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bookgazing) wrote2009-02-10 08:25 am
bookgazing) wrote2009-02-10 08:25 am
The Vampire Challenge
I am going to use possibly the best ‘not even really a pun’ ever, right now. Are you ready?
Pause for effect.
I am an absolute sucker for challenges, so I just couldn’t resist 'The Vampire Challenge' .
Hehe that made me so ridiculously happy (hey don’t judge me, I think Photoshop has absorbed my brain).
There are some things that put a book straight on to my book list: cowboys, stifling pioneer communities, dysotopian feminist themes… Including vampires, werewolves and other ‘transformed humans’ will get any author’s book a big boost to the top of my list. Should there ever be a well written book featuring vampires and cowboys I might explode with joy.
So yeah I’m doing this challenge and no, despite the snapping challenge books which are massing on my bedroom floor, I will not be reading just the two books required by the challenge. I’m not going to set a definite total of books to read instead I’ll just see how many vampire books I read this year. The prize for reading lots of books populated by the undead is extreme happiness, brought on by new vampire experiences.
I was going to make a big vampire list but Kathrin already has it covered . She includes some awesome extra resources. I never knew there was a Vampire Library Vampire Library .
Since I’ve read ‘Dracula’ at least 6 times I’ve decided not to revisit that classic, or any of the other vampirical books I’ve read. Some short listmania now ensues:
Twilight – Stephanie Myer: I was going to read ‘Twilight’ for ‘What’s in a Name’ this year and after seeing the hilarious film at Christmas my friend bought all four books, which I can borrow. So ‘Twilight’ will be my starting point.
‘Skarlet’ - Thomas Emson: Humans fight back, kicking vampire ass.
‘Undead and Unwed’ – Mary Janice Davidson: Sounds fun and unashamedly flufftastic, but promises to be well written.
‘The Vampire Diaries’ – L J Smith: I loved the Nightworld series. The day my whole collection accidentally went to the charity shop was very sad. Although I really want to re-read a Nightworld book I think this challenges call for new books so I’ll try this second vampire series by the same author.
I am Legend – Richard Matheson: Some more evil plague victims to balance out the tortured teens.
Something Anne Rice wrote: It’s a distinct possibility I might return to the first lady of darkness. I just need to find something I haven’t read.
Would you judge me if I read ‘The Underworld Books’ by Greg Cox? I might try these books written from the films, or I might just watch the terrible, terrible films again. Their terribleness is completely different to the white faced, breathy Twilight films but in an equally fun way.
If you’re insatiable when it comes to books about blood sucking fiends and are curious about what I’ve read and would recommend see below:
Dracula – Bram Stoker: I read this for a course at university where we used monster books to delve into all the different schools of literary theory. I’m not exaggerating, even a little bit, when I say this course changed the way I look at classic literature. Bram Stoker and the different critical approaches to his work are why I love vampire books and films, even very silly ones.
The Last Vampire (series) – Christopher Pike: Just fantastic, there’s time travel, a sassy venegance seeking heroine and all the inventive horror you expect from Pike.
Salem’s Lot – Stephen King: Possibly one of his best creations of a small town (if not as scary as his later stuff).
The Nightworld (series) – L J Smith: Vampires, werewolves, and witches oh my. Really intense teen drama.
The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova: Not your typical high action vampire book but a scholarly search for documents pertaining to the real Dracula. Fantastic settings, but a little dry at times.
The Vampire Chronicles (series) –Anne Rice: ‘Interview with a Vampire’ could not have bored me more but ‘The Vampire Lestat’ and later books held me by the throat and sucked me dry. On an unrelated note everyone who loves gothic writing should try ‘Violin’ by this lady.
Writing this post makes me want to jump straight into a vampire novel. However instead I’m going to be cultured tonight and see ‘Evita’ at a local theatre. Then I have to finish a chick-lit book for review. Perhaps this weekend I’ll dig out the good and the bad vampire flicks for a bit of a binge. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Pause for effect.
I am an absolute sucker for challenges, so I just couldn’t resist 'The Vampire Challenge' .
Hehe that made me so ridiculously happy (hey don’t judge me, I think Photoshop has absorbed my brain).
There are some things that put a book straight on to my book list: cowboys, stifling pioneer communities, dysotopian feminist themes… Including vampires, werewolves and other ‘transformed humans’ will get any author’s book a big boost to the top of my list. Should there ever be a well written book featuring vampires and cowboys I might explode with joy.
So yeah I’m doing this challenge and no, despite the snapping challenge books which are massing on my bedroom floor, I will not be reading just the two books required by the challenge. I’m not going to set a definite total of books to read instead I’ll just see how many vampire books I read this year. The prize for reading lots of books populated by the undead is extreme happiness, brought on by new vampire experiences.
I was going to make a big vampire list but Kathrin already has it covered . She includes some awesome extra resources. I never knew there was a Vampire Library Vampire Library .
Since I’ve read ‘Dracula’ at least 6 times I’ve decided not to revisit that classic, or any of the other vampirical books I’ve read. Some short listmania now ensues:
Twilight – Stephanie Myer: I was going to read ‘Twilight’ for ‘What’s in a Name’ this year and after seeing the hilarious film at Christmas my friend bought all four books, which I can borrow. So ‘Twilight’ will be my starting point.
‘Skarlet’ - Thomas Emson: Humans fight back, kicking vampire ass.
‘Undead and Unwed’ – Mary Janice Davidson: Sounds fun and unashamedly flufftastic, but promises to be well written.
‘The Vampire Diaries’ – L J Smith: I loved the Nightworld series. The day my whole collection accidentally went to the charity shop was very sad. Although I really want to re-read a Nightworld book I think this challenges call for new books so I’ll try this second vampire series by the same author.
I am Legend – Richard Matheson: Some more evil plague victims to balance out the tortured teens.
Something Anne Rice wrote: It’s a distinct possibility I might return to the first lady of darkness. I just need to find something I haven’t read.
Would you judge me if I read ‘The Underworld Books’ by Greg Cox? I might try these books written from the films, or I might just watch the terrible, terrible films again. Their terribleness is completely different to the white faced, breathy Twilight films but in an equally fun way.
If you’re insatiable when it comes to books about blood sucking fiends and are curious about what I’ve read and would recommend see below:
Dracula – Bram Stoker: I read this for a course at university where we used monster books to delve into all the different schools of literary theory. I’m not exaggerating, even a little bit, when I say this course changed the way I look at classic literature. Bram Stoker and the different critical approaches to his work are why I love vampire books and films, even very silly ones.
The Last Vampire (series) – Christopher Pike: Just fantastic, there’s time travel, a sassy venegance seeking heroine and all the inventive horror you expect from Pike.
Salem’s Lot – Stephen King: Possibly one of his best creations of a small town (if not as scary as his later stuff).
The Nightworld (series) – L J Smith: Vampires, werewolves, and witches oh my. Really intense teen drama.
The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova: Not your typical high action vampire book but a scholarly search for documents pertaining to the real Dracula. Fantastic settings, but a little dry at times.
The Vampire Chronicles (series) –Anne Rice: ‘Interview with a Vampire’ could not have bored me more but ‘The Vampire Lestat’ and later books held me by the throat and sucked me dry. On an unrelated note everyone who loves gothic writing should try ‘Violin’ by this lady.
Writing this post makes me want to jump straight into a vampire novel. However instead I’m going to be cultured tonight and see ‘Evita’ at a local theatre. Then I have to finish a chick-lit book for review. Perhaps this weekend I’ll dig out the good and the bad vampire flicks for a bit of a binge. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?