King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Twilight

author: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 498

published: 2005

genre: young adult paranormal romance

first line: I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

rated: 4 out of 5






Ahhhhhh....Twilight. There's a little of everything I enjoy in this story. Vampires, romance, rainy days.


I thought it was about time for a re-read of one of my favorite books.



17 year old Bella Swan moves to a small town called Forks in Washington to live with her father Charlie. Bella is socially awkward, sometimes moody and unsure of herself.
When she meets the mysterious and achingly beautiful Edward Cullen, she is instantly taken by him.




As usual when I re-read a favorite book, I pick up on little details that may have escaped my attention the first time around. For instance, I never liked Bella in the series but she didn't start to annoy me until the second book. Upon re-reading Twilight, she annoyed me right away. She's very defensive, childish and way too clingy with Edward.

So why do I love this book, though I dislike one of the central characters? Edward Cullen.

He's gorgeous, rich and aloof. I like how Edward has that dangerous edge to him as well.



For me Twilight is a fun, romantic read, not too be taken to seriously or analyzed too deeply, but definitely enjoyed. It's pretty much one of my guilty pleasures. I am a Twilight fan and I will openly admit it. I like vampires who sparkle in the sunlight and have honey colored eyes dammit.

And for the record, Robert Pattinson does not look anything like the Edward I envision while reading the book. The Edward I envision is divine.




I enjoy reading Bella describe Edwards beauty page after page. Here's just a few ways she describes him:

I was in danger of being distracted by his livid glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

-pp. 65

or how about:

He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature could be meant for me.

-pp.256

ok, this had me giggling like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush:

"The blush on your cheeks is lovely," he murmured. He gently freed his other hand. My hands fell limply into my lap. Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands.


"Be very still," he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen.

-pp. 275

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Edward takes Bella hiking in the woods on a rare sunny day and reveals that he glistens in the sunlight.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep.


-pp. 260

So there you have it. Twilight remains one of my favorite reads. I like the romance between Edward and Bella. I also like the Edward's vampire family as well as the idea that they don't harm humans. Meyer touches on some of their backgrounds and how they came to be vampires and I always found that to be an interesting part of the series.




I'm glad I re-read it and probably will again someday. I should also say that I enjoyed the first three books in the series, but was dissapointed by the fourth and final installment.

title: Skellig

author: David Almond

genre: young adult fantasy

published: 1998

pages: 182

first line: I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon.

rated: 4 out of 5 stars







Michael is twelve years old, lives in his new house with his mom, dad and baby sister, who is very sick with a weak heart.
One day while in the garage in his backyard, Michael finds an odd creature, a man, with a squeaky voice, bugs crawling all over him and tattered clothes.

I thought he was dead. He was sitting with his legs stretched out and his head tipped back against the wall. He was covered with dust and webs like everything else and his face was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair and shoulders. I shined the flashlight on his white face and his black suit.

Michael tells his best friend Mina about his discovery, he wants to make sure that what he is seeing is real and not just his imagination. Mina is homeschooled and has a passion for William Blake's poetry, which appears throughout the story.


We later find out that this creatures name is Skellig and that he has wings. What he truly is or where he has come from, remains a mystery. He is clearly sick and Michael decides he needs to nurse him back to health.






Michael's baby sisters illness is always on his mind, and he feels as though when he feels his own heart beating, he can also feel the baby's. I loved the thought of that.

"They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were, when you were an angel," she said.


"They say they're where your wings will grow again one day."


"It's just a story, though," I said. "A fairy tale for little kids. Isn't it?"


"Who knows? But maybe one day we all had wings and one day we'll have wings again."

I enjoyed this book very much. There's that bit of creepiness to the story, due to the way Skellig is described. And there is also that mystery as to what this creature really is. He seems to be angelic, but has features and habits that go against how we might think an angel would be.



Michael is likeable right away, he has a kind heart. He wants to nurse Skellig back to health. He visits him and brings him food. The way he loves and worries over his baby sister is also touching. His baby sisters illness is a big part of the story, as are his parents and the way they deal with it.




All in all, a great read. Highly recommended.

Writing can be difficult, but sometimes it really does feel like a kind of magic. I think that stories are living things-among the most important things in the world.
-David Almond