And just for fun, here’s some Fourth of July Trivia to both impress and annoy your family and friends, Smarty-Pants:
“Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. More than half (52 percent) of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2007.”
“In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation was 2.5 million…on July 4, 2008, the nation’s population will be 304 million.”
“The U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in 2002 values up to $17.3 million.”
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the weather is a little better tomorrow, for all the barbeques and fireworks displays (Yeah, so…is anyone else tired of all the rain we’ve been getting lately? And I like rain, usually. I’m starting to miss the sun, though…) Aaaaaaaaaaanyway, it’s hard to BBQ in the rain, but it’s impossible to watch fireworks. So just in case it’s still raining tomorrow, you can play The Fireworks Game, or try the Fireworks Simulation (which lets you mix different colors to create your own fireworks!)
As cool as the games are, it’s just not the same as watching real fireworks, is it? So whether tomorrow is sunny and bright or wet and rainy…Have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July, Once Upon a Bloggers! Here’s hoping for good weather and awesome fireworks! If that doesn’t happen though…there’s always YouTube, right?
P.S. SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM UPDATE!Over 1600 of you have registered for the Summer Library Program! I knew you guys were smart, not to mention MADE OF AWESOME. If you have signed up for the program yet, though, you’ve still got time! Just head to your faaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location to register (and we’ll give you free SWAG, like bookmarks, IRDBM gel bracelets, and Pizza Hut gift certificates!) Just remember…all M/RCPL locations will be closed on the Fourth of July. But we’ll be back Saturday! So…keep reading, Once Upon a Bloggers!
Bliss Cavendar was definitely born into the wrong family. She loves The Ramones, blue hair dye, and thrift-store shopping, while her “parents” love pickup trucks and beauty pagents. Her real parents would never make a girl like her enter the Miss Blue Bell pagent, or live in Bodeen, Texas, which she refers to “one big ball of suck.”
She’s still hoping her real family (or somebody cool who’s open to adoption) will rescue her, when she sees something that changes her life. While Bliss is shopping in Austin (epicenter of cool, at least in Texas,) with her mom, Brooke, and little sister, Shania, when sees a poster advertising the local roller derby: “Skirts, Skates, and Scrapes! Come see the Lone Star Derby Girls….this ain’t no cheerleading clinic, y’all!”
After she drags her best friend Pash to a match, Bliss is hooked. So when she finds out there are open try-outs, she dusts off her old Barbie roller skates and hitches a ride to Austin (on the Bodeen Senior Citizens mini-bus.) Before she knows it, she’s skating for real derby team captains, like Eva Destruction and Malice in Wonderland. Her try-out doesn’t go all that great— she mostly falls on her butt and gets knocked down by the other girls. Luckily, her lap times are fast, Malice picks her, and makes her an official Hurl Scout! In fact, Malice even helps her come up with her derby name…Babe Ruthless!
Being a roller derby girl totally changes Bliss’s life—she becomes one of the stars of her team (complete with crowds shouting “Ruthless! Ruthless!”) and starts flirting with Oliver (or “Señor Smolder”) who plays bass in a band, and makes great mix CDs. Yup, everything is almost perfect—except for the fact that she’s lying to her parents, and her mother still expects her to wear a “piece of bedazzled cotton candy” and win a tiara. But…who would want to be Miss Blue Bell when you could be Babe Ruthless?! Bliss needs to figure things out, and fast…
In order to find out what happens with Bliss/Babe, check out Derby Girl (which will soon be coming to theater near you, starring Drew Barrymore, and Juno’sEllen Page!) But first, if you don’t know your jammer from your blocker, you can find out how roller derby works. You can find out a little more about roller derby history by watching this video from 1952, which features some legends of the sport, like Murray and Calvello! (And trust me, Once Upon a Bloggers, after watching a few derby videos, I have officially crossed it off my “Cool Thing I’d Like to Try” list…ouch…)
We’re back for more Breaking Dawn-versations with the incredible Clarice (who works at the Lexington Branch, a place which is full of Twilighters, and is made of awesome.) Last time, we agreed that Edward most definitely has a soul (even if he’s not so sure,) and Clarice (much like Erica, Lisa, and Jeni,) made a case for…not hating Jacob Black (I’m not quite a Jacob fan…yet. I do hate him less than I did, though, so…that’s something!)
Now, if you haven’t read the books, or you’re reading them now…proceed with caution. These Dawn-versations contain some major spoilers for the first three books. And while I enjoy spoilers as much as anyone else, I’ll be totally honest with you, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters—when it comes to the Twilight series? You’ll want to be surprised. Especially at the end of Twilight, when Carlisle tells Edward he can—you see?! I tricked you again. And you fall for it every time. Hopefully, if you haven’t finished the first three books, you’re…well, not reading this right now. And if you are…don’t say I didn’t warn you! So…let’s talk Twilight!
This is the last book, so we’re all wondering the same thing…will Bella be turned into a vampire?
CLARICE: I’m of two opinions with that question. I really think that Bella will become a vampire, but if she does, I’m thinking it’ll probably happen toward the end of the book. But then I have the slightest thought that Stephenie will surprise us all and leave Bella totally human….
SHANNIN: I’ve wondered if that would be the big twist in Breaking Dawn, too! Do you think you’d be happy with that though—if it meant Bella and Edward might not be together? See, I want to say that I’d be okay with it, but if that happened, I’m not sure how I’d feel…
CLARICE: Well, honestly, I don’t think anything would keep Bella and Edward apart.
