Description: Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn’t a complete screw up? When she’s asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She’s a chef, what’s the worst that could happen? Rico Silva, that’s what.
Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster. FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her.
But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce…and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico. Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion?

Description: Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn’t want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.
When a surprise engagement between Khalid and Hafsa is announced, Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and his family; and the truth she realizes about herself. But Khalid is also wrestling with what he believes and what he wants. And he just can’t get this beautiful, outspoken woman out of his mind.

Review: Ayesha at Last has been pitched as a Muslim Pride and Prejudice retelling, but I would describe it as an homage to the Jane Austen classic featuring Muslim characters set in Toronto, Canada. Smart, witty, and aspiring poet Ayesha Shamsi juggles her dreams and the stifling expectations of her tight-knit Toronto's Indian-Muslim community. Instead of pursuing her artistic passion, she picks a practical career as a high school teacher in order to pay back her financial loans to her uncle and watches as her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, collects marriage proposals like trading cards. Ayesha is the non-desirable type as she is an outspoken feminist, and ancient according to the desi marriage clock.
  After a misunderstanding, Ayesha pretends to be Hafsa while planning a youth conference, where she is required to collaborate with conservative Khalid, a newcomer to the area. Ayesha pegs Khalid as rigid and judgmental on their first meeting because of his white robes, long beard, and ultra-conservative behavior. She doesn't object to arranged marriages, but believes compatibility is important, and she scorns Khalid's complacency with accepting his mother's choice of bride. Khalid pegs Ayesha as those types of Muslims who appear devout but goes to bars and interacts with men. The clash of these two opposing viewpoints on how to practice their religion is a constant tension between Khalid and Ayesha. As Ayesha and Khalid work on the conference together, Khalid learns to accommodate different viewpoints. 
  Family loyalty and reputation are a recurring theme throughout the novel. Khalid is overly reliant on his mother and completely passive about his future so long as it appeases his mother as his family's reputation was rocked by his rebellious sister Zareena. Ayesha is trapped between being loyal to uncle and aunt while being a pushover to her spoiled and immature cousin. I loved this book for its candid yet critical view of the social pressures facing young Muslims as well as the universal question of "What makes a good and bad Muslim?" which all Muslims ask themselves. I appreciated the author's inclusion of Muslims of a wide faith range from the devout to the secular as they are without figure pointing of what they should be. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, mostly at the cost of Khalid's comment in not getting with the 21st century and abundant cultural references, which elevates Ayesha at Last beyond just another Austen adaptation/retelling. Along with witty social critique there are other serious issues that the author does not shy away from such as workplace discrimination, alcoholism, and abortion. I did, however, think the ending was a bit rushed and I selfishly wanted an epilogue, but this is one of my favorite books that I have read this summer and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: A pornography website featuring younger age girls is mentioned in the book along with crude humor, mentions of drugs and alcohol, and language. Recommended for Grades 10 and up.

If you like this book try: Pride, prejudice, and other flavors by Sonali Dev

Description: In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor in the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won't make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and start having children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire them to dream of more. When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for eligible--and rich--bachelors, certain that their luck is about to change. On the first night of the festivities, Alys's lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of one of the most eligible bachelors. But his friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her, and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. But as the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal--and Alys begins to realize that Darsee's brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance.

Review: I had a very hard time reading Unmmariageable. I so very much wanted to read a fun, insightful retelling of Pride and Prejudice from my culture. My expectations were too high and instead I read what seemed like a very poor fan fiction of Pride and Prejudice without the charm, wit, and keen cultural criticism which made the original a classic.
  The author's writing was solid when it came to the description of events and showing how the world of Austen is not far from Pakistan's culture where woman are still defined by the clothes she wears and who she marries though she does not provide social context to readers who are unfamiliar with Pakistani culture. There are attempts at calling attention to fat shaming and the absurd ideal of beauty but it falls flat. The plot closely follows the original, but the characters are ridiculously named and much like a poke instead of a nudge of addressing the characters, completely flat and unlikable. Even our famous pairing is lopsided in which Alysbeth is completely annoying and insufferable that I had no idea why Darsee would be interested in her at all. There is no character development of Darsee and the romance between any of the characters is virtually nonexistent. Definitely skip this one and watch Bride and Prejudice for a South Asian spin on the classic. 

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, mention of drug and alcohol abuse, mentions of sexual situations and abortions, and crude sexual humor. Recommended to adults and older teens.

