Stephenie Meyer’s world of vampires who live among us is an intoxicating one. She skillfully draws in the reader by making her first-person heroine, Bella Swan, a sympathetic character. Clumsy and accident-prone, she seems a nice, typical teenage girl. The only atypical thing about her is her inexplicable attraction to Edward Cullen, one of Dr. Cullen’s adopted and beautiful teenage children.

While Forks, Washington, is a real town, Meyer has absolutely nailed small-town life. Particularly Bella’s policeman father knowing all the families in town, including their character and family history. Including the Native American intrigue is also a plus to the story.

I read this book at first because my middle-school daughter showed an interest in reading the book, because a few of her friends had begun reading it. After just a couple of chapters, however, I found myself drawn into the story, trying to understand Stephenie Meyers’ more modern view of vampires, so unlike Bram Stoker’s Dracula character of yester-century.

I think women of all ages who enjoy a good star-crossed love story will enjoy this paranormal account of Bella and Edward. With the film adaptation coming out very soon, I know interest in the book will only increase. In fact, when I purchased my copy, the desk clerk noted that “these books are flying off the shelves.” Indeed, they have not been in the library here in my town for a long time; they are constantly checked out.

I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the series (book two sits on my shelf; books three and four are on their way from an online store). I encourage moms (or dads, for that matter) to preview these books for their own children. See for yourself if it is appropriate for your son or daughter. For my own part, I will not let my daughter read the first book yet. It is a bit too intense, especially toward the end of the novel. In a couple of years, with some conversations about appropriate behaviors and love, and keeping lines of communication open between herself and me, I think she will be just fine.

I admit it, I am a sucker for young adult fiction. I enjoy a good teen book. Ann Brashares wrote a series of four books about four friends, and there are now two movies made from those books.

I am, of course, talking about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.

Four friends share a magical pair of jeans that fits each of them perfectly. The four books chronicle their friendship over four summers.

Publisher's Weekly describes the first book here:
A pair of jeans purchased at a thrift store is the unlikely bond that keeps four best friends emotionally connected during the first summer that they spend physically apart. This clever (if initially hokey-sounding) premise sets the course for four intertwined, compelling coming-of-age stories. Carmen doesn't think much of the pants she buys for $3.49, until she and her pals discover their magical quality. The jeans which fit each girl perfectly despite their very different body types serve as a surrogate friend for Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget as they wrestle with new issues of first love, jealousy, fear and sadness in the months before their junior year of high school. Each girl has a turn with the pants, then sends them on to the next person in the rotation; by summer's end, when the friends are reunited, the jeans will be the symbol of what the girls have experienced.

As far as teen books go, I would say these were quite enjoyable; however, I believe they're best for older teens. Sex is a part of the story, albeit tamely told; protective parents need to be aware of its presence.

If you'd like to learn more about them, visit the author's website.

I can't say too much without giving away the book; suffice it to say that author Kate DiCamillo has written just as delightful a book as ever! It has a bit of "Velveteen Rabbit" flavor, and yet, not. It's a great story that warmed my heart. My 12-year-old daughter loves this book as well.

To purchase the book, click here.

The synopsis on Amazon.com from School Library Journal:
Edward Tulane, a china rabbit, is the main character in this thoughtful tale by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick, 2006). Edward is dearly loved by a young girl named Abilene. One day he is lost over the side of a boat. His journey leads him to a older couple who dress him like a girl rabbit, a hobo and his dog, a young girl and her brother and, finally, to a doll shop. Along the way, Edward learns to love the people he encounters. He also learns that family members can be cruel to one another; that hobos have family that they love dearly and don't want to forget; that no matter how much you love someone, she may still die; and that no matter what happens in life, never give up on love. Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey infuses each character that Edward encounters with a unique accent and aura, and accurately portrays their emotions. A beautifully crafted telling.–Veronica Schwartz, Des Plaines Public Library, IL

This book is appropriate for ages 8-12, but adults can appreciate its undertones as well.

Author's website: www.katedicamillo.com

I belong to a book club, long a desire of mine. The other night, we met and each of us brought one (and only one! Do you know how hard that is?) suggestion. Here is what we voted on and decided:
Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America - Stephen Bloom
The Shack - William P. Young
The House at Sugar Beach - Helene Cooper
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate Di Camillo
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik (this was my choice and I get to lead the discussion! But the club is meeting at another gal's house since my living room is so small.)
Waiting - Ha Jin
Channeling Mark Twain - Carol Muskie-Dukes

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club is a cute novel by Jessica Morrison. Cassie loses her job, fiance, and apartment, all in one afternoon. In a drunken evening online, she books herself a six-month stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

What's an obsessive-compulsive girl to do? Well, make friends, take Spanish classes, and fall in lust with gorgeous Argentine men! Oh, and fend off "hurry home" phone calls from her mom. And write a blog!

Part chick lit, part adventure tale, and part search of self, this novel is a great end-of-summer read. I enjoyed it!

The Sugar Queen is the second novel by Sarah Addison Allen. It's a completely different story from her first one, which for a sophomore novel is quite a feat, I believe.

What I loved was the delicious phrasing. The beauty of the language, the sadness and sweetness of the story, the characters who are so delightful and whom I'd love to meet. The laughable joy of Chloe and her books, of Josey and her hidden sugar stash, and the men, oh the fallible yet loveable men.

I think the saddest thing is that I can't read the book for the first time, again.

here's the summary from Amazon:

In this irresistible follow-up to her New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother…

Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey’s clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she’s going to change Josey’s life—because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.

Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs them, and—most amazing of all—has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush.

As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time—even for her. It seems that Della Lee’s work is done, and it’s time for her to move on. But the truth about where she’s going, why she showed up in the first place—and what Chloe has to do with it all—is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey’s fast-changing life.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.

My friend recommended this book to me, and when the library had it on the shelf, I went ahead and checked it out while the recommendation was fresh. What a delightful read! I was captivated by the characters, both Claire the steadfast older sibling, and Sydney the prodigal sister who returns home.

It's just a great story. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

From Publishers Weekly (amazon.com):
Two gifted sisters draw on their talents to belatedly forge a bond and find their ways in life in Allen's easygoing debut novel. Thirty-four-year-old Claire Waverley manifests her talent in cooking; using edible flowers, Claire creates dishes that affect the eater in curious ways. But not all Waverley women embrace their gifts; some, including Claire's mother, escape the family's eccentric reputation by running away. She abandoned Claire and her sister when they were young. Consequently, Claire has remained close to home, unwilling to open up to new people or experiences. Claire's younger sister, Sydney, however, followed in their mother's footsteps 10 years ago and left for New York, and after a string of abusive, roustabout boyfriends, returns to Bascom, N.C., with her five-year-old daughter, Bay. As Sydney reacquaints herself with old friends and rivals, she discovers her own Waverley magic. Claire, in turn, begins to open up to her sister and in the process learns how to welcome other possibilities. Though Allen's prose can lean toward the pedestrian and the romance subplots feel perfunctory, the blending of horticultural folklore, the supernatural and a big dollop of Southern flavor should find favor with a wide swath of readers. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition