After Twilight...Carrie Ryan

Ok, I know there's a bunch of you out there going Twilight crazy right now with the latest blockbuster, Eclipse, coming out at the end of the month.

Did you guys know the Twilight series is one of the reason I started this long journey in writing? I had been away from books so long for several reasons...I'm the kind of reader who can't put a book down, and therefore, ruining my time for everything else. Also, whatever adult fiction I read (because I figured I had to read adult stuff) just seemed too R-rated. But then...

my Island of Misfits (weird, goth-like, crazy for vampire and come-back-from-the-dead book loving girls/students who sat away from all my other students) introduced me to lots of vampire reads, many of which I did not read because it wasn't my cup of Sprite. But, they told me Twilight was the one book I should read and they guaranteed I would love it because it wasn't hard core scary and perverse. Twilight was like the one commonality between these weird, smart girls with cat ear headbands and the typical female students wearing regular clothe. I mean I heard vampires and I thought Anne Rice. Then I read the back cover of Twilight...I was hooked...

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him — and I didn’t know how potent that part might be — that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.


After that, I went Twilight crazy, well, maybe not as crazy as those Twilight Moms. Stephenie Meyer has been an inspiration because she did not consider herself a writer and then just had this phenomenal dream with characters to match and the rest is history. She was just a 30-something mom like me.

But I'm not so Twilight crazy anymore...don't get me wrong because these books will always remain on my top 10 list of books. But i am YA crazy.

So what else is out there that I now think is better than Twilight? Number 1 is The Forrest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves. They are spectacular and so well written. It's like everything you don't want happening to characters mixed in with high suspense, zombies, and romance. And no, there is no love story with the zombies...zombies can never compare wiht the suave beauty of vampires. Though zombies are at the core of each story, the stories are really a love stories. Love stories of relationships that might have been, of passion, of love in life and after death, and connections between humanity. I give Carrie Ryan's books 5 stars and Stephenie Meyer's 4. Sorry, all you Twilighters. Just know I acknowledge that if it had not been for Twilight, Carry Ryan may never have written her books and become so successful.

So what do I recommend after Twilight?

-luv Midnight Sun...basically Twilight, but from Edwards point of view...a very yummy book.
-luv The Host...basically the Twilight love triange, but with a sci-fi edge...some people dislike the slow start, but after you get past the first 1/3 of it, all I can say is wow.
-luv A Certain Slant of Light...souls falling in love
-luv Chasing Brooklyn...falling in love with your dead boyfriend's brother and all in poetry
-luv If I Stay...beginning is sort of generic dialogue, but the rest is great with a girl on the edge of death
-luv Breathe...the sea and magic and a maybe love affair and spectacular writing
-luv The Forest of Hands and Teeth!
-luv The Dead Tossed Waves!

If I had to recommend only one to start your Twilight detachment process, I would say Midnight Sun just to get it all out of your system. If you already ready did that (as you probably have if you are a Twilight fan), then just go straigth to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Plus, movie rights have already been sold.

READ THE FORREST OF HANDS AND TEETH...IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!

Great news...The Dark and Hollow Places coming in Spring 2011!

Here is another great book trailer for The Forrest of Hands and Teeth (I've already posted one before.