I spent Sunday reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer. And when I say I spent Sunday reading it, I mean that I spent ALL DAY at the dining room table turning pages as I propped the book up on my stylish Book Chair. The book debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. So, it was an amazing to unearth it in the “One Week Holds” section of my local library. I had been debating purchasing it or “renting” it after noting that there were (and still are) about 400 holds for the book at the public library.

The Host has been touted as science fiction for those of us who don’t dig sci-fi is…just that. It’s not so heavy on the science fiction. Though, I wouldn’t have minded either way. After having survived Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, I have more than earned my sci-fi stripes.

The Host is really a story about the true mettle of human beings. Meyers develops rich love stories. And characters—most notably, Wanderer (“Wanda” for short), who is just one of the many alien “parasites” that have descended upon Earth and taken human bodies as “hosts.” The book actually made me want to become a “pod” person.

That same Sunday night, my friend Ben was giving his first shiur (a class) on the High Holidays as part of his rabbinical internship at our local synagogue. As his time slot approached, I stared at the clock, the book and the shul (synagogue) bulletin with pained eyes. In the end, I decided to forgo the shiur. I remained chained to my seat. Until, of course, my husband dragged me out to another shiur the same night with only pages to go until the end of “The Host.” I think my hands were shaking from withdrawal throughout the entire shiur.

Sigh, priorities, sigh.

(Click here to read an excerpt from The Host. Did I mention that I liked it so much I’m STILL buying it even though I’ve already read it.)