Tonner Twilight Dolls

Just thought you'd all want to see the Twilight dolls from the Tonner Doll company. These dolls retail for about $125.00, and you can buy them at Tonner Direct (you can pre-order them now.)

I'd just like to mention that I think Edward resembles my old
"Mod Hair Ken" doll, circa 1976...and Ken looked a whole lot friendlier. I guess Barbie wouldn't put up with the Sullen Cullen attitude!

Dakota Fanning as....JANE?

According to several sources, talks have already started with reps for actress Dakota Fanning to play the evil torturer vampire, Jane. E! Online Mark Malkin reports that
“There were no auditions. They just offered it to her outright, and now they’re in negotiations. They’ve been going back and forth.”

Fanning, 14, turns 15 on February 23rd, and has starred in several big movies such as The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte's Web, and War of the Worlds (opposite Tom Cruise).
Malkin says that New Moon's Jane is described in the casting notice as a petite, but terrifying, blonde with a “Botticelli angel-like face…[and] crimson irises.”

I always thought there was something a little creepy about that girl, anyway!

Necco to Make Twilight-themed Sweethearts!

Here's the (candy?) scoop from It Magazine:
As if Valentine's Day isn't already painful enough, this year's most popular Necco Conversation Hearts candies will be sparkly and feature TWILIGHT-themed kid-friendly sayings such as "Bite Me" and "Soul Mate."

The confectionary company is the latest to jump on the TWILIGHT bandwagon, in an attempt to make their 143-year-old line more relevant to youthful consumers.

The company actually won't be releasing their special edition versions until March, to coincide with the film's DVD release. The TWILIGHT versions will be softer and sparkling, and will come in flavors like "orange obsession" and "tempting apple." More Sweethearts will be available for the November release of the sequel to the film, NEW MOON.

So, BBC friends, what short messages can you think of to put on the new Sweethearts candy? I made the ones above. Put on your thinking caps and see what you can come up with, and we'll display your messages on candy hearts here at the blog on February 14th! Let's stick with Twilight or other vamp books as our theme! Fun!

Blue Bloods is February's Topic!

The Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz will be the discussion for February's book club, both online here and in person on February 6 at 3:30.

If you need a copy of one of the books, I have some on reserve at the Tecumseh Branch Library, just ask at the desk for them.


Read them in the following order:

1. Blue Bloods
2. Masquerade
3. Revelations

Apparently, the fourth book, The Van Alen Legacy will be out in September. If you haven't read them, you should! The storyline is fantastic, the backstory is clever, and I'll warn you, these books are addicting!

Here's a synopsis from the library catalog:
De la Cruz has revamped traditional vampire lore in this story featuring a group of attractive, privileged Manhattan teens who attend a prestigious private school. Schuyler Van Alen, 15, the last of the line in a distinguished family, is being raised by her distant and forbidding grandmother. Schuyler, her friend Oliver, and their new friend Dylan are treated like outsiders by the clique of popular, athletic, and beautiful teens made up of Mimi Force, her twin brother, and her best friend. What they have in common is the fact that they are all Blue Bloods, or vampires. They don't realize that they aren't normal until they reach age 15. Then the symptoms manifest themselves and they begin to crave raw meat, have nightmares about events in history, and get prominent blue veins in their arms. Their immortality and way of life are threatened after Blue Blood teens start getting murdered by a splinter group called the Silver Bloods. -School Library Journal

Smells like teen vampires...

Yep. You can now smell like Bella. There's a Twilight-themed perfume on the market. I have to say, this is getting ridiculous. If you're interested, it's available at Hot Topic.
An article about the new scent says:

What does Bella smell like? Well there’s a hint of formadelhyde with a lingering smell of Suave shampoo, and mildew because she lives in Washington. OK, fine it actually smells like every other old lady wearing “lavander and freesia”!

Across the bottle it reads, “The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest.”

