Mondays Bite:Twilight Re-read Along Week 1 Discussion

So week 1 of the Twilight re-read along hosted by Greads. There is still time to sign up and just catch up with the reading or join in in the comments below. This week Lisa is hosting the discussion and will sent the discussion questions for next week.

I was off work sick this week and since I spent most of my time sleeping I only just finished my required reading of chapters 1 - 5.

1. Have you ever had to start over in a new place, like Bella did in Forks? This new place could be a school, job, or town... just something with a new setting. How easy or difficult was this for you?

I have never moved town and I moved school when I was 10 from the local primary school to high school. While doing my teacher training I moved schools quite a bit. Even as an adult I found moving from school to school difficult, with both the pupils and the other teachers. Whenever I enter a new setting for me people around me usually perceive me as being quite shy... I am not! I just like to watch the proceedings for a while and get the lay of the land. This usually works for me and keeps me calm.

2. Do you picture the actors from the movie as the characters in the book while you are reading?

Most of the time I do. I think this may be because I saw the film first and then bought all the books on my way home from the cinema. (I can be impulsive at times.) There are a few character who I see differently. Unfortunately for Rob P I see Edward as taller, more broody and more handsome. Bella a little more graceful. I see Alice a little more petite and elfish. Most of the other characters I see just as they are portrayed on screen.

3. What are your first thoughts on meeting Edward in Bella’s Biology class? At first he was annoyed by her presence, but then after a week away he returns & finds him self very interested in her. Do you think this helped or hindered the storyline?

I think that the hostility felt in the first meeting between Bella and Edward, and the subsequent meeting over a week later, helped the storyline. I think without the animosity at the beginning of their relationship helps to cement Bella's obsession with seeing him and constantly seeking him out wherever they are. I believe that had Edward been overly friendly, as the other guys had, Bella may have been less intrigued in the beginning.

4. Out of the secondary characters Bella meets at school, who is your favorite and why? (I am referring to the humans, not the vampires in this question)

My favorite secondary character introduced at school is Jessica. I relate to her been friendly with the new girl. I also understand her actions when in her head Bella has come into the school and all of the attention from Mike suddenly shifts to Bella. I get Jessica and I think we would be buddies!

5. There is a lot of dialogue between Edward and Bella in these first few chapters that I feel played a major role in developing their relationship. What are some of your favorite quotes? or moments?

In the first 5 chapters of the book my favorite Edward-Bella moment is not a conversation, but is an acknowledgement between the pair.

'"Hello Edward" I said pleasantly, to show him I was going to behave myself.

He turned his head a fraction towards me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, then looked the other way.'

I like that this shows that even though they are trying to ignore each other they can't pretend the other does not exist, even at the beginning of their relationship - love, love, love that simple gesture!

Next week's discussion points for chapters 6-10 are :

1. because we have to talk about it sometime - are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?  does that impact how you re-read the book?

2. Bella spends a lot of her time by herself in her room when she's not at school. what do you think this says about her as a character? can you relate to her introverted nature?

3. probably my favorite chapter of the entire book, chapter eight brings us dress shopping, nearly getting assaulted, and then wraps up nicely with a quaint dinner and confession time. in this we see the blend of typical teenage existence starting to get tainted by the paranormal world. if given the choice right then, would you push to know more about the paranormal, or bury your head in the sand and live the teenage dream?

4. already, it's pretty clear that Bella is falling for Edward. is this happening too quickly to be plausible, or is it totally reasonable to you? what about Edward do you find to be swoonworthy at this point?

5. Jessica has to forcibly remove all of the details on what's going on from Bella, but through that we learn more about how she's feeling and how she's falling for Edward already. if you were in Jessica's shoes, what would you say to Bella?

What do are your views? Post in the comments below...