Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for the luxe] 

The Luxe series has come to a close for me. I read The Luxe as part of my YA Challenge before my twentieth birthday, and became surprisingly obsessed with the stories of the high class Manhattanites of 1900. I read Rumors at the beginning of the summer and didn't spend too much time waiting to start Envy. And now I've read Splendor. And finished it. And I am very sad. This review will contain spoilers (so if you haven't read the series check out my reviews of the first three books!), but I'm really writing a love letter to The Luxe series. Because I loved it, I really did.

I was initially attracted to the series because the covers had pretty dresses on them and the characters promised to be catty and intense. I didn't expect to like any of the characters in the novel a whole lot, but quickly fell in love with Diana because she was a dreamer, a nonconformist, and she loved to read. Diana has made a lot of really stupid decisions over the course of the series, her obsession with Henry Schoonmaker is pretty stupid by itself. But she never did anything I wouldn't do, so I forgave her. In Splendor we find her chasing Henry to war, dressed as a boy in an attempt to join the army-- but at the beginning of this novel we find out this plan failed. I was a little disappointed Diana didn't get to be a boy for awhile, but wasn't bothered by it for too long. She has a flair for finding herself in the middle of a good story. And for those of you who have read the book, I love the decision Diana made by the end of Splendor. I wouldn't have changed it a bit.

As for the other characters, I think Anna Godbersen really filled everyone out. I actually found myself feeling sorry for Penelope at one point whereas in the past I've really just seen her as a villain. Elizabeth was, as always, the least interesting character in the novel, although there was some excitement with Teddy Cutting. Lina is self-centered and gets what is coming to her, but we see a good side of her and can understand why she has turned on her old self for wealth.

Overall, while many people see The Luxe series as junky, YA books, I feel the need to disagree. The Luxe series continues to have more depth with every book. It represents problems young adults have to this day such as following your dreams, representing your family, getting what you want but being a good person. And even though the characters are catty and conniving, and the book is incredibly fun to read, Godbersen is still a skilled storyteller. No, she is a skilled writer. She can hold suspense, she can make your heart ache, she can make you squeal with excitement, she can make you fall in love with characters over the course of one year and four books. When I finished Splendor I cried. Perhaps I am still grieving, because when I finished the series I didn't simply feel like I had finished a series, I felt as if I had finished a relationship with one of my best friends.

The power of reading I suppose.

I give Splendor an A, and I give the entire Luxe series and outstanding A.

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I have finished my 19 Going on 20 Challenge. My goal was to read four YA books because I didn't read very many when I was a teenager, so I thought I'd read a lot during my last month of a teenager. Not so surprisingly, I really, really enjoyed this. A lot. Mostly because I found The Luxe, but still.

At the same time though, I don't think I would have enjoyed these books in high school. It's weird how that happens, isn't it. When I was in high school I would have been too caught up in my image to be caught with a copy of Sorcery and Cecelia or whatever. Now I welcome the release. It's nice to be able to read something that isn't super serious. And I enjoyed how catty the girls were in the books I read, but I didn't enjoy cattiness in high school.

If you couldn't tell already, my favorite book out of the pile was The Luxe, and now that my challenge is over I plan on finishing the whole series. I'm reading Rumors now. I wanted to read a variety of books for the challenge, but it was hard because all I really wanted to read was The Luxe.

If you want to go back and see my reviews I'll give you a list. The first book I read was The Red Necklace, which I enjoyed but in retrospect might have been the worst book. Then I read The Luxe which I could not put down. After that I read A Great and Terrible Beauty, which I didn't enjoy as much as The Luxe but I'm still planning on finishing the series. And finally I read Sorcery and Cecelia, which was probably the most creative book but I didn't like it all that much.

This review is of the third book in The Luxe series, so it will contain spoilers if you haven't read the first two books in the series. Interested in my thoughts on those? Check out my reviews of The Luxe and Rumors. I still say The Luxe series gets better and better as you go on and Envy

is the best yet in the series. Splendor, the final book is all I have left. I'm trying to savor the anticipation but at the same time I just really want to know what happens next! So when we left The Luxe girls in Rumors Henry and Penelope are married, to the great dismay of Diana Holland since Henry was clearly in love with her. Elizabeth Holland is very sad because her husband and former chauffeur has passed away, and her mother is trying to pass her off to a new suitor so the family can have money again.

