New Moon had trouble keeping my attention, and wasn't as positive as Twilight.

     If you had any trouble reading Twilight cover to cover, it will only be worse with New Moon. Mainly, I didn't get through it very quickly, because nothing very interesting happened until it got about halfway through the book, although, on a positive note, it did get very interesting after that. The reading has sent some more sensitive readers into a bit of a depression, until they finished the book.

There are some good characters introduced to New Moon that only appeal to some people.

     When the reader gets to a certain point in the book, one of the minor characters from Twilight becomes a major character in New Moon. In my opinion, this character was a good replacement for the other character that's out of the book at the time (I can't say who, or I'd spoil the surprise!), although some people didn't like him. He became one of my favorite characters, because I found it easy to relate to him, because I've been in his place before (being hopelessly in love with someone who only wants to be best friends).

New Moon's plot moves more slowly than Twilight's, but it's still worth reading to the end.

     While it did take me awhile to read through this book, I thought it was worth it for the ending. If you're the type of reader who gets a little depressed by the book, it's important to read it to the end.

New Moon can be either happy, or sad.

     While some people have fallen into a bit of a depression reading the book, others have thoroughly enjoyed it, and been very hopeful that it would end happily. I still enjoyed it, because although there was a lack of real action, I got to learn about a new "species". There was more drama than the last book, and a little less romance, but I still liked it.

So overall.....

     While New Moon was a good deal more dramatic than Twilight, I would still give it a seven on a scale of one to ten. It had an interesting new character, with more and more revealed about him as the book progresses. I still like Stephenie Meyer's writing style, and she continues to use many literary devices, with alot of similes, and metaphors. So overall..... I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes drama, or enjoyed reading Twilight.

Twilight has plenty of love, drama, and action, and it's kept well-balanced.

     While some people may claim Twilight is a "girl book", it's actually not hard for a guy to get through. Being a guy myself, I personally had no problem getting interested in the book, because it's kept suspenseful, and there's not TOO much passionate, mushy stuff, although it is a love story.

     The book does get a little dramatic at times, when the protagonist (who IS a girl) talks about the other main character... the one she's in love with, although it doesn't get too extreme. While the author does use ALOT of similes, metaphors, and does get very descrpitive when describing things, it doesn't get out of hand, and the plot is advanced quickly enough to keep most readers interested.

     Although this book is mainly a love-story, it does have a bit of action. Some of the main characters are actually supernatural characters, and it's very interesting to hear about their amazing abilities. The book isn't action-packed, like some books I've read, which keeps it balanced, and helps it appeal to members of both sexes.

Twilight is a major page-turner, but only at some points

     Another reason I liked Twilight is because it's just suspenseful enough for the reader to stay initerested, without getting lost or confused. Various things about the characters are revealed at good times throughout the book, so most readers would stay interested long enough to make it to the good parts. This is where the book appeals a little bit more to the feminine sex, though, because it uses many passionate, descriptive words, similes, and metaphors, but because of this, it can be a bit slow-paced for a guy with a short attention span. Admittingly, at times I did get a little bored with the book, though I did finish it, and like it.

Twilight's characters are all well-developed, and all interesting in their own way

     Twilights characters all vary greatly, (I can't go into great detail without spoiling the book) and they're all interesting in their own special ways. From the mysterious Edward, to the puppy-like Mike, to the young Jacob, back to clumsy Bella, all of the characters are very interesting, and much more is learned about them through the book. There is a great twist dealing with one of the characters (again, can't go into detail), and it really fills in alot of blanks in the book!

So overall.....

On a scale of 1-10, I would give this book a solid 8. It keeps the reader interested for the most part, but does lose one's attention at times. Still, everything taken into account, this is one of my favorite books, and I would reccomend it highly to just about anyone with an at least average attention span!

