Books In 2008!

So here's my new idea for 2008. Instead of creating a WHOLE NEW BLOG about it, I'm just going to make note here for every book I read: good, bad, ugly or embarrassing. I'll organize the posts under the "books" tag label.

I'll start with the Twilight series I've been raving to everyone about.

This is a YA series that doesn't really read like YA books, except that they're PG-rated. The basic setup is this: Bella, an accident-prone junior in high school, moves to Forks, Washington, and meets Edward, who turns out to be the world's most perfect teenage vampire. Of course he doesn't actually drink human blood (he's vegetarian). And of course, he is beyond perfect (even if he does have some control issues...). Bella swoons a lot. Edward is gallant. It is all very romantic. There is a love triangle involving a teenage werewolf. What more could you want?

But seriously. Beyond the sort of cheesy set-up, this is a well-written series of books that stirs up the kind of romantic heartache that only happens when you're a love-struck teenager. And I mean that in the most sincere, heartfelt way -- when you're struck out of your normal life by Love, that first love that leaves you breathless, that turns your world upside down. And freaks out your parents. Bella is a little insane with love for Edward, but it never made me roll my eyes (unlike another vampire series which can cause eye-sprain if you're not careful). The romance between Bella and Edward is almost old-fashioned in its sincerity, and throughout the three books, you see them each grow and change in response to each other. I fell in love with everyone in the story. I kind of couldn't stop thinking about them inbetween reads. I think I read each of the three books in a day, each.

I wish these books had been out when I was in high school. I would have been obsessed with them. Even now I'm having to resist the urge to read all three straight through once again while I still have them (two are borrowed and one is from the library). I think I have them through Christmas. Uh.. yeah. I might be busy this weekend.