Don't forget to read (picture of the day)

Happy Sunday! (picture of the day)

In My Mailbox (#16)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi@the Story Siren.

From mail:
[Refuge]e by Adnan Mahmutovic
Won from Goodreads
Description (from Goodreads): Mahmutović's work does not wallow in self-pity, nor do his characters. Inside the plain cover holds stories and poetry that speak truths, those that may cause one to feel discomfort, pity, and anger, yet Mahmutović does not ask the reader to feel this way, does not use his words to soothe or affect some change, instead, he says, "[RUFUGE]E is not a comfort. It is not a real shelter [...] whatever you, the reader, immerse yourself in here, whatever you find here to lift you up as being, be my guest."

Bought:
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Description (from Goodreads):
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

So what did you get this week? Leave me a link to your post so I can come and check it out!

I was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison, illustrated by Susan Hellard

Description (from Goodreads):
When shy Jenny Cooper goes to stay with her cousin Jane Austen she knows nothing of the world of beautiful dresses, dances, secrets, gossip and romance that Jane inhabits. But Jane is already a sharp observer of the customs of courtship, and when Jenny falls utterly in love with the dashing Captain Thomas Williams, who better than Jane to help her win the heart of this most eligible of men?

My thoughts: The reader is introduced to Jane Austen's cousin Jenny Cooper who is a little older than Jane. The book begins with the girls going into a boarding school in which Jane has got ill. In order to get Jane out of the school to home to get better Jenny has to leave the school during the night and wonder in nightly South Hampton where she meets Captain Thomas Williams which who she falls in love right at the first moment even though she does not know it then.


Jane and Jenny are taken away from the horrible boarding school to Steventon parsonage, to the home of Jane Austen. There Jenny gets to meet Jane's siblings, from which at least Henry gets a lot of attention from Jenny and Jenny gets it back from Henry. But with Captain Thomas Williams in her thoughts she cannot concentrate on any other men. And all the time she also has to worry about the fact that Captain Williams is the one who can destroy her reputation by telling what happened at South Hampton. Will Jenny get her Captain Williams or will she be ruined? Find out by reading this wonderful YA novel by Cora Harrison.


From the moment I heard about this book I was interested about it. Since I love Jane Austen and Young Adult fiction I knew this would be the perfect mixture for me. Some parts of the book are fiction, some true. Jenny Cooper really was a cousin of Jane Austen. Her name was really Jane but the author changed it to Jenny in order to make a distiction between Jane and Jenny. There are not much reported information about Jenny, so the author has really got free access to make up a character. It is know that she fell in love with Captain Thomas Williams and eventually they married. 


I really liked this book since the reader really gets to know what Jenny thinks about situations of her life since the book is written in a diary format. There are some nice illustrations in the book made by Susan Hellard which really add a nice mix to the story. The lively characters, especially Jane Austen, made me laugh. This book makes you just want to fall in love for the first time again. 

This is for you all! (picture of the day)

Have an amazing weekend. I will post In My Mailbox and review of "I was Jane Austen's Best friend" tomorrow. :)

Weekend plans+ more

For a long time I've been wanting to post something else also than reviews. What would you guys be interested to read about? Currently my life just circles around school, exams, assigments and friends and I really don't have time to read that much. Luckily my school will end next Saturday and I will have time to do something else too. I will be starting doing research for my IB final essay, extended essay. Do you know any good books about Jane Austen and the context her novels take place? Do you know any good books about the manners and society of her time? My research question will be "What is the role of dance and how it effects the plot on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Emma?".

Like I mentioned in the blog hop post, I have broken my ankle and I have this big cast on my feet now. It is extremely uncomfortable and heavy so I mostly just lay down. Well, it is perfect time for me to read books and book blogs, for which I have not had time for a long time.

European bloggers, will you watch the Eurovision Song Contest tomorrow? I am so excited about it. The music there mostly sucks, but it is so funny to watch the show. My friend will be coming over and we will watch the show and eat something good. I want to share one of my favorite songs with you. There are couple songs that I really like this year and this is the one I keeps playing in my mind.



I thought that I could post some of my favorite pictures to this post. I have this file at my computer dedicated to photos I just love so I thought way not to share them with you?