If you like this book try: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

  I've had a terrible run of adult reads lately. Books that had lots of potential for being a great read have crashed and burned. I'm afraid I am in a reading slump with these reads. Does anyone have any great adult fiction or even nonfiction reads that you can't put down and have been recommending nonstop? If so, please let me know!

Description: Pride and Prejudice was only half the story...
 In this irresistibly imagined below stairs answer to Pride and Prejudice,the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Review: I had very high expectations for Longbourn. It was the coveted ARC at ALA this spent summer and has received several starred reviews from journals such as Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. Unfortunately, for me, I couldn't match my enthusiasm for this book like the other reviewers.
  Longbourn is marketed as Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey story. While the Bennets do appear in the story, their lives unfold in the background much like the grown ups in the Peanuts comics and when one of the rare times they do appear it is to berate the servants. The light, comedic tone of Pride and Prejudice quickly turns to somber and bleak with very little bright moments. The spotlight of Longbourn is firmly fixed on the small servant staff that the Bennets employ and their own personal plights and herein lies the fatal flaw of the novel for me.
  While the novel is well written, Baker fails to make the servants interesting characters and come alive. Baker spends more time in creating horrible situations for her characters and ways that they could suffer than actually fleshing them out. While I did sympathize with a few, I wasn't attached to them as I should be and I really didn't care all that much for what was happening to the servants. I was also taken aback on how negatively the Bennets are portrayed. While I understand there has to be a difference stated between the employer and employee, there was a bitterness that is usually associated with a wealthier employer. If you recall, the Bennets are only a middle class family and they only employ a very small serving staff. I had a hard time believing that progressive thinkers such as Mr. Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett would rebuff their servants so severely.
  Readers who haven't read Pride and Prejudice will not feel lost with this story as it follows a skeletal outline of the original novel's plot, however, I think they will fail to realize the impact of the scandalous ways of the smarmy Mr. Wickham. Due to my disinterest, I thought the pacing was quite slow but perhaps someone who is more invested into the story would not find fault with the pacing. Would I recommend Longbourn? Well, that's a difficult question to answer. If you're looking for a happy spin off of Austen's classic, look somewhere. If you enjoy melodrama and are okay with lack luster characters, give Longbourn a try.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There are inferences of sexual situations and attempted rape. There is are also some graphic war violence descriptions along with punishment of slaves. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: An assembly such as this by Pamela Aidan, The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon,

  For my last challenge of 2013, I'm participating in the Classics Double Challenge hosted by One's Librarian Book Reviews. The object of this challenge is to read a classic (the term is used loosely to include fairy tales, mythologies, classics, any kind of original story) and couple it with a retelling (the original and the newer book have to relate in some way that you can define; it doesn't have to be a straight-forward retelling). My objective with this challenge is to read some classics that I've haven't read yet.


Description (from Goodreads): It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
   Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.   But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars is a retelling that does everything right. Though it superficially maintains the plot points and themes of Jane Austen's Persuasion, it goes beyond and creates a new darker, post-apocalyptic world. Some readers were not thrilled by how Peterfreund dealt with rough handled morality in the story, but I would disagree. I think her decision to narrow her focus on the society enriched my pleasure of reading Austen's original work considerably. 
  The world that Peterfreund created is very intricate and detailed. While it takes some time for the world to unfold and one to grasp the social hierarchy, I was never confused but rather engrossed. Elliot North is our heroine who happens to be a Luddite, one of the elite destined to care for the mentally Reduced remnant after human genetic engineering went catastrophically wrong. 
  Eliot is just as charming as she is in the original book. She is duty bound to her family and her society, but the more she works with the Reduced, the more she has begun to question her duty; her family seems more interested in luxurious leisure than estate management. Her people will starve without recourse to forbidden technology, and more and more Post-Reduced children are being born. 
  One of the "Posts" that we get to know intimately is that of Kai Wentworth, Eliot's secret best friend turned romantic interest. Kai is extremely intelligent and longs to explore the world outside his designated boundaries. He and Eliot both know their romance is doomed due to their social status and the gap of his disappearance has wounded our heroine deeply. Now he has returned with the fleet of Post explorers who could be the last hope for saving Elliot's heritage, but his bitterness toward Elliot may be hiding a more dangerous secret. 
  I loved how the author gave insight to Eliot and Kai's relationship by interspersing letters written by their younger selves. You can see how naturally their relationship grew and evolved unlike the Austen original which underplayed the romance and reducing it to body language and signals. His passion rubs off on Eliot and we understand where their spark comes from. Though I already knew the outcome of the story, I couldn't help but feel frustrated whenever an obstacle came in Eliot and Kai's happily ever after, which I think is a sign that the author knows how to write a romance. 
While I liked that the society was different and original but still addressed the major themes of social and class distinctions, the book still felt a bit unfinished. I would have liked to see how the issues of slavery, anti-intellectualism and fundamentalist religion play out and hopefully it will be explored more when Peterfreund revisits the world in a different angle in her companion novel, Across a Star-Swept Sea, which will be released this fall. Readers looking for a swoony romance that isn't hindered by some depth, a steady pace, and a likable heroine should definitely check this book out. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are rumors of possible sexual situations involving a character but it's never really explored or clarified. Recommended for strong Grade 7 readers and up.

