It’s Book Season

There is something about the lazy, hazy days of summer and the desire to sit outside and read.

I don’t read nearly as much as I used to, but I still love books and losing myself in them.

My stepdaughter has been kind and has lent me several books she brought home from her recent visit with her mom.

I re-read the Twilight series as well as novella from the series called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. The Eclipse short story was a good one, although it hard to read because you knew what fate laid in store for Bree, who seemed like a good person who had a tough life.

I am currently reading A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.

When looking up the author, I read this is actually the first book in a trilogy. I am enjoying it. It’s a quick and easy read although I have to keep skepticism at bay.

Yes, I can believe in fairies and dragons, wizards and vampires but I have a hard time with realms and the magic found within them.

I also have a Mary Higgins Clark, a John Grisham and various other not-popular fiction books sitting on my shelf. I also recommend Anita Shreve.

Her books, to me, scream out summer reading.

Twilight Thoughts

I just finished reading Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

I started reading the series on the recommendations of my stepdaughter, AD, and my friend, JM. Both said Twilight was so good they couldn’t put it down, and then they immediately ran out to buy the other three books. JM said it was the first time since Harry Potter that her children were neglected to finish a book.

So with those recommendations, I reserved Twilight from the library. I liked it. It was a good book, however, I found the main character, Bella Swan, annoying. Her belief that she isn’t good enough for Edward, her vampire boyfriend, irked me. I don’t think you should be in a relationship if you feel that inferior to your partner. I wasn’t going to read the other books because Bella annoyed me so much, but I persisted with New Moon. I am glad I did because that book was more enjoyable. I even liked Bella.

AD tells me the books get better as the series progresses and, so far, I must agree with her. Eclipse was really good. I didn’t want to stop reading it, and I am anxiously awaiting the library’s call for the final book, Breaking Dawn.

What I like about the series is that I am just as interested in the secondary characters as I am in Bella and Edward. I would love to learn more about Alice, Jasper and the other vampires in the Cullen family.

According to Meyer’s website, she was writing Midnight Sun, Twilight from Edward’s point of view, but it was leaked on the Internet and she stopped writing. You can read what she wrote on her website at http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

I have actually spent a great deal of time reading vampire books. If you are looking for other good vampire books, may I suggest:

* Christopher Golden’s Of Saints of Shadows and its sequel Angel Souls and Devil Hearts
* Nancy Baker’s A Terrible Beauty
* Tanya Huff’s vampire series starring Toronto-based vampire Henry Fitzroy and ex-police officer Vicki Nelson.