Subconsciously making my Saturday that much better
I have been an avid reader from before I even learned the alphabet, no I am not exaggerating: I pored over a picture book with simple sentences long before I could even read the words but perhaps my baby-brain was capable of understanding because Mummy says I actually read the book, not just looked at the pictures and flipped pages. So I am a certified bookworm from the time I was born and with parents who are bookworms themselves what do you expect?
This obviously led to growing bored of the books suggested for my age and by the time I was 11 I was on the verge of reading Robin Cook and Stephen King but instead, Mummy took me to a bookstore where the bookstore owner (who knew us quite well) climbed high and dug out 'The Forbidden Game' by L.J. Smith.
I fell in love. The story is captivating and dark, it can even be sinister if you thought more on it but at the same time the story is one that can touch your heart. It is everything a teen novel should be but even now as an adult I appreciate the fantasy and story as much as I did at that tender age. L.J. Smith has been my favorite author since I was a child and I hoped fervently that she would gain the recognition she deserved but it was only when 'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer came out that L.J. Smith's books came into the bigger picture.
Now. Not to rant but it angers me when people claim L.J. Smith copied Stephenie Meyer. No. She. Did. Not. She wrote her series 'The Vampire Diaries' (which is now the highly popular television show everyone thinks is trying to trump 'Twilight'...and rightly should) way back in the 1980s. Most of her books were written in the '80s and a lot of them went out of print and only recently are being reprinted (much to the joy of us hardcore fans!). Please do your research before you slag others off, it is only embarrassing when you go to such extremes to sneer at someone only to be corrected.
With L.J. Smith's new popularity it finally meant I could also buy a backup of my favorite novel! Throughout the years it has gotten abused by people I have lent it to - once it came back missing that huge chunk on the cover! I was appalled. Needless to say, that is why I am an absolute, horrendous bitch when it comes to lending my books out. I am not embarrassed to tell people outright "no" when they ask, not everyone appreciates books and even if they do it is still risky business.
My fanatism aside, I was thrilled to be able to cart my new copy of 'The Forbidden Game' back with me to Adelaide and leave my original copy back at home, where it belongs (with most of my heart). I do not care much for the new cover but the print is bigger and easier to read which - for a myopic case such as myself - is a real treat.
This was more of a sentimental post than a review but all I can say is if you appreciate 'The Vampire Diaries' (the books I mean, not the television series) then definitely look into the rest of L.J. Smith's books - trust me, I have them all and they are all very worth it.