SHANNIN: …Have I told you that I like the way you think?
CLARICE: But you know, I saw Edward’s point about her waiting before becoming what he was, but I still would like her to actually become a vampire anyway. I know that I wouldn’t like it at all if Bella and Edward were split permanently. (I think they both wouldn’t recover. I mean, look at what happened to them when Edward left in New Moon.)
SHANNIN: Do you think that what happened to Edward and Bella in New Moon had anything to do with Edward changing his mind about Bella becoming a vampire—even if you overlook Edward’s promise to the Volturi (since he didn’t think it was anything to worry about?) I mean, do you think that’s why—as long as she met his “conditions”—he doesn’t object to changing Bella himself?
CLARICE: I think Bella just wore him down eventually. But perhaps what happened in New Moondid start to change his thinking in some subconscious way. I guess it probably had a greater effect on him after he started seeing Bella in Jacob’s memories. The immediate promise to the Volturi was one he was planning on putting off for as long as possible. But I think that changed in Eclipse.
SHANNIN: Were you a little thrown by the end of Eclipse? When Edward suddenly tells Bella their deal is off, and they can do everything “her way”? I had to read it a few times, just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things…
CLARICE: Well, that was just Edward being Edward, so not really.
Other than Bella becoming (or not becoming) a vampire, what do you want to see happen in Breaking Dawn?
CLARICE: I really want Jacob to find a nice girl. I think he needs a happy ending too.
SHANNIN: Believe it or not, I hope Jacob gets a happy ending—so long as it’s not with Bella! If there is a wedding, do you think he’ll be there? I mean, Edward did invite him after all…
CLARICE: I don’t want Jacob to get a happy ending with Bella either, but since he didn’t imprint on her I don’t think that’s going to happen. I expect he’ll eventually find the girl he will imprint on. As for going to the wedding, hmm, don’t really know. I can see him going and then majorly wrecking havoc afterwards or maybe behaving well and then falling apart all by himself and I can see him not showing up at all. He’s kinda a loose cannon at this point in my opinion.
SHANNIN: The possibility of Jacob showing up and doing something reckless seems pretty likely, doesn’t it? So…which do you think would be worse—a reckless Jacob showing up at the wedding—or the Volturi?
CLARICE: That’s tough to decide. But I really think Jacob would be worse. He could definitely cause a lot of physical damage, but I think he would cause a lot more emotional damage. And to be quite honest, I don’t really see the Volturi appearing at the wedding. Well, maybe one or two, sitting in the back, making everyone who knew who they were tense, but not causing a public disturbance. They were really all about keeping their existence hidden from the general public.
SHANNIN: That’s a very good point, about the Volturi (I hadn’t thought of that!) So…even though Jacob told Bella he’d be good, and that he would be waiting in the wings…if he does come back, do you think he’ll do it? Or do you get the sense that he hasn’t really changed at all?
CLARICE: Well, he went for a nice long run at the end of Eclipse, so I’m thinking by the time he comes back, he’ll be able to do it.
What do you think of the cast for the upcoming Twilight movie?
CLARICE: Well, I sure wouldn’t want to have to cast them…but actually, I think they did a pretty good job.
SHANNIN: A lot of fans are making comments on blogs like MTV’s about how Alice’s hair is all wrong, and it’s going to distract them from enjoying the movie…do you think that’s silly, or do you kind of see their point?
CLARICE: Who knows exactly how Alice’s hair is going to appear in the movie? I know there have been pictures, but unless they do something so totally over the top and out there I don’t think it’ll bother me. Still, I think that hair isn’t the biggest thing to worry over. I mean, people do change hairstyles constantly don’t they?
SHANNIN: Oh, totally…and personally, I doubt I’d really focus on Alice’s hair anyway (Maybe Emmett’s…I can’t lie, I’m a little disappointed he doesn’t have the curls!) Anyway, it shows there’s a rabid fan base for the books, doesn’t it? Even though the director and the cast have said they’re making the movie with the fans in mind…do you think it’s a little hard to believe? Until we can see it for ourselves, at least?
CLARICE: Well, I do think they probably are trying to keep the fans in mind. After all we are the one’s who’ll be going to see it and dragging friends to see it if it’s good. But of course we’re going to have to wait until the movie comes out to see if they actually managed to succeed.
SHANNIN: …That’s true.
CLARICE: I will have a better opinion after I see them in the movie though!!
SHANNIN: Yeah…it’s probably going to be easier to judge when we get to see them for more than a few minutes, right?
CLARICE: Exactly!
SHANNIN: And it’ll only be…six or so months. Man…and I thought August seemed far away!
CLARICE: Still, think of how much closer it’ll seem after Breaking Dawn comes out. Then it’ll only be about four months away!
SHANNIN: Ooooh, you’re right! Do you think reading Breaking Dawn may change the way we look at the Twilight movie? Because we’ll know how it all ends by that point?
CLARICE: I don’t think it’ll change my outlook all that much, because I’ll be looking at the movie as another piece of the Twilight universe that I’ll get to enjoy!! But only a few months later!!
What part of the book Twilight do you think absolutely positively should be included in the movie (what scene?)
