Review: The Jane Austen Project

image via Goodreads

If you're a follower of Modern Mrs. Darcy (I'm sure by now you can tell that I am an avid fan of Anne Bogel), then you may have glimpsed The Jane Austen Project on her summer reading guide for this year. I've said this before -- and I think it's important to be honest -- I am not a true Austenite. I've only read Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility and started to read Emma but found Emma herself to be, well...annoying. (I know, I know, she deserves a second chance.) I say this because I've had a couple readers reach out to ask if you needed to be a true fan of Jane Austen in order to enjoy this novel and the answer is certainly not. While there were references to all of Austen's works -- some that I didn't understand for lack of reading -- I felt that my reading experience was just as pleasant and that I understood the story perfectly.

 The adventure takes place in 1815, shortly before the death of Jane Austen from a mysterious and drawn-out illness. Rachel and Liam were selected for a mission -- to travel back in time, infiltrate the Austen's social circle, and return to the future with a missing Austen manuscript. Rachel and Liam pose as wealthy siblings, recently arrived from the West Indies. Both Rachel and Liam are Austenites, and while they are intent on completing their mission, life in the Regency era begins to grow on them. They struggle to navigate their genuine affection for their new friends and their questions about the cost of changing the past, and by proxy, the post-apocalyptic world to which they will return.

What I will say is that this novel started out a little slow for my taste. It wasn't until about eighty pages in that I started to feel the desire to read uninterrupted, as the first bit was really the setting up of the novel and the plot itself didn't get going until after that. I saw many readers who were uncomfortable with the level of sexuality in this book, but I wasn't bothered by it at all. In fact, I thought that the contrast between the strict prudence of the Regency era and our own social rules was interesting; it brought to light some of the feminist issues that Jane and her contemporaries dealt with in a world where men controlled every aspect of women's lives. I was interested in the character relationships as they changed throughout the book and had one or two moments where I felt my heart swell or shrink on behalf of a character. The time travel element was captivating as well -- it brought about big questions (the type that make your brain hurt) and I loved thinking about the implications of changing history, for better and for worse. This was a story that had me rooting for so many of its characters, and I have to admit that I wish there was a sequel in the works, as I would happily re-immerse myself for another adventure into the past.

Bottom-Line Rating: 4/5

Title: The Jane Austen Project

Author: Kathleen A. Flynn

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2017

Price: $10 on Amazon

ISBN: 0062651269

Format: Paperback

Source: Public Library

My Summer Reading List {Part II}

If you missed the first installment of this year's summer reading list, then start by clicking here. This summer I'm pulling books from my own shelves in an effort to check off some books that I've been meaning to read for quite some time. So far I've been getting in a lot of extra reading time and loving every minute.

Onto the list, which I'm trying to keep to a reasonable number of books. In reality, I won't get to all of these, and I'll definitely be adding more to the pile from the library, but I like having a general plan to go off of. I'm hoping that you might be able to find something here too!

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Have any recommendations? See anything you'll be adding to your own summer reading stack?

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

If you liked that, read this!

If you liked:

Read this:

If you're a fan of J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, I'd recommend reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Both books were super popular when they came out in 2012, and they were two of my favorite library finds that year. I felt that a similar tone ran through both stories, with ordinary characters and really well-developed relationships. A description of the latter calls Harold Fry one of the most endearing characters in current fiction and I completely agree. I also just discovered that it's the first in a series, so if you've already read (and enjoyed) both books, pick up the second in the series. It doesn't hurt that both books have fabulous covers-- I wouldn't hesitate to recommend both as perfect book club reads.

Review: A Beautiful Blue Death

{on Goodreads}

Charles Lenox is a wealthy aristocrat in Victorian London, and though he genuinely enjoys the leisures of his class, he differs from his peers in one aspect: he's also an amateur detective. In A Beautiful Blue Death, a new take on the Sherlock Holmes formula, Finch brings us a detective whose talents far surpass the local police and who relishes in the chase of London murderers. When a maid in an acquaintance's household is found poisoned, Lenox takes the case-- not only to find closure for the girl's fiancée, but also to appease his closest friend, the widow Lady Jane Grey. As Lenox's primary suspect becomes a victim, he finds that he must carefully navigate the aristocratic and political circles that comprise his highly influential suspect pool and that he must solve the case quickly as he finds himself threatened and in danger.

