My Life as a Vampire

Last year, all of my girls-who-hate-reading started carrying around this big fat book with an apple on it. "You have to read Twilight!" they said. And then one fateful Friday afternoon, one of them left a copy in my room. I picked it up and scanned the back:

"About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part was - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

So of course I carried it around school and read it in a melodramatic, mocking voice to anyone who would listen. The response I got from my coworkers was unanimous: "That book," the declared, "is about sex."

But it was not.

Mostly.

I did take it home that weekend, and by Monday, I had finished it, and purchased copies of New Moon and Eclipse. And I've since read the whole series (plus The Host and Midnight Sun) which I guess makes me something of a devoted fan.

So of course I was thrilled to see the movie was coming out. And I was even more thrilled tonight when I went to see it and discovered that it was a pretty well-crafted movie. I didn't like the pseudo-meadow scene, and I wanted more time with the Cullen family in general (one line for Jasper?) But the truth is that I was expecting another Eragon-esque debacle... and it wasn't.

Stephenie Meyer, you have filled many of my hours with entertainment. And you made a lot of my kids readers. So even though a little part of me will always be sad that I can't be a sparkly vampire, I am grateful for the Twilight series.