Harry, meet Edward.

I love Harry Potter. I don't think there's any secret about that. My 8 GB iPod is currently full with the audio books. Yup, all seven of them. They fit beautifully in 8 GB. As I drive or do boring, mindless tasks at work, or even while I'm cooking or cleaning at home, I listen to them. I'm currently listening to book 5. I would tell you what part, but the memory is being drowned by a more prominent literary memory. What could drown out Harry Potter?! you might ask. Well, it would be a excellent question. What could possibly drown Harry Potter from my mind? Part of me is ashamed to admit this.

Twilight.

My Relief Society bookclub is reading the newest book this month. I decided I wanted to participate in this book club for two reasons. 1) I wanted to socialize with these new sisters; find a niche in my new ward and 2) I've actually been finding time to read lately. I started going through the books on my bookcase at breakneck speed, and this new book club offered me a chance to get a library card and start reading new books. I haven't read new books in a long time.

But Twilight? I've watched as the world around be became obsessed with this Vampire-centered world. I wasn't turned off because they were about vampires. Meh. Who cares? More, I think, it was because many people were becoming obsessed and many others were rolling their eyes. I don't like people to roll their eyes at me. At least, not unless I did something on purpose, hoping to get them to roll their eyes. Also, I was never handed the opportunity to read the books; I had no desire to seek them out. Thus, I simply never read them. I wasn't against them, mind you. But I was... skeptical, I'll admit.

I felt like I had no choice. Yellow has read them. He's been telling me for months now (ever since he read them at Christmas) that I would like them and that I should read them. And now the girls at the book club were telling me that I would like them and if I wanted to participate in the next book club, I'd have to read all of them.

I suddenly empathized with everyone I have ever met that has not read Harry Potter and has no desire to do so. I'm sure I put on as much pressure, if not more. Though, I think I give much better arguments.

I gave in and borrowed the first book. It took me a couple of days to get started. I had better things to do, like teach my former roommate how to play Ticket to Ride. Or cleaning our room so that I could walk into it without a death wish. Last night I gave in and read. Until around midnight. This morning I woke up and read. Until 2:30 in the afternoon. Y'know... until I finished. Yellow was grateful, though. It gave him quality time to play whatever video game it is that he's been craving playing... and got bismark re-addicted to. Civilization something or the other. Something more specific. I could go look, but whatever.

Ok, I am addicted. I'll admit it. I joined the ranks of girls fawning over Edward and secretly hoping that he'll turn Bella into a vampire, but at the same time, scorning the thought because, really.... he just can't do that.

I put down the book and came out to catch up on the masses of news in my Google Reader. I read through my Harry Potter feeds with a laugh. Only I would put Twilight and Harry Potter together. Until I started reading things about Twilight in my Harry Potter feeds! Things about how "Harry Potter fans are mad for vampires" and about the new Twilight movie coming out. Then it hit me. Cedric Diggory is going to be Edward! Of course the two worlds are going to come smashing together. Did I ever have a hope of staying out of this one, too?

[sigh]

The one thing that really irritates me, though, is the fact that I can never name my daughter Bella. In the last two days I have fallen in love with the name, but my poor daughter would be forever linked with a book. Yes, I'm lame.