CLARICE:Ummm, all of it? LOL. Really, I wish they wouldn’t leave anything out although I know that is unfortunately not going to be the case. Really, I don’t think the movie will be long enough for me…
SHANNIN:Me neither! Do you want to see the rest of the books turned into movies, too?
CLARICE: I think it depends on how well Twilight turns out. If it’s as awesome as it’s starting to appear right now then yes, absolutely, I would love to see the remaining books turned into movies.
SHANNIN: I get the feeling if it’s as good as it looks so far, we might be ready for the New Moon movie before the credits are finished rolling on Twilight, don’t you?
CLARICE: Yeah, I do, in fact I might be ready long before the credits even make an appearance!!
SHANNIN: Well…I’ve read that if they do make the sequels, they’d want to start soon (I guess it would look a little funny if the immortal vampires looked older, wouldn’t it?) But still…I don’t think they can make them fast enough!
CLARICE: If they’re as good as they appear, then no, I don’t think they will be able to make them fast enough.
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So what do you think, Twilighters/Once Upon a Bloggers? Were you stunned by Edward’s turnaround at the end of Eclipse? If Bella and Edward get married…do you want Jacob to be there? Do you want to see the rest of the books on the big screen? You can head to the Lexington Branchand have your own “Dawn-versation” with Clarice, and you can let us know in the comments!
We’ll also let you make your predictions at our vampire-riffic celebration, From Twilight to Breaking Dawn, which will be July 31st at the Main Library (just days before the release of Breaking Dawn!) We’ll have Twilight games, crafts, food, and prizes (you can win a copy of the first three books in the series—including the Special Edition of Eclipse (which comes with “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” tee shirt transfers—not to mention the first chapter of Breaking Dawn!) The fun starts at 6:00 p.m., so call and register today!
We’ll leave you with another “Twilight Tuesday” video from MTV. Everyone’s a little nervous about what parts of the book might not make it into the movie (or we’re afraid of strange things showing up in the movie—like the tree tops/”Spider Monkey” thing, remember?) In this clip, the director, producers, and cast talk about some of the changes (like the awesome “greenhouse scene,”) and introduce some cool new things you won’t find in the book (like the super-cool “Cullen Crest“!)
It’s been a weird year, TV-wise, hasn’t it? I mean, for the longest time, all of our favorite shows were on strike. And then they came back, which was awesome. Except…before we knew it, the TV season was over, and now…well, now it’s hot, and there are a bunch of boring reality shows on TV again. *sigh*
But never fear—Hulu is here! Fight off any TV-related boredom by watching clips of your favorite shows! But get this—you can also watch full episodes of shows like Heroes and The Simpsons…for free! They’ve also got full episodes of older shows, like Bewitched and WKRP in Cincinnati (pretty sweet, right?!) And that’s not all…Hulu is more than TV shows! You can also watch entire movies, like Bring it On and Titan A.E.! How cool is that?!
So if it’s waaaaaaaaaay to hot outside, and you can’t find anything good on TV, see what Hulu has to offer—like this classic clip from The Simpsons (and if you’re still bored after this, go ahead and make up your own synchronized
swimming routine…just in time for the Olympics!)
P.S. SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM UPDATE!!!! Check this out, Once Upon a Bloggers…over 1400 of you have signed up for our Summer Library Program! You guys are made of awesome, and you’ve gotten all your “I’m Reading, Don’t Bug Me!” goodies, like book marks, Pizza Hut Gift Certificates, and copies of the Teen Advisory Board newsletter, Paper Cuts. But if you haven’t signed up yet, don’t worry—there’s still time! All you need to do is head out to your faaaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location and register today! (You didn’t forget about our grand prize drawing, did you? If you read 1000 pages, not only do you get an $8.00 gift certificate to either Best Buy or Target, you’re automatically entered into our grand prize drawing to win an MP3 player!)
And there’s still time to register for the super cool programs going at every location, including a few programs going on tomorrow night! You’ve still got time to register for Playing Cards and Duct Tape at our Bellville Branch (who knew you could make such cool container out of those two things?! Duct tape is like magic, people, I swear…) That program starts at 6:00 p.m., so call today! And you’ve still got time to call and register for Guitar Hero at the Main Library, which starts at 7:00 p.m. So what are you waiting for, Once Upon a Bloggers? I don’t want to keep “bugging” you, but I don’t want you to miss out on any of the fun! Sign up today!
It’s time for another round of Breaking Dawn-versations, where your faaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL staff members talk about what they’d like to see happen in Breaking Dawn—the forth and final book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Today we’re talking with Clarice, who works at the Lexington Branch(And can I just say how impressed I am with the Lexington Branch? Not only is their staff absolutely awesome, it’s filled with Twilighters! I love it!)
When did you first read the Twilight series…and when did you know you were hooked?
CLARICE: I first ran across Twilight in Barnes and Noble not long after it was published in 2005. The excerpt on the back cover intrigued me so I checked to see if it was in our library system. I found the book and was hooked by the end of the first chapter. The characters were just so real that it was easy to get immersed in their world.
SHANNIN: The “three things” quote on the back of the book does pull you in, doesn’t it? So…do you think the books are so popular because the characters are so real? Because you can relate to everyone?
CLARICE: Yep, I think that’s exactly why they’re popular. If you can relate to a character I think it becomes easier to care about what happens to them, and that makes me want to read more about them.
