Frankenstein IS The Doctor, NOT The Monster

Hi guys,
  It's Friday so we made it through another week. I hope you all have exciting plans for the weekend. Today's post is a short one because I still have some other writing to work on that I must have finished by tomorrow. I won't tell you what it is but I'm quite excited about it.
  How many of you have read Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"? I'm sure many of you have read the novel for school, seen a movie about it or just know the story. How many of you still think the monster is named Frankenstein? If you do, you're wrong. I've recently become very disgruntled with the fact that so many books and movies fail to make this distinction. Now, let me clear something up. Frankenstein is the doctor, not the monster. The monster is simply the monster.

  The original story is about a young doctor named Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature out of different body parts. Thus, the monster comes into being. That's just a rough summary of the story so if you want to know the details you should probably read the book.
  I have learned to deal with inconsistencies in movies based off of books but this is taking it too far. Anyone who's truly read the book will know the truth. You might be wondering where this is coming from, as there haven't been many "Frankenstein" movies recently. A few months ago I went to see a movie and there was a preview for a movie titled "I, Frankenstein". I immediately noticed the HUGE change they had made. They changed Doctor Frankenstein into the monster and simply named him Frankenstein.

  The movie premiered on January 24th with dismal reviews and made less than $10 million. Maybe there's something to be said about changing the facts from a popular story. I haven't seen the movie so this is just my guess, it might be a good movie despite the character change.
  On that note I will leave to come up with your own opinions. Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back on Monday with new posts. Thanks for reading!
                               Sincerely,
                                               Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Just A Little Break

Hey guys,
  I hope you're enjoying the warmer temperatures; yet it's sad when 30 degrees is considered warm. As much as I love writing my blog for you guys I'm taking a day off to work on some other things I'm writing. I'll be sure to write something great for you guys tomorrow. Have a great day everyone! I'll back with you tomorrow.

                                    Sincerely,
                                                    Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

How Many Books Can You Release In A Year?

Hi guys,
  It's Wednesday so we're halfway through the week. If that's not a comforting thought then think about the fact that temperatures will be going back up to the 30s. It's sad that that makes me excited but I would like to walk outside without immediately freezing.
  There's something that's been annoying me for years now. It's kind of a pet peeve for me when it comes to books. Do you ever notice how there are some authors who put multiple books a year? This, in itself, is not the problem. It's the authors who put out so many books a year that you just know they haven't written all of them. I'm talking about the James Patterson's out there. (Don't tell me you haven't noticed how many books he puts out every year. There are dozens!)
  I've always felt that the more time spent writing a novel the better it will turn out. I prefer the authors who put out a book a year or maybe even every few years. It makes me think they've taken more care in writing the book than they would have if they had rushed to finish it. I realize there are some circumstances where putting multiple books out a year is acceptable and I'll list a few of them here.

When It's Okay To Put Out Multiple Books A Year
-When the author is writing children's books or certain teen novels. These simply don't take as long as to write as adult novels because they are shorter in length and have less complicated plots.
-When the author has been writing about the same subject for so long it becomes easy to write about it. After knowing so much the author hardly needs any time to research and can write the book quickly without stopping.
-When the author has written a few books within a certain time period and decides to release them each within a few months of each other.
-When the author writes short novels on a regular basis. These obviously don't take as long to write.

And When It's Not Okay To Put Out Multiple Books A Year
-When the author has new books in multiple series coming out within a few months (or even weeks) of each other.
-When the author has given permission to a ghost writer to continue a series. I feel that this is unfair to the ghost writer when the original author is usually the one to get credit for it.
-When an author puts out books that seem to lack in plot or quality of writing because they weren't putting in the time it takes to make a book as good as possible.