If you like this book try:

  Persuasion, published posthumously in 1818, is Jane Austen's last completed novel. Though it isn't as recognizable as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, or Sense and Sensibility, it is perhaps my favorite Austen novel. The writing and social satire is sharp and biting. The romance, of course, is sweet, satisfying, and the center of the book.

Description (from Goodreads): When Anne Elliot falls in love with a handsome and charming young man, she must make a wrenching decision. The man she loves is perfect in every way...except one: he lacks the wealth and social status that would make him a suitable match for Anne. At least, that is what friends and family persuade Anne to believe. So Anne breaks off the match and sends Wentworth away, but she can't help wondering: Did I do the right thing? It is a question that will haunt her for years until, unexpectedly, Wentworth returns. His circumstances have improved greatly, but is it too late for Anne?

Review: Like all of Austen's novels, the plot of the book is very straightforward. Our heroine, Anne Elliot, made a mistake eight years ago and the question of "What if?" has haunted her ever since. Anne was in love with a navy officer named Frederick Wentworth when she was nineteen years old. Wentworth was everything that Anne wanted in a spouse except he lacked two important things: social stature and money. Through persuasion and influence from her peers and society, Anne went against her gut instincts and declined Wenthworth's marriage proposal. Now in her late 20s (which is an old maid in Austen's times!), Anne has been shuffling between and living with vain, superficial, and irritating family members and friends. And with the unpredictable hands of fate, she once again encounters Wentworth who is now a renowned Captain in the Royal Army. The two are now forced to revisit old wounds and perhaps make amends.
  I absolutely adored Anne and I think she's probably the most realistic heroine that Austen created. She is logical, quiet, calm, and thoughtful. She isn't the first one to make impulsive decisions or rash prejudices against people she's met, but an observer of human behavior. Her thoughtfulness is her flaw as she over thinks everything. Though we may frown at her decision to decline Wentworth's proposal, we can understand why she declined. Without money and social stature, the two that made her society go round, there wasn't much of a future for Anne and Frederick. The prospects of attaining a future that went beyond attending balls, house visiting, and taking care of families is what Anne and Frederick both wanted. With that understanding in mind, her sacrifice of happiness leaves a bitter taste in our mouths as we watch Anne get belittled and brushed over. Anne immediately gets our sympathy and we hope for the moment where she stands up for herself.
   Unlike Anne, Frederick is a hard character to like at first. He is distant and appears extremely cold. His actions don't always make sense as he tries to make Anne jealous by being someone else's suitor, but we have to remember that is what Anne perceives him to be as we are watching the story unfold in her eyes. I thought it was interesting how our perceptions of Frederick changes as we hear other characters' opinion of him.
  The romance of Persuasion is very subdued, immersed in the quiet glances and in the body language of Anne and Frederick. The two play around the fire of attraction though their pride and resentment is what keeps them apart even though their pairing is now acceptable in the eyes of society. It is completely frustrating watching these two characters who are obviously in love with one another to come clean and actually communicate, but when they do the book soars. If you love romance and second chances, do pick up Persuasion.
 
Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for teens and adults.

If you like this book try: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diane Peterfreund, Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange, The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz

 Thanks to a particular lascivious book, you can't say the words shades or grey without having a few people raise their eyebrows. Let me assure you that's not why I was drawn to Shades of Honey and Milk, but I happened to stumble upon it while looking for some urban fantasy series. The tagline promising a Jane Austen-like ambiance with a dash of magic, and a nod to Beauty and the Beast is what made me pick this one up.