SHANNIN: I think you’re right about that—I mean, almost everyone I’ve talked to that have read the book gets attached to Bella and Edward (and the rest of the characters, like the Cullen family and Charlie,) almost instantly. Does that happen a lot for you with books? Caring so deeply about what happens to the characters? I mean, there are a lot of great books, but not too many where I care so much about all of the characters!
CLARICE: Not generally, no. I think it’s because Stephenie’s story is so character driven. Most of the time I’ll get wrapped up in one or two characters in a story, but that’s mostly it. The Twilight series seems to be the exception rather then the rule for me.
SHANNIN: …Me too! Does that make you more nervous about what’s going to happen in Breaking Dawn, though? I mean, I’m a little scared that something bad will happen to one of the characters I love (and I’m pretty attached to them at this point!)
CLARICE: Not really. I think there is probably going to a happy ending for most everybody. Now if something bad does happen, well…I’ll deal with it and maybe go looking for fanfiction that gives me the ending I wanted. But I really think that we don’t have anything to worry about.
SHANNIN: I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but I really want a happy ending. I don’t even want to think about the story ending any other way…and you’re so right about the fanfiction (and Twilight fanfiction is especially addicting!)
Who’s your favorite character?
CLARICE: Oh, it’s so hard to choose just one character out of the many. I really love them all.
CLARICE: But if I have to choose I guess I would have to pick Edward. He really is quite the perfect gentleman.
SHANNIN:I couldn’t agree more! What do you think it is that makes him so hard to resist…or is it just everything about him?
CLARICE: For me it’s his extreme self control, his protective nature, (which he sometimes takes to extremes…) Well, I guess it would be pretty much everything about him. He seems the perfect boyfriend while still not being perfect, if that makes any sense.
SHANNIN: It makes sense to me! And I’m glad you mentioned his protective nature, because the only negative thing about Edward that I could think of was that he’s overprotective sometimes. But even that’s hard to argue when you consider what a danger magnet Bella is, right?
But…do you know what’s weird? I was trying to come up with negative things about him, Edward being a vampire didn’t even enter into the equation! And in the books, Bella sort of seems the same way—why do you think it’s so easy to overlook what he is…you know, the whole “blood-drinking vampire” thing?
CLARICE: It’s really easy to forget completely that Edward’s supposed to be a vampire in terms of “blood sucking.” I agree totally that his extreme overprotectiveness was the only thing I could think of as being a negative. Perhaps it’s easy to forget because in spite of his super strength, gorgeous looks, and other super human abilities, he still retains a sense of humanity about him. I think I have to agree with Bella that Edward most definitely has a soul.
SHANNIN: Oh, me too!!!! He chooses to be a “vegetarian,” and he chooses not to be a monster, which I think is a pretty clear sign he’s not soulless. Do you think the fact that he’s fought so hard against the idea of Bella becoming a vampire—and was even willing to cut himself out of her life completely—is even more proof that he has a soul (even if it didn’t quite work out for him?)
CLARICE:Yes!! I agree with you totally. Personally, I’m glad it didn’t quite work out for him because I like seeing Edward and Bella together!
So…are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob?
CLARICE: LOL, I think that would be somewhat obvious. I’m very much rooting for Edward and Bella.
SHANNIN:Yeeeeeeeessssss! I’m always happy to find another person on TEAM EDWARD!
CLARICE: Not that I don’t appreciate Jacob. *grin*
SHANNIN: …See, I just don’t understand! I mean, he’s so horrible to the Cullens, even after Carlisle saves his life! Do you think that Jacob being there for Bella when Edward left redeems him, though? I mean, is that why she forgives all the little horrible things Jacob says or does?
CLARICE: Well, I mostly remember Jacob with fondness before he turned furry and hot-blooded. But in some ways I think Bella is to blame for Jacob’s attitude. Her wobbling didn’t help his emotions any…
SHANNIN: I’m not much of a Jacob fan (big surprise, right?) But I agree with you there–I don’t think Bella is completely innocent. In the Eclipse FAQ on Stephenie’s site, she says that Bella didn’t realize that she was falling in love with Jake until it was too late…even if she didn’t realize how attached she was to him, it does seem like she was leading Jacob on a little, I think…
CLARICE: …And while Jacob does act like a jerk for a lot of Eclipse, he still does pull it together at the end. As for being horrible to the Cullens, hating vampires seems to be hot-wired into the werewolf genes, and it looked like the pack was trying to see past it in some small way.
SHANNIN: Do you think maybe Jacob is harder on vampires than your average werewolf (hee…the term “average werewolf” sounds a little funny.) Anyway—is he harder on the Cullens than any other member of the pack (except Sam,) just because he knew that Bella was completely in love with Edward? I will (even though I don’t really want to,) agree that Jacob was a little more like the Jacob I didn’t completely despise (The early-New Moon version of Jacob) at the end of Eclipse…
CLARICE: Yes, I think the knowledge that Bella was in love with Edward made Jacob even nastier to the Cullens and Edward. And while his reaction was somewhat understandable, it didn’t endear him to me very much…
So, what do you think, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters? Do you understand where Jacob is coming from—or do you think he’s being unnecessarily mean to the Cullen family (or more specifically, unnecessarily mean to Edward?) And speaking of Edward…do you think he’s right when he says he doesn’t have a soul (or did you always just assume that he did?) Let us know in the comments!
