Team Edward

Team Edward vs. Team Jacob

Elsie and I have been discussing the premiere of Breaking Dawn since this past summer, when she finally surrendered and read the Twilight Series.  I had been babbling on and on for months about how much I loved these books, so she finally indulged me.  (I hated to do it to her, but I feel better now that I have a partner in this ridiculous obsession).

Tonight we will be donning our "Team Edward" t-shirts, venture to the theater with all the other teens and forty something moms, and thoroughly enjoy Breaking Dawn Part 1! (The reviews have been really 'bad news'... but  like the other films, they just don't make any sense unless you've read the books and can fill in the gaps).

Afterwords, it's Cosmos...obsessing over every detail of the film...comparing it to the book...and dinner with my dear friend. 

The perfect evening!

Did I Say Edward's Name Out Loud?

Robert Pattinson plays Edward Cullen

What can I say?...these books have been 'great news' for my sex life!  Go figure, since there is no premarital sex, or really anything beyond hand holding and careful kissing, in these books (Edward has to restrain himself, or his super-vampire strength and passion might kill Bella).

These books are about first love and tap into the excitement of those feelings.  I jokingly told my husband if I call Edward's name out during sex, not to be offended.  He flippantly replied...who cares...I love these books!  

Enough said!

Unlikely Twilight Bonding

Several months ago as I was visiting with my old home school friends I found myself in a surprising conversation.

Two of the young men (to protect the innocent or blackmail potential later I am using only initials, but you know who you are: J and L)  and I were discussing books we were currently reading and L mentioned he had just finished New Moon.

Like anyone who is infected with Twilight fever, my eyes lit up...I was a giggling teenage girl again and L and I were grokking on all things Twilight.  There really isn't a lot I enjoy more than sharing and discussing a book or a movie that I love.  L jumped right in with me and we did not stop talking until his mom finally said it was time to leave.

From that day forward an unlikely friendship developed between us that I did not see coming.  He has reached out to me a number of times to help him edit his own novel, and discuss other books we both love (can you say Hunger Games). 

Recently, L and his family were traveling across the country and his parents were cool enough to take him to Forks, Washington (the setting of the Twilight series).  To my complete surprise and delight L sent me a Twilight mug and a map of Forks! (I am drinking coffee from the mug as I write this blog...I love it!)  

What I discovered through reading these books is that they bond me to the most unlikely people.  For instance...the lady I connected with in line at the movies the other day (she had at least 6 piercings in her face, tattoos, and pink hair... that is the "unlikely" I am talking about).  She was buying her tickets to the premiere of Breaking Dawn and while she was a little embarrassed to tell me what she was doing...it quickly faded when I said, "Oh, I get it...I will be there, too!"  We then went on to discuss other books we loved, and our excitement over the upcoming event. 

It is so much fun to share and connect over a common interest.  I just can't believe how many teens to forty-year-old women I have bonded with over these books...Stephenie Meyer's truly tapped into something here. 

More Twilight revelations on Thursday!

Twilight Fever

If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would be obsessed with a book series about werewolves and vampires, my response would have been..."Are you f***ing kidding me?"

What can I say?  Stephenie Meyer's had me by page 5 (and it all started so innocently).

It was August 2010 and my kids asked to rent the movie New Moon, based on the second novel in the 4 book series.

"Sure...but are YOU sure?" I asked.  "They look kind of cheesy," I added to emphasize my disdain over the proposition.

After watching this movie I was more convinced than ever that the fans had lost their minds.  The movies were so weird and campy...I just didn't get it.

I was explaining my review of the movie to a friend when the strangest thing happened...her eyes lit up, her postured changed, and her mood shifted to that of a giggling teenager.  She exclaimed, "Those books are amazing!  I couldn't put them down...you have to read the books to get the movies...and then they are really fun."

"REALLY?"  I asked incredulously.

"REALLY!!!  Trust me on this one...you will love them," she responded with unbridled passion.

I was confident she was wrong. To prove my point I felt it was my duty to read the first book to back up my belief that she and millions of others were delusional.  Well...the joke was on me because not only was I hooked, but I couldn't get enough!

(Now this next part is a little embarrassing... but since I've discussed my weight with you publicly, why hold back now?)


From August 2010 through March 2011 I read each book a minimum of 5 times, and logged 7 reads of Breaking Dawn (excluding the Jacob part...which I often skipped over).  Can you say obsessed?  I was close to needing a 12 step program...but finally I burned out and stopped reading them and now I am just a typical fan.

In honor of the Breaking Dawn (Part 1) premiere on November 18, 2011... for the next week I will be sharing all the 'good news' I have received from this odd series of books and movies.  Get ready... some of my revelations might shock you.