Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Meggie has never heard her father Mo read aloud....for good reason. Mo has a gift. He brings characters to life, right off the page. However, this gift has a price. Whenever a character is read out from a book, a person is sucked into the book in trade. This is exactly what happened to Meggie's mother when Mo read aloud from a book called Inkheart. Unfortunately, when Meggie's mother goes into the book, three characters are brought to life. Two of which are extremely evil and plot to use Mo's gift for their evil intentions. Mo swears to never read aloud again, and is able to evade said evil Inkheart characters by moving Meggie and himself frequently around Europe. However, one fateful night, the third Inkheart character, Dustfinger, finally catches up with Mo and Meggie. From there, the story leads to tales of adventure, love, and bravery.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, which was translated originally from German. I mean what's not to love? It has mythical creatures, vivid characters, and the endless good versus evil feud. The only complaint I have is that it seemed a bit long winded in some areas, which I felt detracted from the main story line. The most impressive component is that Funke uses quotes from classic books at the beginning of every chapter, foreshadowing what's to come. Overall, an enjoyable read if your looking for a good escape from reality.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

I am not going to summarize this book. No summary would do it justice.

Like many people, I had not heard of the book until after I saw the movie. I saw the movie a long time ago, but was hesitant to pick up the book for fear of being tainted by watching the movie first. However, there is nothing to fear. The book is excellent, and the movie follows the book pretty closely, with a few exceptions. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Everyone should read Fight Club at some point in their lives.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The human race has been invaded by parasitic "souls" who claim to live a more peaceful and civilized way of life. Melanie, a human resistor, has her worst nightmare come true when she is caught and embedded with a soul known as Wanderer. Wanderer, unable to shake off Melanie's consciousness, seeks out Melanie's family and loved ones. She soon becomes a sole alien living among human survivors, integrating herself into their daily lives. However, there is a price to pay when one body shares two souls and the ultimate decision must be made.

I had originally bought The Host last year when I read The Twilight Saga. However, it has sat on my self unread because I wanted to allow my mind enough time to fully separate the two stories in my mind. They are indeed, quite different. Meyer brings a complex, rich voice to this "sci-fi story for people who don't like science fiction." I found the characters in this book easy to identify with, both human and alien alike. Meyer also raises several moral and ethical questions that leaves one thinking long after they have set the book down. Overall, I highly enjoyed The Host, and would recommend it to all readers, even those who didn't enjoy The Twilight Saga.