There's a new phenomenon sweeping the country, like nothing I've every witnessed in my near sixty years. Around here, it's more than a craze and more than an obsession. Those involved are seemingly possessed with a need -- a need to read three thousand and one hundred and eighty-four pages, as quickly as possible, and then start all over again and read them again.

For those souls that I'm related to -- this is indeed an "event." Never have I seen them so infatuated with anything. The degree of preoccupation with the written word is a refreshing change from their usual nightly din of tired old television shows. The chatter phone breaks among them about this fixation, is as giddy as though one of them had met prince charming, and he's come to stay.

Instead of griping about their jobs, stressing over the kids, or lack of money -- they are swooning over passages they read aloud to each other. There's high bargaining over who gets which book next, as they pass them among them. They also are scouring the Internet for any tidbit about this new found passion.

What has them in this state of euphoria? It's all about the books that have been recently published by author Stephenie Meyer in the last couple of years.

I'm fascinated because I know that:

• Sitting side-by-side in conventional insurance agency cubicle closeness, Janet has struggled to keep her eyes open, having been so engrossed with Twilight -- she was up until 2:00 a.m. despite knowing she had to get up for work by 5:30 a.m. She spent the next day watching the clock, though not in usual anticipation of lunch, but for the chance to get out to her car, and see what happened next.
• Meanwhile, Amy had her book hidden underneath her keyboard, multi-tasking while she provided customer service on the phone, and did her data input. For the the stressed mother of three, multi-tasking wasn't anything new -- but an obsession like this is. For her, it's either do this now, or wait until the kids are asleep.
• I have it on high authority, Jennifer (their boss) kept taking "breaks" once devoted to smoking, now devoted for this new addiction.
• Carol of the same office is almost done. She has already asked Janet to call me for the third time today, to make sure I'm done with the next one, so we can switch.
• Across town, Ellen is absorbed and equally obsessed -- a rare event, for this reading isn't something she hasn't held interest in doing for years.
• Erin, her fifteen-year-old daughter has already plowed through all five of Stephenie Meyer's book, and is starting over, just to make sure she didn‘t miss anything.
• Even though they are beyond her academic norm, eleven-year-old Kaela, put hers in her school backpack -- just in case she got her class work done early. Her best friend is begging her to loan it to her. Now, she's wondering how grandma managed to complete one book in just one day. Apparently, old ladies aren't supposed to like the same things as young girls and their mothers.

Well, at first I'll admit I was put off by the whole vampire story line of it all on some of the books. I'll also admit that mainstream romance novels aren't my thing.

Nothing wrong with them, but by the time you've had three husbands, over forty years of marriage (combined), you don't need to read about romance. Probably it's also partially a generational thing, by the time you are my age -- all of that's kind of old hat. However, I'll admit a younger me did read and enjoy these sorts is genres.

Growing up Cajun, we had our own stories of feux-folets and loup-garous, so culturally prejudging the stories with such story lines seemed more for children, than for adults in my mind. Then, I remembered reading in high school and university literature classes, the Victorian era Vampire literature. I even still own a copy of Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897). So, thought I had more than enough time to get over blood sucking terror.

However, in awe of books that would get some of the younger women and girls I'm related to so captivated, and suddenly become rabid readers -- I was extremely curious to know for myself what the draw was. With a marketing background, I know that is that they are the target audience we all should want to write for because they are the ones most likely to "buy."

I started with Stephenie Meyer's The Host, simply because her other four published books were in the middle of being read. Stephenie Meyer's official website, bills it as "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction."

Usually science fiction isn't my first pick off the bookshelf. However, I like science fiction well enough, just prefer a little heavier reading. In fact, what I like about science fiction, is that it's a lot like reading cookbooks -- I can always get to the end and close the book, and say to myself, "that's never going to happen" and be merrily on my way.

The Host is an exception to my sci-fi reading tastes. It is a light read, despite it's six hundred and twenty-four pages. It was engaging enough that I found myself thinking about it long after I finished the book. I actually fell asleep dreaming that these parasite planet jet setters, were alive and well inside the Beagle that sleeps on my bed (probably because I had just had her wormed). Unlike The Host, her worms weren't curing cancer, etc. and they certainly didn't have any romantic notions. LOL

By the end of the book, it was very easy to see how the writing style of Stephenie Meyer's has so many fans. She is raising the bar on a higher form of romance novel, one that doesn't require sexual escapades to convey the love between two people. No steamy passages to be found here, but plenty of love -- the kind that most females crave.

I won't spoil or sully Twilight by reviewing the book from the reading tastes of an old lady, as there are plenty of reviews out there for those who need the opinions of others before buying a book. I will say that it was extremely well done, captivating, and a worthwhile teen-aged love story read.

Besides, what I want to tell you about instead, is the real life setting of the story in Forks, Washington. I find the fact that the author did such a good job of making it "real" for her readers that it has already had a significant impact on this little town of 3,120 people - huge. This is talent alone, makes Stephenie Meyer a rare jewel among new authors in my opinion.

The ability to make a real place alive for readers who have never been there or even heard of the place, is a writing skill critical to telling a good story. With fiction, the setting is like the first impression when you meet someone. It establishes the world around the characters. Setting is the author's ultimate means for staging time and atmosphere, and in this book it's done superbly.

What's amazing is apparently the author researched and wrote Forks, Washington as the setting for the book, prior to ever visiting there. That's tremendously brave.

New Moon is classic time honored tale of two people so much in love, that they are willing to risk it all to keep the other one safe. With the vampire twist of the series, it's decision time, so lots of suspense.

Eclipse embodies everything that's right with a continuing series in fiction. For instance, what's the sense of having a story about vampires -- if you leave out the classic struggle between vampires and werewolves?

Eclipse doesn't let the reader down, as it continues the journey that Bella must make in her decision between life or death.

The somewhat controversial last of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn probably left both the readers and the author with a delima, as the popularity of the Twilight saga -- led to only one conclusion -- sometime it had to either end or at least take a break -- an perhaps some were disappointed, wanting the story to never end. Expect no Hamlet ending, as Stephanie Meyer discusses in her official website.

The highly anticipated release of the movie Twilight is expected to be a major event around here. Not much discussion about all the company coming for Thanksgiving, but lots and lots of chatter about November 21st -- when the movie is released. Posters have already been bought, plans and discussions about which theater will be the best one to see it in -- it's going to be interesting to see if the movie lives up to the books.

I hope to see more books, like those currently popular by author's like Stephenie Meyer. If books like this series and spin-offs, make enthusiastic readers of women and girls who once preferred soap operas, Disney tween comedies, and entertainment television -- I'm all for it.

Anytime a book appeals to both mothers and their teenage daughters, creating a literary bond -- who can ask for anything more exciting. Watching them rushing home after work and school, possessed by a new sundown activity of reading books that are exciting to both generations is something we all need more of.