Eclipse Celebration: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Hello!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!  Yesterday we had a great blog tour swing through featuring the wildly fantastical work of author Martin Chatterton and featuring his most recent book The Brain Full of Holes.  If you didn't get a chance to read the post, might I suggest pausing a moment to do so....there's a review, guest post....plus your chance to win a copy of the book!  Go ahead...check it out....I'll wait right here....  Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget that we have a contest from another great author, Nancy Holder, to win a SIGNED copy of Possessions plus a copy of the newly released sequel, Possessions 2:  The Evil Within...which just happens to be open internationally.  Once you return to this page, we shall resume..... ~~Theme music anyone?  Click here... ~~

Today's post is sort of on auto pilot....how so?  Well, let's just say that a certain Insatiable Reader (moi) might have attended a fairly long movie fest (Twilight and New Moon shown back to back in theater) followed by a midnight premiere (Eclipse...woo-HOO!) and still be sleeping at this hour (if not sleeping than definitely resting and perhaps reading)...ahem.  So, I give you the post today from my mind to the site featuring a novella from the infamous author herself, Stephanie Meyer....befitting no?  Today's book of choice is....

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

by

Stephenie Meyer

Bree Tanner.  Young girl with budding ambitions, seeking her dreams of life, love, and....joining the undead.  Umm, okay so perhaps it's not all candy and roses.  Let's set the record straight.  Bree Tanner was NOT the perfect angel (in more ways than one) before her unlawful rebirth into the world of 'the Cold Ones'.  Bree Tanner was NOT seeking an escape that would take her from the dark world she lived in....her thoughts were merely for the moment, the place most teens live.  One more thing....Bree Tanner may have been gullible and easily manipulated to an extent, but she was NOT stupid. 

In this companion novella to the Twilight series, fans learn more about the young girl vampire Bella comes into contact with in Eclipse.  From her life before and after the change, all leading up to that faithful day in which she...well, if you've read the third book you know what path her life takes (otherwise, NOPE...not gonna spoil it).  Here, we get a chance to see what truths and half-truths the newborns were told as the devious plan she (she being Victoria, though the newborns are never actually told that, with good reason too...) devised was being set into motion.  We also see that the Volturi's hands are not quite as clean as one may have thought in this instance, a fact that may or may not surprise you (when are they ever really, right?).  A disturbing aspect of Riley's relationship with her comes to light (so to speak) as well as a new character that managed to slip away....leaving this reader wondering what happened to them?  Are they still out there?  Where's their story?  Speaking of that...

Okay, so I've hinted and I've mentioned, but haven't really come out and actually discussed it.  Discussed what?  The bookish beasty (...meant totally in a good way like 'the Beast' in the movie with Belle, not the 'Wolfman'...) that is the world of Twilight.  I mean does anyone really understand the magnitude of the world Stephenie Meyer has created? Think about it. She could honestly go on fleshing out (pardon the pun) the characters she has created and continue adding on to her current success without ever having to create another fictional world...with fans perfectly content AND clammoring for more. There's not that many books or series that you could truly say that about....I mean, yes, there are others, but they are fewer rather than more, in numbers.  It just boggles the mind, or my mind at the very least.

Anywho, rabid fandom aside, one thing is certain about this book...it is NOT for the outsider; meaning if you haven't read the series, it's probably not going to make much sense to you.  You really need to have read through book 3 (Eclipse, just in case you didn't know...hey, there are some people that still haven't read it) in order to follow what's going on, otherwise it's too vague and Bree's tendancy to question things (no, make that everything) can be a bit grating.  Having read all of the books in the series (at least once), I can honestly say that I enjoyed slipping back into this familiar world and grandly welcome the next adventure this author brings our way.  Whether it be the much talked about and wished for Midnight Sun (basically Twilight but from Edward's perspective...the sample on her website....VERY GOOD) or the contiually pushed back Twilight Saga (may not be the finalized title, but it's the one this story was suppose to be a part of initially that tells the back story and more about this literary creation).  One way or the other we have things to look forward to from this series for future reads.

Highly recommended reading for fans of the series and for those that have yet to give it a try, seriously...what's holding you back?  For those that just haven't had a chance to pick this one up yet, you still have time to check it out online at the official site...it's available to read for free as a thank you to fans through midnight July 5th.  If you do decide to purchase a copy, the publisher is donation $1 for every physical book sold to the American Red Cross.  As for me....I'm still reveling in the movie release fun and contemplating how I can fit a re-read into my current schedule for this series (hehe).

Until next time....happy reading!

New Moon has Arrived!

It's over! +SIGH+ I came I saw I blogged. Overall verdict, GREAT! more later...

!!!UPDATE!!!

Ahh...it was GREAT!  The whole theater managed to stay quiet throughout the movie (which by the way is a little ovr 2 hours), except for small bouts of laughter at the appropriate times (and there were quite a few).  As far as book versus movie....they stayed fairly close for the most part.  I mean some scenes were obviously more cut to the chase than the detail in the book, but overall for this reader....it worked.  The effects used to show the passing of time, and the hallucination version of Edward....not too shabby.  I do have to say that even after seeing the movie, not a fan of the soundtrack (SORRY!).  There weren't any moments that I was thinking more about the song playing than the footage, but there also weren't any "wow this is great" moments for it either. 

