My girls were raving about these books and their friends were borrowing them, so I decided I better read them to find out what it was all about.  I’ve had the complete series sitting on the book shelf for about two months.

The movie came out in Australia on Thursday 11 Dec so everyone was cramming to get the books read.

Here comes the spoilers

Twilight is about Bella and Edward. Edward is a vampire but one of the good ones, they only feed on stock not humans.  Edward is part of the Cullen family consisting of Carlisle (dad) Esme (mum) Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper.  There is an uneasy treaty between the local indians and the Cullens.  The Indians, primary characters Jacob, Bella’s friend and Billy, his wheelchair bound father and tribesmen elder.

Bella and Edward fall hopelessly in love (see wuthering heights) and Bella is invited into the Cullen’s world.  It is there she comes across some not so friendly vampires, Laurent, Victoria and Jason.

James is a tracker and becomes obsessed with Bella and eventually attacks her and bites her, but the Cullens come to her rescue just in time and Edward sucks out the venom.  James, the bad vampire is killed in the battle.  James is the life partner of Victoria.

Carlisle works at the hospital as the local doctor having been able to totally conquer his need for human blood.

It is this conflict that keeps the book moving, Edward wants Bella on multiple levels. he loves her and also wants to suck her blood.

Bella wants to beomce a vampire and be with them forever but Edward refuses.

This is where Twilight leaves and New Moon begins.

Edward decides the best thing is to leave Bella because he has put her in mortal danger and he doesn’t want to take her soul by turning her into a vampire.

Bella is devastated and cannot function without Edward.  After months of torment she eventually rekindles her friendship with Jacob, from the Indian tribe.

Something strange is happening to the Indian boys, and eventually Jacob becomes a werewolf, mortal enemy of the bloodsuckers aka Edward and the Cullens.

The werewolves have been tracking the not so nice vampires, Laurent and Victoria who have returned to find Bella.  Victoria wants to kill her to avenge James’ demise.

Jacob and Bella have a rocky patch but eventually she accepts him for all his werewolfness.

Bella nearly dies and Edward is told that she is in fact dead, so goes off to kill himself ala Romeo and Juliet and Bella and Alice intervene at the last minute and are given a reprieve by the vampire godfathers The Volturi but Bella must become a vampire or else they will kill them all.

Carlisle agrees to change her, but Edward is still not happy about it and eventually bargains with Bella to wait until he can change her himself so they can be together forever.

Victoria, the bad vampire, is still loose and hunting Bella and the Volturi will be coming to check on her vampire progress, all the while Jacob, now in love with Bella has to accept that Edward his mortal enemy will break the treaty by biting her and turning his love into his enemy.

Am waiting for my copy of Eclipse to be returned so I can read it and will let you know how it goes.  But by now, you’re up to date.

Although it’s set in the myths and legends that have been done to death, Meyer creates a realism that has been missing in this genre for a long time.  To invoke tears several times throughout both the novels, is a rare gift, and the pace in which they’re written makes them hard to put down.

Highly recommended reading.  You’ll speed through them.