Sweet Evil Read-Along: Truth or Dare

 

So I hope I'm not the only one who's more than a little confused as to how exactly one plays Truth or Dare via blog. I never really was an expert on this game myself. But because daring myself to do something seems slightly unsportsmanlike, I think I'll go with the truths.

1. I've only ever given up on one book, and that was Harry Potter: Please don't hate me, but it's true. Trust me, I tried, but nothing ever really clicked. I got half-way through with the first novel, but then I just gave up. For some reason, I couldn't get into the story. They still seem awesome, so of course I wish I could enjoy them, but I guess there was something about her writing style that I just couldn't get past. I may be willing to give them a second chance in the future, but until then, there are too many other books that I want to read for me to give time to one that failed me the first time.
2. I still adore the Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, and The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan: I have to admit, when I saw my seven year old cousin with these books a few weeks ago, I was on the verge of admitting the loss of my sanity. That is, right after I congratulated him on having better taste in books than both of his older siblings combined. History of the Boston Red Sox? Really? But I still think these are great books, regardless of the age of their intended audience. There's mythology, action, adventure, and enough comedy to bring a grown man to his knees. What's not to like about that?
3. I am extremely stubborn when asked to read books that have become popular: Anyone who's ever met me knows how extremely stubborn I can be. And it gets just that much worse whenever books are involved. I am always extremely reluctant to read books that have gotten a lot of hype lately among more than just the die-hard novel ninjas (yes, I did just say that). Does it mean that I don't trust my fellow humans' judgement? Absolutely. I've come to notice that when a whole lot of people become obsessed with a book, it's usually because it follows some sort of cookie cutter standard. And then more people join the readership only to tell their friends that they have as well. I don't think reading should be about popularity; I think that true book lovers read because of what the novels mean to them, not what everyone else says they should.
4. I have never become very attached to the main character of any book: For some odd reason, I never really identify with the main characters in books. There always seems to be some supporting character that's just that much more interesting than they are. Like in Sweet Evil, my favorite characters were Patty and Belial/Jonathan LaGray, Anna's dad. I thought the best part of the book was when Patty went up and slapped him, and I was begging the entire time after I met Belial that it wouldn't turn out that he was lying about his past. It was never Kaidan that could've broken my heart by betraying Anna, but her father.
5. My books are my children, and if you hurt them, you die: I am extremely protective of my books. If you have been allowed anywhere near them, then you are among the chosen few, but by harming them in any way, you've given yourself a death sentence. When I let them leave my sight, I worry the entire time until they have been returned safely to me. I'm sure I've annoyed quite a few people by how viciously I watch them read my books, and the extensive list of rules that must be adhered to. For example, if the book is paperback, I freak out when people open the pages all of the way. If I'm there while you're reading it, you must hold the back of the book so that the binding isn't damaged. And don't you ever, EVER dog-ear the pages. That is a no questions asked, one way ticket to the end of the rest of your life.

And on that happy note.... in the spirit of Truth or Dare, I suppose there is one more thing I should share with you all: I read the sparkly vampire books on a dare. One of my not so readerly friends was gushing over how amazing the books were, but (going back to #3) I just wasn't having it. I thought it was all a lie and the cult had finally reached over to snare one of my own. But then she made me a deal. If I read the Twilight Saga, she would read the Inheritance Cycle - Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr (Inheritance wasn't out yet).

I agreed to the dare, but not much to my surprise, she never got around to reading my books. I have to admit, I read all four of those enormous books in three days. I thought that the storyline was interesting, I adored almost all of the characters, and I absolutely fell in love with Stephanie Meyer's writing style. My only complaint was that everything seemed very depressing. There was never really a happy moment that wasn't marred by some sort of tragedy, and everyone always had something to complain about. Aside from that, I didn't think they were too terribly awful. So I suppose I owe at least one series to the magic of dares.

Was any of this true for somebody else?