For those of you who have already read Twilight, then check out my review on it's sequel, New Moon

The experiment basically consists in “trying to synthesize an artificial bacterium in the lab - for scientists to create life from non-living chemicals”. The scientists implicated in the experiment agreed that they would not proceed to start with this experiment until a publicly open debate about the moral and ethical side of the issue is discussed, and also until all the consequences that the same could bring to the whole world are taking into account and consideration; as said by Dr Craig Venter, the founder of Tigr and now head of the Celera Genomics Corporation: "We are not going to carry out this experiment until there has been a broader debate on the issue." But when interviewed, he also admitted the following to the BBC News Channel: "Will we eventually get to a molecular definition of life? I hope that will happen, yes,”

The connection between these two works of literature and writing is very transparent. They are both at the same time proof and an example of that curiosity humans have demonstrated to have throughout history. One might call it a thirst for knowledge. Trying to discover the unknown. Looking for the explanation of why do we exist, or more exactly how do we exist. We have come up with different believes through the years regarding our creation, such as the Big Bang, and all the different religious believes as well. But still, we don't yet know what exactly is it that gives us life. What is it that makes our organism function? What makes us think and have feelings? Some call it spirit, and others call it soul. But no matter what you call it, and regardless of religions or believes, it exists. It's in you, it's in me, and it's nature. It's part of the world, and for me that all that there is to it. But for others, well I guess humanity will have to just wait and see. See what experiments like this one leads science to. See where books like “Frankenstein” leads literature to. See where they both lead cultures and humanity to. And until then just keep thinking, writing, discovering and living.

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

This classic story is set in the 1790's Dutch settlement of Tarry Town New York, in the secluded glen of Sleepy Hollow. It is the tale of Ichabod Crane a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut and his competition with Abraham “ Brom Bones” Van Brunt for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer. Many remember this story for the “ Headless Horseman” and his pursuit of Ichabod Crane, and his mysterious disappearance.

The Sign Of Seven Trilogy by Nora Roberts - Blood Brothers

This is the first in a Frightening new series by Nora Roberts. This book tells the tale of three boys all born on the seventh day of the seventh month in the same year, born to different parents and becoming the best of friends. On their seventh birthday they release an unspeakable evil from the Pagan Stone, an evil that returns every seven years for one week in July, terrorizing their home town of Hawkins Hollow. Now it is returning again, and this time it wants to finish what it set out to do in the 1600's before it was locked in the Pagan Stone. This book pulls you in to the beginning of the final showdown.

The Hollow

This is the second of the Trilogy and works its magic once again pulling you in to the story and keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what that demon will do next. This story follows another one of the boys, now a man, in what could turn out to be a life or death situation for him and his whole family and town.

It by Stephen King

This is the terrifying tale of an evil clown and IT's return to the town of Derry 28 years after the Loser's Club thought they had rid the town of the monster who was killing children. This book was also made into a movie and either one is enough to make you want to sleep with the lights on!

House by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker 

In rural Alabama, two couples find themselves in a fight for survival. Running from a maniac bent on killing them, they flee deep into the woods. They decide to hide in an old house that's been vacated for years . . . or so they think. They soon find that others are dwelling in the lower level of the house--and they don't like visitors. With danger present in the house, they try to leave-- but the house won't let them.

Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Art critic Jeremy Grove is found dead, his face frozen in a mask of terror. His body temperature is grotesquely high; he is discovered in a room barricaded from the inside; the smell of brimstone is everywhere...and the unmistakable imprint of a claw is burned into the wall.

I Never Believed In Ghosts Until… by the Editors of USA Weekend

This book is a collection of 100 real life encounters with the supernatural. The experiences that you will read in this collection are the stuff of nightmares. The ghostly encounters range from the truly terrifying to the benign- but all defy rational explanation. Not recommended for solitary nighttime reading.

The Taking by Dean Koontz

This is a terrifying tale of fighting for survival when a Southern California community is hit with an unusual rainstorm that brings in an eerie fog. By the end of the first day they have no communication with the outside world and the next morning it is clear that something is out there hunting them.