We’ll have more with Clarice later this week, where we’ll discuss what the future might hold for Jacob Black, and (of course,) the upcoming Twlight movie! But if you still need more Twilight goodies, be sure to visit the MTV Movie Blog–they have updates about the new movie every Tuesday (Twilight Tuesdays!) And for all you Twilighter/History Buffs out there, check out Novel Novice, who—in honor of Edward’s “birthday” last week—put together a video with all of the major events between 1901-1918. Now you can find out what life was like during the human years of everyone’s favorite vampire (I have to admit though…I might have skipped the part about the Spanish Influenza Epidemic, and I wouldn’t blame you if you skipped that part, too. All you need to know if that the Spanish Flu is bad. Very, very bad…)
That’s right, June 23rd is Let It Go Day. Officially, it’s a day to “free yourself from all negative thoughts and worries,” and “let them go and allow the positive into your life in order to heal yourself.”
So, Once Upon a Bloggers, if you’re holding any grudges…today is the day to let them go! Personally, I’ve decided to let a bunch of stuff go (except for my ongoing feud with a couple of library security guards. They know who they are. Awww, come on, I’m just kidding. Kind of… )
Now, I think this song should be the official soundtrack of Let It Go Day—check out this awesome video for Goldfrapp’s “Happiness”! After getting rid of all those worries and negative thoughts, you should feel free to hop around all you want (carefully, that is!)
…It’s time for more Breaking Dawn-versations with Jeni (who is awesome, and works at the Lexington Branch.) Last time, we tried to think of something bad to say about Edward Cullen (here’s some trivia for you, Twilighters…did you know that Edward’s 107th birthday is today?!?! Check out all the birthday wishes!) We also talked about re (re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re) reading the first three books in the series. (Like Jeni pointed out, you’ll always pick up something new you missed the first few times!)
But if you haven’t read the series—or if you’re reading them now—beware! These Dawn-versations contain major spoilers! Trust me…you don’t want to be spoiled when you get to the end of Eclipse, when Edward and Bella are in the clearing, and he tells her…Ha! See? That was a trick! This is why you should be more careful!!!! Now…from this point on, they’ll be real spoilers, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters, so let’s get back the vampires (and werewolves…whatever…)
Other than Bella becoming (or not becoming) a vampire, what do you want to see happen in Breaking Dawn?
JENI: I’m hoping that Edward and Bella definitely get married, and she doesn’t back down, since she is so against marriage.
SHANNIN: I want to see them get married, too…ooooh, wouldn’t it be awful if the Volturi showed up in the middle of the ceremony?
JENI: That would be absolutely TERRIBLE!
SHANNIN:I know, right?!?!
JENI: I think I would have a panic attack if that happened. But I could definitely see Stephenie putting that in there just to keep us on our toes, and to keep us guessing!
SHANNIN: I’m totally worried about what Stephenie might do to keep up guessing…do you think they’ll be lots of things we don’t expect?
JENI: I think the whole book is going to be stuff we didn’t expect or even anticipate.
SHANNIN: …That’s what scares me! What if something really bad happens? What if one of the Cullen family dies? It’s not going to be easy to read, is it? I mean, without hyperventilating…
What do you think of the cast for the upcoming Twilight movie?
JENI: At first I was really upset with Bella, because I don’t really like Kristen Stewart as an actress.
I saw her in The Messengers, In the Land of Women and then also Speak. She just doesn’t show a lot of emotion in her face when she acts.
SHANNIN: …You’ve got a point. I was super annoyed with her character during In the Land of Women (I wanted to yell, “The Orange Julius guy likes you, idiot!”) But Adam Brody kind of helped make up for that…
SHANNIN: I thought so, too! I totally think they should cast Adam Brody in one of the Twilight sequels. I have absolutely no idea who he could play, but…I don’t know that I’d object to creating a new character, so long as Adam Brody played him…just kidding. (Kind of.)
JENI: And with Edward, Robert Pattinson isn’t that great looking, so I was upset with that. When I think of Edward, I think of some guy is absolutely drop dead gorgeous! And Robert Pattinson is not. But he is handsome, in his own way.
SHANNIN: I’m right there with you…I had trouble seeing Robert Pattinson as Edward, too. I mean, when you first see him, he doesn’t really scream “Edward,” does he?
JENI: No, he doesn’t at all! Have you seen The Covenant? The main character in that I pictured as Edward because he is SOOO ridiculously good-looking!!!
SHANNIN:Oooh, I haven’t seen it, but now I really want to (you’re right…the main character is very Edward-ish!) So…do you think you’re still holding onto the way you first pictured Edward? I know I am…I mean, I know Robert Pattinson is playing Edward, but I’m sort of still attached to how I first pictured him in my head.
JENI: I’m with you on that one. In Twilight, I pictured him as a Greek god! With nice toned muscles and just a beautiful face
SHANNIN: I think it was a little like that with all of the characters—I mean, it was hard to let go of the picture of them I’d had in my head for the first three books—but it seemed especially hard with Edward. When you saw the whole cast for the first time, did it take a minute for all of it sink in, or did it make sense?
JENI: It did take a little bit to sink in, but then I was like “these people are perfect!” The only two were Jasper and Edward. I didn’t picture Jasper the same, but that’s okay. I saw him not as…geeky-looking? I think it’s just his hair thats throwing me off!
