not yet a meme 3

As both a sociologist and a college teacher, I think its important to be aware of social trends and fads. A blogger I like to read (Geek Mom Mashup) mentioned her obsession with a series of books she called the Twilight saga, and that a movie was being made of the first book in the series.
Pretty soon I started seeing references to the books and movie everywhere. I also enjoyed an television interview that the author, Stephanie Meyer gave. So despite the fact that I'm not generally a fan of romances, especially teenage romances (at least not since I was a teenager), and I'm not really a fan of vampire books (that's something my husband likes), I decided it was necessary to at least see what all the fuss was about. So last Friday, when I made one of my extremely rare trips to the nearest mall (more than a 4 hour round trip drive), I stopped in the bookstore, where the first thing to catch one's eye was a huge display of the books with their compelling black/white/red covers, and purchased the first book in the series Twilight.

By the end of the second chapter I knew why the books are such a hint -- Stephanie Meyer is a good writer. The character of Bella is compelling and complex, she is extremely self-aware in some ways, but utterly clueless in others. Meyer knows how to reveal things little by little, in ways that are subtle and draw you in. Unlike some other adult bloggers I didn't find the book at all slow going, I liked the character development, and trying to puzzle out the dynamics of Bella's family life. It makes it easier to understand why she makes the choices that she makes. It's a fun read!