Description (from Goodreads): Shades of Milk and Honey is an intimate portrait of Jane Ellsworth, a woman ahead of her time in a version of Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. But despite the prevalence of magic in everyday life, other aspects of Dorchester’s society are not that different: Jane and her sister Melody’s lives still revolve around vying for the attentions of eligible men.
   Jane resists this fate, and rightly so: while her skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face, and therefore wins the lion’s share of the attention. At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Jane has resigned herself to being invisible forever. But when her family’s honor is threatened, she finds that she must push her skills to the limit in order to set things right–and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

Review: Shades of Honey and Milk definitely delivers as an Austenesque read. The scenario is typical as two middle class sisters wait around to be married off to a man of nobility or at least some money to his name. The sisters are the plain on the outside but extremely talented Jane and the beautiful and fair Melody. Readers of Austen will immediately pick up the nods throughout the book, but irony, social criticism, as well as complication of character that make Austen's novels so loveable are not present in this book. Instead we are adding a neat magical system, which unfortunately isn't explored and seems little integrated with the world. 
  The characters, whose character traits seem to be picked from various Austen novels, are enjoyable. You have your obvious bad guys (I always thought Austen's villains were completely obvious), the love interest, the plain but in her own way extraordinary that takes people a while to recognize. I would have liked to know each of the characters a bit more, especially Jane and Vincent.
  The story takes time to warm up and is a bit obvious. I did notice a few period glitches found in the book, but it didn't take me out of the book. I chuckled a few times at the dead pan humor and was a bit surprised to see how the book's quickly ends given the slow start. 
  Kowal is a talented writer and Shades of Milk and Honey is a lovely tribute to Jane Austen, which she acknowledges in her author notes. I do plan on reading more of this series at some point, but I'm not rushing to it. I think the series has great potential and I'm curious to learn more about the world and hopefully, the next books won't seem as unfinished as this first book.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended to teens and adults who enjoy a clean romance with a dash of fantasy and magic.

If you like this book try: Glamour of Glass (Shades of Honey and Milk #2), The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey, The Native Star by M.K. Hobson

Clueless is  a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. This is one of those rare cases where I liked the movie much more than the book. Austen's Emma got on my nerves so much that I couldn't enjoy the book. I hated her righteous attitude. When I met Cher, I instantly liked her for being...well so clueless about what was going around her.

The Joyluck Club by Amy Tan is a book that broke my heart into many pieces with its heart wrenching stories of how mothers sacrfice things for their children. The movie had the same effect of me, my mom, and my sisters. A fabulous cast and screenplay that handled the various stories and different character point of views very well.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. Tolkein- I'm blown away by how much detail Peter Jackson included in his trilogy. I couldn't decide which movie of the three to put on here, so I cheated and included all of the. My favorite book, however, is The Two Towers. The movies really helped me get the various characters, races, and languages straight in my head when I read the books. The movies also introduced me to fabulous actors like Viggo Mortenson who I knew nothing about.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton- This is probably the most faithful book to movie adaptation that I've ever seen. The actors became the characters. Their comraderie, loyalty, and love for one another leaped off the screen and felt authentic. Out of all the actors, I would say that Matt Dillon's Dallas broke my heart. Looking back at it now, the cast is unbelievable: Patrick Swayze (RIP), Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise (before he went psycho), Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane amongst the noteables. I still don't understand how all the actors except for C. Thomas Howell, who played Ponyboy,  seemed to make it big in Hollywood.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- Okay, so technically this is a TV miniseries, but I absolutely loved it. The screenplay is fantastic and hits on the right notes of Austen's social and political points. I watch this yearly during Winter Break and still can't get enough. It's my first introduction to Colin Firth and I have watched almost anything with him every since. To me, Colin Firth will always be Mr. Darcy.



William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet- I absolutely love everything about this Baz Lurhman's adaptation. It beautifully and creatively captured the spirit and tone of the play while making the film contemporary with its awesome soundtrack, clothing, set, and a terffic, diverse cast. I can watch this film several times and have several different reactions to it everytime I finish it. My VHS copy of this movie is so run down that I have to go and buy the DVD.



What's Eating Gilbert Grape?  by Peter Hedges- Everyone knows about my obsession over Johnny Depp, but that's not why I liked this movie (well, okay just a little ;) ). What's Eating Gibert Grape is a beautifully shot movie of that transferred the book's tenderness, teen angst, caring and self-awareness of the Grape family. I firmly believe Leonardo was cheated out of getting an Oscar for his portrayal of Arnie. He was phenomenal and solidified him, in my opinion, as an actor.

