…but when I discovered a fellow nurse at the cancer clinic I work at started reading it last night, I decided to confess.
I have been reading a very “young adult” novel about vampires.
A few months ago, Ivan and I got to escape to Borders (don’t we pick exciting date options??) by ourselves without the little midget. It was a Sunday night (or some obscure night when you would think no one would be out) and the place was packed. Packed with teeny-boppers all dressed in very odd costumes. Some were wearing galoshes. Some were wearing wedding dresses. Some were quite dark and goth looking. And others had a vampire look to them. Strange. They had to all be around the average age of fifteen and not your stereotypical northwest Chicago suburban teenager. More like the socially awkward and maybe fringe type who hadn’t quite figured out how to wear makeup quite yet. There were stations set up all around the store–games, prizes, microphones blasting quiz questions about some characters I didn’t know.
I saw the cover of the book(s) being released but I still was quite confused. Let’s just put it this way: I was playing my “old lady” card. We ended up leaving because it was too “rowdy” and not conducive to our vegging out reading random books we happened to let our fingers land on.
Well, a few months later, I am in Borders again; lo and behold I pick up the first book in this very same series these teeny boppers were oogling over and wouldn’t you know…I got sucked in.
Not very complex writing and really probably not very good writing by any means. But the story was interesting and intriguing and I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen. And it was definately brainless reading which was just what I needed last weekend, for my brain had turned to cobwebs and moosh.
So here is my true confession (Ali, don’t laugh): I am reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. And like I said, I am only confessing this to all of you because I found out that my coworker who is just a few years older than me is reading it too. So it must be okay, right?
All jokes aside, it really is a good story. A bit dark and creepy at times; but heck, it’s that time of year for scary and spooky stories.
* WPG2 Plugin Not Validated *

Totally not laughing, honey. My kids are BEGGING me to read this book, but the v-word alone gives me nightmares, so I’ve turned them down repeatedly. Heaps of people love these books…and look at me–I mean, seriously, I’m reading HP7 for the 12th time…brain candy books are just like chocolate! It’s GOOD for you, damnit!
smiling, ali.
yesterday, i went to a coworkers home for a quadruple baby shower (yes, four of us are having babies in one month span at work—something in the water, maybe?). it was fun because i could totally talk on the same level as her 16 year old daughter; i felt so hip.
I have been wanting to read those books! My excuse is that I work with teens, so I should be up on their literature, right? Did you know the author is a mormon?
Lots of adult women I know are reading those books. I haven’t–I don’t really get into the vampire thing–but I can say that the discussions I’ve heard about them haven’t made me want to read them. The general consensus is that the first one or two are really good, but then the messages about women in them become very disturbing. But hey, I haven’t read them, so I can’t exactly judge.
If you want a really good, spooky, well-written vampire book, may I suggest “The Historian?” It’s amazing and has so much to say about history while telling three different stories at the same time and also doing a great job retelling Dracula, only basing it on the actual historical leged. It’s by Elizabeth Kostova.
Oh, and Shanel, I LOVED “Garden Spells!” I picked it up at 11 pm one night for a bit of quick reading before bed. You will not be surprised to hear I put it down at 2 am, when I finished it. It was so unique and lovely! I lent it to my friend Ruth and she read it right away, too! Thank you so much for passing it on to me…it is making its way around my social circle here in England.
Bring on the late-night breast feeding reading time!