Coast To Coast Ghosts: True Stories Of Hauntings Across America by Leslie Rule and Ann Rule

An employee of the St. James Hotel in New Mexico watches in shock as a fair-haired toddler with a terribly disfigured face disappears into the floor. This is just one of the paranormal mysteries Leslie Rule shares with us-a result of extensive interviews and research uncovering the reasons behind ghost sightings across the country. Coast to Coast Ghosts features dozens of spine-tingling, real-life ghost stories and approximately 50 black-and-white photographs, taken by Rule, including some believed to have captured actual apparitions.

Everyman's Book of Classic Horror Stories edited by Peter Haining

Here in one unique collection are some of the classic horror stories of the last 200 years. They are culled from Britain, America, France, Germany and Japan. The authors include: Poe, Le Fanu, Maupassant, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Ambrose Bierce, Bram Stoker, M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft, Edogawa Rampo and Mervyn Peake among others.

 

Magician – Raymond E Feist  (Fantasy)

This is the first book of three in the Riftwar Saga set in the Kingdom of the Isles and my introduction to the works of Feist who is now one of my favourite authors.

The story follows the lives of two boyhood friends - Pug who is apprenticed to a master magician, and Tomas who inherits a great power from an ancient civilisation. The peace of the Kingdom is one day shattered as mysterious alien invaders attack through a rift from another land and it is Pug’s destiny that leads him through this rift where he discovers a potent magical power.

This is exceptional work and a must read if you love the writings of Tolkien and Gemmell.

 

Legend – David Gemmell  (Fantasy)

This is the first book in a series of many from the Drenai Saga. Again it was an introduction for me to the works of Gemmell who I now hold in high esteem.

The tale follows the legendary Captain of the Axe called Druss. Well renowned he chooses a solitary life for the end of his days rather than the fame he could have claimed. But when the Drenai Empire is threatened by the Nadir hordes, Druss finds himself drawn back into life’s battle, defending the mighty Fortress of Dros Delnoch.

A very easy read but full of pace and vigour. Druss is one of, if not the most famous of Gemmell’s creation.

 

Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card  (Sci-fi)

This is the first book in a series of nine from the Ender Saga and is a work of art.

A vast alien force is headed for Earth bent on the destruction of the human race. The only hope could be a young child, but then he is no normal child; he is Ender Wiggin. Before he can stop this threat he must complete the most brutal military training ever.

The characters are full of life and so easy to relate to. The story may revolve around children but does not suffer from this with regard to excitement or fast paced action. It has an addictive story line and once you start you will not be able to put it down.

 

Others – James Herbert  (Horror)

This is not a genre I would normally read but something compelled me to pick up the book and I wasn’t disappointed.

It follows a private investigator, Nicholas Dismas, who is not like your average person. He is a very troubled soul and carries a secret that not even he has the answer to. His life all changes when he is hired to find a missing baby and the investigation takes him down a dark path of mystery and lies where he discovers the secret of the Others and finds answers to his own existence.

This is full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. I found it quite disconcerting the number of times I thought to myself, “this could actually happen” as the realism of it all unnerved me. Even if you don’t normally read Horror, you must read this.

 

Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien  (Fantasy)

What can I say? Are there any fans of literature that don’t know the Lord of the Rings? Despite its size I’ve read it twice and will no doubt read it again in the future.

 

Body Guard of Lightning – Stan Nicholls  (Fantasy)

This is the first book of three in the Orcs: First Blood series and may I add, a breath of fresh air.

The book follows a mercenary warband of Orcs on their journey to retrieve five artefacts of power in the hope they may buy their freedom. The leader Stryke and his band of Orcs encounter everything you would expect and hope for along the way and there is no shortage of skirmishes and battles to boot.

