Amanda Price had no idea what her love for Pride and Prejudice would do for her or where it would take her. When she trades places with Elizabeth Bennet she does everything she can to keep things on track. But what happens when things start to go horribly wrong? And how is Amanda supposed to survive without electricity or toothpaste?

One word: hilarious. I pretty much laughed my way throughout much of video. I had no idea what to expect, and I loved the amount of suspense throughout the entire show. Amanda knows the story by heart, and it was hilarious watching her trying to desperately keep things going the way they are written. How many times have you found yourself wishing that you had the chance to live in a different time? I know I've had a dream or two about that. Watching Amanda get the chance to do that was almost just as good!

The character's were great. When they get thrown into these really weird situations, it was funny to watch them try to figure everything out. I definitely recommend Lost in Austen to those who are ready for a good laugh and willing to not take anything too seriously. :)

Posted by Melanie at 8:00 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, everything austen, Lost In Austen

*If you haven't read Pride and Prejudice there are spoilers in this review.*

When Darcy comes to stay with the Bingleys at their newly rented home, he expects to detest the people and manners from the country. What he doesn't expect is to be captivated by a charming lady who wants nothing to do with him, Elizabeth Bennet.

This was such an entertaining book. It wasn't supposed to neccasarily be funny, but I found myself laughing again and again. I knew I was going to love this book within the first couple chapters. The book soon takes us to the ball where Darcy initially sees Elizabeth. Instead of admitting that he may be attracted to her, he is sure she is employing some unknown charm to catch his attention.

At times, I felt sorry for Darcy, at others, I thought he totally deserved what was coming. It never even occured to him that she might not accept his proposal. It was intriguing to see how he took Elizabeth's words to heart after the proposal. I think that may be part of the attraction of Darcy. Because of Elizabeth's words, he changed.

This book follows Pride and Prejudice very well. The only thing that I would have liked to have seen a bit more of in this book is Darcy's time after the proposal. Did he wander the streets aimlessly, Elizabeth's words pounding into his head? It was covered, but I would have liked to have seen just a bit more detail.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy flew by for me. The characters were portrayed pretty much as I'd always imagined, and it was a lot of fun to see things from Darcy's point of view.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 9:54 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, everything austen, Mary Street, review, The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd tells stories that every geek will enjoy. With short tales written by authors including M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Cynthia and Greg Letich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Tracy Lynn, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr there's a writing style for everyone to love!

When I first began to read this book my initial thoughts were of doubt. Was I really geeky enough to read this book? I'm happy to say that although a few Star trek references went flying high above my head, this book was a ton of fun and held a lot of stories I could personally relate to. The stories are made of awesome, and I know I literally laughed out loud more than a couple times!

Overall, this is a great book that every person with even a little bit of geek (You know you have some!) will thoroughly enjoy. I most definitely recommend. This book will be released on August 1st, but you might want to check your bookstores because I saw it at the local Barnes & Nobles a couple of days ago.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 8:39 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Cecil Castellucci, Geektastic, Holly Black

Clay comes home one day to find a package waiting for him. Excited to see what it holds, he opens it to find cassette tapes. When he listens, he hears something he can’t believe. Hannah, the girl who committed suicide, says that he and twelve other people caused her death. They are the thirteen reasons. Barely believing what he hears, he listens, and he finds out things about himself and others in his community that he never would have thought of.

I can’t honestly say that I “enjoyed” this book, not in the traditional sense, anyway. I didn’t finish the book and say, “Oh, that was a really cool book!” smile, and move onto something else. It was raw and emotional, and it made me have this sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach. This book was full of suspense, for me. Halfway through the book, I a part of me wanted the story to be some sick joke. I didn’t want Hannah to be dead. Maybe she just wanted to teach some people a lesson and disappeared for a couple weeks. I was thinking this even though I knew it wasn’t true.

I didn’t really like Hannah that much. If I had met her, I probably wouldn’t have liked her and instead been one of the people who believed all those rumors about her. This book made me think of the way I treat other people. Aren’t I a bit quick to believe what others tell me about people I don’t take the time to know, instead of finding out for myself? Even though I didn’t like Hannah, in a way, I could sympathize with her. Have we not at one time or another felt completely alone?

