Book Haven discussion

A lot of people tend to compare these two authors. Their plots have some similarities and the write in the same genre.
L.J. Smith did write her books before Meyer, but I am curious to learn which author everyone prefers...?

Which author do you prefer and why?

I'll start...

I read L.J. Smith's books way back when I was in junior high. Her book "Soulmate" was the one that convinced me to try reading and brought me into this world. So, I give her major props for that. She started writing about vampires before they became a fad. I'm choosing to ignore her recent books because they don't feel like true L.J. Smith novels.

Stephanie Meyer has become a "brand" name. Ignoring all of the hype and the movies, if I strip down to just her books... I give her props for getting the Vampire hype moving, but want to scream because now people are writing about vampires just to sell a book and not the story. I thought her books were good, but when I look back at them (even though I enjoyed reading them) I can't get past the angst. I thought Edward was creepy. I thought her last book was a cop-out because I wanted a real battle. Though, I do like her books... I felt that she wrote a quartet that could have been a trilogy if she didn't repeat herself over and over. lol

So, while both have their strong points and weaknesses... I have to choose L.J. Smith because of nostalgia.

I prefer L.J. Smith. Not because of Vampire Diaries (I found the last few to be absolutely dire), but because of The Forbidden Game. I love her character Julian.

Shauna wrote: "I prefer L.J. Smith. Not because of Vampire Diaries (I found the last few to be absolutely dire), but because of The Forbidden Game. I love her character Julian."

While I prefer LJ Smith as well I definitely agree with it NOT being for Vampire Diaries. I always found Elena to be far too self involved (at least in the beginning) and could figure out whey these two vampires were so in love with her. I also think it seemed like Smith became too attached to Elena and then couldn't break the damned love triangle (I can't stand love triangles after Smith and Meyers) because how could anyone possibly love anyone else besides Elena. I think Meyers did this as well with Bella - the only way to break the love triangle was to have a teenager fall in her love her newborn child (yuck) and everything worked out so damn swimmingly for her as she transitioned to being a vampire, she had to give up nothing for choosing eternal death over life (such BS) and Meyers kept insisting on calling Bella a martyr in the last book and I saw no evidence of these actions (if it was a boy she wanted to name the baby Edward Jacob - how horribly inconsiderate to the FATHER of the child).

Anyways, I definitely preferred Smith, but more for the Nightworld series. However, I have not read her in ages and really her writing may be just as bad as Meyers, but my teenage self didn't notice. Truthfully though over either of these writers I enjoyed Amelia Atwater-Rhodes much more. I thought her characters were more three dimensional - none of them were perfect - and she had dangerous blood sucking vampires, proudly taking there spot at the top of the food chain, but still remaining characters the reader could have some empathy for.

I will take anything, anybody over Stephenie Meyer. I was so disappointed with Twilight. I will never get those hours I wasted reading it back again. :0(

Lori Tatar wrote: "I will take anything, anybody over Stephenie Meyer. I was so disappointed with Twilight. I will never get those hours I wasted reading it back again. :0("

I agree with you.

I agree with Stephen King who said that Stephenie Meyer's series is poorly written. If it is otherworldly creatures I want to read about, I go to the classics - Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.

It is actually quite an open discussion as for me:

Stephanie Meyer got me into reading books, Twilight got me into the vampire/supernatural genre and so for that i am very grateful as now i read an enire variety. However, because so many people were inspired to write their own 'vampire' or type of supernatural books there is nothing new anymore and the genre has been over-used in my opinion. Looking back at Twilight it now seems very basic and not very good to me but then again that might be because of the other books or just that i never went crazy on it!

L.J.Smith is a fantastic author and i loved The Vampire Diaries books BEFORE the series came out on TV. Her stories are all very good and fun to read and i do prefer her over Stephanie Meyer maybe because her books have not been over-read and over-obsessed on so i dont get bored of them or tier of hearing them.

I miss Anne Rice... :(

No kidding! Now there is some serious vampire story-telling...and SCARY! Isn't that what vampires are supposed to be??? I imagine she and Brahm Stoker would just cringe over the sappy, sparkly stuff.

Lori Tatar wrote: "No kidding! Now there is some serious vampire story-telling...and SCARY! Isn't that what vampires are supposed to be??? I imagine she and Brahm Stoker would just cringe over the sappy, sparkly stuff."

I totally agree. I thik Dracula was actually one of the first vampire novels I've ever read...except bunicula...but thats about a rabbit and I was in the 2nd grade... I miss the real sex appeal, and the real fear that comes with them being so alluring.

I prefer L.J. Smith and not because of Vampire Diaries, I'm not interested in it but I've read her other books and really enjoyed them like I really enjoyed that book

At least LJ Smith can write decent sentences. I liked the first Vampire Diaries book but that's about it. I'm not a fan of YA and even less of YA Paranormal. I read TVD because I liked the show. (And I went and stopped watching halfway through season 2.)

The Twilight stuff is just plain bad. Bad writing, storytelling, storylines bordering on absurd.

L.J. Smith all the way. I love how she wrote the characters and how she created her world of vampires. I also like her other books too.

Something I keep wondering. How do movies get made of books that no one likes....? lol

Anne Rice and Stoker, I have both. I need to read them, lol.

L.a. wrote: "Something I keep wondering. How do movies get made of books that no one likes....? lol

Anne Rice and Stoker, I have both. I need to read them, lol."

They're popular, I guess. Popular at the right moment probably. Heck, even the Charlain Harris Sookie Stackhouse series went to sh*t after a couple of books.