This is so refreshing to actually land inside the mind of fantasy's typical bad guy, who is always picked on and flogged by us, the wicked humans. The dialogue has pace and is straight to the point, tinged with a hint tongue and cheek humour. Not your usual fantasy tale but certainly up there with the best and a nice change from the norm.

 

Lion of Macedon – David Gemmell  (Fantasy)

The first of two books set in ancient Greece but touched with a little bit of fantasy. Another fine work by Gemmell.

Half-Spartan, half-Macedonian, Pamenion defies the overwhelming hatred against him and becomes the right-hand man of Philip of Macedon, father to Alexander the Great. Portents of an ancient seeress entwine him within a tale of magic and destiny as he is pitted against the forces of chaos.

A good one for any enthusiasts of ancient history, containing some nice little additions that adds some extra fantastical spice. I guarantee you will just have to read the sequel after finishing this one.    

 

Cain - James Byron Huggins

Another one that I wouldn’t normally of grabbed but something compelled me and I was immediately engrossed.

The story follows three unlikely heroes, a soldier mourning the loss of his family, a priest who’s lost his faith and the scientist that created their nemesis. Three people trying to stop a gene-engineered, super human ex CIA assassin, who when dead was possessed by a demon seeking to rule the Earth.

Another roller coaster ride, that from beginning to end keeps you on the edge of your seat and compels you to keep reading. Jam-packed full of action, the worrying touch of realism continuously niggling in the back of your mind; could this really happen?  

 

 Dragonmaster – Chris Bunch

This is the first book in the Dragonmaster Trilogy. Even though I love Fantasy, I’ve not read many books regarding dragons believe it not, but this one ticks all the boxes for me. 
The story follows a pauper, Hal Kailas, who has runaway from home. Living in a Kingdom where peace is by no means certain his every thought is consumed with the experience of bonding with a dragon when he was younger. When war comes to the Kingdom men ride these great Dragons to battle and Hal will soon become one of the greatest of all.

I read this a long time ago but still remember it quite vividly. It was one of those stories where you know what was going to happen, but I was still engrossed and enjoyed the majesty of the beasts. I think sometimes it’s nice to read something that doesn’t trip you up halfway through and have you constantly guessing, but only sometimes.

 

Aliens Vs Predator: Original - Randy Stradley, Chris Warner, and Phill Norwood

Okay to put you in the picture the movie was in no way similar to this piece of work, apart from the fact that there are aliens and predators in it!

The scene is set on Ryushi, an out-of-the-way farming planet that is of little interest to anybody but the few settlers and administration staff who live there. But it just so happens that this is one of the planets that the Predators have selected to train their young males into Warriors…. by releasing Aliens onto the surface for them to hunt. Of course the humans are stuck in the middle.

It’s not as cliché as it all sounds and the book was that good I finished it in a day. You can’t beat a bit of classic Alien action.

I watch the goosebumps tv show on youtube and find the stories very original and imaginative. If you are an aspiring horror writer you could learn a few lessons from R.L. Stine.Now before you start thinking I'm someone with Peter Pan syndrome and that even though I'm 21 I don't want to grow up, let me assure you that is not the case.

I just happen to enjoy the stories often times, while some people may consider them elementary fright novels, I still think R.L. Stine is a very gifted writer. Some people may consider his writings for children and teens, but I believe, from personal experience adults find them entertaining as well. 

Some of my favorite goosebumps tales are "Monster Blood","Piano Lessons Can Be Murder","The Haunted School", and "The Ghost Next Door".  If you have never read the Goosebumps tales let me assure you they are worth your while.    

With that said go check them out, you won't regret it.

Sadly, we've also read some books that were not even close to their true potential. Clusters of ill-conceived ideas, mangled sentence structure and the lack of a plot can all make you shut such a book at a moment's notice.

Would you like to know what makes me cringe? I was recently asked to read someone's work that they had been promoting for months. The anticipation of beholding the first chapter and tearing into it like a medium-well steak made my blood boil with excitement. Soon, it would be upon me like a theif in the night, on top of me like the roof over my head.