As I was nearing the end of the book, I couldn’t see how it would end in a way that I would feel like the story had come to a close. I read the final chapter, still not seeing what could come out of such an event. However, in the last two or three pages, I felt like everything had come to a close. When I finished Thirteen Reasons Why, I closed the book, and felt like the story was done.

My rating: 4/5

Posted by Melanie at 9:19 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

Once again, we start at the end. Henry Schoonmaker, still the most eligible bachelor in NYC, is getting married. But to who? And are the rumors that Elizabeth Holland is actually alive really true? For that, you'll have to read the book.

I think that I'm really starting to settle into the story of this series. I'm finally beginning to form attachments to the characters. My favorite character is Diana Holland. She's so young, only sixteen, and full of so much life and vigor. Just as I've fallen in love with Diana, I've also began to form serious dislikes against some of the characters as well. Mrs. Holland seems to be concerned about only what everyone else's opinion is of the family. It seems to be the most important thing to her, even to the detriment of her daughters' lives. Penelope Hayes is also beginning to majorly get on my nerves. She's so cunning and full of evilness!

The plot in this book is just as captivating as that of The Luxe. This book encompasses just the last few days of 1899, yet still, so much manages to happen! I love the way the book starts at the end. It left me wanting to rush to the end to find out how things had ended up like this. The ending was great as well. I am most definitely going to be looking for a copy of Envy, the third book in this series.

Rumors is a great continuation of the Luxe Series. I most definitely recommend both this book, and the series, to all with a love of historical fiction and the lives of people who lived long ago.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 9:16 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Anna Godbersen, Rumors, The Luxe Series

ns Terra is on her way out. She's going to graduate high school this year. She plans on going to a college over three thousand miles from home. That is, if her over controlling father doesn't get in her way. She's bent on getting out of this stifling small town. Terra isn't known for her art skills or her brains. She's known for her face. Her face with a birthmark running down accross one cheek. She covers her face with an inch of makeup, making sure no one can see what lies beneath. Then she meets Jacob, an Asian goth boy, who challenges her beliefs and shows her a new meaning to the word, "beautiful."

During the first few chapters of this book, I didn't really understand why Terra was trying to escape. Then, I was introduced to her father. Her father isn't physically abusive. He never resorts to hitting or punching Terra or her mother. Instead, he uses words as a weapon. With carefully constructed sentences, he bruises his family over and over again. Within a chapter of being introduced to this man, I absolutely hated him. How dare he wound them in such a way?

Terra was by no means perfect. She even annoyed me a few times with her indecision. However, once she met Jacob, and the real, true Terra began to reveal herself Ibegan to like her a lot more.

The writing in this book was great. Told from Terra's point of view, it really helped flesh out the reasons she reacted the way she did. The style of writing fit the story perfectly.

North of Beautiful was a great read, and one that I would most definitely recommend. I'm very happy that I took the time to read this book.

Other Reviews:
The Book Muncher
The Story Siren
Pop Culture Junkie

Posted by Melanie at 8:37 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Justina Chen Headley, North of Beautiful

From Goodreads: A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

I love reading historical fiction, especially the books that are set in the late 19th, early 20th century periods. The clothes, the speech, the way people lived; almost everything from that time period intrigues me! I'm happy to say that this book did, as well.

Thrown into a world where appearance was everything, I found myself being immersed in the story. The beginning of the book was interesting, and it was fun to get to know all of the characters. Halfway through I came up with a theory of how it would end, and after that, I couldn't wait to finish it. I ended up getting more and more excited as I neared the end, wanting to see if I was right or wrong. I was kept in suspense until the very end! I loved it.

The characters in this book were really interesting. Watching them struggle with finding a balance between what everyone else wanted and what they wanted, seeing who they trusted and who they used for their own gain.

Overall, The Luxe was an immensely satisfying read, and I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, Rumors, very soon. Thankfully, it's lying on my shelf, just waiting for me to pick it up.

