Five Faves #5

Okay, SO, I've been lazy.  I've been busy.  I've had some craziness in my life.  All of those excuses added together equals edits that still aren't done and TWO MONTHS without blogging (Eeeek!)

I'm going to do my review of the infamous Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer AND since I loved Breaking Dawn Part I in the theater, a quick note about that, too.  But, I also chose my very first middle grade book to review as well!!! 

Up first:

My Five Faves:

Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn



AND my standout novel was The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

So, I know it's ridiculous to do a review of a series I actually read FOREVER ago for the very first time, but during the month of October, I was totally amped about the movie coming out and it was close to Halloween, so I was in the mood for an oldie-but-a-goodie review.

Why I LOVE this series:

I know, I know.  A million, ba-gillion, quadralillion, haters out there are going to roll their eyes, whine about how much Twilight stunk, and blah, blah, blah.  Say what you want about these books.  Say what you want about these movies.  You're still not going to change my mind.  I love it.  L-O-V-E it.  So, there.  Meyer is the writer who inspired me to write YA.  Not because she sold a million, ba-gillion, quadralillion copies (no, really, that's not why) but because it was the first time I read a YA novel/series that wasn't school-required reading (whether assigned to me as a kid, OR assigned by me as a high school English teacher).  I realized for the first time that YA lit doesn't have to be juvenile or linear or transparent or **gulp** moral-of-the-story-ish.  It can be (and is!) complex and beautiful and addictive and edgy.

That was the first time I sat down at a laptop and wrote a YA novel.  My very first book, very first icky rough draft ever, was completed just after BREAKING DAWN released in hardcover.  (What year was that again?  Good heavens...)  I loved my characters. I loved my plot.  And I loved the fact that it reminded me about all those feelings I had when I was a teen.  That very-first-love feeling.  That holy-Toledo-I'm-so-nervous-to-be-around-him feeling.  That OMG-he-doesn't-even-know-I-exist feeling.

And this is why YA books are quite commonly cross-over books.  Those of us who are *ahem* years beyond our high school days, want to remember the great stuff that made up our first experience with real--and probably the strongest--feelings and emotions toward those that we found attractive.

TWILIGHT made me fall in love.  NEW MOON made me depressed as all get-out.  ECLIPSE flew by as I was reaching for BREAKING DAWN. And, then, there came...Rob-freakin-Pattinson.

"Ahhhh," sing the archangels of hot-guy-heaven.



So, when Breaking Dawn Part I came out, I rushed to the theaters right next to droves of teens and middle-schoolers, to swoon over the scenes I'd remembered from YEARS ago.  Loved it then, love it now.

So, to all the haters.  Whatev.

NEXT!!!

 

My MG standout novel was THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan.  I've watched the movie a MILLION times.  Like, seriously, no joke.  A. Million. Times.  I loved the movie.  And, I'm one of those peeps who watches the movie before reading the book.  It's like reading a synopsis, but cooler, faster, and with good-lookin' actors.  So, I finally broke down and read the book.  I loved it.  A lot.  And if you like Greek mythology and adventure and those oh-so-awkward middle school years, you'll love it, too.  Promise.  So I bought the entire series and plan to read it in between my dozens of shiny new YA novels, my Tami Hoag novels, my still-unread-but-watched-all-the-movies Harry Potter novels, and writing/editing my own stuff.  When will it be time for a review of the subsequent books in the series?  You got me.  But, it's coming.  One day.

There you have it!  My almost-forgotten Five Faves of October.  Sorry I've been gone so long!  My New Year's Resolution is to keep up with blogging, reading, Tweeting, writing, and editing.  Wish me luck!  All the best for 2012!

((Hugs))

~L