I could stand it no more. The hype had driven me mad. The day came when the first chapter was ready for hungry eyes and I greedily snapped it up like a fish on a hook, eager to taste what could very well be the "Next Big Thing".

My jaw dropped. Months of waiting on this first piece of narrative made me want to cry inside. I was at a loss for words. Run-on sentences, boring plot, horrendous grammar errors displayed for the world to see-- I wanted to vomit.

Truth of the matter is, I love what I do. While I do it in my spare time, I consider it more of a career than a stupid little hobby I occasionally find time for. When someone writes garbage like this, it's like they just don't care. Words on a page, that's all they are.

The problem with this line of thinking is this. If you're just spewing dirt across the page, people aren't going to waste their time with your work. In fact, they're more likely to never read or purchase (That means BUY!!) any of your future work!!

I'll try to be short and sweet on this. You need to show me the reason why I'm bothering to read your content. Is this an original piece? Does it make sense? Several things on the example I spoke of earlier stood out, which I'd like to expand on. It was about an alien race taking over the earth. If I'm being honest, I yawned.

The concept is nothing new, but if written correctly, it can be regarded as an "incredible book." I always argue that people are capable of taking an overdone scenario and make it their own. Let's explore just how.

Plot

Your plot is what propels your storyline. In my book Carnal Instinct, Becky has just broken up with Arnold because he's moving 4 hours away. Somewhere in her heart, she realizes she is wrong, but it's too late. He's found someone else. And thus, begins her quest to reclaim 'what is rightfully hers.'

Character Development

Nobody likes cardboard characters. "Hello, Joey. How are you feeling?" This might be appropriate for a teacher to ask a student, but feels awkward if a third grader is speaking with a friend. Remove such awkwardness and if a character is constantly being challenged emotionally, socially and physically, (though not neccessarily all in each book per se) you should be on the road to greatness.

Spelling/ Grammar

I promise you; when I see things like this, I close a blog and shut a book. "i thought it was cool when i went over too the rivver it was cold and weyt and i took a swim my best friend came over after school and had a snakk with me it was cool." Disgusting and unprofessional.

Memorable?

Ten years from now, will I remember any of the content? What exactly was it that stuck with me? In my brand new book, GROUND, I've been told by various people how 'messed up' it is. They've given me examples of how their favorite scenes were acted out. The nice thing is, they have trouble choosing exactly the same scene. One might be the warden getting what's coming to him, or finding out what's going on in the prison. Whatever the case, make your readers nod in enjoyment.

Powerful?

Regardless of whether or not you're writing a romance novel or a chunky gore horror story, keep in mind that you need to keep your reader entertained. With a movie, you generally have the first 5 or ten minutes to catch your viewer's attention. With a book, it's much harder to guage. Grab them from the first pages of Chapter One, and never let go.

Know your audience!

This is very important! Who is going to be reading your work? If it's riddled with profanity and blood, I do hope you're not shopping it to Scholastic. Seriously.

Proper conclusions

While it's true the bad guy doesn't always win, there are many different options to explore. Does the bad guy get the girl? Does the hero get killed at the end? Make it interesting and make us drop our jaws when our hero does something you would have never imagined.

Thank you for reading my tips on what (to me) makes a great book.

Author Noel Overend was curious how far he could push the boundaries of all things gruesome before people put the book down in disgust rather than "taking a deep breath to avoid being sick and then carrying on."

He toyed with the idea of a pedophile getting his "just desserts", and wanted to know the opinions of others before continuing on his quest to the decision to march forth or abort.

People generally agree that violence for the sake of violence is unnecessary, but if done in an appropriate manner, it can add to the atmosphere and story. You don't want to overdo the violence "just because". What you're going to end up doing, is having way too much focus on bland and generic killing, and leaving the story four blocks behind in a dust trail.

