What Were Reading: The Gifted Series

If you're reading along with Bella's Book Club, We have chosen the next book for Octobers discussion. The Gifted Series by Marilyn Kaye. It starts with Out of Sight,Out of Mind But this time we want you to read all the books or one it can be out of order. Then tell use what you think about
that book and we will get all the store from you at are next discussion. The gifted promises to be a fast and fun read with all sorts of gifts mixed in!

Here's The Gifted Series In Order:
1. Out of sight,Out of Mind
2. Better Late Then Never
3. Here Today Gone Tomorrow
4. Finders Keepers

Discussion: Den of Shadows Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

This month's book was In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, but some of us read into the rest of the series which includes Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, and Midnight Predator.

This book had mixed reviews in our group. Here's negative: It was slow moving, and didn't seem like it was going anywhere. The plot seemed a little too simple. Not a sensory-rich book. Not enough romance (in the first book). The ending of the first book was abrupt and confusing. The main character, Risika, seems hard, cold, and unfeeling---making her hard to like.

Here's the positive: It has a good surprise ending. The characters are mixed within the four books, and you realize how each character has an important part in each individual book. Each book takes you to a different part of the vampire world. The main character, Risika is strong, heroic, and independent, making her a gallant character.

Our verdict: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' series Den of Shadows needs to be enjoyed as a whole, because the over-arcing storyline is a strong, exciting one. One doesn't really get the full benefits of the series by reading just one. The payoff in this series is in sticking with the characters through all four books.

What we're reading: Den of Shadows Quartet

If you're reading along with the book club, we have chosen the book for September's discussion! The Den of Shadows quartet by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes starts with In The Forests of the Night. It promises to be an epic vampire story with some werewolves mixed in!


Here's The Den of Shadows quartet in order:

1. In The Forests of the Night
2. Demon in My View
3. Shattered Mirror
4. Midnight Predator

Happy Reading! We'll post a discussion where you can comment in the first week of September.

Read the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner online now!

Stephanie Meyer's gift to all is a short book about a single character in Eclipse. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is available now to read online for free! The book cannot be downloaded or transferred to an e-reader, and you can't print it, but you have about a month to read it online. The site will be available until July 5, 2010.


Click here to read the book: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

And, if you want the pretty black and red covered book to place on a shelf with all your other pretty black and red Twilight books, you can still buy it and feel good about yourself! One dollar of each book sale will go to the American Red Cross.

Rob, Kristen and Taylor at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Hey BBC members, wanna get another glimpse of the Twilight Trio? Tune in at 9:00 tonight for the MTV Movie Awards. All three are listed as "presenters", but it really more fun to watch and see their candid reactions in the audience shots. Here's a pic (above) that shows their seating places!

Bonus! Also featured during tonight's awards show will be an "ultra-tense 'Eclipse' preview clip". Looks promising!

There are two sides to every story...

There are two sides to every story...

Tomorrow, at 12 noon, Eastern Time, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner will be released online as a gift to fans from Stephenie Meyer. Link to it here tomorrow!!!

Rawr! Eclipse Video Clip

Here's a clip from last week's Oprah Show...
Edward + Jacob = Angry Youth:

May Discussion: Dead is the New Black

The book of the month is Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez. Besides the awesome titles, this series is really cool! We'll be talking about this at 3:30 this Thursday in the Bella's Book Club meeting at Tecumseh Branch in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Join us for discussion, cake and vampires...

If you can't be there, (this means all of you in Australia and Europe!) let your voice be heard by commenting about the book below this post. We should also be posting a podcast of the library discussion here in a few days, so you'll be able to listen to the group's opinions on this book!

And, if you've read Dead is the New Black, and can't get enough, try the sequel: Dead is a State of Mind, and Dead Is So Last Year.

House of Night: Burned Video and News...

And so, dear paranormal readers, the season of great book releases begins!!! We've already seen the release of the third book in Claudia Gray's Evernight series, Hourglass. Yesterday, the new House of Night novel became available for purchase in the U.S. Book 7 in the series and titled, Burned, it continues the story after a MAJOR cliffhanger in Tempted, Book 6. If you can't remember the details of the cliffhanger ending, I recommend re-reading Tempted before beginning Burned!
There's lots of great free stuff on the House of Night website. You can read the first chapter of Burned, and listen to chapters one and two here. You can download the song from the video below, along with other FREE House of Night music downloads! You can even give yourself a Vampyre Tattoo!

Final 'Eclipse' Trailer

Oh boy! This looks good...

Final 'Eclipse' Trailer on Oprah!

It's about time for another Eclipse trailer, don't you think?

According to Summit's Twitter Page the trailer will air on Oprah this Friday, April 23rd, showing the FINAL full-length trailer of the hotly anticipated Twilight: Eclipse movie that hits theaters worldwide on June 30th. Apparently, Oprah is a fan of Stephenie Meyer's series.

Okay, everyone: Go forth and set thy DVR's, TiVo's and VCR's for Friday's Oprah!

Extended Sneak Peek of Eclipse

Lots of behind-the-scenes and interviews from cast and crew...

Three new pictures from Eclipse!

Summit has released three new photo stills from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. You can click on the photos below to make them LARGER. Enjoy!

NEW Stephenie Meyer Book!

Yes, you heard me correctly. Stephenie Meyer has written a novella about the life of Bree, the newbie vampire who was killed by the Volturi in Eclipse. The book is about 200 pages, and Stephenie says that it was too long to be included in the guide that she is currently working on.

You will be able to buy a copy of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner with a cool cover that will complete your set of Twilight books, but Meyer also has another surprise: she's giving it away for free online. On her website, she says:

"There was one thing I asked for: since this story had always been an extra for me, and was meant to be released with the Guide, I wanted to be able to offer it to my fans for free. You all have bought a ton of my books, and I wanted to give you this story as a gift. My publisher was awesome and embraced this idea. We still wanted to also produce a physical book with a cool cover (see below) that you can add to your set if you like, but starting at noon on June 7th until July 5th, it will also be available online at www.breetanner.com."

One dollar of each book purchased in the US (first printing), and donations made online at the book's online site will be donated to the American Red Cross for their relief efforts in Haiti and Chile and other parts of the world.

New 'Eclipse' poster, plus a breakdown of the trailer!

Good News! Now we know what the promotional pieces are going to look like. Here's the latest poster for Eclipse. Take a good look because this is the picture that's going to be featured on every t-shirt, mug, notebook and (perhaps even) Burger King crown! No big surprises here, the love triangle is featured with the title graphic. Note that Bella is in the center, with Edward to her right, and Jacob to her left, slightly behind her. A triangle, get it?

In other news, MTV has done a "pop-up video" version of the Eclipse trailer. It's silly, and clever, but so darn cute and funny I had to share it here:

MTV FREEZE-FRAME: Eclipse Trailer

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Eclipse Scene: Sneak Peek!

For those of you who didn't get the Wal-Mart version of the New Moon DVD with the exclusive scenes from Eclipse, here's the scene we've all been waiting for. Bella and Edward are having (yet another!) serious discussion about Bella's mortality...

BBC's New Moon DVD Shopping Guide

Well, New Moon will arrive on store shelves Saturday, March 20th, but it appears that not all New Moon DVDs are built alike. In an effort to woo consumers to purchase the DVD from their stores, several retailers are sweetening the deal with special gifts, extra content, and exclusive packaging.

First of all, it looks like all DVD's will contain the standard 2-disc set--the movie and these special features: A revealing AUDIO COMMENTARY with Director Chris Weitz and Editor Peter Lambert; a riveting 6-PART DOCUMENTARY that takes you behind the scenes; exclusive band REHEARSAL FOOTAGE with Muse; and MUSIC VIDEOS from Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina and Mutemath.

So, Which New Moon DVD should you buy? Let's take a look at all the different offers... Keep in mind that some of these offers are available online only, and some of them will also be available in stores. Check with each retailer by clicking on the links below.. Almost all of these retailers also offer the Blu-Ray version as well, most of the with the same special gifts as the DVD version.

