P is for (Harry) Potter

Debra is a fan of the teen-aged wizard.

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again. I'm an adult that reads children's literature. Often. One of my favorite go-tos is the Harry Potter series. When I'm in the mood for something cozy and fun. Or when I need to get 'adult' language and story lines and genres out of my head when I'm writing...I pick up this series. At least once a year I read through all seven books.

Even if you're not a fan, hopefully you'll admit that this series is one phenomenon that changed modern literature. People of all ages (myself included at times) stood in long lines for the stroke of midnight waiting to get their hands on a book. How amazing is that? Some, after getting a newly minted copy in their hands sat down right in the book store to read, unable to wait another minute to dive into the story. Others took it home and read into the wee hours of the night. Some couldn't wait to get up in the morning to start reading again.

An entire generation of readers has never known a world without Harry Potter in it.

However you feel about the stories themselves, kudos needs to be given in that they got people (of all ages) reading. And that isn't ever a bad thing. And as the series has spawned web-sites and movies and amusement parks, its appeal continues to grow, and more and more readers flock to it.

Dare I use the label of 'modern classic'? There are good guys. Bad guys. Battles. Even a bit of romance. Only time will tell if the books will stand the test of time. But for now, Harry Potter is here to stay. And I for one am glad.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

What I Read Other Than Romance

For a while I read romance. Exclusively. Probably beginning in high school, other than required reading for English literature classes, I didn't go far without a Harlequin American Romance in my hand. I eventually branched out into historicals and single titles, but for me, romance was queen.

In time I expanded my horizons further. A group of friends started a social book club, and we read a plethora of types of books: historical fiction, women's fiction, chick lit, best-sellers...but no real romance.

As I've gotten older, I still enjoy my romance, but my main fare these days is Young Adult Fiction. Ironic, isn't it? As a teenager I read adult romance and as an adult I'm reading fiction for teenagers.

The thing is, there's so much good writing out there for young adults these days. Perhaps not good in a 'classic' literature sense, but good as in a 'I can't put the book down' kind of way.

For me, it all started with Harry Potter. I was hooked on those books from the moment I picked the first one up. I've found that I have a taste for the paranormal in teen books. I fell totally in love with the Twilight series. (I think I've read them all seven or eight times by now.) I've always loved romantic vampire stories, so this was right up my alley. Recently I read the available books in the House of Night series. (Again, more vampires.) A friend just gave me the first in The Immortals series. (Not quite vampires, but close enough.) This summer I read all of the Alex Rider (He's a teen-aged James Bond) adventures. Another favorite series is The 39 Clues.



Even in adult books I like series more than stand alone. Perhaps it's once I've found something I like, I want more and more of it. I really like the Sookie Stackhouse books. (More vampires, plus HBOs True Blood is my guilty pleasure!) The Chocoholic Mysteries are a fun read. And I really enjoyed Lois Greiman's Chrissy McMullen books. When I need some hard core adventure, I turn to Dirk Pitt or Kurt Austin novels from Clive Cussler.



Most of these are "keepers" and go on the shelves of my personal library, to perhaps be read again and again.

My girlfriends and I share book suggestions, so I'm never without something waiting in the pile to be read. I've also discovered that it's hard to read other romance when I'm writing a romance myself. Things tend to get all tangled in my mind. Still, I have quite a large collection of romance in my library.



So, how about you? What's on your list these days besides romance?

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com