Last Chance for Book Give-Away

Just a reminder to all those interested, tonight at midnight is the deadline for entering my contest to win a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. To be eligible, click here and leave a comment. Good luck to everyone!

100th Post

This is my 100th post - yippee!!! Don't forget that I'm giving away a paperback copy of Stephenie Meyer's wonderful book, Twilight.
Click here to enter. Contest ends August 22nd.

Book Give-Away to Celebrate 100th Post

Because I am fast approaching my 100th post on this blog, I have decided to offer my first contest. I'm giving away a paperback copy of Stephenie Meyer's first book, Twilight. If you want to be entered in this contest, just leave me a comment - it's that simple. For an extra entry, tell me which of my book reviews you have enjoyed so far.

That's it, that's all you have to do. The contest will be open until August 22, 2008.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visits Bobbi's Book Nook, and especially those who leave comments. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Good luck!

Breaking Dawn

****SPOILER ALERT****
So the wonderful world of Twilight has to come to an end. This isn't what I expected ... but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. I went into this book wanting two things - that Bella and Edward get married and having Bella change into a vampire. I got both. So I'm satisfied with that.

I will admit that the book isn't perfect, but it is a nice ending to the saga. Does it have flaws? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes. But if you read it for the enjoyment alone, forgetting any fanfiction you may have read or any preconceived notions of what "should" happen, it is an enjoyable read.

I was totally absorbed throughout this book. It was a complete, 12 hour roller coaster ride of feelings and I left it pretty satisfied. It's a mythological fiction, after all, and as such, Ms. Meyer took liberties with the qualities that her characters have in their lives. Fine. It's her story and she has that right.

I like the way Ms. Meyer divided the book into 3 separate books. The first book is from Bella's point of view. We have the wonderful wedding and a romantic honeymoon. By chapter 5, the deed was - if you know what I mean - and by chapter 7 there were the first signs of morning sickness. I did not see that plot line coming. Many people have written bad reviews - mainly centering around Bella's pregnancy - but I just saw it as a story arc I had not thought of.

The second book is from Jacob's point of view and I loved the range of emotions this part of the book took. From Jacob's rage and hatred of Edward, Rose and the rest of the Cullens to his eventual understanding of the situation and desire to work with the family for the good of Bella.

I did wonder why Dr. Cullens didn't think of giving Bella blood before he did - you would think a doctor would think of that, especially a vampire doctor. As far as the pregnancy complications, as the mother of 3 daughters it was killing me that Bella was keeping all this from her parents. Even if she is of age, I thought her parents should have been involved.

During Jacob's part of the story, I thought for sure the underlying tension between Jacob and Leah was going to lead to him finally imprinting on her, especially when Leah burst in and started ranting to Bella. But I guess I should have known that if one werewolf could imprint on a child, then the possiblity of Jacob imprinting on a baby was very real.

When we returned to book 3 - again from Bella's point of view - I was also taken aback when Bella hunted for the first time. For some reason, I just can't see Bella killing anything, even to quench her thirst. I felt for sure she would end up drinking human blood - from blood bank donations - like she did when she was pregnant. So it was kind of shocking to me when she made her first kill.

I was distressed when Alice ran away with Jasper. I really didn't think she had abandoned the family, but I wasn't sure. I was disappointed there wasn't as much a focus on Alice in this book as compared to the other three books.

I believe that this book was about fighting for what you believe in; your family, your children, your way of life, and life itself - even if you have to die for what you believe in. Is this book unrealistic? Absolutely - that's why its fantasy. But if you don't put so much stock in "what it should be" and just read it for the fun of it, you will enjoy it. Yes, this book wrapped this fairytale love story with a neat bow, but didn't we all want a happy ending?

Like many, I'm sad to see the story end, but we can all use our imaginations to continue the saga in our own minds, knowing that Bella and Edward live happily ever after. Overall I liked the book ... and not just because I'm a huge fan of Stephenie Meyer. I got my happy ending and most of my questions were answered. As a stand alone book, I probably wouldn't rate this book as high as the others, but as an accompliment and ending to the official saga I think it lived up to the hype.

This book meet the requirements for several of my book challenges:

Book Two - Jacob

After taking a 3 hour nap, I just finished Book Two - Jacob. OMG - it's almost impossible to put down! I did not see that coming! Now I'm refreshed and ready to continue with Book Three - Bella. Later ...

