New Moon Rises Tonight

The Twilight Saga - New Moon opens in theaters at the magically appropriate midnight hour.  The movie is the second installment based on Stephenie Meyer's four book series.  The first book, Twilight, was rejected by 14 agents before finally being published in 2005.  Following in close order were New Moon (2006),   Eclipse (2007) and Breaking Dawn (2008).  As I put the books on hold for girl after girl coming to the library, I dismissed the series as teen girl silliness until my own daughter encouraged me to read it, and I couldn't put it down!   Now vampire romances have proliferated.  Have you read any of these 2009 releases?  (photo by Susan Larson)

Bite Me by Melissa Francis
Eternal by Cynthia Leitch Smith
The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire by Tricia Telep                
Fade Out by Rachel Caine
Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber
Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Tempted: A House of Night Novel by P. C. Cast
Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer
Vamped by Lucienne Diver
The Van Alen Legacy: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa De la Cruz

Julie & Julia: Lives to Books to Movie

Last night I saw the movie Julie & Julia. Meryl Streep should win an academy award for her portrayal of Julia Child. The movie is based on two real life stories told in two books: My Life in France by Julia Child, and Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. In 2002 Powell, a Julia Child devote, set out to cook all 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and blog (The Julie/Julia Project) about the experience. The blog became a book, the book a movie. Seeing the movie has inspired me to read the books. (However, it has not changed my personal mantra that the best thing to make is a reservation!)

Meryl Streep was a guest on The Daily Show on August 6, reviewing her role as Julia Child. It is a must see!

Seeing the movie and reading the books compliment my own adventure, to be recorded in this blog. I will have My Week in Paris, September 11 - 17, and I'll tell my story here, beginning today. I hope you will join me.