Literary vampires

What's playing on the iPod? Wake Up by Three Days Grace

Funny side note, when I initially saw the name of the band Three Days Grace, I wondered why a Christian band would be classified in the same genre as Earshot, Three Doors Down, etc., etc. Then I listened to the words to Wake Up. I soon realized, again, what a mistake assumption is.

I am not, repeat, AM NOT jumping on the vampire bandwagon. I am not writing a book about a brooding Yugoslavian vampire just waiting in his centuries-old castle for his love to come along and save him with her blood. Nope, not hoping on that train. However, I am a sucker (ha!) for the brooding waiting-in-castle types and I love, love, love to read about them. So, I am choosing this time to write about my favorite vampires. Go to another one of my blog entries if you are over this craze or are a werewolf person, whatever. As I have been a vampire addict since Salem's Lot and I initially read that in junior high, this is something I like so I have just a few things to say.

First of all, for all of you Brad Pitt people, I apologize. No offense to you whatsoever. However, if we were watching Troy, I would fast forward through all the Pitt scenes to get to Eric Bana's stuff. I am all over the tall, dark and brooding.

LESTAT - We can not begin to delve into this category without going to the great Anne Rice. I will not write too much on him as it has been 20 years since I read Interview, but he left an impression. And I preferred the Stuart Townsend Queen of the Damned version to the Tom Cruise Interview version. If you have never seen the movies or read the books, please, please, please read the books first. You screw yourself out of such a great experience by watching the movies without reading the books. Next...

JEAN CLAUDE - I will go out on a limb here and say that Jean Claude is a much sexier vampire than Lestat and that says a lot. If you are an avid reader and like the supernatural, go to Laurell K. Hamilton's website, print off the correct reading order for the Anita Blake series and go to Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon, whatever and buy the first six. I say six because in either five or six (sorry, memory is not doing me any favors here), there is a bathtub scene that is worth waiting all of those books for. I am all the way through the last one and my black-haired, blue-eyed vampire is still with us.

JR WARD - No, she isn't a vampire, she is an author and a damned talented one at that. I have to say her in general as opposed to singling one of her guys out because she has written about two which could carry a series all on their own, V and Wrath. Each are tall, dark and brooding, drop dead sexy and both cursed. They, by far, are my favorites. I like Z but he doesn't quite get me like V and Wrath do. If you want to take a fictional trip to vampire-land, take the first plane you can out of Forks to Caldwell, NY. The Black Dagger Brotherhood will not disappoint, true?

Side note, for the Pitt fans, there is Phury and Rhage who undoubtedly put Mr. Pitt to shame.

My definition of a successful book is when you turn the last page and wish it was not done. All but one of those have left me with that reaction. John Michael's story is next in that particular series and I am chewing my nails waiting on it. She has a new series out about fallen angels and I just read Covet. WOW! JR, if I am ever lucky enough to have you read my blog, I just have one thing to say. Vin should have been a Brother. I am sure there is an extra pair of shitkickers laying around just waiting on him.

SHERRILYN KENYON - Again, ultra-talented author and you can not narrow down favorites to one or two choices. The Dark Hunter series is fantastic. Valerius, Zarek and Acheron are my favorites. Actually, after you get into the series, Acheron has a book all to himself, as they all do, but Acheron is easily in my top 25 favorite books of all time. It is an emotionally taxing read but there are lots of questions about everyone's favorite Goth answered.

If you do not like to read about mythology, then you may not like this series. I can provide this disclaimer. I have a deep faith in God and His Son. I serve in my church. He has come through for me way too many times for me not to believe in Him. However, I do read this series and will continue to read them as long as I am able. It is fictional entertainment, pure and simple. Enjoy it for what it is. If I have persuaded you to take this one for a test run, Nick's story is next. Unfortunately, it will not come out until next year. However, I will read it as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Ms. Kenyon is too talented a writer not to.

EDWARD CULLEN - Vampires do not sparkle, they incinerate in sunlight. They have fangs, for the love of Pete. They sleep, even if it is during they day. The Twilight series completely kills any preconceived notion of bloodsuckers except for the vampire/lycan thing. However, if you can get through these books and not feel something for the eternal 17-year-old then I can say the genre is not for you. No matter the age, women anywhere would love to have the devotion that Edward gives Bella, even if it borders on stupid sometimes (why leave her when a few decades ago there were werewolves living down the road - duh). The devotion is heartwarming and all four books were quite entertaining. Even if Emmett is my favorite, Edward gets the mention here.

I hope I have persuaded you to go book shopping. If not, I hope I have entertained you for a few minutes. Until next time.