Your rule number one is not to let it take away too much focus from the novel. Let the suspense build and unleash a few kills if you need to. Too many kills in a short amount of time can be uninspired and dull if it doesn't have the right fit.

Another rule to remember is to NEVER censor yourself. However, if you're riding the fence over a certain amount of subject matter, ask yourself why. If you were writing about racism, you might want to be sure if derogatory slang is warranted. You wouldn't want that going into a nationally known publication and have people getting the wrong idea about you, now, would you? That might be one reason to censor certain words.

Rule number three is an easy one. Make it memorable! Eli Roth did when he showed us "Hostel". Don't remember? Well, I'll tell you. He went for the gross-out in the scene where the hero finds a woman being tortured. He promptly kills the wrongdoer, only to find the woman's eyeball hanging down to her cheek. He's apprehensive about doing anything at first, but knows he has to help her out. Grabbing a pair of scissors, he carefully snips the ocular cable and is immediately squirted with pus-like juices. Disgusting, but appropriate and entertaining, as even a 26 year old horror fanatic had trouble viewing it without having to rewind the scene.

Finally, I will leave you with this. You don't always have to rely on blood, guts, and chunky gore to get the point across. It has long been said that as long as the story is good enough, the rest should come naturally.

Anyone can buy some corn syrup and red food coloring, toss in a few cold hot dogs and toss the ingredients into a blender and go to town with a camcorder. The difference is, no matter how great your special effects are, if your feature falls flat on its face, no one will care.

Your audience won't even bother watching the whole thing. Sadly, George Romero's "Diary of the Dead" comes to mind. If there is no method to the madness, I will simply turn off my movie player and find a better horror movie to watch. Best of luck to you, my fledglings!

He is at his best when writing supernatural horror as in “The Shining”, however his psychological horror tales, “Misery”, “Insomnia”, “The DarkHalf aren't far behind.

Although King's plotting skills and command of the language are awesome, the thing that sets him apart from other horror writers is the pacing of his stories.

The terror in King's stories, even the innocuous “Carrie” and the slow moving “Insomnia” never let up.

King throws the reader in a pressure cooker with horror upon horror steaming him to screaming point. Reading King's stories is an exercise in fear with each new twist another boom, boom, boom of terror.

Though the reader is safe in his cozy cocoon of den or bedroom, the terror seems to pound from the walls just as it does for the Torrance family trapped inside the “Overlook hotel.

The interesting thing about King's use of words is that his stories are relatively free of profanity. There is the occasional four-letter word, but it is so much a part of the character's reaction to the horror he is in that the word loses its profanity.

King saves the profanity for the truly profane horrors: a tumor growing inside a good woman's brain, both “The Green Mile” and “Insomnia”.

It is interesting to note that the only character in “The Green Mile” that lets loose with gutter talk is Melinda Moores. The reader willingly excuses such trash talk, knowing that it is the tumor talking, not Melinda herself.

Melinda's discourse did not make it into the movie. If you want to know what she said, you will have to read the book.

King saved the profanity for the extreme profanity, that of executing an innocent man. Four-letter words cannot describe that horror.

There is more profanity in “Misery” than in other King novels. This profanity is mild as it results from Annie's misuse of words which is a conscious ploy on her part to hide the madness gnawing at her soul.

Again King saves the profanity for the extreme profanity of a truly, mad, evil person.

King's characters are well fleshed out. They are real people who will remain in the reader's memory, along with the horror they experience.

In his book on Writing: A Memoir of the Craft King explains that “good stories cannot be called consciously and should not be plotted out beforehand, they are better served by focusing on a single seed of a story and letting the story grow itself.”

There is also a short story called Purity attached in the back of Nightmare House. Another great read about a young man named Owen who is plagued with madness. He is not like the typical teenager, Owen is a sociopath who prays to a little trinket he calls his God. He is living for one thing and one thing only and that is the girl of his dreams. Owen prays to his God to bring him the girl. This is a mind twisting story that will have you guessing till the very end.