I think I could start "a picture of the day" meme for my blog. I know there probably is one of those already, but I will just post a picture daily without really explaining it.

So, what are your plans for the weekend?

Btw. some of you might be interested to know that "the fictional lover of the week" will be restored starting from next week! Look at my list and tell me which lover I should pick first.  

All the pictures from http://weheartit.com/

Book Blogger Hop (#3)

Perfect timing for book blogger hop. I broke my ankle and now have a cast on my right leg, so I am just laying in my bed and reading book blogs! So this is perfect.

Book Blogger hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books. Sign in and find some fabulous new blogs to follow.

Jane in June

Misty@Book Rat is going to have a month-long Austen event at her blog. Find more imformation about it from here. Since most of you already know that I am a huge Jane Austen fan I totally decided to participate the festivities. I have promised to review some Jane related items and I decided to ask you what you would like to see me reviewing?

Here is the list of possible movies I can review:
-Pride and Prejudice 1940
-Pride and Prejudice 1980
-Pride and Prejudice 1995
-Pride and Prejudice 2005
-Mansfield Park 1983
-Mansfield Park 1999
-Mansfield Park 2007
-Northanger Abbey 1980's version
-Northanger Abbey 2007
-Persuasion 2007
-Emma 1972
-Emma 1996 (both versions)
-Emma 2009

Here is the list of possible books I can review:
-The Importance of being Emma by Juliet Archer
-Jane Austen by Peter Leithart
-Confessions of a Jane Austen addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
-Mr Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange
-Mr Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
-Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange
-Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams by Rosie Rushton
-Summer of Secrets by Rosie Rushton
-Echoes of Love by Rosie Rushton
-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
-The man who loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke
-Lydia Bennet's Story by Jane Odiwe
-Love, Lies and Lizzie by Rosie Rushton

I will also write a "Dear Jane" letter, a letter adressed for Jane Austen. Stay tuned for the month-long event during June and comment me which review(s) you would like to see during June.

In my Mailbox (#15)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ the Story Siren.

From mail:

Daughters of Fortune by Tara Hyland 
I won this from Dewey's Read-a-Thon. Thanks for Simon&Schuster for sending me the copy of this book.

From library:
I was Jane Austen's best friend: A secret Diary

That's all I got this week. What did you get?

Love Letter of Great Men and Women by Ursula Doyle (editor)

Description (from Goodreads):
From the private papers of Jane Austen and Mozart to those of Anne Boleyn and Nelson, "Love Letters of Great Men and Women" collects together some of the most romantic letters in history. For some of these great men, love is a 'delicious poison' (William Congreve); for others, 'a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music' (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry-VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). But what about the other side of the story? What of the secret hopes and lives of some of the greatest women in history? Taken together, these love letters show that perhaps little has changed over the last 2,000 years. Passion, jealousy, hope and longing are all represented here - as is the simple pleasure of sending a letter to, and receiving one from, the person you love most. This title includes letters by: Anne Boleyn; Beethoven; Edith Wharton; Mark Twain; Mary Wordsworth; Nell Gwyn (mistress of Charles-II); Elizabeth Barrett Browning; GK Chesterton; Queen Victoria; Napoleon Bonaparte; The Empress Josephine; Mary Wollstonecraft; Amadeus Mozart; and, Katherine Mansfield.

My thoughts: First of all, I just want to note that this book does not include love letters by Jane Austen even though the description says so. But even though I always love some Austen, this book was pretty good without it. 


Since I watched the Sex and the City movie I've been wanting to buy one of those love letter books there are in the bookstores. When I was hanging around at the Waterstone's at London I found this one and had to buy it since it looked so good. And I am happy I did since this was delightful, a lot different read. I don't really read that much of nonfiction and I think this was actually the first letter book I've ever read. 


The fact that these letters were actually written by someone is amazing. Some of the letters are so full of emotion, especially love. I just wish I could receive letters like the letters in this book. My favorites were the letters by John Keats, Lord Byron and Amadeus Mozart. From my favorites it is evident that I enjoyed more that part with letters from men to women even though the both parts of the book were good.


