What book or series of books has consumed you?
March 12th 2008 07:49
Have you ever felt so enraptured by a book that you couldn't put it down? And when you did put it down, you found yourself thinking constantly about it? You start living the story in your head even if you're on the train. You find yourself analyzing the sub-plots and turning the plot around to see if there's anything you missed, all while you're washing the dishes. You find it frustrating when there's nobody to discuss your theories with. You're just consumed, totally consumed, by this one book.
In my case, it's Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. It's a love story between a vampire and an ordinary teenage girl. I dismissed the series at first, even if the cover of the books were really attractive. Don't judge a book by its cover, right? But when a friend recommended the series, and I did trust this friend's judgment, I decided to take a peek at the first book. I ended up staying in the bookstore for an hour, devouring the first half of the story. I was hooked.
It is the story of Bella, a teenage girl who finds herself falling for a vampire named Edward. Edward falls for her as well, his desire for her and her blood making the love story complicated. It's young adult fiction. Let me be clear about that! It's an easy read and I love Stephenie Meyer's writing. I had dismissed it because I thought it would be a bubblegum kind of story, but I was wrong about that. This series has absolutely consumed me.
Consumed how? I've joined online communities, am an avid reader of popular Twilight blogs and the author's site. The first book in the series is also being produced into a movie, and I am keeping close tabs on movie news as well.
Consumed how again? I was on a plane to visit family abroad, and the Eclipse story was constantly in my head. I was wondering why Bella made certain decisions this way, what she could've done differently. I was traveling with my mother and grandmother, both of whom would have thought me crazy if I started discussing my Twilight theories with them. So I just kept mum and stared out the plane window, my mind filled with Twilight thoughts. At least it kept my mind away from my usual imagining of a flight's worst-case scenarios.
I admit it! I'm a Twilight fanatic. Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are intoxicating reads. The fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, will be released in the third quarter of the year. August, I think. I can't wait.
The Twilight movie comes out on December 12, 2008. It'll star Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan. EXCITING.
So there you go. These books have absolutely captivated me.
What books or series have enraptured you?
In my case, it's Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. It's a love story between a vampire and an ordinary teenage girl. I dismissed the series at first, even if the cover of the books were really attractive. Don't judge a book by its cover, right? But when a friend recommended the series, and I did trust this friend's judgment, I decided to take a peek at the first book. I ended up staying in the bookstore for an hour, devouring the first half of the story. I was hooked.
It is the story of Bella, a teenage girl who finds herself falling for a vampire named Edward. Edward falls for her as well, his desire for her and her blood making the love story complicated. It's young adult fiction. Let me be clear about that! It's an easy read and I love Stephenie Meyer's writing. I had dismissed it because I thought it would be a bubblegum kind of story, but I was wrong about that. This series has absolutely consumed me.
Consumed how? I've joined online communities, am an avid reader of popular Twilight blogs and the author's site. The first book in the series is also being produced into a movie, and I am keeping close tabs on movie news as well.
Consumed how again? I was on a plane to visit family abroad, and the Eclipse story was constantly in my head. I was wondering why Bella made certain decisions this way, what she could've done differently. I was traveling with my mother and grandmother, both of whom would have thought me crazy if I started discussing my Twilight theories with them. So I just kept mum and stared out the plane window, my mind filled with Twilight thoughts. At least it kept my mind away from my usual imagining of a flight's worst-case scenarios.
I admit it! I'm a Twilight fanatic. Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are intoxicating reads. The fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, will be released in the third quarter of the year. August, I think. I can't wait.
The Twilight movie comes out on December 12, 2008. It'll star Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan. EXCITING.
So there you go. These books have absolutely captivated me.
What books or series have enraptured you?
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Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
But I do have an experience just like yours. A series of books that did everything to me you described in you opening paragraph would be the books by Diana Gabaldon.
I read they were adult books about a woman who travels through time and formed an immediate and completely unwarranted impression.
I was so wrong. I ended up borrowing them from my auntie and have since bought them all for myself because they are absolutely awe inspiring.
Michaelie
Comment by Neems
Koala Lounge
Truth Whisperer
Brilliant post!
Comment by What's Your Story?
What's Your Story?
Big Day Plunge
Neems: The Kite Runner has been on my to-read list for the looooooooongest time. It got buried in my growing stack of bedside books. I should find it, blow the dust off the cover and get to reading it. Thanks for the reminder!
Comment by The Travelling Fairy Dancer
Travel Magic
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Big Day Plunge
Comment by The Rusty Can
Everything
It's about an ugly steamboat captain who becomes business partners with a pale stranger following a spate of bad luck. Guess what this pale stranger was.
I really liked the way it was written - very dark and moody. And it was short too - only 350 pages. Very easy to gobble up.
Rusty.
Comment by What's Your Story?
What's Your Story?
Big Day Plunge
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
What springs to mind at the moment is VC Andrews series -- so dark in those *early* years of mine! So, I'm gonna check-out this series you've highlighted here
Erm...I'm gonna have to be *lame* and also say the 'Harry Potter' series
Mmmm...I sense some sort of running theme here...
Comment by Geoff Egan
Noise Fanatic
Other than that I normally find myself reading 'classic' one off books. ie 1984, Les Miserables, Catch 22, War and Peace etc.