Borders is offering a "Borders Exclusive"($29.99), a 2-disc set with a 2-sided medallion. Here's their listing of special features: over 5 minutes of previously unreleased EXTENDED SCENES; INTERVIEWS with cast members Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, the Cullen Family, the Wolf Pack, the Volturi and Director Chris Weitz; unrivaled RED-CARPET FOOTAGE from the movie premiere; front row seats to The Twilight Saga: New Moon WEBCAST.

Target is selling the 3-Disc Deluxe Edition DVD with Bonus Collectible Film Cell (19.99 ONLINE), with the following features: Deleted Scenes, Introducing the Volturi Featurette, Frame by Frame: From Storyboard to Screen Featurette, Fandamonium: A Look at the Die Hard Fans, and The Beat Goes On: The Music of New Moon Featurette. Exclusive Bonus Collectible Film Cell is an authentic reproduction of a cell from the filming of the Twilight Saga: New Moon contained within a beautiful glossy photo. Each is individually numbered with goal foil lettering and measures approximately 5X7. Note (added 3/20/10): Target has put up a video sneak peek of their exclusive content on this page. You have to watch the trailer first, then a deleted scene entitled, "Bob's Bikes" will play.

Walmart has the 2-disc Ultimate Fan Edition with collectible Lenticular Packaging ($24.96) includes: "a 7-minute sneak peek of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" which begins with an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the production of the newest film in the franchise. New interviews with stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, as well as with series-creator Stephenie Meyer are integrated with revealing, on-the-set footage of some of the key scenes and sets from the upcoming movie." (--from WalMart.com)
Walmart actually will be offering three different versions of the DVD for sale, so read carefully before deciding on one. They will offer the no-frills 2-disc version for $17.00, and also a combination 2-pack of The Ultimate Fan Edition/Twilight In Forks ($29.99).


Barnes & Noble offers an Exclusive Edition of the New Moon DVD ($23.09). It contains the standard 2-disc Special Edition set, but also includes a Dreamcatcher bag clip. The bag clip features a metal dangle finished in antique brass that combines a circular dreamcatcher, a sculptural Wolf Pack-tattoo charm, a Wolf Pack jewelry tag, feathers, and crystals.


Amazon.com will give you access to the movie on-demand if you pre-order it ($20.99). Apparently, it works like this: "Watch the Video On Demand rental on your PC, Mac, compatible TV or compatible device at no charge when you pre-order this DVD from Amazon.com. You will have 30 days from the release day to begin watching your rental and will have 24 hours to watch it once playback begins. On release day the Video On Demand version will be available in Your Video Library and is provided as a gift with disc purchase." (--from Amazon.com)


Best Buy has their own special edition, too. The Exclusive Steel Book Package ($24.99), which consists of the standard 2-disc version and comes in a steel case and contains a card for a free New Moon cellphone skin. What's a Steel Book? Read this article to find out.


So....decisions, decisions....Which one will you choose? Let's hear what you think--comment below, and lets get a discussion going on this!

First Official Eclipse Trailer Released by Summit Entertainment

What do you think? Does this look like you imagined it? From this preview, do you have positive or negative predictions for the film? Comment below!

Robert Pattinson on The Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Robert Pattinson
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

April Book Selection: Hearts at Stake

The book to read this month is Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey. It's the first in a series called The Drake Chronicles.

Here's a brief summary of the book from our library catalog:
As her momentous sixteenth birthday approaches, Solange Drake, the only born female vampire in 900 years, is protected by her large family of brothers and her human best friend Lucy from increasingly persistent attempts on her life by the powerful vampire queen and her followers.

We will discuss this book at the Bella's Book Club meeting on April 1, 2010 at 3:30 pm. We'll also post a discussion on that day where you can post your comments about the book, so read along with us!

March Discussion: Beautiful Creatures

Bella's Book Club met today, March 3, to discuss last month's book, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

We also recorded our discussion for a podcast to share with all of you. Enjoy! Please put your comments in the space below.

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Eclipse Trailer News!

