Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Bella has decided to move from Phoenix, Arizona to a tiny town called Forks in Washington to live with her father. The first day of school, she meets a boy named Edward who seems to hate her upon first sight, even though she doesn't know why. It turns out that Edward is a vampire - and Bella is falling in love with him regardless of the consequences.

I'm not usually a huge fan of vampire books (they're ok, just not really my thing), but this one has been so popular that I decided to pick it up and I have to admit - it was pretty great. This book is incredibly addictive and the story pulls the reader in quickly. The characters are believable and well developed (although I have to admit there was one detail about the vampires that was a little hokey). I'm really looking forward to the time when I can get my hands on the sequel. Obviously, I would recommend this book to other readers, but I do have to point out that while this is a vampire book (with some blood and violence and whatnot), the main focus of the book is on the romance between Bella and Edward - so if romance is not your thing, this is probably not your book.


Note: This is the first book in the Twilight Saga which includes Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Additionally, the author is working on a parallel book, Midnight Sun which tells the story of Twilight from Edward's point of view. For more information, or to read excerpts, check out Stephenie Meyer's homepage.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Poison Study, or Resenting the Hero

Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr


In Wicked Lovely, Aislinn has had the Sight since birth - she has always seen faeries even though she'd rather not. Her grandmother has taught her to act as though she cannot see them to keep from attracting their attention. Faeries are dangerous creatures. Suddenly, however, the faeries have taken a particular interest in her and she can't seem to get away from them. What she doesn't know is that Keenan, the Summer King has been searching for centuries to find his Summer Queen because without her, summer will disappear. Ash clings to her friends and 'normal' life, but Keenan has chosen her to be the next mortal he tests and will not be ignored. With each of them fighting for what they want, it's possible that neither of them will win...

The second book, Ink Exchange is a sequel, picking up a bit after Wicked Lovely, but the main character is Aislinn's friend, Leslie. Leslie is having a difficult time since her mother left - her father spends his time gambling and drinking and her brother deals drugs. She is desperate to make changes in her life and has decided that the first step is to get a tattoo. Leslie knows nothing of the Faery Courts or the complications for Irial and his Dark Court since the changes in the Winter and Summer Courts. When Leslie gets her tattoo, it changes her in more ways that she intended and forces her to discover things about herself and the world around her that she has never seen before.


I really enjoyed these books and I was really looking forward to the sequel when I finished the first one. The characters and the way that the faeries are constructed within the 'real world' are all very believable and the plots are interesting and relatively unpredictable. These books are easy to read and the tone of each one really fits the characters that they focus on (lighter for Wicked Lovely and the Summer Court, darker for Ink Exchange and the Dark Court). I would definitely recommend these books to fantasy fans - especially if you enjoy books about magic in the real world or books about faeries.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Summoning, Poison Study, Fablehaven, or Twilight