Comment by The Rusty Can
Everything
Have a good one
Comment by Mia
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Parent Adventures
Harry Potter does the same to me...
Comment by Kim Lock
Diving About
I also love Robin Hobb's Assassin, Liveship and Tawny Man series'.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Comment by The Daily Sonnet
The Daily Sonnet
Lots of Sonnets
Comment by Andrea
V8 Supercar Pitstop
I'm with Michaelie on this one ... Diana Gabaldon, all the way.
What an awesome writer she is, with an amazing imagination and great story telling abilities.
Another series I've enjoyed is the Jean M Auel books about the Clan of the Cavebear and other prehistoric people. Another great story teller and her research must have been immense.
Both worth a try, I reckon.
A.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
As a young child:
- Noddy and Big Ears series
- The Mister Men and Little Miss series of books
- The Magic Faraway tree series
As a child:
- The Famous Five series (I really liked Enid Blyton!)
- The Secret Seven series
- Nancy Drew
- Trixie Belden
As a teenager:
- The Flowers in the Attic series by Virginia Andrews (and then most of her other series too)
- The Belgariad and the Mallorean series by David Eddings
- The Vampire Lestat series of books by Anne Rice
- The Green Mile by Stephen King (when it was first released it was released as a series of small novellas)
Today/Adult
- Harry Potter - I don't care what anyone says, I bloody love Harry Potter (well actually, I don't really even like Harry, but I LOVE Ron!)
- The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - best damn crime/comedy stuff you'll ever read. Fantastic!
- Matthew Reilly - his books relating to his character Shane Schofield - Ice Station, Area 7 and Hell Island
- They're not really a series, but very closely related in themes - Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons (Da Vinci Code was okay, but I lOVED Angels and Demons)
- Undead and Unwed series by Mary Janice Davidson - hilarious romantic comedy about a girl who gets killed and accidentally becomes queen of the vampires. Very cool.
- and for a light change (especially good for my insomnia) are any of the slightly paranormal based romance novels by Nora Roberts - I'd never read any of her stuff as I'd dismissed her as a Mills & Boon writer. But someone put me on to her Quinn Brothers series. And it was great. So I've now read a lot of her stuff.
And one last author that made a particular impression me from the first read is Jodi Piccoult. The first book of hers I ever read was The Pact.....phenomenal book about a boyfriend and a girlfriend who appear to attempt suicide. The girlfriend dies and the guy survives. It's about how the families try to cope. And then the twist at the end. Amazing. All her books have a twist that you just don't expect. And they're amazingly well written. In particular The Pact, Plain Truth and My Sisters Keeper are the best of her books.
Okay, I'm going to stop now!!!!
Kylie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Jean M Auel - I bought her series of books for exactly the same reasons I ended up buying Diana Gabaldon's! They are both utterly fantastic, though I love Diana the best. The next book (An Echo In The Bone?) is to be the last isn't it? I already know I will be bawling like I baby when I know I can't follow Claire any further!
Toni - As you can see, I would definitely recommend them!
Kylie - Check out Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones) for some great comedy/crime too. And romance/mystery/comedy you can't go past Julie Garwood's modern novels (the historical ones are romance/comedy mostly and are still excellent). Will have to check out Nora Roberts now - I had always dismissed her too.
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Series that have consumed me are... Robin Hobb's 9 books dealing with the six duchies and bingtown. And Joseph Delaney's Wardstone Chronicles (the first of which, The Spook's Apprentice, is due to be turned into a film by Tim Burton - so you'll be hearing a lot more about it soon).
Also, His Dark Materials wiped me out about six, seven years back.
Comment by CandyQ
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Comment by Andrew Kerstetter
Inkwing
Cinemuscle
Geoff toward the beginning mentioned The Wheel of Time...I got caught up in this one, too. But did you know Brandon Sanderson (or something like that) has been comissioned to finish the last book? Jordan's wife hand picked him because he was a die-hard fan from the beginning, and apparently an accomplished fantasy author himself. Jordan left behind very extensive audio and written notes, so the story will be finished the way he wanted it to be. I can't wait!
Other than that I was wholly consumed by R. Scott Bakker's "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy. It's gritty and relentless reading...very uncomfortable, but very compelling. And the first book of the follow-up trilogy is out now...can't wait to get my hands on that!
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
When I was young my favourite series the Fantastic five by Enid Blyton.
Then Clan of the Cave bear and the Dune Saga, enthralled me, and Michael Morocks dancers at the End of Time, as well as the Chronical of Thomas Convenant and of course the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy series.
There were no specific series after that, as I was studying reference and text materials, as well as the classics. I did like all of the Thomas Hardy books although they were not a series, and so I followed certain authors here and there for years, most recently I particularly liked Dan Browns four books and the many by Paul Cohelo.
But most recently I have to admit it, Twilight took me by absolute storm. I read all four in a week, staying up all night here and there to do so. It was so un put downable. Meyer is a magician at taking the plot into places your imagination couldn*t even consider . . I loved it. It was the best thrill ride I have taken for many years.
Now, like all the great series I have read, (..and as Neil Diamond would lament) I am sad for it all being done too soon.
I am trying to get into the Host, but it is tough going after Edward and Bella*s fantastic voyage.
L
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Big Day Plunge