I was surprised at who they cast to play Alcide since he's so different from the books description, but I am familiar with the actor and after I thought about it a little, I think he'll be a good fit for the character.
blondie711 - I love Quinn, too! I can't wait to see who they cast for him, even though it's quite a few seasons away to begin thinking about it.
I received the short story collection for Christmas and I'm looking forward to reading it, but I'm not expecting it to measure up to the regular books in the series.
Also, I just started getting into another Charlaine Harris series, the Harper Connelly Mysteries. It's very different than the Sookie books (more serious, mostly realistic characters and stories), but still really good; I finished the first book in just a few days and am getting into the second. If you're into mystery, I'd recommend them.