Book One - Bella

Just finished Book One - Bella's story - and I'm ready to start on Book Two - Jacob's story. The deed is done, but what an unexpected turn of events! I've stopped of a bathroom break and a drink refill, then I'm off to my comfy reading chair again. It's good I've got a fan blowing on me - sustainablity and global warming be damned right now! - because it's keeping me cool. I've already cried once, but I'm sure there's more tears to come. Later ...

'Twilight' fans bitten by the vampire bug

To read an article on Breaking Dawn by Rich Copley of the Lexington Herald-Leader, in Lexington, Kentucky, go to Kentucky.com. Here is a quote from the article by yours truly - Enjoy!

'Twilight' fans bitten by the vampire bug
Stephenie Meyer’s series has infected readers with undying thirst for dark, romantic creations
By Rich Copley rcopley@herald-leader.com

Readers such as Bobbi Rightmyer, 46, came to the series with a love of fanged lit. She began reading ­vampire books when she picked up Stephen King's Salem's Lot at age 11.

”It really took the ­vampire legend in a ­different direction,“ says Rightmyer, secretary at Harrodsburg's United Presbyterian Church. ”They can go out in the ­daytime, lead normal lives, and there's the idea of ­vegetarian vampires.“

(This quote is copyrighted by Kentucky.com and Rich Copley)

Becky's Book Reviews: It's The End of The World--Let's Share Our Reviews!!!!

Becky's Book Reviews: It's The End of The World--Let's Share Our Reviews!!!!
So far for this challenge, I've read The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

Stephenie Meyer Mini-Challenge

I have completed the Stephenie Meyer Mini-Challenge. I have read all of Stephenie Meyer's books:

--The Host
--Twilight
--New Moon
--Eclipe

Eclipse

As I've stated in my last two posts, I am re-reading the Twilight series in preparation of the August 2nd release of Breaking Dawn. Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will also love Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga.

Isabella Swan - Bella - once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a "bad" vampire continues her quest for revenge. In this book, Bella is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Will her decision cause an increased conflict between the vampires and the werewolves? The obvious love triangle between the three reaches a cresendo and I caught myself rooting for all sides.

Bella's high school graduation is quickly approaching, and she is forced to make a decision between remaining a human or being changed into a vampire. Edward wants Bella to remain human, but Bella wants to join Edward in immortality while she is still young and beautiful.

After missing Edward through much of New Moon, I was excited to have him back in the forefront. His love for Bella has intensified and you can actually feel the love through the romantic prose that has made Ms. Meyer's work so irresistable.

This book is a must read for anyone who loves Twilight and New Moon. Eclipse is edgier and more action packed than the first two books and it is all leading up to, what Ms. Meyer's says, is the finale of the series.

Postscript: Although Stephenie Meyer has stated in interviews that Breaking Dawn will be the series finale, according to her website there will eventually be another book to add. Midnight Sun is the tentative name of this book and it will be a re-working of Twilight from Edward's point of view. It will be interesting to read the same story through his eyes because Edward is simply a more complex character than Bella.

New Moon

Stephenie Meyer's sequel to Twilight is called New Moon. Isabella Swan - Bella - celebrates her birthday with her boyfriend Edward and his family, a unique clan of vampires that has sworn off human blood.

But the celebration abruptly ends when Bella accidentally cuts her arm on broken glass. The sight and smell of her blood makes the Cullen family pull away from her before they are tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave.

Although this book is a very good read, I didn't like it as much a Twilight. I think the main reason is because I like Bella and Edward as a couple, and they spend the majority of this book apart from each other. However, we do get to see the character of Jacob and I have grown to love him as part of this unusual love triangle.

Bella and Jacob have adventures that are wild, dangerous, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward keeps Bella's emotions in check. An unusual twist in this book quickly morphs into danger, especially when Bella uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends.

If you're reading this story because you like vampire stories, you will be disappointed. As I stated earlier, Edward's only in about a quarter of the book. When he is around, however, his presence is appreciated. Many readers will look at Bella's behavior during her her time with the "wolves" as bizarre and entirely unbelievable, but I see her as being in pain over the loss of her true love.

