I wasn't expecting to like "Twilight" as much as I do.  I'm a grown woman, what would a young adult series about vampires have to offer me?  However, after multiple recommendations I bit the bullet and bought the first book.  Less than 24 hours later, I'd devoured it and rushed to the store in search of the next two.

Meyer's books (the second and third are titled "New Moon" and "Eclipse," respectively) blend fantasy and reality in a way that I've only observed in the books in the "Harry Potter" series.  She creates a world that seems completely normal and like any other, which makes it so much easier to immerse yourself in the fantastical elements when they appear.  As for the story itself, the focus is on the complicated relationship between the two main characters, Edward (a vampire) and Bella (a human teen).  The tension and attraction the two feel for each other is palpable, and this is Meyer's greatest achievement in the books.  While the creation of this other vampire world is also a great part of her vision, the emotions she evokes in her characters is what has me hooked on the series.

This is not to say that Meyer's writing is flawless - she gets a bit repetitive with groans and grimaces and her descriptions of Edward, and the vocabulary isn't exactly breaking new ground - but these minor drawbacks are far overshadowed by the story itself.  "Breaking Dawn," the fourth book of the series, comes out August 2, and I'll be one of the millions out there waiting to see what happens next.