Shack Attack

The Shack by: William P. Young

My Spiritual walk has been a wonderful personal journey. I grew up in the world of Charismania, an affectionate name for the Non denominational Charismatic church. Then I went Baptist in college and I have hung out in an in between world ever since. I love the freedom that Charismatics have with their relationship with God. There is so much feeling and emotion, it is very liberating and personal. With the Baptist church, I love the theology. I agree with more points on the theological level with the Baptist church than in the Charismatic realm. I tried to do a little research on William P. Young to see what his denominational background was with no luck. With The Shack, Young’s description of the Holy Spirit was very much like how I would imagine a Charismatic person’s would be. I read The Shack, and my opinions are mixed. I can see why many people like the book and I can see why some people did not enjoy it. I would definitely discourage anyone from reading the book and taking it literally. This is a fictional book and the Theology is sketchy at best, but it does have some good points. The writing was not good, but the story was interesting. I’m going to leave this blog open ended and you will have to read the book and let me know what you think about it.

Criticism:
William P. Young would say that certain ideas of God were incomprehensible and there are no examples that can explain this idea about God, and then he would try and explain it with an example. An example of this is his explanation of the Trinity. I felt like the author tried to boil down the very idea of God and explain it all by saying he couldn’t explain it. I don’t know that I would have the guts to write a book about God, trying to explain the very mystery of who He is. The book falls short, and nothing against the author, but a man cannot describe God or explain God. The very idea of a human trying to explain God is like my dog Princess trying to write a book about her master, Simon. It just would fall short on so many different levels.

One thing I love about reading is getting into the head of the main characters. One problem I had with Mack was that I didn’t feel like he was a real person. I felt like he was a fake character that always came to the conclusion that he was supposed to, right or wrong. The writing in this book was just okay and it was not that great of a novel. A lot of people’s argument for The Shack is that it’s fiction and not to be taken literally. Well, if it’s fiction that you are going to base your life on, it should at least be well written fiction. It seems like it’s a good idea, but the project needed to be taken on by an established writer.

Praise:
I enjoyed Young’s word pictures for the love that God has for his children. The concepts are charming. It was awesome when God embraced Mack like the prodigal at their first encounter, even though Mack was undecided about his relationship with God at the time. The pictures and images were very childlike. I usually have a hard time with being a child in God’s presence, and therefore I appreciated how childlike Mack was in God’s presence.

Love and Relationship with God were the key points of what Mack was to learn from God during his weekend retreat at the Shack. Although I think the Bible is the ultimate example and story of love, The Shack was a good reminder of how much God sacrificed by sending His son to the earth.

In closing, I do believe that this story would be very encouraging for anyone who has been through a real tragedy in their lifetime. Our creator God is the true healer to the hurting and loves all of His children. I think that if a person is hurting and needed to read a fictional novel, then this could be a good pick for them.

Quotes:
“Jesus?” He whispered as his voice choked. “I feel so lost.” A had reached out and squeezed his, and didn’t let go. “I know Mack, but it’s not true. I am with you and I am not lost. I’m sorry it feels that way, but hear me clearly. You are not lost.” (Mack & Jesus)

Mack, I don’t want to be first among a list of values; I want to be the center of everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life--your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities--is connected to me. (Jesus)

kissin' cousins...

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights was first published in 1847. Interesting piece of information, the Bronte sisters first published their work under male aliases in order to be published without the prejudices of being a female writer (Emily’s sister was Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre). Wuthering- to blow with a low roaring sound or windy weather (yes, I looked it up to make sure I knew what it meant). This was an estate owned by the Earnshaw family, the main characters of the book are Catherine Earnshaw (Linton) and an adopted son who’s first and last name was Heathcliff. The home is aptly named for the windy weather that has permanently bent trees on the property. The book has two narrators, one is Mr. Lockwood, the man who is renting Thrushcross Grange from Heathcliff and also Ellen "Nelly" Dean, the nanny of Catherine Linton Heathcliff (daughter of Catherine Earnshaw Linton and Edgar Linton). The story has many plots, but the main being the love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw Linton. As the audience, we are learning the story from Nelly, as she tells it to Mr. Lockwood.

This classic of English literature was a fascinating read. Although it took some time to get through, it was not as difficult of a read as I thought it would be. From the beginning I was confused about what was going on. I think I had some presuppositions about how the book was going to be narrated. I assumed, knowing that the book was about two characters named Catherine and Heathcliff, that one of those characters would be the narrator. Confusion started on the first page when the narrator is talking about Heathcliff being “A capital fellow!” which I knew to be untrue from a synopsis I read. When Mr. Lockwood is talking about being a tenant of Heathcliff’s I was puzzled and had to go back and get all preconceived thoughts out of my head. Whenever I got to the 4th chapter I realized what was going on and I was able to focus on the story, so don’t be discouraged in the beginning, keep reading!

I think that this book should be on everyone’s must read list. I love the language! Bronte is very poetic, her characters can’t just say “I love you” they say things like “I cannot live without my life. I cannot live without my soul.” Of course the language of the 1800’s is unfamiliar to me, so I kept the online dictionary up anytime I was reading. Also, I can imagine that Emily Bronte received quite a bit of criticism for her work in her time. It shocked me how some of the character’s personas were portrayed, I’m sure that because of her character’s attitudes she probably had some difficulties. Catherine is an entirely selfish person and Heathcliff is surly, rude, and disagreeable. They couldn’t live with each other and they couldn’t live without one another either. It is a crazy love/hate story that all lovers of literature should read. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I hope that you will pick it up and give it a try. Let me know what you thought about this blog or if you have read Wuthering Heights, what did you think about the book?

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire. (Catherine Earnshaw)

That is how I'm loved! Well, never mind. That is not my Heathcliff. I shall love mine yet; and take him with me: he's in my soul. (Catherine Linton)

Kiss me again, but don't let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer--but yours! How can I? (Catherine Linton)

If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it...Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. (Catherine Linton)

I wish you had sincerity enough to tell me whether Catherine would suffer greatly from his loss: the fear that she would restrains me. And there you see the distinction between our feelings: had he been in my place, and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I never would have raised a hand against him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I never would have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drunk his blood! But, till then - if you don't believe me, you don't know me - till then, I would have died by inches before I touched a single hair of his head! (Heathcliff)

And I pray one prayer--I repeat it till my tongue stiffens--Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you--haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always--take any form--drive me mad! only DO not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I CANNOT live without my life! I CANNOT live without my soul! (Heathcliff)

The end is only the beginning...

I apologize for how long this blog is, you will have to either love the series with unfathomable depths, or you will need to care about me somewhat to take the time out of your busy schedule to read this entire blog. I have now read the twilight series 3 times. I know, I’m pathetic. I have a very addictive personality, and when I find something that I like, I kind of get obsessed. There is something magical about this series, it is super addictive and it can make a reader out of anyone. I have talked to multiple people who are not “readers” who have absolutely eaten these books up. One of my best friends, Leigh, for example, can name the books she’s read in her whole life (I can’t remember what books I’ve read in the year 2008, let alone my whole life), but she is reading through these books like it is no ones business.—Ok, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point. She not only loves the story, but the actual act of picking up the books and reading! I love it! Like I said there is something magical about the love between Bella and Edward and the other great characters in this saga. I’ve tried to think of how I can complete this blog without spoilers, but it can’t be done, so this blog will be totally full of SPOILERS. Therefore if you have not read Breaking Dawn and you plan to, don’t read this blog, unless you just like ruining good things for yourself. You just can’t be mad at me because, I warned you!

