Favorite Quotations: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer June 24, 2008

The following quotations are my favorites taken from New Moon by Stephenie Meyer:

“Anyways, you don’t irritate the Volturi—not unless you want to die.” ~ Edward Cullen

“Yes, it is the fourteenth day of February. So are you going to be my Valentine? Since you didn’t get me a fifty-cent box of candy, it’s the least you can do.” ~ Jacob Black

“So you’re the vampire girl.” ~ Emily

“He was a fool to think you could survive alone. I’ve never seen anyone so prone to life-threatening idiocy.” ~ Alice Cullen

“Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you can find.” ~ Alice Cullen

“I bet she’s tougher than that… she runs with vampires.” ~ Embry
 

 

Review: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer June 24, 2008

New Moon is the second installment in the Twilight saga which follows the relationship between Bella Swan, a normal typical teenager who just happens to be in love with a not so normal guy, Edward Cullen. What makes Edward abnormal – well, he’s a vampire, of course! Stephenie Meyer takes her epic love story in a direction that many fans were not expecting within this tome.

Edward has learned to curb his desire to kill Bella and replaced this need with the desire to protect her at all costs. Bella is enjoying the beauty of being in love and experiencing her senior year of high school in Forks, Washington. Many of Bella’s friends and family members worry about the amount of time she spends with Edward. (I’m sure they’d worry a lot more about this fact if they knew Edward’s true nature.) However, Bella does not heed their advice and spends every possible moment with Edward.

Edward’s family has grown to accept Bella after the amount of time the two lovebirds have spent with one another. They are looking forward to Bella being around with them for some time until the fateful day of her 18th birthday party. Alice Cullen, Edward’s pixie like sister, has decided to throw Bella a birthday party in spite of the fact that Bella hates parties of any sort. Each member of the Cullen coven has shown up with a gift for the birthday girl. Bella is touched by their thoughtfulness, but she still can’t help struggling with the fact that every day makes her a just a bit older and Edward is locked in his perfect 17 year old state. During the party events unfold that make Edward seriously re-evaluate his choice to be with Bella. He determines that her life and safety are more important than his feelings. He finds himself in the midst of an impossible choice – Does he stay with the love of his life and hope that he can protect her? Or does he leave her and hope that she can move on with her life and forget that he ever existed?

As Edward struggles to do what he feels is best for Bella, she also must make some difficult decisions. Should she allow Edward to leave? Should she forget him and move on? Is there anyone else that can make her heart soar as he does? Bella’s good friend, Jacob Black, hopes to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks. But will Bella allow him to do so? Bella will soon learn that nothing is at it appears and even friends can have deep dark secrets that they choose to keep hidden from the light of day.

I feel that Stephenie does an amazing job of capturing the raw emotions of her characters within this novel. For me her writing simply is about the characters. The plot is interesting, but I am not sure I would like this series so much if I didn’t truly love the Cullens and Bella. I am compelled to read their stories because I want to know what happens to them based on their decisions and experiences. Even though I realize that these fictional characters do not actually exist I view them as living, breathing entities as I read. I feel that this is an example of the giftedness of Stephenie Meyer. She writes about people that are so human they could be real in spite of their mythical qualities. New Moon was not my favorite of the Twilight series, but I do appreciate the effort that Stephenie put into crafting this novel. I was tormented right along with Bella and shared many of her tears as she struggled to make sense of her life and of Edward.

Rating: 9/10

Favorite Characters: Edward Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Bella Swan

To learn more about New Moon, please visit:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/newmoon.html

Favorite Quotations: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer June 24, 2008

In addition to my reviews of books and descriptions of my literary vacations, I have decided to include my favorite quotations from the various texts that I am discussing.

The following quotations are my favorite from the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how potent that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” ~ Bella Swan

“If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I’m not ashamed of it.” ~ Edward Cullen

“You smell so good in the rain” ~ Edward Cullen

“You’re intoxicated by my very presence.” ~ Edward Cullen

 ”You’re exactly my brand of heroin.” ~ Edward Cullen

“Vampires like baseball?” ~ Bella Swan

 ”Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand…” ~ Edward Cullen

“Snow just means it’s too cold for rain.”  ~ Bella Swan

Review: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer June 24, 2008

Twilight is a literary phenomenon that has been appealing to readers of various ages. The young adult novel has tremendous addictive qualities. Who doesn’t like a good love story? I have put off writing this blog for some time because I was not sure I could do the book justice with my words. However, I will attempt to convey some measure of why this book is a must read for all those who enjoy forbidden romances and the supernatural. Since I was a child, I have been drawn into stories about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and other mythical beings. Therefore, I really never even had a chance to resist Twilight.

