Review: ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer

ECLIPSE
by Stephenie Meyer
Published January 1st 2007 by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 629 pages

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary:
Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review:
Just to finish up our reviews of the Twilight Saga in celebration of the movie NEW MOON (Which I have now seen twice -- the second time being just as if not better than the first -- and will see again tomorrow), today we're talking about book 3!

This book I think really takes on the more epic feel of the stories. The main conflict is much more external for most of the book in the form of Victoria, but it also has a lot of emotional turmoil.

Unfortunately, this book I loved and hated at the same time because of that. I actually loved all the fighting sequences the external conflict plot. But being book 3 the internal conflict of Bella trying not to hurt or lose Jacob but still being in love with Edward, as well as refusing to marry Edward for so long was just plain annoying to me. She was cruel to both of them, and in the end made the only decision for her that made sense...as from the beginning she had always said "I'll choose him. It was always him" (referring to Edward) therefore we know it always will be.

Another thing I loved here was finding out more about the mysterious Jasper. His past is fascinating. I would even dare say I'd like to read more about it later down the road.

All in all this is a great one, and will make an even better movie than NEW MOON in my opinion. A few things. The movie release date for ECLIPSE is June 30th 2010. And if you haven't heard, Rachelle LeFevre will not be playing the role of Victoria. She breached her contract and booked another movie that overlapped the filming for ECLIPSE so they hired Bryce Dallas Howard. I don't usually like it when they switch actors without extreme cause (like in the case of Dumbledore, they didn't have a choice...and I wouldn't have minded if they switched their choice for Rosalee) but I do like Bryce Dallas Howard, and think it will be fun to see her take on the part.

I own this book and was not compensated for a review.

Books on the Big Screen - NEW MOON

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for this not going up last night. My internet wasn't working when I got home from the midnight show! I was so so frustrated. Then I had some issues falling asleep...wonder why!....and my fabulous fabulous husband let me sleep in until 10:40 am while he did some work on the computer at home and watched our little girl. I am the luckiest woman in the world right now! Honey I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!

So...on to my review.

Disclaimer: some of this may be skewed by my extreme 12 year old giddiness at going to the midnight show and dressing up and being with great friends.

I LOVED it. Absolutely and completely adored it. So much better than the first one! Can they go back and re-make it? Honestly, that good! It lived up to my expectations of being better than the book (which previously mentioned is my least favorite in the series).

The directing was so much better than the first, as was the acting, the make-up (their eyes! Everyone's eyes were incredible! The Cullens' were frighteningly beautiful, and the other vampires -- Lauraunt, Victoria, Volturi -- were completely frightening. Aro in particular honestly scared the crap out of me in a great way. Dakota Fanning as Jane was perfect. Her part was small but she does it so well.


Edward finally looked the part completely for me. His sparkle wasn't just a sweaty glow, his clothes were great, and one of my friends disagreed but I think his pained looks and mannerisms were perfect for the part. I was sad that they cut out the CD that he gave Bella, I thought that was so romantic and heart breaking when it was gone...

Jacob did a much better acting job. His long wig was still horrible. He does look good for this movie, and a warning to Edward fans, a lot of them came out of the movie being more Jacob fans than ever before. Not me, not in the slightest.

1) I can't get over that he's sharkboy. 2) Taylor isn't even legal to oggle at 3) I can appriciate that he looks good, but his look doesn't attract me. I have always been attracted to skinny white guys with the long lean muscle look. Um...yeah that's Edward to a T. And can I just say there is a miraculous shot of Edward as he is walking out into the sulight. Possibly the most beautiful shot of Rob Pattinson I have ever ever seen. Sigh. I was definitely enjoying me some eye candy.

Okay back to Jacob. One other thing was I think they played it off too much that Bella was actually IN love with Jake, rather than loving Jake, but still being in love with Edward. There was a bit too much romance between them for me. And again, I hate that Bella puts him and Edward through that whole thing, because she even tells Jacob that it was and always will be Edward who wins...

The werewolves I have to admit were awesome. They were HUGE! And I realize that's how SM describes them, but I guess I never pictured them THAT big. But it was awesome.

Bella did so much better as well. I think I only heard like 3 or 4 annoying scoffs the whole movie. The begining was a little off, she didn't react to Edward leaving quite as strongly at first as she should have in my opinion, but after that it was done so so well.

It was a fabulous night I had tons of fabulous fun. I hope you all get to go see it this weekend! If you weren't planning on it, plan on it now! (Later I will post a few pics of me and my craziness. I know you want to see that too!)

New Moon!

In exactly 6 hours I will be watching New Moon -- jealous of you East Coasters who get to see it hours before me. ;)



I know you are all anxiously awaiting my review right? ;)

Have a great night everyone!

Review for MIDNIGHT SUN by Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun (partial draft)

by Stephenie Meyer

(posted on her website in draft form)

Placement in Pile:

Reaching new heights

Summary (from her website):

Midnight Sun: Edward's Version of Twilight

August 28, 2008

As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher. I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution. I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. As the author of the Twilight Saga, I control the copyright and it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide when the books should be made public; this is the same for musicians and filmmakers. Just because someone buys a book or movie or song, or gets a download off the Internet, doesn't mean that they own the right to reproduce and distribute it. Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control. So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely. I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I've decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this post). This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward's head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That's what inspired me to write it in the first place. I do want to take a moment and thank the wonderful fans who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I cannot begin to tell you how much each of you means to me. I only hope this note will stop all the confusion and online speculation so that the Twilight universe can once again become the happy escape it used to be. After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects. —Stephenie This material is copyrighted by Stephenie Meyer. Any retranscription or reproduction is illegal. [This information is available on Stephenie Meyer's original website ]

Review:

This was a very interesting read for me. Stephenie wasn't kidding when she said Edward overthinks EVERYTHING. He really, really does. It gets old sometimes actually. ;-) It was fun to read Twilight from his perspective for sure, and even more interesting to see Bella through his eyes. I finally see why he likes her! Because from her point of view, she has nothing to offer him. Less than nothing. But Edward sees her differently (beyond just the overwhelming desire for the scent of her blood). I was pleasantly surprised to read that maybe she has more redeeming qualities than she ever admitted to or thought she had. Because honestly, she is not my favorite protagonist.