Basically everyone is unhappy in this book. Literally everyone is unhappy. And I love Diana even more in this book because she is actually trying to do something about it! I loved how everyone was unhappy because from the outside all of these people seem to have perfect lives, but they're all actually completely miserable and I think that is a great thing to consider. No matter how good something appears from the outside when you experience it, it might not be that great. There were times in the book where she acted stupidly to try and make Henry feel guilty for what he did to her, but what teenage girl hasn't done that before. Honestly, the Diana-Henry-Penelope thread takes up the majority of the book and it was so intense, that at one point when I was reading on my lunch break I forgot my sandwich at the restaurant because I was so upset with Henry. And if that doesn't make you want to read this book, I don't know what will.

The ending is the biggest cliffhanger yet and while part of me thought, "Yeah, I'm so sure that would happen," part of me just thought, "These books are so awesome!" The ending really comes from nowhere, I was shocked by it. You can probably tell by my verbal typing diarrhea that I still don't know what to say about it. I just honestly can't praise these books enough.

I give Envy an A.

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I have talked about the Iowa City Book Festival quite a bit over the past few weeks and I'm sure those of you who aren't in Iowa are getting annoyed by me. But today is the actual festival! So after tomorrow I will shut-up about it, I promise. But for those of you who can't be here or those of you who are here who can't see me or for those of you who listened to me but forget what I said, I'm going to post my list of books I talked about during my talk today. These are my top five books I've read in the past year (basically, there are some I just didn't feel needed to be advertised as much, like Middlemarch, which I also advise you to read).

1. Notes from No Man's Land: American Essays

by Eula Biss. Yes, I'm recommending this book even though I've never reviewed it on this blog. It is a fabulous essay collection that deals with race, gender, age, and just growing up. You must read it. I read this book in two days a little over a year ago and I am still talking about it, so that should be a pretty good indication of how much I enjoyed it. And for fellow Iowans, there are many references to Iowa and Iowa City, as well as Chicago and New York. I haven't reviewed this book, but I did talk about on of Eula Biss's earlier essays.
2. The Creation of Eve

by Lynn Cullen. There have been several books about artists recently but this is by far the best, in my opinion. It is a historical fiction novel about Sofonisba Anguisolla, a female Renaissance painter who works in the court of Queen Elisabeth of Spain. I learned so much about gender restrictions in Spain through this novel, which is something I don't think I was ever interested in until I read this. I couldn't put this down. There is also sexual scandal that deals with Michelangelo, and some beautiful scenes about painting when Sofonisba is his student. Follow the link for my review of The Creation of Eve.
3. This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

by Marilyn Johnson. It's really no secret that I want to go into library science after I graduate, but that isn't the only reason I enjoyed this book. Johnson goes on several interviews across the East coast with librarians and those who love them. She meets librarians who network using the online game Second Life, librarians who teach people from underdeveloped countries so they can help their own countries, and librarians who love to blog. I learned a lot from this book and Johnson is incredibly witty which made a book that could have been a total snore become a joy to read. Follow the link for my review of This Book is Overdue!
4. The Imperfectionists

by Tom Rachman is a series of character sketches. It takes place in Rome and most of the characters work at an English language international newspaper or are somehow related to a person who does work there. Rachman does an amazing job of making every character unique, believable, and sympathetic. All of the characters connect somehow throughout the novel and somehow all have similar themes going through their lives. Like relationships, failed relationships, lost love, and death. By the end of this book you'll feel like you you just got to know a bunch of people at party, except you'll know them better than anyone you've met at a party. Follow the link for my review of The Imperfectionists.
5. The Luxe

by Anna Godbersen. I had to put some junk food on the list and out of all the junk food I've read in the past year The Luxe series is my favorite. I'm reading the third book, Envy, right now and I think I can safely say the series gets better as you go on. It's about a group of teenage girls in the early 1900's New Amsterdam, today Manhattan. They are rich, snobby brats and I love every minute of it. Penelope is new money and out to get everything she wants, no matter who she has to step on along the way. Elizabeth and Diana are sisters and from old money, but totally different. Elizabeth is in love with her chauffeur and is really looking for a more down-to-earth life than the one she lives, and she's a bit of a goody-two-shoes. Diana is much more interesting, she is dark and a bit moody, loves to sit and read, and thinks all the social airs her family puts on are stupid, she's just more vocal about it than her sister. Very dramatic. Follow the link for my review of The Luxe.

I actually haven't talked about my picks at the festival at this point, so if you're reading this and in Iowa City come see me at 1 PM today!

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I'm a little early with this post but I just arrived in Iowa City from Des Moines before I go out to lunch so I thought I'd give you all an update and do some mini-challenges. So far I still haven't gotten quite as much reading done as I would like but after I eat some lunch I should be set to read for quite awhile.

