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Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

12 Days of a LitPig Christmas: 11

On the 11th day of Christmas my LitPig brought to me ...

ELEVEN PENGUIN CLASSICS
TEN FALCO MYSTERIES
NINE BILL BRYSONS
EIGHT PENELOPE LIVELYS
SEVEN KATE ATKINSONS
SIX UNSUED COOKBOOKS
FIVE CRIME FESTS
FOUR DAVID MITCHELLS
THREE MARGARET ATWOODS
TWO HOMER SAGAS
and
A BOX SET OF ROALD DAHL BOOKS

Each day I want to share the writing of an author that I read for the first time in 2011.   These are my personal choices - you may know many of them, but perhaps one or two will be new to you ... So why not try a new author in 2012.  
November 2011:
STEPHENIE MEYER - Twilight

I planned to read this as a research project to understand what made this book and the Twilight series so successful in the YA market.  I didn't expect to enjoy the experience, but grew quite fond of Bella and her odd choice of boyfriend, which shows you should never pre-judge any book before reading.  What did surprise was how well this has sold - over 100 million copies worldwide for the whole Twilight series - considering the slow pacing of book 1.  Twilight is not a fast read and for large chunks of the book not a lot actually happens, but it builds in atmosphere and you just have to read on to find if Bella does get her vampire.  In fact everything about this book seemed to go against all advice for writing for the YA/teen market, as it didn't have: short chapters, fast paced plot, lots of dialogue.  Allegedly 'Pride and Prejudice' was the inspiration behind Twilight and yes that can be seen in the initial stages of Bella and Edward's simmering relationship, but I think Jane Austen got to the point far quicker ... 
Twilight series:
Twilight (2005), New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), Breaking dawn (2008)
Other novels:
The short second life of Bree Tanner (2010)
The host (2008)

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