I've had this book on my to-read list since March, and finally decided to seek it out at the library. I was craving a good mystery and can't say that I was disappointed. This is a good read for those who like to follow characters through a series, as it really laid the groundwork for the development of character relationships in future books. I took a liking to Lenox and his solitary, quiet ways, and liked that there is just a hint of a potential love story worked into the plot. As for the mystery aspect, I was unable to guess the culprit, so the surprise was definitely there at the end. Personally, I'm drawn to Victorian-era settings, but the biggest draw for me was the comparison to Sherlock Holmes. I'd recommend this to fans of old-fashioned mysteries (though it was quite subdued, nothing like an Agatha Christie). As a bonus, the second in the series looks especially good and I can't wait to follow along.

Bottom Line Rating: 4/5

Title: A Beautiful Blue Death

Author: Charles Finch

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2007

Price: $10.60 (on Amazon)

ISBN: 0312359772

Format: Hardcover

Source: Public Library

Book #28 of 2014

3 Truths About Classic Literature

I felt that it was about time for some transparency on the subject of classic literature. Mark Twain once said that classics are books we praise and don't read, and I'm as guilty as anyone for living up to that truth. I love literature- and being a reader is a huge part of my identity, but I'm not an English major and I'm not an expert. I just love to read, and I love the freedom to choose what I read. 

I do have a habit of sticking to just a few genres, but for my reading resolutions this year I've been branching out and challenging myself to find enjoyable books that are outside of my comfort zone. Part of that challenge was to read four classics. I expected it to be easy, after all, aren't all classics great? I've only finished two so far, but I can say that I'm finding this resolution of mine to be…difficult, to say the least. Here's what I've learned about the classics so far:

They're not all great. // Classic literature is a category made up of all genres, so not all of them are going to be appealing to every reader. I put The Time Machine on my list, even though I know that I'm not a science-fiction reader. And guess what? It didn't appeal to me. I appreciate that it was the beginning of a genre, but I lost interest.

Sometimes, they don't turn out as expected. // After my failure to delve into H.G.Wells, I picked up Jane Eyre, expecting it to quickly become my favorite classic ever. Wrong. I love the books that I've read that are based off of this story, but I didn't love the original. There wasn't enough going on and I really only got wrapped up in a few key moments.

Children's classics count too. // Maybe I'm biased because of my obvious love for all things children's lit, but I would much rather dive into a children's classic than an adult classic. These stories are ones that practically raised older generations (the same way that Harry Potter has raised our generation) but they've lost a lot of their appeal because young readers see them as too challenging. I'd love to see a revival of children reading Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, both of which have now made it onto my to-read list.

If you liked that, read this!

If you liked:

Read this:

If you were a fan of The Secret Life of Bees, pick up Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt the next time you're in need of a good read. To me, these books represent the best of summer reading. Hoffman perfectly captures the southern spirit that drew so many readers into The Secret Life of Bees with the characters, setting, and tone of this book. It carries the same themes of resilience, family, and the need to belong. This was one of those reads where the characters stayed with me for a week afterwards. And if you haven't read either? I'd recommend both! Perfect for a ladies' bookclub or to pass around to all your friends this summer.

Review: The Goldfinch

{on Goodreads}

The Goldfinch follows the extraordinarily tragic story of Theo Decker, who, at the age of 13, is living an ordinary life in New York City with his mother until fate places the two of them in the way of a bomb at the world famous Met. Theo is lucky to survive and in the aftermath of the bomb takes a priceless painting by an old Dutch master with him as he stumbles out of the museum. His mother perishes and he is taken in by a friend's high-society family, but just as life begins to sort itself out again, his deadbeat Dad arrives in New York to take Theo home to Las Vegas. In Vegas, Theo makes friends with a young Russian named Boris; the two of them get lost in a haze of drugs and alcohol, helping Theo to escape the feeling that his life is heading in the wrong direction. Years later back in New York, Theo lives within the dark, dusty world of antiques, and though from an outsider's perspective he is successful and living a life worthy of envy, that morning at the museum stays with him in more ways than one. The painting, so small and unassuming, has such a strong hold over him that he's forced to follow it into the world of underground art, where his former risk-taking is laughable in the face of new dangers.

I had been anticipating reading this book for such a long time that I actually felt some trepidation upon starting it. What I can say for sure is this: The Goldfinch pulled me in as only great books do. I read it nonstop for about 5 days, right through to the end (it's a whopping 771 pages). Tartt is a master of creating characters, each had their own perfectly crafted voice, background, and personality; as I was reading it occurred to me that she must have spent an inordinate amount of time observing other people in order to be able to portray such realness in her characters. My one big criticism of the story is that at times, it felt as though Tartt may have gone off on metaphorical, long-winded tangents just for the sake of beautiful writing, not because the details were necessary to the story. In that way, the story could feel a little manic and didn't appeal to me. Though I had originally picked up this story because I thought it belonged to the art fiction sub-genre, little of the story actually focused on the artwork itself, as it was more of a thread that carried through the character's lives, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the art aspects of it. Definitely a good read to tackle this summer, and maybe even a great discussion piece for an ambitious book club!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Goldfinch

Author: Donna Tartt

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2013

Price: $16.94 (on Amazon)

ISBN: 0316055433

Format: Hardcover

Source: Amazon

Book #22 of 2014

Memorial Day Reads

Happy Memorial Day!

