless sex with anything and anyone...erotica is actually good.