Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

While reading this book I couldn't help think it was like Battlestar Galactica for teens without the cylons. The story is way different than Battlestar but that's what it reminded me of.

When Earth started to die a group of people were chosen to go into space and look for a New Earth. I'm not exactly sure how these people were chosen but I don't think its that important. Two identical ships were launched into space. The New Horizon started it's journey a year before the Empyrean. Somehow the two meet up with each other before the scheduled time. What you find out is that going into space somehow made these people infertile. The Empyrean ship found a cure and the New Horizon ship did not. The New Horizon ship comes after the Empyrean for it's girls. The Empyrean is not equipped to handle the attack of the New Horizon and all the young girls are taken including the oldest, Waverly who is fifteen. Left behind on the Empyrean are all the young boys and a few adults. The rest of the adults leave to try and get the girls back. Every few chapters of the book alternate between Waverly on the New Horizon ship and Kieran, her boyfriend, on the Empyrean.

This was a book I couldn't put down. The Empyrean is a great place to live. All Waverly has to worry about is whether or not she should marry her boyfriend Kieran and start a family. Due to the infertility problems it is best if you start having babies early on. But she does seem to have some feelings for Seth, who may or may not be a very good guy. When the Empyrean is attacked Waverly and Kieran's lives get turned upside down. Waverly has to survive being on a unknown ship with strangers with a captain that seems nice but isn't. Kieran has to deal with being in charge of a bunch of boys that don't all see eye to eye with him. You don't exactly know what happens to all the adults. You don't know who to trust. I can't wait for the next book. It comes out next summer.

Amanda Grange's novel "Wickham's Diary"

Noted novelist Amanda Grange has made her career out of retelling Jane
Austen's favorite novels from the hero's point of view. In this book, instead, she
gives us a diary of one of the villainous male characters from the Austen canon.
Unfortunately, it does not follow the same format as her wildly popular books
based on the diaries of Fitzwilliam Darcy ("Pride and Prejudice"), Colonel
Brandon ("Sense and Sensibility"), Mr. Knightley ("Emma") and Captain
Wentworth ("Persuasion"). This time, she tells the story of G~orge Wickham
BEFORE he enters the drama of "Pride and Prejudice", and somehow, that
strikes a false note for me.

While I love Grange's writing style - her words go down as smoothly as a Brandy
Alexander in a fancy steakhouse - my enjoyment of this book is lessened by the
fact that she gives her readers Wickham's early life, and not the story as covered
by Austen in her novel. That probably would not have been as jarring had I not
already read Grange's many other Austen-inspired novels.

This book does have some positive aspects - it does fill in some psychological
details not found in Austen's book, which is appealing to the modern reader-who
(like me) wants to know WHY a character does something, 'But I still feel
cheated. I would have preferred if Grange had followed her format, and given a
nice story of what Wickham thought of Elizabeth Bennet in the time period
covered by Austen, because that would answer a nagging question, for many
readers .of "Pride and Prejudice" - did Wickham really like Lizzy, or did he always
have her youngest sister in his romantic crosshairs? But that question goes
unanswered by Grange, since she ends this novel with Wickham fleeing to
London after trying and failing to seduce Mr. Darcy's sister, a scene which
happens before P & P's events begin.

In summary, this book was written for a reader who just wants to pick up a good
book and read something pleasant for a few hours. For die-hard Grange fans,
however, who like me may have hangups and a history with the author and her
style, this book is about as satisfying as snack-sized Halloween candy - it gives
you a taste of something' good, but leaves you wishing for something more.

Submitted by Gerti

Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan's "A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man"

While the title doesn't sound like the usual romance novel fare, it (and the cover
art!) give ample evidence that there will be some bawdy content here. And there
is! It's been a while since I've read a book so dedicated to describing the sex act
and its variations, but this book certainly does cover its bases where that is
concerned, which to my mind puts it right out for an early or pre-teen audience.
And while it's age appropriate for me to read, I'm still embarrassed that I have!
It's the sort of book you want to put in a paper wrapper to read.

However, that said, there is a right way and a wrong way to do salacious content,
and I must admit that these authors handled it well. There was never a time when

I had to put the book down in disgust or laugh out loud at some clumsy word
choice, which can sometimes happen with these bodice-rippers. The characters
were believable, and their actions understandable to modern sensibilities. The
villains are also diverse enough to keep things interesting. The book frequently
flips back and forth in time, as there is a main character in modern day who is a
museum curator, and a heroine from Regency times whose family has
inadvertently left the museum her dirty diaries. But until the end, when time flips--
very quickly, the lively pacing means the change of place doesn't hurt the

narrative flow at all.

Ultimately, however, the book is the story of each woman discovering her
sexuality and freedom in whatever time period she is born into, and that makes
for an interesting read. As the back cover so succinctly states, the book "will
sweep you away - across continents, centuries, and bedrooms." It is a wild
romantic ride, but one that you'll be afraid to read in front of the kids, at soccer
games or in car line. The ending especially serves to bring both time periods
together in a nicely tied package, as the Regency lady's ring is given to modern
woman for her wedding ring. While I think I blushed like a school girl through
several chapters, I commend the authors for their writing skills, and understand
why they are considered giants in the genre.

