The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Edition)
By Stephen King

A virus cooked up in some secret government laboratory (Mr. Tripps is the name of the disease), escapes the confines of its quarantine and begins to infect the world. By the time its viral rampage is over, Mr. Tripps has been fatal for most of the world's population. In the United States, where the events of the novel take place, those with an unexplained immunity to the virus begin to have mysterious dreams that lead them either to Las Vegas, Nevada or Boulder, Colorado. The Stand is a classic good versus evil tale. The good guys trek to Boulder and the bad to Las Vegas, where they prepare for a final, climactic showdown.

I loved this book. From start to finish I was hooked. I had read it as a teenager when it first came out, but I loved this edition. It was amazing how King could have written in so many different characters and storylines and still leaving me caring about all of them a great deal. He then manages to tie everything together in a masterful way. It was definitely a "heavy" read. It took a lot of time and attention, but I was rewarded by the wonderful story that he had put together. This book transcends the decades that have past since it was written and released.

Eclipse (Book 3, The Twilight Saga)
By Stephenie Meyer

This novel, the third in the series, picks up right where New Moon left off. Bella and her vampire boyfriend, Edward, are preparing to graduate from high school. Meanwhile, Bella manages to reestablish her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black. This leads to numerous awkward situations between Edward and Jacob, but Bella is the one who suffers the most, as she finally realises that there's much more to her relationship with Jacob than she initially thought.

While all this is going on, danger looms on the horizon. Seattle has been plagued by a series of violent homicides, and it soon becomes apparent that the killings are not the work of the average serial killer. It turns out that these mysterious deaths are connected to Bella, who's also busy worrying about the fact that Victoria and the Volturi have it out for her, too. On top of all that, there's the small matter of Bella desperately wanting to become a vampire herself, but no one (including Bella herself) is sure if she can handle it.

Tegan, my daughter, wanted me to pick a side between Edward and Jacob. I still like Jacob better. I just don't understand why Bella loves Edward so much; Jacob is a far better catch and who she probably would have ended up with if it wasn't for the Cullens.

New Moon (Book 2, The Twilight Saga)
By Stephenie Meyer

Recovered from the vampire attack that hospitalized her in the conclusion of Twilight, Bella celebrates her birthday with her boyfriend Edward and his family, a unique clan of vampires that has sworn off human blood. But the celebration abruptly ends when the teen accidentally cuts her arm on broken glass. The sight and smell of her blood trickling away forces the Cullen family to retreat lest they be tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave. Mourning his departure, she slips into a downward spiral of depression that penetrates and lingers over her every step.

It's not until Bella re-acquaints herself with childhood friend Jacob, a sophomore with a penchant for motorcycles, that both the pace and her disposition begin to take off. Their adventures are wild, dare-devilish, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward pervade Bella's emotions, and soon their fun quickly morphs into danger, especially when she uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends.

If you are a huge Edward fan, he only appears in about a third of this novel. I didn't particularly miss him, though when my daughter read it, she couldn't wait for him to reappear. I'm a Jacob fan.