As an author, I always find it curious why certain people fall in love with certain books, especially if it's one I can't stand. Don't worry, I'm not naming names on the ones I don't like. That's a whole other blog! It just made me think about why I love the couple of books I read over and over and over. Story and emotion...for me, those win every single time.
I'm a HUGE fan of Game of Thrones, the show and the books. I guess the books are called A Song of Ice and Fire, so I should be correct here. I only discovered the show a year ago and, impatient to watch Season 2, I devoured all five books in a little over a month. Since then, I've already completed a thorough reread. It's weird, coming from a gal like me who gobbles up contemporary romances, to fall for an epic fantasy like this. It's easy to pinpoint what I love about these stories, though. Characters and plot. I wish I could create something so deeply layered and interconnected. When I read these books, I'm lost in them. 1200 pages don't feel like 1200 pages. I love how the characters swing from good to bad and back again, how a character I hated in the beginning has became one of my favorite ones in the entire series <cough> Jamie Lannister <cough>
So, when someone asks me what my favorite book is, I'm proud to say it is any of the Song of Ice and Fire books. I know a lot of people who would list novels like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights. I'm easy. Give me blood and battle and dragons and I'm happy. Well, to an extent. It's not like that's all I read now.
My second favorite book, which may very well be my first, is harder to talk about. Mostly because it's one many wouldn't expect. It's The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Yes, THAT Stephanie Meyer, who brought us glittery vampires and questionably healthy relationships. The Host is Science Fiction, aimed more towards adults than teenagers and it really shows in the writing. Gone are the easy to read pages with big font and short sentences. The story is complex, maybe a little out there, but it makes me think. The root of the story is love and I cannot deny this one makes me cry, every time.
Aliens have taken over Earth, wiped out pretty much every human, but use their bodies as hosts, putting their bodies into ours. I know, I know. Like I said, it's Sci-Fi. Anyway, it follows Wanderer, a gentle 'soul' put into the body of one of the last members of the human resistence. But her 'host' isn't as complacent as most. Soon, they're having conversaions, sharing memories and Wanderer begins to feel what Melanie does. Like the love she has for her boyfriend and her brother. Complications ensue and let's just say this book makes me think about love.
Is it physical? Mental?
If you were dropped into a body that loved another person, would those feelings make you love them, too? Or does it all exist in the mind? Do those residual feelings make the new body fall in love?
It's one of the most unconventional love triangles, well, rectangle really, that I have ever seen. And I LOVE it! The Host never fails to take me on this journey, a gentle being caught up in a war she hates and watching her grow. I never thought I'd say one of my favorite characters in a book is basically nothing more than a wormy amobea thing!
And let me say, I hated Twilight. Sure, it was packed with overwrought emotion and I somewhat enjoyed reading the entire series, but it pales in comparison to The Host. I think Stephanie Meyer showed improvement in her writing. But it still makes me hesitate in naming it a 'favorite'. Will people think I'm immature to like it, not as 'cool' as those who like the Bronte sisters instead? I think it's because Twilight gets so much negative backlash from fellow authors.
So, to sum up my long winded blog here. What are my favorite books? The Host and all of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Maybe next I'll talk about how Vampire Academy/Bloodlines comes in a close third! I read A LOT, so there may be books out there I forgot about loving.
I'm a HUGE fan of Game of Thrones, the show and the books. I guess the books are called A Song of Ice and Fire, so I should be correct here. I only discovered the show a year ago and, impatient to watch Season 2, I devoured all five books in a little over a month. Since then, I've already completed a thorough reread. It's weird, coming from a gal like me who gobbles up contemporary romances, to fall for an epic fantasy like this. It's easy to pinpoint what I love about these stories, though. Characters and plot. I wish I could create something so deeply layered and interconnected. When I read these books, I'm lost in them. 1200 pages don't feel like 1200 pages. I love how the characters swing from good to bad and back again, how a character I hated in the beginning has became one of my favorite ones in the entire series <cough> Jamie Lannister <cough>
So, when someone asks me what my favorite book is, I'm proud to say it is any of the Song of Ice and Fire books. I know a lot of people who would list novels like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights. I'm easy. Give me blood and battle and dragons and I'm happy. Well, to an extent. It's not like that's all I read now.
My second favorite book, which may very well be my first, is harder to talk about. Mostly because it's one many wouldn't expect. It's The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Yes, THAT Stephanie Meyer, who brought us glittery vampires and questionably healthy relationships. The Host is Science Fiction, aimed more towards adults than teenagers and it really shows in the writing. Gone are the easy to read pages with big font and short sentences. The story is complex, maybe a little out there, but it makes me think. The root of the story is love and I cannot deny this one makes me cry, every time.
Aliens have taken over Earth, wiped out pretty much every human, but use their bodies as hosts, putting their bodies into ours. I know, I know. Like I said, it's Sci-Fi. Anyway, it follows Wanderer, a gentle 'soul' put into the body of one of the last members of the human resistence. But her 'host' isn't as complacent as most. Soon, they're having conversaions, sharing memories and Wanderer begins to feel what Melanie does. Like the love she has for her boyfriend and her brother. Complications ensue and let's just say this book makes me think about love.
Is it physical? Mental?
If you were dropped into a body that loved another person, would those feelings make you love them, too? Or does it all exist in the mind? Do those residual feelings make the new body fall in love?
It's one of the most unconventional love triangles, well, rectangle really, that I have ever seen. And I LOVE it! The Host never fails to take me on this journey, a gentle being caught up in a war she hates and watching her grow. I never thought I'd say one of my favorite characters in a book is basically nothing more than a wormy amobea thing!
And let me say, I hated Twilight. Sure, it was packed with overwrought emotion and I somewhat enjoyed reading the entire series, but it pales in comparison to The Host. I think Stephanie Meyer showed improvement in her writing. But it still makes me hesitate in naming it a 'favorite'. Will people think I'm immature to like it, not as 'cool' as those who like the Bronte sisters instead? I think it's because Twilight gets so much negative backlash from fellow authors.
So, to sum up my long winded blog here. What are my favorite books? The Host and all of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Maybe next I'll talk about how Vampire Academy/Bloodlines comes in a close third! I read A LOT, so there may be books out there I forgot about loving.
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