Thursday, August 20, 2009

Apparently I like vampire books...who knew?

Like everyone else on the planet, I read "Twilight."

Not because I wanted to. Mostly because I felt like I should. Stephanie Meyer had found such a cultural touchstone for teens, and since I write YA, I figured I should check it out and see what the big deal was.

Eh.

It was interesting, I guess, but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I found Bella to be way too whiny and annoying, and frankly, not really a good role model for girls. And I wasn't a big fan of Edward.

This was probably because I've never really liked vampire books. Sure, I watched "Interview with a Vampire" back in the mid-90s when it was all the rage, and I even read it in French for the heck of it. And it was mildly entertaining. Mildly. I never could understand the huge appeal it held for so many in my high school (much like I can't understand the huge appeal the Twilight series holds for today's teens).

I've read a few vampire romances through the years, but mostly when there wasn't anything else to read, or it was written by a friend of mine. I've just never understood the appeal.

Until now.

After having read our very own Melissa Francis's BITE ME! and mother-daughter team P.C. and Kristin Cast's MARKED within a span of a couple of weeks, I can now officially say that I really like YA vampire books.

Well, at least those. LOL.

But seriously, check out BITE ME and the House of Night series. You won't regret it.

12 comments:

  1. I'm currently reading MARKED. And I have BITE ME! in my TBR pile--can't wait to read it!! :D

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  2. Anonymous10:50 AM

    LOL, I finished MARKED last night and can't wait to run out and buy the rest in the series.

    I also need to check out Lucienne Diver's book, VAMPED.

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  3. Since I'm currently writing an urban fantasy series about vampires and the like, I heartily applaud!

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  4. this is the biggest compliment ever. Thanks so much, Amanda!

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  5. Anonymous11:04 AM

    Dude, you totally deserve it, Mel. BITE ME rocks!

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  6. Melly Melly she's so fine she blows my mind.

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  7. The House of Night series is very addicting! I love all of them....but however I am Twilight fan as well :/ Sorry you didn't really enjoy it, but I do agree Bella is a bit annoying lol

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  8. I like Vampire books, but I thought Twilight was "meh" too.
    Will check out Marked and Bite Me for sure!

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  9. I read everything. Good is good. Really. And bad is bad.

    And Mel and the Casts get is sooooo bloody right!!

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  10. I have to second or fourth the vote for the Cast series--though I"m behind, I think I actually read the first one before Twilight and just loved it (Twilight not so much...sorry just not my cuppa).

    Also loved Mel's book which I finished yesterday and passed on to my son.

    Also gotta rec Rachel Caine's Morganville Vamps-a little diff because the heroine is NOT a vamp...just a geeky uber smart girl who chooses the wrong college. Currently reading Peeps (Scott Westerfeld) which I picked up to tide me over until his new series comes out this fall and didn't realize was a vamp book (ohhh love that grammar!). I'm a huge fan of his Uglies series.

    I could sit here and wax poetic about all the great YA books out there but then I'd never get any writing done LOL

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  11. Bite Me is currently on my TBR, and I can't wait to read it, but there are library books with expiration dates that have to go first.

    About Twilight; I read them and liked the stories quite a bit. That said, I think that Stephenie Meyer is not a good writer. Decent storyteller, yes. But as a writer, not so much. I tried to read The Host, her "adult" debut novel, and with a storyline that didn't grab me, that was a book I didn't finish. My daughter (age 21) who loved the Twilight series told me that the look on my face while I was trying to read The Host was painful to her and asked why I was torturing myself.

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  12. I'll have to add Bite me to my TBR list. You should also check out the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead!

    I also have an award for you at Debbie's World of Books

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