Vampire Books

[[deleted user]]

He isn't perfect... Well, mostly perfect...

[Jackie]

Perfect smile, perfect voice, perfect hair, need I go on? Tell me again what's not perfect, LOL

I generally do not like the romanticized vamps either, I like my vamps scary. But there is something about Edward....

[new_user]

LOL. I actually liked Jacob better. ;)

[Jackie]

Jacob pissed me off more often than not. So did Bella.

[Emeraldbirdie]

My best friend is the one who got me to read the twilight series way before it was made into a movie. I thought it was good but I was on Jacobs side most of the time. I'm an old woman so reading about teen vamps was not really up my alley. My shelves are filled with Adult Vamps which whom I love! But I really gotta say that The Vampire Academy series is far better then Twilight. Rose Hathaway is fantastic and not the whinny, irritating character that Bella can be. I know by me saying this has probably caused a few die-hard fans' heads to spin but I'm just being real. But since Vamp books are my favorite I will read everything that I can in regards to them. I'll sift through the bad and rejoice in the good.

[Lloyd]

Amelia wrote: "Is anyone getting tired of the horrible vampire pulp fiction that is being pumped out now that Twilight is big? I love that older novels are being republished and brought forward again but I have h..." YES Amelia I am, and I think 'the vampires diaries' suck, definitely for teeny boppers; poor anne rice online, I saw an interview about her and they asked her about the vampire craze, she took it all in stride and she was humble about it, I read all of her vampire chronicles years ago, I enjoyed all of them except one, and that awful movie with the late aaliyah was bad, 'queen of the damned.'

I never wrote a vampire book but I did write a gothic novel called ANTONIA, when I publish it I hope you and others will read it.

[new_user]

Emeraldbirdie wrote: "My best friend is the one who got me to read the twilight series way before it was made into a movie. I thought it was good but I was on Jacobs side most of the time. I'm an old woman so reading a..."

Eh, I didn't like Rose. She was kind of typically teen.

[Jackie]

Bella is definitely a whiny, irritating character. I liked the Twilight series but I did want to slap her often.

[Emeraldbirdie]

Jackie wrote: "Bella is definitely a whiny, irritating character. I liked the Twilight series but I did want to slap her often."


Exactly, and quite often too.

[Chris]

Jackie wrote: "Bella is definitely a whiny, irritating character. I liked the Twilight series but I did want to slap her often."

Very funny, Jackie...and I agree with you. I like my vampires scary, too....like the wicked ones in David Wellington's vampire series...very good stuff.

[Jackie]

I was blown away by her supreme selfishness. It really made me not like her. And it made me like Edward all the more, except that I thought he was stupid for putting up with her crap.

[Chris]

Well, she was a teenage girl...aren't many of them kinda whiny and emotional?

[Emeraldbirdie]

Chris wrote: "Well, she was a teenage girl...aren't many of them kinda whiny and emotional? "

LMAO...My daughter will be 20 next month and yes many, many times she was that way. She's sitting next to me now and even agrees with that.
I have not read Wellington's vamps, but will look into them, thanks

[Chris]

Ahhh...being young, silly, foolish....naw, I'm happy being in my 40's...lol

Yeah, check 'em out....the first book in the series is called 13 Bullets. Very graphic but tautly written. Short for a novel, too, but worth the money, trust me.

[[deleted user]]

Bella is whiny, but I put up with it (Growing up with two older sisters helped). But New Moon was definately a pain to get through.

Bella: "Boohoo boohoo, my boyfriend left me. I'll just go into zombie mode for about six months..."

Thank god for Alice!

