The Secret Circle or The Vampire Diaries - please help

[MissClaws]

I am trying to think of a crimbo pressie for my SIL. She is an avid reader and loves Twilight and has seen all the films and read all the books so I was trying to think of a series along the same line.

Both of the above have been suggested to me but as this is not my genre of choice I wonder if anyone could give their views of which one would be the best to buy & she is likely to enjoy the most.

Cheers in anticipation xx

Not read the secret circle but I love Vampire diaries on the TV. I decided to read the books and can only advise:

Don't.

Don't do it.

YABU

How old is your SIL? The 2 series you've mentioned are both based around 16 year old girls. I have to admit, I started off on Twilight, but my tastes are a bit more grown up, and I moved on to some of the more...er...meatier (?) series!! Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series is a good one, or Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series. I have a number of other suggestions, if you're interested? If she has suggested those series, then I would say buy one of them. Otherwise, try something different! You'd ultimately be doing her a favour!

Oh god, not the vampire diaries! Try kelley Armstrong series which starts with Bitten.

Or chloe neill has a good series starting with Some Girls Bite.

L.A. Weatherly has a great book called Angel.

Patricia Briggs has a great series starting with Cry Wolf.

Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series starting with Dead Until Dark. They aren't anywhere near as gruesome as the True Blood tv series

Kim Harrison has a great series which I think starts with Dead Witch Walking.

Hi, thanks everyone for your informative suggestions so far - looks like I came to the right place for advice

@ Kayano thanks for that advice - don't want my SIL to think I don't like her

@ IreadthereforeIam, my SIL is late thirties so it sounds like the series I have asked about may not be what I am looking for. Would be interested in your other suggestions too, think I'll have enough ideas for many Birthdays & Christmases to come, many thanks

@ QueenoftheVerse - sounds like Vampire Diaries is definately one to avoid wow it sounds like you are well read in this area so thanks for taking the time to give me lots of suggestions

Yeah, I've also heard Vampire Diaries is totally crap - which is a shame because I love the show!

The Kelley Armstrong series (women of the otherworld I think it's called) that QueenoftheVerse mentions is fab, I've been really enjoying it. It's not just vampires - it starts with werewolves, but is wonderfully put together.

I loved the three Lauren Kate books as pure fantasy. Fallen, Passion and Torment. Along same lines as Twilight but I thought MUCH better written and a good background history. They're about a girl who falls for a Fallen Angel and finds out they are forever doomed reliving the same life every time she is reincarnated.

The Lauren Kate trilogy is currently reduced on Amazon. I have not read but heard good things

Great, I think that's her pressie all sewn up. Thanks again for all your help everyone - knew I could rely on MN & thanks Kayano for the info about Amazon - will check it out now xx

I love passing along book recommendations

QueenoftheVerse I decided on the Kelley Armstrong series in the end as it seemed the closet to Twilight so thanks very much for your help. Let's hope she likes it xx

Yay! Brilliant idea. It is far far better than the Twilight series. Seriously. She'll love it.

MissClaws Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld is a great series, much more grown up than Twilight and is my favourite series. You may want to recommend Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, much better than the TV series and Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake Series, which is like a grown up buffy [that is how it was first recommended to me]