SHANNIN: I know what you mean, about Jasper. I always figured he’d be a little more military-like, or something. And I can’t lie, the first time I saw Jasper’s hair in the first pics of the cast? All I could think of was Jimmy MacElroy, from Blades of Glory. But Jackson Rathbone seems awesome (and his hair looks much, much better in all the MTV video clips I’ve seen…)
JENI: But the more I watch the clips and see how they are together, the more excited I am for it. I love the cast of the Cullen family. I think they picked everyone perfectly!
SHANNIN: I agree…for the most part. At first I wasn’t totally sold on all of them—it took me awhile to get used to Rosalie, and I’m still getting used to Edward, but I really like the rest of the Cullens…I wish we could see more footage of them!
JENI: Yeah, I agree. I think it would be hard to find a character for Rosalie just because they explain her as the most beautiful person in the world! But the character in the movie, I think she is pretty…hopefully she is a good actress and can play the part well.
SHANNIN: Maybe it’ll just take a little getting used to. On a few of the blogs—like the MTV movie blog—people are posting things about Alice’s hair being too long, and how it’s going to distract them…do you think they’ve got a point, or is that being a little too picky?
JENI: No, they are just being way, way, way too picky. I love her hair! I think she fits the part perfectly. I don’t know why people would complain about her looks when there are definitely more important things to be worried about! For instance, it one clip on the internet, Edward calls Bella a spider monkey!! Yikes!!
SHANNIN: …Yeah. That doesn’t really seem like something Edward would say, does it? I’m hoping he only calls her that once, which is, you know…more than enough…
What part of the book Twilight do you think absolutely positively should be included in the movie (what scene?)
JENI: I really think their conversation in the resturant should be in there, after Edward rescues Bella from the men in the street. I think it helps explain a lot of who Edward is, and how he kinda thinks. Also it shows how defensive he gets towards others about Bella…and how you can see they are falling for each other.
SHANNIN: That’s one of my favorite parts of the book! It was the first time we saw Edward be a little more vampire-like (but still dazzling everyone!)
JENI: Oh, and of course when they are in the field, and he sparkles.
SHANNIN: Oh, the sparkles! I know it’s nerdy, but I’m soooo excited to see how Edward sparkles. It better be pretty dramatic, or I’m going to be upset!
JENI: I am excited to see, too! Hopefully they do a great job of doing it! I am really nervous about one thing. I have heard rumors that they don’t run through the trees…that they like run on the tree tops! And the whole SPIDER MONKEY THING!!!
SHANNIN: I’m a little freaked out by that, too…what I’m hoping is the whole “tree top” thing is just a way to show Edward’s vampire powers—and not a weird plot change, or something. Even though the director and the cast say they’re making a movie that the fans will love…do you think it’s a little hard to trust them? Until we can see the movie for ourselves, that is…
JENI: It is very hard to trust them, because what they may think is okay to change may not be for us die hard fans! It’s hard to think that the movie is only an adaptation of the book, and everything in Twilight won’t be in the movie…that’s going to be hard I think…
SHANNIN: Maybe the only thing we can hope for is this: there will be parts and pieces missing that will drive us crazy, but we’ll be too distracted by how awesome what’s in the movie looks, so we’ll be less upset about what’s not there (if that makes any sense…)
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So what do you think, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters? Will Breaking Dawn be full of unexpected twists…and will it have a happy ending?!?! Will the movie give us lots of sparkles when we get to see Edward in the sun?!?! You can head out to the Lexington Branch and talk to Jeni about what could happen if the Volturi show up at Bella and Edward’s wedding, or you can let us know what you think in the comments! You’ll also have the chance to make your predictions at From Twilight to Breaking Dawn, our celebration of all things Twilight! On July 31st, at 6:00—just days before Breaking Dawn is released—we’re planning a party so awesome, that it would definitely be Alice Cullen approved! They’ll be Twilight games, crafts, snacks, and much more…so call and register today!
We’ll leave you with another MTV Sneak Peak…here’s Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson–AKA Bella and Edward—shooting a scene that’s not in the book (but still looks pretty cool!) And…I never thought I’d say this, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters, but…there’s a line in this scene where Edward may be wrong. Maybe he’s not wrong, but he’s not giving such great advice. Watching where you walk is still dangerous—watching your feet gives you a great opportunity to walk into something. Trust me…
Hey Once Upon a Bloggers, I have a question for you. When you’re texting or emailing your friends, do you ever find yourself typing question marks and exclamation points at the same time? Like this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! There’s no way to avoid it, is there?!?! I mean, things you say or type everyday that need two punctuation marks. Things like this…
“What are you talking about?!”
“She said what?!”
“Where did all these garden gnomes come from?!”
…See what I mean?!?! Sometimes you just need two puncutation marks—I mean, it’s a question, but how else can you show your shock?!?! And you could be wearing your fingers out typing all those punctuation marks (and how would you ever win a race that way?!?! Gaaah! I did it again! See what I mean?!?!)
Luckily, there’s a solution. Did you know that in 1962, a guy named Martin Speckter tried to fix the problem, by creating maybe the coolest punctuation mark ever?!?!?! It’s called the interrobang, and it’s a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point. For some stupid reason, though, it never really caught on.
As hard as I try, I can’t understand why it didn’t catch on. What’s up with that?!?! Do you know how much time we’d save, if we brought the interrobang back?!?! Okay, okay…maybe we wouldn’t save all that much time, but…how much cooler would everything look if we used the interrobang?!?!
