how many people have read The Twilight Saga Collection???

[wilde]

I couldn't get into Sookie Stackhouse. I'm just not a big vampire fan... I still need to read Anne Rice's books though.

And I wouldn't have liked Twilight when I was in middle school (that seems to be the general Twilight fanbase...that, and women of pretty much every age haha)... I was more into epic fantasy, dragons and magic and stuff.

[Theomanic]

@Seraphim: Have you been enjoying the show? They're quite liberal with the plots of the books, but I've still been having fun with it. Most of the changes they make I like. Though I'm curious about what they will do with the godmother character. I thought she was really terrible.

@Wilde: It sounds like you have a lot of patience. I cannot muddle through Anne Rice's books, and while I also liked fantasy in high school, it was more like Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance than Lord of the Rings.

@Zen: Have you read LJ Smith's The Vampire Dairies? I saw the beginning of the show but I didn't really get into it. They changed a lot of things from the books, especially adding in that younger brother character. I heard Ms. Smith has been getting a lot of hate mail from Twilight fans because she "copied" the Twilight novels, but actually her books were out at least a decade before Ms Meyers novels. And honestly I don't think there was any copying going on in the reverse either - just has the same ideas of vampires and high school kids, that's all.

[Seraphim]

@Seraphim: Have you been enjoying the show? They're quite liberal with the plots of the books, but I've still been having fun with it. Most of the changes they make I like. Though I'm curious about what they will do with the godmother character. I thought she was really terrible.

I have been enjoying the show, though I agree they've been liberal with the plot. But that's okay with me. I look at the show as a show and try to ignore the changes in plotline and see it more as inspired by the books. Although....the accents drive me crazy (way too forced) along with their depiction of north Louisiana in general. I'm from south Louisiana, but I've also lived about 15 minutes from where the show supposedly takes place for almost 5 years, and it's all wrong. They've pretty much meshed north and south Louisiana, which are practically two different worlds. But that's just me being nitpicky, and it's easy enough to look past.

I've been wanting to read The Vampire Diaries. I actually had no clue they were older books. That's great that they've come to life again, and I don't think the show's too bad, though I don't know how the stories are to compare. That's a shame about the hate mail, but that just goes to show you how crazy teenage obsessions are. I remember watching the show and thinking that the main vampire guy (not Ian Somerhalder) would have made a waaaaaaaay better Edward than Rob Pattinson. But that's just me.

[Theomanic]

The Vampire Dairies were actually my least favourite of her books even though I still liked them. My favourites were her Secret Circle Trilogy (about witches) and her Forbidden Game trilogy (about a game that becomes real and looks a bit at runic "magic"). Man, if I was hot for a fictional boy, it was the villain of the Forbidden Game books. His hair was described as being bleached so pale it was almost white, and so soft. Eee! I think I was doomed to fall for Spike after reading about this guy (though Spike's hair doesn't look soft at all). I still get a little swoony, I confess *fans self*. So I can certainly understand the love for Edward, even if my heart already belongs to Julian.

[WhimsicalWonder]

@Theo - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" thrust me into a new appreciation of life. I cried lots throughout the book and the movie. I saw the movie first and wanted to read his every word after that. Just the idea that he went through the laborous process of blinking as someone recited the alphabet to him for each and every letter on the page... I almost felt obligated.

I often refer to poetry as a message in a bottle. This was his message in a bottle and it is worthy of the entire world as an audience. It is all too easy for me to wrap myself completely in the world of another and I felt as he felt throughout the entire ordeal. When finished I felt as though I had been cured of "locked-in syndrome" and to say that it changed my life is not short-changing the impact it had on me.

A review by a fellow named Edmund White that I found most accurate, "Was it Hemingway who defined grace under pressure? No matter who said it, the words have never been more pertinent than in speaking of this heroic book, dictated against the worst imaginable adversities. Although every word cost the author a superhuman effort, the prose is not sickbed telegraphese but rather as light as the sprightliest humor, as pungent as the taste of cooking apricots, as vigorous as the step of a young man setting out on a first date. Read this book and fall back in love with life."

[Theomanic]

Yes, the book and show have a lot of differences. Changes were made to a lot of the characters - even the main character is quite different. In the book she is blonde is kind of a jerk, but eventually becomes a better person due to her experiences with the vampire brothers. I hope you enjoy it, if you do buy them!

[becki_uk]

I saw the Twilight movie and hated it but someone bought me the books and I loved them and the movie seemed better after having read the books. As an author Meyer is not bad but targets a younger audience. I prefer the Night World series. Has anyone else read this series?

[Theomanic]

I read the first six books (two collections) and I didn't like the Night World books as much as LJ Smith's other series. I would highly recommend The Secret Circle and The Forbidden Game by her. They were both great! No vampires though - her vampire series is called The Vampire Diaries (which the TV show is based on but only somewhat similar to). Personally I didn't like the Vampire Diaries as much as the other two series I mentioned (both trilogies). The Secret Circle is about witches, and The Forbidden Game plays with some Norse mythology, which was very cool.

If you read/have read them, let me know what you think!

[becki_uk]

I have the Vampire Diaries series too, however I saw the TV show before I started to read the books and all the characters seem to be completely different. I'm not keen on the series but I only have book 6 to read so I'm going to finish it but I will definitely read The Secret Circle and The Forbidden Game. Thanks for the suggestion.

[rocio44]

I read the Twilight Series. I thought they were okay, I guess I was more interested in the werewolves versus vampires aspect more than depressing love story. I don't care much about the movies. After I saw the second one I was so bored that I fell asleep in the movie theatre. Not gonna waste my time watching the other movies