A "don't read this book" recommendation

Alright. I did it. I read the Twilight series. And I have very mixed feelings about it. I really liked the story; it's an amazing story. But I think that this series strays too far into the realm of romance novels to be recommended.

No, there's no sex. I should say, there's no detailed sex; it's strongly implied. And yet the detail that the author goes into with the kissing and stroking is just too much. The first book was bordering on laughable with all the swooning and breath-taking, but as the story went on it just got too steamy. Call me a prude for thinking that reading about a kiss is too much, but there's no denying there was too much lust packed into those kisses. Just as looking at porn is dangerous for men (and women), reading about physical stuff is dangerous for women (and men).

It's a huge bummer because it really is a beautiful love story and the author wrote nothing that I don't feel for my own husband. But reading about those things is not a good idea, especially for these droves of married women who are now fantasizing about and lusting after a fictional character. That's definitely not healthy and it's very disappointing.

Nor is it a good idea for all these young girls who are joining in on the fantasizing. Books like this mess with expectations and reality in a bad way. It's hard to see all these girls out there who are "dying to marry someone just like Edward." It's even harder when they feel like that and they're also seeing their married mother do the same thing.

And so, I'm not joining the throng of Edward-lovers. If you want to read a love story, I recommend Pride and Prejudice. Twilight is too close to a romance novel.