Again, this is not a vampire story. The fact that vampires were not around in this book may turn some readers away - not me. I did enjoy the unique take on werewolves, but I felt that since we had seen so much of the vampires in the first book, that we should have seen and felt more of the werewolves in this book.

There were some hints of future issues between the Cullens and Jake's clan and I hope we see them. The next book in this series is Eclipse. So, if you loved Stephenie Meyer's debut novel, Twilight, then this is a must read.

Twilight

Stephenie Meyer's first novel - Twilight - is a lovely fantasy where readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Isabella Swan - Bella - adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love.

But problem with this story is that Edward is a vampire. He craves the scent of Bella's blood and at any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her. He is constantly worrying about the danger he puts Bella in just by being near her. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him.

This novel burns with the erotic tension of Bella and Edward's dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship. Ms. Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. The precision and delicacy of Ms. Meyer's writing makes this a wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre.

The character of Bella is so beautifully written, she could be the girl next door. Ms. Meyer purposely does not give a detailed description of Bella, choosing instead to let the reader envision their own ideas. Edward is wise beyond his years and it's his carefully monitoring of their relationship that endears the reader to fall in love with him at the same time Bella does.

I had no preconceived notions about this book, and started to read it after seeing a fabulous review in Entertainment Weekly. Before the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. By the time I finished Twilight, I was begging for a sequel. Thankfully, for my sake, New Moon and Eclipse had already been released, so I rushed to the book store to buy these next two books in the series.

I haven't had a marathon reading session like this since I picked up the first four Harry Potter books. Ms. Meyer handled the developing relationship between Edward and Bella with the mark of a seasoned professional, not a first-time novelist. There are no graphic sex scenes (this is a YA book after all) and there is no foul language; both of these are rare qualities in modern literature.

This was such a remarkable and refreshing story. I am anxiously awaiting the August 2nd release of Breaking Dawn, the next book in the series. And just because this is a YA book, don't get the idea it isn't for adults. I am 45 years old and I am currently re-reading all 3 books (for the 3rd time each) in anticipation of the next book!

Postscript: This book is a review for the Stephenie Meyer Mini Challenge.

The Host

Stephenie Meyer, bestselling author of the Twilight series for young adults, proves she can write for all audiences with her first adult novel, The Host. This book opens up a whole new world and set of characters and we learn from them what it really means to be human.

The human race has been invaded by alien beings called "souls", spectral essences that take over and reside in the human body, basically erasing the human's existence. With access to all their emotions and memories, souls don't die so much as move from planet to planet and gain new healthy bodies. When the soul Wanderer arrives on Earth, she takes hold of the body of Melanie Stryder. The only problem is Melanie won't back down easily and eventually, Melanie is trapped within Wanderer's mind, the literal "voice in her head". With Melanie's memories of her lover Jared and brother Jamie, Wanderer seeks out Melanie's desires and in turn starts to desire them as well.

While the heart of The Host is essentially a love triangle story, there's a lot more underneath the surface that let's it stay in your mind a lot longer than just being simply about a great cast of characters. The idea of alien takeover will obviously bring about resistance and people wanting to fight back and yet we find the Souls are actually way more peaceful and even more courteous than most humans are. The love triangle is also better handled and doesn't seem so forced or childish. The characters are also quite endearing and even though some of them don't get as much prominence as some of the others, they add a bit more depth and character to everything.

Undoubtedly the best character in the whole thing is Wanderer herself who has more conflicting emotions and feelings and in some cases, way more humanity. Melanie - one of the few characters I can recall that's just simply a disembodied voice - is also well handled. As far as the book itself, the pacing of it doesn't really have a climax to it in an action sense where there's lots of activity and moving around and some parts of the book don't so much drag the book down but keep it level. We spend a lot of time within a certain place for practically the whole book and there's only so far you can go before it starts to feel claustrophobic, but it still maintains your interest.

Although this book was slow going for the first 100 pages - getting to know the environment and the characters - when it picks up its pace, the book reads very quickly. In recent interviews, Ms. Meyer has stated that a sequel to The Host is planned for the future. I am very interested in the world of this book and I look forward to reading more about this new "Earth". I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of science fiction or supernatural fiction. If I had to label this book, I would describe it as a combination of Love Story and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

P. S. One thing to mention to others reading this book; make sure you read the end of the book. This book has a "fake" ending. When you think the book is finished, there are several blank pages before the actual ending of the book.

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