To celebrate the holiday and the start of the summer reading season, I've curated a list of books that feature those in military service.

Because we are talking about the military, and that's not something that I have much knowledge about, I'd like to give a little shoutout to my lovely friend Allie over at The Little Prince Project. Allie and have become super close since we met at American University our sophomore year, and have a mutual goal of becoming educators!
 Allie's passion is for civics and military education; I have learned so much from her about our country's history, the Constitution, and the military in the past few years. Allie's blog is an excellent resource for civics education, and I encourage everyone to check it out! (Plus, today she's featuring a book review-- one that might be perfect for your to-read list!)

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell // My dad read this one and says he would give it 3 stars, mainly because he felt that the truth must have been exaggerated. It may be worth picking up still; in my experience, this sub-genre is hit and miss. It was also released as a movie this year, and I'm one of those people who prefer to read a book before going to see it in theaters.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien // This is one that I read in a literature class in my sophomore year of college. Before we read it, I guessed that it wasn't going to make it onto my list of favorites; two years later, I can still recall specific sentences that moved me. O'Brien certainly has a special aptitude for words. 

The Good Soldiers by David Finkel // This was required reading for me the summer before I entered college. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Again, this type of book isn't really my area of interest, but Finkel has such a talent for writing and this story was profound. I passed it onto my brother and it remains one of his favorites. I'd recommend this one most out of any on this list. 

The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel // As soon as previews for this movie started playing and I realized that it was based off a book, I went looking for it. I'm a huge fan of books about art. It's a pretty long read, and I have to say that I learned more about WWII in general than about the efforts to save the endangered artworks. Still, I think it's important to recognize that every service member contributes to the big picture, and I was proud that I actually finished a non-fiction work from cover to cover, as that's a pretty rare feat for me.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle // This one made it onto my dad's list of recommended biographical books. It sounds like a really interesting story, and it seems like it would appeal to those who are fans of series that are action-packed and full of intensity.

Books About Art & Artists

I have a weakness for books about art. Stories about art, artists, and especially art theft are high on my list of favorite sub-genres. In high school I took a lot of art classes and I wish I could have taken more throughout college. I've always been one of those people that gets caught up in art, but mostly older works. Modern art isn't really my thing, I adore work from the impressionist and post-impressionist eras. They're just so romantic.

A peek at one of my favorites:

{via}

The Bridge, view on the river by André Derain

(The colors are so gorgeous.)

I've curated a list of just a few of my favorite books about art, and added in a couple that I'm looking forward to reading. These range from (well-researched) works of historical fiction to modern stories of the high-profile art world in New York City. What I love about these books is that the authors clearly have a reverence for art, and that reverence translates to a wonderful reading experience.

Recommended:

{on Goodreads}

I can't curate this list without this book. Chevalier is a master and this is a gorgeous piece of writing. My mom recently took a trip to SanFrancisco and got to stop in the Fine Arts Museum there, where this piece is on exhibit. I was jealous that she got to see it in person, but she brought me back a coffee table book and a mug with the image on it as part of my Christmas gifts. I've thumbed through the book several times and it is just beautiful. No wonder Chevalier was inspired by this work!

{on Goodreads}

This is one of the most fascinating art stories ever, and the best part is that it takes place in Boston. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at the very top of my list for places to visit this summer. The story goes that one night in 1990, two men broke into the museum and committed the largest art heist in history. They stole dozens of works of art, including The Concert, a work by Vermeer (the same man who painted Girl with a Pearl Earring), considered to be the most valuable piece of unrecovered stolen art. That one painting alone is worth over $200 million. This book is a nonfiction account of the mystery and the theories about who was really behind this great unsolved heist.

{on Goodreads}

I picked up this book randomly at the library last year and fell absolutely in love with it. It even made it onto my Top Ten of 2013 list. The protagonist, Madamoiselle Morisot, was rumored to have an affair with the incredibly famous Manet. It was scandalous, heartbreaking, and so romantic.