The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader is hosting a mini-challenge about armchair traveling. As someone who reads a lot of travel books I get quite a bit of armchair travel in through that, but there is really nothing like a good historical fiction novel to take you to someplace you've never been before. I began reading The Luxe series at the beginning of this year and after I read the first book my family went to New York City for a vacation. Through The Luxe series I learned that today's Manhattan used to be called New Amsterdam because it was settled by the Dutch. The Luxe series talks about the wealthy Dutch people who lived there. This is really interesting for me because my family is Dutch and some of the names in the book are similar to names in my family or people I know. Going to Manhattan was really interesting for me because I saw it in a way I never would have if I didn't know that information from the books. Through the Luxe series I've also gotten to travel to California, Florida, and Cuba all in the early 1900's. Very exciting!

*I'll come back later to update my stats!

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I'd been wanting to read a YA vampire novel for awhile when I picked up Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz. It came at the perfect time too, because I'd just finished The Jungle and I wanted to read something that wouldn't take a lot out of me. When I first opened the book I considered putting it back down, the first few pages are somewhat painful as far as writing. I decided to persevere though, reminding myself that I wanted something nice and easy. The writing does get better as you go on through the novel, or maybe you just get more used to it.

Typical to books about high school this cast as popular kids and rebels. I would say the main character is Schuyler Van Alen, a rebel. She lives with her grandmother and her mom is in the hospital with a coma. She has never really known her mom since she has been in a coma most of her life, but the doctors say she could wake up any day, so Schuyler visits her every weekend and reads the newspaper to her. Schuyler's best friend is Oliver who follows her around like a lost puppy. The friendship is really all about the two of them, but they let the new guy Dylan tag along because he likes them and because he adds to their mysterious aura.

On the opposite side is Mimi, the queen of the school who is ridiculously rich and fearless. There is also her brother Jack who is good at everything and gorgeous. Mimi and Jack seem to have some weird kind of Flowers in the Attic thing going on, but no one pays attention to them because they are perfect. On this side there is a new girl named Bliss. She comes from Texas and is trying to learn how to fit in the New York high class scene.

And this is how everything goes, until a mysterious death comes to the school and turns everything on its head. Soon people who are not supposed to talk are becoming allies. All because of The Committee. Everyone thinks The Committee is a place for the really rich people to hang out and plan parties, which is partially true but there is more to it than that. When Schuyler Van Alen gets invited to The Committee Mimi is furious. It doesn't help that her cousin Jack seems to be interested in Schuyler either.

So basically this is mediocre writing with a somewhat interesting plot. This the first in a series of books and I think I will probably read the next in the series. The plot really starts to pick up towards the end and I felt driven to finish the book so it wasn't all bad. It's just not The Luxe or anything.

This novel earned a C.
I read this book for the First in a Series Challenge.

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The second mini challenge for the Summer Break Reading Challenge was to create a wordle collage for a book series you have reviewed. One of my favorite series I have found since I started blogging is The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen- and since I'm reading the third book in the series as part of the challenge I thought it was only fitting that I did my collage for that series.

The character names are really clear in this but so are the words romance, time, 19th (century), love, and family. I think those are all great words to sum up the Luxe series. All of these words were taken from the reviews I did of the first two books.

This is a post I have been looking forward to for a long time. Anna Godbersen's The Luxe

is the second book I have read for my 19 Going On 20 Self Challenge. The novel starts with the supposed death of 19th Century Manhattan socialite Elizabeth Holland. Then it goes back in time to a party at Elizabeth's friend Penelope's home. Penelope's family is new money, but they have moved their way up the social ladder and are now being accepted by the elite. At least kind of. Penelope is having a very saucy romance with everyone's favorite rich boy, Henry Schoonmaker. What Penelope doesn't know is that Henry's father has other plans for him. He wants Henry to marry the nice, from a good family Elizabeth, which is perfect for Elizabeth's family since they have lost money after her father's death. It does not make Elizabeth happy though, because she is in love with her carriage driver, Will Keller.

This novel is full of dark secrets, backstabbers, and saucy love sessions. I could not put it down. This isn't the kind of thing I normally read. I don't read a lot of YA in general, but the novel's jacket caught my attention. I loved the idea of Gossip Girl in the 19th Century. I mean, how much better can it get? After the first chapter I was totally hooked. I'm dying to read the rest in the series and will probably do so very soon.

My favorite character in the novel is Diana, Elizabeth's younger sister. She is obsessed with romance and fantasy, and loves reading. By the end of the novel she has a bit of a reality check, but overall lets romance and fantasy win. She can be a total bitch but usually has others best intentions at heart. This novel has marvelous characters. It is one of the few books I've ever read where I didn't feel like anyone was the "good guy" or the "bad guy." Honestly when you finish the novel you see everyone has good and bad in them. The only exception to this is Elizabeth, who is mostly good. Although she does steal her best friend's lover even if she is doing it to save her family.

