Day Under the Stars

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Good Lord, Someone Else's Vampire Column

I know the vast majority of the internet world (who cares at least) will hate me for it, but... I don't completely hate this "Vampire Frenzy" that has swept the world post-Twilight.

While I have read and don't much care for Meyer's series, I did consider it an entertaining read, and don't consider the hours spent in the books wasted. But those who have lived with me, known me, or visited my library to borrow books are well aware that my tastes vary according to my mood (and I have more literary moods than a post-menopausal Fran Drescher). One day I'll read Tuesdays with Morrie, quickly followed by a vapid chick novel, followed by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea followed by fairy tales... just because I can. My choice in books depends on what I'm eating, wearing, sitting, thinking, etc. And while I've only read the Twilight Series once, It was perfect for a weekend my junior year of college when I had only a little work to do ( which I could put off until Sunday night), all of my friends were gone home for the weekend, and I wanted to lay around for three days in my pajamas, reading and eating foods that were terrible for me.

Let me be perfectly clear however, that while I didn't hate the books, I do hate fanatical Twilight fans. The freaky pre-teen skankettes that wear Edward underpants should have their own brand of required therapists and be studied so future generations can skip the madness. N*Sync and Justin were the hotties in my pre-teen days, but we did NOT act like the crazed lunatics today's fans seem to be.

There has, however, been some good in the aftermath of the Twilight-tornado. And that good is that all vampire stories are no longer being ostracized to places like the SciFi channel. A fantastic book series by Charlaine Harris called collectively "The Sookie Stackhouse Novels" is one of the hottest shows on HBO.

The premise is that the Japanese have perfected a synthetic blood and now vampires can come out of hiding and live among regular people in the real world. Based in the deep south, the show hits on a lot of hot-button racial and political issues in a fearless way.... and the actors are all gorgeous (Anna Paquin anybody?}.

Another show that has jumped on the vampire bandwagon (and landed flawlessly, I may add) is the CW's The Vampire Diaries. I honestly didn't hold much hope for the series, but having just watched the first season's finale, I can admit I was dead (ha) wrong.

The show did start slow, but you find yourself oddly drawn in to the Nina Dobrev/ Paul Wesley/ Steven R. McQueen love triangle. But it's an age-old story at it's heart: girl loves boy, boy is a good vampire, boy's brother is a bad vampire but loves girl..... okay, maybe not. But it is drama and it is fun. It's not quite as intellectual as TrueBlood, but it has me all the same.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Nighttime Bookology

There's an irreplaceable sensation one can experience only after reading a truly excellent book.

Your entire being is charged. It tingles...on the top of your cheeks, at your fingertips and on the smooth skin at the arch of your feet. Striking phrases circle your brain, you feel the need to close your eyes and replay the images in your head of what you've seen, experienced.

It's all magnified a thousand times when the book is a memoir. When you turn the final page and see a face to connect to every experience you've just laughed, cried and lived through. I can't help but hold my breath while reading the author bio. Especially when it's a sad story, you can't help but smile and give a mental ovation when you see that the author is happily married, has kids, dogs and has obviously put his or her past behind them. They are not forgetting, and are always learning from it -- but they're better off now, and you cheer for them.

For years I've tried reading to induce sleep... to the worst avail possible. You see, the plan backfires on me here: If it's a good story, I just can't stop reading until it's finished. No matter how weary I am, how bloodshot my eyes are, or how early I have to get up in the morning, I'm doomed. I have to know. I can't let the characters, the author down by just casting them aside for hours or days until I return to them. Nope, not happening.

While I am currently blessed enough to be in the midst of three (now two) spectacular books, the particular masterpiece I've just finished was simply extraordinary. Jeannette Walls' "The Glass Castle" rocked my universe. If you ever think you've had a bad childhood, bad parents or been through a terrible situation, Walls will teach you a lesson in the most humble way possible. While the memoir covers things most people try to convince themselves just doesn't happen, Walls never complains or whines. She just tells her story... in the most captivating way imaginable. Please, read it. You won't regret it.

It was definitely good enough to inspire me back to blogging after a month of online abandonment. Email me, you can borrow it. This is a book I'm sad to have finished, because it's over. I want to meet the author, talk with her, write her a letter at least -- though I haven't the slightest clue what I'd say. Perhaps I would give her a high-five... that seems appropriate to me. :-) Though lots of inappropriate things do. I will go to bed now... probably. The other two books I'm reading are calling to me. Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and Douglas Adams' "Life, the Universe, and Everything" are the others. I realize this is a fairly diverse collection of reading material, but I don't mind, possibly even prefer reading lots of different things. But until we meet again, may you have sweet reads and sweet dreams.