Bookgirl Brings Culture & Polly is Begging the Question 8

Well, okay. Not really culture, since we're launching with vampire fiction. But books.

Yes, it's the If You Belonged Here book club. We can't all get together and drink wine and gossip and not talk about the book, like real book clubs do, but this is the next best thing. And there's no reason you can't light a candle, put out a tray of crackers and cheese, and pour yourself a nice big glass of wine when you weigh in, to get the general book club ambiance. Except Pandora. We don't condone under-age drinking here. Ahem.

First book up is Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, which The Daily Beast called "the obvious heir to the Twilight throne." Since I can safely say that we seven are, collectively, Twilight addicts, this seemed like the perfect place to start.

Here's the premise:

St. Vladimir's Academy is a hidden boarding school where vampires are educated in the ways of magic, and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is the bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a vampire princess. Together, they've got powers that are very rare, and must be kept secret even from the teachers. But someone is out to expose them, and their lives might be in danger.

I've read it already, and trust me on this one. It's yummy.

There's romance and best friend bonding and magic and yes, vampires. And a smoking hot love interest that,well, makes me uncomfortable for feeling that way about a character in a book.

Let's just say if people start popping up with "Team Dmitri" buttons, I won't be surprised.

Imagine all the helpless longing and "oh my God why won't you two just make out already????" anticipation of the early Twilight books. Except with a heroine who doesn't basically stand around and blink when things get tough.

Like I said, totally yummy. And there are already four books out, so none of that horrible "waiting for the author to write the next one" drudgery.

If you want to read more about it, there's a series website. Or you can just take my word for it and read it. All the cool kids are doing it.

We reconvene for the discussion on January 11th. Get reading, my little bookworms!

Oh, but before you go, let's play our game:

If you were living in a fantasy world--no comment--which mythical creature would you be? or would you prefer to remain a human? would you be the seducer or the one seduced?

Okay, I'm going to throw it out there. This was not my question. It came from Pandora, by way of Polly. I never, in a million years, would have chosen it.

Because my answer is embarrassing.

Not embarrassing in the normal "Bookgirl falls down publicly" or "gets her nipple stuck in a drawer" way that I'm so fond of sharing. But embarrassing because it's so not in line with the edgy, I'll-try-anything way I like to portray myself.

The truth is that I wouldn't want to be a supernatural creature. I just want to be me. I wouldn't mind some enhanced grace and athleticism (see above comment about my frequent accidents) or the power to read minds or teleport. But I like sunshine and the beach and my family and food.

In my own fantasy story, I would be the mortal. The one the handsome immortal couldn't live without and was willing to go to the ends of the Earth for.

Sigh...

Comments

[Alice]

I would totally be me and I'd have a big remote that would 86 people in my world as I saw fit. And I'd have my own magic, temperature controlled, traveling carpet that would take me where I wanted to go. It would be shaggy carpet, too, because why not.
And Bookgirl would be my neighbor so she would feel obligated to invite me to family, beach, food outings.

[Polly]

Do you remember Tuck Everlasting? That's what I want: all the benefits of being a vampire, none of the messy. Only I wouldn't be like Winnie and choose mortality. Not when there was Ramblin' Jack playing the role of Jesse.

[Bookgirl]

Crap. It never occured to me that I could opt to do it without the conventional limitations. Now I like your answers better. I have supernatural being envy.

Ans come on... No squealing and excitement over the book club?? I finally get in gear and launch this thing, and not even an acknowledgment?? Sheesh...

[Polly]

So is the mythical creatures that alice would be a Genie? Because I don't think she answered the question.

[Mia]

Oh dear. Where to start? This is a terrible question for a geek/comic book dork like me. Its pretty much all we debate - down to mythology, historical sources and literary references. So many options!

Like, it all depends on the circumstance. If I were to turn into a mythical creature tomorrow - it would be a werewolf. Not counting the comic book world, of course that would give me several more options.

Yeah, I would totally be a werewolf but without the whole "no self control whilst in wolf form" thing. Also, none of this full moon crap. That's just silly.

