Dave: You absolutely must start at book 1 - there is no jumping around allowed. You'd be completely confused otherwise.

But I have to ask ... why are you giving in?! These books are definitely not your usual fare, and although I enjoyed them I'm thinking that you probably won't.

(Sorry to be a downer, and hoping to be proved wrong!)

Heather, you're right, it's not my usual fare, but being around Nancy has made me think more about zombies and vampires. (That didn't come out right. I meant that she likes that sort of book, so I should give it a try.) I guess I feel a responsibility as a blogger to experience what so many people are passionate about. That's one of the things I've struggled with on Read Street -- do I need to read the "hot" books, so I can get in on the conversation, or should I stick to my own preferences?

You should start at book 1 (and especially don't start at Breaking Dawn, because it was pretty bad, my least favorite of the series).

The series is really compelling (if you like teen angst and starcrossed lovers and whatnot, which I do), but she's really not a good writer. To be fair, though, she's a very good story-teller, if the distinction makes sense.

But if the series isn't your thing, you're probably not going to enjoy it. And what's the point of having my ideal job (getting paid to read and talk about books) if you're not having fun? :)

Yes, I must agree with Kelly. I myself got bogged down reading too many ARCs (for review on my blog) and realized I was missing out on what I really WANTED to read.

I think your readers will enjoy hearing about the books you like - if nothing else, it gives them something different to consider besides the "hot" titles.

But that's just my opinion ...

You must start with Twilight.

The munchkin says you should start with Twilight. She also says you probably won't like the books because you're "more mature and a guy." (Mature is what she says when she means old but doesn't want to hurt your feelings.)

Yeah, Dave, start with Twilight. I should warn you, going into this, that these are YA romance novels with a bit of action on the side. Not everyone's cup of tea. My own opinion is that Twilight is the best of the series - but that's my opinion only. I'm not sure I'd say Ms. Meyer is a bad writer - she definitely crafts characters well, and her use of archetypes is thoughtfully placed.

Start at the first one. You will not be able to have the slightest idea what's holding Meyer's tenuous plot devices together unless you begin where she did.

You haveee to start at Twilight. It is definitely not a sequel that can be jumped between. Since you are not a teenage girl I can make no guarantees, but hopefully you can find something small in it that interests you. The main draw to the book is the love that is described between the two main characters. It is almost all character development, with very little plot (the whole series in general included in this statement, not just Twilight). Very simple read though, I read all 4 in two days.

i saw the movie yesterday it was AWSOME!!! my favorite part was when jacob and the wolf pack were SHIRTLESS!!!