In short, if you haven't read this book stop wasting your time and READ IT!

Pub. Date: September 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback, 464 pp

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This week's Booking Through Thursday is all of these questions!

1. Favorite childhood book?
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes was my favorite picture book. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was my favorite chapter bok.

2. What are you reading right now?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Best American Essays 2008, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

4. Bad book habit?
Putting them down on the table with the spine up.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Catcher in the Rye, About a Mountain by John D'Agata, Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farguharson, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yes, I have a nook.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several, although lately I've been focusing more on one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Oh yeah, I read a lot more and I'm more conscious about what I think while I'm reading.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Genres I know I can count on like literary nonfiction, graphic novels, young adult series, and classics.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yeah I do it all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside as long as I don't have the sun to my back.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I'll lend to anyone I'm friends with.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but now I use bookmarks and sticky notes.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Often.

18. Not even with text books?
Still do it here.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English though I can read some French.

20. What makes you love a book?
Strong female characters, strong characters of any kind, detailed description but not flowery language.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I come away from a book thinking it either changed the way I look at something or helped me learn a lot about a subject or life.

22. Favorite genre?
Literary nonfiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Current literary fiction.

24. Favorite biography?
Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison by Linda Ashcroft.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've read fitness walking books and study books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Popcorn or oranges.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think I expected too much from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on the critic. I usually agree with book reviews from the Believer. Bookmarks is more touch and go.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I feel that I always give reasons for why I don't like a book so I don't mind giving negative reviews. I try to find something good even in books I dont like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Dutch.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Middlemarch by George Eliot.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

35. Favorite Poet?
Emily Dickinson.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I didn't have a library card until last week (I know, I know!) but including the university library I would say about 3 or 4.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Frequently when I was younger, which is why I didn't get a library card again until last week.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I have way too many! One I always remember fondly is Marcus in About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Lydia Gwilt from Armadale by Wilkie Collins.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Some literary nonfiction and historical fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Three or four months probably.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Most recently I have been very challenged by Surviving Paradise. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Noise, other conversations, my own nagging thoughts.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Jane Eyre! The PBS version.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I wasn't too fond of The Lightning Thief.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Oh boy, no clue. Definitely upwards $150 dollars.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not that often, surprisingly.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep them on shelves, but in no particular order.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I prefer to keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Gone With the Wind, even though I said I'd read it by the end of the summer.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I can name an essay that made me angry. Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn't sure if I'd like Candy Girl by Diablo Cody and really enjoyed it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Luxe series.

Did any of my answers surprise you?

This week's list at The Broke and Bookish is most dislikable characters. Let's start the hate fest!

1. Penelope from The Luxe Series. Oh boy, I loathe her. This is more like what character to you love to hate. She's so conniving and creatively wretched you kind of have to give her props. She's also a spoiled brat though, and she thinks what is best for herself is what is best for everyone, and that makes her awful.
2. Armadale from Armadale (the one they actually call Armadale throughout the book). The professor I had for this book would argue with me about this, but I just can't stand Armadale. He's so immature, indecisive, and oblivious to the world around him. I found his character really difficult to sympathize with, which is probably why I supported most of the villains in the book.
3. Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment. I read this book and high school and found it really difficult to get through because I didn't like Raskolnikov. I don't think you're really supposed to like him but maybe you're supposed to sympathize with him. One of my friends said to me, "Well how would you react if you murdered someone?" I didn't really have an answer, it was hard to place myself in his shoes.
4. Howard Roark from The Fountainhead. This is another book I read in high school and didn't really care for. Howard Roark just had no personality in my opinion. He is so focused on his vision that he misses out on the world. I could see the genius in a person like that but I don't think it's someone I want to spend 500 pages getting to know.
5. Luke from The Lightning Thief series. Luke! I'm only through the second book but I was (spoiler alert!) so disappointed at the end of the first book when Luke turns so bad. I thought he was such a nice guy. I don't think Riordan plays up his badness enough though, I wish he made him much worse than he is now.
6. Robert Audley from Lady Audley's Secret. Robert is just an annoying little pansy playing detective. I think Lady Audley could have wooped his ass. "Oh I miss my friend," "Oh I think I'm in love with my uncle's wife," blah, blah, blah. Go read your French novels and sulk on your own time.
7. Orlando from Orlando. Maybe the reason I didn't really like Orlando the book is because I didn't really care for Orlando the character. Male or Female, Orlando is incredibly self centered and a bit unaware of him/herself.
8. Truman Capote in Mockingbird (Harper Lee Biography). Okay, I'm not saying I hate Truman Capote, but in Mockingbird the picture painted of him is not so nice. Harper Lee helped him a lot with In Cold Blood and he basically took his manuscript and ran, leaving her a measly dedication at the beginning of the book. Can you say ugh?!
9. Paul Gauguin in Sunflowers. Another real person, but for 8 and 9 I'm not trying to be mean about the real people, I'm just calling it like I see it from the book. Gauguin was pretty mean to Van Gogh in Sunflowers and I'm not sure how much of it is known or based on fact, but yowza. Gauguin seemed like quite a pig to me, trying to steal other guy's ladies and all.
10. Miss Minchin from A Little Princess. Miss Minchin is so mean! She is the ultimate boarding school tyrant and all she cares about his money. You kind of have to hate her.