  These things didn't use to bother me when I was younger but as I got older and understood what it meant I became annoyed. To me it means that the author has stopped putting in the effort to write a book to the best of their ability. It can also mean that the author has been rushed to meet a deadline and simply didn't have the time to write the best book possible. I'm sure there are other reasons why this happens but, regardless, I find it annoying and disappointing. Let me know what you think.
  Thanks for reading!
                                 Sincerely,
                                                 Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

A Dystopian Obsession

Hey guys,
  I hope everyone is staying warm during these few days of extremely cold temperatures. I think today is a good day for staying in pajamas and drinking hot chocolate. Although I'm in sweatpants and not pajamas I plan to stay as warm as possible.
  The past few days I've been thinking about the types of books our society as a whole seems to be enamored with lately. A few years ago it was vampire books during the Twilight craze and I think today its dystopian novels. To branch out even further I would have to say its futuristic novels with highly advanced technology and maybe aliens. I enjoy a select few of these but in some ways I can't understand the world's obsession with them.
  Case in point, the Hunger Games Trilogy. The books obviously came before the movies but with the upwards trend in sales of novels of the dystopian genre interest has clearly skyrocketed. The Hunger Games is only one series out of many. What I don't quite understand is why we are so "into" these types of books. Is it because we find that type of future to be so far off that we can't contemplate it happening to us? Is it because we somehow think our world is on the edge of collapse? I'm not sure but it's a good question to ask ourselves.
  As for myself, I read the books because I really cannot imagine a future like that for myself. When I want to deviate from the normal books I read I usually pick up a dystopian novel. I honestly would never want to live in a future as described in many of these books. The reason I don't read more of these books is because in some instances they make me feel uncomfortable. Who really wants to live in a world where they choose people to die in the Hunger Games every year? I sure don't. My guess is that just like any other fiction novels we are reading them to keep our minds off the problems in our own lives. All I can say is that if these books are any indication of what our future holds, we should be worried.
  I don't know how many of you have an interest in dystopian novels but here are some series you might want to check out if you get the chance.

-The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

-Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

-The Delirium Trilogy-Lauren Oliver

-The Ender Quintet by Orson Scott Card

-Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

-The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowery

-The Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass

-Gone Series by Michael Grant

-The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano

  That's just a few of the many dystopian series out there. Hope you enjoyed today's post. Thanks for reading!
                           Sincerely,
                                            Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Reading IS Good For You

Hey guys,
  I hope you all had a great weekend! I spent some time by myself for once and had a quiet, relaxing weekend. Let's hope this week goes well for everyone.
  I realize I talk a lot about how much I love books and reading but I don't really talk about why I read. I  read, not just for enjoyment, but to better myself. I've learned a significant amount of information from books; information that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. It's amazing how much knowledge a person can gain from just one book. Knowledge is only a small percentage of what you gain when you read. There is so much more than knowledge from books but not everyone knows this. There ARE important reasons to read. Here are a few of them:

-Knowledge: I mentioned this above but I really want to stress how important it is to gain knowledge. It doesn't matter what you read, you will almost always learn something new. You can read a comic book and learn from it. What I really mean is that you can ready ANYTHING and learn.

-Imagination: I know many of you would rather watch an actual movie than reading the book the movie is based off of. That's fine but you don't get to use your imagination to come up with your own vision. You might think that imagination only applies to fiction but there's where you're wrong. When you read a biography do you picture the events the person describes? Yes! You use your imagination to come up with your own vision. It's that simple.

-Writing Skills/Vocabulary: After reading for so many years I can honestly say that I have vocabulary and writing skills far beyond what I would if I hadn't been reading. I will find a new word, look it up and immediately try to find a way to fit it in a conversation. The best part is look on a person's face when they realize they've never even heard that word. As for writing skills, after a while you learn to see the difference between good writing and bad writing. This follows over into your own writing.

-Concentration: I've always noticed how I can read for hours but become bored with other things after only a few minutes. The more I read the more I've taught myself how to use those concentration skills in other areas.

