Thursday, June 24, 2010

In which I feel stupid...

Way back when I signed with my wonderful agent, Jim McCarthy, he sent me a box of some of his other clients' books.  In that box was Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  My editor also sent me a box of books and I arranged everything on new shelves and started reading my way through them.  My mother started to read more and more YA and when she realized just how many books I had, she started making visits to haul them away.  (Yes, I've turned my mother into a huge YA reader and it's totally awesome.)

Early on my mom carted away Vampire Academy and it lived at her house for a long while until she picked it up.  She devoured it, raced to the store and bought the entire series.  Every time she visited or we chatted on the phone, she asked when a new one would be coming out.

See, you'd think that would have been enough to prompt me to drop everything and pick these books up.  But I didn't for a whole host of boring reasons like revisions, writing, other books I had to read for whatever reason.

I even met Richelle in person and yes, I was embarrassed that here she's written this amazingly successful series (multiple series!) and we share an agent and I hadn't read her books!  I really like to be in the perfect mood for a book because I really really want to love every book I read.  And then a few weeks ago the perfect mood struck and I picked up Vampire Academy.

OH.  MY.  WORD!!!  I am SO STUPID for not having read these books earlier!!!  Seriously, they're amazing and I've been devouring them!  My mother never gave me Frostbite, the second book, and I had to race to the store to pick it up because I just couldn't wait.  I was up so early this morning reading the third that it was dark out (I don't do mornings well).

This world is just really wonderfully crafted and complex.  Richelle does a brilliant job of building the characters and the plots and raising the stakes and weaving it all together so tightly and compellingly.  There are layers and twists and depth -- these are books that have made me gasp, that have kept me up late and gotten me up early (anything that can get me awake at 5am has to be incredible).  And yes, these books have made me teary which is a massive feat all on its own.

They're also really well written.  As an author I really really love seeing how Richelle pulls it all off -- truly, I'm in awe of her mad skills.  And yes, I feel stupid for not reading them earlier but I'm super SUPER thrilled that I get to just devour them one right after the other without having to wait.

Thanks Richelle for writing such phenomenal books and I'm sorry I didn't read them earlier!  And everyone else out there who has been putting off picking up this fantastic series, I wholeheartedly recommend it!

15 comments:

Monica said...

I finished reading The Dead Tossed Waves at 1:00 AM (and now I'm at work, so tired!) and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I just found out this morning that there will be a third book and I am very excited about it. It will be worth the wait! Is there any way you can tell us what character will be narrating The Dark and Hollow Places? I'm going to read The Vampire Academy series while I wait for it. It's one of the few YA series I haven't attempted yet.

Jess (Gone with the Words) said...

I'm so excited that you love this series!! I LOOOOOVE this series and I'm always recommending it to my friends, so it's exciting for me when I see someone else gushing over it, hehe. :)

Helen said...

Yes, I just started reading them last week myself! I finished the second one this morning. They're amazing, and I wish I could take my time reading to make them last long, but I can't. I would have gone mad if I'd had to wait in between books--the thought of the 6th not being out until December is so depressing.

Anonymous said...

Having read tons of YA material, for some reason, I always passed up VA. Not exactly sure why, maybe because there were a lot of books to read in the series already out. Then, one fateful day, I thought 'You've been staring me in the face every time I come to this bookstore, so fine, I'll read you.'

Well, holy moly, I'm so glad I did. That day, I finished the first book and went to the bookstore to buy the remaining in the series. Within three days, I was done all the books, breathless and in love with a man other than my husband.

What can I say, I too Carrie, kick myself for not reading them sooner!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lori said...

This is one of my favorite series! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!

Kim said...

I know how you feel. I won the first book recently from a contest and I felt so stupid after reading it for not reading those books before. I need to pick up the rest ASAP.

Rachel498 said...

It's nice to know that Richelle's work is appreciated. I started the series in 2008 and have been addicted ever since :)

Caroline Tung Richmond said...

Oh, Vampire Academy has been on my reading list for awhile but I haven't gotten around to it. Must read it now!

And hey, why didn't Jim send me a box of books? Haha.

By the way, thanks again for all of the lovely feedback you gave me a couple months ago! Jim sent me his revision notes this week and I'm trying not to have a heart attack while I tackle them. :o)

xtina@moydrookreads said...

yayy! completely agree with you here. richelle mead is amazing. the chemistry between her characters...the depth, the excitement of the plot! ahh. can't get enough.

your books are also at the top of my TBR list...i've read so many great reviews and can't wait to dig in!

Allison Rose said...

I love love love love the Vampire Academy series! It's awesome that you read it :)

Vivien said...

I am absolutely addicted to this series. I was able to add a signed copy of Spirit Bound to my collection next to yours. :) It's just breathtaking. I even got one of the lines as a tattoo. Glad you like it as well.

Kathryne Miller said...

Dear Carrie-

I have read your book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth and am reading it again right now. I really love that book, my mom gave it to me this past Christmas. I really want to read The Dead Tossed Waves next. But i have a question for you. I know you are a busy woman so no worries getting back to me about this but there is this one series of vampire books called Marked by PC Cast and Kristin Cast- i tried reading it and i just couldn't get into it and was wondering if you've read it- I love reading paranormal fantasy and i just read your last post about Vampire Academy and well, my point is that i want something a little bit more mature- i am 21 and was wondering if you think that maybe Vampire Academy is a good series for me to start? I love young adult books it's just that I need something more mature..anywho sorry if that was kind of complex to read. i love your books and i know for a fact so many readers connect with you writing. its beautiful. thanks for your time-

sunnynikki said...

Based on this post I went out and bought the first one. I am now staying up late every night to finish the next book. I may be groggy at work now but it is so worth it! Thanks for the recommendation.

cegluna said...

I LOVE the Vampire Academy series. Richelle is amazing. Must also recommend her non-YA Dark Swan series which sucked me in as well.