Bookmarked: 'New Moon' Madness

Let me begin this post by saying that I am a slow reader. I often reread sentences and paragraphs to make sure I've absorbed everything the author has shown me. As a writer, it helps me to notice the details, the descriptions, the diction and the voice. Despite my sluggishness and a prevalent rumor that the second book in the Twilight series is slow, I finished New Moon within a week— just in time for the movie trailer to grace the Web waves.

I can finally say that I "get" the whole teen-vampire mania that's been spreading like wildfire. While Twilight was a fun, fast read, it didn't hook me the way its sequel has. Perhaps it's because New Moon has more monsters and less mush. Sure, reading about how much Bella and Edward love each other is sweet, but isn't it more interesting to see how well our heroine does flying (hem hem: jumping) solo? Also, Jacob Black has a larger role in the second book. No longer a little freshman, he has grown up in many ways, but his affection for Bella has only deepened. Hello, love triangle.

The story opens at the beginning of Bella and Edward's senior year of high school. The two have shared a blissful— yet glossed over— summer together, and all seems fine and dandy. Without giving too much away, I'll divulge that certain events prompt Edward to leave Forks (oh no, the town's Web site has a Twilight map of love). Although Bella has a serious bout with depression, her recovery is an interesting and sometimes humorous process. Her loveless new life revolves around extreme sports (motorcycling/crashing) and buddy time with Jacob. But don't let these ordinary details bore you— there are more supernatural forces at work in Forks than Middle-earth. As with its predecessor, New Moon progresses at a steady pace, following a basic plot until the last third of the book. Call it Stephanie Meyer's signature move: the woman loves doing plot jack-knives once she's two-thirds through the novel. Don't plan on eating, sleeping, socializing, etc., during the last six chapters as you might find yourself in a zombie-like stupor.

In case you haven't seen the film trailer, check it out here. Just be forewarned: the preview has some spoilers. New Moon will open November 20, and in the meantime you can drool over the poster.

Next on my reading list is The Namesake by Jhumpi Lahiri. I'm about 100 pages in— time to add the film version starring Kal Penn (aka Kumar, Kutner, White House public liaison) to my Netflix queue.