{on Goodreads}

This was a good read, though it is fictional. I thought it was interesting because it included details on how art forgeries are made and how tricky it can be now to discern whether a work is authentic or not. This one was more contemporary and gave an interesting account of the underground market of high-priced art.

{on Goodreads}

I gave this 4/5 stars on Goodreads. It's based on a true story of the only woman who ever had the honor of studying under Michaelangelo. She was selected to be the painting instructor for the Queen of Spain and finds herself navigating the court and contemplating her own future as an artist. I did read it a while ago but I do remember feeling like the focus was mostly on her life at court and not so much the art itself. Regardless, the story was great and I was completely caught up in it.


To Read:

{on Goodreads}

This one is an account of a single day in the Dutch Golden Age, and tells the story of Rembrant's first masterpiece, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulip. It's one of those books that is written through the eyes of several different characters. I'm looking forward to picking it up for this summer. Plus, isn't the cover interesting? Love its eccentric look.

{on Goodreads}

This is supposed to be an amazing read. I bought it back in January but left it at home because I feared that I would forego any schoolwork if I brought it back to school with me. Love the cover and the story is apparently riveting. It's first on my list for books to read this summer!


Do you have a favorite sub-genre? Any recommendations for great books about art?

New Acquisitions!

Is there anything better than a brand new book? The crisp pages, the unbroken spine, the adventures ahead! Swoon.

 I could get lost in a bookstore every. single. day. That is, if I had the budget to come out with the ten books that I invariably pick up every time I set foot in a bookstore. Recently, I put myself on a book-buying freeze. I realized that since I had started writing this blog, I thought that it was justification for buying myself every book that caught my eye. The result? I have about twenty new books on my shelves that I still haven't read yet. Still, keeping myself away from the bookstore is a difficult task. I can't be the only one with this problem, right? (Right???)

So, while I was suffering from withdrawal, the beautiful angels at Penguin publishing sent me a little relief. A few months ago I had participated in a pilot test for the MTEL, the state-licensure test for teachers that I'll be taking soon. It was good practice for me (the test can be super tricky) and for my two hours of hard work I was granted a gift card to Penguin. I was saving it for a rainy day, but a few weeks ago I received an e-mail that, gasp, my gift card would be expiring soon! So you see, I just had to get a few new books.

After browsing the (virtual) shelves at Penguin, I selected five books to greet me when I got home for Easter weekend, (aka my little brother's birthday weekend, aka Patriot's Day, aka Marathon Monday!). Below are my picks:

{on Goodreads}

The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
I chose this one to come back to school with me for rest of the semester and I'm already halfway through. It's a non-fiction story (usually not my wheelhouse), but it reads like a mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. Victorian-era ghost stories give me the creepy-crawlies; this one is full of public deception and family secrets. It all plays out in correspondence between family members whose lineage can be traced back to the middle ages. I came across it in a newsletter from Oprah magazine on perfect Spring Break reads featuring books that are good picks when your brain is feeling fried. Seeing as how I have four days left in the semester and then final exams, "fried" is the perfect adjective for the state of my brain. Thank goodness for books, they keep me (mostly) sane.

{on Goodreads}

The City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte
Speaking of books that are super easy to read and perfect for times when your brain is feeling overworked-- this series is it. I bought the first book in the series in the bargain section at B&N and flew through it. I'm not going to say that the writing is superior or that the plot is super complex, but it did provide me with some good laughs and I'm going to continue to follow the series.

{on Goodreads}

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
This book made it onto my list of books to look forward to back in January. Can I just say, every single edition of this book has a beautiful cover. Sue Monk Kidd blew me out of the water with The Secret Life of Bees and I am really looking forward to diving into this one as soon as summer starts.

{on Goodreads}

No Book but the World by Leah Hager Cohen
A confession about why I bought this book: the cover is so beautiful that I want to frame it. So, the moment I saw it, click, into the shopping cart it went. For the record, the story also sounds really compelling and the major theme is sibling relationships. As my little brother just turned 18 last weekend (no, it's not okay...and yes, I do feel really old now), we're starting to interact more as adults than kids so the theme is relevant to us. Though, in this tale the brother winds up in jail, so not all of it will be relevant. I hope.

{on Goodreads}

On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac
This book gave me another case of cover crush. The bright colors, the lettering...it's perfect. This is the first draft that Kerouac wrote of his infamous work. Fun fact: he wrote it in just three weeks. Impressive, right? I actually bought it because I saw that one of my favorite bloggers (also a bookworm) was reading it. I love that you can happen upon a new read in the most random of places.

Counting down the days until summer is here. I can't wait to tote these books to the beach and finally relax!