[[deleted user]]

I always liked Jasper the best.... he's the best looking in the film too ;)

[Werner]

Bella can definitely let depression get the better of her, instead of coping with it properly, and I can see how this could be characterized as "whiny." I've only read the first two books; but there were times (especially in New Moon) that I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her, too. :-)

Personally, though, I honestly don't see Bella as supremely selfish. Yes, she does devote a lot of mental attention to her own feelings and needs when she's going through an emotional crisis (which is pretty often). But she frequently displays actions that are quite unselfish, actually. She moved to Forks (a place she detests) in the first place to allow her mom a more unfettered freedom to be with her new husband. When she was threatened by a vampire with tracking skills who wanted to kill her, she was quick to put distance between herself and her dad, for his protection; and she didn't hesitate to offer her own life in exchange for her mom's. When she believed Jacob to be in danger of getting sucked into a cult, she exposed herself to potential vampire attack to go to him with the idea of helping him. And she put her own life on the line to save Edward from the Volterri. Repeated willingness to risk or accept death for others isn't usually characteristic of selfish people. (Granted, these are all people she cares about deeply; but selfish people tend not to care deeply, either.) Then too, she accepted the responsibility of looking after her mother in many ways for a lot of years, and readily took on domestic duties in her dad's house (which plenty of teens in that situation wouldn't have).

[Jackie]

Yes, those things are true, but where Bella is selfish is in the triangle with Jacob and Edward, having to have them both and not let go of either, meanwhile hurting them both deeply. All because Bella wanted them both and that's all that mattered to her...what Bella wants. That's supremely selfish and even though she talks endlessly about loving Edward, you don't do that to the person you love.
Keep reading Werner, by the end you'll go from shaking her to slapping her too, LOL

[[deleted user]]

:D I really agree with you Werener. Your post just made me think that almost every single person is selfish in someway, if you say your not there has be someway you were. Throughout the books though I never had that bad of a problem with Bella, for me she was really whiny in New Moon and that was it for me I think, that makes sense, too.

Bella is a somewhat realistic character unlike what some people think. I've heard many times that she is to obssesed with Edward and that is not realistic. But if you think about he was her first boyfriend, and a good one at that. I can't think of some other reasons why she isn't realistc, if anyone has some post them and we can debate.

[Jackie]

I think she's realistic in some ways. All the good qualities she possesses, the ones Werner mentioned, are not realistic. Teenagers are entirely too self absorbed to even consider others much less put them ahead of themselves.
Don't get me wrong, I actually like Bella, I just wanted to slap her with the way she treats Edward.

[new_user]

New Moon is actually the book that made me like the series because of the deep emotion and because Jacob interested me more, of course, LOL.

[Werner]

Well, Jackie, I expect to get Eclipse for Christmas, so I'll try to read that one soon after the first of the year. From what you say about how she handles her triangle situation, I just might find myself wanting to slap her at times. :-) (Strictly as a friendly way of getting her attention and encouraging better behavior, of course!)

[[deleted user]]

Ahem! I am not self absorbed! I do ten hours of community service a week, I will have you know. And all my friends get birthday cards and/or presents. But, yes sooooooooooooooooo many teenagers are too self absorbed.

[Jackie]

No offense Levi, you are the exception to the rule. Can I adopt you? I'm in need of a good kid, mine is driving me batty, LOL

Werner, I didn't want to physically hurt Bella, just slap some sense into her, like you see in old movies when a woman is hysterical, they'd slap her, to help her get a grip on herself. Same for Bella, but more like, can't you see what you're doing? The funny thing is, in the last book, what many perceived as selfish, I empathized and understood her actions; it wasn't part of the triangle but still she was hurting both Edward and Jacob yet again.

[Werner]

Yes, Jackie, that's how I took your comment about slapping her --I knew you're too kindhearted to want to really hurt anybody, even if she is fictional! I just wanted to make sure everybody knew that any of my interventions would be just as benevolently intended. :-)

[Danielle The Book Huntress]

I agree, Jackie. There is something about Edward. He's very captivating.

[Michael]

I'm not self absorbed, I stayed up all night walking for relay for life for my friends mothers team. It was well worth it even if my sleep schedule is messed up now. I run many clubs and events at my school also. But most teenagers are self absorbed

[Jackie]

I think I want to adopt you too, Michael.
How is that both you and Levi are not like most of your counterparts? How do you not get caught up in the self aborption that other teens do? What keeps you grounded, firmly in reality?
I'd appreciate it if you can share any insights that maybe I can pass along to my kid. As far as kids go, he's pretty good, but I have to nudge him to get him to do selfless acts. He wouldn't do it on his own.

