Oh man. I really disliked Twilight -- and I am ALL ABOUT the YA vampire books. It was such a disappointment: she didn't add anything new or interesting to the vampire mythology, the writing wasn't that good, and worst of all, the entire underlying message of the book was: teenage girls, your attempts to experiment with and express your newfound sexuality are BAD and you must be scolded for them. Although your creepy-as-fuck boyfriend with the goddamn topaz eyes is totally allowed to use your own sexuality against you, by the way. UGH.

Happy birthday, Kate! (A day or two late, I know. Sorry!)

I want to finish Twilight because I hate paying money for a book and not reading it, but maybe I'll just read and mock.

Thanks for the birthday wishes! I like to stretch it out as long as possible, so I'll happily accept them late. :-)

Twilight is definitely mockable (seriously, how often do we need to be reminded about Edward's Amazingly Gorgeous Topaz Eyes? blech), but if you wanted to give it up and still feel like you hadn't wasted your money, you could try donating it to your local library, in the unlikely event that they don't yet have a copy. It's SUPER popular. I had a girl in just today who was gushing about it and looking for other vampire books. (I sent her home with Thirsty and The Silver Kiss, and she was quite excited. Oh, and she totally turned up her nose at Anne Rice. It was pretty funny; I wanted to tell her, "There wouldn't BE a Twilight without Anne Rice!")

I have actually read that, Gris. Not even I am always about murder and cocaine.

Teen girls in the hizzouse!

Maybe the fourth novel will include murder and/or cocaine.

Well, good. You gave her good books Kate , so she will learn

Probably not without my being very excited about my SuperSecret Ghostwriting Job. Which reminds me, I've read the crapzillionth Pelecanos review that starts out with, "You'd think he'd be writing about the West Wing, but he's not," And it's true. But that has been the case since fricking *1990* Before the best-sellers and the movie rights. Get some new material, reviewers. Dag. Talking about *my* boyfriend with some weak-assed, recycled metaphors. Whatever.

(I sent her home with Thirsty

Waitaminute, I haven't heard of this one. Is it good? Should I track it down?

I want to finish Twilight because I hate paying money for a book and not reading it, but maybe I'll just read and mock.

Half-Price Books. Every four months or so, I take a couple of bags of books in, get money, and buy more books. (Or hats or shoes or petticoats.)

Donating to the library is a good idea, too,

Every four months or so, I take a couple of bags of books in, get money, and buy more books. (Or hats or shoes or petticoats.)

There is a used bookstore here, not too far away. I usually just spend money there, but donating is a good idea. Or our library. Their YA section is pretty thin.

Have you read Katie Maxwell's Got Fangs?, Jilli? It was cute. If you haven't, I can send it to you.

I'm going to look for those Ellen Schreiber books you mentioned, too.

Have you read Katie Maxwell's Got Fangs?, Jilli? It was cute. If you haven't, I can send it to you.

I have read it (and the sequel), I just need to get them back from the co-worker I loaned them to.

I think you'll like the Ellen Schreiber books. Of course, I'm biased because I look at the main character and go "Yes! That's how a teen-aged perkygoth behaves!"

Jilli, I just sent you a box of stuff including Edwina Noone's Gothic Sampler. Mid sixties anthology of Gothic Romance short stories, all in the Dark Shadows vein. Looks like it was a fairly lively genre back then. (Maybe still? I don't know.)