Telepathy and Telekinesis sound great, but considering my mind tends to wander and random things tend to pop into my head I'm pretty sure I would end up accidentally shooting someone off into the ether. Not good.

yeah. I'm a dork.

Although, it all comes down to being the kick ass yet mysterious girl who's secrets run deep...and wears killer leather jackets.

[Alice]

Dude, I totally answered the question. I would remain a human with super human powers, but only the aforementioned few.
I'm sticking with it - but you can call me a genie if you want - I might have to 86 you though.

[Polly]

Alice, what about the seduction part?

[Pandora]

I, like Bookgirl, have also read this book. It was in the height of my OMGVAMPIRESARESOAWESOME phase when I was a senior in high school. However, because I read it right after my Edward Cullen love affair, I really found myself judging the book. Stephenie Meyer made my view of vampires biased. Plus, I was so used to having a whiney female lead that it irritated me that this girl wasn't. But, I'm ready to give it a second chance because I didn't exactly hate it. Bookgirl is also right in that it's a steamy one. It's nice to see something realistic like teenage vampire sex played out.

Now to the question (which was a wonderful surprise to the end of my finals week).

So, I would be a mermaid, obviously. I really have always had a fascination which the ocean and probably have seen The Little Mermaid 427 times.

Mercreatures always have fabulous hair and a divine glow to their skin. My tail would be an light green to compliment my blonde hair and green eyes.

I'd also go sans clam shell bikini and be able to get away with it at all times. You'd be swimming all day long so you'd constantly be in good shape. I'd eat sushi every day. But, is that cannibalism in the mermaid world?

And of course I'd be the seducing. I mean, I'm a fucking mermaid after all. :)

Also, I leave you with a question that I have -seriously- thought a lot about. How do merfolk procreate?

[The Dol]

I am totally and completely stoked about the book club! I'm looking forward to a vampire-book heroine that isn't as annoying as Bella. If ever the word ennui could be used to describe someone, it's Bella.

I would be an oracle. I would live in Greece and prophesy in my flowy white toga and sandals. There would be wine, cheese, grapes, and sculpted Greek men to serve me. Also, I would speak Greek (obviously), which would be a cool party trick when I was hanging out with my American fantasy-creature friends.

Pandora, asexual reproduction seems most likely to me. Sorry, hon.

[Polly]

You know, Bookgirl, I think the lack of whoop and hollah over the bookclub, may be due, in large part to the fact that the girls have already been privately spilling over with excitement on at least three other occasions: when they first heard about it, when you announced the book and that you would send it, and when you announced that you actually sent it. For me it's been at least four times, as I was excited when you told me about it before announcing it to the group.

But trust me, we are excited.

[Diosa]

Yes, VERY EXCITED about the book. Anxiously, awaiting it in the mail and hoping to find some quality time over the holidays. Just me, a hot bath, candle, wine and hot vampire sex.

As far as mythical creatures go, I'd definitely be the seducer, and something bad ass. Vampires are always a hot choice, but witches are cool too, and was there ever a sexier bad ass than Grendel's mother? Well, the movie version anyway. I don't remember her being that hot in original text. But she lived in a cave and that's not exactly my idea of a good time.

So, yeah. Witch I guess. Because then I can still totally enjoy the sunlight, be all-powerful, and be a sexy seductress.

[The Model]

Witch and vampire are both good choices for me. Maybe witch just so I don't have to be inconvenienced by sunlight. I hate sunlight. On the other hand, I'd prefer the immortality of being a vampire. But witches have magic. But vampires have super strength and speed. I can't decide.

In any case, I'd prefer to be the one who gets seduced most of the time, but be able to pull out the ability to be a seductress when I need/want it.

[The Model]

Also, I'm uber excited about the book. With the spawn out of town for a few weeks, it's the perfect opportunity for me to dig into some juicy, sexy, vampire smut.

I am also interested to see how it arrives, because I haven't yet recieved a package at my new house and my new mailbox is too small to fit a book. So, I'm not sure if they're going to bring it to my doorstep (which is hidden away and virtually unfindable from the street without special instructions) or what.