#7 - The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Science Fiction (suggestion), 619 pages

Being a female between the ages of 14 and 40, I was definitely familiar with Stephenie Meyer before I picked up this book. Several of my friends had read The Host and told me it was pretty good, so, when I saw a co-worker (and friend) carrying it one day, I piped up and asked to borrow it.

The Host is the story of a parasitic alien race, calling themselves 'souls' that have conquered the Earth. Each 'soul' is implanted into an unwilling human 'host' body, and the 'soul's' consciousness soon replaces that of the host. The souls have had remarkable success with this program, inserting themselves into different, seemingly welcoming species throughout the galaxy.

Because the souls have no real 'bodies', as long as they can be implanted into a host, they can live indefinitely. During their lifetimes living in different hosts, the souls have developed significant advances in medicine and technology. They live in a peaceful, Utopian society where they shun violence and there is no poverty. Everyone contributes to the whole and takes what they need, and they pleasantly give to better each other and society. When the souls become aware of the violence of humanity, they decide that they have found a new destination.

The souls are completely unprepared for what they find on Earth - humanity resists the control of these 'benevolent' souls, and there are some humans who would rather die than become and 'it', a parasite. The Host is the story of one such soul, Wanderer, who is implanted into an unwilling host, Melanie. Melanie never stops fighting Wanderer, never stops trying to be an individual and in control of herself. Wanderer, in spite of feeling like a failure and traitor to her species starts to befriend Melanie. What ensues is a touching and complex story of love, life and self-discovery.

Full disclosure: I read all four Twilight books. Several times. And I listened to the audio book. I went to see Twilight on opening night with my bestie (along with all the high school girls and gay men), and I cannot WAIT for New Moon to come out. In spite of this, you will get no argument from me if you assert that these books are remarkably poorly written for best sellers. The plot is predictable, Bella is most definitely a 'Mary Sue', and some of the behavior in those books borders on creepy (Edward watching her sleep for months, anyone?). I can't explain to you why I love these books so much, but I do. Imagine my surprise upon reading The Host when I discovered that Stephenie Meyer can actually write. I don't suppose that this novel is going to join the denizens of great classics, but it was still quite good.

The dynamic between Melanie and Wanderer was great and the tension this created through the story was interesting to say the least. The loneliness they each feel at the thought of being separated was compelling. Even though Melanie was constantly fighting Wanderer, they did come to care about each other. The love triangle (kind of) that Meyer creates is equally as intriguing, and the juxtaposition of the gentle Wanderer and the monomaniacal Seeker was well executed.

If you were a fan of Twilight, you will probably like this book too because they have similar themes; a fight for true love, a tense and odd love triangle, the supernatural. Although the writing, tension and character development in The Host far outclassed Meyer's earlier work, the ending for this one was fairly predictable but still enjoyable. I would have to give this a 3 out of 5 - I certainly enjoyed reading it and would be likely to read it again.

#6 - The Sandman:Preludes & Nocturnes text by Neil Gaiman

Graphic Novel, 234 pages

I tried and tried and tried to read The Scarlet Letter. I really did. But, try as I might, I just could not get into it. I know that it is an important piece of classic literature, but the whole time I tried to read it, I kept thinking, "Man, I am SO glad I didn't have to read this thing in high school." So, since I didn't have to read it, it is on the back burner for now, and I decided to read something almost instantly gratifying: The Sandman volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes.

The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes is the story of the capture of the Dream King, Morpheus, by a dabbler in the occult. This dabbler promises that he will free Morpheus from his glass prison if he is granted power and immortality. Morpheus refuses and bides his time until he can exact his revenge.

After 70 years of imprisonment, Morpheus gets his chance. He is free but greatly weakened, and battles his way back to his kingdom. When he arrives, he sees that it is in ruin. Morpheus is so weak that he can't repair the damage to his home. His quest throughout this graphic novel is to find his three lost artifacts, imbued with the power of Morpheus' soul and stolen at the time of his imprisonment. This quest leads him through the human world, into Hell and a contest with a demon and then to the doorstep of the Justice League (looking as though they were slightly gone to seed).

After the exciting battle to obtain the final artifact from a deranged addict, who has been tinkering with and usurping the Dream King's power, Morpheus gives in to the melancholy that comes after a big emotional climax. His sister, Death, comes to him as he mopes in the human world, and he goes with her as she does her work for the day. In watching his sister work, Morpheus feels a renewed sense of worth and sets out to rebuild his kingdom.

This was the start of a graphic novel series that I wanted to read ever since I heard Tori Amos' song lyric "Me and Neil'll be hangin' out with the dream king" (from Tear in Your Hand on Little Earthquakes). I was not disappointed. Gaiman takes what could be morbid characters (like Death) and makes them, while still morbid, like able. He shows Lucifer as the beautiful fallen angel that he was, but his demonic minions and co-rulers of Hell are just as creepy as you would imagine them to be. The effects when mortals become addicted to the power of the Dream King are disastrous, and even although Morpheus has the capacity for great evil and nightmares, he rarely uses it, and never on the undeserving. In addition to his quest to retrieve his stolen power, he just wants to set right the wrongs created by mortals.

This was quite a quick read, and I will probably read the remaining 10 volumes in the series, just for my own enjoyment. It was surprising to me how easily I got wrapped up not only in the artwork, but primarily in the story. When I got to the end last night, my only thought was, "Wait, that's it? I want to read more!" If you aren't used to graphic novels, this might be a good one for you to start with. The pop culture references to Morpheus, the Sandman, the King of Dreams are everywhere today. I feel like now that I have become the tiniest bit familiar with these characters, I understand new facets of some of my favorite songs and movies (like the aforementioned Tori Amos song). Based on that fact alone, I would have to rank this a 5 out of 5.