I have a confession to make: Sometimes I wish I were a vampire.

Just imagine how people would react if they found out that I'm one. They would either be amazed or afraid of me and my kind. I can see their eyes widen in wonder or fear, how they'd surreptitiously inch away from me, but at the same time yearn to find out what it's like to be a vampire. ("Do you hang upside down when you sleep? Do you survive on blood only?") You get the idea.

Why the desire? Vampires are technically dead but they remain young and beautiful forever, and according to the Twilight series, they're also irresistibly romantic. For the benefit of the uninitiated, it's a popular young adult fiction series. A quick summary of the plot: girl meets boy, boy turns out to be a vampire, but they still decide to pursue a romance against all odds. Do Edward and Bella, the star-crossed lovers; ride off happily ever after into the sunsets you bet - but not before fending against rival werewolves, partisan vampires and the tricky intimacies of vampire-human love.

Literary majors might scoff at the series and say it's nowhere near scholastic Shakespeare. It's no surprise that they' sneer at the cheesiness of the novels. ("And so the lion fell in love with the lamb," as Edward puts it; "I wasn't interesting. And he was. Interesting... and brilliant.., and mysterious.., and perfect... and beautiful," says Bella, as she fawns over Edward.)

As much as I enjoy the literary classics and Booker Prize-winning novels, I also need the occasional brain candy to relieve my overheated, over-stressed mind. To me, the Twilight series presents a refreshing take on the ageless theme of forbidden love (think: Romeo and Juliet) and allows me to dwell in a realm where "love conquers all". No matter how complicated our world becomes stories like these help strengthen my belief that simple old-fashioned love and values like family, loyalty and friendship still exist. All cynicism is momentarily forgotten as I immerse myself in Edward and Bella s against-all-odds romance.

Millions of readers from teens to 30something are hooked to this forbidden love story, for similar reasons. A friend in the beauty industry, claimed she wasn't into the whole "vampire-and-mortal thing" until she picked up the book upon my insistence. Now, she won't stop squealing about the love story of Mr Perfect Vampire Edward Cullen and Ms Clumsy Girl-Next Door Isabella Swan.

Another friend, believes that the story appeals to many because "it's easy to read as it's essentially young adult fiction. However, the story is also complex enough to attract an older audience - especially in how it deals with the emotions of the characters. It has bite' (No pun intended.)

A quick check on the Internet will show how the Twilight series has taken the world by storm. The first book, Twilight, was released in 2005. Three years later, Stephanie Meyer has finished three full-length novel sequels. There are Facebook groups and fan sites rife with philosophical discussions of Edward and Bella's love story, and YouTube movie versions were created with clips of the fans' dream cast years before the actual film adaptation was announced. Everywhere around the world every drib and drab of info (the casting of the lead roles, the poster, the trailer, etc) about the film has been fraught with maniacal attention and controversy.

I've had my own long discussions with my friends about the novels, ruminating, theorising and analysing how a vampire and a mortal girl can possibly - and I mean physically be together. Many readers, from accomplished career women, housewives, university students to elementary school children, are transfixed by Twilight's mysteries. Will Edward literally suck the life out of Bella? Will they have kids - and how will that come to pass without Edward killing Bella in the process.

Like Harry Potter (it would be difficult to talk about Twilight without mentioning Harry Potter), Twilight deals with elements and characters from another dimension: the former has wizards and giants; the latter has vampires and werewolves. As a Harry Potter fan, I have to admit that both series, while vastly different in style and syntax, appeal to me because they transport the reader from reality to another world filled with mysticism and magic.

And the bottom line: There is no shame in enjoying a superficial light-hearted romantic comedy with a huge dose of suspense and thrill. The banter is light, the vocabulary is intermediate, and the plot - literally - sucks you in. You just have to admit that sometimes all you need is a fairy tale to sprinkle a dusting of hope and happiness in your life.