So who do you hate?

I hope you all a great holiday week! Because of the holidays I'm a little behind on my reading, as I'm sure most of us are. Today I'm planning on finishing The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. I've really been enjoying both books but since The Time Traveler's Wife is a little bit faster to read I've been more eager to read it. I'm actually further in the The Swan Thieves though because I keep thinking I'm further in The Time Traveler's Wife so I read it more. I know that makes no sense.

This week I posted reviews of The White Garden and The Luxe. Both were excellent books that I would recommend to anyone. Check out the reviews if you don't believe me. I also posted some photographs of the book wreath I made. And what would the holidays be without some complaining? Check out my English Major Grievances post here. You can even share some of your grievances here, I love to hear people complain.

I got a lot of books this Christmas, and I'm actually going to do a post about what books I did get most likely tomorrow. I got some book related things though so I figured I would share some of those right now. First of all I got a great calendar from my parents called The Reading Woman. I've actually been eyeing this calendar for months and I was really hoping someone would get if for me. It's just a collection of paintings of women reading. It is a beautiful calendar, the only painting I don't really care for is the last one, Micah Williams' Portrait of a Lady. There's nothing wrong with it it's just really not my taste.

I also got Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury

from my boyfriend. It is a beautiful collection of history and photographs/paintings from Jane Austen's past. There are envelopes throughout the book that hold items you can take out. These are copies of Austen's letters amongst other things. My favorite "treasure" is the collection of drawings from an early edition of Pride and Prejudice. There is also a very long section on the history of the gothic novel in the Nothanger Abbey section. I could not stop looking through this book for the rest of the night. The next thing isn't really book related but I got The Tudors

Seasons 1-3. I've never really watched Tudors before but I started it on Christmas Eve and I am so glad I have these!

Happy Reading!

This week's top ten list at The Broke and Bookish is favorite book characters. I think this is incredibly challenging to think about. It's easy to think of books I love but to remember specific characters is a little harder for me.

1. Mr. Slinger from Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. This is probably my favorite children's book and I just love Lily, the little mouse the book is about. Even though Lily is adorable and cute no one is better than her teacher Mr. Slinger. Mr. Slinger is kind of a hippie, he makes yummy cheesy snacks, and he loves to teach. When Lily has some problems in class Mr. Slinger tucks a note in her purse that says, "Today was hard. Tomorrow will be better" (I'm paraphrasing because my books are all packed right now). Every time I read that page I get a little choked up, at 20 it's still one of my favorite books to read on a bad day.
2. Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I really identified with Charlie when I read this book. He was a freshman in high school, kind of weird, loved to read, and was just trying to figure life out. I was a about a year younger than him when I read this book but I felt like I was having all the same experiences, which made the book extra special for me. Charlie was also so honest about his thoughts and since he was a "wallflower" he noticed really specific things about the world. When I finished this book I felt like I took a little bit of Charlie with me.
3. Hagrid from Harry Potter. I immediately took to Hagrid when I read Harry Potter. I loved how he was so big and frightening, but was such a nice guy. He's so idealistic and I'm always amazed by the things he does know and the the things he doesn't know. And Hagrid always had Harry, Ron, and Hermoine's best interests at heart.
4. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She is tough and super smart. When Scout stands up to the members of the Klu Klux Klan my heart swoons because she has no idea what she really did. And she loves her dad unconditionally and worries about him like a parent does about a child. Scout is a great role model for young girls.
5. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. These two go together for me, you can't have one without the other. I feel like they both change every time I read the book and their relationship becomes increasingly more complicated. From an initial viewing I love how simple their love appears and how sweet it is, but Mr. Rochester is abrasive and Jane is needy, which makes the relationship more difficult than I thought when I first read the book.
6. Marcus from About a Boy. I love Marcus! He is definitely one of my favorite book characters and movie characters. He is so young but has such a realistic view of the world, probably because he's mom is a little messed up. I feel for him because I was a little weirdo too, but I admire him because he works so hard to make his mom feel better even though he really has no control over her.
7. Katniss from The Hunger Games. Katniss is kind of like Scout for me. She is so tough and badass. She never complains about the horrible situation she is put in, she just goes with it and thinks about ways to make everything work for her and those she cares about.
8. Dumbledore from Harry Potter. When Dumbledore died I cried for hours. I wore a RIP Dumbledore bracelet for months. It was a horrible experience, but that just shows what a huge effect he had on me. I grieved over him like I would any person I know in real life.
9. Henry De Tamble for The Time Traveler's Wife. When I read The Time Traveler's Wife I was at a place in my life where I felt like nothing was in my control so I really identified with Henry. He works in a library, listens to punk rock, and wears sweaters, which makes him more like me. Similar to Katniss, Henry makes the situation work for him even though it's horrible and he loves Clare so much he does everything he can to protect her. I find him to be very admirable.
10. Diana from The Luxe Series. Oh, Diana. I just love her more as the series goes on. She is so unafraid of being outside of the norm, outside of society. She lives her life for herself and no one else. Sure, she's a bit annoying sometimes over her boy problems but I don't think she reacts any differently than I would. I just love her.

