Literary awesomeness

It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.  ~Oscar Wilde

Lately I've had a to-read list that seems like it never will end. I think the Twilight saga revived my love for reading books that follow a series. I mean, I love books that can stand alone by themselves, but there's just something about getting caught up into a different world, and getting to revisit that world more than once. I finally read all the Harry Potter books last year all the way through for the first time (really? I know, I know, I was way behind everyone else), so ever since then I've been scouting around for another book series to immerse myself in. I read through a lot of book reviews to figure out what I want to read next, and my to-read list seems to grow every week. I guess it's a good problem to have, though. Here's what's been on my reading radar lately.

Things I've just finished reading (I can't give these enough praise):

Beautiful Creatures-- What surprised me about this was for a Young Adult novel, it was surprisingly lengthy (over 500 pages). Because of this, the character and plot development is decently well achieved. What set this book apart for me from other books I've read lately (particularly Twilight, Hunger Games, etc) is the fact that the story is told from the point of view of the male narrator, which was refreshing. There are two books so far in this series, and I'm told that the 3rd book is due out in October 2011. If you are a fan of Twilight, you will like this book, as it is much better written than the Twilight saga, but maintains the same tone. 

Uglies--This is another series that I've been meaning to read for awhile. Lately, I've been a fan of the dystopian-type stories, and this was no exception. To sum it up shortly, this series revolves around the premise that beauty and perfection are not just the goal anymore, they are the norm. Anyone normal or average looking is considered ugly, undesirable to look at.  Teens choose to have their appearances modified when they reach a certain age so they can be "Pretties" and finally fit in. The first book focuses on the narrator Tally's desire to be pretty, which is shaken by the actions of one of her friends. Because of this, Tally is faced with a dilemma and questions everything that she has been taught to believe up to this point. Westerfield paints a picture of a different world, and it is very intriguing. I've only read the first book, but I can't wait to read the rest. 

Currently reading:

Beautiful Darkness--So far, the 2nd book in the series is not a disappointment, the plot is as intriguing as ever. 

Books on the "To-Read" list:

Honorable Mentions: Best book series I've read so far this year: 

(I'm lazy and will add descriptions later)

Here we go...

So, my first blog in several years. I've been trying to write for awhile now, but I thought doing a blog again would help. I plan on sharing thoughts, what books and movies I read and watch, etc. I'm an avid reader so I thought it'd be cool to have this to keep track of everything so I can look  back myself.

I'm new to this so I know my blog won't look snazzy at first, but I hope once I get it going, I can be proud of it. At least Butters gives his seal of approval. Here goes nothing!