About a Boy is possibly my favorite Nick Hornby novel. It compacts a romantic comedy, family drama, and self awareness all into one. While reading the book, I couldn't think of anyone else to play the despicable yet loveable Will than Hugh Grant. Talk about a role made for an actor! Although the ending is different than the novel, it stays true to the characters and spirit of the book.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare-  I've loved all of the adaptations that I have seen so far by Kenneth Branaugh, but I think Hamlet is his best. The movie is shot like an old school epic film like Lawrence of the Arabia, leaving no details untouched. While the movie may be long for some, I was glued to my seat watching how the characters and play unravel. I thought Branaugh's Hamlet had a wide range of emotions instead of the confused, crazed lunatic that is popularly portrayed by most actors. Kate Winslet's Ophelia broke my heart.

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier- Not only is the movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, but I think it perfectly captured the creepiness of the novel, especially Mrs. Danvers. Joan Fontaine effortlessly captures the innocence and mannerisms of Mrs. Dewinters.



  One of my favorite things to do in the library is to come up with book displays and booklists. With Valentines Day fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to create a list of books that show the complexities of relationships: the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can find my list of break ups and unrequited love in my Love Will Tear Us Apart Booklist. Today's topic is again inspired by one of my favorite bands, New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle, which illustrates the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in when we fall in love whether it's by falling for someone we can't have or just bad timing. There are lots of books to choose from, but I tried to choose from a variety of genres. Here goes...

Bizarre Love Triangle Booklist


Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- A fabulous contemporary romance set in Paris, the City of Love. Plenty of teen angst, however, it's not the kind where you want to strangle the characters but rather you can't turn the pages to find out what happens. Perkins is right on target with Anna's confusing relationship with Entienne St. Clair. Are they just friends or are they more? Is he still with his girlfriend or are they on the outs? Full of swoony moments, humour, and loveable characters. If you haven't picked this book up yet, what are you waiting for?

  I have a very hard time in finding adult titles to read ever since I started reading Young Adult literature. I don't have the patience to invest in an adult book if the characters are boring and unapproachable. Or if the plot is boring and moves at a snail's pace. No wonder I can walk into the Young Adult section of my library and walk away with more than 5 titles to read whereas I can browse the Fiction section until I'm blue in the face and come out with only one book. In my last visit to my local library, I didn't want to waste time in the Fiction section aka black hole of time, so I asked one of the librarians for some book recommendations. I explained I was looking for a well written adult book that wasn't dismally depressing. One of the books she recommended was The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Catherine Schine. She described the book as Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility set in the 21st Century at the East Coast. The modern rendition should have been a warning sign to run from the book, but I didn't listen to my own instincts and gave the book a whirl.

Description: Sisters Miranda and Annie retreat to Westport, Connecticut, with their mother after their father files for divorce after forty-eight years of marriage due to 'irreconcilable differences'. The three women find life in a small, dilapidated beach cottage where confusion over reason and romance dominate their lives.

Review: I don't understand why writers want to recreate a classic, especially a poorly written one. Is it for self indulgence or because they can't come up with an original idea for their novel? Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility without its warmth, thought provoking questions, and interesting characters are dropped into Westport Connecticut. All of the main characters in the original novel are true to their personalities and unfortunately, appear pretty much one dimensionally in Three Weissmanns of Westport. Majority of the novel revolves around the difficult and emotionally exhausting divorce between Joseph and Betty, Annie and Miranda's mother and stepfather. Miranda's and Annie's plot lines are secondary to this story. I expected this novel to be relatively happy considering its source, but I found it to be very sad and depressing. While all three women seem to find what some might call "happiness", I didn't feel like their problems were really resolved. There's not much romance or comedy in the book though most reviews that I've read claim there to be. Perhaps there was both, but I failed to see it. I'd rather spend my time on watching Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility. I hope to not read another retelling of a classic novel again. If I do, please stop me.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: Since this is an adult book, it contains adult situations. Strong language and sexual content is present. Since the characters are middle aged, teens may not be interested in reading this title.

If you like this book, try: The New Yorkers by Catherine Schine

  I found my next read through the Novelist database at my public library. Novelist is a reading advisory database that searches and suggests books based on what books that you enjoy reading. It includes read-alikes for popular authors, book discussion guides, award lists, and full text reviews. When I searched for read alikes for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I stumbled upon Indiscretion by Jude Morgan. I read another novel by Jude Morgan called Passions, which is a historical fiction/biography on all the major Romantic poets-mostly centered on their relationships-and I enjoyed it very much. I decided to check out her other book.

