I love writing, but reading is a whole different story. Whenever I pick up a book, I start yawning before I can turn the page.

That (sort of) changed when my friend turned me on to the Twilight series. Since then, I have had some faith in some of her suggested reading. After dodging a few of her suggestions, she finally got me with this series she raved about. The first book is titled Fifty Shades of Grey.

She said that if I liked love stories, then I would like this one. It had been quite a while since I had picked up a book and read through it from beginning to end. Heck, I can barely re-read Breaking Dawn. Still, I felt a little reluctant. When she said “love story,” I couldn’t help but envision the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” commercials. F(l)abio just isn’t my type.

My friend finally got me when she said I could preview the first chapter of Fifty Shades of Grey online for free. So, I took her up on it. After all, free is good. That sold me.

I read the first chapter or so on my Droid Bionic. It seemed interesting enough, so I decided to buy it and read the rest. For the first few chapters, I kind of got the same joy I did as when I first read the original Twilight. Then I started noticing similarities. After doing some research, I discovered that Fifty Shades started out as a Twilight fanfic.

Now, let me say that there are similarities, but that doesn’t mean Fifty Shades is Twilight re-told. The books can exist on their own, and they’re penned by different writers.

The premise is basically the same: A young, virginal woman falls for this super hot dude. The guy is stinkin’ filty rich. But he’s NOT a vampire. If you’ve read or heard any press on Fifty Shades of Grey, then you’ve probably heard that it’s “Mommy porn.”

I’ll admit, once I got into those parts of the book veered off the path of PG-13 Twilight, I had to ask my friend if I should continue reading. It was a bit of a turn off for me because it seemed more like a book about sex than love. However, my friend insisted that I keep on reading. And I’m so glad I did.

The book made me laugh and nearly brought me to tears. When I finished it (it took me a few weeks to finish because I’m that slow when it comes to reading; my friend read the entire series of 3 books in 6 days), I could not wait to get my hands on the next book in the series — Fifty Shades Darker. I actually haven’t gotten it yet, but I probably will within the next 48 hours.

Fifty Shades of Grey is something that you have to keep reading. Yes, it has those weird moments, but it leaves you wanting more. Who is Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings? The book just barely scratches the surface.

Don’t think this is book is for chicks. Check out this article in the Huffington Post.

Bottom Line: Whether you loved, hated or never read Twilight, give Fifty Shades of Grey a chance if you like a modern love story. It just might add a little spark in your life. 😉 Besides, the movie rights have already been sold. Read it before it hits the big screen!