Twilight is coming...

It's almost here!! Despite my best efforts to not get my hopes up, I really really hope that the Twilight movie lives up to all the hype and more importantly my high standards for what a Twilight movie is supposed to be like. I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive when they announced Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson as Bella & Edward. But they're starting to grow on me.

Kristen definitely has that awkwardness to her that embodies Bella. And Rob...well, I still want to fetch him a comb or something, but the chemistry between the two of them seems undeniable in all the clips I've seen. So come Friday night (yes I have to wait until after work!), me and my willing (yes, he's willing!) husband will be watching my most beloved vampire tale unfold...

BTW, if you see it before me, don't spoil it! Wait until Saturday to let me know what you think ;-) For now, this will have to do.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer :(

I have been putting this off long enough. First it took me forever to read the book, then we didn't get our library copies in for almost a month after the release date (GRRR!), and well...I didn't want what I had to say to affect your view of Breaking Dawn (especially since I was part of the hype!). So hopefully everyone's read it by now. If not -- stop reading now...this review will contain spoilers.

The first part of Breaking Dawn was going great. Edward and Bella got married. Jacob danced with her (awww). They went on their honeymoon. Everything's happy with a fairy tale ending. Then Bella gets pregnant. And things just flat out got weird. I don't know if it's because she had just written the sci fi book, The Host, or what it was. Either way...she went off on this bizarre tangent and I wasn't buying it.

I don't know if it was the bad writing (sorry but it was), the bad editing (sorry again but it was), or the bad plotline (really sorry but it so was). I just could not wrap my head around it or make it make sense. I kept asking myself logical questions about how such a thing could happen or why Meyer wrote it into the storyline. I kept thinking she was trying to get some sort of message across about political and religious things that I'm not about to go into.

In short, I couldn't just read and forget that I was reading a story. During the first three novels, I found myself completely enraptured by the story and the characters. I loved Bella, Edward, and Jacob. I cried with them and forgot that they weren't real. But with Breaking Dawn, I couldn't fall into the story in the same way.

Then we came to part two of the book: Jacob's voice. While I loved hearing Jacob's voice for the first time, it was out of character for the series and let's be honest -- it got boring. I kept having to force myself to continue. In fact, at one point I was ready to take it back to the store (but that would have messed up my nice collection on my bookshelf) and I was determined to see it thru to the end.

I almost wish I hadn't finished or even started....I thought the story started to wind down around 500 pages, only to be picked up again with the threat of the Volturi. Then it was like reading a whole new book. Suddenly it was the Stephenie Meyer from the first three books writing! It was intense and exciting. And the fact that Jacob imprinted on Bella's daughter made everything make so much more sense. But when it came down to the final scene in the clearing, it ended abruptly and with no real climax. It was a huge let down.

I was extremely disappointed. It was like Stephenie Meyer threw this book together in a hurried fashion with little thought to the flow or action or character development. It left on a sweet note and showed us a stronger Bella, but still it wasn't enough for me. I expected more. Sorry if you loved it. That's wonderful and that's what I wanted for myself! I wanted to love it. I wanted it to be everything I expected, but it just wasn't.

Shhhh...

I'm still reading Breaking Dawn *sigh* So many other things to do....I will maintain my blog silence until I finish. I'll post my review of Rumors by Anna Godbersen, the second book in The Luxe series. So far...they've both had one thing in common and that is at some point I wanted to throw the book across the room (for very different reasons though!).

Boo, the party's over....

The party is over, and I'm exhausted! But it was completely worth all the hard work, the stressing out (I even broke out in hives for this one--yikes), and begging I had to do. The girls from The Bella Cullen Project were super sweet and played great. They even did an encore! Definitely not something you see everyday at the library :)

Ally, Chandler, and Tori all signed autographs, sold cd's, and chatted with all the VERY excited teens that came. I felt bad that I had to finally kick everyone out, but I was ready to come home and crash! Don't hold it against me please--I was weak with hunger.

So thanks to everyone who came (75 at last count!), thanks to the band, thanks to the band's moms for helping out, thanks to my volunteers who helped out, and thanks to all my co-workers that helped me bake a ton of cookies. Oh, and thanks to a very kind librarian for lending me a check so that I could buy a couple of CDs for the library and me (Apparently stopping at the ATM was not on my party "to do" list--oops. I will pay her back though!).

Also, I'll make sure and post a link to the pictures once I figure out how to get them off the camera. I was not the official picture taker, so I'm not sure how many are even on there. We'll all just have to wait and see! Now off to read....and then sleep.

TBCP and MTV

I may diss MTV a lot because they play more crappy reality tv than music videos the last time I checked, but they're giving my girls from The Bella Cullen Project a major nod. So I'll lay off them for the moment. Check out the article on MTV's site here with some great videos. Even better it was filmed at my hometown's library! The very one I went to when I was beyond little. YAY!!! Sadly, I had to miss it....I was working at my library instead :( But I'm definitely thinking it would be very cool to see one of their songs playing over the Twilight movie.

Drowning in Books & Programs

Okay, I survived my first big teen program of the summer. Too bad I spilt red food coloring all over my hands and pants after repeatedly warning the teens to not spill it on the carpet or themselves. Guess I forgot that I am the clumsy one!! Oh well....it came out of my pants, but if you see a librarian walking around with a reddish-pink hand--feel free to snicker. I haven't been able to get all the dye off yet. Go me!

Now to start planning the next major program (my favorite one!), my Breaking Dawn Pre-Release Party. Quite the mouthful, I know. I couldn't come up with a better name. But I'm obsessed with the Twilight saga and Stephenie Meyer and Buffy (ignore that one), so this one will be so much fun for me!! Plus, the Twilight fan-band, The Bella Cullen Project is coming to play! YAYYYYY! I truly am a book nerd.

But I'm getting off-topic and I did have a point to this blog. I've got 6 teen books sitting on my desk waiting to be read (and about 6 more on hold). The problem with being the teen librarian is that I order the books, so I know what's coming in and I get really excited....and put them all on hold. Then when they come in all at once, I have a stack of books to read. You may think librarians and booksellers just sit around reading all day (or maybe I just think people think that). Unfortunately, I usually only have time to read on my lunch break. One hour to cram in all my reading for the day. It's not enough time!!!

At the moment, I'm halfway thru Ink Exchange. Suprisingly, I'm loving it so much more than the first one. It's just getting really good....now if only I had the time to finish it.

Stephenie Meyer

I must gush. I got up at the ungodly hour of 4am and headed off to Frisco this morning. I sat in the cold and wet for 2 & a half hours. And...it was worth it. I was rewarded with not only with Stephenie Meyer's new book, The Host (which I have to admit I've had an advance reading copy sitting on my desk for over a month...just too busy), but I got a ticket to go see her speak on Saturday and for a book signing. Since I got there so early I got a ticket in the auditorium for row D. As in the 4th row!!!

I have to admit I'm feeling a big dorky by this point. I mean, I've stood in line for countless concerts. Prided myself on getting front row seats to see over a hundred bands, but to do all this for an author? All I can say is....I wish I could write like that.

The only other author I can imagine with this kind of draw is J.K. Rowling (you knew that already). But I don't think I'd want to meet her now. The series is done. My questions are answered. Anything else she could add to HP would only ruin what is in my mind a complete story. But Mrs. Meyer, we're all still on the edge of our seats. There's still so much more to find out. Added bonus: It's got vampires.

Hope you were one of the lucky few. In which case, see ya Saturday.