Showing posts with label shannon hale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shannon hale. Show all posts

Friday, June 5, 2009

Friday Finds -- 6/5

Is it all ready Friday? Here are my finds for the week:
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale: I read Austenland by Hale and really enjoyed it. Here's a little blurb (from Barnes and Noble) about her newest book, available June 9th --

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity hearththrob Felix Callahan. Twelve hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later, something has happened…though nothing has happened. It isn’t sexual. It isn’t even quite love. But a month later Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what’s hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends. Really.


The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne: This sounds like a fantastic thriller / mystery. Only one problem -- it doesn't come out until July. Here's a little blurb (from Barnes and Noble) anyway --

After a ten-year absence, Alex “Cat” Rucker returns to her Ohio hometown because of a letter left on her mother’s kitchen table—a suicide note, carefully preserved in a Ziploc® bag, that reads:“He isn’t who you think he is. Love, Mom”Thus opens this stunning debut novel from author Teri Coyne, who, with wry humor and sharp wit, follows Alex’s journey through the traumatic experiences of her youth and the haze of her adult life.

What did you find this week? (Want to play along? Go to Should Be Reading.)
Check out my interview with Kate Veitch, author of Without a Backward Glance. As always, if you like my blog, subscribe or become a follower!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Review -- Austenland

Austenland
by Shannon Hale
Published by
192 pages

Summary: Jane is so obsessed with Pride and Prejudice that when her great aunt leaves her a vacation to Austenland, a posh Jane Austen inspired vacation spot, she decides to go. Throughout her three weeks there, she throws herself into the role playing -- wearing the empire waist dresses, dancing at balls, and flirting with noblemen and gardeners alike.

Review: A short and light read, Austenland is the perfect pick me up for a Jane Austen fan. The main character is brave and funny as she tries to get over her Pride and Prejudice fantasies by literally living through them. I felt the end was a little too predictable but fit well with the scope of the story. Overall, there were some really humorous scenes and crazy characters that made me laugh out loud and not want to put the book down. Rating: *** out of 5