Reading Round-up

I've done a lot of reading lately, and I haven't been keeping up with the whole "Review every book I read" thing. So, here is a quick round-up of everything I've read in the last couple of months that I haven't reviewed:

The Vampire Diaries By LJ Smith

I borrowed the first 5 installments of The Vampire Diaries from a friend sometime last year. There are a couple of people I know that love the series, in fact. So I borrowed what I could, thinking I would read them and love them as well. Unfortunately, that's not how things turned out. I read the first one, and wasn't impressed. I found the characters annoying and Elena completely unbelievable. But, my friends loved the books, so I kept reading. I read all 5 (I know there's 7 out now, but I only have 5) and really just wasn't all that impressed. I found the story to be one-dimensional and predictable. However, I firmly believe in reading what's popular, just to know what people are talking about, so I'm glad I read them. And, since I've had these books on my shelf for over a year, that's 5 more down on my Off the Shelf Challenge. Only 6 more to go!

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Considering HP7.2 came out this summer, I decided to reread the series prior to seeing the movie. I'm glad I did, considering I'd only read The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows once each. I love these stories. I love how the writing level matures as the characters do. I love how intricate the story is. I love how not everyone comes through in one piece, but we still get a happy ending. It's not perfect. People we love are dead, but life goes on and the survivors make the best out of what they have. There's a reason the Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful in history, and it's not because it has magic wands. It's because the characters are so very, very real.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

I freaking love Brent Weeks. I really do. I've met him, and he is friendly and funny and sarcastic (and he has cute freckles*). The best thing about Brent Weeks? He tells a great story. I read the Night Angel Trilogy a few years ago, and something made me pick up The Way of Shadows recently for a reread. I love how Weeks gives all of his characters so many flaws. They are by turns arrogant, ignorant, oblivious, vengeful, hateful, ambivalent and naive, and still manage to show love, honor, faith, and selflessness when the situation calls for it. There are very few stories out there whose main characters not only aren't perfect, but aren't completely good. They get dirty. They make mistakes. And friends and family get hurt because of it. I love reading a story that makes me want to strangle and hug the protagonist in the same chapter.

*I don't really have a crush on Brent Weeks. Not really. I just wanted to see if he's watching… ;-)