Some Random Stuff…
I realized I’ve haven’t blogged a lot of what I’ve read. So here’s a smattering of the missed titles of 2009. It’s mostly reading I did for fun, not for kids, but I thought they were worth sharing.
Luxe
by Anna Godberson
Grades 7-12
These are basically the Gossip Girl stories of the late 1800s. New York socialites navigate a world of rules, intrigues, gossip and betrayal. An interesting look into that era and probably a fun summer read for teens.
World Without End
by Ken Follett
Adult
I read Pillars of the Earth with great pleasure, and I looked forward to tackling this lengthy sequel. It delivered on every point. Follett knows the medieval world and brings it and it’s inhabitants to life on the page. I am an historical fiction junkie, and Follett makes it a worthwhile addiction.
Devil in the White City
by Erik Larson
YA-Adult
This is one of those amazing non-fiction books that is such an compelling story, or in this case two stories, that you can’t put it down. It’s fascinating to watch both the growth of the Chicago World’s Fair and the growth of one of America’s first serial killers. Loved it!
French Milk
By Lucy Knisley
YA-Adult
This is a lovely hybrid graphic novel/novel that is really the journal of a mother and daughter who rent an apartment together in Paris for a month. Lucy is an aspiring comic book artist just graduated from college, and her mom is turning 50. Lucy’s journal is an honest expression of a 22 year-old’s experience, but it captures that person on the cusp of real adulthood in a wonderfully realistic way. I gave it to my daughter for Easter, she loved it, as did my husband.
The Darcy Connection and Mr. Darcy’s Dream
by Elizabeth Aston
YA-Adult
These are the latest additions to a series of books about the imagined five daughters of Fitwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Some of the books, like these two, take on the stories of people connected with that family. They are a fun indulgence for people that love the world of Regenecy England and Jane Austen. A little more romance than I normally enjoy, but well-written.
