So Freakin' Cute

Not too long ago, I read a review by Angie on Jennifer Echols' Going Too Far. She suggested that it'd be a good fit for fans of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry. Seeing as I adored Perfect Chemistry, I immediately added Going Too Far to my TBR list.

Well, she was right--I loved Going Too Far as well. I couldn't put it down. I started reading it around 9:45 p.m. last night (big mistake). An hour later, I had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed. Today I thought about it on and off all day, excited to finish it.

The plot is fairly simple: bad teen girl gets in trouble and as punishment, is forced to spend her spring break with a cop during his night shift, driving around their small town and doing police-y work. And they just might end up falling for each other...

But what takes the work above the standard plot is the writing and the characters themselves. I literally laughed out loud at some parts and smiled out of sheer enjoyment at others. Meg and the police officer both have their own issues to work through, but they do and don't let a Big Misunderstanding keep them apart. And did I mention that the book is so freakin' cute? The characters aren't cutesy in themselves but the writing makes the story adorable. Sometimes all you want is a happy, funny story and this fit the bill perfectly.

Rating: 10/10

Quite a wait

Back in January, I added Kristen Heitzmann's Rules of Contact to my Amazon wishlist. I happened to check on it today and see that Amazon says it's going to be released on "December 31, 2035." Obviously that's an error but an amusing one, nonetheless. Guess it's going to have to spend 24 years on my wishlist....

My twin?

I have a few blogs that I read in fell swoops every now and then--one being The YA YA YAs. I was catching up on it today and discovered a hilarious post that mentions my blog. Evidently Trisha from The YA YA YAs and I have eerily similar taste in our reading choices...

Hello again

So I haven't been reading any new books lately. I'm just in a re-reading mood. This week, it's been Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (which was just as charming and adorable as the first time I read it) and...one other book. Hmmm. Oh! I remember: When Twilight Burns, in preparation for the final book in the series, As Shadows Fade.

Currently I'm reading my one nonfiction book of the month, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). So far, so good...except it's convincing me that I'm a bad driver...

A love song to reading

I've been in a re-reading mood this week...first Rites of Spring (Break) and then M. M. Kaye's Death in Cyprus. Kaye's writing is so familiar and comforting. Seriously, there is such a joy to re-reading a book, knowing exactly what is going to happen and yet noticing new details or reinterpreting a phrase or a character's action. Anyway, after I finished Death, I wanted something sweet and short to occupy my time until I could get to Borders to buy Silent on the Moor. I found the perfect little read at my library.

Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader is truly an ode to reading. I had heard excellent reviews of this book in many different places and can see why Reader is earning acclaim.

The novella is about the Queen of England, who toward the end of her life, discovers she loves reading. She really, realy LOVES reading. She begins to ignore all her duties in favor of reading--much to the dismay of her subjects. The novella is sprinkled with all sorts of observations about reading and those who love books. The ending was perfect and I may have even laughed out loud. If you love reading, you'll probably enjoy this short story.

Rating: 9/10

Sweetly realistic

It's not a secret that I'm a huge Lauren Willig fan. A new book of hers comes out, I buy it--in hardcover. Her newest book, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, has been eagerly anticipated by me for, oh, about a year now.

I don't want to do a full-out review on this book because I devoured it...which means I read it so quickly (because I was! so! excited!) that I didn't have time to fully savor it.

Anyway, here's an abbreviated summary of the book, courtesty of Willig's site:

"After 12 years in India, Robert, Duke of Dovedale, returns to his estates in England with a mission in mind-- to infiltrate the infamous Hellfire club to unmask the man who murdered his mentor at the Battle of Assaye. Intent on revenge, Robert never anticipates that an even more difficult challenge awaits him, in the person of one Lady Charlotte Lansdowne. Throughout her secluded youth, Robert was Lady Charlotte’s favorite knight in shining armor, the focus of all her adolescent daydreams. The intervening years have only served to render him more dashing. But, unbeknownst to Charlotte, Robert has an ulterior motive of his own for returning to England, a motive that has nothing to do with taking up the ducal mantle. As Charlotte returns to London to take up her post as Maid of Honor to Queen Charlotte, echoes from Robert’s past endanger not only their relationship but the very throne itself."