What are some of your favorite book characters?

I put off reading the second book in the Luxe series for awhile because I wanted to the savor the end of the first book. Luckily the beginning of Rumors by Anna Godbersen drew me right back into the dramatic ending of the first book. This review will not spoil anything in Rumors, but it will assume that you have read the first book in the series.

At the beginning we are reminded that Elizabeth Holland is dead, of course we know that she actually is not dead. Instead she has traveled to California to meet her lover and her family's former footman Will. Will has it in his head that he will strike it rich with oil. Elizabeth loves Will and wants to believe in him, but her wealthy past and good sense tells her this might not be the case. She has a lot of time during the day to think about her life back in New York as well, so Elizabeth isn't as happy as she thought she might be. She takes solace in the fact that she still has her engagement ring from Henry Schoonmaker. If things ever got too bad, she could always sell that.

And back in New York Elizabeth's sister Diana is desperately in love with Henry. Henry, however, doesn't know that Elizabeth is still alive. When he finally comes out of mourning he can't wait to get back to Diana, but his best friend Teddy assures him that he cannot fall in love with Diana. It just wouldn't be right. This gives the semi-evil Penelope the perfect opening to win Henry's attention... or bribe him for it.

I love, love, loved 89% of this book. This of course is a completely false percentage because I'm horrible at math, but we'll say that is how much I loved. There was so much of Diana in this book that I couldn't put it down. I just adore Diana. Elizabeth was a little flaky to me. I was so annoyed with her faithless attitude towards Will. Poor Will though... such a dreamer. My two biggest complaints about this book are Lina Broud and the ending.

Lina Broud is a side character. She used to be a maid and is also in love with Will, but when she is fired from the Holland household she lies about her past to everyone she meets. In this book Lina is climbing the social ladder in a completely idiotic way. Basically I thought there was too much Lina in this book. Her character is annoying. She is unappreciative (which makes no sense because she used to be a maid) and kind of full of herself. I liked her more in the first book when she was genuinely in love with Will. You will see in this book that she is not.

The ending, you'll have to decide that for yourself.

This novel earned a B.

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Anna Goderbsen has returned to English Major's Junk Food. After the emotional experience I had during the final book of the Luxe series I knew I had to have any book Godbersen wrote. When Bright Young Things

came out I was having a bad day. I had to go in for a series of doctor appointments and was discovering nothing. My mom and I stopped at the bookstore on the way home and she got this for me as a pick me up. I set the book on my nightstand, saving it for another day. A couple of weeks ago I was having a rough time of it, sick and tired, and I picked up Bright Young Things. I was immediately whirled out of my world of classes, deadlines, work, and responsibility. I sat in my bed and read for hours.

The book follows three 1930's girls in alternating chapters. Letty and Cordelia have escaped their small Ohio town to chase after their dreams. They both believe they were meant for bigger, better things. Letty wants to become a singer and she believes her dreams will come true immediately. Cordelia is a little more realistic about their possibility of success, but her desire to find her real father keeps her going. Astrid is a true New Yorker, though she doesn't live in the city. She lives with her wealthy family and attends magnificent parties with her handsome boyfriend. By the end of the book they have all been beaten down and changed.

I just loved this book. Beginning, middle, and end. It is exactly what I wanted from it. Godbersen's writing has gotten tighter, faster, more thrilling. She takes an extremely predictable story but still gets you to guess what happens next. Even more than that, I felt like Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid became my new friends. They began to fill the void the Luxe series left. Bright Young Things leaves me wanting more, and unfortunately I have to wait several months for the next book.

