The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Reading Level: Young Adult

Submitted by Gertie

This is the first book I've ever read by the acclaimed author Candace Bushnell that I felt would be appropriate for my teenaged daughter to read.  I've read a half dozen books by Bushnell already, and love her easy, breezy (and sometimes sleazy) writing style!  This book, on the other hand, is a revelation with its simpler, more innocent voice, which makes the read a scintillating mix of sex and sentimentalism.  I haven't seen the TV series based on this book yet, but I look forward now to doing so!

The main characters include the famed Carrie Bradshaw, who is also the main character in the acclaimed TV series "Sex and the City."  Here she is a young high school student, caught between her romance-minded girlfriends, Maggie and Lali, who are somewhat more sexually advanced and aggressive than she is, and her desire for more adventure than her hometown has to offer!  A new boy in school, Sebastian Kydd, brings the choice to a head, as Carrie and seemingly every other female in her class have a crush on him, and for a while, Carrie holds his attention.  But some of the other girls are willing to do more than she is to snag this prize, and Carrie wrestles with betrayals and backstabbing as her best friend and the most popular girl in the class vie to win Sebastion's roaming heart.

Carrie has other options besides being Sebastion's girlfriend, though, including a boring suitor at Brown University with literary connections, and her burgeoning interest in becoming a writer.  She eventually leaves all the high school drama behind after winning a prestigious writing opportunity in New York City, but not before burning a few bridges and setting a few rivals on fire with her scathing attacks in the student newspaper.  In the end, only the reader can decide whether Carrie has made the right decision, but of course, most of us are already aware of her success in the Big Apple, making these petty high school jealousies seem slightly irrelevant.

"The Carrie Diaries" is a delightful read which took me back to my own high school days in a way few other "teen" books have.  Perhaps it's because Bushnell is closer to my generation than some of the other authors penning YA fiction; perhaps because high school is where I made the decision to become a writer, just as Carrie does.  Whatever the reason, the book was a great pleasure for me to read, and makes another great addition to my Bushnell library!

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

"The Boleyn King" by Laura Anderson is a fascinating look at the "re-imagined history" of England.  Namely, what would have happened historically if Anne Boleyn had borne England's infamous King Henry VIII a son?  Author Andersen has utterly changed modern history in this novel, naming Henry's Boleyn son William, and having him ascend the British throne as he comes of age, as Henry VIII died when the boy was just 10.  In further historical rewrites, Queen Anne is still alive at the beginning of this book (historically, Henry had her executed), as are Henry's two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, who wait in the wings for the throne in this version of reality may never come to them.

Besides the royal family this story has another pair of important characters, and I'm not sure if they are based on real historical figures or not.  The first is a girl named Minuette, who is a good friend to the Princess Elizabeth, and is beloved by William.  The second is a boy named Dominic, whom the new king respects so much as a counselor and friend that he has named him the Marquis of Exeter.  Of course, Dominic is also in love with Minuette, and she with him.  But who can go against the will of a king?  Will the son repeat the mistakes of the father?

This book revolves around the plot hatched by one of the remaining aristocratic Catholic families to discredit William and put his Catholic sister Mary on the throne, a plot diffused by Minuette and Dominic at the last minute.  But the deeper concern here is whether Minuette will marry William or Dominic, and that question is not really resolved as the book ends.  The back cover tells us why-"The Boleyn King" is part of a trilogy, so we'll have to reach for more books to solve the mystery.

Will I look for the sequel to this first book?  Yes, because I love the subject matter (Tudor England), even if I find the re-imagined history disturbing in spots.  Do I mind that the author had taken historical fact and turned it into teen fiction on the order of "Twilight"?  A little, but I also find "The Boleyn King" to be an easy and interesting read, which nudges me to keep reading to find out what will happen to this group of characters.  Is this a modern literary classic?  No, but it is rarely dull, and that's about all you need for a summertime read.  This is a book which would appeal to a broad audience of adults and teens, and therefore, I recommend it highly.

Teen Read Week-Author Interview-Diana L. Sharples

Equilibrium. That's what Stacey and Calvin found in each other. He is as solid as his beloved vintage motorcycle and helps quiet the constant clamor in Stacey's mind. She is a passionate, creative spirit---and a lifeline after Calvin's soldier brother dies.But lately the balance is off. Calvin's grief is taking new forms. Voices of self-loathing are dominating Stacey's life. When struggles with body image threaten her health, Calvin can't bear to lose another person that he loves. Taking action may destroy their relationship, but the alternative could be much more costly. (From LCPL's website)

Click HERE to request a copy.  You will need your library card number and pin.