In some ways, I think this is Willig's most well-written book. She's definitely grown as a writer and has shifted into more of a historical writer--which I like. The sensuality in her books has decreased as well; in this one, the couple share just a few kisses. However, that suits her characters--Charlotte is certainly no Amy or Henrietta; she's a dreamer and much more reserved. Her actions suit her character.

A major theme underlying the novel was the reworking of the hero and heroine's perceptions of each other. They had to cast away their romantic ideals and see each without their own perceptions clouding their view of the other person. According to my mother, this is something I need to do...bleh.

There wasn't much (ok, any) action from the Pink Carnation but from interviews I've read with Willing, this book's plot helps set up future plots that do involve the Pink Carnation. Yay for spies.

On a last note, I really liked the French spy. I'm not sure who he is but I hope he'll show up later on! His interactions with Charlotte and Henrietta were hilarious and delightful. In my mind, he's a good mate for Jane...there's only the little issue of him serving France and her England...

Rating: 8.5/10

Russia!

I have a fascination with Russia. It's somewhere I'd never want to live--I'd be miserably cold 90% of the time, I imagine--and yet, the people and culture intrigue me. That could be one reason why I loved David Benioff's City of Thieves but really, it's probably just because it's a good book.

So when I went to the library the other day, I had three books in mind that I wanted to check out. And of course, all three were already checked out. In my desperate search for enough books to tide me over to my next visit, I stumbled across City of Thieves and vaguely remembered hearing excellent reviews about it. I love, love, love the cover, so I was sold. (Seriously, I could see it as a poster. I'd buy it.)

Here's the basic plot: It's WWII. Lev is a 17-year-old Russian who has been jailed as a looter after stealing a flask off a dead German paratrooper. He think he's going to die but the colonel in charge gives him and another prisoner (a deserter), Kolya, a task to accomplish in exchange for their lives: find a dozen eggs. Oh, and by the way, this is during the siege of Leningrad, which is so bad that some people are turning into cannibals. The story follows their journey to find a dozen eggs.

Benioff's writing is funny, engaging, bittersweet and captures the spirit of Russia during that era. I loved the way the book was framed, which made the ending perfect. It's a short read and totally captivated me. I'm happy I read this book.

Rating: 9.5/10

Utterly charming

I was so tired at work today (thank the Lord for the Starbucks in my office building) because I stayed up too late last night finishing the most charming and adorable book. I simply had to finish it! Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is a rare book, a sequel that's even better than the first.

The Penderwicks sisters are back home after their wonderful summer vacation. Fall is about to start and with it, a change that will rock the Penderwicks forever. (Hmm, that sounds super-dramatic, but it's really not that sort of book. It's just sweet.) Their father will start dating again.

About four years ago, the girls' mother died from cancer. Since then, it's been the four girls and their professor father, happily chugging along. But when a certain letter forces Mr. P into the dating scene, the girls aren't too happy and concoct a "Save-Daddy-Plan," which of course, has disastrous results. (At one point, Mr. P says he's going off on a date with "Marianne Dashwood." That name sounded so familiar and after 30 minutes of on-and-off-thinking about it, I realized who she was and laughed. Again, charming.) The sisters all have their own separate plot lines which are never confusing and weave together nicely. It's a witty book, with clever, funny little sentences for adults. I was giggling out loud at certain paragraphs. (I can't find the page, but it's when Jane and Skye are talking about a poem of Jane's that Skye turned in as hers and the teacher just can't quite believe it's Skye's.)

Birdsall says she wanted to write a book that is the sort of book she used to read when she was a little girl. I'd say she did a fabulous job.

Rating: 10/10

Spy girl: part two

I snapped up Ally Carter's Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy. While it wasn't as good as the first one, it was still a fun read. And the male interest was a lot more interesting/challenging/yeah, I just liked him more. This is a fun, clean series--definitely worth checking out.

Spies = Fun

My friend Julie recommended Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You as a really fun read. She was so right!


Sixteen-year-old Cameron "Cammie" Morgan is a spy-in-training. She, along with about 100 other girls, attend the Gallagher Academy, a special preparatory school that teaches the girls all they'll ever need to know about being spy. (The descriptions about their classes are farfetched and yet so fun. Carter does a good job of making everything believeable--you can almost swallow the whole story without any hiccup. Since I love spy stories, I happily accepted everything she said.)

When Cammie meets an ordinary guy while out on a mission, she falls for him. But is he a good guy? Cammie and her friends do a bit of recon work on him (which, again, is really funny and entertaining) to make sure he's alright. He appears to really like Cammie--but can the super spy and the ordinary boy actually date?

I really like this book. It's fun, full of hilarious asides about spy escapades and even my brother admitted it looked good. It's an easy read that's thoroughly entertaining.

Rating: 9/10

Ahhh

I found an apartment! Actually, I shouldn't use the word "finally" because I literally visited my first apartment last Saturday and today I signed the lease for mine. Perhaps that sentence should read: "After visiting nine or so apartments in four days, I found one that I love--screw looking around for a better deal! I like it, I want it and I've given up any hope of finding an apartment with a dishwasher." Yay! Now comes moving time--so my reading time may be dampered for awhile.

Still, I managed to finish Elizabeth Peters' Legend in Green Velvet. I read somewhere it was first published as Ghost in Green Velvet, which actually is a better title.

Again, I hate this cover. There were NO dogs in the book--only cats--so why is there a dog on the cover? I suppose because it's a Scottie and the book is set in Scotland. I really don't like these modern covers of Peters' books.

Anyway, classic Peters' story: girl accidently falls in adventure/mystery (this time, in a foreign setting). Guy becomes involved in the story--they fall in love. Humor abounds. This may be bad, but I don't get stressed about really following the plotline--how the characters arrive at certain conclusions and figure out the bad guys is a bit farfetched and oddly complex, so I just let it roll over me. Her books are just pleasure reading for me.

There was quite a bit of Scottish history thrown about (think Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlies, etc.) and a bit of modern history. The main guy evidently looked like a certain royal figure--but Peters was being so coy about who it was that it completely went over my head. Sorry, but I have no idea who was hott young royalty back then!

All in all, another satisying work by Elizabeth Peters.

Rating: 7.5/10

Sweet

After reading only positive reviews about Maureen Johnson's Suite Scarlett, I had to check it out for myself. The conclusion? It was really cute and just plain nice.

I love this cover--and for once, this is sooo close to how I actually picture Scarlett in my head--right down to her awesome lipstick.

The story has a nice, old-fashioned feel to it. Scarlett Martin and her family live in a New York hotel. The hotel has slowly been going downhill, with just an occassional guest or two nowadays. Scarlett and her siblings--Spencer, Lola and Marlene--know that the hotel is in trouble. But when an eccentric guest, Mrs. Amy Amberson, checks in, the hotel just might have a future again. Mrs. A. becomes involved in Spencer's acting career, Scarlett's love life and yeah, even saving the hotel. It's just a nice, funny, good story.

Scarlett and Spencer's relationship is such a good example of how close siblings could be. (I'm jealous. And I always wanted an older brother so I could meet his friends. Sigh.) I also really liked how Scarlett's love interest, Eric, was approached. Scarlett describes him as "ordinary plus," meaning he's not gorgeous but for some reason, he just attracts her. Let's be real; most of us will end up with ordinary people--I love that Johnson embraces that in her concept of "ordinary plus."

Did I mention the book was funny, too? Maureen Johnson's style of writing is clever and witty. I even re-read certain lines--they were just that amusing.

All in all, I recommend it!

Rating: 9/10

In celebration

My Hottie Monday pick has been in two things that I love: Chuck and She's the Man. Admittedly, She's the Man is a dumb teen movie but it makes me laugh so hard that I've cried. I've seen the movie twice and have cried with laughter twice (and at the stupidest part...literally...it's the part when the sprinkler guy shows up...I could laugh right now if I think about it too much). Also, I have to celebrate that Chuck will be on next week. Yay!

Anyway, Jonathan Sadowski has had smallish roles in both but his face is so distinctive and chiseled. And I liked him in both shows. (He's the one on the right. I wasn't in the mood to crop the photo. Also, Amanda Bynes is a rather interesting looking guy, isn't she? Do yourself a favor and watch that movie.)

Happy Hottie Monday!

Haikus everywhere

I randomly stumbled across two blogs today with haiku contests: Fyrefly's Book Blog and bookshelves of doom. How bizarre is that? Of course I entered both...if you're feeling creative, you should, too!