I'm not going to pretend these books are for everyone, I realize they are not. It doesn't really bring anything new to the table-- but a more well written, consuming young adult story I have not found. Give it a chance.

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Tomorrow, Saturday, October 9, is the Dewey Readathon! I think this is the fourth readathon I have participated in-- which is kind of amazing because A year ago I'd never done any readathon before ever. I probably won't really shoot to read 24 hours tomorrow, in the past I've reached close to 20 and that's good enough for me. I think I will just read as much as I can and take some homework breaks in between. I'm going to be with my parents tomorrow so hopefully that means my mom will cook me lots of food to eat while I'm reading.

Usually I try to read several short books for readathons because it makes me feel extremely accomplished, but this time around I'm going to read three YA books that have been in my TBR pile for quite awhile. My first priority is to read Splendor and finish the Luxe series for good. I started the series at the beginning of 2010 and it's been a constant for me all year, but I'm ready to find out how it ends. Next is The Book Thief

, which is quite long (550 pages) but I've heard from several people that they could not put this book down, so hopefully I feel the same. And my third book is Shiver

, the first book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. When Linger came out a few months ago the cover really struck me and everyone was talking about it. I had never heard of Shiver before, but I love the idea of the book so hopefully I'll enjoy that. The pretty blue ink can't hurt things- right?

One thing I'm doing that I haven't done before is donate to a charity. I have been very upset by the recent young, gay suicides so for every page I read I am going to donate .03 cents to The Trevor Project. If I finish all of my books that amounts to 40.00.

Usually I update every four hours during the readathon and will probably do that tomorrow as well. Good luck to all you readathoners!

I slept in until noon today and I definitely wasn't planning on that. Actually, I got up at eight to finish my cookies and then I went back to sleep at ten, planning on only sleeping for about thirty minutes. Silly me for not setting an alarm. It wouldn't be a big deal but I'm going to a Christmas/Birthday party at two o'clock so I have zero time.

I am not in Iowa City anymore, I'm at my parents house very far away from Iowa City. Actually not really, only about in a hour and a half. So far my mom has pushed a hydrating nasal rinse on me because I have a small nose and asked me if I'm eating enough fruit in Iowa City. Gotta love moms! My boyfriend brought his presents for my parents over yesterday but my dog has started to open them. Woops!

Last week was a good reading week for me because I had nothing else to do. I didn't finish quite all the books I wanted to, but I never expect that I will. I finished The Eyre Affair, The Moment Between, and The Red Necklace. I also posted a review of In A Gilded Cage, which I finished two weeks ago. I did some deep thinking this week about how people look at you when you read certain types of books, and how it doesn't really matter. Today I plan on finishing The White Garden by Stephanie Barron and The Clumsiest People on Earth edited by Todd Pruzan. I am also reading The Luxe by Anna Godbersen right now and I must admit that I am hooked! This week I also plan on reading The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and Sex Lives of the Roman Emperors by Nigel Cawthorne. I was only planning on reading four YA books for my self challenge, but I ended up purchasing the first three of The Luxe series and I might end up reading all three before I turn 20. We shall see!

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

I love books with really strong female characters, so I'm excited that Top Ten Tuesday is all about that this week. Check out other answers at The Broke and Bookish.

1. Jane Eyre of Jane Eyre One of my favorite books of all time. Jane isn't particularly outstanding, but she does stick up for herself and does what she believes is right, so I must respect her for that.
2. Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games series Another girl who does what she thinks is right, even in the face of danger.
3. Diana of The Luxe Series This is another girl (am I seeing a pattern?) who isn't afraid to say what she thinks or live her life the way she pleases, even if it's unpopular.
4. Marian Halcombe of The Woman in White Oh Marian. She is ugly, but incredibly smart and you just have to love her. The best character in the whole book.
5. Bridget of Bridget Jones's Diary She is hilarious, honest, and messed up just like the rest of us. A girl to love.
6. Margaret of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret A young heroine, but like Bridget she is totally honest with what she thinks, even if its bizarre or rude.
7. Joan Didion of The Year of Magical Thinking This is a nonfiction book, but I think I love her character in the book for a lot of the same reasons as I love Bridget and Margaret, although she is less funny. She doesn't lie though, and it would be easy to lie in the situation she is in.
8. Hermoine Granger of The Harry Potter series Smart, outspoken, and not afraid to run with the boys. Gotta love Hermoine!
9. Edna Pontellier of The Awakening This is just a beautiful, sad book and I really admired her character when I first read it.
10. Scout of To Kill a Mockingbird Another young heroine but one of my favorites. Not afraid to ask questions or say things how they are.

