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Perhaps the most controversial category of all in our Most Influential Women poll is Most Influential Fiction Author. You might not think so at first; after all, those tween stars can cause quite a stir among their fans. But think about it — vampires, wizards, murderous children, teen drama, steamy love stories… How can any one person possibly figure out which of these hot topics has had the most influence over pop culture!?

JK Rowling: Did you or did you not grow up under the spell of all things Harry Potter? Dressing up to go to the movies, waiting in huge lines to buy the books on the night they were released, pretending your pencil is a wand (wait, am I the only one who did that?)… You can’t tell me JK Rowling’s literary genius never affected your life.

Stephanie Meyer: Whether you’re now obsessed with vampires or resent the day the Twilight books were ever written, Mrs. Meyer single-handedly started the vampire craze. Read More »

I’m going to say that my Saturday Read for this week has to be one of the most interesting and unique to date. Okay, okay – anything to do with “Twilight” totally screams boy-crazy tweens.  I’ll admit, I’ve read all four of the books. And perhaps I enjoyed them. They are good if you consider what you’re reading and expect entertainment and not a literary masterpiece. But I do agree, they can be a bit juvenile. However, “Twilight & History” is a totally new take on this series that has captivated the entire world and puts a somewhat “intelligent” spin on the books.

Basically, “Twilight & History” delves DEEP into all the history behind the books, featuring short essays by different historians. I’m a history buff and former history major and even I learned a lot from this one. One essay explains why Bella thinks Edward acts so old-fashioned, with a whole comparison to Jane Austen! Another shows how the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob mimics struggles the real Quileute nation had in obtaining their treaty (I don’t think Stephanie Meyer did this on purpose, but it totally fits).

It’s a complete brain-overload of information and nerds (like myself) will just lap this stuff up. Seriously, after reading this book, I think universities should start offering a Twilight history course; the information and potential are absolutely there and enrollment would be through the roof! Read More »

It is still shocking to me that in 2009, when freedom of speech is as widely practiced as brushing your teeth every morning, books are still being challenged, placed in restricted sections of the library, or banned all together. But we are sadly reminded, as another Banned Books Week comes around, that censorship is still in full swing (or at least trying to be).

When considering books that should be banned, I think perhaps “How to Make a Bomb” could have a logical reason for not being permitted in school libraries. But when I took a look at the 2008-2009 list, I seriously think I felt my jaw hit the floor. Most of these books are top selling, award winning novels that have secured a permanent spot in our present day pop culture.

So, these books are being “challenged”, which suggests that there is a group of people somewhere that is wagging their finger at us as we sit curled up in our bed drooling over every page.

But do we college students ever follow the rules? To be honest, we have a little too much fun breaking them.

So let’s do what we do best and rebel, people!

Here are a few of the books from the list that should most definitely be read, if not held out our dorm room windows in an act of defiance (if your lucky enough to see daylight in that cell of yours, that is).

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It seems that these days, everybody is obsessed with vampires. Since “Twilight” burst onto the literary scene, an entire genre of vampire fiction has emerged. However, Charlaine Harris with her Sookie Stackhouse novels (as they are known) was present long before Stephanie Meyer. And for those of you who enjoy a slightly supernatural twist on your reading, but feel a bit too mature for “Twilight,” Harris will fill that void.

You may recognize the name Sookie Stackhouse from the popular HBO series “True Blood,” which was inspired by Harris’ series and characters. The book and the TV show are very similar; same characters, same situations. However, as I often find, the book is better than the television or theatrical interpretation.

Sookie is a completely lovable character. Living a simple life in the simple town of Bon Temps, Louisana, her whole world is twisted when a vampire enters the bar where she works. In Sookie’s world, vampires have “come out of the closet” and live among humans, sometimes peacefully, sometimes……not. Sookie takes a particular interest in vampire Bill and soon enough, they develop a relationship.

What I found intriguing about this novel is that Harris parallels real-life relationship struggles with the vampire-human relationship, such as the ever-present issue of different races and religions. Harris uses the vampire platform to demonstrate how couples of different races or religions face criticism from their community and their family and friends.

I found myself completely and totally lost in “Dead Until Dark.” Harris is a great writer; simple, but to the point. I could not put down Sookie’s story and often imagined myself walking along with her and Bill. As with all of my summer reads, the story and language need not be complicated for the book to be entertaining. I fully enjoyed “Dead Until Dark,” and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a more mature “Twilight” or just a supernatural summer read!

We’re all well aware of the honeymoon playing out between our new Commander in Chief and every media outlet save FOX. I mean, when the new president can inspire debate over whether or not he’ll be funny on late night talk shows, rather than any role he should or should not play in this debacle, the rose colored glasses are on.

Cosmo, not one to miss out on a trend, also felt the need in their April edition to give the new prez some props—in their own special way. Hence, we were treated to a wonderful dissection by the great Dr. Ian Kerner, whose recent box office success apparently qualifies him to comment on the First Relationship…and its sex life.

Yes, my loves, Cosmo says this month: “Why the Obama’s Love is So Sexy”!

On Physicality
Cosmo says: “Seeing them hold hands and kiss reminds me of how important touch is outside the bedroom. Hugs can take you where words can’t.”

Kari says: I’m either going to needlepoint that hugs quote onto a pillow or make it my Facebook status. I guess I can see why people touching each other is sexy, but this headline led me to believe that there would be more witticisms like “let’s just say they danced together at the inaugural balls in a way that implied the real fun would begin later.” Quite frankly I’m disappointed that more justice was not done to the phrase “inaugural balls,” so bring on the juicy stuff, Cosmo. Read More »

So Spring Break is coming. Hellooooo, beach! For those of you out there who won’t be spending all day getting boozed (you can’t imagine anything more horrendous than the mixture of heavy alcohol, sun, and waves), you are going to need some beach entertainment. And soberly watching drunk people bury each other in the sand gets boring after day one.

So, here is a handy list of books to bring with you to your tropical destination this year. They’re not your typical cheesy chick lit for the most part, but they’re pretty addictive in their own rights. Read More »