On to the actors and actresses....some things I noticed at least.  Kristen Stewart (Bella) grew into her part...FINALLY!  The first movie had her as a stumbling stuttering can't-complete-a-sentence girl who just didn't fit the literary version of the character.  This one she is obviously more confident but well within Bella's limits.  The color scheme chosen for this movie was more golden, and that worked on most of the characters...but it looked like they forget Edward (Robert Pattinson) when they made this setting.  He still appears quite "blue" compared to the rest of his family....at least his over-acting (for a quick reminder, check the Twilight DVD for their first meeting in Biology class....now do you remember?) has been reigned in.  He still had a few moments where you were wondering what he was thinking with the facial expression he had, or wished the slow motino walk would speed up just a bit, but the performance was a lot better overall.  Jacob (Taylor Lautner)....what can I say (sorry Team Jacob fans....here it comes...)....while his acting in the later half of the movie was better (to me at least), newly found muscles or not, he still comes off as younger than his part.  Definite KUDOS though for when we saw the last of the long hair....not a good look when you already have a really young face (well for a guy anyway...).

When all is said and done....I definitely recommend the movie for fans of both the books and the movies.  Certainly worth your time.

Until next time....happy reading (and watching!).

Current Cultural Phenomenon: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Before you drag out the pitchforks to run me out of town...I definitely believe to each his (or her) own in regards to literature. I mean, come on folks...there are SOOO many books out there. You will never find one that absolutely everyone loves, it's just not possible. However, there is one current cultural phenomenon going around that most people have read or at least heard of in some fashion, which leads me to today's choice.....

Twilight

by

Stephenie Meyer

What? You've never heard of it? Oh, I see...you've been living in a cave for the past some odd years and avoiding bookstores, movie theaters and shopping centers with great success, right? Guess what...I don't believe you and most of the current population won't either. If you haven't read the books (guilty!), seen the movie (guilty!), or bought the merchandise (alright already, guilty again!), then you have at least seen the displays of product or heard the random whispers of strangers passing by...henceforth my bestowed title of "cultural phenomenon". Very rarely does a book (or anything else for that matter) come along that can be read and ENJOYED by almost anyone. Young and old, females and males (don't deny it, you read it too)...it doesn't matter who you are, the story will whisk you away.

Twilight is written in Bella's voice...that is to say you see her world and experiences through her mind's eye. After making the seemingly simple decision to move to Washington and live with her father while her mother is on the road with her new husband, Bella's world is turned upside down. She's the new girl in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone...or so they think. The Cullen's family is presented as a doctor and wife dynamic duo, taking in four foster kids without a second thought. Things are not always what they appear to be though as discovered by Bella through a near fatal accident. I won't continue with the details of the story (hey, there are some people that haven't read it yet!) but rest assured it has all the elements for a fantastic ride. There's love, action, fear, happiness...you name it, it's probably in there.

When I first read this title, I had actually picked it up after hearing some of the whispers as I mentioned before. I was looking for a new book, both cover and title were intriguing so I figured, why not? I am now definitely a Twilighter (it's just one of the many fan titles claimed by supporters of the book) and will highly recommend it to one and all.

On a side note, I will have to say that her writing style was very reminiscent of another author I had read several years back. If you are looking for another book to satisfy your needs, I'd look to L.J. Smith. She has several series to choose from but I would definitely look for The Forbidden Game. It is a little harder to find, but if you liked Twilight, you'll more than likely love it.

Feel free to leave your comments and feedback!

Until next time...happy reading!

Food for Thought

A new addition to my blog...I'll call it Food for Thought. Why? Because I choose to! Just kidding! No, this spot will appear about once a week (or so) to afford a space for random wanderings of the mind as well as suggestions for additional sites, books, or whatever else happens to pop up along the way. So, off on my first wander...

On this "trip", let's visit a newly discovered site called Book Daily. This site was recently emailed to me and is toted as having "book samples for book lovers". Now, I for one am definitely a book lover and so I did not hesitate to click over right away. It's actually a fairly decent concept. You have a virtual bookshelf that allows you to add any title they have on their site for your viewing pleasure. Each day, they will email you the first chapter from the top item on your shelf, thus allowing for semi-random reading on a whim! If you are dying to read it right now, you can also peruse the same said chapter right on their site. Pretty cool, right?

I know what you're thinking...all of the books are either really old or something that no one has ever heard of. Incorrect! They have most of the latest titles as well as old favorites. Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Charlaine Harris, John Sanford....shall I keep going? Just try looking something up or browsing by genre...you are sure to fill your shelf fast. I sure did. (I think I have about 70 on there right now....and growing.)

Feel free to leave your comments and feedback!
Until next time...happy reading!

An Oldie but a Goodie - The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

Hello, there!
First of all, I would like to thank you for stopping by my new blog! I will try to keep it updated as new works cross my path, so that you might be able to enjoy them for yourself!

To start this off right, I invite you to consider a title from the past...okay, so it only dates back to the early 90's but that's kind of far, right?

The Forbidden Game

by

L.J. Smith

In this young adult series, you have a collection of three books entitled The Hunter, The Chase, and The Kill. Sound too ominous for a teen series? Not really (consider the evening news for one). Jenny (main character) is trying to stage the perfect birthday party for her boyfriend, Tom. Solution? Finding the perfect party game to keep it interesting. During her search, she stumbles across a store hidden within a mural on the not-so-perfect side of town and acquires a board game that seems to fit the bill. Little does she know that the gorgeous "young man" that sold her the game is really part of an ancient race of beings from the Shadow Lands and evil is not all he has on his mind. Julian has his sights set on making Jenny his one and only, and he is not one to take no for an answer. Will Jenny be made an unwilling pawn in his "forbidden" game? Or will love, friendship, and selflessness prevail?

Author L.J. Smith has a distinctive writing style...in my opinion, it places the reader in the main characters point of view so well that you can experience each situation as it occurs. The emotions, the surroundings, and the inner turmoil are all described with a true passion for the pen. In fact, in reading a newer favorite, Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer, I was reminded very much of L.J. Smith's "voice". She is echoed very well by this newcomer, allowing her past publications to be shared by a new generation.

Feel free to leave your comments and feedback.

Until next time...happy reading!