i just finished my first real "teen drama" novel. i missed the whole teen genre boat when i skipped from the "anastasia krupnik" series and "the boxcar children" mysteries to "lord of the rings" and "jayne eyre." and since then, my ever-growing reading list (mostly made up of classics) has kept me from being on board with any current bestsellers. after finally reading the harry potter books over the last few months and hearing stories from lizzie about how intensely exciting it was to be reading them, along with the rest of the world, when they came out, i decided i wanted to know what that was like. so when the "twilight" series started popping up all over the internet and what not, they caught elizabeth's and my attention and i decided this was my big chance to be in on the current excitement. the package from amazon finally got here during lunch last week and i tore into it and started the first book as my kids were finishing eating.

i have to say i'm a bit disappointed. but i'm not sure what i was expecting...i knew they were popular with teens...i knew all the characters were in high school...i knew the main character was a vampire. it's not that it was bad -i'm just used to more. it's just that i didn't believe this book. i didn't really care what happened to bella and i didn't feel like my life would end if bella and edward weren't able to break through the human-vampire blockades and be together forever. i don't think it's just that this is more sci-fi/fantasy than i'm used to...i was completely swept into harry potter's world of witches and dragons, no matter how fantastical. i cared whether hermione and ron were on speaking terms, i cried for dumbledore, and i debated extensively in my head over whether snape was good or bad, feeling that it was terribly important. this is what i'm used to -i'm used to being invested in what i read -being unable to tear myself away from the character's situations, agonizing over their happiness, and feeling like i've lost a significant relationship when i finish the last page.

oh i do love books. just writing that makes me want to be reading "anna karenina" right now. i have the next two books in the "twilight" series sitting on my shelf...but i feel no need...this is nothing like finishing the 6th harry book and rushing off to itaewon to find the 7th. ironic. i kind of feel like i should finish what i started, though, eventually. maybe when my reading list runs out? uhm, i don't think i'll ever see that day. i would like to be on the bandwagon when the next harry potter comes around, though...so if you're on it, please tell me and maybe i'll join you for a detour. until then, i'm sticking to my list. there's a reason they're called classics.