I was wrong

For over a year I had debated whether to read Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer's Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot. It sounded like a book I'd like--set in Regency England, was recommended by Amazon for me, it's a YA book, etc. However, the negatives kept me away--it's written in letter format (I really don't care for that style), has witches (I don't like witches or Satanic-related activity), it's written in letter format and lastly, it's written in letter format. I'm glad I finally broke down (aka couldn't find any other book I wanted to read at the library) and read Sorcery and Cecelia because it was adorable and the letter writing style didn't bother me at all!

The tale is set in Regency England and is a series of letters exchanged between two cousins, Cecelia and Kate. Cecelia is home in the country while Kate is off in London having her first Season. The girls both accidentally stumble into a dastardly plot involving magic (and a Marquis and a not-so-stealthy spy). It was just a happy and adorable book! The letters weren't annoying at all--they featured only interesting details and weren't so freakin' long that it'd be impossible to actually write (cf. Pamela). It's a rare book that can make me like letter/diary novel. (Bridget Jones is another example of a diary book that I actually liked.)

Sorcery and Cecelia was one of those wonderful books where everything happened that I wanted but nothing was forced. I loved the two romantic leads in the book...and the romances themselves were adorable and developed so satisfyingly. I liked all the characters, the settings, the plot.....do me a favor and go read it!

Rating: 10/10

What an invitation

At a garage sale this weekend, I hit one awesome sale--the lady just wanted to get rid of everything. I was able to get four books for 25 cents! Bling bling. I actually ended up getting six books for my church's library and two for myself. One book I picked up was a Nancy Drew mystery: The Twin Dilemma. The book isn't part of the original series; it's actually part of the later "Nancy Drew Mystery Stories." Twin Dilemma was written in 1981 and the series evidently went up through the 2000s.

But the cover lured me in. Its tagline read: "Nancy receives an engraved invitation to danger." How could I resist? An ENGRAVED invitation to danger???? How exciting!

Unfortunately, there were no invitations anywhere in the book, other than vocal ones. Booo to misleading cover descriptions. And how disappointing that there was no engraving anywhere.

Basically the plot is this: Nancy, Bess and George go to visit Nancy's Aunt Eloise in New York City, who has to be the worst aunt ever. She lets the girls go wherever and do whatever they want--alone!--in freakin' NYC. The girls are only 18! Auntie E never makes them check in--at one point, the girls are trapped in a BURNING BUILDING and have a narrow escape but when they get home, Aunt Eloise is asleep. They wait until morning to tell her what happened. Her response? "Oh, you'd better call your father and tell him your adventure." Another time, Bess and George leave a party with two random guys who end up being bad guys. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Anyway, the book features about four different mysteries, somehow loosely tied together. There was something about a missing model, then a kidnapped reporter, then missing clothing, lying people, illegal imports, conniving employees and other connections I don't understand. This is kind of embarrassing, but it was too taxing to figure it all out and remember who all the random people were, so I gave up. I'm still not sure what happened. (This might be a good time to mention that I have a B.A. in English and a master's degree in library science...so I am literate. Still, that Nancy Drew was too much for me.)

Let's not even go into the believability aspects of the parts I did understand. A top designer let Nancy model, gave her sketches of his designs and let her wear his dresses to random parties. Whatever. Not even Nancy Drew could finagle that.

To be honest, I'm going to recycle this book. No one should ever read it--I love the original Nancy Drew books, but this was just pure trash that didn't make sense. On the plus side, it was entertaining at times.

Rating: 3/10

Unintentionally hilarious

To keep up with my "read one classic book per month that I've never read" goal, I picked up The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. Written in the early 1800s, it is hilarious and fantastic--as in the sense of "extreme as to challenge belief" and "marked by extravagant fantasy" (thanks for those definitions, Webster).


The basic plot is this: a family of six is stranded on a desert island somewhere in the tropics. Everyone else on the ship dies but them; thankfully, the ship is beached and the Robinson family can ransack it for EVERYTHING you could possibly ever need.

This is a fantasy; the family can do and make anything you can think of--bridges, a house, irrigation systems, a weaving loom, etc. Their life isn't hard; it's just busy making different tools and such.

Oh, and this island they live on is populated with an incredible amount of species. Don't worry though--Father Robinson knows every single animal that ever existed. Here's a sampling of the wildlife found on the island: flamingos, penguins, buffaloes, capybaras, condors, bears, tigers, lions, eagles, 30-foot-long boa constrictors, ostriches (which they TAME and RIDE) and oh so much more.

