Beloved Captive

Molly and I went to see Twilight in the theater Sunday night. We are both big fans of the series (minus the final book), and we were both prepared to be seriously disappointed in the movie. Despite all of the reports about girls screaming over Robert Pattison as Edward, neither of us thought that he fit the bill. Between Molly catching me up on her life and the various romantic dramas of her friends at school, we talked about our expectations of the movie and spent time talking about how Pattison just didn't fit the book's description of Edward. Although, to be completely honest, we are both Jacob fans (if you've read the books you know). Just a few minutes into the movie, we were both enjoying ourselves thoroughly. Catherine Hardwicke, the director, captured high school so perfectly. And she used humor to introduce viewers to the characters and make them care for Bella and Edward. The scene where Edward first catches a whiff of Bella was awesome! The theater erupted in laughter, and in that moment, every viewer was hooked. Thirty minutes or so into it, Molly leaned over and said that Pattison wasn't bad after all, she just didn't care for his voice, because his English accent sometimes slipped out. I whispered back that by the end of the movie she wouldn't even notice that. (I was right.) The scene of their first kiss was amusing for me as a mother. We were sitting behind four teenage girls, and as Edward leaned in ever so slowly, one after another said, "Come on!" "Do it!" even Molly ended up shouting. I think every girl in the theater was leaning forward in breathless anticipation, and the sigh when their lips connected nearly lifted the roof. So our verdict is five out of five stars. We both loved it, and Pattison was great as Edward, but the true performance in the movie is Kristen Stewart as Bella. If another actress had been hired to play Bella, I don't know that Pattison would have worked as well. Moms, take your daughters; you'll both have fun. I even think that Doogie and Jesse would enjoy the movie for the action and humor, especially the baseball scene. Word is already buzzing that after the movie's huge opening, a sequel will quickly be in the works. Now if they could just get Meyer to rewrite Breaking Dawn...

Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y'Barbo is the second book in the Fairweather Keys series. Emilie Gayerre was raised as the privileged daughter of a prominent New Orleans businessman, pampered and spoiled, even if she didn't have his love or attention. Caleb Spencer was the son of a lawyer and the daughter of a pirate giving him a thirst to serve the law while fighting the seawater in his veins. Emilie and Caleb both discover shocking secrets about their past that send them spinning into self-doubt, and when they meet, the collision and chemistry are electric. Emilie has settled into a good life on the Fairweather Keys as the schoolteacher, but after a trip to visit her ailing father, she is captured by first one pirate and then another. Caleb has also returned to his family home on the island of Santa Lucida in the Caribbean when he rescues Emilie from the vicious pirate Thomas Hawkins. This is a classic historical romance with sparks, romance, confused identities, secrets, and repressed emotions, but Y'Barbo makes it sparkle with great dialogue and strong faith. My only complaint was that the ending seemed to happen to quickly. Everything was over and tidied up so speedily, I felt a bit confused by the events. That said, I think this book was even better than it's predecessor, Beloved Castaway.

Today's picture is Molly's official cheerleading photo from the football season. These next two weeks are rough for her. She has jazz choir practice at seven am, then cheerleading after school until 5:30, then choir practice from 6:30-8:30pm nearly every night. Thank goodness the choir concert is next week Saturday!