Anyway, it will also give you even more respect and understanding for what Edward went through (with regards to how she smells, to put it lightly). Also, it gives you some key insights into things the reader isn't aware of when reading Twilight. It was fun to find out some more details and fill in some of the gaps. (Like what all of his facial expressions mean, and his comments and everything that we have to guess at in Twilight) It was a fun read, I definitely recommend it for any Twilight fans - and Edward fans in particular.

I hope that she will finish the book someday, it's not like all of her crazy fans won't buy it anyway! But I understand also how betrayed she would feel to have something like that happen. It's a tough situation. But I'd really like to see that meadow scene from his perspective... (which, be warned, is where it ends. Right before the meadow scene. Ugh.)

Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

CNN Story on Vampires in Movies

To celebrate Twilight week I thought our readers would be interested in this article. Plus there's a really cute picture of Edward, er, Rob...

CNN's From Dracula to Edward: The Changing Faces of Vampires

Review for NEW MOON by Stephenie Meyer

NEW MOON

by Stephenie Meyer

Published:
August 21st 2006 by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 563 pages

Placement in Pile:

Middle of the Stack

Summary:

"Shoot," I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table... I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm-into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Review:

Okay, so I'm sorry, but this was not my favorite book. Although, upon reading it again, I find myself liking Jacob more and feeling quite sorry for him. My biggest complaint is that Bella is absolutely and completely irritating beyond belief. In my opinion anyway. Even before Edward left her, she has no self esteem, hardly any redeeming qualities to be found (in her viewpoint anyway, I had an interesting experience reading Midnight Sun, which I will talk more about tomorrow). Then once Edward does leave... whoa. Can anyone say LOSER? I'm sorry if that is harsh, but seriously. The girl stops living (in all but the stictest sense of the word). I can understand a few days, maybe even weeks, but months? Seriously? Breakups are awful and hard and devastating - especially if you are still in love with the person. But I think Bella's reaction is so overboard. I actually liked Jacob a lot more this time, as I mentioned earlier. I had much more empathy for him and how he must feel. And of course the whole Italy escapade is awesome. I love the Volturi and all the "talents" and everything. So the end helped redeem the first 3/4 of the book.

So what were your thoughts on this one? I know many said it was their least favorite, and then there are those who like Jacob more than Edward. How about you?

I'm excited to see how this movie turns out - hopefully better than the first one! Although I agree with Aubrey... it looks like Kristen is still acting Bella the same, which is annoying. But we'll see... the special effects look a LOT better, so that's encouraging. Only a couple more days!

I bought this book years ago and reread it to review today.

Review TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

TWILIGHT
by Stephenie Meyer
Published September 6th 2006 (first published 2005) by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 498 pages

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary: (Does anyone even need this?)
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger.Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Review:
After having read this book several times (okay too many for my own sanity) I have to say it is still one of my favorite stories -- and one of my favorite in the series.

I am a hopeless romantic, and there is nothing more romantic in my book than someone who is willing to do anything it takes to be with you and keep you safe. I am a HUGE Edward fan. Jacob is annoying.

As usual, I can tell you the general complaints about this book...there is too much repetition, Stephenie's writing isn't as polished as it should be, Bella is annoying (this one I whole heartedly agree with), but in the end you have to agree, it is a good story. I bet if you take any author's first books and pick them apart there will be writing issues as well. And add that this is the first book Stephenie EVER wrote. I give props to her on that.

One thing that is dissapointing is the movie rendition fell a little short. I still enjoy the movie. I can enjoy a bad movie, with some bad acting (Kristin Stewart is perhaps the most annoying person on the planet...what is with all that scoffing??? And why does she have to do it in the next movie too!!!! -- see the full birthday scene link on the previous post), and not enough money to make the special effects what they should be, but in the end, it like the book does what it should. It tells you a good story.

So yeah, the book isn't perfect, but it's still at the top of my pile because it is the perfect escape from real life, romantic book. Which is what I crave!

Theme Week: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series

Okay, I am coming out of the closet per se. I am a Twilighter. I know, I know. But really, I love paranormal romance, and I have loved vampires since I was like 10 years old. So it really just works for me.

With the release of the movie adaptation of NEW MOON coming out this Friday (Oh yeah! I have my midnight tickets for 12:01 AM!) I thought it was a good time to revisit this series, what we think about each book and all that fun stuff! I will even review the movie on Friday for you! So let the games begin!

Oh an for fun in the meantime, here are a bunch of links thanks to my friends who know I'm a Twilight freak and send me stuff they find. (My friends encourage the inner 12 year old in me, cause they think it's fun. I do too!)

Volturri Fighting Scene - NEW MOON sneak peek.
TV spot for NEW MOON
ECLIPSE movie icon
My favorite TV spot -- GO EDWARD!!!!
Extended Birthday Party Scene
Some fun news about BREAKING DAWN
Oprah.com questions with SM -- the stuff we REALLY wanted to know!

Yeah, I'm not obsessed! I'm NOT I tell you! ;)

And don't forget about our contest! It's open until the 21st. The link is in the sidebar!