Once again, I find my mind racing with questions having read the second part of Twilight.  Chapters nine through 16 are so full of information and emotion that I had to really reflect on them for a little while.  I couldn’t help but ask myself what I would do if I were in Bella’s position.  I’d like to believe that I’d be as collected as she is in the book, but the truth is that I’d probably freak out quite a bit.  Here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about:

• Bella finally gets confirmation that Edward is a vampire.  I think she reacts pretty calmly, considering said vampire is driving her home at 100 m.p.h.
• Edward can’t hear Bella’s thoughts.  I see this as a great equalizer in their relationship.  In this one way, Edward is human.  Bella and Edward have to trust one another enough to talk about their thoughts and feelings, just like any other couple.  I think this gives Bella and Edward the privacy to think their own thoughts without the fear of being misread.  However, this also brings up a question.  Is it impossible for Edward to read the mind of anyone he’s romantically in love with?
• I think Bella and Edward’s biology class watches more videos than just about any biology class ever.  These classes seem like one of the hardest things they have to deal with.  With hands clenched in fists and arms wrapped her, Bella can’t help but notice Edward’s hands clenched and jaw tight.  This is one of the best ways Stephenie Meyer manages to capture the longing, danger, and stress of Edward and Bella’s relationship.
• Chapter 13: There’s the meadow, Edward’s sparkly skin, and the first real physical contact between Bella and Edward (for once, he’s not saving her).  We get to hear Edward’s side of the Bella/Edward story.  And the best part: Bella and Edward finally kiss.  I like this chapter because it’s like the eye of the hurricane.  There are all of these issues swirling around, but in the meadow, Bella and Edward can look up into the bright blue sky and feel more comfortable with one another than ever before.
• I’ve asked this question of a few of my friends: if you found out that your vampire love interest had been watching you sleep for some time now, would you freak out?  Most commonly, my friends say, “not if he was Edward Cullen.”  They may have a point there.  However, I really appreciate Bella’s reaction in the book.  She’s embarrassed because she talks in her sleep, and worries about what Edward has heard.  Personally, I’d be just as concerned about whether or not I’d been drooling.
• The Cullen’s house is the anti-vampire house.  After a lifetime of being exposed to vampire stories where they slept in crypts, closets and basements, it was a bit shocking to read about the back of the Cullen’s house being entirely windows.  That there’s a cross hanging in the house is also surprising.  Are vampires in Stephenie Meyer’s works repelled by crucifixes? 
• Meeting the family of your significant other is always unnerving.  I think it was great to read about Bella trying to pick an outfit to wear when she’s going to meet Edward’s family.  I was really surprised by how open Esme and Carlisle were with Bella.  The most interesting part of the visit to the Cullen’s house was when Edward walked Bella through the family history.  There was a lot of vampire lore and I found it interesting that Meyer’s vampires are a lot less destructable than in other stories.
• One final thing, Edward has the bedroom of my dreams.  A brilliant sound system, a huge music collection, and great acoustics.  He also plays music.  It’s no wonder the girls all think he’s dreamy.

Songs listened to while reading:

• ‘A New England’ by Billy Bragg
• ‘Sour Times’ by Portishead
• ‘The Mending of the Gown’ by Sunset Rubdown
• ‘Ave Maria’ by Mary Jane Newman