"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

I might be a little late to the Rainbow Rowell fan club, but I've got to say that I'm absolutely hooked after reading Fangirl.  I gave serious consideration to immediately re-reading the book once I finished it, but my pile of "books to be read" is just so huge at this point that I was forced to move on.

Meet Cath, an 18 year old starting her freshman year of college.  Her twin sister has abandoned her to meet new people, her roommate is less than polite and has an overly friendly boyfriend, her dad isn't coping well with the whole "empty nest" thing, and her fiction writing professor constantly expects more from her.  All Cath really wants to do is disappear into the world of fanfiction where she's most comfortable.  She's already gained a little bit of fame on the Simon Snow (world-wide literary phenomenon--picture Harry Potter) forums.  Fanfiction is what helped her cope with her mother leaving, created a stronger sisterly bond with her twin, and provided the inspiration for her chosen field of study.  Faced with a new life outside of her comfort zone, Cath will have to choose between moving forward in the real world or continuing to hide in the fanfiction world.

Rowell has a real talent for creating characters so life-like that you almost believe they are people you know.  The dialogue that flies back and forth between certain characters is so realistic and true to the college experience (or at least my college experience) that I was constantly telling people, "Here, just listen to this, I have to read it to you."  Perhaps most impressive was the amount of work and planning that evidently went into setting up a fictional Harry Potter-esque franchise as part of the backdrop for this book.  "Excerpts" and plot points from the Simon Snow series are sprinkled throughout which further sucks the reader into the book.  I actually did a web search to see if Simon Snow was a real series just to make sure I wasn't missing something.  I also appreciated the fact that this is a true young adult novel.  While I do enjoy a good teeny-bopper book, Fangirl  is definitely written for a slightly more mature audience (I'd probably recommend to ages 16+) and I found that really refreshing.

Grace gives this book 5 out of 5 carrots!

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"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" by Lauren Willig

This book is not technically a recent read for me as I finished it this past spring, but we've been pretty busy at The Velveteen Rabbit and haven't had much of a chance to blog about what we're reading.  Now that I finally have a chance to sit down and type out my thoughts, I'd like to first give credit to Beth for recommending this fantastic series to me.  It'd been one of her staff picks for awhile and now I can see why!  My only disappointment in this series is that it isn't a true story, which just goes to show how wonderful Willig's narrative really is!

The novel is a story within a story.  The reader follows Eloise Kelly, a smart but slightly fumbling American grad student as she works to uncover the secret identity of the Pink Carnation, the most elusive English spy during the Napoleonic wars for her dissertation.  Her search leads her to some of the descendents of the Purple Gentian, another famous spy whose identity was revealed and therefore was forced to retire.  One such descendent, a Mr. Colin Selwick, is a little more than irate to find that his great-aunt has let a perfect stranger look at their family papers and it's hate at first sight.  Of course, hate has always been rumored to be far closer to love than most would think.....

As I've already mentioned, I was more than a little disappointed that the majority of the espionage and intrigue in this novel was all fiction.  I so desperately wanted there to really be a Pink Carnation and a Purple Gentian, but that just shows how totally engrossing Willig's novel is.  It sucked me right in and didn't even let me go when I finished the book.  I had to immediately purchase the next book in the series (and the next after that and the next after that.........you get the idea).  Now, at the halfway point in the series, I'm taking a small moment to recommend this novel to readers in search of a great escape from reality.  Then I'm heading back to England with Eloise and the Pink Carnation!

Grace gives this book 5 out of 5 carrots!

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"Persuasion" by Jane Austen

Jane Austen's last novel, though overshadowed by her other wonderful classics, is fully worthy of the highest praise. Anne Elliot is the unmarried heroine of the story, having been persuaded to deny her love her hand in marriage, due to class distinctions. Now a handsome naval officer, a resentful Captain Wentworth and Anne are brought back into the same social circle. Various love interests and crises spice the pages, which go by altogether too quickly.

Unique charaters make this novel the intriguing satire that it is. Proud Sir Walter Elliot, conniving Mrs. Clay and fickle Mary Musgrove are a few who make their appearances. Anne Elliot herself is described by her creater as "almost too good for me", according to every description of the book that I've read. The plot jaunts across England, from Lyme to Bath, and the latest news is never far behind. An intelligent commentary on England's gentry, it is moreover an artfully scripted lesson in love and true character.

Kerry gives it five out of five carrots!

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"Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov

Maybe I'm just too head over heels for any and all Russian writers. However, it seems to me that even a Russian novel would have to be extremely captivating to keep me up, reading all 336 pages in the wee hours of the night. Nobody writes like this anymore. This quality cannot be found in any modern romance; it's almost a lost art. I suppose I'm being a bit melodramatic...but this unique story worth getting all worked up over.

The characters are more than well-rounded and complete; they are fascinating. Throughout the book, you're never quite sure of whose side you're supposed to be taking, or who exactly is "the good guy". Refreshing and frustrating, it keeps you from hating the narrator Humbert Humbert, though he would normally be representative of a clearly evil character, a pedophile, and kidnaps a young "nymphet", Lolita. Nabokov spins their story, however, so that everything is seen in shades of gray rather than a distinct good and bad. It is still a love story, albeit a strange situation--but above all else, Humbert does love Lolita. And since when is love ever black and white?

Philosophy notwithstanding, the book is a classic for a reason. The first page will capture you completely, just as Lolita did Humbert. "Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta."

Kerry gives "Lolita" five out of five carrots!