I say we start a campaign to make the interrobang a permanent punctuation mark. We should make signs—giant poster board signs that say “WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!?! BRING BACK THE INTERROBANG NOW!” Oh, and we could make tee shirts! We can totally do this, Once Upon a Bloggers! Tell your parents and friends that we need to bring back the interrobang (and when you go back to school, you can totally freak your teachers out with your interrobang knowledge, and campaign to bring it back!)
In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep typing a bunch of punctuation marks to get the point across. For example…how cool is this song by Vampire Weekend?!?! And how awesome is the video?!?! (And just to clarify…Vampire Weekend doesn’t have anything to do with these vampires. But does that make them any less cool?!?! No, it does not…)
P.S. SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM UPDATE!!!!Over 1200 of you have signed up for the program, and gotten cool freebies like Pizza Hut gift certificates and IR-DBM gel bracelets! Seriously…how awesome is that?!?! If you haven’t registered yet…you’ve still got time! Just head to your faaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location and sign up today! And don’t forget about our Instant Readers—you can win prizes just by checking out books from the Teen Zone! Ooooh, and the weekly games and puzzles, like this week’s Crazy Car Match-up…you could win gift certificates to places like Taco Bell or McDonalds. So what are you waiting for?!?! I mean, I hate to keep “bugging you”…but I don’t want you to miss out on the fun! Sign up today!
It’s time for another round of Breaking Dawn-versations, where your faaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL staff members/Twilighters talk about what they hope will happen in Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Stephenie Meyer’s series, which will be released August 2nd! Today we’re talking with the super-cool Jeni from the Lexington Branch.
Just to be safe, though, I’ll warn you before we get started…if you’ve never read the books (Okay, first of all, you should totally read these books. Why haven’t you? School’s out, right? Start reading! The first book alone will get you around 500 pages in the Summer Library Program!) or if you’re reading them right now, you might want to be careful when reading the Dawn-versations, because they’re filled with spoilers from the first three books, and some serious speculation about the fourth. So now that you know that…let’s talk Twilight!
When did you first read the Twilight series…and when did you know you were hooked?
JENI: I first read Twilight my senior year in high school, and that was 2 years ago, so in 2006. After reading it I knew I was hooked because I went straight to the librarian and asked if she had the second one!
SHANNIN: I know just what you mean—after finishing the first book, I needed New Moon as fast as I could get my hands on it! Did you have to wait long to read the sequel?
JENI: …I actually didn’t have to wait that long for New Moon. I think I read Twilight late enough that New Moon was actually already out. But waiting for Eclipse felt like forever! Same with Breaking Dawn! August seems like its an eternity away!!
SHANNIN:I KNOW! Have you reread—or re-reread—the first three books, to get ready (or maybe just because you’re in Edward-and-Bella-withdraw?)
JENI: I have reread them sooo many times!! For both reasons. Everytime I read them I always catch something I didn’t before, like when I watch a movie! But I think in July I will re-read them to get ready for Breaking Dawn!! Do you reread them a lot too?
SHANNIN: …Oh yeah! For me, they’re in a group of books that are sort of like…comfort food, in book form. Does that make any sense? I mean, If it’s been a horrible day, or if I just need a break, Edward and Bella always seem to make it a little better…
JENI: I was hooked when Edward wrote Bella’s lullaby. That was when I knew I wanted my own Edward! Also towards the beginning when they are in the restaurant and Edward asks Bella if he “dazzles” her and she says “Frequently”.
SHANNIN: Just when you thought Edward couldn’t possibly get any better, he ends up writing Bella a song. What’s not to love?!
JENI: …That is true, what’s not to love about Edward?!
SHANNIN:Hmmmm…all I can think of is the fact that he’s pretty overprotective. Sometimes it’s totally called for, but sometimes it just seems like he’s overreacting, you know? But even that’s hard to argue…wow. Edward’s right up there with the best characters ever, isn’t he?
JENI: I definitely get what you’re saying. He is definitely overprotective. Edward is by far one of the best characters in a book alongside Mr. Darcy!
SHANNIN: You are soooooo right! There was an article in Time Magazine about Stephenie, and it ended with, “Still who’d have thought it? Today Mr. Darcy is a vampire.” And the sad thing is, I’d never made the connection until I read the article! But you’re right…Edward and Mr. Darcy are two of the best book characters EVER. Hands down. No question.
Who’s your favorite character?
JENI: I love all the characters…even Jacob!!! But out of all of them my favorite is Bella. I can relate to her easily. Just with falling in love and having a boy break your heart.
SHANNIN: …I totally get what you’re saying. Do you think that’s part of the reason the books are so insanely popular? That you can’t help but understand where Bella’s coming from, and what she’s going through?
JENI: I really do think that’s why people love her books! She sucks people in with her characters and just how she describes them. I think a lot of people can relate to Bella.
SHANNIN: I know what you mean…as a hopeless klutz, I totally relate to Bella! But do you think the other characters are (surprisingly) relatable, too? Sometimes it’s pretty cool to relate to the centuries old vampires, right?
JENI: I think it is. They all have their struggles which make them appear more human even though they are pretty much perfect! Like Rosalie…
SHANNIN: Didn’t you looooove the Rosalie/Bella conversation in Eclipse? I wasn’t the biggest Rosalie fan in the first two books, but I liked that she finally opened up…it even made me think twice for a second about whether or not Bella should be a vampire…you know, until a few pages later when Edward came back…
So…are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob?