-Memory: I'm sure many of you know how easy it is to forget something you've watched on television or heard someone say. If you're like me you have a tendency to forget about things in movies and TV shows easily. I even have a hard time remembering something someone has said a few minutes later. I find that when I read I retain more of the information. I've learned take copious notes in school because when I read it back to myself I memorize more of it. If you really want me to remember something you'd better write it down.

-Health Benefits: Right now you're probably thinking I'm crazy but the truth is, there ARE health benefits to reading. I recently read that just 20 minutes of reading can slow your heart rate and help alleviate stress. Having a stressful day? Find something to read and see if it calms you down.

-Vivid Dreams: This may not always be a good thing but studies have shown that people who read more have a tendency to remember more of their dreams. They also have more vivid dreams. I remember many of my dreams and have an easier time recalling them months or even years later. There are downsides to this when you have nightmares. (Believe me, I've had many I wish I could forget.)

  Just in case you didn't understand what I'm trying to teach you I'll say it in simpler terms. READING IS GOOD FOR YOU! If you don't believe me, go find a book to read. Now when you finish that book, tell me you haven't learned at least one new fact. (This pertains mainly to books you have never read before.) If I'm wrong let me know but you'll probably find I'm right.

I hope you enjoyed reading! Have a great evening everyone.

                                Sincerely,
                                                Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Getting to Know Someone Through Their Bookshelves

Hey guys,
  It's Friday! I hope you all had a good week and have great plans for the weekend. I'm not sure what my plans are but I know I'll be reading and researching for my short story.
  Lately, I've been thinking a lot about people who own books, or rather what you can learn about a person from the books they own. It's a great way to get a little insight into a person you don't know much about. If you're anything like me then you probably look for books every time you go to someone's house. I'm the person who will walk over to a person's bookcase and begin looking through their books. I usually ask if they've read them or what their favorite book is.

  I guess it's the fact that I'm a bookworm and I expect everyone to read. I will admit that I judge people who have no books in their home. It makes me sad that they haven't discovered the joy of reading. And like I said in a previous post, there's a book for everyone. If you look closely at the books someone owns you will learn a few things about them. Here are some types of books that give some information about their owner.

-Comic Books/Graphic Novels: this person is probably into superheroes, they might appreciate the art and might not have the patience to read a full-length novel

-Biographies: this person loves non-fiction and learning about the people of the world, depending on what kinds of people they read about they could be into politics, war, etc.

-Fantasy Books: this person probably has books like The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, they might be a fan of video games and they aren't afraid to delve into a long novel

-Teen Fiction: this person simply enjoys the basic plot lines of teen novels (believe me, there aren't that many different plot lines), they might also be looking for something that doesn't require much thinking

-Historical Fiction: this person enjoys history but wants the fictional part to make it more enjoyable, you can probably tell which eras they like to read about by looking through a few books

-Fiction: this person just likes to read to keep their mind off their own problems, they might read all kinds of fiction

-No books at all: this person needs to learn the joy of reading, it makes me extremely sad to think of the people who own no books at all

  Now, these are just a few different kinds of books people might own and just a brief examination of the person. This doesn't pertain to all people and many people have all kinds of books (including myself). So next time you go to someone's house think about looking through their books to get some insight.
  Hope you enjoyed today's post. Thanks for reading! I'll be back on Monday with more great posts. Have a great weekend everyone!

                                       Sincerely,
                                                       Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Let's Take a Trip to the Library/Bookstore

Hey guys,
  I hope you're all having a great day. My morning started off great with some homemade banana chocolate chip muffins. (Yes, you should be jealous). Yesterday I spent some time brainstorming and came up with some great ideas for future posts so I hope you're all planning on continuing to read my blog.
  As a bookworm I spend a lot of time at bookstores and libraries. I can tell you that there is no other place I feel more comfortable than when I'm surrounded my books. I'm in my element when there are books all around me. In case you were wondering I am that person who glares at someone when they're being too loud in the library. (You can probably imagine what kind of librarian I would be).
  Other people walk into a bookstore or library and either know exactly what they're looking for or  they walk around until they find something they like. I, on the other hand, have a strategy when I take a trip to the library or bookstore. Some of you might have your own strategies but I'd like to share mine with you. If you're the kind of person who wanders aimlessly through a bookstore or library you may want to borrow some of my strategies. Believe me, they make things much easier.