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"My Name is Memory" by Ann Brashares

Although nothing less could be expected, Ann Brashares again delivers an imaginative and inspired novel about a love that truly withstands the test of time. Daniel has the ability to remember all of his previous lives and recognize the souls he met during them, including his soul mate, Sophia. This is both a gift and a curse, because for all the times he and Sophia have managed to connect throughout the centuries, they’ve also been wrenched apart by fate. Readers are transported through time as they follow these two souls and their journeys to find one another.

I especially appreciated how Brashares would intertwine both Daniel's and Sophia's past lives and the present day. It really kept the reader captivated and the plot flowing. I also have to grudgingly admit that as much as I was upset by the ending of the novel (don't worry, I won't spoil it), it was the best fit for the story. As a fan of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books I was very pleased with Brashares' latest novel and apparently so were other readers because it's featured as a June Indie Next List Pick!

Grace gives it four and a half out of five carrots!

Click here to order My Name is Memory at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

I'm probably not the only one writing a bad review of this sad, sad excuse for a novel--after all, Bushnell has given her readers plenty of cause to hate this book. First of all, it is a young adult novel based on the life of fictional flirt Carrie Bradshaw, whom you may know from Sex and the City. In that way, this book serves as a sort of gateway into the television show, which is less than appropriate for a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl (young adult books are usually geared to ages 12-17).

Secondly, I have never--EVER--read a book with a character so devoid of life. The young Carrie in this book isn't witty or interesting--I'd rather read the story of her pet rock than read another droning page of boyfriend woes, complaining about friends, etc. Seventeen-year-olds are wonderfully over-dramatic and vivacious! Carrie Bradshaw is like a sad dead thing. What happened to the Carrie who playfully sports a tutu on the streets of New York? What happened to the word-playing, savvy writer who women all over the world wanted to emulate? Bushnell had a prime opportunity to write a sprightly coming of age novel, but her writing prowess fell short. Way short. The ingredients list on the back of Carrie Bradshaw's neon pink nail polish is far more interesting than this drivel.

The best thing about writing a bad review is that it allows you the opportunity to recommend BETTER books, and I have plenty:

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty is the journal of the loveable Jessica Darling, a hyper-observant, cynical, brainiac high school girl who makes even the most mundane of days humorous. The love story is also much more realistic to high school and much more enviable than Carrie Bradshaw's lackluster relationships.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison is one I've mentioned before, but it bears repeating: Georgia Nicholson's life will have you laughing out loud on every single page. That sounds like a cliche, but I promise you--it's so true.

What's your favorite young adult book? Feel free to comment, and further save people from the travesty of The Carrie Diaries!

Beth gives this book one out of five carrots.

Click here to buy The Carrie Diaries at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!

"Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?" by Louise Rennison

I've loved the Georgia Nicholson series since they first came out nine years ago, but it was hard to be sad while reading this latest (and final!) book. In fact, it was hard to do anything but laugh hysterically. Rennison has once again shown her finesse at diving into the confused minds of teen girls, who are--in English-speak--quite mad. This final chapter in the Georgia Nicholson saga finds our protagonist choosing between Masimo, the English-impaired Italian heartthrob, or Dave the Laugh (who is, of course, a laugh). I savored every moment of Georgia and her friends' chaotic, laugh-out-loud funny lives.

A note to parents: don't be thrown off by the...err, unique titles of the books in this series. The Georgia Nicholson books are among the cleanest, most appropiate young adult books I've read. There is no drinking, no drugs, no sex...just great hilariousness that your daughter (and you, probably!) will love. This book is recommended for seventh grade and up. (Also...adults love it too! There have even been editions of this book published just for grown-ups.)

Start off with Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging and you won't be able to stop reading this fabulous series!

Beth gives it five out of five carrots!

Click here to order this book at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop and Guest House!

"Twenties Girl" by Sophie Kinsella

*NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK! Click here!*
This book was 435 pages of pure, undiluted joyful reading. Kinsella has created her most loveable characters yet in Lara, a twenty-something klutzy, modern girl in London coping with a recent breakup, and Sadie, the ghost of her great-aunt, circa 1922. Lara didn't ASK to be haunted by the hilariously annoying Sadie, and she certainly didn't ask for a friendship--but that's what she got. Sadie has two goals for her ghostly time on earth: one, to find her beloved dragonfly necklace, and two, to live vicariously through Lara. The former lets us dive into an intriguing mystery with a beautiful finish, and the latter lets us see Lara dressed anachronistically in full 1920's costume, falling in love. You'll fall in love with every unique and skillfully drawn character, especially Sadie. A comedy, a romance, and a mystery wrapped up all in one, this is one book that will leave you wanting more!

Beth gives it five out of five carrots!

Click here to order your copy of "Twenties Girl" at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!

"Savannah Blues" by Mary Kay Andrews

I am always reading, but there's a frantic period near the end of the summer, when the school year is fast approaching, that I tend to binge-read. And what better author is there to sit down and read in a lazy summer afternoon than Mary Kay Andrews? Andrews' Savannah Blues makes for the perfect end-of-summer reading treat. Heroine Eloise "Weezie" Foley, an antique picker, copes with divorce (and subsequently living in her ex-husband's backyard), being accused of murder, and new love with an old boyfriend, all with her own unique brand of cyncism and hilarity. What could make this delectable book of romance and mystery even better? Its setting: Savannah, Georgia, a city which Andrews writes about with tangible affection.

Beth gives it four out of five carrots!

Click here to order your copy of "Savannah Blues" by Mary Kay Andrews from The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!