The Best Book Ever: Week 2- Vampires!

Welcome to The Best Book Ever!

This feature, hosted by Short and Sweet Reviews, brings together some of the best bloggers, authors, and book lovers on the internet to talk about what their favorite books are in specific genres.

Get out the sunblock and wooden stakes, because this week we are being taken over by ...

Week 2: Vampires

Okay, my pick:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

I knew right away that I'd be choosing a book from this series. The books are among my go-to, comfort rereads. I put all six books on my desk and stacked and unstacked them as I tried to pick which one. Did I go with the one that made me cry the most?(Blood Promise) The one that was the most swoony? (Shadow Kiss) The one that brought the series to an end in a really satisfying way-- even though I was ready to dislike it in protest of the series ending? (Last Sacrifice) I finally settled on the first book, Vampire Academy, because it epitomizes what I like best about these books: the world building. Richelle Mead is a master at creating a rich and complex set of rules that govern her universe. One in which, vampires, Strigoi, and dhampirs are believable, fascinating, and addictively readable. 

- Tiffany Schmidt, debut author of "Send Me a Sign" (2012, Walker - Bloomsbury) 

I think my contributions are going to make me sound like I only read Robin McKinley books, because I'm about to mention hers again. 

SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley is one of the most fantastic vampire books I've ever read. With scary but eerily compelling vampires, SUNSHINE builds a frightening world where, when the vampires take you, you don't survive. But Sunshine . . . does. (Sunshine is also a baker. She makes cinnamon rolls as big as your head, along with other delicious-sounding goodies, so be prepared to EAT while reading this book.)

- Jodi Meadows, debut author of Incarnate (2012, Harper Collins Children's  )

Ah Vampires, this is probably my least favorite paranormal, I was originally gonna go with Twilight..but then I realized I didn't enjoy the books that much. So I went with Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace, I read this book somewhat recently and completely fell in love! It has a whole new twist on vampires that is refreshing, and there is a gorgeous guy Mirko..who I also love (; “Well, I am the man of your dreams. You just don't know it yet.”-Mirko So with that I pick Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace! 

- Haley @ YA-Aholic

 

 

 

 

 

When Scott Westerfeld’s Peeps was published in August 2005, the landscape of vampire fiction was very different—the Twilight saga wouldn’t appear on shelves until barely a month later. Though Stephenie Meyer tweaked some of the well known vampire lore, Westerfeld reinvented vampirism and explained the “facts” behind the legends through biology, making it seem all too plausible. In this world, the condition is caused by a highly contagious parasite; those who have it are called parasite-positives… “Peeps,” for short.

It’s even more unusual that the protagonist of Peeps is a nineteen-year-old guy, Cal Thompson. He’s a carrier, someone who is partially immune to the parasite. This means he has some of the peeps’ better qualities (like super strength and speed) and only a few of the drawbacks (he’s horny all the time). If you think that sounds like a fair trade, consider that peeps spread the parasite through kissing, which poses some unique challenges to Cal’s love life, which was not all that good in the first place. Not that he has time for that, since he’s busy hunting other peeps as part of the Night Watch, and literally getting to the bottom of a mystery brewing under Manhattan.

The voice in Peeps is great, and the book is clever and funny from page one. It’s also creepy, dark, and profound at times. One of the most interesting aspects is that Westerfeld alternates each chapter with a short profile on various real-world parasites: fun facts about lice, toxoplasma, and screwworms. Yeah. They may turn your stomach and you might start eyeing your cat a little suspiciously, but Westerfeld makes a good case that parasites serve their purpose and have a place in the world, even if that place is sometimes your digestive tract.

This is not only one of the best vampire books I’ve ever read, it’s also one of my favorite YA books. If you check it out and like it, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a sequel called The Last Days, which has some different protagonists and raises the story to epic levels.

-E.C. Myers, debut author of Fair Coin (2012 Prometheus Books)

The Best Vampires book Ever in YA are the Twilight Saga books.
The Twilight Saga consist of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. This is the series that sparked my love of reading again and it introduced me to the world of YA. I can talk about Stephenie Meyer's books all day long. The story written in these books is just amazing and rekindles so many emotions while you read them. No other book series has affected me like how the Twilight books have. To think its all thanks to a dream Stephenie Meyer had one day. I'm pretty sure everyone knows of these books and has probably read them more than once.

-Yara @ Once Upon a Twilight

 

 

 

 

The best vampire book ever is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice! I love old-fashioned vampires and Anne Rice has created some of the best blood-suckers around. Not only that, but the Victorian New Orleans setting is rich with history and detail. The story line is haunting and it is one of those books I have read a million times over. This isn't a book I would recommend to kids, even though I read it when I was 13. This book was dark and passionate, sensual and sexual, intoxicating and mysterious, unbearably sad, and deeply angry.

Unfortunately, after reading such an incredible story, I have a difficult time reading books like Twilight. The image of the vampire, to me, is not one that I would describe as sparkling in the sunlight. Stephanie Meyer in my opinion, can't hold a torch to Anne Rice when it comes to creating the ultimate vampire.

-Amanda @ Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My!

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t read Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst, you need to get out from under the rock you’ve been hiding under. This is a MUST read book. A little squeamish, are you? Don’t worry. While there are no sparkling vampires, you will find minimal blood suckage and gross out material here. You will also find a hilarious coming of age story with a good dose of romance. If you adore witty, sharp tongued MCs, this book is for you. Pearl (the main blood sucker) is oozing sarcastic humor. It’s great. The other characters are also enjoyable. There is a dreamy love interest, psychotic (vampire) family members—a vampire uncle that only communicates in quotes from Shakespeare—and bumbling wannabe vampire hunters. Oh, and an unicorn. It’s an odd mix that works perfectly together. There are so many (positive) things to say about this book, that it’s hard to keep it to one paragraph. Simply speaking, you MUST read this book. It’s FANG-tastic. 

Alanna @ The Flashlight Reader 

 

I definitely have to say Richelle Mead's VAMPIRE ACADEMY series is the best that's out there. It's a series that gets better with every book, and I love how the author takes a unique spin on the vampire story to come up with something that's different from a lot of what's already on the market. But mostly I just love Rose. As a main character, she's feisty and tough and so loyal. I wish she was my best friend!

-Elizabeth Norris, author of Unraveling (2012, Baltzer and Bray)

 

 

 

So what do you think?  Does Edward reign the vampire world?  Or do you have a favorite that wasn't mentioned?

 

Check back next week to see what your favorite bloggers and authors think about WEREWOLVES.