At the Library
1. I usually have books to return so I drop those off first.
2. I pull out my book list. Sometimes I have a few specific books on my list that I want to look for.
3. I start with browsing the new fiction. I search for books on my list and sometimes find an interesting book that's not on my list.
4. I continue on to the new teen fiction books. Again, I start with looking for books on my list and then any books that catch my eye.
5. This is where I either pick out some books from my list or walk through all the aisles of teen fiction and adult fiction. When I walk through all the aisles my trip can last up to an hour.
6. When I have all my books picked out I check to see if any of my books on hold have come in. (They keep them on a cart in alphabetical order).
7. I check out my books. I usually use self check-out but sometimes I prefer to have a librarian check them out for me. Most of the librarians know me so it's nice to see how they're doing and take the time for a little book talk.
8. I put my books into my special book bag. (It's an old bag from Walden Books that says "A book is good company.")
9. When I get home I pull out all of my books and decide which order I will read them in. I also cross off any books I've gotten from my list.
10. I begin reading!
  *A word of advice: If you don't have a library card, go get one! They're FREE.

At the Bookstore
1. I do things a little differently at the bookstore but I begin the same way by looking at the new fiction.
2. I look at the new teen fiction books. I don't usually have my list with me at the bookstore but I have most of it memorized so I can see if any books have recently been published.
3. I look at the adult fiction.
4. I look at the clearance/bargain section. You never know what you might find.
5. I don't actually buy many books unless I feel the absolute need to own them so I usually take pictures with my phone of books I want to add to my list.

6. I buy a book. When I look for a specific book to buy I tell myself I'll just get the book and leave but we all know that's not how it works for bookworms.
7. I walk out with a satisfied smile on my face knowing I have a new book to add to my collection.
8. If the book store is a Half-Price Bookstore then my strategy is a bit different. I check the new books first, then the graphic novels. I walk through the fiction aisles and the clearance section. I check the teen fiction and lastly, I check the history section (I love it). I rarely look at movies or music.
9. When I go into a Half-Price to look for a specific book I ALWAYS look at everything else.
10. I go home with at 1 or 2 books every time. I've lost count of how many books I've bought from Half-Price and I'm sure the employees are sick of seeing me by now (Well, they might be).

 

  If that seems like too much work to you then you're probably not a bookworm. Or you're just not as obsessive as me. Maybe you learned something about shopping for books or taking a trip to the library. I have an exciting post planned for tomorrow so I'll hope you'll all read it. Thanks for reading!

                                      Sincerely,
                                                      Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Time to Brainstorm

Hey guys,
  Happy Hump Day! I hope you're all staying warm as temperatures dip below zero again. I'm sure you've noticed that posts this week haven't been as focused as some of my others. I'll admit I'm a little low on inspiration for some this week. I'm taking a break today to brainstorm some new ideas but I'll make sure to post something great tomorrow. Thank you to all of you who have been reading my blog. You have no idea how amazing it feels to share my love of books and writing with you all. I'm off to go brainstorm some new ideas but here's a little something I'll leave you with:

                             Sincerely, 

                                             Erin a.k.a. Bookworm  

Why NOT Read?

Hey guys,
  Well, it's snowing, yet again. I'm stuck inside which is not such a bad thing when it's 13 degrees outside. I'm going to keep myself busy by writing and reading, of course. I hope you all stay warm today.
  I'm sure many of you read this and can't imagine why I love books so much and why I spend so much time reading. There are many reasons, and I'd like to share them with you so that you can better understand why it is that I read. These reasons don't just pertain to me but too many other bookworms as well.

