Hey, guys!
I have read probably a total of two non-fiction books in the past three years, at least one of which was required. So, to say the least, I'm a big-time fiction reader. Mainly, I read teen fiction--primarily in the paranormal dabblings, with the occasional adult-style mystery like Stephanie Plum or the Spellman Files. It also turns out that, more often than not, the books I read are in a series. For the heck of it, here's my...
Book Break-Down:
Total number of visible books currently in my room (CIMR): 207
Total number of unread books CIMR: 9
Total number of books currently loaned out: 4
Total number of reference books CIMR: 25
Total number of non-reference nonfiction books CIMR: 7 (4 of which are complete or partial memoirs)
Total number of certified classic books CIMR: 5
Total number of paranormal teen fiction books CIMR: 94
Total number of magazines and comic books (separate from the book count) CIMR: 15
You get the gist. And while a similar list of books is on the "books" tab of this site, I'm in a listing mood, and will attempt to compile an incomplete index of series that are sitting on my bookshelves, in no particular order (asterisked entries are series to which there are books out that I do not own yet; I apologize for any incorrect series names; series with an ~ are unfinished as of this posting;I neither own nor claim any rights to these books, their merchandise or characters, etc., though God only knows how much I wish I did):
~The Gone series, Michael Grant
The Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer
~The House of Night series, P.C. and Kristin Cast
The Abhorsen Chronicles, Garth Nix
*~The Vampire Diaries, L.J. Smith
*~The Graceling series, Kristin Cashore
Peeps and The Last Days, Scott Westerfeld
The Midnighters trilogy, Scott Westerfeld
The Uglies trilogy and Extras, Scott Westerfeld
*~The Gallagher Girls series, Ally Carter
~The Darkest Powers series, Kelly Armstrong
~The Skinned series, Robin Wasserman
*The Wicked Lovely series, Melissa Marr
~The Maximum Ride series, James Patterson
~The Mortal Instruments Series/Trilogy (not including new prequel series), Cassandra Clare
~The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins
The Den of Shadows series, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
The Kiesha'ra series, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
~The Vampire Academy series, Rachelle Mead
~The Evernight series, Claudia Gray
~The Wake trilogy, Lisa McMann
*~The Wings series, Aprilynne Pike
*~The Blade series, Tim Bowler
The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling
*?The Mrs. Murphy Mystery series, Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown
*~The Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich
*The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz
*?The Blue is for Nightmares series, Laurie Faria-Stolarz
*~The Warriors series, Erin Hunter
The Sight and Fell, David Clement-Davies
The Magic in Manhattan series, Sarah Mlynowski
*The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
(And then I pray that this will be a series, so I'll add it here) Raised by Wolves, Jennifer Lynn Barnes
And I mean, I get so, so attached to compelling characters, fictional more than not. I've cried while reading the Twilight Saga, the Vampire Academy series (sobbed), the House of Night series, the Maximum Ride series (sobbed), and--in the only instance where I have cried while reading non-fiction--Three Weeks with My Brother. Those are the few instances I can name off the top of my head. Other fictional-induced outbursts have occurred while playing Okami (sobbed) and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (sobbed); while watching Van Helsing (sobbed), Remember Me (sobbed), New Moon, The Lion King (sobbed), and Anastasia. Particularly with book series, I talk about the characters like real people--because to me, they are. I yell at them while reading, I laugh at and with them, and as I mentioned before, sometimes I cry with them. I want what they want, need what they need--and if I don't, I have a heck of a hard time convincing them that they don't, either. Really, it's the least I can do--they do me the honor of taking me with them on their adventures, and I in turn make sure their adventures live on.
Okay, so maybe reading all that fiction has messed with my brain some. At least, that's what my family and friends have jokingly told me on a number of instances. But you know what? That's fine with me. Because my books are my worlds. They are my world. My reading, my writing--my fiction--isn't fiction to me. It's real. I'm always reading, always writing, always dreaming and thinking and imagining. And sometimes, I'm wanting, too. Wanting with all my heart to have wings like Max and the flock. Wanting with all my heart to be a spellcaster or a shape-shifter, be it in the style of Twilight, Raised by Wolves or the Kiesha'ra. Wanting with all my heart to be a warrior, a hero, or a princess from another time. Wanting with all my heart to be a vampire hunter like Lucas, or a vampire protector like Rose. Wanting with all my heart to be something more than human, or at least a human with powers, like Bryn. Wanting to be something more than just me. And don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those psycho people with no grip on reality. I love my life. I love school, my friends and family, learning, music, and fencing. But sometimes, all I want is for the fiction to not be fiction anymore. For it to happen to me. For me, for my life, to be something more. My books and my writing help me with that.
And you know what else? If I can't be something More in the paranormal sense, I'm going to be something More in a more human way. I'm going to be a published author someday--yes, teen paranormal fiction. And I'm going to make a difference--somehow, somewhere. You mark my words. And if any of you out there can relate to anything I've said or am saying here, speak up and spread the word! Because if we are all working together to find something or to make something happen, we can and we will! I'm not looking for fame and fortune. I'm looking for people that can relate to what I say here. So keep reading, keep believing, keep being, and keep flying. But most of all, don't you dare let anyone tell you that the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.
Peace out,
~Cara