Spoiler Alert--

This book is jam-packed with craziness. First, all of our hopes and dreams come true, Bella and Edward get married. They go on their “real” honeymoon (brown chicken brown cow). Then, what should happen? They get pregnant. Crazy! But of course it’s not a normal pregnancy, she has that baby in a month (what?!?). The whole month is Edward, Jacob and the Cullen’s watching Bella being killed by the monster baby. Edward of course doesn’t think about what Bella might want, he just knows that he can’t live without Bella so therefore, he wants to take care of the problem, well over Rosalie’s pile of ashes. During this time Rosalie and Bella become friends for the baby’s sake, which is a 180 degree turn since Rosalie doesn’t like Bella throughout the entire series. Jacob offhandedly mentions that maybe the baby wants to suck blood like its father, this makes sense to the vampires that maybe it has a diet more like its father than its mother. She immediately gets better whenever she starts drinking blood (which as we remember Bella gets woozy at the smell of blood let alone drinking cups at a time), but pregnancy does weird things to women especially ½ vampire babies. After the baby is born, Bella has emergency vampirization done, but only after we think she’s dead. Whenever she wakes up from burning for 2 ½ days, she is a beautiful newborn vampire, but she does not act like a normal newborn vampire, she has self-control and can think through her actions rationally. Because of her super self control, Bella is able to almost pick up her life right where she left off, she’s got Edward, she now has her baby Renesmee, Jacob is happy because he has imprinted on Renesmee (Nessie), and Charlie has been introduced to their world (with no real details).<- crazy train! Of course that is only about half way through the book. Alice sees a vision of the Volturi coming to destroy the Cullen family, therefore they have to prepare for their arrival. Alice and Jasper leave the Cullen family to protect themselves (really?!?) and give the Cullen family a job to gather enough vampires to make the Volturi pause and listen to their side of the story, that they have not created an immortal child. They only have to prove that Renesmee is half human and therefore she grows and matures and is not a threat to the secret of the vampire world. They end up gathering 23 (29 including the Cullen family) vampires and the wolves have devoted themselves to protect Nessie because of Jacob. Bella wants to train in combat to be an asset to the fight with the Volturi (and why not?), Edward doesn’t want to train her so she has to find others who are willing. Kate, one of the Denali sisters (another vegetarian coven) helps Bella to find and develop her brain shield. Kate teaches her to stretch her shield to others instead of just her own mind, even if only for a short time. The Volturi come, they pause just like the Cullen’s hope, but the reason they paused was because of the wolves (Aro wishes for guard dogs). The Cullen’s are able to present their case that Renesmee is not an immortal child, but is the biological child of Edward and Bella. Aro gets Edwards perspective, which would get every single thought that had been thought around him (except Bella of course). The ancients discuss and are about to sentence Edward, Bella, and Renesmee to death, when Alice shows up with a man/vampire mix (manpire?) and therefore the Cullen’s were able to prove that Renesmee will not be a hazard to the vampire world. Since the Volturi wanted all of the vampires with special gifts, how were they stopped in the end, it was not truth that stopped them. The reason that they did not attack in the end was because of Bella. The wolves stopped them, the witnesses helped their cause, but because of Bella’s shield the ancients were out powered. Bella’s shield caused the Volturi’s offensive players to not be able to strike before the deliberation was finished (Jane and Alec-the witch twins) and therefore they were on even playing field. Usually when the Volturi come to punish, the witch twins either torture them or take away their senses all together, and therefore the vampires on trial are dead before they even knew what hit them, but this time, Bella’s shield kept that at bay. The Volturi leave the vampires in peace, and everyone is happy. Well except there was one casualty, but she was kind of a “not nice person,” so no one but her sisters really mourned for her. In the very end of the book, Bella saves the day, they find that Renesmee will live a long life, and they live happily ever after. Also, Bella removes the shield on her mind and shows Edward her thoughts. Edward for the first time of their relationship could hear Bella’s thoughts and they know that they will be together forever. Yay! Praise for Breaking Dawn: The number 1 best concept of Breaking Dawn is how Meyer split the book into 3 different sections. The Epilogue of Eclipse ends with us in Jacob Black’s head, the first time I read this it scared me. I was upset, I thought, if we are in Jacob’s head the whole 4th book I’m going to be so upset. My dreads were confirmed when “book 1-Bella” started, that meant there will be other books and it won’t be Bella’s perspective. How distressing. In hindsight, I realized that the 3 different books within Breaking Dawn was a great idea. During Jacob’s book, what would be going on in Bella’s head? Probably just a lot of “I love my little nudger!” There was no action going on in the house with the vampires except watching Bella’s health deteriorate quickly. With Jacob we get to see the struggle with the wolves, the splitting of the packs, and we still are able to know what is going on with Bella, Edward and the rest of the Cullen family.

Meyer attained a fantastic literary success with character differentiation. Jacob’s book sounds like Jacob. The actual themes of the books change with the character change. When the reader starts Breaking Dawn, Bella’s book continues where we left off at Eclipse, it is like there was not break, the book is the next breath, no difference. Once we are in Jacob’s mind, it is sarcastic, it is angry, it is different. Jacob’s thought are Jacob, not just the same sound as Bella, it’s almost as if you pick up another book. To me, that’s awesome! He says things like “So, I’d just walk in, see Sam’s precious evidence for myself, and then challenge Edward to a duel. I snorted. The parasite’d probably get a kick out of the theatrics of it.” Also, I loved his chapter titles, they made me laugh… like “Sure as hell didn’t see that one coming” or “Why didn’t I just walk away? Oh right. Because I’m an idiot” or “What do I look like? The Wizard of Oz? You need a brain? You need a heart? Go ahead. Take mine. Take everything I have.” They are so Jacob. I also loved that he didn’t have a table of contents like Bella always does. The disorganization also screams Jacob.

The number 2 best part of Breaking Dawn, but also the entire series is the depth of the Characters. Not only are the main characters someone you feel like you know, but also all of the sub-characters are individuals with character traits that everyone can feel drawn to. When speaking to my friends about the supporting characters, they all have their different favorites. Each character has his/her own personality, which draws different people to them. With the vampires, Emmett has one of the best personalities of any supporting character I’ve ever seen. He is sarcastic, funny, and like a true big brother to the Cullen family. Alice is a true friend to Bella, I love that she sticks out her tongue, and does little things that annoy the other characters-especially Edward. He says repeatedly, “How can someone so small be so hugely annoying.” Jasper talks like the time he’s from, like a southern gentleman. He always says Bella’s name when he speaks to her, I enjoy that about his personality. Bella will say, “Hey Jasper.” And Jasper says, “Yes, Bella?” There are not a lot of people out there that say people’s name when they are talking to them, to me it’s very old fashioned-and I love it! Esme is so loving and caring, even though she is only a few years older than most of the characters, she truly has the mother’s instinct and love for her family. The others have great personalities too, but these were my favorite Cullens!

The number 3 best concept is actually from the series not just Breaking Dawn. All 4 books took the focus of a classic and built Bella and Edward’s story off of it. Twilight is the falling in love story, and therefore mirrors Pride and Prejudice. New Moon is Romeo and Juliet, Eclipse is Wuthering Heights, and Breaking Dawn is A Midsummer Night's Dream. The middle two books scream their themes to me. Especially New Moon with Edward planning to end his existence because he believes Bella to be dead, just like Romeo and Juliet. The same with Eclipse, the love triangle is parallel to Wuthering Heights. Parallelism-I love it!

Criticism of Breaking Dawn: Whenever Bella becomes a vampire I feel like her personality changes. As the narrator, she has to tell so many “vampire details” that we lose some of the story. The little things in the previous books that scream BELLA! are lost with new details of being a vampire. My opinion is that we also lose Edward a little bit at the 3rd section of the book. The focus is on Bella and Renesmee. I don’t know about you, but he’s why I read Twilight, I want to hear about Edward!

Another issue I have with Breaking Dawn is that the book feels rushed. I might be reading too much into the book, but I feel like Meyer should have taken another 6 months to a year and dealt with the book a little more. I could be wrong, because I can’t think of anything I would change, but I just feel like the book had to rush to an end. Just an opinion, maybe not even a correct opinion, but it’s my blog, I can say what I want!

I have spoken with quite a few Twilight fans (not Twi-hards by any means), that were very confused by the plot. They were weirded out by Bella getting pregnant and having a baby. Of course, I’m from a smaller town than Forks, so I can understand them getting married and having a honeymoon baby, that’s pretty much what people do in Fountain Lake, Arkansas! I know some complained that Bella became a different person because now, she’s a wife and a mother and is only removed from high school for around 4-6 months. I say to that, it’s the 21 century, kids are having kids like crazy and have been for a long time. We had multiple girls pregnant all throughout my high school career, at least Bella and Edward were married and established (financially anyway) before they started their little family.

In conclusion, one idea that is popping up all over the internet is will there be a book 5??? “They’ve been seriously shaken; their confidence is shattered. But, yet, I’m sure they’ll recover from the blow someday. And then… I imagine they’ll try to pick us off separately.” (Edward) --This is a quote from Breaking Dawn that takes place after the confrontation with the Volturi. Although Stephanie Meyer has stated that there is not going to be another book to the Twilight Saga, this quote leaves the possibilities wide open. Meyer says on her web page that there is no more to the story. She says you can’t have a good story without conflict and now that Bella is a vampire, Jacob is happy, the wolves are happy, there’s just not any conflict left. But, if she finds a story later, this will have to be where it comes from. As I discussed in my Eclipse blog, the Volturi are in the Twilight Saga from the beginning and I think it would be quite a great story to come back like 150 years later, of course, Bella & Edward being vampires will not have changed. Nessie and Jacob will be married and have puppies (haha). Of course Nessie will be grown, but still look young and Jacob will look the same if he has continued to transform into a wolf this entire time. Why not have the Volturi come after Alice, Bella, Edward, and Nessie for their talents? I would also love for the Romanians to get involved and over throw the Volturi. Haha, ok, so I’m no Stephanie Meyer, but it’s a way for our Twilight dreams to continue.

Thanks for your time and patience, I know this was a long blog, but it was a long book. Please let me know what you thought about this blog and Breaking Dawn if you have read it. Here are some great quotes from Breaking Dawn, there are quite a few of them, which makes this blog REALLY long. Good times!

Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try to remember that you’re not confessing to a murder here. (Edward)

Sometimes it was so easy to forget that I was kissing a vampire. (Bella)

I opened my eyes and found his open, too, staring at my face. It made no sense when he looked at me that way. Like I was the prize rather than the outrageously lucky winner. (Bella)

Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn’t be more eager to have mine behind me. So there’s really no point. (Edward)

How different it would be when he didn’t need to worry about me anymore. What would he do with all his free time? He’d have to get a new hobby. (Bella)

I’ve been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan. (Edward)

If you don’t send Edward out, we’re coming in after him! (Emmett)

Jasper? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You’re not taking him to a strip club, are you? (Bella)

I’ve only allotted so much time to make you stunning, Bella – you might have taken better care of my raw material. (Alice)

I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person was mine. (Bella)

We took turns shoving cake in each other’s faces; Edward manfully swallowed his portion as I watched in disbelief. I threw my bouquet with atypical skill, right into Angela’s surprised hands. Emmett and Jasper howled with laughter at my blush while Edward removed my borrowed garter – which I’d shimmied down nearly to my ankle – very carefully with his teeth. With a quick wink at me, he shot it straight into Mike Newton’s face. (Bella)

Stop blubbering, Bella. You’ll ruin your dress. It’s just me. (Jacob)

Yeah – the party can start. The best man finally made it. (Jacob)

You’re monopolizing the bride. Let me dance with my little sister. This could be my last chance to make her blush. (Emmett)

Did my skin burst into flames? I had to look down to check. Nope, nothing was burning. At least, not visibly. (Bella)

I wouldn’t use the word beautiful. Not with you standing here in comparison. (Edward)

Fire and ice, somehow existing together without destroying each other. More proof that I belonged with him. (Bella)

Why am I covered in feathers? (Bella)You… bit a pillow? Why? (Bella)We’re just lucky it was the pillows and not you. (Edward)

So you seduced your all-too-willing husband. That’s not a capital offense. (Edward)

The phone kept ringing. I wished Edward would answer it – I was having a moment. Possibly the biggest of my life. (Bella)

I’m a little worried about Edward… Can vampires go into shock? (Bella)

This child, Edward’s child, was a whole different story. I wanted him like I wanted air to breathe. Not a choice – a necessity. (Bella)

I wondered – would a bullet through my temple actually kill me or just leave a really big mess for me to clean up? (Jacob)

You missed the party. Princess theme. She made me wear a crown, and then Emily suggested they all try out her new play makeup on me. (Quil)

I didn’t want to see this, didn’t want to think about this. I didn’t want to imagine him inside her. I didn’t want to know that something I hated so much had taken root in the body I loved. (Jacob)

I didn’t want to kill girls… even vampire girls. Though I might make an exception for that blonde. (Jacob)

I don’t care about anything but keeping her alive. If it’s a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants. She can have puppies, if that’s what it takes. (Edward)

I felt like – like I don’t know what. Like this wasn’t real. Like I was in some Goth version of a bad sitcom. Instead of being the A/V dweeb about to ask the head cheerleader to the prom, I was the finished-second-place werewolf about to ask the vampire’s wife to shack up and procreate. Nice. (Jacob)

I’m not going to lie, Bells. You’re hideous. (Jacob)

No one could dispute the Alpha’s decision – except for me. I hadn’t earned anything. But there were things that had been born in me, things that I’d left unclaimed. I’d never wanted to lead the pack. I didn’t want to do it now. I didn’t want the responsibility for all our fates resting on my shoulders. Sam was better at that than I would ever be. But he was wrong tonight. And I had not been born to kneel to him. The bonds fell off my body the second that I embraced my birthright. (Jacob)

Do you belong to a coven now, Jacob? (Sam)

Nice to have toddlers guarding the fort. (Emmett)

It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I’m joining your crappy little renegade pack. The vampires’ guard dogs. (Leah)

Jeez, how did anyone stand living with him? It was really too bad he couldn’t hear Bella’s thoughts. Then he’d annoy the crap out of her, too, and she’d get tired of him. (Jacob)

You know how you drown a blonde, Rosalie? Glue a mirror to the bottom of a pool. (Jacob)

About time. The chainsaw impersonation was getting a little tired. (Rosalie)

It had once probably been a big mixing bowl, but she’d bent the bowl back in on itself until it was shaped almost exactly like a dog dish. I had to be impressed with her quick craftsmanship. And her attention to detail. She’d scratched the word Fido into the side. Excellent handwriting. (Jacob)

Hey, do you know what you call a blonde with a brain? A golden retriever. (Jacob)

Silently, I lifted my doggy bowl off the floor. Then, with a quick, powerful flip of my wrist, I threw it into the back of Blondie’s head so hard that – with an earsplitting bang – it smashed flat before it ricocheted across the room and snapped the round top piece off the thick newel post at the foot of the stairs. (Jacob)

You. Got. Food. In. My. Hair. (Rosalie)

I’m not going to forget this, dog. (Rosalie)

S’not so hard to erase a blonde’s memory. Just blow in her ear. (Jacob)

It… the baby likes the sound of your voice. (Edward)

In that moment, I knew that I was alone. All alone. I wanted to kick myself when I realized how much I’d been counting on that loathsome vampire. How stupid – as if you could ever trust a leech! Of course he would betray me in the end. (Jacob)

Crazy how easy it was, walking through the dark with a vampire right beside me. It didn’t feel unsafe, or even uncomfortable, really. It felt like walking next to anybody. Well, anybody who smelled bad. (Jacob)

Everything inside me came undone as I stared at the tiny porcelain face of the half-vampire, half-human baby. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was – my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my self – disconnected from me in that second – snip, snip, snip – and floated up into space. I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was. (Jacob)

The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood. It was the baby girl in the blond vampire’s arms that held me here now. Renesmee. (Jacob)

Her tiny face was so absolutely perfect that it stunned me. She was even more beautiful than her father. Unbelievable. Impossible. (Bella)

It was like he’d never kissed me – like this was our first kiss. And, in truth, he’d never kissed me this way before. It almost made me feel guilty. Surely I was in breach of the contract. I shouldn’t be allowed to have this, too. (Bella)

You’ve been holding out on me. (Bella)

Now it’s your turn to not break me. (Edward)

That was quite graceful – even for a vampire. (Edward)

It was the first time anyone had ever applied the word graceful to me in my entire life… or, well, existence anyway. (Bella)

Jacob isn’t suffering. Though I might be willing to change his condition. (Edward)
I gotta say it, Bells. You’re a freak show. (Jacob)

Huh. I can see what everyone’s been going on about. You stink, Jacob. (Bella)

We’ll take care of you, Bella. Don’t worry, we’ll be ready. None of us would risk Renesmee. I think you’ll be surprised at how entirely she’s already wrapped us all around her little fingers.

She’ll be perfectly safe, no matter what. (Edward)

I’ve held her all of one time, and already you think you have some moronic wolfy claim on her? She’s mine. (Bella)

You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster? (Bella)

Renesmee smiled her brilliant smile, and her memory eyes did not leave Jacob through all the following mess. I tasted a new flavor to the memory – not exactly protective, more possessive – as she watched Jacob. I got the distinct impression that she was glad Seth had put himself in front of my spring. She didn’t want Jacob hurt. He was hers. (Bella)

It’s just because he tastes better than the rest of us. (Edward)

He had the most beautiful, perfect body in the world and I had him all to myself, and it didn’t feel like I was every going to find a point where I would think, now I’ve had enough for one day. I was always going to want more. And the day was never going to end. So, in such a situation, how did we ever stop? It didn’t bother me at all that I had no answer. (Bella)

So it’s still standing? I would’ve thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now. What were you doing last night? Discussing the national debt? (Emmett)

The more time he spends here, the less chance there is that we’ll ever get the smell out. (Rosalie)

I’m sure you’ll ace your classes… apparently there’s nothing interesting for you to do at night besides study. (Emmett)

After a few minutes, he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal, too. And I said, ‘She wishes she was that cool!’ (Jacob)

No, I don’t care if you bite Jacob. That’s fine. (Edward)

‘Bout time somebody scored around here. (Emmett)

Sturdy is good. She’ll need to be tough, surrounded by all this craziness. Prettiest baby I ever saw, including you, kid. Sorry, but it’s true. (Charlie)

You. Me. Arm-wrestling. Dining room table. Now. (Bella)

What an amazing creature she is. (Edward)

He was both dazzling and dazzled. (Bella)

Was this the limit, then? I’d had more happiness than most people ever experienced. Was there some natural law that demanded equal shares of happiness and misery in the world? Was my joy overthrowing the balance? (Bella)

It’s over. We’ve all been sentenced to die. (Bella)

A very talented family. A mind reader for a father, a shield for a mother, and then whatever magic this extraordinary child has bewitched us with. (Eleazar)

Excuse me, what did you just call my wife? (Edward)

Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular. (Jacob)

The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running. And the only reason Renesmee would be running was if we had lost. (Bella)

I heard the music before I was out of the car. Edward hadn’t touched his piano since the night Alice left. Now, as I shut the car door, I heard the song morph through a bridge and change into my lullaby. Edward was welcoming me home. (Bella)

The packs will fight with the Cullens. We’re not afraid of vampires. (Jacob)Stupid leeches. Think they’re so superior. (Jacob)They’ll be shocked when the infants save their superior lives, won’t they? (Edward)

Edward and I had not had a last grand scene of farewell, nor did I plan one. To speak the word was to make it final. It would be the same as typing the words The End on the last page of a manuscript. So we did not say our goodbyes, and we stayed very close to each other, always touching. Whatever end found us, it would not find us separated. (Bella)

The shield blew out from me in a bubble of sheer energy, a mushroom cloud of liquid steel. It pulsed like a living thing – I could feel it, from the apex to the edges. (Bella)

You look good. Immortality suits you. (Felix)

I love you. (Renesemee) I love you too, more than my own life. (Bella)I love you, too, Jake.
You’ll always be my best man. (Bella)Goodbye, Jacob, my brother… my son. (Edward)

Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife? (Edward)

I get to stay with you? (Renesmee)

I couldn’t speak anymore. I lifted my head and kissed him with a passion that might possibly set the forest on fire. I wouldn’t have noticed. (Bella)

But most significant in this tidal wave of happiness was the surest fact of all: I was with Edward. Forever. (Bella)

Now you know. No one’s ever loved anyone as much as I love you. (Bella)You’re almost right, I know of just one exception. (Edward)

Triangle of Love... Good or Bad?

