And Now the Purple Dusk of Twilight Time...

Oh, I am wading into dangerous waters. On my fourth attempt, I am actually reading Twilight. Instead of reading the whole thing and leaving a conventional review, I thought I'd post my comments as I went along. This particular post will refer to pages 1-57. First and foremost I had trouble getting into this book for a lot of reasons:

1. I taught high school for 8 years. If Bella Swan had been in my class I would have wanted to smack her for her snotty attitude and for constantly hiding behind her hair. And what's with the melodrama of "my exile to Forks"?
2. As a writer I'm righteously indignant that Stephanie Meyers got to keep her vague Prologue. You know, the one they tell all the rest of us to cut out?
3. There's a lot of emphasis on that truck of hers. Then here comes the hero with a last name of Cullen. You know what that means....I'm trying to read this book and all I can hear in my head is



And that, combined with Bella's original disdain for said truck then reminds me of this updated gem from my high school days....



Okay, so once I got past the truck thing and the whiny teenager thing, I had to get real. One of my friends asked me if this was going to be a "love post" or a "barf post;" so far, I stick with my answer that it's more of an "I'm bemused by this entire phenomenon" post. A couple of things actually kept me reading. First, Bella's description of the biology room really took me back to my own biology class. Second, she dislikes math and can't play volleyball without getting injured--I can't either, so I decided to stick with her just a little longer. Third, as a writer I have to admit Meyers has asked some questions I want to answer. No, I'm not talking about how vampires sparkle, either.

So, sure, Bella's melodramatic. And, sure, Edward Cullen is no Angel, but I'll stick with it just a little longer. If I can just get those damned truck commercials out of my head!

This Week's Reason my House Isn't Clean: Haint Misbehavin'

Okay, so actually this is last week's reason my house isn't clean, but I'm always happy to share books that reel me in and distract me from cleaning.  (See my last entry on The Front Porch Prophet, another excellent book.)

I just finished Haint Misbehavin' by Maureen Hardegree, a YA novel from Bell Bridge books.  Have a teen or tween who's interested in what might happen if a girl inherited a ghost along with her menstrual cycle?  This is the book for you.  Like a good read about a middle child who can't seem to get anything right? This book might be better than therapy--and it would definitely be cheaper.

Hardegree has an easy to like protagonist, Heather, and she captures the awkwardness of being  a teenager so well, I winced a few times in memory.  My favorite part of the story, though, revolves around the ghost herself. At first, Heather can't figure out why Amy, the ghost, is hanging around.  Over the course of the novel, though, she grows up enough to focus more on helping Amy than on the pain Amy's drama causes her--and that part of the mystery is so much fun to unravel.

Hardegree also leaves the book open for potential future stories, and I really love the two male characters: the dreamy lifeguard Heather lusts after and the loyal geek who lusts after her.  I left the book wanting Xavier to have his day, but I'll just have to wait until Book 2 in the Ghost Handler series to see if he has any luck.

If you, a teen, or a tween are looking for a good read, be sure to check out Haint Misbehavin'. Oh, and as always, you have my leave to ignore dusting, dishes, and laundry to just enjoy.

The Front Porch Prophet, or This Week's Reason My House Isn't Clean

I've noticed an interesting trend:  every time I get close to getting the house under control, a book grabs my interest to the point that I sit, read, and ignore the filth.  Therefore, I will start a new award for the book of the week that distracts me the best.

Last week, the "offending" book was The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond Atkins.  I took a class with Ray while getting my masters and greatly enjoyed the novel he was workshoping:  Camp Redemption.  It came as no surprise that The Front Porch Prophet was just as enjoyable if not more so.  So here's the premise:  A.J. Longstreet struggles to take care of his childhood friend, Eugene Purdue, after Eugene reveals he is dying of pancreatic cancer.  I know this premise does not sound funny, but I promise you I laughed out loud more times than you can count.  In the great southern tradition, The Front Porch Prophet finds humor and poignancy in the vicissitudes of life and the odd assortment of characters that endure them.  Atkins tells the story with all of the wonderfully entertaining digressions one would expect from a Front Porch Prophet, and the story contains several surprises I wouldn't dream of revealing here.  This is southern fiction at its best.

So, ignore the dishes in the sink and laundry on the couch.  I personally give you permission to sit and read The Front Porch Prophet because it will be good for your soul.  I promise, the mess isn't going anywhere