heidithebee

I picked this book up purely for the fact that it was a regency aimed at a teenage audience. I was curious, but also didn't have much hope. I had just finished The Luxe a few days before and was expecting another fashion, backstabbing, frenemie, based book loosely woven around a thin plot. I was pleasantly surprised. The Season is a well written, interesting story for those who might be taking their first step into the regency world, but aren't sure if they're ready for the likes of Jane Austen or the romances of Georgette Heyer. The plot had some weaknesses, namely being that the mystery was very loosely woven and felt rushed at the end. Much of the book was predictable, but the story was still a fun read.If you're looking for the greatest novel of our century then of course you won't be interested, but if you're looking for an enjoyable romp with innocent first love, a pinch of mystery, and a whole bunch of regency this is a good book for you.

The twelve dancing princesses has been a favorite fairy tale of mine ever since I saw the animated Grimm's Fairytale version on Nickelodeon (anyone else remember that show?). So of course I wanted to read this book when I found out about it.The first few pages had me hooked as we were introduced to the princesses mother and began to find out exactly how the girls started dancing. It steadily went down hill from there.Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book, but it could have been so much better. George did not tap into the wealth of a story that she began. I was glad to learn about the history of the royal family and the country they ruled. George put a great amount of thought and detail into these things, but forgot to develop her characters around them. Rose and Galen were flat, uninteresting lead characters. While I'm all for lust/attraction at first sight, something else has to happen for it to develop into love or I'm not convinced. If you enjoy the original fairy tale this book will add a little more dimension to the background of the world it takes place in, but don't expect it to flesh out those mysterious princesses or their hero out much more.

I enjoyed this book. Sue Monk Kidd did a beautiful job telling a story that we are familiar with: young southern girl, coming of age during the turbulent period of the American civil rights movement, searching for a sense of self and belonging. Our young narrator, Lily Owens, fits all of these. Kidd's treatment of the topic was well paced. Her use of words paints a vivid image of the wonderfully rich cast of characters: Rosaleen, the Boatwright sisters, etc. I won't say I couldn't put the book down, but I was always willing to pick it back up when I had time to read. I wanted to finish the story. I wanted to know what happened next, to everyone, even Lily's father. This book was successful at drawing me in and leaving me happy at the end.

Pollyanna is a delightful bit of escapism. Sure she's the most optimistic character in literature and the plot is ever bit saccharine, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. There are plenty of novels available that are realistic and full of depressing subjects, and sometimes it's good to read something that isn't that. I'm not going to start believing that I can make such a huge difference, but this book does make me feel a little bit more positive.

After slogging through Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, I was hesitant to take this one off my shelf. I gave it a few months and finally read it, and I can safely say that I wasn't overwhelmed by it, but at least I didn't want to burn it.This book was a quick read. It gave another perspective of what might have been going on in Darcy's head during the events of P&P. I wish it had fleshed Darcy out more. The whole reason I want to read books like this are to get another interpretation of a character whose growth was never really explained. It did stay relatively true to source so I can't fault it for that. If you can borrow it, buy it cheap, or really want another POV then go for this.

This book could have been better than ok. I actually enjoyed the writing style. It was very dreamy. But I believe there is a difference between being a liberated woman and being selfish and childish. There just wasn't enough character development for me to believe what was happening to Edna. I kept expecting something more to happen and then it was over before anything really seemed to happen.

Amalee is exactly the kind of book young preteen and teenage girls should be reading. The characterization of the heroine is wonderful and despite the fact that I haven't been that age for a decade I could still remember clearly having the same thoughts and feelings about life. Amalee is a realistic portrayal of a young girl discovering who she is and a great reminder that even us adults don't have everything together at all times either.

I can admit to a love of shopping and making excuses for the money I spend, but I still haven't gone to the quite the same lengths (or debt) as heroine Becky Bloomwood. It made me laugh and although the dramatic slant of Becky's mind sometimes got a little ridiculous I did enjoy myself. It's an entertaining read, but isn't what I would consider to be a must read.