Calling All Vampire Academy Fans

I was very excited to see on People.com that Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series was finally coming to the big screen.  It looks like the movie will be opening at theaters on Valentines Day!  Guys if you want to impress your ladies take them to this movie.  We can only hope it is as good as the book.

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

While it is not as popular among Jane Austen fans as "Pride and Prejudice," I happen to be a big fan of her novel "Mansfield Park," which is one reason why this book appeals to me.  Main character Lily Berry also loves "Mansfield Park" and its guileless heroine, Fanny Price.  So it's no surprise that Berry mirrors Price at the beginning of the book, as Berry is a girl without a home of her own.  Her mother has died of cancer, and her father has summarily ejected her from his life in order to remarry, and to add insult to injury, he may have been having an affair with the other woman long BEFORE Berry's mother died of cancer.

From this timeless and universally relatable crisis, Berry can't seem to avoid going from one catastrophe to another.  Berry has also broken up her boyfriend and is "stalking: him by frequently driving past his house.  Mirroring the situation with her parents, Lily discovers that the boyfriend too has moved on to another, more compatible female.  Double heartbreak!  To add icing to the cake, Berry has gotten herself fired from her human relations job after her boss finds her reading Austen novels at work.  Can things get any worse for her?

Instead of trying to retool her life at home in Texas, Berry decides to chuck it all and go to England to act in a Jane Austen literary festival.  Just like her home life, however, the "Literature Live" event goes astray.  Berry starts three (or four) misfired romances, and several incomplete business plans to save the endangered festival, all while dealing with a terrible dysfunctional but filthy rich roommate, and a crazed boss lady who is not only having an affair with a married man (shades of what is going on at home!) but is an Austen nut who thinks the beloved 1800s author was making statements in her books on all kinds of modern issues like lesbianism and slavery.  When Berry finally finds someone who is willing to play Edmund Bertram (the hero of "Mansfield Park) to her Fanny Price, I thought this book found its hero, but it was not to be.  Or was it?  The surprise ending leaves room for a sequel, because the pair DO NOT end up together in this book.

I will look for Cindy Jones to write a sequel to this book because I love the subject mater (Jane Austen), even if details of the literary festival are confusing and the weakest part of the book.  But for a freshman effort, "My Jane Austen Summer" is a win for Jones, and I long to read more about this entirely entertaining and erudite group of characters.  Not a classic, but never dull, this is a great summertime read.  The only downside for me is the ease with which the heroine falls into bed (or worse! Yuck!) with the various male characters, but this author is truly talented and her writing is bright and contains many clever turns of phrase which outweigh even my old-school literary prudery.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gertie

The beginning of this novel is confusing--is it really the lost manuscript of Jane Austen or is it entirely a work of fiction?  But the end is even more confusing, as by the time I have read all of Syrie James brilliant account of Jane Austen's life and lost romance, I want it all to be real.  James has done such a good job weaving Austen's fiction into this fictional account of her life, that the book explains, how Austen got some of her most famous plot elements, and in the process, brings the Janeite reader delightful vignettes of Austen's own books!

For example, James has her fictional Austen visit the ruins of an Abbey with a group of friends, referencing "Northanger Abbey".  She visits Lyme and almost falls off the stone pier, referencing the novel "Persuasion." And most devastatingly, Austen has a confusing secret engagement to a fellow, and the plot of the event plays out very like the secret engagement in "Sense and Sensibility".  In short, this book is a treat for Austen fans to read, even though it is fiction, because James includes so many references to the plots and scenes from Austen's own six novels.

Unlike some of the novels which have been written about Austen's characters which take little from the original books, this work carefully meshes the original with very inventive fiction, and sends James to the top of my list of authors to keep reading.  I can't wait to see what she does with the life of Charlotte Bronte, whose "secret" memoirs she has also discovered.

The Boxcar Children Winter Special #1 by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Reading Level: Juvenile Fiction/Mystery
Accelerated Reader AR LG 3.9 2.0 9285.

Book review is submitted by Mackenzie E.  She gives the book 10 stars.

I think the Boxcar Children books are excellent for children to read.  It's about 5 kids and a Grandfather.  They're on a mission to see who stole diamonds & ruby's.  The characters are very interesting, yet it's easy to follow.