This is a 4 book series by Stephenie Meyer that is just amazing. It's complete fantasy but the relationships within and the action and the tragedies just have my emotions on a roller coaster and I have not been able to put these down in a week.
These are not books I would have ever picked up just by the look of the covers. I'm a hopeless romantic reader. The more drama the better. But the couple best come back together in the end. Really, the last book I read before this was a NASCAR romance by Pamela Britton. I'd share the name but Sheri has the book right now.
The 4th book in this series was recently released in September so it was the book of the month the book club I'm in. The series had a two page spread in the catalog so I read it and was immediately intrigued by the story line. Picked up book 1 and have not stopped. Well, stopped to sleep, stopped to take care of my child, answering her every whim. Stopped to take care of Dane Friday - he would not let me read one flippin page, every time I zoned in he came right back in the room buggin me. He KNEW I was into that book, I just know it.
Book 1:
Twilight begins with the main character - Bella - moving from Phoenix to live with her dad in Forks Washington. Not really thrilled about it, not thrilled about the dreary town, etc etc etc. She's 17 and new at a small town school. She is immediately drawn to Edward Cullin and the Cullin family. They are utterly beautiful, pail, graceful. During this first book it is Bella falling in love with Edward, realizing his true self - a vampire - and not caring that his is what he is. It's the coming together of two loves. And not the creepy Hollywood vampires either. Not spiked teeth. No hunting for humans. Just a fantasy love story between a boy who happens to be a vampire and a girl who loves him anyway.
500 pages - I read within 24 hrs. I started on Friday afternoon and finished Saturday evening and had to get online in order to read the first chapter of the second book.
Book 2:
New Moon takes off a few months after the first one leaves off with school starting the next year. Senior year I believe. I cried during this book. My heart stopped at one point I swear, this one action scene had me on the edge of my seat, popping Good N Plenty's faster than I could chew, speeding through the pages. Edward leaves her at the beginning of the book for her own safety. I cried. Stephenie Meyer - the author - just has this amazing ability to write Bella's feeling in such a way you feel like you in her head feeling what she is feeling. This book introduces Jacob Black - a family friend who becomes her light during her time of depression.
563 pages finished in 2 days. Went to Target the very next morning to pick up number 3. (sorry Stacy, Target has a much better book section than our Wal-Marts)
Book 3:
Eclipse is very dramatic. Another vampire 'gang' is coming to Forks to get Bella. Apparently vampires frown upon humans knowing their secret and Bella knows the secret. Oh, and the head vampire of this gang is a bit mad at Edward for killing her mate when her mate tried to kill Bella in the first book. So Bella is torn between Jacob (who by the way we learn is a werewolf - why not by this point right) and Edward. She has loves Jacob as a best friend but knows his feelings for her are greater and she just hates hurting his feelings. But she LOVES Edward with all of her soul. Bella is also a bit of a klutz and had Edward not saved her life in the first book, book 3 would not exist. This one ends with a wedding and friendship somewhat and an understanding between the Cullins and the werewolves.
Book 4:
I'm halfway through this book. It starts with Bella and skips to Jacob and then back to Bella again. And the last chapter is titled 'The Happily Ever After' - can't wait for that chapter. Got to go read now.
Seriously I just started a week ago on Friday. Crazy. And I've seen Stephenie Meyer on Ellen when the 4th book was released and apparently all of these stories came to her in her dreams. Much like Bella's dreams in the book actually. Good reads. As long as you are able to realize that these are not reality - they are fantasy and for enjoyment only. But the love triangles and the love story itself is very borderline similar to a Shakespeare love story. Seriously. I wouldn't let anyone younger than 9th grade read these. It's that intense of a love story.
OHHHH - and the movie Twilight comes out in November and I'm totally going to see it. Not alone though. Making Patti go with me. She likes scary movies and not that these are scary books but going by myself to a vampire movie - not going to happen. :)
