Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This book is deep, intense, and teetering so close to the edge of melodrama that it can only involve High School Students (with all their intense, dramatic, and misunderstood issues in life). Isabella Swan (Bella, please) is just the average American teenager. She was living in Phoenix but when her mother remarries and moves to Florida, Bella goes to live in Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie. Bella is absolutely miserable. Trying to not stick out in the tiny town of Forks with its even smaller High School, she soon finds herself the object of attention by one of the most beautiful human beings creatures she’s ever met, Edward Cullen. There are five Cullens in the school, and their history is shrouded in mystery. After Edward saves her life but is uninjured himself, Bella begins to wonder about what he could possibly be. After a talk with a member of the Native American tribe of Forks she comes to realize what The Cullens are. Vampires.

This wonderful book is a twist on a centuries-old theme, but it only adds to the powerful characters and passionate emotions that fly (yes, indeedy) through the air. I eagerly await the third book in this series. One of the most fascinating anecdotes about this book is how the idea came to Ms. Meyer. According to her website, she saw scenes between Edward and Bella, complete with dialogue, in her dreams. Upon waking, she wrote down everything she remembered, but it took her months to figure out what it all meant.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. In this sequel to Twilight, Bella and Edward’s adventures continue and relationship deepens.

Nonfiction Recommendation : The Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew Bunson. With over 2,000 entries in A-to-Z format, this book is a one-stop reference for everything and anything to do with vampires, from books and films to the history of the vampire legend and ways to ward off these creatures.