Twilight has well and truly taken over the nation, and indeed our office.

I would probably need all my fingers and all my toes to count how many people have read or are reading the Twilight saga in the office.

Laughing all the way to the bank, author Stephanie Meyer could probably buy a nice red Ferrari with her earnings from the book sales here alone.

Many of the ladies here, young and young at heart, are gushing about Twilight.

For some, it is the first thing they think about when they wake up and the last thing they think about when they go to sleep.

For those that have been hibernating for the past year and have no clue what I’m talking about, the four books, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, follow a tumultuous yet passionate love story between a vampire and a mortal.

This story has gripped readers across the nation, and even though I am only up to the third book in the series, I can definitely see why.

Like all good books, it’s a form of escapism.

And like all good forms of escapism, it involves an utterly gorgeous leading male character.

For many young women, Edward and Bella’s relationship is like a pinnacle on which to base all other relationships.

It’s loving, it’s passionate, it’s protective and it’s dark.

But, whether you are team Edward or team Jacob, you will be racing to see the second movie in the series, New Moon, as fast as your legs will carry you.

This much anticipated movie had its first screening in Mandurah at midnight last night, and I will have the pleasure of seeing it with a group of vampire-obsessed buddies on Friday night.

Never before have I been so excited and consumed by a book and film franchise like I am right now.

I guffawed at the Harry Potter series, shunned Lord of the Rings and turned my back on Star Wars, but I am totally hooked and waiting with breath that is baited for New Moon.

So, until next time, see you at the movies Twilight fans, I’ll be the one with fake fangs, a powder-white face and a massive bucket of popcorn.

Email me your thoughts at holly.freitag@ruralpress.com