  I have always prided myself on having a sharp mind and a good memory. I learned how to hone my mind while reading so that I would remember facts and therefore build up my knowledge. I exercise my mind through reading every day which is a large part of why I read. Knowledge itself is enough of a reason for me to read but I have an entire list.

Reasons I Read
- It's a way to distract myself from my everyday problems. When I'm reading I put myself in the story, I am not myself but a character in a book. In some instances books are the only thing that has gotten me through difficult times in my life.

-I gain knowledge I would not otherwise learn. Knowledge that I can use in different circumstances throughout my life.
-I have a large vocabulary due to extensive reading. I'm the person who looks up a word if I don't know the meaning, thus furthering my vocabulary.
-I have advanced writing skills because I have read so many books I have learned to see the difference between good and bad writing.

-It's a good way to keep yourself busy when there is nothing else to do so I rarely become bored. 

-I'd like to think the world will never run out of books and that people will never stop writing them so that I never run out of new books to read.
-I have more vivid dreams because of all the images my mind sees when I read. There is a downside when I have nightmares though. Believe me, I've had some of the strangest and most vivid dreams ever.
-It's an easy hobby to satisfy because you don't necessarily have to spend money to read. I read most of my books from the library then I buy the books that I want to own. I also shop at Half-Price Books which saves me money. And for those few that enjoy e-readers, e-books are much cheaper than a physical copy.

-Reading books can give you more conversation topics when conversing with others. The best feeling is when you mention a book you've read and someone else has also read it. This alone can start a fulfilling conversation.

  If that's not enough to convince you to read then I don't know what is. Now, if any of that has convinced to you read, go pick up a book. It definitely won't hurt you. (It might make you think though which I know is way too much work.) Thanks for reading!

                                   Sincerely,
                                                   Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

My Bookish Inspirations

Hey guys,
  Here we are at another Monday. I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a great week. I actually began researching for my short story over the weekend so I've got some work to do this week. When my story is finished I will be sure to post it so you guys can read it. Speaking of research, today I'm going to tell you a little bit about how I get my ideas for writing and how I choose what books to read.
 

  Now, I don't remember the first book I read but I can recall many books I've read since then. I started by reading books that my family owned and slowly built a list of what I liked reading about. When I began school I found that there were even more books out there for me to read. I remember long trips to the library, leaving with stacks of books; and buying a cart full of books at the Scholastic bookstore. At first, my favorite books were fantasy but I soon branched out to fiction. For a long time I only read fantasy and fiction. Towards the end of middle school I started reading historical fiction novels. Throughout high school I read all sorts of books: fiction, fantasy, historical-fiction, science-fiction and even non-fiction. I gobbled them all up like candy. To me they were food to the mind and an escape from life's problems.

  So began my love affair with books which turned into a love for writing because I was so mesmerized by words. I wanted to write beautiful descriptions of far-away places and tell my own stories. Today I continue to read books of any genre and I write stories to the best of my abilities. The inspiration for the reading and writing began all those years ago and I'm confident in choosing what to read and what to write about. Here's a few things that help me decide.

How I Choose What To Read About
-If I find that I'm reading many books from a certain genre I will look for other interesting books in the genre
-If I've started reading a series I usually read the entire series
-If I read one book by an author and enjoy it, I look up the rest of the author's works
-If I become interested in a certain period of time I search for other books set in the same era
-Basically, if I like a book I will find more like it

How I Choose What To Write About
-I mostly read historical fiction and fantasy so my stories tend to be from those genres
-When I read about a time period I enjoy I will learn as much as I can and write stories set in the era
-If I read about it and find it interesting, I will write about it
-Here are my favorite subjects and eras to write about:
  -Fairy Tales
  -Fictional Worlds
  -Elizabethan Era
  -Victorian Era
  -World War I and World War II
  -1920's-1930's: Jazz Age
  -My life experiences

  Well, I'm off to work on my new story. Thanks for reading!

                            Sincerely,
                                            Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

P.S.-Sorry if today's post seems a little disjointed, I'm having one of those days where it's just hard to focus.