My rating- 4/5 stars

Other reviews:
YA Reads
Stop, Drop, and Read!
GreenBeanTeenQueen

Posted by Melanie at 9:57 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Anna Godbersen, The Luxe, The Luxe Series

Eddie is 83 years old. For years he's been the maintenance man at Ruby Pier. His routine is the same, day after day. Then one day he dies, trying to save a young girl. From there, he doesn't go to Heaven, as he expects, but instead goes on a journey meeting five people who's lives he has influenced and have influenced him. Through this journey, he sees the meaning in his own life and gives closure to others.

The writing in this book was fabulous. It's simple, and it rolls at an easy pace, tugging the reader along with it. It was very easy to follow, even with the occasional flashback.

The characterization was great! I know I really felt Eddie's pain and confusion as he went on this journey, learning things about others and himself that he never knew. All of the minor characters were well developed as well. I certainly didn't find out everything about them, but I knew enough to realize their contribution to Eddie's life and Eddie's life to theirs.

The ending of the story fit very well. I was kind of worried about it because I wasn't sure what to expect, at all! I was suprised how it ended, in the best way possible. You know that feeling you get when you end a book, and it feels so right? Like the story ended exactly as it should? That's how I felt when I ended this is story.

Overall, this is a great read that you should definitely give a try. I think you'll enjoy it!

My rating-4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 11:57 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Mitch Albrom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Posted by Melanie at 10:08 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

Hannah's life is extremely complicated. She's got a dad who lives in a castle in New York with his "pretty girls" where he runs his own television show, and a mom who used to be a "pretty girl" but now hosts her own website. After being embarrassed by her parents for way too long, she's honed her ability to stay under the radar. That doesn't help her soul mate, Josh, realize that she's the one for him, or get Finn to quit harassing her all the time with his jokes and sarcastic comments. Suddenly, she starts thinking about Finn a little more than she's supposed to. What's a girl to do?

I started this book yesterday afternoon and finished it just a few hours later. It clips along, staying in one place long enough for you to enjoy it but fast enough so you won't get bored. This book had me hooked from the first page! I expected a light, funny read out of this book, and I certainly got that. It made laugh out loud (literally). However, it surprised me with its depth, making Hannah a girl everyone can relate to, in one way or another.

The characters were absolutely the best part of the book. Although Hannah doesn't have many friends there is Teagan, and I think everyone has a friend like her sometime in life. You know, the friend you talk to about (almost) everything. There's also Josh, the guy who is so perfect he's completely out of reach, or so Hannah thinks. Hannah herself does what everyone of us do on a day to day basis; the best she can. Although her problems are, in some ways, greater than my own, I completely "got" her and her actions.

Overall, this was a great read! I think I'll be reaching for more of Elizabeth Scott's work soon.

My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 9:39 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Elizabeth Scott, Something Maybe

In the third installment of The Inheritance Cycle, Eragon and Saphira find themselves once again with their loyalties stretched in all directions. There is the promise Eragon made to Roran, his cousin. Beyond that they must also help to protect humans, elves, dwarves, and urgals. It is a heavy load for two so young to be carrying. Will they be able to protect everyone as well as continue on their way to defeating Galbatorix? Will they fail?

I was eager to start reading this book after finishing Eldest, and I am happy to say that I enjoyed this book even more than Eldest. The beginning is much smoother, and it wasn't at all hard for me to fall into the story. I was actually trying to read faster in order to see what was going to happen next!

My favorite part of this entire book were the few chapters in Saphira's point of view. It was incredibly interesting to finally learn more about her thought process. I've heard her that her attitude could be compared with that of a cat, and I'd have to agree. She's very sure of herself and quite proud of her abilities.

The ending was beautiful, intermingling feelings of sadness and hope. You know when you're reading a book and you get this sense of foreboding? That's what happened to me. I guessed that I knew what was going to happen, yet from that point on I hoped it wouldn't. It did happen, though, and it hurt. There are battles throughout the book with people dieing, but when these beings died and the book ended, I felt the sense of hopelessness, yet also that this would give Eragon and Saphira a push they needed to defeat Galbatorix and end his rule over the empire. I guess I'll have to wait on the fourth book in order to finally see!

