I survived!

After losing myself, over the past week, in the Twilight saga I can finally say - I have come up for air....

This was an reveling experience all unto itself, being so completely consumed by a book (actually 4 books)! Usually, I have preferred authors, that allow me to escape reality and go somewhere new an exciting, if only in my mind, don't venture far from them. BUT - I have never read like I have read in the past week...... SERIOUSLY - I would wake up before the kids - read until they woke up - make breakfast - read - take them to the park - read..... let them swim - I read...... Make lunch dinner (half aware what I was doing because I was also reading at the same time....) and then put them to bed as soon as I could so YES..... I could read LATE into the night. Folks - I usually need 8 hrs+ in order to function the next day - but somehow I managed to survive the week with relativity little sleep? (not like anna).

Here's my review: (I won't give anything away, incase you have not read them... I'm only trying to spark an interest in those who have not)

I was drawn into the first book (Twilight) by the very first sentence and instantly knew that I would finish book one with in a day or 2 easily but when I got to chapter 5 or 6..... I was almost speed reading .... trying to see what was going to happen next.... and then after day two - I ran back to store to buy book 2 (new moon) because I knew I needed to have it on hand when I finished the first book. I have no idea why I did not buy the whole series right then and there, hello anna, save gas and time, maybe it was my lack of sleep that caused me not think straight. :) I absolutely LOVE how Stephanie MEYER drew me in, I am the last person who would think a vampire is cool. I'm not a sci-fi kind of reader - and quite honestly I had a hard time getting thru "interview with a vampire". I fell in LOVE with Edward ( a very dreamy vampire), and of course I was completely over the moon at how much he and Bella were mezmerized by each other. I LOVE how she made Edward out to be a literary super-hero vampire, compared him to the likes of Edward Darcy!! I found myself so captivated by their love story and completely cheering for their survival (of love and life) for the entire 4 books.

When I finished book one, I was dying to know what was going to happen next..... I did not skip a beat. Put one down and picked two up .... Then I stayed up late late into the night - crying through the entire 2/3 rds of that book. Almost everyone, I know who has read the books says New Moon (#2) was their least favorite. I'm not so sure I agree..... While I really was not a fan of Jacob (at the time) because I was ALL about the love story of Edward and Bella... I found that I was an emotional wreak the entire time reading New Moon. I completely felt her pain/loss. Then I was rewarded and redeemed by the end of book 2, happy with the way it ended, but still a little apprehensive about how things where going to work out for Edward and Bella. I think book 2 was well written and completely an importantly part of understand how things were going to come together by book 4.

Then book 3..... Eclipse. This book made me most angry (I am not saying it was my least favorites) but I just angry at Bella mostly for what I think was jeopardizing her love for Edward by continuing her relationship with Jacob. I think that Eclipse was very well written and Ms. MEYER really weaved an intricate web of emotions to really make reading book 4 (Breaking Dawn) a necessity for me.

(sigh. ) - book 4 - I really wanted to read it in one day.... but each book got progressively longer and 4 was the longest of all..... It took me 3 days to get through it. Additionally, I found myself reading a little slower - because I knew it was the last book and I really did not want it to end :( Everything made sense... the pain of book 2, the anger in book 3 ... there was complete purpose for all of that to happen for book 4 to come together. I really commend Mrs. MEYER for figuring how to tie everything together, guess it was all part of the plan,right? I felt it necessary that she even gave us insight to take part of this book from Jacob's point of view. I was REALLY hoping we would get some perspective from Edward but that did not happen. :( By the end of the book 4, I finally came to love Jacob - which was a big turn around (for me) from book 2. But for me it all boiled down to the LOVE story that drew me in in the first place. So happy with the ending..... very happy with the ending.

Fantastic series of books...... big, big thumbs up! You can't put them down, they draw you in and steal you from reality..... I honestly thought it was cold and rainy outside for the entire last week! I was captivated and bewitched like never before from a book. It has even inspired me to pick up Wuthering Heights. When a book (or series of books) can do that - i say it's worth a read don't you?

xo,
amt

I caved......

After much deliberation.... on whether or not to read it..... I caved in... (took me a while - these have been out for a few years, right?) I bought my first book - started it last night and now I can't put it down. I even figured out how to workout and read at the same time (that's talent let me tell you).

This summer, I had been reading lots of Jane Austen. I recently started Persuasion but I could not get through the first few chapters...... so I put it down for a while. Moved to something that is considered a light read.... I did not know it was set in Washington rain forest! Yum.... One of the few places in WA that I have yet to explore and most desire to visit. The Olympic Nat'l Forest..... I'm escaping there via a book.... just hope I don't get bitten by any vampires?



xo,
amt

the last hoorah!

.... summer is officially coming to a close for those cute little kiddos of mine..... so we decided to pack up our bags and head up north for cooler temps (unfortunately we missed cooler temps back at home - oops).

we took in all the splendor of the Sonoma County Fair

they has soooooo much to smile about.

did some site seeing in "the city" and stumbled upon a beautiful and peaceful Tea Gardens..... Unfortunately my boys did not take in the "peaceful and tranquil" part that Japanese tea gardens meant to encompass. Here they are playing hopscotch or something of the sort......



then at last the highlight for us all ..... a GIANTS ball game. We had so much fun while taking in a killer view of our favorite player!

We also were able to have fun as adults.... we both attended our 20 yr High School reunions.... Really was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Both of us were able to take in each other's past, while reflecting on who we are now, realizing how lucky we are to be who we have become (ok.... how that for some Confucius.... a little too much tea at the tea garden for anna - lol).

here's hoping you get to enjoy life's little moments, in those last few days of summer......
time is going too fast don't you think?

xo,
anna