City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I know that Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" is the hot teen book right now, but I honestly couldn't get into it. The setting was great - all that rain and fog was just right for a vampire theme. But I got tired of Bella mooning over Edward the vampire and kept wanting to shriek at her "Focus on your studies!" "He's totally unsuitable!" "What are your parents going to say?" sigh..it must be my age showing.

However, I loved City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Yes, there are vampires and romance. There is also tons of action and a wonderfully twisting plot. Fifteen-year-old Clary becomes involved with teens who belong to a mysterious group called the Shadowhunters. They are embroiled in an attempt to find an ancient cup possessed of great powers, before former Shadowhunter Valentine gets his hands on it. It does sound like a pretty standard plot, but it grabbed my attention with complex characters and relationships, clever plot surprises, and entertaining dialogue.

A fun read and the first in a series.