I'm More Than Just a Bookworm

Hi guys,
  It's Friday! I hope you've all made it through the week without too many difficulties. My week has been really great, as my creative juices are really flowing. I've taken a short break from working on my novel to work on a short story idea I've had for a while. I will post sections from it beginning next week so I would like feedback. In keeping with yesterday's post I'm going to tell you about what I do when I'm not reading. I'd like you all to get to know me a little a better and show you that for a bookworm I do a lot of other things. So here's a few of my other hobbies/interests:

-Cooking/Baking: I grew up with a grandma and parents who encouraged me to cook and bake. I learned a lot from them and now I'm a pro at cooking and baking certain things. I have to brag here and say that I make great chocolate chips cookies and a delicious cheese sauce. I absolutely love pasta so I make a lot of pasta dishes. I'll willingly cook and bake for you if you ask.

-Watching television/movies: I spend entirely too much time watching TV, I'll admit to it. But I also watch a lot of movies with friends (in theaters and at home). Some of my favorite TV shows are Sleepy Hollow, American Horror Story, Once Upon a Time, Pretty Little Liars, Grimm and Dracula. Some of my favorite movies are Dirty Dancing (and basically any popular 80s movies), The Notebook, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, Harry Potter movies, James Bond movies, Star Wars movies, and a lot of other films I can't seem to think of right now.

-Playing with my niece: My niece is almost three and wonderful to be around. She calls me "Air" because she can't say Erin yet, and calls horses "horey's." She never ceases to make me smile and I love seeing her imagination at work. I'm hoping to pass on my love of books to her.

-Hanging out with friends: I have a lot of different friends so I don't always do the same thing with all of them. Some things I love do with friends are shopping (for books or anything really), going to museums/historical places, eating at restaurants, seeing movies, having movie nights/game nights, cooking/baking and doing absolutely nothing when we're too lazy to do anything.

-Shopping: I love shopping for books but I also have an addiction to shopping for clothes, shoes, and basically anything a typical woman loves to shop for. I tend to shop with my mom a lot (she has great taste and I need her to help me decide what to get). Some of my favorite stores are Barnes & Noble (of course), Half-Price Books, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, Gordman's, and Victoria's Secret.

-Listening to music: I'm not embarrassed to say that I have music sessions where I basically just sing (loudly) along with my favorite songs. I have an iPod full of music and even more music on my computer. I also have friends that are like walking radios (I'm serious!). Some of my favorite bands are The Beatles, The Killers, The Kills, Kings of Leon, The Neighbourhood, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Muse and Coldplay.



-Writing: I obviously write this blog but I also work on short stories, and most recently, my novel. I also write poetry occasionally.

  Clearly I'm not just a bookworm but books are a large part of my life. I hope this gave you a little more insight into who I am as a person. Thanks for reading!

                       Sincerely,
                                       Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

P.S.-I've decided to take the weekends off from writing my blog but if I find something exciting to write about I will be sure to share it with you. Have a great weekend!

So You Think You Know Bookworms?

Hi guys,
  Well, it's snowing again but the good news is that there's only one more day until the weekend. I have plans to see my best friend, so my weekend is looking pretty good. This actually brings me to the topic I want to discuss today. Bookworms. I openly say I'm a bookworm and I'm proud of it, but some people have their own idea of what a bookworm should be. There are many misconceptions about bookworms that I would like to clear up. These don't apply to all bookworms but they pertain to quite a few that I know, including myself. So, read on to find out how much you really know about bookworms.

Common Misconceptions About Bookworms:
-We spend whole days reading: this does happen but not every day. There are days where we can forget to eat or use bathroom. (Hey, sometimes books are more important.)

-We sometimes forget to sleep in order to finish a book: this happens on occasion. It mostly happens when we're in the middle of a good book and find it inconvenient to wait until the next day to finish it. I probably do this more than others because I'm an insomniac. (Sometimes it comes in handy not being able to sleep.)