JENI: Is it possible to be on both?! But if I really had to choose it would be Edward because I want Bella and him to be together!
SHANNIN: I guess it’s possible to be on both teams…but for me, it’s hard to understand how! Whenever Jacob showed up in Eclipse, I was just really irritated…what is it about him that makes you…um…not hate him?
JENI: I fell in love with Jacob in New Moon. Just how he was there for Bella when she needed him the most. And how he made her semi-happy again without Edward. And there for awhile I didn’t want Edward to come back because I was so upset with him for leaving her!!
SHANNIN: I was really upset with with him, too…but I was also speed reading (yadayadamotorcycles, yadayadawerewolves…) just waiting for Edward to come back…
JENI: Jacob did annoy me a little in Eclipse, but I still love him! Its hard for me to not!!
SHANNIN: It’s actually pretty easy—for me, at least. I can teach you how not to like Jacob, if you want. Kidding, kidding…
JENI: lol!! What makes you dislike him ohh soo much?!? Because I cried in Eclipse when half of his body was crushed, and Bella came and visited, and they then were honest with one another about how the loved each other! And then she broke his heart…
SHANNIN:Well…I sort of agree with Bella, in that there are two Jacobs—the good one, and the incredibly annoying one. I didn’t mind the good one so much—the one that drove Bella to the hospital to get stitches and made her laugh—but I still missed Edward. The other Jacob drove me insane—constantly flirting with Bella, calling Edward and the rest of the Cullens names…it got to where I almost wanted to skip pages whenever he showed up! I did feel bad for him at the end of Eclipse though, when Bella broke his heart. I almost teared up myself…but I still can’t bring myself to fully like him…
This is the last book, so we’re all wondering the same thing…will Bella be turned into a vampire?
JENI: I think she will but not until the middle or the very end. There has to be some big plot with Edward and Jacob and the whole pact about not biting a human.
SHANNIN:…Do you think there’s going to be an all-out war between the vampires and werewolves?
JENI: I think so, just because of the pact. They talk about it a lot, so who knows! But then again I think the Volturi are going to come…
SHANNIN: If that happens, do you hope that one of the Cullens will still be able to change Bella, either Edward or Carlisle?
JENI: I am sure someone will. If not those two then definitely Alice…maybe even Rosalie will come around! Either way, Bella has to become one in this book!
SHANNIN: It would be unexpected if Rosalie was the one that ended up changing Bella, wouldn’t it? I’m hoping it’s one of the Cullens, at least…do you think it would change things if it was one of the Volturi—if Bella didn’t get to choose when, where, and how?
JENI: I think that would change everything. I think Bella wants her changing to be like a special event for only her and Edward. That way they are really together forever, because he is the one that changed her. Does that make sense?
SHANNIN: …Absolutely. And I understand where Bella’s coming from, but…part of me still hopes that Carlisle will be the one to do it. I know that when Edward was cleaning the cut on Bella’s hand in Eclipse, he said he’d “gotten over it,” but…what if he’s wrong?! I mean, I know I’ve said it before, but I think Carlisle should at least supervise, just in case…
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We’ll have more with Jeni a little later this week, when we’ll discuss the cast of the upcoming movie (and actors we wish were in the cast!) In the meantime, though…what do you think, Once Upon a Bloggers/Twilighters? Did the Bella/Jacob scene at the end of Eclipse have you reaching for the Kleenex? Did you speed through New Moon just waiting for Edward to reappear?Let us know in the comments!
And if you still need more Twilight, be sure to check the news blog at the Twilight Lexicon—they’ve got all the latest news in the Twilight universe! And just for fun, check out the Stephenie Meyer-approved blog, Twilight Guy. Kaleb is your average guy, and he’s reading—and blogging—about Twilight (and he’s starting to figure out what every girl sees in Edward!) I’m always very impressed with Twilighter guys…I mean, they may be rare, but they do exist!
And according to some sources, there could be up to 21 million people who are afraid of Friday the thirteenth (which is what paraskevidekatriaphobia means.) But…what makes Friday the Thirteenth so unlucky? What’s so bad about it (except maybe all those cheesy/scary movies from the 80’s, that made people think twice about summer camp and hockey masks?)
Actually, a lot of it comes down to superstition from reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllly olden times. Basically, people thought the number thirteen was unlucky (which is why you never invite thirteen people to a dinner party,) and they thought the number six was evil—and Friday is the sixth day of the week. So basically…it’s a bad number that falls on a bad day, and bad things have been known to happen. Hold on…because this Friday the 13th falls in June, which is the sixth month, do you think that’s extra bad luck…and extra bad things will happen? Yikes…)
Well, maybe not bad, exactly…more like really annoying. Maybe you end up running late, or spill things, or find yourself tripping over absolutely nothing but air, or lose your favorite CD (wow…most of that stuff has already happened to me today, so maybe there is something to this Friday the 13th thing! Except, that kind of stuff happens to me, like, every day, so maybe not…) So just…be careful out there, Once Upon a Bloggers. Don’t break any mirrors, walk under any ladders, or open any umbrellas indoors. With a little luck (haha,) you’ll have a safe and happy Friday the 13th!
And if you need a refresher course on good and bad superstitions, check out this video…all the paraskevidekatriaphobics out there might want to pay extra attention!
MTV