An ad in a magazine for Eclipse is what first turned me onto this series. I hadn’t read a vampire novel since I was a kid and decided it might be time to give this subject matter a bit of attention. I headed to the bookstore in search of the first book in the series and came home with a paperback copy of Twilight. Since that first day I purchased the book I have “revamped” the novel six times and it continues to enthrall me.

Twilight is the story of a love affair that defies all odds. Bella Swan is an average girl who moves to Forks, Washington in order to live with her father, Charlie, the loveable local sheriff. Bella’s mother, Renee, has relocated to Florida due to the career path of her current husband, Phil. Bella has no desire to move to Florida and feels that the best thing she can do for her mother is to let her go without being burdened with a teenage daughter. Bella is constantly trying to make everyone in her world happy and rarely thinks about herself. This is evident in the fact that she agreed to move to a town that she loathes with every fiber of her being. Bella finds Forks dull and she cannot stand the weather! She remarks that the area is too green; she also misses the sun and its warmth since these items make rare appearances in her new home.

Bella’s father, Charlie, attempts to make his daughter’s life in Forks as pleasant as possible, but he worries that she is unhappy in her new home. The story shifts to focus on Bella and her experiences at Forks High School. On her first day she glimpses Edward Cullen and his family; there is an instant attraction for Bella, but Edward seems to detest everything about her. She tries to not let this fact bother her and she attempts to erase him from her mind, but she finds this to be an impossible task.

 Eventually, Edward allows his guard to drop – Bella gratefully enters Edward’s world. His life holds secrets that she would not have imagined in her wildest dreams. How does a human girl grow to love a vampire that thirsts for her blood? I shall let you read the book to find out that answer.

Rating: 10/10

Favorite Characters: Edward Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Bella Swan

For more information on Stephenie Meyer and Twilight, please visit:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html

Also, Twilight is on its way to becoming a major motion picture! The film will be released December 12, 2008. You can watch the trailer and learn more about the film here:

http://twilightthemovie.com/

There are also numerous websites devoted to Twilight – Twilight Lexicon and Twilight Moms are two that I frequent on a regular basis. I highly recommend them to any fans of the book. If you are under 25, there is a site called Twilight Teens that would better meet your needs. Enjoy!

P.S. – TEAM EDWARD!

My Trip to Forks, Washington (Home of Twilight) – Day #4 June 24, 2008

The Forks morning was as gray and chilly as it had been the past two mornings as I loaded the car with my luggage. My eyes scanned the small strip of Main Street taking in one last glimpse of the small town. I was excited to be heading to Seattle to spend some time, but sad that I would be leaving Forks. The trip back to Seattle seemed so much longer than the trip to Forks. Perhaps this was because my vacation was dwindling and it would soon be time to return home.

Once I arrived in Seattle and checked into my hotel, I immediately hit the streets for some sight seeing and lunch. There is plenty of yummy food to be had at The Revolution Bar and Grill near the Space Needle. After lunch, my friend and I boarded one of Seattle’s famous ducks to get a unique tour of the city. The ducks are vehicles from World War II that work as land and water vehicles; this way you see the sights within the city and get to spend some time on Lake Union. Once the duck tour ended, it was time to go visit Pike Street Market. My main goals for the visit were to stop by Beecher’s for the best mac and cheese in the world and to get a drink from my Mecca, the first Starbucks! These goals were accomplished in a fairly quick manner and were well worth the lines!

My day in Seattle ended with a yummy dinner at Sky City, the rotating restaurant perched high upon the Space Needle. Seattle is a gorgeous city at night and the view was certainly worth the price of dinner.

The next morning I headed to Sea-Tac to await my flight home and a return to reality. I am now in love with the Pacific Northwest and cannot wait to return to it!