I vaguely remember the vigils and fight to free Saeed during high school. It's pretty crazy the kind of people that God still uses for the good of His Church.

Also crazy how unimpressive a lot of these American Christian "leaders" are behind the scenes, even if they're not directly harmful. I mean, I'm not entirely surprised, just sad.

"Like every journalist, I lie for a living."

Boats. -AGGRESSIVELY PUTS IN A LESS THAN THREE HEART BECAUSE PAGEBOUND HATES ME-

I'm not crying, you're crying.

Pretty much the same as the other Christoph von Schmid book I read today.

More like "the silly story of how a lady got her not-dead husband back because she had terrible handwriting" but Easter egg works too.

Spoilers below (for Dracula, ironically).

This will probably be my favorite of the books. It's just (almost) the perfect levels of totally unhinged and insane, and I had a great time (until Edward came back, but whatever).

In Dracula, there's a horrifying sequence where Dracula forms a bond/starts to turn Jonathan's wife Mina into a vampire. It doesn't involve him biting her, and the scene is gut-wrenching to read (partially because it has SA parallels). But for what I'm talking about here, that beginning to turn Mina forms a psychic link with Dracula, and gives her the ability to be able to see through Dracula's eyes while she's hypnotized. That link could also, if she's near enough in Dracula's proximity, cause her to turn into one of his pawns via his psychic control of her.

Throughout most of this book, Bella is actively hallucinating, and actively seeking out situations that will cause her to hallucinate, Edward's voice in her head. Apparently it's not a psychic link, he doesn't remember it happening, BUT, I choose to believe it is a psychic link. (Unless he's actually lying. -ninja emoji-) This book is so much more hilarious and bearable when you imagine that Edward is a vampire in the tradition of Dracula. A truly evil, manipulative, and horrifying being who's psychically linked with Bella in order to continue working his evil machinations in Forks even when he's not physically there. Stake him through the heart, cut off his head, and stuff his mouth with garlic.

If I was still in college, maybe I'd write a paper about this book, forcing my interpretation onto it. But I am no longer in a traditional education system, and writing that paper wouldn't benefit me in any way, so unless I start a booktube channel (unlikely), it'll stay in my head for now.

Also I do find it very interesting how actively Edward /doesn't want/ Bella to be a vampire. I know the series is heavily influenced Mormon propaganda, and the vampires are supposed to be Mormons, but it's so fascinating how actively he's trying /not/ to make her a vampire. Shouldn't he be more eager? Ig he's technically not at Mormon missionary age yet (or is long past it depending on your read), but like. Even outside of missionaries, I thought being excited to bring in more people was their whole schtick. Why aren't there vampire missionaries in this world? Spreading the good news of undying life and eating animals. Also Edward's constant belief that he's unclean/unholy/damned. I'm so curious about the motivation behind that (other than stretching this out for four books). Repressed repulsion for the cult? You can do it, Stephanie! You can escape! You're not doomed to be Mormon forever!

I can see why it's a beloved children's classic. St. John's prose and characters are endearing and she creates situations that are incredibly complex and gripping. Unfortunately, it's theologically very off base, and weirdly very modern American Christianity.