[Michael]

Well I was just bullied when I was little and I went through quite a few medical problems so I help others to make their lives easier and I feel good about it. I was really motivated at relay for life by my friends mother and an infant that had cancer and his mother was giving a speech about it.

[Jackie]

Being bullied is awful and I'm so sorry you had to go through that, as well as medical problems. It's a rare breed of person who can turn adversity into something positive when it's so easy to become angry and bitter. I applaud you. Your parents must be so thankful to have such a wonderful son. And I'm sure some of the credit necessarily goes to them, because they obviously raised you with morals and ideals.

[Michael]

Thank you, I was only a little bitter but then I thought why be bitter when It was nobodies fault?

[Jackie]

That's a really great attitude. You have a maturity that's beyond the teen years.

[[deleted user]]

I was really just brought up to be nice to others and kind in general. This sounds really cheesey but I am really blessed to be born into my family.

I am also really mature for soon to be sixteen (YAY!), I think this might be because my sisters are ten and sixteen years older and my brother is fourteen years older than me, so I might be more mature just because I grow up really young when they were teens and it seemed stupid the things they were doing. Actually thinking about it now, the some of things they are doing now are stupid....

[Jackie]

LOL
That's amazing, to be able to learn from other's mistakes. I wish I could have done that. Both you and Michael are very special people, I am honored to be in dialogue with you both. You give me hope for your generation.

[Michael]

Lol well the rest of my generation is having babys in my school. It's ridiculous!

[Jackie]

That's a bit young but it's always been a problem, even when I was a teen.

[Jim]

They had teens back then?

;-)

[Lloyd]

Michael wrote: "Well I was just bullied when I was little and I went through quite a few medical problems so I help others to make their lives easier and I feel good about it. I was really motivated at relay for l..."
I know the feeling michael I am the youngest and the darkest of 3 boys so I was always teased and made fun of, but like you said there is no reason to be bitter, you just ignore the mean and bad people, that's what I did and still do, and I'm 54 now.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Jackie! We really got off of the topic of vampires.... I tend to do that in a lot conversations. :)

[Chris]

I was never the sole source of torment for bullies growing up but have been picked on when I was young...and I grew up to write horror. Hmmm...

[[deleted user]]

I've been picked on and harassed before but I never let it get to me and I don't have a problem with it anymore.

[Michael]

Chris wrote: "I was never the sole source of torment for bullies growing up but have been picked on when I was young...and I grew up to write horror. Hmmm..."

Lmao!! I actually laughed when I read that.

[Chris]

Cool, man. And at work I threaten my coworkers that if they don't do as I ask I'll put them in my next horror story, too! I'm kinda warped like that... :P

[Werner]

As a schoolkid, I was always picked on and bullied; and at the time, it tended to make me more vengeful than forgiving. But growing up that way did leave me with a strong sympathy for the underdog, and a willingness to stand up for people (and animals) that are being pushed around and hurt.

Like Chris, I grew up to write "horror" (if vampire fiction qualifies :-)). And villains in my fiction definitely tend to get their comeuppance, big time! I'm sure childhood experiences play a role in that.

[Danielle The Book Huntress]

I got teased a lot when I was growing up. Probably why I root for the Underdog as well, Werner. I can't stand to see someone made fun of or treated badly by others.

[Jackie]

I didn't get teased or bullied but I still could never stand by and let it happen to anyone. I always stuck up for the underdog and still do. I befriended the person being picked one, I felt they needed at least one person who wouldn't use or abuse them. I have a deep-rooted sense of compassion. And I cannot stand injustice.

[Danielle The Book Huntress]

Me either. I hate injustice of any kind.

[Chris]

I picked on my younger brother when we were kids...but then again, we annoyed each other constantly. But then we'd be best friends (for a few minutes, anyway lol).

[Nona]

I'm going to take a few of your suggestions and continue reading Sookie Stackhouse, I picked up book 2 and shall start it sometime this weekend.

[Jackie]

Nona, what did you think of the first one? I haven't read them yet.