The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella

by Stephanie Meyer

Dedication: "For Asya Muchnick and Meghan Hibett"

First paragraph: "The newspaper headline glared at me from a little metal vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE -- DEATH TOLE RISES AGAIN. I hadn't seen this one yet. Some paperboy must have just restocked the machine. Lucky for him, he was nowhere around now."

Review: First, if you plan on reading Eclipse and don't want to know how that book ends until you read it, do not read this book.

Now that we've got that out of the way let's get down to business. Bree Tanner makes a brief appearance at the end of Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight Saga. The little information you do know about her before this book is that she was smart enough to surrender but not smart enough to get lost before it was too late.

Bree has spent the last three months of her new life craving blood and avoiding the rest of the newborns. Her only thought has been to hunt and survive, until she spends a day with Diego. Her one day with him makes her look at her situation with whole new eyes. If you've read Eclipse you know how things end for Bree but her story is one you might be interested in reading.

I'll admit it, I enjoyed the Twilight books. The most important thing while reading a book is that I'm entertained and they entertained me. The first and fourth books were my favorite and book three came somewhere after that and book two was ... well, don't get me started on my dislike of book two. But, in the grand scheme of things, book 4 would have made absolutely no sense without books 2 and 3 so I guess I'm grateful for them in some odd way.

Anyway, enough about my feelings for books I read ages ago. Let's focus on Bree and her story.

It was a quick read. I think it took me 2 1/2 to 3 hours, maybe less. There isn't a single chapter in it. It's almost like a journal except there aren't dates and it's linked directly to Bree's mind rather than her writing her thoughts down on pieces of paper.

I actually, once again, really enjoyed the brief glimpse into one of Meyer's other characters. She brings a whole new perspective to the entire series. I liked that Bree was blood thirsty but not to the extent that some of her other "peers" were. I don't know that I would have enjoyed a book that focused specifically on hunting down and eating non-stop. It was a good mix of thought, hunger, thirst, desperation, love, and longing. And it was done in a book you can read in less than a day. Short and sweet, just the way I like it.

Honestly, if you've read the Twilight Saga books, you should read this one. I mean, if you don't you're not missing much, but ... it's something to read and Bree is an interesting character in her own right. Plus, you get to learn a little about Freaky Fred and who doesn't like learning about vampires with abnormal super powers?

If you're looking for something to read while you wait at the dentist/doctor or just something to pass some time, this is a great choice. As a side note, I think I might even go as far as categorizing this as a short story so it's not like you'll be neglecting important life tasks for too long if you do decide to read it.

Click here for more information about Bree Tanner's life.

The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold

by Cynthia Rylant

Illustrations by Carson Ellis

Dedication: "For Hermes -C.R." "For Colin and Hank -C.E."

First paragraph (of Pandora): "Zues was ruler of the universe, and if there were only one thing to remember about him, it was this: Never cross him. But someone did."

Review: This is a compilation of six short stories. It includes a simple retelling of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche.

This book is perfect if you want to brush up on a little Greek mythology. It was also written simply enough that it would work for some quick bedtime stories. As far as the stories themselves go, not my favorite. I guess it's hard to get the interesting details into a story when you're trying to write six different stories in such few pages.

If you're looking for something to read that will inform you of a few Greek myths or you just want something to read for a half hour or so to pass the time, this might be just the book for you. If you are looking for a book for your child to read, this wouldn't be a bad choice. If you want a detailed account of any of these six stories, however, I'd probably suggest looking elsewhere.

The Most Dangerous Game

by Richard Connell

Dedication:

First Paragraph: "Off to the right - somewhere - is a large island," said Whitney. "It's rather a mystery -" "What island is it?" Rainsford asked.

Review: It was also published as The Hounds of Zaroff. This is a short story - 48 pages. I think it took me around a half hour to read it.

Rainsford and his hunting friend Whitney are heading through the Caribbean on their way to their next hunting opportunity. Due to some misfortune Rainsford falls overboard and no one hears his cries for help. He makes his way to an island where he encounters a very strange man with even stranger ideas.

This wasn't my favorite story ever and yet, at the same time, it was kind of intriguing - the idea of it all. If you have a few minutes you might as well pick this up and read it. If you don't ever get around to it, you won't be any worse off.

On a side note, this short story has been adapted to film several times, but according to others, the most successful was the 1932 version. I can see why it would be a popular story to make into a film. Easy to adapt. Everything in the book is possible and it would make an interesting movie.