Eclipse By: Stephanie Meyers

Isn’t it funny whenever you read a book, the plot is usually a very small portion of the main character’s life. Usually the book is not a compilation of the person’s birth to their death. So, it makes you wonder (if the author doesn’t tell you) what happened before I was introduced to this character. Who was this person, and why all of a sudden is there so much action taking place now, when apparently there was no action before I was introduced to the story? I have not pondered this thought before to the extent that I have recently. This phenomenon is especially blatant in the life of Bella Swan from the Twilight series. After Bella decides to move to Forks, Washington to live with her father, her life is turned upside down. So, answer me this, what was her life like in Phoenix? Was it horribly boring? Did she have any friends, or a life at all? We know from Twilight that she never had a boyfriend, she’s a loner, never wants to be the center of attention, doesn’t have any friends from Arizona (or at least not close enough to ever mention them or talk to them when she moves to Forks). So, was our klutzy heroine even an interesting person before she moved? Why do we love her and find her interesting at all? Is it because of Edward (our vampire hero)? Just a thought, because in Eclipse Bella is in more trouble now than ever before.

To sum up Eclipse, I would say, this book is the actual definition of a “love triangle.” I have found just recently that there are quite a few books out there that have love triangles, but this one takes the cake. It is so intense and crazy that it will make you want to slap your mama. Ok, maybe not that crazy, but the series so far in a nutshell is, Twilight is the story of Bella and Edward’s love, and New Moon is the story of Bella and Jacob’s friendship, therefore Eclipse is the story of who will she pick- Edward or Jacob? She is romantically involved with Edward, but her heart also longs to keep her best friend Jacob Black as close as possible.

Eclipse is probably my favorite book of the series, there is a lot of action, some sweet scenes between Edward and Bella, some comedic relief, everything you need or want in a good book. Of course I would not suggest reading this book before you have read the first two of the series, but within the series, it is great!

Ok, you knew it was coming, so without further ado… here are the SPOILERS… Now if you have read Eclipse this is going to be Spoilers for Eclipse only, not Breaking Dawn, so proceed. If you have not read Eclipse, do not read further.

What makes a good book? For me, I would say surprise is a key element to realize if an author is doing a good job, within a book. If I can read a book and I’m not constantly looking for a twist in the plot or trying to figure out who the bad guy is, then it’s a good thing. If I’m wrapped up in the story, and the author has grabbed my attention enough to keep my mind in the present location of the story, then Wham! me with a surprise, that’s awesome! With Eclipse, I never tried to figure out who was coming after Bella. For example, In chapter 7 Bella is kidnapped by Alice to have a “slumber party,” aka, Edward was trying to keep Bella safe and away from La Push & Jacob. After Bella goes back home she notices that her room is clean, her pillow and half of her dirty laundry is missing. She assumes Alice cleaned up her room whenever she got her stuff for the “slumber party,” but in reality, an unknown vampire stole her things to take her scent to a newborn vampire army, to destroy her. Wait a sec…Do What?!?!?! Haha, I would have never guessed that, but the way Meyer writes it, or the way she has Bella think about it, it never made me think anything else besides, Alice must have cleaned her room for her. Bella’s cluelessness is bliss for surprises. Other Surprises I didn’t see coming- Jacob’s first kiss (when she punched him), Jacob tricking Bella into kissing him and then Edward not being mad at all (crazy… I thought he would be pissed, at least at Jacob), Edward calling the deal off (marriage/trying to be intimate/turning her into a vampire).

Praise for Eclipse: Eclipse brings the first two books together perfectly. Meyer integrates concepts from Twilight and New Moon, while introducing new concepts that will be further explored in Breaking Dawn. For example, one concept that was first introduced in Twilight was the painting in Carlisle’s office of the 3 men and Carlisle (Aro, Caius, and Marcus-the Volturi), that Edward shows Bella during her first visit to the Cullen’s home. Then we are reintroduced by name only in the first chapter of New Moon. (This is where Edward tells Bella that he doesn’t plan to live long after she dies and that dying is almost impossible for a vampire, but the Volturi would be able to do this for him). Then we meet them in person at the end of New Moon when Bella saves Edward from trying to kill himself. They have a small role in Eclipse, but they are still present. Then they play a very large role in Breaking Dawn.

Another praise is the fight scene at the end of Eclipse, it is fantastic. There is the perfect amount of suspense and action. I liked the imagery of how Edward has always been likened to a lion or a cat, and Victoria also in Bella’s mind was like a wild cat and then when they fight, it was lion against lioness. Also the fight in Bella’s mind was like a deadly dance, I enjoyed that word pictures. In the end, I was ok with this fight scene because one of the main characters gets hurt (I know I’m crazy, but it just can’t have too happy of an ending, it’s just not very realistic that way). It’s not just the happiest ending, Bella chooses Edward in the end, so Jacob is crushed, but no one important dies in the fight.

This is the end of my Eclipse blog, but please enjoy a few of my favorite quotes from the book listed below. Let me know what you think about this blog and the book Eclipse. Thanks for reading!

Here are some of my favorite quotes or scenes:
The outside world holds no interest for me without you. (Edward)

I’m really glad Edward didn’t kill you. Everything’s so much more fun with you around. (Emmett)

So the consensus was that I was just supposed to forget that a deranged vampire was stalking me, intent on my death. (Bella)

I love him. Not because he’s beautiful or because he’s rich! I’d much rather he weren’t either one. It would even out the gap between us just a little bit — because he’d still be the most loving and unselfish and brilliant and decent person I’ve ever met. Of course I love him. How hard is that to understand? (Bella)

Yes, because a vampire slumber party is the pinnacle of safety conscious behavior. (Bella)

Does my being half-naked bother you? (Jacob)

You’re quite adorable when you’re jealous. It’s surprisingly enjoyable. (Edward)

That was not kissing back, that was trying to get you the hell off of me, you idiot. (Bella)

Emmett watched curiously as Edward helped me carefully out of the car. His eyes zeroed in on my hand I cradled against my chest. Emmett grinned. “Fall down again, Bella?” I glared at him fiercely. “No, Emmett. I punched a werewolf in the face.” Emmett blinked and then burst into a roar of laughter. (Bella & Emmett)

I didn’t have the faintest idea how to be seductive. I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious. (Bella)

I had no right to want you — but I reached out and took you anyway. And now look what’s become of you! Trying to seduce a vampire. (Edward)

You know, Jacob, if it weren’t for the fact that we’re natural enemies and that you’re also trying to steal away the reason for my existence, I might actually like you. (Edward)

But, if I had been able to take your place last night, it would not have made the top ten of the best nights of my life. Dream about that. (Edward)

All of my best nights have happened since I met you. (Edward)

When I left you, Bella, I left you bleeding. Jacob was the one to stitch you back up again. That was bound to leave its mark — on both of you. I’m not sure those kinds of stitches dissolve on their own. I can’t blame either of you for something I made necessary. I may gain forgiveness, but that doesn’t let me escape the consequences. (Edward)

I just beheaded and dismembered a sentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesn’t bother you? (Edward)

It’s a good thing you’re bulletproof. I’m going to need that ring. It’s time to tell Charlie. (Bella)

Babbler gets her ending?

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

Love Triangle! When we meet Lizzie Nichols in “Queen of Babble” she is in a horrible relationship with Andrew (liar, cheater, gambler, etc.) she falls in love with Luke and in end of “Queen of Babble in the Big City” Lizzie and Luke have broken up. Well SPOILER ALERT for book 3: the first chapter of this book Luke decides he can’t live without Lizzie and drops a three karat ring on her finger. At the same time who is in Lizzie’s bed? Chaz, Lizzie’s best friend Shari’s ex-boyfriend and Luke’s best friend, but don’t worry, nothing happened, just some heavy making out in the cab on the way home. While her refurbished wedding gown store is doing incredible, she can’t seem to find time to plan her own wedding. Every time she starts to think about marrying Luke she hives up and freaks out. Luke moves to Paris and wants Lizzie to move there with him. Chaz and Shari have ganged up on Lizzie letting her know that Luke is not right for her. Chaz seems to think that he is the person that loves Lizzie. Who will she choose in the end? Prince charming Luke, or Chaz with his Michigan baseball cap?

In this final book of the series, we meet a new character named Ava Geck, a bride to be that is a celebrity of sorts because of her father’s money. She brings with her a whole new area of problems for Lizzie, along with some good life lessons.

This was a fantastic book that ended the series. I love it when an author changes your mind for you. I wanted Lizzie to be happy, and I could only think of one way for the series to end and her be happy. I changed my mind and stated hoping for other endings. Cabot’s writing in this series was delightful. She has great characters and her wit is unmatched. She keeps you laughing with her character’s fun personality and changes things that you just don’t see coming. The series was great and a fun fast read.

Book Rating: this book is rated R for sexual content and language. Please do not read this book, if you are under that age of 18. I have now warned you three times that this book is not for you if you are under age, but let me clarify… maybe you are over 18 but you still have some growing up to do. This series is not for you either.

Let me know what you thought about Queen of Babble if you’ve read it. Also let me know what you thought about this blog.

Big mouth? Entertainment Value: High!

Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

Lizzie Nichols is back and loose on New York City. She comes to the big city with her best friend Shari (and their boyfriends) but has no job and no place to live. Things seem to start to fall into place when her boyfriend asks her to move in to his place, she lands a job (that doesn’t pay) at a wedding gown refurbishing store and Shari’s boyfriend Chaz gets her a paying job at his father’s law firm. Of course, her mouth gets her in trouble when she befriends Jill Higgins, a New York society bride with a troublesome future mother-in-law. She gets fired because of the friendship with Higgins and ends up homeless because she mentions the M-word (marriage) to her boyfriend. The question is, can she rescue herself from the crazy trouble that her mouth has gotten herself into?

This book was very good. Cabot found a winner with Lizzie, she has such a great personality and she’s a lot of fun. When I read this book, I would just squirm knowing that something disastrous was about to happen. You could feel it! I just wanted to take my hand and clamp her mouth shut, I could see what was going to happen after she opened her big mouth. I remember thinking… Don’t do that… oh, well, now you’ve done it. Ha Ha! At her law office job, a new character is introduced, Tiffany, the perfect model that forces Lizzie to see herself in a clearer light. She’s a good friend for Lizzie and I appreciate her in the story.

Here’s the disclaimer: this book is rated R for sexual content and language. Please do not read this book, if you are under that age of 18. If you do read this against my wishes and you are under that age, don’t go blaming your rotted out mind on me, I warned you!

Babble This, Babble That!

Queen of Babble by: Meg Cabot

Lizzie Nichols has problems. They seem to find her everywhere she goes and usually because of her big mouth. She is at her college graduation party and finds out she’s not graduating until she writes a 50 page thesis paper on the History of Fashion. She goes to England to spend time with her boyfriend and finds out that he is not only fashionably retarded, but a liar, gambler, and so much more. She was supposed to spend a month in England with Andrew, but finds that she can’t stay with him anymore, so she searches out her best friend Shari who is working at Château Mirac in the Dordogne wine country in France. On her way, she meets American Jean-Luc de Villiers on the Chunnel and spills her guts to him in an embarrassing display. Low and behold Jean-Luc is the owner’s son of the very Château that she is trying to find. Her troubles don’t stop there, but you’ll have to read it to see how Lizzie can use her big mouth to get out of the mess that she has gotten herself into.

Meg Cabot had me rolling, this book was laugh out loud funny. I read while sitting on the couch with my husband, Simon and he kept asking me what I was laughing about. The “babble” that comes out of Lizzie’s mouth is fascinating and her character is gripping. Cabot introduces us to characters that are interesting and hard to resist. I loved Lizzie’s obsession with vintage clothing, and her constant cheating on her diet. This book is a quick read and a lot of fun. It is the first of the series that is well worth your time.

Here’s the disclaimer: this book is rated R for sexual content and language. Please do not read this book, if you are under that age of, oh, I don’t know, 18… There are sexual scenes that are not horribly graphic, but I would feel better about liking this book if I knew I wasn’t endorsing it to my younger readers.

Kleenex anyone?

New Moon by: Stephanie Meyer

Bella Swan has now been in Forks, WA for 9 months. In Twilight, Bella meets and falls in love with Edward Cullen. This in and of itself is not a surprising turn of events, for a 17 year old to fall in love. Except that Edward is not your average high schooler, Edward is a vampire. Throughout Twilight, Bella and Edward’s love grows to the point where neither can live without the other (you remember high school romance, right?). Twilight ends at the prom where Bella is begging Edward to turn her into a vampire so they can be together forever, and he is adamantly against the idea. He asks her if just living a long, happy life with him is enough. She responds that it is enough, for now. The second book in the Twilight series, New Moon, picks up after the summer is over and on Bella’s eighteenth birthday. The first chapter changes everything and soon after that incident, Edward realizes that his presence in Bella’s life will constantly keep her in danger. As Twilight developed Bella and Edward’s story, New Moon develops Bella and Jacob Black’s story. We meet 15 year old Jacob in Twilight, he is the Quileute Native American who is the son of Billy Black, one of Charlie Swans best friends. New Moon changes the Twilight romance story quickly, and you will be asking, why? The last 300 pages are very intense, it becomes a page turner after a certain point. The action at the end will have you on the edge of your seat, absolutely freaking out.

That is a good synopsis of the story, but to discuss my opinion about New Moon I’m going to have to talk about the book in detail, so if you have not read New Moon and plan to, please do not keep reading this blog. There are going to be spoilers from here on out. SPOILER ALERT!!!

New Moon was not my favorite book of the series. I have now read the book 3 times, and I do love it, but being a huge player on “Team Edward,” I was sad throughout the entire book. I knew something horrible was coming whenever Edward was being distant and did not want to be around Bella for any period of time. When he left and said that he didn’t want her anymore, I crumpled to the floor and wept… just kidding, but I did cry. Her pain was so real, the way Stephanie Meyer describes her hurt makes you feel like you can’t breathe along with Bella. Stylistically I enjoyed the blank pages for the months of October, November, & December; it demonstrated the emptiness of those months for Bella without Edward.

When Bella first hears Edward’s voice in her head I was hopeful. Charlie has enough of a zombie for a daughter and threatens to send her to Florida to live with her mom. Bella makes plans and goes to the movies with Jessica in Port Angeles to get him off of her back. That is where she hears Edward’s voice for the first time in her head. Bella says that there are only 2 reasons for the hallucinations, but I didn’t agree. I thought maybe he was still hanging around in the background watching over her, and somehow he had broken through the guard of her mind and was putting thoughts in her head. My idea was not even plausible, but I was desperate for him to be back and therefore I was hopeful that somehow it wasn’t a hallucination, hopeful that it was actually him speaking to her. I knew it was a long shot, and looking back now it was ridiculous, but I just wanted him back so badly. I was so anxious for Edward’s return that I would look ahead like 30 pages and if I saw his name, I would think, oh good he’s finally coming back. I would get to that page and it would just be more hallucinations. I was so sad. I kept reading, expecting Edward to be back any minute, and he wasn’t. Finally, around page 380, Alice comes back, and the action starts.

The next key section for me is when Bella overhears a conversation between Charlie and Alice and he describes what Bella went through during the months that we didn’t get to read, I cried every time I read this part. The pain of her lost love and hearing it described in detail was enough to make a sane person go crazy. Whenever Meyer described Bella’s hole in her chest and how the edges burned, I could actually feel the pain. The times that Bella couldn’t breathe because of the heartache I felt like I was going to loose it. The image of Bella having to wrap her arms around herself to keep from falling apart, how sad is that?

The redeeming quality about New Moon (or at least the chapters 4-20), is that she does find a very good friend in Jacob. He makes her feel almost normal, and she describes Jacob as her personal sun. He warms her with his smile, just by being around. I’m glad that she realizes her heart is incomplete and that she’s like a dilapidated house that only the front room has been remodeled with Jacob in her life. Because Jacob is NO Edward :).

Throughout the entire book I kept thinking, Edward will be right back, he can’t live without Bella, he’s dying without her, he has to come back! But as I turned the pages and there was no Edward and no thought of him coming back I had doubt in my heart. My only comparison is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry and Ron get into a fight and they don’t talk for 4 chapters. It felt like the longest span of time when reading the book for the first time. I thought, “Harry and Ron have to be friends again.” That’s what I kept expecting from New Moon. I kept looking for Edward to come back in 4 chapters, but the book kept going and going and there was no Edward. I read this book so fast, just to find him.

Just in case you have disobeyed me and you have ruined most of this book for yourself reading the spoilers, I won’t tell you how he comes back. But at the end when he is in Bella’s bedroom describing his love for her over and over again, I thought I was actually going to melt. His love for Bella and the way he describes his feelings, I mean wow! I suggest that if you stopped at Twilight, you have to pick up New Moon. Also, New Moon is the perfect introduction to Eclipse, which is probably the best of the 4 books. In Eclipse, the suspense of the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob is riveting. If you like the first two books, you will love Eclipse. So grab a box of Kleenex, take a Saturday for yourself, curl up on the couch and read New Moon. Please stay tuned for the Eclipse post, it will be coming soon.

Please let me know what you thought about this blog, or New Moon.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from New Moon, Enjoy:
I didn’t have to look to know who it was; this was a voice I would know anywhere—know, and respond to, whether I was awake or asleep… or even dead, I’d bet. The voice I’d walk through fire for—or, less dramatically, slosh every day through the cold and endless rain for. Edward. (Bella)

College was Plan B. I was still hoping for Plan A, but Edward was just so stubborn about leaving me human… (Bella)

I have to step out for a second. Don’t do anything funny while I’m gone. (Emmett)

Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm — into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. (Bella)

You’re overestimating my self-control. (Edward)

Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body? (Bella)

He smiled my favorite crooked smile, but it was wrong. It didn’t reach his eyes. (Bella)

You… don’t… want me? (Bella)

Of course, I’ll always love you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it’s time for a change. Because I’m… tired of pretending to be something I’m not, Bella. I am not human. (Edward)

I promise that this will be the last time you’ll see me. I won’t come back. I won’t put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I’d never existed. (Edward)

No, I don’t think she’s hurt. She just keeps saying ‘He’s gone.’ (Sam)

The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under. I did not resurface. (Bella)

As if he’d never existed? That was insanity. It was a promise that he could never keep, a promise that was broken as soon as he’d made it. (Bella)

Who would want to ride a motorcycle here? It would be like taking a sixty-mile-per-hour bath. (Bella)

Only a teenage boy would agree to this: deceiving both our parents while repairing dangerous vehicles using money meant for my college education. (Bella)

Bears don’t want to eat people. We don’t taste that good. Of course, you might be an exception. I bet you’d taste good. (Jacob)

I was like a lost moon—my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolation—that continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity. (Bella)

So are you going to be my Valentine? Since you didn’t get me a fifty-cent box of candy, it’s the least you can do. (Jacob)

How much I wished that Jacob Black had been born my brother, my flesh-and -blood brother, so that I would have some legitimate claim on him that still left me free of any blame now. (Bella)

If you want to blame someone, why don’t you point your finger at those filthy, reeking bloodsuckers that you love so much? (Jacob)

I’d thought Jake had been healing the hole in me—or at least plugging it up, keeping it from hurting me so much. I’d been wrong. He’d just been carving out his own hole, so that I was now riddled through like Swiss cheese. I wondered why I didn’t crumble into pieces. (Bella)

When did you ever promise to kill yourself falling out of Charlie’s tree? (Bella)
Jacob, the only human I’d ever been able to relate to…And he wasn’t even human. I fought the urge to scream again. What did this say about me? (Bella)

Look, do you mind saving the stupid stuff for when I’m around? I won’t be able to concentrate if I think you’re jumping off cliffs behind my back. (Jacob)

Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you can find. (Alice)

What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to find me skipping around and whistling show tunes? You know me better than that. (Bella)

Why does everyone keep doing that to me? I don’t smell! (Bella)

There’s a very good chance that they will eliminate us all—though in your case it won’t be punishment so much as dinnertime. (Alice)

Try not to trip. We don’t have time for a concussion today. (Alice)

I wasn’t going to make it. I was stupid and slow and human, and we were all going to die because of it. (Bella)

You smell just exactly the same as always. So maybe this is hell. I don’t care. I’ll take it. (Edward)

In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn’t trying to kill herself. Bella’s all about the extreme sports these days. (Alice)

I love a happy ending. They are so rare. (Aro)

I haven’t seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us? (Aro)

It was heaven—right smack in the middle of hell. (Bella)

After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me? (Edward)

I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn’t want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous concept—as if there were any way that I could exist without needing you! (Edward)

His mouth was on mine then, and I couldn’t fight him. Not because he was so many thousand times stronger than me, but because my will crumbled into dust the second our lips met. (Bella)

Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars—points of light and reason… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything. (Edward)

My heart hasn’t beat in almost ninety years, but this was different. It was like my heart was gone—like I was hollow. Like I’d left everything that was inside me here with you. (Edward)

You’re wounding my ego, Bella. I just proposed to you, and you think it’s a joke. (Edward)

The fairy tale was back on. Prince returned, bad spell broken. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do about the leftover, unresolved character. Where was his happily ever after? (Bella)

Skipping Christmas... I wouldn't dream of it

Skipping Christmas By: John Grisham

The love that is all things Christmas, this love is something I inherited from my mom. When I was growing up, the day after Thanksgiving was always a joyous day at the Bennett household. On that day many rush out to get a good deal, to fight the crowds, and get all the good door busters. But we would stay at home and eat left over turkey and apple pie, pull out boxes, and decorate for Christmas. There was always some hokey Christmas movie on tv, or at the very least there was Christmas music playing on the cd player and we would get busy. This was also an exhausting day. My mom does nothing half way (right Will?), I promise, we cleaned the entire house, floors, cabinets, shelves, everything would be dust free, and decorated in snow for the snowmen, or torn up burlap bags for the nativity scenes. Some people may read this and freak out, saying, it’s too much. Others may read it and sigh knowing exactly what I’m talking about. Some would think that I would absolutely hate Christmas because of all the craziness the holiday season was around my childhood, but no matter, I love it! I had to work on Black Friday (the slowest day of my working career) and so I started the decorating on Thanksgiving. Simon and I had a nice relaxing day, no cooking, no family, just enjoyed each other’s company. Of course it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving for Simon without a little football, and it wouldn’t be a day at all if I didn’t have a good book in my hands.

Skipping Christmas was a very quick read. I started it Thursday and finished it on Saturday and I’m reading another book at the same time. It was a very sweet story that touches your heart in the end. The reason I picked it up was because of the author. As much as I read, I have never read a John Grisham novel, so I thought, “what the heck… why not?” Since it is so small, if I hate him as an author it wouldn’t be that much of a waste. But I enjoyed it and I have acquired another book by him, “The Summons,” I’ll let you know how that goes as soon as I get to it.

I thought it ironic that I would put this book down and decorate my tree, or move a box, or even hum a carol while putting together my New England series Christmas village. The book is about a husband and wife that have just watched their only daughter board a plane to join the Peace Corps for a year and right before Christmas. They decide that instead of running through the hustle and bustle of Christmas, they are going to take a break this year and go on a Cruise. They figure that they are going to have a hard time declining parties and not accepting or giving gifts, but they don’t have any idea of the hard times ahead of them. From angry neighbors, to constant carolers at their home, this is one Christmas the Kranks are never going to forget.

Please read the book this season, it doesn’t take long, and it is a treat. Let me know what you think about this blog or if you have read the book, what you think about it. Merry Christmas!

Sister's got southern charm, yes ma'am!

Savannah from Savannah, Savannah Comes Undone, & Savannah by the Sea
By: Denise Hildreth

The Savannah series made me smile. This is one of those rare times that I was just wandering the rows of books at the public library and the title caught my eye, and it was a great series. You never know what you are going to end up with when you pick up an unknown author in the library. But, when I saw that there were two books, I thought, oh good, a series, so I grabbed them. I later found that it is a 3 book series and the library didn’t have the third, so I had to order book 3 from Amazon.com.

From the very beginning I was hooked. The story, between the 3 books, is one year in the life of Savannah Phillips who is from Savannah, Georgia. In Savannah from Savannah, she has just finished her Master’s degree at the University of Georgia and is moving back home. She recently won a contest that the end result was an award and her novel being published, but she declines the huge opportunity because she suspects that as usual, her mother has butted in (again) and fixed the contest. Savannah struggles, but lands a job with the Savannah Chronicle (her hometown newspaper) as the Human Interest story writer. Because of her spunky personality, she has run-ins with her boss, she doesn’t get along with Joshua North or “curly locks,” the guy that has a desk next to her at the paper, and it seems that everyone is waiting for her to fail at her new job. She tries to prove that she can do everything on her own, to her mother, her co-workers, and primarily to herself. She runs into some problems writing her first story, and learns some tough grown up lessons in the meantime. This introduction to the character is perfect and I really enjoyed this book.

Savannah Comes Undone starts right where the first book left off. Her mother, Victoria Phillips (never Vicky-out loud anyway), is chained to a statue in front of the court house that bears the Ten Commandments. There is a huge upheaval and half the town wants the statue gone and the other half wants it to stay. Savannah runs into personal convictions that she has to deal with on a Spiritual level as she learns who she really is, aside from her family and what she’s been taught all of her life. She meets some great characters that teach her some very valuable lessons in this novel.

After working at the Chronicle for 10 months, the Phillips family is going to Florida on vacation in the third book, Savannah by the Sea. She talks her boss into letting her go for research purposes to find a story on the many emotional struggles of the hurricane victims, a.k.a. sister wants to go on vacation. The “family” vacation includes her younger brother Thomas, her mother and father, their dogs, Amber-the beauty queen/Vicky double, and her best friend Paige. An unexpected person is also at the same beach in Florida and it turns her vacation upside down. This book is definitely my favorite of the three and there is actually an opening for her to write another book, I’ll keep you posted on if that ever comes about.

Some of my favorite concepts in this series start with the fact that the main character is a Christian. This book is not publicized as a Christian novel, but I was pleasantly surprised when Savannah lives her life according to her convictions. She “tills” every morning, meaning she has a quiet time with God, while she jogs with her Dad’s dog Duke. She prays, listens, and God teachers her many lessons on these early excursions. She has a life changing encounter with the Almighty in all 3 books that will convict and uplift you. Another characteristic of these books that I enjoyed was her personality. She does not cuss, but she’ll get caught about to say something un-lady-like and then rephrase the sentence midway through or give another sentence all together. For example: “I would like to find some hard liquor.” “Savannah Phillips!” Joshua rebuked. “Do you have something to tell me?” “I said-” “She always does this,” my father chimed in. “I know.” They both took a sip of their coffee. “I said, let’s make sure Duke doesn’t lick her.” Dad raised his eyebrow. “That was one of your more pitiful attempts lately.”

She also says “sister” all of the time, either talking in third person, or even talking about another woman in the book. For example: “Sister’s gotta go to her apartment.” Savannah’s character is a fun person that I could see myself getting along with. She is brave and confrontational, but yet she can be quite blind to what is going on around her. These three books are a lot of fun to read and I would encourage anyone to pick them up. The one thing that struck me odd is that I did find some pretty big errors in the books. Usually it was the incorrect usage of a word, or inconsistency within a paragraph. For example in Savannah Comes Undone, she walks into her bosses’ office and the books said: “He looked up as I walked in. He answered me without ever looking up.” What??? Little things like that, made me laugh, maybe the author needs to find a better editor. If her other books are as good as this series, I would be honored to edit her books. If you get a chance, let me know what you think about this blog or these books if you read them.

Bella & Edward, we meet again.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I know what you are thinking…you are blogging about Twilight again??? Well actually, the first time was an introduction to my blog, the reason why I feel the need to put my opinions and thoughts on the internet for all to see (See Why am I Here???). This blog covers my thoughts on the first book of the series.

Twilight is a story about a seventeen year old girl that decides to move to Forks, WA to live with her father. Within the first chapter we meet Edward Cullen, the heartbreakingly gorgeous vampire that is so attracted to Bella’s blood that it is painful for him. She realizes quickly that there is something different about him especially when he defies odds and saves her from a near death accident. This teen romance is a page turner from the very beginning, this book has romance, struggle, and action. Even though the primary focus of the book is for teen girls, I know many women of all ages that love this book and also I have spoken with men that have read it and liked it as well.

Praise for Twilight: I was enthralled in this book from the very beginning. I enjoyed the teenage struggle and the reminder of the awkwardness of first love. Meyers developed Bella’s character very well showing her humor, sarcastic tendencies, and also her teenage imperfections (such as forgetting to call her mom when she first arrives in Forks or the fear of going to a new school). Bella is also seen as observant (she notices everything about Edward to the extent of his eyes changing colors), selfless (moving to a place she hates in order that her mom could spend time with her new husband instead of staying home with Bella), a quiet martyr (she doesn’t want to talk about being unhappy in Forks or for others to share in her misery), she is also the caretaker for both of her parents (always kept her mother safe from her harebrained ideas and cooks and cleans for Charlie, her dad), and she’s brave (in love with a vampire, hangs out with his family, and runs to save her mother from a dangerous vampire). I have read some complaints about Bella’s character about her being whiney and not an interesting character, but I disagree. I think she is an ordinary seventeen year old girl, who is going through a lot during the course of this book-moving to a new town, starting a new school, meets her first love-that’s a lot to deal with in a short span of time, I might whine a little too! Out of all 4 books, Twilight is my favorite. Being the first book of the series, I think that the book presents the beginning of their relationship well. I just love the story of them falling in love. Throughout the first half of the book, it’s as if they are separately falling in love with each other for months and then they bring it together in the meadow for a perfect scene of declaration of love. Another thing I love is how he makes her absolutely freak out internally, her heart races, she faints, she can’t breathe, or at least she forgets to sometimes. He is very sensitive to her heartbeat and she knows it, therefore it embarrasses her when her heart goes crazy just by a small touch from him. Even though the sexual tension progresses throughout the books, there is definitely some of that tension in Twilight. They never really discuss sex besides one scene with Bella’s curious “round-about” questions about Emmett and Rosalie having a marriage like humans do. And also Bella asks Edward, “Your human instincts…, well do you find me attractive, in that way at all?” Edward answers, “I may not be a human, but I am a man.” I think the first time I read that, I melted into a puddle. Overall the book was great, I have at this time read it 3 times, but I refuse to read it again for at least a year :).

Complaints for Twilight: Anyone who knows me and my complete obsession with Twilight is probably really freaking out right now that I have complaints about this book. But, I do. The main one being the whole book takes place between January and June, it just seems too quick. I fight with myself on whether Bella and Edward can really have this kind of deep love for each other in such a quick time frame. My thought is maybe it’s not that strong (just like any normal relationship), but it has the potential of getting stronger. For example, when Simon and I went on our first date, I knew he was the man I was going to marry and I wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of that. We didn’t say “I love you” until we were engaged a year after that first date, but within 3 months I had met his family and we both knew where the relationship was going. (SPOILER ALERT-FOR TWILIGHT ONLY) The Meadow scene happens on Saturday, Bella meets the Cullen family on Sunday/Edward meets Chief Swan, and that night they play Baseball and here we are introduced to the villains, James, Laurent, and Victoria. Wow, over the weekend you have declared your love, met the parents, and get attacked by the nomadic, human-killing tracker, James. By Friday, Bella is in the hospital recovering from a Vampire attack, absolutely freaking out that Edward might leave her. It just seems a little sudden. But then again I know people in perfectly sound marriages that got engaged after knowing each other only 2 weeks. One other complaint that I have battled with is her writing style. I think I have come to terms with the fact that it is a Young Adult fiction book and that I believe that the writing style was on purpose. I could be wrong, but it just seems like it was written by a teenager, but what if that was the point? Just something I’ve been mulling over.
Thank you for your time if you made it through this long blog. This story is so hard for me to boil down into a paragraph synopsis, I have contemplated how to do it for a while, thinking the movie would help formulate my thoughts, I was wrong. I am a “Twi-hard” to my core, we had our tickets for 4 weeks before the movie came out and saw it opening night. I do have to say that I enjoyed the movie. I am eager to see it again with fewer crazed fans (you know, the cheering, clapping, and swooning of the 40 year olds in front of us were kind of a distraction), maybe I’ll wait a few weeks for the craziness to go down.

All of that, please read Twilight, it is a great book and let me know what you think! Coming soon: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

Please enjoy some of my favorite quotes from Twilight:

I wasn’t interesting. And he was. Interesting…and brilliant…and mysterious…andperfect…and beautiful…and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand. (Bella)

I thought you were suppose to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death. (Bella)

Stupid, shiny volvo owner. (Bella)

It was hard to believe that someone so beautiful could be real. I was afraid that he might disappear in a sudden puff of smoke, and I would wake up. (Bella)

What if I’m not a superhero? What if I’m the bad guy? (Edward)

There’s always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they’re civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist. (Jacob)

Stupid, unreliable vampire. (Bella)

Do I dazzle you? (Edward)

Your number was up the first time I met you. (Edward)

I hear voices in my mind and you’re worried you’re the freak. (Edward)

And you accuse me of dazzling people-poor Jacob Black. (Edward)

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him — and I didn’t know how potent that part might be — that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him. (Bella)

You already know how I feel, of course. I’m here… which, roughly translated, means I would rather die than stay away from you. (Bella)

And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…What a stupid lamb. What a sick, masochistic lion. (Edward, Bella, Edward)

Are you still faint from the run? Or was it my kissing expertise? (Edward)

Just because I’m resisting the wine doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the bouquet. (Edward)

Yeah, it’s an off day when I don’t get somebody telling me how edible I smell. (Bella)

I may not be a human, but I am a man. (Edward)

I doubted there were any etiquette books detailing how to dress when your vampire sweetheart takes you home to meet his vampire family. (Bella)

You are utterly indecent — no one should look so tempting, it’s not fair. (Edward)

Shall I explain how you are tempting me? (Edward)

What am I going to do with you? Yesterday I kiss you, and you attack me! Today you pass out on me! (Edward)

I love you. It’s a poor excuse for what I’m doing, but it’s still true. (Edward)

You brought a snack? (Laurent)

I can feel what you’re feeling now — and you are worth it. (Jasper)

Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you? (Alice)

It’s like you’ve taken half my self away with you. (Edward)

I suppose you’re going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you? (James)

I heard my favorite sound in the world: Edward’s quiet laugh, weak with relief. (Bella)

You fell down two flights of stairs and through a window. You have to admit, it could happen. (Edward)

They gave you a few transfusions. I didn’t like it — it made you smell all wrong for a while. (Edward)

Don’t I taste as good as I smell? (Bella)

I think that boy is in love with you. (Renee)

Bella, we’re not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and

that’s the end of it. (Edward)

You’ll never catch me betting against Alice. (Bella)

Is that what you dream about? Being a monster? (Edward) Mostly I dream about being with you forever. (Bella)

I will stay with you — isn’t that enough? (Edward) I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn’t that enough? (Bella) Yes, it is enough. Enough for forever. (Edward)

Aliens...Awesome!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The earth has been invaded by aliens, and we don’t even know it. Wow, sucks to be the human race! The story is based on the alien “soul” named Wanderer. She is an old soul that has been to 9 different planets that have been invaded so far by the aliens. Wanderer has been selected to be implanted in one of the last humans on earth, Melanie Stryder. Wanderer’s first job is to find memories inside her host to ultimately to find the humans that Melanie has been hiding with. Quickly Wanderer realizes that Melanie is strong and not going away as the Host’s conciseness is supposed to. Melanie replays memories to Wanderer, which leads to Wanderer falling in love with Jared Howe, Melanie’s human partner. Wanderer finally feels that she is unable to dominate Melanie and wants to be transferred to a different Host, which will lead to Melanie’s death. After this, the story is just beginning and the characters go through many obstacles that continue throughout the story. This book is full of love, hate, romance, friendship, betrayal, action, and our basic instinct-survival.

The Host was an intriguing read. I have never read any Science-Fiction books before and therefore I was kind of hesitant. I mean come on, have you read my introduction to the book? Aliens? Souls? Last human on earth? You have to be kidding me, who wants to read that kind of thing? Well, from now on… ME! The story took some time to get into, but once I got to about the third chapter I was hooked. Then, once Wanderer reached the cave and met Ian (sigh) there was no turning back. The love triangle between 4 people was intense. Yes you read that correctly (triangle/4 people). I was cheering for the plot to go one way, then Meyer would introduce something new and I was changing my mind and wanting other things to happen.

The main reason I read The Host was because I was such a huge Twilight fan. The one thing that bothered me about Twilight was Meyer’s writing style. I thought it was amateur writing to say the least, with a good story line (mmm, vampires). After reading The Host I realized that Meyer’s is a literary genius. Haha, ok, I’m not going to go that far, because I don’t think she would agree with me. But, I realized that what I didn’t like about Twilight was actually on purpose, to reach her intended audience (youth/young adults). I figured this out because the same holes and “mistakes” in the plot and writing in Twilight should have been evident in The Host, but the mistakes weren’t there. This book was intended for an adult audience and written in that manner, just like Twilight was intended and written for young adults. I know that’s a little crazy, what I just wrote, but read all 5 of her books and you will understand what I’m talking about.

The best part of The Host in my opinion (which is all that matters on my blog… unless you want to leave me a comment, then I guess your opinion matters too) are the characters. The development of the characters makes you understand what they are going through, and I really cared about what happened to each character. Meyers has you pulling for every side. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed this book. I would invite you all to read it…EVEN IF YOU DON’T LIKE SCI-FI! This is truly the Sci-Fi book for non-Sci-Fi readers. Read it and let me know what you think, or did this post make you want to check it out? Let me know!

12 years later I finally read Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones’s Diary is fun, quick read, full of embarrassing moments that the female audience can connect with. The book style is as if the reader is actually reading Jones’s diary with daily/weekly entries.

It has been said, by some, that Bridget Jones’s Diary is a modern rendition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (P&P). I would totally agree! Starting at the first interaction with, yes, that’s right, Mr. Darcy (Mark Darcy) being at a party and it is hate at first sight between Darcy and Bridget Jones (or so we think). There is actually a line in the diary that Jones comments on the fact that there stands Mr. Darcy all by himself at a party looking irritated. I actually laughed out loud thinking about P&P. Another similarity is the thought of Darcy not linking Jones (Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet), Jones not liking Darcy (Bennet & Darcy) then a twist in the plot and everything is turned upside down. Also in P&P/BJD, Darcy disappears for a point of time and does one huge good deed and all for Jones/Bennet, to win her affection. There are a few other parallels, but you’ll just have to read both books and find them for yourself.

Having watched the movie before reading the book, I knew which actor played each character. In the book the author mentions both leading actors at different times (Hugh Grant and Colin Firth). I thought that was just too funny that she would only mention two male actors and they end up being in the movie. Along the lines of the movie, I was surprised by the many differences between the book and the movie. Of course I liked the book more than the film version and mainly because it stuck closer with the plot of Pride and Prejudice than the movie did (again, I’ll let you find these on your own).

Just to bring this blog to a more personal level, in the diary, I found it funny that in the month of June, Jones is obsessing with planning her “mini-break” with her boyfriend Daniel Cleaver but he doesn’t want to talk about it or discuss it. Simon and I are the opposite, he plans all of our vacations, obsessing over them for months, picking out all the restaurants and attractions (which I appreciate), and I’m like “don’t ask me, I don’t care.” Another interesting point was the fact that Jones was ALWAYS running late and writing about it in her diary. I just wanted to yell at her, “Put the danged book down and get ready for your date, or for work, or wherever you’re going, and you won’t be late.” I hate being late- I bet that is a cultural issue though, we American’s are always in a hurry. One funny part that made me laugh every time was Jones’s mother, she said “Drrrrr” all the time. Could you imagine talking to someone and instead of saying “um” or just pausing they say “Drrrrr.” It made me laugh out loud. Also, I enjoyed the English phrases that I didn’t understand, but were fun to read, like: “I haven’t seen you for yonks” (quite a long time) or “Turkey Curry Buffet” instead of just saying New Year’s Day party, or the Tarts and Vicars party, for which Jones dressed like a bunny. Of course there were the British words in BJD that I previously learned in Harry Potter, like “snogging” (kissing/making out), “prat” (incompetent person), and “bloody” (kind of a curse or intensifier, i.e.: “Bloody Hell”). Anyway, this is a quick fun read that I suggest for any female (sorry guys I don’t think that you would enjoy it very much-I could be wrong, let me know if I am). But, one thing I would caution readers about is language. I know that there are cultural differences, but I still would caution those that do not particularly like language to be warned (especially if you dislike the F-bomb). Let me know what you think! Coming Soon- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason- Stay Tuned!

Childhood favorite... or College :)

It’s the Chroni-what-cles, of Narnia… haha… just a little shout out to my SNL buddy… Let’s talk about C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. This seven book series is usually a childhood favorite amongst people from everywhere around the world. I was introduced to this particular series when I was in college. Simon, (again, my husband whom I love) just randomly was talking about books that he grew up on and mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia, and I was like “Chronawhich of Whonia???” He was appalled that I grew up in a Christian home, in the south, was a reader from a young age but had never even heard of this Christian classic.

When Simon and I were dating, and first married we shared a passion for coffee, reading, and each other (hopefully this last one is still true, right babe? J). We would go to Books A Million ever Friday & Saturday evening, browse the shelves pick up random books and magazines and spend hours drinking venti white chocolate mochas, reading books and talking. This was the first place I read Chronicles of Narnia. Like most newly married couples we didn’t have two pennies to rub together, so there was no way that I could buy the series, it would have set us back at least $100 bones, so I sat at the BAM café and read. I read all seven in no time. I then decided it was time to get a library card and those were the first books I borrowed from the library. I read them twice in a row. This also started me on a C.S. Lewis kick (see Why am I here??? blog for definition of “kick”). I read Til we have Faces, Letters of C.S. Lewis, and started but never finished Screwtape Letters. He is such a great author, but sometimes I think I’m not smart enough to read his stuff. Maybe I’ll write about that some other time.

Lewis created a world that I was fascinated by the imagery and the imagination. These books got me thinking about not only fantasy, but about my relationship with Christ. I would think of how Christ had made this same sacrifice for me in the “real world” and would cry (really Charity, you would cry? Does that really happen???). The story of these children finding Aslan and getting to know him in a deeper way every visit to Narnia, it was breath taking. The parallelism between this fantasy story and our real walk with Christ was awesome. Now it’s not perfect, Lewis dabbles in a little bit of universalism and I know some parents have taken a particular scene out, when reading The Last Battle to their children. But I do believe that Lewis is in heaven with Christ even though he had this extra belief. The books are a fast read, with interesting characters that you will love or hate then grow to love and everything in between. I would highly suggest these books for kids of all ages, the young or young at heart. But if you have children and you have not introduced them to this series, then please do so as quickly as possible.

They have recently started making the books into films. I’m not sure if they are going to venture and do all 7 films. They started with The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, which was the first in the series that Lewis wrote, and the second in chronological order. They have made Prince Caspian, and they are supposed to have The Voyage of the Dawn Treador out in theaters in 2010 (which happens to be my favorite book of the series). The movies have relatively stayed close to the written form, except some small differences to make the transfer from the pages to film a little easier. Two of the biggest differences in Prince Caspian, was the battle where most of the Narnians die (that happens in the book, just before the Pevensie children arrive and it was not Peter’s fault). The second was that kiss at the end between Caspian and Susan… my thought on this added scene was maybe that scene just brings it to life for this generation, but who knows.

Back to the books, I have now read the series 3 times and I still don’t own it. I read it the last time right before Prince Caspian came out in the theater in summer 2008. I will probably read it a few more times in my life, at least when I start reading it to my kids (that I don’t have). I will try later to summarize each book, but that’s all for right now.