Taylor Lautner's Progress on Beefing Up for New Moon Role

Taylor Lautner is working really hard to be ready to film New Moon, adding 20 lbs. to his Twilight character. He has been confirmed to play Jacob in New Moon, despite the rumors of other actors being considered for the role (not to mention those who were outright campaigning to replace him!). Click below to hear about his workout regimen from Taylor himself. What a little sweetheart! You go, Taylor! You can do it!

Twilight DVD Release Date

The Twilight DVD will be released on Saturday, March 21st. Apparently, there will also be a Special Edition DVD with the following special features:

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC ONE

• Five extended scenes with director introductions
• Audio commentary (Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart)
• Three music videos (Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park)

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC TWO

• Five deleted scenes with director introductions
• Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
• Comic-Con Phenomenon featurette
• And more!

House Of Night will be a movie...

It looks like P.C. and Kristin Cast's series of books about a magical teen vampire school will be turned into a movie! Bella's Book Club members will note that we intend to read and discuss the House of Night Series 0n April 2. Read on...
From Variety:
Producers Michael Birnbaum and Jeremiah Chechik have used their own coin to option screen rights to the "House of Night," a series of nine young adult novels by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.
Birnbaum produced "John Tucker Must Die" and is developing "Art Con" with Michael Douglas and Chechik; Chechik's directing credits include "Benny and Joon," and he most recently helmed and produced ESPN series "The Bronx Is Burning."

"House of Night" takes the vampire myth in a "Harry Potter"-esque direction. In the series, "vampyres" are accepted in society; they possess a genetic anomaly that manifests itself in some people at puberty. Vampyres are "marked" and sent to the House of Night, a school that offers training necessary to become an adult vampyre.

Protag is Zoey Redbird, whose ordinary life is thrown into disarray when she becomes a vampyre and must change schools and enter a brand new world.

"P.C. and Kristin Cast created a thrilling world that juxtaposes teen drama with supernatural suspense, using the transition from human to vampire as a metaphor for the transition from adolescence to adulthood," Birnbaum said.

Leah Clearwater Casting Rumors...

MTV News has reported that as the search for New Moon cast members continues, two Disney Channel stars are at the top of the list to portray Leah Clearwater. Bella's Book Club (BBC) friends will remember that Leah is the Native American girl who got ditched by Sam Uley, and has some special abilities of her own.
Apparently, strong rumors are circulating that both Brenda Song of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame, are being looked at for the part, as well as Selena Gomez of The Wizards of Waverly Place.

Hmmm...What do you think, BBC?

Online Book Discussion: Eclipse

Wow! This discussion is getting good! Let's move on to the next book, Eclipse. Just as New Moon was the transitional book in the series, I felt that Eclipse was the pivotal book, where more action happens, and the choices that Bella must make become clear.
I really loved Eclipse, and it contains my favorite scene. The scene where Edward and Jacob face off in a man to man (er...vampire to werewolf?) talk in the tent while Bella sleeps was a brilliant piece of writing! The concept of giving each of these characters a chance to reveal what it's really like to be what they are, and to question each other was fantastic, and brought SO much more depth to those two characters.
Not to underestimate the rest of this book. It flows nicely, and keeps the reader on the edge while spinning an adventure tale that is laced with a very bizarre, troubled love triangle.

New Moon Online Discussion

Which one's better?

I like to think of New Moon as the transitional novel, a movement piece within the over-arching storyline. Would you agree?
It is my least favorite of all the books. In fact, it is the book that made me want to stop reading this series, but I stuck with it, and boy, did it pay off in the end!
I also like to think of it as the practical joke that trickster Stephenie Meyer is playing on us. I get what you're doing with this book, Ms. Meyer! Clever, very, very, clever! As Bella spirals downward into a state of depression, we readers are dragged down along with her, living the misery, trudging through chapters. The storyline even slows down. I really felt Bella's sadness.

What did you think?