February 22nd, 2010 — 4 Stars, Book Review, Clumsy Heroine, Contemporary, Paranormal, Stephenie Meyer, United States of America, Vampire, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Werewolf, Young Adult
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The first book in the Twilight saga as said by the author in the Amazon interview is about finding true love and is conveniently entitled Twilight. Stephenie Meyer was partial to calling it Forks, the name of the little town Bella goes to live. Her name was chosen because Stephenie Meyer would have named her daughter that if she had one. It fit so nicely with Edward. Bella's full name is Isabella Swan.
Isabella goes to live in Forks, a little town that really does exist on the map on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Forks is full of rain. It never stops raining. It rains so much you never dry out. Isabella is horrified at the idea of returning to her childhood home to live with her father, Charlie, but she is going to go through with it. Bella is like that. Once she has made up her mind she won't change it. The agonizing and worrying and doubting happens during the decision making process only.
Bella moves to Forks so her mother Renee can move around from place to place with her second (new) husband Phil and not feel guilty. She wants her mother to be happy and by going to Forks she'll make Charlie happy. She's going to miss the sunshine and heat of Arizona. But most of all, Bella is going to miss how easily she blended despite her pale skin into the crowds of her large high school. Forks is small and can not hold a secret. Bella is afraid of her first day of sophomore year. She doesn't want to stick out like the clumsy sore thumb she is but knows she will.
At school things were going like she predicted and in ways she wasn't expecting. Boys were paying attention to her, she was the center of attention, and at lunch the most beautiful kids were staring at her. Who were they? Why did suddenly, the most handsome look up and glare at her? At the table sat the Cullens. Each was adopted by Dr. Carlisle and his wife Esme. They didn't hang out with anybody in school. Bella was told they thought themselves better than the rest.
But this did not explain the youngest Cullens' behavior. Why did he act like he couldn't stand her when she had done nothing to him? Why did he try to change out of biology before the school day was over? Why did he skip so much school? Was it to avoid her? Edward Cullens mystified Isabella Swan. That was until she found out he was a vampire. Then it made sense.
The Cullens are different from other vampires. The first of which I can't say since it is fun to hear of it in the third book. The second is because they are in their own terms, ‘vegetarians.' They choose to drink animal blood over human. You can tell when vampires shy from human blood because their irises are gold and not blood red. Bella can tell when Edward is thirsty or mad simply by the color of his irises. At first he is surprised, but then he relaxes. After all she was observant enough to notice he was a vampire when others simply ignored all the signs.
The sentence structure of Twilight is a little choppy and hard to get into. The story picks up, right where the author first dreamed about it. Stephenie Meyer wrote the scene in the meadow first and finished the story before returning to write the beginning. Beginnings are hard, and if you can push past the first one hundred to one-hundred-and-fifty pages then it gets good. That is when the story becomes captivating and hard to put down. Edward and Bella is a classic that only gets better.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Originally posted 2008-12-01 01:36:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 6th, 2010 — 4.5 Stars, A-C, Book Review, Dukes and Earls, Great Britain, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Virgin Heroine
Kathryn Caskie spins a delightful tale in How to Engage an Earl. My only complaint is the hero's name. I mean really, Laird? I can't decide if I am supposed to pronounce it like Lard, Lord, or L'AIR-ed. Apparently, Laird is a Scottish name, if that helps anyone else figure out how to say it.
So after Laird, Caskie gives us a much easier name to pronounce: Anne Royle. Anne is one of three Royle sisters; Mary was married off in How to Seduce a Duke and Elizabeth is younger than Anne. I figure that makes Anne the middle child. She's very pale in coloring; white skin, flax hair, gold eyes, red lips. She's also used to not being noticed. In fact, Anne is so unnoticed in crowds that she can literally steal the goblet that they are drinking from right out of their hands.
Of course, this is how Laird MacLaren first notices her and maneuvers her to try to steal his glass. Anne distracts him and manages to escape... with his drink, back into the crowd. That was not the last time Laird saw her that night however. Anne is set on the mission of finding the letters that will prove her heritage as a daughter of the Prince Regent. These letters are rumored to be in the Earl MacLaren's bedroom. Thrilling and sexy, Anne's presence in the master bedroom is only topped by Laird's, who had gone up earlier to sleep off the brandy.
Not five minutes after her discovery by Laird in his bedroom than the rest of the ton finds out. The scandal was only narrowly subverted by his friend, Apsley, who claimed that she was in his room because Anne was Laird's betrothed. Thrust into the center of attention, Anne is shocked speechless and highly uncomfortable. All Anne wants is out!
The next day Laird agrees she can end the engagement only after she helps change his character in the eyes of the ton. Laird wants to marry Constance Henceforth, but she will only have him if he's changed. After all who would want a rake?
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Buy: How to Engage an Earl
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Originally posted 2008-12-02 02:08:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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August 5th, 2008 — Contemporary, Features, News, Paranormal, Stephenie Meyer, United States of America, Vampire, Werewolf, Young Adult
Friday night of last week, fans of the teenage vampire romance by Stephenie Meyer gathered at bookstores for the release of Breaking Dawn, the fourth installment of the Twilight Saga. They were dressed as characters in the books, as vampires in general and in particular as Edward and Bella. Several went on dates to the midnight release parties, the theme of the prom being a great backdrop for such an evening.
Depending on your bookstore, there were many events set up to participate in. The one I liked best was bobbing for apples with the grand prize being your placement in the line come midnight. Many fans wore their Team Edward and Team Jacob shirts, the iron-ons having been provided in the newer release edition of Eclipse. The crowds were just as large from what I could tell as any Harry Potter release, for there were boys and girls, youths and adults in attendance.
I joined in even though I didn’t have a book held on hold at the bookstore. I chose Amazon thinking I would get the book at midnight or on the 2nd, but Amazon didn’t release Breaking Dawn like they released Deathly Hallows. I won’t get my copy until the end of the week. Very upsetting! I’m avoiding Facebook because people are discussing the novel left and right across the board and I don’t want to get spoiled. I hate knowing endings before I get to them of my own accord.
If you could access Twitter in your area, last Friday, you would have seen several posts from those at the parties talking about the books, their thoughts, projections, and wishes for the fourth book. I found that just as fun to read as any forum, newspaper article, or discussion because Twitter is kind of like eavesdropping. Jacob fans said they’d be mad if he didn’t get someone in this novel, Bella or his bond-mate. Edward fans wanted to make sure Bella didn’t chicken out of the wedding and hurt Edward. And mothers were hoping the book didn’t get more elaborate in the sexually charged scenes as the bedroom scene in Eclipse. I for one will feel cheated if Meyer fades to black should the scene come up.
What were your experiences at the midnight release parties?
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