immersed in eclipse

For those of you that don't know me, I am somewhat of a bookworm. Not as much as I used to be (unfortunately), but I will still read anything you give me. I love the written word, escaping to other worlds with characters that by the end, you feel as if you actually could know in real life. I love how reading is so engaging. It forces you to use your imagination to see everything and to really become part of the story. That's something I've always felt movies lack... even if sometimes they are more fun to watch if you don't feel like having to think hehe.

When I get really into a book though, somehow real life doesn't matter as much. Right now, for example, I'm reading the 3rd book of the Twilight series "Eclipse," by Stephanie Meyer. Maybe I'm just a sucker for fantasy books, but this series has totally taken me by surprise. I mean, I've always liked fantasy (Harry Potter anyone?), and it's come recommended to me by several people, but I never expected to like it to the point where all I want to do right now is go home and read. This is the kind of book that makes me want to withdraw competely for a week or two and be the anti-social bookworm that's somewhere inside me. This is the kind of book that would have kept me up reading until 2 am on a school night back in high school because I HAD to know what happens next.

(The only reason it's not keeping me up that late now is because I actually get paid to be at my job and I know I need sleep to perform my daily tasks efficiently.)

If you haven't read these books and find the fantasy genre at all compelling, I encourage you to read it. Of course, I don't think I'll ever like it more than HP series (that would be blasphemous to me hehe) but it's such a fun and fast read. It has delayed my interest in more "classic" books like "1984" and "Through the Looking Glass" but I figure, I'm heading out on a 10 hr plane ride in 5 weeks, that's plenty of time for me to get a good start on those!

Anyone out there have a great book to recommend? I'm always looking for the next great thing to entertain me.