I know it seems like an eternity, but realize this, Bella BC members, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is only a FOUR MONTHS AWAY! Yep, that's right. Four months. And---we haven't even seen a trailer yet! This seems late to me. I think that with Twilight and New Moon we had at least at trailer 4-5 months before the release, and by the time the movie came out, we'd seen about 4 different trailers for the film! We certainly had more movie stills and on-set pictures, but it's been slim pickings on the net for even candid on-location shots.

Well, I'm happy to report that on March 12th, not only do you get to see Robert Pattinson in a romantic comedy role, but you also get to see the very first trailer for Eclipse! The first Eclipse trailer will be shown with Pattinson's new movie, Remember Me, due out on March 12. So awesome.

Vampire Diaries will have a second season!

The big news today at the CW was that fan favorite The Vampire Diaries will be picked up for a second season!

In other news, Stephen Martines will join the cast of The Vampire Diaries as a vampire named Frederick. Frederick was one of the vampires who was locked up in the Tomb.
Martines has played Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital, Tony Santos on Guiding Light, and Ricardo Ramos on The Closer.

Our first pictures from Eclipse!

Movie stills from the Eclipse shooting have been released! Actually, last month, one photo surfaced of Bella and Edward in the meadow, but today, we have our first peek into some different scenes! I have to say, the scenery and the composition of some of these photos is simply gorgeous. Let's hope that this whole film will be just as beautiful. To see the whole set, visit AceShowbiz.com here.

Click on the images below to make them larger.

Book Selection for March: Beautiful Creatures

Bella's Book Club met on February 4 to discuss last month's book, Vampire Academy. We selected books to read for the next four months. I'll publish that list soon.

Today, I'd like to announce the book that we've selected to read this month, and discuss on March 4th, 2010... Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. We are even lucky enough to have a book trailer for this one. Enjoy it!

House of Night: Book 7 cover revealed!

It may seem right now like winter will never end, but spring is coming, and with it, a whole host of new books! Several of our favorite series will continue this year, and starting in March, we'll begin a new season of publishing releases!

House of Night will continue with it's 7th book, Burned. The cover art (at left) was released yesterday. For a brief description of the book's plot, click here. Burned will be available in stores on April 27, 2010.

Two Robert Pattinson appearances to look forward to!

Watch out, RPattz fans! It's time to promote his new movie, Remember Me, so that means we might be seeing a little more of the elusive Mr. Cullen on TV very soon.

Robert Pattinson is reportedly set to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 1, Fallon’s one-year anniversary as host of the talk show. Also, we'll see Pattinson and his co-star Emilie de Ravin from Remember Me on The View to promote the drama.

Remember Me will be released on March 12.

Twilight Graphic Novel Sneak Peek!

Wanna see a preview of the new graphic novel version of Twilight? EW.com has the front cover (see right) and a look at one page from the book, which features the scene where Edward and Bella have to share a microscope. "It's prophase" says Edward. Click here to see the EW page. Artist Young Kim has made a faithful adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's book.
This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly will reveal a full ten pages from the graphic novel, which is to be published on March 16.

Robert Pattinson joins George Clooney for Telethon to benefit Haiti

The Twilight Saga star Robert Pattinson will appear in the Hope for Haiti Telethon that actor George Clooney and musician Wyclef Jean have been organizing. Jean, a native of Haiti, has been working hard to line up celebrities for the telethon which will air Friday, January 22nd at 8:00 p.m. TOMORROW NIGHT!

According to MTV:

Jean, a native of Haiti, George Clooney and CNN's Anderson Cooper will appear on the show, which will be broadcast from New York, London, Los Angeles and Haiti and feature more than 100 of the biggest names in film, television and music providing testimonials and answering phones. The two-hour program will air commercial-free across ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The special will also air on PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment Network, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, Centric, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, Epix, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health and Planet Green, as well as Canada's CTV, CBC Television, Global Television and MuchMusic. It will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic and MTV Networks International, available in 640 million homes worldwide. "Hope for Haiti" will be the first U.S.-based telethon airing on MTV in China. Facebook and Twitter are the official social media partners who will help to drive donations and tune-in to the telethon.

Apparently, George Clooney put the word out that he was hoping Pattinson would lend his Twilight Saga celebrity to raise money for the people of Haiti when he reached out to the Hollywood community for help in this worthy cause. Pattinson is the sole presenter from the London part, with a musical performance that features a collaboration between U2's Bono and The Edge with Jay-Z and Rihanna. The entire show will feature celebrity performers in the hundreds, including Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Anna Kendrick, Zac Efron, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Colin Farrell, Gabby Sidibe and Emily Blunt, among others.

Vampire Diaries' Spoilers: What's coming!

This is it! This week, Vampire Diaries returns to it's Thursday night time slot at 8:00 pm with new episodes. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, here's a rundown of some things to come before the season ends...

• When we left things in the fall, Elena (Nina Dobrev) took off her vervain necklace, which protects her from Damon’s mind control. So what does this mean for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena?
  “Now that the necklace is off, she’s very vulnerable,” said executive producer Kevin Williamson. “They will have some alone time. There’s no Stefan, so we’re going to explore what their relationship is like without him.”
  
  But if you're secretly hoping for a Damon and Elena romance, too bad. It's not likely anytime soon. Damon will lock lips with Nina Dobrev ... but she’ll be portraying Katherine.
• Still think there’s a chance Vicki (Kayla Ewell) might rise from the dead? … well, there’s a better chance that vampires actually exist. Vicki is gone for good -- something both Matt and Jeremy will grapple with. Jeremy (Steven McQueen) will struggle as he figures out the details surrounding her murder.
  
  
• If the close-knit bond between Damon and Stefan (Paul Wesley) highlighted in “Lost Girls” made you long for more brotherly love … you’ll get your wish. The betrayal aspect of their relationship is explored -- “There’s a certain level of trust that has been lost between these two brothers,” Williamson said. ”As the season progresses, their ‘flip-flop’ dynamic will be put to the test and Damon will finally have to "step up and act like a big brother.”
  
• And Elena and Bonnie’s relationship will be "tested” now that Bonnie (Katerina Graham) is aware that Damon and Stefan are vampires. Will Bonnie be “down with [vampires] or is she going to have a problem with it?”

New Moon DVD

FINALLY! WE HAVE A DATE! A date with Edward Cullen and Jacob Black, that is. The announcement was made today that the DVD for New Moon will be released on March 20. Pre-sale begins on January 26.

According to MTV news, the two-disc DVD ($32.99) and Blu-Ray ($34.99) versions will be packed with extras:

Along with the fantastic film, fans can expect a six-part, behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the creation of the film, rehearsal footage from Muse, three music videos from Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina and Mute Math, as well as audio commentary by director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert, and more!

Let's hope to see some deleted scenes and other footage of our favorite characters on the special features disc!

Vampire Diaries returns in January!

Here's a trailer about the return of Vampire Diaries on January 21. Just think, only a few weeks and we'll have all new episodes to enjoy! I for one, can't wait to see what Damon cooks up next, and what about the whole Elena-finds-the-picture-of-Katherine-thing? Uh-OH! Stefan's got some 'splainin' to do!

Top Ten Twilight Things to Look for in 2010

The Examiner has published an article online that listed the top ten things that we can look forward to in 2010. So far, in the last two years, we've had a vampire carnival of fun things to watch, read, and anticipate in the media and in books when it comes to Twilight. So, what will 2010 bring? I think it's safe to say that we won't be hurting for material on this blog for the coming year. Here's ten things we know are headed our way!

1. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse trailer
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD and deleted scenes/commentary
3. Remember Me, Valentine's Day, The Runaways, and other films by the cast
4. Eclipse soundtrack, artists, and contenders
5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn announcement
6. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse premiere
7. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse release
8. The Host movie
9. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn casting
10. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn filming
To read the entire article, click here!

I've got one more: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse DVD release! Surely with a Summer release, we will see the DVD for Eclipse arrive before the year is out, maybe even in time for Christmas?