Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Getting kind of a late start because I had to read some library books first.

Shelf 1: Paranormal
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (10/15/09)
Four Stars
Enjoyed this one far more than I thought I would. A bit Harry Potter-esque (i.e. Lonely, orphaned child sent to boarding school where they unlock magical powers they never knew they possessed), but the Victorian-era spin and girl's perspective give the story a fresh twist. And Gemma's racy fantasies about the mysterious Kartik might leave you a little hot under the corset. Looking forward to the next books in the trilogy.

Shelf 2: To-Read
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty (10/26/09)
Four Stars
A fun sequel to Sloppy Firsts. Looking forward to more of Jessica "Notso" Darling.

Shelf 3: Young Adult
Uglies by Scott Westerfield (10/29/09)
Four Stars
Not only is this a good, interesting story, it's a pretty stark commentary on how badly we're destroying the environment and what might happen if we take it too far. I'll definitely be reading the next in the series.

Shelf 4: Currently Reading
Dune Road by Jane Green (11/08/09)

Three Stars
Judging by the back cover of Dune Road, Jane Green has undergone some life changes, getting married and moving to the U.S. Understandable that as her life changes, her writing might, too…I just wish she hadn’t changed it quite so much.

Vintage Jane Green (Jemima J, Babyville, Bookends) is fun, British chick lit – stories of single life in and around London, full of enough Brit references and Britspeak to make me escape my daily life and entertain little fantasies of hopping the next Virgin flight across the pond. The New Jane Green seems to be trying just a little too hard. Maybe she’s trying to branch out as an author and veer away from the Chick Lit label; whatever it is, it's not working too well. Her newest books feel contrived and thrown together, not effortless and fun. I’ve come to rely on her as a favorite chick lit author, but this new Jane just kinda leaves me scratching my head.

Green tackles an of-the-moment issue in Dune Road -- the financial crisis – perhaps in an effort to be more serious in her writing. The problem is that she mentions it ad nauseum. If characters aren’t losing their million dollar homes or being forced to shop at J Crew instead of Gucci (oh, the horror!), they are repeatedly (repeatedly…) discussing “these terrible times.” She even gets political, with mentions of President Obama and Governor Schwarzenegger. And then there are the many references to iPods, Facebook, texting…oh, and did I mention that darn financial crisis? If I want to read about finance, politics and pop culture, I can pick up an issue of Newsweek. What I really wanted was just some good, escapist fun that helped me to forget about all of the above.

By the end of this one, I was also a little ODed on the drama. There were too many convenient coincidences to be believable, and a few too many intertwining stories. While I love books with multiple storylines that come together (something Maeve Binchy does so incredibly well), Dune Road seemed to lack a specific focus. I think even the book’s title is a testament to it’s lack of focus – as if there are so many things going on in the story (most of which, in fact don’t happen at Dune Road) that the publishers couldn’t decide what to call it.

Despite its flaws, I was still entertained by Dune Road. And I’ll still keep coming back to Jane, if nothing else because her early books so endeared me to her. I just hope that in her next book she doesn’t try to veer too far away from what she does best.

Shelf 5: Chick Lit
The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards (11/13/09)
Three Stars: Cute story about a "Biggest Loser" type reality TV show, but "Kat the Brat" grated on my nerves at times. I also can't help but feel like it probably relies a little too heavily on "fat girl" stereotypes. Fun read, but I preferred "Bachelorette #1" and "As Seen on TV" as far as reality TV books go.

Shelf 6: Fiction
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (11/25/09)

Five Stars

Shelf 7: Book-club
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Currently Reading)