So apparently I love women who aren't afraid to tell it like it is! Wonder what that says about me in real life?

I've been thinking a lot lately about being embarrassed about reading certain books. I'm definitely guilty of it, and it seems like there are times and places where I'm okay with reading different things. When I'm at work I don't care if I'm reading The Luxe or some other hardly literary book. I don't think I would feel comfortable reading that in the English Philosophy building, although things are starting to change for me with reading. Since I've started this blog I've started to care less about only reading great literature and care more about just reading. When I was a kid I read nonstop because I loved stories, not because I wanted everyone to think I was super smart and cool. I do miss the days in elementary school when reading was the cool thing to do though.

Maybe part of the change has been my job tutoring. When I pick books for the kids I don't necessarily pick books that are going to expand their mind, but I pick books that I know they will be interested in. That's the best way to expand their minds right? So what's wrong with reading The Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron or The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.

I was really ashamed last year by how little I was reading. Second semester I read a lot, but they were all books for class. When I look back at the books I tried to read during the semester it doesn't surprise me that I didn't finish many. How was I supposed to pay attention to a book that took me 2 minutes per page when I was exhausted from school and work? I've definitely changed my reading habits this semester. I am reading a lot of books, and I'm interested in all of them. They might be a little silly sometimes, but I don't watch a lot of television and that is what most people do to relax from homework.

I love to do analysis of literature, I'll admit it. I love reading novels by Charlotte Bronte, Virginia Woolf, and George Eliot. Part of me thinks that if I read only these books though my brain will just fry itself. I was so worn out after reading Middlemarch that I just had to escape into something else for awhile. Something simpler, but not bad. I can't read a bad book, I just can't do it. And plot is usually not enough to get me through a book, I have to fall in love with the characters.

I know I already did a post at the end of my one hour, but I didn't include any stats so I figured I'd just include them here.

But first, mini challenges! I couldn't resist I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read's mini-challenge to make a soundtrack for a chapter of the book you are reading. I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and I wanted to pick a song to be playing during the scenes where Guy Montag and Clarisse McClellan are talking and Montag starts to realize that something is really wrong with the world. The song I chose is Something to Talk About by Badly Drawn Boy, which was actually mad for the soundtrack of the movie About A Boy which is a great book by British author Nick Hornby. So I got very literary on this one.

This song might sound a little too peppy to be on a soundtrack for Fahrenheit 451, but can imagine it being really cool in a movie for the scene, especially since I see Clarisse as being a soft but strong character.

And I'm also going to do 'Til We Read Again's And The Nominees Are challenge.

Favorite Female Character in a book: Marian Halcombe from the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Favorite Male Character in a book: Henry DeTamble from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Favorite Side Kick in a book: I really like Dick in High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, is he a sidekick?
Favorite Couple in a Book: Jane and Rochester in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Favorite Book Series: Right now probably The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen
Favorite Author: As far as authors I have read multiple books by... I'd probably have to say Virginia Woolf
Favorite Book Cover: I really like the cover of The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
Favorite Book of 2009: Middlemarch by George Eliot, which is a book I read in 2009

And lastly, I'll do a kick rundown:
Title of book(s) read since last update: Fahrentheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 179
Running total of pages read since you started: 179
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 3.5
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3.5
Mini-challenges completed: Miss Remmers' Kick-off Challenge, I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read's Soundtrack Challenge, and 'Til We Read Again's And The Nominees Are challenge.

So Thursday marked my last month as a teenager. Yes, I am turning twenty. Most people aren't that excited about their 20th birthday, and I guess I'm not really either. To make things a little more exciting I've decided to do a self challenge. I've never read a lot of YA books, even when I was a teenager. I mentioned during National Novel Writing Month that this was the reason I decided to write a YA novel. When I was in high school it was the cool thing to not read YA books, but to read literature books. Sometimes I regret not reading more YA, but the truth is that I really had trouble finding YA books that interested me.

So yesterday I did some shopping, virtually and physically, and found four YA books that I would like to give a shot. The first I've already started. It's The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. I also ordered the first three books in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Most of these are historical fiction, which to be honest I wasn't very interested in when I was in my early to mid teens. I was really interested in Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac at the time. The turning point in my reading habits was actually when I read Jane Eyre, although it wasn't an immediate change. It's taken me awhile to really become a historical fiction reader, although I've always enjoyed books set in the past.

So basically this is just a way for me to relax, read some books that I probably wouldn't read otherwise, and enjoy my last few days as a teenager. I'll be posting the reviews to these books as well as something adolescent every Saturday until January 9, which is the day before my birthday.