2011 Historical Romance Challenge

Sorry! It kind this post went bad!
I'll to re-post sometime.

Books Read in November

Here is an update of the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 2010 YA Reading Challenge. The books read for the YA challenge are in cursive and have their corresponding number next to the review link.

97. Seven Secrets of Seduction by Anne Mallory (review)
98. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern (review) *YA45*
99. Friday Eve in Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas (review)
100. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts (review)
101. Mountain Wild by Stacey Kane
102. Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter (review)
103. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier *YA46*
104. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams (review) *YA47*
105. Belle by Cameron Dokey (review) *YA48*
106. A Wife for Big John by Lauri Robinson (review)
107. The Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter
108. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (review) *YA49*
109. Jane by April Lindner (review) *YA50*
110. The Nymph King by Gena Showalter

And you know what this means????!!!

CHALLENGES COMPLETED!!!!

I'll probably still put a tally in December, but since IT'S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! I shall kick back and re-read some old favorites. Some of them I haven't reviewed so you'll probably see them up here.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Jane by April Lindner

Following the death of her parents, nineteen year old Jane Moore is forced to drop out of college and find a job, preferably one that offers a place to stay since she'll be homeless once school lets out for the summer.

When she does find such work, she's surprised that it comes in the form of working for rock star Nico Rathburn as a nanny for his 5 year old daughter Maddy. Not one to care much for pop culture, Jane isn't quite sure how working for Nico will be like, but she's glad to have Thornfield Park (Nico's expansive Connecticut estate) to call home.

For weeks, she cares for Maddy and they form a bond, and Jane starts to believe she has gotten the hang of life at Tornfield Park, but nothing prepares her for Nico's arrival.

Nico is on the final stages of planning his big comeback - concert and tour - and the last thing he expects upon returning to his home, is almost running over the new nanny. Yet, he can't help being captivated by Jane and the fact that she's almost unimpressed by him.

Okay, Jane is a modern twist on Jane Eyre and it follows it quite closely, so you can pretty much guess what happens, yet I'm not going to give you details and spell it out. For a story I sort of knew, I still found myself trying to guess what would happen next, how would the author translate such and such event into a modern setting.

I'm not really comparing it to the original Jane Eyre because, well, I just don't roll that way. But I'll say that Jane is engaging, fun and approachable. Believable. My only trouble with it was that I sort of wished a bit more of it! I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

Favorite Quote: "You don't like my music. I'm a soccer dad. And I'm good-looking...for a rock star."

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

April Bowers doesn't think sophomore year at Penford High is going to be any good. Particularly because her best -and only - friend is now living in Kansas. So when fate makes her pair up with Queen Bee Britney Taylor for gym class, April isn't sure if that's good or bad luck.

Soon, she's a 'friend in training', hanging out with Brit and her pose - all popular girls - and twisting herself seven ways to Sunday to fit in. And things only get worse when she's asked to sign The Lipstick Laws, a set of rules all Friends of Britney must live by. April might just find out how hard is to be in the in crowd.

From the summary I wasn't sure what I would find in this book, but it sounded interesting enough. What I found was a sort of Mean Girls type story. April and her friends (the one she eventually makes) were nice, April's narration was engaging but the book has it's ups and downs. Sometimes it went into cartoon territory, sometimes I didn't like April very much.

But there were parts that did ring true: the way April slides into Brit's clique, the way she goes a bit off the bender sometimes.

In the end, the story flows as one would expect. There are no big surprises plot-wise, but it's enjoyable, if you're in the mood for some Mean Girls action. It's not as charming as the movie, but not bad. Part of the book is even quite good.

The Lipstick Laws comes out April 2011

PS - Is it me or the cover is a bit... porn-happy?

Athena the Brain by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Athena never knew who her parents were, and she was relatively happy living with her best friend Pallas on Earth, but she never quite felt like she fit in. Great was her surprise when a scroll arrived, summoning her to Mount Olympus Academy, to take her place with the other goddessgirls and godboys, as she is the daughter of Zeus.

Athena isn't sure if she wants to leave Pallas, but it's not as if Zeus is giving her much choice. Plus she hopes that, maybe, at MOA she'll finally fit in.

But MOA is and isn't what she expected. In many ways, it's a school like any other: there are nice girls - goddessgirls - like Aphrodite, Artemis and Persephone; and there are mean girls like Medusa and her sisters... and there is a cute, slightly conceited guy. On the other hand, they take classes like Hero-logy which is taught by a cyclops...

I had heard sweet things about this series and I do love all things Greek Myths, so I was happy when I got Athena the Brain. And I found it to be a sweet, short book. I like the idea of seeing these Goddesses as girls, with all their usual traits but with a sweet treatment. And Athena's story was good to kick off the series, as we get to known MOA and the other characters through her eyes as she meets them. I loved all the little references to well-known myths.

Now I wanna read the next one in the series.