The family is very trigger-happy, though. At one point, they kill 40 apes. Wow. Comparing their attitudes toward wildlife to ours is a study in itself. At least the family generally eats every creature they kill. (At one point they eat a whale's tongue and bear paws! Disgusting.)

Read this book in good fun. It will make you laugh--but that probably wasn't the author's intentions. Oh well...

Rating: 8/10 (for sheer entertainment!)

Two in two

I'm on a reading binge, as I have less than a week left of freedom--the new job starts next Tuesday! In honor of my Elizabeth Peters' summer, I read Devil-May-Care and then to suit my nautical mood, Mad Kestrel (by Misty Massey).

First of all, Devil-May-Care is also the name of a James Bond book. Anyway, Peters' book is a stand alone novel, featuring an old mansion plagued by ghosts. There was definitely a more Barbara Michaels-esque feeling to this book, except toward the end when more comedy was added. The book was funny and interesting. The plot is this: Ellie and her tight-laced fiancé visit her crazy Aunt Kate, who is about to set off on an adventure. Ellie stays to watch Kate's house and animals but soon she has several midnight visitors...who appear to be ghosts. Add in an appealing and attractive neighbor and you've got a funny mystery. I love knowing that Peters' satisfies my reading needs each time!

Rating: 8/10

Up next, pirates! I like this cover of Mad Kestrel.

While I like the art, for some bizarre reason, it reminds me of Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa. Perhaps that's just my art history classes peeping up in my subconscious...

One aspect I liked about this book was that it's a fantasy. There's magic and it's set in a different world. There was plently of adventure and swashbuckling scenes. While the main character, Kestrel, is a lady pirate, it seemed plausible. She was realistic about what she could and couldn't do. There wasn't as much romance as I'd like but hopefully there will be in books to come...

It's a debut novel and I think it shows a little bit (more telling than seeing). Still, it was a good read and I'd be happy to keep on reading this author.

Rating: 7/10

Nerves = Reading

I'm waiting to hear back about two jobs and the suspense has been eating away at me for the last week. In order to distract myself, I've been watching a lot of Olympics (go men's volleyball!) and reading constantly.

Here's what I've read since Monday:

The Dead Sea Cipher by Elizabeth Peters -- A stand-alone mystery featuring biblical archeology, spies, romance and classic Peters writing. It was fun, easy reading and suited my mood perfectly. I like that I can trust Peters for a good vintage read.

Rating: 8/10

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry -- This book for children (but probably appreciated more by parents) pokes fun at all sorts of classic clichés--nannies, orphans, abandoned babies, missing heirs...you get the idea. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Lowry added a darling (silly word, I know, but it is darling!) glossary and a bibliography of books she satirized at the end. Here's her description of Toby Tyler; Or, Ten Weeks With The Circus by James Otis: "An orphan named Toby runs away and joins the circus, but it is not a happy experience. His employer is a villian named Mr. Lord. The only one who loves him is a monkey. But the monkey dies." I've never heard of this book, but I want to read it!

Rating: 8.5/10

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle -- It features twin sisters who practice magic. The girls are living in pre-Victorian England and are, of course, wealthy. They are about to go into their first season when their governess is kidnapped. They plot to rescue her but titled gentry, pretty dresses and society distract them. To be honest, this book didn't do that much for me...familiar plots, silly love problems, etc. It's definitely a YA book.

Rating: 7/10

Sparkly

I read Neil Gaiman's Stardust last year, before the movie came out. I really enjoyed it--it was a fairy tale, romance and adventure all tumbled into one.

Isn't this cover gorgeous? My copy is the movie edition but I like this cover much more.

The story follows 18-year-old Tristran Thorn, who promises his beloved Victoria that he will fetch a fallen star for her. If he does, she will do whatever he wishes. Tristan must go into the land of Faerie and brave witches, enchantments and murdeous kings in order to fetch the star and bring her (yes, the star is actually a girl) back to his love. The ending is delightful and ties the plot together nicely.

It's definitely appropriate for a YA audience but adults will like it just as much. For me, it's a comfort read--easy, delightful and worth savoring.

Rating: 10/10