Kindle!

Merry Christmas! I can't believe I got so caught up in the Christmas spirit that I forgot to blog! I have been reading though....

The biggest news is that Santa brought me the Kindle I've been so longing for and we're off to Indiana today- I have 4 books packed in one tiny, thin little e-reader. I am so geeked about this. On the way to NCTE this year I started up a conversation with a woman about her Kindle and we talked the rest of the flight. I have been obsessed with the little thing for about a year now. My husband's greatest worry is that I'll bankrupt us with loading books onto it. Currently, I have the following: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton and The Life of Saint Benedict (can't forget the Benedictine part of me). Why no YA books? Well, I'm currently trying to finish LIAR by Justine Larbalestier in ARC form and then I am working on other ARCs from Penguin (which aren't available in Kindle format). Well, I had to compromise somewhere.

I did, however, blow through Splendor by Anna Godbersen, which is the 4th book in the Luxe series. This is my guilty little YA pleasure. History and slightly better "gossip girl" stuff rolled into one. Better clothes by far.


I was glad Godbersen stayed true to the characters she had created but it was a little too neat for me in the end. The novel didn't really imitate real life for me but teen girls will find twists, I'm sure. A couple of the characters really did learn the hard way, but too many people seemed to show up at "exactly" the right time. Here is a short synopsis by character.

Penelope- Tired of life with Henry who isn't interested in her after he returns from the war, Penelope goes looking for more "excitement."

Henry- is finally experiencing and learning what it is to be a real man and not a spoiled rich boy.

Elizabeth- is carrying Will's child but learning dark secrets about her husband's past.

Diana- is following her dreams even though she has all she could have ever hoped for.

I'm Back....

I guess I need to think short entries more often rather than 4 long ones every six weeks! Yikes. That was what I will call an "unintentional hiatus". Okay. New resolution? Try to blog more often even if I don't have a book to feature. So, on to the two newest (three newest) on my favorites list.

AUDIO: I just finished listening to The Luxe by Anna Godberson and found it much better than I had thought it would be. I describe it as "Edith Wharton meets Lisi Harrison". I thought the historical aspect of "Old New York Money at the Turn of the Century" was very redeeming. And, despite the "classic characters"- good girl, tramp, seductress, bad boy and poor-boy-who-can't-get-what-he-wants- the story was engaging and well done. Though the novel opens with news of her death, we find out through flashback how Elizabeth is a rich girl turned almost-poor-girl after her father's untimely death. It is imperative that Elizabeth's mother marry her to a rich man, and soon. Henry Schoonmaker is a very rich, very bad boy who drinks and carouses excessively, much to the distress of his father and very young step-mother. They have decided that Henry needs to marry a "nice and proper" girl because Henry's father is going to run for office. Henry, however, has been secretly having trysts with Elizabeth's so-called best friend Penelope. There are other twists and turns such as Elizabeth's true love being the family coachman, Will; and her younger and more impulsive sister, Diana, falling in love with Elizabeth's fiance. Such turmoil, but I know my 8th grade girls will love it. And, after all, they are getting some historical fiction too. I did buy the next one in the series (Rumors) so I can read that one and then put it on my shelf. I have to say that I'm getting full use out of my new Audible membership because I joined their Audible Gold membership and for a small fee, I can download a book each month. This works for me since I'm such an avid audio book girl.