What We’re Reading

New Moon | Stephenie Meyer

Rating:

Every bit as amazing as it’s prequel, if not more so. To do this book real justice I may have to go back and read it again…for reasons I can’t really go into without ruining too much, I read it a little too fast.

Picking up where we left off at the end of Twilight, Bella is now recovered from her attack, still dating Edward, and now has a job at a store in town. Life seems pretty much perfect, except for the minor detail of her still not having what she wants.

Despite her wishes, the Cullens have planned a Birthday party for her, and while she’s displeased, she tries to cut them some slack, once Edward points out that they’ve not been able to celebrate a real birthday in over a hundred years. And party-lover or not, she has to admit they’ve gone all out.

But, clutz that she is, it isn’t long before disaster strikes in the form of a paper cut, leading to Jasper having to be dragged from the house, the rest of the family (other than Carlisle) quickly following after. Once she’s been stitched up and bandaged. Edward brings her home, and his gift to her makes the night perfect despite the badness. In fact, she can’t imagine a better birthday.

But it isn’t meant to last.

Abandoned, Bella spends the next handful of months in a daze. At a complete loss, Charlie has know idea how to help her. But she refuses to leave Forks, and so all he can do is watch her struggle on.

Eventually, sparks of life return, as Bella vows to become reckless, purchases two used motorcycles, and heads down to La Push to see Jacob Black about fixing them. While there, she remembers how much she liked being around Jacob, and her visits quickly turn into a regular thing. Between them, and the sound of Edward’s voice in her mind with each reckless act, Bella begins to feel alive.

And then Jacob turns on her.

Life quickly becomes on trial after another, as Bella refuses to let Jacob go, and after a mid-night visit does some hard thinking to piece the puzzle together, much to the chagrin of his new friends. Then a cliff-diving stunt gone bad sets in motion a whole ‘nother set of events, even more incredible and harrowing.

Even more than Twilight, New Moon will leave you eagerly awaiting what comes next.

(Next installment due out October 2007)

Find it in the Catalog.
Visit Stephenie Meyer on the web.

Girl, 15, Charming but Insane | Sue Limb

Rating:

I ran into this book while setting up one of the lists on the Read Something New page and the title cracked me up, so I went out front and picked it up.

Jess Jordan seems pretty sure of her station in life: she’s got a big bum, and no boy will ever notice her because her best friend, Flora, looks like a blonde goddess. Two goddesses, in fact. Venus and Flora. But this is alright by Jess, as she wants nothing to do with boys in that fashion anyway.

She’s rather fond of daydreaming away, instead of completing in-class assignments, and has a very vivid and active imagination. She also has quite the crush on Ben Jones. Only when he starts talking to her, she has no idea what to do with herself. In fact, she eventually comes to the conclusion that he’s not interested in her at all, and only talks to her in order to get information on his true interest. Flora.

Amidst all this confusion, over some miscommunication, Jess has also had a falling-out with her other best friend, Fred. Every time she wants to make it right, back circumstance intervenes, generally in the form of Ben. When Fred is asked to edit a school newspaper and doesn’t ask her to participate it seems things can’t get any lower. Until Flora confesses she’s left the boy she’d been seeing because she’s crazy for someone else. That someone being, not Ben, but Fred.

Suffice it to say Jess has quite the end of a year. And though the task of being the one to feel Fred out for Flora is harsh and unwelcome, she meets it head on. The outcome is most unexpected.

Quick read, full of British humor, good for a lot of laughs.

Find it in the Catlog