Submitted by Gerti

Shannon Hale's novel "Austenland"

This book has a magical premise - what if there were a place like Austenland
where modern romance-starved adults could experience Regency England? A
place where Fashion Bug-attired women could change into empire-waisted
gowns and spend their days in the leisurely style of Jane Austen's characters,
except without all the unmentionable hygiene issues like no modern plumbing?
Well, here is the place, and the heroine of the book, Miss Jane Hayes, gets to go
to Austenland thanks to the perceptive gift of an elderly relative who sees that
Jane needs a little Mr. Darcy in her life.

And yes, Jane does have her romances during her several week stay in
Austenland, finally ending up with the character most like Darcy, called Mr.
Nobley, which is both gratifying and yet predictable at the same time. She is
troubled by the concept of what constitutes reality in that fantastical world, and it
is her angst that makes the book hard to read. Yes, it is bothersome that she can
never tell which of the people she encounters at Pembrook Park are actors, and
which ones are other vacationers, but that confusion does lead to one of the
book's major plot twists. Ultimately, however, it's just a vacation. And just like my
children would probably not be bothered to know that a Cinderella-they see at
Disney is not "the real" Cinderella, why does it matter what's real in Austenland if
everyone is having fun? To paraphrase the Bard, we are all actors in our own
lives, aren't we?

No, this is not the Austen-related book that a true fan will read over and over. But
it is an obvious tribute piece to the great novelist, and as such, will be a pleasant
diversion for other Austen fans, especially those who wish they could build (or at
least visit) a place like Austenland.

Submitted by Gerti

Mary Lydon Simonsen's novel "The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy"

This is the 1^st book I've read by Mary Lydon Simonsen, and like so many other
female authors being published today, she takes on the retelling of the famous
Jane Austen novel, "Pride and Prejudice." In this book, unlike some of the others
(like Amanda Grange's brilliant diary of Mr. Darcy), Simonsen both invents and
then focuses on the match-making efforts of two of Austen's minor characters
from the book. Here Mr. Darcy's younger sister Georgiana and especially his
cousin Anne de Bourgh are the forces that bring the famous lovers Elizabeth
Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy together after Anne sees that Elizabeth is "the
perfect bride for Mr. Darcy."

Much of the story-telling therefore is predictable, as the author of this book works
to follow the narrative path set by the immortal Austen in her novel. However,
when Simonsen goes off the rails is when she gives additional details of a
friendship between Anne and Elizabeth, and other, earlier, love interests for

Mr. Darcy. While the first is more plausible, the second totally destroys the

myth os that has been developed over the centuries since Austen first penned the
Darcy character of Darcy as a paragon among men.

Even more disturbing, since I have read the original work "Pride and Prejudice"
several times, and seen the movie versions countless more, some of the
narrative as Simonsen presents it here seems out of synch, and that was
extremely jarring to me. While I haven't the time or inclination to check her
storyline against Austen's timeline, these little missteps I think will sour the
reading experience for someone who knows the story well.

Of course Simonsen doesn't hold a candle to Austen, but she can't be expected
to. So the bottom line for the reader becomes whether or not this book is an
entertaining read, and I'd have to say both yes and no to that. While I do like
what Simonsen has done with sister Mary Bennet, by having her be the love
interest of one of sister Jane Bennet's former suitors, there is so much more that
I do not like, and that does not seem true to Austen's original characters
sketches. And while I know "The Perfect Bride" was written in the 21^st century,
the author seems to make little attempt to make her characters sound true to
their original setting of Georgian England. So while lovers of Jane Austen will
enjoy hearing the name Darcy bandied about, and will enjoy spending more time
with the Bennet sisters, Simonsen would not be my first choice if I wanted to
spend more time with those characters, as there as so many more talented
authors like Joan Aiken and Carrie Bebris traveling the same literary pathways.

Submitted by Gerti

By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

After a string of botched suicide attempts Daelyn Rice is determined to get it right. She is broken beyond repair and doesn't want to live any longer. She joins a website called www.throughthelight.com for "completers". On this site she blogs about her history of bullying that dates back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private girl's school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk. You don't learn until almost the end why she can't talk. Then she is approached by a boy named Santana. Everyday after school as she waits for her mom or dad to pick her up he sits with her. She just wants to be left along but Santana won't take no for an answer. It's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life...isn't it?

This was a quick read and I didn't like the ending. The author leaves you hanging on whether or not Daelyn keeps on living or becomes a completer. I guess you get to make that decision for yourself. I'd like to think that she chooses to live but I'm a glass half full type girl.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

When your sister is raped I don't think you are supposed to all for her rapist's sister. But that is what happens in this book. While Ms. Downham could have made it a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet she ended it on a slightly upbeat note.

Mikey's sister Karyn says she is raped by Tom. Mikey wants to take revenge but gets side tracked by Tom's sister Ellie. Ellie doesn't know Mikey is Karyn's brother so Mikey decides to try and get information out of Ellie. When Ellie finds out who Mikey is she tries to get information out of Mikey. But while doing this they genuinely like each other. Is Karyn telling the truth or is Tom? With something like this between them do they really have a chance at being together?

This was a good read. When should you stop being loyal to family and start being loyal to yourself? Do you have the courage to tell the truth even if it is going to tear your family apart?