The topic has been determined by request this week. We’ll see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, I won’t do it again. If it does, hey, the world’s your oyster! So here goes….in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, I need to fill you in on something. Romance is back. Sweeping the world. Setting the bar high, again, for men everywhere. Who, how , where I hear you asking, with a hint of hope and a reignited optimism. Well, it’s all due to the Cullen coven in Forks, Washington. You know, the vampires from the Twilight series and in particular, Edward (try to keep your hearts from fluttering if you can). Edward; lovely ice cold, beautiful, diamond skinned, stone statue-like Edward. Yes yes, he’s a vampire. But he’s a ‘vegetarian’ vampire and I think when we’re discussing vampires vegetarianism is a very redeeming feature. Especially if you’re dating one. These books are being read by women all over the world, of all ages. So Bella is lucky enough to have Edward fall head over heels for her. In fact, Bella has not just one young man madly in love with her, but two. What would the odds of that be in real life? See, Jacob the werewolf is keen on spending eternity with Bella too. How on earth would a girl choose? Both are pledging their hearts (OK, so Edward’s doesn’t beat, but that’s a minor detail, nothing stands in the way of true love) and Jacob turns into a big dangerous dog, but still, the tension is, at times, palpable. It is interesting, I think, when books generate the kind of response these ones have. The last series to be so popular, as far as I can tell, was Harry Potter, and for the most part, that was with kids and teenagers. And me, but I’m a bit odd like that. The Twilight series is being and has been read by almost everyone I know and everyone at some point has become equally as obsessed as I currently am – three books down and one to go and a clear weekend ahead to ensure as much reading time as possible. Why do we like them so much? They’re not in the slightest bit realistic, although if I could date a vampire right now I definitely wouldn’t rule it out. Or a werewolf, for that matter, let’s not deny Jacob’s obvious desirability. Anyway, I digress. After careful consideration and a lot of late nights reading, I’ve decided that our modern lives lack romance and that is what makes us all so wistful. Deep down, even with the vote and equal opportunity and careers and financial independence, I think we’d all like a tall, good looking, charismatic gentleman to come along and sweep us off our feet. Old fashioned values are touted quite strongly in the Twilight series and the books and movie tickets are selling like hotcakes. Bella is undoubtedly dependant on Edward and it doesn’t cause me any consternation at all. Maybe the world is reverting to a bygone era. I’d be OK with that, strong morals and values upheld, loyalty and family put first. And of course, having a guy always put you first, pledging fidelity and love and passion and kindness for all eternity would be too good to pass up. That’s it, my mind is made up! I’m going to wait for a romance that has a bit of bite.