Favorite Books and Current Reads

Postby **Maxine MagicFox** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:43 pm

So, because of Kino's recommendation, I bought Twilight today. I was ACTUALLY looking for Artemis Fowl book 1, which I don't have a copy of and was in the mood to re-read. I'm still very hesitant since 1) I've never read a good vampire book, 2) Kino was apprehensive about it as well, 3) all teeny-boppers seem to go ga-ga over it, and 4) a tiny sticker on the book says "to be made into a major motion picture" <-- this only concerns me 'cause somehow the stuff I wanna read about vampires isn't exactly movie material XD or would be heavily censored.

STILL... I need a new book and though I have a Dean Koontz novel Forever Odd that I have yet to complete, I haven't been up to the mood and ironic-humor of the book just yet (it's not bad, but for some reason Koontz chose to have a wry-wit that isn't normally taken - the first book was epic, don't get me wrong, and I specially asked for the second book - just not in the mood to tackle it yet). So... wish me luck. My target page number for today is to at least reach page 68/Ch4 before I put it down and work on my own novel.

As for overall opinions - I typically wait until I reach page 150 before I make the ultimate "Worth continuing" decision, but since twilight is such a bigger book, I'll extend it to 200. If it can't keep me wanting more by then, it was a waste of my time T-T and money.

Teclo · Postby **Teclo** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:19 am

Max, there's a great vampire story anthology called The Mammoth Book of Vampires. It looks and sounds quite cheap and throwaway but it actually has a lot fo original takes on vampires. Some of them are very post-modern indeed. For example, there's one that doesn't even feature any vampires per se: It's about a man who's in Hollywood and has written a script for a vampire movie and is trying to get it bought and filmed. He keeps getting messed around and screwed over by the various studios and gets poorer and poorer and into increasingly ill health. It turns out as it goes on (it's only a short story) that he's actually dying of AIDS. The way it describes his worsening condition and the way it frames it alongside the script he's writing really makes it feel like he's dying of vampirism and makes a surprisingly mature and well-handled "modern vampire tale". I don't know if describing it in one paragraph makes it sound crudely done, but it really isn't when you read it in its full length.

That's not the best story in there (after all, I didn't buy it for post-modern comparisons) but it just shows that it's not all about cackling evil Transylvanians on a craggy mountaintop, lit only by the occasional flash of lightning.

Kinokokao · Postby **Kinokokao** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:50 am

Postby **Maxine MagicFox** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:57 am

Kitsunexus · Postby **Kitsunexus** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:10 am

Kaining · Postby **Kaining** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:11 am

Postby **Maxine MagicFox** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:11 pm

I finished the book. Strangely, I suspect that if you condense the book into proper font and page width, it would be MUCH shorter. Either that or maybe it was just too easy reading for me. Or maybe the fact that it's been a long time since I've picked up a book. o_O I haven't finished a book in two days for... a long time (not EVEN two days... I went swimming, took a shower, spent an hour writing and watching The Labyrinth - though I did have a long night, I could sleep well, but I was still out by 3, read for an hour when I woke up at 6 and got up at 10). Haha, maybe my fan girl self enjoyed it more than I'm willing admit even to myself. It was fun and I'm definitely interested in the next book. The story really appealed to me on the same level that the anime Bokura ga Ita did. Fun, light, cute love story of clueless highschoolers - though Bella was no where near as awesome as Nana - but the point is, it wouldn't have even had to include vampires and I'd still probably feel the same way. Honestly, since I'm not going out to the bookstore for a while, I think I'll finally pick up the much more serious Dean Koontz book that I've been pushing to the side. That and plus I need to watch my money since I have tuition due next month.

Haha, though, I never got around to telling this yesterday. My sister got furious at me when she saw the book sitting on the table. Apparently, she's had the book on hold for several months at the library - well, it was a long holding list. She was very mad at me that I bought it - I had no idea that she wanted to read it! But, I think I made her happy when I handed it to her this morning, finished.

Okay, my opinions of the book:
[spoiler]There were times I was SO annoyed with Bella. WAY TOO WHINY.

I wanted to yell at her to gain some egotism - or a sense of REALITY.

Edward was kewl, though, I seriously wish that his character had been fleshed out a little more. The author kept the visual descriptions short and concise, for imagination-purposes I'm sure, but I think that seriously hurt poor Edward. *Rolls her eyes* If I hear mention of Edward's eyes one more time, I swear I'll write a fan-fic where they get plucked out

.

Alice was, ironically, probably the vampire that fascinated me the most. The moment Bella was brought into the house and Alice was described, and the actions she took, I absolutely fell in love with this character. I was SO glad when she was chosen to be on Bella-protection staff as I just couldn't get enough of her. I think even more than Bella's impending doom, I was more excited to hear about how Alice came to be and wish that it had been described in a little bit more detail.

I ALSO wanted to get to know Rosalie a bit more. Of course, this couldn't happen because of the POV the story was written from - but the fact that she was so against it all and the possible angst :3 really enticed me to want to hear more about her.

I enjoyed the last few chapters 'cause I was like FINALLY - SUSPENSE!! CLIMAX!! But, I was SERIOUSLY fucking disappointed. I was hoping that the conclusion would be more to do with the indians and that whole werewolf scene that Bella dreamed about - THAT would have been awesome. Seriously, I think a love triangle of a werewolf, Bella, and a vampire would have been 100 times more fun!

Errrm... and that's it I guess. -_- Seriously, there just wasn't much to this book at all. Fun and fluffy, but really... there's a thousand far more entertaining books I'd rather read.[/spoiler]

And Kaining - I'm not sure who you are recommending that to me or Kitsu, but, I strictly stayed away from both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for the strict reason that it was the talk of all the girls in my high school who watched the show religiously. I WILL NEVER watch either series as I NEVER want to act as brainwashed and dumb as that. *shudders*

Skypanic · Postby **Skypanic** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:13 pm

I picked up Blood Meridian (Or the Evening Redness in the West; by Cormac McCarthy) today and am hoping it's an interesting read. The blurb interested me. Sounds like a gory book, which isn't usually my cup of tea, because they're usually pretty lacking in plot, but I've heard some good things from friends who have read it.

Kitsunexus · Postby **Kitsunexus** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:26 pm

Buffy/Angel is more Joss Whedon shit. Fuck that.

Elsewhere, I was recommended Hellsing, is that closer to what I'm looking for?

Postby **Maxine MagicFox** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:39 pm

Favorite Books and Current Reads

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