Too Many Vampires?...
Now, before we get up in arms about this, there is nothing wrong with the odd teen - supernatural - romance novel, they have been very successful, you only have to look at 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games' to see that; but with the increased sales and reading of these novels are we neglecting the classics? So in order to make sure that you don't get too engrossed in tales of beautiful high school rejects and masochistic vampires, here are some of the fantastically well written classics and 'oldies' to broaden your horizons...
For the science fiction inclined, and no I don't mean all space ships and aliens you may need to dig a bit to find some glorious originals, that fulled today's apocalyptic film stage.
Those of you who do want your aliens and spaceships may want to look towards the work of H.G Wells such as 'War of the Worlds' and 'The Time Machine'. Where as for a steampunk setting Jules Verne's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' is a well written, sci-fi adventure set in a submarine, well before their invention with lots of other quirky gadgets, influential of today's steampunk concepts.
If you still want to immerse yourself in the world of the romance novel, try for some classics, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, 'Tess of the D'urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy and for something a little darker 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë. Or for a lighter and more recent romance/ adventure/ historic novel 'Blood Red, Snow White' by Marcus Sedgwick is my personal recommendation for something a little more exciting.
There are many more out there and over the next couple of weeks I will be posting reviews of some of those books that have changed the way I view the world and thoroughly entertained me in my breaks from the vampires. So take a little break, make yourself a cup of coffee and try something different, you may be surprised!