-We have few friends because all we do is read: this is not true of many bookworms I know, least of all, myself. I have many friends and spend most of my weekends with them.
-We go to a library/bookstore every day: I wish this were true but we can't always make it to the library or bookstore. We have jobs, family and friends to spend time with, and the other daily necessities of life.
-We only care about books: this is definitely not true. I care deeply for my family and friends and many other things going on in the world.
-We don't go anywhere without a book: this is probably true of most bookworms. We live with constant of fear of being somewhere without a book and finding ourselves with nothing to do. This is the reason I carry big purses, because what use is a purse if you can't fit a book in it.

-We are only friends with other bookworms: this is definitely not true. We are friends with anyone we want to be friends with. Yes, my best friend is also a bookworm but I have many other friends who are not. Although I do take pleasure in rubbing off on my friends and seeing them read.
-We would not survive without books: this is completely true. I myself feel empty without books and cannot imagine a world in which they do not exist.

  These are just the misconceptions I could think of off the top of my head but I hope this gives you all an idea of what bookworms are really like. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

                                        Sincerely,
                                                        Erin a.k.a. Bookworm

Graphic Novels ARE Books

Hey guys,
  Happy Hump Day! I hope you're all making it through the week without too much struggle. I'm keeping myself busy by writing and obsessing over the upcoming Outlander television show. Let's just say I've been daydreaming about going to Scotland. (And maybe staying there lol.)
   Recently I've become interested in graphic novels. This is due to a few things. First, being my best friend and her boyfriend having a large collection and second, many book series I read are being turned into graphic novels. Back in high school I used to think that these weren't real books. My opinion has changed throughout the years though.
  One my best friends had a manga collection at her house; which I began reading when I spent the weekend there. I know manga is a little different but it has the same concept. Still, I continued to tell myself these weren't real books. Fast-forward to 2013 and I'm adding graphic novels to my reading list and asking my best friend for recommendations.
  In the past few years I've noticed a lot of popular book series being turned into graphic novels/manga. After reading some from my best friend's collection my opinion started to change. Eventually, I realized that they are real books. Albeit, they have pictures and less writing. Now I actually own a few and I'm starting to read the graphic novels and manga books based on series I've read.
  Here are some of the graphic novels/manga books I've read or are on my book list:

-The Exile: based on the novel Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. A re-cap of the first third of Outlander but from a different point of view. Probably my favorite graphic novel so far.

-Game of Thrones (Vol. 1-3): based on the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. I haven't read these yet but from what I've heard they're good.

-Blue Bloods: based on the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz. The book series has ended but I'm still planning to read this.

-Beautiful Creatures: based on the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. There's now a movie based on the first book in the series.

-Hatter M. (Vol. 1-3): based on The Looking Glass Wars trilogy by Frank Beddor. The book series is an alternate Alice in Wonderland story and the graphic novels are about the mad hatter (a.k.a. Hatter Maddigan). I absolutely love these and recommend them to anyone who enjoys a good action-packed story with lots of fighting (and blood).

  These are just a few graphic novels I've read or have on my book list. You would probably be surprised to know that even classic novels like Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" have been made into graphic novels. A few other series turned into graphic novels are:

-Desert Tales (Vol. 1-2): based on the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr.

-Vampire Academy (Vol. 1-2): based on the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

-The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel: based on the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. It's the prequel trilogy to The Mortal Instruments series which has its own graphic novel.

-Twilight: based on the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Oh, don't tell me you're surprised, next there will be a graphic novel based on "Fifty Shades of Grey." (I'm joking but it will probably happen).

  If you're like me you probably still think graphic novels are not books, but think again. Try looking in the graphic novel section at your library or a bookstore. You might find something new that catches your eye or you might find out one of your favorite series has been turned into a graphic novel. Either way, give it a try. You might find that you enjoy graphic novels. Thanks for reading!

                                 Sincerely,
                                                 Erin a.k.a. Bookworm