Overall, this was a really great read! This series as a whole really captured me, which is pretty impressive considering that I am not much of a fantasy lover. So many things were left open in this book, and I'm really curious to see if the author will be able to wrap up this series satisfactorily in just one more book.

My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 8:07 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Brisingr, Christopher Paolini

Eragon happens to find a beautiful blue stone in the forest and hopes he will be able to trade it in order to buy food for his family to last through the winter. Little does he know he’s on his way to the journey of his life. The young dragon and Eragon are thrust into a world that Eragon had only heard stories about, and finding out things he never could of even imagined. Eragon’s future is a mystery, and no one knows if he will be able to be a legendary dragon rider.

It took me awhile to get around to reading this book, but I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it! I’d put off reading it because I haven’t read much fantasy in the past and didn’t know whether it would fit me. After one of my friends recommended it to me, I finally picked it up.

The plot in this story is very intriguing. The book just sucks you in! In most of the book, it looks like the circumstances could go either way, good or bad. They didn’t always go good, which was somewhat refreshing from all of the happily ever after stories I’ve been reading lately. I liked the way things were explained. Many things that exist in the book do not exist in this world, and things were explained, I didn’t feel like the pace of the story slowed down too much. Although many of the characters were intriguing, I’d have to say that Solenbaum, the werecat who makes relatively brief appearances throughout the book, would have to be my favorite character. His dry sarcasm is quite refreshing!

Overall, a great read!
My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 11:30 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Christopher Paolini, Eragon

Captain Wentworth’s Diary is a re-telling of Persuasion from the man’s perspective. Captain Wentworth is a young man who is rising in the Navy during the Napoleonic wars when he takes shore leave and visits his brother who is a parson in a small community. There, he quickly falls in love with Anne Elliot, daughter of one of the most prestigious men in the community, Sir Elliot. Soon, he proposes marriage, and Anne, in love with him as well, accepts. But she is persuaded by her godmother to end the engagement. So, Captain Wentworth, bitter and disappointed, returns to sea. Eight years later peace has been declared, and he returns, a rich man. He knows he doesn’t love Anne anymore, so why can’t he stop thinking about her?

First off, I always find it slightly amusing when a woman writes a book from a man’s perspective and vice versa. Nevertheless, the moment I saw this book I, quite literally, ran for it. You see, Captain Wentworth is my favorite Austen man. Yes, I like him even more than Mr. Darcy. (That’s another story for another time.) So, I was looking forward to reading this book, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This book really is a diary. I truly got a feel for what Captain Wentworth was thinking. I liked how I was able to see what actually took place when Captain Wentworth proposed to Anne. There were several scenes that I could picture in my head exactly. I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see him portrayed as quite the ladies’ man before Anne captivated him.

The only thing I would have liked to see in this book that wasn’t there was how he coped during the eight long years, instead of immediately springing forward eight years.

My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 9:26 AM View Comments    

Labels: 4 stars, Amanda Grange, Captain Wentworth's Diary

30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and BFFs (Wow, that’s a really long title!)is a guide to getting the right kind of friends and keeping ‘em once you’ve snagged them.

Would it be wrong of me to say that I didn’t take thirty days to read this book? Or that I didn’t do all of the activities and listen to all of the songs that were suggested? Well, the truth is, I didn’t. However, I did find this book to be a really cool read, and definitely found some things I’ll have to try in the future!

It's been awhile since I have read a guide, but if I find more like this one, I'd happily read it! It's a very fun, light, and fast read. And it made me think, a lot.

Clea Hantman’s voice is so clear and fun. It feels like she’s just sitting next to you having a conversation. She gives great advice, and I especially liked the section that deals with the infamous frenemies. We’ve all had at least a couple!

Overall, this book is a great read that really does offer valid tips on getting and keeping friends. Plus, the songs and activities that I did do were pretty awesome!

My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 8:51 AM View Comments    

Labels: 30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and BFFs, 4 stars, Clea Hantman