If you are looking for a light non-fiction read, this book is a perfect pick for you. And I never thought reading old letters could be that interesting. I have this book called "800 years of women's letters" or something like that in my bookshelf and I think I will pick it up soon. And I also have Jane Austen's collected letters which I haven't read yet. 


I know there are many different collections of love letters at bookstores and since I haven't read any other ones I cannot compare this to anything. But I think that the variety of the type of letters and the variety of writers made this an interesting read.

My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Description (from Goodreads):
With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

My thoughts: The description of this book sounds so good. So why did not I like it? I was so excited to read this one, I kept it to be the last one I read from the 3 books I received from Lenore. I really thought that this one would be the best of those three books. But no. I was extremely disappointed with this book. I read it for about 1 month, always putting it back to the shelf and picking up another book. It was just so hard to finish this one.

The reader is introduced to Roz and Eva, sisters who apparently were close before. Now Eva has started to hang around with cheerleaders and Roz's best friend has moved to other city. Eva has a boyfriend call Bryan, who has also catched Roz's attention. It is not the first time that Roz is in love with someone who goes out with Eva. She has dated at least two previous boyfriends of Eva.

Roz starts to think that Eva is a lesbian when she finds a book telling a story of two girls falling in love from Eva's room. Roz becomes really curious since she sees that if Eva is lesbian, she herself can start to go out with Bryan. But Eva denies everything and Roz decided to tell everyone that she herself is lesbian to show for Eva that it is okay to be different. What I really disliked about this book was this whole "lets pretend I am a lesbian" thing. No one really believes that Roz is lesbian but she just keeps "acting" that role and it gets really annoying. She really does not know what she wants which makes this book an annoying read. Her thoughts just jump from one to another and it is hard to follow what happens in the story.

I normally like a story in which I can identify with at least a little with one of the main characters. While reading this book it was extremely hard, even impossible to do. Roz tries to be funny, but is not, and Eva is just this angsty teen who spends most of her time locked in her room. Both of the sisters don't know what they want to be and they search themselves by all weird ways.

The thing is that I really wanted to like this book. I stopped reading it for a while in the hopes that I would like it when I go back to it. But no, I want to be honest with my opinion and say that I really did not enjoy this one at all. But if you have this in your shelf, you should give it a try, maybe you might like it. There were nothing I could identify with in this book and I did not feel any sympathy for the characters of anything, so I really did not get into the story.

Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

Description (from Shelfari):
Three children walked away from the cottages on the edge of town toward Berwick Waters. Later that day, only two of them came back. . . . Alice Tully knows exactly what happened that spring day six years ago, though it's still hard for her to believe it. She'll never be able to forget, even though she's trying to lead a normal life--she has a job, friends, and a boyfriend whom she adores. But Alice's past is dangerous, and violent, and sad . . . and it's about to rip her new life apart. A gripping and emotionally searing novel by accomplished British author Anne Cassidy, Looking for JJ infuses a terrifying subject with humanity and hope.

My thoughts: I randomly picked this up last Friday from the closest library from my home. It was literally the only young adult book in English they had in their shelves. Since the description sounded somewhat interesting I decided to give it a try. I started to read it already at the library while I waited for my mom. I was so into the book that I did not notice that the time was flying and it was already time to close the library. Luckily my mom works in the library so I did not get into any problems since I was still sitting in the chair reading the book when my mom switched the lights off and locked the doors so no more customers could come in.

At the beginning of the book the reader is introduced to Alice Tully, a 17 year old girl. It seems like she is just like any other 17 year old girl; working in a cafe shop, dreaming about university and dating a guy from one of the schools of the town. But Alcie has something she has to hide, something she is not proud about.

At the beginning of the book we are also intoduced to JJ, Jennifer Jones who is one of the girls associated with the Berwick Water scandal; three girls left the cottages at Berwick Waters to go to the reservation-- only two of them came back. Alice has an obsession about Jennifer Jones since Alice also knows what happened that day at Berwick Waters. Maybe Alice and Jennifer have something in common? Maybe Jennifer is closer than most people would think she is?

I really liked this book. It was something different I've read before. The story builds up and the reader is kept of the cliff. You just need to keep reading. From page to page you learn something new about Alice and Jennifer and what really happened. I really suggest this book to fans of Young Adult Fiction and mystery.

Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus

Description (from Goodreads):
Three years ago, Miley Cyrus was a virtual unknown. Her life in rural Tennessee was filled with family, friends, school, cheerleading, and the daily tasks of living on a farm. And then came a little show called Hannah Montana.

Almost overnight, Miley would rocket to superstardom, becoming a television and singing phenomenon. Quiet days were replaced with sold-out concerts, television appearances, and magazine shoots. But through it all, Miley has remained close to her family and friends and has stayed connected to the Southern roots that made her so strong.

In Miles to Go, Miley offers an honest, humorous, and often touching story of one girl's coming-of-age—from private moments with her pappy to off-roading with her dad, Billy Ray, to her run-ins with mean girls. Miley talks about suffering through drama and heartbreak and coming out the other end unscathed (relatively). And now for the first time, she will discuss it all-the milestones still left to reach (driver's license! voting!), dreams to live out (travel to Asia! find true love!), and the lessons to be learned (remembernig to enjoy every moment!).

This is a truly unique look inside the world of one of today's biggest and brightest star as she tackles looking back and moving forward.

My thoughts: When I noticed that the library of my city had a copy of this book I decided that I want to read it, just out of interest. I became quite familiar with Miley Cyrus while I lived in States. For a 10 months I lived in a same house with two little girls who basically worshipped Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. I watched the show with them daily and LOVED IT! So funny, you don't have to think anything while watching it.

I did not have a lot of expectations towads this book. I must say that I was pretty suprised from the outcome. I've never been the biggest fan on Miley Cyrus but reading this book really opened my eyes in some sense and I started to respect her more. She was only 12, if I remember right, when she got the part of Hannah Montana and in a short time came to be known in the whole world. I would have never been ready for something like that in age of 12. But she had a dream, something she knew she really wants to do more than anything and she did everything to achieve it. I always believed that she got famous only because of her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, but while reading this book I discovered that she actually did several auditions for the role of Hannah Montana and that her father was not involved in any way.

In the this book Miley also discusses her first love to "prince charming" (I would guess this prince charming is Nick Jonas from Jonas Brothers). I liked the fact that she did not address this Prince Charming by his real name, she just tells what she felt towards him and why he was (and still is) such an important person to her. Miley also tells about the hell she went through in middle school and tells about her family in such a positive light. She really must love her family A LOT.

After reading this book I understood that deep down, she is also a young girl who just wants to hang around with her family and friends. She does not feel ashamed for her faith to God, which I really feel respect for. I am not religious myself, sometimes I wish I could be, but I really respect people who are proud of their faith and beliefs. Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus is a great book about a ordinary girl who with a hard work achieves something she has been dreaming about since she was a little girl.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Description (from Goodreads):
Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.

Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They'll learn about her family background -- how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

My thoughts: You can imagine how happy I was when I noticed this book on the bookshelf at Waterstone's last Thursday. Finding this book totally made that Thursday one of the best days ever. First Macbeth at Globe and then finding this from Waterstone's. I couldn't wait to get back to the hostel to spend rest of the night with this book. I was rushing my friends to get out of our room for a while so I can start reading.

Since I heard about this book last year I had waited to read it. And I must say that I really enjoyed it. Carrie is my favorite character in Sex and The City after Samantha and it was great to read about her as a teenage. The best thing is that the book is written my the same author than the original Sex and The City so I really got this image that Bushnell has thought all of these things already when creating Carrie for the first time.

Carrie Bradshaw is a senior at High School. She has lost her mother and lives with her father and two younger sisters. She dreams about a career as writer. She has been writing since she was a little kid, but still she feels really insecure about her writing. Her father, a scientist, has always hoped that Carrie would also become a scientist, but Carrie knows that it is something she really does not want to do.

High school. Everyone knows what problems it brings up. Guys. Mean girls. Laying and cheating. Broken hearts. New beginnings. Revenge. Finding out who your real friends are. During her serior year Carrie has to experience a lot. She falls in love and gets disappointed. She loses her best friend. She learns something about her old friends. She gets new changes. Eventually she gets to New York City, the place she has been dreaming about.

