VAMPIRE love stories by Stephenie Meyer

I fully experienced catharsis with these books which impressed and entertained me. What a talented author.
Several times during the books I had to stop and nod, cry, or just re-read a certain line or passage because it was worded so well. Because I don't have the 3 books in front of me, I can't quote perfectly, but I will refer to those parts which struck (or should I say pierced/ punctured) me.

Warning***THESE ARE SPOILERS***

The way she described the physical pain of seperation in the first book was so easy to sympathize with. The hole in her heart was really there, and it ached around the edges. At one point, speaking of her time with Edward, she said something to the effect of being SCARED TO REMEMBER (because it hurt) but TERRIFIED TO FORGET (because the memories were a true dream world that she loved).

I loved the analogy of Bella comparing herself to an old fixer upper house. She knew she was broken down. Very broken down. She opened the door for Jacob and he could find a place to sit in the front room but the rest of the home needed way to much repair to even venture there.

New Moon-- in Italy-- I was disappointed with the inital reunion in the alley way. It took forever for them to finally meet again (although I did enjoy reading about Jacob and getting to know him as Bella's FRIEND). After speaking with the Volturi, Edward and Bella do a little more of a mushy reunite- which was what I was waiting for. She is in his arms when they are still underground in this eerie place and she thinks it is "heaven, right smack in the middle of hell." I thought that was accurate and clever.

New Moon--p. 495-- Bella talks more about her broken down state... "How many ways can one heart be mangled and still be expected to keep beating? I'd lived through a lot that should have finished me in the last few days, but it didn't make me feel strong. Instead I felt horibly fragile, like one word could shatter me. p. 495---I was thinking--Edward, you'd better not shatter her!!!
Then Edward doesn't disappoint. (You can tell this next part that I LOVE was written by a girl) It is on p. 514 of "New Moon" and I think maybe the most romantic passage in the whole series. It begins... "Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night... "

Eclipse- This is a heart wrenching, splitting book. I was crying crocidile tears for the whole last half pretty much (besides the planning about the Seattle battle and the action scenes which were not my favorite)
p. 529- Just after Jacob's second kiss to Bella (the way he says the first should have been) Bella says "And then, quite distinctly, I felt the splintering along the fissure line in my heart as the smaller part wrenched itself away from the whole." I was dying. Then I felt even worse when she said a few pages later that she didn't feel any anger at Jacob for maybe trying to trick her into it..."There wasn't enough room in my body to contain anything besides the hatred I felt for myself."
I guess that's how 2 timing or being unfaithful could feel to people. But I felt so bad for Bella.

Then she talks about Jacob after he was physically injured..."Huge as he was, he looked very breakable. Maybe that had just been my imagination, coupled with the knowledge that I was going to have to break him."
That is SUCH GOOD WRITING!!
Then sweet Jacob tells her (refering to the Bible story ) "I'm not going to cut you in half anymore, Bella."
This must be the passage that convinces some to favor Jacob to Edward. Very nicely put by him.
I agree with Jacob when he says that Edward is like Bella's drug, and Jacob would have been her sunlight and air. That seems to really describe the 2 relationships...Not an all bad or harmful drug, though.

So Kudos to Miss Meyer. I looked on her website and saw covers of Twilight in about 12 different languages. Talk about profit! I hope she is sipping a lemonade right now pondering about what she will write next.

I had heard about these books at the gym, in others homes, on my family blog, from my mother-in-law's beauty shop customers, .... and wasn't sure if I wanted to take the 2,000 page plunge. But being in on a dinner conversation between two friends from high school where they disagreed on Jacob vs. Edward finally peaked my curiosity enough. I was surprised to find that Bella was a high schooler because most of the fans I knew of were my age, but it was a fun leap back in time to the days of first falling in love. My own heart was skipping beats every time Edward came around! It is surely true that Stephenie too loves the characters she (literally) dreamt up. I must admit later on there were a few physical lovey dovey scenes that crept outside my comfort zone. But the author was surely tasteful and respectful of her audiences.

For now I am back to my practical and spiritual reading which I enjoy as well but the journey through the forests of Forks was fun fun fun.

P.S. Please share comments if you have read these. I miss my book clubs :(