Description: When her gambling father loses his fortune, Caroline agrees with his scheme to set her up as the companion of a wealthy and powerful society matron. Caroline must use her beauty and intelligence to attract the attentions of Regency society's most eligible men. Will she find the right person who will like her for who she is?

Review: Indiscretion follows the format of Pride and Prejudice very closely, however, the book lacks the spark of Austen's classic. The characters are relatively boring, with the exception of Stephen Milner. The sparkling wit that Austen is widely known is largely absent in the book. The plot moves very slowly and it never really flowed for me. I had to put it down several times while reading it. Overall, a decent Regency romance, but I wouldn't skip an Austen novel for this book. 

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There are some inferences of womanizing men in the story.

If you like this book, try: Mr. Malcom's List by Suzanne Allain

  My sisters are a fan of Jane Austen, whether it's reading her novels or watching movie adaptations. As a teen, I didn't understand all the hoopla that surrounded Austen. One of my sisters tried to get me to read Pride and Prejudice when I was a freshman. I couldn't get through the book. The witty dialogue and the interesting characters didn't do anything for me. I was irritated and fixed on the heroines of the novel. How could two highly intelligent, good mannered women of the middle class just sit home and wait for some guy (of noble class of course) come along and marry them? Figuring this was just one plot to one of Austen's novel, I tried another and then another, and finally gave up.
     It was not until my sophomore year of college that I appreciated Austen's novels after learning about the historical context in which she was writing or in my opinion, critiquing, and her own biography. I was fascinated by the notion that this author who is known for her romances and the happily ever after is a marriage never married herself. If you do a close examination of her books, you'll notice that the hero and the heroine don't connect unless there is a financial problem. Of course women at that time didn't have economic security or heck, independence of any kind really. To this day, I'm not entirely convinced that Elizabeth and Darcy truly loved one another. I think Elizabeth married him because she had no choice. Darcy did her family a huge favor and as a payback, she was married. Case closed.
     Marriage in this light is not about a happy union between two people as we like to define it. Marriage is more like a necessity or a profession that women have been trained to want since their birth. Have you noticed that in a slew of romantic comedies a highly successful and professional woman is seen to have everything except a man in her life? Have we really come far since Austen's time? No, this blog post is not a rant on marriage or Jane Austen, but these were the thoughts that I had in my head when I picked up Kavita Daswani's aptly titled novel For Matrimonial Purposes.

Description: Anju is thirty four years old and single. In the eyes of her family, there must be something wrong with her. Her mother desperately seeks answers from spiritual guides and matchmakers to find a suitable match for her daughter. Once all the potential suitors turn out to be duds, Anju decides she wants a different life for herself. She applies to a New York university and convinces her parents to study abroad in hopes of finding a husband. Will Anju finally be married and more importantly, will he be Indian?

Review: I found For Matrimonial Purposes to be a funny, warm, and a very accurate of how Southeast Asians, in this case India, view the institute of marriage. There were many moments where I laugh out loud at Anju's ridiculous suitors and other moments where I nodded my head at Anju's introspective notions of 'Indian dating' and how being an independent, working woman who lived in New York was seen as 'ruining her reputation' or 'too modern' by the people back home. As Anju keenly observes, the wedding is much more important than the marriage. As long as someone is married, whether they are happy or not does not matter in the eyes of the community. Marriage in the eyes of a Southeast Asian is a requirement, an identity, because a woman is not given anything else. Anju is allowed to go to America or 'Umerica' as her parents calls it, not because she will advance in her college degree but because she will have a higher probability rate in finding a husband.
   I had two problems with this novel. First, I was at times confused with the timeline. The first part of the book explores Anju's return to Mumbai after living in New York for a cousin's wedding. The second and third half jumps back and forth from Anju's initial plight in going to New York and the happy ending. It was a bit too jumpy for me and thought it could have been smoother. Second, I think it's very important to point out that Anju comes from a very well off family. Coming to America for a couple of courses and living in New York of all places is not cheap. The plausibility of Anju's growth process is a bit unbelievable. Overall, a great light read that made me think.  
 
Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is mild language. I think teens might find this interesting, but I think it would appeal much more for adults.

If you like this book try: The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani

  This following post is brought to you by my very good friend, Julie Morra. I had asked Julie to guest blog for me while I catch up on some of my reading and reviews. Thanks, Julie!



Words of Caution: Enthusiasm does fall into the teen romance genre so I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.

If you liked this book, you might also try: Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley.