official eclipse poster

Meh, I'm underwhelmed.

Eclipse opens in theaters June 30, 2010.

Twilight coming earlier

November, not December!

The object of my obsession will be arriving in theaters a few weeks earlier than previously expected. Twilight, the movie based on one of the greatest series of books EVER (written by Stephenie Meyer) will be released on November 21 rather than December 12. Yippee! Thanksgiving will be that much more festive!

Here's the explanation from Stephenie's website:

So, many of you have heard that the release of the sixth Harry Potter
movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this
Thanksgiving to next summer. First and foremost, please know that this schedule
change has absolutely nothing to do with Twilight, me, or Summit Films (so
enough with the imdb death wishes, okay?). This is Warner Bros. decision, and it
was not motivated by anything Twilight-related.

Now for the good news! Though we're all sad
to have to wait for Harry Potter, this open spot at the theater creates a cool
opportunity. The good people at Summit were thrilled to let me know that now
Twilight fans are going to get their movie three weeks earlier than scheduled.
That's right—Twilight will be released in theaters November 21st! Let the
merry-making commence!

--Stephenie

WORKS FOR ME! Crazy and coincidentally enough, I may actually be arriving in Forks, WA that night to stay with Ty for Thanksgiving (haven't decided yet). How wild and crazy would that be to get to see the movie in the actual location of the book? My heart is pitter-pattering just thinking about it.

expectations

I don't know if anyone who is reading this is as much of a Stephenie Meyer fan as I am (except for B, whose devotion to all things Meyer-related eclipses [haha] my addiction). This sounds far too dramatic, but I've almost breathlessly been awaiting the release of Breaking Dawn, Meyer's fourth (and supposedly final) book in her Twilight series. August 2nd has kind of been a beacon on the horizon during an otherwise tough summer -- in a nutshell, yesterday was a big day for this reader.

So I started reading ... and reading ... and reading ... and reading (I didn't turn off the lights 'til well after midnight). The first few chapters were captivating. For those of us who have been following Bella and Edward's love story, it was exactly the dream that we'd been waiting for -- pure bliss.

Then (insert dramatic music), things took a decidedly unexpected turn -- something began to unfold that I did not see coming, which is usually the mark of a great plot, right? Well, I'll be honest: reading through it was agonizing. So much so that I had this queasy, sick feeling throughout the 300 or so pages that it took to get through the "event". It reminded me of how I felt throughout most of Meyer's Host -- "This is disturbing. How did her mind come up with this?" To put it mildly, I was heartbroken.

But ... because of my 'In Stephenie I Trust' outlook, I kept reading. But I've got to be honest ... it was HARD. The more I read, the more I shook my head. What was she thinking?! How could she do this to me?! All of my favorite characters were there, but it was all wrong! Had Stephenie fallen and hurt her head while writing? Had she encountered a rebellious stage in her own personal career that she was now purging through Breaking Dawn? I don't know what to say, other than I was sort of mindlessly following the book along last night, not really grasping what I was reading...

... until page 387. And, coincidentally, the title of that chapter is New. Just when I thought I couldn't make it through the second half of the book, it was like an oasis in the desert.

I've now entered the second half of the book, and although things aren't perfect, and I still don't really see where Steph is heading with all of this madness, I'm starting to smile again. Things are starting to feel sort of right again in the world of Forks, Washington.

So, onward I now read. What a wild ride it's been so far. It's only 9:00 a.m., and I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Wish me luck. I'm goin' in ....

getting ready for breaking dawn!

TEN DAYS 'TIL BREAKING DAWN IS RELEASED! Woo hoo!

In preparation for this grand and monumental event, I'm re-reading Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. I'm about half-way through Twilight, and I'm already picking up on so much more the second time around ... now that I know what to look for! I'm also discovering that it's a totally different experience, especially after reading chapter one of Midnight Sun (Edward's perspective) on Stephenie Meyer's website (that's a WHOLE other conversation! Holy smokes!). I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it, or get as much out of it as the first time around, but it's a totally different experience ... in a good way.

I love these books. There are so many different aspects to them that have come to mean so much to me. I wonder if Stephenie would think I'm just another freaky groupie if I wrote her a letter telling her all about the Twilight synchronicity (Ty moving to La Push, etc.) that I've experienced in my life since first discovering the series (Thanks again, B!)? Who knows? Groupie or not, I'd like to tell her about it some day.

Back to soaking up some rays ... and Twilight! Bella is about to discover about Edward's sparkliness in the meadow! :)

my Stephenie Meyer journey continues...

Stephenie Meyer's first "adult" novel was released yesterday. My dear, crazy friend B actually took a half-day off of work to stand in line at a Barnes and Noble across town to buy us each a copy. AND ... with these particular books came an extra special prize ... wristbands allowing us admittance into a book discussion this Friday with Stephenie Meyer herself. Yippee!


So, in the mean time, I'm frantically trying to read The Host, the above-mentioned book, that I started yesterday. Unlike the first page of Twilight, which immediately grabbed hold of my entire being and sucked me in to to the entire series for a good week (hey, I had 3 books to read!), my initial reaction to The Host was not as positive. In fact, it actually sort of disturbed me. The book is a sci-fi thriller (totally not my usual cup of tea), and began with some very dramatic events. But I persevered.


I've now made it up to chapter 15, and I'm starting to get into the plot. I just knew in my heart of hearts that dear ol' Stephenie wouldn't let me down! I'm not saying that I love it yet, but it's getting pretty good. However ...


... I sure miss Edward and Bella.

I can't wait to hear about them this Friday! And I'm so looking forward to some girl-time with B as well! Oh, and on top of all the excitement, the Twilight movie trailer was released this week too! Holy crap! SENSORY OVERLOAD! How much Stephenie Meyer excitement can a girl take?! The movie looks awesome! Ty has already promised to take me for my birthday once it's released in December -- definitely something to look forward to during the long months ahead of us.

Gotta run. I have a ton of reading to do. ;)

I cried

A few weeks ago I wrote about the beginning of my Stephenie Meyer journey. It began with Twilight, was followed by New Moon, and then finished (for now!) with Eclipse. My friend B warned me from the start that the storyline was addicting, but I figured I'd be able to resist. HA ... not even close! I was a goner from the first second I cracked the cover of Twilight.

I loved everything about these books -- the characters, the setting, the plot, the whole "suspension of reality" (as B describes it). It was a much-needed escape for me at a time when I was craving one.

And the end of Eclipse had me crying like a baby. I guess the truest sign of a good book is when it becomes so near and dear to your heart that you don't want it to end -- when you ache for the characters and feel their pain. That's how it was for me with Bella, Jake and Edward (and the rest of the wolves and vamps). I was a blubbering mess last night. I'm talking racking sobs! Ahhh, it was SO good!

B has invited me to attend a Stephenie Meyer book discussion in May, and I can't wait! I guess I'll have to purchase the "La Push Cliff Diving" t-shirt I saw online, just for the occasion. :)

And one more funny little twist to the "synchronicity" thing that has surrounded this whole experience -- the final installment of Edward and Bella's story is set for release on August 2 -- the week after Ty leaves for La Push. Do you think it's another one of the ways this series is meant to help me through it all? I do.

I finished Twilight

OK. So it was GOOD. Mom is reading it now. I'm trying to convince Ty that he needs to also before the movie comes out. Not only that, he's going to have to be our tour guide and point out the important Twilight landmarks when we're up there visiting.

Next up -- book number two in the series -- New Moon. Very addicting set of characters, for sure.

And I'm still searching for the meaning these books are supposed to have for me ... because I'm convinced there is one. It may be as simple as I'll no longer look at the Forks/La Push thing in such a loathing fashion. Who knows.

Now, on to chapter one ... I have to see if Bella gets eaten by all six of the vampires.

Synchronicity

I have yet to write about the biggest change affecting my entire life in the upcoming months and years. I avoid things I don't want to face ... in a big way.

Background: For as long as I've known her, one of my dearest friends B has talked about an author named Stephenie Meyer. To say that B is a fan of Meyer's books is way beyond an understatement. She even flew to Atlanta to attend a Meyer book-signing. That's dedication. I've never really inquired much about the author because these days my free reading time is pretty much limited to reading stuff that's been piling up on my own personal "To read" list. Taking the opportunity to read any suggestions from others is pretty much out of the question ... until yesterday. B talked me into reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

More background: Ty will be stationed and working for the next two years in a very remote part of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The main "towns" (I use that term very loosely) he'll be stomping around are Forks, Joyce, and La Push -- where the Coast Guard station is located. I've been very resentful and hurt about the entire situation, to the extent that whenever I even see a map of the U.S., like on the national weather or something, I won't even look up at the Pacific Northwest. In my mind, it's taking him away from us.

Now, on with the synchronicity part. I began reading Twilight last night. On the very first page of the prologue, there is was -- Forks, Washington. How's that for facing your demons head-on? I keep reading. Next up, page 6 -- La Push, Washington ("'Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?' La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast."). WOW. Basically, the only things in La Push are the Coast Guard station and the Indian reservation. A million cliches pop into my mind, such as "Fate can be cruel," and "God has a great sense of humor."

I pretty much had to close the book at that point and take a few deep breaths. Like I told Becky this morning, I bet if you polled 1 million people, Coast Guard members excluded, and asked them if they'd ever heard of La Push, Washington, two of them, at best, would be able to answer in the affirmative. And here I am reading about it in my friend's favorite book.

I feel (and it's an over whelming feeling) like this was supposed to happen -- like I was supposed to read THIS book at THIS time in my life. If I'd read it a year ago, it would've just been another book. I know that life is full of coincidences, but this is different. I don't know why, and I can't explain the feeling. But I think I'm going to learn some things about myself along the way -- another big understatement. Should be an interesting read.