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Journal Entry 1 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, October 10, 2009
 "Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.
Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.
Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time."
I picked up a couple copies of these for $1 each at the factory warehouse sale. My copy is still on Mt. TBR. (hardcover)
3/7/12 - Just finished this on audio. I feared this might be a little too sci-fi for my interests, but it wasn't. So-called aliens take over human bodies, implanting "souls" in their brains. It sounds kind of corny, but I thought it was actually written quite well. It's a long book -- maybe longer than it needs to be, but it's like most long books: after all that time invested in reading, you tend to get attached to the characters. Definitely a thought-provoking book, and one that would be good for discussion.
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Journal Entry 3 by  azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, December 02, 2009
First off, I have to confess I've never read any of the Twilight series. Not that I am not interested, but my coworker kept saying that she has the audio CDs to lend me and I have kept waiting... and there was no rush as I certainly have a very long TBR list.
Somehow this book really calls to me, and when I mentioned it to my friends I got several lined up already wanting to read it. So I guess I am taking it out of the box!
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Journal Entry 4 by azuki at Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wow this certainly is one of the best books I've read this year. I think it is the first 10* I've given in a while!! I have already set aside a book for the Best of Swap, but am really tempted to use this instead!
When I read this, I have already read Twilight. And while I enjoyed it, it was a bit too formulaic: average school girl meeting perfect guy. A girl who likes book but not exceptionally brainy, clumsy, sucks at sports, broken family, a bit insecure... a profile that fits plenty target readers. Along comes a guy who is gorgeous looking (and perpetually so), gentlemanly, a superman who unfailingly there to save your life, ridiculously rich, speeds in a nice sports car, and who finds you the most desirable creature he's seen in a hundred years. The perfect boyfriend. Yikes, too calculated to be popular.
However, this book just blows me away. It would be lovely if Rowlings can pull something like this, something that makes me say, well, Harry Potter is great, but this new book is even more brilliant. Here is an author more mature and developed who doesn't need to stay in the comfort zone.
The story moves along at a good pace, and at moments when a lesser author can happily end the story, Meyer pushes on to bring it to a new level. The plot is richer and less predictable than Twilight. (Well, I haven't read the later books in the series, so my comparison is only with the first book, and I would imagine Breaking Dawn is likely a better work than Twilight.)
As for "the first love triangle involving only two bodies", well, things get really interesting when it becomes a love rectangle! This book makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me think a lot, makes my heart sing for the goodness and love in life. (I have wanted to say in humankind, or in our soul, but in this case it would not be inclusive enough.) This is a book that makes me want it to continue, I want to hear so much more about the characters, all the characters.
Now heading to one lucky BCer who has it on her wishlist!
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The Host: A Novel
