Pop Culture Books/Novels

I've been a book lover since the day my sibling started bringing home DC & Marvel comics, books, and novels when we were kids. 

In college, I fell in love with classic books and suspense novels, but, I won't be talking about that.  It's all about pop culture books tonight, no matter how weird I think and feel they are becoming.  Gone are the days when Sweet Valley, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew ruled most high schoolers . . .

The Harry Potter series came out in the late 90s.  My cousin who's in high school at the time excitedly told me about this young wizard and his magical world full of  stuff  beyond  kids' dreams are made of.  I had no intentions of reading, but, one record boring evening, I dived my nose into the 1st book.  After the 1st chapter, harry got me hook, line and sinker.  I wasn't able to stop (and sleep) until, I've read every word conjuring this fantasy realm.  Delighted to say, I've read all 7 books, watched all the movies, and I've enjoyed them stupendously.  I'll never forget the day (back in college) we watched the first movie installment, everyone in the movie theater sat in breathless anticipation as we prepare ourselves for a magical journey.  And, no, I've never thought of these books as written by a devil incarnate as many controversies parched the woman behind the books.  

J.K. Rowling has introduced some new words like fondly calling us humans  'muggle'.  Harry Potter's world can make older people feel young again, brimming to the core with unrestrained fantasies that were essential parts of a childhood memory.  Thank you Harry for a marvelous enchantment.

So, where can I buy those every flavor jelly beans and butter beer?  I suddenly crave a goblet of pumpkin juice, does it even taste good?

Then, came the Twilight series which I really can't get myself to like.  Stephanie Meyer can't hold a candle to J.K Rowling's imagination and writing skills that she can't charm young and older generation readers as swiftly as Rowling.  Even The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike that I was able to read back in high school is way more exciting than Twilight.  It also scares me to death how a book about a teenage girl in love with a vampire (who is the center of her whole universe as if this wonderful world of ours got nothing to offer a teenage girl)  has become such a hit with the young generation.  Bella Swan is hands down the worst heroine a girl could ever emulate.

If you're really into weird unhealthy relationship fetish between vampires-humans-werewolves, then, read the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris wherein HBO's True Blood is loosely based on.  Incontestably better than Twilight with more interesting characters and diverse plot, but, has more mature content (really, anything with vampire-human sex coupling is for the more mature crowd and not for teenagers, Ms. Meyer).  Sookie is at least of legal age with a strong personality compared to the feeble Bella Swan.  And, Sookie (who's got some fairy genes) got no half vamp baby.  The HBO series even feature good actors as opposed to deadpan twilight movie stars.  The first Sookie Stackhouse book came out years before Twilight.

For this kind of genre (I admit, I've read them on my downtime and to keep up with trends), I recommend Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter Series.  A world dominated by archangels/angels with vampires and humans as their subjects.  Archangels and angels running the world, with the stunningly dangerous Archangel named Raphael living in New York City.  Humans who are Guild members are portrayed to be stronger, as the main protagonist Elena Devereaux is a vampire hunter who never bows down to anyone -human, vampire, or angel.  Nalini Singh is an amazing writer and poet.  Her novels are written so elegantly and lusciously that your senses would be captivated as they've never been held before.  The first book  Angel's Blood  caught me by surprise of this author's talent.  The series could be too violent and gruesome for the uninitiated with the supernatural/paranormal world.  I do wonder how they could turn this one into a movie, just the details of how ethereally beautiful (also seductively decadent) the angels and vampires are would be quite impossible to bring to life.

An adult theme book series is so popular this year that it even broke records.  Originally written as a fan-based literature to Twilight. Yep, I'm talking about Fifty Shades of Grey by the saucy E.L. James.  I read it out of curiosity, definitely interesting, but, onerous to read.  Exploring the BDSM lifestyle, giving the inexperience a small peek into the taboo practice.  Besides, how many times have you heard about people needing to sign a contract before engaging into a relationship.  Brow raising right?

I had to skip a couple of pages as the sex is too much for my taste (I think even those Harlequin erotic novels don't have this much).  This is sooo not for teens and tweens!  And, I hate the number of times Anastasia Steele mentioned her 'inner goddess' (so annoying).  This could be perfect for the male audience - there's like sex in every 5 pages and it stars an emotionally blistered uber dominating man.  This book needs more plot and character development.  Though, the plot is quite interesting, it's poorly written.  EL James knows how to concoct a forbidden story and create intriguing characters (who wouldn't be curious about a dashing generous billionaire with a secret life?), but, her writing skills don't deliver.  So much potential, but, promptly wasted.  I've been disappointed many times over the storyline revelation.  I wanted it to be so much more!  It could have been amazing  (despite the touchy subject),  really could have been, if it were written by a skilled  author.  Well, I'm just glad that the series have a sweet ending and Christian Grey (Mr. Fifty Shades himself) turned out to be a kind troubled soul searching for redemption.  The series finale makes up for the loathsome ride (justifying Anastasia's ultimate decision not to run away from fifty),  making it less creepy than any vampire-human relationship.

Hmm . . . the above are all female authors into the supernatural and paranormal romance series . . .

I'm currently reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (another female author) after I've enjoyed watching the movie (just like how the movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings book series by J.R.R. Tolkien compelled me to read the books).  Well, I know that children killing other children is repugnant, but, hey, this is an apocalyptic genre novel.