A Tribute to the Twilight series
“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us.”
– Franz Kafka
I am a bookworm. I love reading. And that is why I heartfully agree with Kafka. If a book doesn’t move me or give me pain in any way, I don’t like it. It’s not always a bad pain, heck, I’m no masochist. But for a book to be really worth reading, there has to be a conflict, and the conflict has to be real — real enough to ignite enough excitement for me to turn the page, real enough to feel for the characters, real enough to live the book while you read it. I suppose fellow bookworms can relate to this.
Three books I’ve read recently that have wounded and stabbed me are Stephenie Meyer’s brilliant novels: Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse.
When I chanced upon Twilight at Fully Booked, I decided to read the first few pages. Well, well, well, one hour later, I was still holding the book, seated on one of the bookstore’s benches, fully engrossed in my reading. I fell in love with Bella, the lead character, the teenage girl who finds herself falling for a vampire named Edward. I found myself turning page after page, drinking in more and more of the story with a longing that might have been comparable to Edward’s desire for Bella’s blood… okay, maybe not that extreme. To make a long story short, Meyer’s writing consumed me.
Twilight, its sequel New Moon and the latest in the series Eclipse have all wounded and stabbed me, to borrow Kafka’s words. During the last few chapters of Eclipse, I was curled up in my chair, and when a critical decision was about to be made by one of the characters, I writhed in pain and just said, “No! No!” Looking back, I must’ve looked silly and am I glad I didn’t do that in a public place, but man, I was just so into the moment that nothing else mattered. As soon as I read the last lines of the book, my heart felt like it was being pierced so many times but at the same time, I was elated…
I won’t spoil the stories for you guys, but you can read a synopsis of each book on the author‘s site. Just don’t click on the FAQ portion of each book because there will be spoilers.
To Stephenie Meyer: YOU ROCK. You are a genius. I cannot wait for Midnight Sun and Breaking Dawn. I cannot wait for The Host. Why does 2008 have to be so far away? You are one of the best writers ever. *insert fan girl shriek here*
To my friends: Try reading the Twilight series. If it doesn’t catch your fancy, oh well. But if it does, e-mail me and let’s gush about it! Aaaack!!!
“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us.”
– Franz Kafka
Twilight. New Moon. Eclipse… Spot on, Kafka. Spot on!
September 5th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
sige nga tones, will try this and see if the Mississauga Library have copies…and then ill ping you, so we can gush aboot it.
September 5th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
EDWARD CULLEN I LOVE YOU! I hate you Bella for being aaaaarrrgh!
September 5th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
The Border Trilogy:
All the Pretty Horses
The Crossing
Cities of the Plain
by Cormac McCarthy
The Things they Carried
by Tim O’Brien
September 5th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
I read about these online before but had the same initial reaction as you. But hey, if a fellow Dragonlance and Gaiman reader thinks it’s all that, I’m sold.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Sige na, I must find a copy! And I love well written young adult fiction! You should try reading Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness and Trickster trilogy series I’m sure you’d love them too.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:03 am
when it came time to pass that I had to tell my ex-girlfriend that things weren’t working out for us and we should move on, she did the one she always seemed to have a knack for…she flung her book point -blank at my face. That left an indelible 2-inch scar punctuated at regular intervals by suture marks. The physical as well as the emotional pain have long since subsided and to this day my regret is only for one thing…
I forgot to ask her for the title of the book!
September 7th, 2007 at 2:32 am
this sounds intriguing! will def try to find these books!
September 7th, 2007 at 3:48 am
toni!! i saw you reading these books pero i didn’t realize that you loved them so much pala. stephenie meyer fan din ako!! my friend (who knew i loved vampire-themed stories) recommended this to me. sabi ko, uy for young adults, good ito for light reading, so i tried it. pero the series caught me off-guard, i was expecting pa-tweetums, it being a juvenile book and all, but i was so wrong! hindi pa ako tapos sa first book, i was already looking for new moon hehehe. and then i had to wait (along with everyone else in the world) for eclipse to come out. when it did, i was waylaid by harry potter for a while but i pressed on and just devoured the book in one sitting.
alice cullen is my favorite hehe.
if you’re interested to read some more vampire-themed novels, try sherrilyn kenyon. i would die for that woman!!!! kenyon was the first (of her genre) to stab and wound me.
September 8th, 2007 at 12:54 am
Dang! I will be adding this book now to my list of to buy books … dang!
September 8th, 2007 at 1:31 am
I checked to see if my local library had them and the three novels had many requests to check out, I’m sure others are intrigued as well. I put in for my requests and hopefully they will be available soon. Oh, and I adore the bookcovers! Thanks for the recommendation.
September 8th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
hmm… maybe i should take advantage of all the sales going on right now and grab copies of these books…
but will i have the time kaya to enjoy them in the near future?
September 9th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I just came from Glorietta. The first book is out of stock EVERYWHERE. I tried Powerbooks, Bibliarch, National. I asked them to call other branches to find out where they still have it, wala na daw talaga and it’ll take weeks before they get copies.
September 9th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
i knoooooooow!!! i havent read Eclipse yet but I already have a copy. My bestfriend called me after reading Eclipse and she was bawling! I swear no exaggerations…I’m trying my best to postpone reading it cause after I do, i’d be very impatient for the 4th book..waaaaaah!
September 10th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Hi Toni. I don’t see myself reading vampire books too. But your post made me curious. I found the Twilight book in Powerbooks Shangrila and I wanted to browse through it like you did. Problem was, the book was sealed.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:57 am
oh I love that series!! It’s on my ‘to read’ list. I am just waiting for my daughter and her friends to finish reading, then it’s my turn!!
I just finished my turn with Harry Potter 7, and I was like you, I was practically twitching in my chair towards the last few chapters.
September 17th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
hi! wow, thanks for the recommendation on this series. ive been itching to read new titles since last month. thanks again! =)
p.s.
i love your site’s look…so cute and so feminine. =)
September 19th, 2007 at 3:03 am
My little bro (not so little at 5’8 and 14 yo) has been bugging me to read this series. I read New Moon (unfortunately, i had no idea it was a series). I must get going on my TBR pile. I have the Pulitzer Prize winning Middlesex on my bookshelf that I haven’t touched for 2 months!
September 20th, 2007 at 9:51 am
as soon as i’ve read your post ms toni, i got curious ^_^ and found myself reading the series. In .txt file though, within just a week, am in New Moon already.. My officemates cannot talk to me anymore cause im too engrossed in reading the trilogy ~ hehe.
fans narin ako ni Stephenie Meyer. Thanks for the recommendation ~
October 5th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
i love love stephenie meyer too. i discovered her through a friend a few months back and i read the whole three books in a span of a week, with work and everything! i love edward and alice especially. reading this only makes me miss edward more. i think i’ll reread this series again for the err 6th time? lols
my ultimate fave is twilight
October 30th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Your review has me very interested. =) I love trilogies. I love the feeling of knowing towards the end of the first and second books that there’s more to come. By the third book, I already feel an affinity with the story and start cherishing each page like a bittersweet send-off for a dearly beloved friend…
Given of course that it’s a good read.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:46 am
im hooked on these books. my friend told me about them so i read the first book. i couldnt believe that i could not put the book down. stephenie did a great job on the boks. my just waiting for breaking dawn to come out.