I'm rereading Dracula, and so I've decided to make you a list. I was quite into vampire books in high school, but most of them I now find boring and/or problematic and/or they just aren't doing anything new or interesting with the genre. But there are a few vampire books I do find worth reading. Here they are:
Sunshine by Robin McKinley This book has neither the romanticized vampire nor the monstrous bestial vampire, plus it has a protagonist any feminist can be proud of.
"Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu One of the two short stories* that founded vampire lit. Without "Carmilla," there'd be no Dracula. It's dripping with lesbian sexual tension.
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat are always worth a read.
Dracula by Bram Stoker Not only foundational, but still an enjoyable read over a hundred years later.
*The other story is "The Vampyre" by John Polidori.
