Guilty Pleasures

If you were ever a Twilight fan, please, ditch that rubbish and pick up an Anita Blake book.
There are 20 published Anita Blake books, with #21 being released this summer. Sometimes, when you're contemplating beginning a new series, knowing there are 21 books can be a bit daunting.
But once Anita draws you in, and she will, I guarantee it, 21 is not NEARLY enough.
What I love love love about the Anita series are the characters. There is great development, and each book sees every character growing in fantastic ways.
Anita lives in St. Louis, in a world where Vampires are legal citizens. She works as an Animator (someone who raises the dead) and as a legal vampire executioner. Anita is one of the most bad ass female characters I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know (fictionally, of course). She is stubborn, she is tough as nails, she's got a mouth on her, she can't be bullied, she can fight, she's great with a gun, she's got guts galore, she's better than the boys.
These books are packed with action, with suspense, with gore (there are tons of bloody murder scenes!). Some of my all-time favorite characters live within these pages (Anita, Edward, Jean-Claude!).
As with a lot of books that are series, the first book is always the slowest, the most unsure, as there has to be plenty of development, but by book 3, I was so so hooked on Anita and her world that I read the entire series in just a bit more than a month.
If you love the fantastical and love a great strong female lead, this series is for you. It will put every other vampire novel you've read to shame.

And in response to the review below me, there is a lot of sex in the series but it only starts getting really intense around book 10, and it's pivotal to the storyline even if sex gets boring to read.

Pick it up. You won't regret it.

My name is Anita Blake.

Vampires call me The Executioner. What I call them isn''t repeatable.
Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I''ve seen their victims. I carry the scars...

But now a serial killer is murdering vampires -- and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer...

I like Anita because she is tough and mouthy, but is also capable of being vulnerable, scared and making mistakes. I am not sure what all the fuss is about in regards to Anita's promiscuity--uh, there was absolutely no romantic situations in this book. I enjoyed the plot, Anita being an "animator" puts a spin on things making it unique to this series.I'm not entirely sure if I really liked it, it was a free book so I could not say no all in all, it's an interesting start to a series. Not sure if I'll pick up more of these, I did not devour this one like I have other vampire series, but who knows maybe I will get book two free also.

Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. The female lead character Anita is described as being of very small stature but tough as nails as she uses her head to outwit her brawnier foes. She is apparently attractive to the opposite sex though she would merit a spot on the Worst Dressed List based on the outfits that Hamilton puts together for her.

Anita is an Animator, who is employed to bring back the dead but she also displays a certain talent as a vampire slayer, so much so that the vampire community refer to her as the Executioner. The story finds her at odds as she is hired, well more akin to blackmailed, by the Master Vampire of the City Nickolaos to find a serial killer that is preying on her vampires. Anita's attraction to another Master Vampire named Jean-Claude is where the real tension of the book exists and promises to continue in the books to follow.

The book is not overly long, making for a great evening read but it has just enough fast paced supernatural action & promise of romance to keep you wanting more…

I picked up this gem and couldn't put it down... The wit and sarcasm of Anita made me chuckle and the story was awesome. The Rest of the series are even better. Can't wait for more!