Of Books and Twilight

I did it. I finally broke down and started reading "Twilight". I have been hearing about this book from everyone under the sun for what feels like years now and I have resisted. To be totally honest, I am a bit of a book snob. I simply refused to start reading this book on principle alone. It can be purchased in the teen girl section of Barnes and Noble for heavens sake. I was never ever going to start reading this series. I am 31 years old...it is not like I have any plans to start reading Sweet Valley High again, so lord knows I was not going to start Twilight. The message board that I haunt has whole threads dedicated to this book and still I remained unconvinced, although I stayed away from them to avoid spoilers, just in case. I keep trying to think of a way to put this that does not sound awful, but I really just assumed that people who liked this series were either teen girls or grown women who don't read much. Or like Harlequin romance with extra large print. Or both. :-)

Well, if someone would like to hand me a crow, I will go ahead and start eating it. I was utterly and completely wrong. The only reason I gave it a shot was Dana...she is one of the smartest women I know and if she liked it, I knew there was something to the hype. I was in Barnes and Noble on Sunday, enjoying my first trip to a bookstore alone in ages. Jer was watching Colin and I treated myself to a long stroll around the store which is one of my all time favorite things to do. I was reading the back of every book I saw when I came to the display of Twilight. I debated it the whole time I was there...I kept eyeing it, slowing down and looking, then speeding up and walking away. I picked up several other books to buy and kept putting them back down for one reason or another. I started debating with myself internally (which is my worst habit and is also the reason that I can't fall asleep at night) about why I should just go ahead and try it versus following my instinct that I would hate it. I was also more than a little embarrassed to actually buy it. Finally I decided that I was being a great big idiot and that the shiny black book with the bright red apple was too much to resist. I bought it, took it home, and waited three days to start it. Last night Jer got on the elliptical, so I decided to just glance at the first page. I proceeded to read for more than three hours. The book is amazing and simple and wonderful all at the same time.

Once I start a book, I can't stop. Even mediocre books must be finished immediately. I read like I am watching a movie...sit down, read the whole thing, be done. I have always been this way with reading. When I start a book, the book is my life. As a child, I would stay in my room for days on end reading. On family vacations, I would climb into the very back of the station wagon, tucked in between suitcases and pillows, and read the whole way to our destination. Before I had Colin, I would stay up almost all night on the weekends and finish a full book in 24 hours with ease. I used to sit in a lawn chair on my patio with the outdoor spotlight aimed over my shoulder, reading into the wee hours. Since becoming a mother, I have had to do a make-over on my reading style. Obviously, I have to get sleep. I have to be able to read for an hour and then put the book down on the nightstand. This is very hard for me. It is so hard, in fact, that I often put off starting a book because I know the power it has over me. This is exactly why I waited to start Twilight...Colin has been waking up at 4:30am again, and I am tired in my bones. Sure enough, I can't put the book down. I am intrigued by how much I love it...I just can't seem to wait for where these characters are going. I have to know what is next! I don't have time to read four huge books back to back. Which is exactly what is about to happen. This is all your fault Dana. :-)