This book was funny, witty and really entertaining. Just like Carrie Bradshaw. It got better and better towards the end. I especially loved the conclusion of the book. At least Goodreads description says that there will be a second Carrie Diaries book. If that is true, I cannot wait for it since the end of this book really suggests that something great is going to happen in the second book at least one of Carrie's friends we all know so well would be introduced to us.

In my Mailbox (#14)

I am back from UK. And I bought some new books and I think it is time to share them with you.

Jane Bites back by Michael Thomas Ford
Description (from Goodreads):
Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York. Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves—along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own.

To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers—116 times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity—and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors. Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do?




Echoes of Love (Jane Austen in 21st century) by Rosie Rushton
Description: The story of Persuasion set to the 21st century








Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Description (from goodreads):
"Wuthering Heights", Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th-century English literature. It's the story of Heathcliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family.




Love Letter of Great Men and Women by Ursula Doyle (editor)
Description (from Goodreads):
From the private papers of Jane Austen and Mozart to those of Anne Boleyn and Nelson, "Love Letters of Great Men and Women" collects together some of the most romantic letters in history. For some of these great men, love is a 'delicious poison' (William Congreve); for others, 'a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music' (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry-VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). But what about the other side of the story? What of the secret hopes and lives of some of the greatest women in history? Taken together, these love letters show that perhaps little has changed over the last 2,000 years. Passion, jealousy, hope and longing are all represented here - as is the simple pleasure of sending a letter to, and receiving one from, the person you love most. This title includes letters by: Anne Boleyn; Beethoven; Edith Wharton; Mark Twain; Mary Wordsworth; Nell Gwyn (mistress of Charles-II); Elizabeth Barrett Browning; GK Chesterton; Queen Victoria; Napoleon Bonaparte; The Empress Josephine; Mary Wollstonecraft; Amadeus Mozart; and, Katherine Mansfield. The praise for "Love Letters of Great Men" include: 'The most romantic book ever' - "Daily Mail". 'Inspired by the "Sex and the City" movie...Famous men caught with pen in hand and heart in mouth' - "The Times".

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Description (from Goodreads):
Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.

Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They'll learn about her family background -- how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

Two Kinds of Wonderful by Isla Dewar
Description: I could not find one from Goodreads :(

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Description (from Goodreads): It's hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts. Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible--including risking their own lives--to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
Description (from Goodreads):
A dazzling blend of farce and morality, this play explores human frailty and social hypocrisy. Sir Robert Chilton's secret is discovered and exposed. He is accused of having exploited government secrets for his own gain early in his political career. With this revelation from Mrs. Cheveley comes the threat of blackmail and the ruin of Sir Robert's career. Yet in order to be a successful blackmailer, one's own reputation must be beyond reproach.

The age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Description (from Goodreads):
Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.”

This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will either courageously define his life—or mercilessly destroy it.

Selected Letters by Jane Austen
Description (from Goodreads):
'Little Matters they are to be sure, but highly important.' Letter-writing was something of an addiction for young women of Jane Austen's time and social position, and Austen's letters have a freedom and familiarity that only intimate writing can convey. Wiser than her critics, who were disappointed that her correspondence dwelt on gossip and the minutiae of everyday living, Austen understood the importance of 'Little Matters', of the emotional and material details of individual lives shared with friends and family through the medium of the letter. Ironic, acerbic, always entertaining, Jane Austen's letters are a fascinating record not only of her own day-to-day existence, but of the pleasures and frustrations experienced by women of her social class which are so central to her novels. Vivien Jones's selection includes very nearly two-thirds of Austen's surviving correspondence, and her lively introduction and notes set the novelist's most private writings in their wider cultural context.


+ Size 13 is Not Fat & Size 14 is not Fat Either by Meg Cabot & this Shakespeare lovesonnet book!

Btw. RSC Romes&Juliet and especially Globe Theatre's Macbeth were AMAZING! Elliot Cowan as Macbeth... so dreamy. And also, if you are in London, you should go and see Austen's Women performed at Leicester Square Theatre.