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If you loved Harry Potter and Twilight what should you read next?

41 replies

WinkyGirl · 13/02/2009 13:17

My friends and I are true Harry Potter fans. We are now getting into Twilight. But what next?

Can anyone recommend anything? Your thoughts gratefully appreciated!

OP posts:
fizzpops · 25/02/2009 19:30

There is an unpublished extract of another book in the 'Twilight' series on Stephenie Meyer's website www.stepheniemeyer.com

Go to the 'Twilight Series' tab and then choose 'Midnight Sun' from the menu on the left hand side. It is the start of the 'Twilight' story but told from Edward's perspective. The whole background to the manuscript being leaked etc is there too.

It is only 264 pages long but should keep you going for a (little) bit. It has made me want to go back and start the whole series again....

seeker · 26/02/2009 05:17
alipiggie · 26/02/2009 05:25

The Dark is Rising (6 books in total) by Susan Cooper - I found it a far more scintillating read than Harry Potter and believe me I'm a Potter fan. Excellent books.

fizzpops · 26/02/2009 07:43

Seeker - if you never read 'children's' books then you are really missing out imo. By definition they have to be far more imaginative to appeal. Children can be the harshest critics as we all know! Can see what you are saying though and I would call it a guilty pleasure - if I felt guilty about it!

fizzpops · 26/02/2009 07:44

Not that twilight is a children's book, that one is pure escapism .

Was just trying to make the point that just because something is not aimed at my age group doesn't mean I can't enjoy it.

BandMeeting · 26/02/2009 07:55

The Host by Stephenie Meyer is good too.

With the reading grown up books - I read adult books, kid books, teen books, all different genres. You can get a lot of good stuff from reading "children's" books.

His Dark Materials are marketed in the children's section, and imo are far from it.

rosmerta · 26/02/2009 08:08

I'm another one who reads lots of different things from different genres & ages. I agree that HDM have a lot of adult themes in them & not really a children's book.

Most of the suggestions I would've made have already been said - HDM, the Sally Lockhart series.

Am excited to hear about the new Twilight book! I've only recently started these and raced through the first three. Dh bought me the last one after I was moaning that it wasn't out in paperback yet! I'm having to wait to read it otherwise I'll be ignoring the dcs

purplemonkeydishwasher · 26/02/2009 08:09

I really enjoyed The Various Trilogy by Steve Augarde

disclaimer: i haven't read any harry potter books and i've only recently read twilight.

seeker · 26/02/2009 09:39

Oh, I LOVE children's books - I re-read old favourites all the time and have had some fab chats about them on here. I think it's the cynical marketing to teen girls of formula written sub Chick Lit of the Twilight books that annoys me!

BustyMcGee · 27/02/2009 08:56

I loved all the Chrestomanci books by diana wynne jones, for children, well written and very magical.

janeite · 27/02/2009 17:24

Yes, I agree Seeker.

I quite liked the 4th book in the "Twilight" series (I continued in desperation as I'd paid for them for dd1 and was otherwise bookless) but on the whole was very disappointed. And that extract online is soooooooooooooo bad. How lazy - to just rewrite a book from a different character's viewpoint when we've heard most of Edward's viewpoint from the irritation that is Bella anyway.

I've just read Gaiman's "Graveyard Book" which was quite enjoyable.

rosmerta · 28/02/2009 08:28

I've quite enjoyed the Twilight series, though I do agree that Bella gets more irritating the further on you get! Janeite, yep very lazy just to rewrite it, the words 'cashing in' spring to mind!

fizzpops · 28/02/2009 09:45

I think it is interesting to see the other side of the story as it picks up things which are highlighted later on and makes sense of questions Bella has at the time.

It was going to be published but Stephenie Meyer was unsure what to do about it following the leak. It did make me wonder how far she would have taken it. The whole book of Twilight from the other point of view would have been a bit strange so maybe she had something more in mind for it.

I guess if you just weren't that into the books then you just wouldn't be into more of the same. Horses for courses and all that.

BarrelOfMonkeys · 03/03/2009 00:14

Another vote for The Night Watch series here - ignore the films, I saw them first and got very confused when reading the first book as the trajectory is different. Loving the books, on the second one now. Romps along nicely!

gigglewitch · 03/03/2009 00:26

has anyone suggested the Terry Pratchett books - stuff like "wyrd sisters", "pyramids" and "the hogfather" are fantastic to start with!

MoominMymbleandMy · 03/03/2009 01:00

As others have said:

anything by Diana Wynne Jones,
Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix, Shade's Children is good too,
Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy
Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising

On the the "Twilight" series. I've just read the first three because they were really cheap at The Red House, and I was curious about the fuss.

Not bad yarns but I really, really don't understand the attraction of the heroine Bella - the bloke/werewolf/vampire magnet.

She is such a drip. She is wetter than a duck's bum. I am longing for something to bite her which will polish her off forever.
In fact, she is such an awful character I think she wrecks the books.

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